Posted by Chris on August 2, 2009 under Sermons
David: Free Agent (27)
- David resides in Philistia
- Protection from Saul
- Goes to Achish, King of Gath (1 Samuel 21:10-15)
- Ziklag – becomes a royal city
- David becomes a raider
David: Double Agent
The Bible mentions the Kenites as living in or around Canaan as early as the time of Abraham. (Genesis 15:18-21.) At the Exodus the tribe inhabited the vicinity of Mount Sinai and Horeb. Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses was a Kenite, (Judges 1:16) as was his wife, Jethro’s daughter, Zipporah. (Exodus 2:21.) Elsewhere, however, Jethro is said to have been “priest of Midian” (Exodus 3:1) and a Midianite (Numbers 10:29), leading many scholars to believe that the terms are intended (at least in parts of the Bible) to be used interchangeably, or that the Kenites formed a part of the Midianite tribal grouping. The Kenites journeyed with the Israelites to Canaan (Judges 1:16); and their encampment, apart from the latter’s, was noticed by Balaam. (Numbers 24:21-22.)
Amalekites – Exodus 17, 1 Samuel 15.
Israel vs Philistia (28)
- David is dismissed
- Achish’s commanders do not trust David
- Saul seeks spiritual help
- God is silent
- Consults a medium to conjure up Samuel
Leaders in Crisis
- Saul: Turns to a medium (28)
- David: Turns to the ephod (30)
- David vs. Amalekites – Victory and Rescue
- Saul vs. Philistines – Humiliation and Defeat
Who is King in Israel?
- Saul and his sons are dead
- Israelite Army is scattered
- Israel is occupied by the enemy
- The pagan gods are honored, Saul is humiliated
- David is away in Ziklag
- Who leads Israel now?
Posted by Chris on under Sermons
We believe that God’s mission has a church. We believe that this congregation, this church is part of God’s mission. That mission unfolds here in many ways, but if we had to name four ways that it is being worked out on a large scale then I would say, as we’ve said before, it is Campus, Kids, Healing, and Hope.
It is this last one that I want to call your attention to: Hope. What does hope look like among a people who strive to live out God’s mission in this world? What is hope? What does it do, what does it feel like? Is hope something more than a political slogan or campaign buzzword (like change)? Is hope anything more than wishful thinking?
To appreciate what hope means, we need a word of wisdom about our human condition that is more ancient than our American culture in the 21st century. We need a word of wisdom that is much deeper than our reductionist reading of Bible. We need a word that truly speaks what we feel rather than what we think we should feel.
There is such a word in the Psalms. We find it buried beneath the sweet and comforting glow of Psalm 23. We find it on the lips of Jesus as he suffers on the cross. It is a word familiar to God’s children, but unfortunately we haven’t always felt comfortable discussing it. It’s like on of those family secrets that everyone knows, but no one can ever verbalize it.
But this Psalm was written down for all generations. It was set to music and arranged to be sung in worship. It became the earliest Christians’ scripture for understanding Jesus. Unfortunately we have given this Psalm to Jesus, applied it to Jesus, but never owned it ourselves. If we are going to take up our cross and follow him, then we need to open this Psalm up. For as raw, ugly, and seemingly irreverent as this Psalm may seem, it is a key that unlocks the meaning of hope.
Read Psalm 22.
- Crying Out for Help: What do you say when God seems Silent?
- There are times when our rote prayers just don’t seem to have any meaning. Sometimes it is easy or even comforting to shout praises – to declare God is Great, God is Good. We should and ought to give thanks. We should and ought to pray, “Our Father in Heaven, Holy is your Name!”
- But sometimes, we cannot because we feel like we are shouting into an empty darkness. Let’s be honest, there are times that we want to say, “God, where are you?”
- This Psalm (and many others) gives us permission to ask the questions that may seem inappropriate or irreverent. After all, God doesn’t want a relationship with people who don’t have any expectations of him (Do you want that sort of relationship?).
- On the cross, Jesus doesn’t pray “Our Father who art heaven hallowed be thy name.” Rather he is verbalizing a question that he dare not ignore – a question from deep within his soul – “God, why are you so far from me?”
- Jesus takes this whole thing very personally, because Jesus isn’t a Pharisee. He’s not a hypocrite. With the Pharisees, God is all business. When something goes wrong, well God didn’t mean anything by it. It’s not personal. But for Jesus, this is Father and Son. And if it is for Jesus, then it is for us.
- We have expectations for God – we remember how he has helped other people in times of trouble. We can read stories about the mighty things he has done. And rather than give God an excuse not to help in case God doesn’t want to (or can’t? [gasp?]), the Psalmist holds God’s feet to the fire.
- This is more than just a prayer – something religious to say so that we can remind ourselves and others that we are believers – this is a plea.
- If it seems irreverent or sacrilegious to make such a plea and accuse God of being away from his post, then let me explain why this matters: 1) We are going to feel like this no matter how often we lie to ourselves and others. 2) If we dress up our prayers and lie to God, then what have we lost? We have lost our expectation that God will do anything. We are essentially numbing ourselves to the pain and suffering and all of our prayers are saying – “Whatever.” There’s no hope there.
- Psalm 22 is a deeply reverent prayer – It affirms that God should be God. It remembers how God helps those need it. It has high expectations of God and calls God out. High expectations lead to hope. It’s not enough to accept that God can do what he has done before – we must hope that he will. Expect it and call out for it!
- God is Near:
- The Psalmist reflects on God’s presence. God was there when he was born. God was there when he was just a nursing child. God is present in the little things. In the smallest, most common efforts at survival. God is there not removing it from us, but working in it.
- Now all the more since this Psalm is spoken by Jesus on the cross, the experience of pain and suffering in this world is changed. It isn’t that pain and suffering are really different, but there is new perspective. God doesn’t run away from our suffering. He doesn’t abandon us.
- Pain and suffering may come about because of our poor choices, but God doesn’t abandon us. It isn’t always divine retribution. How can we say that?
- The cross and the words of Jesus show that God identifies with the weak and suffering. He participates in it. It is radical to suggest that God suffers.
- Suffering is not a sign of misfortune. Nor is God trying to teach us a lesson. Remember that Jesus made this personal. God isn’t a dispassionate divine despot experimenting on us poor humans. He is in the trenches with us. He has risked something in order to make a difference.
- Hope feels like the experience of v. 24. God doesn’t ignore or abandon those who suffer. (v. 24)
- Celebration and Suffering: Hope promises to praise God.
- The Psalmist fixes Hope on the anticipation of telling the story of God’s help. – There is an expectation in the goodness of God. Somehow, someway when this is over the story of God’s help will be told. It will be sung.
- Notice the setting for the praise – the assembly! Others will hear it. Generations later will tell it and sing it. (v. 25-31). Like evangelism it is going to be told everywhere.
- But I have to ask: Do we give a place in our assemblies for people to bear witness? Do we permit ourselves the opportunity to praise God for his help. Not just in general, but the real stories. Can we name the pain and suffering that we feel? Not just the surgeries and sicknesses, but the depression, the fear, the pain and sickness of heart. Dare we name our brokenness like the Psalmist – like Christ?
- In our culture we spend a lot of time and effort on ignoring suffering and pain. It is good that we have treatments and therapies that have been unheard of in ages past, but our attitude of secrecy and our advertising of solutions has implied that if you are hurting or suffering, then something about you must be abnormal. Furthermore, we get the idea that if life isn’t always glamorous, exciting, perfect, and snappy, then something is really wrong. If boring and sad are problems for our culture, then how much more is suffering and pain a problem. Our efforts to ignore pain and suffering are stressing us out.
- When I say culture, I mean us in the church too. Can we be different enough to allow our Psalmist to tell what God has done? Is our assembly a time and place that allows the afflicted to fulfill their vows to praise God (v. 25)?
Imagine our assembly and our community as a place of Hope. Like God we do not hide our face from those who suffer. Like God we do not despise or abandon those who feel forsaken. The praises of those who have received help, strengthen those who cry out for it.
Posted by Chris on July 26, 2009 under Sermons
Thank you for your prayers and encouragement that made it possible for me to join the group that went to Mexico to work on a church building for the congregation in Santa Monica, just outside Monterrey.
- These lessons grow out of my mission trip in Mexico – (I packed my yellow tool bag and got busy with the work, not quite knowing exactly what we would be doing, but knowing that there was a mission).
- However, the application of these lessons is larger than just Mexico Missions or an particular missions.
- It is about THE mission and the church at West-Ark which is part of that mission.
- Tools are not the mission. They serve the mission.
- I took the tools I thought might be useful for the sort of work I anticipated. But then I packed some other items. At first I wasn’t sure why, but most all of them served the mission.
- Some became immediately useful – wire cutters and pliers
- Some became useful in unexpected ways – Wonder Bar (why would it be useful when we had all those crowbars and hammers? It is the best tool for prying a board when more is needed than brute strength.); the combination pliers. Without a socket wrench and a socket, we had no other way to remove the spark plug from a faulty compacter.
- Some were not useful at all expect for one moment: Why did I bring my headlamp? It was sunny all day. Why would I ever need this? At the very end of the trip, when we got home and it was 1:30 in the morning. I had searched for my keys. I then took out the headlamp and could see where they were hidden in my suitcase!
- Our mission was not determined by the type of tools in this bag, rather the tools in this bag were made to serve the mission.
- The tool bag is defined by its contents – not the other way around!
- This dirty old tool bag was slung around all week. It got filthy and beat up. It got wet. It wasn’t that attractive to begin with — a rather sickly day-glow yellow and it has my initials scrawled on it. But this dirty tool bag performed its task well, it contained something that was needed to accomplish the mission.
- It is a vessel. If it carried medical supplies, it would not have been a tool bag. I had another black bag for those useful items. It was defined by its contents.
- We are containers; what we contain makes us worthy.
- Sometimes you have to hit the board to pull the nail.
- Our nail pulling crew learned this lesson. There were moments that they would work on a particularly tight, twisted nail. Even though their hammer had a tight grip on it and even though two of them would be pulling on the hammer it just wouldn’t come loose. But then, they would take another hammer and hit the board. Pop! It came right out.
- Working together; learning from one another. Seeking wisdom from those who were working ahead of us.
- Don’t worry about what isn’t in the tool bag; just focus on what is in the tool bag. I was fortunate to have just what was needed – sometimes it took creativity – but we had what we needed. (But I did think on occasion that I would give my back teeth for a good reciprocating saw).
- The mission always requires us to be creative and wise.
Applications
- Tools are not the mission. They serve the mission.
- We turn our tools into the mission. I could have sat in a shady corner all day cleaning the tools, oiling them, refusing to use them because I didn’t want them to get worn. Fussing with everyone over the proper way to use the tools (instead of the creative uses we often had to employ). I could have been very selective about who used them and maybe even checked them out and hovered over the folks who used them. I could have brought back a shiny bag with clean tools. How would that have served the mission? Would that have served the mission? Of course not.
- Too often we make tools the mission. We focus and worry so much on buildings, programs, and resources. Now hear me correctly – I am not against these resources. They are all useful and all worthy of the time and expense as they serve the mission of God. But when our purpose is to keep and maintain these things, we cease to serve the mission (not the tools, but we cease to serve the mission).
- It can be the physical resources – buildings, vans, property, family life center, and auditorium. Even smaller tools count: computers, software, carpet and pews.
- It can also be more subtle things: bank accounts, committee structures, the type of printed or unprinted music we use in worship, the type of bread and juice we use in communion, the format of the bulletin. Even things like curriculum, the format of worship, the sermon and how it is preached (I struggle with this).
- Yes, it is appropriate to think about these things as we pack our tool bag for the mission. It is good and worthwhile to think about their best use, but tools must never become the mission.
- When Christ returns he isn’t going to be impressed with how clean our vans are, rather how we used that van in the mission. When Christ returns he isn’t going to be impressed with our musical arrangements of songs and whether we all hit the right note in the proper key, but he is pleased with the heart, passion, and gratitude that swells up in our praise of his glory. When Christ returns he isn’t going to be impressed with my preaching eloquence – or lack thereof – but he will be concerned with the truth and good news of the message shared.
- Our mission is not determined by our tools; rather all of our tools must serve the mission.
- The tool bag is defined by its contents – not the other way around!
- We are containers; what we contain makes us worthy.
- Think of how much attention we give to our outward appearance and our outward well-being. Are we truly as balanced as we need to be?
- 2 Corinthians 4:1-15 … We can spend so much time trying to make ourselves and our congregation attractive, when we are simply the clay jars. Our weaknesses and imperfections do not become a discouragement or something to cover up; rather we plainly show that the power to save is from God – not us.
- The container is defined by its contents – not the other way around!
- Sometimes we should hit the board, not the nail.
- The mission always requires us to be creative and wise.
- Creativity and Wisdom – Luke 16. Jesus nudges the church for not being as creative as the people of the world. After all, if the people of this world are so intent on achieving their goals, shouldn’t God’s church be all the more intent on fulfilling his mission.
- Why aren’t we as creative and wise as we can be? Usually because we are afraid. Specifically we submit to the “Fear of Criticism.”
- We reveal it in our comments such as “Somebody’s going to say something.”
- Let’s take “Somebody’s going say something” out of our language. Notice how non-specific the statement is. What is the something that somebody is going to say? Maybe something good? Maybe something praiseworthy? Maybe something that helps? And who is somebody? Usually Somebody is Nobody.
- Let’s be creative and wise and remove from our thinking the attitude of “Can’t Do That.”
- The spirit (or leaven) of the Pharisees is too often still among us waiting to spread and grow. We have to watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees. It is that tendency in us to focus on our resources to hoard them. To be satisfied in our rules, our policies, our abilities, our knowledge, and stop trusting in God. The leaven of the Pharisees kills the passion and creativity that God’s mission requires.
Posted by Chris on July 5, 2009 under Sermons
Americans are passionate about the concept of freedom. Freedom and independence define our experience. Many of know that freedom comes with a price – freedom is not free. That’s why we cringe at the thought of squandering freedom. Giving up precious freedom simply to avoid struggle or to gain something as simple as comfort strikes us as a losing bargain. Statements like “give me liberty or give me death” are written deeply into our history. We aren’t always sure that our nation will live up to that spirit, but it is still there.
If we can be so passionate about political freedom and if we can understand the spirit of freedom that is a part of the legends and history of our nation, then we ought to be even more passionate about freedom in Christ. We really need to understand how the Spirit of God is the foundation of this freedom. Read Galatians 5 …
So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law …
- Paul is greatly discouraged that the Galatian Christians have given up their freedom and submitted themselves to systems of rules and beliefs.
- Instead of trusting in the grace of God, they have decided to make themselves right with God based on what they can do.
- Some of it probably seems harmless: observing special rituals, following certain rules and customs, nothing too extreme … but Paul’s warning is that grace plus anything else really isn’t grace.
- What concerns me is our fascination with lists – five acts of worship, five steps/six steps of salvation, threefold patterns of interpretation: Yes, these can be helpful, but when observance or adherence to these lists become a test of fellowship and/or become the sign of faithfulness, then we are getting bound up into a type slavery.
- There is a dangerous temptation to view our salvation in terms of a knowledge that we must have and a work that we must do that secures that salvation. We are not dependent on our own efforts. Our faith is not measured by our accomplishments.
- Our faith, our life isn’t the sum total of keeping a list of requirements and commands.
- We are free from religious law.
v 13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters.
- What does it mean to be called to live in freedom? Do we grasp the importance of this statement?
- We are free in Christ which means …
- We are free to love. We do not love God and love others because we are coerced. Not because there is some legal obligation. We are free to serve.
- I can understand why Paul would find it disappointing that the Christians in Galatia were giving up on faith and freedom and substituting it with commands and obligations.
- We have not fully matured if our only motivation for following God’s ways is “because he commanded it.”
- When we live in freedom we are free to serve God and serve others – or not.
So if we are free not to serve God and others, why would we?
It’s sort of a shame that Americans – who understand that freedom isn’t free – have to ask this. Freedom demands certain responsibilities. Those who seek freedom are filled with a certain spirit of responsibility and maturity.
Much more so, in Christ, we are filled with God’s Holy Spirit when we live in freedom.
But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
v 16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
- Those who live in Christ’s freedom do not act in ways that are determined by others.
- We are free from the reaction and response of others.
- We are also free to act in a way that reflects the spirit rather than act in a way that is defensive or reactive to others.
- Think about it, such defensive and reactive behavior is childish. “I acted this way, because she did this or that.”
- Paul is pushing the Galatians to be guided by the Holy Spirit because they are being guided by other spirits. How often are we guided by other spirits, other attitudes, other expectations.
- We are often so worried about what others think and what others do, and we become less interested in what God thinks, what he is able to do and we are less interested in what we are thinking and especially what we are doing.
- Because we are free …
- We are free from manipulation by others
- We are free from the temptation to control others
- We are free from the need to feel like we must know better than others.
- We are free to do good – always (Galatians 6:10)
Posted by Chris on June 28, 2009 under Sermons
Saul in David’s Hands (chapter 24)
- Saul is vulnerable
- David’s Men: “This is the day God promised – Saul is in your hands!”
- David cuts of piece of robe but protects Saul: “He’s the anointed.”
Saul in God’s Hands
- David confronts Saul: “God will avenge me!”
- David puts the matter in God’s hands
- Saul is humbled by David’s grace
- Who is right? In whose eyes?
Aftermath
- David promises respect to Saul’s family
- They part company. The pursuit is over
- Samuel dies
David and Nabal (chapter 25)
- David and his men ask Nabal for hospitality
- Nabal is rude and selfish
- David plans revenge on Nabal
- Abigail intervenes. David trusts in the Lord – again.
- Nabal is stunned and later dies.
David in Saul’s Camp (chapter 26)
- David and Abishai enter Saul’s camp
- Saul is in David’s hands once again
- He calls Abner out and chides him for not protecting king
- David and Saul call for peace
David and Christ
- Christ did not defend himself, but trusted in God
- Christ could have avenged himself, but he trusted in God’s justice
- Christ was rightfully God’s anointed
Posted by Chris on under Sermons
What do you expect when you come to worship? I wonder what the worshippers who came to synagogue in Nazareth expected? Maybe they thought it would be a day like any other. Saying prayers, reading Scripture, some study. …
I want you to imagine what it would have been like for the men and women who had high hopes for Jesus’ ministry. They were there that day when Jesus read Scripture. He said …
The Spirit of the Lord is on me and he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come. (Luke 4:18-19)
He claimed that this ancient reading was fulfilled even as they heard it. Jesus certainly proved to have the power to back up his claim. No wonder people followed him and wanted to learn how to live.
But now it is years after that and those same men and women have lost their hopes. Jesus is hanging on a cross.
- Do you know what a cross is? It is a form of public execution. It is a method of political execution. The ruling power reserved crucifixion as a way of publicly shaming those who threatened their laws and their power. It was a way of saying to everyone in the land – if you oppose our rule or break our laws we will destroy you.
What did Jesus do to end up hanging on a cross? The answer is not “nothing.” In fact Jesus did everything that he said he would do. He proclaimed good news to the poor. He set captives free. He restored sight to the blind. He released the oppressed. He had the audacity to say that God favored us.
Now, I understand if you feel like that isn’t fair. I understand if you feel like that isn’t just. It isn’t. In fact it sort of makes us think that there’s something sort of broken with the way things are. It shouldn’t be like this. You are right. It shouldn’t.
But Jesus was a threat to the powers that keep us poor, blind, imprisoned, captive, and oppressed. And they would do anything to keep their power – even if it meant remaining captive to sin. They nailed Jesus to a cross in order to send the message that there was no good news for the poor, blind, captive, and oppressed. They wanted to reserve God’s favor for those that they considered worthy.
Can you feel what the disciples of Jesus felt when all of their hopes were dashed?
What happened to the Spirit of the Lord that rested on Jesus? Did God remove his favor?
Even as Jesus suffered and died, he trusted in God and his goodness. He said “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”
The cross seemed like the end, but it wasn’t. Jesus’ trust and submission to God was not misplaced. God raised him from the dead and exalted him. Hope was restored.
Here we are now. What did you expect today when you came to worship? Maybe a song, a prayer, communion, some preaching and scripture reading.
What if I told you that the Spirit of Christ is still proclaiming Good News. For those who are poor, captive, oppressed, there is hope. God favors you.
But be warned …
- Some people rejected Jesus in the synagogue – as soon Jesus got very generous with God’s favor, they wanted to kill him.
- Some people rejected Jesus at the crucifixion. Jesus threatened the truce that they had made with the powers of sin and evil. They had become comfortable in their blindness and captivity. Jesus threatened that comfort.
Those who reject God’s favor, choose poverty, captivity, blindness, and oppression. Could that be you?
Some of us are poor – literally and figuratively, our spirit is impoverished – we quench the joy that can be ours by submitting and trusting our spirit to God the Father.
Some of us are captives – to the state, to debt, and to our lusts
Some of us are blind – to the truth, to the needs of others, to the sin in our own lives
Some of us are oppressed – by our own selfishness, our anger, our hatred, our sin.
The Spirit of the Lord, through Jesus, is proclaiming good news. Something good and something new … The good news is this: God favors you.
The Holy Spirit of God was working through those disappointed disciples who had their hope restored when they met the risen Christ.
Peter preaching to those who rejected God’s Favor …
(Acts 2:38-40) Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles-all who have been called by the Lord our God.” Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”
There is hope. God favors you. Will you trust your spirit to God? Will you accept the gift of the Holy Spirit?
Posted by Chris on June 21, 2009 under Sermons
I stand before you preaching today because there were believers not much different that you and I who put a lot of energy and effort into a method that was aimed at giving away the gospel.
The Center Street church gave away rides to church. They had a church bus in the 1970’s, just like many churches. Yes, those buses were a lot of work. Yes, it was difficult to maintain a church bus in the midst of an oil crisis. Yes, there was a too much rigidity to the method of bus ministry and promotion of a one size fits all program. Yes, bus ministry was sometimes sold as the magic bullet that would produce instant church growth.
But thank God that those people in Fayetteville drove that bus down Turner Ave. Thank God that he was working in the hearts of men like Blondie Edwards and Lonnie Farrar. Thank God that Blondie knocked on the door of our house and asked if the kids wanted to come to church. And when my mother asked if she could ride the bus to church too (because she thought my sister would not go without her), thank God that Blondie didn’t wonder if this conformed to the guide book nor did he tell her that he had to ask the elders – thank God he said, “Absolutely!”
Thank God for Colleen Shirley who befriended my mother and made her feel welcome. Thank God for the men who made my father feel welcome. Thank God for people at that congregation who welcomed my unbaptized mother and father into their community. Thank God for Tommy Dockery who preached and conversed with my mom and dad. Thank God that he eventually baptized them into Christ.
There were all sorts of methods at work in that church family. Everything to one-on-one kindness to high powered bus ministry. I don’t think for a second that it was all perfect and I rather suspect that there may have been some people who were annoyed by it. But thank God that those believers all had a mission to give away the Gospel!
I don’t know how many others turned them down. I don’t know how many others slammed a door. I don’t know how frustrating the work might have been. I don’t know if there was criticism or concern within the church. I just know that they offered my family a ride to church and VBS and it made an eternal impact on us and anyone that we’ve been able to help along the way.
I tell you this because I want you to forget for a second that I’m the preacher. I wasn’t born with a label that said “Minister or Evangelist.” I didn’t grow up in a heritage of saintly men of the cloth and god-fearing women who served the church. My forefathers were not church leaders. Rather I grew up in a basically good family that wasn’t particularly religious, and yet we loved each other and we did the best we could for me and we lived our lives like anyone else.
I tell you this because I want you to forget that I am preacher and understand that if it weren’t for the grace of God I probably would live a self-consumed life as a basically good person who had no sense of eternity.
And the difference maker was a group of people who were caught up in God’s mission to give away the gospel. They got intentional about it. They employed the best methods they could come up with and did something to share and give away something that was given freely to them. Have I made this clear?
Intentionality vs Perfection.
We have to be intentional. This isn’t something that we can hold onto and give away to those we deem worthy. Intentional about outreach.
One of the greatest obstacles that we have had is that we see the Gospel as something we have to sell. We don’t. We just give it away.
Method vs Mission – The Church Bus was a method. When it became the mission itself, it made it possible to lose sight of why we invested all the energy and effort into maintaining a bus and picking up children. Keeping sight of mission means that when it became unfeasible to maintain a bus, we could all of us use our own cars to bring people to worship – which in itself is still a form of method.
VBS is a method. It’s a good method. It can change. If it fails or falters, it doesn’t mean that the mission has failed. Even in our failed methods, God can accomplish his mission.
If the mission to make disciples is the polar star, then we are always course correcting according to the mission. Course correcting according to method is missing the point.
[Illustration: Negative Illustration about Method and Mission.]
Note: The lesson here is not that we must support bus ministry. Center Street and West-Ark no longer have bus ministries. That method may not be feasible, but the mission can still be accomplished. The lesson is that we must also keep the mission in focus and let method adapt to fulfill mission. Otherwise mission will be forced into the shape of method and that is not responsible.
Our mission is to give away the gospel. Our mission is God’s mission. All of our energy and effort should be in line with what God is doing. One way to imagine this is to see that our methods and efforts, our resources are sails and ships. God’s mission is the wind that drives all of this.
How can I inspire us to keep the mission in view? How can I inspire us to keep the mission in sight whether it is around the world or across the street? How can I inspire us to keep the mission in view personally and as a church – right here and now in Fort Smith.
Illustration: Funerals
But there is something that stirred me and inspired me during these three funerals. I could say with boldness and confidence in each of these funerals that these three saints are safe in Christ. I could say that because they were united with Christ in his death, then they would be united with him in the resurrection. I didn’t have to lie. I didn’t have to sell it. I just said it. It wasn’t because these three were particularly good – even though they were. It was because these three trusted in Christ. The gospel was given away freely and they took hold of it.
I want us to be more concerned for all those who will pass away without to confidence that Larry, Lewis and Louise had because of Christ.
Let this stir us to be fixed on God’s mission. Let’s give the gospel away to the hands that freely open to receive it.
Posted by Chris on June 14, 2009 under Sermons
David at Nob
- Abiathar the priest
- Holy bread supplies David and his troops
- David needs a weapon to match Saul
- Doeg the Edomite
David at Gath
- King Achish
- David is recognized as a warrior
- David acts insane to avoid capture
David at Adullam
- David’s Army of Outcasts
- David provides for his family (Moab)
- Psalm 142
Saul at Nob
- Saul vs Abiathar – The friend of my enemy is my enemy too
- Saul’s men refuse his order
- Doeg the Edomite
David at Keilah
- The Philistines raid the farmers at Keilah
- David has a choice – do the kingly thing and protect them, or avoid trouble
- David listens to his men and God
- Keilah does betray David
Posted by Chris on under Sermons
We’re living in the era of big bailouts. It seems like there is a plan for everyone to help us avoid change and the consequences of our overspending and greed.
Jim and Joweena Sanders have taken the bailout plan to the neighborhood level. They are broke and up to their eyeballs in debt. Do they sit down and figure out a budget? Do they get rid of the luxuries in their lives that are costing them so much? Oh no. They come up with a bailout that helps them avoid all responsibility – even if it shoves it off on the neighbor.
[Watch the VIDEO: “Meet the Sanders: The Bailout”]
The Sanders wouldn’t give up their stuff. So, they couldn’t give in to their fellow Christians, they couldn’t give out to help others, and they certainly couldn’t give up to God. All because they couldn’t give up their stuff.
The video is funny – maybe because it is true. Would it surprise you to know that this is exactly what God’s people were doing at a critical time in their history?
Rebuilding the Temple (Haggai)
Haggai – It is the 6th century BC. The Persian king has just released the captives who were taken from Judah by Babylon. The nation that was to be a light to the world is in ruins. God’s Temple, which was dedicated as a house of prayer for all nations, is destroyed. Now God’s people can get back to their mission and restore the temple.
Building the temple was central to the restoration of a nation that would glorify God. They were to be a light to the nations. But the people became consumed with their own houses rather than the house of the Lord. As a result, the mission was delayed for 14 years. Enter the prophet Haggai who holds the people accountable …
Haggai 1:1-11 (they respond 1:12-14)
Haggai 2:8-9
- Giving Up means Giving Up on Stuff …
The people were not giving up to God because they wouldn’t give up their stuff. The irony is that the more they try to hold on to their stuff, the less they have.
- They have food, but they are always hungry
- They have clothes, but they are never warm
- They have money, but they cannot save it – they put it in a bag with holes.
Do we ever feel like that? So much work, so much toil, so much effort to acquire more stuff and we are never satisfied.
- Giving Up means Giving Up to God …
Discipline is the antidote to dissatisfaction. See Malachi 3 …
- In pagan religion, worshippers give something to God to get something in return.
- Giving Up to God is not the same, but there is a long history of God’s people giving in order to get …
When we give in order to win God’s favor, we fail to recognize two things:
- God doesn’t need an allowance from us. When we give him 10%, that’s not his cut. He cares about the 90% he has given us as well as the 10%.
- God doesn’t change. We don’t give to change God, we give to God so that we might be changed.
When we give up on stuff and give up to God, we develop the heart, the mind, and the culture that resists the influence of the false God mammon. We practice our service to God rather than money.
All giving is giving to God. Don’t play games that leave us in control – those are ways that serve mammon. When you give, give to God. Trust that He will do whatever He wants with your gift. Learn to let go of it and don’t demand a receipt. We wouldn’t want God to hand us a bill would we?
Posted by Chris on June 7, 2009 under Sermons
Saul against David
- Saul has slain his thousands …
- Reaction: Angry, galled, jealous
- Tormented despite David’s music
Once the people praise David, Saul loses his cool and his graciousness.
He is troubled by the evil spirit even though David is ministering to him through music.
Saul’s Violence
- Throws Spear Twice – 18:10
- Sent to battle – 18:16
- Price for the Bride – 18:24
- Jonathan/Truce – 19:1-7
- Spear again – 19:9
- Assassination at Night – 19:11-17
- Pursuit – 19:18-24
Outcome
- David benefits Saul and Israel with his success
- Saul grows more fearful and jealous
- Saul is afraid of God’s Spirit upon David
The Triumph of God’s Spirit
- Saul and his troops are overwhelmed by the Spirit of God
- Saul is reduced to ecstatic prophesy – He is “among the prophets.”
- Saul will not finally be able to resist God’s Spirit
Another Truce? – 1 Samuel 20
- Jonathan advocates for David
- Arrow message
- Covenant between David and Jonathan
- David hides out from Saul
Flight or Fight
A House Divided – Psalm 55
- If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were raising himself against me,
I could hide from him.
- But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,
- with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God.
