Posted by David on April 14, 2005 under Bulletin Articles
“If the prospect of having decent health insurance is so wonderful, what do you not like?” I do not like what age is doing to me. At least at this point for me, aging is the incredible journey that constantly discovers “what you cannot do any more.” One question I never had to ask myself as an adult was, “Can you do that?” In the past, if “it” needed doing and opportunity existed, I did it. No more! Now everything is prefaced with that awful question, “Can I do that?”
Now my key word at this point in life is “transition.” In the past I told myself, “If I need to, next year I can ?” Surely I was aware of life’s uncertainties, and hopefully I took little for granted. However, even with uncertainties I had options and opportunities. Today there are question marks, and they keep getting bigger! Even with life’s uncertainties, I liked options and opportunities much better than question marks!
In this time of transition, I constantly find a challenge that was totally unexpected. “What challenge?” The challenge to faith. As I look over things in my past, I always leave moments of reflection with the same question: “Did I do that because of faith in me or because of faith in God?”
I constantly find myself tested with this question: “Can God use this to accomplish His purposes?” That is not a new question or an age question. Many Christians encounter the same question with a health crisis, a disease crisis, a relationship crisis, a family crisis, a career crisis, or [in fact] a genuine crisis of any kind.
The faith issue for a Christian is quite simple: “Can God use adversity as well as blessing to achieve His purposes in human existence? Or, is adversity blessing us?” Somehow that sounds very un-American. However, it sounds very God-centered. The God who used a cross to provide me a perfect Savior can use my challenges and transitions to strengthen my salvation in Jesus Christ. The focus is not “do I like it.” The focus is God can use any human experience to achieve His purposes.
Ephesians 3:20, 21 “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
Posted by David on April 10, 2005 under Sermons
This evening I want to challenge all of us to think in depth about a huge temptation each of us confronts. The temptation focuses on our personal concepts and personal definitions concerning “the path to God.”
Your initial reaction may be, “David, the path to God cannot possibly be a temptation to all of us! We decided long, long ago what the correct path to God is! All my life we have challenged people to trust the path, or to take the path, or to walk the path–we have never asked people to define the path! We need to emphasize the importance of the path, not dwell on the definition of the path!”
If you are tempted to think that we have correctly defined the path for a long, long time, allow me to focus you on the temptation that confronts everyone of us. Let me focus you by asking some questions.
- How many people did Jesus die for?
- Was Jesus an American?
- Is the best way to express Christianity in its nature and objectives to do it in terms of the American society and American culture?
- If believers in Jesus Christ who have been baptized by immersion in other cultures and societies do things in ways that are not American, are they genuinely Christian?
- If believers in Jesus Christ who have been baptized by immersion in this culture and society do things in ways that differ from the way you do them, are they genuinely Christian?
- In this society, what “kind” of people make you uncomfortable?
- Can baptized believers who make you uncomfortable genuinely be Christian?
- Can they worship with you?
- Can you be brother and sister to them?
- Can you be in a mutual relationship of encouragement with such Christians?
Let me approach this temptation in another way.
- How big (in attendance) would you like this congregation to become? 1,000 worshippers? 1500 worshippers? 2,000 worshippers?
- Do you mean you would like for this congregation to grow in number if everyone new was just like you at about the same point of spiritual development you are?
- Or, do you mean you would like for this congregation to grow in number even if the new people were not just like you?
Do you see the problem? Do you acknowledge the temptation? Do you realize that God’s love for a person is not dependent on your personal likes and dislikes?
This very difficult, hard problem is not new. In fact, it existed from very near the beginning of Christianity in the first century. Many Jewish Christians had a very hard time trying to understand that God loved people who were not Jews just as much as He loved Jews. Many Jewish Christians had a hard time understanding that God sent Jesus to the world, not just to the nation of Israel. Now if people who were not Jews accepted Jewish traditions and way of doing things, Jewish Christians were okay with that. But they were very uncomfortable if people who were not Jews did not accept Jewish traditions and ways. In fact, sometimes some Jewish Christians said the baptized believers in Jesus Christ were not genuine Christians, were not saved, and did not belong to God. That attitude created a huge problem in the first century church.
Tonight I want to illustrate the problem confronting all Christians. Hopefully, you will have a better understanding of the problem, the temptation facing all of us.
- I want to begin by having you picture a spectrum that goes from total black to total white.
- In this spectrum, black fades into dark gray, dark gray fades into medium gray, medium gray fades into light gray, and light gray fades into tones of white.
- I think this is an appropriate analogy for what I want to illustrate.
- Scripture often uses black or darkness to describe evil.
- It often describes righteousness as light.
- Conversion involves the process of repenting–leaving the darkness and coming to the light.
- Honestly look at this spectrum and decide for yourself what your starting point was when you first began seriously thinking about coming to Christ and becoming a Christian.
- I am quite serious–I will not ask you to share with anyone your decision–but I want you to locate your starting point on this spectrum.
- I want you to say to yourself, “That is where I was when I started to seriously think about turning to Christ.”
- Have you done that? Good! Remember what you picked as your starting point and hang on to it.
- Now allow me to ask you some more questions.
- Can God in Jesus Christ forgive a prostitute? If your answer is “Yes,” where on that spectrum would you place his or her starting point?
- Can God in Jesus Christ forgive homosexuals? If your answer is “Yes,” where on that spectrum would you place his or her starting point?
- Can God in Jesus Christ forgive a drug addict who has lost everything for the sake of his or her addiction? If your answer is “Yes,” where on that spectrum is his or her starting point?
- Can God in Jesus Christ forgive an alcoholic who has lost everything for the sake of his or her addiction? If your answer is “Yes,” where on that spectrum is his or her staring point?
- Can God in Jesus Christ forgive a violent criminal who has physically hurt another person? If your answer is “Yes,” where on that spectrum is his or her starting point?
- Compare all those starting points. What is the likelihood all of us will be at the very same point of spiritual development at the very same time?
- Allow me to advance this illustration by using two extremes.
- The first extreme is a person, man or woman, who grew up with no spiritual or religious influence in his or her life.
- His or her family never owned a Bible–he or she never saw one, never touched one.
- Sundays were “free days” to be used pursuing pleasure in any way you could indulge yourself. No one in his or her family ever thought about worshipping God.
- He or she never saw the inside of a church building, never personally knew a preacher, and felt a deep sense of disgust with all Christians.
- He or she never knew any of the Bible characters or Bible stories.
- He or she was 10 years old the first time he or she was drunk.
- He or she was a drug addict by the age of 11.
- He or she was sexually active before he or she reached the age of 12.
- He or she had been married and divorced by the age of 18.
- As a pre-teen, his or her cursing vocabulary was incredible!
- For the sake of illustration, let’s place this person’s starting point in the black.
- The second extreme, man or woman, is a person who grew in a genuine Christian home–no pretense, no hypocrisy.
- The first place the parents took this person after birth was to church.
- The congregation presented him or her a Bible before he or she was a year old.
- He or she was a part of all the children’s classes and programs, an active part of the youth group, participated every year in LTC, a part of the college group when at home, and went to a Christian college.
- He or she grew up with devotionals almost every day in the home and had two wonderful role models full of love.
- By age five he or she knew the main Bible characters, before the age of 10 he or she could quote lots of Bible verses, and by the time that he or she was a teenager, he or she had a growing understanding.
- He or she was never drunk, never experimented with recreational drugs, was never sexually active, and knew very few curse words.
- This person grew up truly loving God with an absolute commitment to Jesus Christ.
- For the sake of illustration, let’s place this person’s starting point in the light gray.
- These two people lived in totally different worlds with totally different experiences.
- The discussion about believing will not be the same discussion–one always has believed (there was never a time when he or she did not believe in God and love Jesus) and one knew nothing about God.
- The discussion about repentance will not be the same discussion–one has some devastating experiences to repent of, and one has little to turn from.
- The discussion about baptism should not be the same discussion–one genuinely needs a new beginning, and the other never has consciously rebelled against God.
- Therefore, the path to God is not the same for these two people.
- If the objective is to get these two people into the baptistery for an immersion regardless of what they understand, we make a poor decision.
- While both need to be baptized into Christ, both need to realize they are committing to a lifestyle for a lifetime.
- Which one needs:
- Forgiveness? They both equally need forgiveness.
- Grace and mercy? They both equally need grace and mercy.
- Dependency on God? They both equally need total dependence on God.
- A life of commitment? They both equally need a life of commitment.
- What do they have in common? Excluding Jesus Christ, probably very little.
- Are they both God’s children? Absolutely.
- I want us to read together two scriptures and each of us reflect on the teaching of each scripture.
- First, read with me Luke 15:1-10.
Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
- Second, read with me Luke 18:9-14.
And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
May God lead us to be as patient with others as God is with each of us!
Posted by David on April 7, 2005 under Bulletin Articles
The history of Israel’s story and early Christianity’s story is filled with people who experienced struggles because they followed God. From the perspective of “here and now,” that appears to be a bad choice. Why make that choice when their world had no respect for their decision? Speaking of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah, the author of Hebrews said this in 11:13-16:
“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”
Two reasons for their decision: (1) They understood God planned something special. (2) They understood that they did not belong in a world unconcerned about righteousness.
The something special God planned was Jesus. Because God agreed the righteous did not belong in an unrighteous world, He is preparing a place in which they do belong.
Physical existence without struggle is not an option-not in Christ, out of Christ, or sometimes in and out of Christ. Struggle is part of physical reality. God uses human struggle to accomplish eternal purposes. He always has, and He always will.
The issue is not, “Will I endure struggle?” The issue is, “Will I surrender my struggle to God and allow God to produce eternal good from the difficulties I experience?”
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:10-13).
Even Jesus, God’s own son, endured stress and surrendered to a cross!
Posted by David on March 31, 2005 under Bulletin Articles
The Jerusalem church was an incredibly large congregation. It began with 3000 (Acts 2:41). We average around 700 Sunday morning-we are not nearly as “big” as they where when they began! That number grew daily! By Acts 4:4 the number of men was about 5000. After the Christians Ananias and Sapphira died for lying, multitudes of men and women became disciples (Acts 5:14). The group was still increasing in number in Acts 6:1. By Acts 21:20, Christians in Jerusalem numbered in the tens of thousands.
An incredible fact: they did not define congregation as we define congregation. Though bigger than most of us can imagine, they had no building-as far as we know, they never had one. The church in Jerusalem was Jewish people who were called out from those who did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah in order to be Jesus’ disciples. He was their teacher and example. He taught them how to live as they focused on God’s purposes.
In this incredible growth in just Jerusalem, followers of Jesus Christ developed and maintained a sense of community. They cared about each other. When that caring was threatened in Acts 6, the twelve challenged the church to resolve differences effectively as they maintained caring. I wish I understood how they developed and sustained this sense of community. I wish all of us better understood how to be a genuine community of disciples who let Jesus be Lord as God’s promised Christ as we seek to serve.
I deeply love my country. I frequently wonder why I am so blessed to be a citizen of this nation. However, I grieve when our culture dictates the nature of Christian-Christian relationships. All of us could cite both the good and undesirable in our culture. A common undesirable characteristic of our culture: we are an extremely consumer-minded people. For many, the first thing considered is this: “What is in it for me? What will I get out of it?” Thankfully, Jesus did not look at life as many Americans do. What was “in it” for Jesus was a cross. What he “got out of it” was death.
When anything happens in this congregation, someone does it-teaching, song leading, preaching, leading, van driving, visiting, encouraging, temperature control, leak stoppage, repairs, sermon tape duplication, quilting, cooking for fellowships, setting up for fellowships, storing after fellowships, office work, planning, etc. Nothing just happens.
Jesus Christ made us a community of disciples who realize only he can show us (1) how to care and (2) the way to God. Please, help “make it happen.” Sure, it takes funds. It also takes manpower. Give generously. Serve thoughtfully. As in any thriving community, both expect and give, but never abuse. Do not attempt what you cannot do, but do what you can-many will be encouraged and blessed. Included in that “many” will be you! Be a good American, but also be a good disciple of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”
Posted by David on March 24, 2005 under Bulletin Articles
The above reference represents a majority opinion of Jewish Christians regarding the salvation of gentiles (most of us!) and the acceptance of gentile Christians into the Christianity community (church). In your studies of the New Testament, have you noticed the majority of Jewish Christians rejected gentile Christians? Most Jewish Christians accepted the salvation of gentiles only if those gentiles adopted Jewish forms, customs, and traditions. To raise your awareness of that fact, read Acts 11:3 concerning the reaction of apostles and Jewish brethren to the conversion of a gentile. Read about the Acts 15:1 debate Paul and Barnabas could not resolve. Read the concern of the Jerusalem elders in Acts 21:20-22. Read Paul’s confused reaction to some gentile Christians who yielded to Jewish Christians’ demands (Galatians 1:6, 7.)
Jewish people knew gentiles could be saved. They converted gentile God fearers to Judaism before Christianity existed. Read Matthew 23:15. The issue was not can gentiles be saved? The issue concerned what is the proper method for saving gentiles? The position of many Jewish Christians: God’s grace declared in Jesus’ sacrifice combined with immersion into Christ is not enough. It is only enough if gentiles first are indoctrinated in and accept Jewish ways prior to entering Christ.
A typical mindset of Jewish Christians in the first century followed this reasoning: Gentiles are immoral people who worship weird things in weird ways (read Romans 1:20-23). Saving gentiles requires two things: (1) First, they must be taught to abandon their pagan ways. (2) Second, they must be taught to adopt the ways of the living God. Only if they are taught our ways can that happen.
When Peter understood that God accepted gentiles as quickly as He did Jews (Acts 10:34, 35), and when Paul evangelized gentiles to Jesus Christ without imposing Jewish ways on them, many if not most Jewish Christians reacted in horror and disbelief. The thought that people could belong to God without following Jewish ways was unthinkable in most Jewish minds! Not only was it unthinkable, it was repulsive!
These Christians made Paul’s life miserable! They questioned his credibility (read his defense against such accusations in Galatians 1:11 through chapter 2.) They accused him of things he did not do (read Acts 21:20 and 21:28). They even attempted to kill him (read Acts 9:29, 30 and Acts 20:3). Paul spent his life passing from one awkward situation to another. Though he loved his people deeply (Romans 9:1-5), his own people constantly threatened him and his work.
Jewish people knew beyond all doubt their way of living, worship, and doing things was the only way God noticed and accepted. That is the way Paul thought before he understood God’s work in Jesus Christ. Read Acts 8:1-3 and 1 Timothy 1:12-16. Paul finally understood (1) who Jesus was and (2) God’s achievements in Jesus. Those realizations turned Paul’s understanding and life around-180 degrees! Never stop growing in your understanding of God’s work in Jesus Christ.
Posted by David on March 20, 2005 under Sermons
This evening I want to do something I have wanted to do for some time. This evening we will discuss the concept of integrity.” I want us to think from the scripture together much as we would in a class. I want you involved in our thinking together. I want some verbal response from you–I want you to talk to me. I am not looking for any specific response. I just want to stimulate your thinking.
If speaking to me violates your conscience, do not speak. All I ask you to do is to listen carefully to the responses. If sharing with/speaking to me does not violate your conscience, speak to me. I want all of us to focus on our personal concepts of integrity. If there are differences in our concepts, I want you to note them.
This evening as we think about the concept of “integrity,” I need you to get your minds in gear by thinking about what “integrity” means to you. I want to give you a specific context, and I will ask you what “integrity” means to you in that specific context. I want you to share with me your perspective.
Let’s begin with a simple one: when you think of a person’s work, his or her job, what does the word ‘integrity’ mean to you in a job situation?
When you think of making a purchase, when you are buying a car or a heating system or a new appliance, what does the word ‘integrity’ mean in regard to someone selling you something?
Think with me just a moment about friendship. What does the word ‘integrity’ mean to you in friendship?
What does the word ‘integrity’ mean to you in regard to husbands? In this situation, I want you to note that a woman’s concept and a man’s concept of ‘integrity’ in this relationship are often quite different.
What does the word ‘integrity’ mean in regard to wives?
What does the word ‘integrity’ mean in regard to being a parent?
In the dictionary I use, “integrity” is defined as “1. soundness; 2. adherence to a code of values; 3. the state of being complete or undivided.” In “every day” terms, it is an honest person who is true to his or her honesty and consistent with what his or her values are all the time.
- When I use the word “blameless,” what do you think?
- Everyone who thinks this, hold up your hand: “When I hear the word ‘blameless,’ I think of a person who is never guilty of making a mistake.”
- Everyone who thinks this, hold up your hand: “When I hear the word ‘blameless,’ I think of a person that no one justly can find fault with.”
- Everyone who thinks this, hold up your hand: “When I hear the word ‘blameless,’ I think of ‘integrity.'”
- The Hebrew concept of “blameless” is being a person of integrity.
- I want to call your attention to several scriptures.
- Consider these scriptures:
- Genesis 6:9 (Noah) These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.
- Genesis 17:1 (Abraham) Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.“
- Deuteronomy 18:13 (Israel’s Levitical priests) You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.
- 2 Samuel 22 (a psalm of praise to God from David):
24 I was also blameless toward Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity.
26 With the kind You show Yourself kind, the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
31 As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the Lord is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
33 God is my strong fortress; And He sets the blameless in His way.
- Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.
1:8–The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”
2:3–The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”
- Note these things:
- Noah was a person of integrity in a world without integrity.
- For Abraham to walk with God, he must be a person of integrity.
- For the priests to minister before God, they must be a people of integrity.
- When David praised God, he spoke of the importance of integrity to God.
- The book of Job verifies the importance of integrity to God.
- In being this person of integrity, God’s values and character are the standard.
- There are at least four Greek words translated ‘blameless.’ Consider some of the uses of ‘blameless’ in the New Testament.
- 1 Corinthians 1:8 (Christians at Corinth) who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Ephesians 1:4 (Christians at Ephesus) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.
- Ephesians 5:27 (the church) that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
- Philippians 2:15 (Christians at Philippi) so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
- Colossians 1:22 (Christians at Colosse) yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.
- The emphasis in the New Testament is a carry over from the Old Testament with a focus on the nature of sacrifice.
- Sacrifices presented to God must come from the best because He is worthy of the best.
- Only people who are devoted to integrity can present themselves to the God of integrity.
- God made the person who enters Christ ‘blameless’; it is our responsibility to become what He made us.
- The God Who justifies me purifies me; as the justified and purified, we are consistently devoted to good.
- Because God calls me to integrity, the world is blessed through my existence.
- My family should be a better family because God directs me toward being His person of integrity.
- My neighborhood should be a better neighborhood because God directs me toward being a person of integrity.
- My workplace should be a better workplace because God directs me toward being a person of integrity.
- My friends should receive a blessing in their lives because God directs me toward being a person of integrity.
- The church should be a kinder, more thoughtful, more caring group of people as a Christian community because God directs me toward being a person of integrity.
- Who should be blessed because God has called me to integrity?
- Everybody who has contact with my life should be exposed to potential blessing!
- Look at Jesus our savior and guide to God: contact with him always was a potential blessing to others–if the blessing did not occur, it was not because it was not available!
- Even people who do not like me should be blessed because of me.
- I want us to consider a statement made by Jesus.
Matthew 5:44-48 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
- Jesus is not talking about our acting belligerently.
- He is talking about our being a different kind of people.
- He does not compare his disciples to ‘good people’, but to what his audience considered extremely ‘bad people’.
- Those who follow Jesus are different.
- They are not like society–culture does not give them their values.
- They are not like people who do not acknowledge God and are not known for their compassion.
- Their standard is Jesus; they want to reflect God in their lives as did Jesus.
- They do not want to be like everyone else–they want to be a blessing to everyone else.
One of the treasured gifts and blessings God has given me is to be a part of this congregation. You commonly express great compassion and generosity. This is a truly caring community of Christian people.
I am also just like most of you. There are some things that deeply grieve me. Let me share three.
- It grieves me when Christians are kinder to people they do not know [and likely never will know] than they are to Christians they do know. That is not consistent with Christian integrity.
- It grieves me when Christians fail to realize different Christians have different needs. I commonly see two major groups among Christians. I see Christians [this is not an age matter!] who are blessed by circumstances that permit them an existence that does not have to interact with a godless world on a daily basis. I also see Christians who have no choice. They must interface/interact with a godless world on a daily basis. The first group of Christians is rarely bruised and battered by the godless world. The second group of Christians is bruised and battered almost every week by the godless world. Rarely is there a week that passes that does not demand that I encourage and seek to help a Christian who is bruised, battered, and blooded from doing battle with life in a godless world. Needs in those two groups of Christians are very different. Christian integrity gives us the responsibility to recognize those differences.
- It grieves me when a Christian fails to distinguish between preference and God’s will. Having preferences is quite okay. Imposing personal preferences on other Christians as if those preferences were God’s will is extremely destructive. Christian integrity demands that we allow God to teach us to distinguish between preference and God’s will. The issue is never, “What do I like,” but the issue is always “What does God like.” Too often things that are emotional matters to us are not matters of concern to God.
Are you a person of integrity? Are people blessed because you follow Jesus Christ?
Posted by David on March 17, 2005 under Bulletin Articles
An incredible bond exists between Jesus Christ, his disciple, and peace. Paul’s epistles’ emphasis coupling peace and existence in Christ is astounding! There are far too many examples to note all of them in this brief writing. Consider just a few examples.
Paul commonly opened his letters with a greeting of peace-peace and Christian existence belong together! (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4; Philemon 1:3.) He also frequently mentioned “peace” when he closed a letter.
Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”
Romans 14:17 “… for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 14:19 “So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”
1 Corinthians 7:15 “… but God has called us to peace.”
Galatians 5:22, 23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Ephesians 4:3 “… being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
Existence in this physical world is filled with anxiety! All of us experience the anxiety of failed promises, hostile circumstances, and defeated expectations. Physically speaking, what we “want” is forever out of alignment with what we “have.” Our world, our circumstances, our possessions, our earthly ambitions, our education, our jobs, our accomplishments, or our leisure are never an enduring source of peace. Inwardly there is this unsettling sense of turmoil that seems to constantly haunt us, constantly call attention to our emptiness, and constantly remind us of why we should be afraid.
Being in Christ will not change the world, or circumstances, or possessions, or ambitions, or educations, or jobs, or accomplishments, or leisure. Being in Christ changes us. Even when all about us rages in the winds, waves, and mists of uncertainty, God grants us peace in Jesus Christ. In Christ there is a sense of calm when all else is in turmoil. Why? In Christ we live for something bigger than the moment of “now” called the eternal.
Posted by David on March 10, 2005 under Bulletin Articles
A knowledgeable friend suggested “proof sets” of American coins as a suitable gift. A “proof set” of coins is a valuable collection of specially minted coins. With confidence I presented my first “proof set” of American coins to an important person in the area. With delight, he immediately asked, “What are these coins worth?” I misunderstood his question. The correct answer was, “Only your banker knows the worth of the set.” However, I thought he asked about the common value of the individual coins. As I explained the common value of individual coins, he obviously was offended. Delight instantly turned to contempt. A gift intended to honor quickly become an insult.
Humans and God radically differ. Humans frequently misunderstand intent. God always knows motives. God knows the difference between worship coming from the heart as an expression of appreciation, and worship “going through the motions” to satisfy a perceived demand. God knows when a person worships Him and worships for self! God easily is honored by expressions of faith rising from a heart of gratitude. God quickly is insulted by a heart devoid of faith and gratitude. What God wants from His children is simple: profound respect arising from deep appreciation. Because he expressed His love for us in Jesus’ death, we rejoice in His blessings and proudly honor Him.
Grow in your understanding of how to honor God in your worship! Never insult God! Always honor God! May He and we be delighted when we praise Him!
Posted by David on March 3, 2005 under Bulletin Articles
Recently I had specific reasons for recalling past times “when I was (or I did) ?” Often when occasions for recalling come, it seems like a dream about times that never existed-“did I ever do that?” Now I marvel I ever had the energy for “tireless devotion.” My mind feels young, but my body talks to me. “You plan to do what? Oh no, you are not!” Unfortunately, with increased frequency, my body “has the last word.”
Why is this happening? There was a time when I changed as fast as my world changed. Yet, the world never stops changing. We do, but the world does not! In our youth “keeping up” was natural. Then came the day when “keeping up” required conscious effort. Then came the day when we realized we were not “keeping up.” At first we were only “a little” behind. Inevitably the day comes when we know we are much behind!
For the wise, experience replaces exuberance with patience. When I was a young adult I wanted everything to happen now. With age, I realized a startling difference between “changes for the better” and “growth that produces development.”
Increasingly I marvel at God’s patience:
About 2000 years between promising Abraham, “In you all nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3) and sending Jesus to be the Christ?
A century after Jesus’ resurrection to convince believers that God loves all people-regardless of their past or background?
Delaying the return of Jesus Christ to provide more opportunity for people to repent (2 Peter 3:9)?
Somewhere there is a balance between the youth’s exuberance and the fears of the older. As God’s people, we neither wish to discourage youth’s exuberance nor be controlled by the fears of advancing age. God uses youth’s exuberance! As we grow older, it is not our fears God wants-it is our patience. Even in aging, patience as surely reflects God’s purposes as does exuberance in our youth!
May we never confuse exuberance with good or patience with discouragement! Dare have the faith and courage to be exuberant! Dare have the faith and courage to be patient! Let God Himself teach us both! He was both in providing us a Savior! May we be both in being His people!
1 Timothy 4:7, 8 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Posted by David on February 27, 2005 under Sermons
I want to begin by inviting you to read with me from Mark 5:25-34.
A woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse–after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?'” And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”
One of the ironies in our culture is our sense of control. For decades our culture has declared to us that we can change anything. We can change ourselves! We can change the world! For a long time, we believed we could do anything that needed doing. Want to place an American on the moon? We can do it! Want to bring a crippled space module to earth from the moon? We can do it! Want to replace a diseased heart? We can do it! Want to extend the human life span? We can do it!
Then, abruptly, we were forced to realize our vulnerability and limitations. 9/11 stated dramatically the impossible can happen. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq keep saying that there is a whole world out there that does not think like we think or follow our values. Here, long held jobs disappeared. Here, companies out-sourced jobs to places with cheaper labor. Here, the economy slowed. Here, the price of gasoline increased dramatically. Here, the harder we try to make things secure, the more we are reminded that we are surrounded by insecurity. As we watch, our society is changing in some dramatic ways.
The result: we are increasingly humbled as we realized how little we actually control. More and more we become aware of a truth: Christianity is not about what we can do for God, but about what God can do for us. Our whole understanding of what it means to have faith is changing.
This evening I want us to let a sick woman teach us more about what it means to have faith.
- Let me begin by setting the context of the situation.
- A synagogue official came to Jesus imploring him to come heal his daughter who was at the point of death.
- Jesus agreed to go with the man and heal his daughter.
- As they were making the trip to the man’s house, word came to the man that his daughter had died.
- Jesus urged the man not to be afraid but to believe, and the trip continued.
- Mark wrote that at some point between the synagogue official’s request and the news that the girl died, the sick woman in the crowd touched Jesus.
- Consider the context of the incident.
- It centered around a woman who had been hemorrhaging blood for twelve years.
- She had gone to doctors, suffered through numerous treatments, but no one had helped her.
- Not only had she not been helped, but:
- Her condition was worse.
- She was broke.
- She heard about Jesus and the powerful deeds he performed.
- She was in the crowd.
- She believed that just touching his clothing would heal her–amazing when you consider how much failure she endured.
- The key to destroying her disease was touching Jesus!
- She acted on her faith–she did as she planned to do! (And that was difficult!)
- We think nothing about a woman touching a man in public, but not so then!
- First, consider Leviticus 15:25-30:
Now if a woman has a discharge of her blood many days, not at the period of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond that period, all the days of her impure discharge she shall continue as though in her menstrual impurity; she is unclean. Any bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her like her bed at menstruation; and every thing on which she sits shall be unclean, like her uncleanness at that time. Likewise, whoever touches them shall be unclean and shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. When she becomes clean from her discharge, she shall count off for herself seven days; and afterward she will be clean. Then on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them in to the priest, to the doorway of the tent of meeting. The priest shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement on her behalf before the Lord because of her impure discharge.
- The poor woman confronted two enormous risks.
- First, because she had a hemorrhage, she was supposed to stay at home where she had contact with no one!
- Second, a healthy woman was not supposed to touch a man in public–even speaking to a man in public was strictly forbidden (Mishnah, Ketuboth 7:6).
- No wonder the woman was so afraid when her act was caught!
- For her in her condition, she had a bold plan.
- She would blend in with the crowd following Jesus.
- She would get close enough to him to touch the helm of his outer clothing (the tassels on his outer garment–Matthew 9:20, Numbers 15:38).
- She was convinced if she could just do that–no speaking, no plea, no ceremony, no attention–she would be healed.
- She was correct!
- She worked her way close enough to Jesus to bow and touch the bottom of his garment.
- Instantly, when she touched the bottom of his outer garment, she physically felt the healing.
- There was just one thing she did not expect–she did not expect for Jesus to be aware that she touched him.
- The result of her touch of faith:
- Immediately, the woman is healed.
- Immediately, Jesus knew someone with faith touched him.
- He turned to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
- The disciples thought that was a ridiculous question–he was followed by a crowd of people, and the crowd constantly contacted him.
- He promptly looked at the woman who had touched him, and she knew he had caught her.
- With so much fear that the woman was shaking, she came before Jesus and knelt–expecting the worse for “being presumptuous and out of place.”
- She confessed what had happened, telling Jesus everything.
- In my mind, I can see a disapproving crowd of men thinking or saying, “Woman, how could you do that?”
- In my mind, I can hear her thinking, “I am in serious trouble now!”
- Jesus did not condemn her.
- He did not take the miracle back.
- He merely said, “Your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
- May I call your attention to two truths.
- There was an incredible difference in touching Jesus in faith and merely touching Jesus.
- Though this unclean woman touched Jesus, she did not make him unclean–rather he healed her.
- In some ways I feel Christians are being reintroduced to the importance and the power of faith.
- In recent decades we have been so focused on disagreements about issues we have forgotten about faith.
- The stress has been on procedures rather than motives.
- The cry has been “do it right!” rather than do it for the right reason.
- We have been so focused on issues that we easily create the impression that the key is in procedure, not in motive.
- It is very difficult to structure one’s life on faith in this society.
- One of the conscious dreads I had when we returned from the foreign mission field was the realization that the lessons of faith are much clearer there than in this society.
- I had two conscious prayers.
- The first: “Never let me forget who I am”–I learned a lot about me in foreign work.
- The second: “Help me remember how to depend on You.”
- This culture encourages us to depend on ourselves, not on God.
- Why is it so hard to live by faith in this culture?
- We are deceived into thinking that we are in control.
- Too often our demands “make trial of God.”
- We know too much about depending on people, and too little about depending on God.
- As a result, when we face a personal faith crisis, we turn to people for answers.
- We are afraid to trust God for answers.
- Too often our Lord is inactive instead of alive.
If you do not live by faith, you will never know what faith is. If people do not see you living by faith, they will think the gospel is about an invitation to church instead of an invitation to a life.
