Posted by David on November 21, 2004 under Bulletin Articles
Making a message multi-cultural and relevant for successive generations over hundreds of years is extremely difficult. Generations have different priorities and concerns. As time produces changes, it is easy for a current generation to transpose its current concerns on the old message.
That always has been true. The gospels’ Judaism and the Judaism at the end of the Old Testament are distinctly different. Approximately 400 years (and a lot of history!) passed between the last writing in the last Old Testament and Jesus’ birth. When Jesus’ message directed Judaism’s leaders to a God-centered understanding, he met resentment and ridicule. Jesus’ concerns and first century Judaism’s concerns were radically different. God’s intent and first century Judaism’s concerns frequently were unrelated!
In the first century Roman Empire, the exposure of infants was an accepted practice. In this practice, a newborn infant was abandoned to the elements to die. We call that murder. Though a sanctioned cultural practice, a discussion of this horrible custom is not mentioned in the New Testament.
Slavery is mentioned — as a fact, a reality. Yet, the slavery then was distinctly different to early American slavery. Their slavery was not a racial matter. Some of their most accomplished people were slaves — and some of those slaves actually owned slaves! Though the New Testament makes it obvious that slavery did not prevent one from becoming a Christian, it never condemns slavery.
Horrific circumstances produced incredible opportunities. Christian values displayed in daily life successfully opposed exposure of infants. The values demonstrated in daily existence successfully opposed slavery.
If you love people (even if they are enemies!), your daily existence rejects exposure. (See Matthew 5:44, 45 and 1 Corinthians 13:13.) Are you a Christian slave? Use your slavery to glorify God! (See 1 Corinthians 7:21, 22.) Is your faith in Christ causing suffering? Use your suffering to illustrate your hope! (See 1 Peter 3:14, 15.)
The American dream is wonderful! American freedom is a priceless gift! But do not interchange commitment to God and Christ with the American dream. Christian faith is not declared because “everything goes right.” Christian faith is declared by our behavior when things are not right. Christian faith is not declared by a pain free life. Christian faith is declared by the way Christians react to suffering.
Worship gives Christians strength to live daily life! Daily life reveals the value of faith in God and His resurrected Son! It is through living daily life that we reveal what it means to be the temple of the Holy Spirit.
The primary issue is not, “Do I worship?” It is, “Who does trust in Christ make me?”
Posted by David on November 14, 2004 under Sermons
Years ago my family and a good friend of the family took a wilderness trek. It was truly a wilderness area. We were walking the only path in or out of the area. To illustrate how remote the area was, we walked the better part of fifteen miles and saw no one else.
In the course of the walk, my middle son jumped mid-stride and shouted, “Snake!” I looked ahead on the path and saw a copper head snake stretched across the trail. Our friend, who was right behind that son, had little exposure to the country or to a wilderness area. He immediately thought we were teasing him and trying to make him afraid. It took all the pleading we could muster to keep him from moving ahead and stepping on the poisonous snake. He tried hard to see the snake, but he could not. Since he could not see the snake, he was certain there was no danger. We finally convinced him not to move ahead, but he never saw the snake, not even as the snake crawled off.
Spiritual danger is quite often like that snake and my friend. It can be right in front of us with the power to cause us serious hurt. Yet, if we do not see it, we are convinced there is no danger. In that ignorance, we often inflict heavy, unnecessary pain on ourselves.
I want to begin by reading and commenting on a familiar passage. After that reading and those comments, I want to make some applications.
1 Peter 1:13-21 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
- Peter was writing to Gentile Christians (predominantly) who lived in northern Asia Minor who had suffered because of their relationship with Jesus Christ and whose suffering soon would intensify.
- Peter said, “You people need to prepare to be even more serious about your devotion to Jesus Christ.”
- “Prepare your mind to go to work!” [As we might say, “Put on your work shoes and your work clothes!”]
- “Get serious about your spiritual commitment!”
- “Make sure that your hope is founded on the correct thing–the grace of Jesus’ resurrection when Jesus Christ comes again.”
- Do not make the foundation of your sustaining hope money!
- Do not make the foundation of your sustaining hope physical pleasure!
- Do not make the foundation of your sustaining hope a desirable life style!
- Make the foundation of your hope the grace made available in Jesus Christ’s resurrection.
- Peter wrote to Christians who lived in an idolatrous environment that embraced a pagan lifestyle [a lifestyle that often encouraged physical indulgence].
- “You are now God’s children, not children of idolatrous gods.”
- “You now seek to be obedient to God, not in rebellion to God.”
- “Because that is true, you will not allow the motives and attitudes which controlled your lives before coming to Christ to continue to control your lives.”
- “Those past things controlled you because you did not know any better–now you know better.”
- “Now you have a new reason to exist–the holiness of God.”
- “If you belong to the holy God, you WILL partake of His nature–you WILL commit yourselves to holiness.”
- “Slaves are freed [redeemed] with money. However, God did not use money to give you your freedom–He used the precious blood of his son!
- “It is God’s resurrection of Jesus that gives you your faith and hope.”
- Were I to summarize Peter’s challenge to those suffering Christians in this reading, I would do it in this way: “Following God is serious business! You need to be as serious about being God’s holy people as God was about inviting you to be His people! Get serious, and stay committed!”
- It did not take a lot of effort to be a person who worshipped the pagan gods–that was pretty much a matter of indulging yourself while you did what was popular in that pagan environment.
- However, to embrace God’s holiness takes all the effort of a serious commitment.
- The only thing that makes that commitment possible, that makes it work, is God’s grace revealed in Jesus’ resurrection.
- Your hope is not in yourself or anything you do!
- You cannot merit a relationship with God!
- Your hope is God’s grace revealed in Jesus’ resurrection!
- Surely you responsibly obey–but your obedience merely declares your appreciation for God’s grace!
- Allow me to make some applications to us and to our current lives.
- We are walking in the wilderness, and we are about to step on poisonous snakes we are untrained to see.
- I often think of my past and am astounded at how much visible change this society has experienced in less than 50 years.
- No, I have no desire to roll the clock back to 50 years ago.
- No, I do not think 50 years ago was the ideal age.
- Many of us here lived in some degree of poverty 50 years ago.
- Just as a matter of curiosity–and you do have permission to look around–how many of you were not alive in 1954? How many of you were at least 18 in 1954?
- These thoughts are addressed to those alive in 1954.
- In 1954, where did you live?
- What size house did you have as compared to where you live right now?
- Think of the things in your house in 1954, and think of the things in your house today. Is there any difference?
- How many cars did your family have in 1954? How did that car or those cars compare to what you are driving right now?
- What was your income in 1954? What is it today?
- What did you wear in 1954? What do you wear today?
- How often did you and your family eat out in 1954?
- Where was the church building located [the one you attended] in 1954? What was it constructed of? What kind of educational facilities did it have? What kind of family life center did it have? How many ministers did it have? What were its commitments and involvements?
- Take a moment to think and reflect–how much have things changed in this society in 50 years?
- Are you aware of the first time you realized that our society surely has changed?
- Or, has it changed so gradually that you just woke up one day to the fact that virtually everything is different.
- Do you realize that many of the common medications used today did not even exist in 1954?
- Do you realize how many people died of heart attacks in 1954 caused by conditions we repair today?
- It truly is a whole different world today!
- For over 50 years we have gradually become more and more prosperous–for most of us that did not happen all at once.
- As we got more prosperous, we lived better and better.
- Fifty years ago there were many things congregations could not do because we just did not have the money.
- Then, gradually, congregations had more money.
- We built buildings we could not afford to finance in the 50s.
- We involved ourselves in ministries we could not afford in the 50s.
- And at the same time, we could improve our life styles and support the church in growing works.
- For years we were so prosperous we could give generously out of our surplus and improve our life styles at the same time.
- And now, noticeably, that is coming to an end.
- Whereas we had decades that we did not have to make a choice, now increasingly we have to make a choice.
- For a long time we thought we could do everything, and now we are forced to realize that we cannot do everything.
- Increasingly, we will face the choice–personal lifestyle, or personal expression of faith?
- I think Peter’s directive we read is very applicable to us.
- Peter said, “Folks, it is time to get serious about your commitment to God.”
- “Remember who and what you were before you were a Christian, and who and what you are now as a Christian.”
- “Your commitment is not to a godless lifestyle of personal indulgence.”
- “Your commitment is to the holiness of God, the One who saves you through Jesus Christ.”
- “You will exist here as a physical creature for only a short time–so do not allow money or pleasure or lifestyle to determine and define who you are.”
- “There is only one thing that defines who you are–that is God’s grace revealed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
- “Because of that grace, you are free to allow God to remake you and your life.”
There is coming a moment when God will give all in Christ Jesus a gift. At that moment we will realize as never before that we are totally unworthy of the gift. At that moment we will realize with understanding just how unworthy of God’s consideration we are. At that moment we will know how totally dependent we are on God’s kindness. At that moment will look back at this life with regret as we remember how stupid our priorities were. At that moment we will understand how little faith we had, how selfish we were, and how blind we were to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. At that moment we will realize that the greatest concept was not the freedom of nations, but the freedom to become what God wanted us to be.
Are you what God had in mind when He raised Jesus Christ from the dead?
Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles
The election is over. However, anxiety is not subsiding. It merely shifted to a different segment of society. Prior to the election, anxiety rested in the hearts of those concerned about “moral values.” After the election, anxiety rests on the minds of those who fear the meaning of “moral values,” who define moral concern differently.
Before the election there was great concern for the direction of this nation. After the election there is great concern for the direction of this nation. The only change: the identifiable groups of “the concerned.”
What is the great deceit? This conviction: spiritual goals are achieved through political means. Christianity began among a people with centuries of allegiance to God, but who failed to recognize God’s Son or God’s message. Christianity spread through a Mediterranean world and Roman empire that were thoroughly, visibly pagan. It was impossible to ignore the prestige of idolatry in any major city of the first century!
The first Christians did not have favorable laws or champions in high political places. Their lifestyle, faith, and commitment were misunderstood. They often were considered atheists because their God excluded other gods. They often were seen as a threat to the empire, to “peaceful” community life, and to businesses that had a patron god or goddess. Families in both Jewish and Gentile communities often disowned a family member who converted to Christ. Opposition was so severe in Asia Minor that Revelation indicates those Christians wondered if the Christian movement was doomed. In the first century Roman Empire, Christianity was an illegal, “undesirable” religion.
Yet, Christians endured and Christianity as a movement prevailed. Through a triumphant political plan of action? No. Then through what? Through faith in the God who raised Jesus from the tomb and made Him the Christ; through an unconquerable love for God, people, the Christian community, and enemies; through an enduring hope for resurrection.
It reasonably can be affirmed that a grave blow inflicted to the Christian movement was Emperor Constantine’s legalization of Christianity in the early 300’s A.D. Shortly after that, “church buildings” appeared. “The gods had their temples — how can there be an official religion of the Roman Empire that does not have a building?” Oh, the woes, debates, and confrontations within the Christian movement because of buildings! In time, the movement became synonymous with its buildings instead of its people!
Interesting! Was the emperor’s pronouncement of legalization a blessing? Spirituality is achieved when personal faith is nurtured to the level of absolute commitment. If we think spirituality is achieved through a political process, we are deceived. We are blinded to more fundamental moral problems. Surely we should seek the peace to follow God’s purposes (1 Timothy 2:1,2), but we should never confuse God’s eternal objectives with our physical desires and wishes.
Posted by David on October 24, 2004 under Sermons
A second congregational goal or objective given us by the elders to encourage us as we seek to make disciples of Jesus who are eager to do good works is this:
We seek to increase love and godly behavior.
This evening I want us to focus on a teaching that I understand to be critical to spiritual existence in Christ. I want to focus on it by looking at Romans 6. Begin with me by looking with me at Romans 6:12-14.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
- When Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, he was concerned about a huge problem that plagued the early Christian movement: Jewish Christians did not want Gentiles to become Christians unless they first were converted to Judaism.
- Why? What was the problem?
- When Christianity first began (Acts 2-9), only Jews or converts to Judaism were Christians.
- When Christianity was taught to and was accepted by people who were not Jews, it gravely distressed Jewish Christians (Acts 11, 15).
- It took Jewish people several hundred years to learn, but they finally understood God despises idol worship.
- Most of the first century Mediterranean world [in which Christianity began and spread] was composed of idol worshippers.
- Most Jewish Christians did not believe anyone could go from being a pagan idol worshipper to a follower of Jesus Christ without first converting to Judaism.
- First century idol worshippers were too often drunken, self-indulgent people who had few sexual morals, who lied without conscience, and who were totally untrustworthy–many Jews held the way they lived in contempt.
- They did not know God’s rules!
- They did not know how to keep God’s rules in the proper way!
- However, the Jews had been making gentile converts (proselytes) for a long time, and they understood how to get the paganism out of the pagans.
- To teach them grace would not correct the problem–if they were to have their paganism taken out of them, they had to learn the rules and the right way to keep the rules.
- Teaching the grace would not get their pagan ways out of them, but making good proselytes out of gentiles would get pagan ways out of them, and then they were ready to be Christians.
- Allow me to use an illustration.
- In the south and southwest most churches define sin in the same way.
- In fact, some religious groups are more conservative in their definition of sin than many in the Church of Christ are.
- Thus most of our discussions, disagreements, and issues in the south and southwest do not discuss what is and is not sin.
- In the south and southwest, most of our disagreements focus on two things:
- Conversion matters. (How to become a Christian.)
- Theological positions. (What to believe as a Christian.)
- Suppose for a moment you have to move to an entirely different region of this country, far removed from the south or southwest region.
- You move just assuming “everybody knows ‘X’ is wrong.”
- However, you do not live in this new region long before you are acutely aware that your understanding of sin and the understanding of sin of most of those around you is quite different.
- For example, for you, it is a sin not to worship and commune on Sunday, but most of the people you meet could care less about worshipping on Sunday.
- In fact, they are more likely to invite you to go do something purely for fun on Sunday than you are to invite them to worship.
- And that just blows your mind!
- If you meet people who attend a church, often their basic concept of church has little in common with your concept–there are truly fundamental differences in your concept of church.
- But more likely, you encounter pure apathy when it comes to Christian concerns–you have never seen that kind of apathy before! People don’t have the same conscience, the same definitions of right and wrong, the same views of what is evil that you have.
- If the church is to influence people toward a Christian concept of sin and spiritual responsibility in that environment, what needs to be done?
- “Well, I am not certain about what needs to be done–it is a confusing situation!”
- “But I know this much–we do not need to convert ‘people like that’ or they will have a terrible influence on Christians!”
- That was the Jewish Christians’ concern–if you do not get all of the paganism out of these gentiles before they are baptized, they will have a terrible influence on Christianity–they will encourage Christians to do all kinds of ungodly things, and have no conscience against those things!
- Too often we, as Christians of today, are the victim of an enormous problem as we use scripture.
- We become [in all likelihood legitimately] concerned about a “now” problem that gravely troubles us.
- We in our concern go to the Bible with a big box and find a box full of texts that we can apply to our “right now” problem that troubles us.
- Our primary concern as we collect our box of texts is this: “does it say what I feel needs to be said; does it say it in the way I want to say it.”
- The question is not: “did the inspired writer address this type of concern when he wrote these words?”
- If the writer heard me make my statements and points, would he say, “I did not have that concern or emphasis in mind when I wrote those words; I was not even addressing that type of concern.”
- In our concern, we do not emphasize what scripture stresses, but we emphasize what we stress.
- If we are not extremely careful, we stress what concerns us rather than what concerns God.
- We are not trying to ignore or be disrespectful to God.
- The problem is this: we are so confident that we know what God’s concerns are that we do not take the time to actually listen to God.
- Consider Romans 6.
- I suspect that the majority of sermons most of us have heard that use any part of Romans 6 as text are sermons that stress the importance and the mode of baptism.
- I would suspect that many of us who have heard or read Romans 6 would say that it is about baptism.
- However, Romans 6 is not about baptism.
- It was written to people who already had been baptized.
- Romans 6 is about dying to sin.
- Baptism is only an illustration to those who had been baptized that “if you follow Christ you must die to sin.”
- Paul said, “Christians, you do not accept God’s grace revealed in Jesus Christ to continue to live (in a knowing, deliberate manner) an ungodly life.”
- The person who comes to Jesus Christ comes to make Jesus the master of his or her existence.
- There are only two basic life controlling masters: the resurrected Jesus and sin (evil).
- In the biblical worldview, either sin rules you, or Jesus rules you.
- The whole purpose of baptism is the conscious choice to allow Jesus to rule you.
- That is why in the act of baptism we consciously, knowingly, deliberately die to sin–we begin the deliberate process of killing sin in our lives.
- Why?
- Jesus was resurrected.
- Jesus can give us life.
- Jesus can give us forgiveness.
- In Jesus, a person can truly begin again, start over.
- Romans 6 is not about atonement (a biblical concept), but about responsibility.
- The person who becomes a Christian declares to himself, to God, and to the world that he will no longer let sin be his/her master.
- “I will not let evil control me.”
- “I will not let evil use my physical existence to accomplish its purposes.”
- “I will not let evil define who I am and what my life is about.”
- The person declares to himself, to God, and to the world that he chooses the resurrected Jesus Christ to be the master of his life.
- “I consciously will let Jesus Christ control me.”
- “I will let my physical existence be used to accomplish righteous purposes.”
- “I will let Jesus define who I am and what my life is about.”
- In Romans 6 Paul says the person who becomes a Christian knowingly, deliberately chooses to die to sin.
- Paul emphasizes this dying is a continuing process, not a one time achievement.
- It is not an irresponsible undertaking.
- God’s grace is not to be confused with deliberate, irresponsible behavior.
- A Christian cannot claim to belong to God and deliberately choose to live his or her in an ungodly lifestyle.
- The commitment to die to sin is a serious commitment, one given and followed without reservation, pursued wholeheartedly.
- The person knows what he/she was when sin was his/her master, and the person knows what he/she is now that Jesus Christ is his/her master.
- He/she is happy, appreciative to have Jesus Christ as master.
- All he/she had to look to in the future with sin as master was death, but with Jesus Christ as master he looks forward to eternal life.
Romans 6 points to a terrible problem among Christians that caused destruction from the beginning. The reason Romans 6 focused on the problem is because the problem existed in the first century. It still exists. It destroyed Christians then. It destroys Christians now.
What problem? The problem of people being baptized when they have no intention of dying to sin. Too often people are afraid not to be baptized, but they have no intention of dying to sin. If we do not commit ourselves to dying to sin, there is no blessing or benefit in being baptized. For baptism to yield the blessing of the gift of salvation, the person has to responsibly commit to (1) Jesus Christ being his/her master and (2) dying to sin.
Increasing my love for God is a process. Increasing my godly behavior is a process. Both involve maturing. Both involve understanding. Both involve growth. Both are an every day process and progression, not a one time accomplishment. I can make today’s commitment today. I can face today’s temptations today. I can place today’s trust in God today. I can make tomorrow’s commitment, face tomorrow’s temptations, place tomorrow’s trust in God only when tomorrow becomes today. I take care of today as a godly person to equip myself to take care of tomorrow as a godly person.
What commitment did you make to God when you were baptized?
Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Once again, the myth is shattering. The last half of the 20th century said hope was in humanity. So much we destroyed in World War II we rebuilt. We said to the defeated, “You can begin again! Do not exist in despair! See the world differently!” We said to ourselves, “Surely everyone has learned the value and joy of peace!”
We declared to the world, “Help us sustain our wonderful culture, and we will learn things that will bless everyone. We are not bad! We share! If the world lets us, we will be Santa Claus to everyone. The world would be a much worse place if it did not have us!”
We declared, “People are basically good; only a few are not. However, good people always will prevail in any society anywhere. If they adopt our values, good is certain!”
We believed science was a wonderful savior. It produced wonderful knowledge. It produced fabulous discoveries and inventions. It made possible things undreamed of decades ago.
Then we were introduced to people who believe there are values more important than peace. We met people who do not believe in our goodness or trust us. We came to know people who believe we reject divine authority and are not dedicated to virtue. Instead, they see us as materialists, or pleasure worshippers, or those who use power selfishly, or those who use technology more quickly to destroy than to help, or those who care more about their lifestyle than they care about people.
What began as a slow process is now a deepening realization — many people in the world just do not like us. Some think they do the world a favor when they kill us. Constantly we are reminded that evil is real. Increasingly, we are aware that we (as a people) are more likely to be remembered for the hurt we cause instead of the good we do. In fact, many say we do good only if our good is self-serving.
We are sobered as we realize that hope in peace is misplaced hope; hope in humanity is misplaced hope; hope in science is misplaced hope; hope in an incredible lifestyle is misplaced hope; and hope in “the goodness of our culture” is misplaced hope.
The only real, enduring hope is hope in the God who knew us at our worst and still loved us. How much did He love us? He loved us enough to give us a Savior to rescue us from evil and ourselves.
Did He love us because we deserve His love? Absolutely not! His love for us comes from His nature, not from our deservedness. Because He is God, He did for us what we never would do for someone like us.
Can we ever transform this world into a “heavenly” existence? To believe we can and will is to be a victim of our own deception! Can we live with the God who, knowing we were sinners, gave us a Savior! Certainly! Therein is hope!
Posted by David on October 17, 2004 under Sermons
Genesis 1 declares God acted. God brought this world and life into existence. In a more detailed account, Genesis 2 gives some of the details about God’s action in crowning His creation with man and woman. The Bible literally opens with God acting.
In Genesis 3 evil reacts to God’s action. God brings human life into existence. Evil deceives human life. When God brought human life into existence, nothing stood between God and the human life forms He created. When God looked at His completed creation, He could say, “It is very good!” (Genesis 1: 31) When evil deceived Eve and Adam followed her into deception, a humanly irreparable separation immediately occurred between God and the humanity He made in His own image. As evil continued to deceive people, the chasm between God and humanity increased. Finally, God looked at the people originally made in his own image and regretted that He made humanity (Genesis 6:5,6). God went from saying His completed creation was very good to regret in only 6 chapters!
This war between good (that comes from God–James 1:17) and evil (that comes from the devil [Satan], the great deceiver–John 8:44) repeatedly is emphasized in scripture. For example, God through Moses acted in seeking to produce the nation of Israel in the exodus (Exodus 3:16-22). Evil through Pharaoh reacted against God’s purposes (Exodus 5-11). God acted in giving the new nation of Israel the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). Evil reacted against God by having the golden calf made as an idol (Exodus 32:1-8). God acted in bring the adults delivered from Egypt to the borders of Canaan (Numbers 13:1-20). Evil reacted against God in the report of the ten Israelite spies who discouraged the Israelites (Numbers 13:21-33). When Israel was established in Canaan, God acted in trying to build a relationship of remembrance with Israel (the book of Judges). Evil acted against God by turning the hearts of the Israelites to a family of gods known as the Baal worship (the book of Judges). Much later, God acted by sending Jesus (John 3:16,17). Evil reacted against God by deceiving God’s people and having them reject Jesus (John 6, 8). God acted through Jesus’ teachings and miracles. Evil reacted against God with the crucifixion (Matthew 27). God acted through Jesus’ resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10). Evil reacted against God by declaring the resurrection either did not occur (Acts 17:32), or by deceiving early Christians about the meaning of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15).
The world has changed, but the war between good and evil continues. This war is occurring in our lives this very moment. Seeing the world as God sees it means we must learn to discern between good and evil. The only way to avoid Satan’s deception is to allow God to help us discern between good and evil. If we are going to see the world as God sees it, we must see the war. We must understand how easy it is to be deceived in our own lives.
To see the world as God sees it, we must accept two basic realities.
- Reality one: no one can live in this physical existence and not be touched by the war between good and evil.
- For a long time we Americans lived in the conviction that wars could not touch us.
- “Wars are something that are fought somewhere else, not here in our country.”
- Then 9/11 happened, and we were forced to realize that wars can be fought here, also.
- With the realizations of 9/11, we were introduced to a new kind of fear–the fear of being the battleground.
- While we do not want to be the battleground, we now understand that much more is involved than what we want.
- No matter how devoted to good we think we are as a person or as a group, if we live in this world our lives will be touched (changed!) by the war between good and evil.
- Even if it were possible to do no evil, a person who never did evil would still suffer as a result of the war raging between good and evil.
- We must not be deceived into thinking that the key to avoiding the war is embracing good–if you live in the world, the war between good and evil will involve your life in direct ways.
- Only one person [Jesus] lived in this world and did no evil.
- That truth figures prominently in the message of the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 4:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 7:26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens …
Hebrews 5:7-9 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation
- Though Jesus was without sin–committed no form of evil–he still was touched by the war between evil and good.
- Though he did not sin, he still dealt with temptation (see Matthew 4:1-11).
- Though he did not sin, he could be discouraged by those who did not understand (see Matthew 16:23).
- Though he did not sin, he still experienced physical need (see John 4:1-7).
- Though he did not sin, he could experience loneliness and weakness (see Matthew 26:36-46).
- Though he did not sin, he experienced surrender, pain, and death (the crucifixion of Jesus).
- In a true sense, we could say that Jesus was the ultimate casualty in the war between good and evil!
- Never be deceived into thinking or believing that if you were “just good enough” your life would not be victimized by the war between good and evil!
- Reality two: our lives are touched by the war between good and evil in many ways.
- Everyone of us suffers the consequences of this war in many ways.
- We can be touched by evil as the consequence of someone we do not even know who is involved in evil.
- There are many ways to illustrate this truth; it is a common reality in this physical world.
- Consider this illustration: you have a 17 year old child you are close to and who is an all around good child.
- In a nearby city there is a drug dealer you do not know and have never heard of.
- A teen you have never met, never heard of, decides he wants to try some meth for the first time.
- He makes the purchase from the drug dealer, takes the meth, gets high, and starts driving.
- Eventually he drives to the Fort Smith area.
- Your 17 year old is driving somewhere.
- The teen high on meth hits your child’s car and kills your child.
- In no way are you involved in the evil that transpired, but you suffer greatly because of that evil.
- We can be touched by an evil that exists in our lives that we have not as yet identified.
- Let me call to your attention a statement found in 1 John 1:5-10.
- The particular statement is found in verse 9:
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
- I understand this to be written to Christians–John includes himself in the “we” of verse five, and chapter 2 makes it evident he is writing to “my little children.”
- The whole section (1:5-10) is powerfully encouraging because it declares Christians will make mistakes and perfection is not a condition of forgiveness. There is a workable, livable solution for our mistakes and imperfections!
- Stated simply, if we will confess to God things we know that are wrong as we realized those wrong things, God will not only forgive the things we confess, but will forgive us of everything–all unrighteousness.
- If we will accept responsibility for our mistakes, God will even forgive us of things we do not yet understand to be wrong–even though those things are evil!
- Everyone of us has evil in us that we have not yet recognized–we do not even realize that the evil is evil.
- Because the evil is forgiven does not mean the consequences which result from the evil are eliminated!
- Sometimes we endure the consequences of forgiven evil!
- Again, that is easily illustrated.
- A person sees no evil in living with someone.
- As a result of living with someone, a pregnancy occurs.
- Because the level of commitment is often low in live-in arrangements, the father-to-be leaves when he hears about the pregnancy.
- After the fact, the mother-to-be learns living together is evil, does what scripture says to do to repent, and is serious in her faith.
- Is she forgiven? Yes!
- Does the pregnancy vanish with the forgiveness? No!
- We can be touched with the consequences or evil by yielding to a temptation that we know is evil before involvement ever occurred.
- We do something wrong for whatever reason.
- We knew it was wrong before we were tempted, when we were tempted, and after we sinned.
- But for whatever the powerful motivations were, we knowingly did wrong.
- No matter how we react to what we did, we will still endure the consequences of the evil we committed.
- This, too, is easy to illustrate.
- If anyone of the church leaders in this congregation committed adultery in a moment of temptation, we would have serious consequences to endure.
- Did the person know adultery was wrong before the temptation? Yes!
- Did the person know adultery was wrong during the adulterous act? The person may have refused to think about it, but, yes, that was known.
- Did the person know adultery was wrong after the adultery? Yes–we usually refer to that as “guilt.”
- Will the person pay consequences? Absolutely!
- Relationships with the congregation will be damaged.
- Their marriage will be damaged.
- Positions will be ended.
- The person’s life will be affected.
- Even if forgiveness occurs, there will be unavoidable consequences.
The understanding that the war between good and evil is real has direct impact on the meaning of the gospel (good news). The good news IS NOT “if you devote your life to good you will never suffer because evil exists.” That is a great deception from evil that will destroy your faith the first time you endure serious suffering because of something evil!
The good news (gospel) is this: the suffering caused by evil in this physical world can not take you away from God! Evil in this world can hurt you, but it cannot destroy you!
Romans 8:38,39 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles
Ephesians 2:19, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household …”
How any person defines self depends on the circumstances of his or her life. What is the person’s life about? Is it about surviving in inescapable poverty? Is it about excelling in opportune circumstances? Is it about giving or receiving pleasure as a person existing in a culture of personal pleasure? Is it about self-indulgence and greed in a social group dedicated to self-indulgence and greed? Is it about acquiring power in an environment that respects little but power? Is it about escape? Typically, a person defines himself or herself in ways that he or she sees as predominant in “my world” or in ways exhibited by “important” people who surround him or her.
Self-definitions are relevant! Typically, “I” seek to become “my” definition of what a person in “my” situation should be. Many people dedicate extraordinary efforts toward becoming what they think they should be as individuals. What is attractive? What is feminine? What is masculine? What is “my” concept of a single? Of a wife? Of a husband? Of a parent? Of an adolescent? Of success? Of failure?
Who defines “me”? Family demands? Peer pressure? Work environment? Social environment? Professional expectations? Academic pursuits? Athletic expectations? Money? Power? Lifestyle?
In most of our lives there are “major defining factors” and “minor defining factors.” A “major defining factor” is always essential regardless of the situation, even when stressful circumstances are full of potential consequences. “Minor defining factors” are essential if the situation is a typical circumstance, but not a stressful circumstance.
Question: which is God? A “major defining factor” or “a minor defining factor”?
In some southern environments, a person is expected to be intensely involved in a spiritual commitment. In other regions, such involvement is looked upon as unhealthy. Religion should be a part of life, but it should not be taken so seriously. In other regions, the healthiest life is the non-religious life. A person should enjoy and experience the moment of now. In other regions, religion is viewed as a fanatical attempt either to cope with the undesirable in life or to escape responsibility.
What role does God occupy in defining “who I am”? How do I place God in that role? Is it simply a matter of “going to church”? Of attending classes? Of performing expected behaviors? Of reading my Bible and praying? Of helping a ministry? Of allowing God to define “who I am” and “what life is about”?
To seek self-definition apart from God is to walk in the darkness of futility. To seek self-definition through God is to walk in the light of self-discovery. Be a person who belongs to God’s household!
Posted by David on October 10, 2004 under Sermons
The declared purpose of this congregation is “making disciples for Jesus who are eager to serve others.” Basically a disciple is the follower of a teacher. A disciple knows and is not ashamed to acknowledge his or her ignorance. Religiously, the objective of a disciple is to destroy his or her ignorance about the purpose of life in order to learn how to live.
The elders have encouraged us to personally adopt five (5) goals as we pursue the purpose of making disciples for Jesus who are eager to serve others. One of those personal goals is this: we proclaim and live by a biblical world view.
What is that? What is a biblical world view? That is a complex, complicated goal. It is a good, godly, worthy goal. However, it is a complicated goal. To simplify that goal without compromising the objective of the goal, I would state it this way: “I am dedicated to learning how to look at everything in life and this world as God looks at it.” How does God look at being single? How does God look at marriage? How does God look at being a wife? How does God look at being a husband? How does God look at being a mother? How does God look at being a father? How does good look at having a job? How does God look at love? How does God look at loyalty? How does God look at truthfulness? How does God look at honesty? How does God define godliness? How does God define sin?
When we talk about a biblical world view, we are talking about how God looks at everything that occurs in life in this world–not just about how God looks at “church.” Nothing is off limits! We literally are talking about how God looks at each thing that occurs in our lives.
We can respond by saying, “Just read the Bible. It is by knowing the Bible that we will discover and develop a biblical world view.” I certainly agree! Yet, I also understand that it is not as simple as that statement makes it sound. The first major challenge we encounter is distinguishing between the times (historically) and the message (God’s ways). If you are tempted to think this challenge is real simple, let me give you a couple of examples.
Example one: from Genesis into Acts, the sacrificial system was a prominent part of worship. Cain and Abel offered sacrifices when they worshipped. Noah offered sacrifices when he left the ark. The tabernacle was the site of sacrificial worship. Later, the temple was the site of sacrificial worship. When Jesus was presented as a baby at the temple, sacrifices were offered for him (Luke 2:22-24). When the 3000 were baptized in Acts 2, they went to the temple every day (Acts 2:46). The apostles went to the temple (Acts 3). Paul, at the request of the Jerusalem elders, took four men to the temple to take a vow and paid for the offering of a sacrifice for each one of them (Acts 21:17-26). This same Paul said we were to offer our bodies as a “living and holy sacrifice” (Romans 12:1,2). Jesus is presented to us as our sacrifice (Hebrews 13:11-13). Christians exist to be God’s spiritual house (temple) to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5). What role does the offering of sacrifices serve in Christian existence?
Example two: Matthew 26:30 states they concluded the occasion when the Lord’s Supper was instituted by singing a hymn before leaving for the Mount of Olives. Should we accept that as an example of the way to conclude communion? My understanding is this is the way the Passover meal was concluded. Is this the conclusion of the Passover meal, the conclusion of communion, or the conclusion of both? Should we look at it as an example?
Too often people have oversimplified the challenge of separating first century culture from the eternal message of God.
- At the core of a biblical world view is the living, creator God.
- The Bible begins (Genesis 1) with the living Creator God bringing life in this world into existence.
- Immediately scripture declares that if we are to accept a biblical world view, we must look at ourselves as the product of the creator God.
- We are not the result of chance or an accident.
- We are the result of intelligence using incredible power.
- If we are nothing more than the result of accidental happenings, our purpose becomes purely selfish.
- If we are the result of chance happenings, we have every reason to be selfish.
- If we are the result of nothing more than coincidences, we have no real reason to be moral in conduct or ethical in decisions.
- If everything that exists, exists only as a series of opportune accidents, nothing has been lost, and there is nothing to regain.
- One of the ancient questions in human existence is this: did humanity make God or did God make humanity?
- If you think this is a modern question asked only in the relatively recent past by science and philosophy, consider some readings. The first I call to your attention is found in Isaiah 44:6-20.
“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. ‘Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place. ‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.'” Those who fashion a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame. Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit? Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them together be put to shame. The man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. Another shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of man, so that it may sit in a house. Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.” They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!” He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
- Isaiah writing in the voice of God declares that the entire concept of idolatry is too ridiculous to be taken seriously.
- If one compares the concept of god in idolatry in contrast to the reality of God the Creator, he or she is struck by how little they have in common.
- In the idolatrous concept of god:
- Divinity is disinterested in humanity.
- Divinity has its own set of diversions that gods pursue, and being interested in human affairs is not one of those diversions.
- Humans must get the gods’ attention before the gods will get involved in human affairs.
- Even when humans succeed in getting the gods’ attention, the gods can do more to hurt you than help you.
- Thus the concept of worship is humoring the gods to keep them happy.
- In the Creator God:
- The Creator God is always interested in people because (1) they exist by His decision and action and (2) people originally were made in His image and likeness.
- God is never distracted from the realities of human existence.
- Humans do not have to get the Creator God’s attention, but the creator God seeks to get humans’ attention.
- The Creator God is a source of help and strength to humans.
- The objective of worship is to declare faith in, dependence on, and appreciation of the Creator God.
- The idea of taking a piece of wood, making a fire to warm yourself and using the fire to cook your food, and then taking to remainder of the wood to fashion a voiceless, powerless image you call god and call upon it for deliverance is totally foreign to the concept of the living God Who creates.
- A second reading I call to your attention is found in Jeremiah 10:1-11.
Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord, “Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them; For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. “They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter. “Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good.” There is none like You, O Lord; You are great, and great is Your name in might. Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? Indeed it is Your due! For among all the wise men of the nations And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You. But they are altogether stupid and foolish In their discipline of delusion–their idol is wood! Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith; Violet and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of skilled men. But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, And the nations cannot endure His indignation. Thus you shall say to them, “The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”
- An enormous problem through the centuries is found in people being afraid of things that are not gods, that do not exist, and that neither hurt nor help people.
- Jeremiah observes that idols are just a piece of wood taken out of the forest.
- They were made by people who crafted them.
- They are clothed and decorated by people.
- They are fastened down by people.
- They are transported by people.
- These gods exist because people made them.
- Not so with the Creator God–He exists if no one acknowledges his existence.
- Allow me to share one more brief reading with you.
Joshua 24:2,14-15 Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
- If anyone ever had reason to place confidence in the Creator God, the people of ancient Israel did–the Creator God delivered them from slavery and brought them into existence as a nation.
- Our reading is part of a speech Joshua gave Israel late in his life.
- “Your ancestors worshipped idols–the gods beyond the river.”
- “You face an immediate choice: will you worship idols from your past, or will you worship the Creator God?”
- “If your choice is to worship idols, pick any god you choose; it does not matter and will make no real difference.”
- “But my family has made our choice–we will honor the Creator God who brought us into existence.”
- A biblical world view includes a correct concept of the Creator God because we can correctly understand ourselves only through a correct understanding of the Creator God.
- I call your attention to two facts.
- When Paul spoke to a highly idolatrous, elite group in Athens at the Areopagus, Paul began with a correct view of the Creator God.
Acts 17:23-31 “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”
- The second point is this: the reason as Christians we seek re-creation in Christ is because we were made aware of what we lost in our original creation, and we want to move in the direction of what God made.
- However, it is only what the Creator God did for us in Jesus Christ that permits us to be re-created as His people (see Ephesians 4:22-24 and Colossians 3:10, 11).
The accuracy of the way you view the Creator God will determine the role you give Jesus Christ in your life.
Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles
1 Corinthians 9:23, “I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”
The first century world was confusing for the person who dared to be a Christian. In a hostile place, the constant threat of physical abuse loomed–with no one to come to your aid. In pagan society, many things were outside Christian existence that previously were part of daily life. In pagan society (even matters that we would classify as political), events included (often prominently) honoring a god or goddess. In Jewish society, acceptance of Jesus as the Christ increasingly was regarded as the act of a traitor against Judaism. Opportunities for being misunderstood were enormous!
It was rather common in pagan society to exploit weak people, to get drunk, to engage in sexual acts outside of marriage, to sexually violate marriages, or to be self indulgent in numerous ways. A Christian converted from paganism did not fit in pagan societies!
It was common in Jewish society to take advantage of the defenseless, to use religion as a means of control, to get angry with those who disagreed, or to hurt those who were a perceived threat. A Christian devoted to God’s holiness did not fit!
Almost every relationship was complicated through conversion to Jesus Christ. Christian slaves were to act differently toward owners (1 Peter 2:18-21). Christian owners were to treat slaves with a kindness that did not threaten (Ephesians 6:9; Philemon). Imagine the changes and confusion when one spouse in a pagan marriage became a Christian! The challenge: demonstrate through behavior that conversion to Christ makes a person better, not worse (1Timothy 2:1-4). Public opinion declared conversion to Christ made people worse: slave, masters, wives, husbands, citizens, laborers! The only way Christians could change public opinion was for their behavior to defy common expectations. That is a hard and harsh demand!
Today’s American Christian lives in an increasingly complex situation. Our society has become steadily self-indulgent. A common tactic used in advertising is, “You are worth it!” Selfishness often transforms itself into entitlement. “What is in it for me?” are many people’s priority consideration. Personal feelings are an important measurement of validity. We so value “feel good” and “fun” that the world easily could conclude Americans believe that “feeling good” and “having fun” is life’s purpose.
Too often the Christian man or woman finds himself or herself asking questions about “me.” “Who am I?” “What is my purpose?” “Is the moment all that is important in my life?” “Can anything that is truly good cause pain?” “Can anything that brings me pleasure be truly evil?” “Should I permit other people to decide the meaning and the worth of my life?” Perhaps those are easily answered in theory for others, but they are hard questions when one is personally confronting difficult circumstances.
No matter how confusing your personal world is, allow no one but God to teach you who you are. Life in this society may be confusing, but purpose is found in Jesus’ cross.
Posted by David on October 3, 2004 under Sermons
For a moment, let me take you back to the months preceding the Babylonian captivity of Israel in the latter part of the Old Testament.
First, I call to your attention physical conditions. The Jewish people were living a secure, good life. The temple Solomon built was standing in Jerusalem. The priests were doing “the right things” in “the right way” as they conducted sacrificial worship. Business was great! Money flowed and people lived “the good life.” Situations were so prosperous and opportunities for business so abundant that successful people struggled to endure “doing nothing” on the Sabbath. They could not wait for the Sabbath to be over so they could get back to making money. It was increasingly profitable to be dishonest. Lying and cheating were just a part of “doing business.” The more they made they more they wanted to make. Life’s number one priority was to support a good lifestyle. As far as they were concerned, they had a powerful king who successfully made good alliances. Life was good, and nothing was going to change that!
Second, I call your attention to the prophets. Basically, there were two kinds. The first kind told people what they wanted to hear. “Life is good! Life will continue to be good! God is happy with us the way things are! Anyone who tells you differently is a liar! Nothing will change!” The second kind told people everything they enjoyed was coming to an abrupt end. “Jerusalem will fall! The temple will be destroyed! Your “correct” worship makes God sick! Your personal values are totally distorted! You love things and use people! Soon you will be slaves and your ‘good life’ will be just a memory.” These prophets were deeply resented by the leaders, the king, and those who lived the “good life.”
Third, I call your attention to what happened. Jerusalem fell. Their powerful alliances with other nations proved ineffective. The temple was looted and destroyed. The priest had nowhere to conduct sacrificial worship. Starting with the powerful and the influential, the surviving Jewish people became slaves. The more they tried to improve conditions, the worse conditions became.
Fourth, I call your attention to the question. The question: “What happened?” That question was expressed in many ways. “How could God let this happen to us?” “How could God let His temple be destroyed?” “Did not God know the priest would not have a place to offer sacrifices?” “How could God desert His people and let them suffer such deplorable conditions?” “Sure, we made a lot of mistakes and did a lot of things wrong, but we are not as evil as the people who conquered us. How could God let people who are more wicked than we are destroy us?”
Listen to a comment made by Paul to the Christians at Corinth.
1 Corinthians 10:1-6 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.
My paraphrase of Paul’s point would be this: “Never think that God has so much invested in us that He will ignore the evil of rebellion.”
Last week Joyce and I visited the San Francisco area.
- We had a wonderful time for many reasons.
- The temperatures were wonderful, and the sun shone every day.
- The flowers were breath-taking.
- Seeing family and friends again was wonderful.
- And we also thoroughly enjoyed playing tourist again.
- People were friendly and helpful everywhere we went.
- But as is true with me virtually everywhere I visit, there were some things that captured my attention and overwhelmed me.
- There were some things that overwhelmed me with the church.
- Joyce and I visited that area seven years ago, and on this visit we worshipped with the same congregation.
- Seven years ago there were two congregations within a mile of each other; now there is one (I have no comment to make on what that means because I do not know the circumstances).
- Because of difficulty locating our bus, we were a little late for Bible class.
- We were graciously welcomed (this is a very friendly congregation!).
- We went to the auditorium class (the auditorium seats approximately 500 people) to join four (4) people in Bible study; last time the auditorium was about 1/3 full for class.
- For worship, the auditorium was approximately 1/3 full with the majority of people assembled above retirement age; on our last visit it was well over 1/2 full with a more diverse mixture of ages.
- These observations are in no way intended as a judgmental evaluation (and they may not even be an accurate assessment), but merely an observation that changes are visible in our culture and in the church.
- To me, there are two major, visible groups within the church: those who see our world through the eyes of loyalty to an institution, and those who regard institutions as dangerous.
- First, consider Christians who view our culture primarily through eyes of loyalty to institutions (which likely includes at least 50% of those assembled here this evening).
- Consider the institutional view of the world:
- Bottom line: “people should respect authority.”
- Government may go in the wrong direction, but people must respect the government as an institution.
- A corporation may be misguided, but people must show loyalty to a corporation (don’t bite the hand that feeds you).
- Marriage should be preserved even if you are miserable in your marriage because you need to preserve the institution of the home.
- The church needs to be respected and supported as an institution; do nothing that would weaken the institution.
- There was a time when institutions were basically good, were basically people focused, and basically had the best interest of people at heart.
- When World War II began, there was no exodus to Canada to avoid the draft.
- If the government said it, it was to be obeyed and trusted.
- A person could spend his entire work life with one company and retire with confidence that the company would take care of him.
- No matter how bad a marriage was, rarely would divorce occur.
- Whatever it took to protect the institution of the church, you did it; faith in Jesus Christ could not and must not be separated from the institutional aspects of the church.
- Do you realize that Christians under the age of 40 never consciously lived in a period of time when institutions were good?
- Just think about it.
- The older of them remember the Watergate break-in (1972), the resignation of Spiro Agnew (73), and the resignation of Richard Nixon (74).
- Their war of reference is Vietnam, not World War II–and they remember that war in critical views.
- Their parents lived through the collapse of some of the great corporations (like the telephone company) at a time when jobs stopped existing for a lifetime.
- Their skepticism became cynicism with fiascoes like Enron when corporate greed ruined the lives of many people.
- Whereas their grandparents endured almost any degree of dysfunction in marriages or any abuse or neglect in a home, their parents would not tolerate suffering in a marriage or home–so the divorce rate rose and many of them were children in single-parent families or blended families.
- The combination of birth control becoming easily available and the hurt of failed homes made living together arrangements attractive.
- The decline of Christian morals and values in the American society reinterpreted the understanding of what was acceptable and good.
- They have seen all the divisions in the church, all the control tactics in congregations, and all the stances that were more about theological issues than about God’s interaction with people.
- They have seen the suffering caused in the name of “being faithful to the church.”
- They have seen the ungodly attitudes in the power plays in the church.
- They have witnessed godly men and women subjected to hurt.
- Often to them the institutional aspects of today’s church are a symbol of what is wrong with the church.
- To many of those under 40, institutions are the symbol of all that is wrong and dangerous in our culture and in our world.
- This group is looking for meaningful relationships–which have been in short supply in their life experiences.
- Their concept of relationship and the institutional concept of relationship are distinctly different.
- I want you to consider two of Jesus’ concepts and make one point from each.
- Begin by considering this understanding:
- Jesus was not what the Jews expected–they regarded a crucified King over a spiritual kingdom as too ridiculous to be seriously considered, and the first century Jewish nation was more isolationist and institutional than we ever dreamed of being.
- The pagan environment of the first century world was horrible by Christian standards–homosexual affairs, adulterous affairs, and divorce laden, drunkenness, exploitation of people. Paganism regarded a resurrected Savior and living for a world to come as stupid. They also were very institutional in focus.
- These two thoughts from Jesus were extremely unpopular concepts in the first century world, a world that respected power and control.
- First, I call your attention to a parable given to help explain the nature of God’s kingdom. It was embedded in a series of parables that illustrated the nature of the kingdom God was to establish–Matthew 13:33.
He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”
- The kingdom will spread by contagion.
- It will not be quick, but it will be steady.
- Point: if the kingdom is to achieve God’s purposes, there is no substitute for Jesus’ cross and God being the focus of the Christian’s personal life.
- It is not a matter of the success of the institution.
- It is a matter of the personal commitment of the individual.
- Second, I call your attention to a parable in this same set of parables on the nature of the kingdom–Matthew 13:47-50.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- The kingdom will contain all kinds of people–any “fish” can be caught by the “net.”
- The “sorting” is God’s responsibility, not ours.
- Point: the church will never be “perfect” on this earth–that is the reason there will be a “sorting” in judgment.
- God did not give us the mission of “keeping the church pure.”
- God gave us the mission (1) of personally belonging to Christ and (2) calling others to Christ.
All of us have seen unthinkable changes in this society and culture in the last 60 years. Things those of us above 50 regarded as permanent were clearly not permanent. Now change is occurring more rapidly than ever.
Most of us will live to witness and experience changes we never thought could occur. It is possible many of us will live to see a time when the American church is no longer an institution with buildings, and property, and the structure many are so familiar with today. That is not a prediction, but a statement of possibility.
If what we consider the unthinkable occurs, we desperately need to remember one thing: the cross of Jesus and God still exist. Our faith is in Jesus’ sacrifice and God, not an institution. Our hope is in Jesus’ death and God’s resurrection. No change will ever remove that if it is the focus of our personal existence.
