Confusion, Confusion, Confusion

Posted by David on September 23, 2001 under Bulletin Articles

For the first time I have opportunity to share with you after the horrible events of last Tuesday. My mind says our world fundamentally changed. My routine says nothing changed. My understanding says the changes barely have begun. My personal history says it was a horrible event, but the worst is over. My world awareness says the event has worldwide significance. My complacency says it was deeply regrettable, but life will continue as always. One part of me knows the situation is incredibly complex; another part of me oversimplifies all aspects of the situation.

I must struggle with conflicting realities. Each reality has elements of truth, but those realities often are in fundamental conflict. I watch our nation function in contradictory ways. Frequently those contradictions also consume me. The “before Tuesday, September 11” and the “after Tuesday, September 11” astound me.

“Before,” this nation was so pleasure, money, and individual freedom centered that it was irreligious. “Confine religion to religious buildings. Do not share your religion with anyone!” “After,” congress prays on the Capitol steps. Five presidents and countless dignitaries assemble in a cathedral for a prayer service. An emotional coach of the New York Jets professional football team made astounding statements. He said if our nation needed diversion last Sunday, go to church and pray. He said there could be no better national diversion than every citizen attending church and praying.

“Before,” NATO nations constantly quarreled in their alliance. China viewed us as their greatest enemy. Russia regarded us with grave suspicion. “After,” NATO unified. China was sympathetic. Russian citizens cried as they brought flowers to impromptu memorial sites, and their leaders pledged cooperation.

Around the globe stunned democratic nations held memorials and declared support. At the British “changing of the guard” ceremonies, protocol changed in historically unique ways. Among the changes: they played our national anthem. Could it be that people soberly realized current western civilization was threatened?

Our President declared the attack an act of war. That act of war killed over 5,000 innocent civilians. So we declared war against evil. I read of the panic in Afghanistan among innocent parents and children. In indescribable poverty, they desperately attempt to leave their country. Their experiences are also horrible. If they die, is that also an act of evil? I read of terroristic violence American citizens commit against American citizens of suspected Arab descent. Does justice function through acts of injustice? Is it “good” if “we” do it to “them,” but “evil” if “they” do it to “us”?

Throughout history, moments of great crisis produce events of great evil. Events of great evil produce incredible opportunities for good. In days of deep darkness Christ’s light can shine the brightest. May we each have the faith and courage to reflect His light in the days, weeks, and months of deep darkness ahead. Tragedy creates opportunity.

Survival Is As Significant As Birth

Posted by David on September 9, 2001 under Bulletin Articles

A sad reality I encountered in West Africa was the infant mortality rate. At that time, fifty percent of all infants died before the age of five. Infant mortality was so common in some areas that parents did not name children at birth. Naming was delayed until parents believed children would live. Survival was as significant as birth.

In my college days in Nashville, Tennessee, over one hundred congregations of the Church of Christ existed in that city. At that time factual estimates suggested half of all immersed into Christ never worshipped. About fifty percent of immersed believers expressed little or no interest in the church. The spiritual birth rate was incredible. The spiritual survival rate was deplorable. Even if the single criteria for spiritual development was church attendance, the spiritual survival rate was still deplorable.

As Christians, we need to do all possible to increase the spiritual birth rate. We need to do all possible to help people find Jesus as Savior and receive the forgiveness of sins. Every person needs the forgiveness provided by Jesus’ blood. Every person needs the hope provided by forgiveness. No one should be denied eternal opportunities.

We also need to do all possible to increase the spiritual survival rate. New Testament writers placed enormous emphasis on spiritual survival. No epistle suggested this to Christians: “You had enough faith in Jesus to be immersed. You have done quite enough! Nothing else is necessary! Do not spiritually grow! Stay as you are!”

Peter told young Christians to understand they were spiritual infants. They were to long for the word’s pure milk and spiritually grow (1 Peter 2:2). Paul told Christians in Corinth to be mature in their thinking instead of being children (1 Corinthians 14:2). They needed to become men and put childish things behind them (1 Corinthians 13:11). Paul told the Christians in Ephesus not to be easily deceived children, but to mature to the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13,14). Paul explained his goal to Christians in Colossae: to present Christians complete in Christ (Colossians 1:28). A major theme in New Testament epistles is spiritual maturity. Spiritual survival that resulted in spiritual maturity was as important as spiritual birth. It still is.

“Is spiritual maturity that important? Must we be that serious about nurturing Christians? Does not evangelism totally fulfill our mission?” According to New Testament epistles, Jesus Christ’s objectives cannot be achieved only through evangelism. Yes, helping those born in Christ survive and reach spiritual maturity is that important.

“How important is it?” Christians in Corinth suffered from horrible spiritual problems. Paul wanted to help them, but in their spiritual immaturity, they rejected his help. He wanted to share things they needed to know, but they were immature babies dependent on milk. He could not feed them meat (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

May our spiritual birth rate increase. May we nurture all born into Christ.

The “Throwaways”

Posted by David on September 2, 2001 under Sermons

What destroyers do you think that you would most despise? If someone did something horrible to totally change your life, what “thing” could they do that you would despise the most? What could someone do to you or your family to make you say, “I despise you! I hope nothing good ever happens to you! I hope you have to live in great sorrow and die in agony!”

Perhaps your response is, “Nothing could happen to make me feel that way.” I hope that you are right, but I doubt that you are right. There are moments when I think I could never despise anyone. Then there are moments when it would be much too easy to despise people who really hurt me. Those moments make me realize we all can despise other people much more easily than we think.

If someone murdered your husband, would you despise that person? If someone raped your wife, would you despise that person? If someone murdered or raped your child, would you despise that person? If someone deliberately burned your home, would you despise that person? If someone deliberately destroyed your job out of sheer contempt for you, would you despise that person?

Let me set a context that would cause all of us to struggle with our feelings. If another nation conquered us and took away our freedoms, we would struggle with our feelings. If that nation replaced our police force with their occupation troops, we would struggle with our feelings. If by new law, those troops could conscript us to help them any time they wanted to, we would struggle with our feelings. If everywhere we went, we saw those occupation troops controlling the situations, we would struggle with our feelings. Every time we saw an officer in charge of those troops, we would really struggle with our feelings. That situation is so foreign to our circumstances, can we even imagine it?

1. We have to imagine those circumstances to understand Matthew 8:5-13.
   1. For about a hundred years, the Jews were free.
      1. Then in 64 B.C. the Romans took control of their country.
         1. The official headquarters of the Roman military occupation force was located in Caesarea.
         2. That city was the official residence of the Roman procurator who controlled Palestine.
         3. That was the official location of Palestine’s Roman court.
      2. The Roman occupation military force was scattered throughout Palestine.
         1. Everywhere Jews traveled within their own country those troops were visible reminders that they were not free.
         2. If a Roman soldier was traveling and he wanted a Jew to carry his pack, all he had to do was tell the Jew to pick up the load.
         3. Roman law required the Jew to carry his pack for a mile.
         4. No matter what the Jew was doing or how much he resented it, he had to carry the soldier’s pack.
      3. Place yourself in those circumstances and feel the animosity.

   2. A Roman centurion came to Jesus pleading with Jesus to help him.
      1. Can you picture that scene?
         1. Can you picture a Roman officer in the occupation force pleading for a Jew to help him?
         2. The Roman military did not plead for help from its captives; it ordered its captives to help.
         3. Can you imagine a man from a military that honored many gods asking for religious help from a man who taught there was one God?
      2. The situation:
         1. A Roman military officer in Palestine’s occupation force who keeps the Jewish people under control has a servant who is paralyzed and in great pain.
         2. He is so convinced that Jesus can correct the situation that he comes to Jesus to ask for his help.
            1. This is one of the few times that Jesus used a miracle to help a person who was not a Jew.
            2. The entire situation is quite unusual.
         3. Jesus immediately agrees to go to the man’s home and heal the servant.
      3. The response:
         1. The officer’s immediate response: “I am not worthy for you to come into my home.” (Wonder how many other people were told by this officer, “I am unworthy to have you in my home.”)
            1. This Roman military officer had more respect for Jesus than did Jesus own countrymen–what Jew ever said, “I am not worthy for you to come into my home?”
            2. Incredible!
         2. The officer further said, “There is no need for you to come into my home.”
            1. “I possess and use authority.”
            2. “I know how to give orders to those who are under me.”
            3. “Just say the word, and the healing will occur.”
      4. Jesus’ astonishment:
         1. “I have met no one in Israel that has this much faith!” (Israel’s religious establishment asked Jesus for “a sign.”)
         2. “This is the reason that people who are not Jews will be in the kingdom of heaven.”
         3. “It is also the reason you first century Jews will be excluded from that kingdom and experience enormous grief and suffering.”
      5. Jesus’ response to the Roman army officer:
         1. “Go back. May your faith determine what happens.”
         2. The healing quickly occurred.

2. If you think that Jesus was doing nothing more than condemning many of the first century Jews, you miss the point.
   1. If you think this is merely an anti-Semitic statement, you really miss the point.
      1. Jesus was not putting the first century Jews down.
      2. It was not a “I do not like you because you do not like me” statement.

   2. Jesus’ point is seen in the incredible contrast.
      1. On one side were the first century Jewish people.
         1. They had a long history with the living God that began with Abraham.
         2. For centuries they have been blessed by their relationship with God.
         3. God gave them His word, His law, and His prophets.
      2. On the other side is this Roman army officer.
         1. He was in an army that consulted the idolatrous gods for favorable signs before beginning a military campaign.
         2. He is an officer in the occupation force.
         3. He may never have heard of or had contact with the God of Israel until he was stationed in Palestine.
         4. He heard of Jesus, and he believed Jesus could heal his servant.
         5. Though he held a position of authority and had power, he humbly came to Jesus to ask for help. (He did not send someone; he came himself.)
         6. He was convinced that Jesus had the authority just to speak and the healing would occur.
      3. Jesus said the first century Jews who have known God for hundreds of years did not have that kind of faith.
         1. Because they do not have that kind of faith, people like the Roman army officer would be in God’s kingdom, and the first century Jewish people would not.
         2. God accepts us on the basis of our faith, not on the basis of our ancestors or our history.

3. I have given a lot of thought to the point of this incident, and I struggled to find a way to make it come alive in our understanding.
   1. Do you plan on going to heaven, to bowing yourself down in the presence of God?
      1. “Certainly!”
      2. Why? Explain why you plan on being in heaven.
         1. “I am a member of the Church of Christ.”
         2. “I was immersed when I was baptized.”
         3. “I take communion every week.”
         4. “I sing in worship a cappella.”
         5. “I trust the Bible to be my spiritual and religious authority.”
      3. If you wrote your reasons down for having confidence in your eternal salvation, without prompting:
         1. Would you list faith in God? Where would you rank it?
         2. Would you list faith in Jesus Christ? Where would you rank it?
         3. Would you tie your obedience to your faith in God?
         4. Would you tie your repentance to your faith in God?
      4. Is our faith in our identity or is our faith in our God?
      5. Is our faith in our heritage or is our faith in our God?
      6. Is our faith in our restoration commitment or is our faith in our God?

   2. Suppose you asked a devout religious leader in Israel at the time of Jesus’ ministry, “What is the difference?”
      1. “What is the difference between faith in commanded sacrifices and faith in God?”
         1. He would have answered, “There is no difference.”
         2. “Faith in a commanded sacrifice is faith in God.”
      2. “What is the difference between faith in the temple and faith in God?”
         1. He would have answered, “There is no difference.”
         2. “Faith in the temple is faith in God.”
      3. “What is the difference between faith in being God’s people and faith in God?”
         1. He would have answered, “There is no difference.”
         2. “Faith in being the people of God is faith in God.”
      4. But Jesus said, “There is a difference.”
         1. Jesus said, “The Roman centurion placed his faith where faith should be placed.”
         2. Jesus said, “I have not seen anyone in Israel who does that.”

   3. What I want you to see is so easy to misunderstand but is so important to understand. Let me answer some questions.
      1. “Do you want to be a member of the church of Christ?”
         1. Yes; I have spent my life attempting to serve God in Christ’s church.
         2. But my faith is in God and what he did in Jesus Christ, not in the church of Christ.
      2. “Were you immersed when you were baptized into Christ for the remission of sins?”
         1. Yes, and I am convinced that a person who believes in Christ and wishes to redirect his or her life should be immersed into Christ.
         2. But my faith is in my God and what He did in Jesus Christ, not in the fact that I was immersed.
      3. “Do you take communion weekly to remember the Lord’s death?”
         1. Yes, and I am convinced Christians should take communion each week to remember Jesus’ sacrifice.
         2. But my faith is in my God and what He did in Jesus Christ, not in the fact that I take communion every week.
      4. “Do you believe in the basic objective of restoration?”
         1. Yes; I am convinced that we should never stop trying to understand how to be God’s people as were the Christians in the first century.
         2. But my faith is in my God and what He did in Jesus Christ, not in the restoration movement.

Can you imagine anything worse than hearing God say, “Well done, good and faithful servants,” and not being included in the group? Can you imagine anything worse than asking, “Why?” and hearing the Lord say, “I never saw the kind of faith they had in you.”

That Is Not the Way It’s Done!

Posted by David on under Sermons

Teens are a wonderful gift! In a family that works together, teenagers can make a wonderful contribution. Teens are a wonderful family labor force, right teens? Parents do not know how to appreciate what teens do for the family until they leave home.

The first year both my sons moved away and were not longer a part of our “family work force,” I mowed over an acre lot by myself with a push mower. I almost killed myself! All that summer, every available evening, I mowed part of my yard. I never finished! By the time I cut the last section, it was time to start again. It did not take long for me to determine the quickest way to mow my yard. Soon after I figured out the quickest way to mow, the “quickest way” became the “only way.” Not long after that, the “only way” became the “correct way” to mow my yard.

The next summer I bought a riding mower. Of course, I still mowed my yard the “correct way.” That summer Kevin visited and offered to mow the yard. I quickly accepted his offer and proceeded to tell him the “correct way” to mow my yard. He listened, smiled his Kevin smile, and proceeded to cut the yard his way.

No matter what I decided, there were many ways to approach cutting my grass.

1. People are very strange beings.
   1. We tend to be arrogant, near-sighted, and over-confident.
      1. If you had a nickel for every argument that will occur in America this week concerning the best way to do something, you would be a rich person.
      2. If you had a nickel for every argument that will occur in the families of this congregation this week concerning the best way to do something, you would have some “serious spending money.”

   2. Most of our disagreements are not about “whats” but about “hows.”
      1. We agree on many of the “whats.”
         1. Most husbands and wives agree on many of the “whats;” the majority of their disagreements are on the “hows.”
         2. Most of the people you work with on your job agree on the “whats;” it is the “hows” that produce the biggest head knocking sessions.
         3. This is my experience in the church: much of the time we agree on the “whats;” it is the “hows” that give us fits.
      2. Consider one example.
         1. Financially a husband and wife basically agree on the “whats.”
         2. They have a specific income that produces a specific amount of money.
            1. The “what” primarily involves living on that income.
            2. The “what” involves paying the bills, providing the necessities, caring for the unexpected, and saving something for the future.
         3. But, “how” do they do that?
            1. Most of the conflicts center on “how.” Why?
            2. “My way is the way to do it; my way makes sense; and all of us understand we need to use the sensible approach.”
      3. Let me describe what happens.
         1. Convenience becomes habit.
         2. Habit becomes routine.
         3. Routine becomes necessity.
         4. Necessity becomes unbreakable law.

2. We humans are so confident that “we know the best way to do things” that we even feel comfortable telling God how He should do things.
   1. “I belong to God.”
      1. “I know what God thinks.”
      2. “I know what God values.”
      3. “I know God’s ways.”
      4. “I know how God would have things done.”
      5. “Listen to me. When you listen to me you can count on the fact that I know God’s ‘what’ and ‘how.'”

   2. Centuries ago Isaiah wrote Judah and declared,
      Isaiah 55:8,9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
      1. In context, Isaiah encouraged exiled Jews to place their trust in the fact that the God who exiled them would forgive them.
      2. That is not the way we humans do things.
      3. We do not force people to endure the consequences of their misbehavior, and then offer them forgiveness and restoration.
      4. We people have a very poor understanding of grace.
         1. Grace is not typically a part of our existence.
         2. Grace is very much a part of God’s existence.

3. Jesus stressed that God does not do things the way people do them.
   1. In Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus taught a parable about some laborers.
      1. The time for the grape harvest arrived, and a vineyard owner needed help.
         1. People who worked as day laborers [much as today in some cities] came to a location in the city and waited for someone to offer them a job for the day.
         2. People who needed to hire help knew where to go to hire laborers.
      2. The vineyard owner went early in the morning to hire some laborers.
         1. He found men needing a job and agreed to pay them a day’s wage.
         2. He did not have enough help, so he went back to the same place at 9 a.m. and hired the men he found. He said that he would pay them what was right if they would work for him.
         3. He went again at noon and at 3 p.m. and did the same thing.
      3. At 5 p.m. the vineyard owner did the unthinkable–with only an hour left to work, he went to hire laborers.
         1. When he found unhired men, he asked, “Why have you been standing around all day?”
         2. They replied, “No one hired us.”
         3. He said, “Go work in my vineyard.”
      4. When the day was over, he told his foreman to pay all the workers.
         1. The foreman started by paying the last group who worked very briefly.
         2. He paid them a full day’s wage, the same amount promised to the men hired at 6 a.m.
         3. Those who worked all day were elated–surely they would be paid more than a day’s wages.
         4. But, when they were paid, they received the same amount–a day’s wage.
      5. The people who worked all day gripped: “You paid us no more than you paid those men who worked for an hour! That is not right!”
         1. The owner replied, “I did nothing wrong to you. I paid you what I promised. If I choose to pay those who worked an hour a full day’s wage, that is my business.”
         2. “I can do what I want to do with what I own.”
         3. “You criticize me because I am generous?”
      6. God is not bound by human thoughts and standards; the generous, merciful God does things His way.

   2. Jesus told another parable in Luke 13:24-30.
      1. A person in his Jewish audience asked if just a few were going to be saved.
      2. He urged his Jewish audience to make great effort to enter the narrow door before opportunity passed.
      3. Once the head of the house shut the door, those outside could not enter.
         1. Those outside would beg the owner to open the door and let them in: “We knew you well. We had meals with you. We listened to you teach.”
         2. But the owner would not open the door: “I do not know you. If you were not up to evil you would have come in when the door was open. Just leave and go away. Take your evil elsewhere.”
      4. The Jews who could not get in had double grief.
         1. They saw their ancestors who began Israel inside, in God’s kingdom, and there was no way they could join them.
         2. They also saw people who were not Israelites inside with their ancestors.
      5. Again, God is not bound by our thoughts and ways; He does things His way.

   3. This is just as difficult to accept today as it was in first century Israel.
      1. Paul discussed this very struggle in Romans 9.
      2. First century Jews had a difficult time accepting the fact that God loved and saved people who were not a part of Judaism.
         1. Their complaint: “That is not fair! It is not right! We have been Your chosen people for over 1400 years. We are Israel!”
         2. Listen to Paul:
            Romans 9:10-12 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”
      3. Paul told Israelites God always has functioned in this manner.
      4. If they went all the way back to the Israel’s beginnings, to Jacob and Esau, God chose to work through the younger Jacob before those twins were born.
      5. That is just not the way people did things! You worked through the oldest son, not the youngest!
      6. That was not the way people did things, but God was not bound by the decisions and behavior of people.

4. God is sovereign. What does that mean?
   1. God does things His way, as He chooses.
      1. He does not abuse His power, or people, and He keeps His promises.
      2. Those who trust Him know He is trustworthy; He will keep His word.
      3. People cannot obligate God; people must trust God.
         1. We do not trust God because “He does it our way.”
         2. We trust God because the trustworthy God keeps His promises.

   2. We humans do not like to be reduced to trusting God.
      1. Depending on trust makes us very uncomfortable.
         1. Humans function on documents, signatures, guarantees, and contracts.
         2. We obligate people to keep their promises because humans deceive and break promises.
         3. If we have a document, a signature, a guarantee, or a contract and you fail to do what you are obligated to do, we will take you to court and make you keep your promise.
      2. We humans function much better on obligations than on trust.
      3. But we cannot obligate God; we must trust God.
         1. Must we obey God? Yes.
         2. Does human obedience obligate God? No.
         3. Does human obedience place us in a bargaining position with God? No.
      4. Christians who trust God do not serve God in an attempt to obligate God.
         1. Christians serve God because they trust Him.
         2. Christians serve God because they trust His love for them.

   3. “Why should I trust God, especially since He does not do things the way I would?”
      1. Why? Because God sent us Jesus. It took God a long time to keep His promise, but He kept it.
      2. Why? Because God let Jesus die for our sins. It took God enormous patience to keep His promise, but He kept it.
      3. Why? Because God raised Jesus from the dead to be Lord and Christ. It required a lot of effort from God to keep His promise, but He kept it.

We Christians make a spiritual mess out of the church. In the church, we have spent about a hundred years teaching Christians to trust themselves instead of trusting God. We taught ourselves to trust our logic, our reasoning, our conclusions, our practices, our name, and our ways. Too much of that has little to do with trusting God. It has a lot to do with our attempt to obligate God. Is your confidence for salvation in your trust of God or in trusting yourself because your confidence is in what you do?

God and Hope

Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles

In the tiny country of Palestine among the small population of first century Jews, there were many religious outcasts. Among those outcasts, none were resented more than Samaritans. People in main stream Jewish religious acceptability despised Samaritans. Climbing Israel’s ladder of religious respectability intensified resentment for Samaritans.

Samaritans were partly Jewish. Hundreds of years prior to the first century, their Jewish ancestors married people who were not Jews. Jewish resentment was so deep that Jews refused to associate with Samaritans (John 4:9). Occasionally Jesus’ Jewish enemies tried to produce an emotional reaction against him by declaring he was a Samaritan (John 8:48).

Prior to his ascension, the resurrected Jesus told his apostles to be his witnesses in Samaria. Acts 8:4-13 stated that happened. The results: (1) there was a lot of rejoicing and (2) men and women were baptized.

Sharing news about the Christ brought hope to Samaritans. To a Bible student, that is not surprising. On one occasion Jesus dared travel across Samaria. On this trip, he took the initiative to offer hope to a Samaritan divorcee living with a man to whom she was not married (John 4:7-18). Jesus offered this divorcee living water. That is not an evangelistic outreach we would devise. Yet, extending hope to this divorcee was effective. As a result, many in the village of Sychar believed Jesus was the Savior of the world (John 4:39-42).

These Samaritans concluded Jesus was the Christ. During Jesus’ ministry, few Jews reached that conclusion. Because Jesus gave a divorcee hope, the Samaritans in Sychar recognized his true identity. Because Jesus gave her hope, he taught Sychar.

In Matthew 8:10-12, Jesus made an incredible statement to a Jewish audience. A Roman military officer requested, “Heal my suffering servant.” Jesus offered to accompany him to his home. The officer said that was unnecessary. He said, “Just say the word…” His faith astounded Jesus. No Israelite had shown such great faith.

Jesus then observed that many people who did not descend from Abraham would sit with Abraham in the kingdom of heaven. At the same time, Abraham’s descendants would be denied a place in that kingdom.

Why? Faith in Jesus was generated by hope. The Roman military officer came to Jesus in hope. His hope produced faith. The combination of hope and faith produced unquestioning confidence, a confidence Jesus had not seen in Israel.

How big is your faith? How big is your hope? The size of your hope powerfully affects the size of your faith. You want to lead outcasts to faith? Help them find hope.

Do You Understand Why?

Posted by David on August 26, 2001 under Sermons

Occasionally I hear Jay Leno’s “Jaywalking” segment. When I do, I am always astounded. Two things amaze me: (1) what the people selected do not know and (2) what the people selected think they know, but do not understand.

Suppose for a moment that you have microphones and a camera crew to accompany you as you conduct interviews. You ask some very simple interview questions. First you go to a state university to interview incoming freshmen. This is the interview question: “Why do people go to universities?” Having spent twenty-eight years preaching for college and university congregations, allow me to suggest some honest answers. The top three answers. (1) “They go to party. Everyone is entitled to four carefree years of fun. You just left the restrictions of parents and home. You will spend adult life facing and enduring adult responsibilities. The four years of university life are supposed to be the fun time transition.”

(2) “They go to get a degree. The degree is your key to opportunity. If you want to get a good job, you need to have a degree to put down on your job application.”

(3) “They go to make contacts for the future. Everybody realizes that it is not what you know but who you know. People go to universities to make the right contacts for the future.”

You would be amazed at how few answers people give have anything to do with education.

We could do the interview with the simple question, “Why do people have jobs?” Probable answers would include (1) “to make money.” Or, (2) “to afford fun stuff.” Or, (3) “to have good benefits.” You would be amazed at the number of answers having nothing to do with the success of the business.

1. Let’s conduct a simple interview with ourselves by asking this question, “Why should Christians exist as the church?”
   1. Our answers to that question might include these.
      1. “It is important to be religious.”
      2. “Going to church is good for the family.”
      3. “Going to church is something that good people do.”
      4. If all of us wrote down honest, heart answers, it would be amazing to note how many of our answers had little to do with God.

   2. Please consider Paul’s answer in Ephesians 1. “Paul, why do we Christians exist as the church?”
      1. Paul wrote this letter to Christians at Ephesus.
         1. The majority of them were converted idol worshippers.
         2. In chapter two he explained that prior to being Christians they were spiritually dead, separated from Christ, not included in God’s covenant, without hope, and without God.
         3. Their preconversion condition was horribly grim.
      2. In chapter one Paul explained the purpose of their being Christians.
         1. He began by explaining these things.
            1. God is the source of blessings (verse 3).
            2. God provides every spiritual blessing in Christ (verse 3).
            3. Before God created the world, God chose all people who want to be holy and blameless to be His people (verse 4).
            4. Before creation he chose to adopt all people who would come to Jesus Christ (verse 5).
         2. Why? Why would God do those things?
            1. So that those who were alive in Christ would exist to the praise of the glory of His grace (verse 6).
            2. We exist as Christians to be living evidence of how good God is, to demonstrate God’s goodness, and to cause people to glorify God.
         3. Paul continued his emphasis.
            1. In Christ you have redemption through his blood (verse 7).
            2. In Christ you have the forgiveness of your trespasses.
            3. In fact, in Christ:
               1. God lavishes His grace upon you (verse 8).
               2. God showed you what He was doing–makes known to you the mystery (verse 9).
               3. God reveals His complete purpose and shows how that purpose is summed up in Jesus (verse 10).
               4. Through that purpose, you have obtained an inheritance (verse 11).
         4. Why? Why has God revealed all those things in Christ? (verse 12)
            1. So that people who have their hope in Christ should be to the praise of God’s glory.
            2. People would give God praise and glorify God because of what happens in Christians’ lives.
         5. Paul still continued his emphasis.
            1. God placed the insignia of the Holy Spirit on them (verse 13).
            2. To use our wording, God used the Holy Spirit to prove that He made the down payment on them, that they belonged to Him.
            3. The Holy Spirit was proof that God was coming back for them, to redeem them for his own possession.
         6. Why? Why would God do that? (verse 14)
            1. Because He expected them to be to the praise of His glory.
            2. When other people saw what God did in them, those people would praise God and give Him glory.

2. Paul’s emphasis is not some new idea that he thought up for these converted idol worshippers.
   1. That is what Jesus was all about–Jesus lived and died to cause people to praise God and give God glory.
   2. And Jesus did that perfectly!
      1. In Matthew 3:13-17 Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River.
         1. When John hesitated and tried to discourage Jesus from being baptized, Jesus insisted.
         2. He said, “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.
         3. John immersed him.
         4. Immediately the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove came upon Jesus and God said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
         5. In the act of baptism, Jesus was conducting himself to the praise of God’s glory.
      2. In Matthew 17:1-8 Jesus was transfigured, and Peter, James, and John were able to see him.
         1. He was talking with Moses and Elijah.
         2. One account says they were discussing Jesus’ coming death in Jerusalem (Luke 9:31).
         3. Peter was frightened and said, “Lord, I am glad we are here. We need to build a tabernacle to honor you, and one to honor Moses [the great Jewish law giver], and one to honor Elijah [the great Jewish prophet].
         4. A cloud covered everyone, and God’s voice spoke saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased: listen to Him!”
         5. In this unusual moment, Jesus’ surrender to God was to the praise and glory of God.
      3. It was Jesus himself who explained that his purpose for existence is to be our purpose for existence.
         1. In Matthew 5:16 Jesus said: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
         2. “If you belong to me, do good.”
         3. “Do not be ashamed of the good you do; let it be obvious that you are devoted to doing good because you belong to me.”
         4. “You do not do good to impress people with you. You do good so people will be impressed with your God.”
         5. We are lights to bring glory to God; people praise God because of the good we do.

   3. First century Jews had been God’s people for almost 1500 years.
      1. They knew God’s teachings; they had known God’s teachings for a very long time.
      2. They had known God’s teachings for so long that they decided their role was to judge everybody else.
         1. That seems to be our human tendency when we know God’s will a long time.
         2. We decide we do not know God’s will to serve God.
         3. We decide we know God’s will to judge those who fail God.
      3. They could tell you what was wrong with everyone, and they could especially tell you what was wrong with all those people who worshipped idols.
      4. In Romans 2:24 Paul described first century Jews who existed to pass judgment [he used a quotation from scripture]: “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
         1. The Gentiles were those idol worshippers they judged.
         2. Those condemned idol worshippers did not praise and glorify God because of their judgments.
         3. Those condemned idol worshippers blasphemed God because of their judgments.
      5. Christians do not exist to cause people to blaspheme God, but to praise and glorify God.

3. As a Christian, one of the primary reasons that you exist is to help people see God and praise Him.
   1. Continually over the past 200 years the focus of the restoration movement increasingly has become the church, not God.
      1. Often we are so obsessed with being the church that we loose sight of God.
      2. We assume that if the church succeeds, God succeeds.
         1. And we have a very narrow, restricted definition of the church succeeding.
         2. Far too often we define success in the church more on the doctrinal stands “it” takes than on the way “it” serves the spiritual needs of people.
         3. Far too often we define success in the church on the basis of image rather than on the basis of godliness.
         4. Far too often we are more concerned about our expectations in the church than God’s expectations in the church.
            1. Too often we confuse our expectations for God’s expectations.
            2. Too often we are more concerned about image than substance.
            3. Often we pick the congregation we wish to be a part of on the basis of approved image instead of spiritual substance.

   2. The problem is more fundamental than our perception of the church; the problem begins in our perception of ourselves as individual Christians.
      1. As individual Christians, we are likely to be more concerned with escaping eternal consequences than reflecting the eternal God.
         1. That is what we have been taught for generations.
         2. That was the basis of conversion for many of us.
         3. That was the basis for producing acceptable behavior and maintaining control of congregations.
      2. How often were you taught, “If you do those things, you will go to hell!”
      3. How often were you taught, “This is the way you reflect the merciful God.”
      4. What role did God have in your conversion?
      5. What role does God have in your Christian behavior?

   3. Consider a specific example. If it were possible, would you choose to reflect:
      1. The perfect holiness of God, or would that interfere with your lifestyle?
      2. The perfect purity of God, or would that interfere with your pleasures?
      3. The perfect mercy of God, or would that interfere with your anger?
      4. The perfect grace of God, or would that interfere with your condemnations?

Most of us do not equate being a Christian with accurately reflecting God in an evil world. Do you? Most of us do not understand our purpose as individual Christians and our purpose as the church. We exist to glorify God. Bottom line. We exist so people can see how God helps flesh and blood, and seeing that, honor God for His mercy and forgiveness.

We need to do much better answering the simple questions of who we are and why we exist. We need to understand what it means to be to the praise of God’s glory.

The Challenge That Encourages

Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles

Many years ago as a teenager I played some team sports. One day my coach explained to me one of his basic rules of coaching. “You cannot coach all players the same way. [He used specific players as examples.] If I compliment this player, he lets it go to his head. He becomes so proud of himself he will not listen to anything I say. But this player is a different situation. After I compliment him he listens, and then he works his heart out for me. The key is understanding how to encourage each player to do his best.”

Regardless of your opinion about his approach to challenging his players, he understood an important truth about people. Individuals are distinctive persons with unique personalities. What motivates or encourages one discourages or distresses another. There are those who observe, “Some are overly sensitive and others are not sensitive enough.” To these people, this observation becomes the basis for their interactions.

While the observation is true, it does not explain the reality. We are all different. Nothing is “standard” about us, our experiences, or the way experiences impact our lives. We all want others to see us for who we are. No one chooses to fulfill someone’s expectations as a cog in their machine. Jerry and Lynn Jones explained that does not work in marriage. It does not work in other relationships. It does not work among Christians.

A phenomenal truth about God: He sees each of us as individuals. God looks at six billion people on earth, and sees the individual. He forgives the individual. He treats the individual with grace and mercy. He admonishes the individual. He encourages the individual. He listens to the individual. As He interacts in all these ways, He is always concerned about the person, not the precedent.

Jesus was God’s perfect representative on earth. Jesus initiated a conversation with a Samaritan divorcee to offer her living water (John 4). He allowed the unthinkable! Jesus let a prostitute wash, dry, anoint, and kiss his feet in someone else’s home (Luke 7:36-50). He allowed the unthinkable! Jesus healed a Roman army officer’s servant (Matthew 5:-13). He did the unthinkable! Jesus associated with religious and social outcasts, and religious leaders were incensed (Matthew 10:10-13). He did the unthinkable! In each situation, he was concerned about individuals, not about precedents. He saw the person, the need, and the opportunity, and responded.

That is why God is the goal, and we are the goal setters. That is why Jesus is the teacher, and we are the students. We become so concerned about the precedent that we ignore the individual. God does not. Jesus does not.

God knows whose heart seeks His will, and whose heart does not. God knows who is trying as he or she struggles, and who justifies himself or herself in his or her struggles. God does not use the standard human “pass or fail” method of testing. God uses the divine heart standard of testing. Thank You, God, for seeing us as individuals! Thank You for seeing the worst in us and loving us enough to forgive us, if we will let You.

What Did You Teach This Summer?

Posted by David on August 19, 2001 under Sermons

It is that time of year again. Television commercials do not lie, do they? The ads targeting our tax rebates have been replaced with ads about “back to school supplies.”

One commercial presents a jubilant father and two sad children. The father leaps, dances, and jumps up and down isles as he fills a shopping cart with school supplies. The children just stand together and look sad. While this occurs, a background song plays, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Each time I see that commercial I wonder about the underlying message. It is one thing to sell school supplies. It is quite another to declare it is wonderful to be rid of your children.

I am also amazed at when “back to school” ads market their products with an obvious pitch to sex appeal or an obvious justification of selfishness.

Whatever your emotions may be, summer break is over. Tomorrow morning in Fort Smith public schools open for students. For all intents and purposes, summer is over. Our calendar does not mark the beginning of fall. School does.

So, what did your heart teach your kids this summer? When your children are forty year old adults, they will have memories of the summer of 2001. When they remember this summer and their parents, what will they remember? Will anything they remember be associated with your heart?

1. Consider two fascinating scriptures concerning people committed to God.
   1. The first, Deuteronomy 8:2, was given to the Israelites as they prepared to invade Canaan.
      You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
      1. For forty years these people wandered in the wilderness as their parents died.
         1. God supplied their food by giving them manna to eat every day (verse 3).
         2. God kept their clothing from wearing out for the entire time (verse 4).
         3. Can you image eating the same diet and wearing the same clothes for forty years?
         4. There are people in our world today that would love to eat every day and have something to wear.
      2. Moses spoke to people who trusted, obeyed, and were committed to God.
         1. Even so, they spent the forty years wandering in a desert because of their parents’ choices.
         2. Knowing human nature, there had to be times when they wondered, “Why? We did not distrust God; our parents did! Why must we endure consequences created by our parents’ choices?”
      3. Perhaps God in Deuteronomy 8:2 gave an answer to their why.
         1. Moses said, “I want you to remember this experience.” [“Sure, like they could forget it!” God knew when things changed and became good, they were likely to forget it (verses 11-20)].
         2. Moses said, “This experience happened for identifiable reasons.”
            1. Reason number one was to humble you; humble people depend on God. Arrogant people depend on themselves.
            2. Reason number two was to test you; not to cause you to fail, but to give you opportunity to reveal your heart to God.
            3. Reason number three was based on reasons one and two: obedience comes from people who are humble, whose hearts belong to God.

   2. This whole experience provided them opportunity to reveal their hearts.
      1. The same opportunity was given to their parents.
         1. When the tenth plague released their parents from Egypt’s slavery, in the sports jargon of today, “God was the man!” God was number one on top of everything! God released them, and God visibly lead them day and night with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21).
         2. But when they were trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea, they said to Moses, “Didn’t we tell you to leave us alone and let us be slaves! It is better to be a live slave than dusty grave!” (Exodus 14:12)
         3. When God rescued them by allowing them to cross through the Red Sea on dry land, they were filled with joy and praise for God (Exodus 15).
         4. But when they entered the desert and were thirsty, they grumbled (Exodus 15:24).
         5. When God verbally gave them the ten commandments (Exodus 20), they responded by saying they would do anything God wanted.
            1. Just one request: “Listening to God’s voice will kill us.”
            2. “Moses, you talk to God and we will do anything you tell us.”
         6. Moses went upon Mount Sinai to communicate with God and was gone forty days.
            1. The same people said to Aaron, “We have no idea what happened to Moses.”
            2. “Make us a god” (they knew and were familiar with idols).
            3. Aaron made them a golden calf and said it was their god who delivered them from Egypt (Exodus 32:1-4).
      2. Their parents had a lot of opportunity to show God their hearts, and they did.
         1. They refused to humble themselves when things did not go as they wished.
         2. They failed the test–unless God was doing what they wanted, they did not trust him.
      3. The admonition to this second generation was simple: show God your heart.
         1. Whatever your experience, show God your heart.
         2. Refuse to make the mistakes your parents made; show God your heart.

   3. The second scripture is found in 2 Chronicles 32:31.
      Even in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
      1. This statement is made in reference to King Hezekiah.
      2. Hezekiah was an exceptional king in Judah, one of the few kings who led a reform to move people back to God and His ways.
         1. It was Hezekiah who did what was right in God’s sight as did his ancestor David (2 Chronicles 29:2).
         2. It was Hezekiah that repaired the temple and reinstituted sacrificial worship in the temple (2 Chronicles 29).
         3. It was Hezekiah who reinstituted Passover observance (2 Chronicles 30).
         4. It was Hezekiah’s influence that led the people to destroy idolatrous shrines in the territories of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh (2 Chronicles 31:1).
         5. It was Hezekiah who restored the tithe in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 31:4,5).
         6. It was Hezekiah who trusted God when the superior military force of the King of Assyria tried to destroy Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 32).
      3. Hezekiah became a very rich man.
         1. He also made some significant mistakes because of his pride.
         2. But with his wealth and his pride, God left him alone to test him.
         3. God wanted to know all that was in his heart.

2. The only thing we control is our hearts.
   1. What is in our hearts lives there by our choice.
      1. Our choices make our hearts soft or hard.
      2. Our choices make our hearts compassionate or uncaring.
      3. Our choices cause people to see God in our hearts or cause people to decide God is no big deal.
      4. Our choices determine if our hearts finds joy in evil or finds joy in God.

   2. The only thing you have power over is what exists in your heart.
      1. We have no real control over our future.
      2. We have no real control over our health.
      3. We have no real control over our prosperity.
      4. We have no real control over the events that shape our lives.
      5. The only thing we control is the nature of our hearts.
      6. Our choices reveal to God what is in our hearts.
      7. Those choices might be made in the harshness of the wilderness like Israel or in great prosperity like Hezekiah, but we do show God what is in our hearts by our choices–wherever we make them.

   3. This is not a perfect world.
      1. Life is not fair, and never has been.
      2. Life is not just, and never has been.
      3. Like is not kind, and never has been.
      4. Life is not easy, and never has been.
      5. Life does not focus on convenience, and never has.

   4. Everyone makes hard choices; there are no exceptions.
      1. There are enough failed expectations in everyone’s life to create an angry heart.
      2. There are enough disappointments in everyone’s life to create a jealous heart.
      3. There are enough injustices in everyone’s life to create a mean heart.
      4. There are enough bruises in everyone’s life to create a hard heart.
      5. There is enough evil in everyone’s life to create a corrupt heart.
      6. There is enough coldness in everyone’s life to create a loveless heart.

   5. Each one of us decide what kind of heart we have; it is literally our choice.
      1. It is not a matter of our experiences; it is a matter of our choices in spite of our experiences.
      2. By our choices we show God our decision.
      3. By our choices we show people our decision.

3. So, this summer, what did you teach people about your heart?
   1. First, think about all the things you did this summer.
      1. Make a list.
      2. Where did you go?
      3. What did you do?
      4. How did you spend your time?

   2. Second, think about what your choices taught the people who are important to you about your heart?
      1. What did you teach your children about your heart? If their adult hearts become exactly what they saw in your heart, will you be delighted?
      2. What did you teach your wife about your heart? If her heart becomes exactly what she saw in your heart, will you be delighted?
      3. What did you teach your husband about your heart? If his heart becomes exactly what he saw in your heart, will you be delighted?
      4. What did you teach your friends about your heart? If their hearts pattern themselves after your heart, is that a good thing?

   3. If someone were to review what we revealed about our heart by our choices this summer, what would they conclude?
      1. Would they conclude you have a spiritual heart, a religious heart, or a secular heart?
      2. Would they conclude you have a God centered heart [“God makes them tick”], a pleasure centered heart [“fun makes them tick], or a “thing” centered heart [“possessions make them tick”]?
      3. Would they conclude that we have a serving heart that cares, a heart that does to others what they do to you, or a selfish heart that always takes care of us first?

What did our choices show God about our hearts this summer? Does God look at what we showed Him about our hearts and say, “That person does not have a clue about what life is about.” Or, “That person’s heart really wants My help.” Or, “That heart is truly spiritual. It refuses just to go through the motions of being religious. It belongs to Me.”

This summer taught a lot of people many truths about your heart. This summer also taught God many truths about your heart. What did your choices teach?

“God, Please Focus Us!”

Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles

Gloom and depression settled over the situation like a heavy wool blanket on a hot August night. Jesus was dead. From noon to 3 p.m. it was dark. Jesus died with a loud cry, the earth convulsed, and everyone was terrified. Then, nothing was left to do but take Jesus’ dead body off the cross, prepare it for burial, and put it in a tomb.

At the moment Jesus died, God achieved His greatest victory. After creation, Satan drove the wedge of evil between God and people. When Jesus died, God removed that wedge. At last God was free to extend atonement, redemption, forgiveness, mercy, and purification to all people. Never again could evil “own” those who accepted God’s mercy by entering Christ. With Jesus’ death, God defeated Satan!

Only the judgment day will be more significant than that moment. God achieved victory over evil! Yet, not one human understood God’s accomplishment! The eleven apostles did not. The women who followed and served Jesus and his disciples did not. Those helped by Jesus did not. Certainly Jesus’ enemies did not.

Jesus presented his resurrected, physical body to many for forty days. Still no one understood. Followers were overjoyed that he was resurrected, but they did not understand the significance of his death or resurrection. Not until Jesus was presented as Lord and Christ in Acts 2 did they begin to understand. What they had in mind for Jesus and what God had in mind for Jesus were totally different in focus. Their focus simply was not God’s focus.

Grieving seems to be part of my life. I know and understand much more today than I did ten years ago. Going back beyond ten years is embarrassing. When I reflect on all the things I did not know and understand earlier in my life, I grieve and apologize to God. Now I know enough to realize that I never grasped all that God intended or does in Jesus whom He made Lord and Christ.

My goal: have the faith and courage to understand Scripture’s meaning. That demanding goal that is better described as a journey. That journey often walks through fear, often humbles me, and constantly teaches me that faith is trusting God. When my faith is focused on things other than God, I am afraid. When I realize what happened, I am humbled. I often thought I was trusting God only to learn I was not.

I grieve when individuals would rather be religious than spiritual. I grieve when families substitute religious habits for godly values. I grieve when groups would rather defend church history than return to Jesus’ cross. I grieve when Christians would rather place blame than repent. I grieve when congregations prefer to measure themselves by their standards rather than Christ’s. I grieve when the church substitutes its purposes for God’s. And, when I look at God’s perfect holiness and purity and see myself, I grieve.

God, please focus us. Only then can we see Your purposes through Your eyes.

Being Like God

Posted by David on August 5, 2001 under Sermons

I want to begin this evening by giving you a problem to solve. Think about it. Be honest with yourself. Refuse to deceive yourself. You certainly do not have to share your solution, but work on a solution.

I once lived in a society that permitted no physical contact between men and women in public. Any form of public physical contact between a man and a woman meant they were not married, but they were sexually involved. Acceptable public physical contact occurred between good friends of the same sex. It was common to see two men walking together holding hands. Because women were so busy when in public [caring for children or preparing for market], you actually saw more men who were friends walking, holding hands. But both were acceptable.

People had so many documents to be physically carried on their person that men often traveled carrying purses. There were frequent roadblocks, and at each roadblock you were required to produce any document the police requested. The convenient way for men to address the situation was to carry all their documents in a purse. It was common to see men traveling carrying purses.

Prostitutes were the only women who wore pants of any kind. Any woman who wore pants of any kind [jeans, slacks, etc.] was immediately understood to be practicing prostitution. Unless you were in a major city where prostitutes wore shorts, women did not wear shorts of any kind.

Your reason for being in this society is to teach people about God and Jesus Christ. You want people to better understand God and Jesus Christ. You want them to develop their understanding from watching your everyday behavior and from listening to what you said.

This is the problem I want you to solve: if you are a single lady, a wife, or the father of a teenage daughter, what do you do? Would the women in your household wear pants in public? Would you hold hands with or touch your wife in public? Would you condemn men for holding hands and carrying purses? How would you behave in public?

At that same time, in our American society if a woman wore jeans or slacks did that mean she was a prostitute? No. At that time, in our society did women wear jeans or slacks? Yes. If men held hands in public and carried purses, what did that mean? In our society, it meant they were homosexually involved. In our society, did dating couples or married couples touch each other in public? Yes.

If you lived in that society and wanted to teach them a correct view of God, what would you do? Would you say, “Those standards are stupid! To attach such significance to such actions is ridiculous! They are obligated to understand me! I am not obligated to follow their customs!”

Or, would you say, “If they misunderstand my behavior and personal conduct, they will misunderstand my God. If I do things they regard to be sexual proclamations, they will assume my God approves of sexual promiscuity. What I wear and how I behave will be conscious of and sensitive to their thoughts and reactions.”

1. For the Christian, God is his or her standard.
   1. The Christian has these understandings.
      1. Every moment of life in every context and every situation, I represent God.
      2. People will develop more of their concepts about my God from my behavior than from my words.
      3. The best way to properly represent God is to understand Jesus.
         1. Jesus perfectly represented God.
         2. The better I understand Jesus and allow Jesus’ attitudes and principles to be my role model, the better I will represent God.
      4. That is every Christian’s fundamental commitment: to use my behavior and my words to help people better understand God.

   2. Lest you think this is just “preacher talk” that I share to push a personal agenda, listen carefully to Jesus in Matthew 5:43-48.
      You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” 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.
      1. I ask you to focus on two things in Jesus’ statement.
      2. The first thing: people who follow God with understanding are different.
         1. They do not hate their enemies and love their friends.
         2. Everyone else does that, but they don’t.
         3. They simply do not act like everyone else even when it comes to enemies.
         4. Reactions to enemies come as close to being “a standard negative” in all cultures among all people as any common behavior/reaction you can name.
      3. The second thing: people who follow God are different because they act like God acts.
         1. Let’s stay with Jesus’ enemy illustration of how our righteousness must surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.
         2. How does God treat His enemies?
            1. People became God’s enemy by completely perverting God’s “very good” creation through rebellion (Genesis 1:31; 3:1-7).
            2. People went from bad to worse until evil was in complete control of human conduct (Genesis 6:5,6).
            3. God struggled against evil to create Israel.
            4. God struggled against evil in Israel to generate conditions that would allow Him to send His son.
            5. God allowed His creation to reject and kill His son.
            6. God resurrected His son from the dead to give his enemies hope.
            7. God used Jesus’ crucifixion and Jesus’ resurrection to allow His enemies to become His children.
         3. We have never done as much for one of our enemies as God did for all His enemies.
      4. If we let God be our standard, how will we act toward enemies, toward those who cause us harm? We will love them and pray for them.
         1. Even the most ungodly people love people who love them and hate people who hate them.
         2. There is no spiritual reward in a lifestyle that loves people who love us.
         3. There is no spiritual reward in a lifestyle that gives acceptance to people we like–even the people who do not know the living God exists do that.
         4. The Christian’s goal cannot be to look and act like godless people.
      5. God is different.
         1. He made the sun, but He lets the sun rise for people who hate him as well as people who love him.
         2. He lets the rains bless evil people as well as godly people.
      6. God’s spiritual maturity is the standard for all those who belong to God.

2. The fact that God Himself is the standard for the people who choose to follow and belong to Him has always been true.
   1. Leviticus 19:2
      Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”
   2. 2 Corinthians 7:1
      Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
   3. 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.

3. Consider the moment and circumstances when Jesus made his statement.
   1. Jesus very clearly stated in Matthew 5:20 in the same lesson that the righteousness of the hearers had to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.
      1. Have you considered what an astounding statement that was?
      2. Jesus said the scribes and Pharisees did not represent God.
         1. If they listened to the scribes and the Pharisees they would come to wrong conclusions about God.
         2. If they patterned their lives after the lives of the scribes and Pharisees their lives would not reveal God’s priorities and standards.
      3. Wow!

   2. Who were these guys, the scribes and the Pharisees?
      1. The Pharisees:
         1. Were dedicated to ritual purity.
         2. Were dedicated to Scripture as God’s word and gave their understanding of “thus says the Lord” to authorize and authenticate everything they did.
         3. Wore clothing and titles that declared they were religious men who were men of the book.
         4. Were men who knew what scripture said so well that they were convinced that they could pass judgment on everyone else’s beliefs and behaviors.
         5. And they did not represent God! If you listened to them and followed them, you would not act like God wants you to act.
         6. If you listened to them, you would hate your enemies and love those who loved you.
      2. The scribes:
         1. Among other things, made copies of Scripture.
         2. Were technical experts in God’s Word because they made and proofed the copies.
         3. Could tell you how many times every letter of the alphabet occurred in any given book in Scripture.
         4. Knew where the smallest marks went–every dot and dash.
         5. But they did not represent God! If you listened to what they said and followed their example, your life would not show people what God wanted.
         6. If you followed them, you would hate your enemies and love those who loved you.

   3. Let me ask all of us some hard questions.
      1. What does holiness look like? Would people know what holiness looked like if they listened to us and watched our lives?
      2. What does purity look like? Would people know what purity looked like if they listened to us and watched our lives?
      3. What does godliness look like? Would people know what godliness looked like if they listened to us and watch our lives?

Do you have any idea of how much God puts up with in this world every single hour of every single day because He wants His enemies to become His children? And I have the gall to tell God what I will not put up with?

God not only puts up with it, but when we become His children, He forgives it! He treats it with mercy! He looks at us with grace! He loves the ugly and unlovable!

May I share with you one of the greatest heartaches of spiritually growing and honestly reaching for spiritual maturity? The more I mature the more aware I become of the grief I have caused God and do cause God. And God’s love is so great He just asks, “Allow Me be your standard. Represent me conscientiously.”