Posted by David on April 29, 2004 under Bulletin Articles
In one consideration, being ruled by God is a simple consideration. The person, by choice, gives God control of his/her life. The person makes the will of God the top priority and concern in decisions made, choices picked, and directions taken. While it is understood that there may be a great amount of thought or discussion about “what is God’s will in this matter,” God’s will is the priority concern.
In another consideration, being ruled by God is a complex consideration. The complexity comes in knowing one’s motives. “Am I doing this for me or for God? Am I merely conforming to the expectations of my past and other people, or am I surrendering to God? Am I trying to manipulate God or serve God? Am I trying to make the important people in my life happy or am I seeking to bring joy to God? Does this arise from faith in myself or faith in God?” Those are hard questions to answer honestly! They focus on the truth that response to God must be internal as well as external.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'” (Matthew 7:21-23)
Come be with us Sunday evening as we continue to study Coming to Christ in search for a better understanding of God’s rule.
Posted by David on April 25, 2004 under Bulletin Articles
“Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13) |
“God, open my eyes to Your holiness, purity, and goodness. Help me not make You as I wish You to be in order to serve my own interest, but help me see You as You are. Help me realize that it is in seeing You as You are that enables me to see myself as I am. Help me understand that it is only in seeing You as You are that I become aware of how desperately I need You. Help me never doubt that You seek my eternal best interest.
“My world is such a confusing place! It so easily deceives me! It makes me think that the destructive is good for me, that the unimportant is the important, that the temporary is forever, that physical pleasure is my ultimate good, and that security is found in possessions rather than in You. The more physical things I have, the emptier I become. The only enduring peace I experience is the peace that comes when I am full of You. It is Your kingdom, not my wants, that gives my life meaning. It is your will, not my physical desires, that give my life purpose. Help me find my meaning in You!
“Give my mind the eyes to see that every truly good thing that exists in my life is a gift from Your hands. I have so much that it is easy to be selfish. Because so much is available to me daily, it is simple to depend on “my abilities” rather than Your love. As You said to Abraham, may I hear You say to me that I am blessed to be a blessing. May I not search for my meaning in wealth, but in You.
“May in my experiencing Your grace, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion I ceaselessly be challenged to fill my life and actions with grace, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion in all my interactions with others. May I know You made me to reflect You. May I know the only one who reflected You perfectly was Jesus. May I increasingly yield myself to mirroring You in my life. May I understand that if I fail to reflect You to others, I fail in the basic purpose You give my existence.
“I have no hope when I confront Satan in my life and my world unless You are with me. Keep Your promise to never desert me. Give me the courage to trust this promise. Because of this promise, may I never stop using Your strength to confront evil in my life and my world. In the hope of my forgiveness, may I live in and share Your joy!
“Through my perfect mediator and intercessor I come to Your throne of grace in boldness, awe, and reverence!”
Posted by David on April 18, 2004 under Bulletin Articles
Matthew 9:2-8 And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”-then He *said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” And he got up and went home. But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
This is a fascinating incident in Jesus’ ministry! Both the paralyzed man and his friends had enormous faith just to come to Jesus. I have no question but that they came anticipating a healing of the paralysis. Jesus gave them more than expected which they likely regarded as less than expected. He assured the man he was forgiven. Forgiveness of sins is eternal. Ending paralysis is as temporary as life in this physical world.
The healing occurred as a result of the reaction of critics instead of the man’s need. The critics said among themselves that Jesus had no right to forgive sins. How dare this human assume to do something only God did!
Jesus responded by asking which was easier: to forgive the man’s sins or to heal his paralysis? To demonstrate he could do both, he healed the paralysis. Those who witnessed the event gave God the glory for giving such authority to men.
Ironically, we are more unlikely to question Jesus’ power to forgive but question his power to do the incredible and unexpected. Ask a person if Jesus can forgive him/her, and the person likely will respond, “Certainly!” Ask the same person if Jesus has the power to change him as a person or her as a person, and the likely response will be, “I doubt it!” Thus Christians likely rely heavily on forgiveness and little on transformation. We desperately want forgiveness, but are hesitant to want change.
There is never a moment we do not need Jesus’ forgiveness, but the objective of forgiveness is internal transformation (change) that ends external disobedience. Remember the sinful lady Jesus rescued (John 8:11)? “Go. From now on sin no more.”
Every moment in a Christian’s life he/she receives forgiveness. Yet, never forget God forgives us in the expectation that we will change.
Colossians 3:1-4 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Posted by David on April 11, 2004 under Bulletin Articles
Luke 13:14-16, But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
Poor man! If anyone can sympathize with him, we should! Jesus healed a woman in the synagogue on a Sabbath. The man was a synagogue official (a “leader,” not an “attender”; not uninformed but knowledgeable). Was he upset! “Jesus cannot heal people in this synagogue on the Sabbath! Not here! Not now! How inappropriate!”
Inappropriate? God’s power is inappropriate in God’s assembly among people who supposedly know God? The issue was not: (1) Jesus’ power to heal; (2) “What is the origin of Jesus’ power to do good things?” (3) the suffering woman; or (4) giving God glory for incredible happenings. The issue was, “Not here and now!”
Surely we understand the man’s feelings. Had not God’s law plainly declared, “Keep the Sabbath holy” (Exodus 20:8)? Had not it clearly declared one keeps the Sabbath holy by refraining from work (Exodus 20:9,10)? Had they not defined work? Had not those definitions regulated activities among devout Israelites for generations? How dare Jesus defile the Sabbath by performing a work of healing on the Sabbath in this synagogue!
So in devotion to scripture he condemned God’s Son for doing a godly thing! He was indignant! This upset official told the audience, “If you want Jesus to heal you, come on one of the other six days; not on a Sabbath!” Interesting! Do not benefit from God’s power on the day set aside to remember God’s creation power. The poor man knew more about scripture than he knew about God. The result: he used scripture to oppose God’s purposes and values.
Jesus declared him to be hypocritical. This representative of God did more for animals on the Sabbath than for a suffering human. He championed his views, not God’s priorities.
I do not condemn the man. I sympathize with him. May God’s grace forgive me when I have the same attitude! May His mercy cover my ignorance (which I consider “on-target” scriptural defenses) when I use God’s word to oppose God’s priorities!
It is so easy to (1) view scripture as an end in itself rather than a road map to God; (2) to hold scripture in higher regard than God; (3) to miss God’s priorities revealed in scripture. It is so easy to react instead of think–even if it means we oppose God’s purposes in His Son.
Posted by David on April 4, 2004 under Bulletin Articles
“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds” (Matthew 11:16-19).
Often God is in a “no win” situation. We simply do not look at situations as does God. Compare John the baptizer’s ministry [through which God worked] and Jesus’ ministry [through which God also worked].
Without question God sent John for a specific ministry. He was born by God’s special act (Luke 1:5-20). The Lord’s hand was with him (Luke 1:66). As soon as he was old enough, he lived in the desert (Luke 1:80). He wore strange clothing and ate a strange diet (Mark 1:6). He did not go into the towns with his message. People came into the wilderness to hear him (Matthew 3:5,6).
Without question God sent Jesus for a specific ministry. He, too, was born by God’s special act (Matthew 1:18-25). The Lord’s hand also was with him (Luke 2:40). However, Jesus dressed as common people dressed. He lived in towns. His diet was common people’s diet. He took his message to the people.
Most of the religious leadership refused to take John or his message seriously. He was weird! He was a recluse! God would not work through a weird man like John!
Most of the religious leadership refused to take Jesus or his message seriously. He was common! He lacked proper academic credentials! He associated with the wrong kind of people! Obviously God would not work through someone who ate instead of fasting and drank like Jesus drank! Besides, Jesus associated with the wrong kind of people!
Jesus’ observation: “You people are incredibly fickle! No matter what God did to inform you, you say He was wrong! Though God sent both John and me to achieve the same purpose, you say we are from the devil–John because he is weird; me because I am common. The time will come when God’s wisdom is recognized in both of us! The time will come when you will recognize people are the fickle ones–not God!”
The irony: people supposedly belonging to God could not see God at work in John or Jesus. God’s ways are not our ways. His values are not our values. His purposes are not our purposes. His priorities are not our priorities.
Our goal: (1) never force God to conform to our expectations [that is idolatry]; (2) always let God form our expectations [that is revelation in Jesus].
Questions: Do your expectations keep you from seeing God at work? Are God’s ways, values, purposes, and priorities obvious in your daily life because it is dedicated to reflecting who God is and what God is about? Do you declare God’s work a work of the devil because your expectations are more important than God’s priorities?
Posted by David on March 28, 2004 under Bulletin Articles
Acts 2:46,47 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Acts 8:1-3 And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.
Acts 11:22 The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.
One of the things I stress to us is this fact: the New Testament church was a community. Christians depended on each other, formed deep relationships with each other, identified through Christ with each other, rejoiced together, and supported each other in times of pain and suffering. They were not perfect or ideal. Yet, because of Christ, they had an incredible bond that was (1) real and (2) sustained by the resurrected Jesus Christ. Because they were devoted to God, they were devoted to each other.
I want personally to thank all of you for continuing to move us in the direction of a personal community of believers rather than an impersonal institution. Are we perfect? No. Do we have lots of flaws? Yes. Are we growing in the ability to care and bond? Yes–in so many ways!
Thank you, ladies, for your example as you often lead the way in closeness and caring! I frequently am amazed at the outreach and closeness in WINGS classes. The spirit of unselfish caring is obvious among the quilting ladies. So many ladies are unselfishly active in the education program. Ladies do so much to make Care Groups and Life Groups possible.
When I hear young ladies affirm in troubling moments that help “is there for them”; when I see how responsive our ladies are to special needs; when I know how much studying ladies do on a weekly basis; when I hear about how much praying ladies do for specific needs and situations, I am deeply encouraged. Why? These are expressions of community! They exist because the concern and bonding are genuine!
I am encouraged by many of the men as well. So much happens to express caring, to address needs, to extend helpfulness to people, and to encourage those with struggles.
We live in an evil world and an uncertain society. Common values seem to stress money, pleasure, success, exploiting the dependent, and selfishness. May it be increasingly obvious that we are a people guided by God, and God’s influence centers us on people. Faith in God results in caring about people! “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
Posted by David on March 21, 2004 under Bulletin Articles
Matthew 8:19, Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
Matthew 12:14, But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
Israel reacted to Jesus. We react to Jesus. You react to Jesus. At issue is not, “Will we react to Jesus?” At issue is, “How will we react to Jesus?”
Assume the Jewish scribe heard Jesus’ sermon and witnessed his acts prior to declaring a desire to follow Jesus anywhere. Remember, this educated, specialized, informed man was knowledgeable. Perhaps he was inspired by Jesus’ sermon in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. Perhaps he was in the multitude who witnessed the leper cleansed, the paralyzed man restored, the sick healed, and demons cast out. He was impressed! Boldly he announced to Jesus his willingness to follow Jesus anywhere!
There are no assumptions about what the Pharisees witnessed–they heard Jesus and witnessed his miracle. However, they focused on the wrong thing. They did not see Jesus’ miracle because they were blinded by when he did it. Blinded is too weak a word–they were obsessed with when Jesus healed the man with a withered hand.
They were absolutely certain Jesus was wrong! He could not possibly be right! These genuine experts in scripture knew Jesus could not be right! Devotion to God’s will demanded they expose Jesus for the “masquerading fraud” he was! Were not the Ten Commandments explicit about keeping the Sabbath day holy? How could someone speak for God and dishonor the Sabbath?
In an attempt to expose this “fraud,” they asked Jesus if it was in agreement with the Law to heal on the Sabbath. Their conviction: healing on the Sabbath was in violation of God’s Law if the healed person’s life was not in immediate jeopardy.
Jesus answered by restoring the man’s withered hand to a functioning, healthy hand. After healing the man, Jesus said, “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.”
The scribe heard and saw Jesus and wished to follow him. These Pharisees heard and saw Jesus and wished to destroy him. Both heard, both saw, and both reacted. Yet, the reactions were opposite. The scribe was attracted. The Pharisees were repulsed.
Jesus does not specialize in telling us what we want to hear or in “performing” for us. Jesus tells us what we need to hear and does what is in our eternal best interest. If you are around Jesus long enough to hear and observe, you will react.
You will react because Jesus will (1) tell you how to be the human God envisions and (2) how to surrender to God’s purposes. Not only does he tell us, but he also shows us. Being the human God wished cost Jesus his life as he surrendered to God’s purposes. However, that was fine. He focused on the eternal, not this world. Where is your focus?
Posted by David on March 14, 2004 under Bulletin Articles
“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:1, 2
Those experiencing life among peoples in other nations are awed at the way they “see” American prosperity. In third world countries, the American lifestyle and home equipment is beyond comprehension–power, cooking stoves, refrigerators, air conditioners, hot water, etc. In many European nations (including Eastern Europe), people cannot comprehend the affordable food available to typical Americans. In numerous cultures only the extremely rich can afford to eat as the average American eats.
Thus a third world parent who loves his/her child dearly might beg a returning American, “Take my child to America with you!” Or, a well-to-do Eastern European recipient of “southern hospitality” here cannot respond “in kind” when the American visits.
Their common perspective: “Americans are incredibly happy because they have so many material things.” Try to explain to people in unimaginable poverty or to people who never have things available we take for granted the reality of pain in America. It is impossible! They, as too many Americans, think happiness is found in possessions. They, as too many Americans, think possessions and lifestyle make unhappiness impossible. They, as too many Americans, conclude the key to happiness is material well being. They, as too many Americans, think, “If I had all I want, I would be happy.” Often they, as we, want to fill empty lives with things. We know the emptiness, and we are confused because “things” do not fill it.
There is so much pain and hurt in America! What pain and hurt? The pain and hurt of failed relationships (marriages in misery; divorce; alienation between parents and children). The pain and hurt of mortality (ask any older person–aging is not a joyful experience, even if you get rid of arthritis and wear Depends!) The pain and hurt of sickness and death (being sick is no fun, and dying hurts many people beside the one who ceases to live physically). The pain and hurt of injustice (there are tons of ways to make victims). The pain and hurt of loneliness (feeling like no one cares is awful!). Lengthen the list: hopelessness, injuries, addictions, failed expectations, disappointments, etc.
Christians have a unique voice too rarely heard in our culture. We should be (must be!) the community who cares! We have a way to love and be there for each other because God teaches us how to love and be there. Want to see God’s love and concern? Look at Jesus! Through Jesus, God reveals life’s true focus. Being a Christian, being a part of the Christian community, does not remove all hurt and pain. It shows us how to care for those in hurt and pain. In that community, God Himself shows His people how to love and care. This is the courageous voice we must share with America–and beyond!
Jesus: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.” Luke 6:32
Posted by David on February 29, 2004 under Bulletin Articles
Permit me to begin by asking some questions we do not often ask. What are the purposes for convincing men and women that they should “enter Jesus Christ” and have “Christ in them”? What purposes do men and women who are “in Jesus Christ” have? Why do we exist as a congregation? Are there purposes in being a congregation? Are those purposes ours or God’s? Do they exist because of our concerns or God’s priorities?
Do we exist as Christians merely to exist? Do we exist as a congregation merely to exist? Is the purpose of being “in Christ” no more than staying out of Hell? Is the purpose of being a congregation no more than survival?
If those questions seem trivial, “too thoughty,” or too concerned about issues you never consider, may I give you a guarantee? The guarantee: any elder who takes serious his role of leadership in a congregation never regards any of those questions trivial, “too thoughty,” or focused on insignificant matters.
This Sunday morning as we consider God’s importance to our lives in the worship of our physical and spiritual Creator, our shepherds/leaders will challenge us. It will not be a business meeting. It will be worship. These men thought long and hard about God’s purposes in us as individuals and a congregation. They want to briefly share their thoughts with us. Their sharing will be in the form of challenges rather than the form of directives. They will seek to lead us rather than control us. They will focus on our purpose and our goals to the glory and honor of God, Christ, and the Spirit.
Our Purpose:
- Making disciples for Jesus who are eager to serve others.
Our Goals:
- To daily focus on Jesus and His Cross.
- To nurture spiritual growth to transform all into God’s holiness.
- To increase love and godly behavior.
- To recognize our spiritual gifts and use them to glorify God.
- To proclaim a biblical worldview that is obedient to Christ.
These men sacrifice much to be our shepherds. They want to share with us what these things mean to them. They want us to think and focus as we make God the core of our daily lives. They want us to think and focus as we seek to be God’s people-nothing more and nothing less. See you Sunday as we honor God by thinking about who we are!
“Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds?” (Hebrews 10:24)
Posted by David on February 22, 2004 under Bulletin Articles
I express my personal thanks to all who made our banner possible! To make it required enormous work by a lot of people! Ladies, thank you for all the time and skills you dedicated to it! Personal schedules had to be coordinated for months. Since it is so large, finding a place to work on it was not simple (this is a very used facility!). Hanging it from the rear balcony area was a major task (thanks Mark Hite, Denise Lusby, Martha Walker, Debbie Belote!). In such a large room, it is large enough to be seen, but not an “overpowering” display. It is simply a readable reminder as we leave our worship assemblies.
A few months ago our elders suggested to us as a congregation that our purpose statement be, “Making disciples for Jesus who are eager to serve others.” That is a statement reflecting an understanding of our purpose as declared in Titus 2:14.
We exist to make disciples who follow Jesus. We seek to call people to Jesus as Lord and Christ. We want these people to enter Christ because they want to follow Jesus as their teacher. We want them to allow Jesus to guide them in a Christian lifestyle.
We exist to encourage every Christian to make discipleship in Jesus a core purpose in every area of personal life. We want every one of us to follow Jesus in the personal desire and commitment to allow him to remake us. We are to do more than seek to escape the consequences of our evil. We want Jesus to teach us how to live in ways that reflect God, our Creator, in our lives as we serve others to God’s glory.
Our commitment to Christ is not a selfish commitment. Just as he lived, died, and was resurrected to serve, we as his followers want to have his eagerness to serve. Just as we benefit from Jesus’ commitment to service, we want others to benefit from our commitment to service. Just as he became our Savior through giving and serving, we want to be his followers to God’s glory through serving and giving.
Now, each week as we leave after assembling to praise and honor God for His gifts to us through Jesus, we are visually reminded to (1) be disciples of Jesus and (2) eagerly serve others. We want to be a people whom God can use to make differences in the lives of others and each other. We exist as God’s people in order for God to use us for His purposes. That is our purpose just as it is Jesus Christ’s purpose.
If we are on the journey to live with God as an eternal part of His family, a physical lifestyle can never define us, nor can this physical existence ever be our home. We seek the faith to be like Jesus in the ways we live and the courage to allow Jesus to be Lord.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
