Posted by David on July 26, 2009 under Bulletin Articles
This Jesus-statement was made about God’s greatest command. The Jewish people were big into counting God’s commands and listing them in order of importance. The question probably was an attempt to drive a wedge between Jesus and his popularity with many.
Jesus said God’s greatest command was to love Him with all one’s being, and the second-similar to that-was to love others as you love yourself. Both of those are extremely challenging!
Love others as you love yourself? Is this an urging to selfishness? Is it an attempt to use selfishness as a measurement of love?
This statement is first found in Leviticus 19:18. It is repeated by Paul in Romans 13:9, 10 and Galatians 5:14, and by James in James 2:8. There seemed to be concern by some Jewish Christians that Christianity failed to keep God’s commands. They were used to structure-temple, rituals, lists of dos and don’ts, centuries-old traditions, the ancient stances of their elders declared in oral laws, the customs of forefathers, and Jewish ways. Christianity did not have a temple, rituals, lists of dos and don’ts, stances of the elders expressed in oral laws, customs of forefathers, or a Christian way of doing things. After all, early Christians met in homes, not in a temple; they did good as did Jesus; they loved God and people. Gentile and Jewish Christians often differed. Christianity seemed much too encompassing and tolerant to be anything like Jewish former interpretation of religion or view of God. Surely, if they were just Christian, they would miss something basic.
Paul said not so if they understood Jesus Christ. If Christians loved God with all their being, and demonstrated their love for God in their kindness to people, nothing God wants of us will be ignored. We will become the people God always wanted.
Read Leviticus 19:9-18. It was about the way they would show kindness to people. The person who belonged to Jesus Christ showed kindness to people. That began by being kind to Christians. Selfishness indulges self at others’ expense. Christianity serves others. Serve! Godliness is shown in godly service to others!
Posted by David on July 19, 2009 under Bulletin Articles
This is the concluding statement in an unusual New Testament paragraph. Jewish Christians and gentile Christians had a huge first-century disagreement. The dispute involved different cultures, different ways of doing religious things, different ways of honoring deity, and different religious preferences. Too see the clash, read Acts 15:1-21.
The evident clash is in the paragraph above the statement. Some Christians ate anything. Some Christians, for spiritual reasons, were conscientious vegetarians. Some felt no day had spiritual significance, and some observed special holy days. Practices at the opposite ends of the spiritual spectrum occurred in Rome’s congregations.
If you think this is foolish, be assured it was not foolish then! Consider the matter from the Jewish perspective. In Leviticus 11:1-47, the Jewish people from their origin as a nation (rather than an expanded family) understood there were things they could and could not eat. The Lord gave the instruction, and this was national practice for centuries. It was so ingrained in Jewish thinking that the apostle Peter was confused by his vision of the net (Acts 10:10-17, 29). The concept of animal sacrifice: the sacrifice’s giver ate part of the sacrifice to show oneness with the God honored (1 Samuel 1:1-5). If a Christian ate from a sacrifice given to an idolatrous god, what would be the meaning?
Paul said: (1) do not judge each other’s motive; (2) they both-even with opposite practices-were the Lord’s servants, and the Lord would make both stand; (3) these Christians did opposite things for the same motive; and (4) judging and contempt have no place among Christians.
Paul said, “In your decision of what you should do, you will answer for yourself when God questions you.” It will not be a matter of “Do you know what they said?” or “That person hurt my feelings!” or “That was the most unreasonable act I ever saw or heard.” It will not be a “Them-it is their fault!” issue. Before the God who knows exactly what we all thought, it will be a “What was in your heart?” issue. You will not be saved because you went to West-Ark, but because you served Jesus Christ. The Lord saves-people don’t. Aren’t you glad your salvation is not dependent on human judgment?
Posted by David on July 12, 2009 under Bulletin Articles
A collection of people are hard to lead. Why? All collections are composed of numerous groups. Even groups who are similar think and behave differently. In fact, it seems similar groups magnify their differences. Preferences become matters of correctness. The deeper the preferences, the more correct the preferences become. Thus, the more divergent the groups become. The end result: even similar people become unleadable.
Want a mess? Be a leader! A president, governor, corporate head, mayor, alderman, chairman, director-it matters not. There are always groups, and each group is certain it is correct. The joys of leading (they exist!) are not found in people’s preferences!
And we as a church think it is complex today? Early Christians did not agree on how many gods existed or how gods were honored. Ironically, the central issue was not the number of gods or how gods were honored. The beginning, the center, and the end of spirituality was this: Is your confidence placed in the resurrected Jesus Christ? Do you let who you are, what you do, and how you respect people be determined by Jesus Christ?
Christians could be wrong about the number of gods or how deity was honored, but they could not be wrong about Jesus’ identity. God may shake His head at our preferences. God never shakes His head at the person who shapes life and the use of life by Jesus Christ. Nether should we-whether we are young or old, conservative or progressive, educated or uneducated, rich or poor, experienced or inexperienced. The cotter pin that holds us together in our diversity is faith in the risen Jesus Christ. Lives given to Jesus Christ are worthy of respect-personal preferences aside! Do not shun Christians because of preferences! Our human preferences do not determine God’s focus!
Posted by Chris on July 5, 2009 under Sermons
Americans are passionate about the concept of freedom. Freedom and independence define our experience. Many of know that freedom comes with a price – freedom is not free. That’s why we cringe at the thought of squandering freedom. Giving up precious freedom simply to avoid struggle or to gain something as simple as comfort strikes us as a losing bargain. Statements like “give me liberty or give me death” are written deeply into our history. We aren’t always sure that our nation will live up to that spirit, but it is still there.
If we can be so passionate about political freedom and if we can understand the spirit of freedom that is a part of the legends and history of our nation, then we ought to be even more passionate about freedom in Christ. We really need to understand how the Spirit of God is the foundation of this freedom. Read Galatians 5 …
So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law …
- Paul is greatly discouraged that the Galatian Christians have given up their freedom and submitted themselves to systems of rules and beliefs.
- Instead of trusting in the grace of God, they have decided to make themselves right with God based on what they can do.
- Some of it probably seems harmless: observing special rituals, following certain rules and customs, nothing too extreme … but Paul’s warning is that grace plus anything else really isn’t grace.
- What concerns me is our fascination with lists – five acts of worship, five steps/six steps of salvation, threefold patterns of interpretation: Yes, these can be helpful, but when observance or adherence to these lists become a test of fellowship and/or become the sign of faithfulness, then we are getting bound up into a type slavery.
- There is a dangerous temptation to view our salvation in terms of a knowledge that we must have and a work that we must do that secures that salvation. We are not dependent on our own efforts. Our faith is not measured by our accomplishments.
- Our faith, our life isn’t the sum total of keeping a list of requirements and commands.
- We are free from religious law.
v 13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters.
- What does it mean to be called to live in freedom? Do we grasp the importance of this statement?
- We are free in Christ which means …
- We are free to love. We do not love God and love others because we are coerced. Not because there is some legal obligation. We are free to serve.
- I can understand why Paul would find it disappointing that the Christians in Galatia were giving up on faith and freedom and substituting it with commands and obligations.
- We have not fully matured if our only motivation for following God’s ways is “because he commanded it.”
- When we live in freedom we are free to serve God and serve others – or not.
So if we are free not to serve God and others, why would we?
It’s sort of a shame that Americans – who understand that freedom isn’t free – have to ask this. Freedom demands certain responsibilities. Those who seek freedom are filled with a certain spirit of responsibility and maturity.
Much more so, in Christ, we are filled with God’s Holy Spirit when we live in freedom.
But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
v 16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
- Those who live in Christ’s freedom do not act in ways that are determined by others.
- We are free from the reaction and response of others.
- We are also free to act in a way that reflects the spirit rather than act in a way that is defensive or reactive to others.
- Think about it, such defensive and reactive behavior is childish. “I acted this way, because she did this or that.”
- Paul is pushing the Galatians to be guided by the Holy Spirit because they are being guided by other spirits. How often are we guided by other spirits, other attitudes, other expectations.
- We are often so worried about what others think and what others do, and we become less interested in what God thinks, what he is able to do and we are less interested in what we are thinking and especially what we are doing.
- Because we are free …
- We are free from manipulation by others
- We are free from the temptation to control others
- We are free from the need to feel like we must know better than others.
- We are free to do good – always (Galatians 6:10)
Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles
The above is the last verse of 1 Corinthians 15. It concludes Paul’s long discussion of the importance of Jesus’ resurrection. In specific, Paul declared Jesus’ resurrection is important because His resurrection affirms our resurrection. The indication is this: Paul answered their question about the importance of accepting resurrection as a fact.
Paul affirmed belief in resurrection is at the core of placing faith in Jesus. He said if there is no resurrection, Christianity is a sham without integrity. If resurrection is not real, Christianity is based on a lie knowingly promoted by lying men.
The reason for Paul’s challenge in 1 Corinthians 15:58 to be steadfast is the reality of resurrection. Little is more devastating than reaching the end of life, realizing that you have wasted life, and realizing your life cannot be rescued.
Please note that hardship produced by placing faith in Jesus’ resurrection is NOT a modern problem! It is as old as Christianity! Anti-spiritual people always have said, “Dead is dead! Death is the total end of life! Anticipating resurrection is nothing more than foolishly hoping against reality!”
Working for the Lord is just that-work. It is demanding, often challenging work. It can be rightfully defined as toil-just plain hard work.
Note also that though it may be hard work, it is not vain work. It is never wasted effort. Why? Resurrection is real! We work for more than the church’s success, for more than defense of a position, or for more than a name, a mission, or a principle. What is more than all those? The resurrection is more than those!
It is resurrection (a) that gives a never ending reason to be steadfast and immovable when our world declares we are foolishness, and (b) that gives us reason to abound in the work our world calls wasted energy. Does your faith in Jesus’ resurrection make your work for the Lord worth the effort? Do you live in the confidence of your resurrection?
Posted by Chris on June 28, 2009 under Sermons
Saul in David’s Hands (chapter 24)
- Saul is vulnerable
- David’s Men: “This is the day God promised – Saul is in your hands!”
- David cuts of piece of robe but protects Saul: “He’s the anointed.”
Saul in God’s Hands
- David confronts Saul: “God will avenge me!”
- David puts the matter in God’s hands
- Saul is humbled by David’s grace
- Who is right? In whose eyes?
Aftermath
- David promises respect to Saul’s family
- They part company. The pursuit is over
- Samuel dies
David and Nabal (chapter 25)
- David and his men ask Nabal for hospitality
- Nabal is rude and selfish
- David plans revenge on Nabal
- Abigail intervenes. David trusts in the Lord – again.
- Nabal is stunned and later dies.
David in Saul’s Camp (chapter 26)
- David and Abishai enter Saul’s camp
- Saul is in David’s hands once again
- He calls Abner out and chides him for not protecting king
- David and Saul call for peace
David and Christ
- Christ did not defend himself, but trusted in God
- Christ could have avenged himself, but he trusted in God’s justice
- Christ was rightfully God’s anointed
Posted by Chris on under Sermons
What do you expect when you come to worship? I wonder what the worshippers who came to synagogue in Nazareth expected? Maybe they thought it would be a day like any other. Saying prayers, reading Scripture, some study. …
I want you to imagine what it would have been like for the men and women who had high hopes for Jesus’ ministry. They were there that day when Jesus read Scripture. He said …
The Spirit of the Lord is on me and he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come. (Luke 4:18-19)
He claimed that this ancient reading was fulfilled even as they heard it. Jesus certainly proved to have the power to back up his claim. No wonder people followed him and wanted to learn how to live.
But now it is years after that and those same men and women have lost their hopes. Jesus is hanging on a cross.
- Do you know what a cross is? It is a form of public execution. It is a method of political execution. The ruling power reserved crucifixion as a way of publicly shaming those who threatened their laws and their power. It was a way of saying to everyone in the land – if you oppose our rule or break our laws we will destroy you.
What did Jesus do to end up hanging on a cross? The answer is not “nothing.” In fact Jesus did everything that he said he would do. He proclaimed good news to the poor. He set captives free. He restored sight to the blind. He released the oppressed. He had the audacity to say that God favored us.
Now, I understand if you feel like that isn’t fair. I understand if you feel like that isn’t just. It isn’t. In fact it sort of makes us think that there’s something sort of broken with the way things are. It shouldn’t be like this. You are right. It shouldn’t.
But Jesus was a threat to the powers that keep us poor, blind, imprisoned, captive, and oppressed. And they would do anything to keep their power – even if it meant remaining captive to sin. They nailed Jesus to a cross in order to send the message that there was no good news for the poor, blind, captive, and oppressed. They wanted to reserve God’s favor for those that they considered worthy.
Can you feel what the disciples of Jesus felt when all of their hopes were dashed?
What happened to the Spirit of the Lord that rested on Jesus? Did God remove his favor?
Even as Jesus suffered and died, he trusted in God and his goodness. He said “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”
The cross seemed like the end, but it wasn’t. Jesus’ trust and submission to God was not misplaced. God raised him from the dead and exalted him. Hope was restored.
Here we are now. What did you expect today when you came to worship? Maybe a song, a prayer, communion, some preaching and scripture reading.
What if I told you that the Spirit of Christ is still proclaiming Good News. For those who are poor, captive, oppressed, there is hope. God favors you.
But be warned …
- Some people rejected Jesus in the synagogue – as soon Jesus got very generous with God’s favor, they wanted to kill him.
- Some people rejected Jesus at the crucifixion. Jesus threatened the truce that they had made with the powers of sin and evil. They had become comfortable in their blindness and captivity. Jesus threatened that comfort.
Those who reject God’s favor, choose poverty, captivity, blindness, and oppression. Could that be you?
Some of us are poor – literally and figuratively, our spirit is impoverished – we quench the joy that can be ours by submitting and trusting our spirit to God the Father.
Some of us are captives – to the state, to debt, and to our lusts
Some of us are blind – to the truth, to the needs of others, to the sin in our own lives
Some of us are oppressed – by our own selfishness, our anger, our hatred, our sin.
The Spirit of the Lord, through Jesus, is proclaiming good news. Something good and something new … The good news is this: God favors you.
The Holy Spirit of God was working through those disappointed disciples who had their hope restored when they met the risen Christ.
Peter preaching to those who rejected God’s Favor …
(Acts 2:38-40) Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles-all who have been called by the Lord our God.” Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”
There is hope. God favors you. Will you trust your spirit to God? Will you accept the gift of the Holy Spirit?
Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles
The above statement was written by Luke as Paul’s statement to King Agrippa. The Lord Jesus spoke to Paul when the resurrected Jesus appeared to Paul near Damascus. Note these things: (1) the unconverted Paul’s acts of persecution against Christians abused the Lord Jesus himself. (2) The infinitely Jewish Paul (Galatians 1:13, 14) was sent to the gentiles as a minister and witness. (3) The converted Paul’s objective to gentiles was fourfold: to open their eyes, to direct from Satan’s dominion to God’s, to extend to them forgiveness of sins, and to make them eligible for the divine inheritance.
How would this be accomplished? The gentiles would be sanctified by faith in Jesus as being the Christ that God sent. The foundation of their faith would be God’s work in Jesus. How would the gentiles, these idol-worshipping people, see the light? They placed their faith in God’s work in Jesus. How would these people leave Satan’s control and place themselves under God’s control? They placed their faith in God’s work in Jesus. How would they receive forgiveness of sins and the inheritance? They placed their faith in God’s work in Jesus.
The beginning point of holiness for these unholy idol-worshippers was to place faith in God’s accomplishments in Jesus. Faith does not come from obedience. Obedience comes from faith. Faith in Jesus gives obedience meaning and significance. The person who trusts Jesus obeys Jesus. Without faith in Jesus, acts are just acts. A person obeys because the person trusts God’s acts in Jesus. Why do you obey? Do you trust Jesus?
Posted by Chris on June 21, 2009 under Sermons
I stand before you preaching today because there were believers not much different that you and I who put a lot of energy and effort into a method that was aimed at giving away the gospel.
The Center Street church gave away rides to church. They had a church bus in the 1970’s, just like many churches. Yes, those buses were a lot of work. Yes, it was difficult to maintain a church bus in the midst of an oil crisis. Yes, there was a too much rigidity to the method of bus ministry and promotion of a one size fits all program. Yes, bus ministry was sometimes sold as the magic bullet that would produce instant church growth.
But thank God that those people in Fayetteville drove that bus down Turner Ave. Thank God that he was working in the hearts of men like Blondie Edwards and Lonnie Farrar. Thank God that Blondie knocked on the door of our house and asked if the kids wanted to come to church. And when my mother asked if she could ride the bus to church too (because she thought my sister would not go without her), thank God that Blondie didn’t wonder if this conformed to the guide book nor did he tell her that he had to ask the elders – thank God he said, “Absolutely!”
Thank God for Colleen Shirley who befriended my mother and made her feel welcome. Thank God for the men who made my father feel welcome. Thank God for people at that congregation who welcomed my unbaptized mother and father into their community. Thank God for Tommy Dockery who preached and conversed with my mom and dad. Thank God that he eventually baptized them into Christ.
There were all sorts of methods at work in that church family. Everything to one-on-one kindness to high powered bus ministry. I don’t think for a second that it was all perfect and I rather suspect that there may have been some people who were annoyed by it. But thank God that those believers all had a mission to give away the Gospel!
I don’t know how many others turned them down. I don’t know how many others slammed a door. I don’t know how frustrating the work might have been. I don’t know if there was criticism or concern within the church. I just know that they offered my family a ride to church and VBS and it made an eternal impact on us and anyone that we’ve been able to help along the way.
I tell you this because I want you to forget for a second that I’m the preacher. I wasn’t born with a label that said “Minister or Evangelist.” I didn’t grow up in a heritage of saintly men of the cloth and god-fearing women who served the church. My forefathers were not church leaders. Rather I grew up in a basically good family that wasn’t particularly religious, and yet we loved each other and we did the best we could for me and we lived our lives like anyone else.
I tell you this because I want you to forget that I am preacher and understand that if it weren’t for the grace of God I probably would live a self-consumed life as a basically good person who had no sense of eternity.
And the difference maker was a group of people who were caught up in God’s mission to give away the gospel. They got intentional about it. They employed the best methods they could come up with and did something to share and give away something that was given freely to them. Have I made this clear?
Intentionality vs Perfection.
We have to be intentional. This isn’t something that we can hold onto and give away to those we deem worthy. Intentional about outreach.
One of the greatest obstacles that we have had is that we see the Gospel as something we have to sell. We don’t. We just give it away.
Method vs Mission – The Church Bus was a method. When it became the mission itself, it made it possible to lose sight of why we invested all the energy and effort into maintaining a bus and picking up children. Keeping sight of mission means that when it became unfeasible to maintain a bus, we could all of us use our own cars to bring people to worship – which in itself is still a form of method.
VBS is a method. It’s a good method. It can change. If it fails or falters, it doesn’t mean that the mission has failed. Even in our failed methods, God can accomplish his mission.
If the mission to make disciples is the polar star, then we are always course correcting according to the mission. Course correcting according to method is missing the point.
[Illustration: Negative Illustration about Method and Mission.]
Note: The lesson here is not that we must support bus ministry. Center Street and West-Ark no longer have bus ministries. That method may not be feasible, but the mission can still be accomplished. The lesson is that we must also keep the mission in focus and let method adapt to fulfill mission. Otherwise mission will be forced into the shape of method and that is not responsible.
Our mission is to give away the gospel. Our mission is God’s mission. All of our energy and effort should be in line with what God is doing. One way to imagine this is to see that our methods and efforts, our resources are sails and ships. God’s mission is the wind that drives all of this.
How can I inspire us to keep the mission in view? How can I inspire us to keep the mission in sight whether it is around the world or across the street? How can I inspire us to keep the mission in view personally and as a church – right here and now in Fort Smith.
Illustration: Funerals
But there is something that stirred me and inspired me during these three funerals. I could say with boldness and confidence in each of these funerals that these three saints are safe in Christ. I could say that because they were united with Christ in his death, then they would be united with him in the resurrection. I didn’t have to lie. I didn’t have to sell it. I just said it. It wasn’t because these three were particularly good – even though they were. It was because these three trusted in Christ. The gospel was given away freely and they took hold of it.
I want us to be more concerned for all those who will pass away without to confidence that Larry, Lewis and Louise had because of Christ.
Let this stir us to be fixed on God’s mission. Let’s give the gospel away to the hands that freely open to receive it.
Posted by Chris on June 14, 2009 under Sermons
David at Nob
- Abiathar the priest
- Holy bread supplies David and his troops
- David needs a weapon to match Saul
- Doeg the Edomite
David at Gath
- King Achish
- David is recognized as a warrior
- David acts insane to avoid capture
David at Adullam
- David’s Army of Outcasts
- David provides for his family (Moab)
- Psalm 142
Saul at Nob
- Saul vs Abiathar – The friend of my enemy is my enemy too
- Saul’s men refuse his order
- Doeg the Edomite
David at Keilah
- The Philistines raid the farmers at Keilah
- David has a choice – do the kingly thing and protect them, or avoid trouble
- David listens to his men and God
- Keilah does betray David
