A Change for the Better?

Posted by Chris on November 2, 2008 under Sermons

Structure of Romans

1. Chapters 1 – 11 – What God has done in Christ
2. Chapters 12 – 16 – What Christ is doing in the church

Romans 13

• Be subject to the authorities
• Pay tribute and honor
• Love your neighbor
• Wait for the Day of Salvation

Paul’s Worldview

POLITICAL CHANGE

• Rome in the mid-50’s
  • A young and ambitious leader
  • Oct. 13, 54
  • Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus
  • Nero

Why So Hopeful?

1. Caligula claimed he was a god and put his statue in the Jerusalem Temple
2. Claudius had expelled Jews from Rome (Acts 18)
3. Only 16, Nero was tutored and advised by sensible men

Jew and Gentile in Rome

• Jewish Christians returning from exile
• Possible tensions
• Jew and Gentile heritage linked (Rom 9-11)
• Christ is the story that matters most (Romans 8)

Citizens of the Kingdom

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Read Romans 13

Every election year it seems that the tension and intensity increases. These are anxious, worried times. We are living through a gruesome trifecta: a bitter election season, a shaky economy, and hysterical media. That’s why I thought it was right that we heard Isaish’s sermon last week: “Do not fear what they fear. Don’t call conspiracy what they call conspiracy.”

Christians need to take this sermon to heart. Even if this truly is the most divisive and most critical campaign in American history we need to be faithful, not fearful. Come November 5, the election could go either way on any number of issues or candidates and we might just be alarmed at the consequences or reactions to those outcome. Once again, Christian should be faithful, not fearful.

What will happen on November 4 or what should happen on November 4? I am not going to predict that. I cannot say. The message today is not to endorse a candidate or a party. My charge is not to preach a “party political message.” And that’s not because of concern about losing our tax-exempt status. Rather, because our purpose in coming together at this time is to give our attention to the living word of God and let it shape us.

I know this about November 4th. I know that good and decent Christians will vote for the Republican candidates. I know that good and decent Christians will vote for the Democratic candidates. I know that good and decent Christians will even vote for some of the other parties. And I know that before and after the vote, they will remain Christians and children of God because of the blood of Christ – not because of their voting record.

I know that I am confused about the tension, worry, and fear building up to November 4. It is such that some Christians are alienated from their brothers and sisters in opposite parties.

Perhaps it’s the media. Perhaps it’s the historical value of this election. Maybe it’s the issue of race. Maybe it’s just the momentum of the last few years of increasingly anxious politics. But let’s keep perspective: there have always been divisive passions among people and people have ways of grouping into tribes. At some level people always seem to find some way to distinguish themselves and identify themselves in opposition to others. We need to be careful about that as Christians, however, as we have a unifying identity greater than anything that divides us. Can I give some perspective here

Granny and Pearl – [Family Story]

The lesson I want to offer is this: There are no distinctions in Christ. For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28) – If that can be said of Jews and Gentiles, then it can be said of Democrats and Republicans.

But what is the proper relationship of all Christians in any party, in America, in all nations to the governments and the powers that come and go in this world. What is our response and our responsibility on November 3rd and on November 5th? What must be the same?

I humbly offer the word of God, written by Paul in the 13th chapter of Romans. Romans 13

1. Christians are Good Citizens …
   • Paul had a political worldview that understood how the emperor was accountable to God. And that emperor (who is an absolute, unelected leader – there was no concept of change or revolution) could be benevolent or malevolent. God is in charge.
   • So, you ought to pray for those rulers even as you pay them respect. (1 Timothy 2)
   • We are going to do this on November 3rd at 7 PM – it will not be a partisan prayer service. We are going to put this into practice. We will pray for our nation, for peace, for our leaders, for our world. If you have a role as an elected leader at any level of government, we will pray for you.
   • Christians might be involved in politics. When the government and the culture reflect God’s justice and holiness then Christians are a part of it.
   • But Christians are still citizens who demonstrate justice and holiness (and love) even if the status quo politics do not reflect God’s ways. Whether we go with the grain or cut against it, our lives are never rancorous, rebellious, or rude. We are simply good citizens who are concerned to do what God requires – To do justice, love mercy and walk humbly. (Micah 6)

   “Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign. And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives. They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law. – Letter to Diognetus, procurator of Alexandria, from an unknown disciple between 2nd and 3rd cent. AD

   • Christians who saved exposed children in the Roman Empire.
   • Christians (black and white) who exposed unjust laws of segregation. (Civil Rights, 1960’s Justice Story)

   • We can have that same sort of uncanny, exceptional faith and Christian standard of citizenship.On the ballot in Arkansas is Act 1. Whether Act 1 should pass or not, let Christians be the first in line to offer to adopt children and serve as foster parents. Christians who open their homes to children will be good citizens in Arkansas because we’re citizens of the kingdom.

     Let’s say that Act 3 passes and Arkansas has a lottery. Let this awaken us to the dark and devious ways that greed and consumerism have corrupted our world. Let it awaken us to the fact that people without hope are looking for a fix, a chance at making it. Let’s offer real hope. That’s good citizenship in America and the kingdom.

2. Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven

   • Starbuck’s has an ad. They will give you a free cup of coffee if you vote. But the line that caught my attention was this: What if we all cared as much on November 5th and we do on November 4th. Would it change our community?
   • We need to have a vision beyond November 4. Christians have a kingdom vision. Our motivation for being good citizens is 1) That we are living like citizens of a society yet to come. 2) We live by a higher law
   • We are citizens of the kingdom. God will judge every political system as to how godly or ungodly it may be. He will judge every politics that has been and ever will be.
   • We live by a higher better law – the law of love. That’s the kingdom way.

Love – The sort of rancor and personal destruction that has been present in politics in the past and especially now is not good citizenship, it’s not heavenly, and it is not love. Love is at the core of being good citizens. Love is at the core of being good neighbors. And that’s hard to accept in the negatively charged environment we live in.

But that’s the problem. We seem to have forgotten that we are subject to this higher law of love. Love does no harm to its neighbor. Let’s wake up and quit sleepwalking through the world and coasting along with its politics. Let’s look ahead to a kingdom that is breaking in even now.
The hour has come for us to wake up from our slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

What our neighborhoods, our nation, and our world need most is the peace of God. As citizens of the kingdom of heaven, we are good citizens because we are instruments of his peace.

Don’t Fear What They Fear

Posted by Chris on October 26, 2008 under Sermons

Read Isaiah 8:11-22

Background: It is the 8th century BC. The nations of Israel and Aram are afraid of the wolf at their door – Assyria. If they can invade Judah and set up a leader who shares their national interests, then they just might have a chance at withstanding Assyria.

There’s a lot of fear in Judah. The people are eager to consult the experts and intelligencia to come up with a plan that will secure their future …

Entering into this political mess is a preacher. A man whose sermons are not heard. The preacher’s name is Isaiah. His two young boys are with him – he has given them such strange names: Shear-Jashub and Maher-shallal-hash-baz. Their names mean “A Remnant Will Return” and “Quick to the Spoils, Hurry to the Plunder.” These boys have been given names that preach. Names that proclaim the imminent dawn of bad times but also a hope that some will be spared.

Isaiah preaches in Judah; his nation is very afraid right now. Their enemies are planning an attack and intend to set up a puppet-ruler to replace the current king, Ahaz. The people want the king to get help from another country … and soon. Ahaz feels the same way, and even more so. Ahaz intends on becoming the closest of friends with the king of Assyria. Ahaz’s fear has motivated him to get an altar just like Assyria’s and to worship Assyria’s gods, just like Assyria.

But there are some who disagree with Ahaz and the people. Isaiah is the leader of the dissenters. The rest of the nation talks about Isaiah and his kooky cult. They call them trouble-makers, and unpatriotic. They sneer because Isaiah and his followers claim to speak on behalf of the Lord God, but what they say isn’t anything like the word from the temple priests.

(Isaiah 7) During the midst of the Israel and Aram’s attacks against Judah, Isaiah approached the king. Ahaz was out inspecting the city’s water supply in the event of a siege. Isaiah was waiting to give him a message:

“Be careful, keep calm, and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of those two smoldering stubs of firewood–because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. Aram, Ephraim, and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin saying, ?Let’s invade Judah; let’s tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make Ben-Tabeel king over it.’ Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ?It will not take place. It will not happen. Because, the head of Aram is Damascus and the head of Damascus is just Rezin. Within 65 years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is just Remaliah’s son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” (Isaiah 7:4-9)

God even authorized Isaiah to give Ahaz a sign to bolster his confidence. He would give Ahaz’s son a name that preached – “Immanu-El” meaning “God Is With Us.” But Ahaz believed that signs were in bad taste. He decided to go ahead with the Assyrian treaty, he was even confident that it was God’s will to do so. Nothing, not even a sign freely given, could change Ahaz’s mind.

Isaiah’s sermons were wasted words. So, he returned to his little school to preach to those who would listen. Along the way, he thought about the treaty that will inevitably be signed; the suffering that it will cause Judah in the near future; and the stubbornness of the king and the rejection of the people. He has no more sermons to give now. Only this parting testimony to prepare his followers for the days to come:

“The Lord God spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said:

?Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy;Do not fear what they fear and do not dread it.The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread,and he will be a sanctuary.But, for both the houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.Many of them will stumble, they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured.’

Bind up the testimony and seal up the law among my disciples. I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him. [So] here I am. I and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion. When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? [Go] to the law and the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.” (Isaiah 8:11-22)

What are we worried about? What are we afraid of?

• The crash of the stock market and the loss of security?
• The election and its aftermath?
• Terrorists and invasion?
• The decline of America’s strength?
• The collapse of the world as we know it?

All of these things might truly happen. They could be very real occurrences. Isaiah told Ahaz not to be afraid, but Assyria was a reality that would cause Judah to suffer.
All the things that people worry about today might really happen …

But whose way do we follow? Whose hand is upon us?

Do we watch the signs of the spiritualists and mediums of our day an age with their glowing electronic wisdom? Do we wring our hands and wipe our brows in fear of the gloom and doom that they forecast?

Or do we go to the words of the living God and fold our hands and bow our heads in prayer?

Do we follow the way of the people around us in this nation who are filled to the brim with worry and anxiety or do we listen to the voice of God and feel his strong hand upon us?

So many of us dread and fear about our nations borders, our 401K’s, our potential president, and the fate of the USA. So many of us dread and fear the state of health and healthcare.

Why don’t we dread and fear the Lord? Why don’t we hold God to be as holy as our political pride? Why don’t we regard God as a more secure rock and fortress than our investments?

Why? Because we have followed the way of the people. We have made the mistake of Ahaz and put our trust in powerful alliances. We have looked to the wrong signs and consulted the wrong media.

None of the rulers, nations, empires of the 8th century remain. But the sermon of the preacher is preached again today. The names of those children still preach …

God is with us! A remnant will survive! Watch out because they are quick to the spoils and hurry to plunder!

We stand in the place of Ahaz. God offers us a future, a sanctuary. He has given us the sign of a son. We can stand with Isaiah and his sons. We can go the testimony of Scripture, or we can make a deal with the devil and invest in the comforts and securities that will not last.

We have to make the choice that Ahaz had to make. God is willing to do his work right here and right now. God is with us. He can do that in this generation. But if we refuse, then he will bind up the promise for a future generation. And he can do that. He can raise up a generation of kids whose names will preach. I would rather see that now than later – wouldn’t you?

Portrait of a Nation

Posted by Chris on October 19, 2008 under Sermons

Take a look at a nation that is decaying.

1. Its people are consumed with wealth and they will use every means legal and illegal to acquire. Call it greed or call it stealing, it works the same.
2. Relationships have very little meaning. Adultery and infidelity are taken for granted. Homosexuality, casual sex and perversion are highly regarded. Children are not considered a blessing, but a financial liability or asset.
3. Substance abuse is wide spread and overt; values of decency are in sharp decline
4. Most offenses are not dealt with in the name of justice, but in the name of financial compensation.
5. Honesty is a rare commodity and one’s creativity at bending the truth is applauded.

Before you assume that this portrait of a nation is our USA, let me inform you that I am in fact talking about civilization on the island of Crete over 2000 years ago. But the similarities are stunning yes? Unfortunately the Crete of 2000 years ago parallels our society today:

1. The courts of law were not interested in justice, but in financial compensation. For instance, a crime as serious as rape did not incur punishment, but a fine. On Crete, mothers could choose to leave their children to die, but only if the father did not want the child. And when a mother killed an infant without the father’s consent, she was charged a hefty fine.
2. The rest of the world regarded Cretans as reprobates, dishonest, and uncultured. Today we have the ugly American, then they had the ugly Cretan.

Crete had become well known as a degenerate nation by the time of Christ:

1. The people of Crete were well known as liars and reprobates. A common expression about lying in that day was “to out Cretan a Cretan.”
2. Crete’s major industry was piracy. The northern shore of Crete was a haven for pirate bands that terrorized the Mediterranean. The pirates of Crete were the most feared in the second century BC. Even after the Romans made Crete a province in 67 BC piracy continued on Crete.

But Crete had not always been such a despicable place. The earlier period of Cretan history (3000 – 1500 years BC) was a shining, golden age. The Minoan civilization rivaled the culture of Ancient Egypt. It was the basis of the legend of Atlantis. Five hundred years BC, Cretan law was recognized as strict, but fair. In fact, the Law Code of Gortyn is recognized today as unique, because the burden to make a case is on the one bringing charges.

A once great nation, now sick and decaying. Perhaps in examining Crete we do not look at the past, as much as we see our own possible future as a nation. We have a tendency to believe that things are worse than they ever have been. I do not at all wish to paint a rosy picture of our society today. There are serious problems and obvious moral decay. But let us not be na?ve and think that this has never happened before. In fact, knowing that times past have been worse may help us. For instance, we wonder how we will ever influence our society for good with the gospel, well consider this: How do you preach and teach the gospel on Crete?
The message of the risen Messiah took shape within the context of the community of Israel. Israel is a highly moral community. In fact, their high morality often leads them to become arrogant, prudish, and self-righteous.
But now, some 20 to thirty years after the resurrection of the Messiah, we find a missionary, a Christian gentile named Titus entrusted with the task of sharing the gospel among pirates, thieves, perverts, drunks and liars. How? How do you do this?

Titus’ Mistake:

1. Facing the opponents “on their own turf”
2. Arguing their warped teaching on their terms. Don’t get bogged down in their senseless and useless arguments. (Avoid foolish controversies – 3:8)
3. The opponents, who care very little about healthy teaching, will adapt and thrive. They aim to keep as many followers as possible and gain a profit
   • Here is a lesson for the church: We have spent too much time fighting shadows and too little time calling people to grace.
     – As a teen I was not impressed by the reasons that preachers gave for certain music being wrong. I knew all those reasons and I even knew more reasons. What impressed me were people, who appreciated “good” music and godly things even more than I appreciated the things I did.

   • How?• Transformation, not just information       – Leaders that Teach us How to Live • Community of Faith – Loving Relationships • Generation to Generation – Living Curriculum

     The best way to “muzzle” or silence those who are “upsetting entire households” is not to argue or attack, but to teach “things that are excellent and profitable for everyone.” – (Titus 2:11; 3:8)

Paul’s Strategy:

1. Take care of what remains, and 2) appoint elders in every city (Titus 1:5)
2. Appointing elders is entrusting those who can lead others
3. Taking care of what remains: Right Belief and Right Behavior
   Belief = Grace and Gospel; Behavior = Holiness
   • Healthy teaching produces holiness (Both are important)
   • “To think is easy. To act is hard. But the hardest thing in the world is to act in accordance with your thinking.” – Goethe

Healthy Teaching Two warnings to stop, then disassociate with them (3:10) Focus on the healthy teaching (2:1) Build up mentors (2:2-6) Model it (2:7) Doing Good (3:8) Rejecting ungodliness (2:12-13) Serving and maturing (3:14)

How do you share the gospel in America?

• This is not your father’s America. Let’s accept that.
• We have a choice: 1) We can continue to lament, we can criticize and argue among ourselves, or 2) we can live a gospeled life and encourage others to do the same. (Illus: My great-grandfather argued with the TV – I know his excuse, What’s our excuse?)
• Bob Briner, Roaring Lambs –

  • “Go into your office or place of business and ask how many of your colleagues understand the doctrine of inerrancy or know what the apostle Paul meant with the word kephale or [when the rapture will occur]?”(p. 29)
  • “The best way to stop the spread of evil is to replace it with something good.” (p. 39)
• It’s fine to rebuke what’s wrong – to drive out the bad spirit, but who will offer the good spirit in its place? (Luke 11:24) (Hollywood is not just corrupt because immoral people went to Hollywood, it is corrupt is because we spent our time arguing with those who did not care and we neglected/discouraged creative people who could have stepped in and made a difference.)

Whether it is Hollywood or Houston, LA or LJ, Federal government or family – we need to follow Paul’s advice to Titus: “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.” (3:14)

A Common Future

Posted by Chris on October 12, 2008 under Sermons

[This lesson was presented by 2 people.]

Notes of David Chadwell

In Acts, you can tell by the content of the sermon who the audience is.
In Acts, God is always the partner — nothing is the result of a purely human achievement.

Who knows where we will go in the future?
The destination will be good if we respond well to three questions.

1. Will we listen to God?
   • Not as easily done as most think.
2. How will we treat people?
   • Will we treat other people godly?
   • God always placed great emphasis on how His people treated others.
3. How will we react when we have problems?
   • How will we solve our problems?
   • Nothing declares godliness more eloquently than how we treat each other as we solve problems — and we will have problems.

Our lives may write a sentence in the history of this congregation.
Rarely will a life write a paragraph. And never a whole chapter.
What will your life write?

[Prayer]

Notes of Chris Benjamin

Golf in the Year 2000, is a novel by J. McCullough written in 1892. It tells the story of Alexander J. Gibson, who falls into a deep sleep in the year 1892 and awakens in the year 2000.

The plot follows Gibson as he is introduced to the wonders of the dawning 21st century by his host, the current owner of the house where Gibson lay sleeping for 108 years. There are golf clubs that automatically keep their user’s score, driverless golf caddies or carts, and special jackets, which everyone must wear, that yell “Fore!” whenever the player begins his swing.

Modern readers are fascinated by the many startlingly accurate “predictions” contained in Golf in the Year 2000. These include bullet trains, digital watches, and television (although those specific terms are not used).

One of the novel’s “predictions” is the liberation of women. In the book, women have achieved substantial equality with men, but with some remaining and new differences. Gibson learns that the women of 2000 dress like men, hold key positions in business and government and in fact do almost all of the work… while the men play golf full time. In the view of the fictional narrator, this is a true utopia, though he does not find 21st century females (not “women”) to his liking. – [Source: Wikipedia Entry]

What will the world be like in 2033?

1. It’s a Small World After All — Already we see how the US and world economies are tied together. Politics are also tied together closer than ever. Events in the Middle East and China shape our lives here in very personal ways – gas prices, reservists called into duty are just some examples.
   • One of the implications of this is that categories such as foreign and domestic will not make sense in 2033. UA Fort Smith is working to create partnerships with Japan and China. The world just got smaller.
   • William Carey is named as the father of modern missions. He was an English cobbler who was so fascinated by James Cook’s travels to Polynesia that he wanted to take the Christian faith to “the heathen.” That was 1792. Now, in 2008 we might ask “Who’s the heathen?” And are we supposed to “go” into all of the world or is the world right here?
   • In the 1980’s the vision of West-Ark was to see the world around us because of the Laotian congregation. Tom and Lou Porter’s mission field was here. Already we see terms like domestic and foreign fading in meaning. Likewise in 2002 when the Iglesia de Cristo was planted in Fort Smith.
   • Will there be some major event that will change the world between now and 2033? In the last 25 years we experienced the fall of Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War, and 9-11. How will we respond as God’s people? Whose interests will we support?
2. Nothing in Common – What defines this generation? Nothing in particular. That’s why they are called Mosaics. In 2033 the people who will be about my age will not have many common experiences.
   • George Barna defined Mosaic Generation as those born between 1984 and 2002.
   • Some describe this group as “comfortable with contradiction,” “post-modern” and exhibiting “non-linear” thinking.
   • Barna said society has taught Mosaics to think in this different way through fast-edit videos, constant computer use and easy access video games. In addition, 91 percent of all Mosaics, compared to 51 percent of all adults, use the Internet, where they absorb information and build relationships. (Source)
   • With the advancement of technology and the availability of media via the internet, TV, radio, cell phones, PDAs, or MP3 players, Mosaics have minute-by-minute information at their finger tips. Fears of a classmate not showing up due to, not sickness, but rather being shot and killed the night before is all too real a possibility for Mosaics. (Source)
   • They are an extremely realistic generation. That’s good. There’s less pretense and more concern for what truly matters. When people learn to cope with such rapid change, instant information, and sudden tragedy, they might become impatient, unsympathetic, or misunderstanding of our lack of realism.
   • Relationships mean everything – but relationships are built differently. Belonging has changed.
   • Ethics are compartmentalized. One set for work, one set for home, one for faith.
3. The 411 – How we gather information will change. Not sure how, but it will. Live feeds. Constant feeds.
   • The nature of storytelling and communication is changing
   • Post-literate society is a society wherein multimedia technology has advanced to the point where literacy, the ability to read written words, is no longer necessary
   • So how will we read the Bible?
     • We haven’t always read the Bible the same way …
     • Early Christians were often illiterate. Hearing was more important than reading. Faith comes by hearing! Not reading.
     • Acts 8 – that scroll that the eunuch was reading was expensive. It wasn’t common.
     • Oral tradition kept the stories of faith alive.
     • Major changes in the 15th century with the invention of the printing press. Technology changes the way we communicate.
     • Now we have copies of scripture. We have an emphasis on accuracy and word studies. The word is a written event rather than a spoken event
     • In America, the word is regarded as a “constitution,” a body of statement that we read flatly. That’s a very modernist view. Very rational and scientific.
     • Now we communicate with images and symbol, but also with sound. We can print easier than ever, but people don’t read like they used to.
     • And the Word isn’t regarded as a constitution. It isn’t flat. It has multiple terrains. It is more than one genre.
     • Spoken, written, read or symbolized – the word of God has always been a living word. Active!
   • Authority of word will depend on authenticity of those who live it.

   Communication – Symbol or word, communication is still critical. God didn’t always communicate to us through words. He used symbols. He came in the flesh.

   • Technology influences the way we communicate and the way we form community
4. Faith in the Future – The 21st century may be the most spiritual century ever.
   • Spirituality is not the same as Christianity.
   • Christianity is not the same as Christendom – Christian politics and territory. Churches of Christ have understood this better than anyone – we’ve been apolitical and apocalyptic and we need to hold on to this because it will help us in the future.

Why will the 21st century be so spiritual? As people lose hope in broken, worldly institutions they will be seeking something more. Something meaningful and bigger than ourselves.

• Thus we dare not become more institutional
• Resources: UnChristian and Revolutionaries. (See Barna Group) Half of young churchgoers said they perceive Christianity to be judgmental, hypocritical, and too political. One-third said it was old-fashioned and out of touch with reality. A common concern among Christians and non-Christians = “Christianity in today’s society no longer looks like Jesus.”
• Implication – we will need to wear our institutional structures and concerns lightly – like a pair of shoes. We can change our shoes depending on where we are going, but we need to have a healthy body otherwise it doesn’t matter what kind of shoes we wear.
• Attitudes and behaviors will need to reflect the spirit of Christ. The world is becoming increasingly hostile and tribal – evening homes and unfortunately at church. There must be an oasis of healing and hope – a people who are better and different.
• In 2033, being right won’t make a difference if we aren’t also righteous. [But that’s always been the case – it’s just the rest of the world knows that even before we do]

Eschatology. The kingdom of heaven is breaking in. There is a story, something is happening.

2 Peter 3:10-14
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[b]That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

Romans 13:11
And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

A Tribute to Tom Drane

Posted by Chris on September 21, 2008 under Sermons

What follows is a collection of memories from a church family that appreciated Tom very much. He was our neighbor, but he very quickly became our brother.

Tom wasn’t a part of this church family for very long but we came to know him … We knew that he loved oranges and Dr. Pepper. We knew that he served his country in the U.S. Navy. We knew that he loved his wife and missed her very much. We knew that he loved his sons.

We knew that he loved to study the Bible and had a thankful heart. We knew that he cared about everyone without regard to their status. We knew he was our friend. We knew that he was God’s friend.

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:11-13

To Tell the Truth: Authentic Christian Community

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

I was reading a book on preaching some time ago and came across a very profound statement in the footnotes. [Charles Campbell, Preaching Jesus, p. 222]. The author suggested that what people really needed was a truthful community. That means a community of people who are tied together by their value of the truth. It would suggest a people who can be honest with one another, a people without pretense, a people who are not duplicitous or manipulative, a people who are connected to something bigger than themselves.

In the final words of James letter, he wraps up all the themes he’s been presenting: friendship with God, righteous behavior, endurance in trials, controlling one’s speech, humility, caring for the needy. He wraps them up into a vision of a truthful community … Read James 5:12-20.

No Swearing and Cursing – In our day we think of swearing and cursing as foul language, but that’s not always been the case. Certainly there is a sub-species of language and words that is just crude. It’s immature. However, swearing and cursing is language that invokes the divine and the spiritual. Ancient cultures, like James’, depended on spoken words uttered in the presence of witnesses. When those words invoked the name of God or of heavenly realities, “by heaven,” then some sort of gravity was attached to those words and they were considered true and binding.

James, following the teaching of Jesus, is making the case that the need to use oaths to back up our credibility suggests that we are not truth-tellers at all times. So the instruction is simple: Just let your no mean no, and let your yes be yes. Mean what you say and say what you mean. That fits for those who are “hearers and doers of the word.”

So we’re fine if we just refuse to make oaths and don’t say things like “Gosh Darn and Gee Whiz?” No, that’s being nitpicky. The lesson is much deeper than this. Our language is littered with revealing phrases like “I’m going to be honest with you …” or “Okay, here’s the truth …” as if anything else said was somehow not true? Our written language and much of our dialogue is duplicitous and misinforming. We live in a day and age of legal, careful speech that we can twist and bend through loopholes and technicalities. Euphemisms stand in for that which is wrong or horrible – a layoff is a “downsizing,” casualties mean death, free expression means rudeness.

As disciples of Jesus, we will have to learn to maintain our native tongue. Our native language is truth and we need to practice its vocabulary even though we are often in situations when some other language is spoken.

But what about cursing? It’s the opposite of swearing. Cursing invokes the divine in order to do harm to others. What’s odd about our age is how people who have no regard for spiritual things will summon the divine to condemn others. There are those who do not believe in God or prayer, but certainly seem to believe in hell because they expect others to go there.

Prayer and Praise – The language of a truthful community is plain speech. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t spiritual. Those who are in distress do not resort to cursing, they pray! They don’t even paste on a sappy smile – they pray. When we are distressed we might even be tempted to lash out and vent our anger. James has already warned us that such abuse of language is like a spark that sets a forest on fire.

But praying appeals to God. It speaks the truth about God and about ourselves to God. Many of the Psalms are prayers from the hearts of oppressed and distressed believers. Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and oppressed – Psalm 86.

The alternative is to praise God. Psalms were prayers and they were also songs. (We make too much of a distinction). Those who are happy and cheerful tell the truth about it by praising God who gives good gifts. Telling the truth, the simple truth, means learning to praise God. It takes us outside ourselves. [Tom Drane – We noticed that Tom knew how to do this. He gave thanks to God and praised him for all things. And he never begrudged or cursed his situation. Why? Because he trusted in God and he had learned to speak the truth.]

Calling and Care – A truthful community is not just about words, it is about actions. Truth is embodied. Those who are weak are encouraged to summon the elders. This empowers the sick and the weak. There is a trust in God’s power and a confidence in the role of elders as those who minister in prayer. Care is shown in the laying on of hands and the anointing with oil.

Some have no problem with this, but for some of us it is much harder. Why? The answer is revealing to the way we often form community …

[Rabbits are different from cats and dogs because they are not hunters. They are often what is hunted. Its hard to tell when a rabbit is weak or sick. It’s a survival skill. If they can appear okay, then they are less likely to be attacked.]

Maybe this is why we don’t want to admit our weakness or admit to being sick. We don’t want to be pitied. We don’t want to be shunned. In a truthful community, we do not pity and we do not view the weak as burdens on limited resource, for God’s resources are unlimited.

According to James, the sick are empowered to summon (to call) the elders – Do this, and do not assume that they know your need without a sign. There is no shame in weakness for it is an opportunity for God’s grace to be on display. Praying, laying on of hands, the anointing with oil or other tangible demonstrations of care should not concern us. What ought to concern a truth-telling community is the horrible philosophy of survival of the fittest. Let us refuse to be rabbits or wolves. Let us be truly human.

Sharing and Saving – Sometimes it is impossible to cover up our physical weakness or illness, but what about the illnesses and weaknesses that are not a matter of DNA, cells, tissues, joints and bones? What of the illnesses of spirit, heart, thought, attitude. We can hide these, but they can be just as destructive and just as contagious as any virus. James instructs us to tell the truth. To confess our sins to one another.

But that’s risky, if I confess my sin, then that gives you power over me. But the sin already has power over you. And if anyone takes advantage of the confession, then we too fall under God’s judgment. The confession of sin is a practice that a truth-telling community deals with reverently. It is in the presence of God and we are all humble. So our response to those who confess is to forgive.

But that forgiveness means that we all live in truth as a truthful community. We cannot take that truth lightly. James encourages us to reach out to the person who drifts from the truth. What’s called for here is not the self-righteous meddler who wants to fix everyone else. What’s called for is the loving and honest communication, prayers, and presence of the brother or sister who striving to save someone who is in danger. The goal is to restore the sinner to speaking and living the truth.

The History of the History of Romans

Posted by Chris on September 14, 2008 under Sermons

“The Apostle Paul Slept Here”

• Romans has such a grand history that a history of that history could be written
• Signposts on the path
• Attempts to understand Paul

Romans on Romans

• Paul has never met the Roman churches:
• “One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you … I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now.” – Romans 1:10-13

• There’s no real crisis in Rome:
• “I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them.” – Romans 15:14

• Paul is at a turning point in his mission:
• “But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you. I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey.” – Romans 15:23-24

Origen on Romans

• Origen of Alexandria, third century teacher
• Romans describes the Jew and Gentile struggle
• Age of Accountability

Augustine on Romans

• Bishop of Hippo, fourth century
• Divine Grace conquers sinful nature
• Original sin

Luther on Romans

• Martin Luther, 16th century
• Justification by Faith Alone
• Most important piece of the New Testament!

Moser on Romans

• K.C. Moser, 20th century
• The Gist of Romans
• The gospel of the cross
• The importance of grace

The Gist of Romans

1. The gospel has not been preached when the cross has been ignored.
2. Let us not have faith in men, but in God.

Strengthen Your Hearts

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

How about this weather? We’ve been expecting this hurricane system for days now. We have been monitoring the weather, tracking this system and relying on the best technology to predict down to the minute and down to the MPH just where this storm would go and how fast it would blow. And even though we give weather watchers a hard time, they actually are very good at what they do. They really can predict with uncanny certainty what will happen. After all, when you send a plane full of US Air Force Hurricane Hunters into the eye of the storm, I would say that their data is quite reliable. (Now the news media might hype it up, but that’s a different matter).

Think about how different this is from the situation in many parts of the world without access to this technology and think about how very different it would have been in the first century when they notion of a satellite view would have been reserved for God.

Think of the farmer who has tilled the soil not with machines but with muscle and metal and he has dropped seeds into the soil with his own hands. Now all he can do is wait desperately for a crop to bring some sort of return to his toil. There’s no such thing as irrigation, he has to patiently wait on heaven to supply the rain in the proper seasons. Not in his time, but in God’s time. After the nourishment of the rain, he just might harvest a crop. A crop that isn’t simply his livelihood – it is his very life, it is the food that will keep him and his family alive. That is patience!

James has already called us to be patient and to endure … Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Now, concluding his message, James, the brother of Jesus and the friend of God, uses the image of the patient farmer to encourage Christians to be patient. He wants us to be patient because of the hope that Christ will be arriving soon. Let’s listen to his encouragement and notice the image of the farmer, the judge, and the prophets.

Read James 5:7-11

The farmer works and lives with the eager expectation of something. Christians live in anticipation of the arrival of Christ. We believe that Jesus taught us the ways of God. We believe that the world rejected him and crucified him. We believe that he was buried, but that the power of God raised him from the dead. We believe that he lives and that he rules. We believe that he will return. When he returns, all of creation – even its brokenness and sinfulness – will be judged. Everything will be set right and the Kingdom of Christ will be acknowledged by every creature. Like that farmer who can wait patiently on God’s time, we too will be so patient.

That patience calls for a way of life that is consistent with our hope. It wouldn’t make any sense for the farmer to start selling his field before he harvested it. It wouldn’t make any sense for him to start tilling the soil because he cannot wait any longer. No. And it doesn’t make any sense for us to lose our patience in Christ’s arrival and start grumbling and groaning against others.

James understood that the believers in his day and age could have easily began retaliating against their oppressors or in their frustration they could have turned against one another. We are at our worst when we are under such stress. When we get impatient or even desperate we might take matters into our own hands and start finding someone or something to lash out against. Stress, trials, persecution are no excuse before the judge. James tells us that the judge is at the gate. So let us strengthen our hearts, steel our nerves before we also fall under judgment.

This word for “Strengthen” is the same word used when Luke says that Jesus “set his face toward Jerusalem.” Christ knows that his trial and his test are before him. All of his teaching about the kingdom and the work of God will either be validated or invalidated depending on how he responds. Will he trust in God to see him through to the end, will he trust in God to vindicate him? [This word vindicate is interesting. It is different from revenge. We think a lot about revenge. Someone has done us wrong and we are going to get them back or expose them. But we cannot vindicate ourselves. A third party does the vindicating – God vindicates us. We must be patient and let him judge. His judgment is better than ours].

The third image James calls us is the prophets. The prophets are heroic figures. People who had a vision larger than what was right before them. He bring in Job to stand among these prophets. Job is the representative of those who have suffered through no fault of their own. Job trusts in a God who will judge all things rightly. Job endures because we waits for the arrival of God to judge all things. Why is James putting the prophets up as an example for us as we wait for the arrival of Jesus Christ? Maybe its because James regards the church as a prophetic community. [And let’s not confuse prophesy with fortune telling. Prophesy is not about predicting the future, it is about heralding the future.] As a prophetic community we don’t have to have special powers or secret knowledge to have vision. We have the story and the witness of those who watched Jesus ascend into heaven. This is no secret. It has been proclaimed for generations. We cannot give you a schedule or program for the end of time, but we can share a promise – Christ will return and will establish a new heaven and earth, the home of righteousness. Be patient as you wait. A faithful, enduring, prophetic people can take encouragement from what we do know about the end (not what we have to guess at) – we know that the judge is standing at the gate and we know that the Lord is merciful and compassionate. So be patient. Humble yourself! Don’t grumble and groan! Why would we grumble and groan? Christ is coming back and that is good news for the friends of God.

[Prisoner of War Camp Liberated before they were Liberated]

The Ministry of Prayer

Posted by Chris on September 7, 2008 under Sermons

Seven Years Ago … We were talking about getting back to normal [after 9/11]

Pitfalls to Prayer

1. Piety
2. “Pentecostalism”
3. Pragmatism

Acts 6

• Three works of the apostles:
  – Ministry of Prayer
  – Ministry of Word
  – Ministry of Service

Healing and Hope

• The Ministry of Prayer and Healing
  – James 5
  – What sort of healing is needed?
  – Prayer places us in God’s Rule

Healing and Hope

• The Ministry of Prayer and Hope
  – Learning to Pray the Psalms
  – Every emotion and concern imaginable is visible.
  – All prayer is dependence on and humility before God

JUST DO IT
[as Nike would say]

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

• Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.