Old Country and Promised Land

Posted by Chris on March 9, 2008 under Sermons

1. Protestant Reformation

   16th century challenges to authority of the Pope in Western Europe

   • Lutheran Reformation [Luther, 1517]
   • Reformed Reformation [Zwingli & Calvin, 1518]
   • Radical Reformation/Anabaptists [Menno Simons, 1520’s]
   • English Reformation [Henry VIII & Cromwell, 1530’s]
   • Scottish Reformation [John Knox, 1559]

   “Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason – I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils … my conscience is captive to the Word of God.” — Martin Luther

   “We acknowledge and confess that we now … have two sacraments only, instituted by the Lord Jesus … baptism and the supper, or table of the Lord Jesus.” — Scottish Confession of Faith (1560)

   Legacy of the Reformation

   1. Papal authority rejected
   2. Biblical authority emphasized
   3. Worship simplified
   4. Baptism and Communion essential sacraments
2. The Enlightenment
   • Philosophical movement during 17th and 18th century.
   • Confidence in the power of human reason.
   • Knowledge comes through experience and observation.
   • All assumptions about life, world and humanity are reconsidered.

   Ren? Descartes (1596-1650)

   “I think, therefore I am.”

   Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

   • Introduced empirical method
   • Promoted Christian unity as reasonable
   • Truth is fruit of experience, not authority

   John Locke (1632-1704)

   • Founder of Empiricism
   • Human Reasoning and the Tabula Rasa
   • Separation of Church and State
   • Power resides with the people

   Thomas Reid (1710-1796)

   • Scottish “Common Sense” School of Philosophy
   • We know things directly
   • University of Glasgow professor

   Legacy of the Enlightenment

   1. Emphasis on Human Reason
   2. Truth is perceived through experience and human senses
   3. Common Sense – “We know things directly and do not infer them through ideas.”
3. Religious Revival
   • Religious revivals generated new religious movements.
     • Anglican
       • Congregationalists (Cotton, 1636)
       • Quakers (Fox, 1647)
       • Methodists (Wesley, 1729)
     • Reformed
       • Baptists (Williams, 1639)
   • The Great Awakening of 18th century [Johnathan Edwards& George Whitefield] split some mainline churches.
     • Presbyterians
     • Episcopalians

   Legacy of the Revivals

   1. Church autonomy
   2. Evangelicalism – personal saving faith rather than routine membership in the national church
   3. Fractured fellowships – Presbyterians & Anglicans especially
4. American Democracy
   • The American Colonies are religiously diverse and a refuge from persecution.
   • America is regarded as uncorrupted
   • American democracy appeared to be God’s government.
   • America was destined to be the land of the millennial dawn.

   Great Seal of the United States
   
   ANNUIT COEPTIS = He has smiled on our beginnings
   NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM = A New Order of the Ages
   “There’s an all-seeing eye …”

   God’s Promised Land

   A battle flag of the Revolution read: “Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God”

   Freedom from Church Control

   • Casting out the Anglican Bishop (1769)
   • “No lords spiritual or temporal in New England!”
   • Banner: “Liberty and Freedom of Conscience.”

   The U.S. Constitution

   • If God-ordained nation was possible, why not religion?
   • Many churches organize to become independent American churches.

   Primitive Religion

   “When we shall have unlearned everything which has been taught since [Jesus’] day, and got back to the pure and simple doctrines … if nothing had ever been added … the whole world would at this day have been Christian.” — Thomas Jefferson (1821)

   Christians Only

   • James O’Kelly (1735-1826)
   • Methodist; North Carolina & Virginia
   • “I am for Bible government, Christian equality, and the Christian name.”

   Religious Freedom

   • Abner Jones – Vermont
   • Elias Smith – New Hampshire
   • Baptists
   • New England Christian Connection
   

   Legacy of American Democracy

   1. Millennial expectations
   2. Independence from older state churches
   3. Primitive, simple religion
   4. Independent churches – religious freedom

Diet and Exercise for the Soul: The Importance of Spiritual Formation

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

In February 2003, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock began an experiment that would later become the basis for his documentary, “Supersize Me.” For 30 days, Spurlock vowed to eat nothing but McDonald’s food – all three meals. He exercised very little, only walking around town – but nothing strenuous or regular.

Spurlock’s film caused McDonald’s to drop its Super-Sized menu. They also added healthier choices to their menus. Spurlock claimed that he made the movie to highlight the growing epidemic of “obesity” in the United States.

Thanks to Spurlock and many, many others the incontrovertible evidence is before us – diet and exercise matter. If one eats too much or eats poorly and exercises very little or not at all, then we know what happens. It isn’t a mystery. It shouldn’t really shock us. Did we really need a film to convince us that eating McD’s for 30 days probably isn’t the best diet? If you want to get healthy there’s no mystery to that – eat right and exercise more. That’s really all there is to it.

We understand this when it comes to our physical health. But do we realize that it is pretty much the same when it comes to our spiritual health?

If the goal of diet and exercise for our physical bodies is to maintain our health, then there should also be some sort of goal when it comes to diet and exercise for the soul. Paul described that goal in Galatians 4:8-20.

Christ Formed in Us …

1. “Straining at Gnats, Swallowing Camels” – (legalism vs. formation) – Paul was very concerned that the Galatians were not getting the right sort of spiritual diet and exercise. They has resorted to legalism which is the spiritual equivalent of quick fix weight loss treatments. Legalism is the mistaken and arrogant attempt to focus in on rules and codes. Very often legalism attracts us by causing us to focus on things that we can do to get it right. Jesus encountered this sort of thinking among the Pharisees. Matthew 23:23-24 – “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”
   1. Legalism is a neurotic focus on our ability to keep rules
   2. Spiritual Formation is focusing on becoming more like Jesus
   3. Being like Jesus means having the ability to recognize what’s important to God rather than what’s important to us. Notice what Jesus’ weight issue – justice, mercy, faithfulness.
2. Teaching to the Test rather than Training for Life (information vs. formation) – Spiritual formation involves more than simple information. One of the first groups in Christianity to be labeled heretics were the Gnostics. The Gnostics believed that salvation could be achieved by knowledge. If you knew the right things, if you had access to information, then you were among the saved.
   1. The Gnostic tendency is still with us. Knowledge is a good thing – much better than ignorance. It is rewarding to learn. In a culture where knowledge is emphasized it is easy to describe our faith in terms of “what we know.”
   2. But it doesn’t really do us any good to know the names of the 12 apostles if we lie to our mom. Are we more like Christ when we articulate a doctrine of church government or are we more like Christ when we treat our neighbors with love and respect?
   3. Paul warned Timothy not to be distracted by those who thought of faith in terms of teaching to the test. (1 Timothy 4:6-8, The Message) “Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God-no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we’ve thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We’re banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers.”

Training for Godliness

1. Discipline – Being a disciple means learning to be a discipline. Richard Foster wrote a book about 25 years ago that has become a modern classic. It is titled The Celebration of Discipline. Foster rediscovered the classical spiritual disciplines: prayer, study, meditation, worship, fasting, service, silence. Christian authors had not focused on such things in years. Critics claimed that these spiritual disciplines were in danger of becoming “works righteousness.” But Foster pointed out that was absolutely contrary to the spirit of the disciplines. The disciplines are training for godliness. We cannot expect to godly people “when it counts” if we are not training in godliness every day.
2. Trials – Godliness counts when the difficulties arise. Rather than see these as setbacks to faith or misfortune, this is where our training goes to work. 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1.)
3. Cord of Three Strands – One of the best bits of advice that’s given to people who are trying to change their health through diet and exercise is: Find a friend. We take encouragement from others and we give encouragement to others. A well worn lesson about spiritual formation builds on the image of Ecclesiastes 4:12 – A cord of three strands is not easily broken. The wise teacher is saying that we don’t do well on our own. We need each other. The lesson built on this cord of three strands suggests that each of us has in our sphere of influence: mentors, peers, and students.
   1. Who is your influence? Who helps you become more like Christ?
   2. Who do you influence? Who could you help become more like Christ?

Christianity and Relationships (part 3)

Posted by David on March 6, 2008 under Sermons

How long has it been since you focused on or gave serious attention to the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) when God spoke those commandments to Israel?

Then God spoke all these words, saying, I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die” (Exodus 20:1-19).

There are several things that are obvious to me. (1) They should listen to God because of what He did for them in delivering them from slavery. (2) Israel did not wish to listen to God because they saw God as a terrifying power rather than a helping power. (3) If they correctly understand God, they understand the way they treat people is the way they treat God.

Today, I would like for us to think about the third obvious thing: if we understand the character and nature of God, we understand that correct knowledge of God will affect the way we treat each other.

1. Why?
   
   1. The reason: people are made in the image and likeness of God.
      Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:26-28).
      
      1. Because a human being is in the image and likeness of God, that fact/understanding will change the way a person who knows God looks at other people.
         
      2. Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus:
         ". . . put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth" (Ephesians 4:24).
         
      3. And again to the Christians in Colossae:
         ". . . put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him-a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all" (Colossians 3:10,11).
         
      4. James wrote to Christians:
         "But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh" (James 3:8-12).
         
      5. The point is repeatedly made.
         
         1. A person cannot know God and treat people with indifference or rudeness.
            
         2. If I belong to God, when I look at you I see much more than the things you have and how you can benefit me.
            
         3. No one can see God and not treat people differently.
   2. This is not something "new" or "different" about God that in some mysterious way came into existence when Jesus died and was resurrected to reign as the Christ.
      
      1. This always has been true about the character and nature of God.
         
      2. God did not change as a Being in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
         
      3. What God could do in His relationship with us changed because of His gift in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
         
      4. Consider a illustration:
         
         1. When there was rebellion against God in Eden, the rebellion quickly went from eating a fruit to the murder of a brother.
            
            1. When people rebel against God, they lose their respect for others.
               
            2. If I refuse to appreciate God by surrendering to Him, I lose my respect for you.
               
            3. Knowing and appreciating God will change my attitude and behavior toward you.
         2. To speak practically:
            
            1. I cannot love God and hate you.
               
            2. I cannot accept God’s forgiveness and refuse to extend you my forgiveness.
               
            3. I cannot expect God to hear my every prayer and need while refusing to listen to you.
               
            4. I cannot depend on God’s compassion, mercy, and grace while refusing to extend to you compassion, mercy, and grace.
      5. To me, the ultimate expression of this attitude is found in a statement Jesus made in his Sermon on the Mount:  "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12).
         
         1. Why will another person be better off if I treat him like I want to be treated?
            
         2. He or she won’t be better off . . . unless I know God and let that knowledge shape (1) my behavior and (2) the way I look at people.
            
         3. If I treat you like I want to be treated, and all I know is wicked behavior, your situation will not likely improve.
            
         4. Only if I know God and let my knowledge of God shape the way I look at you will my treating you like I want to be treated (as one who knows God) lead to your benefit.
2. The first human relationships to benefit from my knowing God should be my family relationships.
   
   1. Knowing God should result in a husband treating his wife with understanding and kindness.
      
   2. Knowing God should result in a wife treating her husband with understanding and kindness.
      
   3. Knowing God should result in parents treating their children with understanding and kindness.
      
   4. "Can you be more specific?"
      
      1. Knowing God results in a husband learning how to let his wife act and think like a woman.
         
      2. Knowing God results in a wife learning how to let her husband act and think like a man.
         
      3. Men and women do not act alike and do not think alike!
         
         1. I am not talking about justifying or ignoring evil behavior or wicked thoughts.
            
         2. I am talking about learning good behavior in a male and in a female.
            
         3. I am talking about not expecting a man to deny his masculine nature or expecting a woman to deny her feminine nature.
            
         4. I am talking about informing yourself instead of demanding or ordering.
      4. I also suggest that knowing God results in parents allowing their children to be children.
         
         1. Do not expect a 4-year-old to act like a 15-year-old.
            
         2. Do not expect a 15-year-old to act like a 25-year-old.
            
         3. Just as children must develop mentally and physically, they also must develop in their ability to exercise good judgment.
            
         4. While parents always expect their children to develop to the full extent of their ability, they never demand of their children what they cannot do.
            
         5. Children are not little adults, and we do them no favor by forcing them to act as if they were little adults.
            
         6. Again, we are not condoning bad behavior, but neither are we encouraging impossible behavior.
3. I suggest the church needs to take the lead in encouraging godly behavior in families.
   
   1. We need spiritually to develop an entirely different concept of success in family relationships.
      
      1. Because we do not divorce does not mean we are successful in godly relationships.
         
      2. Because a child continues an excellent attendance record in a congregation and marries someone who has an excellent attendance record in a congregation does not prove they love each other.
         
      3. Husbands and wives who come to worship constantly may fight like cats and dogs at home–the only thing they may share is the same address.
         
      4. Our children may marry Christians yet form a home of hatred.
         
      5. It takes much more than a refusal to divorce or church attendance to be successful in marriage and home.
   2. What are some of the criteria in a successful marriage/home?
      
      1. Do they know how to love unselfishly?
         
      2. How do they show love?
         
      3. Do they know how to share?
         
      4. Are their actions and behavior ruled by kindness?
         
      5. Are they sacrificial in their treatment of each other?
         
      6. Are they friends who share their friendship with each other?
         
      7. Are they thoughtful of each other?
         
      8. Do they share things or self with each other?
         
      9. Do they depend on each other?
         
      10. Do they trust each other?
          
      11. Do they do "their own thing" or do they share time with each other?
          
      12. Is their feeling for each other dependent on prosperity or lifestyle?

I think it is appropriate to end where we began. (1) We listen to God because of what He does for us. (2) We are not terrified of God, but see God as a source of hope. (3) We understand that the way we treat people is the way we treat God.

Understanding those things, our marriages and homes are blessed because we belong to God. God, in love for us, teaches us how to commit in marriage because we have learned to love from God.

Remembering a Forgotten Past

Posted by Chris on March 2, 2008 under Sermons

Discovering Our Roots

• Roots: The Saga of an American Family — Alex Haley’s family story
• 1977 mini-series
• Increased interest in genealogy and history
• Unknown history

Do We Have a History?

“The past should be consigned to the rubbish heap where Christ died!” — Barton W. Stone

Why Study Our History?

1. Wisdom of Past Generations
2. Understanding the Bible
3. Understanding our Culture
4. Understanding our Future
5. Understanding Tradition

• The Road to the Future Leads through the Past

Tradition: Good or Bad?

• Empty traditions distract from the intent of God.
  Matthew 15:1-6; Colossians 2:8
• Enriching traditions draw us to the intent of God.
  1 Corinthians 11:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 3:6

time changes things

“Critical History”

• HAGIOGRAPHY – (Non-Critical)
• DECONSTRUCTION – (Over-Critical)

What is Restoration?

• Plan
• Purpose
• On-going
• Unity

“Unity is my polar star.” — Barton W. Stone

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one-as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.”— Jesus Christ (John 17:20-22)

Raising the Bar: Expecting the Best From One Another

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.

He said, “I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, making rude gestures at the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ bumper sticker, the ‘Follow Me to Sunday-School’ bumper sticker, the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder, and the chrome-plated Jesus fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally … I assumed you had stolen the car.”

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? This story reminds us that being a disciple is more than simply signing up for the right causes or taking a particular stance on issues and doctrines; being a disciple of Jesus means living out the teachings of Jesus.

Every Sunday we are sent out beneath a banner that reminds us of our mission: “Making Disciples for Jesus Who Are Eager to Serve Others.” Let’s start talking about some practical efforts that would help us fulfill this mission. A few weeks ago, Charles Siburt started the conversation by describing what congregations similar to ours are doing to fulfill Christ’s mission. I’ve adapted that list and attempted to make these suggestions practical to our situation. I’ve also considered the biblical principles involved in each of these. So over the next few weeks, why don’t we study and converse about our Future Together as Disciples of Jesus.

We’ve got to begin by Raising the Bar. Following Jesus means something. As someone once said, “Christ takes us as we are, but he isn’t content to leave us like that.” If we are going to effectively “make disciples for Jesus,” then it is critical that we should “be disciples” of Jesus.

1. Maturing in Christ (Colossians 1:28) – When I was beginning my ministry as a campus minister at Arkansas Tech University, I searched for a way to describe what that ministry was about. After all, there were so many things that had to be done – preaching, teaching, evangelism, and fellowship. Was one more important than the others? I wondered if they all fit together somehow. Why spend time on fellowship if evangelism is more important. Why not spend every minute teaching? Then I paid attention to something that Paul wrote in Colossians 1:28 “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.”

There it was all together. The preaching, teaching, and encouraging had a goal: perfection in Christ. Not perfection as a flawless performance, but perfection as maturity. When Paul worked to “make disciples” he raised the bar high. His goal was to present disciples who grew up (matured) to be more like Christ.

The standard we should have then should be no less. Let’s strive with all the energy and resources that Christ gives us to present ourselves and one another as mature, Christ-like disciples. Let’s expect the best from one another. Let’s expect healthy, mature behavior from one another.

The letters of the New Testament were not written to perfect, flawless church communities. The writers did not sit down and write out ideal theories of how the church should work. Rather, the letters of the NT are written often to hurting, conflicted, troubled churches and the writers are inspired to apply the teachings of Christ to the situation at hand. [Think of Philippians which we just finished.] The writers of the NT always expect the best of these troubled churches. They raise the bar! In another letter to a very troubled church, Paul describes this as type of mature, healthy, Christ-like behavior as love …

Read 1 Corinthians 13.

2. Acting Like Jesus. About 20 years ago, Paul Faulkner wrote a book called Making Things Right When Things Go Wrong. One of the ways of doing that is to “Act Better Than You Feel.” It sounds like hypocrisy at first, but Dr. Faulkner makes this distinction: A hypocrite is one who acts like that which he or she never intends to become. Acting better than we feel is growth. We act like that which we do intend to become.

I think the advice to act better than we feel is even more needed today. We should expect more from one another than the upper limit of our feelings. We may not feel like being polite. We may not feel like being kind. We may not feel like sharing. We may not feel like being responsible. We may not feel like being patient. But at best our feelings can only serve as an explanation for our behavior; never an excuse!

When we are stressed, angry, upset or in disagreement with others we especially need to act better than we feel. Being a disciple of Jesus means we might think or feel any number of ways, but we don’t act any way we want. We act like Jesus – which means as his disciples we will be patient, kind, not envious, not arrogant, not proud, not rude, not self-seeking, not easily angered.

3. Expect the Best and Think the Best of Others. You never know which Razorback basketball team is going to show up at the game – the good one or the not so good one. But despite their ups and downs, no one is seriously criticizing Coach John Pelphrey. Maybe that’s because he seems to consistently expect the best and makes no excuses. His high expectations make them a better team.

If we can expect a coach to expect the best of athletes, then we should certainly expect the best from one another as disciples. High expectation will make us better people. But is that really loving to expect so much? Paul described love as a virtue that “keeps no record of wrongs. It does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.”

Raising the Bar and expecting the best from ourselves and others means practicing loving accountability. Love demands it.

• We are not keeping a list of offenses.
• We are not delighting or feeling vindicated when others sin and fail. Rather we rejoice when they live their lives honestly.

Expecting the best from one another means we must also think the best about one another. Disciples of Jesus can put aside suspicion and mistrust.

• We seek to promote the truth about others (holy gossip).
• We protect the integrity of others and show respect for everyone.
• We hope for the best behavior in others.
• We will endure difficulties together and hope for better days. And we believe we can get there with Christ’s help because we have raised the bar high enough.

Christianity and Relationships (part 2)

Posted by David on February 26, 2008 under Sermons

Selfishness can be one of those horrible flaws that is obvious to others but is not known to the person who is selfish. Selfishness is defined as excessive concern for self or exclusive concern for self without regard for others.  It is a total contrast to selfless.  Selfless is defined as having no concern for self. Selfishness is a total preoccupation with "me." It could be called "me-itus."

Selfishness is a destructive self-focus. It says, "Other people exist for my well-being. I associate with no one who does not serve my advantage." The issue to the selfish person is not, "Is what’s happening fair to them?" To the selfish person, the issue is "How do they as people or how do their actions serve to my advantage?" At the minimum, in every situation, selfishness says, "I matter the most. In nothing do I matter less than you matter."  At the maximum, selfishness says, "You exist for my benefit! I cannot see you for seeing me! There is nothing unjust about me always having my way, about everyone else always yielding to me, or about everything working to my benefit. I cannot believe you do not see that is as it should be!"

People who are selfish use people. They look at others as existing to benefit them. "Your money is my money! Your happiness exists to make me happy! Your opportunities exist to increase my opportunities. Any time things do not work out so that your welfare does not increase my welfare, something is horribly wrong!"

Nowhere is the destructiveness of selfishness more evident than in family relationships. At its worse, selfishness abuses the people the selfish person should love. He or she is so in love with self he or she cannot care about anyone else. Children are not seen as helpless extensions of "us," but as rivals to "me." Everything given to a spouse or to a child is something that deprives "me." Thus, spouse and children in my family exist to be "my servants," to make "me" happy, to serve "my" purposes. As long as my family makes me happy, every thing is as it should be.

1. Scripture focuses on this destructive view of self in a number of ways.
   
   1. Proverbs urges avoidance of the selfish man with these words in Proverbs 23:6, 7: Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, Or desire his delicacies; For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you.
      
      1. His hospitality seemed genuine.
         
      2. However, do not think he has your best interests at heart because he is gracious to you.
         
      3. You cannot tell what is going on in his mind by the way he treats you!
         
      4. Outwardly he urges you to enjoy his hospitality, but inwardly he does not have your best interest on his heart.
   2. Paul made a number of statements about people who focus their center on themselves. Among those admonitions are these two.
      
      1. To Timothy, Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:1-5: But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
         
         1. Preacher, hard times are coming.
            
         2. Paul began the list of the characteristics of the people who would cause the hard times with "lovers of self."
            
         3. In this list of ungodly characteristics, he included arrogance, unloving, irreconcilable, conceited, lovers of pleasure, who have an outer religiosity rather than a devotion to God.
            
         4. In much of that list of ungodly traits that will produce the hard times are people who obviously are sold on themselves.
      2. As Paul sought to end contention and division among Christians, he wrote to the Christians in Philippi in Philippians 2:3, 4 : Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
         
         1. One step to ending contention and division in the congregation was taken by accepting individual responsibility to stop being selfish.
            
         2. The issue was not, "What do I want?" but, "What is in everyone’s best interest?"
            
         3. Look at your congregational members as being more important than you are.
            
         4. Do not be devoted to "my" interests but to "our" interests.
   3. James wrote in James 3:14 and then 16: But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. … For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
      1. Selfish attitudes do not accomplish God’s purposes in Jesus Christ.
         
      2. The companion of selfish ambition is bitter jealousy.
         
      3. The two combine to produce arrogance, deceit, disorder, and every evil thing.
         
      4. Selfishness is the root of self-justification.
         
      5. It is a source of disorder and every evil thing.
   4. Peter wrote in 2 Peter 2:10, 12: … especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.
      Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, …  But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children;
      
      1. When the self-willed become entrenched in "us," they are not even fearful to defy God’s divine messengers.
         
      2. Self-devotion makes us act like animals instead of people.
         
      3. We become threats to others, exploiting them, as we seek to indulge ourselves.
2. I suggested to you in our first consideration of Christianity and Relationships that the first people who should be blessed by our faith in God is our families.
   
   1. Faith in the God who sent us Jesus Christ:
      
      1. Should make men the best men they are capable of being.
         
      2. Should make women the best women they are capable of being.
         
      3. The first people who should be blessed by those men and women are their spouses.
         
      4. The second people who should be blessed by those men and women are the children they bring into this world.
         
      5. If faith in God makes us the best people we can be, the first to be benefited from our faith in God should be our physical families.
   2. If people should be able to look anywhere and see the blessings and benefits of marriage and homes, it should be among Christians.
      
      1. It saddens me to know that marital failure is as high in the church as it is in society.
         
      2. It saddens me to know you have to go no further than the church to find abused wives who hide their abuse, abused husbands who are ashamed that a woman abuses them, and neglected children who are starved for love and acceptance.
         
      3. It saddens me to encounter Christians who think teaching proper treatment of spouses or children has no place in the church.
         
      4. It saddens me to know that there are people who have little interest in God because they know of abuse situations in Christian homes.
   3. "Well, what do you make of the undesirable conditions in too many Christian marriages?"
      
      1. We know too little about how to be good husbands.
         
      2. We know too little about how to be good wives.
         
      3. We know too little about how to be good parents.
         
      4. We know too little about selecting a spouse.
         
      5. Our concepts about being good spouses and good parents are seriously flawed.
         
      6. Too many in the church assume people just intuitively known how to be good spouses, or how to be good parents, or how to how truly stable homes.
3. The situation is quickly becoming more complex, more demanding.
   
   1. Christians are too given to assigning blame instead of providing sound guidance.
      
      1. If I asked you, "What is wrong?" would you have answers you readily gave?
         
         1. Probably!
            
         2. It would be rare to find someone who does not have an opinion on how to fix generically the problem in society in general.
      2. But how much insight and guidance do you have if a child of yours, or a grandchild of yours comes to you and asks for your help about a specific marriage problem?
         
         1. How quickly do you have no insights?
            
         2. How fearful are you to refer them?
            
         3. How often will you, when you dare, approach an elder or a preacher, and begin with, "First, there is something you need to know … "
            
         4. How quickly do you discover your advice does not fit the situation?
   2. Let me provide you with just one illustration: how often does friendship enter the selection of a spouse?
      
      1. In our society we have specific concepts of good looks.
         
         1. It often involves hair, shape, weight, mannerisms, clothes, and suggestiveness.
            
         2. The whole package is designed to suggest who is physically desirable and who is not.
            
         3. So we will dye, implant, diet, go in debt, acquire the latest fades, and learn how to act to acquire the look and to say what we want to say with nonverbal language.
            
         4. Examine a picture of your parents when they married early in life, and look at them right now.
            
         5. Looks pass with age!
      2. So we marry for a variety of reasons: looks, legalized sex, passion, stirred up hormones, security, status, escape, dreams, vivid imaginations, expectations.
         
         1. In almost 60 years of marriage counseling and ceremonies, I have never talked to a couple who were not sure their marriage would be successful because they loved each other.
            
         2. Yet, several ended in divorce with them hating each other more than they said they loved each other.
      3. Most of a marriage is not:
         
         1. Spent in looking good.
            
         2. Or sexual activity.
            
         3. Or passionate feelings.
            
         4. Or some form of escape from reality.
      4. By far most of marriage is spent in ordinary friendship.
         
         1. If people who marry are not friends before they marry, they face an extremely difficult time together.
            
         2. Almost immediately there are money issues, spending issues, decisions to be made, choices to be made, and hardships to be faced.
            
         3. All this can be successfully coped with if two adults face them together as friends.
            
         4. However, if they are not friends, everything becomes a crises.
            
         5. "How can I know how deep our friendship is?"
            
            1. Do each of you unselfishly consider the other?
               
            2. Would you never consider selfishly taking advantage of the other?

Nothing communicates love to a man like unselfish respect. Nothing communicates love to a woman like unselfish thoughtfulness. Two unselfish people will face whatever life brings them and make the marriage successful. Selfishness in a marriage will destroy it.

Ephesians 5:22-33–Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Conflict Resolution

Posted by Chris on February 24, 2008 under Sermons

Philippians 4

Parakaleo Formula

Therefore + parakaleo (“I urge”) + addressed person(s) + infinitive verb = purpose of letter

Examples of Formula

• Romans 12:1 – Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices
• 1 Corinthians 4:16 – Therefore I urge you to imitate me.
• Ephesians 4:1 – I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
• 1 Peter 2:11- I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

Who Are They?

• Euodia – Good Luck
• Syntyche – Fortunate or Success
• They were “fellow workers” with Paul and others.
• They “contended at his side”
• Influential in the congregation

The Loyal Yokefellow

• Paul’s wife (Lydia?)
• The husband or brother of either Euodia or Syntyche
• Epaphroditus
• Timothy
• Silas
• Luke
• Christ
• The bishop of Philippi
• A proper name – Syzygos

Paul and Philippians

• They were the only church to support Paul in his mission to Macedonia
• Team talk – “synathlein” (v. 3)
• Unity talk – Shared in support and shared in troubles (v. 14)

Unity

• Is it a spirit and attitude?
• Is it a plan or movement?
• Story of the 1832 Union in Lexington, Kentucky

Having the Same Mind

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Philippians 4:1-9

How do we stand firm?

1. Have the same mind in the Lord. (v. 1-3) What sort of surprise or electric tension must have filled the room when Paul named names. Euodia and Syntyche were very important leaders in the Philippian congregation. They had worked along side Paul in his mission. However, they were quarreling.
   • What was the issue? Who was right? Paul doesn’t mention it. Why? — Obviously because it did not matter. What mattered was that Euodia and Synthyche should move past their quarrel, conflict, and anxiety and “have the same mind in the Lord.”
   • Paul pleads with them to agree with each other, but he doesn’t want them to simply conform or set aside their convictions. Rather, he wants them to agree “in the Lord.” Having the same mind and attitude that Christ Jesus had (Philippians 2:5-11). All that talk about being like Christ and being concerned about others interests and not just your own – it was aimed at these two women that Paul cared about.
   • And Paul calls upon this loyal companion (yokefellow) to help them. Who does he mean? Maybe he didn’t name anyone because he wants everyone in the congregation to be the loyal companion and help these women come together rather than rip apart. When disputes and disagreements take place among us and around us we may be asked, “Whose side are you on? Who do you side with?” Will you “go camping” or will you be a loyal yokefellow?
   • Conflict in any group is inevitable. It will happen, but how we manage it as a group depends on our attitude and our maturity. Euodia and Syntyche were quarreling and they began to think that the solution was for the church to “go camping.” That sounds nice, but they were trying to form two separate camping parties. The rest of should be careful that we don’t get caught up in the camping trip. We too easily get divided and our language and labeling begins to reflect that: Black and white, right and wrong, red state/blue state, conservatives/liberals, anti’s and pro’s, fer it and agin it. These sort of polarizations are not part of the work of the gospel.
   • Maybe that sounds as if I (and Paul) are saying “There are no absolutes; only a big fuzzy warm gray middle of the road mush.” No, there is an absolute and we’ve already acknowledged that: The example and attitude of Jesus Christ is the absolute. Euodia and Syntyche do not have a corner on absolutes – neither do we. Being a disciple does not mean working to make others agree with us, it means working with each other to agree with Christ.
   • Paul is not avoiding conflict, and neither can we. But let’s understand whose team we’re on. Paul commends Euodia and Syntyche by remembering how they were part of the same team. They struggled with each other and with Paul, and Clement, and all the others who are on God’s roster. When we start opposing each other and positioning others to oppose each other we are not behaving as those who have faced opposition together. It’s not friendly fire when you spend too much time “aiming your sights” on your fellow soldier. Let’s stand firm together – having the same mind that was in Christ Jesus.
2. Rejoice Always! (v. 4) Internal conflicts and anxieties make us lose courage and creativity. We get depressed and angry and that only fuels the fire. It only makes us more anxious and paranoid. Paul encouraged the Philippians to rejoice in all situations – even those where joy might not be the typical response. How do we do that? First, our rejoicing is in Christ. We have comfort and encouragement in Christ. So, we can be encouraged and come together because we have a source of joy that is much deeper and richer than sugary glee. Rejoicing is more than happiness and enjoyment. Without denying sorrow and suffering, it means participating in the grace and peace of Christ regardless of our circumstances.

3. Make it evident. (v. 5) Make what evident? KJV reads moderation. NIV reads gentleness. NLT reads consideration. What is it that we are supposed to make evident? Outside of biblical usage this word might be translated as “sweet reasonableness” (Matthew Arnold). Aristotle described it as a quality of character that respected justice, but was generous enough to allow that justice did not injure. In other words, it is the sort of maturity and graciousness in someone that they can forgive and not insist on demanding that all their rights be satisfied. That seems to work really well in this letter. That sounds a lot like the attitude of Christ who demand his rights but humbled himself. That sounds like the sort of attitude that could help a fractured, conflicted church family move toward peace.
   • And we ought to make it evident and visible because “the Lord is near.” That’s doesn’t just mean that he’s coming back, it means he is always near by. That sounds like Jesus himself who said, “I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” – Matthew 18:19-20
   • (v. 6a) And if we are going to make this sort of “graciousness and sweet reasonableness” evident then we will need to stop worrying. Conflict and disputing magnifies worry. It’s a vicious cycle because the worry in turn makes the conflict continue. But when the Lord is with us we can hear him say to us, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6)
   • (v. 6b) The way to be anxious about nothing is to pray about everything. We worry about what others think, but in prayer we are assured that it only matters what God thinks. We worry about what others may do, but in prayer we are assured that it only matters what God will do. We worry about change, but in prayer we are assured that God does not change.
   • (v. 7) Euodia and Syntyche were without a doubt very worried, very anxious, and perhaps angry. They had come down with the “frantic flu” and they had spread the virus in the congregation. [And when you spread a virus you don’t spread the gospel]. They had tried all their own remedies to ease their symptoms, but Paul offers the only cure – the peace of God. The peace of God is greater than our own ability to understand. It is effective enough to protect our hearts and minds. If we will have the same mind and heart that was in Jesus, we will also have that peace.
4. Finally, we need to think and act like Christ.
   • We focus our minds on: whatever is truthful, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy. What if we focused on these qualities in others. What if Euodia could focus on that which is [list] in Syntyche? What if Syntyche could focus on that which is [list] in Euodia? What if we focused on that which is [list] in the people that we might disagree with? Would that make a difference? Would that turn conflict around and lead us to the peace of Christ?
   • But we are responsible for our own behavior and so we have to put into action: 1) the lessons we’ve learned, 2) the trust and good traditions that were passed on to us, and 3) the examples of others who show us the way. If we do that then the peace of God will be with us.

Epilogue:

So what happened after this letter was read to this church family in Philippi? Euodia was on one side of the room. Syntyche was standing on the other side. Most likely after the reading of the letter, the congregation gathered around a table. Some folks brought bread and they shared with those who didn’t have any. Some folks brought wine and they shared with others. Wouldn’t it have been fitting if the church circled together, pulling in Euodia and Syntyche from their opposite sides and seated them at the table. And there in the presence of the Lord, these two women and all the church family prayed together. And Euodia served bread to Syntyche and Syntyche served a cup of joy to Euodia. And they ate and drank together with thanksgiving.

What will we do now that this letter has been read to us? “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

Imitation of Christ

Posted by Chris on February 17, 2008 under Sermons

The dynamic of the Christ hymn in Philippians 2:5-11 shows a downward movement and upward movement. The downward movement is the humility of Christ who abandons his interest in self for the sake of obedience and identification with humanity. The upward movement is God’s exaltation of Christ.

This becomes the key example in a set of other examples for the edification of the Philippian congregation …

CHRIST (2:5-11)
Philippians 2:4 – Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

1. Paul (2:17-18)
2. Timothy (2:19-24)
3. Epaphroditus (2:25-30)

Paul (2:17-18)

1. Poured out like wine …
2. On their sacrifice and service
3. Mutual rejoicing – He is glad for them and they should be glad for him.

Timothy (2:19-24)

1. Interest in the welfare of others
2. Concerned about Christ’s interests and not self-interest
3. Timothy proved himself through his service to Paul

Epaphroditus (2:25-30)

1. Brother, fellow-worker, fellow -soldier
2. He was sent for Paul’s sake by Philippian church
3. His mission nearly cost him his life
4. He is concerned for them
5. Paul sends him for their sake

Christian Maturity
“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” – Philippians 3:10-11

Maturity in Christ

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Read Philippians 3:1 – 4:1.

Two undesirable extremes …

1. Self-Righteousness. The characteristics are as follows:
   • Self-Righteousness
     – Misplaced Confidence
   • Laws, Customs
   • “Dead Faith”
   • Arrogance
   • Anxiety
   • Appearances
   • Materialistic
   1. The confidence is in laws, rituals, and customs. In Philippi, there were some who were insisting that Gentiles had to take on the practice of the Jewish system. Circumcision was the first step. The confidence is misplaced
   2. Tradition vs. Traditionalism – There’s nothing wrong with tradition. It is good in many ways. Just as there is nothing wrong with law. But when our confidence and maturity depends on these externals we have traditionalism. “Tradition is the living faith of dead people, traditionalism is the dead faith of living people.” (Jaroslav Pelikan)
   3. Arrogance – Self-righteousness leads to the mindset that our self-designed system is the only means of salvation. We become “brokers” of God’s grace and others have to come through us to get to God. We get over-confident in our efforts and our achievements.
   4. Anxiety – Of course this can also make us anxious. If it is all up to us to figure this out, then that is quite a burden. We don’t want anyone to tamper with our efforts and we are threatened by anything that seems to threaten the “system.”
   5. Appearances – Since the focus is on the externals (a checklist mentality) faithfulness and righteousness tend to be judged on appearance only. The observables. This is how we evaluate ourselves and others.
   6. Materialistic – Spirituality becomes nothing more than what is tangible and quantitative. This is not to say that embodied practice is not spiritual, but if the material is the extent of the experience, then spirituality is limited.
2. Self-Indulgence. The characteristics are as follows:
   • Self-Indulgence
     – No confidence
   • Worldliness
     – Sensual satisfaction
   • Justifying Shame
   • “Dead Future”
   • Materialistic
   1. There’s no confidence in spiritual things. Enemies of the cross. Spiritual things are useless or too hard to understand. It’s magic and/or academics. No interest in the spiritual.
   2. Worldliness – God is the belly. God is the body. In poverty, you have to think about bodily survival. In wealth, even moderate wealth, we focus on sensual satisfaction. Think of the indulgence industry in this culture: entertainment, thrill-seeking, porn, appearance and beauty, mood adjustment – “make me feel better, make me happy!”
   3. Justifying Shame – We don’t want to hear God’s challenge. We want to be okay just as we are. We don’t want to be ashamed. Please don’t make us repent – Don’t make us change.
   4. Dead Future – Destiny is destruction. It will kill us and consume us. Emptiness, Loneliness, Anger are the result of excess indulgence.
   5. Materialistic – No spirituality, the focus is on worldliness. So if there is any grasping about for something spiritual, then the self-righteous is actually attractive. Why? Because it is a materialistic faith that promises a few quick fixes that satisfy self.

So which option is best? Are they really that different? Which way should we lean? Neither tendency seems acceptable …

What if there is a different, more excellent way? Not a mid-point or a balance, but a way that pushes out the empty, unsatisfying options – even the unsatisfying blend of options.

This is the righteousness of the cross – the attitude of Christ Jesus.

1. Worship by the power of God’s Spirit and take pride in Christ Jesus. That’s our confidence
2. We don’t brag about our heritage or our accomplishments. It doesn’t mean we cannot appreciate tradition nor does it mean we shouldn’t do anything. There’s nothing wrong with it, but we don’t boast about it. We don’t seek advantage based on our efforts or past.
3. We simply have a perspective that puts Christ above everything else. Christ and his power and person is the test of all things.
4. So we want to KNOW Christ – It’s not what you know, but who you know. Since Christ is alive, we don’t just learn about him, we learn from him. We imitate him. We want to be like him. We imitate those who follow him. [Christianity is not a degree, it’s on the job training.] (Nothing wrong with education or academics – it beats ignorance, but that doesn’t insure righteousness! We have to learn how to live and learn character and spirit).
5. Righteousness is about developing faith and trust in God, not a checklist of do’s and don’ts. Do’s and don’ts are for beginners, for infants.
6. Maturity is developing perfection in Christ. We grow. We learn from God along the way. This is not a stale and static system. It’s a living process. Developmental.
7. So, we come back to these old lessons … We live life worthily. Life has meaning; it’s worth living if we live it worthily. (Philippians 1:27) We can say no to sensual indulgence and get past legalistic concerns because life has meaning in God. We are citizens of heaven – that’s special.
8. We have something to look forward to because our lives are changed and they are being made new by God as we go along. This is the power of the resurrection at work – even now!
9. We practice love. (2:1-4) That’s Christ’s attitude – taking interest in others (Philippians 2:5-11). That is commUNITY. We are joined together in CHRIST. So we are not alone. We have genuine relationship that are not possible through self-righteousness (always worried about what others think) or self-indulgence (using others for our pleasure)
10. Stand Firm – This is how we strive together and work together. (1:27-30)