Two Critical Perspectives: The Exodus and The Cross

Posted by David on August 27, 2006 under Sermons

Every life, without exception, lives through dark hours. No one escapes days when all circumstances say the worst is inevitable. We all experience times when we are overwhelmed with setbacks, losing struggles, and painful realities which dominate our todays and threaten our tomorrows. Sometimes the threats are physical and put physical existence in jeopardy. Sometimes the threats are emotional driving us to the point of despair. Sometimes the threats are financial attacking our sense of security. Regardless of the source, the issue is always the same: "Will I survive?"

Many of us already have survived some dark hours. If you have, what enabled you to survive? What enabled you to endure, and, in time, to triumph over your dark hours? The key to survival is this: "Something to hold on to" or "something to keep us going." Sometimes that is an undeniable truth so important, so valuable that it gives us the courage to continue. It refuses to give up when we have no other reason to try.

That essential truth is critical to every person’s survival. The person who has that essential truth finally overcomes his/her dark hour. The person who has no such truth enters a depression that becomes despair, a despair from which he/she rarely escapes.

Many things create dark hours: relationship problems, financial problems, career problems, family crisis, death of a loved one, national crisis, wars, undesirable life changes–the list is endless! To survive such crises there must be a truth so strong, so great that not even the worst circumstance can veil it.

For all Judaism in the Old Testament and for all Christians in the New Testament, God declared that truth existed. For the Old Testament Jew and the New Testament Christian, the truth was the same: God’s love.

I want you to consider the importance of the exodus and the cross.

1. There is an incredible parallel between the Jewish exodus from Egypt and Jesus’ cross on Calvary.
   1. Look carefully at the great similarity between the exodus and the cross.
      1. The Jews were in bondage to Egypt; people were in bondage to sin.
      2. The Jews existed under an abusive ruler who exploited them to their own hurt and destruction; people were under Satan who exploited them to their own hurt and destruction.
      3. The Jews in Egypt had not yet become God’s covenant people; people in sin had not yet become God’s covenant people.
      4. Those Jews were totally powerless to deliver themselves from their slavery; people were totally powerless to deliver themselves from slavery under sin.
      5. In bondage, the Jews did not know God’s true identity and doubted His ability to deliver them; in sin people did not know God’s true identity and doubted His ability to save them.
      6. For the Jews, God provided a leader (Moses); for people in sin, God provided a leader (Jesus).
      7. To the Jews, God proved deliverance was His work through Moses’ signs; to those in sin, God proved deliverance was His work through Jesus’ signs.
      8. For the Jews, deliverance was totally God’s work–all they did was obediently follow; for sinners, deliverance is totally God’s work–all we do is obediently follow.
      9. With the Jews, God provided victory through what seemed certain defeat at the Red Sea; with sinners, God provided victory through what seemed certain defeat at Jesus’ death and burial.
      10. With the Jews, God established a perpetual memorial to be continually observed (Passover); with the delivered from sin, God established a perpetual memorial to be continually observed (the Lord’s Supper).
   2. As fascinating as all those parallels are, none of them is the essential parallel.
      1. The exodus was the undeniable proof of God’s love for Israel.
      2. The cross is the undeniable proof of God’s love for all sinners.
      3. No thinking Jew of understanding could take the Passover without thinking of God’s great love!
      4. No thinking Christian of understanding can take the Lord’s Supper without thinking of God’s great love for sinners.
      5. It was and is impossible to take either and not know this truth: “God loves us!”
2. The central, unending proof of God’s love for Jewish people was the exodus.
   1. The emphasis in the Old Testament on the importance and meaning of the exodus is overwhelming.
      1. I challenge you to consult a complete concordance, look under “Egypt” and “bondage,” and note the emphasis–and those are not all the references!
      2. There is so much emphasis on the exodus’ significance as a declaration of God’s nature and love that there would not be enough time to read all those references in this assembly!
   2. To this day, the best known act of God in Israelite history is the exodus under Moses’ leadership.
      1. It is the central event of the Old Testament.
      2. It marked the beginning of Israel as a nation.
      3. It marked the point that they as a people became God’s representatives which He promised Abraham.
      4. It was the divine act of God anointing the Jewish people to function as His nation.
   3. The unforgettable importance of that deliverance is powerfully stressed throughout the Old Testament.
      1. The Passover was instituted to be an annual reminder of God’s deliverance.
         1. Exodus 12:17 You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance.
         2. Deuteronomy 16:3 You shall not eat leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), so that you may remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.
      2. The exodus was the foundation on which the Ten Commandments stood.
         1. Exodus 19:3-6 Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
         2. Consider Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 5:6 I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
         3. The point is clear: Israel should keep God’s laws because God is the God of their deliverance.
   4. Throughout Old Testament history, the undeniable proof of God’s love for Israel was the exodus.
   5. Let me try to make this point unforgettable.
      1. If in the horrible period of the judges, we asked a faithful Jew, “Does God still love Israel?” he would have said, “Yes! Unquestionably!”
         1. If we responded, “How can you say that with all these horrible things happening?”
         2. He would say, "The exodus is proof God never stops loving us!"
      2. In the awful wickedness during Samuel’s lifetime, if we had asked, “Does God still love Israel?” a faithful Jew would have said , “Yes! Unquestionably!”
         1. If we responded, “How can you say that?”
         2. He would say, “The exodus forever proves God loves us!”
      3. And so it would have been in the terrible days of Philistine domination or the Babylonian captivity: The exodus proved God’s love!
3. Just as the exodus was the irrefutable proof of God’s love for ancient Israel, the cross is the irrefutable proof of God’s love for all people.
   1. The unquestionable proof that God loves us is Jesus’ death and resurrection.
      1. What God did for all people in Jesus Christ’s cross cannot be exaggerated.
      2. Without Jesus’ death and resurrection, Christianity would not exist.
      3. We can exist as Christians only because of Jesus’ cross and resurrection.
      4. God’s cost in redeeming us from our sins is too great to comprehend.
   2. The central importance of Jesus’ cross as the proof of God’s love for us is powerfully stressed in the New Testament.
      1. Romans 5:6-11 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
      2. Romans 8:31-34 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
      3. 2 Corinthians 5:14,15 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
      4. Ephesians 5:1,2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
      5. Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
      6. 1 John 3:16-18 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
   3. How can we know God loves us?
      1. There are many evidences of His love for us, but no evidence equals the proof of Jesus’ cross.
      2. When we are in circumstances were all other evidences seem to fail, Jesus’ cross still stands.
   4. May I attempt to make that fact unforgettable?
      1. When in Acts 5 when the apostles were beaten by order of the Jewish Sanhedrin, if we asked them, “Does God still love you?” they would have answered, “Of course!”
         1. If we asked, “How can you say that after that beating?”
         2. They would have responded, “The cross shows us His love!”
      2. When Stephen was stoned to death in Acts 7, had we asked as he died, “Does God still love you?” he would have answered, “Absolutely!”
         1. Had we asked, “How can you say that?”
         2. He would have replied, “Jesus’ cross proves God’s love!”
      3. And so it would have been with all the faithful Christians who suffered in the New Testament.
      4. Yet, in times of distress and suffering we ask, “Does God still love us?”
         1. The book of Revelation written to distressed, suffering Christians answers that question.
         2. It says, “The sacrificed Jesus reigns right now!”
            1. “That Jesus, God’s sacrificial lamb, proves God’s continuing love!”
            2. “The crucified, resurrected Jesus proves your victory is certain!”
4. Without doubt all Christians will face dark hours that challenge their faith in God’s love and concern.
   1. In those hours all circumstances will seem to shout, “God does not love you!”
      1. “He has deserted you!”
      2. “He does not care about you–you do not matter that much to Him!”
      3. “If He loved you, this would not happen to you and you would not hurt so much!”
      4. “If He loved you, the wicked would not be doing well at your expense!”  
   2. In that moment, the Christian must never fail to see Jesus’ cross.
      1. He or she must be able to say:
         1. “I cannot explain the circumstances.”
         2. “I cannot explain what is happening.”
         3. “I cannot explain my suffering.”
         4. “But I know God’s love for me is irrefutable.”
         5. “Not even this uproots the truth of Jesus’ cross.”
         6. “If he loved me that much, He still loves me.”
      2. That is the truth that empowers you to hold on in life’s darkest hours.

Do you remember singing the words of Elizabeth Clephane?

Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand, the shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land, a home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way, from the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day.

Upon the cross of Jesus, mine eye at times can see, the very dying form of one who suffered there for me; and from my smitten heart, with tears, two wonders I confess: the wonders of His glorious love, and my own worthlessness.

I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place: I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face; content to let the world go by, to know no gain nor loss, my sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.

Have you seen the cross? Have you seen the love?

Back To School Blessing

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

[Congregation encouraged to take home magnets with names of students and/or teachers. Pray for them every day this school year.]

This is the third year for the Back to School Blessing at West-Ark. I am so thankful that we take the time for this event. I appreciate the fact that students and teachers and school workers report that they feel blessed not only from this event, but from knowing that someone is praying for them all year long. I have been impressed that many of you have asked if we can offer a service blessing for other groups as we do for students and teachers. (The answer is yes, I just need your help to organize it).
In the weeks leading up to this event I have been pondering the question: Why do we do this?

1. I think we do the Back to School Blessing because words of blessing are so rare in our times. In our society we often give awards; we praise achievement and accomplishment. But that is not the same as a blessing. A blessing pronounces God’s favor on another simply for the sake of the other.

Jesus opened his sermon on the mount by proclaiming blessings on those who certainly didn’t earn the blessing of God. They hadn’t accomplished great things. In fact some were the objects of scorn and persecution. Some might even be those considered cursed because of their poverty and losses. But the blessing of God is gracious and abundant, it is for those who need it and available even to those who think they do not.

2. I think we do the Back to School Blessing because words of criticism and cursing are too common in our society. Cursing is more than saying bad words. It is much more serious than that. Cursing is the opposite of blessing. It seeks the downfall and promotes the harm of another. Sometimes the purpose of the curse is to humiliate or condemn another. Curses are spoken out of anxiety, fear, and anger – not the grace of God. The people of God are called to be a source of blessing, not curses. Of lesser harm than cursing is criticism and blame. Sometimes we are just too negative and cynical. We are always looking for problems and seeking to blame someone. Even we are well-intentioned, constant disparagement leads to a bitter and unhealthy outlook than doesn’t solve problems but actually creates more problems! It is a vicious cycle.

So, one of the areas were we can be a source of blessing is for our students and teachers in all of our schools – public, private, home schools. It isn’t easy to be a student; and it isn’t easy to work in schools – and it gets harder all the time. But instead of finding someone to blame, let’s pronounce blessings.
As I was contemplating this question, I came across an article in the Southwest Times Record (Aug. 16, 2006). What first attracted my attention was the headline that Benny had taken on the role of a cheerleader. I thought, “Do they really need the superintendent on the cheerleading squad.” But Dr. Gooden’s cheerleading is not for athletes – its for teachers who work at some of the most demanding schools in our region. He and Gordon Floyd, the assistant superintendent for instruction, are encouraging teachers and trying to help them understand that they are valuable.
Gordon Floyd said in the article, “A number of teachers who work in so-called ‘low-performing’ schools see their work their as a mission and they like being there.” When I read that I thought about the reasons we do this Back to School Blessing. We definitely need to support those who have a mission. And I think Dr. Floyd’s statement applies to teachers and workers in all schools. I doubt that there are very few people involved in education who are only in it for the pay. They are trying to bless students, and so it is right that we not only add our blessing to theirs – but we need to bless them as well.

Blessing of Students [prayer by an elder]

Blessing of Teachers/School Workers [prayer by an elder]

Jesus ended his sermon that started with blessings by inviting us to live out his words. If you put his teaching into practice you are like the person who built his house on a rock. The alternative is the person who built a house on shifting, loose sand. But there’s one thing common to both houses – they are each hit with storms. Even the house built on solid rock is hit with storms. The difference is that it stands.
The greatest blessing you can receive is the foundation to support you in times of distress and storm. Put the teaching of Jesus into practice and live within the blessings of God’s in-breaking kingdom.

Let Our Light Shine

Posted by Chris on August 20, 2006 under Sermons

Read Matthew 5:11-20.

Sometimes, I miss the coast. Among the wonderful novelties of coastal living are lighthouses. On my visits to the Oregon Coast I visited three lighthouses and took photos of a fourth that stands on a rock in the bay. I wanted so badly to hop in a boat and make an adventure to the lighthouse.

Lighthouses are adventurous icons after all. They represent rescue and protection from danger. The stories of lighthouses speak of mystery, bravery, and dedication. Lighthouses are also symbols of hope. They are the light that pierces through the stormy darkness.

Although lighthouses seem artistic and majestic, their form follows function. They stand tall and are painted with contrasting colors. They are built on prominent points along a seacoast. The logic to their architecture is this: They are very visible.

Lighthouses are antiquities these days. Some are still in service and guard the rocky shores and keep the beaches shipwreck-free. But mostly, lighthouses are part of tours. Along the Texas Gulf Coast, one of the lighthouses on the tour is the Point Bolivar Lighthouse. When I learned that I lived very near the Point Bolivar light I went to see it. It is the saddest lighthouse I have ever visited. I wonder if it should even be called a lighthouse.

The Point Bolivar light looks like a lighthouse. It stands tall and can be seen from the east side of Galveston on a sunny day. But at night it is not visible because the lighthouse has corroded and it is nothing more than a black column; quite a change from its glory days when it sported red and white stripes. But saddest of all revelations was that the Point Bolivar Lighthouse has no light. It is an empty shell. It is a dead husk. At night, the black pillar is totally invisible.

Recall what Jesus is teaching us: “No one lights a lamp and places it beneath a basket.” “A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” Well, of course. Just as lighthouse is meant to be highly visible, so also a lamp and a city on a hill are visible – one is built on high and the other is placed on a lamp stand to light the house. What good is a lighthouse with no light? What use is a lamp burning beneath the shade of a basket? Even the saying about salt appeals to everyday experience: What good is salt without its saltiness? It might as well be thrown out.

But there’s more to this teaching than how to light a lamp and how to keep salt fresh, right? Just as there is more to the tale of the lighthouse, yes? Well, of course. Jesus is trying to grab the attention of the crowds because he is going to confront some misunderstandings. For example, he doesn’t want anyone to assume that his teaching is somehow an annulment of God’s law. As Christ teaches us today there are other typical misunderstanding that must be confronted. And maybe the best way to hear what Christ is really teaching rather than walk away with household hints from Savior is to acknowledge some of these assumptions:

1. Christ did not teach us that we should be salt and light. He said you ARE the salt of the earth and light of the world. If we are his disciples it is our nature to shine. It is our nature to be a preserving and saving influence. It is the property of salt to be salty. It is the property of light to shine. That’s why the Point Bolivar light is so disappointing – A lighthouse isn’t a lighthouse because of its shape and form. A lighthouse isn’t a lighthouse because of a historical marker or someone’s desire to restore it. The nature of a lighthouse is to give light!
2. Christ did not teach that we “have the salt and light.” The salt and light are not a commodity or instrument that we use or dispense. We are the salt – NOT salt shakers. We are the light – not lighthouse keepers.
3. The salt and light label is for a collective, not just individuals. The “YE” in the KJV is plural. This isn’t just about individual character. This isn’t about your own personal moral accomplishment. It is about US. This little light of OURS, we’re gonna let it shine. Doesn’t rhyme, but it is a little closer to the teaching of Jesus. This becomes important when we understand that we as a community of believers are salt and light FOR the world. We are living out the law and prophets; we are teaching and doing the commandments of Jesus not just for ourselves, but FOR the world. We are striving to be disciples not just for our own sake, but the sake of the world.
4. Most importantly, when Jesus describes the salt of the earth and the light of the world, he is not speaking about the gospel. This is too common a misunderstanding. And even if we don’t say it, this assumption runs deeply in our practice. Too often we treat the gospel as if it is a product – a good or service – that we need to sell. So we become vendors of the gospel. The problem with vendors of a product is that they can sell a product, but they don’t have to use it themselves. There is a gap in the relationship between vendor and product that Jesus’ teaching will not allow.

Setting aside the misunderstandings, what is Jesus teaching us?

Jesus is labeling his disciples as salt and light in order to show that the gospel is to be so ingrained in us that we cannot separate it from who we are. Our righteousness has to surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. If we want to be great in the kingdom of heaven we not only teach the commandments of Jesus – we do them!

Our righteousness and good works are not an attempt to win God’s favor so that we will make it to heaven rather than hell. That’s too small a view of what is going on. Recall that Jesus has just put us on notice: The kingdom rule of God is breaking into our world.

Recall, that these words are addressed to the same crowd that heard the Beatitudes. So, the blessed are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Holding this teaching together does away with any thought the “blessed ones” are too good for this world. Those who are blessed by God are not taken out of the world or sheltered in a “Holy Tank” like delicate and expensive exotic fish. This does away with the assumption that the salt of the earth are those who’ve achieved a higher degree of moral life – some sort of advanced Christianity.

After all, Jesus is not speaking about individuals, he is speaking about a people. And this fits in very well with the preaching of the prophets that Jesus upheld. Isaiah 60 would have been a text very familiar to our Lord. God describes his vision for Jerusalem – that the people of God would be the focal point of a great homecoming when all nations see the visible glory of God shining out from Jerusalem …¹“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all the nations to see! For the glory of the LORD is shining upon you. ²Darkness as black as night will cover all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD will shine over you. ³All nations will come to your light. Mighty kings will come to see your radiance.”

This is Jesus’ vision for his disciples. We ARE salt for the earth. We are light for the world. Jesus is calling us to be at the forefront of this in-breaking Kingdom of God not simply for our own personal good, but for the good of all creation. Don’t the most important human endeavors have more at stake than personal gain? Why then have we assumed that being a Christian is simply personal. This is about nothing less than saving the world! And our mission is to live out a righteousness much greater than the anxiety-driven rule keeping of the scribes and Pharisees. A righteousness that is so infused with the spirit of God that what we do as a people results in good works that glorify God.

And just in case that presents a stumbling block to our appropriate sense of modesty, be assured that it isn’t us as salesman of the gospel that glorifies God – It is our good works that glorify God in heaven. People aren’t paying attention to us; they are paying attention to what we do.

The first verse I ever memorized was Matthew 5:16 – “Let your light so shine before all people that they will see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.” The first sermon I ever preached at West-Ark was from this teaching of Jesus. It is my hope and vision that this congregation will live out the teaching of Jesus and be the light that is needed right here.

Before we get to the invitation we need to issue the warnings: Did you notice what Jesus declared just before Jesus teaches us that we are salt for the earth and light for the world? He said, “”Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Warning: There are powers at work in our corrupt and fallen world that have invested in the darkness and decay. They aren’t going to be very happy when we set out to make things bright and clean through our good works. Not everyone welcomes the salt or the light. So understand that when people lie about us or misunderstand us simply because we take the teaching of Jesus seriously and want to make a difference – just understand that we are blessed by God even if we are cursed by others.

Warning: The grace of God that is pouring the kingdom into our world doesn’t contradict the need to live out the kingdom life. Jesus makes it clear that if we are not interested in pursuing a righteousness that is greater than the righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes, then we are not entering into the kingdom.

With warnings issued, Christ invites you to follow him, and not just follow the rules. With warnings issued, Christ invites you to overcome the powers and principalities of this dark age and share in the blessings of the kingdom. Christ invites you to join him in his mission to save the world and be a part of his church that is salt for the earth and light for the world.

Breaking Out In Blessedness

Posted by Chris on August 13, 2006 under Sermons

Right here in the city of Fort Smith, over 50% of our school children live below the poverty line. At Tilles Elementary, they must feed the children before they can teach them – every day.

Conflict in the Middle East continues. Israel is at war with Hezbollah. There is conflict in Iraq even with Hussein in prison. North Korea and Iran are rattling sabers. The United States has been at war since 9/11 and the interrupted bombing plot this week confirmed that. There are other battles not as high profile. In Uganda young children are conscripted into the Lord’s Resistance Army. Their name sounds holy – their practices are not. Recent attempts at Peace in Sudan’s Darfur region have failed. As a result the fighting has renewed and 50,000 people are displaced – – even aid workers are in harm’s way. Making peace is so difficult in a world devoted to violence. The world is at war – even in places away from the news camera and places that do not seem to be in the interest of the U.S. government. Precious souls are being lost forever because there is no peace.

Against the forces of war and poverty it is so easy to feel powerless. Even if you have a job you can feel powerless. Katrina Gill has a job. She is a nursing aide in a care center and she works long hours monitoring vitals, turning patients for bedsores, and changing adult diapers. But she and her husband, a mechanic, have no health benefits. They pay $640 a month for a family policy. They have racked up $160,000 in debt – medical expenses – because their son Brandyn has cancer. (Michelle Conlin and Aaron Bernstein, Business Week, “Working and Poor,” May 31, 2004 – www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_22/b3885001_mz001.htm.) Katrina is just one example of what it means to be meek and powerless in our age. So many of us labor in a setting of maximum insecurity, where one missed bus, one stalled engine, one sick kid means the difference between keeping a job and getting fired. At any moment, a company pressured to pump profits can slash hours, or layoff workers, or even cut loose jobs. This isn’t a labor vs. management issue. It’s a human issue. Managers and owners are caught up in the faceless and non-personal economic and political forces that make us feel powerless.

Have you ever felt powerless? Have you at least sensed that something about our culture and society just isn’t right? It isn’t right for a credit card company to stick a person who can’t pay bills with a 30% interest rate. If a thug in an alley does that it’s called loan-sharking. If Chase or Citibank does it it’s called “a change in agreement.” Something isn’t right. Joe Francis is the millionaire producer of the Girls Gone Wild soft-porn video series. He claims it is just innocent entertainment. He claims it is protected by the First Amendment. (See Claire Hoffman, “Baby, Give Me a Kiss,” L.A. Times, Aug. 6. 2006 – www.latimes.com/features/printedition/magazine/la-tm-gonewild32aug06,0,1675556,full.story.) How can Francis be protected by our laws when violence against women is increasing in our nation? Something is wrong. You know it if you feel the pangs for righteousness in your gut. You know it if you feel parched waiting for the waters of justice to roll down like a mighty river against the stifling heat of injustice.

It is difficult to forgive the worst offenders of justice let alone forgiving the friend who hurts us. It is difficult to forgive. It is difficult to be merciful – especially when people take advantage of our mercy. That’s why we want to surround ourselves with people we can trust. People who strive to have a purity of heart. But even among the disciples of Jesus we meet those who hurt us. Every time we hear a story about disciples that condemn the suffering rather than help them, we grieve. Every time we hear a story about disciples that exclude rather than invite, it makes us grieve.

And we have enough to be sad about already, don’t we? We have lost loved ones. We have suffered because of sin. We are suffering because of illness. There seems to be no end to the tears, pain, and sorrow.
I confess that I have nothing to say. I am at a loss for words. I cannot even write a sermon to speak to the problems and sorrows of the world as we know it. But I want to lead you to another preacher. I want to begin preaching someone else’s sermon. This preacher spoke to the word as we know it – the world I just described – but he proclaimed that something was going to change. He spoke of a new order of things in which those who experienced the kind of discomfort we just spoke about will instead be happy.

I would like you to follow me over to the hillside where this preacher has just sat down and he begins to speak … [Matthew 5]

³Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
⁵Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
⁷Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
⁸Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¹¹Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

What you have just heard is the opening of a sermon from our founder, our Lord, Jesus Christ. In our difficult times, I thought it was fitting that we should hear from Him. In the midst of the trials and hopes we have shared as a church family I thought it was fitting that we should hear from Him.

Sure, you’ve heard this before. But you’ve probably heard these phrases broken up and scattered. Like gems that popped loose from their settings, they still glisten, but you don’t get the full effect. These “beatitudes” are not little nuggets of moral advice. These are not the appetizers before the main course. And Jesus isn’t using “bless” or “blessed” the way Southern culture does. It’s been said that you can say anything mean and nasty about someone in the South as long as you say “Bless their heart.” [He just isn’t very smart, bless his heart. She looks so old – and fat, bless her heart. Get it?]

Jesus is not condescending or patronizing when he says “Blessed are the poor.” Blessed means that “God’s favor is resting on …” So he’s saying, “God’s kingdom is breaking into this world. It’s coming to you, and today you have the favor of God.” What a way to open a sermon!

Taken together, this set of “blessings” is an official notice. A notice – like those ominous looking signs that get posted by our city councils that say – “We’re building a shopping center here. If you don’t like it, you can come tell us.” Christ is putting the world as we know it on notice. He’s saying that things are going to change. And like an official notice, some people welcome it – and some do not.

If you are poor and know that something is wrong with economies that keep people poor, then you welcome the notice because God’s favor rests on you. If you are sad or have ever known sadness, then welcome the notice, God’s favor rests on you. If you have ever felt helpless and powerless against forces too great to describe, then welcome the notice because God’s favor rests on you. If you have felt the anxiety of losing worldly security, then welcome the notice because God’s favor rests on you. If you have ever wanted justice and righteousness so bad you can taste it, then welcome the notice, God’s favor rests on you.

If you have ever forgiven others even though it cost you, then welcome the notice. If you are weary trying to help others live at peace with each other, then welcome the notice. If you have long desired to overcome sin and draw close to God, then welcome the notice because God’s favor rests on you!

These beatitudes are an extending way of saying that the kingdom of God is near. He is saying that the kingdom of God is breaking into the world and setting up shop. The world as we know it is breaking out in blessedness.

But be on notice! There are forces in this world that do not welcome the Kingdom of God. There are those who are invested in keeping the poor just as they are. There are those who are invested in activities that cause some to be sad. There are those who are invested in keeping some people powerless and insecure. There are those who are invested in unrighteous enterprises and unjust practices. There are those who cannot show mercy or they stand to lose. There are even those who are invested in war and conflict. And it is not simply because they have dark sinister hearts, but its because they have made built their house on the foundations of the world as we know it. Christ is putting these on notice as well. Tell them it is time to re-invest! And Christ is saying that if you are one of these who needs to re-invest or even if you are one of these who welcomes that change it won’t always be easy. The forces and powers that like things as they are will insult you, lie about you and persecute you. But even if that happens, God’s favor rests on you!

In the weeks ahead, our founder, our Lord, our teacher is going to show us the path to start living in the world of God’s blessed favor even now – before it comes in all of its glory. This is a notice – an invitation for all of us. Shall we, as a church family, live for the world that’s coming? Shall we strive to be merciful, pure of heart, and make peace? Will we commit today to living out the virtues of the world that is coming?

In baptism and in the Lord’s Supper we witness the kingdom of God breaking into the world as we know it. These are not status quo symbols. They are symbols of new birth and new life. The forces and powers that are invested in a corrupt broken world broke Jesus for preaching this sermon. But God’s favor rests on Him and he lives to preach this sermon again, and again, and again.

Who will live out the teaching of Jesus Christ?

The Case of the Insensitive Pagan

Posted by David on August 10, 2006 under Sermons

Without sensitivity toward others, a human being ceases to be human. In any advanced civilization, the most cherished social qualities are human traits that encourage sensitivity toward other humans. The fundamental code words for such sensitivity include compassion, caring, kindness, neighborliness, mercy, and understanding. Any person would live in an earthly hell if he or she was forced to live in a society where such qualities were absent.

How would you survive if you knew no one felt for you, cared what happened to you, did anything kind to or helpful for you, never extended you one unselfish act, or never even tried to understand you? What if people laughed when you hurt, rejoiced when you failed, found pleasure in your abuse, treated you unjustly, and deliberately misunderstood you?

Such people exist. Such places exist. We could create such a place right here without a lot of difficulty. All we have to do is destroy sensitivity toward people, and we produce such people and places.

There are times when we see the ugliness left when such sensitivity dies. It too often is seen when a crowd urges a distraught person to commit suicide. It is too often seen when a woman is gang-raped as people cheer. It too often happens when imprisoned people brutalize the defenseless. Nothing is more frightening and dangerous than people who have lost the ability to feel for or care about others. A human who thinks and feels like a vicious animal is a terrifying creature.

It costs to have compassion, kindness, caring, mercy, and understanding. Often those qualities create pain. We do not like prices, and we hate pain. If the cost of such qualities are too high, too painful, we can exercise the option not to feel and not to care. Sometimes we cope with high stress occupations and burnout by distancing ourselves from those who hurt and are in need. That is an "easy" coping mechanism for doctors, counselors, and preachers. It is certainly an convenient coping mechanism for those involved in prison work who often are forced to work with hardened, insensitive people.

Consider a jailor in Acts 16:19-34.

1. Background for the reading:
   1. Paul and his companions were instructed to go into the unevangelized region of Macedonia and preach the good news of Jesus.
      1. They immediately went to Philippi (a significant, prosperous Roman colony, but not the capital of the region).
         1. On their first Sabbath in Philippi, they went to the riverside to assemble with a Jewish group gathered there.
            1. Philippi was a Roman colony with special status in the area.
            2. It, as a city, was very fearful of any non-Roman religious influence, and that included Jewish influence.
            3. Such cities often required "new" religious influences in the region to gather outside the city walls–perhaps this indicates that Judaism was regarded to be a "new" and unwanted religious influence in a Roman city.
            4. It might also indicate there was a small Jewish population in that city.
            5. Paul taught the women gathered at this site or place.
            6. As a result, Lydia and her household (a prominent Jewess widow or single woman?) were baptized.
            7. She insisted that Paul and his company make her home (an indication of prominence) their headquarters while in Philippi.
            8. Her offer would give this new Christian group status in the Romanized city.
         2. One day a girl possessing a spirit of divination (a fortune teller) began following Paul.
            1. She was owned by two men who made money through her ability.
            2. As she followed Paul (and his company) she cried, Acts 16:17, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."
               1. The words, “the Most High God” are literally translated, “a Most High God” (see the reference in a study Bible).
               2. Remember, this is an idolatrous city.
               3. Remember, the girl has a spirit of divination, not the spirit of Jesus Christ–she is not acting as Jesus’ helper.
               4. She is likely making a pagan statement of distraction, not of encouragement.
         3. Paul became extremely frustrated with her and her statement and commanded her spirit of divination to leave her.
            1. When he did, he agitated her owners by ending her usefulness to them in making money.
               1. They grabbed Paul and Silas and took them before the magistrates in the market place.
               2. They charged them with teaching customs it was illegal for Romans to obey–a very serious charge in a Roman colony!
            2. As a result, everyone became quite agitated (emotional) because the accusation meant they might lose some of their status as a Roman colony.
            3. Without a trial or hearing, the magistrates rushed to judgment and publicly beat Paul and Silas.
            4. They then placed them in jail and charged the jailor to keep them securely.
2. That introduces us to the insensitive pagan.
   1. Carefully consider who this man was as his day ended.
      1. In all probability he was a Roman soldier of rank who oversaw a jailhouse.
         1. Such people were not noted for their sensitivity.
         2. They were acquainted with violence and suffering which they were trained to inflict.
         3. Causing others to suffer was their job.
         4. Acts 16 documents the jailor was a man who was hardened to human suffering to the point he just did his job without noticing.
         5. Two men were brought to him in the late afternoon just having been publicly beaten.
         6. He was charged to keep them securely.
         7. Without concern for their pain, he does what he is told to do–he makes certain it is impossible for them to escape.
         8. He placed them in the foul smelling, filthy maximum security section and added to their discomfort by putting them in stocks.
         9. There sat Paul and Silas in the foul smelling darkness–wounds crusting over, not daring to try to lay down, feet locked in a fixed position, unable to stand, unable to help each other.
         10. The jailor was not moved, not concerned, not touched–without any conscience problem, he just goes to his comfortable quarters and goes to sleep.
         11. In their misery, Paul and Silas sang and prayed to the Lord they loved so much.
             2. They were singing and praying out loud–the other prisoners listened.
             3. In this way they revived themselves and lifted their spirits as they praised the Jesus they loved so much.
         12. Can you picture that scene?
             1. The insensitive jailor was sleeping in unconcerned comfort.
             2. Paul and Silas in horrible conditions were singing and praying to Jesus.
             3. The other prisoners were listening (not harassing, but listening).
         13. Suddenly an earthquake shook the jail house to its foundation.
             1. Doors flew open, chains fell from the walls, nothing lay between the prisoners and escape.
             2. All could go into the night if they wished!
   2. Look at the jailor!
      1. Before midnight all was under control and he had no worries.
      2. After all, the prisoners brought their troubles on themselves.
      3. He just did his job!
   3. One earthquake later and the jailor’s whole world crumbles!
      1. It was no accident that when the earthquake shook him awake that he headed for the locked cells.
      2. If the prisoners had escaped, he would be better off dead than to suffer the humiliation and penalties caused by their escape!
      3. Paul, knowing what the jailor was about to do, cried, "Do not kill yourself! We are all here!"
      4. A few hours ago he hardly noticed the suffering Paul, now that same Paul saved his life!
   4. Now look at the jailor.
      1. He called for lights and rushed to Paul and Silas’ cell.
      2. In trembling fear, he fell before them.
      3. With urgency, he asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
      4. They taught him about Jesus.
      5. He washed their backs, and they washed him and his household in baptism.
      6. He took Paul and Silas to his home, fed them, and greatly rejoiced.
   5. What a change!
      1. In the afternoon he secured two suffering men in horrible conditions as he "did his job;" at midnight he washed their stripes.
      2. He went to sleep harden to the suffering in his jail; at midnight he fell at the feet of the sufferers.
      3. That afternoon he was a hardened man in a hard world; that night he was a saved man filled with joy.
      4. That afternoon he was an insensitive pagan; that night he became a sensitive Christian because he knew about Jesus.
3. There are some important facts we need to note about the conversion of this man.
   1. First, we need to note his question, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
      1. There is no way to know if this man heard Paul and Silas preaching prior to their arrest.
         1. We do know if he heard, he was unimpressed with the men or the message.
         2. He seemed to be a typical pagan in a pagan’s Roman world.
      2. Why ask that question?
         1. In some way he realized Paul and Silas were religious men.
         2. A common pagan belief focused on the gods acting favorably in behalf of those with whom they were pleased.
         3. It was not unusual to attribute events like an earthquake to the act of the gods.
         4. Since Paul did not escape, it would seem likely from a pagan perspective that the gods were with him.
         5. Whatever his reasons, this is obvious:
            1. The jailor realized Paul and Silas had a special relationship with deity.
            2. He knew they just saved his life, and that kindness astounded him.
            3. He knew they could address his need.
   2. Second, it is obvious he did not understand the full significance of what he asked.
      1. He did not know the source of salvation, how to approach the source, or how to change his condition.
      2. He just realized he had a need and these men had answers.
      3. Paul began the only place he could–with Jesus.
         1. One cannot place faith in what he does not know.
         2. They taught the jailor how to believe in Jesus.
         3. The jailor demonstrated his belief not with words but with actions.
   3. Third, note what learning about and believing in Jesus did to the man.
      1. He washed the beaten, bruised backs of Paul and Silas.
         1. The uncaring man became caring.
         2. The insensitive man became sensitive.
         3. What a beautiful example of repentance!
      2. He was baptized immediately when he learned about Jesus.
         1. That was not convenient–dark, without electricity or flashlights or kerosene lanterns, no baptistery, just a muddy river bank.
   4. Fourth, conversion (believing in Jesus, repentance, baptism) initiated a new direction for his life.
      1. He took Paul and Silas out of the jail, to his own home, and fed them.
      2. He did this in the joy of his salvation.
      3. I have no doubt this was the first time he did these things for prisoners!

Jesus came to destroy human insensitivity by destroying sin in our lives. He wants to destroy your insensitivity! He wants to make you a complete person by making you a compassionate person suitable for eternal relationship with God. Will you let him do that?

The Seekers

Posted by David on August 8, 2006 under Sermons

One of the most amazing realities in our world are the eyes of a child. Children see everything! Little escapes their attention. They dumbfound us with how observant they are. Because of their uncanny ability to observe, we adults who have small children attempt to "childproof" our homes. We deliberately go around our homes trying to see what a child might see. Then we remove or place out of reach anything that might harm a child. I guarantee you that when we adults try to see everything a child might see, the child will still see and approach things we did not notice.

A spiritual quality Christians should develop is having the observant eyes of a child. Christians need to be seekers. We need to observe the will and ways of God, not just look at them. I am not talking about seeing the mysterious that is veiled to the eyes of others. I am talking about seeing the ways of God that others often overlook.

1. Seekers have always been a great source of blessing.

   1. Consider early scientific and technological advances.

      1. Several hundred years ago a man named Columbus saw something with inquiring eyes.

         1. The vast majority of people devoutly believed the world was flat.

         2. The majority thought if ships sailed too far away from land, they would fall of the edge of the world.

         3. Columbus noted ships in the distance sank into the horizon rather than fading away.

         4. His observation eventually led to the discovery of the ‘new world.’

         5. He dared try to prove what he observed.

      2. Sir Isaac Newton noted something that happened from the time of creation.

         1. One day an apple fell and hit him.

         2. Things always fell!

         3. Yet, he said there must be a reason for this happening.

         4. As a result of his observation, he discovered the law of gravity.

         5. Gravity always had been there!

         6. But he noticed it and sought to understand its existence!

      3. Alexander Fleming opened the door to amazing wonder drugs.

         1. A petri dish he planned to use in an experiment was contaminated with mold.

         2. He set the dish aside planning to clean it later.

         3. Later, when he started to clean the petri dish, he noticed the mold killed the bacteria.

         4. That observation forced him to ask how and why.

         5. As a result, he discovered penicillin.

         6. Penicillin was not new–he just observed it for the first time.

      4. There are two points:

         1. To see truth, you have to open your eyes and observe honestly.

         2. To see truth, you must seek to understand what cannot be explained.

      5. Seeing truth is often unpopular.

         1. Most people thought Columbus was crazy for thinking the earth was round–he even had difficulty in getting sailors to go with him!

         2. People did not immediately applaud Sir Isaac Newton for his observation!
            Fleming’s observation bordered on the unbelievable!

         3. It always has taken courage and honesty to "see" what others fail to "see."

          

2. Scripture declares people who belong to Christ must be seekers.

   1. Jesus stressed the importance of seeking.

      1. In his sermon on the mount, he stressed it twice.

         1. Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

         2. Matthew 7:7,8 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

         3. The kingdom is for seekers; spiritual discovery is for the seekers.

   2. Paul also stressed the value of seeking.

      1. Romans 2:7 "… to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;"

         1. Eternal life is for those who seek glory and honor in Christ.

         2. A vital difference between the rejected and the accepted in judgment will be found in the courage to seek.

      2. Colossians 3:1-3, Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

         1. The Colossian Christians needed to keep on seeking in Christ.

         2. The person who belongs to Christ must seek existence in Christ.

   3. The writer of Hebrews stressed the importance of seeking with these words:
      Hebrews 11:6, And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

      1. An important expression of faith is trusting God to reward the seeker.

      2. It is not enough merely to believe God is.

   4. Jesus spoke plainly about those who refused to find the way to God through him.
      Matthew 13:13-15, Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ?You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’

      1. The courage to follow Jesus must include the courage to seek.

      2. Jesus can guide if we will have the courage to understand.

       

3. The critical importance of seeking is illustrated in Jesus’ ministry.

   1. Most of Jesus’ teaching were public teachings.

      1. Jewish people heard and saw the same things when they heard and saw Jesus.

      2. Jewish people witnessed the same thing when they saw his miracles.

   2. Yet, the seekers looked with honest, open eyes and the courage to believe what they saw.

      1. They saw God’s undeniable power in Jesus.

      2. They saw evidences of Jesus being God’s son.

      3. They saw the fulfillment of prophecy concerning the promised Messiah.

      4. They saw life and hope.

   3. However, the skeptics saw none of those things.

      1. They saw a crazy story teller.

      2. They saw a prince of demons, a political disaster, an impostor, and a rival.

      3. They saw a traitor to Israel.

   4. What people saw was greatly influenced by a willingness to seek–only those with courage and honesty could see what really happened as they saw Jesus for who and what he was.

    

4. Why is it so hard to be an honest seeker?

   1. Let’s be honest:

      1. Many in the Church of Christ are not seekers.

         1. We are tempted to be comfortable, satisfied belongers.

         2. Many of us do not want to find things that lead to responsibility.

      2. Most religious people are not seekers.

         1. It is dangerous to seek.

         2. The religious often seek contentment, not courage.

   2. It is hard to be an honest seeker.

      1. Seeking requires an open mind that is not afraid to learn and understand.

      2. Seeking demands a willingness to abandon old views for a new understanding built on better knowledge.

      3. Seeking demands a willingness to accept newly understood realities that have proven themselves true.

      4. Seeking demands the courage to change.

   3. It is difficult to be an honest seeker because it is simple to seek the wrong things.

      1. Many sought Jesus for the wrong reason–they wanted benefits rather than forgiveness and repentance.

      2. Many still seek Jesus for wrong reasons–they want eternal insurance or conscience ointment rather than the destruction of sin within them.

Followers of God and Jesus Christ must be seekers because God and Jesus Christ are seekers.

Are you a seeker? What do you seek? Do you have a child’s eyes that see everything to be seen? Or, are you content to walk through life always looking but never seeing? If you seek Jesus, is it not time you become simply a Christian?

Eight Months Wages or a Basket of Groceries

Posted by Chris on August 6, 2006 under Sermons

Sunday morning of last week we asked you to consider what “philanthropy” meant from a Christian perspective. We encouraged each of you to participate in the gracious ministry of giving – it is a ministry that all of us are a part of. Last Sunday evening at our family meeting we spoke of how this church is involved in what God is doing through many good works. And we laid out some of the facts about our participation in the ministry of giving. The good news is that spending is down. The bad news is that our contributions are down from what we need to maintain all of those good works at our current level. These are simply facts. There’s no guilt or shame. This is a generous church family that does strive to participate in the ministry of giving.
And just this week we have seen a difference in the typical contribution. And we have been blessed by God. I want to give thanks for the generosity of this congregation. I think that needs to be acknowledged. I am not saying that “a problem is solved” because there wasn’t really anything broken that needed to be fixed. Whichever side of the ledger our church budget may end up, each of us needs to be encouraged to participate in the gracious ministry of giving. Whether we have a high income a low income we all need to be encouraged to participate in the gracious ministry of giving – because it is about love not money (In Africa, the poorest of the poor place their empty hand in the plate as it is passed to show that they offer themselves).
I will continue to preach and teach what Scripture teaches about giving and the way we are to use our resources. It isn’t a seasonal topic or one that comes up in crisis. What I am concerned with is that in our wealth or poverty we look at our opportunities and our resources in the proper way. We need to overcome the mentality that looks at every opportunity as an “eight months month pay problem.” We need to be inspired to take on the greatest needs with nothing more that a basket of groceries if that’s all we have.

What I am talking about comes from Mark 6 … [Read Text]

This text has giving all through it. There is much giving that takes place before the disciples give the crowd of over 5000 something to eat.

1. Give what you have. The disciples look at the problem as an “eight months wages” problem. This causes them to give up. It cannot be done. Nice idea, great sentiment, but feeding this group will not work.
   • They could have patronized the boy with the bread and fish. Hey, that’s cute, the little fella is willing to share his groceries – that’s commendable son, of course we wouldn’t ask you for that, but the thought is what counts. (Worse even, they could have told him that he doesn’t matter – this is grownup business.)
   • Paul speaks of the Macedonians and their eagerness to give. They could have been patronized – “We are so touched that you want to give to help the poor, but you ought to keep what you have because you certainly need it. (Besides we need a lot more than what you are able to give).” That would have been eight months wages thinking.
   • Learn from the conversation of Jesus and the disciples: Jesus says – “You feed them.” And they say, “But that takes more than what we have (eight months wages).” Jesus says, “Well what DO you have?”
     • Who is Jesus telling us to feed?
     • We do feed people every third Saturday in Hope Park. But we are by no means feeding all the hungry. We just can’t – it would take eight months pay to feed everyone.
     • Latinos – There are so many moving to this area. They need to be fed spiritually and they are hungry for community and a place to belong. But it would take eight months pay to do what needs to be done
     • People throughout the world do not know the gospel. And the hunger and starvation – physically and literally is staggering. But not even eight months pay would be enough to do what needs to be done.
     • Think of all the ways CURE [Compassionate Utilization of REsources] “feeds people.” CURE is able to do so much but what could they do if they had more Resources to Use Compassionately? But we have seen the bill and it would take eight months pay to feed everyone.
     • And we have to feed our own! We are not superhuman. We have to be fed also. It would be great to have more volunteers and we definitely need more leaders. And to serve our community we need more personnel, but it would take eight months pay just to get started …
     • Even as we feed our own we think of the ones who are hungry for spiritual food and for a place to belong. College students – they need to be fed spiritually. Their numbers are growing. Our youth and children – they are growing and they need to be equipped for the challenges that face them. This is so important but it will take eight months worth pay to do all we need to do.
     • And Jesus says to us, “What DO you have?” We need to be careful that we don’t terminate what Jesus calls upon us to do before we ever begin. Paul told the Corinthians to “Give what they could give rather than give what they could not give.” It’s one thing to “count the cost” but it is something else entirely to stick a price tag on something only to make it impossible or unattainable.

   The disciples had five loaves of bread and two fish. They assessed their resources. Instead of Jesus saying, well that will feed seven, fourteen if we slice it thin – the mission remains the same. You feed them.

2. Give it to Jesus – It would have been a very uninteresting story if the disciples had taken the five loaves and two fish and formed a committee meeting in order to decide the distribution. It would have been uninspiring if they had held a lottery to see who gets the bread and fish. On their own, there is no solution they can come up with that works. So they give it to Jesus.
   • Have we really given what we have “to Jesus?” Pay attention to the way we talk about our finances. (Not that anyone needs to be reprimanded, it is just revealing and education when you observe what you say).
   • Do we give to Jesus, or to the church? We are the church. So if we give to the church we give back to ourselves. We are self-funding. Where does Christ enter into it?
   • Do we give to Jesus or to the works of the church? Again, who is doing the funding? Who supplies the resources for the works of the church.
   • Do we give to Jesus or do we help those in need? Nothing wrong with helping those in need, but do we help them with “our money” or have we taken what we have and given it to Jesus?
   • We need to pay attention so that the offering doesn’t become the least spiritual and Christ-centered moment in worship. We sing and pray and we have the sense that we are communicating with God. We open ourselves up to the word of God and we know that Scripture is Christ himself – the living word that became flesh. We eat the bread and drink the wine and we know are aware of the presence of Christ. But then there’s the offering. Well, that’s church business. When we have that attitude then offering becomes admission. I heard a wise man once say that the bills and coins and papers we place in the offering plate are just as symbolic as the bread and wine we eat and drink. The papers and coins represent us giving ourselves.
   • I want to emphasize that we need to keep the offering Christ-centered. When we give, we give to Jesus. Not even to the church! You see when we give “to the church” we can get rather opinionated about what we give. And if we are giving to the church that would be fine because we are church. So it’s alright to have an opinion about what we give or don’t give because we don’t like what’s being done with it or because we are all for what’s being done with it. But when we give our five loaves and two fish to Jesus – we have given it away. Now Jesus will decide what to do with it. And the good news is that he is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine.
3. Give Thanks. Jesus does not look down on what they have gathered. Jesus looks up to heaven. Notice what Jesus does with the bread and fish. The bread and fish represented “what they had to give.” Jesus could have said, “That’s it? Try harder. Someone is holding out.” He could have scolded the disciples or given them a guilt trip. He could have berated the crowd. But he doesn’t give a guilt trip, he gives thanks. He isn’t even ashamed of what is given, but he lifts it up and says to the Father and says Thank You! (Just being practical, how much sense does that make? You have a hungry crowd of 5000 and you hold up bread and fish that won’t feed more than fifteen? You can just hear Peter saying, “Hey Jesus keep those vittles out of sight or they are going to rush you!”) But Jesus is going to give thanks.
   • How might we give thanks? In what ways – even if they seem sort of odd – do we need to give thanks? How do we offer our gifts?
   • The poor who had nothing to give placed their hands in the plate as it went by. They gave themselves.
4. Jesus gives us what we gave him and lets us give it to others. Remember that he told the disciples to feed the crowd. And that is just what they do. Jesus could have done it himself. But the disciples are the ones who need to do the feeding.
   • You see, when Jesus first told them to feed the crowd, they thought that they were the suppliers. That’s where the eight months wages mentality came from.
   • But Jesus never told them that they were the suppliers. He told them that they were to feed the crowd. Share, distribute, give! So he gives what God supplies to the disciples. And there is enough for everyone. It isn’t scarce so that everybody only gets a taste. There’s enough to meet the needs of everyone there. In fact, there’s leftovers. Twelve baskets full of leftovers. One for each apostle. Those weren’t set aside at the start. They are the excess. Even the disciples are fed as they are feeding the crowd.
   • Doesn’t this put it into perspective? Who is the one that supplies what we need? Who is the one who gives us what we need not only to “meet budget” but also to do more and to have blessings left over to meet the needs of those who give and serve?

Before we rush to the end, think about the alternate ending to this story. What’s the alternative if the disciples had told Jesus, “We just don’t have anything?” What’s the alternative if the child with the bread and fish had hidden what he had? Simple: They would have sent the crowd away to get their food. And not only would they have been hungry – they wouldn’t have followed Jesus. They would still be sheep without a shepherd.

But that’s not the way the story ends. And yet, how much can we really get from it, after all this is a miracle story! How can we base what our church does and its finances on a miracle story? How can I really learn anything about my own finances and the way I use wealth from a miracle story? Simple: The same Jesus that gave thanks for that bread is the same Jesus who is Lord and living in this church at this very moment. We are not sheep without a shepherd.

• Give what you have, give it to Jesus, give thanks, and give what Jesus gives you to others!

For Love or Money

Posted by Chris on July 30, 2006 under Sermons

Philanthropy –
What do you think of when you hear the word “philanthropy?” What comes to mind if I mention that someone is a philanthropist? (The connotation of the word)

• Perhaps what comes to mind are good deeds and great gifts. We think of all the good things that have been done because a philanthropist donated money. Andrew Carnegie is the most famous philanthropist. He gave away his fortune so that others might benefit. Recently Warren Buffett made a very large donation to the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.
• Of course what might also come to mind is that philanthropy is what wealthy people and celebrities do with their money. Maybe so they don’t feel guilty – or it gives them good press. And I suppose that celebrities and the wealthy need a big word for giving gifts. After all they write big checks – those really large “Price Is Right” checkbook checks that show up very well in photos. (We can criticize motives, but of course many of us benefit)…

What’s interesting about the word philanthropy is that the idea of money doesn’t even come into the word. The etymology of the word means love for humanity. Why does a philanthropist give? Why give gifts? For a true philanthropist, it is more about love than money …

1. Love of humanity
   • It is a recognition that we have what we have because of what someone else gave.
   • We have the myth of the self-made man, the self-made, strike it rich entrepreneur – but these are myths! They have what they have because someone else left them a gift, a legacy. We are not isolated.
   • You have accomplished nothing on your own (We all thank others for our benefits) None of us can claim we have done it all
   • And when we appreciate their gift we understand that it is more about love than money.
   • And even if someone could claim to be totally self-sufficient …
   • We all participate in the grace of God.
2. Love of God …
   • We need a word that also includes Love for God. Giving and Tithing is also love of God
   • 2 Corinthians 8 & 9 – The example of the Macedonians – they loved others and they loved God.
     • It was more about love than money.
     • (Because in the Macedonians case, they didn’t actually have much – but Paul praised them for their outpouring of love.)
   • Examples of Grace-filled Philanthropy exist all around us …
   • And these are not just monetary gifts, because IT IS MORE ABOUT LOVE THAN MONEY (Philanthropy)

The purpose of this sermon is to preface all other sermons and teachings about giving:

• Tonight at family meeting we are going to talk about some of the good ministries we’ve started – these are ministries that help the poor, extend the good news, strengthen the young, reach out to neighbors. They all participate in the work that God is doing among us.
• Like Paul told the Corinthian churches, he wants to spare them from sob stories and arm twisting.
• We aren’t asking you to give to a budget. We don’t pay dues to be members of the church body. Budgets are simply spending plans. You will hear from our Business Management Team tonight. They are going to deal you the facts:
  • The good news is that Spending is down this year.
  • The bad news is that Contributions are also less than what is needed to balance the budget – the spending plan.
  • Alright, that’s just a financial issue, but alongside it is a question about what we want to do with our resources. As Paul asked the Corinthians, do we want to finish the good works we started?
• There’s a thousand and one different ways to explain the current financial situation – how we got here, why it is this way.
  • We all know what a gallon of gas costs.
  • We know what the stock market is doing.
  • We don’t know what you and your family are dealing with.
  • We want to be helpful if you are in need and we certainly don’t want to place a burden on anyone.
  • We could discuss all of this for a long time, but here’s some basic points that should preface every discussion about giving and money …

1. Many of you probably didn’t know that our congregation has a financial deficit. The first step in overcoming a problem is just to be aware of it. The BMT will always be available to give you the details – that’s their ministry. There’s no secrets around here. But if no one ever told you – I am telling you now. Now let’s just see what we can do about this.
2. (2 Corinthians 8:5) A deficit keeps us from doing everything God might have us do. As long as we are just trying to tread water we cannot swim. The goal is not simply to find ways to save a dime – we need to trust that God provides all the dimes – not just as a church but as families. What does he want us to do with what he gives? Not just the 10%, but the 90% too. To sum up, we need to deal with this issue in creative and faithful ways so that we can move on to the immeasurably more that God can do. So that we can participate in the grace of giving. When we are in a deficit we tend to focus more on the money problem and less on demonstrating love – so let’s get rid of the roadblock. After all it’s more about love than money.
3. This congregation is generous. This congregation is more about love than money. When there’s a need, we give. We have raised money for worldwide disasters and for families in need. Every week our people, young and old – our smallest kids – put just a little money in the baskets that Ron and Richard bring around to the classrooms. (About how much do they collect each week?) That “little” effort makes a huge difference because it is more about love than money.
4. Everyone should find a way to participate in the gracious ministry of giving. We are always assuming that it takes a few large gifts to make a big difference. I disagree. Paul praises the Macedonians because they gave when it was hard to give. And he encouraged the Corinthians to give what they could – not what they couldn’t. We sometimes give up because we think we cannot give.
   • Why does everyone need to be involved? God is involved in all of this and so it isn’t about our capabilities or our limitations. Neither of those are the issue and to view our giving from that perspective isn’t very spiritual. It’s about money more than it is about love.
5. We are not going to trade in guilt. Paul refused to make the Corinthians feel guilty. He testified that the Macedonians gave of their own free will. That’s important. They gave at a time when no one at all would expect them to give. Paul knows that if the Corinthians are going to participate in what God’s doing they need to do it eagerly, freely, and cheerfully. I suppose someone could say, “Yeah, but he really laid it on thick with his story about the Macedonians – how could they not feel guilty.” If any of the Corinthians felt guilty or ashamed after Paul’s letter that was their fault not his! Paul doesn’t want shame and guilt to enter into it. That gets in the way of demonstrating love. You cannot show love is you are trying to deal with guilt or shame. Paul wanted the Corinthians to focus on what they could give rather than what they couldn’t give.
   • Likewise, the leaders of this church don’t aim to shame you. I won’t do it. And I hope you don’t do it to yourself. If you feel like you have to give out of shame or guilt or pressure then let’s work together on that. Talk to someone who ministers to you about that. Why? Because this is about love more than money.
6. Finally, I don’t know if I have said this yet, but giving (Christian philanthropy) is more about love than money. Have I said that yet?

We’ll be talking more about what we can all do to participate in the gracious ministry of giving. Tonight we will discuss it with details and practical examples and not just general concepts. In the near future we will return to this teaching and I hope you now know where I am coming from on this.

But let’s put it all into context … It’s about love more than it is about money and that’s because it all begins with what Christ did for us – he loved humanity. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

Making All Things New

Posted by Chris on July 23, 2006 under Sermons

        Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
        He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
        He said to me: “It is done. I am the A and the Z, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
        One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
        The Angel speaking with me had a gold measuring stick to measure the City, its gates, and its wall. The City was laid out in a perfect square. He measured the City with the measuring stick: twelve thousand stadia, its length, width, and height all equal. Using the standard measure, the Angel measured the thickness of its wall: 144 cubits. The wall was jasper, the color of Glory, and the City was pure gold, translucent as glass. The foundations of the City walls were garnished with every precious gem imaginable: the first foundation jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate a single pearl.
        I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
        Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

Not all of Revelation is a vision of what is to come. Much of Revelation describes what is and what has been. But this last vision is truly a preview of what is to come. We might say that this is a vision of heaven, but to be accurate that might be too limiting. John has described heaven already. He described the throne room of God and the drama of the Lamb opening the scrolls. That was his glimpse through the open door to heaven. Heaven, according to John, is where God is at. And this final vision is a vision of a new heaven and a new earth. A new city. A new reality! God is there – and so are the saints. God and us together as he always intended it.

… the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

Here is the second to last proclamation of the book. It is a vision intended to inspire hope and encouragement. There’s even a brief architectural survey of the new city complete with engineering notes on the type of materials used in construction. But don’t let that grab all your attention. Notice what’s different about this new heaven and new earth age. …

There will be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain …

Did you notice that the new reality is described in negative terms? We are even told that there will be no more sea and no more night. Sea and night for the ancients represented fear and terror, also separation and loneliness. Notice then that this inspiring, hopeful, encouraging vision is described by telling us what it is NOT. And as good as that is, when you think about it you realize that we are still in the old order and we do indeed know that THERE IS …

Loneliness, separation, fear, terror, pain, crying, mourning, and death.

Why remind us of that? It seems cruel to remind us of the pain and suffering of the old order. Why remind us that we are afraid, lonely, hurting, crying, sad, and dying – or hurting because of the death of those we love? How is this hope? How is this encouragement? Why am I bringing this up? Isn’t the sermon supposed to lift us up?

I want to bring in a ten dollar word: eschatology. Eschatology is a fancy term for “the end.” Our eschatology is our view of the future. How it all ends. Everyone has some sort of eschatology even if they don’t believe in God. We have a need to know how things will end. We seek closure.

Christians need to know their eschatology. That’s why the Revelation is given: not just to give us a sense of where we’ve been and how we got here, and why bad things are happening, but also to give us a sense of where it’s all going — eschatology!

Unfortunately, our eschatology has not always been what it should to be. We live in a here and now culture that lives for the pleasure of the moment. And when it comes to our spiritual future, Americans are heirs of the revivals of the great frontier that has rooted within us an eschatology that amounts to little more than “turn or burn.”

“Turn or burn” isn’t invalid, it is just so unfortunately incomplete. There’s more to eschatology, the end, than escaping the big trap door that leads to hell. I know it is difficult to challenge this since it is so strong in our culture and our spiritual DNA. Better people than me have preached on this for ages, it’s what we’ve always heard, and I am certainly not denying that there is hell and punishment awaiting the wicked and sinful who will not repent (Revelation says something about that too) … but I just want to point out that God has a bit of an opinion on how things are going to end up and I think we ought to listen to his “two cents.”

You see, just when we think we have reached our limit with the hell on earth that comes in the form of fear, loss, pain, crying, mourning, and death, … right as we begin to question God and ask him why this is happening (and there’s nothing wrong with that). God speaks. It’s only one of two times in Revelation that God himself speaks. [The other time is 1:8 and God gives us his credentials – “I am the A and Z [alpha and omega], the beginning and the end, the one who was, and is, and is to come, I am the Almighty.”] God told us who he is, now he tells us what he is doing …

“I am making everything new!”

Really, you can sum up everything we need to know about eschatology in this single phrase.

How is it hope and encouragement to remind us of the old order? To remind us that there is death, mourning, crying, pain? To remind us that we still live in a world with the darkness of night and the turmoil and separation of the sea?

It is hope when we see that our life now is just a letter in the alphabet. But God who was with us at A is waiting for us at Z. And hasn’t left us along the way, but he is teaching us our alphabet. He is making all things new. He knows that we are afraid, he knows that we are sad, he knows that we mourn, he knows that we hurt, and he knows that we are fragile and we die – but if he has anything to say about it – this will not be the last word!

God will wipe away the tears. God will cast out the darkness with the light. God will raise the dead. God will make everything – all things – new! Those who overcome the old order of things will inherit this new order. He will be our God and we will be his children.

But all of this is the second to the last word in Revelation, because we need one final encouragement to give us the courage and the hope to make it through the old order. “Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.”

When you know that there’s something new waiting on us we can endure the old. But there’s even more than that – When you know that God is on his way, you can be hopeful and be comforted. When a parent teaches a child to walk they stand ahead of them and beckon. “Come to me! Come to Daddy, Come to Mommy!” But as soon as that child stumbles and gets scared the parent reacts immediately and says, “I’m coming!”

        ¹²“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. ¹³I am the A and the Z, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
        ¹⁶“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
        ¹⁷The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
        ²⁰He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
        ²¹The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

Rider on the White Horse

Posted by Chris on July 16, 2006 under Sermons

[As the congregation sang “I Will Call Upon the Lord,” children were asked to come up to the stage to “help out” with the sermon.]

[“I Will Call Upon the Lord” was again sung while the children walked to Children’s Worship.]

Heroes aren’t just for kids. We may not want to admit it, but we need heroes too. We need heroic stories. Why?

Maybe it’s because heroes protect us and save us from evil. They slay dragons. They defeat the evildoers.

Maybe it’s because heroes remind us of what really matters. They are noble. They do the right thing even when it is difficult.

Maybe it’s because heroes make us believe that good does win out over evil; because if evil wins, then none of us win. But when the hero wins we are all saved.

Maybe we need heroic stories because they draw us closer to God. Yes, they do. God is good. God is love. And God is heroic. Our God is on a mission to overcome sin and evil and restore his creation. All of the people we consider “heroes” of the Bible aren’t the main heroes — God is!

When we come together in worship we remember and celebrate a heroic story – the gospel. It is the story of God’s son. He came to save us and he came to show us the way to the Father. But the enemy – the Dragon – was threatened by the son of God and he and his beastly followers killed the hero. Not because they were more powerful, but because our hero, the son of God, allowed it. He died for us.

And sometimes we end the story there: a noble sacrifice. And so we come every Sunday to a memorial for a fallen hero. But the noble and loving sacrifice of Jesus is only half the story. It is an important half, but it is only half. Sometimes when we gather around the table we assume that the focus is on death. Death is there, but that’s not all that’s there. Sometimes when we are baptized we think that it is all about death. Death is there, but that’s not all that’s there. The gospel is good news. It’s a heroic story. Death is swallowed up in victory. Death is taken captive and made to serve the hero, not the enemy.

Christ is not a fallen hero. He is Lord of Lord and King of Kings. And the fact that he still lives and rules with power makes a huge difference for all of us. You see, the story isn’t over yet. You and I are living in it and we are waiting for the final act when the hero who sacrificed himself nobly returns. You get a taste of his heroic return in Revelation 19. [Read Revelation 19:11f]

The beast will be taken down. The dragon will be defeated. The hero will come riding in on his white horse. And while we meditate on this image of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, here’s some heroic thoughts for us …

1. Heroes are often known for their “weapons.” It often tells you what sort of hero they are. Luke Skywalker wields a lightsaber. Thor carries a hammer. Indiana Jones has a whip. King Arthur has Excalibur. But that’s just fantasy. Well, Jonas Salk had a vaccine. Thomas Jefferson had a declaration. Abraham Lincoln had a proclamation. Martin Luther King had a dream. They had their weapons, too. The Rider on the White Horse doesn’t have a gun, or a bomb, not even a sword – well not one like most knights. His sword is his word. With his words and with the truth he defeats the enemies of God. Violence isn’t going to win this war. Superior firepower isn’t going to give us any advantage in the real struggles of the world. What will make a difference is the truth. “Faithfulness and Truth” won the battle of the cross. It will win the war also.
   1. Words can be weapons of mass destruction. They can create pain and suffering. They can be quite violent. But words of truth spoken in love are words that only the enemy should fear. The words of Christ convict and save.
   2. We do not fight with our own words – rather we trust in the power of the words of Christ. He is faithful and true. He has won the battle with his own right arm. The help of his faithful followers is not needed to win the war. Like a true hero, he saves the day all by himself!

2. The world seems to be at the mercy of the Dragon and the Beast every day. There’s a lot of tension in the world. Whenever Israel goes to war there’s always a bit of concern. The fact that the Jews are going to war in the Holy Land seems to magnify the conflict beyond politics and culture and make it religious and spiritual at the same time. It seems very modern but also very “biblical” for some reason. The war in the Holy Land is spiritual. Heaven is paying attention to that war. It’s bad. But it’s just as bad as the injustices and evil embodied in wars and conflicts in other, less “biblical” locations: God view of the world is not limited to the Middle East. He sees the atrocities in Sudan and the conflicts in Indonesia. Even the smaller injustices and fighting that don’t make it on the news. Turmoil in Central America, or open fighting on the streets of our cities.
   1. All of these stir God to action. His wrath against evil is building up and the Rider on the White Horse is the one who treads the winepress of God’s wrath. As far back as Isaiah, the winepress is a symbol of God’s vengeance against evil. God is patient and merciful, but his justice demands that he do something about the evil and sin that hurts people.
   2. Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow- so great is their wickedness!” (Joel 3:13)To understand why God waits, the prophets used the image of the winepress. When the grapes are ripe, they are harvested and crushed. It is not an outburst of anger, but a final solution to evil and injustice.
   3. Our hero is the one who executes God’s final judgment. He alone treads the winepress of God’s wrath. How often do you have the same feeling that the prophet expressed? The vats of the winepress are overflowing as the wickedness of humanity heaps up. How long until the Lord makes the enemy drink the fermented wine of wickedness?
   4. This calls for endurance on the part of the saints, but be assured that the day of the Lord is coming. There will be a great banquet on that day. A feast! Are you ready for the banquet? Have you responded to the hero’s invitation to his wedding supper?