What’s the Point?

Posted by David on August 21, 2005 under Sermons

To those of us who are older, the American society and culture is very confusing. We have things today that are an everyday part of existence that older people just one generation ago did not dream of existing, let alone becoming common place in the lives of people. To some of us it seems as if young adults of today have everything, and often they are discouraged as if they have nothing. It is not unusual to encounter people today who are deeply depressed or deeply discouraged or deeply frustrated, and who have basically decided that life is pointless. To some of us, that is quite confusing.

Joyce’s Mom and Dad did not have an indoor bathroom until Joyce was in college. Would any of us consider buying a house without a bathroom today? I remember when my Mom cooked on two kerosene eyes (no oven), and that was advanced technology–we knew people who cooked on a wood stove. Would we consider living permanently without ovens and a microwave today? Joyce and I both were in the eighth grade before our homes had just one party line telephone. How many people today think they cannot live without a personal cell phone?

Joyce and I grew up in an area where religion was a serious matter. By and large, religion is not a serious matter today.

Why? How can our society experience so many advances, and life become increasingly without point at the same time? How can our society experience so many advances, and being religious become increasingly unimportant at the same time?

Why? I do not conclude there is just one reason. Conditions among people in our society are caused by a number of factors. Among the important factors, there is one we should note, understand, and take quite seriously. Increasingly, as we make advances, more and more of life is viewed as pointless.

More and more it becomes a matter of going through the motions without understanding the point of what you are doing or making any application of what you are doing. Get a college education! Why? That is what your are supposed to do! Get a job with benefits! Why? That is what you are supposed to do! Get married! Why? That is what you are supposed to do! Go to church! Why? That is what you are supposed to do.

1. Allow me to call your attention to a statement Jesus made the last night of his earthly life.
   John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
   1. Context:
      1. In less than 24 hours Jesus was not going to be with the 12 in the same manner (physically) that he has been with them throughout his ministry.
         1. This initially will be a very traumatic experience for them.
         2. He wanted to reassure them that it was going to be okay.
      2. Thomas said, “We do not know where you are going and we do not know the way there.”
         1. Thomas’ response increases Jesus’ distress for them.
         2. Yet, Jesus still seeks to encourage them.
      3. Philip says, “Just let us see the Father and everything will be okay.”
         1. This further distresses Jesus.
         2. However, he still tries to encourage the 12.
   2. It is in this context that Jesus made the statement that he was the way, truth, and life to the 12, and declared that he is the only way to the Father.
      1. If I understand Jesus’ statement correctly, it is by examining and understanding Jesus’ teachings and earthly life that they were given insights into God’s character, purposes, values, and priorities.
      2. It was only by understanding Jesus that they would correctly understand God.
      3. Jesus is the key to understanding the nature and desires of God the Father–that is an incredible statement!

2. Let me challenge you to see what an incredible statement that is by calling your attention to some statements Jesus made in Matthew 5:21-48 and Matthew 6:1-18.
   1. In Matthew 5:21-48 Jesus discussed the subjects of murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, justice, and concepts of compassion, and the neighbor-enemy concept in the Jewish society among the Jewish people.
      1. In the discussion of each area, Jesus drew a contrast.
      2. The contrast is between their religious society’s position and God’s position.
      3. To me we could summarize the entire discussion in this manner: “You missed God’s point!”
         1. “Your emphasis and God’s emphasis are not the same.”
         2. “Your values and God’s values are not the same.”
         3. “The religious stance your leaders and society take is just that–a religious stance; it is not godlike.”
   2. In Matthew 6:1-18 Jesus addressed three very common religious acts in first century Jewish religious society: benevolence to the poor and disabled (alms); praying; fasting.
      1. The simple, basic point he made in all three was the same: motives matter!
      2. “If your motive is to attract attention to yourself and win the praise of people, when that occurs you got what you wanted.”
      3. “Do not expect anything from God!”
      4. “You did not do it for God!”
      5. “God owes you nothing!” (This is not endorsing an attempt to place God in one’s debt, but simply acknowledged the act was not about God, so God was not a factor in rewards received.)
      6. You practice benevolence, prayer, and fasting to honor God, not to win people’s praise for yourself.
   3. Though Jesus represented God the Father as no one else has or ever will, Jesus’ observations were neither appreciated by religious leaders nor popular with the general religious population.
      1. People are very emotional about their personal convictions.
      2. They feel deeply about their convictions.
      3. They had rather allow what they feel determine their convictions rather than sound information determine their convictions.
      4. Too often people listen to agree or disagree, not to learn.
      5. Quite often people did not like what Jesus said and responded by thinking, “Surely that is not what God thinks or wants!”

3. I have spent my life teaching under an assumption that I now wonder if it is correct.
   1. All of my life I have studied scripture and people in a genuine effort to understand each.
      1. I genuinely believed that anything I understood I could help someone else understand.
      2. I studied to understand in the conviction that if I understood I could help others understand.
      3. The result would be that people would not base their trust on me but on God.
   2. Here is the assumption I now question.
      1. I thought if I made information available to people through my teaching, they would understand and in understanding they would make application.
      2. To me the sequence was this: (1) sound information; (2) understanding; (3) application to oneself.
      3. The assumption I now question is the application.

4. Allow me to illustrate my point.
   1. There is not a person here that would go to one of our hospitals, walk into a sick stranger’s room, and kick him or her.
      1. Why not?
         1. “That would be a very unchristian thing to do!”
         2. Why?
         3. “A Christian is supposed to show compassion and treat other people like he or she wants to be treated.”
      2. Absolutely true!
         1. Being a Christian forbids you to go into a hospital and kick a sick stranger.
         2. However, many Christians do not think being a Christian forbids him or her to go home and make your spouse or your children miserable.
      3. Application!
   2. There is not a person in this audience that would walk up and take a sandwich away from an obviously hungry person.
      1. Why not?
         1. That would be a very unchristian thing to do!”
         2. Why?
         3. “A Christian is supposed to show compassion and treat other people like he or she wants to be treated.”
      2. Absolutely true!
         1. Being a Christian forbids you from taking a sandwich away from a hungry person.
         2. However, many Christians do not think being a Christian forbids him or her from abusing his or her employer!
      3. Application!
   3. I hope there is not a person in this audience who would walk up to a guest at one of our fellowships and criticize him or her.
      1. A person visiting with us at a fellowship has never seen so much home cooked food and does not know how to act.
         1. His or her actions might offend you, but you likely will not say a word.
         2. In fact, most if not all of you will probably be kind and helpful.
      2. Why will you act that way?
         1. It is the Christian thing to do!
         2. We need to treat them like we would want to be treated in the same situation!
      3. Absolutely true!
         1. Being a Christian in that situation means showing kindness, not voicing criticism.
         2. However, we often will treat a stranger with more kindness than we will show another Christian who does not agree with us!
      4. Application!

5. I want you to go home thinking about something and I want you to think about it all this week.
   1. Being a Christian involves the way I treat everyone all seven days of each week.
      1. Why?
      2. Simply because being a Christian is about who I am, not just what I do.
      3. If anyone should receive the benefit of my relationship to God through Jesus Christ, it should be those who are closest to me.
      4. It is my relationship with God that defines who and what I am as a husband, a wife, a child, a sibling, an employee, an employer, a neighbor, and a stranger
   2. After declaring the deeds of the flesh (which oppose God and His influence in us), Paul declared the contrasting fruit of the Spirit with these words in Galatians 5:22-26.
      But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
      1. Allow me to use an old analogy.
         1. The fruit surrounds the seed.
         2. It is the fruit that attracts a person to the seed and make that person want to plant that seed.
         3. Few people would want to plant a peach pit if he or she did not see and taste the peach!
      2. Live the kind of life, treat the people around you in a manner that attracts people to the gospel that makes you who you are!

May nowhere your Christianity be more evident than in the way you treat your family! May they see “the point” in the way you live and the way you treat others!

Representing the Unknown God

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Call to Worship
Read Acts 17:16-34

[SERMON]

Scenes of culture shock:
Surely we have all heard of culture shock. Maybe some of you have experienced it. It describes the feelings and reactions that one has when one is suddenly thrust into an unknown and unfamiliar culture.

1. Paul is disturbed by the culture of Athens –
   Paul is experiencing a certain amount of culture shock while he is in Athens waiting for Silas and Timothy to join him. He is in a land that isn’t at all like his homeland. Sure there was diversity and a variety of languages in Tarsus and Judea, and Paul himself had been to many different locations – but this is Athens. If Jerusalem was the center of Judeo-Christian culture, then Athens was the center of Gentile-pagan culture – even more so than Rome.
   As Paul walks the streets of Athens he notices idols to pagan Gods everywhere. And not only are the signs of idolatry everywhere but also immorality. Some of these idols are pornographic and some of them depict certain body parts best kept private – but they are on public display in Athens. It’s a different culture. This is culture shock.
   So Paul goes to the synagogue – perhaps to get a little taste of home but also to share the message that is the reason for his mission. Paul is shocked, but he’s no prude; notice that he even overcomes his culture shock by preaching in the public square right alongside the philosophers of Athens. He moves out rather than withdraws …

2. The Athenians are startled by Paul’s message
   And now there’s a bit of reverse culture shock. Paul stands out as something unusual in this culture. There’s something very unique in what Paul is saying. When Paul talks about Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection the people are amazed. This is something new. This is news. So, he is invited rather eagerly to the Council of Philosophers at Mars Hill (The Areopagus). They want to know more. There is inquiry. They are asking questions.

3. Are we startled by the good news?
   Paul preaches a God that created us and rules in his creation.
   Paul preaches a God that we cannot manage or contain. A God whom we turn to with our needs, but not a God who has needs that we can meet.
   Paul preaches a God that has a purpose and he will judge all creation according to that purpose. He has made his purpose known in Jesus Christ.
   Paul preaches a Savior, Lord, and Judge – Jesus Christ who is God revealed and risen from the dead. Resurrection! How shocking and unnatural.
   Now how can we not be amazed and startled by such mysteries? Paul never seems to have lost the wonder. It never became commonplace or routine for him. He witnessed the risen Jesus – resurrection from the dead is not “natural” or “logical.” It introduces a new hope into a hopeless world. It opens up a closed universe.

   There’s a connection between Paul’s culture shock in Athens and the shocking news his preaches. If we are not shocked and amazed by the good news, then we probably will not be shocked by the idolatry and immorality of our culture.

   Vice versa, if we aren’t shocked by the idolatry and immorality in our Athenian America then we probably aren’t shocked and amazed by the presence of God and the mystery of the resurrection.

   Do we live move breathe and have our being in our culture – or in God? A God who has made himself known to us, but one who is still so Unknown to so many … even in our America, and maybe even to some of us …

4. Will we represent the Unknown God to our culture?
   If we cannot recover the scandal and shock of the message about Jesus Christ then we won’t recognize or understand the sort of questions that our culture is asking. Our culture is becoming more diverse and pluralistic. Old standards and commonly held beliefs that we once all assumed are crumbling. But there is a renewed quest for answers. Our culture is more spiritual than ever before. Like the Athenians our culture is very religious, even if they are setting up temples to Unknown Gods.
   And so, what do we do about it? Do we really believe the gospel is for the entire world? Sure, we might believe it is for far away place with strange sounding names, but what about the folks next door. Do we recognize the need to name the Unknown God in our own culture?

   Star Wars director George Lucas said in Time: (May 9, 2005 issue of Time) “I put the Force in the movie (Star Wars) in order to awaken a certain kind of spirituality in young people-more a belief in God than a belief in any particular religious system. I wanted to make it so that young people would begin to ask questions about the mystery. Not having enough interest in the mysteries of life to ask the question, ‘Is there a God or is there not a God?’-this is for me the worst thing that can happen. I think you should have an opinion about that. Or you should be saying, ‘I’m looking. I’m very curious about this and am going to continue to look until I can find an answer, and if I can’t find an answer then I’ll die trying.’ I think it’s important to have a belief system and to have a faith.”

   The most recognized spiritual leader of the 21st century in America is Oprah Winfrey. (People question that and yet who did the city of NY call upon to lead the prayer service for 9/11?) Oprah Winfrey has said that Jesus can’t possibly be the only way to the truth. When audience members expressed their convictions in Christ, Oprah said that she couldn’t get into a religious argument. (Source: http://www.watchman.org/oprah.htm)

   The Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA is conducting a major new program of research to track the spiritual growth of students during their college years (http://www.spirituality.ucla.edu). Building on an abundance of anecdotal evidence suggesting that there is growing interest on college campuses to reassert the significance of religion and spirituality as a core component of a liberal arts education, the study employs a multi-institutional and longitudinal design to identify trends, patterns, and principles of spirituality and religiousness among college students. (This is why we have a Lions for Christ ministry!) http://www.lionsforchrist.org

   Yes, our culture is becoming increasingly immoral. Yes, we are becoming religious in every way, but before we criticize the culture around us and poke fun at their ridiculous idols and their vain quests for God and spiritual fulfillment, let’s seriously ask why no one wants to include the church in the quest. Why doesn’t Oprah want to have a religious discussion, but a spiritual discussion is okay? Why does George Lucas want young people to have belief in God but not a religious system (i.e. church). Why is there a return to spirituality on the college campus but a decline in mainstream church attendance?
   The church isn’t trusted and isn’t regarded as the place where one will find spirituality. It is viewed as a religious institution and not a place of mystery. Before you react defensively let’s ask: Why is that?

   Maybe it is because we have withdrawn ourselves. . . Too often we want to find a safe harbor in our land and hide out there. We assume that our mission is to circle the wagons and protect the women and children from savages. But that’s never the mission in Scripture. We are never commanded to circle up or settle in to safe harbor. We are sent. A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for. Who will risk being disturbed and annoyed by the idolatrous displays of our culture so we can find the opportunity to name the unknown God.

   Maybe it is because we have boiled down the raw mystery and awe of the gospel and we are serving people the stain in the bottom of the cup. Hungry people aren’t concerned with how neatly we’ve typed our menu, or how pretty we’ve laid out our silverware and napkins. They want something to sustain them.

   Before we criticize, let’s notice that the people of our culture are seeking. (Maybe even more so than those of us who take God’s truth for granted.) Religion and spirituality are on the rise. We see it in movies. We see it in the news. We see it in music and politics. Does this mean that all of it is correct? Does this mean it is all good? Well no. But how should we respond? We can withdraw into our little Christian safe haven, we can condemn the culture for its ignorance and immorality, or we can do like Paul and take the opportunity to speak – I see that you happen to be quite religious! And if people are going to sneer and send us away – let it be because of the amazing news and mystery of our Almighty God and our Risen Savior. Better they should reject us for the startling truth than for our lockstep logic.

   Can we find a point of connection? Can we find an opportunity to represent the unknown God that our culture is looking for?

   Let’s not be cowards or prudes. Some will sneer, but some will want to hear more. Dionysius, Damaris, and a few others are waiting for us to introduce them to the Unknown God …

Whoever Welcomes Me

Posted by Chris on August 14, 2005 under Sermons

Intro Transition:

Who Do You Say I Am?

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Text: Mark 8:27-9:1
Focus: True fulfillment is found in following Christ who, ironically, denied himself.
Function: To describe the futility of trying to “save” our lives and to describe the way of the cross as the life that leads to resurrection.

Part 1 – What does it mean to be the Christ?I remember that Sunday night at Winslow we were singing “Just As I Am – without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me.” It was August and over 20 years ago and I had decided to be baptized. Of course I waited until the second verse – not that I was shy, I just thought it good form – the first verse is just warm-up – the thinker verse. But I had been thinking about this for some time. So I would step out into the aisle when we sang …”Just As I am and waiting not …” well that wasn’t quite true. I had waited all through the sermon for this moment. I knew before the sermon that I would be doing this, but I thought it good form to listen. I thought the preacher might like to think someone responded to his sermon. So in the second stanza I stepped out into the aisle. It was like stepping out into space! You’re just out there by yourself. I was ready to ease back into the comfortable block of pews – even if I was on the front pew – always reserved for this purpose.

After our song, the minister and I stood before the congregation. He talked a bit and then placed his hand and my shoulder and asked “Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?” I know my response was positive, but I don’t remember my exact words, whether I just said “yes,” or “I do” or if I got fancy and said “I do believe Jesus is the Son of God.” But after I answered I heard an Amen and we went off behind the baptistery to put on our baptism clothes as someone started singing “Trust and Obey.”

Do you remember your “good confession?” However your baptism took place – at camp, at church, in a river – at some point someone asked you “Do you believe Jesus is the Song of God?” And because of that confession of faith you were baptized. That’s a common story share. And I wonder if any of us really understood the gravity of that confession? Did we grasp the significance of what we were affirming? Did we realize that when we agreed that Jesus was who he said he was, we also agreed that we were who he said we were? When we gave our good confession, we weren’t just making statement about who Jesus was – we were making a statement about who we were, and whose we were? Did you know that then?

I don’t think this undoes my confession or anyone else’s, but I am sure I didn’t grasp the full significance of what I said that Sunday night in August. Oh I believed it for sure – and that’s important, very important. Without belief there is no confession. And I knew it was right – but as much as I had thought about it, I had no idea of the total implication of what I had just confessed – and how that confession would change my life forever. And if that is true in your case, then we’re in good company. Peter was one of the first to give the good confession, and even he did not understand the full meaning of what he was saying…

Read Mark 8:27-33

When Jesus asked his disciples “But who do you say that I am?” Peter must have thought, “I know this one.” He spoke up – “You’re the Christ!” Peter was right – wasn’t he? Well of course he was. Jesus was the Christ. Peter understood that Jesus was who he said he was. But he didn’t understand what that meant – for Jesus and for him.

That’s clear when Jesus begins to get very clear about what it means to be Christ. That it is a path of suffering, rejection, execution and then – and only then – resurrection. This doesn’t seem right to Peter, so he attempts to debate Jesus on the meaning of Christ. Peter has stepped out into space. He’s out there all alone and he needs to get back into the block of disciples that are following behind Jesus – not standing out in front of him trying to tell him which way to go.

I remember back at Winslow how one of our ministers used to respond to the confession folks gave. Bro. Parrish called it the “good confession.” And he always blessed the one who made that confession and would say “They crucified Jesus for saying that, but you say it that you may receive eternal life.” I always wondered “Why does Jesus get crucified for saying that, but not us?” Well, I was probably thinking too hard about something very beautiful and poetic that our preacher was saying for the moment – but according to Jesus we all get crucified for confessing that Jesus is Christ.Part 2 – What does it mean to be a Christian?
Jesus has our usual order of worship turned around. We offer the invitation, and then those who respond are asked to give confession. But here Jesus has just asked for a confession, and then he offers the invitation.

Read Mark 8:34-38

“Who wants to follow me?” he asks. He wants those who accept this invitation to follow to know what they can expect. If being the Christ means taking up a cross, then so does being a Christian. If you don’t understand that, then you have stepped out of line behind me and you are not thinking the way God thinks.

Following after Jesus means denying self & taking up the cross as a way of life.
The Paradox: Whoever wants to save his life will lose it. Whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. This is why there’s a cross. Our lives have to be lost so that they might be saved. When I hear this verse I often wonder if I am doing enough to lose my life. Do you ever think about that? I wonder if I need to sell my possessions or leave my comfort and go to the mission fields. Do you ever think about that? I admit I’m not sure I understand that burden of losing my life. I don’t know what it means to be threatened with persecution for my faith.

But I think we all know something about the burden of trying to save our lives – From our earliest years we are trained to provide for our future – to save our lives. We must obtain the best education and seek opportunities. We should invest what we have wisely. Like a precise chemical formula, we must be careful to add the appropriate amount of risk to the appropriate amount of stability to achieve maximum benefit. The years we spend in school and business are our only opportunity to provide for our future as well as the future for our family. The prize is retirement. But even in retirement we know something about the burden of saving our lives. Health becomes more of a concern. Are we eating right? Do we exercise like we should? Did we elect the right people to secure our benefits? Are we seeing the right doctors? And this is not unlike the burden of saving life that parents feel concerning their children. Are we doing all we can to ensure the health and education of our children? Are they safe? Are they being taught right? If the children are our future, then are they capable of saving it?

And what if we give ourselves completely to our children or spouses? Perhaps this is what it means to lose our lives and yet save it? What if we give ourselves so completely to the needy and the church? What if we live for others? Unfortunately, we may discover that the emptiness remains. Spouse, children and even church work can fail and disappoint us. Here is a most horrible emptiness, for we thought that the emptying of ourselves would result in fulfillment through the lives of others, but we may find we just feel sucked dry. Indeed, we know something about trying to save our lives.

Pre-occupation with saving life is a sure way to lose it. Fulfillment is found in denial. Why? Because we must lose that which distracts and deceives. In order to truly live we must be who Jesus says we are, not who we want to say we are. And the only way to be who Jesus says we are is to say who Jesus is.

[I remember trying to work in my Father’s garage and he would try to be patient and show me how to paint and saw and do other things. But I was there just to have fun, I didn’t want to mature and so I would get ahead of him and start doing my own thing. My Father said, “How can I show you the right way if you want to do things your way?”]

There’s a cross in the way to becoming who we truly are because we often aren’t mature enough to do things the right way. We are only interested in doing things our way.

The cross is tough for people who’ve been conditioned to glory in individual excellence and self-satisfaction. We are permitted to think that the world can be custom made to fit everyone of us. In a land where you can even copyright your personal, unique cell-phone ring the language of a cross and denial is tough to hear.

Yet, how will find our life, how will we save it even if we could adjust the entire world to suit our preferences? I recently heard of a minister who was fired. I thought it was sudden, but I found out that he didn’t meet with his elders for over a year. He felt that they had nothing to offer him. I can’t imagine such a way – but then again, I can, for it is the way of self. That way leads to worse than being fired. It can lead to loneliness, despair, estrangement, isolation. But the way of the cross, as difficult as it seems, leads also to resurrection. Before there can be a resurrection, there must be a death. The way of the cross does lead to the tomb – but it is the empty tomb.

Our attempts to “save” our lives – to preserve them, to immortalize them and give them meaning are futile because we just cannot control life to that degree. In Eden we were tempted to be God and we found out we aren’t qualified. (v. 36-37) – we just cannot come up with the means to secure our lives. Not as individuals, not as a nation, not as a race.

We need an alternative way. We need to step out of God’s way. We need to get behind him and see where he’s going. Looks like he’s going to a cross!

Conclusion:
We find meaning and fulfillment – We learn who we are only by discovering who Jesus is. Our response to the invitation must match our confession. (Galatians 2:20)

Personal Desire and Conversion

Posted by David on August 7, 2005 under Sermons

I want to begin tonight with a sports analogy that is not specific to any particular sport. I wish to refer to a particular statement all of you have heard if you have ever watched in sporting event in which the teams were tied.

The sporting event may involve two competing teams or two competing athletes. If it is a significant event, it is broadcast either by television or by radio or by both. If it is a broadcast event, it has one or more sports commentators. One will tell the audience what is happening, and one will speak to add “color” to the happenings.

In this event the athletes are in superb physical condition. Each side has excellent coaches. It is late in the competition, and the competition is tied. The competition has not been decided. Both sides have a legitimate chance to win the competition. The conditioning of the athletes is amazing! The coaching staffs have made all the right decisions! The score is tied!

Here is the comment we all have heard a number of times: “It is just a matter of which side wants to win the most (or has the greatest desire to win).”

This is the fact I wish to call to your attention: We understand that even in something as temporary as victory in a sporting event, desire is a key element. There can be success in nothing without the element of desire.

This evening I want to focus your attention on the importance of the converted’s desire if conversion is to occur. An individual must be a Christian because he or she wishes to be a Christian. Stated negatively: a person who does not wish to be a Christian will not be a Christian because you desire him or her to become a Christian.

1. Allow me to state this truth in a number of ways.
   1. First, let me state my understanding from scripture of conversion.
      1. Conversion is the result of a person who is not a Christian who makes the decision to enter Jesus Christ–he or she realizes he or she is out of Christ, and he or she chooses to let God place him or her in Christ.
      2. The unconverted person places confidence in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
         1. He or she accepts the fact that Jesus died for his or her sins.
         2. He or she accepts the fact that God raised Jesus from death.
      3. The converted person realizes he or she must redirect his or her life, or repent.
         1. That basically is the awareness that God has not been in control of who he or she was or in how he or she lived.
         2. Now he or she wants God to be in complete control of who he or she is or how he or she lives.
      4. This person begins the process of confessing his or her acceptance of Jesus’ identity and role in his or her life.
         1. He or she is not ashamed to verbally declare his or her acceptance of Jesus.
         2. He or she will continue to declare his or her acceptance of Jesus.
      5. This person not only agrees to be baptized into Christ, but is baptized because he or she wants to be baptized.
         1. He or she wants to be baptized because that is what people in the New Testament did.
         2. He or she wants God to use the same power to raise him or her from death to sin just like He resurrected Jesus from physical death.
   2. Let me now challenge you to consider what to me seems obvious.
      1. If a person repents, he or she has to realize he or she is in sin.
      2. If a person is to enter hope, he or she has to realize that life prior to Christ was without hope.
      3. If a person is redeemed, he or she realizes he or she needed to be rescued.
      4. If a person is forgiven, he or she realizes he or she needs forgiveness.
      5. Stated simply, the person understands there is a need to be addressed, and he or she wants that need addressed.
      6. Conversion is much more that the willingness to become part of a religious organization.
      7. Conversion is much more than church attendance.
      8. Conversion is much more than being in a directory.
      9. Conversion in the most basic manner is about me; it is about who I am and what I choose to be.

   (Transition: I want to call your attention to some situations in scripture to challenge you to think about yourself as well as others.)

2. The first situation I call your attention to is found in all of the gospels; I ask you to consider Mark 1:16-20.
   As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.
   1. There are many correct points that could be made from this brief incident, and many points have been made from it.
   2. I want to call your attention to just one point which I will place in the form of a question.
      1. Scripture says Peter was married–he had a mother-in-law living in Capernaum; he was fishing to support his family.
      2. James and John were actively involved in the family fishing business which must have been profitable since it notes their father had servants.
      3. The question: why did Peter, Andrew, James, and John go with Jesus when he extended to them an invitation?
         1. Not only did he not offer them employment, but he took them from their jobs.
         2. Did they know everything involved in being followers of Jesus? No!
         3. Did they have a correct understanding of the point of Jesus’ ministry? No!
         4. Did they have a lot of growing to do? Absolutely!
         5. Would following Jesus be a simple thing to do? No!
         6. Then why did these men go?
         7. Very simple answer: because they wanted to!
         8. Their desire was to be followers of Jesus–so they grew in understanding and endured difficulty!
      4. I want you to see and hear their desire–they did not have to go with Jesus, they wanted to go with Jesus.

3. Next I call your attention to one of the most best known chapters in the New Testament to many members of the Church of Christ: Acts 2.
   1. The Spirit comes upon the apostles.
      1. The noise of the coming of the Spirit attracts a huge crowd in Jerusalem on one of the three holiest occasions in Israel.
      2. All of the apostles, whose dialect was obviously Galilean, spoke without the aid of interpreters, and every person present heard what he was saying in the language of the person’s birth–even though the people were from many different places.
         1. To say this created enormous curiosity is truly an understatement.
         2. Some suggested they were a bunch of drunk men, but that was not a credible explanation.
      3. Peter took charge and told the crowd that what they observed was the fulfillment of something the Jewish prophet Joel wrote centuries before.
         1. He said all this was happening because of Jesus and his resurrection.
         2. He even used statements from King David to declare that the Jesus they crucified was now Lord and Christ.
      4. I want you to listen to the reaction of three thousand people recorded in Acts 2:37.
         Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”
         1. They were pierced to the heart–their consciences responded and reacted to Peter’s words.
         2. The declaration, “Brethren, what shall we do?” was not a casual remark–it was an urgent plea!”
      5. Do you hear the desire of these people?
         1. Why were 3000 people baptized on that occasion?
         2. Why? Because that is what they wanted–they wanted to respond to God and all He did in Jesus Christ in order that their sins might be destroyed!

4. Thirdly I call your attention a statement from Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.
   And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
   1. Paul wrote to a congregation who had lots of problems including the problem of division.
   2. As he began his letter in response to a letter they sent him, he wanted to remind them of something extremely important.
      1. Remember how I came to you.
         1. I did not come as an exceptional orator.
         2. I did not come as a renowned philosopher.
         3. I did not come to you as the invincible man.
         4. I did not come to you with persuasive wisdom.
      2. Instead:
         1. I refused to attract attention to myself–I only attracted attention to Jesus Christ.
         2. I came in weakness, fear, and trembling.
         3. I came demonstrating the spirit and power, not my own power.
      3. Why?
         1. I did not want the foundation of your faith to be based on a man.
         2. I wanted your faith to be based on the power of God.
      4. Do you hear their desire in their conversion?
         1. They were not Christians because of Paul’s determination.
         2. They were Christians because that is what they wanted to be!
   3. I could show you this same reality in other passages, but I hope this is enough to make you think and encourage you to study.
      1. People who were converted wanted to follow Jesus.
      2. They were not fooled into conversion!
      3. They wanted to be Christians!

It is in that truth that we find understanding of one of the great problems among Christians today. Too many Christians did not decide they wanted to be Christians prior to conversion, they do not live like Christians after baptism. They had no desire to live the Christian life. They just wanted to be safe. They believed and repented because that is what they had to do, not because that is what they wanted to do! They were baptized because that is what they had to do, not because that is what they wanted to do.

What is the most powerful evangelistic thing you can do? Teach? Certainly we must teach others about forgiveness in Christ. But teaching is not the most powerful thing you can do. Worship? Certainly we must praise our God, but that is not the most powerful thing you can do. Be involved in a ministry? Certainly every Christian needs to serve, but that is not the most powerful thing you can do.

Then what is the most powerful thing I can do? BE a Christian in your entire lifestyle. If BEING a Christian is your desire, that will add power and effectiveness to your teaching, your praise of God, and your service to Christ.

For Such a Reply

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Read Text: Mark 7:24-30
Theme: Blessed are those who trust in Jesus regardless of the obstacles, for they shall be saved.

        There’s no suffering that compares to watching your children suffer. When my first son was born I got to cradle him and walk him into the newborn room. I got to dress him and put the little hat on him. But when my second son was born they took him away into a room where I couldn’t go. He was born just a few weeks premature and the nurses were concerned about the way he was breathing. To save his life, they whisked him into the neonatal room and placed him on oxygen.
        I had no idea what was going on. So I followed and asked questions. I was demanding explanations as we stormed out the door of the delivery room. We went across the hall and I kept my eyes on my son.
        They took him into a room that I couldn’t go in. When I approached, it did not open. I waited, and the moment that the door opened into the area I wasn’t supposed to go – I went in. I wanted to see my son.
        I must someday apologize to those fine nurses. I made their job hard that day because I did not respect the boundaries. Very sternly and very politely, the nurse told me that I wasn’t supposed to be in this room. I knew that. But my problem wasn’t a lack of knowledge. I wasn’t supposed to go in that room – but for a parent whose child is suffering, barriers just don’t matter.
        That’s why I understand what this Syrophonecian woman did – she ignored the barriers. Jesus has come to Tyre to be alone. But she crosses that barrier and intrudes on his solitude. In the ancient world it was improper for a woman to directly address a man, but she crosses that barrier as well – since she has no man who can go to Jesus for her, she simply does the improper thing. And then there’s the two-ply barrier of race and religion. She is gentile, he is an Israelite. In the culture of her people there are many powers and spirits at work – some of them good, many of them evil. But she pushes and dodges her way through every obstacle because there is no suffering like that of watching your child suffer – and there’s nothing she can do but ask questions and pray.
        She’s seen her daughter suffer the torment of the unclean spirit. That’s not a familiar condition to us. There were other parents who came to Jesus because of the suffering of their children. One of them was a man whose boy had an unclean spirit. The spirit would throw the child into fire and water. Why? It wanted to destroy the child. Now there’s a particularly horrible condition – an invisible force that threatens to destroy your child. Something you can’t fight, something you can’t shoot or strangle. Powerless to stop the torment. If the daughter of this Greek woman is being tortured by such a force, it is no wonder she ripped down the “Do Not Disturb Sign” and ignored the glances and gasps to seek out this man known for having authority over evil. Wouldn’t you if it was your child?
        Of course I understand Jesus’ answer. I’ve been there too when the desperate, needy people come for help and sometimes your hands are tied. “We don’t have what you need.” “There’s just not enough.” “We’ve hired all we can.” “We can’t help you until you respect yourself.” Sometimes you’re not able, sometimes it just wouldn’t be right. No one wants children to suffer, but sometimes we are overwhelmed. Helping one means turning your back on others. Sometimes we cannot help because we have made a commitment to help others. This is where Jesus finds himself. He came to Tyre to rest, and now he’s overwhelmed. His commitment to Israel means that he has little to spare for the gentiles. And I know this statement sounds more like an American tourist in a third world country than it does Jesus – but there it is and he says it: “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” That’s just the way it is. It would be nice to imagine otherwise, but sometimes that just the way it is. “They were here in line before you ma’am.” These are the rules. That’s just the way it is.
        Now, do you think this woman who intruded on Jesus privacy, who ignored social customs and ignored matters as serious as race and religion is going to be turned aside by an answer like that? When I stormed that hospital door in September of 1998, I was not persuaded by the argument “You’re not supposed to be back here.” I knew that! And this woman knows that she’s not supposed to be there. She knows she’s not worthy to sit at the table. But that’s not going to persuade her. And being compared to a dog will not move her either. She’s probably endured much worse than that. She’s probably used to taking what she can. No amount of suffering you can heap on her compares to the suffering of watching her child suffer. So she challenges Jesus’ “matter-of-fact/that’s just the way it is” pronouncement of how things are:
“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” It’s a reply worthy of the sharpest Rabbi – but Jesus knew Rabbis, he was called a Rabbi and she’s no Rabbi – she is a Greek woman who has intruded on the privacy of a Jewish man. She crossed all the barriers and now she must have wondered if she crossed the line.

She probably expects the first part of Jesus’ statement: “For such a reply, you may go.” Of course, why not? Why not be dismissed. Maybe it was just like she had been from all the other healers and authorities. Not even an offer to try or to examine the patient. Not even the offer of a prayer of consolation. Perhaps she did need to accept the way things were – It’s not fair! It’s not right. She is late in line. “For such a reply, you may go.”

But the second part of Jesus’ response is unexpected good news: “The demon has left your daughter.” Like the women on Resurrection morning, they expected a tomb, but they did not expect it to be empty. We want a happy ending, so we look forward to this part, but do you see how unexpected it is for the woman? Jesus doesn’t agree to go with her to see the girl. There’s no “maybe later.” There’s no instruction for a remedy. Instead it is the promise that the healing is already done. The only wait she will go through is the journey home – and when she gets there, her daughter’s suffering – and her suffering – will be over. The demon has left her daughter – “for such a reply!”

• For Such a Reply (Explanation and Application – The “So What”)
  1. Her reply showed the spirit of true discipleship. How?
     • She refused to let the barriers and the suffering stop her. She didn’t approach Jesus as a Syrophonecian, a Greek, a Gentile, a woman, or an unclean dog. All that mattered to her was her daughter’s suffering and Jesus’ power. Social customs and conventions are no substitute for faith.
     • She respected his authority. She believed that Jesus had the final word on “the way things are.” Jesus was saying, “This is the reasonable way to do things. This is the expected way. This is the customary way.” By whose standard? By whose authority? This woman believed that if Jesus had the authority to heal her daughter, he could do it however and whenever he wished and she wasn’t going to hold him to a set of restrictions.
  2. Her reply secures her a place at the table.
     • Jesus identifies with us. Who comes to Christ’s table? The worthy? The noble? The privileged? If that is so, then what about the suffering? What about the oppressed and overwhelmed? Are they disqualified? The rule of table fellowship in Jesus’ day was that “like eats with like.” People of the same class, honor and purity dined together. Jesus has become like us so that we might become like him. The overwhelmed and exasperated Jesus did not identify with a perfect, well-adjusted member of the religious select that day in Tyre. He identified with an overwhelmed, exasperated – yet faithful – mother of a tormented child.
     • Jesus invites us. No one will have to do with crumbs. There are no beggars under the table who can only hope for scraps. There is a portion for all disciples who come and eat in faith and trust. There is always room for one more suffering child. There is room at the table for all that identify with the suffering savior.

There’s no suffering that compares to watching your children suffer. God knows that – his son suffered and he suffered with him. God knows that – his children suffer and he suffers with them. The good news is that the end of the suffering has already been declared – the only wait is the journey home.

[Addendum: Many people have asked me about the health of my second son born in 1998. If you were to see him now as he approaches his seventh birthday you would probably find it hard to believe that he was born a few weeks premature. The nurses at Brazosport Memorial Hospital were attentive and acted quickly when they noted that my son did not seem to be breathing properly. He was on oxygen for a few days but gained strength quickly. Months later he contracted RSV but he recovered from that. As of today, he sometimes suffers from allergies, but for the most part he is big, strong, and healthy. We are blessed! Thanks be to God Almighty!]

The Greatest Un-Miracle Never Performed

Posted by Chris on July 31, 2005 under Sermons

Read Mark 6:1-6

Think about what we have seen along the way as Mark has taken us on the Miracles of Jesus tour. How many places could claim that “Jesus taught here – and with authority.” Capernaum – A home with a hole in the roof testifies to a miracle – “Through this hole four friends lowered their paralyzed companion and Jesus healed him.” A synagogue in Capernaum “On this site Jesus cast out an unclean spirit.” Beside the sea of Galilee “On this site Jesus preached of seeds and the kingdom of God.” Somewhere out in the middle of the sea of Galilee one could float a buoy with a sign reading “It was here that Jesus commanded a storm to silence.” Next stop a graveyard in Gerasa: “On this site, the Son of the Most High God won a victory over a Legion from hell.” Nearby is a marker commemorating the death of 2000 pigs. Back on the other side of the sea are two marker’s: one in the marketplace “Here a woman touched Jesus’ robe and was healed.” The other at Jairus’ house: “On this site, Jesus raised a girl to life with the words Talitha Koum!”
And now we stop in Nazareth. It should be the greatest of all stops on the miracle tour. It should be the site of the most wonderful event yet testifying to the identity of Jesus Christ. But there are no markers except for a rusted one hanging near a carpentry shop that reads in faded print: “Hometown of Jesus, son of Mary.” Our tour guide Mark explains to us that we have stopped here because this is the site of an un-miracle. Nothing happened here. No one in Nazareth was amazed by anything. Except for Jesus. He was amazed by the greatness of their un-faith. As for the people, they could not be amazed because they were too offended.

They were offended by Jesus. Offended by Jesus? How could anyone be offended by Jesus? We wouldn’t be offended by Jesus – would we? No. Certainly not. Jesus is our neighbor, our business partner, our pal. But the folks in Nazareth knew Jesus, just as we claim to know Jesus. He was just as familiar to them as we claim he is to us. And there’s the problem: Jesus’ authoritative teaching didn’t fit with the sort of familiarity the folks in Nazareth had with Jesus and his family. They had heard talk that he might be out of his mind. They knew his history. They knew his family. They knew all about him. And they are offended that he could claim to be more than what they knew.

Now we claim to know Jesus quite well. And we get offended, but we don’t get offended at Jesus do we? We are offended by many other things, but not Jesus. We are offended by song leaders, teachers, and preachers. We are offended by elders and deacons and ministry leaders. We are offended by rude people and false doctrine, but not Jesus.

No, we are not offended by Jesus because we have domesticated and tamed Jesus. He is friend of all, but Lord of none. Sometimes in the church we have reduced Jesus to nothing more than a spiritual Colonel Sanders – his image and memory are everywhere, but we know he’s not running the company. But Jesus isn’t a corporate logo for the church – he is the LOGOS, the living word of God.
Our language betrays us. When we are confronted by the authority and power of Jesus and maybe even intimidated by it. When we consider the implications of his lordship and how that might make us uncomfortable we try to tame Jesus so we can get him on our side. I have heard people say: My Jesus wouldn’t do that. Okay, but what would THE Jesus do? More importantly what IS he doing?

Don’t misunderstand, it is good that we know that “Jesus Is With Us” and it is good to know that he has drawn near. May we ever sing with serious conviction that “Jesus Loves Me This I Know For The Bible Tells Me So.” But if Jesus is so domesticated and tamed that he is only the figurehead of our Christian company, or the rubber stamp signature for our particular church crusade, then he can no longer amaze us. There’s no mystery, there’s no surprise, there’s no faith required.

All of us have seen historical markers that commemorate important events. Sometimes when you stand near one of these and read the description you are aware of a sense of awe that something significant has taken place there and that sense is magnified if there is any hope that it might happen again.
Some of you may have seen one of these novelty markers. They look just like a historical marker but they commemorate the ordinary and mundane. “On this site in 1898, nothing happened.”The closest experience of good news for Nazareth is that they haven’t been totally forgotten. Mark includes them on the tour of important places. “On this site, nothing happened.” Come and see the place where the “un-miracle” happened, or didn’t happen. Why include such a place on the tour Mark? What are you trying to tell us?

Let’s be clear about one thing he isn’t telling us. It’s the question everyone of us ask the tour guide when we stop here: “Is God refusing to answer my prayers because I don’t have enough faith?” Americans like to ask that question more than anyone. We have heard it said so often that “If you have enough faith, God will … heal you, bless you, save you, make you happy, etc. etc.” And that often leads to another statement that I have heard too often: “The reason you weren’t healed, the reason you are poor, the reason you are unhappy, the reason your marriage fell apart, the reason your loved one died is because YOU didn’t have enough faith.” This isn’t the message. You can only come up with a message like this if you tame Jesus to the point that he is our genie in a bottle who grants all of our wishes. This reduces to Jesus and the Holy Spirit to something like “The Force” and if we can muster up the training and the discipline we can lift mountains – or X-Wing fighters. But faith isn’t will power of wishful thinking. It isn’t the power that resurrects Tinkerbell from the dead if we all clap our hands and believe in fairies. Faith is trust, surrender, suspension of our need to be in control. Faith leads us to give honor to the one we have faith in.
The message that Mark want to impart to us on the stop in Nazareth is this: Jesus was unable to do anything wonderful among his people not because their quantity of faith was lacking, but because they had an abundance of “un-faith.” So much so that it amazed him! They had the opposite of faith: disbelief, dismissal, dispassionate detachment. They were offended and they rejected him. Some thought him insane. Some thought his power came from the devil. And some just thought he was the next-door neighbor.

Now to be fair, there were a few who were healed. Just a few. I am sure for those individuals it was wonderful, but for the city it is a sort of a consolation prize. I would like to think that more could be said of us than this. I don’t want to place a marker among us that says: “Among these people during their worship and ministry, nothing happened.” I don’t think it is worthy of Jesus that we should commemorate the ordinary and mundane. I would like to hope that we can have faith. Not faith so that we can command the power of Jesus, but the sort of faith that allows the power of Jesus to command us.

Thought Question: How might Jesus be involved and leading us into the future he gives? How might He be working more than all we can ask or imagine in our ministries? Will we be amazed or do we want to be in charge? Will we be amazed or will we be offended?

There’s no call for faith in Jesus if we have lost the capacity to be amazed. Why have faith in Jesus if we are convinced he cannot do anything?
We will not trust Jesus if we are too busy being offended by everything that doesn’t meet our expectations – including Jesus.

Invitation:
When a prophet has no honor he leave for another town. Whom do we honor and trust?

The Faith Journey

Posted by David on July 24, 2005 under Sermons

This evening I want to emphasize that living by faith in God is a journey, not a destination. Faith is a walk with God, not a place that we arrive. Someone sees that we have faith in God by how we act on an everyday basis. They do not see that we have faith because we declare we have arrived at faith.

How you refer to having this faith in God basically does not matter. You can call this faith journey salvation. You can call this faith journey being a part of Christ’s church. You can call this faith journey forgiveness of sins. You can call this faith journey being in Christ. However you refer to it, you basically are talking about a journey, not a destination.

There is a specific reason that I want you to consider these thoughts. Too often among Christians we encounter the attitude, “If I understand X fact, then I have spiritually arrived at having faith,” or “If I believe Y, then I am a person of faith.” Stated in the negative, “All people who do not understand X fact have not spiritually arrived at having faith,” or, “All Christians who do not believe Y are not people of faith.”

I do not want any of us to be that kind of person. I do not want any of us to think of faith in terms of being a destination we achieve in this life, but as a journey that takes us to God in the life to come.

I do not want you to accept my word for the nature of faith as a journey. I want you to think about and struggle with the revelation of scripture.

1. I would like to begin our thoughts with a familiar statement Paul made to the Philippian Christians:
   Philippians 2:12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
   1. Context:
      1. To whom is Paul writing these words?
         1. To Christians at Phillippi: 1:1 says he is writing “to all the saints in Christ Jesus in Philippi” including their leaders.
         2. The statement itself refers to these people as Paul’s beloved.
      2. There were things they needed to learn about how to be a Christian.
         1. They especially needed to learn those things in their daily lives and actions.
         2. Believing in Jesus Christ is more than accepting a fact.
         3. It involves accepting a life altering fact.
         4. If there is no alteration in the way the person lives and acts, accepting the fact has no significance.
      3. The work of salvation is not complete because one accepts as fact that Jesus is the Christ or accepts as fact that God raised Jesus from death.
         1. That is merely the beginning of the journey, not the conclusion of the journey.
         2. Forgiveness of sins is the beginning of the journey.
         3. Redemption is the beginning of the journey.
         4. Being placed by God into Christ is the beginning of the journey.
         5. Being cleansed by God through Jesus’ blood is the beginning of the journey.
         6. True, faith lets us come to God, but also true we come to God in order to walk with God.
      4. Had these people to whom Paul wrote received forgiveness of sins? Certainly!
         1. Were they in Christ? Without doubt!
         2. Were they under God’s rule rather than Satan’s rule? Absolutely!
         3. Were they in Christ? Without question!
         4. Were they cleansed by the blood of Jesus? Definitely!
   2. Now they needed to accept full responsibility for those things!
      1. It is a major responsibility to live and to act like a person who belongs to God through Jesus Christ.
      2. That responsibility is not to be taken lightly!
      3. Paul said accept that responsibility whether I am there or not.
      4. “Because you in faith and repentance have been baptized into Christ does not mean salvation matters have concluded!”
      5. “The salvation journey merely has begun!”

   (Transition: now I want you to consider a contrast. The contrast is between a person who was not a Christian but became a Christian and a person who was an apostle but learned something he had never known.)

2. First, I want you to consider the person who was not a Christian but became a Christian: the man, Paul.
   1. Before he became a Christian, he believed two things with TOTAL conviction: (1) he believed he was doing exactly what God wanted him to do; (2) he believed that Jesus was NOT the Christ, but a dangerous impostor who was a threat to God’s purposes.
      1. He was so totally convinced Jesus was a fraud, a threat to God’s purposes that he guarded the clothing of those who executed the Christian Stephen (Acts 7:58; 8:1).
      2. He was so totally convinced Jesus was a grave threat to God’s purposes in Israel that he did his best to destroy Jewish believers in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1).
      3. He was so totally convinced that Jesus was a major threat to God’s purposes that he was willing to go to other nations, arrest Jewish Christians, and bring them for trial to Jerusalem.
      4. Listen to Paul’s own words in Acts 26:9-11:
         So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.
   2. The driving force behind Paul’s conviction was his total confidence that Jesus was not the Messiah, not God’s son.
      1. When he learned in a powerful, immediate, undeniable way that Jesus was the Christ, was God’s son (Acts 9:1-19), he was in complete crisis.
      2. If Jesus was the Christ, then everything he did in faith in God was the wrong thing to do.
      3. This committed man remained a committed man, but was truly a changed person.
         1. Whereas he had been hard and uncaring about people, he became gentle and sensitive (1 Thessalonians 2:10-12).
         2. Whereas he had been inflexible, he became highly adaptable (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
   3. The Paul most Christians know and respect as the most recorded writer in the New Testament existed because a new understanding made him a totally different person on his faith journey.
      1. He was a man of faith when he killed people who believed Jesus is the Messiah.
      2. He was a man of faith when he understood that Jesus is the Messiah.
      3. Obviously, for him faith was a journey.

3. The second man I call your attention to is the man Peter.
   1. Remind yourself of who Peter was.
      1. He was personally called by Jesus to be his disciple.
      2. He was one of the twelve.
      3. He was one of the three people who were closest to Jesus.
      4. He was the first disciple who knew Jesus was the Messiah.
      5. He was willing to die fighting to try to protect Jesus.
      6. He preached the first sermon when Jesus was raised from the dead.
      7. For a while, he was the most popular Christian in Jerusalem.
      8. From our perspective, this man was a truly important man.
   2. Yet, there was a truth as old as Abraham that Peter did not understand: God wanted both Jews and gentiles to have salvation in Christ.
      1. Acts 10 records the incident that revealed God’s full purposes to Peter.
         1. Three times he had a vision that confused and bewildered him.
         2. He received specific instructions from the Holy Spirit.
         3. He traveled to Cornelius’ home even though he did not understand why he was going to a gentile’s house (Acts 10:29).
      2. Peter literally went to Cornelius’ house not knowing why he was going.
         1. All he understood was God wanted him to go.
         2. He heard but did not fully understand that what God had cleansed he should not call unclean.
      3. Listen to the moment when Peter finally understood, realized something he never known before:
         Acts 10:34,35 Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.”
      4. The apostle Peter had never known this before!
      5. You and I as gentiles directly are blessed by Peter’s faith journey!

4. If you are a person of faith, you are never too old or too knowledgeable to stop learning!
   1. None of us ever arrive at a point that we know it all!
      1. Be a student, not a judge!
      2. Beware of placing your confidence in your knowledge!
   2. None of us ever arrive at a point that there is nothing new and significant to understand!
      1. If a new understanding turns your life around, so be it if the driving force is faith in God and His purposes!
      2. If a new understanding means you have to rethink something you thought could not possibly be correct, so be it if the driving force is faith in God and His purposes.
      3. If a new understanding means old friends think you are spiritually nuts, so be it if the driving force is faith in God and His purposes.
   3. Faith in God does not mean that we exist to protect God–God does not need protecting.
      1. God wants us to use Jesus Christ to share Him!
      2. God cares about people, and if we have faith in God, so do we!

Is this easy? NO! It is as demanding on us as it was the Philippian Christians, or on Paul, or on Peter. It begins with the awareness that faith is a journey that lasts a life time. Faith is not a place to settle in.

What Do You Have to Do With Us, Son of the God Most High?

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Read Mark 5:1-20.

Some of you know what the people of Gerasa have been through . . . You know who you are. It’s not just the graveyard variety of demons one has to deal with to understand. If you ever tried to help others who are possessed by their Legions of evils then you know. If you know what it is like to be awakened at night by the agony of their torture. If you known what it is like to see them break the chains they are bound with for their own protection, then you know. If you have ever felt the frustration of just giving up and learning to cope with it then you know what the people of Gerasa have been through. You know who you are.

Some of you know what the nameless man known only as the demoniac or Legion has been through. You know who you are. Some of you have been there and known the agony of sin in a profound way. You have experienced it to the point that he has oppressed you, dehumanized you, and injured you. And even when others try to help, the power is just too strong. You know who you are.

Whether we identify with the Gerasenes or the demoniac is not the issue. Both groups are met by Jesus, the Son of the God Most High and both must respond to his presence without exception. If those who identify with the demon-possessed man can be described as “possessed by powers” then those of us who identify with the Gerasenes are also pestered by the powers and without Jesus we might be described as ineffective and frustrated when we have to use our own resources to restrain evil …

What Have You to Do With Me Jesus, the Son of the God Most High?
Notice that Jesus isn’t frustrated. Even though he has supposedly lost the “home court advantage” in the war against evil he isn’t staggered. Here he is in a foreign land where evil cannot be contained. He is in an unclean place, a graveyard, surrounded by people who raise unclean animals, swine. The force that opposes him this time isn’t just the lone unclean spirit that wanders into the synagogue one day. Now Jesus faces the Legion of the Strong Man – a scarred up, chain busting nightmare that once resembled a human being.
This one-man army of evil is bold too. He opens the dialogue with threats and name-calling (not nasty names, but using the name of Jesus to force him to do his bidding). He is not at all confused about who Jesus is and the power he commands. So he (or is it they) begins to defend himself and when that fails he/they tries to negotiate for his/their own survival . . .

Jesus’ reaction is swift – “Come out of him and leave him alone!”
What do you have to do with us Jesus Son of the God Most High?”
What’s your name?
Legion! There are many of us (Is he trying to scare Jesus?)
We like it here. Don’t make us leave! (Sympathy?)
You are evil and you must go.
What about the pigs? That’s better than nothing, send us into the pigs! (Is this a ruse?)
Go!

And the outcome is simple – the demons are destroyed and the man is not restrained, much better than that he is released! The outcome is simple, the reactions of the groups we have identified with is not so simple.

The Reaction of the Gerasenes
Jesus didn’t ask the swine herders’ permission when he gave possession right of way to the Legion of Demons. If you think about it, that seems a bit inconsiderate and insensitive. Yes, human beings are more important than swine that were going to be slaughtered anyway, but a lot of human beings’ economic and financial situation was impacted when pork futures took a dive – literally. A herd of 2000 swine is quite a herd and the loss of such goods is an economic disaster. Not to mention the fact that some were probably going to be without food.
So it seems sort of harsh for Jesus to be so bold. We can try to explain it, but there’s only one explanation that sticks – Jesus is what Legion called him – Son of the God Most High! One with such authority, the one who created these swine in the first place, needn’t ask for permission.
Jesus doesn’t negotiate with evil. He isn’t just interested in chaining it up, restraining it, or controlling it – he intends to annihilate it. When Jesus works in our community and our cities to release people from the dehumanizing, humiliating, oppressive work of evil and sin he isn’t squeamish or sympathetic about our “herds of swine.” If he had no hesitation or regret about cashing in 2000 swine for the campaign against evil, do you think Jesus is squeamish or sympathetic about our resources? Is he confounded when he realizes that helping those who we cannot help means that some of our precious resources might end up trashed or broken. Does he back off when he considers that helping the poor, addicted, lost, and demon-possessed might be an economic burden or an inconvenience? I don’t think so, because all the resources of heaven and earth are available to him – he is the Son of the God Most High.

And the fact is, the Gerasenes know this. When they see the man they tried to help all those years fully restored they realize just how powerful this stranger is. Their amazement gives way to fear just as it did with the disciples in the boat when they witnessed Jesus yield unimaginable power. The Gerasenes realize that if they couldn’t restrain and contain the strong man, then they certainly cannot restrain and control, or domesticate the Stronger Man? Like the Demons they too are asking, “What do you have to do with us, Jesus Son of the God Most High?”

[Thomas Edison invented the electric bulb, but it was Nikola Tesla who invented the means to deliver the power to light the bulb. Edison was a rival and he gave voice to the concerns about Tesla’s methods to deliver electricity. There were fears that Tesla’s method would broadcast such high voltage energy that the atmosphere would burn away or homes would be destroyed, people’s hearts would stop from electrocution. So many fears and so many people resisted electrical service. But once it was proven that the high voltage power could be domesticated and contained safely, everyone wanted electric light.]

Unlike electricity, the power of God and his Holy Spirit cannot be contained or domesticated. Jesus is the Son of the God Most High and there is no authority to limit his power and his will other than his own. He is good and he is faithful, but don’t try to reduce him to safe! A sad fact of church history is that the mission of God and the active presence of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are often squelched or turned away by fearful disciples. When we become aware of the fact that God’s power cannot be domesticated, contained or bottled, we resist it. We would rather rely on our own weak and ineffective means because we are threatened by the Son of the God Most High.

The Reaction of the Demon-Possessed Man
The man is afraid that he will forever be known by his possessions. No one will recall his family or his name. He will be known only as the ex-demoniac formerly known as Legion. So, he wants to go with Jesus. That risk is less frightening than trying to find his way in a place that remembers what he once was. If prophets have no honor in their hometown, troubled people that everyone tried to help and restrain really have no honor. Jesus gives the man a mission, “Go tell the good news. Tell them what you had to do with the Son of the God Most High.” Jesus knows that the Gerasenes recognize his power but they don’t know of his goodness. This man can represent that. The lives of those who’ve been transformed are a witness. They witness to both the incredible power and authority of the Most High God but also to his goodness. I don’t think we will be so concerned about the power of the Son of the God Most High if he would listen to some of the stories of those who have been made new by that power. If we will then we will hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and take him out of the safety zone we have foolishly tried to force him into and place him at the highest place where he has really been all along.

The Personal Tension Faith Produces

Posted by David on July 17, 2005 under Sermons

Having faith in God through His son Jesus Christ solves many tensions in a typical life. It solves those tensions in numerous ways. It gives a person’s life both an immediate focus and an eternal focus–the whole of life is not focused on the here and the now. It gives meaning and significance to a thought, or a motive, or an act that goes far beyond the moment. It magnifies the significance of purpose and intent. It measures the significance of life in factors that far surpass physical achievements. It provides purpose when physical existence is totally inadequate in insufficient.

At the same time, faith in God creates a personal crisis. Pure faith in God is totally unselfish. The goal of having faith in God is to aspire to that unselfishness. Yet, seeking that unselfishness is totally contrary to our physical existence as we understand physical existence. We had rather mask selfishness with “correct appearances” than to destroy selfishness. It is very difficult to realize that faithfulness to God is 100% about devotion to God and 0% about devotion to self.

While faith in God solves many personal crises, faith in God also creates at least one primary crisis in the believer’s life. Faith creates a genuine crisis by producing tension. The tension becomes increasingly obvious as the Christian grows in his or her awareness that serving God is all about God and not at all about me.

This evening, first I wish to fix your attention on the personal tension faith produces. Secondly, I want you to see from Jesus what the solution to that tension or crisis is. As we consider this aspect of faith, I want to remind you again that faith in God is a lifetime journey, not a momentary destination.

1. I want to begin with what I regard to be the first leg of this faith tension in a Christian’s existence: the temptation to put God on trial.
   1. I wish to call your attention to what the gospel of Matthew presents as Jesus’ second temptation when Jesus meets Satan in the wilderness as Jesus prepares to begin his ministry.
      1. This temptation is seen in Matthew 4:5-7.
         Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.'” Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'”
      2. The setting was geographically the holiest place on earth for an Israelite.
      3. The request seemed to carry the full weight of God’s authority.
         1. Satan quoted scripture.
         2. He seemingly invoked a divine promise.
         3. He told Jesus that if he had full confidence in his identity as God’s son, he should place unquestioning confidence in God’s promise.
         4. On the surface of the request, it seemed Satan was challenging Jesus to demonstrate his faith in God’s promise to the Messiah.
      4. Jesus quickly saw through Satan’s temptation, perhaps much more quickly than most of us do.
         1. Jesus saw something so obvious that in its prominence it was almost invisible.
         2. (Satan never, never challenges us to get closer to God! With Satan, appearances always will be deceitful!)
         3. Jesus saw the temptation for what it was–a temptation to bolster his feeling of insecurity about his identity by demanding that God perform because he felt insecure.
         4. Thus Jesus responded that the true issue involved was not trusting God, but making God perform like a puppet.
         5. To submit to Satan’s directive would not be a declaration of faith in God, but a demand for God to perform to eliminate Jesus’ feeling of insecurity about his identity and purpose.
      5. The source of Jesus’ rebuttal is more than interesting.
         1. Jesus did not just quote any old scripture regardless of the statement’s context.
            1. He did not take a verse and make it mean what he wanted it to mean.
            2. The context of the verse is as significant to me as the verse itself.
         2. There is an enormous difference between showing confidence in God and putting God on trial.
            1. Jesus seems to be referring to Moses’ statement in Deuteronomy 6:16 which is a reference to Exodus 17:1-7.
            2. Israel was at Rephidim and was thirsty, because there was no water where they camped.
            3. They quarreled with Moses to the point that it was getting dangerous for Moses.
            4. They asked, “Why did you bring us out here to die of thirst?”
            5. God through Moses provided the people water from a rock.
            6. The place was named Massah (which means test) or Meribah (which means quarrel).
            7. They did not express confidence; they expressed doubt.
         3. Jesus said, “If I jump, I do not show confidence in God; I show doubt. I am asking God to perform for my benefit.”

2. To me, the second leg of this faith tension is seen in Mark 9:14-27.
   When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up.
   1. Both Mark and Matthew indicate this incident occurred when Jesus returned with Peter, James, and John following the incident on the Mount of Transfiguration.
      1. These four men returned to a crowd and an argument.
         1. Jesus asked, “What is going on?”
         2. The man who was at the center of the incident spoke up: “I brought my child who is possessed and self destructive, and your disciples could not correct the situation.”
         3. After Jesus expressed personal grief, he asked for the boy to be brought to him.
         4. The father, after already experiencing great faith in coming and perplexing disappointment in the disciples’ inability to help, begged Jesus to do something if he could.
         5. Jesus responded, “If I can? The issue is not my ability but your faith!”
      2. The man’s response always has touched my heart–in every way I identify with his crisis: “I believe; help my unbelief!”
   2. Jesus cast out the spirit, demanded the spirit never return, and proved the child was alive.
   3. The crises involved the father’s faith or confidence, not Jesus’ ability.
      1. It was a matter of confidence, not a matter of trial.
      2. The man knew he had confidence in Jesus, but he also knew he struggled with doubt.
      3. He plainly asked Jesus to work with his doubt to increase his confidence.
      4. Do we not all understand the problem?

3. To me, it is in those two incidents we can understand the tension and crisis faith in God produces in each of us.
   1. The tension: when am I expressing trust in God and when am I demanding that God destroy my doubt by performing in a manner I declare acceptable?
      1. With all of us, there commonly is at least an element of doubt–we all should be able to identify with the father who cried for help with his doubt!
      2. The question: when is my doubt a stepping stool to greater confidence in God, and when is my doubt a demand that God perform in ways I demand?
   2. The heart of the issue is personal motive.
      1. Is my motive a desire to increase my trust in God, or is my motive a desire to use God to meet my needs?
      2. Do I serve God, or does God serve me?
      3. Are God’s purposes more important than my desires?
      4. Can God achieve His objectives in things that I regard objectionable?
      5. Does God have anything to prove to me?

4. That is quite a dilemma! At times what I call faith may in fact be doubt!
   1. To me, the perfect guideline and perfect distinction between faith in God and the demand that God perform for my benefit is seen in the physical Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane the last night of his physical life.
      Matthew 26:36-44 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.
      1. In this very familiar incident, we see several things.
         1. We see that Jesus did not wish to die by crucifixion.
         2. We see Jesus’ desire and God’s will in conflict.
         3. We see God’s purpose in conflict with Jesus’ desire.
      2. Also in this we see an astounding solution to an astounding tension.
         1. Jesus begged his Father not to let him die, and that was okay.
         2. Jesus begged, if possible, for God to achieve His purpose in some other manner, and that was okay.
         3. Jesus preferred something different to that which God preferred, and that was alright.
         4. Jesus’ personal desire and God’s purpose were in conflict, and that was okay.
      3. The solution: Jesus surrendered his desire to God’s will.
         1. Did that mean that suddenly Jesus wanted to die by crucifixion? No!
         2. Did that mean that suddenly Jesus preferred identically the same thing God preferred? No!
         3. It simply meant that Jesus understood that God’s purpose was superior to his desire, even if God’s purpose meant a painful, disgraceful death by execution.
      4. There was no question in Jesus mind that God’s purpose was superior to his desire!
   2. Quite often as humans we will find our desires in conflict with God’s purposes, and that is okay.
      1. The issue always is which is superior–my desires or God’s purpose.
      2. The fact that I experience conflict and tension at that moment proves little.
      3. The issue always is human surrender.
      4. The issue always is my understanding that God’s purpose is superior in every way to my desire.

God’s purposes are often achieved by things which happen contrary to my desires. The tension of faith is resolved when I say in genuine surrender, “God, your will be done!”