LUKE 18:1-8 [NLTse]

One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” He said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to His chosen people who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, He will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?”

SERMON

Across these Sundays and Thursday-nights of Lent I’ve been preaching and teaching through the different stories the Lord Jesus used to help people better understand the Kingdom of Heaven.

Today’s parable – story – is special in that Luke makes absolutely clear why the Lord Jesus told the story: To show His disciples that they should always pray and never give up. And He ends the parable – the story – with this question: “But will My people believe Me? Will I find My people praying without giving up when I return?”

Let me tell you a reportedly true story that speaks to our topic of not giving up in prayer…

While crossing the Atlantic on an oceanliner pastor, evangelist, and Bible scholar F.B. Meyer was asked to address the first class passengers. At the

captain’s request Meyer spoke on “Answered Prayer.” An agnostic who was present at the service (an “agnostic” is someone who believes in God but doesn’t believe you can know God or have any kind of relationship with Him) – an agnostic – was asked by his friends, “What did you think of Dr. Meyer’s sermon?” The agnostic answered, “I didn’t believe a word of it.” That afternoon Meyer went to speak to those poor passengers who were making the voyage in the hold along with the baggage. Many of the listeners at Meyer’s morning address went along, including the agnostic, who claimed he just wanted to hear “what the babbler had to say.”

Before starting for the service, the agnostic put two oranges in his pocket. On his way he passed an elderly woman sitting in her deck chair fast asleep. Her hands were open. In the spirit of fun, the agnostic put the two oranges in her outstretched palms. After the meeting, he saw the old lady happily eating one of the pieces of fruit. “You seem to be enjoying that orange,” he remarked with a smile. “Yes, sir,” she replied, “My Father is very good to me.” “Your father? Surely your father can’t be still alive!” “Praise God,” the old lady replied, “He is very much alive.” “What do you mean?” pressed the agnostic. She explained, “I’ll tell you, sir. I have been seasick for days. I was asking God somehow to send me an orange. I suppose I fell asleep while I was praying. When I awoke, I found He had not only sent me one orange but two!” The agnostic was speechless. Later he was converted to Christ. J

Let me tell you another story about the importance of never giving up when we pray…

We should be like the 3-year-old boy who went to the grocery store with his mother. Before they entered the grocery store she said to him, “Now you’re not going to get any chocolate chip cookies, so don’t even ask.”

She put him up in the cart & he sat in the little child’s seat while she wheeled down the aisles He

was doing just fine until they came to the cookie section. He saw the chocolate chip cookies & he stood up in the seat & said, “Mom, can I have some chocolate chip cookies?” She said, “I told you not even to ask. You’re not going to get any at all.” So he sat back down.

They continued down the aisles, but in their search for certain items they ended up back in the cookie aisle. “Mom, can I please have some chocolate chip cookies?” She said, “I told you that you can’t have any. Now sit down & be quiet.”

Finally, they were approaching the checkout lane. The little boy sensed that this may be his last chance. So just before they got to the line, he stood up on the seat of the cart & shouted in his loudest voice, “In the name of Jesus, may I have some chocolate chip cookies?”

And everybody round about just laughed. Some even applauded. And, due to the generosity of the other shoppers, the little boy & his mother left with 23 boxes of chocolate chip cookies!

The life story of evangelist and orphanage director George Muller remains a powerful example to the virtue of persisting in prayer. Near the end of his life, Muller confided to a friend that he had been praying for two men to come to Christ for over fifty years. When the friend wondered why he continued to pray, Muller replied that if God had given him such a burden, then surely it was because the Lord intended to save those two men. It came to pass that one man came to Christ shortly before Muller died, and the other came to Christ shortly after his death…

And so the Lord Jesus is asking us: “But will My people believe Me? Will I find My people praying without giving up when I return?”

What are you praying for right now? A family member to come to Christ? A loved one with cancer? Victory over a stubborn habit? Wisdom to make a big decision? Guidance for the future? A

mate? A prodigal son or daughter? A marriage on the rocks? A deeper walk with God? Growing love for others? Deliverance from a critical spirit? Grace to forgive those who have hurt you? Hope for the future? Money to pay your bills? Relief from discouragement? Physical healing? A friend in deep need? Courage to keep going? Strength to make it through another day? Boldness to share Christ?

Let’s bear these, and whatever else may be burdening us, before the Throne of Grace as we renew the New Covenant by eating and drinking the Lord Jesus’ body and blood.

And let’s come to the table proclaiming our faith using the words of The Apostles’ Creed…

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 13:31-35 [NLTse]

31 Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”

33 Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

34 Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, He never spoke to them without using such parables. 35 This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:

“I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.”

SERMON

Since the season of Lent began on February 14th I’ve been preaching and teaching through different parables the Lord Jesus used to describe God’s Kingdom, what Jesus often called “the Kingdom of Heaven”.

During our first Fast-Breaking Prayer Service I taught through the Parable of the Lamp. The first Sunday of Lent I preached the Parable of the Soils. Our next Prayer Service got “stormed-out”, so last Sunday – the second Sunday of Lent – I preached the Parable of the Fig Tree and the Parable of the Rich Fool. This past Fast-Breaking I taught through the Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Parable of the Pearl. And today – this third Sunday of Lent – we have the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Parable of the Yeast. Let’s start with the Mustard Seed…

To be helped by this parable we need to correctly understand its key symbols: The mustard seed; the field; the tree that grew from the mustard seed; and, the birds that made nests in its branches.

So, the mustard seed was the smallest of the well-known seeds in Palestine at that time. While it becomes more of a shrub than a tree, it can reach 10-15 feet high! And the mustard seed represents the gospel: The good news that the resurrection-of-Jesus-of-Nazareth-from-the-dead proved that Jesus was not just an ordinary man and that His death was not just an ordinary crucifixion; but that Jesus’ death on the cross was a sacrifice for the sins of all who would receive it, and that His death paid the penalty that our sins deserved, opening the way for all who believe to live in close-relationship with Almighty God! Comparing that good news with a mustard seed means that it would start very small but then grow to reach millions throughout the world who will inherit God’s Kingdom.

The field in which the mustard seed is planted represents all the people of the earth to whom the gospel is shared: You; me; those across the Tri-State area; across the United States; to the ends of the earth!

And yet, there remains a vast difference between even a huge bush and a tree. That the mustard seed grows far beyond its natural-capacity-to-become-a-bush and miraculously-grows into a full-fledged tree makes clear that God’s power is at work in the seed, at work in the gospel. So, the success of the gospel – the good news about Jesus Christ – is a supernatural phenomenon: The Church – the visible expression of the Kingdom of God from every nation, tribe, people, and language – will not grow on account of human strivings and human achievements. No. God will grow His Church and provide the growth miraculously, against all odds, obstacles, and reason!

A tree, whose many and large branches offer shelter and security for birds was a symbol often used by the Old Testament prophets for a mighty

Kingdom that would give shelter to the nations. So, the birds are the nations of the earth. The tiny mustard seed, supernaturally-growing to be a mustard tree, symbolizing Jesus’ offer of security and everlasting life in God’s Kingdom.

Now let’s look at the Parable of the Yeast…

First, picture with me your Easter trees, okay? I mean, everybody’s got their Easter trees up, right? We’ve gone out to the tree lots and bought our favorites, or gone out and cut down our own, and brought them home and decorated them with lights, tinsel, and ornaments, put our empty tomb scene underneath and our angel announcing that Christ is risen at the top, right? …

Are you wondering what the heck I’m talking about? Yeah. Well, that’s how, I think, the Lord Jesus’ hearers would have heard this parable about the yeast. Because, we don’t have Easter trees, right? We have Christmas trees! In the same way, yeast was not seen as a good thing! Yeast is mentioned 88 times in different places across the Bible, including this one. In all the other 87 places where yeast is talked about it is representative of sin or something bad.

So, when the Lord Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven being like “the yeast a woman used in making bread”, I think His hearers would have heard Him describing something sinful and bad, and, as a good Jewish man Himself, I think the Lord Jesus would have intended something sinful and bad, as well!

So, when Jesus says that the Kingdom of Heaven is like “the yeast a woman used in making bread”, I think He’s addressing the issue of unbelievers being a part of Christ’s Church here on the earth. And when He goes on to say that, “Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough,” I think the Lord is making the point that the presence of unbelievers and the ongoing sinful actions of even genuine believers will impact the entire church. And we must not be surprised by this nor shaken during those times when it becomes obvious to us.

For example: I know a man who went to church, but because people in that church sometimes talked about each other in gossip-y ways and sometimes didn’t tell the truth in order to make themselves look good and sometimes were clique-y together, he decided not to go to church anymore, if that’s what Christians were like.

Then, a couple years before he died, he came here to our church and, although we (I’m sure) had unbelievers and not-yet-sanctified things going on amongst us – just like his first church – he was so starved for Christian fellowship and worship with others and the challenges and encouragement that comes from Bible Studies and opportunities to serve… he was so starved for it all that he saw past any of the bad stuff here and spent his final year or two lamenting all he’d missed out on because he’d judged Christ’s Bride.

And, of course, don’t we all know so many people who call themselves “Christians” (and I hope they truly are) who aren’t a part of church-life because of this or that sad thing that happened to them when they were part of a church at some other time in their lives.

How sad for them. Jesus told the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Parable of the Yeast together for their sakes: Because Christ’s Church is going to grow – it’s going to grow supernaturally! and it’s going to turn the world upside down! – but there are going to be unbelievers hidden within her, as well, and because even sincere Christians will continue to sin their whole lives long – though, with God’s help, in lesser and lesser ways – hurts will happen and disappointments will occur as long as the Church is in the world, until Jesus Christ comes to make all things new!

But the hurts and disappointments will all be worth it because of the fellowship, and the fullness and fulfillment that come from worshiping with others, and the growth and thrill that come from studying and serving with others…

Yes, the Kingdom of Heaven will begin small – twelve apostles gathered in an upper room – but by the power of the Holy Spirit it will grow to become a world-wide Church made up of every nation, tribe, people, and language, a worldwide community finding rest for their souls in the Prince of Peace. Even so, sin and sinners, genuine believers and those just pretending, will always be a part of it – all mixed-up together – while it’s here on this earth.

And the Lord Jesus tells us in the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds not to worry about figuring out who is who and which is which, and in the Sermon on the Mount He warns His followers not to judge another believer’s faith (whether genuine or not). There are going to be believers and unbelievers in the church; there are going to be times when some genuine and lasting believers have times of weakness and fall into sin and seasons of sin, just as there will be times when seemingly-genuine but soon-to-fall-away believers will appear so steadfast and unmovable in the faith!

Don’t worry about it. Don’t judge their love for Christ or their salvation. The Father’s power and sovereignty are such that even the presence and influence of unbelievers and even the presence and influence of our sinfulness will work together to accomplish His world-shaking and all-things-being-made-new purposes! Let’s simpley rejoice in the our salvation! And let’s praise Him that even as we seek to leave our sinfulness behind that He’s not cast us off but continues to call us His Own!

SERMON – “Name-Calling”

THE GOSPEL OF MARK 11:1-11 [NLTse]

1When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples 2and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. 3If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. 7Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and He sat on it. 8Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the One Who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest Heaven!”

11Then He entered Jerusalem and went into the Temple; and when He had looked around at everything, as it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

SERMON

Palm Sunday…

Let me ask you: What’s the big deal about Jesus – or anybody! – riding into a city like Jerusalem on a donkey? I mean, Jesus wasn’t teaching or healing anybody or causing any trouble. As a matter of fact, He barely said or did anything at all! What were the palm branches all about? Why were the Jewish people shouting and singing Psalm 118? And why were they so excited? Why were the Jewish leaders telling everyone to be quiet and to go home? And

why were the Romans so up-in-arms and on-edge? Why did any of it matter? What was it all about?

These things seem so foreign to us. They don’t make any sense. What is going on? Well, let me help us by painting a little bit of a different picture…

Okay: We have the same Jerusalem and the same windy street coming down off the Mount of Olives. This street, too, is flocked by Jews: Shouting, excited, and waving things. But Jesus isn’t riding on a donkey, He’s riding in a black convertible Cadillac with the top down. He’s sitting on top of the back seat waving to the crowds. And the crowds aren’t waving palm branches but State of Israel flags. And in the background, it’s not Psalm 118 we hear, but, [Hum “Hail To The Chief”] …

“Hail To The Chief”: That’s the president’s song! And that’s what was going on that first Palm Sunday.

You see, beginning with the crowning of Solomon, all the kings of Israel rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, flocked by crowds of cheering supporters waving palm branches, and singing the famous verses from Psalm 118: “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Please, Lord, please save us! Please, Lord, please give us success! Bless the One Who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless You from the house of the Lord.” (Vv. 22-26)

And Jesus is our King. He did come to be our King. But He is so much more of a king than what we think of and look to kings for.

We look to kings and want lower taxes. So, Jesus tells Simon Peter to go catch a fish and that Peter will find a coin in the fish’s mouth that will be enough to pay His and Peter’s taxes. Paying taxes? It’s a simple thing for Jesus, it’s an easy thing for Jesus. He’s inviting us into that Kingdom where gold and precious gems are so plentiful that they’re all-but-worthless: Used to make gates and streets and city walls…

We look to kings and want better healthcare. And so the Lord Jesus healed all who came to Him. He made the blind see. He restored hearing to the deaf. He made the lame walk and the mute speak and sing His praises! Affordable healthcare? It’s a simple thing for Jesus, it’s an easy thing for Jesus. He’s inviting us into that Kingdom where there is no more tears, no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, or pain…

We look to kings and want safety and security from terrorists at home and abroad. So, Jesus tells us “If you can’t keep someone from striking you then offer to let them strike you again. If someone can make you carry their stuff one mile then offer to carry it all even farther. If someone can take some of your stuff then offer to give them more of your stuff.” Safety and security? It’s a simple thing for Jesus, it’s an easy thing for Jesus, as He reminds us that “All people in this world can do is kill your body!” He invites us into that Kingdom where Death has lost its sting, where they don’t practice war anymore, where our souls are secure, and life is forever and ever. Amen?

We look to kings to take care of and provide for us. And so Jesus tells tired Simon Peter and his tired crew who haven’t caught any fish all night long to cast their nets in a certain place. Simon knows it’s useless, but does it to honor the Master, and they bring in more fish than can fit in their boats! Thousands of people show up and there’s only a couple loaves of bread and some fish! No problem for Jesus to feed them all, with plenty to spare! Care and provision? Those are simple things for Jesus, easy things for Jesus. He’s inviting us to that Kingdom where everyone is content and there is peace for our souls…

Calming raging seas and banishing threatening storms are easy for Jesus. Simple. Bringing about justice in the face of lawlessness and contempt for God is easy for Jesus. Simple. Convicting the hard-hearted of sin and forgiving the hardened-sinner of all their sins is easy for Jesus. Simple. Making our lives comfortable and easy would be easy for Jesus; simple. So, if things aren’t comfortable and easy, then you and I can be certain that something else is going on. You and I can be certain that there’s a wonderful, God-honoring and for-your-good reason for all our trials and troubles. And our King is calling us to trust Him and listen to Him and obey Him and follow Him through it all.

The Jews lining the road from Bethphage to Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday, so long ago, were looking for a king who would liberate them from the Roman oppressors and set up a kingdom of righteousness in the City of David where then the Jews would become the world-power and exercise their dominion over the entire earth. But that would have been so easy! So simple! The Lord Jesus had so much more for His people and for all people! The Lord Jesus told the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, My followers would fight to keep Me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But My Kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) The Lord Jesus hadn’t come to merely set Israel free from their oppressors. That would have been so easy! So simple! No. He came to set all people free from all oppression, and especially the sin that clings so closely!

As the Lord Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem that day in His presidential procession, the King of the Jews – the King of Heaven and Earth! – was inaugurating, not a new nation, but a new creation! And here we are two-thousand years later: It’s already begun! He’s making all things (and people) new! He’s set us free from bondage to sin and the death that sin leads to. He’s renovating this world – these cosmos! – remodeling, restoring a reality where sin is no more and righteousness is at home!

O, dear Church! We are content with so little! We look to the Scriptures and hope for some just and safe and prosperous earthly government, earthly kingdom. But God has more! What no eye has ever seen! What no ear has ever heard! What no mind

has ever even imagined! That’s what God has for us in Christ our King!

That’s why we turn the other cheek and bless those who curse us and forgive and give to the poor and serve the unlovely and bear hope and kindness into the world: Because we owe a massive debt to Jesus Christ on account of the love He has shown us on the cross and in His resurrection from the dead and in His pouring out upon us the Holy Spirit. And He calls us to repay Him that debt by joining Him in telling His story with all those who’ll listen and loving the world.

ELDER: ISAIAH 43:1-4 [NLTse]

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord Who created you. O Israel, the One Who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are Mine. 2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4 Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to Me. You are honored, and I love you.

PASTOR: SERMON (Part 1)

Someone recently challenged me to change my life and my marriage and my family and my work and all my relationships, and while I’m at it to change the world. They challenged me saying that, if I did it, everything in me and around me would be so dramatically better that I would forever look back at this moment and decision in awe by the transformation that occurred.

What was the challenge? Be loved by God.

Initially, after such a big build-up, the challenge disappointed me. After all, I know God loves me. The truth is, I count on God loving me. I’VE INVESTED MY WHOLE LIFE IN SUCH A LOVE AND SUCH A GOD.

But it’s the kind of challenge that stuck in my head, and that I’ve found myself coming back to, and coming back to again.

It’s said that the biggest distance in the universe is the distance between a person’s mind [pointing to my head] (and what they intellectually give assent

to) and a person’s heart [pointing to my chest] (what they love and live for and will die for). [Pointing to my head,] I know Jesus loves me, but my preoccupation with the challenge got me wondering, [pointing to my chest] do I really know Jesus loves me? Do I let Him love me? Do I receive His love for me? Do I allow His love to seep into the nooks and crannies and core of who I am?

For many people, letting God love us and receiving His love is hard. Many of us have learned that love is only offered with conditions: If we’re good enough, if we’re smart enough, if we’re pretty enough, if we’re likable enough, if we’re … whatever enough, enough, enough… It can be hard, and even terrifying to stand before God Most High, just as we are, with all our pride and sin and anger and shame stark and laid bare before Him. To come out from where we’ve been hiding and drop the fig leaves we’ve covered ourselves with can be the most terrifying thing we ever consider; the hardest thing we ever do: To stand naked and exposed before the Holy! Holy! Holy One of Israel! What if He rejects us the way others have?

Except He won’t.

ELDER: EPHESIANS 3:14-21 [NLTse]

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in Heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

20 Now all glory to God, Who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish

infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to Him in the Church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

PASTOR: SERMON (Part 2)

The Bible pictures our Abba’s love for us in a variety of very homey ways.

For instance, the city of Jerusalem is often prophetically-used to speak of the Church. (As we talked a little about last Sunday when, in The Revelation, John draws everyone’s attention to the Bride of Christ, picturing her as “the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” (21:2)

Well, about Jerusalem, the prophet Isaiah speaks for the Lord: “See, I have written your name on the palms of My hands.” (49:16) Like a lovesick school-girl, Almighty God has written our names all over His hands!

Another down-to-earth image the Bible uses is, again, from The Revelation, when the Lord Jesus writes a letter to the Church in Philadelphia. (Not our “Philadelphia” here in Pennsylvania. This “Philadelphia” was in Asia Minor, modern-day Allah-Shehr in modern-day Turkey.) He writes to them, “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of My God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of My God, and they will be citizens in the city of My God—the New Jerusalem that comes down from Heaven from my God. And I will also write on them My new name… (3:11-12)

Don’t you love it? He writes our name on Him and He writes His name on us: Like Andy did to Woody and Buzz, his favorites! Like my kids did on their favorites. Because when you write your name on something it means, “Mine!”

And yet, let’s not fall into thinking that Father’s love for us is merely some warm-fuzzy, feel-good emotion. No. Because the Bible doesn’t just tell us

that God loves us, the Bible also tells us that God is love!

God doesn’t love us because we are deserving or worth it or for any other reason that has anything to do with us whatsoever. No. Scripture makes clear that God loves us out of His Own nature. It doesn’t matter whether we feel as though God loves us or not. It is true that God loves us because love is an aspect of His nature, His character; it is a part of Who He is and what He is. God’s love for human beings is a cold, hard fact because God is love!

Just as gravity doesn’t care whether or not you want to end up on the ground when you fall out of the tree: It is gravity’s nature to bring all things to the ground! The water in the lake doesn’t care whether or not you want to get wet when your friends throw you into it: It is the nature of water to completely soak what is in it!

Likewise, God does not care whether or not you want to be loved when you are conceived and born into the world as a human being: It is the nature and character and being of God to love you, you human being! God doesn’t take us into account whether or not we are love-worthy. There’s no such thing! God loves us because that’s what He does, because that’s Who He is: God is love.

But do you believe that? Do you [pointing to my heart] truly believe that? Do you believe God sees you, and says, “You are Mine. Your name is tattooed on My hands. I have chosen and adopted you to be My child. You belong to Me, and you always will”?

Do you make space and time to be still and hear and take into yourself this message? Do you make time in the morning, at lunch, or late at night to let God’s love invade your heart, your mind, your soul, your strength? Do you make time to get away with Him to just listen and believe?

What if you let yourself be loved by God? What if you dared to believe His promises were true?

ELDER: JOHN 3:16 [NLTse]

“For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

PASTOR: SERMON (Part 3)

C.S. Lewis once wrote: “To please God… to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness… to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son – it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is.” (The Weight of Glory)

ELDER: ROMANS 8:31-39 [NLTse]

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since He did not spare even His Own Son but gave Jesus up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else?

Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His Own? No one: For God Himself has given us right standing with Himself!

Who then will condemn us? No one: For Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us!

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry, or are poor or in danger or are threatened with death? … No! Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, Who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love! Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow, not even the powers of Hell can separate us from God’s love! No power in the sky above or the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to

separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord!”

SERMON

PASTOR: INTRODUCTION

Across The Revelation to John we see parallels made between the realities of God and the counterfeits of Satan. We see the real, Lord God Almighty, the One sitting on the Throne, and we see the counterfeit, the Dragon, Satan, the Devil… We see the real, God the Son, the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, and we see the counterfeit, the Beast, the first beast (that is), with a fatal wound that has been miraculously healed (in imitation of the Lord Jesus’ being raised from the dead). We see the real, Christ’s Church, marked and measured, and we see the counterfeit, the False Prophet, that looks like a representative of the Lamb but that speaks with the voice of the Dragon. We see the real, the Bride of Christ, dressed in righteousness, and her city, the New Jerusalem, and we see the counterfeit, the Great Prostitute, drinking obscenities and impurities, and her city, Babylon the Great, covered with heresies and blasphemies…

As our reading begins, “the End” has just begun with the fall and destruction of the Great Prostitute and her city, Babylon the great. With their destruction falls the whole world-system and the devil’s wicked, sinful, death-fearing pattern of life-together across human society… (Immediately after our reading, the Beast and the False Prophet are quickly defeated, and, finally, the Devil – Satan – likewise proves himself no match whatsoever for the One seated on the Throne and the Lamb. But, for now, so far, it’s just been the fall and destruction of the Great Prostitute and her city Babylon the great…)

ELDER READING FROM: THE REVELATION 19:1-10 [NLTse]

After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in Heaven shouting, “Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. 2 His judgments

are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of His servants.”

3 And again their voices rang out: “Praise the Lord! The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!”

4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, Who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, “Amen! Praise the Lord!”

5 And from the throne came a voice that said, “Praise our God, all His servants, all who fear Him, from the least to the greatest.”

6 Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder: “Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to Him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and His bride has prepared herself. 8 She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”

10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.”

PASTOR: SERMON

Wedding customs in the time of Jesus had three major parts. First, a marriage contract was signed by the parents of the bride and the bridegroom, and then the bridegroom’s parents or the bridegroom himself would pay a bride-price – typically a gift of money, land, or livestock – to the bride or to her

parents. This began what was called the betrothal period—what we would today call “the engagement”. This period was the one Joseph and Mary were in when she was found to be with child (Matthew 1:18; Luke 2:5).

The second step usually occurred a year later when the bridegroom, accompanied by his male friends, marched and danced and sang in procession to the bride’s house creating a parade-of-sorts through the streets. The bride would know in advance this was going to take place – though, perhaps not the exact day or the exact time of day – and so she would be ready with her maidens, and when the bridegroom and his men arrived, they would all join the parade and accompany them all back to the bridegroom’s and bride’s new home. (Sometimes their new home would be an addition the bridegroom had built onto his father’s home; sometimes it would be a new house altogether.) This custom is the basis for the Lord Jesus’ parable The Ten Bridesmaids in Matthew 25.

The third phase in a good Hebrew wedding was the marriage ceremony, which ended with the bridegroom and bride being led to the bridal chamber… And with the bridegroom and bride formally wed and having consummated their union, the wedding supper would begin! (A celebration that might go on for days, as we see happening in John 2 when the Lord Jesus attended the wedding at Cana.)

So, when we read about the “Wedding Supper of the Lamb” in John’s vision in The Revelation, we are watching the culmination of the Lord Jesus’ marriage to His Bride, the Church. The implication, of course, is that the first phases have already taken place. The first completed here on earth with each believer individually making a contract – a covenant – with God by placing our faith in Christ as the Savior of our lives and the Lord oof our lives. Our bride-price was Christ’s sacrifice on the cross paying the penalty for our sins. The Church on earth today, then, is “betrothed” – engaged – to Jesus Christ, and, like

the wise bridesmaids in the Lord Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25, all of us believers should be watching and prepared for the return of our Bridegroom.

The second phase of our marriage speaks of the Rapture, when Christ will come to take us – His Church – out of the collapsing world to our new home: The New Heavens and the New Earth! Then after all the pomp and wonder of being finally and fully united with Him, the “Marriage Supper” will follow: The glorious celebration of all who are in Christ!

SERMON “Idol Chatter”

1 JOHN 5:13-21 [NLTse]

13 I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 14 And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. 15 And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.

16 If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. 17 All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death.

18 We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. 19 We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and He is eternal life.

21 Dear children, keep away from idols, that is, anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

SERMON

We are finishing up our year-long reading of the Bible. This past week we finished Hebrews, and read through James, and First & Second Peter. This reading from 1 John that Elder Roger Casey just finished comes from next week’s readings. I’m a week ahead of us because next Sunday – Christmas Eve morning – the Service will largely be led by the kids and teens of the church, including the Message. So, as I believe the Lord wanted this Message preached, since I won’t get a chance to preach it next Sunday, here I am preaching it today. J

During our prayers this morning I asked us what we were praying for this Christmas: What we were asking God for… With that on my mind this past week as I was preparing for this morning I got wondering what God might want from us this Christmas: What He’s asking us for… And the very end of this reading caught my attention: John’s final words of the letter, “Dear children, keep away from idols, that is, anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.” (5:21)

For those of you reading along with Roger this morning, if you were reading along in our pew Bibles – the New Living Translation – you saw that I inserted the word “idols” into our reading. Its translation simply says: “Keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.” If you’re reading along in some other translation – the NIV (the New International Version) or the New King James Version or the growing-more-and-more-popular ESV (English Standard Version) – your translation simply read: “Keep yourselves from idols.”

Of course, both translations are correct because when the Holy Spirit (through John) is calling us away from “idols”, he’s not just telling us to not worship God by bowing down before or praying toward statues made of wood or marble or gold that represent God or other gods. No. “Idols” and “idolatry” in the Bible include anything we might worship other than God (through Christ): Anything that might take God’s place in our hearts.

You see, the Bible makes clear that as far back as Genesis chapter 3 – which records the first sin – that human being’s root problem is that we don’t want to let God be the center of our lives. In Genesis 3 Adam and Eve trusted the devil more than they trusted God. In Genesis 4, Cain went along with his jealousy instead of going along with God. By the time of Noah, the people of the earth had ignored and distanced themselves from God so completely that Genesis 6 tells us, “Everything [human beings]

thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.” (v. 5) And by Moses’ day, the peoples’ of the earth were so mixed up about right and wrong and love and hate and rightness and injustice that God had to give Moses the Ten Commandments (and over time a bunch of other so-called “laws”) to help people get to know good from bad again!

Yup, like Adam and Eve trusting the devil, and Cain giving in to his jealousy, and even the Israelites wanting a golden calf they could see and touch to worship instead of a God Who couldn’t be seen or touched, human beings have always chosen created things to worship and be our “gods” because we don’t want God to be in control of our lives: We want to be in control of our lives.

So, wealth, work, family, and wanting others to like us can all become “idols” when we look to them to help us feel good about ourselves and acceptable to others. A property, a possession, an activity, or an institution can all become “idols” when we need them in our lives in order to be happy. A hope, an idea, a pleasure, even a hero can become “idols” when, if ever threatened or taken from us, would cause us to turn our backs on God. Yes, even the good things God has given us and the good callings He has on our lives can become “idols” when they become the real goal of our day-to-day living instead of Almighty God Who gave them…

Several years ago I shared with you all the story of a time when my wife, Amy, and I were making our way through a crowded movie theater parking lot and Amy, having looked both ways, had then dashed across the traffic to the other side. (Only, Amy hadn’t seen a car that I could see coming up from behind us!) In that moment when I thought I was going to lose her I had one of those “life flashing before your eyes” conversations with God: Begging Him not to take her. And in that same moment God showed me how, if I didn’t surrender Amy’s life and welfare to Him – how, if I always demanded He keep her safe and healthy – how Amy

would always be vulnerable to the wicked plans of the Evil One. That is, if my love for God and my trust in Him depended on whether or not He took good-enough care of my wife, how the devil could then always hurt me and cause trouble between God and me by hurting her or even taking her from me. God taught me in that moment that the safest place for my wife to be was not in my hands or in my plans for her and us, but in His hands and in His plans for her and us. I needed to worship Him alone.

God shattered another potential-idol of mine years later when our first child was born. Amy was exhausted after a long night of labor made all the more draining on account of her having been given a large dose of sleeping medicine by accident just as her contractions started. She literally didn’t have it in her to push Noah out. And he was stuck. And the nurse hit that dreaded blue button, and the coding announcement went out over the hospital loud speakers. And as the crash cart came in and I was pushed out of the way, it became clear that my wife and my son were going to die as I helplessly watched. And I told God in that moment, with tears pouring down my face, that He could have her and I would still love Him, and that He could have Noah, too, and that I would still love Him…

And God was merciful to me as those little stone sculptures fell from the altar of my heart and smashed on the hospital floor at my feet. He had mercy on us in that Amy is here today and in that, God willing, Noah will be home for Christmas break later on this afternoon.

But how do we know when the Lord is rightly and solely enthroned upon our hearts and when something or someone has become an “idol” that we’ve placed there?

First of all, there’s always competition for the throne of our lives. The devil hates that we’re saved and is doing everything in his power to break up our relationship with the Lord. So, the question is never,

“Is there something or someone competing for God’s place on the throne of my life?” the question is always, “What is competing for God’s place on the throne of my life?”

And we get the answers to such questions by honestly answering other questions. Questions like:

u “What gives my life meaning? What gives my life worth?”

u “What is my greatest nightmare? What do I worry about most?”

u “What keeps me going? That is, what – if I failed in it or lost it – would cause me to not want to live anymore?”

u “What do I rely on when things go bad or get difficult? What do I comfort myself with?”

u “What preoccupies me? What does my mind think about when I’m not doing something else?”

u “What prayer, if unanswered, would make me seriously think about turning away from God?”

u “What gives me the most self-worth? What am I the proudest of?”

u “What do I really want and expect out of life? What would really make me happy?”

The common-thread answers to these questions will make absolutely clear to you what has become too important to you… u

Once we’ve identified our “idols”, how do we go about smashing them and removing them from the throne of our hearts?

First, let’s realize that having an “idol” or “idols” alongside or in God’s rightful place in our lives is like saying to God, “Lord, it’s good to have You in my life, but there’s this other thing that I must have or I’ll never be happy and my life won’t be meaningful. You are not enough, Father. I need this, too, in order to be fulfilled. In fact, if you take it from me I’ll turn my back on You, because I like having You in my life, but I need this!” (Does anything or anyone come to your mind as I said that? Well,

that’s your “idol” or at least one of the “idols” competing for God’s place in your life.)

So, acknowledging what having an “idol” in our lives says to God, we repent and seek to smash the “idol” by coming against its place in our lives in two different ways:

First: We meditate on the sin of our idolatry in order to hate the sin of our idolatry. And, second: We meditate on the grace of God to us in the work of Jesus in order to love the grace of God to us in the work of Jesus.

So, hating the sin of our idolatry… If we are the Bride of Christ then by allowing this “idol” we are having an affair! If we are the sons and daughters of God then by allowing this “idol” we are rejecting the Dad Who has given everything for us and Who has everything for us! Our Husband in Heaven is the One Who has declared us innocent of sin, not this “idol”! Our Father in Heaven is the One Who has saved us from the power of sin and the fear of death, not this “idol”! Jesus is the Way, not this “idol”! Jesus is the Truth, not this “idol”! Jesus is our Life, not this “idol”! He’s the One Who’s saved us! He’s our Lord! We will no longer be controlled by this “idol”!!!

And, loving the grace of God to us in the work of Jesus… We admit to our Beloved: “Lord, I’ve been trying to earn my own salvation and set up my own righteousness through this “idolatry”. But Jesus is my salvation! I am righteous only in Your Son! You accept me because of what Jesus has done on the cross! All my problems come because I am forgetting how loved, honored, beautiful, secure, rich, respected, embraced, and free I am in Jesus! Help me, Abba-Father, to be so captivated by Your love for me that no other love can ever control me again!”

We meditate on the sin of our idolatry. We meditate on the grace of God to us in the work of Jesus.

“Merry Christmas, Jesus! We give our hearts to You afresh and unchallenged this morning. Please, help keep us from idols, that is, anything that might take God’s place in our hearts!”

SERMON “Godliness Training”

1 TIMOTHY 4:1-16 [NLTse]

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2 These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.

3 They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth. 4 Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. 5 For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer.

6 If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. 7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. 8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 9 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. 10 This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.

11 Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. 12 Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. 13 Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.

14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. 15 Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for

the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

SERMON

In 1 Timothy 4:8, Paul wrote, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” “Godliness” is an old-fashioned word that means God-like-ness, so, training for godliness is training that makes us more like Christ, more like God. In this passage, the parallel between “physical training” and “training for godliness” teaches us something about that.

First off, Paul tells Timothy and us why we should take up godliness training: And that is, because there are false prophets and false teachers out there who are teaching – not God’s heart and mind and Word, but – the deceptions of demons(!), Paul warns. By “out there” I mean, in pulpits, on TV, writing popular blog-posts; wearing coats and ties, wearing skirts and dresses, wearing jeans; preaching and teaching to hundreds, preaching and teaching to thousands, preaching and teaching to small groups…

At a recent study and prayer meeting of the elders and deacons, we were sharing stories of our run-ins with the devil and his crew of fallen angels (demons). Everyone who shared made a similar observation: Satan doesn’t appear wicked; that is, nobody who’d encountered the devil saw the red, two-horned, pointy-tailed creature with the pitchfork we see in so many depictions of the evil one. No. The embodiment of evil (at least for each and every one of the elders or deacons who shared) appeared normal, typical, average, like anybody else…

We all can be tricked into thinking that we live in a world like Dick Tracy, u where all the good guys looked like good guys and where u all the bad guys looked bad. But the truth is, bad guys can be attractive and be good preachers, too, and bad gals can be attractive and work wonders, too. And that’s why we need to be warned, u and that’s whhy we

need godliness training, because Paul tells us that, in truth, these folks are hypocrites and liars not sensitive to God’s Spirit and who, though seeming faithful, have turned away from the true faith. But we can’t know that if we haven’t trained ourselves in godliness.

And, let’s not fool ourselves into believing that false prophets and false teachers might just be leading us astray about aspects of our faith that don’t matter day by day. No. Paul gives the example of people teaching about what you can eat and who you’re free to marry! These deceivers the devil has sent to infiltrate Christ’s Church are not only taking the freedom of the gospel and twisting it into a new kind of slavery, they’re not only taking the Christian’s desire to obey God out of love and gratitude and twisting it into an obedience coming from fear and obligation, and they’re not only taking the gracious gift of salvation and twisting it into something you or I could take credit for ourselves, but these wolves in sheep’s clothing – these pagans in pastor’s clothing – are also taking the glory of the cross of Christ and equating it with the color of this or that political party or the flag of this or that government; they are also taking the wild and gentle wonders of all it means to be male and female in the image of God and neutering us all down into tame and bland counterfeits; they are also taking the wealth and riches of the gospel of Jesus Christ and making Christian people want the wealth and riches of this life more. We need godliness training so that we can recognize the subtleties and nuances of such differences, especially since (on account of how attractive false prophets and false teachers can be) we can be far down the slippery-slope of their inspiring and entertaining ways before we realize the evil that’s being done to us.

It happened here in this church, for the handful of you here long-enough to remember it. Tim Dean, an elder of the church who has now moved down to Delaware for retirement, was on the committee of

church members who originally interviewed me and eventually hired me to be your pastor. Tim told me about the pastor who was here before me, a fellow well-versed in the Bible and who preached and taught well and often about the cross of Christ and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

But, after a while, Tim said, somethings just seemed to be off in the ways he was encouraging the church to apply the Scriptures. It eventually got to seem so “not right” to him that he began going home after Worship and looking up the context for all the passages the pastor had referenced in his messages. It became very clear to Tim that the pastor was taking the truths of the good news but twisting them to move the church according to his own plans and agenda. A sermon that pastor gave, sadly titled the “Palm Sunday Massacre” by many who were in the church at that time, woke the entire congregation up to the reality that, nice guy though he was, he was a false prophet and a false teacher, and, praise God, you fired him for it…

Yes, no matter the benefits we can receive from dieting and working out, godliness training is even more important because it affects not only our health and welfare in this life but also affects our place and station in the life to come! And Paul writes in another place, “if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.” (1 Corinthians 15:19)

What does godliness training look like? Paul says it includes exercising and practicing-using the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us. Paul says it involves giving our complete attention to the things of God: “Throwing yourself” into God’s work, he writes to Timothy. It involves both how we’re living our personal lives as well as what we say and teach publicly to be true about Jesus.

In physical exercise, we train our muscles to be strong and flexible by regularly forcing them to do things that are hard for them to do. Over time, our muscles develop the ability to do these hard – and even harder – things, but only because we have

consistently worked them to do things that, at first, seemed almost too hard for them!

Likewise in godliness training, we won’t grow unless we continually challenge our spiritual “muscles” to do things we find hard. With that in mind, let’s u ask ourselves:

What am I disciplining myself to do that is hard for me to do? As we ask ourselves this question, let’s keep in mind that what is hard for someone else may be easy for us. We’re looking for things that we, personally, find hard to do. “No pain, no gain,” as the weightlifters say.

u Another question: How regularly am I requiring myself to do these things? Down through the centuries, many have found it helpful to have some daily routine of spiritual practices. “Once in a while” has proven not to get the job done. Likewise in physical training: The athlete who finds him- or herself saying, “I’m too busy to train today; it won’t hurt to miss just one day,” is probably not someone you’ll see playing past the high school level, and someone you definitely won’t see competing professionally or winning a medal in the Olympics. (And we are training for a prize far more precious than wealth or fame or 5-minutes of glory on a podium.)

For example, think about something like daily Bible reading. Many would say, “But I can’t read the Bible every single day. There are some days when I’m just too busy to get my reading done.” Well, yes, it is hard — and therein lies the value of it, at least from the standpoint of godliness training. The very act of doing that which is hard is beneficial (not to mention all the other benefits of reading the Bible itself).

The willingness to pay the price and do the hard things is what separates those who are genuinely head-over-heels for Christ and who genuinely desire to be close to Him and like Him from those who simply think of Christianity and faith and Heaven as all being nice ideas.

I hear the Lord calling to me (I hear Him calling to us all): “Honestly, how much do I really mean to you?”

My friends, with all the ways the devil is active trying to trick us and distract us and to satisfy us with lesser things, are we willing to train for Christ’s sake? Are we willing to ask the hard questions and do the hard things to show Him our love and gratitude for saving us in Christ?

SERMON – “Glory! Plain & Simple”

2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-12 [NLTse]

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth and to all of His holy people throughout Greece.

2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with His comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, Who raises the dead. 10 And He did rescue us from mortal danger, and He will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in Him, and He will continue to rescue us. 11 And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.

12 We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have

depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you.

SERMON

I don’t know about all of you but I think that we’ve been tricked. At least, I know I have.

I’ve long been a fan of superhero fiction, and have always loved watching or reading about the hero fighting to keep the damsel safe, rescuing her at great odds, and then living together happily ever after. Glorious!

The medium is a little bit different, but you see the same deception if you’re a fan of People magazine or of Woman’s Day or of Men’s Health: The lives of the rich and famous often seem so much more interesting and adventurous and “what life is supposed to be like” than our lives; in those pages the diet always succeeds and the workout always leaves great results. Glorious! Our TV shows and pop-music also portray and sing of bigger-than-life-romances and more-interesting-than-our-lives relationships, bigger-than-our-business deals, more-productive-than-we-could-ever-be movers-and-shakers, and of having a cleaner house and running a tighter ship than we ever could. Glorious! There’s engaging drama. There’s edge-of-your-seat suspense, There’s breath-taking passion. Glorious!

I say that I think we’ve all been deceived because the world portrays all of these things as “glorious”: Bigger-than-life! Heart-rending or heart-stopping! Earth-shaking! I think we’ve all been tricked into thinking that all of this is what “glory!” looks like.

Even here in Christ’s Church the idea of God’s glory shining through seems to be equated with bold healings, shocking deliverances, heartfelt reconciliations, mass conversions, awesome manifestations of the Holy Spirit! Glory is acknowledged at times when God gets us a new car or helps us win the lottery or does something else that we really, really, really, really want Him to do.

But I think the Lord Jesus is revealing to us today (by the Apostle Paul) that glory can be big and loud and attention-getting, but that glory is, perhaps even more often, a quiet, often-unnoticed breaking-into-our-world of Heavenly truth, character, and wonder.

1 Kings 19 memorably records a time when the Prophet Elijah needed encouragement from the LORD. And so, 1 Kings 19 records: “A mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper… And a voice said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” (19:11-13)

We so often only expect God to show Himself in the hurricane-, earthquake-, and firestorm-like visitations of life! But oftentimes God’s simply there, waiting for us to notice that small bush-on-fire on the mountainside, waiting for us to notice that it’s not spreading or going out. Waiting for us to draw nearer… We so often only expect God to show Himself in the heavenly choir singing “Hosannas” and praise! But oftentimes He’s simply there, walking into our midst in the disheveled form of a lone angel messenger, waiting for us to give Him our attention. Waiting for us to give ear to His message. Waiting for us to draw near…

As we read through 2 Corinthians this week on our way through the Bible in 2017, Paul gives us images and examples of God’s glory shining quietly and mildly in the midst of the everyday mundane.

Paul shares that God’s glory bursts into our lives when we’ve trusted in Christ and the result is pain, grieving, disillusionment, fear, or confusion. Heaven shows itself shining around us in such moments in the form of God Himself comforting us through His Word or through the Body of Christ… The angels cry, “Glory!”

…

Paul shares that God’s glory bursts into our lives when He calls us to move in a certain direction on a given matter for Christ’s sake even though all the world around us is moving in the opposite direction. (Paul makes clear that we’re not moving in that direction because we’ve become passionate about it or because it’s come to break our hearts, but only because Christ has asked us to move in that direction for His sake and His sake alone.) Heaven shows itself shining around us in such lonely moments by having the Holy Spirit silently remind, encourage, and convict our hearts of everything Christ has ever promised… The angels cry, “Glory!”

…

Paul shares that God’s glory bursts into our lives when we are treated by unbelievers around us as though we are repulsive, ugly, uneducated, uncouth, evil – as though we are giving off some kind of cringing stench – treating us that way just because we are Christians. Heaven shows itself shining around us in such moments because, unknown to us, at these very same times other Christians around us and those Jesus is calling to Himself are finding us supernaturally attractive, beautiful, wise-beyond-our-years, gracious, noble – as though spreading an intoxicating perfume across their lives… And the angels cry, “Glory!”

…

In our reading, Paul tells about a time when God’s glory burst into he and his fellow-missionaries’ lives as they were sharing the gospel. He writes, “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure! We thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die.” But Heaven showed itself, Paul said, because in those moments they stopped relying on themselves and learned to rely only on God. They thought they were going to die, but they knew that God raises the dead! God rescued them, Paul rejoiced! And he and his companions were confident God would keep rescuing them again and again!

Paul shares that God’s glory bursts into our lives when we don’t give up or give in to the world’s threats, persecutions, judgments, and pressures. Heaven shows itself shining around us in such moments by the Holy Spirit granting us supernatural faith in the unseen realities of the life to come and supernatural confidence in our own resurrection on account of His having raised Christ… And the angels cry, “Glory!”

…

Paul shares that God’s glory bursts into our lives when we bear up under the weaknesses and infirmities of these earthly bodies. Heaven shows itself shining around us in such moments as the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with assurance concerning our promised heavenly bodies… And the angels cry, “Glory!”

…

Paul shares that God’s glory bursts into our lives when we bear the grace and good news of Jesus to others as His ambassadors. Heaven shows itself shining around us in such moments as God makes Christ – afresh and anew – to be the offering for the sin of the world so those around us can be made right with and draw near to God… And the angels cry, “Glory!”

2 Corinthians 4:7 compares Christians to “fragile clay jars” containing great treasure. (Maybe like this McDonald’s cup containing this delicious chocolate milkshake.) Like the flimsy plastic casing of this cup, the Apostle Paul says that God likes working through our human weakness and fragility because it makes it clear to all those around us that any great power we demonstrate must be from God and doesn’t come from us, ourselves. After all, what are we? [Put the cup down and smash it with my foot!] [Try to smash it again and again and again!]

We’ve been deceived. God’s glory is not most often expressed in grand, attention-getting acts. It is most often expressed in flimsy, quiet acts of

faithfulness, servant-heartedness, self-sacrifice, and weakness… [Pick up the cup and put it on the Table.]

When people see us responding to hardships with grace, everyone with eyes-to-see knows that Heaven has burst into the world and sees God’s glory shining among us!

Let us live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministries. In everything we do, let us show that we are true ministers of God. Let us patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. Perhaps we’ll be beaten, put in prison, have to face angry mobs, be worked to exhaustion, have to endure sleepless nights, and/or go without food. May we prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. May we faithfully preach the truth!

God’s power is working in us!

May we use the weapons of righteousness in our right hands for attack and the weapons of righteousness in our left hands for defense. May we serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. Let us be honest even if they call us liars. Let them ignore us; we know we are well-known by God! Even if we are made to live close to death, let us not forget that we are still alive! Even if we get beaten, let us praise the Lord that we haven’t yet been killed. Even as our hearts ache, let us always thrill in the joy of the Lord. Even if we are made poor, let us know the glory of giving spiritual riches to others. Even if we own nothing, let’s always remember that, in Christ, we have everything!

O, those angels are crying, “Glory!”

Sermon – “Beautiful Feet”
ROMANS 10:4-15 [NLTse]

4 …Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which [God’s Law] was given. As a result, all who believe in Him are made right with God.

5 For Moses writes that [God’s Law’s] way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. 6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to Heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.”

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by be-lieving in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.” 12 Jew

and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, Who gives generously to all who call on Him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 But how can they call on Him to save them un-less they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

SERMON – “Beautiful Feet”

The good news of Jesus Christ has become bad news in much of the public eye. The message has been distorted, twisted into something very different from all the Lord Jesus came and preached and died and rose from the dead and went back up into Heaven to convey to us.

Some of the better-known versions of how Christ’s message has been twisted is that Christ has come and died to pay price for human sin and so now Christian-people can sin all they want – it’s okay! – because Christ has paid the price for sin! (But that’s not the message.)

Another twisted version is that Christ came and lived and then died and rose and ascended to show people what a sinless life looked like so that we can now follow after Him and do likewise. Folks who think this is the message believe a person has to get their act together, straighten up, and stop sinning in order to be welcome and able to go to church, and to Heaven. (But that’s not the message, either.)

Of course, the true message is that Jesus Christ – God the Son – came and died to pay the death-penalty all human beings deserve for our sin, and so everyone who believes in His saving-death is forgiv-en their sins for all time. And Jesus came and died so that human beings would no longer be under the power of sin so that we can stop sinning, or at least,

sin less and less and less, until Jesus returns and makes us brand new.

There’s more to it, of course, but that’s the heart of the good news. However, most people don’t know that. They just know one of the twisted ver-sions. So, Abba is sending us out to be His messen-gers to tell those around us the truth.

Revelation 12:11 says that we, Christians, over-come the devil “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.” And the apostle Peter writes in his first letter, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15) So, we gain power, authority, and confidence in our faith and against the spiritual realms as we trust in the sin-sacrifice of Jesus and as we share what God’s done in our lives with those around us. At the very same time, since Christ has called us to be holy – dif-ferent – then there tends to be a difference between our actions, attitudes, and priorities and those of the people we work with and go to school with and

whom we shop with… And when people around us notice the difference and ask us, “Why are you dif-ferent?” we need to be ready to tell them that we are different on account of Jesus!

Probably the most effective tool we have for sharing our faith with others is our testimony: The story of how Jesus Christ has brought us into a close relationship with Himself and how He’s enriched our lives because of it. The Apostle John wrote, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard” (1 John 1:3). And that is exactly what our testimonies are, right: Simply proclaiming to others what we have personally seen and heard about Jesus Christ.

Now, the purpose of preparing our testimony ahead of time is to help us be ready: To help us put into words some of the important and interesting details of our coming to Christ and of our lie with Him, details we might forget to share if were we simply talking off the cuff.

Of course, our story serves mainly as a “door opener.” Many people aren’t going to be convinced

that they need Jesus just by hearing what He’s done and doing with our lives. But listening to our stories can often open up a conversation that might allow us to share the gospel more fully later.

The apostle Paul shares his testimony three differ-ent times across the Book of Acts. If you read Acts 26 out loud it takes about three to five minutes to say, the perfect length of time for a testimony that will get peoples’ attention without having their minds wander because our story goes on and on.

In vv. 1-5 Paul describes the ways he thought and the things he did before he became a believer. In vv. 6-11 Paul explained how he became a believer. And in vv. 12-21 Paul explained how becoming a believer changed his life. What a great pattern for a Christian testimony!

So, with preparing our own testimony in mind, we might want to start with what our lives revolved around, where we looked for security and happiness before we became Christians, and what happened when those crutches began to let us down? Then, it

might be good to move onto telling of when we heard the gospel for the first time, or when we ex-perienced genuine Christianity for the first time: What was that like for us, what was our initial reac-tion? And then, how did our attitudes about it begin to change? What was the hardest parts about Jesus’ good news for us to accept? And then, why did we finally accept Christ? Lastly and perhaps most im-portantly, of course, we likely want to end with how giving our lives to Christ changed us: Not just our behaviors, but our character, our attitudes, and our perspectives on life, as well.

We’ll want our testimonies to be personal, not preachy: So let’s use “I” and “me”. And let’s write it down the way you would speak it, since when we do share it we’re going to be sharing it informally and casually with another person, the same way we’d be informally and casually sharing anything else.

When we talk about how our lives looked before we were Christians, let’s not dwell too much on past

sin or “how bad we used to be”. That can distract people and even come across kind of arrogant. We need to simply make it clear that we knew we need-ed something more.

When we share how we came to Christ, let’s make the specific steps clear, such as, “I bowed my head and asked God to forgive me my sins and take control of my life,” or “I went forward and when the pastor prayed for God to forgive me my sins and become the lord of my life, I agreed with his prayer and gave Jesus my life,” etc… Anyone hearing or overhearing this part of our testimony should know how we became a Christian and how they can be-come a Christian, too!

Of course, when we start talking about how Christ has changed our lives, we need to make sure that God’s the One Who looks good, not us. Our testimony isn’t so people can say, “Wow! Look at Ben!” No, it’s so people can say, “Wow! Look at Je-sus!” Let’s include how the Holy Spirit has changed and is changing our attitudes about some of the

things we’d earlier said that we struggled with be-fore we were Christians. But let’s be specific. Let’s not just say, “I have such peace now.” What does that mean? Yeah, let’s let people know that in the same kind of situation that used to make us respond in anxious, frantic ways, that now we respond in confident, hopeful ways. (Or whatever is the truth about us since Christ.) We want to make clear that we still have struggles, but we also want to make clear that we now have a sure and certain hope, and a path ahead of us and a Helper on that path – Jesus Christ – to get us and keep us there.

Someone said that, “Today’s test is tomorrow’s testimony.” And someone else said, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” Let’s make our feet beautiful.

SERMON – “Thou Shalt Keep On Keeping On”

LUKE 8:4-15 [NLTse]

4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a par-able to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear Him:

5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scat-tered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When He had said this, He called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and under-stand.”

9 His disciples asked Him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be ful-filled: ‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s Word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s Word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

SERMON

We’ve been reading through the Bible together as a church in 2017: This past week finishing the book The Acts of the Apostles. As a part of our reading the Bible together, I’ve committed to preach – each Sunday – from something we’d read the week be-fore. So, it may be strange that our Scripture Reading this morning comes from The Gospel of Luke at the end of a week where we’ve been reading through Acts. But, I think you’ll see the connection if you’ll bear with me…

The God of the Bible is unique. For thousands of years, loyal devotees worshiped the god of the hills, the god of the valley, the god of the sea… But the God of the Bible attached Himself to a people. The idea that there was a God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – a God of people – this was something new!

And the Bible records the direct line of this rela-tionship – from Adam and Eve to Abraham and Sa-rah, from Abraham and Sarah to David and Bath-sheba, and from David and Bathsheba to Mary and Joseph.

This relationship between God and His people was everything but easy. There were periods of great joy and celebration, like when King Solomon and the elders of Israel dedicated the Temple. There were seasons of frustration and anger, like when the Lord allowed foreign armies and tyrants to conquer. There were times of unfaithfulness and apostasy, like when Israel and Judah tried to be like the surround-ing nations and even worship their gods. And there were painful seasons of silence, like the years be-tween the Judges and Samuel when the Lord did not speak to Israel, and the four hundred years of si-lence-from-the-Lord between the Prophet Malachi’s ministry and the angel Gabriel’s appearance to Zech-ariah the priest heralding the birth of Jesus Christ.

One characteristic holds the history of God and Israel together – perseverance. When Israel turned her back on God, God didn’t turn His back on Israel. We see Him step back for a time, here and there, but

the Lord’s overall commitment to Israel and Israel’s overall commitment to the Lord remained concrete and steadfast.

In the Parable of the Soils that we read this morn-ing from Luke 8, Jesus warns that some will hear God’s Word and believe for a while, but “then fall away when they face temptation” (v. 13). Others hear “but never grow into maturity” because of the cares and riches and pleasures of this life (v. 14). But those praised by Jesus as the reason He came, are those who “hear God’s Word, cling to it, and pa-tiently produce a huge harvest” (v. 15). Or, to quote the New International Version instead, those who “hear the Word, retain it, and by persevering pro-duce a crop”.

A fruit of the Holy Spirit in every Christian’s life, true Christian spirituality has always emphasized per-severance. The writer of the letter To the Hebrews wrote: “Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endur-ance the race God has set before us.” And Paul writes to the Christians in Rome: “[The Lord] will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But He will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wicked-ness.” (Romans 2:7-8).

Love, thanksgiving, righteousness – true holiness – are seen over time in our endurance, our persever-ance, our persistence. It is relatively easy to “flirt” with such things: Being courteous to other drivers if it’s been an exceptionally good day; publicly giving God thanks and credit if something made you really happy; going to someone’s assistance or helping someone in need if you have the time; throwing some extra money into the offering plate as long as you don’t need it for yourself… But such behavior is in reality superficial love, superficial thanksgiving, superficial righteousness. But what Father is seeking

from us is persistence: Our commitment to continue doing the loving thing, expressing our thanks, mak-ing the right decisions even when (and perhaps it’s moment by moment), you feel pulled in the oppo-site direction. Genuineness in our relationship with God is far more than occasional acts of kindness and charity. The Lord has perseveringly committed to us and is looking for our commitment to persistent sur-render to Him.

What can give us such power to persist and en-dure and persevere in love and thanksgiving and righteousness and doing good? I think Paul hints at the answer in the Romans 2 passage we talked about above. He writes that, those who keep on doing good are “seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers” (Romans 2:7). Since there is no immortality in this life, Paul is saying that Christian perseverance is based on the idea that there is another life after this one – we call it “Heav-en” – and that life is eternal and for which this world is a preparation. The coming world is so glorious, and heavy with so much honor, that that life is worth making sacrifices for now in this life to receive the glory, honor, and immortality there. Christian endurance, persistence, and perseverance don’t make any sense unless we live with a keen sense of eternity.

My younger and older brothers and sisters in Je-sus: The holiness that will be rewarded in Heaven is an enduring love, a persistent thanksgiving, a perse-vering righteousness. Read through the entire Bible. I promise you, you won’t find one reference to a “crown in Heaven” going to the person who’s had the “happiest” life on earth. No, there is no heaven-ly reward for the Christian who felt the least amount of pain.

In closing, 2 Thessalonians 3:5 says, “May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient en-durance that comes from Christ.” There’s the Bible’s recipe for holiness and a “successful” life here on earth: O, that our hearts could more fully under-

stand and more fully express God’s love! O, that we could more fully understand and more fully express the patient endurance of Christ Himself!