Surviving My Past

Posted by on December 6, 1998 under Sermons

One of my aunts who died a few years ago had a very difficult life. My childhood memories of visiting her are memories of visiting the dairy farm that she and her husband operated. She had no children. There were times when she had to manage and operate the dairy by herself.

When her husband was in his forties, he committed suicide. In time her health failed. She had little family and few options. She actually chose a nursing home for herself, made all the arrangements and preparations to move into the home, and spent the last years of her life living there.

The circumstances of her early marriage were unusual and difficult. Once I had opportunity to listen to my mother and my aunt talk about those unusual, difficult times. In those early days they shared a close bond. As they talked about those days, my aunt would smile and her eyes would brighten. I clearly remember her saying, “I would live every one of those days all over again!” Mom asked, “Without changing anything?” And she replied without hesitation, “Yes! Without changing one thing!”

She is one of the few people that I have ever known who truly had a hard life and would live it all over again without changing a thing. I do not have the slightest doubt that she would have.

  1. How about you? If you had the power to change your past, what would you change?
    1. Most people would like to alter their past in some way.
      1. Some would eliminate a tragedy or hardships.
      2. Some would add some opportunities.
      3. Some would change decisions and make different choices.
      4. Some would remove a disease, or suffering, or eliminate a death.
      5. Some would make basic changes in his or her family.
      6. The list of ways that people would alter the past go on and on.
    2. What about you? What would you alter?
      1. Personally, I am glad that is not an option for me.
      2. “Was everything about your past wonderful?”
        1. No.
        2. I don’t think I ever met someone whose past was nothing but wonderful.
        3. I have noticed that people who tend to think that every moment of their lives was wonderful usually have “selective memory.”
      3. “If everything was not wonderful, why are you glad it is not an option?”
        1. I am not wise enough to know what changes to make.
        2. Let me illustrate that fact: when I was 5 and 6 years old, I was a very sick kid, a severe asthmatic.
        3. Because I was in such poor health, Dad moved our family to the mountains when I was seven.
        4. That fall I met Joyce in the second grade.
        5. Because we moved to the mountains, I had opportunity to begin preaching at an early age.
        6. Joyce is the greatest earthly blessing God has given me.
          1. We have known each other all but six and a half years of our lives.
          2. I cannot imagine what my life would be without her as my wife.
        7. One of the greater spiritual blessings God has given me is the joy and fulfillment of teaching and preaching.
        8. If I had not been such a sick kid, I doubt that I would have met Joyce, and I am skeptical that I would be a preacher.
        9. If we altered our pasts, we would change who we are as well as our lives.
  2. May I suggest that none of us need to change our pasts, but most of us need to survive our pasts.
    1. Be very careful to understand what I say.
      1. I said that most of us (perhaps all of us) need to survive our pasts.
      2. Not run from our pasts.
      3. Not hide from our pasts.
      4. Not fantasize about our pasts.
      5. Not deny our pasts.
      6. But survive our pasts.
    2. “I don’t know what you mean. Why would you think that most people, perhaps all people, need to survive their past?”
      1. The person who was pampered needs to survive his or her past.
        1. When we are pampered, the message of the pampering is this: “You are so special that you deserve special treatment.”
        2. “You should get good treatment before others receive consideration.”
        3. “It is right for you to be first, to receive special treatment, and to receive consideration that others do not receive.”
        4. Why does anyone need to survive pampering?
          1. Pampering equips a person to be selfish, self-centered, and to consider and think of self first.
          2. Being conditioned to be selfish is a curse, not a blessing.
      2. The person who was taught to be materialistic needs to survive his or her past.
        1. This person was taught to look at people and life in terms of monetary value.
        2. The most important measurement for everything is money or financial value.
          1. How does a materialist determine value?
          2. How does a materialist measure success?
          3. How does a materialist define prosperity?
          4. How does a materialist determine worth?
        3. Being conditioned to value things above God or people is a curse, not a blessing.
      3. The person who has been taught to indulge himself or herself needs to survive his or her past.
        1. The foundation philosophy of indulgence is this: “the purpose of life is to experience the joy and satisfaction of pleasure.”
        2. “Life is for having fun.”
        3. “Life is about doing what feels good and gives you pleasure.”
        4. “If something does not give you gratification, don’t do it.”
        5. “If something interferes with your gratification, don’t do it.”
        6. “Your primary responsibility in life is to you; you owe it to yourself to have fun.”
        7. Being conditioned to surrender life and self to pleasure is a curse, not a blessing.
      4. The person whose life has been touched by the agony, the loss, and the grief of tragedy needs to survive his or her past.
        1. A horrible disease devastated him or her or someone he or she loved.
        2. Death robbed him or her.
        3. An accident changed the course of his or her life.
        4. A crime robbed him or her of far more than what he or she possessed.
        5. Whatever the form of the tragedy, whatever loss the tragedy inflicted, the tragedy created situations to be survived, not blessings to be enjoyed.
      5. The person who had a troubled past needs to survive his or her past.
        1. Troubled pasts take an unbelievable toll on life and relationships.
        2. “What do you mean by troubled pasts?”
          1. The agony, grief, destructiveness, and rejection that produces divorce.
          2. The agony, grief, destructiveness, and rejection produced by divorce.
          3. The fears and insecurity of a broken home.
          4. The devastation of abuse, no matter what caused it: alcohol, drugs, sexual exploitation, or rage.
          5. The devastation of abuse, no matter what kind it is: physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological.
          6. Abandonment.
          7. Anything that denies us the opportunity to know and experience healthy love produces a troubled past.
          8. Anything that reduces us to a object to be used instead of a person to be loved and appreciated produces a troubled pass.
          9. Each person who experienced those kinds of troubles needs to survive his or her past.
  3. To survive the past, three things must happen.
    1. First, the person must destroy his or her burden.
      1. You cannot do that by yourself.
        1. You cannot do that even with someone else’s help.
        2. You would be hard pressed to find someone who believes in the value of good counseling more that I do.
        3. But as beneficial as counseling is, counseling cannot destroy burdens.
      2. To destroy your burdens, you have to give your burdens to someone bigger than an human being.
      3. You have to give them to the burden bearer, the only one who can carry your burdens: Jesus who is the Christ.
        Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
        Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5:6,7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
    2. Second, the person must accept and trust forgiveness.
      1. It is impossible to survive your past if you live in the slavery of guilt.
      2. As long as you are chained by guilt you have no hope of surviving your past.
      3. The fascinating thing about forgiveness is that you will not forgive yourself until you accept and trust God’s forgiveness.
      4. Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, God through the prophet Jeremiah declared a special forgiveness that God would send. The writer of the book of Hebrews quoted that promise to declare that this was the special forgiveness that God has given us in God’s special priest, Jesus the Christ.
        Hebrews 8:12 “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more.” (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
        In 2 Corinthians 5:20,21 Paul explained how God made it possible to destroy our sins. “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
    3. Third, we must be liberated from the person created by the past.
      1. The horrible thing about being enslaved to the past is we keep living and acting like the person of the past.
      2. God saved us to give us the opportunity to escape the “same old me.”
        1. That is the existence he wants us to escape.
        2. One of the purposes of salvation is to change us.
          As Paul emphasized the changes that should occur in a Christian’s life, he told the Colossian Christians, (Colossians 3:9,10) “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him–“ (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
          Paul urged the Christians in Rome, (Romans 12:2) “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
        3. This liberation is not a magical occurrence.
        4. It is the opportunity and power to choose created by God’s forgiveness.

The power of the past is based on a very convincing deceit. “You cannot change the past. Because of the past, you are who you are. Because of the past, you will always be who you are. You are wasting your time if you try to be a different person.”

God says, “I am the God of your past, the God of your present, and the God of your future. If you allow me to be your God, I can recreate you. I can make you a new person with a new life and a new future.”

God can do it. That is not the issue. The issue is this: do you believe that God can do it?

The Moods of Worship

Posted by on under Sermons

How do you personally define worship? I am asking you a serious question that I want you to answer. What is your personal definition of worship? Think about your concept of worship. In your personal understanding, what is worship? Use a simple statement to silently define worship. Do you have your definition?

Take your definition and answer this question. “In my definition, is worship defined by what I do, or is worship defined by what happens in my heart?”

Is worship always the same experience? Is “true worship” confined to a single type of expression? Or is worship expressed in many different moods?

  1. The basic expression of worship is sincere praise.
    1. The soul of sincere praise is appreciation.
      1. You have little difficulty distinguishing between people who appreciate you and people who do not.
      2. God has no difficulty distinguishing between people who appreciate Him and people who do not.
      3. Pretended appreciation is flattery, and the purpose of flattery is to deceive.
      4. God is honored by appreciation; God is repulsed by flattery.
    2. I worship only if I appreciate.
      1. Worship occurs when I appreciate.
      2. It is impossible for resentment, or distrust, or contempt, or hate to produce worship.
      3. Why? Worship is sincere praise built on the solid foundation of appreciation.
    3. Let Revelation illustrate that truth.
      1. Revelation contains a number of expressions of worship that praise either God or Christ.
      2. God is worshipped by heavenly beings in 4:8,11.
        Revelation 4:8,11 “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” . . . “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
        1. God is praised because of His worthiness.
        2. God is worthy of praise because God is the creator.
      3. In Revelation 5:9,10, 12, 13, Christ is worshipped by so many angels they could not be counted and by the heavenly beings.
        Revelation 5:9,10, 12, 13, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” . . .”Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
        1. Christ is praised because of his worthiness.
        2. Christ is worthy of praise because he used his blood to purchase a people who became God’s kingdom and God’s priests.
      4. This illustrates the truth that worship is praise that comes from appreciation.
  2. When we consider human worship of God, I personally doubt that many Christians ever surpass David’s praise of God in the Old Testament.
    1. Nothing in the entire Bible surpasses the worship found in the psalms.
      1. The psalms exist to praise God.
      2. That praise arose from genuine appreciation.
      3. Christians need to let the psalms teach them how to worship.
      4. One of the worship lessons the psalms teach is that worship has many different moods.
    2. The young David was astounded that the Philistine army defied the God of Israel.
      1. With total dependence on God, David faced and killed Goliath.
      2. Quickly he became the most popular person in Israel.
      3. Quickly he became the most successful military leader in Israel’s army.
      4. As a result, Saul became insanely jealous of David and was determined33 to kill him.
      5. It became necessary for David to flee from Saul, and he fled to the Philistines (1 Samuel 21).
        1. The only way that David could keep the Philistines from killing him was to pretend that he was insane.
        2. Each day he went to the gates of the city of Gath and scribbled on them.
        3. He let his saliva run out of his mouth and drool run through his beard.
      6. Think about how humiliating, frightening, and lonely this time was for David simply because he delivered Israel from the Philistines and was loyal to Saul.
      7. Listen to his praise of God and appreciation for God found in Psalm 34 that was written at this time.
        Psalm 34:1-3,19-22 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be held guilty. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be held guilty. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
        1. David was reduced to acting insane.
        2. But David praised the God he appreciated.
    3. Years later David became the king of Israel.
      1. After years of success as the righteous king of Israel, David sinned horribly (2 Samuel 11,12).
      2. He committed adultery with Bathsheba, and the result was pregnancy.
        1. To cover his sin, he had her husband killed and married her.
        2. For almost a year, David thought his sin was hidden.
      3. Then Nathan the prophet confronted David, and David confessed his failure.
      4. David had been a person who had lived by his faith in God from the time that he was a teenager.
        1. In horrible and unjust circumstances he placed his trust in God time after time.
        2. Now, at the time of his greatest material blessing, he sinned in ways that he would not have considered in years past.
      5. Think about the devastation David felt as he honestly confronted his guilt and accepted responsibility for what he had done.
      6. Then listen to his praise of God found in Psalm 51 written at that time.
        Psalm 51:1-4,10-13 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
        1. Even in the guilt of failure, David profoundly appreciated God.
        2. In his respect and appreciation, he praised God even as he asked for forgiveness.
    4. David had a son named Absalom that he deeply loved (2 Samuel 13-16).
      1. Absalom was a handsome, charismatic leader, a skillful politician, and a treacherous, cunning man.
      2. He literally stole the hearts of the nation of Israel and had himself declared king in the place of his father.
      3. Because Absalom had already murdered his half brother, David knew that he, his family, and his friends must flee Jerusalem.
      4. To publicly declare his contempt for his father and to declare his firm hold on the throne, Absalom publicly raped ten of his father’s wives.
      5. Think about the things David felt as he fled Jerusalem knowing that the son he deeply loved was doing this.
      6. Listen to the praise and appreciation of Psalm 3 that David wrote after he fled from Absalom.
        Psalm 3:1-6 O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, “There is no deliverance for him in God.” But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the Lord with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
        1. David fled, and David praised and appreciated God.
  3. Worship wears many faces, praises with many voices, and expresses appreciation in many ways.
    1. Think about David’s worship for just a moment.
      1. What mood do you think David was in when he worshipped God while acting like an insane man in Gath?
      2. What mood do you think David was in when he worshipped God as he accepted his guilt for the sins against Bathsheba and Uriah?
      3. What mood do you think David was in when he worshipped God while he was fleeing from Absalom?
    2. To me the contrast is most obvious when David worshipped God when he celebrated.
      1. In 1 Samuel 6 David brought the ark of the covenant into his new royal city, the city of Jerusalem.
        1. From the time of Mount Sinai, hundreds of years earlier, the ark of the covenant was Israel’s most sacred object.
        2. It literally declared God’s presence in the nation of Israel.
      2. David accompanied the ark with gladness as he brought it to Jerusalem (verse 12).
      3. Every six steps of the journey, an ox and a fatling were sacrificed (verse 13).
      4. And David took off his royal clothing and danced before the Lord with all his might as he accompanied the ark (verse 14).
      5. When the ark reached its new home, more sacrifices were offered (verse 17).
      6. David praised God and showed his appreciation for God in what we consider unusual and unacceptable ways.
        1. But look carefully at what David did.
        2. He was not the powerful, victorious king who brought the ark to Jerusalem.
        3. He humbled himself before God and before all Israel; God was the dignitary, not David.
      7. What David did offended his wife Michal because she thought it was disgraceful behavior unworthy of a king.
      8. But it did not offend God; it honored God in joy and humility.

Worship always honors God by praising him because we appreciate him. God always knows when the appreciation comes from the heart and the praise is genuine. Our challenge is to let appreciation for God live in our hearts and express itself in sincere praise.

[Prayer by elder.]

We are more likely to think that God is the source of our problems than to understand that God is the foundation for our solutions. To appreciate God we must know Him. To praise Him, we must appreciate Him. Do you appreciate God?

‘Tis The Season To Want

Posted by on under Bulletin Articles

The day after Thanksgiving, nation wide many retail stores opened at six a.m. to lines of customers standing at the door. The “shop until you drop” stampede began. And that stampede will last late into the evening of December 24th.

The economic machinery primed us for this annual start of the nation’s most intense shopping spree. The television advertisement blitz began well before November 27. The insert advertisements in the newspaper on the 27th weighed more than the news articles.

Christmas gift buying is critical in the retail business. The survival of many stores actually depend on the share of December sales they capture. Competition is so severe that many stores cannot pay their bills and make a profit from the sales of the other eleven months.

Two factors fuel this national buying frenzy: (1) what we want, and (2) what others think we want. Our wants commonly translate into several attitudes. “Because you love me, give me what I want.” “Because I love you, I will give you your dreams.” “Because we love each other, I must give you something–and I fervently hope it is what you want.”

Love and wants become terribly entangled in each other. The situation is quite complicated. “If I give you the gift you want, does the gift prove I love you? If I fail to give you the gift you want, has my love for you failed? If my gift disappoints you, does that mean you are disappointed with my love? What if the gift you want exceeds my ability to give? What if I don’t know what gift you want?”

The situation is even more complex. Some give gifts to express love. Some give gifts to avoid embarrassment. Some give gifts to create indebtedness. Some give gifts to manipulate.

For decades I had a “want list” of things. Deep within, I was convinced that happiness automatically would be enhanced by having the things that I wanted. Then I discovered (the hard way) what I call “the post possession blahs.” The anticipation of having “the thing” was wonderful. Possessing “the thing” often was followed by depression.

As time passed, my “want list” of things grew smaller and smaller. One day, that list ceased to exist. The child, the young adult, and the middle aged adult never believed there could be life without a “want list” of things.

“What do you want for Christmas?” Such a simple question! Or is it?

In Appreciation

Posted by on November 29, 1998 under Sermons

Please take your Bible or a pew Bible and follow our thoughts from the text.

When Paul wrote a congregation, he often began his letter with an expression of sincere appreciation.

  1. He wrote a letter to the Christians in Rome.
    1. Those Christians had some serious problems.
      1. They seriously misunderstood the way God produces salvation in a person.
      2. They did not understand that God designed the gospel to be the perfect solution for spiritual or moral failure.
      3. They did not understand that God used people’s faith and His mercy to save people.
      4. They misunderstood the purpose of obedience.
        1. They did not understand that the purpose of obedience was to show gratitude for salvation.
        2. They were wrongly convinced that the purpose of obedience was to qualify a person for salvation.
    2. Those are basic, critical misunderstandings.
      1. They were serious misunderstandings.
      2. They produced serious problems.
    3. Yet, Paul clearly appreciated these Christians, and he wanted them to know it.
      Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
      1. Their knowledge was far from what it should be, but Paul appreciated their faith.
      2. The fact that these people who lived in the capital city of the Roman empire believed in Jesus Christ captured the attention of the world.
      3. And Paul was grateful.
  2. Paul wrote two letters to the Christians in Corinth.
    1. These people had been converted from very ungodly lives and circumstances.
      1. That congregation was filled with complicated problems that had roots in the ungodliness of their past.
      2. Their problems make us shudder.
        1. Division because different groups were in conflict.
        2. Individual Christians fighting each other in pagan courts.
        3. Sexual immorality.
        4. Marriage problems.
        5. Idolatry.
        6. Spiritual rivalries that perverted worship assemblies.
        7. A denial that people were resurrected from the dead.
    2. Even with those problems, Paul sincerely appreciated them, and he wanted them to know it.
      1 Corinthians 1:4-8 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
      1. He was grateful for God’s grace which was given to them in Jesus Christ.
      2. He was grateful that God had enriched them.
      3. He was grateful that God had not withheld any spiritual gift from them.
      4. He was grateful that Christ could confirm them and make them blameless.
  3. Paul wrote a letter to the Christians in Philippi.
    1. That congregation had some serious internal problems.
      1. The Christians were not treating each other properly, and some of them had a bad attitude toward each other.
      2. Selfishness was a real problem.
      3. Some of the most dedicated, devout Christians were seriously struggling against each other.
    2. Even with these problems, Paul genuinely appreciated them, and he wanted them to know it.
      Philippians 1:3-6 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
      1. “I never pray without thanking God for you.”
      2. “It would be impossible for me to forget you.”
      3. “You are such a source of joy to me because you have always helped me as I shared the gospel.”
      4. “I know that God who began a good work in you will bring it to full maturity.”
  4. Paul wrote a letter to the Christians in Colossae.
    1. That congregation had a number of problems, but it had a serious problem that would deeply trouble many of us.
      1. The technical name for that problem is syncretism.
      2. They took some of their pre-Christian beliefs and combined them with some Christian beliefs and created a religion that was part Christianity and part nonchristian philosophy.
      3. We would classify that as being an extremely serious problem.
    2. Paul had never visited this congregation, but there were things that he appreciated about them, and he wanted them to know it.
      Colossians 1:3,4 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
      1. He thanked God for their faith in Christ and for their love for other Christians.
      2. He wanted them to know his gratitude included them in his prayers.
  5. Paul wrote two letters to the Christians at Thessalonica.
    1. The evidence in his letters indicates that they were an immature congregation.
      1. Sexual immorality was a problem, as it commonly was in most congregations.
      2. They believed if a Christian died before Jesus returned that he or she would not live with God in heaven.
      3. They were confused about several things regarding Jesus’ return.
    2. Again, Paul genuinely appreciated them, and he wanted them to know it.
      1 Thessalonians 1:2-8 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
      1. Paul especially appreciated three things.
        1. They had a faith that worked.
        2. They had a love that worked.
        3. They had a hope that would not be discouraged.
      2. When they became Christians, they committed themselves to imitating the Christians who converted them and imitating Jesus.
      3. When conversion resulted in physical suffering, they became an example to suffering Christians throughout that entire region.
      4. They were so widely known for their faith in Christ that it was unnecessary for Paul to tell other Christians about them.
      5. And Paul deeply appreciated that.
    3. In the second letter, Paul addressed their problems.
      1. They were still confused about the second coming of Jesus.
      2. Some were saying that Jesus would return in the immediate future.
      3. Those who believed that Jesus would come soon quit working, expected others to feed them, and became idle gossips.
      4. Paul still appreciated them and said so.
        2 Thessalonians 1:3,4 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
        1. “It is fitting for me to be grateful for you.”
        2. “Your faith is growing, and your love is growing.”
        3. “I do not hesitate to tell other Christians how proud I am of your faith and your commitment as you endure persecutions and afflictions.”
  6. Paul’s gratitude for the good qualities in imperfect congregations emphasizes two things to me.
    1. First, there were no perfect situations.
    2. Second, we need to appreciate spiritual good where ever it exists.
  7. 1998 has challenged this congregation in a variety of ways.
    1. I want you to know that I love and appreciate this congregation, and I am grateful for many things.
      1. I am grateful for our willingness to think and learn, and grateful that we are growing in that willingness.
      2. I am grateful that so many people are willing to get involved, that so many people serve because they care.
      3. I am grateful for our growing commitment to renewal.
      4. I am grateful for the life that is found in our ministries.
      5. I am grateful for our diversity as we focus our concern on the world, on the community, and on the congregation.
    2. The decision that we made about the Family Life Center has created some special challenges.
      1. Some of you are weary of the congregation being in debt, and you should be.
      2. Some of you are concerned about stewardship issues, and that is a legitimate concern.
      3. Some of you have pragmatic concerns about costs, and those are legitimate.
      4. Different people have different priorities, and each priority is legitimate.
      5. We are concerned about a diversity of needs, and each need is legitimate.
    3. In all this, there are some things that I deeply appreciate.
      1. I appreciate all the earnest work the elders do to be open with you.
      2. I appreciate the congregation’s involvement in the process–it has never become a control issue.
      3. Even though we differ on perspectives that reflect deep concerns, our attitude has always been respectful.
      4. Because of this respect, our unity is not threatened.

Thank you! May we all pray that God will work through all of us, all of our hearts, and all of our concerns to accomplish His purposes.

Knowing the Purpose Improves Understanding

Posted by on under Sermons

Listen to some questions that people asked in a library at the reference desk.

  • “Do you have any books here?”
  • “Do you have a list of all the books I have ever read?”
  • “I am looking for a list of laws that I can break that would send me back to jail for a couple of months.”
  • “Which outlets in the library are appropriate for my hair dryer?”

Do some of those questions suggest that the person would have a better understanding of a library if he or she knew the purpose of a library?

Would you like to see God’s list of unbelievable questions that we ask about Christianity? If we saw that list, would it reveal that we do not understand the purpose of Christianity?

Turn in your Bibles to Ephesians 4. Paul wrote the letter we call Ephesians to the Christians in the city of Ephesus. This was an established congregation, not a new congregation composed of recent converts.

Chapter three ends (3:14-21) with a thought provoking, insightful, written prayer Paul prayed for these Christians.

  1. Chapter four begins with a “therefore” statement:
    Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
    1. “Because of my spiritual desires for you expressed in my prayer, I plead with you to do this: conduct yourself in a manner that is befitting a person who has been called by God.”
      1. “Paul, what conduct is befitting a person who has been called by God?”
        1. The conduct of humility.
        2. The conduct of gentleness.
        3. The conduct of patience.
        4. The conduct of loving forbearance.
      2. Christian conduct that is befitting God commits itself to unity and peace in the congregation.
    2. “In order for you to live your daily lives in worthy conduct, you must understand God’s purpose for the church.”
      Ephesians 4:11-12 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
      1. Everything that God put in place, every work that He established–apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers–have two God-given objectives among Christians.
        1. The first objective of all of them is to equip Christians to serve.
        2. The second objective is to build up (spiritually mature) the body of Christ.
      2. How long are these objectives to be pursued?
        1. Until collectively the congregation’s faith reaches unity in accepting and understanding God’s work in Jesus Christ.
        2. Until collectively the congregation’s knowledge reaches unity in accepting and understanding what it means for Jesus to be God’s son.
        3. Until collectively they grow to the maturity that is measured by the stature and fullness of Jesus Christ.
      3. Why were they to pursue unity in faith in Jesus, unity of knowledge of Jesus, and spiritual development?
        Ephesians 4:14,15 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
        1. Why? To eliminate childishness among Christians, because when we are childish we are easily influenced by evil and easily deceived.
        2. Why? To allow the body of Christ to grow to the spiritual strength and love that God intended to exist in His people.
  2. Paul explained his reason for this emphasis in 4:17.
    Ephesians 4:17,18 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
    1. “Because you are to conduct yourselves in a manner befitting a person called by God, do not live your lives or behave like people who do not know God.”
      1. How do people who do not know God live?
        1. Their behavior is determined by the futility of their minds (their reasoning is based on deceptive illusions).
        2. Their ignorance creates a “blackout” in their understanding.
        3. They are alienated from God’s life.
      2. What does this futility, ignorance, and alienation produce in their lives?
        1. They are callused (unfeeling) toward people and the human condition.
        2. They are controlled by their sensual desires.
        3. The “bottom line” in their lives is that every choice they make, every practice they engage in is ruled by their greed.
    2. When you learned about Jesus Christ, when you began understanding Jesus Christ, that is not the kind of existence that you were taught.
      1. The truth that Jesus teaches did not teach you to behave in those ways.
        1. There is a former life and former self that existed before Jesus taught you how to live and behave.
        2. That old life was corrupted by your deceitful desires.
        3. There is the new life and the new self.
        4. The new life and new self is created by God.
        5. God created your new life in the righteousness and holiness of truth.
      2. How will this new life behave?
        1. It will not deceive.
        2. It will not be a slave to anger.
        3. It will not give the devil opportunity.
        4. It will work and it won’t steal.
        5. It will help those who are in need.
        6. It will control the words that it speaks.
        7. It will not grieve the Holy Spirit.
        8. It will deliberately destroy negative emotions and the negative behavior that assault and attack other people.
        9. It will deliberately develop positive emotions and behavior that produce kindness and forgiveness.
  3. In the first verse of chapter five, Paul used still another “therefore”:
    Ephesians 5:1,2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
    1. To see Paul’s emphasis, to understand his point, we must be certain that we follow the flow of his thinking.
      1. Because you understand my prayer for you, because you understand that you are to conduct yourself in a way that is befitting a person who has been called by God, because you understand that it is God’s purpose for you to seek unity and peace in the congregation, because you understand that God created you to be a new self who lives a different life, because you understand all of this, this is the purpose you accept for your existence.
        1. You will imitate God just like children who love their father.
        2. You will live your life in love just like Jesus Christ loved you.
      2. Because you understand that you are a new creation with a new life, there are things that you will not do.
        1. You will not be sexually immoral as are the people who do not know God.
        2. You will refuse to allow greed to rule you.
    2. Any person who tries to convince you that it is proper for a Christian to be sexually immoral or controlled by greed is using empty words to deceive you.
      1. In the past you lived in that darkness; now you live in the light.
      2. Don’t participate in the life and practices of darkness; instead, expose the darkness for what it is.
      3. “Wake up, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
    3. Paul continued to think with them by using still another “therefore” in 5:15.
  4. Let me contrast God’s approach to evil with our approach to evil.
    1. Two mammoth happenings occurred that many of us expected to totally change our world.
      1. In 1989 the Berlin wall was destroyed, a major failure for Communism.
      2. In 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed, and Communism fell.
      3. Many younger adults say, “So what?”
      4. Many of us could not imagine a world without the Berlin Wall and Soviet Union.
        1. We lived through Stalin’s ruthless control of the Soviet Union.
        2. We lived through the Cuban missile crisis.
        3. We lived with all the fears of the Cold War.
        4. Those were the biggest, most impossible problems in our world.
        5. So many weapons were aimed at the United States and at the Soviet Union that a war might actually destroy life on earth.
      5. When Communism collapsed, many of us believed the world’s greatest dangers had passed.
    2. Why? Because we believed the same thing you believe.
      1. What? What do we all believe? We all “buy” the conviction that we can solve any problem if we can change the circumstances.
      2. When Communism collapsed, world circumstances changed in a major way.
      3. But, changing the circumstances did not eliminate worldwide dangers.
      4. That collapse created an enormous moral and ethical vacuum for millions of people who had known nothing but atheism.
      5. It threw millions of suffering people who knew nothing about God into chaos that offered no alternatives.
    3. Paul said very clearly in Ephesians that God’s objectives are not merely to change circumstances.
      1. God does not create moral and ethical vacuums.
      2. Jesus Christ teaches us life-building understandings of right and wrong.
      3. Jesus Christ teaches us life-building understandings that can distinguish between good and evil.

[Song of reflection]

As a Christian, are you trying to solve your problems by changing your circumstances or by understanding how to be God’s new creation?

God’s Will

Posted by on November 22, 1998 under Sermons

Paul urged Christians to commit themselves to understanding God’s will for the way they lived their personal lives. He gave this statement to the Christians in Ephesus.

Ephesians 5:15-17 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)

  1. In our Family Meeting this evening we all will be concerned about accomplishing God’s will.
    1. It is certain that 100% of us will not agree on what God’s will is regarding the Family Life Center.
      1. Christians of devout faith may come to different conclusions.
      2. Christians of deep commitment may come to different conclusions.
      3. Christians with specific spiritual priorities may come to different conclusions.
      4. Christians who have been very prayerful may come to different conclusions.
    2. How can that happen if one of the basic things each of us holds in common is the desire to do God’s will?
      1. Each time a Christian makes specific application of God’s will to a specific situation, it is common for that application to be composed of “one part God” and “one or more parts me.”
      2. My perception of God’s will is partly determined by my knowledge and understanding of God and scripture.
      3. But my perception is also partly determined by:
        1. My personal religious history.
        2. My emotions.
        3. My priorities.
        4. My values.
        5. My concepts.
        6. My definitions.
      4. When specifically applying God’s will to a specific decision or situation, commonly our personal, sincere judgments become a part of God’s will.

This evening, collectively, we will use our judgment as, collectively, we pursue God’s will.

It is essential that 100% of us respect 100% of us even if we hold differing judgments.

I think it is appropriate for us to meditate on a statement Jesus made in the prayer that he used to teach his disciples how to pray.

Matthew 6:10 Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)

May it be our sincere goal for God’s will to be done in this congregation as God’s will is done in heaven.

Nothing Good ‘Just Happens’

Posted by on under Sermons

I need your help to preach this sermon. First, listen to my request. Major renovations have occurred in the auditorium, in the foyer, and in the annex.

If you have assisted in these renovations in any way; if you helped paint, carpet, brought food to the workers, cleaned up, provided supplies or equipment, removed pews, hauled pews, helped in any way in the annex, helped with any phase of the planning or building, or did anything else, I need your help right now.

The congregation has no way of knowing how much work has been done by the members. It has no way to know the thousands of dollars saved because so many are willing to get involved.

This is what I want. When I ask, I want all who have helped in any way to stand. I want you to remain standing until I ask you to be seated. By standing, you can say something that I cannot say with words. Would all of you who have helped in any way please stand. [Let them stand about 15 seconds. As they are standing, thank them.] Please be seated.

  1. In this congregation, nothing just happens.
    1. This morning you came with definite expectations.
      1. As you came, you did not say, “This is my list of the things I expect today.”
      2. But in your mind you carry that list with you every time you come.
        1. You rarely use your list unless something fails to meet your expectation.
        2. For example, how often have you said, “The temperature in the building was perfect today!”
        3. How often have you said, “I burned up today,” or, “I froze to death today.”
        4. We say something only when the temperature fails to meet our expectation.
      3. Our list of expectations is long.
        1. We expect:
          1. The doors to be open.
          2. The lights to be on.
          3. The foyer to be clean and attractive.
          4. The class rooms to be clean with enough chairs (even if we don’t come to class).
          5. Teachers in the class rooms prepared to teach.
          6. Nursery attendants in the nursery prepared to care for the children.
          7. The pews to be clean and uncluttered with song books and Bibles.
          8. Communion to be prepared and on the table.
          9. Some one to preside over the communion service, and we have specific expectations about how that should be done.
          10. People to serve communion, and we have specific expectations about how that should be done.
          11. Someone to lead singing, and we have specific expectations about how that should be done.
          12. Songs to be sung that meet our approval, and we have specific expectations about that.
          13. Some one to preach a sermon, and we have specific expectations about how he should do that.
          14. A projection script that helps but does not distract.
          15. Prayers to be prayed, and we have specific expectations about how that should or should not be done.
          16. That is not the whole list of our expectations, but we do see that we all come with our lists of expectations.
    2. Do you think all of that “just happens”?
      1. Do you ever think about what it takes to “make it happen”?
      2. Do you ever think about how many people it takes to “make it happen”?
      3. Do you ever think about being a part of “making it happen”?
  2. I want to challenge you to think about the fact that “good things don’t just happen” in another area of consideration.
    1. Last Sunday’s Southwest Times Record contained an article entitled “Making Churches Family Friendly.”
      1. The article noted these things.
        1. Baby boomer parents grew up in homes that professed the slogan, “The family that prays together stays together.”
        2. Many baby boomer parents believe that it is good to take their children to church.
        3. But, taking the kids to church is not producing the results they expected.
        4. The studies produced by George Barna’s surveys reveal that there is little difference in the morals of young people who attend church and young people who are unchurched.
        5. In behaviors such as lying, cheating, and sexual intercourse, only a small percentage separates the “churched” from the “unchurched.”
      2. Paul Allen stated that parents have wrongly assumed that they could take care of their children’s spiritual training by taking them to church.
    2. What should the congregation expect of families, and what should families expect of the congregation?
      1. In spiritual training, can the congregation replace the family? Absolutely not.
      2. Can the family replace the congregation? Absolutely not.
      3. Can the congregation as God’s spiritual family help families? Absolutely.
      4. Can families help the congregation? Absolutely.
      5. There is a desperate need for a powerful partnership between God’s family and family units.
  3. In crucial ways, this congregation’s strength is dependent on the stability of its families.
    1. The greater the turmoil, strife, and failure in our families, the greater the instability of the congregation.
      1. That is true of turmoil and strife:
        1. In the husband-wife relationship.
        2. In the parent-child relationship.
        3. Between the family and its in-laws or its extended family.
      2. Can turmoil and conflict in the home become an avenue to the spiritual strength and maturity of individuals?
        1. Absolutely!
        2. When? When those problems cause us to rely on God instead of relying our ourselves, it produces strength and spiritual maturity.
        3. Troubles are frequently the incubator for a faith that depends on God.
        4. Trials commonly give birth to a faith that builds a relationship with God.
        5. Hardship often matures faith.
        6. That is not new; the Bible makes it clearly evident that this has always been true.
    2. In building a powerful partnership between the family and the congregation, we immediately confront a very serious problem.
      1. “What problem?”
      2. Many people do not know how to be a family.
      3. Because we do not know how to be a family, we don’t know how to be a spiritual family.
      4. Please understand that I am not trying to put anyone on a guilt trip; I am not trying to offend anyone or discourage anyone.
      5. But please also understand that we must examine reality if we are going to change reality.
      6. Too many of us grew up in a family where:
        1. Father or mother was a workaholic.
        2. Father or mother were materialists.
        3. Father or mother were dependent on alcohol or medication.
        4. Father or mother did not show emotion.
        5. Father or mother was an abuser.
        6. Father or mother never had time for the family.
        7. Father or mother either neglected or resented us.
    3. “There you go again; always putting the blame on someone else.”
      1. I am not putting the blame anywhere; I am not talking about blame.
      2. I am not giving any one of us a reason to reject personal responsibility.
      3. Every one of us is the product of our family of origin.
        1. Every one of us had our emotions, our expectations, our self-concept, and our relationship skills shaped by our family of origin.
        2. Every one of us are reproducing at least parts of our family of origin within the families that we establish.
    4. Relationship skills in our society are pitiful; relationship skills in our families are pitiful; relationship skills in the church are pitiful.
      1. In far too many instances, family relationships are public performances with little private substance.
      2. Both in our physical families and our spiritual family, our relationships are extremely shallow.
      3. We don’t know each other, and we don’t understand each other.
      4. Much too often we do not know how to be husbands, or fathers, or wives, or mothers, or brothers, or sisters, and we are scared to death to learn because learning means we must be vulnerable.
  4. Someone says, “The solution is obvious: we would solve all our family problems if we would just study the Bible.”
    1. At one time in the past, I worked a lot with people who had been abused.
      1. Much of that work was with Christians who were trying to build an adult life after surviving severe emotional, physical, or sexual abuse as a child.
      2. Every person I worked with could trace abusiveness back at least two generations, and some could trace it back three generations.
      3. If just studying the Bible eliminates the problem, it would have been eliminated in the 1950’s when we were so well known for Bible study.
    2. We absolutely need to study the Bible, but if we do not understand how to apply the principles there will be little improvement in our lives or our families.
      1. A frustrated Christian recently said, “I understand the problem; I understand the need; I just don’t understand what to do.”
      2. Let there be no mistake: this is a spiritual matter. If you have a husband, wife, or child:
        1. Addicted to alcohol or drugs, you have a spiritual problem.
        2. Destructively depressed, you have a spiritual problem.
        3. Physically or emotionally abusive, you have a spiritual problem.
      3. If we, as a congregation, do not effectively help Christians deal with those problems, we will self-destruct.
        1. You doubt that?
        2. Consider just one obvious problem: where will we find leadership?
  5. Last Sunday we had an exceptional mission’s Sunday.
    1. I am deeply grateful for our missions program, and I pray that our greatest missions outreach is yet before us.
      1. An important key to greater mission work is the increasing health of this congregation.
      2. There is an umbilical cord tying missions to the health of this congregation.
    2. Having been a missionary living in a third world country, and having worked with the church in this society for decades, may I make these observations.
      1. It is easier to do mission work in a strange culture than it is to practice godliness in your own culture.
      2. It is easier to teach about Christianity in a strange culture than it is to demonstrate Christianity in your own culture.
      3. In a foreign culture you teach people what they should believe.
      4. In your own culture, you teach people how to live.
      5. It is always easier to teach what to believe than it is to teach how to live.

Romans 12:1,2 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)

[Have someone read Romans 12:9-21.]

    Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (KJV)

Do not do this. I just want you to think. If I asked everyone who has endured a significant family problem or who has been personally damaged by a serious family problem to stand, would you need to stand?

The first step to improving your relationships in your family is to improve your relationship with God.

We need greater faith in Jesus than we have in ourselves.
Become a Christian. Come to the Savior who can lead us to life in eternity and in this present life.

God Made . . . And God Gave

Posted by on November 15, 1998 under Bulletin Articles

We Christians often discuss God’s generosity. We theoretically talk about Him being the source of our blessings. We theologically talk about Him being the source of our salvation. We doctrinally talk about Him giving us an eternal home.

As children of the great Maker, we tend to be possessive with the things that presumably we make. What we make we tend to keep–at least the majority of it. What God made He gave to us.

God made the earth, and He gave people dominion.
God made people, and He gave us life.
God made Adam and Eve, and He gave them a companion.
God made a flood, and He gave humanity a new beginning.
God made Isaac, and He gave Abraham a nation.
God made Israel, and He gave the world a Savior.
God made His Son a man, and He gave us the Christ.
God made the resurrection, and He gave us hope.
God made forgiveness, and He gave us redemption.
God made the church, and He gave us a spiritual family.
God made the Holy Spirit the Comforter, and He gave us assurance.
God made heaven, and He has given us a reservation.

We made rebellion, and He gave us mercy.
We made defiance, and He gave us grace.
We made failure, and He gave us compassion.
We made sin, and He gave us atonement.
We make imperfect children, and He clothes us in Christ.

Do you know anything that God made which He did not give away? Do you know anything God gave away that did not benefit us? May we think about that as we place our sense of security in “what we made.” May we think about that when we reflect on Jesus’ statement: “It is more blessed to give than receive.” God knows that is so!

What Is My God-Given Challenge?

Posted by on November 8, 1998 under Sermons

When we forget our purpose, we change directions. That is true for us as individuals. That is true for us as families. That is true for us as a congregation.

As an individual, if I have no purpose, my life has no direction. If I have a poor purpose, my life goes in a destructive direction. I have a good purpose, but lose sight of that purpose, my life drifts from a good direction to a bad or destructive direction. If I have a good purpose and stay focused on that purpose, my life will continue in a good direction.

As a family, if we have no purpose, our family has no direction. If we have a poor purpose, our family goes in destructive directions. If we have a good purpose but lose sight of it, we drift from a good direction to a bad or destructive direction. If we have a good purpose and stay focused on that purpose, we, as a family, will continue in a good direction.

As a congregation, if we have no purpose, the congregation has no direction. If we have a poor purpose, the congregation drifts in a destructive direction. If we have a good purpose, but lose sight of that purpose, we drift from a good direction to a poor or destructive direction. If we have a good purpose and stay focused on that purpose, the congregation will continue in a good direction.

Having a good purpose is not as obvious, simple, or easy as any of us think it is. It is not as an individual. It is not as a family. It is not as a congregation.

I call your attention to an examination of Luke 3:1-14.

  1. Luke established the date of John’s ministry in a way that it could be verified by people in or out of Palestine.
    1. Since our calendar did not exist, Luke used their “calendar system.”
      1. Luke dated John’s ministry by using a system that was used for many centuries: he dated the event by the reigns of known rulers.
        1. First, he dated John’s ministry by the known ruler of their world, the 15th year of the rule of the Roman Caesar, Tiberias.
        2. Second, he dated it by the tenure of the Roman governor who was responsible for keeping order in Judea, the tenure of Pontius Pilate.
        3. Third, he dated it by the reigns of three regional rulers in that area:
          1. John’s ministry occurred when Herod Antipas was the tetrarch of Galilee.
          2. It occurred when Herod Antipas’ brother, Philip, was tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis.
          3. It occurred when Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene.
        4. Fourth, he dated it in the region where John’s ministry occurred; it happened when Annas and Caiaphas served as high priests in Jerusalem.
        5. So Luke gave a Roman date, a regional date, and a Jewish date so that the events he shared could be verified.
      2. Luke also designated the person, the place, and the activity.
        1. The person was the prophet John, the son of Zechariah, who received the word of God.
        2. The place was in the wilderness area of the Jordan River.
        3. The activity was that John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
      3. Luke also notes that these events happened in specific fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3-5.
        1. This was a fact that would be of special significance to any Jewish reader.
        2. It was also the ultimate verification that this happening was planned, implemented, and directed by God.
  2. As Luke gives an abbreviated account of John’s ministry, I want you to pay careful attention to what did and did not constitute success to John.
    1. People came to John to listen to his message and respond.
      1. The greater majority of Israel’s population was not conveniently located with easy access to the Jordan wilderness.
        1. The greater majority of the population was located in the Jerusalem region, westward to the Mediterranean coast, the region north of Jerusalem known as Galilee, the region around the Sea of Galilee.
        2. The region of the Jordan wilderness was principally desert.
        3. To give you and idea of the inconvenience of the access to the wilderness area of the Jordan River, the elevation of Jerusalem is approximately 2000 feet above sea level.
          1. Almost the entire river bed from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea is below sea level as the river flows through the deepest rift on earth.
          2. Jerusalem can have snow in the winter.
          3. The Jordan wilderness is semitropical; the area of Jericho grows oranges and grapefruit.
          4. The trip from Jerusalem to Jericho with over a 2000 foot drop in elevation occurs in 17 miles.
          5. The people who came to hear John made a difficult journey.
      2. If we were conducting an evangelistic effort in Fort Smith attempting to convince people to be baptized for the remission of their sins, and:
        1. People came to listen by the thousands.
        2. The same people came at great personal inconvenience.
        3. The same people urged us to baptize them.
        4. We would say that the effort was incredibly successful.
      3. To John, these facts did not constitute success.
        1. John’s greeting to these multitudes was what we would regard to be a rude and offensive.
        2. “You children of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?”
        3. “You will not escape just because you have come to hear me and be baptized.”
        4. “You will not escape because you are physically the descendants of Abraham and physically a part of God’s chosen people.”
        5. “If all that God wanted was descendants of Abraham, God could turn all these rocks around you into Jewish people.”
        6. “God is ready to clear the spiritual wilderness. All the trees and bushes that have grown up in His vineyard that produce no fruit worth harvesting will be cut down and burned, and this will happen soon.”
        7. “Only trees that produce fruit worth harvesting will be spared.”
        8. “If you want to be one of the trees that is spared, repent. Demonstrate the reality of your repentance by producing the fruit of repentance.”
      4. To John:
        1. People coming to him was not the true measure of success for his ministry.
        2. People listening to him was not the true measure of success for his ministry.
        3. The baptism of these people was not the true measure of success for his ministry.
      5. To John, there was only one true measure of success: lives that had turned around, lives that were redirected because of repentance.
        1. The fruit of repentance was the changes in the person’s life.
        2. The purpose of their coming, listening, and being baptized was to change the way they lived their lives.
  3. His Jewish audience did not understand his point.
    1. To me, that is nothing less than astounding and incredible; and at the same time, to me, that is completely understandable and predictable.
      1. They had studied the scriptures in their synagogues weekly for generations.
      2. They listened to their rabbis analyze scripture, dissect scripture, interpret scripture, and apply scripture every week.
      3. They heard the theological and doctrinal rulings of the high priest and the Jerusalem Sanhedrin all their lives, rulings that had been given in Jerusalem for over 100 years.
      4. They received the heritage of the great restoration movement begun by the Maccabean revolt that liberated the Jews over 150 years prior to John’s ministry.
      5. They were one of the more religious generations of Israelites to exist.
      6. But they did not understand what John meant when he told them that they needed to produce the fruit of repentance.
      7. They literally did not understand that.
    2. To me, the parallel is sobering and frightening.
      1. We have been studying scriptures in our church buildings for 200 years.
      2. We have listened to our preachers and teachers analyze scripture, dissect scripture, interpret scripture, and apply scripture on a week basis for generations.
      3. We have heard the theological and doctrinal rulings of those that we hold in high esteem.
      4. Many of us regard ourselves to be a devoutly religious generation.
      5. Do we think success for the church is having people listen to us, accept what we say, and agree to be baptized?
      6. Do we know what it means to repent?
      7. Do we realize that we need to repent?
      8. Do we know what the fruit of repentance is?
      9. Scary, isn’t it?
    3. So the multitude who came asked John, “If it is not enough to come, if it is not enough to listen, if it is not enough to accept you as God’s spokesman, if it is not enough to be baptized for the remission of our sins, what are we supposed to do?”
      1. Then John defined the fruit of repentance for them in their situation.
      2. To the multitude, he said:
        1. Those of you who have more clothes than you need, share your clothes with those who have nothing to wear.
        2. Those of you who have more than enough to eat, share your food with those who have nothing to eat.
      3. This is what John said to the tax collectors who came to be baptized and asked what they should do to repent and produced the fruit of repentance.
        1. These were the men who collected the Roman taxes that the Jewish people despised, and they collected those taxes for their own personal profit.
        2. John said, “Collect no more than you have been ordered to collect.”
        3. Isn’t it interesting that he did not say, “Stop collecting taxes for the Romans!”
      4. This is what John said to soldiers who wanted to know what they should do.
        1. “Do not take money from anyone by force,” which the soldiers often did.
        2. “Do not make false accusations against anyone,” which was often done.
        3. “Be content with your wages,” which was not common.
    4. This striking emphasis on the importance of repentance was not merely found in John’s ministry, but it is clearly found in Jesus’ ministry and in the early church.

If personally we as Christians repented and produced the fruit of repentance in our personal lives, what do you think would happen to us, to this congregation, and in Fort Smith?

If in our marriages, we as Christian husbands and wives repented and produced the fruit of repentance, what do you think would happen to us, to this congregation, and in Fort Smith?

If in our homes, we as Christian parents and adolescent children repented and produced the fruit of repentance, what do you think would happen to us, to this congregation, and in Fort Smith?

If on our jobs, in our businesses, in our professions, or in our corporate world, if we repented and produced the fruit of repentance, what do you think would happen to us, to this congregation, and in Fort Smith?

If Christians repented and produced the fruit of repentance, what do you think God would do with us and our repentance in this nation and in our world?

May I suggest that promoting the Church of Christ is an unworthy goal for us to adopt. May I suggest that multiple baptisms in an unworthy goal for us to adopt. May I suggest that moving ourselves to repentance to produce the fruit of repentance and calling others to repentance to produce the fruit of repentance is a God given goal worthy of all of us.

Mission Work: Why Bother?

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In 1971 my family and I lived four degrees from the equator as we did mission work in a rural area of a West African country. At that time, we were in the safest situation that we will ever experience on earth. The people were kind, appreciative, and (in their poverty) generous.

In every consideration, it was a different world. These people had seen little technology. And many of the “new things” introduced to their society were dangerous.

For example, the car and truck were dangerous. Only the elite and foreigners owned and operated motor vehicles. In rural areas, people walked. Most roads were in extremely poor condition. Shoulders on roads or sidewalks were unknown in rural areas. From a hour before daylight to an hour after dark, multitudes were walking in the road. That made the road dangerous for pedestrians and drivers.

Under most circumstances, these people were calm, under control people. But if a car or truck hit a person or an animal, the people instantly were so emotional that they lost control. If a car killed a villager, it was not unusual for the village to burn the car. For that reason, if you hit a person, you were not to stop. You were to drive immediately to the nearest police station.

A mobile medical clinic was a part of our work. Deborah Wilson, who was then the unmarried Deborah Brown, worked as a nurse in that clinic. Ordinarily, five days a week, the clinic traveled in a large Land Rover to a village located in a population area. Most weeks they visited the same village on the same day of the week.

One day as they drove through a village on their way to a scheduled clinic, they met an enormous crowd of people who blocked the road. It was impossible to drive through them or around them. Immediately, the medical team decided, “We have a serious problem.” They quickly begin thinking together. “We have not hit a pedestrian. Did we run over a chicken? a pig? a goat?”

They had no choice but to stop. When they stopped, the crowd engulfed the Land Rover, and a very small man walked up to the driver and presented a piece of paper to the doctor. Then, immediately, the road cleared, and they drove through without incident.

The message on the piece of paper read,

Come over into
Macedonia
and help us.
–Acts 16:9

The small man’s name was Nseudo. In a short time he was converted, began teaching, and established a congregation in the village.

  1. Next Sunday is Missions Sunday at West-Ark.
    1. What is Missions Sunday?
      1. As a congregation, we are seriously committed to foreign mission work.
        1. Our missions commitment is diverse.
        2. Each year we take a medical and evangelistic team to Guyana to work for a week. Michael Cole, with lots of assistance, plans that work.
          1. The work is coordinated in Guyana by Steve DeLoach, a missionary.
          2. During that week our medical team treats people who have limited or no access to medical treatment.
          3. As people gather for treatment, another team studies with them.
          4. Each evening there are preaching and teaching assemblies.
        3. Primarily through the ongoing involvement of Jim and Deborah Wilson, we assist the work in Ethiopia.
          1. Jim and Deborah Wilson make visits twice a year to Ethiopia, visits that they personally finance.
          2. Christians and the church are doing an excellent work in that country; they recently began their own missions outreach to neighboring countries.
          3. The circumstances of Ethiopian Christians often are harsh and difficult, and poverty is a significant factor.
        4. Primarily through the personal efforts of Jerry and Meg Canfield, we have an ongoing involvement in Laos.
          1. Jerry and Meg financed much of their work there until the government made it necessary for them to leave the country.
          2. The Christians there exist under extremely difficult circumstances that include the continuing imprisonment of ten of them.
        5. Roy and Joyce Dunavin are involved in several mission works.
          1. They are a part of the Guyana team each year.
          2. They spent one month this year in New Zealand as Roy taught in a preacher training school, and they both worked with and encouraged established congregations.
          3. They both worked in Romania this year for about a month as they assisted the missionaries and congregations there.
        6. We also maintain a medical missions work through a ministry that we call C.U.R.E., The Compassionate Utilization of Resources.
          1. Bob Fisher coordinates this program, but Bob is assisted in a variety of ways by a number of capable people in this congregation.
          2. C.U.R.E. maintains a warehouse at Fort Chaffee primarily filled with medical supplies.
          3. These medical supplies are contributed from multiple sources.
          4. They ship large cartons of medical supplies to medical missions and outreaches in several different countries.
          5. They also serve as a rapid response system when a disaster occurs in this region.
          6. Honduras and northern Nicaragua suffered major disaster when the recent hurricane struck, and we will be quickly involved in the relief work there.
            1. Wednesday the estimates were that at least 7,000 were killed and as may as 11,000 were missing.
            2. Entire villages were buried by mud slides.
      2. On Missions Sunday, we take a special collection for missions.
        1. This contribution funds the larger part of our missions budget for 1999.
        2. Last year we contributed $140,000 to help finance missions for 1998.
        3. This year the missions committee is requesting a contribution of $109,000 to help fund missions for 1999.
  2. In my personal judgment, the poorest of all reasons for doing mission work is the demand and responsibility created by a commandment.
    1. We share our God and our Savior with other peoples and cultures because of our love for and devotion to our God and Savior.
      1. Let me give you an example: which missionary would you allow to teach you?
      2. First is the missionary sees the great commission as a commandment that he is obligated to fulfill.
        1. He is staunchly American, loves America, considers America the only good place on earth to live, and believes that Americans and the American culture and system are superior to every other people.
        2. As a Christian, for his own personal reasons, he accepted “the obligation” to do mission work.
        3. He arrives in the country with an attitude of superiority, and the longer he stays, the worse his attitude gets.
          1. “Dumb country!”
          2. “Ridiculous climate!”
          3. “Ignorant people!”
          4. “Stupid government!”
          5. “Foolish beliefs!”
          6. “Backward society!”
        4. It is impossible to hide this attitude from the people and the government; his arrogance and disrespect is evident in everything he is and does.
        5. Because of an attitude like this, the name of God is blasphemed and Jesus is rejected in many places.
      3. Second is the missionary who loves people because his God and Savior taught him how to love.
        1. He falls in love with the people because of his compassion and respect.
        2. Instead of criticizing them, he learns their culture and their ways.
        3. He tries to understand them in the same way that he wants them to understand him.
        4. He learns to think like they think, see as they see, and feel what they feel.
        5. He teaches because he cares.
      4. Which missionary would you listen to?
    2. God loves people.
      1. God does not prefer Americans.
      2. If there is any lesson that we need to learn from the Jewish people of the first century, we must learn this lesson.
      3. The more that I learn through study, age, and experience, the more convinced I am that this is true: God is more impressed with several other peoples than He is with us.
        1. Materially, we have so much.
        2. Spiritually, we are so little.
        3. Many who live in poverty are better stewards than we are.
  3. In my personal judgment, the apostle Paul was the best prepared and most effective missionary our world has ever known.
    1. If ever there was “the right man for the right time,” Paul was that man.
    2. There is a basic, essential lesson that we need to learn from Paul.
      1. Paul did not forfeit his Jewish heritage when he became a Christian.
      2. The events of Acts 21:17-26 occurred after the Christian Paul spent years in mission work.
      3. That scripture makes it evident that Paul did not forfeit his Jewish heritage because he was a Christian.
      4. But, Paul made it quite clear in Philippians 3:3-11 that his Jewish heritage was not the source of his salvation.
    3. Though Paul honored his Jewish heritage, Paul never made Judaism a condition of salvation for anyone.
      1. Other Jewish Christians insisted that people who were not Jews had to accept Jewish practices and customs to be Christians (Acts 15:1-5).
      2. Paul powerfully refuted that claim (Galatians 3, 4).
      3. He championed the truth that salvation comes 100% from Jesus Christ and 0% from Judaism.
    4. What does that mean to us? A person does not have to be an American to be a Christian; being an American is not a factor in anyone’s salvation.
      1. Even if a person does not live in a democracy, he or she can be a Christian.
      2. Even if a person has never known freedom, he or she can be a Christian.
      3. Regardless of the form of government a person lives under, he or she can be a Christian.
      4. Regardless of the culture a person lives in, he or she can be a Christian.
      5. A person does not have to speak and read English, sound like a middle class American, act like an American, or know the American way to be a Christian.
      6. All that is necessary to be a Christian is to belong to Jesus Christ.
    5. Listen to the missionary Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.
      For though I am free from all men I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law so that I might win those who are under the Law to those who are without law, as without law though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ so that I might win those who are without law To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some I do all things for the sake of the gospel so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)

Why do Christians share Jesus Christ with other peoples? Because we value God’s love. Because we cherish God’s forgiveness. Because we know the incredible encouragement of being a part of God’s universal family. Because the privilege of being a part of God’s eternal purposes awes us.

The most selfish thing Christians can do is share Jesus Christ with no one.

If you share with others what you have with Jesus spiritually, what would they have? We need to share our funds, our blessings, and our opportunities, but nothing we have needs to be shared more than our Savior.

Anyone who tries to share things from an empty heart, doesn’t really have anything worth sharing.

May your joy in salvation grow. May your heart be filled so that you may have something to share.

Does Christ live in your life? Let God do for you what He intends to do for you in Christ. Are you ready to be born again?

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