Worship Assemblies Worship

Posted by David on September 28, 2003 under Sermons

[The morning assembly began with the audience standing and reading aloud together Psalm 96 from the overhead projection.]

What is worship? “David, that is a ridiculous question! Every adult and most children here this morning know what worship is!” Since that is such a ridiculous question and the answer is such common knowledge to the vast majority of those in this assembly, quietly answer that question to yourself. If you were to answer the question, “What is worship?” what would your answer be?

The New Testament does very little to either define or describe worship. In fact, the Old Testament does more to define and describe worship than does the New Testament. Jesus talked very little about worship. The book of Acts describes the beginning of Christianity, but does not describe Christian worship in detail. The epistles do not contain major sections on worship. The New Testament book that says more about worship than any other New Testament writing is the book of Revelation. It in symbolic terms makes several statements about worship in heaven.

I ask you to do two things.
1. The first thing I ask you to do is to call to mind your definition of worship.
  1. I am quite serious.
  2. Think about your definition of worship.
  3. I want you to consciously hold on to that definition.
2. The second thing I want you to do is this:
  1. While you keep your definition of worship firmly in your awareness,
  2. I want you to read with me several worship scenes from the book of Revelation.
  3. So I want you to do two things at one time: stay constantly aware of your personal definition of worship and listen to what Revelation says about worship.
3. Read with me.
  Note the stress on God’s holiness.
  Note the stress on God’s worthiness.
  Note the first two passages involved the worship of God, Who is the central figure in heaven. Note the shift in this passage: the worship of the resurrected Jesus, God’s sacrificial Lamb. Note the emphasis is on the worthiness of Jesus because he accomplished God’s basic objective.
  The Lamb is still the focus of worship here. Note again the stress is still on worthiness.
  Now the focus is both on God and the Lamb. The stress is on their praise worthiness.
  The focus of worship is now back on God. Again, note God is praised for His worthiness.
  The focus is still on God. Note the stress is on thanksgiving. There was an outpouring of gratitude because God has used His power to rescue them from all that tried to destroy them.
  The focus is still on God. The stress is on reverencing (fear) God by giving Him glory as the source of judgment and creation.
  The focus in still on God. They sang. God’s greatness and holiness is honored.
  The focus is still on God. It is a scene of praise. Four times God’s throne rings with the sound of creatures declaring, “Hallelujah!” [Literally, “Praise the Lord,” a joyful expression of thanksgiving.] God won! He did what He intended to do! He defeated even the strongest centers of wickedness and evil, and He rescued all who would turn to Him! The result was an incredible outpouring of gratitude to Him.
4. Do a little comparing.
  1. Do you still have your definition of worship clearly in your mind?
  2. How does your definition of worship compare to what happened in heaven in worship of God and of the Lamb (Jesus Christ)?
  3. Where in your definition of worship do these things fit in?
    1. The holiness of God.
    2. The worthiness of God.
    3. The praise worthiness of God and the Lamb.
    4. Reverencing God for His holiness.
    5. Glorifying God.
    6. Saying, “Amen,” and declaring, “Hallelujah” with joy.
Let me make some personal observations–you do not have to agree with me, but I surely hope that I challenge you to think.
1. My first observation is that there is not a whole lot that occurs in our worship assemblies that prepares us for heavenly worship.
  1. There are not many “Amens.”
  2. Too rarely is there this powerful sense of gratitude because our God of power has forgiven us and rescued us.
  3. Too rarely is there this powerful sense of joy that flows from the gratitude of what God has done.
  4. There are almost no hallelujahs, or obvious expressions and declarations of praise because of God’s great worthiness and holiness.
  5. There is little evidence that we who belong to God feel compelled to fall before God.
2. My second observation is that we have through the centuries changed worship.
  1. We have made worship assemblies primarily about education instead of primarily about praising God.
    1. We are so busy there is no time for spiritual education.
    2. There is not convenient time to study–individually or with a group.
    3. I wonder if for some of you the only time you seriously think about the Bible is when you come here on Sunday morning.
  2. The core of our worship focuses on the sermon, a human accomplishment, rather than the Lord’s Supper, a divine accomplishment.
    1. If you are typical, you are more likely to react to your opinion of the sermon than your opinion of what God did in Jesus Christ.
    2. Your faith is more likely to be affected by what is said in a sermon than what God did in the death of Jesus.
3. My third observation: one of the key reasons [not all the reasons, but one of the significant reasons] that we are losing so many people is this: we have made too much effort to convert people to the church and too little effort to convert people to Christ.
  1. We are the church–the church is not some institution that exists apart from us.
  2. If a man or a woman is in Christ, he or she by an act of God is part of God and Christ’s church.
  3. The power of God and the glory of God will be seen in the church when the power of God and the glory of God is seen in our lives.
The basic objective of worship is simple.
1. First, worship should call all who are in Christ closer to God.
2. Second, worship should fill those who belong to God through Christ with a sense of joy and gratitude.
3. Third, worship should make every Christian feel closer to every other Christian because the one thing we all have in common, the unifying element, is that we are in Christ Jesus.

Question: how often to you leave a worship assembly without worshipping?

Question: how often do you leave a worship assembly feeling joy and gratitude because you feel much closer to God?

Question: have you felt joy and gratitude toward God this week? How did you express it?

Worship on earth should prepare us for worship in heaven! Because we have been a part of praising God on earth, praising God in heaven should be a natural joy.

Meet Chris and Karen Benjamin

Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles

The first thing you must know is this: Chris and Karen were content where they were. The elders recruited Chris. Chris and Karen responded to their approach. The Benjamins hope to move to Fort Smith as a part of this congregation and its staff in late October. They are working diligently toward that objective as they prepare their house in Lake Jackson, TX, to be placed on the market this week. When they arrive in Fort Smith, they plan to rent for a while.

Chris and Karen met in Razorbacks for Christ at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, as sophomores. Chris attended UA all four years. Karen spent a freshman year at Harding University and three years at UA. As a freshman, Chris participated in a mission trip to Scotland as an outreach in Razorbacks for Christ.

Though Chris graduated as an outstanding student with a degree in art, he and Karen [then married] moved to Abilene after graduation. Chris spent the next four years in the ACU graduate program acquiring a Master of Divinity degree. With that degree, he, Karen, and Wyatt moved to Russellville, AR. There he worked for three years with the West Side congregation as a campus minister at Arkansas Tech University. In late 1997 they moved to Lake Jackson, TX, where Chris has worked the past 6 years as their pulpit minister. He is close to finishing his Doctor of Ministry degree at ACU. [Classwork is finished.] In addition to his class and congregational work, Chris has served in a leadership capacity on several boards and has spoken at several lectureships.

Chris and Karen’s roots are in Arkansas. Chris was introduced to the church through Center Street’s bus ministry in Fayetteville. Home is Winslow, AR, where his parents live and his father is an elder. Karen’s parents live in Hot Springs, AR, where she spent some of her pre-teen years and all of her teen years.

Karen is quite involved also. Besides encouraging Chris in his work and studies, she is active as a leader in women’s and children’s ministries [including church pre-school and women’s prayer ministries]. She is primarily a homemaker for Chris, Wyatt, and Ethan.

A significant comment was made by one of his elders to one of our elders. He declared that the congregation at Lake Jackson regarded themselves to be part of the universal church. If God’s purposes are better served by using Chris and Karen’s talents here, God’s will be done. While that congregation deeply regrets their leaving, they obviously continue to love and appreciate Chris and Karen.

The transition for the Benjamins will not be small! Keep them in your prayers and give them your encouragement. It is our blessing to have them. May we all live and work together to bless God. Help them move from love to love!

Great Parallels, Part 1: Exodus and Jesus

Posted by David on September 21, 2003 under Sermons

This evening I want to share with you the first of a few lessons. These lessons basically will call your attention to parallels with what God did for Israel in the book of Exodus and what God does for the Christian in Jesus Christ. Each lesson will be independent. While it should be insightful to consider all the lessons together, we should be able to understand each lesson in and of itself.

I would like to begin by asking God to open our hearts and bless our understanding. Would you please pray with me?

The first thing I wish to do is to read from the book Exodus. Please read with me from Exodus 2:11-14.
Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. He went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, “Why are you striking your companion?” But he said, “Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.”

Moses knew who he was and what his roots were, and he wanted to help his people.
1. The fact that Moses wanted to help his people was a good thing, not a bad thing.
  1. Not wanting to help his people would have been a bad thing.
    1. Becoming such a selfish person that he felt no responsibility to help them would have been bad.
    2. Becoming such an ashamed person that he preferred to be in denial would have been bad.
    3. Becoming such an arrogant person that he would not consider his people’s needs would have been bad.
  2. Wanting to help his people was a good thing.
    1. He knew that he had roots in an enslaved people, and that was good.
    2. He was neither ashamed to help them nor “too good” to help them, and that was good.
    3. Though he had a very privileged life, he could feel the pain and humiliation of their abuse.
2. The problem: Moses viewed himself as the solution; he wanted to help his people.
  1. The solution would arise from him.
  2. He was confident that his people would respond positively to his concern.
  3. He was confident that his people would identify with him without shame just as he identified with them.
3. The situation:
  1. One day he was watching, noting how difficult and inhumane the Israelites’ work was.
    1. He watched as an Egyptian beat a Hebrew brother.
    2. Whatever was occurring, Moses regarded it a gross injustice, a totally unreasonable act.
    3. As he looked around, there was no one within sight except the Egyptian doing the beating and the Hebrew being beaten.
    4. Thus Moses took advantage of the situation–he killed the Egyptian and hid the dead man’s body in the sand.
  2. The next day he went out to observe again.
    1. This time two Hebrews were fighting each other.
    2. He asked the Hebrew who was the attacker, “Why are you striking your companion?”
    3. The response shocked him:
      1. “Who made you a prince over us?”
      2. “Who made you a judge over us?”
      3. “Are you going to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?”
      4. Instead of feeling any sense of gratitude toward him for what he did the day before, they resented him!
  3. And Moses was afraid.
    1. He was afraid because his secret was now an “open secret.”
    2. Instead of quietly appreciating Moses’ help, the delivered Hebrew man told other Hebrews what happened.
    3. If these slaves were talking about what he did, it would just be a matter of time before the Egyptians knew what happened, and then Pharaoh would know what happened.
4. Instead of helping his people, he only brought trouble on himself.
  1. What he did was not enough.
  2. He could not do what he thought he could do.
  3. Moses had some critical lessons to learn, and he had to learn those lessons the hard way.
    1. Before he could be used by God, he had to lose all confidence in himself and his position.
    2. Before he could be used by God, he had to have a much better understanding of who God was and what God willed to do.
    3. Before he could be used by God, he had to learn that power belonged to God, not to himself.
    4. Before he could be used by God, he had to become totally dependent on God.
    5. Before he could be used by God, he had to realize that nothing he could do of himself was enough!
This evening, I want you to compare Moses’ self-reliant efforts in this incident with Jesus’ earthly ministry.
1. It is my impression that many of us conclude that if we saw Jesus’ earthly works and heard Jesus’ earthly teachings, we, collectively, would have reacted positively.
  1. I do not think that is true.
  2. “David, don’t be ridiculous–of course that is true!”
  3. Let me explain why I do not think it is true.
    1. We form our conclusion about our hypothetical response by looking back.
    2. We know about the resurrection.
    3. We know about what God had in mind in creating a universal people.
    4. For us, the New Testament has been in existence for centuries, and some of us have know parts of its message as long as we have been alive.
    5. However:
      1. The Israelites could not look back as we do.
      2. The resurrection had not happened.
      3. Consistently, God had worked through nations in the past, and primarily through the nation of Israel for centuries–they had no concept of the church as we understand it.
      4. The New Testament had not yet been written.
    6. In no way was Jesus or his ministry what they expected.
      1. God had never taken action in precisely the way He acted in Jesus.
      2. Sure there were prophets in their past, but there had never been anyone with the unique relationship with God that Jesus had.
      3. Jesus was extremely different, and what he taught about God was radically different–he simply did not fit expectations and what he said was just too different, too extreme to represent God as they knew him.
  4. As much trouble as we have in reacting to change, as reactionary as we are to things that are different, as upset as we get when spiritual things do not meet our personal expectations, I conclude we would have reacted to Jesus and his ministry in the same way they did.
2. Let me clearly state that Moses and Jesus had one clear difference: Jesus always relied on God and put God’s divine will before his human desires.
  1. Whereas Moses had to learn to rely on God and put God’s will in the forefront, Jesus always relied on God and always kept God in the forefront.
  2. Jesus knew what Moses had to learn.
This is the primary point I want you to consider: Jesus’ ministry was precisely what God wanted it to be, totally focused on God, but Jesus’ ministry was not enough!
1. Jesus lived among, worked among, served among, and taught among the people who knew God better than anyone who was alive at that time.
  1. Though they knew God [and in their thinking knew Him well], they did not [as a nation] recognize Jesus as coming from God.
  2. Though they had heard and studied scripture all their lives, they did not [as a nation] recognize that the source of Jesus’ teachings was God.
  3. Though they were certain they understood the correct meaning of scripture [as a people], they did not recognize Jesus’ emphasis as accurately reflecting God’s emphasis.
2. If anyone in the entire world was teachable in the time of Jesus’ ministry, it should have been the people he lived among.
  1. Yet, he performed all kinds of miracles, and that was not enough.
    1. He healed every form of sickness, including the impossible ones–and that was not enough.
    2. He raised the dead–and that was not enough.
    3. He fed many who were hungry–and that was not enough.
    4. He walked on water, stopped a windy storm, and walked away from angry people unharmed–and that was not enough.
  2. He was an unselfish servant of others.
    1. He did not use his power to make money.
    2. He did not use his power to gain prestige.
    3. He did not force people to listen to him or to follow him.
    4. Yet, his unselfishness was not enough.
3. He wanted so desperately to help the people he taught–and he could have.
  1. But they were jealous.
  2. And they were arrogant.
  3. And they were selfish.
  4. He could help, but they would not let him help.

If you have not realized how deeply Jesus wanted to help these people through his ministry, listen to these words spoken by Jesus near the end of his life:
Matthew 23:37-39 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

I am personally convinced that Moses really wanted to help his people, but it was not in Moses power to help. God could help. The power had to come from God.

I am personally convinced that Jesus really wanted to rescue his people during the period of his earthly ministry, but it was not in Jesus’ power to help. God could help. God could do things in Jesus’ death that Jesus’ could not do in his ministry.

I hope that you, as a Christian, want to help people. Let Jesus and Moses teach you a lesson. You are not the answer. The power is not in you. The power is in God. Connect people to God. God is the power and the source of answers–you are not!

“Lord, Help Me Accept What ‘I Cannot Handle'”

Posted by David on under Sermons

For every single one of us in this room and for every single person outside this room, there is at least one thing (and likely many things) that we just cannot handle. Whatever that thing is, we are “handled” by it instead of “handling” it.

For some, that thing is money. For others, it is credit. For others, it is power. For others, it is control. For others, it is popularity. For others, it is pleasure.

For everyone, it is knowledge. May I anticipate the response of many people? “David, that is absolutely ridiculous! Knowledge is basic to existence! Knowledge is highly valued in this culture! We seek to educate all our children because knowledge is important. We stress knowledge on our jobs and careers. We even have Bible classes because we want children and adults to have Bible knowledge.”

I definitely agree that knowledge is basic to existence. I understand the value of an education. I realize how essential knowledge is on jobs and in careers. I totally endorse the pursuit of knowledge in seeking to be a godly person.

Listen to me carefully. I did not say knowledge was unimportant. I said people cannot handle possessing knowledge. The most ungodly problems each of us have are created by what we know.

I challenge you to think about that truth. When are you powerfully tempted to feel superior to someone? Is it not when you know something they do not know? When are you powerfully tempted to “look down” on another person? Is it not when you regard them to be incredibly ignorant? More than money, more than power, more than control, more than popularity, knowledge creates an arrogance that makes self big and important and makes others small and insignificant.

Consider a specific illustration. All I ask you to do is be honest with yourself as you answer to you silently. Do you personally “look down on” many people in the Middle East? If you do, why do you? See if any of these statements sound familiar. “I do not understand how anyone could be a suicide bomber!” “I do not understand how people can hate people so intensely just because of their nationality.” “I do not understand how people can attack jeeps and guns by throwing stones!”

You do not understand those things? “NO!” Why do you not understand those things? “Bottom line, those are stupid acts!” Would you do any of those things? “NO!” Why? “I know better!” So, what you know makes you superior?

Please pray with me: “God, teach us how to have minds and hearts filled with the love that comes from you. In our love for You and others, never let us use our knowledge to destroy those for whom You sacrificed the Jesus.”

Both Christianity and Judaism traces the root of all our personal problems and all the world’s problems to humanity’s inability to handle knowledge.
1. The first book in the Bible makes two bold declarations.
  1. The first temptation was based on the human inability to handle knowledge.
  2. The first act of evil was based on the human inability to handle knowledge.
2. Read with me from Genesis 3:1-10.
  Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
  1. We could spend a lot of time focusing on talking snakes and eating a fruit that provides knowledge–but if we did, I fear we would miss the lessons.
  2. “What lessons?”
    1. In contrast to God, humanity has never been able to “handle” the knowledge of evil.
      1. In contrast to God, the knowledge of evil deceives us–not God, but us.
      2. In contrast to God, the knowledge of evil tempts us–not God, but us.
      3. God can handle the knowledge of evil because He cannot be deceived (Galatians 6:7) or tempted (James 1:13).
    2. Before humanity had the knowledge of evil, there were some basic problems we did not have.
      1. It was the knowledge of evil that produced shame.
      2. It was the knowledge of evil that produced a sense of guilt.
      3. It was the knowledge of evil that produced fear.
      4. How different would your life be if you never felt shame, never knew guilt, and were never afraid?
    3. Nothing good resulted from the human knowledge of evil.
      1. Why?
      2. We could not handle knowing what evil was!
      3. Evil deceives; God does not; and we are easy prey for skillful deception!
  3. The highest form of deception is an addiction.
    1. I am speaking of any form of addiction: to alcohol, to drugs, to sex, to power, to money, to control, to pleasure.
    2. Either an addict denies an addiction, or an addict abandons himself or herself to an addiction.
    3. Basically an addiction is any form of destructive escape–the attempt to flee rather than face or endure.
    4. The addict often becomes a powerful advocate for his or her addiction.
    5. He or she often does so with the words, “If you only knew. . .”
If as a Christian you really doubt the fact that humans cannot handle knowledge, I ask you to consider a couple of statements.
1. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul discussed the most important and enduring qualities of human existence.
  1. He named three: faith, hope, and love.
  2. He declared that the greatest of the three is love, which he discussed in detail.
  3. Would you please note that knowledge was not one of the three.
2. Please read with me as we look at 1 Corinthians 8:1-13.
  Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.
  1. For us, nothing is more black and white than idolatry–there is only one God or there is not, and there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
  2. Those who had knowledge and were quite correct in their knowledge knew there was only one God.
    1. They knew that an idol did not represent an existing, living god, and they were correct in their knowledge.
    2. They knew that a sacrifice offered to an idol was offered to nothing, and they were correct in their knowledge.
  3. And Paul said that correct knowledge was the foundation of arrogance.
    1. Knowledge was the foundation of arrogance.
    2. Love built people up.
    3. Paul said if you are going to know something, know the importance of love.
  4. Then Paul said something else that was most strange to the people to whom he wrote and is incredibly strange to us.
    1. Not every Christian knows there is just one God and idols are nothing.
    2. Some Christians know that, but all Christians do not know that.
  5. So Paul said that he would not wound their consciences by eating a food given in sacrifice to a nonexistent god.
    1. “Why, Paul? If you have correct knowledge and they are the victims of ignorance, why would you let their ignorance control your behavior?”
    2. Bottom line: he understood how much God paid in Jesus’ blood for their salvation, and he would not allow knowledge to destroy the saving work of God by destroying someone for whom Christ died.
    3. Love is the ultimate, in God, and in those who follow God.
I want to share a couple of things with you and I have a very specific purpose in my sharing: I want your thoughts to penetrate to the inner core of your being.
1. I want to begin by stating that I take confidences very seriously.
  1. Unless I have permission from the person, I do not even share confidences with my wife.
  2. The first thing I want to share with you I have permission to share.
2. When I returned from vacation, a lady I deeply respect told me that while I was gone she acquired a specific set of knowledge.
  1. I have worked with, encouraged, and tried to help people for decades.
  2. I can assure you that the knowledge she learned would have devastated most Christians.
  3. The knowledge she acquired had the potential of bringing major devastation to her life.
    1. There was zero question about the authenticity of her knowledge.
    2. Her new knowledge was based on unquestionable fact.
  4. But in her situation, her love is greater than her knowledge.
    1. So instead of her new knowledge bringing devastation,
    2. Her love is growing in spite of that knowledge.
3. The greatest challenge that we Christians have is allowing God’s love to become the most powerful influence in our lives.
  1. It is extremely challenging to let God’s love teach us how to love.
  2. In no situation or in no relationship will any of us be as forgiving just one time as God already has forgiven each of us in Christ.
  3. Never will being compassionate to others cost us as much as God’s compassion toward us cost Him–it cost Him the life of his only son WHEN HE COULD HAVE STOPPED IT!

Please do not let this happen to you on judgment day.

Us: “Lord, that Christian who was baptized into Christ was doing something the wrong way–so I stopped him!”

God: “You do realize that I gave Jesus to die for him. Did you love him as much as I do, or did you destroy someone that I sent Jesus to die for?”

1 Corinthians 8:11,12 For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.

Do not let your spiritual knowledge destroy you–or any one else!

Searching For Peace

Posted by David on September 14, 2003 under Bulletin Articles

Few things are wanted more by individuals than an inner sense of personal peace. Since so many value and want this sense of personal peace, we might decide that it is commonly experienced. With that reasoning, we might conclude that many want it because they see it in others and “want what they see.” Not so!

Few have the peace for which so many search. It is sought in many, many ways: over-involvement, escapes, pleasures, achievements, addictions, isolation, money, resignation, etc. The search for inner peace is common because the vast majority sense this uncommon inner peace can be found and should be experienced. In their search, most people could finish this statement: “I would have genuine peace of mind and heart IF…”

The IF usually focuses on changing a personal situation or condition believed to be the culprit that destroys inner peace. In this conviction, reasoning often proceeds in this manner. “I would have peace IF I were married” (but many of those who are married do not have peace); “IF I were single” (but many who are single do not have peace); “IF I had children” (but many who have children do not have peace); “IF I had no children” (but many who have no children do not have peace); “IF I had money” (but many who have money have no peace); “IF I had less money” (but many who are poor have no peace); “IF I had health” (but many who have health do not have peace); “IF I lived in America” (but many who live in America have no peace); etc.

All of us frequently are reminded that an inner peace of mind and heart are not dependent on things or external conditions. Two realities frequently remind us of this. (1) Many who have the things or are in the external situation we claim is the “key” to peace live with an enormous emptiness. (2) Some who do not have things or “desirable” external situations do find inner peace. Obviously, the “key” to peace is not a matter of having. One may have much and still possess an empty life, and one may not have much but find peace.

This is not irrelevant! A primary objective of God: provide those alive in His son with an inner peace. One way Christians reflect God’s light in a dark world is through reflecting God’s peace in their lives. Why should anyone become Jesus’ disciple if he or she will experience greater guilt, increased anxiety, and a larger inner emptiness? What attracts people to Jesus Christ more than the assurance of genuine peace of mind and heart?

Consider two statements Jesus made to his twelve disciples less than a day before his death. After reading these statements, reflect on your personal concept of inner peace.

(John 14:27) Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

(John 16:33) These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.

Salt and Light

Posted by Chris on September 7, 2003 under Sermons

The Sermon on the Mount = Matthew 5, 6, and 7.

What Jesus proclaims is a vision for the people of God, the kingdom people, and it reveals what we must be for the sake of the Lord’s mission. What Jesus declares though is not an idea that will simply change the church, it is an way of life that seeks to transform all the world.

Read 5:1-16

Jesus tells us that those whoreceive his teaching and "put it into practice" are like a wise man who builds his house on the rock. His teaching is the foundation of a blessed, kingdom way of living.
This is a way of life that goes beyond rule-keeping. This is more than regulations on what to do and not do. He is calling us to BE salt and light – to let our light shine so that the good things we do glorify God. What does it mean to BE salt and light? …

Who Are You? Salt and Light

[The NATURE of Salt and Light]
- Salt is a seasoning and a preservative. The presence of salt in food makes a difference. It creates zest and prevents decay.
  - Contradictions of language: jumbo shrimp, late advance registration, mild hot sauce.
  - Unsalty salt is just as much of a foolish contradiction.
  - It is the nature of salt to be salty!
- Light overcomes darkness and illuminates. It reveals dangers and shows the way to safety.
  - It is ridiculous to light a lamp and then cover it. The purpose is for the lamp to shine.
  - It is the nature of light to shine!
- "Salt and Light" say something about the nature of God’s kingdom people. Notice also that Jesus declares these as true! Without reservation or qualification he declares that WE ARE salt and light.
  - Salt and Light are not projects or programs that we undertake; this statement is not meant to describe an achievement or a goal, it describes our character as the people of God!
  - Jesus is saying that this is our being! The nature of salt is saltiness. The nature of light is illumination. When a city is placed on a hill, it is not hidden.What we do emerges from who we are!
    - In the film, Weapons of the Spirit, Pierre Sauvage tells the story of a village in Nazi-occupied France, Le Chambon. 5000 Jewish refugees were saved from the terrors of the Holocaust by the 5000 people of Le Chambon. Sauvage was born in that city and he had to know why this village of Christian people would risk their lives and the fate of their village to shelter Jewish refugees. Sauvage found that the people of Le Chambon had a strong sense of self and history – they knew who they were. The villagers of Le Chambon did not consider themselves heroic, they did not agonize over the decision to help the refugees. They simply did what was natural! What they did emerged from who they were!
- Our good works emerge from our identity as the blessed children of God. When people see those sort of good works, God will be glorified because the light than shines from us is reflected from our God who is light.
  - Mars is one of the brightest objects in the sky right now, but it has no light of its own.
- God is described as light and in him is no darkness (1 John 1:5). Jesus calls himself the light of the world (John 9:5). These describe the character of the God and Christ. In the kingdom we share in that divine character. Kingdom people are like their king …
[The Higher Righteousness of the Kingdom]
- But that can seem so intimidating! When Jesus tells us to "be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect" (Mt. 5:48) – is that even possible?
- Jesus must have believed that such righteousness was possible for he makes it essential to being a part of God’s reign. He insisted that our righteousness had to surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees … (Matthew 5:20)
- The problem of the scribes and Pharisees was that they used the law and prophets as binding legislation to react to situations. We do the same thing when all we strive to do is find the legislative bond or loophole that justifies or confirms our actions. But this sort of rule-keeping does not generate godliness or holiness.
  - The external image is met, but the internal character of BEING a disciple is weak. Col. 2:23 – "Such regulations look good, but lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence."
  - The law and the prophets were not regulations given so we could make distinctions among people. The intent of the law and the prophets was to shape the character of a people – a people with godly character would by nature be distinctive!
- That’s why Jesus declares (5:21-48 – Class material) that it isn’t enough to say, "I’ve never killed anyone." You need to overcome anger. It isn’t enough to say "I’ve never committed adultery." Maybe so, but is your heart pure or is it corrupted with lust? Have we just kept the rules, or are we reflecting the nature of our Father? That’s the test of kingdom righteousness …
HOW exactly does our righteousness surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees? Kingdom righteousness differs from the righteousness of scribes and Pharisees (ancient or modern) in two important ways:
1. First, kingdom righteousness is for the sake of others; not simply for our select group and certainly not to earn a reward. Notice that we are the salt of the EARTH and the light of the WORLD. In his declaration, Jesus declares that the presence of the kingdom is for the world!
  - April 1912 – Lifeboat 14 did what no other life boat did – They went back to save others. They knew that a lifeboat was for much more than the safety of the saved, it is for the rescue of the dying.
  - As righteous people, we are called out – not in contempt for the world, but for the sake of the world!
  - We overcome anger, lust, lying, and revenge, because like our Father we love others – including those who hate us. We do this not because he told us to; we do this because he told us who we are!
2. Second, it emerges from our being and not just our doing. When we ARE salt and light our righteousness becomes a reflex and a discipline. It is our nature to be salty. It is our nature to shine.
  - We live in response to God’s grace and mercy. Our good works are not an attempt to claim salvation or earn God’s favor. The Holy Spirit is a gift. Those who have been baptized are new creation – and their good works, their righteousness, flows from who we have become in Christ.
WHY exactly must our righteousness surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees?
- The first teaching in Matthew anticipates the final teaching. In Matthew, Jesus leaves his disciples with a mission and a promise. He promises that he will always be with them, and their mission is to make disciples. [“Making Disciples Eager to Serve Others”]
- But how can we make disciples if we are not disciples ourselves? We can only share the joy of the gospel and the blessings of the kingdom if that is who we are. This is why Jesus declares that we ARE salt of the earth and light of the world.
- The Point Bolivar Lighthouse [Texas]. It has the structure, form, and the appearance and the history of a grand lighthouse that has saved many. But it has no light! We need good form, solid structure and thank God for healthy heritage – but we need His Spirit to ignite our light!

I think a lighthouse is needed in Western Arkansas even though we are not on the coast. Good news! Jesus says – We Are that Lighthouse!

God’s Chosen, part 5

Posted by David on August 31, 2003 under Sermons

God does some incredibly special things for those He has chosen in Christ. These things are available to anyone who will place his or her confidence (a) in Jesus Christ and (b) in the things God accomplished in Jesus’ death. Being a part of God’s chosen is a matter of entering and living in God’s mercy.

If we choose Christ, God chooses us. On neither side is that choosing irresponsible or inconsiderate. God is very committed in the promises He made to those who are in Christ. Those who are in Christ must be very committed to being God’s people.

This evening I want to focus your attention on one of the most incredible gifts God gives to His chosen. I would like for you to read with me 1 John 1:5-10.
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

This is my understanding of the content of 1 John.
1. The author, John, is writing to Christians (the letter’s emphasis and challenge’s indicate the writing was first written to those who were in Christ).
2. He wrote as a self-declared eye witness and personal associate of the physical Jesus in his ministry.
3. He wrote to encourage Christians to embrace Christian morality as they lived among deceitful, discouraging circumstances.
4. He began his letter by noting a blessing that should be of profound encouragement to every man and woman who was (and is) a Christian.
An overview of the promise involved in God’s forgiveness of the man or woman who is in Christ.
1. A person comes to God with an understanding and acceptance of the fact that there is no evil in God.
  1. Jesus was clear about this truth.
  2. No matter what God expects of a person or requests of a person, there is no injustice in God (even if He requests death on a cross).
  3. Even when God’s requests require physical suffering, God seeks the person’s best interest.
  4. Therefore anyone who wishes to move away from the blackness of evil and toward to light of God will consciously move toward God.
2. The very first understanding these Christians needed to grasp and accept was an understanding of the forgiveness of God.
  1. Without an understanding of God’s forgiveness in the life of a person who belongs to God by coming to Him through Christ, they would not understanding the meaning or significance of the lesson they were to follow.
  2. Basic understanding: a person who is in Christ cannot continue fellowship with God and deliberately, by conscious, continuous choice live a lifestyle of evil.
  3. When a Christian attempts to do that (which is impossible!), he or she is not practicing the truth.
    1. It is not enough to know that God’s holy people should not live an evil lifestyle!
    2. It is not enough to condemn evil lifestyles in others!
    3. The commitment of being in Christ involves knowing and doing.
3. This understanding is based on an incredible promise from God.
  1. To the man or woman who is committed to coming to God, committed to a lifestyle of holiness, is obviously committed to a lifestyle consistent with God’s holiness.
    1. In this commitment, the person who is committed to being God’s holy person associates with and encourages others who are committed to a lifestyle of holiness.
    2. God’s promise to such people is that He will continuously cleanse them from all sin.
  2. John gave this caution to those Christians: “Do not say you have no need for God’s continuous forgiveness, continuous cleansing from all sin.”
    1. If a Christian says, “I do not need to be forgiven; I do not have any sins,” these two things are true of him or her.
      1. That person is self deceived.
      2. That person does not have the truth in him or her.
    2. This person knows he or she is dependent on God’s forgiveness every moment of life.
      1. Instead of denying sin exists in his or her life, he or she confesses sins.
      2. If we as Christians are willing to admit our sins as they occur, God will do two things: He will forgive the sins we confess, and He will cleanse us of all unrighteousness.
4. Special consequences await the Christian who denies his own sinfulness (is blind to his own evil).
  1. Instead of being a person on a journey to God and holiness, he becomes a person who makes God a liar (in his or her arrogance, he or she is a self-righteous person who says, “I do not need what God says I need”).
  2. He or she makes it impossible for God’s words to dwell (live) in his or her life.
We need to spend a few moments on the application of these statements to Christians’ lives right now.
1. The first understanding: forgiveness is what Jesus’ blood is all about.
  1. Redemption is in Jesus’ blood (that is the only way we can be bought back from evil).
  2. Atonement is in Jesus’ blood (that is the only way our sins can be paid for).
  3. Cleansing is in Jesus’ blood (that is God’s sacrifice for our sins).
2. The second understanding: the cleansing blood of Jesus flows in the Christian’s life on a continuous basis.
  1. There is no “in and out” situation that daily, at each moment, places us in and takes us out of God’s forgiveness.
  2. One is not forgiven when he or she because of faith in Jesus and repentance of sins is baptized into Christ because he or she has a perfect understanding and a total recognition of all evil in his or her life.
    1. That is impossible!
    2. He or she knows and accepts the fact that he or she is a sinner who needs to be forgiven.
    3. At the moment of baptism God does not merely forgive the sins he or she realizes, but forgives all his or her sins.
    4. God’s forgiveness of His children, of those who are in Christ, is not dependent on perfect knowledge and understanding of every form of personal evil.
    5. That forgiveness is dependent on Jesus’ blood and God’s promise to forgive.
    6. Forgiveness begins when one is baptized into Christ and continues as long as the person chooses to remain in Christ–it is a lifetime promise!
3. Third understanding: does that mean the person who is in Christ can live irresponsibly by ignoring God’s call to holiness and living as he or she pleases? No!
  1. Continuous forgiveness of the person in Christ that is based on the person’s willingness to acknowledge his or her need to be forgiven occurs in the person committed to learning and living a lifestyle of holiness (godliness).
  2. This Christian so appreciates the incredible thing God does for him or her on a daily basis that he or she moves toward God’s holiness in a hatred of evil within self.
  3. He or she cannot be both godlessly irresponsible and appreciative at the same time!
  4. He or she cannot meaningfully say, “Thank you, God!” and deliberately, knowingly live in a way that insults God.
  5. Continuous forgiveness moves the person in Christ to a higher level of commitment, not a lower level of commitment.
4. The fourth understanding: God’s promise of continuous forgiveness is the perfect solution for the human reality.
  1. No Christian can live with the stress and discouragement of the impossible, of constant failure, of constant agony and frustration.
  2. It is impossible for a human to be sinless–there are constantly failures to temptations, failures that are behavioral, failures that are mental, failures that are emotional.
  3. To impose the responsibility of sinless existence is to impose the impossible!
    1. It is suggesting that it is possible for a Christian to know all evil in every form, and to never be deceived or mistaken in his or her identification.
    2. Spiritual maturity involves the constant discovery of how evil we are.
    3. That discovery only deepens our appreciation of God’s forgiveness.
  4. God’s forgiveness is not based on achieving absolute sinlessness.
    1. It is based on a genuine, continual, committed effort to move toward God’s light.
    2. It is based on continuously trying, and God knows both my heart and my effort.
    3. Every Christian can live with that!
  5. God’s solution is perfect for my need!

This incredible blessing is promised by God to those who are in Christ! We cannot earn it! We must trust it!

To be a part of God’s chosen is to benefit from some incredible blessings!

The New Person Requires a Beginning

Posted by David on under Sermons

There are many times we wish we could start over, make different decisions, go in different directions. Most commonly we encounter these desires in marriage, in parenting, in careers, and in focusing life. Too often we feel powerless, resigned, and defeated. Too often we say to ourselves, “Things could have been different if I made different choices, but it is too late now.” Too often we continue on our journey of self destruction because we convinced ourselves nothing can change.

What we are incapable of doing in our lives, God can do in our lives.

Read with me as we focus on John 1:1-15.
Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.”

Right now I want Jesus to focus us in this statement.

Nicodemus came to Jesus for a private conversation between the two of them.
1. This is one of a very few prestigious persons who wanted to have a serious conversation with Jesus.
  1. Nicodemus was a member of the Jerusalem Sanhedrin.
  2. In our terminology, he was on the Supreme Court of the nation of Israel.
    1. He was recognized as one of the 70 men in that nation who had the kind of knowledge and insight that qualified him to make tough decisions.
    2. The fact that he held that position probably meant that he was politically connected with the most powerful politicians in Israel’s government.
    3. He helped make the most difficult religious and social decisions made in the nation at that time.
    4. This is a man who would be listed in first century Israel’s book of “Who’s Who”–this is a powerful, prominent man.
2. I want you to notice something about this man.
  1. First, this prominent, powerful man who is known as an expert in the law of Moses and its applications to then current situations called Jesus Rabbi.
    1. This is an incredible declaration of respect.
    2. People in his position did not quickly declare someone to be a teacher deserving of respect.
  2. Second, this man was honest enough to see the obvious.
    1. He knew and admitted to Jesus that God sent him–Jesus was God’s teacher.
    2. He knew no one could do the miracles Jesus did unless God was with that person.
3. I want you to notice Jesus’ first response to Nicodemus.
  1. It was not, “Thank you! I am honored that a man of your position sees those things.”
  2. It was, “The key to being in God’s kingdom is being born again.”
4. Note this prominent man, this recognized expert in the law of Moses, this man who was part of the nation’s group who solved hard problems, this man did not have a clue of what Jesus was talking about.
  1. Jesus said, “You are supposed to be Israel’s teacher, and you do not understand the new birth?”
  2. Then Jesus said, “You must understand much more about me, beyond your present understanding. Believing in me is the key to eternal life.”
Focus your attention on the new birth.
1. A birth in humans brings a being to life who never existed before.
  1. By virtue of birth, someone now exists who never existed before.
  2. From the moment of birth, the objective is much more than being born–the objective is to nurture the newborn to maturity.
2. If you are tempted to be hard on Nicodemus by condemning his ignorance, don’t!
  1. Jesus introduced Nicodemus to a concept he never heard before, never thought about before.
  2. For Nicodemus, being in God’s kingdom was a matter of physical heritage.
    1. Being born an Israelite made you a part of God’s chosen people–it was an automatic!
    2. Jesus said being a part of God’s kingdom involves a new birth, a being born again.
    3. It is not a matter of heritage.
    4. It is a matter of entering a new relationship with God through me.
    5. It is a matter of becoming someone you have never been.
If it were not for what Jesus did for us, we could not be born again.
1. Because of Jesus’ death, we can come to God.
2. Because of Jesus’ resurrection, we can allow God to remake us.
3. Because of Jesus Christ, we can begin again.
Let’s focus our minds on Jesus Christ, God’s gift of the son, and the son’s gift of atoning blood as we take the Lord’s Supper together.

[At this time the congregation took communion.]

I want you to think about two things.
The first thing I want you to think about is God’s involvement in the new birth, the spiritual beginning again, for every man and every woman who comes to God through Jesus the Christ.
1. There is great concern today regarding church growth or increasing the number of those who are born again because they see Jesus Christ for who he is.
  1. There are all kinds of theories, ideas, and suggestions made.
    1. Some say, “If we could just emphasize what we emphasized 50 years ago in the same way we emphasized it then, we would grow.”
      1. I find it interesting that this suggestion only wants to go back 50 years ago, not 2000 years ago.
      2. I find it interesting that some decide that the best way to glorify God is to glorify the recent past.
    2. Some say, “If we would just allow people’s wants to determine what we do, then we would grow.”
      1. We need to ask, “Shall those who have little or no spiritual interests be the guides of those who seek to be spiritual?”
      2. The objective is not human pleasure.
      3. The objective is to move closer and closer to God.
    3. Some say, “The preference of the vocal majority must demand the conformity of everyone.”
      1. People being different have never bothered God–it just bothers humans.
      2. Humans are emotionally impressed with externals; God is impressed with hearts.
      3. God knows when a human is or is not praising Him.
      4. God knows motivations–humans are the ones who need to get 2 x 4s out of their eyes before they remove specks from others’ eyes.
  2. In all our concerns about church growth, two things stand out to me. [And I surely recognize it is an extremely complex problem.]
    1. Solutions are usually focused in us–it is frequently about us, not about God.
    2. Solutions are frequently focused on procedures–if we could just find the “proper way” to do things, we would grow.
2. May I make an observation?
  1. The most important element in church growth is God.
    1. It is not the past.
    2. It is not pleasure.
    3. It is not preference.
    4. It is God.
  2. God will entrust us with people He knows are seeking Him when He knows they will find God at the center of who we are and what we are about.
  3. Have we not heard Jesus?
    John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
The second thing I want you to think about is this: those who belong to God specialize in mending broken people who want to be mended.
1. Let me stress no one can be mended in Christ except the person who wants to be mended.
  1. A person must acknowledge brokenness.
  2. A person must accept responsibility rather than playing the blame game.
  3. A person must repent, find redirection, new birth in Christ.
2. I want you to ask yourself two questions:
  1. Question one: would God send a broken person to this congregation to find new birth in Christ? [Would God trust such a person to us?]
  2. Question two: ask yourself, would God send a broken person to this congregation because I am here, and God knows I would help the person mend his or her brokenness?

If we want to grow so we can “feel proud” of who we are and what we do, it will never happen.

If we want to grow because we have a passion to help people discover a new beginning in Jesus Christ so that God can be praised and glorified, nothing can prevent it from happening.

Living For Eternity or Right Now?

Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles

I specifically remember times as a teen when I would watch the setting sun and hope to return the world to God. That was quite a dream for an insignificant country boy on small mountain top farm. Though I dreamed, I had no clue as to how big the world is, how complex cultures are, or how many people have no interest in God.

Perhaps that was a significant motivation when Joyce agreed that we should move our young family to West Africa. The naive country boy learned enormous lessons in West Africa, lessons he fervently prayed God would never let him forget.

I learned how big the world is. I learned how powerfully people are defined by their cultures. I learned how complex we all are. I learned the meaning of faith in Christ. I was introduced to the relationship between patience and faith. I was made aware of the deep, incredible link between having faith in God and having the desire to repent. I learned that we can use religious motivations and agendas for many different objectives. I learned how much of America’s culture and social values are incorporated in the American Christians’ concepts of God’s will and faithfulness.

I was greatly humbled by another understanding. God’s intent was never to Americanize the world. God’s intent was (is) to offer the world salvation in Jesus Christ.

No human can change the world. That power resides only in God, and He offers that change through Christ. Only in Christ resides the power for change.

Each generation accepts or rejects God’s offer. Each parent learns that truth! Frequently we are reminded not even our own children may accept Christian values and concepts!

In each age our power is to model the value and privilege of God’s molding. We knowledgeably share our faith in Christ. We prayerfully hope our children, friends, and world see in us the value and privilege of serving God. We earnestly, genuinely hope our children, friends, and world will see the reality of eternity. Yet, we grieve realizing many refuse to see the reality of eternity. These prefer “now” to “then.”

If in Jesus’ world many were not impressed with him, why should all in this world be impressed with him? Pessimism? No! Acceptance! Those rejecting repentance never recognize God. The greatest tragedy: many who could see God, respond to Jesus, and repent, either (a) never hear or (b) are blinded by Christians with good intentions but little faith.

Hebrews 11:13,14 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

God’s Chosen, part 4

Posted by David on August 24, 2003 under Sermons

This evening I want to begin with a brief review. I want to begin that review by reading Ephesians 1:3-6.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Please notice in this reading:

In some sense God chose the Christians at Ephesus (and us) before the foundation of the world–prior to creation.
This “choosing by God” is based on Jesus Christ.
1. Every spiritual blessing from God is in Christ.
2. God chose them “in Christ.”
3. Our adoption as sons of God was predetermined in Christ.
4. God’s grace is freely bestowed on them (and us) in Christ.
God’s objective in Christians: to make us a holy people who are serious about being God’s people, who exist to praise God’s glory.

My understanding is this: this is a statement of corporate election. God chose everyone who chooses Christ by placing his or her faith in Christ and allows Christ to teach him or her how to live like a person who belongs to God. God does not choose Christians in order for them to live as they please, but He chooses them to learn to live as a person who belongs to God.

Teachers use the concept of corporate election when they grade.
Employers use the concept of corporate election when they use job descriptions to determine hiring.

We accept God’s adoption by placing ourselves and our confidence in Jesus Christ. Paul is not talking about placing confidence in a system, but placing confidence in a Savior.

This evening I want you as Christians to see what a blessing that election (being one who is chosen of God) is. In the past we spend a lot of effort trying to declare what election is not, and too little effort declaring what election is.
1. There are two foundation questions, and we have done a poor job of (a) separating those questions and (b) separating our answers to those questions (we too often interchange our answers as if there is one question).
  1. Question one: how does a person become a part of God’s chosen?
  2. Question two: how does a person continue within God’s chosen?
  3. Question one has to do with how does a person become a Christian.
  4. Question two has to do with how does a person continue being a Christian.
  5. This evening my focus is on question two.
2. Consider some critical contrasts:
  1. This is not the situation: a person who was enslaved to evil suddenly becomes a person who has no evil in his or her life.
  2. This is the situation: an unforgiven person enslaved to evil becomes a forgiven person enslaved to God (we are the servants of the one we obey).
  3. This is not the attitude of God’s chosen: “I am forgiven so I can continue living any way I wish.”
  4. This is the attitude of God’s chosen: “God in His forgiveness constantly helps me discover how much evil there is in me, but assures me His forgiveness will continue as I grow more and more like Him.”
  5. This is the irony: the closer I come to God, the more I see my evil; the further I am removed from God, the more blind I am to my evil.”
I want to focus you on the benefits of being God’s chosen by calling your attention to Romans 6-9.
1. Lets begin with a brief review of those chapters.
  1. Romans 6:
    1. The whole purpose of baptism into Christ was to give God control of our lives.
    2. In each of our lives, we belong to the one we obey–Satan or God.
  2. Romans 7:
    1. Christ is our salvation.
    2. We cannot save ourselves through practicing self-control.
  3. Romans 8:
    1. We must become a person whose life is controlled by God’s Spirit.
    2. We cannot be a person whose life is controlled by the physical.
    3. Then there is an enumeration of some of the blessings given to people who are ruled by the Spirit.
  4. Romans 9:
    1. God always has functioned in human relationships by choice or election.
    2. Specific examples are Jacob, Moses, Pharaoh, the potter, and statements from Hosea and Isaiah.
    3. The fact God chooses is the specific reason that He can include people who are not Jews among His chosen.
2. I want to focus your attention on the blessings God gives the chosen or elect by calling to your attention to several promises in Romans 8.
  1. Romans 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
    1. Remember that we added the chapter and verse divisions for our convenience in citing and finding places.
    2. I suggest to you that there is a direct connection between the person in despair in the last of chapter 7 and the assurance that there is no condemnation in Christ in 8:1.
    3. When we are in Christ God does not “count sins” as we struggle in our weakness, but notes our faith in Jesus as we seek to grow in spirituality.
    4. The Christian is not burdened with an oppressive sense of guilt but with the assurance of God’s forgiveness in Christ.
    5. Is there no condemnation to the Christian because he or she has committed no evil in his or her mind, emotions, or body? No!
    6. There is no condemnation because of what God did for him or her in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
    7. That is an enormous blessing given the redeemed, the chosen, the elect–no condemnation!
    8. Jesus affirmed this is the reason God sent him into this world: John 3:17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
  2. Romans 8:26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
    1. For the man or woman who dares to be a Christian, a spiritual person, in an evil world, there will be severe struggles.
    2. Sometimes the war between Satan and God involves matters beyond our comprehension, and when we are caught up in those struggles we, in our confusion, do not even know what to pray.
    3. We are assured that God’s Spirit, which lives in us, which God gave us at the same moment forgiveness began in our lives, at the moment of baptism because of faith and repentance, intercedes for us.
    4. The Spirit can communicate the heart concerns of the Christian to God in ways that are clear and understandable to God–even when the Christian cannot put into words his or her concerns!
    5. There is no experience we can have as a human that God cannot understand!
    6. That is an enormous blessing given to the redeemed, the chosen, the elect!
  3. Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
    1. God can use any struggle, any horrible circumstance, any undesirable situation to bring the Christian closer to Him!
    2. There is nothing Satan can cause to happen to the Christian that God cannot use to the Christian’s eternal benefit!
    3. There are two conditions the Christian must maintain within himself or herself for this to happen: (a) love for God and (b) commitment to God’s will.
    4. That is an enormous blessing given to the redeemed, the chosen, the elect!
  4. Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
    1. The superior force in all creation supports the Christian.
    2. Nothing bigger than God (or even equal to God!) will ever oppose the Christian.
    3. The proof that God “is in our corner”? His willingness to sacrifice His son!
    4. God’s commitment to us is unquestionable–He is our constant Encourager!
    5. That is an enormous blessing given to the redeemed, the chosen, the elect.
  5. Romans 8:33,34 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
    1. If my understanding is correct, Paul declared that Satan cannot accuse the Christian before God as Satan accused Job before God.
    2. God won’t hear the accusation! He justified! If God, the superior force, justifies, Satan, the inferior force, cannot accuse.
    3. The enthronement of Jesus assures us that God will listen to Jesus’ pleas for us, not Satan’s accusations against us.
      1. The resurrected Jesus is enthroned at the right hand of God.
      2. The resurrected Jesus who is enthroned at God’s right hand intercedes for the Christian.
      3. God listens to Jesus’ intercession and refuses to hear Satan’s accusations!
      4. That is an enormous blessing given to the redeemed, the chosen, the elect!
  6. Romans 8:35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
    1. Nothing external of ourselves can force God to stop loving us as His chosen people!
    2. We cannot be kidnapped from God’s love!
    3. We not only can endure in God’s love, but we can be victorious in God’s love!
    4. Why? Because we are so special? We are so strong? No!
    5. It is because of what God’s love in Christ Jesus does for us!
    6. That is an enormous blessing given to the redeemed, the chosen, the elect!

You want to be a part of the redeemed, the chosen, the elect! It is our choice to be one of God’s chosen! Only the elect have the promises of (1) no condemnation, (2) the Spirit interceding for us, (3) the assurance the God can use anything Satan does to us for our eternal blessing, (4) having the superior force nurturing us, (5) being in a condition where we cannot be charged before God, (6) being in a situation where nothing eternal of ourselves can separate us from God’s love, (7) being assured that overcoming is absolutely possible.

These are some of the promises to God’s chosen, His elect.

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