God, Me, and Freedom

Posted by on February 15, 1998 under Sermons

To you, what does it mean to be free? Most of us never do in-depth thinking about freedom. In 1980 my father and mother accompanied Joyce and me on a trip to Israel. It was a rich, enjoyable experience. To my Dad it was a unique experience–it was the only time he ever traveled outside the United States.

He enjoyed the experience far more than I expected he would…until we were returning to catch our departing flight. We flew into Amman, Jordan and traveled by bus to Israel. Getting into Israel was relatively simple. Getting out of Israel was very difficult. Suddenly, my father realized that he could not go where he wanted to go. He realized that he was totally controlled by the decisions and orders of others. For the first time in his life, he was not truly free.

It had a chilling effect on him. It made him realize what freedom was. Let me tell you how powerfully this impacted my Dad at that moment. He despised paying taxes. At that moment, he said, “If I ever get home, I will never complain about paying taxes.”

Have you ever had an experience that made you realize what freedom is?

  1. Is the greatest gift that any society can receive the gift of freedom?
    1. When communism collapsed in Eastern Europe, many of us immediately assumed that new freedoms would bring great blessings to the peoples of eastern Europe.
      1. Why would we not conclude that?
      2. We associate our greatest blessings with our freedom–our prosperous lifestyle is inseparable from our freedom.
      3. To us it is perfectly logical to assume that freedom will produce the lifestyle and the prosperity that we enjoy.
    2. When those societies were freed from the totalitarian control of atheistic communism, some very interesting things happened.
      1. Some societies immediately resurrected old hatreds and turned on those they hated.
        1. They had not been free to vent their hatreds.
        2. Freedom gave them the liberty to hate.
      2. When the totalitarian control of the superpower collapsed, some smaller groups wanted totalitarian power locally.
        1. They were free to begin civil wars within their own societies.
        2. Their hunger for control was free to fight against and destroy factions within their own society.
      3. Freedom created new opportunities for greed and the abuse of power.
        1. Elections provided people access to power.
        2. They had the freedom to speak and to persuade.
        3. Becoming elected officials created new opportunities, and some abused those opportunities.
      4. In the past civil order was the product of totalitarian control; now civil order depended to a large degree on the responsible choices of individuals.
        1. Organized lawlessness soon became more powerful and advanced than the police.
        2. Crime soared as it exercised a powerful presence within many of those societies.
    3. It was quite evident that freedom is much more than the absence of totalitarian control.
      1. It takes far more than the collapse of dictatorial control for freedom to exist.
      2. If freedom is to exist, some basic essentials must also exist.
        1. A strong foundation of ethics and morals must be accepted and held by the greater majority of the society.
        2. The greater majority in the society must hold a common sense of responsibility that seeks the good of society.
        3. Individuals within the society must understand that selfishness and self-centered existence destroys freedom. (There is a delicate balance that must be maintained between the rights of the individual and the best interest of the society.)
        4. The society itself must be educated in the definition of freedom, the objectives of freedom, and the goals of freedom; the society must know what freedom is, what it accomplishes, and where it is going.
    4. What happens when you free people within a society that:
      1. Has lived for generations under totalitarian control?
      2. Has never experienced individual rights?
      3. Had all systems of religious ethics and morals destroyed?
        1. For generations nothing was done because there was good and evil or right and wrong.
        2. Everything was done because it was the will of the totalitarian system.
        3. The totalitarian system destroyed religious ethics.
      4. What happens? You enter chaos, not freedom.
    5. What happens when people seek to bring freedom into existence:
      1. Where people have lived without freedom in any form for generations?
      2. Where no one has experienced the responsibility of freedom?
      3. Where people had no opportunity to learn or understand the critical links between freedom, rights, and responsibility?
      4. What happens? You enter chaos, not freedom.
    6. People do not step out of totalitarian control into freedom; people make the journey from totalitarian control to freedom.
  2. Because you understand freedom from the political and social perspective, I want to challenge you to understand freedom from a spiritual perspective.
    1. I want you to let Paul, the freedom expert, teach us.
      1. Paul is the freedom expert.
      2. Before he became a Christian, he was an expert in the law of Moses.
        1. He likely was the most scholarly Jew converted in the first century.
        2. His credentials in the Mosaical law were superior and superb.
      3. After he became a Christian, he was an expert in the gospel of Christ.
        1. I sincerely doubt that any Christian had a clearer understanding of the good news of the grace of Christ than Paul had.
        2. The leader of the movement that tried to destroy the church became the leading spokesman for the church.
        3. The man who fought Jesus the impostor became the man who knew that Jesus was the Lord and Christ.
        4. His encounter with Jesus Christ on the Damascus Road turned this expert in the law into the expert in the grace of Jesus Christ.
        5. Both experience and revelation created his understanding of freedom in Christ.
    2. Listen carefully to these statements that Paul made.
      1. To the Christians in Galatia who had turned away from the grace of Christ to accept the law of Moses, Paul wrote:
        1. Galatians 5:1–It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
          1. Please carefully note the statement, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free…”
          2. Christ set the Christian free in order for the Christian to be free.
        2. Galatians 5:13–For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
          1. Carefully note that the Christian was called to be free.
          2. That freedom is not to be perverted to satisfy ungodly desires.
          3. However, Christians are called to be free.
      2. To the Christians in Rome, Paul contrasted life lived according to physical drives with life lived in the Spirit.
        1. Paul contrasted life ruled by the concern for the physical with life lived in the Spirit.
        2. Romans 8:15–For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
          1. Life lived in the spirit cannot produce the mind of a slave, the heart of a slave, the circumstance of a slave, or the fear of a slave.
          2. When you become a Christian, you do not enter a new form of slavery; you are adopted into God’s family.
          3. You enter a “Daddy-child” relationship with God.
    3. What does Paul, the freedom expert, want Christians to understand?
      1. What God did for Israel through the law and what God does for Christians in the gospel are two entirely different things.
        1. God’s objective in the law was to gain control of an out-of-control people.
        2. God’s objective in Christ is to free people who are enslaved to evil and guilt.
        3. The law was an intermediate step toward freedom.
        4. The grace of Christ is the entrance into freedom.
      2. Consider this illustration: Is marriage freedom or slavery?
        1. A wife can declare to her husband, “By law you are responsible to be faithful to me.”
          1. “I demand that you abide by that law.”
          2. “If you don’t, you will pay the price: I will divorce you and you will suffer.”
        2. A wife can tell her husband, “In my love for you, I commit to you totally.
          1. “My love for you is unconditional.”
          2. “My commitment goes far beyond refusing to be unfaithful.”
          3. “I am committed to everything that faithfulness is.”
      3. Questions:
        1. Which creates trusts?
        2. Which produces freedom?
        3. Which is the least likely to prevent adultery?
    4. Spiritual law by its nature:
      1. Stresses consequences.
      2. Searches for mistakes.
      3. Condemns when it uncovers mistakes.
    5. The objective of spiritual freedom is to give life and create relationship.
      1. It gives life by forgiving.
      2. It nourishes life with continued grace and unconditional love.
    6. But freedom exists only if:
      1. The Christian understands the concept of freedom.
      2. The Christian accepts the responsibilities of freedom.
      3. The Christian enters a relationship with Christ in order to have freedom.

When Christians see spiritual freedom as opportunity to pursue personal agendas or to live irresponsibly, they have no better understanding of spiritual freedom than Eastern European societies had of political freedom.

What kind of relationship do you have with God?
Are you interested in being free in Christ?
Or are you just trying to live under the controls of the law?

Caution: God At Work!

Posted by on under Bulletin Articles

We American Christians tend to be aggressive even when we appear to be passive. We possess a form of certainty that must amuse and frustrate God. We are uncertain about precious little. “Our way of thinking” coupled with “our spiritual perspectives” ooze with a certainty not to be questioned.

We never intentionally instruct God or tell Him how to “conduct His business.” Aren’t we careful to say, “If it is your will,” when we make requests for the sick? However, our convictions about God’s priorities or concerns are never shy.

In this certainty, often we are quite definite about when, where, and how God is and is not working. It is hard for us to understand that not even evil prevents God from being at work. God is at work everywhere in everything. In context, that is the point of Romans 8:28. God even uses evil to accomplish His objectives and fulfill His purposes. I did not say that God causes evil. I said that God uses evil.

Consider two clear examples. Evil motivated Joseph’s brothers to sell him as a slave. Year’s later, Joseph realized that God worked through that evil to save his entire family. He told his brothers, “You meant it for evil against me, but God meant it for good…” (Genesis 50:20). Did God make Joseph’s brothers evil? No, Satan did that. But God used Satan’s evil initiative to accomplish His own purposes.

The greatest example is the crucifixion of Jesus. Lawless (godless–NAS) men killed Jesus (Acts 2:23). Satan’s greatest single victory on earth was the execution of God’s son. Yet, God worked through that evil to achieve His greatest victory in earth. That death atoned for all human sin from the first one to the world’s end. That death led to resurrection. In the resurrection, God made Jesus Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).

Thankfully, God does not do things as we Christian humans do. Often we spend more energy and time in debating when, where, and how to work than in working. God is not afflicted with such indecision. He just works–all the time everywhere. Even when a teenager is sold into slavery or His son is executed, God is at work.

Were visible, spiritual caution signs placed everywhere God is at work, we American Christians would be astounded. Maybe we would help more and hinder less.

Can I Live Without That?

Posted by on February 8, 1998 under Sermons

Three men got into a heated discussion about which part of the body was the most essential to life. It began when two of the men expressed a difference of opinion about escaping life threatening situations. One said, “Nothing is as important as your legs. If you are in a life threatening situation, you have to have your legs to carry you to safety.”

The other said, “That depends on the danger. Many times your hands can eliminate the danger faster than your legs can take you away from the danger.”

The argument was on. “Well, if you want to argue in that way, the ears must hear the danger before the hands can act.”

“That may be true, but the eyes can see the danger much faster than the ears can hear it.”

The third man jumped into the argument. “Both of you are talking about external factors. Internal factors are much more important. The brain is absolutely essential in all this. It tells the legs or the hands what to do. It interprets what the ears hear and the eyes see.”

“That is true, but if there are no muscles to respond to the brain’s orders, nothing would happen. The brain can interpret all it wants to interpret and give all the orders it wants to give. But if the muscles do not respond to the brain, the brain will be killed.”

“Well, let’s get real here. The muscles cannot do anything without the bones. Muscles are useless unless they have bones. The brain can give the orders and the muscle can receive the message, but if there are no bones, nothing happens The most that the muscles can do without bones is jerk.”

Does that remind you of some of the discussions that Christians have? Just ask a talkative Bible class that has Christians with definite opinions, “What is the most essential thing we must do to escape hell?” Or, “What is the most necessary thing we must do to be saved?” Or, “What is the most critical thing that must occur for the church to be Christ’s church?” I predict that you will hear a very similar discussion.

  1. This situation is not a frivolous matter; it places the spotlight on Christian thinking and Christian focus.
    1. We seem to be obsessed with trying to decide what is the most important.
      1. Some declare that knowing the word is the most essential thing that should be stressed.
      2. Some declare that faith is the most essential thing that should be stressed.
      3. Some declare that love is the most essential thing that should be stressed.
      4. Some declare that obedience is the most essential thing that should be stressed.
      5. Some declare that service is the most essential thing that should be stressed.
      6. And everyone says that we do not have the proper balance in the things that are being stressed.
    2. So what is the most essential?
      1. Knowledge?
      2. Faith?
      3. Love?
      4. Obedience?
      5. Service?
    3. Can you be spiritually alive and spiritually health without any one of those?
      1. Can you have spiritual strength and spiritual health if you have knowledge without faith, emotion, or service?
      2. Or if you have faith without knowledge, emotion, and service?
      3. Or if you have emotion without knowledge, faith, and service?
      4. Or if you have service without emotion, faith, and knowledge?
    4. If you have two, do you need not be concerned about the other two, or if three do you need not be concerned about the other one?
    5. Could I ask you to give thought to something ?
      1. Don’t think about this for just a few minutes tonight as we discuss it.
      2. Put it in your thoughts to chew on for a while.
      3. Have you ever considered that this discussion about what is most important is our discussion, not the New Testament’s discussion?
        1. Can you think of a scripture, placed in its proper context, when a New Testament writer says, “The most important thing in being a Christian is…”
        2. Have you ever noticed that is discussion focusing on our debate, our concerns, our chosen emphasis?
      4. Any religious group who is concerned about being correct biblically, who accepts scripture as God’s word and God’s authority, is vulnerable to this kind of thinking.
        1. Concern for being biblical means that we want to place our emphasis where the New Testament places it.
        2. That means that we must decide where the emphasis is placed.
        3. Therein is the trap–we decide.
        4. It is too easy to focus on an emphasis that addresses our personal concerns or problems created by our personal concerns.
  2. Believe it or not, this is a very old problem, a problem that existed before Christianity existed.
    1. The Pharisees were dedicated restorationists who had two basic goals.
      1. They wanted to restore national and spiritual dependence on Old Testament scripture with a proper emphasis on the law of Moses.
      2. They wanted to spiritually return the Jewish people to the “old paths”–literally their words.
    2. In the process they were very concerned with placing the greatest emphasis on the most important commands.
      1. One of the significant discussions and debates that they continued among themselves and with others was this: “What is the most important commandment?”
      2. They recognized that all of God’s commands were not of equal importance.
        1. Some of God’s commands took priority over other of God’s commands.
        2. It was a practical concern: when obedience to God would result in contradictory actions, which command should be obeyed?
      3. Let me give you an example of a situation that places God’s commands in conflict.
        1. A neighbor runs into your house to escape some men who are trying to kill him. Realizing the danger, you hide him.
        2. Before you can telephone 911, the men trying to kill him are at your door asking if you have seen him.
        3. How many Christian commands or teachings do you confront in this situation?
          1. Christians tell the truth; they do not lie.
          2. Christians are honest.
          3. Christians love their neighbors as they love themselves.
          4. Christians are committed to doing good.
        4. Do you tell the men that he is not there and that you have not seen him, or do you tell them the truth and let them carry him away?
      4. The Pharisees were concerned about addressing this kind of conflict, so they debated the priority of commandments.
    3. So one of the questions that they asked Jesus was, “What is the greatest commandment?”
      1. Have you ever considered the fact that Jesus never answered that question with giving the two greatest commandments?
        1. They never asked him for number one and number two.
        2. He never answered without giving them number one and number two.
        3. That was no accident–number one would be abused and misapplied, if they did not accept number two.
      2. What was Jesus’ answer?
        Matthew 22:37-40 And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two comandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
        1. The first commandment:
          1. Love God with all your heart–all your emotions.
          2. Love God with all your life.
          3. Love God with all your knowledge and understanding.
          4. The first thing you must do is love God, but love for God must be rooted in all your emotions, all your life, and all your knowledge and understanding.
        2. The second commandment:
          1. You must love people like you love your own self.
          2. If love for people is based in the same context that love of God is based (and it is), you love people with your emotions, with your life, and with your knowledge and understanding.
      3. Pay careful attention to the balance, and the balance obviously is there because Jesus never separated these two commandments.
        1. You cannot use loving God to justify not loving people.
        2. If you do not love people, your love for God becomes meaningless.
    4. The Pharisees’ concern for restoring the place of scripture in Israel was a correct, good concern.
      1. Their concern to return people to the “old paths” was a correct, good concern.
      2. However, in the pursuit of correct, good concerns they misplaced their emphasis.
      3. Because of their misplaced emphasis they became the most formidable enemy of God’s own son while he was on earth.
      4. I find that a terrifying understanding!
      5. If we are not careful, we can become so concerned about restoring the church and doctrine that we become blind to the Savior.
  3. So, which is the most important: knowledge, faith, service, or emotion?
    1. May I make an observation and ask a question.
      1. My observation: perhaps the answer to that question has much to do with whether you are running from hell or you are running toward God.
      2. My question: which one of them is unimportant?
    2. It is apparent to me that:
      1. An ignorant Christian is easily deceived and led away from Christ.
      2. A faithless Christian trusts himself and his deeds and is without a Savior.
      3. An inactive Christian renders both his knowledge and faith useless.
      4. An emotionless Christians goes through the motions, but has no true relationship with God.

Can I be spiritually alive without knowledge of scripture? Or without faith in the promises and power of Jesus Christ? Or without ministering to people as I serve God’s purposes? Or without genuine emotion for God, Christ, people, and God’s eternal objectives?

Perhaps the question is, “What is my concept of being spiritually alive?

Ephesians 4:11-13 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; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)

Do you need to flee from the wrath of God? Have you allowed Him to remove your sins by immersion into Christ? We want to encourage you to run toward God.

Family Members Are Unique

Posted by on under Sermons

When you were growing up, how many children were in your family? How many brothers do you have? How many sisters?

Could you list all the ways that you and your brothers and sisters were alike? Could you list all the ways that you and your brothers and sisters are different? Sure you can. In fact, in most instances, it would be easier to list all the differences than to list all the ways that you were alike as children. With some brothers or sisters, you would declare that you were completely different–there were no ways in which you were alike.

When all of you became adults, did all those differences disappear? Did all of you, as adult brothers and sisters, become exactly alike? As adults, some similar characteristics may have developed, but your differences remained, and always will remain. Each of your brothers and sisters are distinct persons with a personal package that includes a unique personality and distinctive abilities.

  1. When a person becomes a Christian, that person establishes a relationship with God.
    1. Scripture verifies a relationship comes into existence by using specific concepts.
      1. A believing, penitent person’s baptism into Christ is a spiritual birth (John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:22,23; Galatians 3:26,27).
      2. After baptism, the person is said to be a spiritual infant (1 Peter 2:1-3).
      3. If that infant does not spiritually grow, serious spiritual problems develop (1 Corinthians 3:1-5).
      4. The person is expected to continue the growth process until he/she reaches maturity (Ephesians 4;11-16).
      5. All this growth occurs within the context of a spiritual family.
        1. God is the Father.
        2. Jesus Christ is the oldest brother.
        3. Christians are brothers and sisters to each other.
    2. Do you think all spiritual brothers and sisters are spiritually just alike?
      1. Because we all are born into the same spiritual family, do you think we will have identical spiritual personalities?
      2. Do you think all of us spiritually will look like and act like identical twins?
      3. Do you think all of us will have identical strengths and abilities?
      4. If, as baptized believers in Christ, we differ spiritually in many ways, does that mean we are not in the family?
    3. There are two defining realities at work in every person who is a Christian, each person who is in God’s family.
      1. The first defining reality is spiritual growth.
        1. We do not all begin our spiritual growth at the same point of spiritual development.
          1. Just as some infants physically are born with serious problems, some Christians are spiritually born with serious problems.
          2. The birth occurred, he or she is God’s child, and it is unthinkable that we should abandon this spiritual infant, but the problems are real.
          3. Spiritual growth and development does not begin at the same point for all of us; it does not occur at the same rate for all of us.
        2. The rate of spiritual growth and the level of spiritual maturity is unique to the spiritual potential of the individual.
          1. Ability factors and potential factors differ in us as physical individuals.
          2. Ability factors and potential factors differ in us as spiritual individuals.
      2. The second defining reality are spiritual abilities, or, as scripture refers to them, spiritual gifts.
        1. We understand that an ability is a gift that we were born with.
          1. The potential of that ability was within us at birth.
          2. That ability will become useful and significant in a person’s life only if he or she develops it.
          3. But you only can develop the ability that you have, and that ability is a gift of birth.
          4. I would love to be able to express myself through music–but I was not born with the voice, the ear, nor the aptitude; I don’t possess that ability.
        2. The same thing is true spiritually–spiritual abilities are potentials that we have when we are spiritually born.
          1. That spiritual ability will only become useful and significant in a Christian’s life if he or she develops it.
          2. But the Christian can only develop the ability he or she has, and that ability is a gift of spiritual birth.
          3. Spiritually, we certainly were not all born with the same abilities.
        3. Consider Romans 12:6-8–Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
          1. We have different gifts.
          2. God’s grace made those gifts possible.
          3. Prophecy, a form of teaching, is a gift.
          4. Teaching is a gift.
          5. The ability to encourage (exhort) is a gift.
          6. Generosity is a gift.
          7. Leadership ability is a gift.
          8. The ability to use mercy to bring healing and hope is a gift.
          9. The Christian who possesses the gift can utilize the gift only if he develops it.
          10. Paul’s point: develop the spiritual ability God gave you and use it effectively for God’s purposes.
          11. Focus on what you are able to do, develop it, and do it well.
      3. We need an honest understanding of spiritual ability.
        1. Some Christians may have many spiritual abilities, some Christians may have a few, and some Christians may have only one.
        2. Christians must identify and avoid two false conclusions:
          1. False conclusion # 1: “If I can do it, any Christian can do it.”
          2. False conclusion # 2: “Every Christian must work or serve in this specific way.”
          3. Both of those false conclusions wrongly assume that every Christian possesses the same specific spiritual abilities.
        3. God knows what each one of us is capable of doing and being, and what is occurring in each of our lives spiritually.
          1. I cannot see into your heart, mind, and life.
          2. It is impossible for me to know what is occurring in you.
          3. God sees what is happening in everyone of us; He and He alone knows our spiritual abilities and how we are using them.
      4. Expectations based on comparing sons or daughters to each other are horribly unjust in a physical family; they are equally unjust in God’s family.
  2. Every time I stand before you to teach or preach I am overwhelmed by the variety of spiritual needs that exist in our assembly.
    1. Regardless of how few or how many are present, it is quite possible that no two persons here are spiritually identical or in identical spiritual places.
      1. Some of you are battling enormous pain, and your struggle with that pain demands your total spiritual focus as you trust God for daily strength.
      2. Some of you wage war every day with something that enslaved your life before you were born into God’s family.
        1. It may be an attitude; it may be a behavior pattern; it may be a moral issue; it may be an addiction.
        2. But each day you spiritually exist by trusting God’s strength, trusting God’s forgiveness, and continuing the war.
      3. Some of you must focus your daily life on allowing God to help you escape the past.
        1. Through no choice or fault of yours, you were the victim of a terrible experience years ago.
        2. The wound was deep, and the scar is ever present.
        3. Maybe no one knows what happened to you.
        4. But it powerfully affected your thinking, your emotions, and your life, and you lean on God every day as you struggle with it.
      4. Some of you rely on God to fight fear every day.
        1. There are days that the fear seems to be bigger than you, bigger than life.
        2. Each day it is a challenge: don’t let fear become bigger than God.
        3. At times that fear terribly depresses you, but you are determined in your faith not to give the fear victory.
      5. Some of you are really growing and developing spiritually, and you are hungry to grow faster than ever.
        1. You are starved for the insights and encouragement that will help you grow faster.
        2. You really want to be fed.
      6. Some of you are filled with dreams and visions of what can be done for Christ and his kingdom (his rule in the hearts and minds of people).
        1. You want those dreams to come true.
        2. You are consumed with a desire to help people and touch lives.
        3. Every day you can see how those dreams could become reality.
      7. Some of you are very gifted, goal oriented, “make it happen” Christians.
        1. The focus of your life is to “make things happen” for Jesus in our community and in our world.
        2. Bible figures like Peter and Paul inspire you and fill you with the flames of spiritual ambition.
    2. And every week my challenge is to try to say and teach things that will be meaningful and helpful to all of you.
      1. I thank God that you give me that opportunity, and I accept it very seriously.
      2. As I accept this opportunity each week, I do so with this awareness.
        1. Everyone of us have different spiritual growth patterns.
        2. Everyone of us have different spiritual gifts or abilities.
        3. And God’s grace is working in each of our lives, just as our love as parents is working in each of our children’s lives.

So may I give you a challenge? Do all within your ability to encourage others as we grow and develop at different rates in different ways. See every Christian’s ability for what it is–a gift from God valued by God. Measure no other person’s gift by your gifts. No matter where another Christian is in his or her spiritual development, extend your hand of encouragement with your heart of love.

Don’t ever fail to encourage. Don’t ever fail to lift from the heart.

I am so happy we have a God. I am so happy we have a Savior.
God knows everything that has ever happened in my life. He knows my every weakness. He still loves me in spite of knowing every bad thing about me.
God says, “I take you like you are, where you are, because I have somewhere to take you.”
God is willing to risk your making mistakes. Sometimes we are so afraid of ourselves that we are afraid of dealing with life. God can use any ability you have for eternal purposes.

Will you believe the promises He has given you?
Will you allow Him to rebuild you?

How Quickly Awareness Grows

Posted by on under Bulletin Articles

Jerry and Meg Canfield returned to Laos from West-Ark in late December 1997. There they primarily worked on health projects. This work was done with registration and approval of the Lao government.

Saturday night, 31 January 1998, we learned that Jerry and Meg, Ken Fox, a Thai preacher, and around forty Laotian Christians were arrested Friday evening during a Bible study assembly in Laos.

The U.S. State Department, U.S. embassies in Laos and Thailand, Congressman Asa Hutchinson, and Senator Tim Hutchinson began actively seeking a resolution. Tuesday morning, Jerry, Meg, Ken, and the Thai preacher were released.

Please pray for our Laotian brothers and sisters who remain in jail.

Rarely do we experience such impressionable reminders of the contrast between life in the United States and life in much of the world. The separation of church and state is debated here with great emotion. However, the controversy does not question the right of the church to exist, function, or express itself. Aggressive initiatives question the right of the church to function in some areas of public life. Some wish to place significant restrictions on the rights and activities of all religions in this nation. Many of these advocates argue that religion significantly restricts their rights and activities.

The American debate is significant and could result in restrictions previously unknown in this nation. But no one seriously advocates the destruction of the church.

When members from this congregation are arrested for hosting a home Bible study with persons who want to assemble, it sobers us. It should. It should also shake individual, spiritual apathy. Blessings unused accomplish little more than blessings denied.

The Indestructible Kingdom

Posted by on February 1, 1998 under Articles

As seen from the book of Revelation, the saints in John’s time were undergoing a great trial of persecution. They needed encouragement and assurance that they might face up to these trials.

The Lord gives them this encouragement when he said, “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (2:10). This seems to be the purpose of the book. He expands this by showing the ultimate triumph of the Kingdom.

In 7:9, he gives us a glimpse of the Kingdom beyond the grave. A great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. The angel said to John, “These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And he that setteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore.

John spoke of himself as being a companion of those who were undergoing tribulation in the Kingdom (1:9). With this revelation, they could look forward to victory beyond the grave. “O grave, where is thy victory?”

John said, “. . . I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season . . .” (6:9-11). These were slain, yet they lived; they were now comforted. Things were good now, but they will get better. This is why the Spirit said, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them” (14:13-14).

God promises that, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things” (Rev. 21:7). The souls under the alter haven’t inherited all things yet. They don’t have perfect peace and happiness because they haven’t been avenged. But in Chapter 20, the Great Day comes when the wicked are judged, and along with Satan, are cast into the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Then John saw the final triumph of the faithful; the holy city coming down from God out of heaven and a great voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (21:3-4). “And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever” (21:5). “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (22:14).

So we see from this the destiny of the redeemed: perfect fellowship with God (21:1-8); perfect protection by God (21:9-27); and perfect provision from God (22:1-5).

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:11).

God had the eternal kingdom in mind before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). Instead of Satan hindering the purpose of God, he only put God’s people through a refining fire to purify them for that eternal realm with God.

The wonderful thing about it all is, it is not only for the saints in the first century, but, “whosoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely.” We, too, can overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of his testimony, if we love not our life unto death (Rev. 12:11). We are made clean by the blood of the Lamb, by being baptized into his death (Rom. 6:3-4). And his blood continues to cleanse us as we walk in the light and have fellowship one with another.

Walking in the light includes proclaiming his word (testimony). Because we are debtors (Rom. 1:14-16), we owe an eternal debt of love to our fellowman. We must show this love by telling him about the blood of the Lamb, and the word of his testimony. Then we must give our bodies as living sacrifices unto God (Rom. 12:1-2). We must crucify the old man and let Jesus live in us (Gal. 2:20).

If we are with the Lamb, victory is assured. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Voltaire, a French philosopher and skeptic of two centuries ago, said that he “hated life and dreaded death.” How different from the Christian! Voltaire had nothing to look forward to, but the Christian everything.

Christianity spans two worlds, time and eternity. Time is needed to prepare for eternity, to know Christ, “and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings” (Phil. 3:10). But we must keep in mind “our citizenship is in heaven.” We cannot be heavenly minded unless we are conscious of our heavenly citizenship and that we are only sojourners on earth. We must not, while sojourning among the ungodly, become ungodly, but remember that we are the salt and light of the earth.

As the Christian closes the book of Revelation, he understands how he can be content with his lot in life. The words of the Spirit, “Rejoice in the Lord always and again, I say rejoice” (Phil. 4:4) has meaning. What can he say to the ungodly? Groan, and again I say groan, for the misery that will come upon you. Why? Because they have united with Satan and “the God of peace shall bruise Satan” under the saints’ feet shortly (Rom. 16:20)!

The Christian looks backward to God’s promise in Eden to bruise the Serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15) and forward to its perfect fulfillment in the Serpent’s being “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (Rev. 20:10), and praises Christ because he is counted worthy to suffer with him. “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 1:5).

Holy Father, we praise you and thank you for allowing us to be a part of your Son’s “Indestructible Kingdom.”

Learning How To Develop Love In Marriage

Posted by on under Sermons

This evening I want us to interview God just before Jesus began his earthly ministry. We are interviewing God one month before Jesus is baptized by John. We ask the questions. God gives the answers.

We: “God, I understand that in less than five years You will start Your plan to save the world.”

God: “Actually, I will put the plan in motion in about a month.”

We: “That is quite an ambitious project–most people do not even know that You exist. Most people have never heard Your name. They worship other gods that they believe exist, and they trust them. So what is Your plan to make Yourself known to all people in the whole world when most of them have never heard of You?”

God: “I will start with one man, Jesus, who is my son. He will teach and work in one small nation, Israel. As he works with these people, he will choose twelve men to follow him and learn from him every day. Then Jesus will be killed, be buried, and be resurrected from the grave. I will make him the Savior of the world, Lord, and Christ. Forty days after his resurrection I will bring him back to me. Then I will use my Spirit to work through the men he trained. At first, they will teach only in that one small nation. But, in time, they and the people they teach will begin working in many nations. Through believing people who teach other people, in less than a hundred years Jesus will be the heart of a world movement.”

We: “Now let me get this straight. You plan to give the world a Savior, and you will start with one man in one small country. He will prepare twelve men. And with only that, You will produce a world movement in less than 100 years? That is hard to believe.”

God: “I am using the mustard seed principle. You must understand that I am not interested in controlling people. I want to completely change people. So I am putting the power of life in My message about the Savior. That life giving message will have a small beginning, as small as a mustard seed. When a mustard seed springs to life, it becomes a huge plant. When My message springs to life, it will touch the whole world.”

  1. God has never used quick fixes.
    1. From the time God promised Abraham a son until Isaac was born was twenty-five years, twenty-five years of struggle and faith building.
    2. Israel had to leave Egypt at night, had to walk to the other side of the Red Sea, had to travel through a harsh desert wilderness–it was a faith building experience that involved struggle.
    3. Faith in Jesus is not a quick fix; nor is repentance, baptism, or forgiveness–it is a faith building experience that involves struggle.
    4. God changes lives through faith, understanding, and struggle; He does not fix situations in ways that require no effort.
  2. Marriage in America is in an awful state–the troubled ones far outnumber the love filled ones.
    1. Marriage in the church is in an awful state–the trouble ones far outnumber the love filled ones.
    2. That is unnecessary, but a quick fix that requires no effort, no time, no pain, no commitment, and no prices does not exist.
      1. Enjoyable, enduring, love filled marriages that provide life long closeness, companionship, and romance are available to any couple who will make the commitment to learn how to build them and pay the price.
      2. It can happen for couples who learn how to make it happen; it never happens by accident.
    3. The problem is enormous and the need is enormous.
      1. It has taken generations to bring marriage problems to their present state.
      2. While there are no quick fixes, there are effective ways to significantly improve any marriage regardless of how good or how troubled it is.
    4. We will use God’s mustard seed principle to begin teaching people how to build romantic love in their marriages.
  3. All marriage relationships have the same ten basic emotional needs.
    1. Those needs are:
      1. The need for affection.
      2. The need for sexual fulfillment.
      3. The need for conversation.
      4. The need for recreational companionship.
      5. The need for honesty and openness.
      6. The need for the spouse to be attractive.
      7. The need for financial support.
      8. The need for domestic support.
      9. The need for family contentment.
      10. The need for admiration.
    2. In any marriage, the most important emotional needs of the husband and the most important emotional needs of the wife are not the same emotional needs (Dr. Carl Brecheen talked to us about this during our December “Marriage Enrichment Seminar”.)
      1. Understanding each other’s most important emotional needs and fulfilling those needs is the key to building romantic love in every marriage.
      2. Most husbands and wives have never learned nor understood the other’s emotional needs.
    3. There are five things that destroy romantic love in any marriage (Dr. William F. Harley, Jr., Love Busters):
      1. Angry outbursts: the deliberate attempt to hurt your spouse by using anger.
      2. Disrespectful judgments: the attempt to change your spouse’s attitudes, beliefs, or behavior by forcing him or her to think like you do.
      3. Annoying behavior: habits or activities that annoy your spouse.
      4. Selfish demands: the attempt to force your spouse to do something through an implied threat.
      5. Dishonesty: the failure of a spouse to reveal thoughts, feelings, habits, likes, dislikes, personal history, daily activities, and plans for the future.
      6. Each of these attack romantic love in marriage.
    4. Virtually all marriages are less than they could be for two reasons:
      1. We fail to meet each others’ emotional needs because we do not understand them.
      2. We do things that attack romantic love in our relationship.

Helping a couple learn how to meet each other’s emotional needs and helping them learn how to stop attacking romantic love will powerfully bless any marriage.

Is Affection a Stranger To Strong Faith?

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Recently, in another city, I heard a sincere, conscientious Christian man make this statement: “I grew up in a strong Christian family, but my family did not show affection.” In context, he meant, “My childhood family had great faith in God, but my family did not show affection for each other. I realize that I have not given my wife what she deeply needs and wants because I do not know how to show affection.”

This certainly was not the first time that I heard this statement. But this time, it powerfully caught my attention. I thought about all the troubled marriages I have known. I thought about all the pain and misery caused by troubled marriages. I thought about the times that I have not been the husband I should be. And a voice shouted inside me, “That is what is wrong with too many Christian marriages!”

Is it possible for a family to have a strong faith in God but express no affection in the family? Yes; it is much too common. Why does that happen? The most common reason that happens is this: the childhood family of the husband or the wife never taught him or her how to express affection.

Both Jesus and the New Testament letters powerfully stress the natural bond between faith in God and developing our human relationships.

  1. The New Testament emphasis on the natural bond between faith in God and developing human relationships is overwhelming.
    1. A major emphasis in the letter of I Peter stresses the responsibility of Christians to develop their relationships.
      1. I Peter 2:13-17–“This is how you as Christians are to treat all human institutions including government.”
      2. 1 Peter 2:18-25–“Christians servants, this is how you are to treat your masters.”
      3. 1 Peter 3:1-3–“Christian wives, this is how you are to treat your husbands.”
      4. 1 Peter 3:7–“Christian husbands, this is how you are to treat your wives.”
      5. 1 Peter 3:8,9–“To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;” don’t return evil for evil or insult for insult; instead give a blessing. “You were called for this very purpose…”
    2. The same emphasis is seen in many of the other letters.
      1. The letter of Romans:
        1. 13:1-7–“This is how you are to act toward the government.”
        2. 13:8-10–“This is how you are to treat all people.”
        3. 14–This is how you are to treat Christians who disagree with you.”
        4. 15:1-6–“This is how strong Christians are to treat weak Christians.”
        5. 15:7-13–“This is how Christians are to treat Christians.”
      2. The letter of Ephesians:
        1. 4:25-5:2; 5:21–“This is how Christians treat each other.”
        2. 5:22-33—“This is how Christian wives treat their husbands and Christian husbands treat their wives.”
        3. 6:1-4–“This is how Christian parents treat their children and children treat their Christian parents.”
        4. 6:5-9–“This is how Christian slaves treat their masters and Christian masters treat their slaves.”
      3. The letter of Colossians in 3:21-4:1 states how Christians wives and husbands; parents and children; slaves and masters are to treat each other.
      4. The letter of 1 Timothy in chapters 5 and 6 discusses how Christians who are older men, younger men, older women, younger women, widows, elders, slave owners, and slaves are to treat each other.
        1. Paul said anyone who rejected these relationship instructions advocated “a different doctrine,” did not agree with “sound words” from Jesus Christ or “the doctrine conforming to godliness.”
        2. Building healthy, godly relationships is a matter of doctrine.
  2. The crisis of the Christian home is the most dangerous, destructive internal crisis in the church today.
    1. I do not want to oversimplify the problem; many important factors work together to create this painful, destructive crisis.
      1. One of those primary factors is this: years ago we separated faith in God from affection in Christian relationships.
      2. For years the church has considered it acceptable to express strong faith in church-approved ways while neglecting affection in our homes.
      3. In too many situations, in the name of faith, we have taken affection out of the church and out of the Christian home.
    2. Perhaps you are saying within yourself, “David, you are exaggerating the problem.”
      1. “If a person has faith, expressing affection is not important.”
        1. “If you love, you don’t have to show your love.”
        2. Just as faith that does not express itself is dead, love that does not express itself is dead.
      2. When a congregation nurtures faith in God without expressions of affection, it is not nurturing:
        1. The heart of compassion.
        2. The tenderness mercy.
        3. Loving forgiveness.
        4. Tenderheartedness.
        5. Gentleness.
        6. Kindness.
      3. When a family nurtures faith in God without expressions of affection, it is not nurturing:
        1. The heart of compassion.
        2. The tenderness of mercy.
        3. Loving forgiveness.
        4. Tenderheartedness.
        5. Gentleness.
        6. Kindness.
      4. All these qualities existed in Jesus perfectly; they could exist perfectly in Jesus because of his incredible love, which he expressed.
  3. As a specific example, let’s examine a common problem in Christian marriages.
    1. The church has created the overwhelming, overriding impression that all it takes to please God in marriage is refusing to divorce.
      1. We created the conviction that the marriage crisis will be solved if we convince people not to divorce–if there is no divorce, there is no problem.
      2. We created the conviction that the church would have no marriage problems if the church just eliminated divorce among Christians.
    2. So what is our answer, when we face these very real, very common questions?
      1. “For years my spouse has totally alienated himself/herself from me. We live under the same roof–period. We put on a good front when we are in public, but I have suffered all the pain that I can take. I cannot endure the pain of living in a ‘less pretend’ marriage any longer.”
        1. Question: “What should we do?”
        2. Answer: “Don’t divorce.”
      2. “When we exchanged wedding vows ten years ago, we promised each other companionship. God created the home for companionship. I married for companionship. There has been zero companionship in our marriage for years. We do not share life, and we do things together only when it is necessary. It has reached the point that we simply do not want to be with each other–the less time we spend together, the better our lives are.”
        1. Question: “What should we do?”
        2. Answer: “Don’t divorce.”
      3. “My wife abuses me physically, verbally, and emotionally. When she goes into her rage, she abuses me and the children. When rage kicks in, she loses control and is totally unpredictable. There are times I physically restrain her to keep her from hurting one of us.”
        1. Question: “What should I do?”
        2. Our answer: “Don’t divorce.”
      4. “My husband is hooked on pornography. I did not know it, but he was already hooked when he was a teenager. He hides it well, but he buys it. When he travels out of town, he spends a lot of money on it. Sexually, our relationship is terrible.”
        1. Question: “What should I do?”
        2. Answer: “Don’t divorce.”
      5. “My spouse is on drugs and alcohol. He/she has hidden it for years by carefully picking and choosing the places and times to use it. But the addiction is getting worse every month. That growing addiction is creating problems that are becoming more and more serious.”
        1. Question: “What should I do?”
        2. Answer: “Don’t divorce.”
    3. In too many Christian marriages, the husband and wife do not know how to build or sustain successful companionship, or romantic love, or affectionate support.
      1. For years I have known families in which the adult children never saw mother and father kiss, hug, or hold each other.
      2. I know families that shook hands with their sons when they returned from the war arena.
      3. I know adults who as children watched their parents fight, but never saw them resolve a conflict.
        1. They got a Ph.D. in understanding how to fight mean, argue dirty, and attack viciously.
        2. They got a Ph.D. in how to withdraw, how to isolate, how to give the silent treatment, how to criticize, how to find faults, and to be controlling.
        3. They got a Ph.D. in how to inflict pain, how to cause emotional suffering, and how to wound the heart.
      4. But they never witnessed tenderness, or forgiveness, or supportiveness, or compassion.
        1. They never were taught how to hold a spouse when he or she is hurting.
        2. They were never taught how to be tender with someone who is grieving.
        3. They were never taught how to soothe emotional pain.
        4. They were never taught how to use loving forgiveness in failure.
    4. One of two things happens much too frequently.
      1. A son who does not know how to be a husband or; a daughter who does not know how to be a wife marries.
      2. Or a son or daughter who knows how to be a good spouse marries someone who does not know how to be a husband and wife.
      3. And the problem passes from one generation to the next.
      4. And with each generation relationship ignorance grows greater, selfishness grows worse, anger grows more intense, and problems grow bigger.

So the church cries out, “We have to do something!” And someone says, “People need to understand that they are not supposed to divorce.” So one more time we condemn divorce, but the situation gets worse. The message that is desperately needed is not found in the words, “Don’t divorce.” No matter how great the husband and wife’s faith in God is, when they are in pain long enough, when the hurt becomes deep enough, the marriage will end.

From day one, a primary focus of Christianity has been on teaching Christians how to live in their relationships. The New Testament places enormous emphasis on teaching Christians how to live in relationships. As the church, we have ignored that emphasis. And we are paying for it big time. That neglect is threatening our existence.

God never defined successful marriage as the marriage that does not divorce. The only solution to the marriage crisis is teaching Christians how to build successful relationships. That is the only way we will address the growing tragedy of failed marriages.

Our world is such a complicated place to live in. Our society is such a complicated place to live in. Rearing children is such a complicated thing. Being married is such a complicated thing. Nothing is simple.

Where do you start?
My recommendation: There is no simple answer without learning and knowledge. It will take a long time to get things untangled. The beginning point is building a relationship with God. Loving God is the first step to loving others. Making peace with God is the first step to making peace with your spouse. There are things that God can do that no one else can do. There are things that can be done in prayer that cannot be done any other way. Rely on a power greater than yourself.

Lord, I Hunger For Spiritual Growth–But My Religion Keeps Getting In My Way

Posted by on under Bulletin Articles

Lord, thank You for the spiritual influences in my life. Christian parents and grandparents are such a blessing! My life is powerfully blessed because I grew up in a praying home that studied the Bible. The church is the source of many special blessings. How thankful I am that it stresses Your authority and Your word. How thankful I am that it emphasizes the importance of obedience and morality.

I am deeply grateful for my spiritual heritage. My life is constantly touched by the hearts and minds of past generations who were devoted to being only Christians. Though I shall never know their sacrifices, their searching faith will always bless me.

I have grown through my study and prayer. I know that You are at work in my heart and mind. I see things that I have never seen. My understanding of Your principles and truths has reached new depths. The more I grow, the more I understand. The more I understand, the more I want to grow.

As I yearn to plunge deeper into the mind and heart of Christ, I meet an unexpected obstacle. I am shocked by areas of my faith. In some of my spiritual places, I discover my faith trusts a religious ‘system’ instead of Your Son. In those places, as my faith in Your Son grows, my ‘system’ feels threatened.

So, spiritually, I find ‘me’ in conflict with ‘me.’ My ‘system’ declares that I am in conflict with ‘them,’ and, in the past, I believed that. But my growing faith has reached a new level of honesty. Jesus shows me that my growing faith and my ‘system’ are struggling.

I cherish my heritage. I cherish the faith of my family. I cherish the church. I cherish my understanding of the Bible’s importance. I cherish my commitment to obedience.

I also cherish Jesus, my spiritual role model. I hunger for Your priorities. I hunger for a fuller understanding of Your will. I hunger to love and help people as You do. I hunger to have the heart and mind of Jesus so that helping people becomes helping the person. I hunger to be a Christian who does good in our world because I am a child of the God who does good in our world.

Lord, in spite of my conflict with me, help me grow. May those of the next generation be blessed by my growing faith just as I am blessed by the growing faith of generations past.

Understanding Christian-To-Christian Sensitivity

Posted by on January 25, 1998 under Sermons

In this society, as we struggle in our relationships, there is a loud heart cry that few people hear. This heart cry comes from many wives, many husbands, many parents, many children, and many Christians. What is this heart cry that few people hear? “You don’t have to have my feelings. You don’t have to have my needs. But please respect my feelings and my needs.”

“If you ignore my feelings and my needs, you ignore me. If you are blind my feelings and my needs, you are blind to me. If you laugh at my feelings and my needs, you laugh at me. If you ridicule my feelings and my needs, you ridicule me. If you trash my feelings and my needs, you trash me.”

  1. Let me share with you a simple but true illustration.
    1. A wife must make a decision that troubles her.
      1. She approaches her husband in this way: “Honey, I really need to talk to you. If I have to make a decision, and I am really trying to think it through. It would help so much if I could just talk to you.”
        1. He says, “Sure!” and begins to listen.
        2. After listening five minutes, he thinks to himself, “She’s rambling. She isn’t being logical. She isn’t putting this together. I will help her.”
        3. He interrupts and says, “What you need to do is obvious. Just do this, this, and this, the problem is solved. Let me logically explain to you why.”
      2. It is obvious that he insulted her; she obviously is angry; and immediately a chilling silence fills the house as she walks off.
    2. Her husband must make a decision that troubles him.
      1. He does not even tell his wife that he has a decision to make.
        1. In fact, he does not say a word to her.
        2. He withdraws into himself and becomes silent and moody.
        3. He is unapproachable and obviously does not want to be disturbed.
      2. She senses that he is struggling, so she tries to approach him: “Honey, is something bothering you? Do we need to talk?”
        1. He replies, “Nothing is wrong! I am just thinking. All I need is space.”
        2. Bewildered, she feels like she has been rebuked and rejected.
      3. He thinks the matter through, makes his decision, and everything is okay.
    3. Consider a huge secret: women search for conclusions; men solve problems.
      1. The way that women search for conclusions is by talking to someone.
        1. When a wife asks her husband to listen, that is all she wants.
        2. She does not want him to think for her or give her advice.
        3. She does not want him to solve the problem for her.
        4. She does not want an editorial.
        5. She wants her husband to listen–if he understands her feelings and needs, he listens.
      2. Men solve problems by reasoning within themselves.
        1. They don’t want to talk; they want to focus.
        2. They don’t want someone else’s evaluations; they want to reason within themselves.
        3. And they want to be left alone while they think.
        4. If his wife understands his feelings and his needs, she lets him think.
    4. Do you realize how many marriages suffer times of excruciating pain because husbands and wives do not understand each others’ feelings and needs?
      1. Do you realize how much heartache this ignorance creates?
      2. Do you realize how much pain is created because husbands and wives are ignorantly insensitive to each others’ feeling and needs?
  2. The insensitivity of ignorance is the problem Paul addressed in Romans 14.
    1. Jewish Christians did not understand the spiritual needs of Christians who worshipped idols before conversion.
      1. They did not understand the spiritual realities of a person who worshipped idols in the past but now believed in Jesus Christ.
      2. Jewish Christians were certain that these Christians should think and feel just like they thought and felt.
      3. Jewish Christians did not want to understand their feelings and needs; they just wanted to change their feelings and needs.
    2. Christians who worshipped idols before conversion to Jesus Christ did not understand the feelings and needs of Jewish Christians.
      1. They did not understand the spiritual realities of a person who stopped trusting the law in order to trust a Savior.
      2. They were convinced that Jewish Christians should think and feel like they thought and felt.
      3. They did not want to understand the feelings and needs of Jewish Christians; they just want to change their feelings and needs.
    3. So this is what they did to each other.
      1. Jewish Christians looked at non-Jewish Christians with contempt (Romans 14:3).
      2. Non-Jewish Christians condemned Jewish Christians (Romans 14:3).
      3. Jewish Christians said that there were some days that were more holy and more important than other days (Romans 14:5).
      4. Non-Jewish Christians said that there were no special holy days (Romans 14:5).
      5. So each condemned the other or caused the other to spiritually stumble (Romans 14:13).
    4. Paul said:
      1. Stop the condemning; stop holding each other in contempt (Romans 14:3).
      2. Neither of you are to Lord over the other (Romans 14:4).
      3. Be true to your own understanding and your own conscience (Romans 14:5).
      4. Each of you must understand this: the other does what he does for the Lord to express his faith (Romans 14:6).
    5. Paul said, “Both of you are Christians; you need to be sensitive to each other’s spiritual feelings and needs.”
  3. Last Sunday I stated that we did not recognize the spiritual needs of different groups within the congregation.
    1. I stated that we needed to grow in our respect and sensitivity for each others’ spiritual needs.
      1. You may sincerely respond, “David, I think we are a sensitive congregation.”
      2. “I really think that we are quite considerate of other people.”
    2. In many things and many ways that is very true.
      1. This congregation does an incredible job of responding to other people’s physical needs.
      2. Yet, in many ways, we do not understand how to respond to other people’s spiritual needs.
      3. In important ways, identifiable groups don’t understand each other’s spiritual needs.
      4. When we don’t understand each other, we react against each other.
      5. When we react against each other, we stop respecting each other.
    3. Allow me to explain the kind of insensitivity that I am talking about.
      1. In each generation, personal perspective is the interpretation of life and life’s events on the basis of experience and knowledge.
      2. In that interpretation, experience is always more powerful than knowledge.
      3. Life experiences influences all of us more than what we were taught.
    4. For the sake of example, let me continue last Sunday’s illustration.
      1. I contrasted the experiences of those above 60 with the experiences of those below 20.
      2. This is the basic contrast:
        1. Those above 60 have experienced war, poverty, and stable relationships.
        2. Those below 20 have experienced peace, prosperity, and unstable relationships.
  4. There are many ways to illustrate this, but let’s illustrate it with the words, phrases, and content of the songs different groups enjoy in public worship.
    1. Since distinct illustrations are best produced by extremes, let’s contrast the songs that the depression and World War II generations love with the songs our below 20 generation enjoy.
    2. The songs the generations who experienced the depression and World War II love to sing are about God helping us with this world’s troubles.
      1. “Be With Me Lord” It includes the statements, “I cannot bear the loads of life unaided,” and “If dangers threaten, if storms of trial burst above me head, if lashing seas leap everywhere about me…”
      2. “Safe In the Arms of Jesus” includes, “Only a few more trials, only a few more tears.”
      3. “It Is Well With My Soul” includes “when sorrows like sea billows roll.”
      4. “Whispering Hope” urges “Wait till the darkness is over, wait till life’s tempest is done” and speaks of the “deepening darkness” and “the night being upon us.”
      5. “Does Jesus Care” talks about pain, burdens, distress, weariness, grief, dread, and fear.
      6. “Precious Memories” is a nostalgia song that talks about precious father, loving mother, old home scenes from my childhood, and not knowing what the years may hold.
      7. “The Church In the Wildwood” is a nostalgia song that talks about the little church building in the woods that I knew when I was a child.
    3. I asked Brad (our youth director) to give me the songs our teenagers most enjoy.
      1. The most popular is, “Light the Fire,” [not in our song book] that praises God and asks for a better relationship with God. “Light the fire–in my soul. Fan the flame–make me whole. Lord you know–where I’ve been. So light the fire in my heart again.”
      2. “Step By step” praises God and promises follow His ways by walking in His steps.”
      3. “I Will Call Upon the Lord” praises the God I trust.
      4. “Nobody Fills My Heart Like Jesus” thanks God for breaking through “my heart,” and for all that Jesus did in saving me. It declares that “nobody fills my heart like Jesus.”
      5. “Thank You, Lord” thanks God for all He has done and all He will do.
      6. “Listen To Our hearts” says, “God, only my heart can tell you how much I love you.”
      7. “I Want To Be Where You Are” says, “I want to live every day of my life in your presence.”
    4. Let me focus you on some basic insights.
      1. The songs we who are over 60 love cannot mean to our teens what they mean to us because the teens have not had our experiences.
        1. To us, those songs are wonderful, powerful statements of our faith that come out of our childhood, out of our war and poverty experiences.
        2. But those songs do not reflect the childhood or the experiences of our grandchildren.
      2. Our teens live in an evil society, but not a society struggling with war and poverty.
        1. They value relationships.
        2. The songs they love celebrate God’s personal help, praise God for relationship, and affirm that relationship.
        3. To those of us who are above 60, relationship does not mean to us what relationship means to our grandchildren.
    5. Two things must happen to increase our understanding and sensitivity to each other’s spiritual needs just in the songs we sing.
      1. We who are over 60 need to share why our songs mean so much to us, and teens need to listen.
      2. Teens need to share why their songs mean so much to them, and we who are over 60 need to listen.

When a group makes it clear, “We don’t like your songs, and I am not going to sing them,” are we not being insensitive and destroying respect? Is it not clear that each person loves the songs that reflect his/her experience and touch his/her spiritual needs? If we are insensitive about something as simple as a song, wonder in what other ways we are insensitive?

I am so grateful that we belong to a loving God. And I am so grateful that we belong to the resurrected Jesus Christ.

God can do things humans find so complex we can never master.
God knows what every heart needs. He knows what every Christian wants to say to Him. He doesn’t hear us singing and praying as a group, but as individuals.
Your Christian brother or sister may not understand you as you think they should. Your Christian brother or sister may not be as sensitive as you think they should be.
But, God knows. God sees. God cares.
Don’t think about other people when you worship. Don’t think about other people when you serve. Think about God.
Are you living like a person who trusts in God? Have you become His child? We invite you to Jesus Christ who understands every person, including you.

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