The Christian Worldview (part 6)

Posted by David on March 12, 2006 under Sermons

THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW
part 6

1 John 2:12-17 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

John 16:25-33 (Jesus to his twelve disciples shortly before His betrayal) “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.” His disciples said, “Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech. Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 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.”

When it comes to personal satisfaction, Americans have an important love affair with speed. Though the speed limit on highways is 55 to 65 in this region of the country, we insist on owning cars that go twice that fast. We want food fast. If the food does not come as fast as we think it should in a restaurant, we will not go back to that place. If we make a purchase that involves a lot of money, we want possession of what we buy “right now.” If we have to wait, we complain–and want to know why our wait was necessary!

We expect “one hour development” for our film. Yet, better still is to go digitial–we like to see the picture we just made. We want the oil and filter changed in our cars and trucks in less than 30 minutes. We want a convenient ATM close to where we live. We love convenience in stores. We hate waiting in line. Most states have removed waiting periods for a marriage to occur. We have made it as convenient as possible to divorce quickly. We not only want a cure for an illness; we want a fast cure.

This society [and some others] wants gratification “now.” We just do not want it; we demand it. It is our right! Some of the most popular commercial words and phrases in our society are “fast acting,” “instant relief,” “immediate delivery,” “quick service,” and “no waiting.”

All wars involving us should be fast, bloodless, and pose no danger to the American people. All jobs need to consider the needs of the workers above everything else. The highest form of responsibility is responsibility to self. As we say, “You owe it to yourself.”

The American worldview is “immediate gratification.” The Christian worldview is “delayed gratification.”

Tonight I want us to consider a huge topic in just a few minutes.

1. Gratification basically is the pursuit of something that brings satisfaction.
   1. In this society, gratification is the pursuit of things that bring me personal satisfaction.
      1. In this country, being a teenager is often about seeking what makes “me” happy.
      2. In this country, dating is often about seeking what makes “me” happy by providing “me” satisfaction.
      3. In this country, marriage is often about “me” being happy in a lifestyle that satisfies “me”.
      4. In this country, one of the most important qualities of a job is “my satisfaction” in the context of “my sense of personal fulfillment.”
      5. In this country, quality of life is commonly considered everything.
   2. While we often laugh at some ideas, it seems to me that our laughter regarding personal satisfaction is often a mask for realities we do not care to consider seriously.
      1. For example, all of us most likely have heard or asked the question, “Are we having fun yet?”
      2. In this society “having fun” is the ultimate expression on personal satisfaction.
      3. If we are not having fun, we are being deprived of what many regard as a personal right, and we get depressed.
      4. Many think, “It is my right to be happy, and I cannot be happy if I am not having fun.”
      5. Thus if we look at someone and say, “That is no fun!” we are basically saying, “You cannot be happy living that way because that way of life is not fun, and if there is no fun, happiness is an impossibility.”
   3. In some societies, people live in the knowledge they will never have what they want-in fact they rarely think about what they want because they spend most of their thinking time trying to determine how to survive.
      1. Some of us have lived through times in which it was quite unlikely that the common person would have what he or she wanted.
      2. Many of us have lived through times that declared maybe someday in the distant future we might have what we want.
      3. Now most of us live in a time when we want what we want yesterday because today is not soon enough.
   4. I truly feel sorry for adults who marry having never experienced anything but prosperity.
      1. I have three children 42, 40, and 37–thus I speak as a parent who has thought about this.
      2. Have you added up the cost a newly wed couple faces today when they begin life together?
         1. A house or apartment?
         2. Furniture, appliances, television, CD player, microwave, etc.?
         3. One maybe two road worthy cars?
         4. Clothes for job or career?
         5. Recreational equipment?
      3. If you have lived all your memory life in a prosperous home, those things are just “normal living.”
         1. So what the couple expects from the first day of marriage is to “live normally.”
         2. One of the biggest threats to new marriages is expense!
   5. An essential part of the credit mentality in this and other Western societies is this: “I cannot wait until I can afford to buy what I want [need]. Therefore I will give you a part of what I plan to make in the future to have what I want [need] right now.”
      1. Too many of us cannot understand the concept of delayed gratification.
      2. Too many of us insist on having immediate gratification.
      3. “If you will give me the personal satisfaction that I want right now, I will pay you for that satisfaction for years and years.”
   6. We think that the key to happiness in this life is having the things you want.
      1. That is not true!
      2. Many are surrounded with the things they want and are very unhappy!
      3. Happiness involves much, much more than merely surrounding ourselves with the things we want!

2. This world [I am speaking of physical existence in this physical environment] is basically evil.
   1. To think that there is an existence in this physical world that will provide me an existence of daily fun through a satisfying lifestyle is to be deceived.
      1. There is no way that everything in physical existence is going to be “okay” in the sense of always working out just exactly like we want it.
         1. I am not trying to be pessimistic, I am trying to get you to think honestly.
         2. I am surely not saying that there are not many thoughtful, caring people.
         3. I am saying that we cannot and must not equate God’s blessings with physical benefits.
         4. Just look among us–and my perspective is to consider the people in this congregation good people who care about others.
            1. There are lots of widows and widowers here, and most of them represent a commitment story of love.
            2. There are lots of single, divorced people here, and everyone of them represent a broken heart.
            3. There are lots of blended families here, and many in those situations have memories they would prefer never to think about.
            4. There is lots of premature deaths here that represent accidents, diseases, and sickness we do not like to think of as being part of godly people’s experiences.
            5. There is a lot of financial struggle and disappointment here when physically things are anything but okay.
            6. There is a lot of disappointment and heartache here–most of us could tell a sad story that is completely true.
      2. If we think that we someday in this world are going to achieve a fulfilling lifestyle in which everything is wonderful, we are setting ourselves up for a major spiritual crisis.
   2. There are two basic ways to look at physical existence.
      1. One way is to view humanity as basically good.
         1. We can go about doing good as Jesus did because people make it easy to do good.
         2. When people are less than good, that is the rare exception, not the rule.
      2. One view is humanity is basically evil.
         1. If people are left to do as they please, they collectively will sink to their lowest common denominator.
         2. Humanity’s appetite for pleasure, appetite for greed, appetite for power, and appetite for selfishness continually will move it in a downward spiral.
      3. We live in the most prosperous, free society on earth–what we have is the envy of the world.
         1. Yet, everyone of us has to account for injustice in this society.
         2. Everyone of us have to account for spouse abuse in this society.
         3. Everyone of us have to account for child abuse and child neglect in this society.
         4. Everyone of us have to account for pornography, affairs, casual sex, and adultery in this society.
         5. Everyone of us have to account for theft, blue collar crime, dishonesty, financial scams, and violent crime in this society.
      4. How do you explain a people having the highest standard of living in the world and being so unjust in their actions at the same time?

3. To be Christian is to understand God’s promise of delayed gratification.
   1. We will not make this physical world “heaven on earth.”
      1. Instead we prepare to be part of an existence in which there is no evil.
      2. In that existence people will never be used or neglected in order to acquire things.
      3. People will be valued because they are in the image of God.
   2. Yes, Christians want to be God’s light and preserving power for good in this world.
      1. However, many in this world do not want what God offers–they prefer the pleasures of evil.
      2. There are consequences to doing evil, but the gratification is immediate.
      3. There are consequences to doing good, and the gratification is greater, but it is delayed.

I want you to consider two readings as we close.

1 Peter 2:9-12 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Hebrews 11:13-16 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. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

We exist to encourage people to belong to God. That is our purpose. However, we do not belong here, and never will.

Taking Risks for the Sake of the Gospel

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Illustration: I recently had the opportunity to join a police officer on patrol. He apologized that the shift wasn’t more exciting. I was okay with that.

Taking Risks
We are not accustomed to taking risks. About as risky as most of us get is managed risk. We devote so much to playing-it-safe. Every morning the talk shows let us know what we should fear and tell us how to be safe. I am glad that we have weather radar and as I was watching the reports of the storms last night I marveled at how the technology could pinpoint the action of tornados. I realized that this was a private company that owned this hi-tech. They invest in it because people are interested in being safe.
However, risk is part of life and especially life in Christ. As a friend recently said, “No one said this would be easy.” Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. – John 15:20.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, 8-9. Paul reflects on the life that follows Jesus and he acknowledges that the world resists the gospel – even though it is good news. Why? Because the darkness has veiled their hearts. Their vision has been obscured. But when we have beheld the light of the gospel, we have a hope that allows us to take risks – not for the sake of being risky, but for the sake of the gospel.

Clay Jars That Shine Like Stars
Today our brothers and sisters in Vietnam and Laos worship. Worship is a very risky activity for them to do. But we admire them for taking the risk. Why do they take that risk?
What would you say about a group of believers that moved their worship out of suburban safety and into a neighborhood plagued by drug abuse and burglaries? Not an outreach, but they moved everything down there! They take it for granted that their building will be broken into and that equipment will have to be replaced. Would you consider them foolish? Bad stewards? ( Is Jesus going to get really upset over a stolen sound system?) Would you call the believers fanatics? Why do they take the risk?
Whether they are in Laos or the Southern United States, these risky Christians seem to be playing by a different set of rules. I suggest that they are simply taking their calling seriously. Why should it be any different for us – we are trying to conform to Jesus Christ rather than the surrounding society. Don’t we realize that that is risky?

When we follow Jesus Christ, we have different priorities that may act against common sense. We are not going to conform to the dominant culture in every way. Are we okay with that? I don’t mean that we won’t conform to the things we don’t like – but we will also not conform to some of the things we do like! To be faithful to God’s mission we must often stand in contrast to the culture around us. (Read Philippians 2:12-18.)

Clay jars that shine like stars – the light of the gospel shining off the treasure. We are different. We are called to follow Jesus and we are shaped by scripture. And that means we will have to take some risks for the sake of the gospel. But what sort of risks?

What’s so risky about the Gospel?
God is calling us to take some risks, not risk for the sake of being risky, but for the sake of the gospel:[Note: I am indebted to Paul Clark and Jeff Christian for suggesting these three examples of how the church takes risks for the sake of the gospel. These points come from their unpublished sermons based on the Treasures In Clay Jars book edited by Lois Y. Barrett]

1) IT IS RISKY TO BE COMMUNITY: We live in a very individual age. Living in unity with one another – in the church – can be challenging.
I have never forgotten the story I heard Rick Atchley tell about an elderly sister who was walking into the foyer of her church house one Sunday. She looked over the bulletin board that featured pictures of the mission in Africa and she said softly, “I wish they would stop baptizing so many of those kind of people.” This sister’s version of heaven was segregated. A pearly gate with the banner “WHITES ONLY” above it and a back gates labeled “COLORED.” How can we be one in heaven if we cannot live as the community of Christ here? Do we think that Heaven will have high-rent and low-rent neighborhoods?
It is risky to live in community with others when we have a play-it-safe and build tall fences mentality. I think we would be more effective at sharing our faith if we would just simply be kind to people in the community and talk to them about God. What if we welcomed them to our home before we welcomed them to worship. I am convinced that people “go to church” with who they know. This risky living in community is how we unleash the treasure?
Christ took the risk of creating community. He wanted community and unity between us and God.

2) IT IS RISKY TO BE GENEROUS: It is risky to share with one another and with our community without expecting a return on our investment. We are generous with our wealth, but shall we also be generous with our love.

3) IT IS RISKY TO BE DIFFERENT: When the Christians of the second century were ridiculed and scorned by the society around them. They were called incestuous, cannibalistic, and atheistic. They didn’t overcome this by standing up for their rights or wielding their power to influence. They certainly didn’t overcome by conforming to the expectations of a dying culture. They overcame by kneeling in prayer in the arenas where they were slaughtered. And do you know who they prayed for? The Roman Emperor.

Taking Risks can be fearful – especially in church. That is because everything else in culture is changing so quickly. We want to have some place we can come that stays the same.
But the reason there are some things that do not change is not because someone opposed change. The reason is because some people did something to be faithful rather than do nothing because they were fearful. They took a risk for the sake of the gospel that does not change.

Chris Benjamin

West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR
Morning Sermon, 12 March 2006

Treasure in Clay Jars Lesson Four: Pattern 3 – Mar. 12, 2006 “Taking Risks for the Sake of the Gospel” What is this lesson all about? You will examine ways in which scripture calls for Christians to exchange personal comfort and predictability for risk taking and dependence on God. You will recognize the risks involved in being set apart from the world because of the gospel. You will explore how the Spirit of God empowers believers to be risk takers for the gospel You will gain understanding of the implications of personally becoming greater risk-takers in taking the saving gospel of Jesus to culture. Getting Started: When have you done something risky? How well did you come through the experience? What would be the most difficult part about being a missionary in a third-world nation? What would motivate someone to give up the comforts of life in America for the sake of the kingdom? Offer a prayer of blessing for missionaries living in dangerous places. What would be the most dangerous place to live in our community? How many children do you think live in that neighborhood? Searching the Word: Read Matthew 10:11-31 aloud. Who was Jesus speaking to? The twelve apostles, before he sent them out to preach. What kind of welcome did he expect that they would find as they talked about him? What were some of the risks the first followers of Jesus faced? How did Jesus instruct his followers to respond to opposition? Generate a list. See verses 16, 17, 19, 23, 28. What kind of opposition have you faced because of your faith? In what ways does verse 24 connect Christians’ persecution with Jesus’ suffering. How much do you think this helped? How do you feel when you hear of believers who suffer for Christ? Do you ever feel guilty for having it so easy? (See the attached Parable On Perspective). Making It Real: Exploration and Response Do we believe that Jesus is sending us into our community to call attention to the kingdom? If so, then what instructions do you think he would give us? Where might be some neglected or dangerous neighborhoods in our community where Christians are afraid to go? Who is speaking for Jesus in such places? How could we help children in those neighborhoods? What do we have to risk? Every church wants to recruit prosperous, educated, moral leaders as members. Who are some people that nobody is inviting to their church? How could we reach out to them? Why do we consider it risky to help these people? Ask the group to identify ways in which they perceive Christians as being different or set apart from the world. Possible responses include how Christians use their time or resources, how they treat fellow workers, employees, how they speak, etc. In what ways are we reluctant to take risks because we are “captive to our culture?” Taking the discussion one step further, ask the group to respond to this quote: “Some congregations seem to be living by a set of rules different from that of the dominant culture. Their priorities are different. They act against the “common sense.” They are trying to conform to Jesus Christ rather than to the surrounding society.” (Treasure in Clay Jars, p. 75) Creative Generosity – How does a church responsibly respond to needs, some of which are ?spur of the moment’, such as a natural disaster (reflect on ways in which God used the faith community in reaching out to Katrina evacuees), when those funds are not in the budget? Invite the group to respond to these questions: How can we encourage each other to be greater risk takers in taking the gospel into our culture? In what ways does God’s Spirit empower and lead Christians when they are risk takers for the gospel? How do we answer the question today, “Who is my neighbor?” Prayer Time Pray for the lost Pull out a local map and pray for specific streets where there is little hope. (You could say, everywhere, but try and make it personal. Divide into prayer groups if that helps). Ask God for courage to take risks for the kingdom. Kid-friendly Activity Read Luke 10:25-37 aloud. You might act it out (the story of the Samaritan). What risks did the priest and Levite avoid? What risks did the Samaritan take? Pair up kids with adults. Share about a kid you know who has a rough time behaving at school. Adults share with kids about a struggling kid you knew when you were younger. How could we as God’s followers help kids who are having a hard time? What would be hard about helping a kid who is having a hard time? Attachment 1: A Parable On Perspective WHAT IT MEANS TO BE POOR One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people can be. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?” “It was great, Dad.” “Did you see how poor people can be?” the father asked. “Oh Yeah” said the son. “So what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father. The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.” With this the boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added, “Thanks dad for showing me how poor we are.”

Theory Is Fine, But Practicing Is Hard

Posted by David on March 9, 2006 under Bulletin Articles

The theory of forgiveness is wonderful. Practicing forgiveness is hard. The theory of compassion is wonderful. Practicing compassion is hard. The theory of mercy is wonderful. Practicing mercy is hard. The theory of grace is wonderful. Practicing grace is hard.

Why is it so difficult to be forgiving, compassionate, merciful, or a person of grace? Why? Because you forgive those who hurt you, show compassion to those who offend you, show mercy to those who do not deserve kindness, and give grace to those “who do not deserve it.” If I do not deserve it and receive it, it is wonderful! If you do not deserve it, why bother?-You are just getting the consequences you deserve!

The standard is not “us.” We “measure up” pretty well to people. What is the standard? It is what God did and does for all in Jesus Christ. That is one standard above all of us!

In the above passage, Jesus completed the undesirable, humiliating task of washing feet. He asked the twelve, “Do you understand what I did? I gave you an example. And you are not superior to me. So?’put your money where your mouth is.'”

Satan constantly (all our lives!) places us in circumstances that demand we validate our theory by our behavior. He did with Jesus and will with us. He did with the twelve and will with us. He did with the 1st century church and will with the 21st century church.

It is easy to declare God’s love for all, but can be demanding to take God’s love to all. It is easy to declare that God champions the weak and helpless, but demanding to care for them. It is easy to declare kindness to all, but demanding to be kind to all. It is easy to declare God’s caring, but demanding to be an agent of God’s caring.

Matthew 5:43-48, You have heard that it was said, ?You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

It is simple to become God’s child. It is demanding to live as God’s child.

The Christian Worldview (part 5)

Posted by David on March 5, 2006 under Sermons

THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW
part 5

Romans 1:18-32 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

This evening you may not agree with me. If you do not, that is okay. This evening my objective is not focused on getting you to agree with me. My objective is focused on making you think.

This evening I would like for you to think about God. The basis of the Christian’s worldview is based on the Christian’s perspective of God. I am not challenging you to think about Jesus Christ. I am challenging you to think about God the Father, the central character of the Bible.

1. I want to begin by challenging you to think about the Bible.
   1. The Bible is not about humans.
      1. Humanity, either as persons, individually or collectively, is not the central character(s) of the Bible.
         1. The central focus of the Bible is not on people, not on humanity.
         2. Surely, it talks about a lot of people.
         3. Surely, it has a lot to say about the basic need of humanity.
         4. However, even though that is true, the Bible is not based on the actions of people.
      2. The Bible is a book about God.
         1. Surely it speaks much and repeatedly about the human reaction to God.
         2. Surely humanity’s interaction with God is a constant theme in the material.
         3. However, God is the central character of the Bible.
            1. It begins with these words in Genesis 1:1.
               In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
            2. It ends with God and His Lamb enthroned in the heavenly, eternal kingdom in Revelation 22.
         4. Everything between the opening and the ending is in some way related to the great human need–correcting the separation of humanity from God.
         5. The central problem of the Bible is how is God going to address that human need.
         6. The Bible –Old Testament and New– focuses on God’s solution to that human need.

2. Humanity’s separation from God created by human rebellion in accepting evil produced a horrible problem that humans could not resolve of themselves.
   1. The Old Testament’s emphasis is not on an “angry” God who had to be appeased.
      1. For certain, God was angry for two reasons.
         1. Something very precious to Him, something that He made and allowed to share His nature, was taken from Him through deceit and rebellion.
         2. As God tried to eliminate the problem, humanity kept resisting His efforts–the harder God tried to provide humanity a solution, the more determined humanity became in its rebellion.
         3. God was far more patient than any of us would be.
      2. However, the patience of God is declared repeatedly.
         1. God was patient with Abraham’s descendants.
         2. God was patient with Israel (the nation God formed from Abraham’s descendants) in the wilderness.
         3. God was patient with Israel in the period of the judges. (Read the last two stories in the book of Judges.)
         4. God was patient with Israel in the United Kingdom.
         5. God was patient in the Divided Kingdom.
         6. God was patient with the returning remnant.
      3. Though humanity failed repeatedly, God refused to give up.
   2. The typical American Christian of today has virtually no idea of how violent the ancient world was. People’s behavior was everything God was not.
      1. Most Americans do not grasp how violent today’s world is.
      2. We were once used to being privileged international tourists who can go anywhere and receive exceptional treatment.
      3. We have developed the view that American blood is more precious and valuable than the blood of people in other nations and geographical places; that is our view and not God’s.
      4. It has been only in about the past decade and a half that we increasingly look at many other places as unsafe.

3. God wishes to be at peace with humanity-that is not a new desire!
   1. There is a lot of emphasis in scripture on God’s desire for peace with humanity.
      • Acts 10:34-38 Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)–you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
        1. “God cares about everybody–I just now understand that, but God always has been that way.”
        2. “God wants the persons who reverence Him–no matter what nationality he or she is.”
        3. “Jesus Christ is God’s message of peace!”
      • Romans 5:1,2 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
        1. Faith in Jesus Christ is our access to God’s peace.
        2. We have access to God’s grace through having faith in Jesus Christ.
      • Galatians 5:22,23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
        1. A natural expression of the fruit of the Spirit is peace.
      • Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
        1. Rejoicing should be a natural expression of being in Jesus Christ.
        2. Those in Christ Jesus have no need to be anxious because the Lord is near.
        3. If we are in Christ Jesus, we are guarded by God’s peace–even when we cannot explain it!
      • Hebrews 13:20,21 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
        1. God is a God of peace!
        2. God is the equipper!
        3. God will use us for His glory!
   2. The fact that we are at peace with God does not mean we will have peace in this physical world.
      1. Do you remember these words spoken by Jesus to the twelve not long before he was betrayed?
         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.”
         1. In a few hours of that statement Jesus died a horrible death.
         2. In a few hours of that statement the twelve were scattered.
      2. There were times the church Jesus established endured severe persecution.
      3. Tradition says all but one of the twelve died a premature death.
      4. The promise of peace obviously did not include a wonderful existence in this world!
      5. The peace God grants us is peace with God!
         1. We do not have to live in fear!
         2. We do not have to live with guilty consciences!
         3. We do not have to live unforgiven!
         4. We do not have to live without hope!
         5. We can live in the compassion and mercy of God’s grace!
         6. The peace that God grants is internal, and that is the form of peace we value the most!
   3. We American Christians are conditioned primarily to think in terms of material and physical peace.
      1. We want to live in a physically safe society in a physically safe world.
         1. It is to be expected if someone living in another nation suffers, but it is not all right if “one of us” suffers.
         2. We do not want to suffer from disease.
         3. We do not want to die prematurely.
         4. We do not want to be in situations that threaten physical life.
      2. We want to define peace as everything being okay right here, right now.
         1. We want that so much that we even define Christianity in terms in which there are no physical threats.
         2. If we are not careful, we decide our covenant with God through Jesus Christ is an agreement that everything will be just fine right now.
         3. As a result, too many Christians lose their faith in God when life does not go just exactly as they want it to go.
         4. In too many Christians’ concept, life is all about us right here, right now.

The Christian worldview understands peace is found in God! Not prosperity, not the physically “good” lifestyle, not an insurance policy against disease, not a guarantee that you will not die an early death, but peace!

Peace is not about the physical! Peace is about the internal!

The Worst Things Are Never the Last Things

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Don’t Give Up or Give in to Despair – We are crushed, but not destroyed. To give up on our faith, on the church, or to give up on any ministry or on anyone means we will miss out on the wondrous things that God can do. When Jesus was arrested, the disciples ran out in fear and despair. But the resurrection day was coming. In Christ, the worst things are never the last the things. Don’t give up and don’t give in to despair.

Don’t Ignore How You Feel – Even if we are resolved not to give up or give in, that doesn’t mean that we won’t feel badly. All of us are feeling something – even if we are feeling numb or shocked. We are experiencing all sorts of emotions. Those of you who have been through similar circumstances are perhaps reliving the emotions you have felt. God made us to feel. Don’t ignore this; only do not let your feelings become an opportunity to sin. The Psalms show us how people of faith take every sort of feeling before God so that God may redeem those feelings. There are angry Psalms, sad Psalms, questioning Psalms, pleading Psalms, and hopeful Psalms. Don’t ignore how you feel. Let this situation become an opportunity for faith.

Don’t Worry (or feel anxious to fix or explain) – It is understandable that we might feel anxious at a time like this. We may be worried about many things. When we get anxious we want to fix the problem. We want to explain everything somehow. Abraham and Sarah lost their patience waiting on God to fulfill His promise and the result was the birth of Ishmael. Instead of solving a problem, they created many more. I appreciate the fact that our elders have decided to wait prayerfully for 30 days before making any major decisions. They rightly recognize that our first priority is seeking redemption of sin, healing hurt and being prayerfully patient before God.

Do Pray – So we should all be praying. What Satan would use for harm, God can redeem for good. In prayer, we stop to give God the victory. Prayer pagers have been given out. I urge you to lift up the arms of our leaders as they begin a time of discernment and prayer.

Do Love – Praying for one another and with one another is a way to demonstrate our love for one another. Love covers over a multitude of sins. It doesn’t make sin go away; it doesn’t ignore the destructive potential of sin; it covers it over. When a sharp, abrasive irritant is introduced into the soft tissue of an oyster, the oyster covers the particle with a substance that smoothes the irritant and in time makes it a glistening pearl. Love can cover over the sin that has irritated this body, and by the grace of God He can transform this experience into a jewel that reflects His glory. Love covers over a multitude of sins.

Do Hope – Right now it may be very difficult to see how anything good can come of this. I admit to being shortsighted. But “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:3) We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. The worst things are never the last things for those who follow Christ.

In addition to these, I add two more …
Don’t overlook the seriousness of sin. – Because of sin there is death and suffering in the world. Paul warns the Galatians that even as they are to extend help to the sinner they should be cautious of the potential of sin to harm them as well. [Galatians 6:1, “Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.”]

Do trust in the grace of God – Romans 5:12 – You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we’re in–first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death. ¹³That sin disturbed relations with God in everything and everyone, but the extent of the disturbance was not clear until God spelled it out in detail to Moses. So death, this huge abyss separating us from God, dominated the landscape from Adam to Moses. ¹⁴Even those who didn’t sin precisely as Adam did by disobeying a specific command of God still had to experience this termination of life, this separation from God. But Adam, who got us into this, also points ahead to the One who will get us out of it. ¹⁵Yet the rescuing gift is not exactly parallel to the death-dealing sin. If one man’s sin put crowds of people at the dead-end abyss of separation from God, just think what God’s gift poured through one man, Jesus Christ, will do! ¹⁶There’s no comparison between that death-dealing sin and this generous, life-giving gift. The verdict on that one sin was the death sentence; the verdict on the many sins that followed was this wonderful life sentence. ¹⁷If death got the upper hand through one man’s wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides? ¹⁸Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! ¹⁹One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right. ²⁰All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it’s sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. ²¹All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that’s the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life–a life that goes on and on and on, world without end.

Which rules in your life? Sin or grace? If sin rules in your life it will not only hurt you but also those you love and many more than you can ever imagine. But if the grace and mercy of God rules in your life then you can be cleansed and redeemed and experience true life in Christ Jesus. I urge you to choose the grace and mercy of God and not let sin rule.

What Would You Do If …

Posted by David on March 2, 2006 under Bulletin Articles

The young adult says, “What would you do if ‘such and such’ happened?” That is a hypothetical question. “It could occur, but not to me.” Why? “The way I live (or use my life) prevents that from ever happening to me.”

As we staunchly set our feet in mid-life, we revise the statement a little. This situation becomes your situation. “What would you do?” With time and life passing, we often see situations happen to people we know well. As we quietly, internally realize “that could happen to me, too,” we keep a little distance between us and the undesirable. It is as if it could not happen to us if I do not talk about it. However, we all see enough of life to realize it does happen. It happens to those who truly seek to prevent it, and to those who never try to “prevent” anything.

However, in this period, we get very serious about prevention. We eat right. We make regular visits for checkups. We change our diets. We try to get enough exercise and sleep. “Pass me the blueberries, please.” “Can I give you a ride to the gym?” “How far did you jog today?” “What is your cholesterol count (or blood pressure, or heart rate, or …)?”

Then we reach the age that the undesirable happens all around us. It happens to those who take care of their health and those who do not, to those who exercise and those who do not, to those who eat right and those who do not, to those who use life well and those who do not. We hear the professionals change their minds about what is healthy and what is not–every two to five years.

Then, at last, we finally admit what we hid from for years: “Nobody lives forever” (physically). The longer we live, the more physical death we see. Like it or not, we know we will die, too. That is okay as a hypothetical. Yet, the more likely it becomes, the more sobering it becomes.

Good news for those in Christ! Though this physical life is shorter than the prefix “pre,” “… Godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.” 1 Timothy 4:8-10

The Christian Worldview (part 4)

Posted by David on February 26, 2006 under Sermons

THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW
part 4

Romans 6:8-18 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

If we are to be Christians, sometimes we have to stop thinking like Americans. This in no way is intended to be a “slam” on this nation as a nation. I am deeply grateful to be a citizen of this country. I am deeply appreciative of the many things life in this nation gives me access to. I have experienced ‘red tape’ in another nation, and there are very few [if any] processes in this nation that begin to equal that experience. I have seen the bribery system at work in another nation, and I have never seen anything in this nation that equals that. I have seen injustice and abuse in another nation, and I have seen nothing here that equals that. This nation is far from perfect, but its imperfections are much superior to the flaws of many other nations.

However, if we are to be Christians, sometimes we cannot think as typical Americans think. The Christian’s concept of life’s purpose and the typical American’s concept of life’s purpose are quite different. The Christian’s understanding of joy and the typical American’s pursuit of pleasure are quite different. The Christian’s view of money and the typical American’s view of money are quite different. The Christian’s concept of relationship and the typical American’s concept of relationship are quite different. The Christian’s understanding of commitment and the typical American’s understanding of commitment are quite different.

To be a Christian is to look at the world, at life, and at death quite differently. No one looks at the world, life, and death as does the Christian.

This evening I want to direct your attention to Romans 6. To challenge you to think about Paul’s point, I need to set a context.

1. I want to share with you my understanding of the reason that prompted Paul to write the letter of Romans to Christians in Rome.
   1. The Jews, the city of Rome, and the “happening”:
      1. Nobody was like the Jews–they did not work one day each week and they had some very unique beliefs and traditions.
      2. Consequently, a lot of first century people did not like the Jewish people–they lived in isolation; they often acted superior to other people; and they were constantly influencing other people to leave accepted religious practices.
      3. There was a history of the Jews being forced out of the city of Rome.
         1. In 139 BC [over a hundred years before Jesus was born] the Jews were expelled from Rome for “attempting to corrupt Roman morals.”
         2. In AD 19 the Jews were expelled from Rome because there were too many of them and they were converting to many Roman natives.
         3. In a third incident, Acts 18:1, 2 states:
            After these things [Paul] left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome.
            1. The Roman emperor once again expelled the Jews from the city of Rome because of an argument about “Chrestus” in the Jewish community in Rome.
            2. The greater majority of scholars believe this was an argument in the Jewish community about Jesus Christ.
            3. It was such a passionate argument that it caused riots.
            4. Evidently at this time the Roman authorities made no distinction between Jewish people and Christians.
            5. The expulsion likely occurred around 49 AD as an Imperial edict that was automatically canceled when Claudius died.
            6. In Romans 16:3 we read this greeting from Paul:
               Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus.
            7. Thus when Paul wrote Romans, Aquila and Priscilla already had returned to Rome.
      4. While the Jewish religious practices were protected in Rome because Judaism was an ancient religion, Jews throughout the Roman empire were often the subjected to anti-Semetic feelings.
   2. The problem:
      1. When Jewish Christians left Rome, the church had a distinct Jewish expression.
         1. Jewish practices and customs were respected.
         2. Things were done the way Jewish tradition dictated.
      2. When Jewish Christians returned to Rome, the church had a distinct gentile expression.
         1. Things were not done as Jews did them.
         2. Jewish ways and traditions were not respected.
      3. Jewish Christians generally expected to find the church doing things exactly like they left them, and they were not–and gentile Christians had no interest in going back to the Jewish way of doing things.
         1. Both sides were arrogant; each group of Christians felt superior to the other.
         2. That caused all kinds of problems in the Christian community in Rome.

2. With that as a brief background, go with me to Romans 6.
   1. I want you to think about this focus as we begin our thinking.
      1. This was written to Christians.
         1. Everyone addressed was baptized because he or she believed in Jesus Christ.
         2. Romans 6 is not an evangelistic sermon on baptism.
         3. This is a continuation of Paul’s argument on the attitudes of superiority which had no place in the Christian community.
      2. Paul’s primary point is not focused in the atonement of Christians but in a Christian’s continuing death to sin or evil.
      3. Their baptism is only an illustration Paul used.
   2. Some tried to make Paul’s concern ridiculous enough to be rejected by making it silly.
      1. It is true that grace increases as sin increases (5:21).
      2. So some suggested the best way to magnify God’s grace is to sin as much as possible.
         1. Is that true?
         2. Is it true that Christians should sin as much as possible to highlight God’s grace?
      3. Paul said that was a foolish argument that had no merit!
         1. Christians who would make that argument did not even understand the purpose of their own baptism.
         2. Just as Jesus gave the ultimate act in death to sin by dying on the cross, the person who decided to be a Christian shared in Jesus’ death to sin [by rejecting temptation] and renewing life through following Christ.
         3. The basic purpose of baptism is to die to sin by choice; how can a Christian deliberately continue to sin if he or she has died to sin?
   3. I want you to notice throughout this chapter the emphasis on death to sin.
      Romans 6:6,7 Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.
      Romans 6:12,13 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
      Romans 6:14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
      Romans 6:15,16 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
      Romans 6:18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
      Romans 6:20,21 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.
      Romans 6:22,23 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
      1. What I call your attention to is this one fact: there is enormous emphasis in Romans 6 on the Christian’s choice/decision to die to sin.
      2. That is how we choose to be like Jesus Christ on a continuing basis: he was free from sin, and we choose to accept him to be free from sin [by God’s mercy and grace] every day of our lives.
      3. Just like he said, “No!” to temptation frequently, we say, “No!” to temptation on a daily basis.

3. When people became Christians in the first century, they made a decision to change purposes for life and lifestyles.
   1. Certainly, circumstances were a little different then.
      1. As far as we know, everyone we read of in the New Testament was a first generation Christian.
      2. The church began in Acts 2.
      3. The only specific information we have indicates that adults responded to the teaching.
         1. Jews came from a background of Judaism which worshipped the same God and embraced the same basic moral values.
         2. Gentiles came from a background of idolatry which worshipped different gods and had different moral values.
         3. A few came from an atheistic background which did not believe in any god or any set of moral values.
   2. Today, at least in the southern part of this country, our situation is in contrast to that situation.
      1. How many of you here tonight come from at least two generations of members of the Church of Christ? [show of hands]
      2. How many of you come from at least three generations of members of the Church of Christ? [show of hands]
      3. Is anyone here who comes from four or more generations of members of the Church of Christ?
      4. Realize we would not ask those questions in the congregations in the New Testament–they all were first generation Christians.
   3. With that change has come another change that I personally consider hurtful spiritually.
      1. Today among many Christians there is much more likely to be the concept of “joining or placing membership in an institution” than adopting a new purpose for life expressed in the way we live.
      2. For example, if we ask a person if he or she is a Christian today, we will often get the popular answer, “I go to church regularly.”
         1. Granted, “regularly” means different things to different people.
         2. Yet, many people prefer to say they have membership in an institution than to say they follow Jesus Christ on a daily basis.
      3. Perhaps more to the point, we had rather they talk about membership in an institution than to talk about following Jesus every day.
         1. We simply do not know what to do with the talk that focuses on following Jesus daily–we do not know how to determine what that means.
         2. If someone talked about dying to sin and being alive to Christ, though that is very biblical, it would confuse us.
   4. The end result is one that many of us do not like.
      1. Far too many Christians live like people who have no commitment to Jesus Christ.
      2. Yet, they can be quite comfortable spiritually because they say they are members of an institution.

People who are Christians choose to die to evil influences in themselves, evil influences in the community in which they live, and evil influences in the world.

I know this is a very complex issue that has many different causes. ONE [and I emphasize one] reason many younger people reject the church is because we stress institution so much and lifestyle so little. Christians can be as materialistic or pleasure-centered as they want to be, and it is okay with the institution — we do not say much about it as if that is perfectly moral. Young people know enough to know that simply is not God’s way.

It was not that way in the New Testament! The major stress there was on how Christians in the first century lived. I urge us to do two things. (1) Be a functioning part of the Christian community. (2) In your life and your choices, follow Jesus Christ every day. Be dead to sin and alive to righteousness!

Being Shaped By Scripture

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

One of the reasons I preach is because of the words that shaped me into a preacher. I was often encouraged by the good folks at the Winslow congregation. They complimented me when I preached on occasion and I have to believe they were encouraging me for the future for I doubt there was much benefit in what I had to say.

Wayne’s words did not sink in that day. In fact, I think I forgot about them for quite some time. It wasn’t until later in my life when I was struggling to understand why I was in ministry that I recalled his words. His words gave me perspective – they reminded me that I do not preach for myself but I preach for the good of God’s people and also for the Lord. His words gave me hope – they reminded me that what I have is a gift of God and not dependent on my own ability (thank you God for that). I remembered his words and I still remember his words even now. They have been an influence on me and even though Wayne is gone, I will never forget his words to me.

Words shape us. When God created the universe he did not use tools or lightning, rather he used words. God spoke and it was so. And that was just the beginning. God’s words continue to create reality. He called Abram and a nation was formed. He gave Jacob a new name and he had a new future a new identity. God spoke through his prophets and declared that some nations would rise and others would fall. (Jeremiah 18:1-10). After the people of God had lost their way, after they were sent into exile, and after they returned they were rebuilt not through the restoration of cities and houses but when Ezra read to them the words of God. When Jesus was born God announced the birth. A proclamation of good news was sent out to kings and shepherds. Nothing would ever be the same, a new age had dawned. Words shape us – and the word of God creates reality.

When Jesus was being tested for ministry he fasted for 40 days. Satan knew very well that Jesus had the authority to use words to create. “You’re hungry,” he says. “You have the authority to make hot rolls out these rocks,” he says. “It won’t hurt anybody, so why not?” he says. Jesus also knows that words have the power to shape reality and identity so he says, “A person needs more than bread to live, one is fed and sustained by every word of God.” (Matthew 4) Better than bread when one is hungry is the word of God. Food can feed the body, but the word of God nourishes the whole person.

¹³It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. ¹⁵All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. ¹⁶Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

I appreciate my heritage of faith. I am interested in the history of the Restoration Movement in America. One of the values of the Restoration Movement that I cherish is the reverence for Scripture and the desire to be biblical. This is another reason I preach, because I believe that God’s word is not only foundational but formative. Of course this also intimidates me because I know, from personal experience and the study of history, that revering Scripture and being shaped by it can be two very different things. The lump of clay in the potter’s studio can admire the work of the potter and extol the beauty of clay jars and the treasure they contain, but to actually be thrown on the wheel and molded by the potter is to be changed.

Sometimes our relationship to Scripture has been like a stroll through a museum. We behold the artistry of God and extol the beauty and perfection of God’s work, but we don’t really own the work and we are only involved as an observer. Sometimes our relationship with God’s word is a little more intimate and we see ourselves as those who are blessed to enjoy the useful instruments that God has provided in his word. Like a chef who delights in the useful stoneware and pottery that she has the privilege to use.

But what if we turned the relationship around? What if we understood ourselves as the instruments in the service of the word? What if, instead of seeing the Bible as a constitution for the church that we debate, discuss, and apply like a code of law we regarded ourselves as the parchment or stone upon which God writes his word? (2 Corinthians 3:3)

God’s word is so unlike the “sacred writings” of religion and even the way we have perceived it at times. For Islam, the true Quran cannot be translated. The true Quran exists only in Arabic. It is a message rooted in a particular language and culture. Though cherished and revered, it is a work that exists in a set form. For Mormons, the Book of Mormon has a divine origin that is rooted in mystery. The angel Moroni revealed golden plates to the prophet Joseph Smith and gave him the power to translate the heavenly language before taking the plates back to heaven. Over against these the Bible’s origin is really sort of mundane and messy. It is written in two languages and translated many times over into other languages. It did not fall out of heaven but was collected over the course of centuries by ordinary. And there were periods during the first century when the first century church did not have the complete New Testament. That might seem alarming. Anyone who admits to this might seem to be discrediting the word of God. That would be the case if the word of God were just a book – but it is more than a book. The word of God cannot be reduced to words written on pages in a book or scroll. The word of God is living and active and sharper than a double-edged sword. The words we read and speak were never destined to rest quietly on a page, but they are intended to penetrate our lives and cut away sin and shaped us into God’s people for the sake of his mission. If we believe them, then we will be shaped by them, and we will speak them in word and action …

¹³It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, … Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Faithfulness to God’s Mission demands that we must be shaped by the Word of God. His word is renewing us day by day. We tend to think of Scripture as something that we use on others: as though the word is case law that we can form into a crafty argument, or a quote that we can use to gain advantage in debate. But Scripture is meant to equip us – to shape us and prepare us to live out the word and not just use it in arguments.

Making Disciples and Being Disciples. – A disciple is a learner, one who is learning a discipline. Not just head knowledge, but discipline in thought and action. It is a way of life. When we think about our mission statement, let’s be aware that some of the disciples being made are you and I. There’s no way we can make disciples if we are not concerned about being disciples.

We dare not invite people to share in the journey of following God’s call if we do it from a position of arrogance or superiority. We are being shaped and discipled just as much as the disciple who is baptized today. We know the power of words, so don’t be surprised that we are being shaped by the word of God.

Why do you preach? Why do you speak?
What do we believe? What we believe is how we shall live. Words shape us.

Chris Benjamin

West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR
Morning Sermon, 26 February 2006

When Darkness Is REALLY Dark

Posted by David on February 23, 2006 under Bulletin Articles

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (NIV)

If I had to make a list of the order that physical abilities were taken from me, I think sight would be the last thing I would want to lose. We live in the time of the incredible. “Need cataract surgery with a high probability of success? That is common!” “Need eye surgery that eliminates the need for glasses? That is common!” “Need a cornea transplant? That is certainly possible!” “Need eye glasses? That is super common!”

What is common for us did not exist in Jesus’ society! Eye glasses? Forget it! Eye disease, cataract surgery, cornea transplant-do not mention those things! Do you realize how many of us would be ?legally blind’ in Jesus’ lifetime?

The only ?window’ to admit light into this body is the eye. If the eye has a cataract, vision slowly decreases. When the condition was bad enough, blindness came. Once a person was blind, the situation was irreversible. The body went from light, to dim, to total darkness. When total blindness came, total dependence also came. What a complete blackout! It was the darkest form of darkness! Remember Jesus healing the blind? Remember the gratitude?

Jesus declared he was the light of the world by being life’s light and making life in darkness unnecessary (John 8:13). John made numerous associations between light and Jesus. Jesus’ life was the light of people (John 1:4), the true light who could enlighten every person (John 1:9). He was God’s light to the world, but some preferred darkness (John 3:19). The evil hate the light because they do not wish to see their lifestyle’s reality (John 3:20). Only they who base their lifestyles on truth are not fearful of the light (John 3:21).

Some exist in darkness yearning for light, but will never see light unless we dare reflect Jesus’ light (Matthew 5:14). In Jesus’ day light did not exist to be hidden but to dispel darkness (Matthew 5:15). God does not intend for us to hide Jesus’ influence in our behavior, but for us to share his light with others (Matthew 5:16). As you live your life, radiate Jesus’ influence in the way you live and the way you treat others!

The Christian Worldview (part 3)

Posted by David on February 19, 2006 under Sermons

THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW
part 3

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

There is an enormous crisis facing the Christian community which the New Testament refers to as the church. The fact that any minister would declare a crisis is facing the church probably does not surprise any of you. Ministers have been making that statement for generations. From that statement we usually begin talking about a matter that concerns us personally or concerns other ministers we respect.

The crisis I refer to is not one created by my personal concerns or by other ministers. It is a crisis in its own right and will overwhelm us whether we admit it exists or not. This crisis threatens the existence of the “organized church” as we know it today. It does not threaten the existence of God’s kingdom–that kingdom is eternal and cannot be destroyed. But the expression of God’s kingdom as we know it in the form of the 21st century church in American is facing an immediate, severe crisis.

This crisis has existed for a long time, and it is almost too late for us to respond to this crisis. It is a crisis created by the lack of a worldview among Christians. The crisis exists because we have failed, ourselves, to look at the world as Christians. Instead, we Christians look at the world as do people who do not believe in God. Instead of us influencing others to see life and death as God declared, we have adopted the godless world’s way of looking at life and death.

We have been so preoccupied in opposing change that we have not realized the way we look at life and death has made an enormous transition. I am not talking about opposing religious traditions. I am talking about our basic understanding of life’s purpose.

1. The issue is not, “Does the worldview crisis exist?” The issue is, “Do we as Christians have the courage to face the worldview crisis?”
   1. I would like to suggest that there are at least four approaches we can take to the worldview crisis.
      1. We can take the approach of “denial.”
         1. “Crisis? What crisis? There is no crisis! Everything is fine and is going to remain fine!”
         2. “Do not worry about! Do not let it make you anxious! Do not let it make you fearful of anything!”
         3. “Just ignore it and give it time, and it will go away like everything else has.”
         4. If we take that approach, when that tsunami wave crashes upon us, our last words as we drown will be, “What happened?”
      2. We can take the approach of “isolation.”
         1. “Keep your cool! Never examine us or question anything!”
         2. “Just keep the world out there and us in here.”
         3. “Tell folks ‘out there’ they can ‘come’ in here if they want to.'”
         4. If isolation is our approach to the crisis created by worldview, we are fooling no one but ourselves–our isolation is imagined, not real, and everyone but us knows it.
      3. We can take the approach of “conformity.”
         1. “If you are going to come in here, you must agree with us exactly on these issues.”
         2. “We do things this way, and so must you if you are to be part of us.”
         3. First, do you really understand that to be the gospel message? Do you really think Jewish Christians and gentle Christians saw every religious procedure just exactly alike in the first century?
         4. Second, we do not even agree with each other! How dare we demand conformity from other people?
      4. We can take the approach that allows us to learn how to engage the crisis.
         1. Is outreach to our world to be on our terms or the Lord’s terms?
         2. Do we dare examine ourselves and honestly ask if there are differences in the Lord’s terms and our terms?
         3. I am reminded of a statement Jesus made to John’s disciples when John inquired from prison if Jesus was the person or should they look for someone else.
            1. Jesus did not answer with a simple, “Yes.”
            2. He quoted from Isaiah 35:5 following as he gave this answer in Matthew 11:5, 6
               “the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”
            3. Maybe our visions are not the Lord’s visions.

2. I want to try to illustrate the worldview crisis to the Christian community in practical terms by asking six questions.
   1. Question one: Who defines love for the typical Christian–the American culture or God?
      1. If you want the American society’s definition of love, go to the movies or watch television.
         1. Love is commonly and strongly associated with what are portrayed as incredible sexual experiences.
         2. Love is basically self-centered and selfish–the greatest question is, “Are things good for me?”
         3. Love is frequently found with “everybody” [if “I” cannot find love with one person “I” just go to the next person] or is excluded to a “soul mate” [real love can be found with only one ideal person who was born just for me].
      2. Listen to God’s definition of love:
         • 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
         • John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
         1. In God’s definition of love, there is an unbreakable bond between love and serving others.
         2. Quite a contrast!
      3. For just a moment, consider the “soul mate” concept as an illustration.
         1. In the formation of any enduring relationship, there are times of struggle!
         2. If, when you marry, you are convinced there is only one ideal person in the world for you, what will you do when the inevitable moments of struggle come?
         3. Split and run! Why? “You are not my ‘soul mate’!
   2. Question two: Who defines success for the American Christian–the American culture or God?
      1. The American culture says success is defined by materialism, the world of money, or both.
         1. It says the evidences of success are wealth, lifestyle, pleasure, and being able to afford to do whatever you want.
         2. If you do not experience ‘the good life’ on earth, you are not successful!
         3. God says success is measured by service and sacrifice, and has nothing to do with money.
            Matthew 6:19-27 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
   3. Question three: Who defines wealth–the American culture or God?
      1. The testimony of the American culture is consistent: wealth is always defined by “things.”
         1. If you do not have “things,” you are not wealthy.
         2. So get “things” even if you have to use people.
      2. Paul wrote of God’s values in 1 Timothy 5:3-7.
         1 Timothy 6:3-7 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.
   4. Question 4: Who defines commitment–American culture or God?
      1. I heard an interesting interview recently as an outgoing CEO and a possible incoming CEO were questioned.
         1. The outgoing CEO defined commitment to the company in terms of 20 years.
         2. The possible incoming CEO defined commitment to the company in terms of 5 years.
         3. The first talked in terms of paying your dues; the second in terms that there were no dues to be paid.
      2. Jesus plainly said Christianity was a lifetime commitment.
         Luke 14:25-35 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
   5. Question five: Who defines happiness–American culture or God?
      1. American culture defines happiness in terms of personal pleasure.
         1. No one can be happy if he or she has a horrible lifestyle.
         2. No one can be happy if he or she lives in true poverty.
         3. “I” decide what is an acceptable lifestyle and the poverty line.
      2. God defines happiness in terms of service and in terms of living for eternal values.
   6. Question six: Is death the worst tragedy we can experience?
      1. People of today tend to answer that question with “me” centered answers.
      2. Where do those answers come from–American culture or God?

3. Someone says, “Preacher, that a bunch of junk! We have had all religious matters figured out for generations!”
   1. Really?
      1. Let me see the hands of everyone one here who is a member of the Church of Christ.
      2. How many of you know what it means if I raise up my five fingers and spread them? [hear, believe, repent, confess, be baptized]
      3. How often have you heard that in a sermon or class?
   2. Where in the Bible are those five things declared to be God’s plan of salvation?
      1. Acts! No.
      2. The writings of Paul! No.
      3. It is not found in one place in the Bible.
   3. The history:
      1. Walter Scott while preaching in the Western Reserve in the early 1800’s began to speak of a “plan” of salvation.
      2. However, his “plan” at first had six items–three human and three divine.
         1. The human–believe, repent, be immersed.
         2. The divine–forgiveness of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, eternal life.
      3. In 1827 he condensed the “plan” to five parts to fit the five fingers of one hand.
         1. He used it as a means to advertise his meeting.
         2. He would tell the school children on their way home that each finger stood for believing in Jesus as the Messiah, repenting of our sins, being baptized for the remission of sins, receiving remission of sins, and receiving the Holy Spirit.
         3. The school kids made a fist, went home and opened the fist by explaining what each finger meant, and told the family that the man who taught them that would be preaching that night.
      4. By 1900 the “plan” had become entirely human response [hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized] and was the only way to enter the Church of Christ.

We must stop acting like we know all the answers. We must start taking our Savior to our culture and stop letting our culture decide who we are and how we live.