Following God’s Call

Posted by Chris on February 19, 2006 under Sermons

Read text 2 Corinthians 3:17-4:1. When I first heard the language of “being called to ministry,” I thought it strange. I was not accustomed to this language. I believed that my choice to be a minister was simply a choice of a career no different than choosing to be a lawyer, an engineer, or a banker. When some would ask me how I was called to ministry I did not understand what they meant. “Well, one of my professors from the Bible college called me before I moved there. Is that what you mean?” No, that’s not what they meant.

My uneasiness with a sense of calling was due to the fact that I wasn’t exposed to such a way of describing things, but also because I had an aversion to seeing my life as a minister as somehow different and distinct from those who chose another vocation. But I am no longer uneasy talking about a calling. In fact, I think this way of describing ministry and vocation is much better than the secular way we use a very spiritual word.

What is vocation? This word is now associated with business and career. We tend to think of vocation as one’s chosen career. I recall hearing this word as a teenager in reference to the vocation technical program at my school. That program was designed to teach skills that could lead to a career.

But the word vocation comes from the same root word from which we get the word vocal, as in voice – a voice that calls out. Before our language and culture was split up into secular and spiritual components, one’s vocation was the same as one’s calling. A vocation is a calling by someone and toward someone or something. A vocation is not just a career choice, it is “a career that is chosen for us.” And the implication behind the word is that God has chosen the occupation for us. What do we mean when we say that someone has missed their calling? We mean that this person has chosen to follow one vocation when they are obviously called to another. We mean that a person is not living out the life God has envisioned for him or her.

Who Follows God’s Call? I am no longer uneasy talking about calling because in rediscovering the meaning of the word I am convinced that calling is not just for “clergy.” The term “calling” has been used in a restricted way and limited to ministers, missionaries, and other church leaders. Everyone else is left to a secular career. But that’s not an accurate. In the truest sense of the word vocation, everyone is called by God to follow God. It is true for ministers, missionaries, doctors, lawyers, millwrights, welders, teachers, plumbers, and police officers. Everyone is called to follow God – even non-Christians are called to follow God, they are simply missing their calling.

I am no longer uneasy talking about calling because the word is vital to understanding what church is all about. The entire church, as a community of people, has been called to follow God. In the text we read, Paul is clear that we have “this ministry” because of God’s mercy. It isn’t something that we choose. We do not take a test to qualify. God calls us to participate in his mission because of his mercy.

The Hebrew term translated “to call” is used to describe the people of God who are summoned to participate in God’s purposes for the world. The Greek terms used in the NT describe calling as a summons to holy living and service to others. In fact, the term calling is rooted in the word for church – “the ekklesia” which is “the called out.” The church is called and sent by God so it is right for us to say that the church has a vocation.

Questions We Ask So That We May Follow God’s Call (Our Vocation): We understand the church’s vocation in general terms easily enough. We follow God’s call by participating in his mission. But how shall we be faithful to that vocation in our immediate circumstances? That is a little more challenging, but it isn’t hopeless.

Our situation is similar to Robert Scott and his team of explorer’s searching for the South Pole. At one point in their journey the weather was so bad that the white haze blended with the falling snow so that the horizon was no longer visible. They had a compass to show them which direction was south, but they could not aim toward a fixed point. They thought they were going forward but soon found they were traveling in a circle when they came upon their own tracks. Their solution was to use the compass to tell them which direction to throw snowballs out in front of them. The snowball gave them a fixed point to head toward. After more aiming, throwing, and following their artificial horizon point, they made it to the South Pole.

We might discern what it means for us to follow God’s call by using our general understanding of the church’s vocation to follow the fixed points we cast out ahead of us in our surroundings. To do this we need to ask four questions and determine how we should answer these in a way that keeps us faithful to the mission of God.

Where Are We? We need to be aware of our local setting. We expect that missionaries in Vietnam and Laos must be thoughtful in how they follow God’s call in those nations. But we also have to be thoughtful. Where are we? What does it mean for us to be faithful in our location? We are across the street from a growing university. We are in the most culturally diverse region in Arkansas. Our city and the surrounding cities are challenged by increasing poverty. How do we follow God’s call and live out our vocation in this place?

When Are We? Of course we need to qualify this place with “at this time.” Anyone who has lived in this area for very long will tell you that a lot has changed. And no doubt there will be many more changes ahead. It is irresponsible for us to come up with a single response to how we shall be faithful to God’s call in this place and assume that will last forever. Think about the historical roots of this congregation. Before there was a West-Ark congregation there was Park Hill, then Midland, then Windsor Drive and College Terrace and then those merged to form West-Ark. Decisions were made at various stages to respond to changing times. Would the members of Midland Blvd ever have foreseen that there would need to be an Iglesia de Cristo? Maybe not, but they knew how to be faithful to their vocation in their time and those who are part of this congregation now know that our WHEN is in the 21st century when the Hispanic population in this area is growing at an astonishing rate.

Who Are We? All of this change over time and place may make us anxious that we are somehow tampering with the gospel truth. It’s good to think about that, but let’s not get overly anxious. A clay jar from Mexico in the 18th century may look very different from a first century B.C. Greek clay jar – but we recognize them as clay jars. Remember that we are conformed to a pattern and are not a reproduction. We look to the first century church for wisdom, but we are not the first century church. That was a different where and when. We are the 21st century church in Western Arkansas. And we are God’s people. Each generation, including our own, must reflect on our identity in Christ. We are baptized and we worship and partake of the Lord’s Supper. We are shaped by these traditions, but we must adopt them as our own if we are going to be faithful. And the generation after us must do the same.

Why Are We? Bring the other three questions together causes us to reflect on WHY we follow God’s call. God has a purpose for us. One of the reasons that the Purpose-Driven material as been so successful, I think is because it addresses purpose – that’s a powerful concept. Too often we amble through “church-life” without purpose and uncritically accept things as they are. But joy and hope will carry us through even the toughest times if we have a purpose that gives us passion.

In the text we read that “as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.” We are following a path to become more like Christ. We have a vocation thanks to God’s mercy. Why do we live like we do? Because we are following God’s call and he is calling us to become more like the treasure he has placed within our clay jar lives.

Chris Benjamin

West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR
Morning Sermon, 19 February 2006

In Righteousness, Sorrow Often Accompanies Joy

Posted by David on February 16, 2006 under Bulletin Articles

It is unlikely that any time of the year is more associated with joy than the Christmas season. The Christmas trees, lights, food, and gifts all declare joy. One of the most popular songs of the season declares, “There is no place like home for the holidays.”

Weeks are devoted to “peace on earth, good will toward men.” Churches talk ceaselessly about the wonders of God sending His son. Both talk and pageants include Mary, Joseph, the baby, the wise men, the angels, the shepherds, and even the animals-all declaring the joy of this wondrous event.

If one heard only what we say about Jesus’ birth, he/she might conclude it was all joy. That would be concluded only if he/she heard our version of the story and ignored all other sounds from Bethlehem.

The rage of a godless man is immune to the sounds of sorrow. Herod the Great was so insensitive, paranoid, and jealously protective of his position that he killed babies. When this crafty man angrily realized that the magi would not make it easy for him to pinpoint his opponent, he killed male infants two years of age and under. He took no chances!

He did not stop at Bethlehem! He also killed male infants in the surrounding area! Because of the insecurity of one adult, infants were killed! Do not talk to the grieving parents of Bethlehem about the joys of Jesus’ birth!

The sorrow and grief created by the loss of a child is unique! In that ancient world-without our modern medicines and procedures-the male infants survived nine months of pregnancy, birth, and perhaps several months of life. For what? Only to be torn from the arms of grieving parents to satisfy the cruelty of an insecure man!

Can you hear Bethlehem’s grief? Can you hear the sorrow created by the flash of a sword or the thrust of a spear as a family’s next generation needlessly disappeared?
In the words from Jeremiah 31:15 the author quoted this poignant statement:
“. . . she refused to be comforted, because they were no more.”

As often is the case, when God gives us a great moment of joy, Satan gives us a great moment of sorrow. Yet, Satan’s sorrow is never stronger than God’s joy! Never forget your joy is in the Lord-and keep your joy in the Lord!

The Christian Worldview (part 2)

Posted by David on February 12, 2006 under Sermons

THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW
part 2

Acts 26:12-18 “While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'”

Last Sunday evening we focused on the question, “What is a worldview?” I tried in practical ways to illustrate what a worldview is. I stressed: (1) A worldview is the way we look at life and the way we look at death. (2) From that personal view we determine how to use life, the purpose of life, and what to expect after death. (3) Our view of the world is a significant factor in every decision we make from how to work to who to marry, from how to maintain a marriage to how to be a parent, from how to live to how to die.

This evening I want to focus on the Christian worldview. The point I wish to make is this: the way Christians look at the world and the way people who are not Christians look at the world is distinctly different.

The Christian worldview involves too many concepts to cover in a single lesson. I want to consider only four major considerations.

1. The Christian accepts God as the source of life and the world.
   1. The role of God as the Creator is a basic truth in the Bible.
      1. The Bible begins with God (1) creating the world and creating us and (2) declaring all He created was good. (Genesis 1)
      2. Moses said to Israel in Deuteronomy 4:32:
         Indeed, ask now concerning the former days which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and inquire from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything been done like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it?
      3. In a Psalm that called upon everything created to praise God, Psalms 148:5 says
         Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created.
      4. The prophet Isaiah wrote in speaking of God’s greatness:
         Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.
      5. Malachi called Israel to better conduct with these words:
         Malachi 2:10 Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?
      6. Paul wrote in Romans 8:38, 39:
         For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
      7. Paul also wrote in Ephesians 4:23, 24:
         … that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
      8. Paul wrote again in 1 Timothy 4:1-5:
         But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.
      9. So strong is the connection between God and His creative acts that several times the Bible refers to God simply as the Creator.
   2. For a moment, consider a perspective:
      1. From chaos God created the world and life.
      2. From Adam and Eve’s failure, God created grace in God-human relationship.
      3. From the flood, God created a new beginning.
      4. From Abraham, God created Israel.
      5. From Israel, God created Jesus.
      6. From Jesus’ death and resurrection, God created the savior.
      7. From the savior, God created our salvation.
      8. From our salvation, God created a new “me.”
      9. From our physical deaths, God will create an eternal existence.
   3. While we look at God and see a Creator of good, the world does not believe in creation and blames God for the existence of evil.
      1. Those are two distinct worldviews.
      2. We will never share Jesus Christ with the world unless we understand the world does not look at God as we do.

2. The Christian looks at the world through the concepts of a fall and a restoration.
   1. The Christian accepts these matters as fact:
      1. There was a period of time when there was no evil in human existence.
      2. The deception we know as “temptation” resulted in humans being deceived, willfully surrendering to evil, and thereby corrupting human life and God’s good creation.
      3. The Bible is basically about God’s efforts to reestablish relationship between Him and fallen humanity.
         1. The first two chapters of the Bible are about the period when there was no evil in our world.
         2. The third chapter of the Bible is about the deception that resulted in evil becoming a part of human life.
         3. The rest of the Bible (the huge bulk of it) is about God’s determined efforts to reestablish relationship between Himself and humanity.
   2. For just a moment, let me challenge you to cultivate an insight.
      1. God understood that the defeat of evil is accomplished through humility.
         1. Adam and Eve failed, and God humbled Himself.
         2. Noah failed, and God humbled Himself.
         3. Isaac and Jacob failed, and God humbled Himself.
         4. Israel failed in the wilderness, and God humbled Himself.
         5. Israel failed repeatedly as a nation, and God humbled Himself.
         6. God sent Jesus, and in doing so God humbled Himself.
         7. Jesus was rejected and crucified, and God humbled Himself.
         8. God forgives us, and to do so God humbles Himself.
      2. It should be no surprise to Christians that if we are to defeat evil in our lives, we also must humble ourselves. Consider just two scriptures:
         1. (Jesus to a Jewish audience in the sermon on the mount) 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.
         2. (Paul to Jewish and gentile Christians) Romans 12:17-21–Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
   3. While the Christian looks at the world in the conviction that evil is defeated by doing good, most people in the world are convinced that evil will be defeated through acts of human justice.
      1. That is two distinctly different worldviews.
      2. We will never succeed in communicating Jesus Christ to the world unless we understand that mercy and not justice is the message of the gospel.

3. The Christian understands that the purpose of life is, in the name of Christ, serving other people.
   1. I want to affirm this Christian view by citing three familiar scriptures.
      1. Jesus made this statement to his disciples in Matthew 20:25-28:
         But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
      2. Jesus also made this statement to his disciples in Matthew 10:24, 25:
         A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!
      3. The third is a statement by Paul to the Christians at Ephesus in Ephesians 2:8-10:
         For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
   2. The Christian says, “The purpose of my life given to me by Christ Jesus is to serve others.”
      1. That is a very different worldview from the worldview held by many in this society or most in the majority of societies.
      2. We will never communicate Jesus Christ to the majority of people in our world if we do not understand we see life’s purpose quite differently.

4. I want to make one brief comment on the fact that Christians look at death differently.
   1. There is a very different worldview in regard to death.
      1. The Christian sees death as (1) a matter of accountability on how one used physical life and (2) a beginning of the “good life” with God.
      2. The person who is not a Christian rejects the concept of accountability and thinks the “good life” can be experienced only in physical existence.
   2. If we do not understand that many look at death quite differently than do we, we will never communicate Jesus Christ to them.

5. I want to end with two examples.
   1. The first is found in Ephesians 4:28:
      He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.
      1. Two things jump out at me.
         1. First, some of those converted had been thieves.
         2. The converted were to stop being thieves and get a job.
         3. Second, the purpose of Christian wages was to be able to share with the one who has need.
      2. What a striking change in worldviews!
         1. What you have is not mine.
         2. What I have is yours.
   2. The second is very personal.
      1. Since my health problems were diagnosed, my life situation has changed significantly, and with time it will change more.
      2. Are there moments I struggle? Yes!
         1. There are very frustrating moments.
         2. There have been moments I stood on the edge of despair.
         3. There are moments when I come face to face with depression.
      3. Has my life changed in ways I never expected? Yes!
         1. I planned to retire from here, probably make Fort Smith my home, and do short mission efforts here and abroad if the money was available.
         2. I have spent a significant portion of my life working in small congregations here and in mission fields in other nations.
      4. “What do you plan to do now?”
         1. I have no idea.
         2. I just know my voice and my balance will not let me do what I planned to do.
   3. “Then why do you continue to do what you do?”
      1. Very briefly, I do what I do because of the Christian worldview.
      2. I have no idea how God will use what happens, but I have no doubt God will use it.

We desperately need this understanding in the church: No matter what happens in the world or in our individual lives, God can and will use it for good if we cooperate with Him.

Shaped by the Potter

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Story of Jack Russell welding in the mag-cell plant. [An experienced welder on first encountering a work site within a powerful magnetic field cannot accomplish seemingly simple repair work by doing the job “by the book.”] What do you do when everything you know no longer works? What do you do when the world as you know it turns upside down?

What happened to Jack in the mag-cell plant is similar to the church’s experience in our culture. Some of us can remember when faith and Christian values were held in high esteem in our culture. Chick-Fil-A is regarded as exceptional for closing on Sundays, but there was a time when every store closed on Sunday. Some time ago evangelism and outreach were aided by a society that embraced religion in public life. Now faith is considered a private matter and the subject is rarely approached in public.

A worldview includes the presuppositions, beliefs, and values that shape how we see reality and determines how we will think and act. Our worldview is often shaped by our culture. Our culture is changing, and that means that worldviews are changing.

What do we do? Is the church threatened by a shift in culture? Should we be concerned or worried because worldviews are changing? Throughout the ages the church has survived and sometimes even thrived in cultures that were hostile to the Christian worldview or in cultures that had a plurality of worldviews. A good example is the city of Rome in the first century. How could the church in Rome live in a culture ingrained in idolatry, pluralism, and permissive morals? The apostle Paul writes to the churches in Rome saying … (Read Romans 12:1-2)

Regardless of the worldview of this age, the church is conformed to God’s will – not the pattern of this age. There is no age, culture, or worldview in any society that the church requires to live within God’s rule. In fact, a particular culture or worldview that we prefer or feel comfortable with might be more of a problem than one that is hostile to Christian faith. Why? Because we are tempted to conform to “the pattern of this age” rather than be transformed by the will of God. It is risky to be conformed to the pattern of this age because the pattern of the age will always be shifting and changing.

And that’s what is happening in our culture. We are transitioning between a modern and a postmodern worldview. The modern worldview is the result of the age of reason that followed the renaissance in western civilization. The universe and human existence were explained in rational and scientific terms. That doesn’t sound so odd to us, but at the time it was a major shift in worldview. The assumption in the modern age was that humanity would continue to progress and science and reason would usher in an enlightened utopian age. But as the 20th century rolled along and science and technology led to anything but utopia and enlightenment, people began to lose confidence in the modern worldview. So now we are entering into a new age. Now one is sure what the foundation of this new age really is. In fact the only thing we seem to know is that there isn’t a foundation. All we know is that it is after the modern, or postmodern. So here we are living in a culture that draws from both worldviews. As I have said before, it is like wearing eyeglasses that have two different lenses. Such a mixed perspective is sure to give us headaches!

We needn’t be forced to choose either the modern or postmodern worldview. The shift from one to the other is inevitable. It will not be stopped and there’s no reason to stop it. There is much that was good about the modern worldview, but much that was not good. There’s much to be concerned about with the postmodern worldview, but don’t assume that it is all bad – there’s much that is hopeful in it. Yet, neither of these is THE worldview that the church requires. We can thrive in either worldview is we are shaped by the gospel rather the culture or worldview. The church is transformed and renewed by the gospel and we are able to test and approve what God’s will is. We have new lenses that enable us to look with discernment on all worldviews and cultures. Paul was able to do this in Athens when he stood among idols and immorality and say, “Well, it seems that you folks are quite religious.” And out of that renewed and transformed outlook, Paul was able to participate in God’s mission to Athens. Like Paul, we too can live out God’s will within the worldview wherever we are. So let’s not be conformed to the pattern of this age or any other age, but let’s be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

We are clay jars that carry the treasure of the gospel. We are shaped by the potter. In the weeks ahead we are going to consider the patterns that are imprinted upon our life together by God. We should not think of these patterns as specific qualities that must be present in exactly the same way in every congregation and always as it was in every age. Rather, these are distinct patterns – they are recognizable, but they vary.

For instance, take a look at this pattern.
What is it?

(Plaid)

(Also plaid)

(Again plaid)

In this image you see what?

(Clay jars)

You recognize them all as clay jars but they each look different. There is something basic about “jarness” that we recognize despite the variation. Conforming to a pattern is not the same thing as reproduction.
Applying this to our congregation we need to understand that our congregation will not look exactly like any other congregation, but there are basic characteristics that show how we are “transformed by God.” Not only will we not look like every other congregation, but over time this congregation will not always look the same – but that doesn’t mean we have deviated from God’s pattern. As the church we are always being renewed and transformed according to God’s will.

As long as we participate in God’s mission to the world, we are always a work in progress. We are being molded and shaped by the potter. Like every good artist, we recognize in God’s work certain patterns that identify us as his work. We will consider eight of these that have something to do with being faithful participants in God’s mission – in other words, these are patterns that show us to be missional. 1) Following God’s call; 2) being shaped by scripture; 3) contrasting against the culture as a different community; 4) living out God’s intent for the world; 5) worshipping God for the sake of the world; 6) Depending on God’s spirit; 7) pointing toward the kingdom; 8) shepherding leadership.

Yesterday, our shepherds gathered for a day of prayer and serious conversation. They didn’t do this to set out a grand agenda or make plans and set budgets. They did this to draw closer to God and one another. They believe, as we all should, that this congregation is not shaped by their personalities or agenda, but that it is shaped by God. They believe, as we all should, that God is active in our lives and our life together and we fills us with the treasure of the gospel. They believe, as we all should, that they need God every day. I am thankful that we have shepherds who humbly yet without apology turn to God and follow God’s call to serve others. I want to affirm that their lives are an example for all of us and we should not only lift them up, but we ought to follow their example and turn to the Lord, the potter, who shapes all of us and fills all of us with the gospel treasure.

Chris Benjamin

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

Treasure in Clay Jars Lesson One (alternative A) – Feb. 12, 2006 “Finding Our Way in the Story in Which We Find Ourselves” Outcome Objectives Group will examine a Christian worldview that endures through every shift and change in cultural worldviews. Group will identify ways in which the revelation of God provides disciples of Jesus with a biblical worldview that is based on seeing the world the way God sees it. Group will distinguish the difference between a modern worldview and a post-modern worldview. Group will identify how influence and power were vested in Christendom from the fourth century through the twentieth century. Group will examine the tendency of congregations to entrench in a world of modernity rather than courageously take the gospel to the prevailing culture. Opening Discussion[Note: Rather than go over all these in detail, be selective in what discussions are most interesting and beneficial in your group. The opening discussion should only last for about one-quarter of your time together.] Observe that one’s worldview includes the presuppositions, beliefs, and values that shape how one see reality and determines how one will think and act, yet Scripture endures through every shift and change in cultural worldviews. The apostle Paul addresses the importance of living in whatever worldview one finds oneself as disciples of Jesus, with a biblical worldview based on seeing the world as God sees it. Christians are to test every worldview according to Romans 12:1-2, and to base their worldview in Christ (“the renewing of your mind”). Discussion question – “Have you ever changed your mind? Give an example of a time you changed your mind about something and it influenced what you did thereafter.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 contrasts the wisdom of God with the wisdom on humanity. Verse 31 instructs Christians to boast only in the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:16 declares a Christian worldview, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Through we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Observe that scripture provides disciples of Jesus with a biblical worldview. Naturally Christians live in the world, but we are not to be of the world. How are disciples of Jesus to exist in the world, remain true to God, but not isolate themselves from living out the gospel in the culture in which they find themselves? Historians describe four major worldviews: 1) classic, 2) middle-ages, 3)modern and 4) postmodern, which have formed worldviews throughout the history of humankind in Western Civilization. To investigate how contemporary Christians will live out the mission of God in the culture in which we find ourselves, it is important to review the two most recent worldviews: modern and postmodern Define a modern worldview by giving examples such as [note that a modern worldview isn’t really so “modern!”]: The Enlightenment (18th century) ushered in a worldview of rational thought and reason. Education, knowledge, literacy, belief, progress and scientific reasoning replaced the irrationality, superstition, and tyranny of the middle ages. The Restoration Movement began in the early 19th century firmly rooted in rationality, reasoning, and right beliefs. Early on, the movement invited all people to “come and reason together.” Since reason and science were seen as the ultimate absolutes, leaders of the Restoration Movement (Campbell, Lipscomb) made a case for a rational and reasonable basis for gospel and religion. Churches of Christ that emerged from the Restoration Movement interacted successfully with the modern worldview in early America. They were successful on the American frontier, emphasized Bible study, biblical preaching, and scripture memorization. Rational thought, biblical literacy, and an emphasis of always going back to the Bible were the hallmarks of the movement. Compare this to the worldview of the “Founding Fathers” who worked to establish a reasonable and rational set of laws and constitutional government in America. Define a postmodern worldview by giving examples such as: In the later part of the 20th century, philosophers and social scientists began to describe a worldview turning toward globalization, consumerism, fragmentation of authority, deconstruction, and relativism. In the modern worldview science was seen as a means to a better future. After two world wars in the 20th century, science was seen as the potential means of destruction of the human race. Some have described this worldview change by stating that “the golden dome of rationality” collapsed. No single canopy emerged to replace rationalism. Postmodernism rejected any single absolute, such as reason. In a world of no absolutes, diversity, tolerance, and multiculturalism carry the day. In postmodernism, nothing can claim to be totally absolute, but neither can anything be proven to be totally invalid. All claims are considered. Additional information to distinguish the difference between a modern worldview and a post-modern worldview is available on the attached chart (Attachment 1) The important thing to remember is that King David enlisted the men of Issachar because they understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” (I Chronicles 12:32) As the biblical passage notes, Christians live to the glory of God, and are charged with living out the mission of God in the culture, in the dominate worldview in which they find themselves. Exploration Identify the genesis of Christendom and provide a historical overview of Christendom from the 4th century through the 20th century. Constantine the Great, Roman emperor in the 4th century, made Christianity the religion of the state, which before that time had suffered persecution. Instead of martyrdom and persecution, Christians were welcomed into the center of power and influence. Cathedrals, positioned near the city center, provided clergy with a strong voice in political affairs and in all aspects of society. The political kingdoms of the world were equated with the spiritual kingdom of God. This is the meaning of “Christendom.” So, the Roman Empire became known in time as the Holy Roman Empire. In time treaties drawn up in Europe established that the religion of a territory was determined by the religion of the ruler. For seventeen centuries (4th through the 20th), Christendom enjoyed authority and significance in Western thought. America, founded in the dawn of the Enlightenment, in the 17th century, emphasized freedom of religion. Clergy provided an influential voice in schools, government, and commerce. Currency proclaimed “In God We Trust.” As the worldview turned toward post-modernity in the late 20th century, Christendom’s voice weakened and society began to marginalize Christendom. Churches became one of many influences in society, no longer providing a sacred canopy over the state. Display the graphic found on Attachment 2, and invite the group to identify ways in which they observe Christendom being marginalized (pushed to the side) in the 21st century. Possible responses include banning prayer in schools, nativity scenes removed from Courthouse lawns, and the Ten Commandments removed from some public venues. How are these both a challenge and opportunity for the church? Response Congregations today may reflect characteristics of modernity more than post-modernity. For more than a quarter of a century, Churches of Christ have asked questions about our identity as a movement. This period may have served as a time of forging a new missional identity for our movement. The book of Exodus tells of the people of Israel serving as slaves in Egypt for hundreds of years, and when freed by God through Moses, spent forty years wondering in the wilderness. Could it be that God was forging a new “identity” for his chosen people? Did he allow them to travel for years in the desert to rid themselves of their identity as slaves and take on a new identity of free people in the promised land? Could God have used the time to cause the people of Israel to claim the Spirit of God in living daily as his chosen people? Could it be that the cultural turning from a modern to a post-modern worldview during the past thirty or so years has forged a new missional identity for God’s people? Is our current state as failure and loss, or is the Spirit of God inviting us to rediscover a missional heart in unimagined and unexpected places. Consider this statement by author Alan Roxburgh: “One fears that in North America, rather than hearing this call of the Spirit to embrace and listen to the voice of God in a place of strangeness, the churches are continuing to work hard at rediscovering modes of existence and symbols of power that will move them back to an imaginary center. A return to a remembered Christendom or the old detent with modernity is impossible.” Alan J. Roxburgh, The Missionary Congregation, Leadership, and Liminality, (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 1997). Roxburgh challenges readers with the observation that, “The only meaningful way forward lies in understanding and embracing our new position in the culture, in society. We must live with confusion and humiliation, as a hopeful people ready to discover the new things the Spirit will birth. The continued assumption of cultural symbols of power and success will only produce an inauthentic church with little gospel, much religion, and no mission.” Respond to Roxburgh’s claims about the current status of congregations in a postmodern world by answering the following questions: Which of Roxburgh’s claims do you agree with? Which of his claims do you disagree with or challenge? In what ways is our congregation successfully taking the gospel to the post-modern culture? Where do you see the Spirit of God leading us in regards to taking the gospel to this culture? Attachment 1 Missional Church in Post-Modernity “Understanding the Times” I Chronicles 12:32 “… men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” (I Chronicles 12:32) “… you can tell the weather by looking at the sky, but you are unable to read the signs of the times!” (Matthew 13:6) Attachments compiled by David W. Wray, Abilene Christian University (2005)   Modern Postmodern Organizing Principle Rationality Relational Personhood Individuality Community Truth Propositional/Right Answers (Absolutes) Experiences/Story (Narrative) Faith Commitment to the truth of Scripture-nurture by church Abstract concept, shaped by one’s own reality and understanding Church A place where something happens (Provider of “goods and services”) “Build it and they will come” Living the reign of God as a community of disciples prayerfully joining together for missions, ministry and worship Missions Sending of missionaries to distant lands Missional lives being lived by all of us in our? families, marketplaces, in every context Family Husband (father), wife (mother), marriage, children Pluralistic lifestyles (same sex attraction, co-habitation, traditional family, etc.) Christian Education- “Bible School” Informational (literacy), formal classroom, curriculum, manuals (rationality primary) Relational, narrative, non-formal (small groups, retreats, children’s musicals, Bible Time? Marketplace) Spiritual Leadership Administrators, Managers, Trustees, Protectors Shepherds, Visionaries, Strategic, Missional, Authentic Lives, Christianity Christendom, Center of Power and Influence Post-Christian, Marginalized, Center moving to Africa, China Ministry Centered in congregation, led by staff over each division Every member a minister, living out practices of Jesus in all of life. Spiritual Formation Dependent on Sermons, Sunday School, home devotionals, Lectureships, and Christian society Events (feasts, celebrations, fasts as in O.T.), relationships, and journeying together Attachment 2

Who Is Weak?

Posted by David on February 9, 2006 under Bulletin Articles

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).

Numerous forms of the old joke about the army who shoots its wounded soldiers exist. The joke is funny only to those never wounded! For those wounded, the joke is cruel!

Some people who have spiritual wounds say of the church, “It shoots its wounded.” Who are the wounded? They are the weak. Who are the weak? That is a fascinating question!

First, weakness is a comparative term. If we compare two when one-in a specified consideration-is stronger than the other, one is weak and the other is strong. Take the weak one and compare him or her to someone who is weaker than he or she. Instantly he or she becomes strong and another becomes the weak person.

Second, none are always the strong. Someone always is stronger then “me.” However, the “eternal comparison” is never between two humans. It is always between Christ and us or God and us. In that comparison, we all are weak. If the church shoots its weak, we all will be shot.

Is it God’s objective to save or destroy us? Jesus’ cross is about saving people, not destroying people. Jesus’ resurrection is about hope, not about despair. The testimony is astounding! One in the Bible wrote, “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. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16, 17). Another wrote, “For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died” (1 Corinthians 8:11). He also wrote, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all” (1 Timothy l:15). Still another wrote, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Arrogance arises from confidence in our strengths. Wisdom arises from acknowledgement of our weakness.

All of us are weak. Please do not shoot me when you see another weakness. Help me! Encourage me to move to greater strength! Do not be concerned about “protecting the church.” God capably does that. Concern yourself with reflecting God’s character in helping the weak. Invest as much in my salvation as God does!

The Christian Worldview (part 1)

Posted by David on February 5, 2006 under Sermons

1 Kings 18:20-39 So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel. Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “That is a good idea.” So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made. It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.” So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water. At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”

Last week Joyce and I went to the movie, The End of the Spear, that one of our elders encouraged all of us to see. There are many memorable statements in the movie as it draws a distinct contrast between a very primitive, violent people and what you and I would consider to be very civilized people. Some of those statements were shared with us on a recent Wednesday night.

What I want to share with you is not a statement, but a situation. The movie reflects on at least three different ways to look at the world. (1) There is the view of the world held by the missionaries. (2) The view of the world held by civilized people who were not missionaries. (3) And there was the view of the world held by the primitive, violent people. All three views clashed with what most of us would consider horrible consequences.

(1) Because of their view of the world, the missionaries made an extraordinary effort to make contact with the primitive, violent people. (2) Because of their view of the world, the civilized people killed the primitive people in an attempt to produce self-protection. (3) Because of their view of the world, the primitive, violent people killed everyone–including their own people–because they were convinced the way to be strong after death was to kill people in this life.

(1) The missionaries’ view of the world was huge including not only this physical earth but another world that exists after death. (2) The civilized people’s view of the world was limited primarily to what was good for the Amazon basin. (3) The primitive, violent people’s view of the world was limited to existence in the rain forest.

(1) The missionaries view of the world declared there was more to life than physical survival. (2) The civilized people’s view of the world was basically restricted to physical survival. (3) The primitive, violent people’s view of the world was becoming strong enough to “jump the great boa” when they were killed.

About two years ago the elders announced five goals for us to adopt as a congregation. The fifth of those five goals was this: “To proclaim a biblical worldview that is obedient to Christ.”

This evening I want to ask and seek to answer the question: “What is a worldview?” All of us have one. Likely most of us do not even recognize it. How would you answer the question, “What is your worldview?” Some of us might even declare we do not have a worldview because we do not know what it is. Yet, whether we know what it is or not, we all have one.

1. What is a “worldview”?
   1. Basically a worldview is the way a person explains physical life and explains physical death.
      1. The understanding produced by the person’s worldview affects everything we do, everything we are, and every goal we personally have.
      2. All these things are powerfully influenced by our personal worldview:
         1. How should parents raise their children?
         2. At what age should a person stop being considered a child and start being considered an adult? Is this decision behavior based or age based?
         3. As an adult, do you have the “right” to defy authority and the “right” to violate law?
         4. What is the purpose of marriage?
         5. What is the purpose of divorce?
         6. Why do we work?
         7. Why should people help people?
         8. What people should receive help?
      3. Attitudes toward intoxication, attitudes toward pleasure, attitudes toward every aspect of sexual activity, value systems, basic definitions of right and wrong, and the basic concept of truthfulness are all determined by an individual on the basis of his or her worldview.
   2. Let me give you some examples of the worldview of a person and its power.
      1. In the early 70s Joyce, our children, and I lived for four years in a West African country.
         1. Where we lived, it was rude to greet a person through a screen door.
            1. We lived four degrees from the equator just above sea level, so it was hot all the time.
            2. All our windows were open all the time.
            3. Our door was open all day long.
            4. Most of the hours of the day, you could see into or through our house.
            5. Yet, if anyone walked up on our porch and we did not open the screen door and shake his/her hand, we were insultingly rude.
         2. We were supposed to greet everyone we saw by asking, “You de well for skin?” or, “Are you healthy today?”
            1. Even before you started preaching, you asked the congregation that question and they answered aloud.
            2. Once while we were at a night meeting of the missionaries, my office was robbed.
            3. The thief or thieves went through tripple locks to the exact file in which I had some cash to use to help an arriving missionary family.
            4. The next morning in great concern I went to the police station as soon as it opened to report the robbery.
            5. The police were very upset with me and threatened to arrest me.
            6. The primary problem: I forgot to greet them properly and therefore I was rude to them.
            7. Worldviews were clashing: I was concerned about the robbery; they were concerned about respect.
      2. Let me give you an illustration from Russia in the early 1990s.
         1. I have a huge pet peeve personally about being late to an appointment–and if we are not thirty minutes early, we are late–ask Joyce!
         2. An institute in Kaliningrad invited me to come talk to their English students.
            1. I could speak about anything I wished, including religion, as long as I did not “evangelize and proselyze” in my speaking.
            2. I had to speak in English–a translator would be provided to be sure the students understood me, but I had to speak in English.
         3. On one occasion, we were very late to speak to the students, and it was obvious to me that we would be at least thirty minutes late.
            1. My professor host said, “Do not worry! It is okay! They are students. It is their job to wait.”
            2. “They will be there when you come;” and they were.
            3. Contrast that with a student who told her professor at registration at the University of Mississippi that she would not be attending his morning class because “I am not a morning person.”
         4. See the pronounced difference in worldviews and the way in which worldviews affected behavior?
            1. One said, “I am owed no consideration.”
            2. One said, “In my world, the most important thing is me.”
      3. You do not have to travel outside Fort Smith to see the effects of different worldviews.
         1. How many of you parents have children who use words and concepts in their vocabulary you cannot even define?
         2. How many different concepts of work ethic exist in this community?
         3. How many different concepts of leadership exist in this congregation?
         4. If two people of radically different backgrounds marry right here in Fort Smith, what is likely to happen?

2. A difference in worldview is obvious many times in the Bible.
   1. Consider the reading heard earlier.
      [Briefly tell the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel.]
   2. Consider the difference between Elijah’s and the prophets’ of Baal concept of deity.
      1. The prophets of Baal thought there were many god who lived as families; Elijah declared there was one God.
      2. The prophets of Baal thought it was acceptable to worship all gods; Elijah declared it was acceptable to worship only the one God.
      3. The prophets of Baal thought the gods were far away; Elijah knew God was near.
      4. The prophets of Baal thought you had to get an unconcerned diety’s attention; Elijah knew God was near.
      5. The prophets of Baal thought the gods were basically unconcerned about human affairs; Elijah knew God always was concerned about human affairs.
   3. Please note the behavior of both was determined by how they looked at things.
      1. Their worldview determined how they acted.
      2. Their worldview determined what they did.

Your worldview is a significant factor in your choices. If you are going to change how you live, you need to start by changing the way you look at the world.

Life as a Clay Jar

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Read 2 Corinthians 3:17 – 4:9.

Relics and Reliquary – The remains of a saint or holy person are called relics. As early as the fourth century, small pieces of bone, blood, or cloth associated with Christ, Mary, the apostles, or various saints were collected and revered. The thought was that these minute pieces ordinary matter could produce miracles through the intercession of the saint. Since they were so cherished and prized, the containers that held them were often decorated. The containers are called reliquaries.
The possession of a relic could make a town famous and attract pilgrims (we call them tourists). Even if you have never heard of relics or reliquaries, you have probably heard of the Shroud of Turin (where the Winter Olympics will be held next week). Soon, relics became an obsession and a matter of jealous rivalry. A rival town could improve its fortunes by acquiring a precious relic, sometimes by bold theft or by making up a relic. (Centuries ago there were other cities claiming to have the true shroud, not just Turin. And legend has it that one town had the skeleton of John the Baptist at age 13). Cities and churches were proud and protective of their relics so they made their reliquaries large and elaborate. They might even be shaped like the object they contained – a cross shaped box to house a splinter of wood from Christ’s cross; an arm of gold containing the finger bone of a local saint.
The odd fact of relics and reliquaries is that the many reliquaries no longer contain the relic they were built to contain. So, the reliquary – that is, the empty container – is now the prized object and treasure.

Treasure in Clay Jars – Paul describes us as containers that hold a priceless treasure. But we are not the gilded and jeweled encrusted fine art boxes that contain decayed and gruesome items like bones, hair, teeth, and dried blood. Paul says that we are more like clay jars – which were the cardboard boxes of his day. Clay jars were ordinary containers like shoeboxes or plastic tubs in which people stored items – even treasures. God has stored the precious and priceless treasure of the gospel in ordinary clay jars like Paul, like me, like you, like us …

Unlike reliquaries the church cannot become a shell that has long ago lost its content – or if there is any content it is meant to be something much more valuable than old bones. In fact, old bones might be a better description of the vessel rather than the treasure, for our fragile forms and our imperfect congregation is the clay jar filled with priceless treasure. We are a Styrofoam cup filled with the finest champagne. We are a paper sack full of rare gems. We are the plain brown wrapper that covers a masterpiece of beauty and art.

Even if we could be perfect and polished, there is enough in life to pressure us, perplex us, and persecute us. In other words, we’re going to take some licks in life and we cannot escape getting scratched, scarred. Yet, just because we are ordinary or even cracked and broken, we are not disqualified from being a useful vessel for carrying the treasure of the gospel …

Broken Jar Parable – An Indian fable tells the story of a water-bearer. Every day he carried two large pots on a yoke across his shoulders every day from river to his master’s house. One pot is perfect and always carries a full measure of water from the river to the house after the long walk. But the other has a crack and it leaks half of its water along the way.
          After years of arriving half-empty and feeling guilty for being cracked, the pot apologized to the water-bearer: “I am sorry that I did not accomplish for you what the perfect pot did. Surely I have made more work for you because I am cracked and flawed.”
          The water-bearer smiled, “Why do you apologize? Haven’t you noticed the flowers that grow on your side of the path from the river? Because of your flaw you have sprinkled water along the way that nourished the flowers. These flowers pleased me on my long walk to and from the river. The perfect pot delivers a full measure of water, but there are no flowers on its side of the path.”

As individuals and as a congregation, we are tempted to apologize for our flaws. We attempt to hide them or desperately try anything to repair them. Certainly we strive to be perfect and holy as Christ is perfect and holy, but the biblical idea of holiness has more to do with maturity than flawlessness. And the goal of perfection and excellence is to become more like Christ. But we arrive at this perfection as God works through our weakness not when we overcome them ourselves. It matters whether we are concerned with the container or the treasure inside.

We can spend much time and energy on trying to achieve perfection, excellence, and holiness so that we might influence what others think about us! Perhaps we are trying to recruit new members or gain influence or prestige. This can be very tempting because we may even convince ourselves that this is necessary for church growth or evangelism. How many times have Christians looked to the dynamic, successful churches of our age and attempted to imitate them? How often have these churches been willing to share their secrets – for a small price? How often have we been discouraged and disappointed because we just don’t seem to be able to have the same “success” as other groups? We will be disappointed and lose heart when we think that this is all about us, but we will never be crushed, despairing, or destroyed if we live life as a clay jar knowing that the treasure is from God. It matters whether we are concerned with the container or the treasure inside.

It is good to be visionary and creative in seeking opportunities to communicate and to make a good impression on others. But we are resorting to secret or shameful means if we are trying to cover up the reality of who we are lest someone think poorly of us. We are resorting to deception and distortion if we are trying to win people over with our goods and services rather than with good news and salvation. We may be ashamed of our weaknesses, limitations, and liabilities but these may in fact be what God uses to display his treasure and might. When we live life as clay jars showing that we are what we are because of God’s mercy rather than our own efforts, then those who recognize their own humanity(who are not trying to cover up the truth about their own life) will want to share in the treasure too. It matters whether we are concerned with the container or the treasure inside.

This is about evangelism! – The church doesn’t have a mission. The mission has a church. Remember that? We need to remember that if we are going to fix on the precious all-surpassing power of the treasure and not get distracted by our clay jar container life. Too often we think that we have to light the fire of “this little light of mine” and we have to be doing something to be more effective. Maybe what we need to do is start letting God do more and live like he is. Our Scripture says that God who brought light out of darkness makes his light shine in our hearts.
          I don’t recall too many stories of people who came to Jesus and had their lives changed because they were attracted to a church with a beautiful building, fantastic programs, a Starbucks in the foyer and a budget in the black. But I know dozens of stories like Tracy’s.
          Tracy was a waitress at a local caf? in Lake Jackson. One day she came to visit me in my office. She wanted to ask me something, but first she had something to tell me. She told me that she had been working as a waitress for a few years and that waiters and waitresses hate working on Sunday afternoon. She said that though it seems like the “church crowd” would be the best of customers, they are typically the rudest and all-around worst. They are arrogant, demanding, impatient, picky, and they hardly tip. Then she said, “Now I want you to know that I have been waiting on people from your church for quite a few months.”
I groaned inside. I began thinking that our church is flawed and broken. I began working on how I would apologize to Tracy. And then she spoke again, “Your people have made it a delight to work on Sunday afternoon. They have been polite and thoughtful. They have asked about me and my family. I look for them every week. I know they aren’t perfect people – and a few times they didn’t tip much at all – but every time they have had an attitude and a spirit that I just haven’t seen before. I really want to have that too. And after talking to some of these folks I wanted to ask you – can I be a Christian?”
We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Chris Benjamin

West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR
Morning Sermon, 5 February 2006

Even Christians Know Sorrow

Posted by David on February 2, 2006 under Bulletin Articles

In this existence, sorrow comes in many forms. There is no escaping sorrow in this life. Even if there were no sickness, no disease, no pain, no needs based on privations, no struggles, no accidents, and no reverses, sorrow would exist.

“Oh, if I had all my needs met and never experienced physical pain, I would have no sorrow.” Really? Consider just two sorrows.

First is the sorrow produced by the unwise decisions or wasteful choices made by one we care about deeply. All of us experience seeing someone we care about doing or deciding something “dumb.” It is horrible to see one important to us make foolish choices! It is worse than horrible-it is the agony of a torn heart!

Second is the sorrow produced by aging. Picture a lifetime as an hour glass. In youth, there is so much sand in the top that life seems to stretch before you endlessly. When middle age comes, there is no reason for alarm. There is as much sand in top of the glass as at the bottom. Yet, the moment comes when the sand in the bottom is much larger than in the top. Strength diminishes. Energy diminishes. All desires diminish. The gnawing awareness is what “I could do” and what “I can do” are separate discussions. Often in that fact is the regret only sorrow understands.

Good news! There is something much, much larger than human sorrow. It is so big that not even an execution on a cross could end it! It is so huge that not even a tomb could hide it. It is so powerful that it is available to everyone! It is so wonderful that it can make any life endlessly meaningful! Incredibly, it has no age limit on its hope-it is for the old, the young, and all in between!

At the core of this good news is personal transformation. One of today’s advertising campaigns makes an “easy button” a popular concept. This is a superior button-it is the “renewal button.”

In Jesus Christ God provides us opportunity to start over. There is opportunity to become what God intended when He made us. We can be new creatures with new values and new purposes. Those values and purposes are not dependent on physical need, and they do not produce pain. They produce hope arising from the discovery of a new reality. Interested? Read Ephesians 4:17-24 and Colossians 3:1-11.

Practicing What Jesus Preached

Posted by Chris on January 29, 2006 under Sermons

sing “Footprints of Jesus”

[Matthew 19:16-30] – When the young man comes to Jesus, the Lord doesn’t challenge his question: “What good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?” In fact Jesus obliges his question and urges him to keep the commandments. Jesus had been teaching that he did not come to abolish the commandments, but to fulfill them. When you read through Matthew’s gospel and what Jesus teaches you find that Jesus is very serious about doing good. He intends for his teachings and the commandments of God to be lived out and put into practice. He concludes the Sermon on the Mount with the parable of the wise and foolish builders. The foolish builder builds on loose soil and his house collapses, but the wise builder builds on the rock and the house stands even during a storm. The wise person is the one who takes what Jesus says and puts it into practice!

This is what disappoints the young man who wanted to inherit eternal life. He wasn’t expecting that the inheritance of eternal life would so radically change his life. When Jesus lists the commandments, it is easy for this fine young fellow to state – even modestly – that he has kept the commandments since he hasn’t broken any of the rules. But if he is going to follow Jesus into the Kingdom of Heaven he has to do more than follow the rules. He has to do more than “keep” the commandments (that is, not violate them), he has to do them. The good work we are called to is more than “not bad” it is active. Jesus wants us to take his teachings and put them into practice. That is good work!

Jesus calls his disciples to a righteousness that surpasses the scribes and Pharisees. [Matthew 5:20] Now they were the ultimate rule-keepers – how could we ever surpass their righteousness? Simple – you rediscover the meaning of righteousness. Righteousness isn’t about “not doing bad,” rather it is about actively “doing good.” The scribes and the Pharisees followed the rules, but the disciples of Jesus follow the Lord. Jesus warns us to do what they teach but not what they do because they do not practice what they preach!

What are we supposed to do with Jesus teaching? What’s the best way to understand it and teaching it to others? Jesus concludes one of his better known teachings, the Sermon on the Mount, with a fairly simple answer to these questions: do what I told you. [Matthew 7:24] The wise person is like the builder who builds on a good foundation. The house built on the rock will stand. Putting Jesus’ teachings into practice is building on a good foundation.

The reason that churches, households, and individual lives collapse is sometimes because people want to follow Jesus but only so they can have a little insurance for the future or for the bad times. We need religion in our lives because it helps us over our bad feelings or it might make the kids behave or keep them out of trouble. We want the insurance but we want to build our house on the edge of a cliff looking over the ocean. We want to build our lives on our own plot and according to our own plan. But Jesus isn’t interested in selling insurance. He’s a carpenter and he knows how to build a good life, a good home, and a good church.

Doing Good Works
Look at the banners in this auditorium and notice that we recognize this. We understand that disciples of Jesus should be eager to serve other. We strive to prepare for works of service to build up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12). We intend to excite one another to Love and Good Deeds (Hebrews 10:24). We know that following Christ involves baptizing and teaching others so that they too can inherit the Kingdom of Heaven (Mark 16:15-16). Finally we recognize that God made us in Christ to do Good Works (Ephesians 2:10).

This text is good for us to reflect on for a moment. We are God’s work – his creation. He crafted us and designed us. Most craftsmen and creators have a purpose for their works. So it is with God. In Ephesians 2:10, Paul says that we are created in Christ Jesus – suggesting that we have been re-created – to do good works which God has already prepared for us. We are supposed to “walk” in these good works. What does that mean? It means we get with it and get active doing what God designed us to do and what he prepared for us to do. We “walk” behind Jesus following in his steps. We are God’s work (creation) to do good work (deeds). That is what it means to be human, that is what it means to be a disciple. What are the good works God has prepared for us to do? We will discuss this in more detail tonight but I want to briefly demonstrate how the teaching of God’s Word has everything to do with good works …

Iglesia de Cristo – In 1987 in Fort Smith, the Latino school population was half of a single percent (0.05%). Today, it is almost 20 percent. But according to one report, the Latinos who are new to America do not always consider us a friendly people. Sometimes that’s because we, as a people, say things like: “If they come to our country, they ought to learn English!” That’s well and good, but who will teach them? I think God wants us to be friendly and hospitable. He wants us to do more than just wish our neighbors all the best. For three years now we have encouraged a ministry that meets on Johnson Street. Oscar Nolasco has been baptizing and teaching. We need to pray for leaders in that congregation. We can help them by building a place of worship (they are renting right now). If we follow Jesus, don’t you think his footsteps will lead us to the growing Latino section of our town? In Matthew 25 the Lord praises those who were righteous: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me?”

Hope Chest, CURE – Last year as we were searching for property to serve as a building for Iglesia de Cristo we found a building from which we could serve the poor. Now the number of those seeking assistance at the Hope Chest is increasing everyday. Poverty and disaster create different needs but when they combine the problem is truly staggering. This happened last year on the Gulf Coast. The disaster from the hurricanes magnified the problems of poverty. Through CURE, we have been partnering with other disciples to help the disciples on the Gulf Coast to do good works.
If you listen to Christ’s teaching then you know as well as I do that there is no excuse for not helping the poor. But we still find excuses and perhaps that is because the problem is so large. So we hesitate wondering if our efforts make any real difference. We begin to feel that unless we can unleash government-sized, military backed aid on the problem then we will never make a dent in the problem. So we call our efforts a drop in the bucket or twig on the pile. And then we question if God will go with us in our efforts. Will God go with us when we go “to the hungry hopeless side of town?” We can quit worrying about that. The truth is that God has been waiting for us to meet him there. If we follow the footsteps of Jesus don’t you think his path will lead us to the poor, sick, and hungry? “I was naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, hungry and you fed me.”

Tutoring, KFC, Children’s Worship, Nursery, FLOCK, GATEWAY – [Matthew 19:13-15] None of us would ever want to keep children away from Jesus. One of our strengths as a congregation is reflected in the ministries we have devoted to young people – from nursery to young adults. No, we would never say we want to keep children or young adults from Jesus, but do we really take to heart what Jesus said when he said “the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these?” What does that mean? Does this congregation offer “services for young people” or do we serve young people? Serving children is difficult – especially when their parents don’t come here. It can get frustrating when children act like children.
Teens and LFC – Like Jesus we can invite them to follow. They are ready. Notice that Jesus says, “Don’t stop them!” Young people don’t know “not to come” to Jesus unless an adult stops them. Jesus’ disciples thought that he should spend a little more time with adults and that the kids ought to stop bothering Jesus – he had a long day and was awfully tired. But if we follow the footsteps of Jesus, I think we will find ourselves walking alongside children, teens, and young adults who are eager to follow Christ. Maybe we should cheer them on. We need each other on this journey as we follow Christ – young and old need each other; women need one another; men needs one another; women and men need each other. We too often isolate, but Christ calls us to be one!

Men’s Ministry and Family Ministries – Paul Shirley and Mat Griffin have a marriage class starting soon. The women of this congregation have a retreat planned this weekend. Some of the young women, one of them is one of our newest members, have taken the initiative to organize this. I am pleased to see the spiritual maturity of our women – whether it is on the retreat or in their WINGS classes, or study classes, or other fellowships. They show it in their dedication to spend time with their Lord and Creator and in their fellowship with one another. They are encouraging each other to love and good works. They are preparing for works of service. They are putting Christ’s words into practice.Brothers, when will we have a men’s retreat? (Someone will say, “When you plan it preacher.” Isn’t it great that the women don’t have that excuse!) We have a Men’s class starting in February. No, that won’t fit everyone’s schedule, but we have as many options as we have men who will lead. We can do this, brothers! If we follow the footsteps of Jesus I think he will lead us to a quiet place where we can pray and rest with him.

Connections – In a family the size of West-Ark it is easy to think that someone else is available to do the good works. But that’s not really how a big family works. Have you seen the news on the Duggar family in Springdale. They have 16 kids. How does a family that large manage? They assume that everyone can help somewhere because they know that everyone is needed. In our church family, each one of you is needed somewhere. More than that, God has prepared something for you to do.

Following Jesus is joyous and adventurous. So why is it that some will give up anything to follow Jesus and others find that hard to do. I think it is because those who are unwilling to sacrifice confuse following Jesus with following the rules. No one wants to give up something just to follow the rules. There’s no reward or adventure in that. But following Jesus goes somewhere! There’s a destination and journey worth taking. Following Jesus is a quest that is fulfilling and meaningful. There is a lost verse to the song we sang before this sermon (“Footprints of Jesus”) that expresses this idea:

Then at last, when on high He sees us,
    Our journey done,
We will rest where the steps of Jesus,
    End at His throne.

Determining the Important

Posted by David on January 26, 2006 under Bulletin Articles

With me lately transition is the basic consideration and reality of every day. Goals change. Ambitions change. My list of “cannots” increases. My list of “wants” decreases. Pleasures decrease. Things I planned to do change. Things I want to do change. Pace changes. Rate of accomplishment changes. Frankly, at times I hardly recognize me.

I sincerely doubt God’s goals or ambitions concerning us change-ever! While He is incredibly patient with us, what He wants in us and for us is changeless. I sincerely doubt His “to do” list changes. Things that give Him joy are changeless. His plans do not change. His pace and rate of accomplishment do not change because His patience, mercy, and forgiveness are beyond human comprehension. (Read 2 Peter 3:8, 9 lately?) God’s pace is unhurried but certain. God is the same as He was when we were born, or even when humanity began-He is very recognizable.

The older I get the more unimportant I realize I am. At the same time, the older I get the more important I realize God is. I hope in some meaningful way I have been and am useful to God as He achieves His purposes. Yet, I realize that with or without me, God’s purposes will be done. I also realize most of my moments of urgent crises regarding the church are more a product of my fears than God’s realities. After all, God has worked with humans a long time. He knows what to expect from us. As much as we wish it were otherwise, I sincerely doubt that we surprise Him-ever!

To me it is incredible that we humans hold any significance to God. Were it not for us, God would have a lot less heartache and anxiety. Yet, for some unfathomable reason, we are important to Him. How important? Important enough for God to love us when we do not deserve His love or patience.

One of Paul’s favorite illustrations to describe our usefulness to God is the illustration of the body (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31). Among the many points Paul made in his illustration, two stand out to me. First, we serve the role in the body God gave us. The primary thing my large intestine, my pancreas, and my eyeball have in common is, thankfully, they are parts of my body-though you would never know it by looking at each individually. Second, while we are not able to perform the same functions, we each are useful to God’s purposes-if we perform the function He gave us.

Incredibly, to God there are no unimportant people when we as individuals have the courage to be a part of His people. Unlike humans, the issue with God is NEVER on what we cannot do. It is always on doing what we can do by being what we can be.

Thus the older I get, the more at peace I am with being unimportant-as long as God grows in importance to me.