God Knows How (2 Pet. 2:1-10)

Posted by on August 8, 2004 under Sermons

"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them–bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) — if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority."

  1. Destructive Heresy. – Peter has assured us that he is a reliable teacher and preacher. He is a witness to something greater than himself. What he experienced confirms the prophecy of Scripture. It is no myth. And this matters because Peter has taught the churches and has passed on to us the truth about living godly – participating in the divine nature.

    By contrast, there are unreliable teachers. Their teaching and the foundation for their teaching is different from Peter’s. As a result, their teaching does not lead to participation in the divine nature. Rather, it encourages the impulses of the sinful nature. Their teaching is based on false conclusions and as a result there is no motivation to live a godly life.

    We dare not affix the label of false teacher too easily. We have done so with everything from forms of worship, use of church property, to the administration of funds for the poor. Ascribing the label of false teacher too casually can desensitize us to the truly destructive and unhealthy effect of bad teaching. Scripture recognizes that there are disputable matters, and conflict over disputable matters can make us very anxious. But the sort of false teaching that Peter describes is much more insidious than conflict over disputable matters. It is dangerous because it tampers with the foundation of faith (1:3-5) that is the power for godly living.

    Those whom Peter calls false teachers are doing far worse than voicing a dissenting opinion or holding to a belief without fully understanding it. Their activity and teaching is much more destructive and sinful.

    A Dangerous Alternative: A heresy is more than a different viewpoint or dissenting opinion. It is more than a measure of doubt. A heresy is a school of thought so different that it represents a alternate faction or school of thought and practice. Peter says that the false teachers have rejected or denied the God who ransomed them. That’s a serious alternative – so serious that it forms an alternate faction, or heresy – and since the foundation of truth and the power to save has been rejected, the heresy will result in destruction. Destruction and ruin are the inevitable products of this orientation toward the sinful nature, just as godliness and love are the products of the orientation toward the divine nature.

  2. God Knows How To. – Peter is taking the opportunity of his final testimony to warn believers to avoid the destruction that will result by adopting the orientation of the false teachers. To do this, he draws our attention to the "big picture." There is right and wrong not only in our everyday choices, but also on a cosmic and historical scale. Even the angels are held accountable to the rule of God and they cannot claim special privilege simply because they are from heaven. Even the people of the ancient world were held accountable to the rule of God and no one can say that the people of olden times are right simply by virtue of being part of the past. In every time and in every dimension of reality, God knows how to rescue godly people from their trials and to hold unrighteous people for punishment on the day of judgment.
    Why so hard on sin? Why is God so judgmental?

    1. The false alternatives are dangerous and destructive. They are destructive, poisonous seeds of death. They germinate into corruption.
      God’s opposes the heresy with zero tolerance because such rebellion and predation must end. Wouldn’t we be against an alternative that leads to destruction … (The ship wreckers and mooncussers – For the sake of profit, the mooncussers lured merchant ships to destruction with false lights).
    2. Redemptive Intervention. God’s judgment is actually a gracious thing. It is redemptive. Without being intolerant of destruction and divisiveness, without being intolerant of the sin there cannot be conversion and restoration. God did not establish law prophets and Jesus in order to populate hell. That is not his purpose. Judgment is an aspect of Salvation. Like an intervention. Interventions = they are intolerant because they are for the saving of one who is destroying his/her life.
      If we share in Christ’s nature, then like him we will also regard our presence in this world as redemptive. That becomes our mission.

  3. The Faithful Minority. –
    There is no virtue in damning the lost so we might be assured of our salvation. That was never Jesus’ message nor mission. We wait for Christ’s return to this world – his first coming into the world was not to condemn, but to save. His second coming will also be a saving event. He will come to restore all things as they were before the corruption of sin.

    Remember how God saved Noah and Lot? In opposing the destruction of wickedness God remained faithful to the righteous. Remember that God was willing to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if there were more righteous – that’s what he promised to Abraham. Even if we are in the minority, we can be assured of God’s faithfulness and his power to rescue us from sin and unrighteousness.

    If we had a greater grasp of the awesome danger of sin and the wonderful mercy of God would they change the way we live among others; would we be more trusting of God’s power to save us and others as well?

    July 4, 1854, Charley Peace, a well-known criminal in London was hung for his crimes. The execution was performed with formal ceremony. There was a priest present who read the formal prayer prescribed for executions. As Charley was marched onto the gallows a priest read these words from his book: "Those who die without Christ experience hell, which is the pain of forever dying without the release which death itself can bring."
    At the reading of these chilling words, Charlie Peace stopped, turned to the priest and shouted in his face, "Do you believe that? Do you believe that?"
    The priest, stunned by the verbal assault, stammered for a moment and then said, "Well I suppose do." "Well I don’t," said Charlie. "But if I did, I’d get down on my hands and knees and crawl all over Britain, even if it were paved with pieces of broken glass, if I could rescue one person from what you just told me."

    God forgive us for thinking that we are more righteous if we condemn rather than save. As we get pushed more and more to the margins and out of the majority we may grow angry and hopeless and that will lead us to an attitude of negative condemnation.

    God has quite a bit of experience in saving and judging. God knows what he is doing. It is his nature.

    And it is about time we started acting like "Gods knows how" and get away from the mistaken notion that we know how to do everything ourselves. We have come to understand "work out your own salvation" to mean that it is all up to us. But Peter is calling the faithful to place their confidence in God’s ability to save.

    [Ironically, if we are at all doubtful that we might be saved and certain that condemnation is all we can expect, then chances are we will act on what we are most confident about – condemnation. And we will judge others and condemn them.]

    Trust God to judge and save – that’s Peter’s gospel and it is ours, too. God knows what he is doing! All we need do is offer the light of the lamp shining in the dark. The light of the morning star.

    You don’t have to condemn before you can save others! Just this: Keep yourself in safety and snatch others from the fire (Jude 21-23). The only way we are going to be able to help save others is if we trust God to save us. If we really don’t believe what we say, then no wonder we are ineffective in calling many more to participate in the divine nature. And we certainly won’t help anyone if we ourselves do not participate in the divine nature. [If the people who follow the teachings of Christ do not demonstrate a code of ethics and behavior different from the world around them; Barna shows this is the major hindrance to Christian witness today – add citation].

Your salvation is not simply exemption from Hell. If you possess the virtues of the godly life, your life is effective and productive. It is a witness to those who might otherwise die without Christ.

Transformation Illustrated: Sinners

Posted by on August 1, 2004 under Sermons

When I was a boy, an old-but-trusted adage said, “Birds of a feather flock together.” It meant, “Be careful who you run with because you will be judged by the company you keep.” People always have had the tendency to judge a person by the company he keeps.

Recently I was in a graduate class with a man who had been converted primarily through his own study. He came from an area of the country quite different from the south or southwest. He obviously was a person who loved to read and loved to think. For a while, prior to graduate studies, he worked as a minister in a small but growing congregation.

He told of one dedicated, mature Christian who made many of his contacts and did much of his work by visiting local bars. This Christian did not drink. He was known by the people in the bars. He had an effective outreach. He was much respected by people in the bars.

Two Questions. (1) Was he letting God’s light shine through by refusing to live in isolation? (2) Was he hiding God’s light by going into a “place of darkness”?

Matthew 11:16-19 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Is it impossible to be God’s lights in the world if we have no contact with the world? Is it possible to be God’s preserving salt in the world if we exist in isolation?

Consider one of Jesus’ prayers the last night of his physical life:

John 17:14-16 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

This evening I would like to continue my recent focus. We began by this emphasis by stressing the fact that we sustained an enormous loss when we made evil a part of human existence. Any attempt to return to what God intended us to be when He made us will involve radical transformation. If we move in the direction of God, there will be radical change in our personal lives. That change will not be understood by those who are not moving toward God. The only explanation for that change is the influence of Jesus Christ on our existence.

The last time I spoke to you I spoke about the Jewish publicans or tax collectors. I used some of them to illustrate transformation. This evening I want to use what the gospels refer to as “the sinners” to illustrate transformation.

  1. Consider Jewish repayment for wrongful acts.
    1. In our last lesson I mentioned the commitment Zaccheus made to repay anyone he had wronged.
      1. He declared he would repay “four fold” or “four times as much” to those he wronged.
      2. That is 400%.
    2. The Jewish repayment for wrongful acts was a Jewish response to acts of injustice.
      1. From early history in Israel, restitution must include more than the full amount.
        1. Exodus 22:1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.”
        2. Leviticus 6:5 “…anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full and add to it one-fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day he presents his guilt offering.”
        3. Numbers 5:7 “then he shall confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged.”
      2. The classic case is Nathan’s confrontation of King David about the incident of Uriah and Bathsheba.
        1. When David heard the parable about the rich man who stole the lamb, he was consumed with anger.
        2. David said the man deserved to die for what he did, but he would make a “four fold” restitution.
    3. To me, the point to be understood about Zaccheus is seen in his seriousness–he would give of everything he owned to the poor and make “four fold” restitution to anyone he defrauded. (Luke 19:8)
      1. He would not be a hard hearted Jewish tax collector.
      2. He would be a compassionate man.
      3. Following Jesus would make an visible change in who he was.

  2. May I now call your attention to people in the gospels that were called “the sinners” by many first century Jewish people, including Jewish leadership.
    1. By Jewish standards, these were irreligious Jews.
      1. If in your thinking, you see all first century Jewish people as being devout Israelites who are dedicated to Israel’s religious ways, I challenge you to change your thinking.
        1. In every religious society, there are people who do not wish to follow God.
        2. First century Israel was not an exception.
        3. I surely hope that we understand as a church we are not an exception.
        4. Because you live in a religious society does not mean you are a religious person.
        5. First century Israel had a segment of their society who rejected the religious standards of society.
      2. Those people had a number of motives for not being religious.
        1. Some thought the religious standards were ridiculous foolishness, the religious people were fake, and Jewish society needed to join the progress of the rest of the world.
        2. Some wanted the pleasurable lifestyle forbade by Jewish law and Jewish tradition.
        3. Some wanted the money Jewish standards forbade.
        4. Some resented religious people and wanted no part of their ways.
        5. Some turned to “taboo” practices because they felt forced into those practices by economic realities in their lives.
        6. Whatever their motivation, these people were clearly known by the religious society as being non-compliant, rebellious Jews.
    2. “Sinners” as a visible part of society included a lot of different people–the word was used in reference to “Jewish religious outcasts” and to gentiles.
      1. To be classified as a “sinner” in first century Jewish society was not a good thing! You were regarded as a social misfit who did not belong–religious people did not want you in their home!
      2. It included tax collectors.
      3. It included prostitutes.
      4. It included people who did not worship at the synagogue on Saturday or at the temple on special holy days.
      5. It included all people who were not Jewish or proselytes [thus it included all the people Jews called gentiles].
      6. It definitely included people who did not live by and practice the Jewish “holiness code.”

  3. For a moment, let me discuss the “holiness code.”
    1. In the first century, there are certain things devout Jews always did.
      1. Let’s begin by focusing on their concept of “cleanliness” or purity.
        1. A person could become spiritually unclean just by touching something spiritually unclean.
        2. Therefore you limited your physical contact with anything that was considered impure or unclean.
        3. There were certain people you did not have in your home–like Samaritans, idol worshippers, or sexually immoral people.
        4. You did not touch the dead bodies of people or animals.
        5. You did not touch anything people with leprosy touched.
        6. You ate kosher food prepared in the approved manner. (Leviticus 11 contained a list of things Jewish people could and could not eat.)
        7. You kept the holy days in the approved ways at the approved times–that included offering proper sacrifices and eating the proper feasts.
        8. If you did not do those things, you were unclean.
        9. Remember: all these things were done for religious reasons, not for hygiene reasons.
    2. When I grew up, we had and practiced a form of the holiness code (as expressions of religious dedication).
      1. You did not drink.
      2. You did not cuss.
      3. Men and women did not swim together.
      4. You went to the church building every time the doors were open (there were times when Sunday evening attendance exceeded Sunday morning attendance).
      5. You did not attend movies.
      6. There were certain words you did not use–like pregnant.
      7. There were certain kinds of clothing you did not wear–you must never expose your body in public (I even remember a discussion about women wearing jeans).
    3. In either Israel of the first century or in my youth, were those “bad things”?
      1. No!
      2. However, neither were those things a substitute for having the faith of dependence on God.
        1. The true issue is far deeper than merely yielding to authority.
        2. The basic issue is having a faith that depends on God.
      3. A person must not put his or her confidence in what he or she does.
      4. A person must put his or her confidence in God.
      5. One is not holy because he or she follows the proper “code;” one is holy because he or she places his or her faith in God, that faith is a faith that depends, and that faith is in control of one’s lifestyle.
    4. Often it is the unholy person who turns to God who deeply appreciates God’s mercy and kindness.

  4. With the things I have said as a background, I want to read three scriptures to you, and I ask you to listen to hear what is going on.
    1. Mark 7:1-8 The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?” And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”
    2. Matthew 15:1-9 Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ “
    3. Luke 7:36-50 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

  5. If a “sinner” was a “sinner” because he or she used self or body for ungodly purpose, when the “sinner” turned to Jesus, would the “sinner” continue to do ungodly things?
    1. No!
    2. In fact, if you knew that person had been a sinner and you saw him or her after they turned to Jesus, you likely would say, “Didn’t they use to …?” Following Jesus changes who you are.

It is true that our world needs to hear more about godly existence. But that is not enough. Our world needs to see lives that have been transformed in Jesus. Until the world can see the impact Jesus has on the way we live, the world had no reason to listen to what we say.

A Lamp Shining in a Dark Place (2 Pet. 1:16-21)

Posted by on under Sermons

In recent decades, there has been so-called experts who deny that there was a Holocaust initiated by the Nazis. To overcome this denial of tragedy, those who survived the holocaust have made an effort to tell their stories. Whereas the deniers attempt to gather scientific evidence and patch together historical information, the survivors tell their stories. They relate the events that they and others experienced. They are eyewitnesses.

(Robert Clary: In 1980 Robert felt the need to talk about his experience during the war; he began speaking publicly through the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s nationally acclaimed outreach program. "For 36 years I kept these experiences during the war locked up inside myself. But those who are attempting to deny the Holocaust, my suffering and the suffering of millions of others have forced me to speak out." -from RobertClary.com )

Peter: The Eyewitness of Christ’s Majesty

  • There were scoffers and false teachers within the church who claimed that the apostles fabricated the expected return of Christ. They claimed it was a myth – something that the apostles devised to impose morals on the church.

    • Epicurus among others in antiquity who opposed myths. They claimed they were nothing more than fanciful tales meant to goad superstitious people.
  • Peter makes a point to assure the believers that the things that he and the other apostles taught are no myths …
    • His appeal is to something he himself saw, and the word of God … They witnessed to something outside themselves, something from God:

1 Peter 1:16-18
16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

Peter’s Witness- This is No Myth!

  1. I saw the majesty!
    • Peter’s first response to the charge that Christ’s return is a myth is that he is an eyewitness to the glory and power of Christ, the Son of God.
    • He saw the "transfigured" Christ on the mountain …
    • The Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-13)
      • The apostles are headed up the mountain. They have hopes that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is filled with the glory and majesty of God. It changes his appearance – he’s radiant! Moses and Elijah speak to him. The appearance of these two figures triggers awe and hope! They are the heralds of the Messiah! This is the installation of Christ as ruler over the earth! This is his crowning as King!
      • Here’s a vision that stirs the apostles’ passion and hopes – but they don’t quite understand. Peter speaks up ready to make three tabernacles to establish the presence of heaven on earth – the beachhead of the invasion from heaven! And since Peter, doesn’t quite grasp everything that is taking place, the voice of God from heaven booms out "This is my son, listen to him!"

  2. I heard the voice!
    • What Peter saw was not left to his interpretation. Peter saw it and heard it. The voice of God from heaven declared that Jesus is the Son of God. God’s approval and appointment of Jesus is made clear.
    • And this is more than simply the Father affirming the Son. He is exalting Jesus as the Christ – the Messiah, or the Anointed One. This means that Jesus is invested with the authority to rule and he takes on the power and glory of heaven to accomplish this mission.
    • (To assert his power over Scotland nearly 700 years ago, Edward I of England took the crown of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny, upon which the Kings of Scotland were crowned. Nevertheless, Robert the Bruce threatened the rule of Edward when he declared himself to be King. The pronouncement of a king is a profound event!)

    • For Peter, the eyewitness, this voice gives meaning to what he sees. This is no mystical vision or dream left open to his interpretation. The voice of God gives it a clear caption explaining the event.

  3. Pay attention to Scripture – Scripture confirms Peter’s experience, and his experience confirms Scripture!
    19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
    • The event that Peter witnessed, the majesty of the Son of God and his appointment as King and Judge of all the earth, is confirmed not only by Peter’s witness but also through Scripture. And notice that he considers Scripture to originate from a source outside of any individual prophet – it originates from God!
    • The nations rage against God. But God is not threatened. Instead he laughs. He establishes his king, the final king, on the holy mountain and this king will subdue the earth.
    • When did this happen? Peter understands that God established his final, end of time king at the transfiguration. (Christ was approved, anointed, appointed – He saw it, He heard it – Reading Psalm 2 [vs 6-9] it must have all come together.)
    • This king will subdue all the earth and bring it under the authority of God. When did that happen? The subjugation of the rebellious world is still in the future. Therefore, since Christ was appointed the end-time king, and that king MUST rule the world, he MUST come back to finalize the rule of God. His return is inevitable.
    • Hope!

Conclusion:

The expectation of Christ’s should be certain to the believer. It’s not optional.

  1. Living with hope and eternal expectation. The aim of Epicureans and Humanists is to seek pleasure in the ordinary human lifespan. But their philosophy has no hope. The witness of the apostles and Scripture is a light shining in a dark place. It is a beam of hope for our hopeless and despairing world.
  2. But this lamp is just for the darkness. The glory of Jesus, his rising and his return is like the morning star that signals the coming of daylight! The word of God is like a lamp shining through the murkiness of the hopelessness and ignorance of this world. And when the morning star rises, we know that the Day is coming soon!
  3. Paying attention to the lamp and reflecting the glory Peter witnessed means sharing in his divine glory. It means growing in godliness and excelling in love.

      As newsman Clarence W. Hall followed American troops through Okinawa in 1945, he and his jeep driver came upon a small town that stood out as a beautiful example of a Christian community. He wrote, “We had seen other Okinawan villages… down at the heels and despairing; by contrast, this one shone like a diamond in a dung heap. Everywhere we were greeted by smiles and dignified bows. Proudly the old men showed us their spotless homes, their terraced fields… their storehouses and granaries, their prized sugar mill.”

      Hall said that he saw no jails and no drunkenness, and that divorce was unknown in this village. He was told that an American missionary had come there some 30 years earlier. While he was in the village, he had led two elderly townspeople to Christ and left them with a Japanese Bible. These new believers studied the Scriptures and started leading their fellow villagers to Jesus. Hall’s jeep driver said he was amazed at the difference between this village and the others around it. He remarked, “So this is what comes out of only a Bible and a couple of old guys who wanted to live like Jesus.”

  4. If we will pay attention to the lamp shining in the dark place (the apostle’s message and Scripture) then we can reflect the hope of the Christ’s return in a hopeless world. Church, we need to be the diamond in the dung heap.

Famous Last Words, Eternal First Things (2 Pet. 1:1-15)

Posted by on July 25, 2004 under Sermons

Veronica Hynes has a message that is very precious to her. The message is from her husband Capt. Walter Hynes of Ladder Company 13, New York Fire Department. Capt. Hynes and his crew were heading for the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. The second hijacked jet had just flown into the south tower. He called home and left a voice mail message: "Honey, it’s real bad. I don’t know if we’ll make it out. I want to tell you that I love you and I love the kids." Veronica Hynes takes comfort that she has these final words from husband. It comforts her to know that he was thinking about his loved ones in his final moments.

If you knew that death was near and you had a chance to leave behind a final message what would you say? Who would you say it to? It is interesting that most last words focus on first things – those things that are of ultimate importance. There is no stunning revelation expressed in Capt. Hynes message; not really anything that his wife or children did not know. But his message was one that needed to be shared. Last words tend to focus on those things that are most important.

The letter we call Second Peter represents the last words of the apostle. For his farewell testimony, Peter does not offer any new revelation or a long held secret he needs to reveal. There is no attempt to reconcile a long held grudge, rather he holds out one more time the basic message to which he has preached and taught since Christ called him. He admits that his readers will know all these things and are probably quite devoted to these principles. Peter chooses to make the first things his last words.

12 Therefore, I intend to keep on reminding you about these things, even though you already know them and are firmly established in the truth that you now have. 13 Yet I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I am living in this bodily tent, 14 because I know that the removal of my bodily tent will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me.15 And I will make every effort to see that you will always remember these things after I am gone.

Peter is interested in the believers remembering these first things and keeping them in the center of their lives. Knowing that his days are few he intends to spend them in an effort to emphasize the importance of these first things. Peter is establishing a legacy. He intends for this testimony to continue beyond his life. As we study these "famous last words" let us be aware that the apostle intends for us to remember these first things that are foundational to our faith. What are these first things? Peter discusses these in the opening of the letter.

The Power for Godly Living [2 Peter 1:3-4]
1 From Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a faith that is as valuable as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 2 May grace and peace be yours in abundance through the full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord! 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the full knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. 4 Through these he has given us his precious and wonderful promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, seeing that you have escaped the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires.

Everything Peter has to say is based on the power of God. It all begins with God! Before any of us did anything, God has already acted.
There is a troublesome idea that too often circulates among Christians. It is the idea that God is the all-seeing eye waiting and watching everything we do and then, when the moment is right (or wrong depending on how you look at it) he reacts to our actions. It is as though God is a patrolman waiting to catch those of us you break life’s speed limits. Or he is the school principal who always seems to appear when you break the rules. This view of God is childish and unbiblical. God is not waiting to react to our actions. He has acted, he sent his prophets, he visited us in Christ, he has given gifts, he has blazed the trail, he has sent the Spirit, he has prepared the future and after all this action we are the ones who must react!

Why do we live right? Because God gave us the power to live right and he has invited us to live a life better than any other. He took the initiative to save us. God has a vision for our lives that breaks away from a hollow, meaningless life marred by sin. His vision is a life in which he empowers us to participate in his divine nature. It seems like a huge challenge, but remember that God has already equipped us with everything we need to make the journey …

The Path for Godly Living
There is an old saying that says the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The wisdom of this saying invites to look at life as a journey of growth. In between the blessings of divine power and the promises of divine nature are the virtues of godly living. There is a "path" that we follow as we grow and mature in Christ. The Christian life is a journey in which the things we know are more than just knowledge – they become virtues. The faith that we might so eagerly contend for is not so much a legal code as it is a transforming truth that bears fruit in the lives of those who accept it. This is certainly Peter’s outlook as he envisions a path of growth for those who begin with faith …

5 For this very reason, you must make every effort to supplement your faith with moral character, your moral character with knowledge, 6 your knowledge with self-control, your self-control with endurance, your endurance with godliness, 7 your godliness with brotherly kindness, and your brotherly kindness with love.

There’s much we could say about the process from faith to love. Faith leads to virtue and in time we come to know more about God as we live virtuous lives and the knowledge of God gives us discipline which enables us to endure temptations and hardships and that perseverance then builds more character in the form of godliness and that then changes the way we relate to others first by enabling us to love better those who are dear to us and then, ultimately, blossoming into the kind of love we see in Jesus – the love of God. This love is the goal of God’s word. Paul described it as the most excellent way and said that love is the highest quality of all – even higher than faith and hope. Without love, all other good things and good deeds are lacking something (1 Corinthians 12-13).

The Promise of Godly Living
The path of godly living is not a process for obtaining the promises of God as though it were some sort of contract that puts an obligation on God. That kind of thinking is not consistent with the mature knowledge that Peter describes. The path is a lifestyle that is really a foretaste and glimpse of what is to come. (Traveling to Branson – The destination influences the path – Look at what has happened to Hwy 412 and Hwy 65.)

Peter says that if we follow the path toward the promises of God then that future life we look forward to will seep into the present time.
8 For if you possess these qualities and they continue to increase among you, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in attaining a full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For the person who lacks these qualities is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing that he has received from his past sins. 10 So then, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election certain, for if you keep on doing this you will never fail. 11 For in this way you will be generously granted entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

  1. God has given us the power to grow in Christ. (v. 8) – The increase of virtue = success in knowing Christ. Peter says that our lives are going to count for something. Our lives will not be ineffective and unproductive. Get this, as you come to know Jesus your life will become more meaningful. There is no such thing as a person who really knows Christ whose life is meaningless. Paul disregarded everything he strove for in his life (and he had quite a resume) and his only point of pride was that he might know Christ ever more and be more like him (Philippians 2).
  2. We are promised new life. The old life is gone. We have been cleansed. These promises are certain and guaranteed. Those who lack the virtues of the divine nature have lost their sight/vision. We can live godly lives! That’s a promise! (But isn’t that presumptuous? Sure if you are relying on yourself – but Peter’s confidence isn’t on self – it is on God.) We can look back to our baptism and we understand how it was a turning point. In his first letter, Peter says that we were born again, not of perishable seed, but imperishable (1:23).
  3. Since that is the case, we need to live up to our Christian calling. We are invited to participate in the divine nature. Simply staying the course is success because it is God who opens the way to the kingdom – not our own righteousness. Too often we falter on the journey because we get distracted by our own inadequacies or fears. The problem is, we think we’re trailblazers – and we’re not. Jesus is the pioneer and he has blazed the path ahead of us. The outcome is not uncertain. We have free will, but the promise is secured by God – you cannot get a better backing! Entry into the kingdom is not something we secure. We have been invited into the kingdom. We trust the one who shares the divine nature with us. We are brought in as partners. We are shareholders in the divine nature [The role of a shareholder]

So, what is holding you back? What would you do differently if you weren’t afraid of failing? God will ensure success in his way. Just stay the course!

Conclusion
Among the many last words spoken by those who perished on Sept. 11 there is this one: A husband in one of the hijacked jets left a message for his wife saying, "I want you to be happy, I want you to carry on, See you when you get here."

Peter’s last message for the church tells us that we will find true happiness if we rely on God’s power and live a godly life. He wants us to continue on the path of godly living so we can obtain the promise of that sort of life. Peter wants us to strive for the life that is to come in the new heaven earth. In a sense he’s saying, "Stick to the path, trust in the promises and I’ll see you when you get here!"

Who Is the Greatest In the Kingdom of Heaven? (Matt. 18:1-6)

Posted by on July 18, 2004 under Sermons

Read Matthew 18:1-5

Quite often during Jesus’ ministry, there were arguments among the disciples over who was the greatest inthe kingdom. On one occasion James and John even had their mother campaigning for the top positionsin the kingdom. It is another such occasion – a moment when the disciples are concerned for status,importance, power, and influence – that begins our text.

Jesus replies by showing them that the way to greatness in the kingdom is to change and become likechildren. Now what seems odd to me is that the disciples seem to be acting very childish already wouldn’tyou agree? They are arguing over “whose the boss” and “who Jesus likes best” – isn’t that what children do? So why does Jesus instruct them to change and become like children?

We may mistake Jesus’ teaching if we think that Jesus is instructing the disciples to take on the qualities andcharacteristics of children. Jesus is not calling for “childish behavior or childish mentality.” Notice that inverse 4 he says that the greatest in the kingdom takes a humble place – like a child. In the kingdom ofheaven, “the little ones” have importance and value.

In the world of the disciples children were the lowest ranking members of society. Some of it was for logicalreasons – children are dependent on adults after all. But some of it was for rather brutal and cold reasons- children are the weakest members of society and were seen as a sort of commodity – their value aspotential adults was their only value.

That may be a bit difficult for us to grasp because in our culture we value children – at least we say we do. I wonder if as a culture we truly value children simply because they are children?

There are few places in our culture where children are valued for being children. Maybe it is only the churchand Chuck E. Cheese where a kid can be a kid. And I hope the church never abdicates it all to Chuck E. And let’s be careful, because even in the church we can get the wrong idea about what it means to valuechildren and to be like children.

Take George Barna for an example. Barna is a churchman and believer. In his book, “TransformingChildren into Spiritual Champions” he confesses that he missed the mark when it come to children and thechurch: “In my mind, children had always been part of a package deal: we want to reach adults with thegospel and then help them mature in their faith in Christ, so we have accepted the kids as a “throw in.” … Like most adults I have been aware of children, fond of them, and willing to invest some resources in them,but I have not really been fully devoted to their development, In my mind that were people en route tosignificance – i.e. adulthood – but were not yet deserving of the choice resources.” (pp. 7-8)

There’s a lesson here for the way we regard and minister to children …

In the kingdom of heaven, we don’t serve people based on what they can do for us. Nor do we target peoplebased on what they can do for the church. In other words, there are no prize “catches” in ministry. That’sworldly thinking. It is the sort of thinking James discourages when he warns the church not to showfavoritism between wealthy and poor people (James 2:1-4).

When Jesus speaks of the little ones and the child-like he means more than children, but don’t think that hedoesn’t mean children also. The disciples must have thought Jesus teaching was metaphorical – or theydidn’t get it. For later, they are turning children away from Jesus. Why would they do that? Well in theirmind Jesus has important business. He has a messianic movement to plan he has an army to equip anda government to establish. And yes, kids are important but they can’t fund your movement, they can’t fightin your army, they can’t provide wisdom and counsel. So you folks leave the teacher alone, he’s had a hardday and he doesn’t need all these kids clamoring about. “Let them come near me!” shouts Jesus. “Thekingdom of heaven belongs to them too!”

In the kingdom, children matter simply because they are children. I am afraid that as much as we lovechildren we might segregate them too much. I know they need some special attention – I realize that. Butdo we have assumptions that children have to have “their own kind of church” and we have to have another. Well what a disappointment it must be to turn 18 and have to enter into the boring adult sector of thekingdom of heaven. Some good soul with a clipboard and manual greets you with a manual and says “Nowfrom this point on there’s no more of that clapping, laughing and joyousness. And forget about retreats andgames, you’ll have too many meetings for that. Give your offering, stay out of trouble and by all means findsomething to worry about.” I hope that when we get like the disciples and make their well-intentionedmistake of throwing up barriers between children and adults that Jesus will knock them down. Let’s help himdo that – and let’s do more than just get involved in children’s ministries, let’s invite them into some of ours. Could we get children to participate in some of our so-called business meetings? Could we ask them whatthey think about the way we adults do things? Maybe we could invite them into our gatherings and shareourselves with them? I know it seems odd, probably because it challenges our assumptions about control,status, and importance …

There’s a lesson here for the way we regard status – and thus the way we behave in the kingdom …

Just after Jesus blessed the children, Jesus met a rich young man – some say he was a ruler of some sort- a man of authority. I know those “kingdom-minded” disciples must have been considering what this fellowcould do for the movement. Here’s a wealthy fellow, young and strong, and moral and upstanding too – whyhe’s kept the commandments faithfully. But there’s just one hindrance to his entry into the kingdom saysJesus, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor and you will havetreasure in heaven. Then come follow me.”

Jesus asks him to become like a child – dependent on the father, trusting in his riches, not our own. Jesusasked this man to change and become like a child.

Do you want to be perfect? Do you want to enter into the kingdom of heaven?

How Long, Oh Lord? (Psalm 94)

Posted by on July 11, 2004 under Sermons

My text for today is Psalm 94 …

    1 O LORD, the God to whom vengeance belongs,
           O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice be seen!
    2Arise, O judge of the earth.
            Sentence the proud to the penalties they deserve.
    3How long, O LORD?
           How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat?
    4Hear their arrogance!
           How these evildoers boast!
    5They oppress your people, LORD,
           hurting those you love.
    6They kill widows and foreigners
            and murder orphans.
    7“The LORD isn’t looking,” they say,
           “and besides, the God of Israel doesn’t care.”
    8Think again, you fools!
           When will you finally catch on?
    9Is the one who made your ears deaf?
            Is the one who formed your eyes blind?
    10He punishes the nations–won’t he also punish you?
           He knows everything–doesn’t he also know what you are doing?
    11The LORD knows people’s thoughts,
           that they are worthless!
    12Happy are those whom you discipline, LORD,
           and those whom you teach from your law.
    13You give them relief from troubled times
           until a pit is dug for the wicked.
    14The LORD will not reject his people;
            he will not abandon his own special possession.
    15Judgment will come again for the righteous,
           and those who are upright will have a reward.
    16Who will protect me from the wicked?
           Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
    17Unless the LORD had helped me,
           I would soon have died.
    18I cried out, “I’m slipping!”
           and your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me.
    19When doubts filled my mind,
           your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
    20Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side–
           leaders who permit injustice by their laws?
    21They attack the righteous
            and condemn the innocent to death.
    22But the LORD is my fortress;
           my God is a mighty rock where I can hide.
    23God will make the sins of evil people fall back upon them.
           He will destroy them for their sins.
           The LORD our God will destroy them.

My secondary text for today is the Southwest Times Record …
(July 11, 2004, edition)

  • “At Ramadi’s hospital a child caught in the crossfire [between Marines and militants] moaned inagony.” (Marines, Militants Clash, page 8A)
  • “They shot him in his house. They blew her apart with a bomb. They cut him to pieces withswords. They dragged her into the desert and raped her. As the world’s attention was turned tocrises in the Middle East, a slaughter has raged for 17 months in Sudan’s Darfur region. ‘We arelate in Darfur. We have to admit that,’ U.N. Under-Secretary-Generral for Humanitarian AffairsJan Egeland said on a visit last week.” (Systematic Slaughter Unfolds in Sudan, page 10A)
  • “A 16-month-old boy was released unharmed Saturday after being taken by his father, who hadshot the mother of the boy and her brother-in-law late Friday, the Benton County Sherriff’s Officesaid.” (Benton County Shooting Wounds Two, page 4A)
  • “A 20-year-old man reported that he turned and saw a male acquaintance at the wheel of a sportutility vehicle that had pulled up beside his vehicle. The acquaintance then told the 20-year-oldman to tell a mutual acquaintance that he is “dead” because “he killed my homeboy,” the 20-year-old man told police. The 20-year-old man said he then looked forward and heard a loudbang and breaking glass. He then drove away, and he last saw the sport utility vehicle travelingsouth on Massard.” (Drive-By Shooting Suspects Arrested: Incident Occurs on Rogers Ave.,page 2A)

In Psalm 94, the Psalmist refers to “evildoers.” The term seems a bit dramatic. The Presidentused the term after 9/11 and has received some criticism. Evildoers? That would seem todescribe characters like Doctor Octopus or Darth Vader!

But all it takes is a daily recap of the headlines to remind us that there is evil in the world – andthere certainly are evildoers in Sudan, the Middle East, Arkansas, and Fort Smith.

Like the Psalmist, we are disturbed by such evil because of the arrogant and foolish attitude ofpeople who seem unconcerned with the ugliness of their deeds. We feel restless and angrywhen we see innocents – our loved ones, even – oppressed by such evil and no one seems tonotice.

Christians, women and children, are being slaughtered and tortured by military in the Sudan andthe government there is not held accountable by the U.N. or other nations. This goes onearound the world, but even here within America we witness the impact of evil and the harm ofinnocents …

Even in our own neighborhoods young men and women sucked into a life of conflict, drug abuse,and conflict settle arguments with gunfire. They boast about killing. They threaten the lives ofeveryone around them, and they seem proud about it. And they threaten our loved ones too.

Last week 18-year-old Amelio Romero was killed on the street in what seems to be related to arecent series of shootings. (www.swtimes.com/archive/2004/July/05/news/shooting.html)Sounds like just another story of violence – I tried to dismiss it as such, until I realized that it tookplace in Dick and Mary Broyles neighborhood.(www.thehometownchannel.com/news/3497478/detail.html)
I know them. They are members of this church. I love them. And I am tired of those I lovebeing threatened.

I think I know why people want revenge. I admit that I would support drastic action to fix theproblems of our neighborhood. And I confess that in my own mind and heart I have ideas abouthow we can end the problem – but my ideas are really worthless. They simply involve bringingout a bigger club than your enemy wields, which leads to more violence and more oppressionwhich creates even more arrogance.
I thank the Lord for his discipline and his instructions, for they cause me to realize that if I try tostraighten out the mess I am part of the mess! I am not qualified to dispense justice becauseI am unjust myself. I meditate on the teaching of Jesus – the anger that I feel in my hearttowards others – even the evildoers – is the seed to murder.

And even though we know we are unqualified to take matters into our own hands, wehave to ask if there is something that can be done. We have to ask can we do anything atall.
Psalm 94 shows us that something can – and is – being done. And it points us in the directionwe should go to do something:

When our anxious hearts pray, “How long, O LORD? How long will the wicked be allowed togloat?” We might also raise the question the Psalmist raises, “Who will protect me from thewicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers?”

The creator of eyes and ears sees and hears what is going on. It may seem to us that aresponse from God is slow in coming, (and we will address this in the weeks ahead as we hearthe word of God for the last days in 2 Peter) – but even if final judgment seems delayed,God’s help is ever-near. We have relief through troubled times even as a pit is being dug forthe wicked.

Yesterday I was exploring rock cliffs and caves. When you come down the side of the mountainthat falls off steeply, moving is a sort of series of intentional slipping and sliding. Your feet neverreally hold on to anything because everything beneath you (pebbles, dirt, leaves) slips. But yourest when you come to a flat surface – like a large rock.

God is our Rock – our place of refuge in the slippage of an evil world. When we are indanger of falling, we can cry out and the unfailing love of God supports us. When we aredistressed and our hearts and minds grow restless, we are encouraged to know that God renewsour hope and cheer. The Psalmist doesn’t just look forward to this – he has experienced it.

Nothing gets by our heavenly Father. He takes care of us – and only he is qualified todeal with those who are foolish in their wickedness …

Some weeks ago I experienced everything the Psalmist is saying just walking to our van in aparking lot. All of us were leaving the store and suddenly two high-powered, souped-up carscame roaring toward us. My first thought was for the safety of my family, so I commanded mychildren to get to the van quickly. My second thought was outrage at the arrogance of thesereckless fools – and I confess I did a stupid thing – I yelled at them. I did not curse them. I justyelled at them to slow down. But they had already turned and were probably off to terrorizesome other parking lot. My third thought was for my children and the example I set for them -Daddy is always saying, “Don’t yell at each other.” And of course the boys are stirred up at thispoint: “Who were those guys? Are you going after them? Are they coming back?” And myfourth thought was how the arrogance of evil and my inappropriate reaction had injected just alittle anxiety into my sons’ world. So I tried to restore hope and cheer, “It’s alright, those are justsome reckless fools who are driving dangerously. You just sit down and be good and let mehandle anything that comes along.” And my five-year-old son expressed the idea of the Psalmistquite well to his older brother. “Okay, let’s be good and let Daddy fight the fools.”

God will make the sins of evil people fall back upon them. He will destroy them for their sins. TheLORD our God will destroy them.
Our Father in heaven will fight the fools. God will take care of this, not us. The Psalmistexpresses a confidence that God will deal with the foolish, arrogant evildoers. Their own sins willfall back on them. This confidence is not only expressed at the end of the Psalm, but also in thebeginning when he addresses the God of vengeance. It is an old teaching in Israel – vengeanceis mine says the Lord (Deuteronomy 32:35). “Let me handle it,” says God. (And remember that we arenot qualified!) The old teaching is found also in the New Testament. …

Romans 12:16-21 – Do not think that you are wiser than you really are. Do not pay anyone back evil for evil, but, focus your thoughts on what is right in the sight of all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live in peace with all people. Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord.” But “if your enemy is hungry, feed him. For if he is thirsty, give him a drink. If you do this, you will pile burning coals on his head.” Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

If our Father is going to handle the evildoers then the best thing we can do is be good! And thismeans more than staying out of trouble – it means conquering evil with good.

That’s what Dick and Mary Broyles are doing in their neighborhood. Dick told me that the youngman, Romero, knew he was in trouble and had been in hiding. When he came back to town, hetold his mother the first thing he needed to do: “I need to see Mary – she will pray for me.” Andthe Broyles will continue to pray for the young people and families in their neighborhood. Theyare not going to be conquered by evil, they are going to do good and let God deal with the evilonce and for all.

Now that’s the sort of fight I want to be part of. I am thinking about ways I can pray for myneighborhood – to do good and try to be a blessing in a cursed world. Why don’t you pray aboutsome ways you can be good. Perhaps we can do a lot together.

There’s a lot of evil in the world – why can’t there be just as much good?

Transformation Illustrated: Tax Collectors

Posted by on July 4, 2004 under Sermons

This is the fourth lesson in an emphasis that challenges you to deepen your understanding of transformation. In the first two lessons we dealt with the fact that what humans became after rebelling against God in no way compared with what God intended when He created us. We are nothing like what God intended for us to be.

In the third lesson I focused your attention on the fact that the objective of transformation in Christ is on radically changing ourselves as persons. The goal of Christians is to journey toward the intentions of God when God made us. Jesus Christ is our guide. We know we are journeying to the highest good known to humans.

For two or three weeks I want us to focus on specific illustrations from scripture that reveal and stress the nature of transformation. Tonight I want to illustrate the meaning and nature of transformation by focusing on the tax collectors.

  1. Let’s begin by going back to the first century world of tax collecting in Jewish society in Jewish Palestine.
    1. In the world of right now, today, most people do not like to pay taxes.
      1. I had my truck worked on recently, and $63 of the bill was taxes.
        1. That was not the business’s fault–they had to charge the $63.
        2. That was not the mechanic’s fault–it cost what it cost to do the work.
        3. It merely was the cost of living in Fort Smith and in this nation.
        4. Though I greatly enjoy living in Fort Smith and cherish living in this nation, I do not enjoy paying taxes.
      2. My Dad hated paying taxes–he almost regarded it as something dishonest which was trying to steal his money.
        1. He died of complications created by Alzheimer’s about a decade ago.
        2. One of the last things he forgot was the quarterly due date for paying his taxes.
        3. Even sick, he would get so upset around the time to pay quarterly taxes that we feared he might have a heart attack.
        4. He really, really hated to pay taxes, and his dislike of taxes grew after he retired.
    2. The first thing we need to understand is the Jewish attitude toward tax collectors in first century Jewish society had little to do with a general dislike of taxes today.
      1. With us, we do not like giving our money to our government.
      2. With Jewish society in Palestine, there was much more involved.

  2. Why did the Jews in Palestine dislike paying taxes so much?
    1. The first thing is that the tax collectors mentioned in the gospels were not collecting taxes for the Jewish state, but for the Roman Empire.
      1. Their taxes were not going to support a Jewish cause, or Jewish society, or to help the nation of Israel–they were supporting a gentile government and occupation force.
      2. It is very difficult for us to understand how offensive it was to Jewish people to support a gentile empire.
        1. Their intense desire was for Rome to leave them alone, to get their troops out of their country, and to let them govern Israel as they wished.
        2. Jewish law always had been very generous in Jews helping Jews, and in Jewish society taking care of its own.
        3. Consider just the first 11 verses of Deuteronomy 15.
          Deuteronomy 15:1-11, “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts. This is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because the Lord’s remission has been proclaimed. From a foreigner you may exact it, but your hand shall release whatever of yours is with your brother. However, there will be no poor among you, since the Lord will surely bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, if only you listen obediently to the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today. For the Lord your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you. If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks. Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the Lord against you, and it will be a sin in you. You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’ “
      3. Note: that was to be the Jewish attitude toward Jewish people in the society.
      4. To give support to gentiles who are hostile toward the Jewish people of Palestine was quite another matter!

  3. Second, there was a radical sect within first century Jewish people who regarded any kind of support to a government other that Israel as an act of treason toward God.
    1. They were known as Zealots.
      1. In their view, the only One who has the right to rule Israel was God.
      2. To support an idolatrous empire to supplant God’s rule in Israel was a rejection of God, an act of treason against Israel!
      3. They were so convinced this was absolute truth that they felt it was an act of faith in God to kill a tax collector!
    2. To them, giving money to tax collectors was a religious issue to be dealt with through an act of faith in God!
      1. They realized that the average Jew was helpless when he was assessed by a tax collector.
      2. They also realized that their responsibility was to express contempt when they were convinced they could escape.

  4. Third, the Roman system for collecting taxes lent itself to excess, exploitation, and corruption.
    1. Consider the structure.
      1. The Roman government “bid out” the right to collect taxes in a region of the empire.
        1. The Roman government would say, “We need X revenue from this region of the empire.”
        2. Wealthy people would bid on the right to collect taxes in that region.
        3. Anything they collected above the government’s demand was their profit.
      2. These regional collectors often would hire managers in specific districts of the region (like Zacchaeus).
        1. The man would have a specific sum he must collect in the district.
        2. Anything he collected above that sum was his.
      3. Often these managers would hire local people in the district to do the actual collecting.
        1. It was their job actually to collect the amount assigned by their manager.
        2. If they collected more than the manager requested, the amount they collected above what was required was theirs.
      4. It does not take a genius to see that the system lent itself to opportunity for abuse.
    2. This is not to suggest that every tax collector was dishonest, but it acknowledges that tax collectors were commonly associated with dishonesty.
      1. First, they were considered “unclean” by the “faithful” in Jewish society because they had unacceptable forms of contact with gentile people.
      2. Second, they were regarded to be thieves because they were often fraudulent and extortioners.
      3. The common attitude toward tax collectors easily is seen in the way they are referred to.
        1. Often in the gospels the Pharisees associated them with sinners: “Why does Jesus eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (see Matthew 9:10-13)
        2. At times the chief priests and elders denounced them by associating them with prostitutes: Jesus noted that tax collectors and prostitutes would enter the kingdom before the chief priests and elders did. (See Matthew 21:31)

  5. Keeping in mind the contempt that faithful Jewish society had toward local Jews who collect taxes for the Roman Empire, consider these matters.
    1. Consider the “unthinkable lesson” Jesus gave in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14.
      1. Briefly review this “prayer story.”
      2. The Pharisee would symbolize the ultimate righteous man in their society.
      3. The tax collector would symbolize the ultimate unrighteous man in their society.
      4. The end result was the exact opposite of what that religious society expected: God heard the prayer of the tax collector, not the Pharisee; God forgave the tax collector, not the Pharisee.
      5. Jesus’ point was incredible!
    2. Consider the “unthinkable lesson” Jesus taught in his visit to the home of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10).
      1. Briefly relate the story about Jesus’ visit.
      2. Of all the homes in Jericho to visit, why go to the chief tax collector’s home?
        1. To bring salvation to Zacchaeus!
        2. As a Jew, he had every right to hear Jesus!
      3. Jesus desire to “seek and save the lost” was incredible!

  6. Jesus had contact with Jewish tax collectors, which was forbidden!
    1. Jesus called Matthew (a personal invitation!) to follow him and selected him to be one of the twelve (Matthew 9:9).
    2. Jesus ate and drank with tax collectors (Luke 5:29-32).
    3. Jesus used a tax collector to teach a God value (Luke 18:9-14).
    4. Jesus visited Zacchaeus (19:1-10)

  7. When tax collectors followed Jesus as a disciple, did they continue to be fraudulent people who extorted others?
    1. No! Jesus pursued them as the lost!
      1. Accepting him meant transformation, a commitment to change!
      2. His love for them changed them!
    2. That is a difficult, hard lesson for us to learn.
      1. We are more prone to seek people we like instead of seeking people Jesus died to save.
      2. We find it hard to believe people can redirect their lives.
      3. We find it difficult to call people to change by leading the way in changing our lives.

May our attitudes not be kindred to the attitudes of the Pharisees. May our attitudes be committed to transformation, and may our willingness to change give hope to those who need Jesus!

If You Would Just Listen To Me (Psalm 81)

Posted by on under Sermons

Today is Independence Day. Every year we observe this festival with the same sort of celebrations – feasting, vacation time from work, getting together with family (or in some cases getting way from family), and then of course there are the shopping sales and special events that often take advantage of the vacationers. And these sort of celebrations are about the same as any of our American summertime holidays. Memorial Day likewise is often a good "go to the lake/lawn chairs and ice cooler/cookout" holiday.

On our American holidays, I think of Col. Clinton Taylor. He is a veteran of World War 2. I met Col. Taylor in Lake Jackson. I have known many veterans – and all of them are distinguished – but Col. Taylor is distinguished among veterans.
I think of him on these holidays because I know that on every patriotic observance Col. Taylor is involved in some honorable way remembering the true reason for the holiday. Only once did I hear him lament, in his quiet measured tone that everyone seemed to enjoy a day off on Memorial Day or the 4th, but few made time to honor those who make these festivals possible.

Perhaps that’s the nature of freedom and independence. We enjoy our liberty – but mainly for the pursuit of happiness. Not only with the patriotic holidays, but with others – even Christmas – there are just a few voices among us who speak up trying to remind us of the "real reason for the season." And if we listen we consider it just before we return to our own life and pursuit of happiness. For a day off is a special liberty – a sort of reprieve.
          And perhaps it is our nature to lose sight of the "real meaning" of the holidays in our ritual and routine because we have good practice doing so every Sunday. Yes, even on Sunday we gather out of routine and we hear the call to worship like a conductor rapping his stick on the podium. Then we lift up our song books and sing out or hymns – three to four at the most – we do our communion, give our gift and now that our duty is done we may listen to a sermon – if we have time, after all this is a day off.

I realize the title of this sermon sounds like my frustrated plea. I don’t intend to complain because no one listens to my sermon that I have worked on and prepared all week. But what if the preacher making this statement was God?

That’s the way this Psalm is presented – Israel has assembled for a special holiday and they are keeping the festival just as the old law decreed. The Psalmist is the worship leader and he has called them to make their music and reminded them of the proper time and day and shown the Scriptural basis of it, and now that they have done their duty it is time for the sermon – and they hear the voice of one they do not expect to hear. An unfamiliar voice. There’s a guest speaker. God is the preacher at this festival praise service and he is anxious for the worshippers to listen.

God’s text for His sermon is the first commandment and the story of the Exodus. 6 “I relieved your shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket. In distress you called, and I rescued you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah.”
He is bringing them back to the "reason for the season" but he is speaking of it in a personal way rather than citing the legal decree to worship. "I saved you. I worked to win your freedom from slavery and oppression.” But now things have changed and the people have not listened to the voice of God – in fact his voice comes as one they do not recognize. 8Hear, O my people, while I admonish you; O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

Preachers of old might call this the "toe-stompin’" part of the sermon. God is calling out the sin. But this isn’t condemnation. It is lament – God’s lament; because just as the Psalmists have lamented before God, now God also has a lament. They haven’t listened.
9 “There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. 10 I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 11 But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me.
They have pursued their idols of happiness, but they are not happy. They have declared their independence, but they are not free. How could such a thing happen? How could it happen to them? How could it happen to us?
It is because God is punishing us, yes? It is because God wants to condemn us and kill our joy and take away our happiness, right?

Strangely, there is never a tone of condemnation in this sermon from God. God does three things in this sermon: First, he rescues us. We have noted that. It is the "reason" for our celebration. For Israel it was the Exodus. For us it is the cross and the empty tomb. God saved Israel by leading them through the waters of the Red Sea. He saves us by bringing us through the death, burial and new life of baptism in Christ.

The second thing God does is this – When we declare our stubborn independence from Him, He gives us everything we wanted. 12So I let them follow their blind and stubborn way, living according to their own desires.
The most chilling expression of the wrath of God is not fire from on high, earthquakes, pestilence or a flood that covers the earth. No, it is that God would give us everything our bull-heads could imagine and everything our stubborn heart’s desire.

Paul describes the action of God’s wrath this way: "So God let them go ahead and do whatever their hearts desired." (Romans 1:24.) Some expect the wrath and judgment of God to descend on America any day. I think we can understand why. Especially as we as a nation fail to listen to him and as we forget the virtues that exalt a nation. But those who expect the wrath of God in a dramatic way might be surprised. What if God gives America everything it wants. What if God gives us homosexual marriages, what if he gives us easy access to pornography and cultural tolerance of alternative lifestyles of every sort? What if God gives us freedom from personal responsibility and allows us to worship greed? What if God gives us the opportunity to define holiness by prosperity? What if God allows us to justify our discomfort, fear, and hatred of people from other nations, people of other races, people in a different economic bracket so that we are able to say "These differences are just the way it is and it is just a secular issue." What if God allows us to take his word – his revelation of himself – and turn it into a legal rule book so we can "cut to the chase" and simplify the gospel down to easy slogans so we can get busy and restore the church for ourselves.
That, I think, is more frightening and more oppressive than fireballs and meteors striking the earth. How chilling is it to think that we might create and army of idols and wake up one day realizing that we have been invaded? How chilling it is to think that we might tune out the voice and truth and ruin our hearing with the blaring music of deception so that we suddenly find that not only have we become spiritually deaf, but mute as well and we cannot speak the truth to anyone anymore – including ourselves.

No wonder God laments. It is a heart-rending thing to let your children have what they want – even though you know it will hurt them. But this isn’t the end of God’s sermon. Listen to His lament – listen carefully! 13 O that my people would listen to me, that they would walk in my ways!
If our stubborn idolatry and spiritual deafness leads to oppression and horrible consequences, then listening leads to something hopeful and promising. And just as the lament of the Psalmist turns to hope trusting that God will hear – so also God’s lament turns to hope if we will hear … 14 “Then I would quickly subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their foes. 15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their doom would last forever. 16 I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you!"

When the Congress of the United States signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, they were dissenters. They separated themselves from king and homeland, breaking bonds of connection. But in the final line of the declaration they affirm a reliance on Divine Providence.

This is the third thing God does – He conceives of a new reality despite the sin. God’s hope, should His people listen, imagines protection from enemies – God will topple with the swat of his hand the armies of idols that have invaded his people and oppressed them. His mere presence will shrivel and repel the lies and deceptions that detest God.

And God imagines providence. [And forgive me but I think that God’s image of providence is just a bit richer than Thomas Jefferson’s mention of providence as a stand-in for the presence of God.] For God describes providence as a feast at His table and He Himself is serving up fresh-baked, steaming hot rolls and slathering them with pure honey dripping off the honeycomb.

That’s how God envisions worship. That’s His standard for communion and I’m sorry but I think that vision just rises a little higher that doing the five proscribed acts at the proscribed time – not that there’s anything wrong with such decrees – but would you rather eat a recipe for hot rolls or the fresh bread that the recipe bakes!

James warned the church about being hearers but not doers of the word. I fear that sometimes we are doers – busy bees – but we never hear. We don’t listen to God.

And the way into the God’s kingdom – into his presence where there is provision and protection – is a way of listening.
"Today, if you hear His voice, don’t harden your heart as we have all done in the past." – (Psalm 95:7.)
Open your heart, walk in His ways, and worship Him. Declare your dependence on God!

The Hand of God (Psalm 77)

Posted by on June 27, 2004 under Sermons

The Questions That Keep Us Awake At Night:

I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought theLord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. I rememberedyou, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint. You kept my eyes from closing; Iwas too troubled to speak.

If we can be perfectly honest, most of us would admit to asking questions that keep us awake atnight. We might call it stress or too much coffee, but there are terrors, fears and doubts that strikein our most vulnerable hours. We pace the floor or lay awake with our eyes wide open staring intothe empty dark. The quiet intimidates us. We find it difficult to even name our feelings or the exactreason why we are distressed. It is there, but we cannot speak about it.

3,000 years after the Psalms we have available to us a variety of remedies: The “quick-fixes” of ourage – some of them are socially unacceptable (alcohol, drug abuse, pornography). Some are lesscontroversial (anti-depressants, TV, chocolate and carbs). Yet, the “quick-fixes” of all sorts have atendency to fail – if we can be perfectly honest with one another. Even the religious “quick-fixes”fail us – these are the pat answers that attempt to repair our grief and distress:

    When minister, William Sloane Coffin, lost his twenty-four-year-old son, Alex, in a terribleautomobile accident, he said he received letters, cards and telephone calls from manyfriends and acquaintances, all of them well-meaning, but very few of them helpful. He saidsome of the worst of them came from my fellow ministers who proved by what they said thatthey know more about the Bible than they do about the human heart. “I know all of the rightBiblical passages,” said Coffin, “Blessed are they who mourn. Weeping endures for thenight, but joy comes in the morning. I know all of that. But the depth of my grief made thosewords unreal.” (see Thomas Long, “Through the Churning Waters,” at 30 Good Minutes http://www.csec.org/csec/sermon/long_4603.htm)

It’s hard to know what to say to those who hurt – (sometimes I think we err to the other extreme bysaying nothing at all – thus alienating those who hurt.) But, if we are perfectly honest with oneanother, we all hurt, don’t we? Now I know that it is considered presumptuous to say to thegrieving – “I know how you feel” when in fact we cannot ever know exactly how someone else feels- and it is meaningless to say “I know how you feel” it doesn’t really do any good. But “everybodyhurts, sometimes.” Right?

The Psalms are not an attempt to fix the hurt. They are the perfect honesty of God’s people who areexperiencing grief, fear, doubt. They are a proclamation that those who hurt are not alone. We haveseen how each psalmist pours out his heart in anguish and despair. He doesn’t express it simply forone verse or two verses or three verses, he goes on and on and on with his grief. But more still, thePsalms are perfectly honest before God.

In Psalm 77, the perfect honesty of the hurting soul gets right to the core of matter – Has Godturned against me? “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has hisunfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to bemerciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

Then the moment of perfect honesty: I will say it, “What really wounds me is that the righthand of God Most High (El-Elyon) has changed.” – 77:10 [In my opinion, the NIV translation of thisverse (v. 10 in English, v. 11 in Hebrew) does not communicate the sense of the Hebrew, which communicateshonest disappointment and hurt (chalôthî) and concern that the Right Hand (yemin) of the Most High (Elyon) haschanged (?enôth). See the Contemporary English Version translation of this verse.]

Right Hand of God Most High: God is supposed to be watching over us with his strong right handof power. He is the Most High – the ultimate power. But it seems like all that has changed. That’snot right. It seems disrespectful, we ought to know our place – but the question is “Is God in hisplace?”

And ironically, false humility cannot do what perfect honesty does: the honest admission – the angerand disappointment with God opens a door to a new hope. It is as if there is a breakthrough in therelationship.

    Like a couple who have been in a “cold war” for years, their relationship only has a hopeof being healed when the partners decide to be perfectly honest – rather than avoid conflict,they face it head on and all the past comes welling up.

The Psalmist also decides to dredge the past – to remember who God is and what God has done inthe past. He pulls out the old albums and scrapbooks of his memory … I will remember the deedsof the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your worksand consider all your mighty deeds.

The Faith that Gives Us Hope Day and Night

Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?
You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.

The movie, “The Story of Us” is about a couple planning to divorce. In the end they resolve to staytogether because they have a story – they have a history both good and bad and they just can’t startover with someone else. For no one else shares their story. (For more information see http://www.smartmarriages.com/story.of.us.html Note: “The Story of Us” is rated R by the MPAA. Do not assume that mention of this movie or the SmartMarriages Impact award constitutes anendorsement of the film. You are urged to use your own judgment in deciding whether to see thisor any movie.)

The movie realizes something so often missed in the real world: that knowing someone involves alot more than just being happy with him or her. Knowing someone involves much more. It involvestime, trust & faith.

Relationships – How do we really know someone? [To explore the concept of knowing God, I recommendPhillip Yancey, Reaching for the Invisible God (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002).] It takes time. Taking someonefor granted seems bad, but there is something wonderful about the stability of a long term relationshipfor it is the unnoticed, ordinary, everyday things that make all the difference. These are the coresubstance of the relationship. Certainly we always want to honor and show grace to those we love(because we certainly need it! – and this is where trust is important), but what sort of a relationshipis built on having to continually make progressive effort to maintain it lest it collapse – with that inmind it will at some point break down – because we are breaking down!

Now, if even our best human relationships are built on time, trust and faith, then isn’t that true ofour relationship with God?

If we are perfectly honest as we look over our history with God we see that there is much we havetaken for granted. Things we may not have noticed that are in fact the substance of the relationship. We discover all over again that God’s ways are holy and there is no one else like him – we just don’thave a story or history with any other God.

Ok, but relationships change and what if God has changed? The days of miracles and power haveceased, right? – What if we really just cannot expect much from God anymore? That’s the tragedyof it isn’t it. In our effort to make faith reasonable and then to prevent God from being the magicpower of hucksters and well-intentioned people who want to put a claim on God so he will grantthree wishes – maybe we reduced God to a code of ethics or an overseer of standards and practices. But this extreme is no better than the one we tried to avoid. If God is limited then is he still God? If we cannot expect greatness and power from God then is he still God? Is he God for us? Magnifying the problem of trust and faith is the fact that God isn’t seen. Couldn’t he show up a littlemore often like he did in the old days? Doesn’t all of it mean that he changed on us – and notnecessarily for the better? I have heard the argument that “this age of reason” is better than “the ageof miracles” – but I have never bought it (I would give up ten principles about God for one burningbush, wouldn’t you?) – after all God was more visible and near in those days . . . or was he? Was itreally all that different? Then and now …

Was he really all that visible during the Exodus? The Psalmist says that he was still unseen and hisfootprints were unseen. What was seen was the influence of God’s hand that parted the sea andguided the Israelites through Moses and Aaron.

Was God so visible at the cross? To many it seemed the end, they abandoned Christ. They left him. They insulted him. Even at the resurrection there were those who doubted and others whodisbelieved despite the evidence – What was seen was the influence of God’s hand that shook theearth and raised Jesus from the dead and opened the tomb.

When God seems absent, his influence is there – even as he chooses to remain hidden. The way thepsalmist puts it is: in the middle of the churning waters, your footprints were unseen. God was therehealing, bringing redemption and hope, but God could not be seen.

To be perfectly honest, God is even nearer than before. He is just as active as always – even moreso now that Jesus rules. His fingerprints and footprints are everywhere – and they are fresh! Maybethe absence of God is due to our lack to be perfectly honest with ourselves and others.

We are using the wrong senses to experience God. When we look for God with reason or doubt weare looking with the wrong senses. It’s like trying to feel red, touch sour, taste loud. And this isn’ta touchy-feel cop-out. For the scientists among us: It is not just that God is at the edge of oursensory range – but we have to keep in mind that this isn’t a laboratory experiment – we areparticipants, not observers – we influence the outcome. God is perceptable to a sense for which wehave no name – that closest we come is to call it spirit. It is more than intellect and action. It is morethat a sterile, non-participatory gaze.

This sense is honed and developed in relationships of perfect honesty: Relationship with Godand with one another. We affirm to one another the experience of the hand of God. Not just all ofus here, but the Scripture is the deposit of faith passed on to us – the Bible did not fall out of heaven- no it is inspired of heaven but it has been passed on to us through our cloud of witnesses. Peoplesuch as Asaph who, like us, have been so disturbed that they stayed awake all night – but in his nightmusing he beheld the hand of God.

And we also need people like you and me. We need to be perfectly honest with one another – and Iregret that we sometimes are not. We put on more than our best clothes for church. And none ofus wants to draw undue attention to ourselves – that’s a good characteristic. But maybe we are lessthan honest with God and one another because we are not honest with ourselves.

We are concerned with the problems of burdening one another or fearing what happens if we speakup. Our only category for the invitation is penance and public confession -other wise we bear upprivately. But what do we miss if we aren’t perfectly honest? Would Psalm 77 be inspired if Asaphhad held back and said everything fine? When we are not honest, we miss the opportunity toexperience the hand of God in the past, present and future.

We believe that the hand of God is as powerful and as mighty as ever – Why? Jesus is risen, he isliving in his church. Now more than ever God is strong and powerful to save. You don’t want yourstory with God to end with the questions that keep you awake at night – do you? Rest in the Handof God!

Thankfully, God Calls Me To Change

Posted by on June 20, 2004 under Sermons

This evening I want to begin with two readings. I deliberately want to make connection with our thoughts from the past two weeks. I want these readings to focus our thinking.

Romans 12:1,2 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Philippians 3:17-21 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

In the past two weeks I called your attention to this truth: the way God defines humanity and the way we humans define humanity is different. (1) God’s definition is based God’s intent and purposes for us when He made us. (2) The human definition is typically based on influences that have nothing to do with God, that often even deny God is our origin.

God’s objective in Christ is to change us into what God intended for us to be when He brought us into being.

  1. Let me begin with a warning.
    1. Typically the religious world that declares it defines itself by acceptance of Jesus Christ [and that includes far too many in the Church of Christ] does not stress transformation.
    2. Typically what is stressed is grace to the exclusion of transformation.
      1. Often it is suggested in one way or another that God’s grace makes transformation unnecessary.
      2. Often, in some way, this seems to be the current stress: “Because God knows your heart, how you behave is unimportant.”
      3. Too often we at least create the impression that transformation is the enemy of God’s grace instead of God’s grace being the opportunity for transformation.
    3. The result is that too often we become addicted to what often is called “cheap grace.”
      1. What does the term, “cheap grace,” mean?
      2. It means “I cannot earn salvation” [true], “I cannot deserve salvation” [true], “I cannot place God in my debt” [true], so “How I live and behave is unimportant” [false].
      3. It is the concept, “God’s grace will cover everything, so I can just live as I please because I am in God’s grace.”
    4. The motive for Christian obedience has nothing to do with earning salvation, deserving salvation, or placing God in my debt.
      1. Grace gives me the opportunity to make the journey of changing the person I am.
      2. No matter how evil my past has been, I can be a different person.
      3. Transformation is my way to say, “Thank you!” to God for the grace that made my forgiveness possible.
      4. As a Christian, I cannot make transformation’s journey without changing my life.
      5. My salvation is not all God and it is not all me, it is God and I in partnership–God doing for me what I cannot do for myself [forgiveness, etc.] and me showing my appreciation to God by wanting and agreeing to transformation.

  2. Let me continue with a question: “Do you like change?”
    1. Your answer to that question will depend on your environment factors at the moment you hear the question.
      1. Some would respond, “No! I do not like change! Change is terrible!”
        1. “I wish gas prices could go back to the levels of 50 years ago!”
        2. “I wish cars did not cost more than my first house cost!”
        3. “I wish marriage was like it used to be!”
        4. “I wish parenting was like it used to be!”
        5. “I wish you could have a lifetime job or career like we used to!”
        6. “I wish we could go back to a time when cars did not use computers, when businesses did not use computers, when homes did not have computers, when banks did not use computers–every time you turn around, you have to deal with another computer!”
        7. “I wish the church was what it was 50 years ago!”
      2. Some would respond, “Yes! I am glad change can occur! Change brings blessings!”
        1. “I am glad that you do not have two year olds for life or teens for life.”
        2. “I like microwaves, hot water “on demand”, tubeless tires, power steering, power breaks, power windows, something beside a coal or wood heaters to heat your home with, air conditioning, and comfortable mattresses.”
        3. “I like knowing who won a political race immediately after the vote instead of two weeks later.”
        4. “I like the new medicines and medical procedures that add years to life.”
        5. “I like cell phones.”
        6. “I like having variety in what I eat.”
        7. “I like the availability of college educations.”
        8. “I am glad we can know so much more about scripture and the will of God today.”
    2. Whether we realize it or not, life involves change, and it always has.
      1. Aging is a change process–not just physically, but hopefully in wisdom as well.
      2. Experience is a change process–only an extremely foolish person refuses to learn from experience.
      3. The entire process of education is a change process–in mind and understanding that results in changes in life.
      4. While we all hate death, I hope we realize that the ability to age but the inability to die would be a curse right now in this physical world.

  3. Conversion to Jesus Christ produces change, a change scripture calls transformation.
    1. Allow me to call your attention to some statements found in scripture.
      1. The first is this statement from Peter in 2 Peter 1:2-4 which occurs just before what is typically called the Christian graces.
        2 Peter 1:2-4 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
        1. Let me point out some things in this reading we really like.
          1. We like the thought of the multiplication of grace and truth–that is good stuff!
          2. We like the divine power that grants us everything pertaining to life and godliness–that is good stuff!
          3. We like precious and magnificent promises–that is good stuff!
        2. Let me point out a couple of things that strike many as less than desirable.
          1. God expects us to partake of the divine nature–“if I do that I won’t fit in.”
          2. God expects us to escape the rottenness produced through ungodly desire—“but I like some of those ungodly desires, and I would debate the idea that such desires cause rottenness.”
      2. “Oh, David, you are exaggerating!”
        1. “Partake of the divine nature–that is a stretch!”
        2. “Ungodly desires do not produce rottenness–they produce pleasure, and I like pleasure.”
    2. Consider Paul’s statement in Ephesians 4:20-24.
      But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and 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.
      1. If we put this statement in its fuller context, it is about transformation
      2. Paul said, “This is the kind of persons you were before you became Christians.”
      3. “This is the kind of persons you are to become because you accepted Christ.”
      4. “There is to be a ‘before and after’ because God, with your permission, changed you–your reason for coming to Christ was to put off the old self and put on the new self.”
      5. “You committed yourself to becoming a person created in the likeness of God, a person created in the righteousness and holiness of truth (Jesus Christ).

  4. The word Paul used for transformation in Romans 12:2 is the same Greek word that gives us metamorphosis. butterflycaterpillar
    1. Metamorphosis is the word used to describe what happens when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly.
      1. Now, that is change!
      2. They neither look nor function alike!
    2. God’s intent with Jesus Christ in you is to change you!
      1. Not merely a superficial change is a few habits and behaviors that allows you to do the “going to church” thing.
      2. But a radical change, a change of who you are as a person.
      3. God wants it to be evident in you that this change occurs as a continuing process because you are in Christ.
    3. Please note how this change occurs.
      1. It is a change you want to happen, that you cooperate with God through Christ to make happen–it is not some mysterious happening that occurs against your will!
      2. First, you change the way you think–God teaches you a new way to think.
      3. Second, you begin a search, a continuing study to prove what is God’s will–you do not wish to live your life on your assumptions, but you wish to live in an understanding of God’s purposes and priorities.
      4. The end result:
        1. You adopt God’s definition and concept of good.
        2. You change your understanding of what is acceptable.
        3. You want God to form your concept of perfect or complete.

Is that what is happening in your Christian existence as a man or woman who has, by choice, placed yourself in Jesus Christ?

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