SERMON DIRECTORY
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01.06.08 E-Day Genesis 12:1-5 & Acts 16:6-10
September 4, 2007 was the 50th anniversary of E-Day. Don’t know what E-Day is? Well, it marks one of the biggest blunders of the American automobile industry. E-Day was the day that the Ford Motor Company introduced the Edsel. While it was intended to revolutionize the automobile industry, it turned out to be its biggest failure. This day is significant for the life of the church because the lessons we can learn from Ford’s failure can help keep the church from going belly up.
01.20.08 What Are You Looking For? Isaiah 49:1-7 & John 1:29-42
“What are you looking for?” is a question that Jesus asked two of his very first disciples. It’s a question that’s important for us today as well, because we are all looking for something, whether we know it or not. In a culture that is overwhelmed by schedules and demands on our time, and by more information than we can possible process, we have reached the place where it feels like something is missing, that life lacks meaning and purpose and direction. “What are you looking for?” is the question Jesus asks each of us, and Jesus alone is able to help us discover the answer.
01.27.08 Living in Harmony Exodus 18:13-27 Corinthians 1:1-17
A lot of people are looking for the “perfect church.” Truth is, there’s no such thing. People tend to be quite surprised, and even upset, when conflict develops in the life of the church, and some people even leave the church as a result of conflict. We have to remember, however, that the church isn’t called to be perfect; it’s called to be holy—it’s called to be set apart to do God’s work in the world. The church is comprised of people, and people are sinners—even Christians. So we should not be surprised that there is conflict in the church. The church is blessed with the gift of diversity, so we must learn to do two things: 1) we must commit to do our part in the church, using the gifts we have to serve our one Savior and Lord Jesus Christ; 2) we must learn to agree without being disagreeable so that we do not hinder the mission of Christ in the world.
02.03.08 God in the Fog Exodus 24:12-18; Matthew 17:1-9
Fog. We’ve all experienced it. And sometimes it’s so thick that we can barely see our hand in front of our face. We’ve also experienced a psychological or emotional fog where our mind is clouded by worry, fear, depression, etc. And sometimes this kind of fog is as difficult to see through as the weather-related kind. It’s uncomfortable, and even frightening, not to know where we’re going. Today’s Scriptures speak of two groups of people who faced significant hardships. To both of them, God calls them to step into the fog, and what they discover is that God is present there with them. Sometimes we need to live in the fog because that’s where God is. God meets us there because God has something important to reveal to us.
Frivolous lawsuits abound these days. Remember the lady who sued McDonald’s because she spilled hot coffee on her lap? While we chuckle at this, the truth is that we’re all looking for something or someone to blame for the stupid things we do. We repeatedly fail to consider the consequences of our actions, and we are unwilling to accept responsibility. Freewill, original sin, and consequences are the themes that run through the Scripture texts for this sermon. But there’s another theme as well—the power of God’s grace. The good news is that God’s grace has the power to overcome all of the stupid things we do.
02.17.08 Blue Marble Perspective Psalm 121; John 3:1-17
How do you view the world around you? That depends, of course, on your perspective, on how you understand what you see, hear and experience. How does God view the world? Now, that’s another question altogether. The way we view the world and the way God views the world are radically different. We are often narrow-sighted and judgmental, while God can not only get the big picture, God can also see the intimate details of each person’s life. The Bible tells us that God views the world through the lens of love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” How difficult it is for us to view the world through the lens of love, yet it is critical that we learn to do so. The world will never be saved unless those of us who believe see each other throught the lens of love.
02.24.08 What Are You Thirsty For? Exodus 17:1-7; John 4:5-29
Water is available to us in a plentiful supply. All we have to do is turn on a faucet. But what if that weren’t the case? How would we satisfy our thirst? Water is essential for life. Without it, we will surely die. Throughout the Bible, God’s blessings are often associated with water. God provided water from a rock for the Israelites in the wilderness, and Jesus offered himself as the living water to the woman at the well. These people were thirsty for more than just water. Deep in their souls was a thirst for God. The same is true for us. Behind every desire and physical need there is a deeper thirst, a deeper longing, that water alone cannot satisfy. What are you thirsty for?
03.02.08 Diamonds In The Rough 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Ephesians 5:8-14
Diamonds aren’t always what they appear to be. The form of diamonds we’re used to seeing isn’t how they exist in their natural state. It is only after they are cut and polished and refined that they gain their brilliance and their value. In their natural state, they are just another stone. As people, we too are “diamonds in the rough.” Hidden within each of us is a beautiful gem designed to reflect the light of the love of God. The rough edges often need to be chiseled away in order for the beautiful gem within to be revealed. God, the Master Diamond Cutter, chisels and polishes and refines us so that we can reflect God’s image in the world.
03.09.08 Think Outside the Grave Ezekiel 37:1-14; John 11:1-45
Throughout the course of life, we face death in many ways. Death is not only the end of physical life for a loved one, friend, or pet. Death can also come in the form of broken relationships, the loss of a job, moving to a new location, or the loss of freedom and mobility due to aging. Any crisis can feel like death. Death comes to all at some point in life in all its various forms. And sometimes it can stop us in our tracks. The challenge of the gospel is for us to think outside the grave—to look for the possibilities and potential for new life that comes on the other side of death. Israel faced death through their exile in Babylon, and Mary and Martha faced death in the passing of their brother Lazarus. Yet God works to transform death into new life, and the ultimate transformation occurs in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Through faith in him, we can truly think outside the grave
03.16.08 The Christ-Bearer Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Matthew 21:1-11
There is a large cast of characters involved in Jesus’ Palm Sunday Processional into Jerusalem, but most of them provide an exceptionally poor example for us to follow. Those in the crowd were mere curiosity seekers, the religious leaders were on an ego trip, and even the disciples were not fully committed, even at this late date in Jesus’ ministry. If we’re looking for a role model upon which to base our Palm Sunday experience, we would do well to avoid patterning ourselves after any of these. Yet there is one character that is often overlooked, and it is that character that provides the best example for us. Although unnamed in Scripture, my guess is that his name must have been Christopher.
03.23.08 What Happened to Jesus? Matthew 28:1-15; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
More than 2,000 years later, there is still controversy surrounding the resurrection of Jesus. There are still many who claim that Jesus’ body was stolen from the tomb by his disciples who then perpetrated a lie claiming that Jesus rose from the dead. In a world of science, we want empirical proof before we believe anything. But the resurrection of Jesus isn’t a matter of science; it’s a matter of faith. The resurrection is indeed possible if we believe that God created the world and put the laws of nature in place. If God put those laws in place, then God is greater than those laws. And if God is greater than those laws, then God can supersede those laws to raise Jesus from the dead. What happened to Jesus? Is he dead or alive?
04.06.08 Road Trip Psalm 96; Luke 24:13-35
Evangelism is a word that many Christians are uncomfortable with. It conjures up too many negative images. Yet, sharing the Good News with others is one of the primary responsibilities Jesus entrusted to us. Psalm 96 is a “missionary psalm” because it compels us to proclaim God’s Good News to the entire earth. Luke tells of an event that happened on the evening of the first Easter when two disciples encountered Jesus along the road. Immediately after they recognized Jesus, they returned to Jerusalem to tell the others. This story illustrates what evangelism is all about. It’s about telling our stories of how we met Jesus on the road trip of life.
04.13.08 Asking the Right Question Psalm 116; Luke 10:25-37
Why do you come to worship, and what do you want to get out of worship? Those are important questions we all must answer. How we answer them helps define our commitment to God. Too often, we answer these questions in a selfish manner. Our answers often reflect that attitude that God is here to serve us. We are willing to follow God as long as God does for us the things we want God to do, but we give no thought to what we are to offer to God. True worship is what we offer to God, not what God gives to us. The right question we need to ask and answer is “What am I willing to give to God in worship?” What we must give is our lives fully committed to God. Worship isn’t just what we do in worship—it’s the way we live every moment of our lives. The parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates what true worship is all about. Only the Samaritan was willing to invest himself to help the one who was needy. That’s what worship is all about.
05.04.08 Dynamic Living Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35; Acts 1:6-14
On this Sunday when we celebrate Jesus’ ascension into heaven, we are reminded in the text from Acts how the disciples stood gazing up into the sky. It was only the appearance of the two men dressed in white that got them moving to begin carrying our Christ’s commission. Even today, we Christians tend to focus more on when Jesus will return than on living the life he wants us to live and fulfilling his commission to us by doing the work that needs to be done. The key word in Jesus’ last saying on earth is “power.” The Greek root of this word give us our English words “dynamite” and “dynamic.” The issue for us is not to concern ourselves with when Jesus will come again to rescue us from this world. Instead it is who we ought to be living until the time when Jesus comes again. Jesus has given to us the power to change the world through dynamic living. If the world isn’t changing, perhaps we need to look at the way we are living.
05.11.08 Catching the Wind Numbers 11:24-30; Acts 2:1-21
We’ve all experienced the power of the wind. Out of control, it can cause serious devastation, but it is possible to harness the power of the wind and turn it into usable energy. In order to catch the wind, you have to put yourself where the wind is blowing. That’s the logic behind the massive wind farms that have been cropping up around the nation. Those huge towers and giant rotors are built to catch the wind, which blows with much greater force in the atmosphere than it does at ground level. The same principle is true for the church. In order to catch the wind of the Holy Spirit, we have to place ourselves where the wind is blowing. To do that most effectively, the church must be a Community that Communicates with Courage and Clarity.
05.18.08 Speaking for God Jeremiah 1:1-10; Matthew 28:16-20
Why are we here? What is the purpose of our being? These are questions that the church needs to ask themselves repeatedly in order to remain relevant. Too often, churches don’t have a clear sense of identity and purpose, yet without a clear sense of mission, their ministry is ineffective. Each congregation will approach mission and ministry differently because each congregation is different. However, the primary purpose of every Christian congregation is to make disciples. Jesus made that point clear in the Great Commission. Yet, we are often better at making spectators for Jesus than making disciples for Jesus.
05.25.08 Murphy’s Law and the Gospel Psalm 91; Matthew 6:25-34
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs his followers about worry. His words are so familiar to us, yet so hard to follow. How is it possible for us not to worry about anything when we shave so much to worry about in the world in which we currently live? What Jesus addresses here is the chronic worry that we allow to cripple us. A certain amount of anxiety is normal and necessary because it spurs us to take action to correct those things we can control, but so much of our worry is about things we can’t control. We live more by Murphy’s Law than by Jesus’ Law. Murphy says, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible moment,” creating an extremely negative view of life. Jesus, on the other hand, calls us to “seek first God’s kingdom,” and let God worry about the rest.
06.08.08 The Work of the Church Part 1: Worship Psalm 96; 1 Corinthians 14:1-25
Why do we worship? What is its purpose? Too often, folks don’t come to worship because they say “I just don’t get
anything out of it.” Getting something out of worship is only a very small part of what worship is all about. Primarily, worship is about giving, not getting. We worship because we want to give thanks, praise, honor and glory to God for all that God has done for us. We are not spectators when we worship, we are active participants. God is the audience of our worship. So offering the best of ourselves to God is the primary motivation for worship. But worship must also prepare us for ministry or service. As we share with others all that God has done, hear God’s word to us, and experience God’s love and grace, we ought to be moved to go out in joy to share that love with others in tangible ways. That means that worship must be intelligible, and understandable and meaningful to all who gather. Inspiring worship will attract people to services all by itself.
06.15.08 The Work of the Church Part 2: Ministry 1Kings 17:7-16; John 13:1-17
When Jesus summarized the commandments into “Love God…Love your neighbor,” he tied together the concepts of
worship and ministry. We express our love for God in worship, and worship prepares us for service. Worship is not complete unless we take what we experience and use it in practical ways to minister to others’ needs. The true expression of our love for God is to love others with the same kind of love we have experienced from God. For this reason, worship must translate into ministry. In our Scripture readings, we see that one of the things that blocks meaningful ministry is selfishness and pride. This is contrasted with the humility of Jesus as he washed the disciples’ feet. Too often, we refuse to stoop to serve others. Yet Jesus’ example compels us to do as he did. When the love of God is truly present in our lives, no task is menial. To truly express our love for God we must demonstrate that love in our love and service to others.
06.22.08 The Work of the Church Part 3: Evangelism Isaiah 52:7-10; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Growing churches in America define their growth in their ability to meet the real needs of people. While the church often tries to meet needs, too often it does so without offering any theological basis or spiritual guidance. While we are willing to do ministry, we are very unwilling to do evangelism. Yet, evangelism is a critical part of Christ’s plan for his church. It is the first imperative in the Great Commission. While many mainline Christians are afraid of evangelism, it simply boils down to learning how to be an “angel” to others. The key to effective evangelism is dedicated flexibility. That is what made Paul so successful in his missionary journeys. In order to be effective evangelists in the 21st century, the church needs to re-learn the lessons Paul used in his ministry.
06.29.08 The Work of the Church Part 4: Fellowship Psalm 133; Hebrews10:19-25
There is no doubt that church attendance has been declining, especially in mainline Protestant churches. We live in a
postmodern and a post-Christian era. Christianity is by no means dead, but it no longer enjoys its protected status. It has
become one of may choices people can make. Add this to the individualism of our culture, and we have a major hurdle for the church to overcome. This hurdle provides an excellent opportunity for ministry. A key core value of the church is
fellowship, as Jesus indicated in the Great Commission by speaking about baptism. As Christians, we are not called simply to believe, but also to belong. Our faith makes us part of the body of Christ on earth (the church). Therefore, we cannot live in isolation. People are desperately searching for meaningful relationships, and the church is best equipped to meet that need. Through Jesus Christ we have fellowship with God, and through the church we ought to have meaningful fellowship with one another. The challenge for the church is to offer people the opportunity to develop deep, personal relationships in some other context than what potluck suppers can provide.
07.06.08 The Work of the Church Part 5: Discipleship Joshua 24:14-24; Luke 14:25-35
A popular TV reality show reminds us of an important work of the church. On “The Apprentice,” contestants compete for the opportunity of working with and learning from one of the biggest names in the business world, Donald Trump. To be selected as “The Apprentice” provides the winner the opportunity to work side-by-side with an expert in his field and to learn all the tricks of the trade that enable a person to be successful in business. An apprenticeship is hands-on, applied learning. This is what discipleship is all about. We, as Christians, have the opportunity to learn from the Master everything it takes to live a Christian life. Learning about Jesus is not enough. We must learn about Jesus so that we can be like Jesus, living and doing just as he did. One of the primary responsibilities of the church is to provide believers with
training in discipleship. After all, Jesus passed on his work to us, and we must pass it on to future generations. However, the church, in recent years, has done very poorly in this area of ministry. Our expectations of new members are far too low. We would do well to evaluate our expectations and communicate them well if we intend to attract and retain new people in the faith.
07.13.08 How Much Is Good Enough? Psalm 1; Romans 7:15-25a
The classic horror story, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde provides an example of the struggle between good and evil, right and wrong that occurs within each of us. It is truly a tale of horror, for within each of us is this constant temptation to give into evil desires even though we know we might hurt ourselves or someone else in the process. Even the apostle Paul struggled with the power of temptation and he describes his struggle in Romans 7. He admits that he, even as a Christian, found it difficult to always do the right thing, and that often he ended up doing the evil he hated instead of the good he really desired to do. This is the story of our lives. Although Christ has set us free from bondage to sin, that doesn’t mean we will never sin again. Yet we still have hope because we know that God loves us, Jesus died for us, and the Holy Spirit is present with us to pick us up when we fall, and give us the strength to go on.
07.20.08 If-Then Prayer Genesis 28:10-22; Luke 11:9-13
Different people expect different things to happen as the result of prayer. Some believe that prayer is a waste of time, either because there is no God to pray to or because they believe God doesn’t care. Others believe that prayer is the instant solution to all their problems. By waving it as a magic wand or rubbing it like Aladdin’s lamp, all their problems will instantly go away and they’ll get everything they ask for. Still others try to bargain with God. “God if you do this for me, then I’ll do…” The problem is that they rarely ever follow through on their part of the bargain. Prayer, for them, is just a tool to try to manipulate God to do what they want. Jesus has much to teach us about prayer, and his teaching in Luke 11 sounds as if we can get whatever we want from God. God is happy to provide us with what we need, but is cautious about giving us everything we want. What God most wants to give us is the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is active in our life, we will want what God wants more than we will want what we want.
07.27.08 In All Things God Psalm 90; Romans 8:26-39
There is definitely a difference between the way children relate to God and the way adults do. Somewhere, in the passage of time, we lose that instinctive gift of faith and trust that was naturally part of us when we were children. In the midst of crisis, disappointment or loss, we tend to focus much more on the circumstances around us rather than on the bigger picture, and we miss the presence of God with us even in the midst of trouble. Sometimes, we even lose the ability to pray because we are so consumed with the circumstances we’re facing. Yet Paul, in his letter to the Romans, makes a profound declaration of faith: “In all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Rather than waiting for circumstances to work themselves out, or investing our energy to turn circumstances around in our favor, we need to understand that because God loves us God is already present and working to bring good into our lives despite the mess we may find ourselves in. “In all things God.” How different life would be for us if we took the time to see God at work in all things.
08.03.08 Bread for the Table Exodus 16:11-18; Matthew 14:13-21
With the 2008 Summer Olympics just a few days away, the government of China is working furiously to make certain they can feed the more than seven million people expected at the event. But they weren’t the firs to ever have to worry about feeding people with Olympic-sized appetites. Moses and Jesus both faced similar challenges. While the world seems to come together as one for the Olympics, one thing that works even better at bringing people together is table fellowship. The lessons from our Scripture passages are many. The obvious one is that we must be willing to give to God whatever we have and allow God to use it. God can multiply whatever we bring. Secondly, we must never expect God to fix all of our problems. Jesus and the disciples worked together cooperatively to feed the crowd of 5,000, so we must be willing to use the resources God provides. Finally, these Scriptures raise the issue of who we are willing to welcome at the table. Do we continue to exclude some while welcome others
08.17.08 Do Over Genesis 45:1-15; Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32
Do-overs are part of our culture. Nothing in life really seems to be permanent anymore. If you don’t love your spouse, you can get a divorce, unwanted pregnancies can be terminated, debt can be erased in bankruptcy. It seems that just about anything we do, we can undo. But sometimes we find ourselves in circumstances that we wish we could do over, but we can’t. Sometimes an inordinate amount of trouble comes our way that we can’t seem to avoid, and we can find no reason for it. At some point, however, we often come to realize that those troubles were actually the road that led to blessing. Although we may have wanted things to be different—to have an opportunity for a do-over—we may well have missed a blessing that God was preparing to give us. The story of Joseph is a prime example. Not until much later in his life did he realize that his life had a purpose, that God was preparing to bless him richly, and to avoid the pain would have been to miss the blessing. “But God’s gifts and call are irrevocable” says Paul to the Romans. These words remind us that no matter how difficult life gets, God’s love for us never changes. God will never do over what he has already done for us in Jesus Christ.
08.24.08 Changing Hearts and Minds Matthew 16:13-20; Romans 12:1-8
God is in the business of transformation and has been since the beginning of time. The story of the Bible is the story of God’s work to transform a fallen creation back to its original design. The supreme act of transformation is seen in the life and ministry of Jesus. Human hearts are changed at that moment when we are able to answer Jesus’ question “Who do you say I am?” with the same definitive answer Peter gave, but that is only the place where transformation begins. Not only do our hearts need to change but our minds need to be transformed as well. Christian faith is a journey and transformation is a process, whether it’s personal transformation or congregational transformation. A church cannot be transformed unless its people are willing to be transformed. As individuals, and as the church, we need to wrestle with our answers to questions such as these: “Do we really believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God?” How willing are we to have our minds renewed through worship, study and prayer?” Do we really want to know and do God’s will in the world?” Our answers to these questions will influence the effectiveness of our ministry in the world.
08.31.08 The Good Samaritan Church Ecclesiastes 4:1-12; Luke 10:25-37
The Great Commission is recorded in the New Testament four different times to make it clear what his followers are to do. We are to continue the work Jesus began, the work of demonstrating God’s love by meeting the needs of those who hurt. The Parable of the Good Samaritan serves as a model for needs-based evangelism. Too often as the church we act more like the priest, who was too preoccupied with his own concerns to help, or like the Levite, who came a little closer, but still did nothing of any benefit. Instead, we must be like the Samaritan, who came to where the needs are, who met the immediate needs first, who invested himself in the life of another, and who demonstrated by his actions the love of God. Only when we demonstrate that kind of love to our “neighbor” will they then be open to hear the good news.
09.07.08 Questions for God Part 1: Who Is God? Exodus 3:1-15; John 8:31-59
Children ask a lot of questions, especially about God. Truth is, adults have a lot of the same questions, especially where God is concerned, but they are afraid to ask them. “Who is God?” is one that is asked most often. The question behind this question is “How do I know God is present in my life and how can I have a relationship with God?” While God has no physical form, God is still knowable. We can know who God is by observing how God acts. In Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush, God revealed to Moses some of God’s most important characteristics and gave to Moses the name of God. That name is “I am who I am.” In that name, God reveals that God is the One who has the power to create, the One who will be present with us in faithful ways, and the One who makes new life available to all who believe. In John 8, Jesus uses that same name for himself. Jesus is the embodiment of God in human flesh. If we want to know what God is like, we can find out by getting to know Jesus.
09.14.08 Questions for God Part 2: What Does God Look Like? Exodus 33:12-23; John 14:1-14
Any child in Sunday School, when asked to draw a picture of God, will probably draw a picture of an old man with long white hair and a long white beard. Many adults have this same picture of God also because no one knows what God looks like. It’s difficult for us to picture God since God isn’t a physical being. In Exodus, Moses asked to see God, but God allowed him to catch a passing glimpse of God’s glory. In John, Jesus says “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” So the best we can say is that God looks like Jesus, but we don’t even know for sure what Jesus looked like. So we’re left with the question, not only of what God looks like, but how can we see God? God is Spirit. That Spirit embodies all who believe. The only way we can see God is to catch a glimpse of God in the lives of those who are faithful.
09.21.08 Questions for God Part 3: Why Does God Love Us? Genesis 1:26-31, 3:8-24; John 3:16-21
People need to be loved—that’s part of our nature. We were created to live in relationship, not to be independent. That’s why God organized society in families. In the family relationship we learn what love is, and through our family relationships we experience the love of God. God created us because God loves us and God loves us because God created us. God loves us because God knows that love can change us from what we are into what we can become. This love extends to all people because “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him may not be lost but have eternal life.” Even in our sinfulness, God continues to love us. God desires that everyone be saved, but not everyone will be saved. God does not condemn anyone. We condemn ourselves if we choose not to believe in Jesus Christ and accept God’s free gift of grace.
09.28.08 Questions for God Part 4: What Can’t God Do? 1 Chronicles 29:10-13; Hebrews 6:13-20
A lot of people have difficulty believing in God because of the attributes God has. It scares people to think of a God who can do anything, who knows everything, and who can be anywhere at any time. It’s hard for us to relate to a perfect God because we are so imperfect. However, there are things that God can’t do. God can’t do anything that will violate God’s nature. Anything that violates God’s nature makes God less than God. Based upon the attributes of God, there are at least three things God can’t do: God cannot die, God cannot lie, and God cannot stop loving us.
10.12.08 Experiencing the Holy Isaiah 6:1-8; Luke 24:13-35
The Good News of the gospel is that God isn’t confined to heaven, way out there somewhere, but that God is present and living and active in this world and in each of our lives. The problem is that we don’t often recognize God’s presence among us. That’s the reason why regular worship attendance is so important. One of the primary purposes of worship is to help us have an experience with our Holy God and to teach us to look for signs of God’s presence in our everyday lives. Another important purpose is to help us help others recognize and experience the presence of God at work in their lives an in the world. How does our worship help people experience God? That’s a question every congregation needs to consider.
10.19.08 What God Deserves Ecclesiastes 11:1-6; Matthew 22:15-22
We’ve all heard the sayings “You can’t take it with you” and “There are no luggage racks on hearses.” There’s a lot of truth in these words. Truth is, we don’t need to take our money or our possessions with us because God has planned for us an afterlife that’s so grand and glorious that we won’t need them. As Christians, how can we be faithful to God with the material blessings of our lives? Our faith teaches us that what we have we have not earned—it is a gift from God. Therefore, it is not ours to keep but ours to use to do God’s work in the world. This is what stewardship is all about. What we are willing to give ought to be motivated by how thankful we are for the blessings we’ve received. Motivated by thanksgiving, it’s much easier to give joyfully and generously.
11.02.08 Superstar Psalm 84; Matthew 23:1-12
Superstars abound in our culture. We’re obsessed with the lifestyles of the rich and famous. They’ve attained something we want but don’t have, so we fantasize about living our life through them. But superstars aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. They often trip over their own ego, and when they fall, they fall hard. The scribes and Pharisees were the self-made superstars of Jesus’ day, but Jesus had a lot of accusations to levy against them. Completely out of touch with reality, Jesus wanted to bring them down. In the process, he teaches us a lesson about humility. Three points stand out from these harsh words: practice what you preach, lend a helping hand, put God first. Superstardom is achieved by what we do for others, not by what we do for ourselves.
11.09.08 Are You Ready? Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 25:1-13
We spend an inordinate amount of time planning things. In a certain sense, we are future-oriented people. We save for a rainy day, for dream vacations, for retirement. We plan for our education, for weddings and other special events, and we even plan our family. In all of our advanced planning and preparation, one area we so often neglect is spiritual planning. We are soo busy planning so many other things, we neglect the health of our spiritual life, then when difficult circumstances come our way, we lack the spiritual resources to deal with them and overcome them. These Scripture passages fall into the literature category of eschatology. Eschatology is the study of “end times.” While it’s important that we are ready for the second coming of Jesus, these passages also speak to us about being spiritually ready when storms come into our life—and they will come. So this question is a very pointed one: “Are you ready?”
11.16.08 Non-Drowsy Discipleship Daniel 12:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Nodding off behind the wheel can be extremely dangerous, not just for us but for others. While taking a nap is a good thing, falling asleep at the wrong time is life-threatening. The same is true for our spiritual lives. It is imperative that we, as disciples of Jesus, stay awake and alert to what God is doing in the world. God is working to transform the world through us, but if we are asleep we will miss opportunities for ministry that God brings to us. Paul calls the church to “wake up,” to move out of apathy and into active ministry. The church cannot remain a “sleeping giant.” It’s time to wake up and do what Christ calls us to do.
11.23.08 The Giving of Thanks Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Matthew 25:31-46
Thanksgiving is the quietest holidays of the Big Four holidays we celebrate each year, but it’s not without its own celebrations of materialism. It is an indication of the distance between the “haves” and the “have-nots.” While many families open their arms and their homes to provide help at Thanksgiving, that generosity is often short-lived. In Ezekiel, God condemns those who take advantage of the poor (and turning a blind eye to them is taking advantage of them), and in Matthew, Jesus condemns the “goats” for their lack of compassion. Truth is that we’re more likely to be labeled with the “goats” than we are with the “sheep. Can we not make room for an empty chair at our Thanksgiving table, or any other day of the year?
11.30.08 Faces at the Manger Part 1: Mary & Joseph Isaiah 7:10-14; Matthew 1:18-25
The hectic Christmas Season is upon us. The evidence that Christmas is near is all around us in the trees, the decorations, and the department store Santas. The frenzy has begun, and so often we get lost in the midst of it. Not only do we get lost, we also lose the significance of this holy time of year. Rather than celebrating Christmas as a “holy day,” it has become a “hollow day” devoid of meaning and purpose. The Nativity Scene is one of the symbols that can help draw us back into the significance of the season. There are lessons to be learned from this classic Christmas symbol, even though it, too, is being lost in the climate of political correctness. As we look into the faces of Mary and Joseph, two of the most prominent characters in the Nativity Story, there are lessons for us to learn—lessons about faith in the face of adversity, lessons about trust, lessons about seeing the bigger picture and where our life fits into the greater plan of God.
12.14.08 Faces at the Manger Part 3: Shepherds and Wise Men Luke 2:15-20; Matthew 2:1-12
At the birth of the Christ Child we have the coming together of opposites. We see that very clearly in the Nativity Scene as we place both shepherds and Wise Men there. While the Wise Men came on the scene much later, we place them at the Nativity because they speak a prophetic message. While the Wise Men represent the elite of the world, the shepherds represent the poor,, downtrodden and outcast. Their presence together indicates that, truly, this Child came to be the Savior of all. The shepherds also foreshadow the life that this Child would live—he would be the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep by name and who opens the way into the presence of God, and he would be the perfect Sacrificial Lamb who would give his life for the sin of the world. Yet, the central focus of this Nativity Scene is none of these characters. The central focus is the Christ Child. In the face of this Child we see the face of God.
01.04.09 Getting Bent Out of Shape Isaiah 42:5-9; Luke 13:10-17
As Americans, we are the most affluent people on earth. We are also among the unhealthiest people on earth. Our affluence ought to help us live healthier than many of the people of the world, but the poor choices we make cause us to be very unhealthy. The number of illnesses many Americans suffer from that are stress related is staggering. Truth is, we allow ourselves to get bent out of shape over so many things, and the stress we place ourselves under is a detriment to our health. Luke tells the story of a woman whom Jesus healed who was crippled by burden she had been carrying for eighteen years. She was stressed out, and her stress was crippling to her. In the synagogue that day, Jesus gave her permission to let go of her past. He does the same for us. As we begin the new year, we can choose to live life bent out of shape or we can choose to stand tall and live life with faith and confidence. The choice is up to us.
01.11.09 Witnessing the Power of God Psalm 29; Mark 1:4-11
There is power all around us—sources of energy that are a natural part of human life. Over the course of human history, nature has produced an astronomical amount of energy, more than we could ever use, even with the latest technology. Behind all of this energy is the power of God. God’s power is behind all things, yet often we fail to notice. David celebrates God’s power in creation in Psalm 29, and Mark, in the writing of his Gospel, seeks to demonstrate the power of God in the person of Jesus Christ. God’s power is at work in the story of John the Baptist’s ministry and in the baptism of Jesus. God’s power is also at work in us through our baptism. I baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit—the same Spirit imparted to Jesus—and through that Spirit we have access to the power of God for our daily living.
01.18.09 God Calling 1 Samuel 3:1-10; John 1:43-51
In the language of the church, “calling” is a word often associated with ordained clergy and missionaries. Someone who receives a “call” from God usually ends up in some form of special service. But it isn’t just ordained clergy and missionaries who have a calling from God. Each of us are called to be disciples, and the work of the disciple is to continue the mission and ministry of Jesus in the world. Therefore, we all have a place in ministry; we all have a place in the church where we can serve. Our Scriptures this week focus on the call of God. God called Samuel as a young boy even though Samuel “did not know the Lord.” And Jesus called Nathaniel even though he had serious doubts and questions. Despite Samuel’s lack of understanding and Nathaniel’s questions, both still followed. They exhibited the one quality Jesus is looking for in all disciples—faith. All that is required to be a disciple of Jesus is faith, no matter how small it may be. Once we take that first step toward Jesus, He will give us the faith we need.
01.25.09 The Church the Carpenter Built Matthew 16:13-20; 1 Corinthians 3:9-15
What does it take to build a church? This is a question that naturally comes from Jesus’ words to Peter, “I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” The church that Jesus was talking wasn’t a building; it was a new community committed to following the teaching and example of Jesus and willing to live life God’s way. Jesus is the only foundation of the church, and to build it, we must build it his way. There are four primary building blocks that are important in creating the kind of community Jesus is seeking to create. If any one of them is missing, the community is not the church. These building blocks are faith, love, commitment, and unity of purpose.
02.01.09 Questions for God Part 1: Why Do We Worship God Exodus 20:1-11; Acts 17:16-34
Ours is a pluralistic society. No longer is there just one religious faith in America. In such a culturally diverse society, it’s important that we, as Christians, know what we believe and why we believe it. One important question for us to wrestle with is “Why do we worship God?” Unless we are able to answer some basic questions of the faith, we will be ineffective in our witness for Jesus Christ. Exodus 20:1-11, the first half of the Ten Commandments begins to give us the answer. These first four commandments speak to us about our relationship too God. The basic answer they provide is that we worship God because of all that God has done for us, and they go on to tell us why God demands that we worship God alone. In Acts 17, Paul reveals to the Athenians the character of this god whom they worship as “An Unknown God.” In his sermon, Paul encapsulates the message of the gospel by making four significant points. Just as there were many gods in the days of Moses and Paul, so there are many gods today. Who we choose to worship is up to us, but there are consequences for choosing to worship any god other than the one true God.
02.08.09 Questions for God Part 2: Whose Prayers Does God Hear? Isaiah 58:1-10; Luke 18:9-14
As Christians, we believe in the power of prayer. However, there are times when we wonder if God hears us because we don’t seem to get an answer. If we don’t always get an answer, we have to wonder if God only listens to the prayers of believers or if he listens to the unsaved as well. While the Bible has much to say about prayer, there are things we know for sure: God hears the prayers of the faithful; God knows our thoughts before we think them and our words before we speak them; and through Jesus Christ we have direct access to God. Our Scriptures highlight some of the reasons why God doesn’t always answer our prayers and what God requires in order for prayers to be heard. Our attitude in prayer has a lot to do with God’s response. Selfish prayers will not be heard. Two prayers God will always hear are prayers of repentance and prayers that genuinely seek God’s will.
02.15.09 Questions for God Part 3: Is There Really Life After Death? Genesis 5:18-24; John 5:19-29
Is there really life after death? Our faith teaches us that there is, but without any solid evidence to verify it, we find it difficult to believe. Yet, we need some reassurances since death can come to any of us at any time and so many of us are afraid of dying. The Old Testament tells us about three people who “walked with God”: Enoch, Noah, and Elijah. Enoch and Elijah were spared death by being taken by God directly into heaven. Noah escaped death in the flood by being faithful to God when God called him to build the ark. These stories tell us that, since the beginning of time, eternal life has always been possible, and they hint that the way to eternal life is through faithfulness to God. Jesus talks about eternal life in John 5. Here he tells us “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believe him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” These words assure us that indeed there is life after death. For believers, it will be a time of reward and for non-believers it will be a time of judgment. The one we receive at the time of our death will depend upon the choice we make here—to believe in Jesus or not.
02.22.09 Questions for God Part 4: When Will Jesus Come? Isaiah 2:1-5; Matthew 24:36-51
The second coming of Christ has been a topic of debate ever since the day Jesus ascended into heaven. The early believers were convinced that Jesus would return during their lifetime. When that didn’t happen, the church leaders were left to deal with the followers fear and disappointment. 21 centuries later we are still waiting. There has always been “prophets” who claimed to know the day and time this would occur, but each and every one of them were wrong. Isaiah speaks of a peaceable kingdom that will be instituted in “the last days,” and as Christians, we have longed for that kingdom to arrive. Jesus speaks about the day and hour of his return saying that God alone knows when that return will occur. His advice to us is not to put off believing in him and not to put off doing the work he has commissioned us to do. If we are busy doing what Christ calls us to do, we have no need to worry about when he might come and we will be ready when he comes
03.01.09 On the Road to the Cross Part 1: The Rich Young Man Deuteronomy 30:11-20; Mark 10:17-22
Jesus lived his life on the road. From the moment of his birth, he began his journey to the cross. Along that road, Jesus met a whole host of people, and from their reactions to Jesus we can learn important lessons of faith. One such person was the rich young man who came to Jesus asking “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” As Mark tells this story, he says that Jesus looked at him and loved him. As Jesus looked at him, he could see his sincerity, but he could also see what was lacking in his life. What this young man lacked was generosity. He never truly gave anything to anyone else, so Jesus challenges him to sell all he had, give the money to the poor, and come follow him…but he couldn’t do it. This story challenges our commitment to Jesus. It forces us to think about what we are willing to give up in order to serve Jesus faithfully. As the passage from Deuteronomy points out, this is truly a life and death decision. What kind of commitment are we willing to make?
03.08.09 On the Road to the Cross Part 2: The Adulterous Woman Isaiah 53:1-6; John 7:53-8-11
Sin is a subject we don’t like to talk about. Even as Christians, that word makes us uncomfortable. Yet, while Jesus was traveling the road to the cross, he repeatedly encountered the problem of sin. This is most apparent in our text from John as Jesus is asked to judge a women caught in the act of adultery. His words to the Pharisees are piercing: “If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” How often we are quick to judge others for their sins while we refuse to acknowledge the sin in our own lives. Jesus’ response to this woman demonstrates the power of forgiveness. Not only did Jesus spare her from death, he gave her a new opportunity to live by offering her forgiveness rather than judgment. The power of forgiveness has been given to us as well. We, too, have the power to transform people’s lives through the power of forgiveness. Like Jesus, we must learn to separate the sin from the sinner. When we learn to hate the sin but love the sinner, lives can be radically transformed.
03.15.09 On the Road to the Cross Part 3: The Samaritan Woman Psalm 16; John 14:1-42
There is no greater experience in life than to experience the birth of children. Just as great is the experience of leading a person to Christ and watching the new life of faith develop in them. The gift of new life is what Jesus offered to the woman he met at the well in Samaria. This was a woman who was an outcast in her community and who was stuck in the rut of her past. That Jesus would talk to her at all surprised her because she was a Samaritan, and Jews had a long-standing hatred of Samaritans, and because she was a woman. No respectable Jew ever talked to a woman in public, not even his wife. Recognizing her need, Jesus draws her into conversation with the offer of living water. This living water is nothing less than the Sprit of God. It is that Spirit that gives meaning and purpose to life and fill life with joy. That spring of living water began to bubble up inside her as she went to invite her neighbors to “come, see.” Joy is one of the characteristics that ought to set Christians apart from others. Joy comes from within, and grows out of our relationship with God. We may not always be happy, but we can always be joyful because we are confident of God’s love for us. Joy is the result of the Holy Spirit satisfying the thirst of our soul.
03.22.09 On the Road to the Cross Part 4: Zebedee’s Wife Isaiah 53:7-12; Matthew 20:20-28
Servanthood is using our life to help others meet their goals. Living the life of a servant is difficult because it runs contrary to our human nature. The opposite of servanthood is ambition, and our ambition is to get all we can for ourselves and gain as much power as we can. When Zebedee’s wife made the request of Jesus that her sons sit at his right and left in his kingdom, that was a request motivated by ambition. The rest of the disciples became indignant because they beat them to the punch and got their request in ahead of them. Jesus uses this situation to lift up the value of servanthood. In the Christ-community, Greatness isn’t measured by wealth, position or power; it’s measured by how much of ourselves we are willing to give away in service to God and others. Jesus’ own life is the prime example of servanthood. Fulfilling the prophecy of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah, his life shows us how far we must be willing to go in order to be servants. At the end of time, there will only be one Question God will ask us, and our answer to that question will determine our eternal destiny. That question is: “What have you done with all that I have given you?”
03.29.09 On the Road to the Cross Part 5: Caiaphas Psalm 22:1-18; Matthew 26:57-68
Jesus’ journey to the cross is coming to an end. One of the final people Jesus met on the road to the cross was Caiaphas, the high priest. While we often blame Pilate for the execution of Jesus, Caiaphas was the man behind the plot. Caiaphas was the man behind the suffering Jesus would endure. The road to the cross is the road of suffering. On the road to the cross, we see humanity at its worst. Suffering was absolutely necessary for Jesus in order to fulfill the will of God. Jesus had many opportunities to walk away from suffering, but he didn’t do it. To do so would have given sin and death the victory. As we travel the road to the cross with Jesus, we too will be called upon to suffer. Suffering is part of human life. Yet our suffering is not without purpose. Through our suffering, we experience the deepening of faith and trust, growth, and the presence and power of God to resurrect us. And we do not suffer alone. Jesus is present with us in our suffering.
04.05.09 On the Road to the Cross Part 6: Simon of Cyrene John 12:12-19; Mark 15:21-41
The events of Palm Sunday were the beginning of the week that changed the world. Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem to claim his place in the annals of human history. The week that began with a victory parade ended with a death march through the streets of Jerusalem to a hill called Golgotha. Beaten and bruised and overburdened by the weight of the cross, Jesus collapsed, and a man from the crowd—Simon of Cyrene—was forced to carry the cross for him. Earlier in his ministry, Jesus said, “anyone who would come after me must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” While we commonly say, “we all have our crosses to bear,” what we mean by that isn’t the same as what Jesus meant. We mean that we all have burdens to face in this life, but Jesus meant that we must all be willing to lay down his life for him just as he has done for us. Simon of Cyrene knew the meaning of this. He laid his life on the line to carry the cross for Jesus. The question for us is, “Are we willing to do the same?”
04.12.09 On the Road to the Cross Part 7: Nicodemus Matthew 28:1-10; John 3:1-16
The road to the cross does not end at the cross. If it did, all we would have is a dead hero and not a living Savior. The road to the cross extends beyond Calvary to the open and empty tomb. It is the resurrection that makes Christian faith what it is. Without it, there would be no Christian faith. How often we are like the women who went to the tomb on that first Easter morning. Although Jesus told them many times that he would rise from the dead, they went there expecting to find a dead Jesus, not a living Savior. The hope of Easter and the promise of the Christian life is the new life we are given because Jesus rose from the dead. When Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, Jesus told him that in order to see the kingdom of God, we must be born again. Literally, this means that we must be born from above, and that birth occurs through water and the Spirit. The waters of baptism cleanse us from sin, but it is the Spirit in our life that keeps us free from sin. That gift of the Spirit would not be ours if Jesus didn’t die and rise to new life. The Good News of Easter is that Jesus is alive, and we too can rise to new life through faith in him.
04.19.09 Peace Be With You Psalm 37:1-11; John 20:19-29
When Jesus first appeared to the disciples on the evening of that first Easter, he spoke to them the words they needed to hear most. Twice during this encounter, Jesus said to them “Peace be with you.” In the Aramaic language that Jesus spoke that phrase is just one word: shalom. Shalom is more than just a greeting; it is also a blessing. And the meaning of shalom encompasses more than just the absence of war. Shalom means wholeness, and when that word is spoken, the person speaking it is not simply wishing that the other person experience wholeness. The speaker is also making a commitment to work to being wholeness to the life of the other. After the troubling week the disciples experienced, they desperately needed wholeness, and Jesus gave it to them. But along with that, he gave them the power to bring wholeness to others. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to be peacemakers, Therefore, we, too, must be involved in bringing wholeness to those whose lives have been fractured and for whom peace has been disturbed.
04.26.09 The Family Tree Genesis 11:10-32; 1 John 3:1-10
There has been a resurgence of interest in tracing our family trees. The internet has aided in this search, with family search engines like Ancestry.com. Theoretically, it we could trace our roots back 40 generations—about a thousand years—each of us would have more than a trillion direct ancestors. Truth is, we are all swimming in the same gene pool. We are all related. Each of us can ultimately trace our ancestry back to Adam and Eve, the parents of the human race. We are all children of God by paternity because God is responsible for our life. However, we are not all children of God by fatherhood. Fatherhood implies a personal, loving relationship, and we become children of God through fatherhood when God offers us grace and we accept it. As Christians, we call ourselves the children of God, which means that we ought to manifest the attributes of God in our life. The primary way others will know that we are children of God is by the quality of our love. If there is one person in the world that we find it difficult to love, we are not truly children of God.
05.03.09 What’s In the Box Psalm 23; 1 John 3:16-24
Change is happening all around us. The mantra of the 21st century is “Think outside the box.” In the current climate of our culture, change is absolutely essential. We can’t continue the business-as-usual approach. This is as critical for the survival of the church as it is for co many of the businesses and corporations in our culture. But we must be careful not to move too far away from the box so that we don’t lose sight of the core values that make us who we are. Psalm 23 and 1 John 3:16-24 define the primary core value of the church: Love one another. While we must find new ways to communicate the message of the gospel, we can never lose sight of that core value. While Psalm 23 often provides us comfort and assurance of God’s love for us, it also provides us with a model for ministry as we shepherd others in the faith. John’s basic point is that the gospel is useless unless it results in a radical transformation in our lives. Transformation is what the Church of Jesus Christ is all about—not only changing the way we approach ministry, but more importantly, changing the lives of those to whom we minister.
05.10.09 How to Be a Branch Isaiah 5:1-7; John 15:1-8
The branch is a symbol of life—it is the vessel through which the power of life flows. The Israelites used the vine as a symbol of their relationship to God, but a branch is of little value unless it produces fruit. Jesus uses the vine to explain the relationship between God, Jesus and ourselves. God is the Gardener who has planted Jesus as the Vine in which the power of life resides. We are the branches through which that power flows. As long as we stay connected to the vine, fruit will grow. But in order to be a branch on the vine of life, we must do two things: first, we must stay connected to Jesus, and second, we must allow God to prune us so that we might as fruitful as possible. Spiritual discipline is necessary in order to stay connected to Jesus, and the trials we face in life are part of God’s way of pruning us—of removing those things that prevent us from producing fruit. James calls us to “Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds.” We can be joyful in tribulation because we know that it is the work of God in us so that we might produce fruit in our life that is pleasing to God.
05.24.09 Sing! Shout! Clap! Psalm 47; Romans 11:33-36
As Presbyterians, we tend to be very sober in our worship. While we believe that everything should be done “decently and in order,” it appears that we have crossed the line to “dull and boring.” One thing that we lack in our worship is enthusiasm. The songs we sing are often more suited for a funeral than they are for the celebration of the gift of Life God gives us. And it is certainly out of context for us to shout “AMEN!” or to break into applause. In Psalm 47, the psalmist commands the people of Israel to worship God with joyful songs, loud shouts, and the clapping of hands as signs of their thanksgiving for all that God has done for them. Can it not be the same for us? To disallow such expressions in worship is to put out the fire of the Holy Spirit among us, and where the Spirit is not fully present, the life of God is not fully present either.
05.31.09 Is the Fire Going Out? Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Acts 2:1-21
Fireflies are in danger of extinction. Their population has dwindled by nearly 70% in recent years, mainly because of so much artificial light. Because of all that artificial light, their fire is going out. It’s the stuff inside the fireflies that make them glow, just as it’s the stuff inside us as Christians that make us glow with the light of God. The stuff inside us is the fire of the Holy Spirit. We, too, are in competition with a whole lot of artificial light that sometimes tends to glow brighter than the light of the Spirit. Many people are attracted to those lights simply because the light of the Spirit has dimmed in the lives of Christians and in the life of the church. While we ought not seek to completely extinguish those lights so that we are the only light in town, we do need to learn to adapt. And above all else, we must do all that we can to keep ourselves as good places for the fire of the Spirit to burn hotly so that the Spirit’s light in us shines brightly, and new generations of Christians are born.
Vocation and calling are two words we talk about a lot in the church. Typically, we relate them to some special service such as ordained ministry or missionary calling. In the Reformed tradition, vocation is defined much more broadly. We each have a vocation, and our vocation is to live our life in service to God. “What does God want for me?” is a question so many of us ask as we seek to discover the direction of our lives. Related to that question is the question, “How do I discover what God wants me to do?” There are no easy answers to these questions because each of us has a unique calling since we are unique individuals. Our Scripture texts give us some insight into discovering our vocation. Paul reminds us that each of us have our own unique place in the body of Christ and the gifts and talents we have are important in the work of the church. The writer of Ecclesiastes calls us to live life one day at a time and use it to the best of our ability. As we discover our gifts and live an ordinary life seeking to serve God, we will be faithful to our calling.
06.21.09 Questions for God Part 2: How Does God Pick Servants? Exodus 3:1-10; Acts 9:10-19
Our title today is an interesting question to ponder. How does God know who to pick to do the work God wants done? The stories of the call of Moses and the conversion of Saul give us some insight. Moses was the right person to lead the Israelites out of Egypt because Moses was both a Hebrew and an Egyptian. By birth he was a Hebrew but he was raised in the house of Pharaoh. This experience qualified him for the job. Despite his objections, he went (in the power of God) and was successful. Saul was a passionate man—he was passionate in his hatred for the early Christians. Through his conversion, God transformed Saul’s passion into a passionate love for Jesus and a passionate desire to win others for Christ. But God doesn’t always call the experienced or the passionate. Sometimes God calls the inexperienced and the rebellious. Always God calls sinners, and always God chooses the people who have the gifts God needs for the job God wants done in that particular place for that particular time. What is God calling you to do?
06.28.09 Questions for God Part 3: Why Do We Stray? Proverbs 3:1-8; James 1:12-18
“Where does evil come from?” That iis an important question to consider as we consider why it is we stray from God. While there are many theories about the origin of evil, our Scripture lessons make clear that we can blame no one but ourselves. The writer of Proverbs would say that we stray from God because we are not willing to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” He is advising his son how to live an upright life before God and the community, and the first key to that is trusting God. The second key is not trusting in our own understanding. The reason we stray is simply that—we believe we know better than God what’s best for our life. James deals with the origin of evil and declares that evil and sin come from our own selfish desires. Those desires consume us, we act on them, sin is born, and sin leads us to death. While it is convenient to blame others, to blame circumstances, or even to blame God for the sins we commit, the fact is that we are responsible. Sin is a choice we make to disobey God.
The Presbyterian Church has had a profound influence upon our nation. The history of our nation is part of the history of the Presbyterian Church. Yet in recent decades, the Presbyterian Church has been faltering, losing significant members and resources. The same is true with most mainline denominations. How can the Presbyterian Church recapture its place in American culture and continue to provide a profound influence for good? The place to start is be reclaiming the evangelistic zeal that was part of the church in the early days of our nation. Secondly, we must be faithful to the five Great Ends of the Church as defined in our constitution. But most importantly, we must get back to the basics of what Jesus said the church is to be about. Those basics, as defined in the Great Commandments and the Great Commission, are Worship, Ministry, Evangelism, Discipleship, and Fellowship.
07.12.09 Questions for God Part 5: Why Do Bad Things Happen? Genesis 50:15-21; Philippians 1:12-21
Why do bad things happen to good people? That’s an age old question. One of the reasons why we ask that question so often is our belief in Murphy’s Law, which states: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” We’ve conditioned ourselves to expect the bad and overlook the good, or even to overlook the possibility of good, especially in a bad situation. Murphy’s Law flies in the face of the teaching of Paul who says “In all things, God works for the good of those who love them.” (Romans 8:28) God never promised that life would be easy once we become a Christian. In fact, life often gets more difficult once we become a Christian. But to try to avoid the pain of living is to miss the blessings that God wants to bestow upon us and through us to others. The Old Testament story of Joseph, and the story of the apostle Paul’s imprisonment in the New Testament, teach us to look for the blessing even in the midst of suffering. Joseph and Paul both had the gift of perspective: they were able to see their life in the larger context of God’s plan. We would do well to do the same.
07.19.07 Magnetism Lamentations 3:22-26; Mark 6:30-44
As a child, I was fascinated by magnets and their ability to attract and repel. Magnetism is a principle that applies to the church as well. In recent years, the mainline church has seemed to be much better at repelling people than attracting them. There is no place where the gap between generations is more noticeable than in the church. Yet, our Savior was a very magnetic person—he attracted crowds wherever he went. So we must wonder what it was about Jesus that attracted people to him, and what it is about the church that seems to repel people today. Mark 6:30-44 gives us a good clue into Jesus’ power of attraction. “When he saw the crowds he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Seeking to get away from the crowds for awhile, Jesus and the disciples sought some solitude but solitude was not to be found. Instead of resenting the crowd for their imposition, Jesus had compassion on them and met their needs. The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 illustrates the depth of his compassion. Too often, we are more like the disciples who wanted to send the needy people away, but Jesus would have none of it. All are welcome at his table. No one ever goes away hungry.
07.26.09 Junk Food Exodus 16:11-18; John 6:24-35
There is no doubt that Americans are addicted to junk food. Our eating habits are destroying our health. We live by out appetites—for more than just food. Along with filling our stomachs with food that will harm us, we fill our minds with trash, our lives with poor decisions, and we fail to nourish the soul. Our addiction to our appetites is a spiritual issue, not merely a physical one. Moses and Jesus faced crowds that are very similar to us today. For the people of Israel, God provided manna in the wilderness, and for a hungry crowd, Jesus multiplied loaves and fish. But they were still not satisfied—they were still hungry for more. Jesus instructed his crowd that their heart was in the wrong place. Instead of living by their appetites, they needed to feast on “the bread that came down form heaven that gives life to the world.” That bread, of course, is Jesus himself. His point is that when we nourish our souls, our other appetites will be satisfied as well.
08.16.09 Ask, Seek, Knock Psalm 25:1-15; Luke 11:1-13
The 2006 movie, Click, starring Adam Sandler, is the story of a man who tries to fast forward his way through life. The movie’s theme is relevant for our generation because so many of us live life on the fast track. We live in a culture of instant gratification, and rarely do slow down enough toe take the time to nurture the relationships that are important to us. We do that with people and we do that with God. Even in our faith, we want instant gratification from God. We expect our prayers to be answered when we want them answered and the way we want them answered. Rarely are we willing to “wait for the Lord.” Sadly, we have taken the beautiful prayer Jesus taught us and use it to seek instant gratification from God and to avoid investing the time to develop a genuinely intimate relationship. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he did not intend them to memorize his prayer and recite it mindlessly. He intended it to be a model for developing an intimate relationship with God. As we cannot fast forward our way through life, neither can we fast forward our way through faith. We must invest the time to develop a deeply personal and meaningful relationship with God.
08.23.09 Follow the Leader Psalm 19; Mark 8:27-38
At a pivotal point in Jesus’ ministry, Jesus asked his disciples a profound question: “Who do you say that I am?” That is a question that confronts each of us time and time again at various points in our life. How we answer that question defines who we are and declares our commitment to be disciples of Jesus Christ. What does it mean to call Jesus “the Christ?” In order to be faithful disciples and follow where Jesus leads, we must first understand who Jesus is. At this point in the disciples’ journey with Jesus, they still did not fully understand. They could not fully understand until they experienced Jesus’ death and resurrections for themselves. And so it is with us. We do not fully understand who we are until we understand who Jesus is, and we don’t fully understand who Jesus is until we experience his death and resurrection personally. “Who do you say that I am?” is the crucial question of life. To know for certain who Jesus is helps us better know who we are, and how we answer that question defines our meaning and purpose for living.
08.30.09 The Righteous Life That God Desires Psalm 25; James 1:17-27
Since the early days of the church, there has been a controversy raging between faith and works. The question is, “What role does good works play in the life of the believer. Many have argued that only belief in Jesus is necessary for salvation, while others have argued that the works we do help us to earn God’s favor. This very controversy is what sparked the Protestant Reformation. The New Testament clearly declares that we are saved by God’s grace alone, but it also declares that our lives must be changed by God’s grace. The way we live our lives is a public witness to our faith, and our behavior as Christians does more to declare the love and grace of God than our words do. In the first chapter of James, the brother of Jesus begins to describe what the righteous life that God desires looks like. His entire letter to the churches is intended to help believers translate the faith we profess into practical living.
09.06.09 What’s In A Name? Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23; James 2:1-10
If you were to die, what would your funeral be like? Would it be a sad and somber affair full of grief and tears or would it be a celebration of a life well lived? What would people have to say about you? These are questions about legacy. Whether we’re famous or not, we all leave behind a legacy, so what’s in a name is important. The book of Proverbs makes the point that we are constantly being watched—by other people, to see the kind of life and witness we live, and by God. God is concerned about our good name because our good name influences God’s good name. In our creation, we have been endowed with the attributes of God, so what others think about us will influence what others think about God.
There are three primary areas which God is concerned about in us and about which we should be concerned: our reputation, our riches, and our regard. How well we protect our name, handle our possessions, and regard those who are poor and needy influences the effectiveness of our witness.
09.20.09 In Step With Jesus Psalm 1; Mark 9:30-37
Jesus lived his life out of step with the culture of his day, and he calls those who follow him to do the same. To be in step with Jesus is to be out of step with the world. As Christians, we are called to be eccentric. Eccentricity isn’t a bad thing. It doesn’t mean that we are crazy, rebellious or out of touch. It simply means that we choose to live life differently—differently enough that people will notice. Rather than fitting in with the crowd, we ought to stand out in the crowd. One of the marks of that eccentricity is whom it is we choose to embrace. Jesus embraced a child as an example of accepting people who have no status in the community. Who is the “child” we are called to embrace? In Jesus’ eyes, we are all children of God and we all need the embrace of God’s loving arms. Many will not ever experience that unless we are willing to open our arms to them.
09.27.09 Why Pray? Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 18:1-8
A recent study by the Templeton Foundation concluded that prayer had no effect of a complication-free surgery for heart bypass patients. Those who were prayed for showed no significant improvement over those who were not. So the question arises “Why pray?” Even as Christians, we often have difficulty with the discipline of prayer. Why would God be interested in us? Why bother praying if we don’t get what we ask for, or if we have to wait for it? The purpose of prayer isn’t to change God’s mind in any way; the purpose is to change us. It’s a discipline through which we develop a deeper, more personal relationship with God. Through prayer, we come to better understand God’s will and come to desire God’s will over our own. In Luke 18, Jesus teaches some valuable lessons on prayer and demonstrates why persistence in prayer is important
10.04.09 Small Steps Lamentations 1:1-6; Luke 17:5-10
Did you know that simply through the act of walking each of us generates six to eight watts of energy? A London architectural firm is working to develop a devise to capture that energy and convert it into usable power. We are all miniature power plants. What a remarkable thing it would be if all the energy we produce could be captured and used!
This is a picture of the church. The impact that Christians would have on the world simply by being careful how we walk through our daily life in the presence of others would be life transforming. In Luke 17, the disciples make the request of Jesus to “Increase our faith!” and Jesus responds with the words, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. Here Jesus is illustrating that we already have all that we need to do his work in the world. What we need to do is learn to use the power we’ve got, and if every Christian would do that, the impact upon the world would be phenomenal.
10.11.09 Questions for God Part 1: Why Believe the Bible? Deuteronomy 8:1-5; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
A popular book series these days is the “For Dummies” series. One of those books, “The Bible for Dummies” points to the fact that our current culture is functionally illiterate when it comes to the Bible. The Bible has been, and continues to be the number one best seller of all time, yet few people know what it has to say. It is also the textbook of the Christian faith. Our texts for this sermon speak to the importance of God’s Word for those who follow God. Moses reminds us that “man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” reminding us that we are much more than physical beings. Paul encourages his young pastor friend, Timothy, to remember the value of God’s Word and to preach it with all boldness. There are a lot of competing writings out there since we live in a multi-religious society, so we must be careful to “measure” what we read against the revealed will of God. The Bible continues to be relevant today, just as it was when it was first written. A book that has stood the tests of time as the Bible has could be nothing other than the Word of God.
10.18.09 Questions for God Part 2: What About Infant Baptism? Mark 10:13-16; Acts 16:25-34
Christian Baptism is an act of fellowship; it’s a sign of God’s acceptance of us as members of the household of God. As Presbyterians, we practice both infant baptism and believer’s baptism. When a adult desires to unite with the fellowship of the church, if he/she had not been baptized previously, that person is baptized as part of their public profession of faith. But we also practice the baptism of the children of believers as well, and we do so because God’s love and grace encompasses all of us, no matter what age we are. Infant baptism and confirmation are inextricably linked. In infant baptism, the parents and the congregation make a commitment to nurture the baptized child in the faith so that when that child reaches the age to claim Jesus Christ for himself/herself, he/she is confirmed in the faith professed for them in baptism. Our texts speak to the importance Jesus placed upon children and the responsibility of the family to nurture children in the faith. We cannot deny our children the fullness of the blessings of God. The greatest gift we can give them is the blessing of the love and grace of God given through Jesus Christ.
10.25.09 Questions for God Part 3: What About Predestination? Psalm 139:1-19; Ephesians 1:4-14
One of the basic beliefs of the Reformed faith tradition is a belief in predestination. While it is an important tenet of the Presbyterian tradition, most Presbyterians do not fully understand it and they often confuse it with fatalism. Fatalism is the belief that absolutely everything that happens to us is planned and there is no room for chance occurrences or free will. Predestination, on the other hand, has to do with God’s foreknowledge based upon human choice. According to the teachings of John Calvin, God has predestined that some would be saved and some would not. However, God does not choose by name who will be saved and who will be judged. What Good has predestined is that those who respond to God’s call of love and grace through faith in Jesus Christ will be saved while those who reject God’s offer will be condemned. Paul explains this in his letter to the Ephesians, and David reflects upon the foreknowledge of God in Psalm 139.
11.01.09 Questions for God Part 4: Will Non-Christians be Saved? Isaiah 56:1-6; John 10:1-16
One of the most difficult challenges for Christians today is to live in a multi-religious culture. The challenge is to respect the beliefs of other faith traditions while witnessing to the truth of the gospel. The question,, “Will non-Christians be saved?” is a legitimate question. While Christianity is a universal religion in that it is open to everyone, we do not believe in universal salvation (that God will automatically save everyone). Isaiah 56 broadens the scope of the faith to include outcasts and foreigners who are willing to bind themselves to the Lord, and in John 10, as Jesus talks about his role as the Good Shepherd, he says that he has other sheep that must be brought into the sheep pen as well. These “other sheep” are not people of other faiths; they are Gentiles who come to faith in Jesus Christ through the ongoing ministry of Jesus’ followers. While it is right for us to respect the beliefs of others, it is also right for us to witness to them about what we believe. We must, however, do it in a loving way that respects the other person and not in a way that is judgemental.
11.08.09 Investing In the Community 1 Samuel 29:10-20; Mark 12:13-17, 38-44
Investing in the community benefits everyone in the community. Across the nation, there are communities that are printing their own local currency that can be spent in support of local businesses. These communities are learning the benefits of shopping locally as businesses reinvest in the community to make it a better place to live and work. This is a lesson that church needs to learn. Too often, the church expects people to give to support a healthy bottom line, but a healthy bottom line is not what makes a congregation a church. What makes a congregation a church is the investment in of time, talents, and treasures that members of the community make in the ministry of Jesus Christ. David praises God for all the gifts that God enabled the Israelite community to give for the building up of the temple, and Jesus praises the tiny offering of a poor widow, not because she gave much, but because she gave sacrificially. Those attitudes expressed in these Scriptures are what ought to motivate our giving th support the ministry of Jesus Christ.
11.15.09 In Search of Permanence Genesis 11:1-9; Mark 13:1-8
In cemeteries across the nation, there are monuments to days gone by. Etched on those monuments are the names of people who have lived and died before us, and all that is left of them lies buried in the ground beneath these massive stones. Their stories will ultimately be lost to history. This is as close as we can come to securing any permanence for ourselves. In our Scriptures, both the descendants of Noah and the disciples of Jesus were looking for permanence. The descendants of Noah sought to create permanence by building a tower that reached to the heavens, and the disciples marveled at the magnificence of the temple buildings. Both of them came to naught, as will everything else in this world, including our bodies. The lesson of these Scriptures is that there is no permanence in this life, but only in the life to come. If we truly desire permanence, our only hope is to trust our life to God and live our life according to God’s will. God alone is eternal.
11.22.09 Standing Before the Son Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36
The movie, 2012, which hit the theaters on November 13, is Hollywood’s most recent installment of movies that deal with the end of the world. As Christians, we have had a fascination with the “end of days” ever since the beginning of the Church in the first century AD. The early believers held to the hope that Christ would return in their lifetime. Even in our lifetime, there have been numerous predictions about the end of the world, none of which have come true, which verifies Christ’s own words on this subject. While Jesus’ words in Luke 21 are frightening, he speaks them as a word of hope. His message is not simply about the destruction of the planet, it is about death and resurrection—the central theme of the Christian faith. His point is this: in order to be able to stand before the Son of Man, we must first kneel before the Savior. As Christians, we have a responsibility to continue the work Jesus entrusted to us, and we better be found busy doing it when Christ returns. We are in the unique position of living between Christ’s two advents. As we remember the first advent, we prepare for the second through faithful living as witnesses to the love and grace of God.
12.06.09 Skipping Christmas Jeremiah 23:1-6; Luke 1:68-79
The movie, Christmas With the Krank’s, the screen version of John Grisham’s novel, Skipping Christmas, is the story of a couple who tried to forego any celebration of Christmas for a year. They found the social pressure too great to be able to pull it off. While we may be tempted to skip Christmas ourselves, there are a number of blessings we will miss if we do. In fact, the way so many of us celebrate this holy day, perhaps we are already skipping the true meaning of one of the greatest events in human history. Jeremiah and Luke detail for us many of the things we will miss if we ignore or try to minimize the significance of the Christ event. Jeremiah speaks to a people whose world has collapsed and offers them hope through a Good Shepherd and a Righteous Branch. In the Song of Zechariah that Luke records, Zechariah details the hope and promise that is soon to be fulfilled in the birth of the long-awaited Messiah. Is skipping Christmas really something we can afford to do?
12.13.09 It’s Not Your Turn Yet Isaiah 9:2, 6-7; Luke 2:1-7
If ever there was the opportunity for God to enact God’s plan of salvation in majestic flourish, it was at Jesus’ birth. Yet Jesus was born into this world in humble simplicity. That is one of the remarkable details of the Christmas story as told in Luke. God quietly slipped into the world in the form of the infant Jesus to save us from our sin. Perhaps the story is too simple for us to believe. We are overwhelmed with far too many trivial preoccupations to notice the most significant event in history. Even our celebrations of Christmas today demonstrate how hard we work to edge God out of our world. For the people in Bethlehem that night, their preoccupation was the Roman census. It’s not that they weren’t anticipating the coming of the Messiah; it’s just that they were too preoccupied to notice. We, too, allow ourselves to be preoccupied to notice what God is doing in the world and in our lives. There’s just no room for God right now. It’s not that we’re not interested; it’s just that it’s not God’s turn yet. Christmas declares that it is God’s turn. We have made a mess of things and only God can straighten them out.
12.27.09 Image Breakers Micah 5:2-5a; Luke 1:39-55
Christmas is about seeing things differently, breaking traditional images and thinking outside the box. Mary and Elizabeth were both iconoclasts--image-breakers. What God was doing through them was new and different, and they were not afraid to allow God to work through their lives. Rather than allowing themselves to be caught in the box of second-class citizenship, they rejoiced in the hope that God chose to announce through them. Even as Christians, we tend to be locked into the “traditions” of Christmas. What we generally celebrate isn’t at all about God or what God has done and is doing in our life. Instead, it is often about ourselves. The challenge for us is to celebrate Christmas as “image breakers;” to challenge the traditional images in our culture that bring disappointment and despair to so many rather than bring the hope and joy that God gives through Jesus Christ. To do that, we must make the message of Christmas our mantra, not just for one day, but for every day of the year.