“WHERE IS YOUR ANTIOCH / MACEDONIA?” 9/16/12

2 Kings 19:10-11

Jerusalem was not only the capital of Israel, but also the central location for growing in the faith of Yahweh. The temple was there. The Words of God were housed there. The chief priests were there. Major festivals were held there.

Do you have a place where your faith is shaped and practiced? Sounds silly to ask in church doesn’t it? But, far too many churches are not places that nurture faith, uphold the Word, call people in for the holy times, have people there of deep faith and willingness to help others find faith.

Those congregations, like Jerusalem in this passage, are enveloped by the ungodly, and focus just on that. And they are ineffective.

Surrounded, Jerusalem had no allies, no people they could reach out to. Many congregations are the same way. They exist for themselves, just as Jerusalem made being the center of the national faith the only reason for the faith. Congregations, too, make their own ways and beliefs the sole purpose of their existence.

God made congregations to live His ways beyond the group. God brings people into worshiping communities for the sake of those not in the community yet.

Just like in this passage, a congregation with no outreach, no place to give their faith in the world, is one overwhelmed by the world. Such a congregation is strangled and slowly dying. Where are we living? Where are we going?

“WHY ARE WE PERSECUTING HIM?” 9/16/12

Acts 9:3-6

Did you catch what Jesus said to Saul here? Saul was imprisoning Christians. He was drumming them out of towns and out of livelihoods. He consented to stoning Stephen to death. And Jesus says to him, “You are persecuting Me.” A mighty conversion happens when people hear Jesus say that to them.

Well, we don’t need that. We’re good people. We would never do like Saul did! Answer some questions in your head, and see.

When today’s worship ends, how quickly will we leave? Is not the face of Jesus all around us? Don’t we want to meet Him face to face?

We have phone books. If you don’t, then ask me. They have numbers of Jesus’ people in them. Are they called?

At $1 Dinners, how many people are willing to speak to someone in that roomful about why we do this, why our Lord wants this to happen?

I deeply believe, still, that this congregation has exceeding greatness yet to come. When the light of Christ blinds us to all but Him, when we all get knocked off our high horses about how things should be, then that greatness will start to shine.

The first step along this great path is recognizing that what we do in the world we do to Jesus. And will be held to account.

“WHO IS YOUR LORD? WHO ARE YOU?” 9/2/12

2 Kings 19:14-19

Isaiah tells Hezekiah’s officials that the Assyrians will retreat. The Assyrians write Hezekiah promising that they will be back. Notice that temporary relief does not make for a permanent solution!

Hezekiah takes the threatening letter. He shows it to God. Now, you might smile at that. But, taking all of our life, even the little details, to our Lord, is a sign of respect, and proof of our faith in Christ. The king here is saying, “I am Your servant, Lord. I’ll do what You want. But, I only know the situation; I don’t know Your will. Help me.”

All of living under the Lordship of Christ is just like this. For big issues like, “We are invaded!” to little concerns such as, “Who should I speak with today?” Jesus is Lord. Always. We are servants/slaves of the Lord. As such, we act only when we know the Master’s will, or when we have learned the Master’s will by His habit, or His stated intentions.

Mother Theresa longed for a special word from God. Her task of caring for the least and lowliest in India was often a great burden to her spirit and body. She wanted reassurance. She wanted fresh, happy experiences with Jesus. All she ever got was what God gave her one day on the steps of a temple. “Care for that man.” God never said any more, for there was nothing more that needed to be said.

Her life task was to care for “that man,” however discarded by the rest of the world he was. Her Lord was Jesus, who commanded her to care. She was His servant, and did what she was told. Would that we all did likewise.

“DRUNK ON…?” 9/9/12

Acts 2:11-21

Christians make fun of each other. Pentecostals smile at the formality and, let’s face it, often boredom of churches like ours. We, in turn, imitate their rolling in the aisles and shouting incoherently. We all miss the point.

No one is a Christian under his or her own power. One is a Christian by and in the Holy Spirit. The gospel was not being preached, until the Spirit gave the disciples language and voice. Peter was no preacher, until the Spirit moved in his heart to address a confused, if not dubious, crowd.

So, what are we drunk on? Let’s be honest, humans are addictive beings. We search out what stimulates us and then go back to that again and again. Habit, drugs, types of people, language, junk food, caffeine, cigarettes, it all proves that we don’t live free of addiction, free of compulsion.

So, what one addiction, what single medicine, makes us fully alive? The Father, His Son, His Spirit. Addiction to God looks to the world like some weird, if not offensive, way of life. And, it should. For all other addictions lead to death. Only devotion to the Lord leads to life.

And, we cannot manufacture this devotion ourselves; we cannot do exercises to “get” this passion. It is the gift of God, the seal of the Holy Spirit. Only then will it grow.

Presbyterian worship presumes all who come are already God-loving, Spirit-following believers. Is that true here? What do we need to happen in us and among us, so that Union City thinks we are high on something they don’t have and cannot get? Unless, we point them to Jesus.

“WHO IS YOUR BARNABUS / TIMOTHY?” 9/9/12

2 Kings 19:2

Hezekiah trusted his ability and his faithfulness. Despite all his efforts, his kingdom was about to be crushed. Only when he allowed others to grow in their faith and ability, only when he turned to other people of deep faith for guidance, did things turn around for him and his people.

He allowed his priests and trusted aids to seek the Lord on their own. Who are you inspiring to turn to God? To be fair, folks imprisoned in Jerusalem had powerful incentive to “try God.” They were going to die if they didn’t.

But, can’t the same be said for people you know? That woman in an abusive relationship. That father trapped under a load of debt. The child who has quit trying. There are hells that do not involve military invasion. Who are you helping out of hell and towards heaven?

Hezekiah decided, finally, that he wasn’t the “know it all” of the kingdom. He turned to Isaiah for help. Who is a god-centered person you turn to? Who guides you from where you are to where the Lord wants to take you? We are the body of Christ, each one a body part. No one part is capable of surviving on its own.

Who needs you? Who do you need? A congregation for the Lord always asks these questions, then seeks out the answers. Why? A Christ-loving people want to love Christ better and better, as well as extend that divine love to other people whom Jesus wants in church!

“FAITH STARTS HERE” 9/2/12

Luke 24:1-3

Unless Jesus physically rose by Himself alive out of that temporary tomb, nothing about Christianity is true.

He had to rise. If Jesus was just a moral example, just a noble person in time, then, first of all, the Bible is pure fiction. Jesus didn’t claim to be an example. He claimed to be God in flesh.

Second of all, if He were just a nice guy who dies like us all, then His teachings are stupid. “Love your enemies.” And, “When someone steals your outer garment, give them your undershirt too.” Pure idiocy. Unless, a power greater than death itself could work on a person in the same way it worked in Jesus’ corpse to raise Him again.

He had to rise in the body that was crucified, or else there is no forgiveness of sin. His body, broken by sin, is now broken open at the table to give resurrection life to those still in a body of sin.

He had to be found risen. Jesus was seen dead; He was seen risen. Those two historical proofs transform anyone who would accept them. Otherwise, we are back to the good Teacher.

He rose. With a mighty triumph over all God’s foes! Faith then, is not what we believe, but for Who we live. FAITH – Fully Acting In The Holy Spirit is the privilege of all who receive His risen life, His powerful presence right here, right now.

Faith in Christ is the life He gives us to live in the circumstances of a world that is freed, but refuses freedom.

“NO PLEASANT DEATH” 8/26/12

Mark 14:35-36

Jesus does not want to die. His distress overwhelms Him. In Luke, Jesus prays so hard for death not to come, that He sweats blood! The fear of dying exhausts Him. The fact of dying appalls Him. Right at this moment, He is just like us.

Here too, is where Jesus is different from us. “Not My will, but Yours be done, Father.” Jesus says, “I don’t want to do this, but God, You find it important, so I will.” Jesus will drink that cup. What is in it?

Not just His death, but mine. And yours. And all who ever lived. All who ever will live. It all went into Him like sewage down a drain. Everything wrong with the Universe went into His body. Every rape, every curse, every earthquake, every disease. He absorbed it all.

We will suffer our own death, our own wrongs. Jesus endured them all.

And, that is not yet enough! He died on a cross to fulfill the Word of God. The Father promised a permanent, once-for-all sacrifice, and God keeps promises. Jesus fulfills the promise.

He died on a cross to restore the original relationship God had with Creation – walking freely together in Eden. “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.” In Jesus’ blood, the curse of the Universe was absorbed, and cleansed, and poured away.

When we die, the world will go on. When Jesus died, the world was made new!

“LET YOUR PEOPLE GO” 8/26/12

2 Kings 19:1-2

Hezekiah was surrounded. All his battle plans, all his military campaigns, led up to this moment. He was surrounded. He was defeated. He could do no more.

Ever been there? Ever been there as a Christian? Ever been there as a congregation? We all have. And we all got there the same way Hezekiah did. He relied on himself. Sure, he had an army and court officials do his bidding. It was his bidding being done.

That revolutionary little prayer we say every week has this line in it, “Thy (Your will, God) be done on earth (right here, with me) as it is in heaven.” When we have reached the end of our rope, we have only begun to hold the cords of heaven. God has a way. God has a plan. God has others who can help carry out that plan. Ask them, then let them!

Hezekiah finally turned to his officials. He finally asked someone else to help out. He at last wanted help in knowing God’s will. Surprise, surprise, God’s will obviously wasn’t what Hezekiah was doing! The king allowed the subjects to take over, to take responsibility, to seek the Lord.

For us that means the following:

— No one is allowed to have private “only I can do it” responsibilities. Ask for help. Teach others what is being done.

— Decisions are group efforts, not private affairs. We all agree; we all seek God together, or we hold on until God is ready to speak, because we are willing to obey Him.

“B=BUILDING, C=CASH” 8/19/12

2 Kings 19:1-8

Jerusalem was a splendid place. Solomon made it a show palace. Joash made it sturdy and sound. Hezekiah made it a fortress. Quite the ancient capitol! And, none of it mattered. The Assyrians had the city surrounded, and all the wealth and brick in the place could neither feed nor defend the people trapped inside.

Religions make holy places, and the places are usually palaces, and the palaces usually take up time and energy. Jesus Christ makes holy people, and the people are an area’s source of hope and peace, and that source attracts others to Christ.

Religions stress giving and charity, often to the people in charge of the religion. Jesus Christ creates a community of believers who pool together to take care of one another and bless the area around them.

Many, many churches act religiously, not faithfully. Even Hezekiah here, after all other options are removed, finally turns to God.

Why is it that we trust in what the world provides, or in what we earn, above and beyond what the Lord promises to do?

Why? We are human, and our existence, we think, is based on material things. Our Maker is Spirit, and uses material things to draw people to Himself.

A church rich in the Holy Spirit is wealthy indeed. A congregation built up in Christ is a beautiful place to be.

“COMING AGAIN” 8/19/12

Matthew 24:29-31

I have spoken to at least six people this month so far who are sure the Latter Days are here, and Jesus will soon return. Paul was certain. John of Patmos was certain. Tertullian in the 400’s was dead sure. Wandering monks in the Middle Ages warned that Jesus was coming soon.

Do you get my point? There is nothing more clear in the New Testament than the return of Jesus to earth from heaven. This second time He comes, not as a Savior, but as a Redeemer of the saved, and as a Judge of those who reject Him. The elect are gathered to Christ, and the nations begin their time of eternal grief.

And, nearly everyone I speak with about this Biblical truth miss its power entirely. The power of this fact lies in the urgency and scope of this grand meeting with the Lord. It is urgent because He is coming soon – Maranatha! It is of captivating importance because those who love Jesus are given time now to do the work He has commanded be done.

To illustrate…  An obnoxious, but rich relative calls you and says he will be at your door in about an hour. To impress, and better your chances of being in the will, you make the house ready, and prepare yourself for that particular person.

Jesus expects at least the same sort of attention and energy. We are to get personally prepared, not put off the state of our souls, not continue in habits that destroy our souls, but to clean them up. We are to make the guest feel welcome. How? By working on neighbors and the community to present it, not brightly painted, but holy living. Why? He is coming!

“SELF-JUSTIFICATION” 8/12/12

Luke 10:25-29

Most of us know the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus tells it to a man who challenges Him. A Jewish man is beaten and robbed on a mountain road. Left for dead, he has no help, save what may come his way. A priest passes by, and offers no help. A temple worker passes by, and offers no help. A Samaritan, who is unwelcome in Israel, stops and helps the man by tending wounds and paying for future care.

That is a neighbor. But the answer was not why the man asked Jesus the question. He asked, as Luke tells us, to justify himself.

The man was religious, but probably had some flaws. He wanted God’s approval just as he was, without changing anything about himself. Jesus deliberately picked a Samaritan as His story’s hero. Samaritans were unapproved by the man’s religion.

Jesus’ not-so-subtle point to the man was this. He was less likely to have eternal life because he never demonstrated that he lived by the life of God. Instead, the man lived by his beliefs, his ways, his satisfactions, his agenda. The Samaritan lived by the heart of God and touched the need of his world.

That is a neighbor. That is someone living by eternal life. One can do good for others and not have eternal life. I’m sure the man in this encounter was well thought of by many. He wasn’t fully entrusting himself to God. He wanted God fully invested in him, with as little return as he could give. Isn’t it wonderful none of us are like that?

“A IS FOR ATTENDANCE” 8/12/12

2 Kings 19:9-13, 18

The Assyrians had conquered little kingdom after little kingdom, beating god after god in war. Here, they had to go fight a massive new army coming to oppose them, so were leaving the tiny group of defenders left in Jerusalem.

They had resources, people and power. And, many churches seek the same. Why? Well, it clearly says in 3 Fred, chapter 2, verse 16 ½, “God helps those who help themselves.”

The Bible teaches, and the history of the church proves, that God helps the helpless who put their full trust in Him. He does so, not because the people want it done, but because God always finds ways to demonstrate how foolish other sources of life are. Who and whatever opposes the Lord ultimately meets defeat!

And, that defeat also happens to congregations that choose not to rely on God. Two illustrations prove this. The Willow Creek Church, which is a national chain of congregations, had a way of bringing hundreds if not thousands of people to worship on Sunday. They discovered most people didn’t stay. Why? No one bothered to relate the love of Christ to them in a personal way. It only takes one! Second illustration. A large church in NYC was struggling. It had lots of money in the bank, and lots of people in the pews, but not much got done. When there was a conflict in the congregation, it all broke apart. Why? Entertainment and personal agendas were running that church. Not Jesus. When Christ is in control; church is awesome!

“THE CONFUSING BASICS” 8/5/12

John 3:3-9

Nicodemus loves God. He teaches others what he is sure God has revealed to him. He is such an example, such a teacher, that he holds an important position in Jerusalem.

And he cannot understand what Jesus is talking about.

“You must be born again,” Jesus says. “That’s not possible; birth can’t be repeated.” Nicodemus anguishes.

“You must be born of water and Spirit,” Jesus says. “How can this be?” Nicodemus fitfully wonders.

“The wind’s unknowable ways are just like people who follow the Lord’s Spirit,” Jesus explains. “How can this be?” Nicodemus asks.

Everything needed for a right relationship with God, a proper way to live in the world, and a freedom to live out that relationship, is in these words. I’m not going to explain them. I’m inviting you to them. Let them speak and shape you.

“I tell you the truth; no one can see the kingdom of God unless that one is born again. I tell you the truth; no one can enter the kingdom of God unless that one is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from, or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Do you want these words alive in you? Then, let us pray.

“HOW GOD WORKS” 8/5/12

1 Kings 19:9-13

We’ll be in 1 Kings 19:1-18 awhile, as a way to dig deep into God’s Word, and set deep in ourselves why a disciple-making church is the way to go for us.

The first things churches need to do to become disciples, and help others join in, is this:  know how God works. Most religious people want magic, not God. They want some answer to prayer to drop out of the sky, some behavior fixed overnight. This passage tells us God works differently.

Isaiah tells a people surrounded by an army that the enemy will leave, and they have nothing to do with it. Pretty soon, the Assyrians do leave! God revealed Himself to a prophet, then acted according to His word by shaping events in human lives.

The Red Sea didn’t evaporate; it moved out of Israel’s way. The loaves and fishes didn’t become hamburgers. They yielded to the touch of Christ and fed multitudes. That is how the Lord works! He takes ordinary people and ordinary things, and from within them brings about extraordinary happenings.

So, what do we learn about discipleship here? God works through us! God does wonders within and because of us! God seeks people who want such a life:  people who willingly open themselves to the Lord of life, so that they may really, deeply live.

And, from those people amazing things happen in the world!

“CHURCH LEADERS FOCUS ON DISCIPLESHIP” 7/29/12

1 Timothy 3:1-7

People follow leaders. Leaders are supposed to help people get to good places with good lives. Christian leaders are supposed to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and help people become Christ like. What does that involve?

Right faith:  A proven Christian – one who shows Jesus, and has shown His ways over time. Humble – a servant of the Lord, not oneself. Committed – Sin tempts, but God rules.

Right Character:  Temperate – emotions in check, desires aimed at Jesus. Jesus-hearted – conduct that looks more appealing than merely, “That’s just the way I am.” Hospitable – welcoming and caring. Able to teach – knows the Word personally & lives it passionately. Content – money and status are no motivators.

Right relationships:  A faithful spouse – for marriage is a reflection, not of our feelings, but of God’s nature. A noble, caring parent – for a mess at home always comes to damage a church. A sound reputation – for folks outside the church need to see something good inside those who are in church.

In a church, an excellent leader is an attentive follower of Jesus. That example earns a hearing in other ears. That living inspires others to try to do the same. A congregation blessed with such leaders will soon find much changing for the better, and lives changed by the Lord!

Paul asks Timothy to do what we are all to do. Not excuse sin. Truly exalt our Savior. Learning and living these out is, really, what discipleship is all about.

“HAVE ENOUGH?” 7/29/12

Mark 6:37-38

Have you ever been upset with people for wasting what they have? Some rich guy buys a fourth boat. Some poor person uses tax money to buy steak you can’t afford. Gets you mad, doesn’t it.

That is a good object lesson for how God feels about His church. He gave us all sorts of wealth and ability and resources, and what do we do with it? We do as the disciples do.

“Lord, we don’t have enough.” “Send people to the government; we can’t feed them.” “Hey, don’t expect me to sacrifice for people I’m not related to!” The thousands who need Jesus stand all around them, and they find excuses for keeping their treasure from them.

And Jesus has only five small loaves and two fish to work with.

With God, it is not about how much, but it is about Who is enough? God didn’t save everyone in Union City today because He has placed enough faith and enough eternal life in you and I to share it powerfully with others.

God doesn’t snap the sinners into shape because He has put His heart for them in our hearts, so that human contact makes a divine connection.

Consider the riches of heaven the Lord has given us. Do we have enough? Consider the resources we have right now, as we are that are gifts from the Lord. Do we have enough? Jesus answers that simply enough, “Yes, yes you do.”

“FOUNDATIONS” 7/22/12

Matthew 7:24-27

I’ve always believed the teachings of the Jesus in Matthew 5-7 were impossible for us to live out. Then, I read the end of the sermon! “Whoever hears these words…and practices them is like a wise man who built his house on a rock.” Let’s work backwards.

The house of the wise does not collapse during life’s storms. It surely is in the midst of the winds and water. It surely endures damage. But, at storm’s end, it stands. To “stand” is to love God so much that we do as we are told.

The flood and wind are simple enough to understand. They are all those things we do when we aren’t doing what God said. They are “the ways of the world,” so to speak. The wise follow the Maker of worlds, not the ways of this one.

The house is built on the rock. 1 Corinthians 10:4 will tell us that rock is Christ. Not our effort. Not our beliefs. Not our understandings. Not our interpretations. Christ. “All other ground is sinking sand.”

The effort to stay on the rock during the storm comes, not during the storm, but in preparing for its coming. The wise builds before the floods! The wise person builds on Christ. The wise one grows deeper in love with Him, and daily calls on His help to follow and obey Him.

See, I’ve always thought Jesus said these things to drive us to despair. I can’t love my enemy! I can’t go the extra mile! I can’t. He could. He did. He lives in me. He lives in you. Be wise.

“A CHURCH COMMITS TO GROW IN FAITH” 7/22/12

1 Corinthians 14:26-33

As I get older and more crotchety, I have come to look at things differently. For instance,  why do we have bulletins, trained choirs, paid ministers, an order of worship? Seems to me we have it to avoid worship as the Church.

It is easier for people to let others do the work for them, to package the worship in some form, then unwrap the package in an hour, no more than one hour, and less is good too!

The Corinthian church ceased to worship because they got caught up in what we would call “speaking in tongues,” and they were mocking the Lord’s Supper, which they had during each worship time. They weren’t like mainline churches today, but the effect is the same. Faith doesn’t grow.

When you come together, EVERYONE has a hymn, a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation, to strengthen the church. See how different worship would be?

Faith grows when we are all responsible for worship. How can that happen? The life we live all week, we live for the sake of Jesus Christ. Then, we come together and let people know what God has done through us and to us. We all celebrate together. We all weep together. We all gain from one another’s faith journey.

When we stand before the Lord on Judgment Day, will we escape rebuke if we talk about how many pies we baked, or how many broken things in the building we fixed? Is church about the stuff, or about the Lord? Isn’t faith a growing into Jesus, and helping others grow in Him too?

“CAN’T SEE GOD?” 7/15/12

John 1:14-18

Here is awesome good news!

Christ is among us, not to visit, but to live! He is in His body, the holy church. He is in believers (usually fitfully!) who seek to remain faithful to that church, that Body.

We have seen God’s glory! That answered prayer. That person who shaped your heart. The time when Jesus’ people gathered to you and upheld you. We have seen the everyday miracles of Christ:  in confession of faith, in someone admitting sin and crying out for change, in people doing it Jesus’ way, whatever “it” is.

Our lives are not built on the mountain of our achievements, possessions, memories, even relationships. Our lives are built on Christ. John the Baptist gives this truth to us this way, “He who comes after me (I lived for myself, not now / He pursued me in love) has surpassed me.” The greatness of Jesus the Lord outshines any source of identity of a human!

We have walked through life, not captive to our biology or our culture, but enraptured with Jesus. In that second course, we have known glory, the Father, the Son, the Spirit. On that path we have received and have given grace, hope, righteousness, healing, justice. One young Christian put it well, “I can’t see God, but people see God through me.”

This God is not a mystery in the sense of “unknown” but mystery in the sense of “vast, deep, awesome.” Jesus’ life on earth proved that. Jesus’ life in the Church demonstrated that. Jesus’ life in us now shows God to the world.

“A CHURCH SEEKS CHRIST-LIKENESS” 7/8/12

Philippians 2:1-11

A vibrant church looks nothing like success or importance in the world. Give our congregation this morning your own report card, and remember, we are not grading others, but ourselves.

Focusing on God – in all things, at all times.

Never resting on our blessing, but find God to be enough.

Seeking to “let go” of our concerns and needs to be freed for the Lord and other people.

Living to serve, rewarded or not.

Emptying our fears, our beliefs, our ways, into the heart of Jesus, and letting Him shape who and how and why we are.

Being courageous enough to do whatever God wants, no matter the cost to us.

Obeying God, not seeking ways to “sort of” be obedient.

So, how did we do? Tell me.

“CHRISTMAS IN JULY” 7/8/12

Luke 2:1-7

To real Christians, every day is Christmas.  Here’s why.

Jesus, being eternal God, is never is past tense.  He is always in Bethlehem, in Union City, every day, every time.  That means we live by the life of “I AM” and bring to this moment God’s eternal love and our constant need of His care.

Christmas marks when God chose to exist in human flesh.  As the Holy Spirit, who also is eternal God, lives in true Christians, every day is an Incarnation Day of God in our world.  That means we are holy vessels of love and forgiveness, pouring onto the world, not our personalities and preferences, but Christ’s.

Christmas, in reality, came when most people were not aware of it, or cared about it.  Only a select few got to see how much the universe has changed.  We are among those select few today, and therefore have a responsibility to speak and live by what we know.  Just like Mary and Joseph, just like the shepherds.

Jesus’ birth, so to speak, brought the divine light of God out from under the basket of:  religion and behavior, holy books, occasional miracles, and set it on the stand of interpersonal relationship:  a person needing the Lord/the Lord being vulnerable and open to that person.  So what?  Well, living like that would surely change how I do things!

Christmas means “Christ’s time”.  And today is the acceptable day of salvation.  This is the day the Lord has made.  Merry Christmas!

“A CHURCH MAKES RELATIONSHIPS VITAL” 7/1/12

Hebrews 13:1-9

Do you want people to love you? So does everyone else! Since Jesus Christ is the same always, and His love is in us, we then should love.

Do you enjoy being treated well? So do others! Since Jesus Christ is the same always, and He is gracious to us, we then should be gracious to all.

If you were in trouble, would you want support? So does everyone! Since Jesus Christ is the same always, and He is a very present help in trouble, we are able to help whomever, whenever, however.

Would you expect faithfulness from others? We all would! Since Jesus Christ is the same always, and He is ever faithful, we can show passionate commitment to all.

Do you like being content? So does everyone! Since Jesus Christ is the same always, and He is our contentment, we are to live and act as if we are OK, because He has made us OK.

Is a role model helpful to you? They help most people! Since Jesus Christ is the same always, and He is our role model, we are to be role models for all around us.

Is getting right with God important to you? Well, it is to people around you too! Since Jesus Christ is the same always, and He will never steer people wrong, we are to follow Him, and help others follow along.

In one sentence – a church inspires and helps other people because Jesus helps and inspires us.

“WE HATE GRACE” 7/1/12

Jonah 4:1-4

The Assyrians of Ninevah were cruel warriors, and had regularly tormented and harmed Israel. Jonah wanted them punished, not given a chance to change!

We never get like that, do we? Our politics are based on respect and caring for those with whom we disagree. Right?

Jonah knew that, if given a chance to do right, the Assyrians just might do it, and all the suffering Israel had gone through would be, in God’s eyes, forgiven and forgotten.

We cannot live like that, can we? Many of our lives are filled with scars and open wounds from days gone by. They need healing, not ignoring! Right?

Jonah did not want to deal with the Assyrians because God might do something good to them. Let them rot!

We never wish such things on people, would we? We only dislike people who deserve it, or who threaten us, or who have harmed us in some way. That’s OK, right?

In all these ways, Jonah shows he hates grace. And that is why he needs it. In all these ways, we show that we hate grace. And that is why we need it.

Grace is running from God, yet not being struck down for it. Grace is putting other lives in danger because we don’t follow the Lord, yet those lives are spared. Grace is surviving in a fish’s mouth for three days because we refuse to do God’s work. Grace is giving people God’s Word, so that they and we can be open to and changed by the Lord Jesus Christ.

“LETTING GO” ~ Part I 5/13/12

Genesis 2:18-25

God had a very personal relationship with the only human in the Garden of Eden.  But, God saw that the human was lacking something.

So, the Lord let go of an exclusive relationship, and created another one for the human.  A good mother gives life that forever changes hers, for the very same reason that God does here.  She lets go of who and how she’s been, for the new life another gives her.

God crafts the new being out of the only human there.  Flesh from flesh, just as Jesus is flesh from flesh, as well as God from God. Intimacy, not sex, but intimacy, is what God made people for.  A good mother births and raises a child to be both worthy of this awesome connection, and to desire nothing less.  She lets go of her claims, so that her child can be reclaimed by her or his Maker.

Once the new person is made, God brings the two together.  A good mother sees a child as just such a gift:  one God gave, one to be treated accordingly.  A good mother knows her life belongs not only to her, but also to others.

The original human is overjoyed.  What holds a good mother’s body and soul together is deeper than effort.  It is the joy of experiencing a sliver of what the Garden of Eden must have been like.  She needs God every day.  She walks and talks with God to get through the day.  The child becomes, for her, a vessel by which she steers her life to the shore of the Promised Land.  She lets go of former goals, for the highest goal of life that never ends.

“LETTING GO” ~ Part II 5/13/12

Genesis 2:18-25

Here, God lets go.  We all need to do the same, for the same reason.  As it is Mother’s Day, though, allow me to use one relationship as an example for all.

A mother is a creation, born of God’s work upon her, so that a new life comes to be.  Our nation has decided that humans are options, like paint color on a car.  The truth is that, just as no one is born without the hand of God upon them, so no one gives birth, or receives God’s “new birth,” without God at work.

So what?  That means we cannot be our best selves apart from God’s work on us.

A mother has a prior commitment:  to her heavenly Father, and to the father, preferably husband, of her child.  This mother-child connection would not exist if those other relationships were absent.  Again, in our nation, we have made programs, etc., so that a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.  And, we have lost touch with both our humanity, and God’s creative divinity.

So what?  We all lose, when we are less than God made us to be.

The woman comes to be by God’s decision.  No God choice and action…no child.  How different would our country be if more of us who say we follow God, would actually let the Lord lead!  A child is not for us, but from Him.

So what?  We learn to praise and obey best, when God gives us a life that demands our all.

“RISE!” 5/6/12

Isaiah 40:28-31

Life often seems like one long beat-down, with occasional breaks in the pounding.  Faith may well seem a constant frustration of never making the grade.  It all may be true, but not if the Lord is in charge!

In God, our despair meets His creative power.  The Lord made the Universe.  Surely, God could do something wonderful, even with and through us, even yet, even so.

Our defeat meets His victory.  Not only on the cross, but also every moment, our Savior works on believers to have them express what they already possess.  Eternal life, divine help and grace, wisdom that only the Lord knows – all of these are ours, all the time, no exceptions!

Our weakness meets His strength.  Here is the practical aspect of the paragraph above. We need not live by our resources, but out of our Savior’s!  We have heaven’s treasury to bank on and invest in.  The Lord of our lives reaches into us in such profound ways that we find solutions, we speak words, we discover truths.  On our own these were unavailable to us.  By letting God in, and Him be in charge, we gain all this and more.

We therefore rise.  The dying go to life.  The broken are pieced together in new ways.  The frustrated find peace.  You and I face the world, not on its terms, but on the terms of the Lord.  What are those?  His presence, His salvation, His Spirit let us do nothing more, and nothing less than, rise!

“KNEES FOR PRAYER” 5/6/12

Luke 11:1

The disciples all had knowledge of how to pray.  They had the Psalms in their heads. They had people around them model praying all their lives.

Jesus, however, had something different.  His prayer was different.  An attractive church, one greatly used by God, also prays differently than others.  How so?

The church learns from the Holy Spirit.  Romans 8:26-27 tells us Who is our best prayer teacher.

Jesus prays to follow the Father’s will, not to get His own.  “Thy will be done on earth…”  Do we mean that?

Jesus prays to deepen His connection to the Father while He is in flesh.  “Hallowed be Thy Name.”  Is our church hallowing our Lord?  Do our lives prove God to be sacred to us?

We learn to trust God through prayer.  “Give us this day our daily bread.”  Are our lives and faith based on our work, or on God’s care?

Prayer shows us the extent and depth of our need of a Savior.  “Forgive us our sins.”  Congregations that confess are blessed.

Jesus gives glory to the Father.  His focus is on God.  Do we pray to meet with the Lord, or to get things from Him?

Congregations that pray Jesus’ way are changed.  The Lord makes them able to do more than they could ask or even imagine.  Why could we not be one of those congregations?

“A HEART FOR CHRIST ALONE” 4/15/12

Luke 14:26-27

We are back now to a disciple-making church.  We’ll spend some time on qualities people not in church notice about such churches.  The 1^st being a heart for Christ alone.

Jesus’ words here are rarely preached.  Why?  Duh!  No preacher wants to offend.  For a committed Christian, the issue is not, “am I offended,” but “is God offended?”

Luke uses the word “hate” here, the strongest form of the meaning “put into lesser importance”.  That is what the Greek root is about.  We do things backwards.  To love our family best, we need the love of Christ more.  To help those we care about the most, we must entrust ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  What do we do instead?  Our best, then ask for help.

So then, we are not following God, but wanting God to follow our plan!  His plan for all is for good.  Follow Him.

Now, about that cross.  We made it into whatever condition or trial we have.  That was NEVER the intent of the Word of God.  The cross is that passionate love for God and humanity that goes to any length to exist and be accepted.  Just like Jesus did.  The cross is the call of God who expects our lives to be holy offerings to the situations of our world.  Just like Jesus.

Get the idea?  Loving Jesus makes all the difference!

“ANSWER TO GENESIS” 4/15/12

Psalm 51

Back in Genesis, the only problem in the world was introduced.  People sin against God.  Here in the Psalm, the solution to the problem is given.

It boils down to this confession, “Lord, I am a sinner in need of a Savior.  Do Your work in and through me.”  So, let’s look closer!

Sin is ONLY against God.  Murdering someone really ruins the victim’s day, but also tells God you don’t like what He’s made.  Sin leaves us no ability on our own to get better.  A murderer cannot bring back the victim.  We are helpless and hopeless, until we accept help.

That help is only from God.  God cleanses us with the blood of Christ.  His life in ours cleans out the sin life in us.  This “new start” is an occasion for joy and a turning from the sin.

More than that, a person who wants to be right with God yields to God’s work in them:  purifying the heart, gaining faith that resists sin, daily living under the Spirit’s power, enjoying God and serving Him.

How to serve?  Teach others what God has done in you!  Worship like it matters.  Be open and honest with the Lord, and never make excuses for what God hates.

People like that are unbeatable in a world too weak and too beaten to stand for good, or even know what it is.

 

“EVERY DAY CAN BE YOUR EASTER” 4/8/12

Luke 24:13-35

You can have an Easter experience as these two did. Really!

The two talked about their lives in terms of their faith.  When we shift how we speak, we open ourselves to the Word, who will teach.

Cleopas and friend welcomed a stranger to them.  God is revealed when we open ourselves to the humans He loves.  That love will stay with us a good while.

The two tell what they know.  What might happen if we lived our lives as if Jesus were always willing to be there, mighty to work and to guide?  He is!

Jesus teaches them from their experience and the Word of God.  If you have a Bible, you can do this very same thing.  A burning heart for God will be stoked, and the blaze will change things!

They invite the teacher in.  Would Jesus be welcome in your home?  Your checkbook? Your computer use?  Your mouth?  Your mind?

He serves them. Live sacramentally:  baptism our fuel, communion our food.  Daily life becomes acts of worship.  Needs around us become the call of the Lord to us.

Every day can be Easter for you, when you focus on the Lord!