The Church: Orthopraxy

LaGrange United Methodist Church is an:
I. Intergenerational
II. Christian
III. Spiritual Home
a. We build faith for all ages together through:
i. Worship
ii. Study and
iii. Fellowship
IV. For Our Community
a. We provide:
i. Hands on
ii. Personal
iii. Care
1. Within our community
2. To the larger community
3. To the state
4. To the world
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I. Part 2- Orthopraxis Right Action

Last week, we talked about the Church and her beliefs. We saw how all of the Church’s beliefs throughout history (including the Apostle’s & Nicene Creeds) come from Scripture and from Jesus’ work and teachings.

We concluded our time describing the Church universal and how that fit into the Church in La Grange. If you remember, we ended with 4 ways the Church is described in the Bible:

• The Body of Christ
• The Bride of Christ
• The Family of God
• God’s Temple

Now what happens if we stop there? What if we fully understand the beliefs of the Church and can explain who she is perfectly? Where does that leave us? Well, that would be like NASA believing we can get to space, being able to explain how it could be done, drawing out the plans for and building a space ship but never sending it in space.

As we learned last week, some beliefs are at the very core of Christianity and define Christianity, but the Church is more than just believing the right things. God’s design for His Church is for her to be on mission. To be a part of God’s Church means much more than just holding the right beliefs. That leads us to the question:

A. What is the mission of the Church?

Before we answer this, it’s important to distinguish between Christ’s idea of mission and our idea of mission. Look at our reading from Mark this morning. Our mission usually has to do with conquering, growing, dominating, taking over. Christ’s mission is about serving, becoming least, giving up rights, and waiting on God’s timing. Reaching all of La Grange is not bad, but it is not the Church’s mission. Growth is not bad, but that is not the Church’s mission. Growth is often a result of being faithful to the mission, but if it is the goal, we’re focused on the wrong thing. Dominating the community for Christ is not the right idea for mission. Our perspective must be this:

• How can we serve our community?
• How can we make those around us greater- even when it means we become less?
• How can we be in tune with what God is doing- when He’s doing it and not when we want Him to do it?
• If we don’t get this right, every thing else we talk about is in vain.

With that in mind, what is the mission of the Church? This has been answered in so many ways throughout history that it gets a little mind boggling. Almost every local church (including ours) has written a mission statement at some point in her history. And overall, I think it’s a good exercise to go through. But the truth of the matter is that every local church’s mission statement should look pretty much the same. If they are trying to be too unique or too different, they’ve probably strayed from God’s purpose for the Church. I’m enough of a realist to know that what we write down on paper and how it really is don’t always line up, so today I want to look at 3 important elements that should be a part of every local church’s mission statement and then compare those elements to our own reality and our own mission statement to see how it looks. I can look at the mission statement and answer that part, but I’m going to need your help to answer what it looks like in reality. We’ll get to that in just a bit.

1. To love God and love man (The Two Great Commandments)- Matthew 22:37-40

The first element comes from Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

Hear O Israel: The Lord your God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

This passage of scripture is called the “Shema.” Every Jewish family has a part of this posted on the doorpost of their house. Every Jewish child memorizes this passage. (Intergenerational) Jesus reaffirmed its centrality and built upon its importance in Matthew 22:37-40:

And Jesus said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Now if you remember what we read from in Deuteronomy, it just mentioned the loving God part; it didn’t include loving your neighbor.

Let me set the scene for Jesus’ statement in Matthew. The Pharisees and Sadducees are taking turns trying to trap Jesus into saying something they can convict Him for. So they are asking Him all these trick questions. The Pharisees start by asking Him if it is lawful to pay taxes or not? Now, what if I went up to one of you, “Hey Dick, I’ve got this tax bill coming up that I need to pay, but I was thinking, you know, I should really give that money to God. I mean it’s His money after all, isn’t it? What do you think?” And the whole time, I’m wire tapped, because I’m trying to get Dick to say something that I can use against him and send to the feds. So Jesus gives a great answer, “Give the government what is theirs and give God what is His.”

Now the Sadducees take a turn. They don’t believe in resurrection, so they ask him about this woman who ended up marrying 7 brothers who all kept dying, so who would she be married to in heaven? And Jesus says, “You don’t get it do you? It doesn’t work that way in heaven. God isn’t the God of the dead, but of the living.” In other words, “Don’t bring me your hypothetical situations about life, but bring me your own lives instead!”

Finally the Pharisees come back, still trying to trick Jesus, and they ask Him, “What is the greatest commandment?” Jesus responds with the “Shema” from Deuteronomy which was the “right” answer they were looking for, but then He adds the second, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This was a little jab because the Pharisees were so caught up in serving the Lord and following all the rules and making sure everybody else followed the rules, that they had very little time for anybody else, and certainly not for loving or serving anyone else! But Jesus’ point should not be lost: You can’t do one without the other. You can not love God without loving your neighbor, and you can not really show love to your neighbor without a love for God.

I hate to give away the ending here, but look inside your bulletin for a page with the La Grange Mission Statement and 3 questions on it. During my talk, I’d like you to be thinking about these questions and as we go along, if you think of a response to one of them, please jot it down, and then I’ll collect those at the end of worship at the back.

(a) How do the 2 Great Commandments align with the La Grange mission statement?

(1) Elements of loving God

• Christian
• Spiritual Home
• We build faith for all ages together through:
• Worship
• Study and
• Fellowship
  

(2) Elements of loving neighbor

• We provide:
• Hands on
• Personal
• Care
• Within our community
• To the larger community
• To the state
• To the world
  

2. The Great Commission- Jesus, Matthew 28:19-20

The second element of mission for the Church is often called the Great Commission from Matthew 28:19-20:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

As always, there a number of ways to look at this, but I want to break it down to 4 parts:

a) Go

This is one word, 2 letters, but a very important distinction in philosophy. Go. Not, come. Go out to the world. Not wait for them to come to us. An action word, not a passive word. Where is the Lord calling us to go? What does that look like in reality and according to our mission statement?

• Within our community
• To the larger community
• To the state
• To the world
  

b) Make Disciples (of all nations)

Make disciples. This really gets to the heart of the matter. What the Church is to be about. Jesus started with 12 disciples. From those 12, the effort of making disciples for Jesus has never ceased. It’s important to note that these are not “my disciples” but Jesus’ disciples. I’m not building my own little kingdom, but I’m contributing to the Master’s Kingdom. A disciple then, is a learner AND a follower, a follower AND a friend of Jesus. For the Church to make disciples then, is to help others learn more about Jesus, help others follow Jesus more, and help others draw closer to Jesus. And the caveat here is that this should be happening with “all nations.” What does this look like at La Grange in reality and according to our mission statement?

• We build faith for all ages together through:
• Worship
• Study and
• Fellowship
  

c) Baptizing in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

These last 2 parts of the great commission are really describing the discipleship process. There is the act of faith in baptism along with the confirming of belief that we talked about last week.

• Christian

d) Teaching to observe Christ’s commandments

Last is the process of teaching others to observe Christ’s commandments. The apostle Paul probably said it best when he said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” In other words:

• Teach others by learning from Jesus first.
• Lead others by following Jesus first.
• And be a good friend to others by being a friend with Jesus first.

How are we learning from Jesus? (Study)

How are we following Jesus? (First of all, we’re doing it together. And we’re doing it in obedience to His commands- to the best of our ability anyway.)

How are we being a friend to Jesus? (Worship, by personal care)

What does this look like in reality and according to our mission statement?

3. “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”- Westminster Shorter Catechism

The last element of mission for today comes from the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The first question of the shorter catechism is probably known by all of you whether you realize it or not.

What is man’s chief end? “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

How do we glorify God? How do we enjoy Him forever? (Worship. Fellowship- I believe enjoying one another is one way we can enjoy the Lord.)

Another way you could look at the issue of Mission is to ask:

B. Why does the Church exist?

1. To live out the Great Commandments
2. To fulfill the Great Commission
3. To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever
4. As the body of Christ, it could be said the Church exists to be Christ’s representative, literally to be His hands and feet on earth.
5. As the bride of Christ, it could be said the Church exists to love, honor, cherish, worship, adore, and be obedient to Christ’s commands.
6. As the family of God, it could be said the Church exists to be a community of redeemed souls living in unity with each other and with love for one another.
7. As God’s temple, it could be said the Church exists to be a dwelling place for the Lord.

We’ve looked at the great commandments and the great commission. How do we see these other descriptions of the Church’s mission at La Grange?

Body of Christ
i. We provide:
1. Hands on
2. Personal
3. Care

Bride of Christ
i. Worship
Family of God
i. Spiritual Home

God’s Temple
i. Christian
ii. Spiritual Home

C. What is unique about the mission of the Church?

D. What makes the mission of the Church different from any business, or social club, or community organization?

1. A business’ primary mission is making money. The Church’s primary mission is making disciples of Jesus.
2. A social club’s primary mission is gathering people around a common activity. The Church also gathers people around a common activity, but those activities are specific to the Church, i.e.- loving and serving each other, the community, and the world.
3. A community organization’s primary mission is maintaining a social good or eradicating a social evil. Its motivation is to make the world a better place for themselves, their neighbors, and their children. The Church is also concerned about the good and evils of society, but is motivated by advancing God’s Kingdom here on earth; knowing that Jesus is often the only lasting solution to social problems.
   

E. What could orthopraxy look like in La Grange?

I believe there are some amazing things that happen at this church. I believe this church serves as a great representative of Christ, and I am proud to be a part of what God is doing here. Yet, I believe the last thing any of us want to do is sit around and pat ourselves on the back for what we do.

The question shouldn’t be:
What are we already doing?
Nor should it be: What else can we add to our plate?

Instead the question should be:

• What is the Lord calling us to?
• What are we really good at that we could get even better at?
• What unique gifts, talents, and abilities has the Lord given us that we could use for Him?
  
  Take a few seconds to jot down some thoughts if you haven’t already. I’ll collect these at the back as you leave and then I’ll compile them and share our collective thoughts next week as part of our conclusion to this Church series.
  
  As we think about our gifts and abilities, I’d like to sing our closing hymn which reminds us that our greatest ability is being able to follow Jesus above all else.

Hymn Are Ye Able.

The Church: Orthodoxy

A simple quiz:
2 + 2 = ?
Red + Blue = ?
If I let go of this pencil, will it go up or down?
How many sides does a triangle have?

Great Job! You all passed! These are all things that we know to be true. We can go in depth and study these things through mathematics and geometry, physics and art. But we figure these things out long before we can explain them. Furthermore, if I told you that I believed 2 + 2 = 3, or that Red + Blue = Yellow, it still wouldn’t be true.

Likewise, we can say the same thing about the Church. There are basic fundamental truths about the Church that no matter what people in local churches believe or how they behave, those truths never cease to be true. So I want to do something a little different these next 3 weeks. I want to look at the Church from 3 different perspectives:
I. The Church and her beliefs
II. The Church and her mission
III. The Church and her character

This might sound a little familiar if you remember our conclusion from James last week that RIGHT BELIEFS lead to RIGHT ACTIONS which lead to RIGHT CHARACTER. Now, we’re going to apply those to the Church.

What inspired me to do this? A couple of things:
I. First, I get these messages from the conference asking each church to have a 5 or 7 year plan. So that led me wondering, “Does La Grange have anything like that?”
II. My inquisitiveness from that question led me to find a Vision Statement and a Mission Statement that was written here 2 years ago. I liked the vision statement. In case you haven’t seen it lately, it says:
LaGrange United Methodist Church is an:
Intergenerational
Christian
Spiritual Home
We build faith for all ages together through:
Worship
Study and
Fellowship
For Our Community
We provide:
Hands on
Personal
Care
Within our community
To the larger community
To the state
To the world
After reading this, it occurred to me that it can be helpful to look at the big picture Church and then apply that to the local church. And my prayer is that by looking at the nature of the Church, God will use this process to inspire us to new ideas and confirm within us what we are already doing.
We’ll touch on different aspects of this vision statement in the next couple weeks, but this week I want to focus on one word: Christian.
What does it mean to be a Christian church? Why is that important?
I think it is important not to lose the history of Christianity- of where we came from.

I. Part 1- “The Church: Orthodoxy” Orthodoxy simply means “Right Belief” or to believer correctly. The beliefs that 2 + 2 = 4 or that Red + Blue = Purple are orthodox beliefs because they are true.
A. What are the beliefs of the Church? Where did these beliefs come from? How did they come about?
1. Let’s start with Scripture. All of the Church’s beliefs originate from Scripture. Scripture is seen as trustworthy, reliable, and God’s Word.
a) Our Scripture reading this morning from Hebrews describes it well. “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
2. There is no question that the beliefs of the church come from the Jewish history as described and prophesied about in the Old Testament. Here are just a few examples of Christ fulfilling prophesies.
a) BE BORN AS A HUMAN MALE- Isaiah 9:6-7
b) BORN OF A VIRGIN- Isaiah 7:14 700 B.C.
c) FROM THE HOUSE OF JUDAH Isaiah 37:31 700 B.C.
d) FROM THE ROOT AND STUMP OF JESSE Isaiah 11:10 700 B.C. Isaiah 11:1-5 700 B.C.
e) FROM THE HOUSE OF DAVID- Isaiah 16:5 700 B.C.
f) BORN IN BETHLEHEM EPHRATHAH- Micah 5:2 700 B.C.
g) BE FROM NAZARETH OF GALILEE- Isaiah 9:1-2 700 B.C.
h) HIS BIRTH WOULD TRIGGER A MASSACRE OF INFANT BOYS- Jeremiah 31:15 625 B.C.
i) COME OUT OF EGYPT- Hosea 11:1 725 B.C.
j) MISSION WOULD INCLUDE THE GENTILES-Isaiah 49:6 700 B.C. Isaiah 42:1-4, 6 700 B.C.
k) MINISTRY WOULD INCLUDE MIRACULOUS HEALINGS- Isaiah 29:18 700 B.C. Isaiah 35:5-6a 700 B.C.
l) MINISTRY WOULD DELIVER SPIRITUAL CAPTIVES- Isaiah 61:1-2 700 B.C.
m) DESPISED AND REJECTED BY MEN- Isaiah 53:3 700 B.C.
n) HATED WITHOUT CAUSE- Psalm 69:4 1000 B.C. Isaiah 49:7 700 B.C.
o) REJECTED BY RULERS- Psalm 118:22 before 400 B.C.
p) REJECTED BY HIS OWN BROTHERS- Psalms 69:8 1000 B.C.
q) BETRAYED FOR 30 PIECES OF SILVER-Zechariah 11:12 500 B.C.
r) SILVER RETURNED AND USED TO BUY POTTER'S FIELD- Zechariah 11:12-13 500 B.C.
s) DISCIPLES WOULD SCATTER- Zechariah 13:7 500 B.C.
3. The beliefs of the church also come from the life (and consequently, also the death and resurrection) of Jesus and His teachings.

a) Why is Scripture so highly esteemed? Jesus quoted Old Testament Scripture. The gospel writers and the Apostle Paul told how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophesy. 2 Peter 3:15-16- Paul’s letters are identified with “the rest of the Scriptures.”
4. Apostles’ Creed (p.881 in the Hymnal) Read together.
a) Why the Apostle’s Creed? As the Christian church spread throughout the Roman world in the first century, and as the first leaders died out, there was a practical need for local churches to have a basic statement of beliefs. As false teachers began to bring in strange ideas, Christians needed to know "Just what is it that we believe?"
Some of these churches had a few books of the New Testament, perhaps some of Paul's letters or one of the four Gospels. But none of the churches had all the New Testament. They needed a standard to judge whether a teaching was truth, or heresy.
The early Christians also realized that new people didn't have to know everything before they could be baptized and accepted as believers. How much should they know and accept before being admitted into the church? This was another reason that early churches wanted a brief statement of what they believed to be most essential.
Churches in different cities and regions made their own lists, which had many points in common, since all the churches had traditions tracing back to the apostles in one way or another. The small differences were eventually eliminated as church leaders discussed these things with one another. They shared not only the scriptures they had, but also their statements of faith.
When Christianity became a legal religion in the fourth century, this process became easier. Churches throughout the empire agreed on which books should form the New Testament, and they agreed on several basic statements of faith.
5. THE NICENE CREED (381 A.D.) (p.880) Read together.
a) Why the Nicene Creed? The Nicene Creed came about as a result of the Arian heresy- which stated that Jesus was begotten, in other words there was a point in time before He existed. The Nicene Creed affirms the teaching of the Trinity.
B. What is unique about the beliefs of the Church?
1. Certainly the most unique aspect about the beliefs of the Church is that every belief (and as we’ll see, everything else) revolves around Jesus.
2. Again, this comes out in Hebrews: Jesus, as our great, sympathetic high priest. He is the reason that we can approach God’s throne with boldness.
C. What makes the beliefs of the Church different from any business, social club, or community organization?
1. The Church functions as a business only because Jesus told us to be good stewards of what He has given us.
2. The Church functions as a social club only because Jesus commanded us to be unified and to look after one another as brothers and sisters.
3. The Church functions as a community organization because of God the Father’s concern for justice and His concern for those who need help. In our reading from Mark today, Jesus told the rich man to sell all his possessions and give them to the poor. Throughout Scripture we see God’s heart for the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the foreigners among us.

D. What is the Church?
1. “Not institution, but a supernatural entity in process of growth toward the world to come. It is the sphere of the action of the risen and ascended Lord. All of its members are in Christ and are knit together by a supernatural kinship. All of our gifts and activities continue Christ’s work by the power of the Holy Spirit, originate from Christ, and are coordinated by him to the final goal.” Robert G. Clouse
2. The body of Christ
3. The Bride of Christ
4. The family of God
5. God’s Temple

In conclusion, I would like to leave us with some questions to ponder and some thoughts to think about:

E. What could orthodoxy look like in La Grange?
1. Affirm the authority of Scripture. Center of the Sanctuary. Read from it every Sunday. Preach from it. What else could we do?
2. Affirm the Apostle’s & Nicene Creed. Maybe we build into our worship the occasional reading of one of those Creeds. Perhaps a sermon series going through the Creeds belief by belief. What else could we do?
3. See ourselves as the Body of Christ- that is, be Christ’s agent. What does it mean to represent Christ in La Grange? What does that look like now? What could it look like?
4. See ourselves as the Bride of Christ- that is, be passionately in love with Jesus. How do we express our love to Jesus in La Grange now? What else could we do to show Jesus that we love him?
5. See ourselves as the family of God- that is, take care of one another as brothers and sisters. How do we take care of one another now? What else could we do to take care of one another?
6. See ourselves as God’s Temple- that is, maintain a reverence and awe of God’s holiness. How do respect God’s name and His holiness? What else could we do? For example, I’ve thought of possibly doing a sermon series on some of the names of God. I think the more we know of God’s character, the more we are led into worship of Him.

We’ll explore more of the practical side of some of these things next week, but for this week, I just want us to celebrate Christ and His Church with a better understanding of what makes the Church “Christian.” And as we learned, it all centers around Jesus, trusting in Him, and enjoying the sweetness of that relationship. So let’s stand now and sing together our closing hymn, “’Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus.”

The Tongue

The tongue is a fascinating part of our body.

Did you know:
The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
It is the strongest muscle and holds the power of death and life according to Proverbs 18:21.
In humans, the tongue functions principally in chewing, swallowing, and speaking.
It is necessary for life- chewing and swallowing and has ended some people’s lives early by speaking rashly and extended the lives of others by soothing away a dangerous situation.
The appearance of the tongue is often an indication of body health; a pinkish-red color is normal.
The appearance of the tongue indicates body health. The use of the tongue indicates spiritual health.
Close to fifty percent of the bacteria in the mouth lives on the surface of our tongue.
The tongue holds much bacteria in our mouths and it can easily pass the bacteria of evil onto others.
Every person has a unique tongue print.
Every person’s tongue is unique and how they choose to use it also creates a unique print in the lives of others.

Our tongue is neither good nor evil. It is simply a tool to be used for speech. Psalm 45:1 describes the tongue as a pen of a ready writer. How we use our tongue determines if it is good or evil.

Why does it matter what we say? It’s just words after all, isn’t it? You know, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

If you are of this opinion, hear the Word of the Lord on the negative power that the tongue holds:
Ps. 50:19 tongue frames deceit
Ps. 52:4 deceitful tongue loves devouring words
Ps. 78:36 tongue lied to God
Ps. 109:2 lying tongue
Pr. 6:17 one of 6 things God hates- lying tongue. Just in case putting “Thou shalt not lie” as one of the 10 Commandments wasn’t enough, God emphasizes again and again how much He despises a lying tongue. Why? For one reason, it leads to other things like:
Job 5:21 Lying tongue as a scourge- a curse, a plague, a blight, a thorn in our side
Job 20:12 Lying tongue can be used to hide evil. Every time a mass murderer is apprehended, the neighbors say, “He seemed like such a nice guy.”
Or have you ever meet a smooth talker and wondered what he was up to?
“What’s your angle?” Bing Crosby asked in White Christmas. “Everyone’s got an angle.”
Ps. 5:9; Pr. 28:23 Lying tongue used for flattery. Do you know the difference between flattery and a compliment? Sincerity. Compliments are from the heart. Flattery is from the tongue.
Ps. 10:7; Is. 59:3 Lying tongue used for mischief and to mutter wickedness.
Ps. 12:3 A lying tongue creates boastfulness- overconfidence in words. We’ve all met people who talk a good game, but when it comes to doing something, they’re really not that useful.
Ps. 52:2 Tongue devises destruction. Lies in all of its forms lead to destruction. They are the building block for ruin. Which is why Pr. 12:19 says a lying tongue doesn’t last long.
Jer. 9:3-8 tongue as a weapon (bow, arrow, lies)
Ps. 57:4, 64:3 Tongue as a sharp sword using bitter speech
Ps. 64:8 tongue can work against you
Pr. 6:24 smooth tongue of adulteress
At this point, I’ve probably motivated us all to never say another word again! While that may be a good place to start, I believe we would be falling short of God’s calling and robbing both Him and ourselves of countless blessings if we simply stopped speaking.
Although I believe we can never completely tame our tongue this side of heaven, Scripture does give us some images to motivate us in this endeavor.

The first image for taming our tongue is that of a:

Horses Bit
After doing a little research, I learned something about horse bits. All bits act with some combination of pressure and leverage. Bits are designed to work by pressure, not pain. Depending on the style of bit, pressure can be brought to bear on different parts of the mouth. Bits offer varying degrees of control and communication between rider and horse depending upon their design and on the skill of the rider. It is important that the style of bit is appropriate to the horse's needs and is fitted properly for it to function properly and be as comfortable as possible for the horse.[9]
In the wrong hands even the mildest bit can hurt the horse. Conversely, a very severe bit, in the right hands, can transmit extremely subtle, nuanced signals that cause no pain to the horse. Wikipedia
If the tongue is the bit, then we’re the horse. Who’s our rider? We can choose between Satan or God. Sorry; as much as we like our independence, we will have a rider.

In Satan’s wrong hands, even the mild things we say will result in our own tongue causing us much pain, damage, and hardship.

In the Lord’s hands however, even the least eloquent of us will be able to receive subtle and nuanced signals from our rider that, if heeded, will keep us from much stupidity and suffering.

The next image for taming our tongues is a:
Ships Rudder
On simple watercraft, a tiller -- essentially, a stick or pole acting as a lever arm -- may be attached to the top of the rudder to allow it to be turned by a helmsman. Wikipedia
If our tongue is the rudder, then that makes us the ship. So who is our helmsman? Who’s steering and guiding our speech and our path in life?

The bit and the rudder give us 2 images of steering or directing. What does it take then to keep our tongues and course and not get us into trouble?

One thing we can always do is ask God for help. Ps. 39:1 says, “Guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue.”

Another perspective is to say, refrain from all the things I just mentioned. And there is scripture to support this:

Refrain from:

Job 27:4 Righteousness is defined as the tongue not muttering deceit.
Ps. 15:1-3 A man of integrity speaks truth, does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor.
Ps. 34:13 Keep tongue from evil
Pr. 21:23 He who guards mouth and tongue guards soul from trouble.
James describes the tongue as a fire. With so many firefighters here, fire prevention and protection might be helpful images to explore when thinking about keeping our tongue from evil.
Fire
Wildfire prevention refers to the preemptive methods of reducing the risk of fires as well as lessening its severity and spread.[111]
What can we do to lessen the severity and spread of evil speech?
Effective prevention techniques allow supervising agencies to manage air quality, maintain ecological balances, protect resources,[72] and to limit the effects of future uncontrolled fires.[112]
How can we improve the conversational quality of the environment we are in?
How are we protecting our most valuable resources of our hearts and souls?
What are we doing to limit the effects of future fire outbreaks from our tongue?

Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of fires[1].
How are we protecting ourselves from our fiery tongues and all of its unwanted effects?
It involves the study of the behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression and investigation of fire and its related emergencies, as well as the research and development, production, testing and application of mitigating systems. Wikipedia
Have you ever wanted to say something but held yourself back?
Did you ever say something and then ask yourself, “Why on earth did I just say that?” Did you learn from your own personal research of those experiences?

According to James, we need to keep our tongues from burning with the flames of hell.

These are hopefully some helpful thoughts for us to analyze our personal fire prevention and protection plans for our tongues, but the most important step for us is to:
Seek out the Master Fireman! Remember, only the power of Christ in you can prevent fires of the tongue!

While prevention and protection are good, it is not always helpful to our human nature to tell us what not to do. For example:

A baseball pitcher is struggling, so the coach comes to the mound. “Look kid, this is a big spot for you. This guy can’t hit the high fast ball. Just whatever you do, don’t through it low and inside. That’s his power house.” The coach walks off the mound. First pitch: Low and inside, hammered out of the park. What happened? He was told what not to do and that’s what stuck in his brain.

So what are the positive aspects of speech that we can focus on? Again, scripture gives us the answer.

Positive Tongue
Ps. 37:30 Tongue speaks justice
Pr. 12:18; 15:2 wise tongue brings healing and knowledge
Pr. 31:26 teaching of kindness

2 Sam. 23:2 The Lord’s word was on David’s tongue
Ps. 35:28; 71:24 Tongue declare righteousness and praise of the Lord
Ps. 66:17 extol God with tongue
Ps. 51:14; 119:172 tongue sings joyfully of God’s righteousness and His Word
Rom. 14:11 every tongue praise God
Phil. 2:11 every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

To focus on these things makes for a righteous tongue which is as choice silver according to Proverbs 10:20. This righteous tongue is soothing and gentle and is declared a powerful tree of life (Pr. 15:4;25:23).

Finally, there is one more image that could prove helpful for us from this passage.

Water

Clean water storage is important because clean, fresh water is essential to human life. Brackish water, on the other hand, is hostile to the growth, and without appropriate management, it is damaging to the environment. Wikipedia

Our speech can be speech that is hostile to our growth and the growth of others and damaging to our environment. OR our speech can be speech that gives life if we speak words of justice, words of healing, words of knowledge, words of kindness, and words of praise to our Lord and King.

But we won’t always get it right.

There is a small island in Indonesia called Sumba. On the Eastern Coast of this island there is an area called the Tanjung Undu, which in English means, "The Land of the Undo People."
After extensive research on this area, I have decided that this is where I would like to live.
Due to an atmospheric anomaly, and the way the rotation of the earth affects that part of the world, the people of this region have been gifted with a genetic Undo function that allows them to quickly and easily take back the last thing they have said without anyone knowing that it was ever said:
A husband speaks harshly to his wife; no harm done, just use the Undo function.
Two neighbors gossip about what the pastor's wife was wearing on Sunday; no sin committed, just use the Undo function.
A word is spoken in anger between two lifelong friends; no relationship broken, just use the Undo function.
James 3:8 says, "But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, and full of deadly poison."
The gift of communication is perhaps one of God's dearest gifts to us.
Using simple words, we can express love, gratitude, honor and many other positive emotions that we feel for others.
But words can also express pride, fear, distrust and other negative emotions that we struggle with each day. There have been many times I have laid awake at night regretting the things I said that day. Things that have hurt or embarrassed others, or alienated those that I love and respect.
"And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32
While God did not create an Undo function for the words we say, He did create the repentance and forgiveness function. And perhaps more than any other function, it is this ability to ask for and receive forgiveness from others, that holds the Body of Christ together. It is one of the central functions that separates us from the world around us.
And, unfortunately, it is a function we do not use enough.
Perhaps it is fear that our repentance will not be received by our brother, that keeps us from asking.
Perhaps a hardened life keeps us from forgiving someone.
Perhaps it is weariness that keeps us from opening up our lives one more time to those that have hurt us, or whom we have hurt, and beginning the long, sometimes difficult process of restoring relationships.
"I... entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:1-3
While there is a place called Tanjung Undu on the East Coast of Sumba, in reality, the people who live there struggle with the problems their words create, just as we do. And as nice as it might be to have an Undo function to correct the things we have said and done, odds are unlikely scientists will develop this in our lifetime.
Fortunately, God has shown us how to repent and restore. So as you use the Undo function on your computer this week, let it serve as a reminder to repent of the harmful words you have spoken and to forgive the words that have been spoken against you.

And together, with the help of God All-Powerful, let’s strive to use our tongue for good and to refrain from evil speech.

Main Objective: To choose to use our tongue for good and to refrain from evil speech.

Faith & Works

September 13, 2009

James 2

Faith & Works

Desired outcome: To understand that Faith & Works can not and should not be separated.

Two little girls were on their way to school one morning. Having been detained in starting, they were very much afraid that they would be late. One said, "Let us kneel down and ask the Lord to not let us be late." The other said, "No, I think I will run as fast as I can, and pray to God while I am running to help me to get there on time."

This morning we are going to take part in the age old discussion between faith and works. It is one of those struggles between what can be seen and what is unseen.
And it has been going on ever since the Fall of Man when mankind has wrestled with a right relationship with God.
Before the fall of man, Adam & Eve didn’t have to concern themselves with a right relationship with God. It just came naturally. They had complete confidence and trust in God and they served Him wholeheartedly with His actions.
But since the fall, it has been a battle for us. And this is true even now in our every day lives. Every day we have to live our lives somewhere between two extremes.
On one side is the extreme of faith. If we believe enough, pray hard enough, trust God enough, then it will all be OK. “Name it & claim it” is the motto in this camp.
To the other side is the extreme of works. God is too busy or too disinterested in our lives to really have much to do with us, so if we want something done, we’ve got to do it ourselves. “God helps those who help themselves” is the motto in this camp. But most of us fall somewhere in the middle. We ask, “Am I doing too much and not trusting God? Or am I doing enough?”

History of faith and works

Let’s pick up where we left off in history after the fall. Mankind has been struggling since to figure out what it means to have a right relationship with God- trusting in Him and doing what He says.
Fast forward now to the time of Jesus. The religious authorities of His day, the Pharisees, had rules. First you start with God’s law. But to make sure that they didn’t break God’s law, they built what later became known as a “hedge” around the law. To make sure we don’t go anywhere near displeasing God, the Pharisees made up a whole list of more rules for our own protection and safety. Now Pharisees often get a bad rap, but take a minute and look at their intentions and you’ll notice that their motivation was to please God. It’s just that they lost the relationship in the midst of the rules.
After Jesus’ death & resurrection and after the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the church started out small and grew quickly. After a few centuries, it happened again. This time, instead of it being the Pharisees, it became the organized church that was overemphasizing works to get to heaven.
They had things like the selling of indulgences. In order to have your sins forgiven, the priest would give you an indulgence. At some point in history they started selling these. You can’t get much farther away from grace than that. This is one example of many corruptions that found their way into the church after many centuries removed from Christ.
Then, along came Martin Luther and the Reformation. Luther, after reading through the book of Romans, came to the realization that it was grace alone and not any thing that we could do that would save us. Luther was so convicted on this point that he really didn’t like the book of James. To him, James emphasized works too much and he tried to get it removed from the approved list of scripture.
During the social gospel movement, works again became the focus of the gospel and spreading the good news was done through good works. While this is good as a whole, the unfortunate consequence of the social gospel movement was that people felt they had to pick sides. Either they were concerned about social justice and the poor or they were evangelicals and were concerned primarily about proclaiming the gospel through words. The problem is that this is not an either/or equation. To help us sort through this paradox, I’ve come up with 3 different math equations

Faith Minus Works = Empty Words 0 Zero Nothing- Saying, “I believe” but then nothing comes of it. James says that faith without works amounts to nothing. Actually, it’s worse than that because Satan himself has faith in God. He believes in God and shudders! And yet nothing good comes out of it.

Works Minus Faith = Dependence on my goodness or myself. James describes this as useless (v.20). There are lots of people in this world just trying to be good people. Trying to do the right things and stay out of trouble. If our kids do that, then we’re happy. But I believe that world view is missing the bigger picture. Why are we trying to be good? Where are we headed in this life? What’s our motivation? These are questions that can’t be answered with works alone, but faith in God must be involved to give our lives meaning, direction, and purpose.

Works Plus Faith = Action Here we find the winning equation. We have action, but it is tempered with a keen dependence on God. We are co-laborers with God. Here is the winning combination: Pray as if it all depends on God; work as if it all depends on us.
Really, I don’t know if “works” is the right word. Perhaps a better word in place of “works” is “obedience.” Not any works, but the works God commands from us.
Imagine a construction site where the foreman says, “Today we are going to dig out a hole for the foundation, and get the foundation set and poured so we have a sturdy and square surface to build this house on.” The workers go about their assigned tasks except for this one guy who’s in the hole, nailing shingles into the dirt wall. The foreman says, “What in the beep are you doing?!” And the worker says, “Well, it looked like rain, so I thought I should get some shingles on this house to keep us dry.” Every one of you here could tell me how useful this guy is and how long he’ll stay on the job! We are co-laborers with God, but He is the foreman. We can’t just go around and do any work that suits our fancy, but we must go about the work we’ve been assigned.
Doing the right work- that’s obedience.
Listening to the foreman- that’s faith.

That’s how faith & works fit together.

There are other things that go together for life that seem to be opposite much like 2 paddles on opposite sides of a rowboat. If you only have one, you just go around in circles. You need both to reach your destination.

v.26 mentions Body & Spirit. Our body is the part we can see. The vessel we have to take us through this life. Our spirit is the part we can’t see. That is the vessel we have to take us to the next life. To neglect one or the other is a serious problem.

Both a man and a woman are needed to create a new life. Anyone who is married or grew up with a sibling of opposite gender can tell you just how opposite men and women are. God could have chosen so many different ways to create life, and yet putting opposites together is the one He came up with.

Both Hydrogen and Oxygen are required to make water- a key element to life. You may be able to explain to me how it is that two gases make up a liquid when put together, but it will continue to boggle my mind.

In the same way, faith and works can be seen as opposites. And yet, both are necessary to reach our destination.

Having one without the other is like:
slaw without dressing
or a truck without fuel
or any recipe missing even one ingredient.

Here’s what we see in Scripture this morning:
Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness after he acted on his faith and was obedient to God’s command to sacrifice his son- even though he didn’t understand it. And he was called a friend of God (v.23)
In our other reading this morning, Zaccheus showed his faith in Jesus by paying back all those he had cheated. He didn’t just say, “Jesus, I believe in you now. Let’s get on with life!” No, what came out of his new found faith was a work of obedience.

The works are simply how we live out our faith with our whole being.

The book, CHRISTIANITY REDISCOVERED, portrays this well. It tells of a Roman Catholic missionary, Vincent Donovan, who shares his discoveries as he worked among Masai people in Tanzania. Donovan had been working among the various communities of the Masai for many months. It was difficult work, and at times, his faith faltered. At one point, Donovan spoke with a Masai elder about the agony of belief and unbelief. In their conversation, the Masai elder pointed out that the word Donovan had been using in Swahili to convey the word "faith" was not a very good word in their language. The word they were using for "faith" meant literally, "to agree to." Donovan acknowledged that he knew the word was not a good one to translate the word "faith." The Masai elder said that to believe like that was similar to a white hunter shooting an animal from a great distance. Only his eyes and his finger got into it. The Masai elder then said that for one to really believe is more like a lion going after its prey. The lion's nose and ears sense the prey. He sniffs the air and locates it. Then he crouches, and slithers along the ground virtually invisible. We have never seen lions do this, but we have seen our cats. Same lineage, apparently. A cat thinks it becomes invisible as it stalks the prey. The lion gets into position, and when everything is optimum, the lion pounces. All the power of his body is involved and as the animal goes down, the lion envelopes it in his arms, pulls it to himself, and makes it a part of himself. This, said the elder, is the way one believes, making faith a part of oneself! Donovan nodded in complete agreement, almost overcome with the elder's wisdom. But the elder was not done yet. The old Masai became thoughtful. Then he said to Donovan: "We did not search you out, Padri. We did not even want you to come to us. You searched us out. You told us of the High God. You told us we must search for the High God. But we have not done this. Instead, the High God has searched us out and found us! All the time we think we are the lion. In the end, the lion is God!" From a sermon by Norm Lawson, Central Protestant Church, Richland, Washington

We tackle faith with our whole being and respond to what God tells us. But from the very beginning, we are justified by Christ’s sacrifice alone. The lion of Judah has sought us out and found us! However, James tells us that our response to Christ’s work is an important part of the equation. Faith & Works should not, indeed, they can not be separated. May God grant us the faith to trust in Him and the willingness to be His hands and feet for the world. Amen.

Main Objective: To understand that Faith & Works can not and should not be separated.

Serve your God with patience and passion.
Be deliberate in enacting your faith.
Be steadfast in celebrating the Spirit’s power.
And may peace be your way in the world. Amen.

Be A Doer

August 30, 2009

James 1

Title “Be A Doer”

Desired outcome: Be doers of the word.

The townspeople were in total despair. A fire which started in a diner was threatening to burn down the entire shopping district. They seemed helpless to do anything about it. Suddenly, a truck filled with farm workers came speeding down a hill toward the fire. The crowd moved back as the truck drove into the flames. The workers jumped out and beat at the fire with their coats, miraculously bringing it under control. The city fathers were so grateful for the men's heroism that they gave to each a plaque and a $1,000 reward.
After the ceremony, a newsman interviewed the driver and asked him what he was going to do with the money. Without a moment's hesitation the man replied, "You can be sure the first thing I'm gonna do is to fix the brakes on my truck." Brian L. Harbour, RISING ABOVE THE CROWD, (Nashville: Broadman, 1988).

Sometimes we don’t become men and women of action by choice!

The title of the morning’s message is: “Be A Doer.”

I think everyone of us here would agree that we want to be doers, but the real question is, doers of what?

Doing is a value in our society. And for the most part, I would say it’s a good value. It’s part of the good American work ethic.
However, we all know many people, maybe even ourselves, who are busy doing just for the purpose of…, well, nobody seems to really know what the purpose is.

The thought is: “If I’m not busy, then I’m not being productive.”

But I think we all know plenty of people who are busy and not productive at the same time
checking e-mails all day long, but not actually getting anything done.
Running from meeting to meeting but not seeing any results.
Taking our kids from one activity to the next hoping to keep up with the neighbors.
Pouring ourselves into our favorite hobby and never quite being satisfied.

John Maxwell said in his book “The Journey From Success to Significance”

If you’re not doing something with your life, it doesn’t matter how long it is. If you are doing something with you life, it doesn’t matter how long it is. Life does not consist of years lived, but of its usefulness. Your focus must be beyond yourself. If you are giving, loving, serving, helping encouraging, and adding value to others, you are living a useful life. That is significance.

Our passage in James this morning said we want to “prove ourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

So what do we want to be doers of? Doers of the word.
What does that mean exactly? Well, there are a couple of clues earlier in our passage.

In v. 18 we read that we have been brought forth by God’s word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.
In God’s word of truth, there is no variation or shifting shadow.
God is God and Truth is Truth and they will always remain the same. We are brought forth or newly created in the light of this truth when we allow Christ to rule our lives.

Then, it seems as if James is saying, “You know this already, but I want to remind you that your anger and your actions do not achieve God’s righteousness.
Being angry isn’t getting it done.
Being angry is not achieving the goal we began with.
What does achieve God’s righteousness is this:
Put aside filthiness and wickedness. Anything that makes us unclean. We’re not talking about dirt and mud here. We’re talking about those dirty little secrets we try to hide from everyone else, but we can’t ever hide from ourselves or from God.
This was how Susannah Wesley defined "sin" to her young son, John Wesley: "If you would judge of the lawfulness or the unlawfulness of pleasure, then take this simple rule:
· Whatever weakens your reason,
· Whatever impairs the tenderness of your conscience
· Whatever obscures your sense of God, and
· Whatever takes off the relish of spiritual things--that to you is sin."
These then, are the things we want to put aside so that
In humility, we can receive the word implanted, or literally, Christ within us, which is able to save our souls.”

This brings us back to our original question: What does it mean to be a doer of the word? A doer of the word is a doer of Christ’s teaching.

If that be the case, then our first scripture reading from Matthew 7 comes to mind. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise builder.” “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them is like a foolish builder.”

Hearing is not the key. It’s what you do with what you hear that matters according to Jesus.

I’ve read books from biblical scholars who have devoted their life to studying the scriptures and yet the words they know better than anyone else, in their original language, studying the settings and the context and all the nuances, these words aren’t taken to heart and so become merely an academic exercise instead of a life-giving resource.

Packing our minds full of good knowledge and doing nothing with it is bad for the soul.

Dr. J.B. Gambrel tells an amusing story from General Stonewall Jackson's famous valley campaign.
Jackson's army found itself on one side of a river when it needed to be on the other side. After telling his engineers to plan and build a bridge so the army could cross, he called his wagon master in to tell him that it was urgent the wagon train cross the river as soon as possible.
The wagon master started gathering all the logs, rocks and fence rails he could find and built a bridge.
Long before day light General Jackson was told by his wagon master all the wagons and artillery had crossed the river.
General Jackson asked where are the engineers and what are they doing?
The wagon master's only reply was that they were in their tent drawing up plans for a bridge.
Pulpit Helps, May, 1991.

In Meredith Wilson's MUSIC MAN, the professor tried to get Marion the librarian to go out with him. He asked her to meet him at the footbridge across the stream running through the park. She wanted to, but she refused. She said, "Please, some other time. Maybe tomorrow." The professor persisted, yet she continued to put off their meeting. Finally, in exasperation, he said,
"Pile up enough tomorrows and you'll find that you've collected nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays."

There’s a line from the movie "PAINT YOUR WAGON." Some say, "There are two kinds of people in this world. There are those who move on and those that stay.” But that’s not quite right.

"There are two kinds of people in this world. Them that is going someplace and them that is going no place. That's the truth." Herb Miller, EVANGELISM'S OPEN SECRET, (St. Louis: CBP Press, 1984).

We want to be going some place. We want to be living our life with significance and with purpose. We want to be doing, but not for the sake of being busy. We want to be doers of the word- Christ in our lives.

A man was making his way over the mountains through a terrible snowstorm. He gradually got weaker and weaker, until at last he stumbled and fell. He said to himself , "This is the end. I shall never be found." He was too weak to rise, but as he fell his hand struck the body of another man who had fallen in the same place. This first man was unconscious and the man who had just fallen rose to his knees and, bending over the prostrate form, began to chafe his hands and to rub his face until by and by the man's eyes opened. He had saved another life, but he had also saved himself, for the exercise had kept the life in his own body. And when you have a passion for souls, when you go seeking the lost, when you lift the burdens of others, your own vision of Jesus is clearer, your own hope of eternity is stronger, your own assurance of salvation is greater. --J. Wilbur Chapman

We want to be doers of the word because that draws us closer to our Lord.

Let me leave you with a few quotes to inspire you as you lead your lives of action for Christ.
- Rabindranath Tagore said
"You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson said
"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say."

- and finally, John Wesley said

“Do all the good you can,
by all the means you can,
in all the ways you can,
in all the places you can,
at all the times you can,
to all the people you can,
as long as ever you can.”

May it be so with us.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Desired Outcome: Be doers of the word.

Every Day Relationships

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Colossians 3:18-4:18

Every Day Relationships

Desired outcome To understand that how we treat one another, especially in our closest relationships, really does matter.

We made it! We’ve gotten all the way through the book of Colossians. It’s probably about time I share with you why I decided to start my time here with Colossians.
God led me to it. During my own private reading, I kept running into things that would either reference Colossians or say something that made me think of Colossians. Whenever I was about to move on, it seemed I ended up there again.
What appealed to me when I first read through the book was that Paul had never met the Colossians when he wrote this letter. He had heard many good things about them. He was hoping to meet them soon, but he hadn’t met them yet. Likewise, I had not met most of you yet. I had heard many good things about you. Everyone I talked to said you were a good group, and I was looking forward to beginning our time together.
But what sealed the deal for me was that I decided to check the lectionary put out by the Methodists which gives suggestions for which scriptures to use each Sunday. The suggested scriptures for my first few weeks here “just happened to be” Colossians. So here we are.

Now we come to the end of the letter, and here, it almost feels like Paul knows these believers from Colosse. Paul lists off a whole host of people that have relationships and connections with this group of believers. Likewise, after my first few weeks here, I feel like I know many of you better and I’ve also had the chance to meet many people who are connected with you and speak of you fondly. These every day relationships really do make a difference.

Last year, my cousin Carson was in his office looking to hire new employees. He had many resumes before him, and he was trying to find the best one among the pile. One of the many things he did to get to know these people better was to check Facebook. Now for those of you not familiar with facebook, allow me to give a short explanation. Facebook is a networking site on the internet that allows you to connect with friends all over the world. You can be “friends” with people, post pictures, comment on what you’re doing that day, and join groups and clubs. But as a potential employer, it is also a great opportunity to see what a potential employee is like outside of the interview. What Carson saw (or didn’t see) on facebook, helped him to make his determination on who he would hire. How we are in our every day life, and not just how we look when we’re all put together, really does matter.

Let’s look at some of these every day relationships more closely. The first thing to notice is that every single one of us fits in at least one of these categories. Second, observe that these are what the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary calls the three greatest of earthly relations, that of husband and wife, parent and child, master and servant These relationships are the foundation and archetype of the Church's relation to Christ in His everlasting purpose.

· “Wives, submit to your husbands.”
Not because your husband is anything great and grand worth submitting to, but because it is a picture of us as the Bride of Christ submitting to Jesus. The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary goes on to say “Submissiveness is rendered by the wife to the husband under the eye of Christ, and so is rendered to Christ Himself. The husband stands to the wife in the relation that the Lord does to the Church, and this is to be the ground of her submission: though that submission is inferior in kind and degree to that which she owes Christ.”
“Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.”

Men who do not understand this verse are usually the ones who mis-use the previous verse. Likewise, women who object to the previous verse usually do so because they do not see this verse lived out.

The Geneva Study Bible says “The husbands duty towards their wives is to love them as themselves, of which love the love of Christ towards his Church is a graphic image.”
The People’s New Testament describes this love as “loving so well as to be willing to give all things, even life, for her welfare. The union of husband and wife is here described is ideally perfect. The tenderest love on one side, and loving obedience on the other.”
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”

Fathers do not embitter or discourage your children
It is a different Greek verb, therefore translate here, "irritate not." By perpetual fault-finding "children" are "discouraged" or "disheartened." A broken-down spirit is fatal to youth [Bengel]. JFB Commentary

Slaves obey your masters in everything
With sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord
Work with all your heart, as working for the Lord
inheritance comes from the Lord
actually serving the Lord
Wesley’s Notes 3:22 Eyeservice - Being more diligent under their eye than at other times. Singleness of heart - A simple intention of doing right, without looking any farther. Fearing God - That is, acting from this principle.
Wesley’s Notes 3:23 Heartily - Cheerfully, diligently. Menpleasers are soon dejected and made angry: the single - hearted are never displeased or disappointed; because they have another aim, which the good or evil treatment of those they serve cannot disappoint.
Geneva Study Bible p) Because you will have duly obeyed your masters, the time will come, that you will be changed from servants to sons, and you will know this for certain, which will be when you are made partakers of the heavenly inheritance
Masters provide for slaves rightly and fairly because God is their Master.
It should be remarked that such a charge as this is not found in all the profane writings of antiquity. Even in the pages of the moralists a slave was regarded as a chattel with which the master had a right to deal according to his will. The Christian rule, at once introduced into the church, was for the master to treat his servants as he wished to be treated by his Master in heaven, and to expect the same kind of treatment that he meted out. People’s New Testament

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary 3:18-25 The epistles most taken up in displaying the glory of the Divine grace, and magnifying the Lord Jesus, are the most particular in pressing the duties of the Christian life. We must never separate the privileges and duties of the gospel. Submission is the duty of wives. But it is submission, not to a severe lord or stern tyrant, but to her own husband, who is engaged to affectionate duty. And husbands must love their wives with tender and faithful affection. Dutiful children are the most likely to prosper. And parents must be tender, as well as children obedient. Servants are to do their duty, and obey their masters' commands, in all things consistent with duty to God their heavenly Master. They must be both just and diligent; without selfish designs, or hypocrisy and disguise. Those who fear God, will be just and faithful when from under their master's eye, because they know they are under the eye of God. And do all with diligence, not idly and slothfully; cheerfully, not discontented at the providence of God which put them in that relation. And for servants' encouragement, let them know, that in serving their masters according to the command of Christ, they serve Christ, and he will give them a glorious reward at last. But, on the other hand, he who doeth wrong, shall receive for the wrong which he hath done. God will punish the unjust, as well as reward the faithful servant; and the same if masters wrong their servants. For the righteous Judge of the earth will deal justly between master and servant. Both will stand upon a level at his tribunal. How happy would true religion make the world, if it every where prevailed, influenced every state of things, and every relation of life! But the profession of those persons who are regardless of duties, and give just cause for complaint to those they are connected with, deceives themselves, as well as brings reproach on the gospel.

Desired outcome To understand that how we treat one another, especially in our closest relationships, really does matter.

Spiritual Makeover

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Colossians 3:1-17

Spiritual Makeover

Desired outcome: To understand that neither 1) a pleasing walk with the Lord, 2) focusing on Christ, or 3) living faith authentically and not artificially is possible without a complete spiritual makeover.

A middle aged woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. While on the operating table she had a near death experience.

Upon seeing God, she asked, “Is my time up?”

“No, you have another 43 years, 2 months, and 8 days to live,” replies the Almighty

Upon recovery the woman decides to stay in the hospital and have a facelift, liposuction, and a tummy tuck. She even had a hairdresser come in and change her hair color. As she had lots of time left on earth she figured she might as well make the most of it. After her last operation, she was released from the hospital. While crossing the road on the way home, she was knocked over and killed by an ambulance.

Arriving in front of God, she demanded, “ I thought you said I had another 40 odd years! Why didn’t you pull me from the path of the ambulance?”

“I didn’t recognize you.”

Think about how much in our society is geared towards making what we have better. Plastic surgery, house rehabs, TLC, Home & Garden Network, Extreme Makeover, Extreme Makover Home Edition, The Biggest Loser.

There is a desire deep within us to be accepted and to do things right and to look right. I also believe that part of that desire is spiritual. Every one of us on some level has a longing to be accepted by God and to be pleasing to God.

We’ve got to be on the right track after the last few weeks. If you remember, in chapter one of Colossians, we examined what our walk with the Lord should contain and that led us to look at who Christ is the following week. Then, last week we examined our own lives for any signs of counterfeit Christianity. But I’m here to tell you today that neither 1) a pleasing walk with the Lord, 2) focusing on Christ, or 3) living faith authentically and not artificially is possible without a complete 3-part spiritual makeover.

Throughout this passage, I want you to notice repeated words or phrases. The first one we come across is in vv.1 & 2: the things above. We are told to keep seeking and to set our minds on the things above. That is where Christ is. Kids, don’t try this at home, but have you ever had to stare up at the sun, maybe to catch a fly ball or if you spotted an eagle flying overhead? After you’ve looked up for a time, then you look around you, and anywhere you look, what do you see? That’s right, a big sunspot in your vision.

Now picture this. You’re looking up again but this time, instead of with your eyes, you’re using your soul. And instead of looking at the S-U-N, you’re looking at the S-O-N. Now, look around you, anywhere you look, what do you see? That’s right, Jesus. In every person you meet and every circumstance you encounter. Later, in v.10, Paul talks of being renewed in our Creator’s image, and by focusing on that image, things that are apparent opposites now look the same. Things like different cultural backgrounds (Greek, Jew, barbarians, Scythians, Cheese-heads, flatlanders), different religious practices (circumcision vs. uncircumcision, Methodist vs. Lutheran), different economic conditions (slave vs. free, swimming in debt or a millionaire) are all equal when focused on the things above.

So the first thing we need for our spiritual makeover is S-O-N glasses.

The next repeated phrase we come to is put aside or lay aside. What are we supposed to put or lay aside? Our old self. Our old nature. Our filthy rags. Our dirty habits like immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, greed, idolatry, anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive speech. In summary, all of our evil practices. We can’t just cover over them. It’s like trying to paint white over dark, dirty stains. The stains always bleed through. No, it’s not enough to cover them. We’ve got to put them aside. And if you asked me, I wouldn’t just put them aside, I’d cast them out. I’d throw them away and burn them.
And then, I’d put on something new, a new self. This new self is Christ. Christ as our new skin. Why skin instead of clothes?
All animals, at regular intervals, shed their skin. Some, like humans, do it relatively unobtrusively in a sort of ongoing process (we shed 1.5 million skin cells every hour with a new skin surface every 28 days or so). Others do it quickly and cleanly, like the one-piece sheds produced by snakes and tarantulas. Most lizards are rather more leisurely about it, with their skin coming off in patches. Some lizards are like snakes, tarantulas, and stick insects: they climb out of their old skin, leaving it behind in one piece.
However you do it, get out of that dirty, stained skin and get into the new skin of Christ. It’s not just new once and then gets old, but it is a continual renewal. Christ can be our new skin for as long as we seek the things above.

So the second thing we need for our spiritual makeover is a new covering of Christ.

The final piece of our spiritual makeover gets a little trickier. We find it in our next repeated phrase: to put on. After putting our Christ as our clothing, now we are told to put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. And in addition to or on top of that we are to put on love as the final bond of unity.

I don’t know about you, but I was lost at the heart of compassion. How am I supposed to put on all of these things? Kindness, humility, gentleness. They sound so good, but they’re not so easy to pull off in real life. Here’s the key. It’s found in v.15: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…” That’s how gentleness and patience and love get into our hearts; because the peace of Christ rules there.

Blood sustains life. It delivers oxygen, nutrients and other essential substances, including vitamins and medicines to the different cells and tissues of the body. A deficiency in the supply or quality of blood will impair the quality of life and even compromise life itself. For example, if oxygen does not reach the brain, the lack of it would cause death within three minutes. Blood also removes carbon dioxide and other harmful wastes, which in turn are eliminated by the different organs of the body.

Blood has to flow freely to keep the body performing at optimum levels and help eliminate risks from diseases, infections, free radicals and the natural decay of body organs due to the aging process. But blood needs a healthy circulatory system to pass through – from the heart, which pumps the blood; to the veins and arteries, which distribute the blood; to the capillaries, from which blood is supplied to the brain; to the nervous system, which regulates and controls blood flow.

Our body is made up of many different systems: There’s the nervous system, and the cardio-vascular system, the muscular system and the skeletal system and the digestive system. These systems all work intricately together to keep the whole body running and healthy powered by the life-blood within us.

We are called by God to be the Body of Christ. The life blood of that Body is the word of Christ. The word of Christ allows for these dynamic interactions. We can all minister to one another because of Christ in us. We’ve all been given different gifts and view points and backgrounds that when put together are completed and perfected in Christ. We can teach and admonish one another, sing with one another, and serve together. We can speak together and learn from each other. There’s collective wisdom we can gather from the word of Christ within each of us.

2 summers ago, I was sitting in the doctor’s office waiting to get antibiotics. I had gotten Lymes disease earlier that summer and as soon as I thought possible I came in to get the necessary medicine. The doctor did a few routine checks, then left the room. When she came back, she did a few more tests on my joints and my reactions. She left again and came back with an EKG machine. I thought this was all a little unnecessary, but I played along. After my EKG, I was informed that there was something seriously wrong with my heart. There is an electrical impulse in your heart that communicates with your heart valves so that they open and close in sync. My heart valves were not communicating with each other so each valve opened and closed at random. What this meant is that is I climbed stairs or tried to run, my heart would not respond by allowing my blood to flow through so I would get very light headed. It turns out that the Lymes disease went to my nervous system and then straight to my heart. One small little communication piece out of whack and it almost cost me my life. That’s what it looks like when our bodies systems are not working together.

But what happens if those body systems are attacking one another or not working together? Chaos, sickness, disease, and death. That’s why we’re admonished in v.13 to bear with one another and forgive one another. So that “whatever we do in word or deed, we do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

So the last piece of our spiritual makeover is a blood transfusion of the word of Christ dwelling within us richly.

It’s important to put on our S-O-N glasses to see the world with the right perspective.

It’s important to cast off our filthy rags and put on Christ so we can be accepted into God’s Kingdom.

And it’s important to have the rich blood of the word of Christ within us so that we can work together as the Body of Christ as God intended us to.

Let’s take a minute right now to pray and ask God to give us the spiritual makeover that we need in our lives.

Lord, we desire this morning to walk with you, to focus on you, and live authentically for you. But we get overwhelmed sometimes. Please give us the makeover that we need.

Lord, for some of us this morning, we need your eyes to see the people around us as you see them so that we can love them unconditionally.

For others here, we ask that we You would take away our filthy rags of our former life and clothe us with You. We want to die in You so that we might live eternally in You.

And finally, Lord, you’ve called us to operate in this world as Your Body. Lord Jesus, flow through us as our very life-blood so that we can love one another and serve one another like only You can. We ask all these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Desired outcome: To understand that neither 1) a pleasing walk with the Lord, 2) focusing on Christ, or 3) living faith authentically and not artificially is possible without a complete spiritual makeover.

RIGHT BELIEF leads to RIGHT ACTION which leads to RIGHT CHARACTER (Virtue).

October 4, 2009

James 5:7-20

Main Point: RIGHT BELIEF leads to RIGHT ACTION which leads to RIGHT CHARACTER (Virtue).

A controlling belief is the primary belief that ‘pushes’ the character. It shapes and colors every action and reaction and serves as the motor or engine that motivates the character.
Beliefs answer, “Why does he or she want it? The belief if the core of the character. You can ask what a person wants...but more important...why do they want it?”

"Character is like the foundation of a house. Most of it is below the surface."
- Unknown
"Every man has three characters -- that which he exhibits, that which he has, and that which he thinks he has."
- Alphonse Karr
- _Instant Quotation Dictionary_, p. 54.

1. vv.7-8
Dear God, please grant me patience. And I need it RIGHT NOW!

God's love and patience are unfathomable. He does not give up, even though reaching a rebellious people!

I heard a story the other night about a truck driver who dropped in at an all-night restaurant in Broken Bow, Nebraska. The waitress had just served him when three swaggering, leather-jacketed motorcyclists -- of the Hell's Angels type --entered and rushed up to him, apparently spoiling for a fight. One grabbed the hamburger off his plate; another took a handful of his French fries; and the third picked up his coffee and began to drink it. The trucker did not respond as one might expect. Instead, he calmly rose, picked up his check, walked to the front of the room, put the check and his money on the cash register, and went out the door. The waitress followed him to put the money in the till and stood watching out the door as the big truck drove away into the night. When she returned, one of the cyclists said to her, "Well, he's not much of a man, is he?" She replied, "I can't answer as to that, but he's not much of a truck driver. He just ran over three motorcycles out in the parking lot."
• BELIEF = The coming of the Lord is near(v.8).
• ACTION = Waiting for the right time, like the farmer (v.7)
• VIRTUE = Patience
2. vv.9-11
• BELIEF = The Judge is standing right at the door (v.9), and He is full of compassion and is merciful (v.11).
• ACTION = Do not complain (v.9)- in other words, either remain silent or speak encouraging words.
• VIRTUE = Endurance (v.11)

3. v.12

Always do right - this will gratify some and astonish the rest.
More funny Mark Twain quotes

An investment counselor went out on her own. She was shrewd and diligent, so business kept coming in. Pretty soon she realized she needed an in-house counsel, and so she began interviewing young lawyers.
"As I'm sure you can understand," she started off with one of the first applicants, "in a business like this, our personal integrity must be beyond question." She leaned forward and continued, "Mr. Peterson, are you an honest lawyer?"
"Honest?" replied the job prospect. "Let me tell you something about honest. Why, I'm so honest that my father lent me fifteen thousand dollars for my education and I paid back every penny the minute I tried my very first case."
"Impressive. And what sort of case was that?"
The lawyer squirmed in his seat and admitted, "He sued me for the money."
The religion section of the {Tacoma News Tribune} (Saturday, November 6, 1993) carried an article commemorating the birthday of Billy Graham. Religious News Service writer, Randall Balmer, said, "Graham has had a remarkable career and there will never be another like him, who could combine charisma, conviction, integrity, and media savvy to become a speaker known and respected throughtout the world." He went on to point out that in Graham's lifetime there have been many other evangelists who have fallen because of various moral indiscretions. But throughout a career that has spanned fifty years there had never been a serious charge of malfeasance - financial, sexual, or otherwise - leveled against Graham. That was not left entirely to chance. Early in his career Graham gathered his associates - "the team," he called them - into a hotel room to discuss how they might avoid some of the pitfalls that had "done in" other evangelists. What emerged was what Cliff Barrows, Graham's longtime associate, called "the Modesto Manifesto." Graham and his organization resolved never to exaggerate attendance figures at their meetings and to accept only fixed salaries from their organization, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, rather than a percentage of the offerings. The team agreed not to criticize fellow members of the clergy, and they set up elaborate precautions to protect themselves from sexual temptation or even the appearance of sexual impropriety. The writer then suggested that in an age that has seen evangelists succumb to all manner of spectacular scandals, Graham's greatest legacy may be his integrity.
- Paul W. Powell, {Taking the Stew Out of Stewardship, }(Dallas, TX: Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1996) 11-12
You see it all the time. People achieve success, and then their personal lives seem to fall apart. As someone once said, success has made failures of many men. But does that have to happen? STANDING FIRM The September 1996 issue of "Standing Firm" magazine contains a great story about Bobby Bowden. Bowden is head football coach for Florida State University. His team's winning record places him near the top in wins among active coaches at the Division I level. Bowden's record of successes in bowl games is the highest winning percentage in NCAA history. So he is successful in his chosen career. Whether you are a fan of F.S.U. or not, you have to admit that Bowden is a successful coach. But there is more to Bowden than the statistics you read in the sports pages. He is a man of faith, and makes no apologies for that. During his team's Friday evening meetings before their Saturday games, Bowden uses valuable time for team devotionals, which he leads. As for his ongoing leadership of the team's staff, each day he meets with his staff for devotions and prayer prior to their regular staff meetings. Each year, Bowden takes his entire team to a predominantly black church for worship. The following Sunday, he takes the team to a predominantly white church. There is no deception involved -- he writes a letter to each athlete's parents or guardian to tell them about the church visits and obtain their approval. "I'm trying to show these kids that they are accepted in church whether they are white or black," Bowden said. So what is the point of this and the many other ways Bowden walks his walk of faith? Bowden says, "I want to show these kids that you can be a Christian, you can be a God-fearing man, you can abide by the rules, and you can still be successful." HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO OUR LIVES? A number of social commentators have asked the questions, "Where are our heroes?" and "Where are the role models for today's youth?" That is because we constantly read about people who were considered heroes, but turned out to be villains who compromised their values, and broke the rules. Is it necessary to compromise your values to make it in life? Bowden's story shows that it isn't. No, Bowden is not perfect. But there is a core to his life. Bowden stands firm in his beliefs -- and is successful. What is the difference between the Bobby Bowden's of the world, and others? Simply put, some people are like onions. They have no core, just layers. And when you peel away all the layers, nothing is left. Don't glorify the "onions" of the world. Instead, lift up people like Bowden- -men and women with a core to their lives, who exhibit integrity and faith. Help them touch others. Encourage them. Pray for them. Finally, build and strengthen your own core. Start by placing your trust and confidence totally in God. Trusting in God does not guarantee you worldly success or great riches, but the Bible teaches that something far more important will result, blessings from God. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him." \reference{Job 17:9}{Job 17:9}

• BELIEF = We will be judged according to what we say (v.12)
• ACTION = Say what you mean and mean what you say (v.12).
• VIRTUE = Integrity
4. vv.13-20
• BELIEF = The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much (v.16).
• ACTION = Pray (vv.13,16), sing (v.13), take care of the sick (v.14), forgive (v.15), confess (v.16), and watch out for one another (vv.19-20).
• VIRTUE = Selflessness or Other-centeredness

Ultimately we do everything for one of tow reasons: to serve ourselves, or to serve God.

The man who keeps busy helping the man below him won’t have time to envy the man above him.- Henrietta Mears

The high destiny of the individual is to serve rather than to rule.- Albert Einstein

A GREAT man is always willing to be LITTLE.

a. Pray with those suffering.
b. Sing praises with the cheerful.
c. Take care of the sick.
d. Forgive the sinner.
e. Confess your sins to each other.
f. Pray for each other.
g. Watch out for your brother and sister to guard them from sin.

The Christian character is simply a life in which all Christian virtues and graces have become fixed and solidified into permanence as established habits. It costs no struggle to do right, because what has been done so long, under the influence of grace in the heart, has become part of the regenerated nature. The bird sings not to be heard, but because the song is in its heart, and must be expressed. It sings just as sweetly in the depths of the wood with no ear to listen, as by the crowded thoroughfare. Beethoven did not sing for fame, but to give utterance to the glorious music that filled its soul. The face of Moses did not shine to convince the people of his holiness, but because he had dwelt so long in the presence of God that it could not but shine. Truest, ripest Christian life flows out of a full heart -- a heart so filled with Christ that it requires no effort to live well, and to scatter the sweetness of grace and love.
It must be remembered, however, that all goodness in living begins first obeying rules, in keeping commandments. Mozart and Mendelssohn began with running scales and striking chords, and with painful finger-exercises. The noblest Christian began with the simplest obedience. The way to become skillful is to do things over and over, until we can do them perfectly, and without thought or effort. The way to become able to do great things, is to do our little things with endless repetition, and with increasing dexterity and carefulness. The way to grow into Christlikeness of character, is to watch ourselves in the minutest things of thought and word and act, until our powers are trained to go almost without watching in the lines of moral right and holy beauty. To become prayerful, we must learn to pray by the clock, at fixed times. It is fine ideal talk to say that our devotions should be like the bird's song, warbling out anywhere and at any time with sweet unrestraint; but in plain truth, to depend upon such impulses as guides to praying, would soon lead to no praying at all. This may do for heavenly life; but we have not gotten into heaven yet, and until we do we need to pray by habit. So of all religious life. We only grow into patience by being as patient as we can, daily and hourly, and in smallest matters, ever learning to be more and more patient until we reach the highest possible culture in that line. We can only become unselfish wherever we have an opportunity, until our life grows into the permanent beauty of unselfishness. We can only grow better by striving ever to be better than we already are. and by climbing step by step toward the radiant heights of excellence. -- Miller.
By J. Wilbur Chapan, "Present Day Parables."

Making Room For God

Sept. 27, 2009

James 4:1-5:6

Making Room For God

Main Point: We must make room in our life for God.

I went to college 6 hours away and when I came home I piled my car full of dirty clothes. One time, all my dirty clothes wouldn’t fit so I emptied them out of their bags and suitcases and such and just stuffed them all into my trunk- literally taking up every inch of space available. I’m still not sure how I got that trunk closed, or how I got all those clothes back to school!

Sometimes our lives get like my trunk- so jam packed full that we find we don’t have room for many important things. It’s like inviting Jesus to be a guest in our house- except there is no room for him to sit in the living room. It’s too full of our expensive toys and entertainment systems. We would feed Him except our dining room is stacked with bills and to do lists. We have a nice clean guest room, but we keep that clean for somebody else, so Jesus can’t stay there. All around our house is so much clutter and junk from our lives that there just isn’t room for Jesus to stay.

Jar = Our life
Big Rocks = God and our faith
Little Rocks = All the things in our life; family, job, how we spend our time
Sand = All those little details that seem to easily fill up our life

1 glass jar with big rocks first, then little rocks, then sand.
1 glass jar with sand first, then little rocks, then big rocks.

One seems to fit better than the other, doesn’t it?

When I read our passage in James to prepare for this morning, again and again I found these warnings of what life would look without God in it. You could say each of these examples is like the jar filled with sand first and I believe it will do us good to look at them separately.

1. Selfish Desires (vv.1-3)- James says we lust and do not have. We do not have because we do not ask. We do not ask because we are trying to do it ourselves.

Our family is piling into our car because it’s time to leave. My son, Joseph, likes to do his seatbelt himself. Except for sometimes, he can’t quite get it and he gets really frustrated. Now, when he’s frustrated, instead of asking for help, he just tries harder and harder until he breaks down crying in worn-out despair. That can often be us. Trying and trying with all of our might when our heavenly Father is right there with us waiting for us to ask for help.

The second problem here is that we are focused on our own selfish pleasures. If we can move from selfish pleasures to selflessly serving others, we will find that God will be helping us even before we ask Him.

2. Friendship with the world (v.4)- is equal to hostility with God. God and the world (as it is currently) are like the Montagues and Capulets in Romeo & Juliet. They’re like the Hatfields and McCoys. Being a friend of one makes you the enemy of the other.

Now this isn’t the world as in the earth, but the world as in how “the world” thinks, what “the world” does, that is, how one acts without God as their moral compass. In short, it is being friendly to a way of life that God abhors. We need to abandon our friendship with the world and pursue our friendship with God. They are not compatible with one another.

3. Pride (vv.5-10)- Submit to God. Resist the devil. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

When it’s after bedtime, and you’re little child comes back upstairs even when they’re not supposed to and you ask them, “What do you want?” and they reply, “Daddy, I want a hug,” that request will not be refused. Likewise, when we draw ourselves near to God, the One who we may call Abba, or Daddy, Father, then He will draw near to us.

For us to draw near to God, we must first humble ourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt us. All of Scripture reveals God siding with the underdog; the widow, the orphan, the oppressed, the poor, the foreigner. Israel itself was not the mightiest, strongest, or dare I say brightest, of nations whom God could have chosen. King David was the youngest of all his brothers and was overlooked by everyone, including God’s own prophet. And yet, he is the one whom God chose to lead Israel. During a time of drought, the prophet Elijah could have sought assistance from many within his own country. And yet, God sent him to a widow in a foreign land for his food and lodging.

As we read this morning in our gospel reading, Jesus himself rebuked his disciples for sending away the children. “Let them come to me,” He said. Elsewhere Jesus said, “Unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 18:3b-4) We need to abandon our pride and humble ourselves before the Lord. That is an action we will not regret.

4. Judging one another (vv.11-12)- I was still in High School, umpiring at the Cambridge t-ball fields. T-ball is a fun age with kids running to third base instead of first or not running at all and most of the outfielders enjoying the dandelions and butterflies. It’s not the most competitive season in a kid’s life. However, somebody forgot to tell the parents that. I made a call at first base. It was my first game umpiring and I was nervous. I saw the runner safe at first, but what came out of my mouth was “OUT!” And it wasn’t even a close call! Well, the base runner just ran back to the dugout no questions asked. The coach gave me a funny look and probably said a few things to me. But the parents went and got the commissioner. They thought this was a heinous crime and I should have to pay some sort of penance. Those parents in the stands were pretty sure they could do a better job, than me, the umpire. Speaking against one another and judging one another is really us trying to take God’s place as the one and only Judge- except for He doesn’t miss calls! Instead of judging one another, we should focus on loving one another.

5. Planning without God (vv.13-17)- Now I’m not saying I made plans without God this past week, but it probably still serves as a good example of making room for God- or Him making room on our behalf. On Monday morning, I didn’t feel so hot, so I went home early and laid down. Tuesday was our first University Lunch which I missed as I was home sleeping with a 102 degree fever and a LARGE headache. By Wednesday night, my fever had broke but I still hadn’t eaten anything substantial since my bowl of oatmeal on Monday morning. Thursday I went outside for the first time since Monday and was able to work for about 2 hours total before I was out of energy. Friday I managed to go for a walk with my family. I started being hungry but could only eat a few bites at a time. Saturday, I decided I was done being sick but still had this lightheadedness about me all day long. And today, I made it here, so I must be doing better.

I can guarantee to you that none of this was on my plan for the week. At the start of the week, I was planning on finding devotional writers and e-mail Bible Study writers for university ministry; for connecting with students whose names I had gotten the week before; with talking to the nominations committee here as well as a host of other very worthwhile activities. Instead, I watched more movies, read some books, and slept more in a week than I have in a really long time. Sometimes God chooses to slow us down before we choose to slow ourselves down. And as much as I don’t like it, I have to trust that He knows what He is doing.

Does that mean we shouldn’t plan at all? I don’t think so. But consider this: If your plan can be accomplished without God’s help, then your plan is not big enough. And if you plan without prayer, then your plan is too big.

William Carey, the great missionary to India said, “Attempt great things for God; Expect great things from God.” And since one of the movies I watched this week was a biography on Carey, seeing all the hardship and difficulty he went through in his life, I believe he would also add, and trust God along the way- even during hardships or when we don’t understand.

We don’t want to plan without God, but we want to plan with prayer, knowing that God can change our plans at any time.

6. Trusting in riches (vv.1-6)- instead of God, including piling up riches at the expense of others.

The only thing I will add to this are the familiar words of Jesus, which are never bad for us to hear as reminders, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Mt. 6:19-21,33) It’s probably quite obvious that we are not to trust in riches but trust in God instead.

There we have it:
6 warnings to not live life on our own along with 6 reminders of what making room in our life for God should look like.
1. A warning against selfish desires and a reminder to selflessly serving.
2. A warning against friendship with the world and a reminder to cultivate our friendship with God.
3. A warning against pride and a reminder to humility.
4. A warning against judging one another and a reminder to love one another.
5. A warning against planning without God and a reminder to plan with prayer.
6. A warning against trusting in riches and a reminder to trust in God.

I can’t think of a better way for us to receive these warnings and these reminders and for us to make room in our lives for God before anything else than by receiving God’s free gift of forgiveness through the act of communion. And as we come forward, invite God to take first place in our lives. Maybe it’s for the first time or the thousandth time or maybe it’s just a recommitment that you’ll keep Him in first place. I’m going to leave these two jars on the altar as a reminder of how to and how not to structure our lives to make room for God.