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Sermon on Mount Part 1, September 10, 2006
Being Not Doing / Matthew 5:1-12 / 9-10 thru 9- ,2006
Introduction: What do you want to be when you grow up? That's a question that young people often hear along their road to adulthood. It is a good question, a valid question and it is posed correctly, for you see, we really should be concerned about what we need to "be" when we mature. Too often, our concern is with what we want to "do" when we are grown. What will we "do" for a living, what will we "do" about a house, what will we "do" about marriage, etc. Now these are certainly valid concerns for us. However, the greater concern should relate to what we will "be."
That, of course, is the very point that Jesus made as He begins here in Matthew 5 what we refer to as the Sermon on the Mount. These verses are called the "Beatitudes." Notice that they are not the "Do-attitudes." The message is unmistakable - if we focus on what we need to "be," then what we need to "do" will naturally follow. Thus, Jesus gives us here the summation of the kind of Christian character that we are to possess (or "be"). His prelude to each characteristic is, "blessed..." This means "happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous."
The Lord is describing what we all want - how to be happy and spiritually prosperous! All Christians are meant to "be" this way. All believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are meant to manifest these characteristics. And we are meant to have them all, not just some of them. Everything in His list here is what we are supposed to "be." These are produced by the operation of the Holy Spirit within us.
I. The Poor in Spirit
A. Now we begin with the fundamental beatitude, "Blessed are the poor in Spirit..." The first thing for us to notice here is that none of these BE-attitudes are natural attitudes. They do not come naturally to us. In fact, they are supernatural attitudes produced only as a result of spiritual discipline.
B. We should carefully note here that to be poor in spirit is not a recommendation to material poverty. Such a state is no guarantee of spirituality.
C. Likewise, it is not a retiring nature or a false humility (look at poor little old me).
D. To be poor in spirit is simply a profound awareness of our nothingness before God. It is our acknowledgment of our complete and utter dependence upon Him for all things. It is reliance on Him for all that is needed for the spiritual life.
E. Jesus plainly taught us in John 15:5, "...without Me, you can do nothing."
F. To be poor in spirit then, is living in such union with Christ, such complete reliance on Him, that "we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us" (Philippians 4:13).
G. To those who discover this way of "being," the rewards are astounding, "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Jesus is saying that once we discover this truth about being poor in spirit and thus rely on God for everything we need, we will be living just like it will one day be in heaven. Only, if we discover this now, we don't have to wait for heaven to begin - it is a reality now.
II. The Ones Who Mourn
A. The second way we are to "be" is in v. 4, "blessed are those who mourn..."
B. Now this seems, on the surface, an unusual condition to which we should ascribe. For the most part, we seek to avoid mourning, for it is a sad state for the soul.
C. Bereavement and sorrow are emotions that we do our best to avoid, if we possibly can. Surely, such times come to us all as we lose loved ones or lose relationships, or lose a dream we have aspired to achieve. But we do not linger there any longer than we have to.
D. Yet, Jesus says we are blessed if we mourn - what is He talking about? Simply this - spiritual mourning that results from the daily self-examination of the things of the spirit. When we do so, we realize the depth of our spiritual poverty. Such mourning causes us to realize our need for repentance before God.
E. Likewise, it is mourning over the sins of others, as Jesus did when He mourned over Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37). When we realize how far the world is from God, it should cause every Christian to mourn!
F. This is actually a spiritual discipline for us that produces great reward - "for they shall be comforted." Read Isaiah 61:2-3. When we repent because we have mourned our spiritual poverty, then the Lord comforts us and replaces that poverty with the riches of His righteousness!
III. The Ones Who are Meek
A. The third way we are to "be" is in v. 5, "blessed are the meek..."
B. Now here is a way of being that does not sit well with our western culture, where we are all supposed to be rugged, rough, and rowdy cowboys. We commercialize and glamorize the hard-living individualist, not the meek, the mild, and the wimpy.
C. We associate meekness with weakness, so we want no part of it. But that is not what the Lord is saying here.
D. He is not calling us to be flabby milksops or spineless Christians. Remember, He was the One who took a whip in hand and drove the corrupt moneychangers out of the temple. That's not weak or spineless!
E. In this context "meek" simply means the complete absence of pride, where we do not rely on self-assertion and personal aggressiveness for our success. The meek person does not worry about what others think of him or her.
F. He or she is not concerned with position or reputation. Read Philippians 2:6-7. Jesus defines meekness for us as He gave up His position in the heavenly Godhead to come to us and be our Servant.
G. So we are to be meek like this toward one another. And the reward? "They shall inherit the earth." Read Psalm 37:11 and Revelation 21:7. To be victorious is to trust in and live like Jesus. Those who do so, the meek, will inherit the (new) earth.
IV. The Ones Who Hunger and Thirst For Righteousness
A. The fourth way we are to be is found in v. 6, "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness..."
B. What is it that you hunger and thirst for in life? Success? Happiness? Relationships? Wealth? Respect? To be blessed? We actually hunger and thirst after many things, don't we?
C. But do we truly hunger and thirst for righteousness? Do we even understand what it means to hunger and thirst for righteousness?
D. Well, it simply means that we have a powerful, driving spiritual desire to be in a right relationship with a righteous God. Remember, these are not "natural" attitudes, but supernatural attitudes produced by the operation of the Holy Spirit within us.
E. When you hunger and thirst for righteousness, your passion is to be rid of every sin and barrier that would prevent or interfere with your relationship with the Father. It means that you engage in nothing worldly that will blunt the spiritual appetite.
F. Alas, how few Christians there are today that have such a hunger and thirst for righteousness. So few have any sort of spiritual appetite for God's Word, God's house, and God's day. We gorge ourselves on what the world offers us and thus we have little taste for the things of God.
G. But when you eat junk food, you never get filled do you? The blessing that awaits those who hunger and thirst for righteousness is this, "for they shall be filled." How so? Read Isaiah 55:1-2, 65:13. We all are going to get hungry and thirsty, the question is, for what?
V. The Ones Who are Merciful
A. The fifth way that we are to be is found in v. 7, "blessed are the merciful..."
B. Understand this, my friends: to be merciful is to be like the Lord Himself, for this is a term that is applied to God.
C. In the context here in Jesus' message, being merciful is far more than simply having the human attribute of pity toward someone.
D. Here, as a term applied to God, merciful literally means, "active kindness toward those legally in His power." It is illustrated by II Corinthians 5:19.
E. To engage in active kindness, God took the initiative in dealing with our problem of sin, which had alienated us from Him. He came to us, He taught us, He suffered for us, He died in our place, He rose again for our salvation, He is preparing a place for us with Him.
F. God did not sit back and wait for us to figure out what we needed - He took action by being merciful.
G. We are to live so as to be the same way - proactive in our relationships. Seeing the need in other's lives and acting to meet those needs without prompting.
H. And what is the result or reward for being this way? You receive as you have given. You reap what you sow. Read Psalm 41:1. The merciful obtain mercy!
VI. The Ones Who Are Pure In Heart
A. The sixth way we are to be is revealed in v. 8, "blessed are the pure in heart..."
B. Why the heart, I wonder? Wouldn't you think it would be the mind that needs to be pure? Well, to our way of reasoning, maybe so, but not to God.
C. Consider Matthew 9:4 and Matthew 15:16-20. What we think and what we say actually comes from the heart, not the mind! So it is the heart then which both defines and defiles us.
D. Now that which is defiled, has no part with God, see I Corinthians 3:17 and Revelation 21:27.
E. So our predicament is that we are to be pure in heart, but the evil that is in our heart defiles us so that we're not pure! What are we to do?
F. Well, thanks be to God that He has provided a way for us to be pure in heart, see Galatians 4:6 and Ephesians 3:17.
G. When we receive Jesus as Savior, then His presence within our hearts makes us pure in the eyes of the Father. The reward of such purity is the ultimate experience - we get to see God! Immediately, we get to see Him by faith and in heaven, we'll see Him face-to-face.
VII. The Ones Who Are Peacemakers
A. The seventh way we are to be is found in v. 9, "blessed are the peacemakers..."
B. Peace seems to be a rare commodity these days. The global war on terror is raging even as we speak and our 24/7 news services bring us the front-row details on a constant basis.
C. But this should not be a surprise to us. This war began before we began (were created). It started when Lucifer rebelled against the throne of God and was cast out of heaven to the earth. He instilled in Adam and Eve the notion that they, too, could rebel against the Lord. And they did. And the war of good verses evil was on!
D. Even when the Prince of Peace (Jesus) came, He said that peace was not what He was bringing to us, see Luke 12:49-53.
E. So how is it then that He says in Matthew 5:9 that we are to be peacemakers? He is speaking of "the peace that passes understanding," not a physical peace. Two kinds of peace are in view here.
F. The first is peace with God, which comes by way of faith in Jesus, see Romans 5:1. This is a peace for us to find and a knowledge for us to share.
G. The second kind of peace is with one another, see Romans 12:18, 14:19, Hebrews 12:14.
H. Peacemakers both make peace and maintain peace with God and with all believers. And the reward? "They shall be called the sons of God." Is there a higher title to which you can aspire?
VIII. The Ones Who Are Persecuted
A. The eighth way we are to be is found in vs. 10-12, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake...Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake..."
B. Maybe I'm missing something here - the dictionary defines "persecute" like this, "to afflict constantly so as to injure or distress." It defines "revile" as, "to treat as wicked."
C. So let me get this straight, we are "happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous" when we are afflicted constantly with injury and distress and when we are treated as wicked."
D. Well, so much for our idea that following Jesus would be some kind of cakewalk! The truth is, as soon as you sign on to genuinely follow Christ, all hell is going to break loose in your life!
E. Why would this be so? Why can't everything be pleasant and pleasing once we become a Christian? It is simple, my friends - when you become a Christian, you are a new creation in Christ and you bear His image.
F. Trouble is, even though we are God's creation, we are living in a culture that is the devil's creation. This world hates everything about Jesus, because this world is the realm of darkness and Jesus is the Light.
G. Now hating everything about Jesus, includes hating you, see Luke 21:17. We are just being naive if we do not understand this fundamental truth.
H. Is persecution a reality for Christians in America? Listen to this (illustrations).
I. And it is going to get worse - as our culture turns more and more vulgar and sadistic, Christians everywhere in America will be reviled and persecuted. All that is holy will be sacrificed for all that is perverse.
J. We must be prepared for this change. Jesus says we are blessed when these things happen to us on His account, for it indicates that the world is being affected by our presence and our message.
K. Notice what is promised, "great is your reward in heaven." It won't be here that we'll be rewarded. But we are to rejoice and be exceedingly glad. That's hard when you are being mistreated, but the admonishion is to keep you eye on the ultimate goal.
Conclusion:
So, what do you want to "be" when you grow up? Hopefully, our study of the Beatitudes has provided you with spiritual insight into the right answer to this question. Jesus tells us plainly what to "be" as we live in Christian maturity. All Christians are meant to "be" this way - it is not just for a select few. Being what He describes here is the only road to a blessed life (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous). So focus friends on being, not doing!
Illustrations
1) A Nevada high school commencement speaker had her microphone cut off by school officials in June after she made unauthorized religious remarks that had been earlier edited from her text. Brittany McComb, the valedictorian of Foothill High School, was silenced by officials with the Clark County School District when she began to cite Bible verses and references to her faith in Jesus Christ. She had wanted to share her personal beliefs about the role her Christian faith played in her academic success.
2) Graduating high school senior Megan Chapman faced a dilemma no young woman in America should face. Last September, Megan was elected senior class chaplain at Russell County High School in Kentucky. For many years the chaplain had delivered a prayer a graduation. But this year the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) filed a lawsuit to prohibit all such prayer on the Wednesday before graduation. |
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Sermon on Mount Part 2, November 12, 2006
What You Are / Matthew 5:13-16 / 11-12-06
Introduction: Back in September, we began a consideration of the Sermon on the Mount, one of the most powerful and instructive teaching narratives that Jesus delivered while on this earth. These are literally the words of God, as He spoke them to us. In the first 12 verses, we undertook the business of seeing what it is that we are to be when we grow up, spiritually speaking. If you recall, we said that these are not natural states for us, but rather, supernatural states that occur as we come more and more under the lordship of Jesus Christ by our increasing yieldedness to the Holy Spirit.
Now in vs. 13-16, we learn not what we are to be, but what we already are! When Jesus spoke about Himself, He frequently used the phase, "I am." When He spoke about the Church, He frequently used the phrase, "You are." What He reveals to us in these four verses is not what we are seeking to become, but He tells us what we already are by virtue of our association with Him. What He says that we are is twofold. First we are "the salt of the earth." Second, we are "the light of the world." Both the word "earth" and the word "world" imply the entirety of the planet, so what He is saying to us is literally global in nature. But do we understand what He means? Gaining that full understanding is the goal of this message.
I. The Salt of the Earth
A. In the average human body, there are about 7 tablespoons of salt. This comprises less than 1% of our body weight. How is it, then, that He says that we are "the salt of the earth?"
B. Well obviously, He means it does not take a great deal to get the job done. Just as the small amount of salt in our bodies serves a fundamental purpose, and without it we would not be living, so also do we Christ followers serve a fundamental purpose in the world.
C. Now the Lord did not use this analogy without specific intent. He wants us to consider the purpose and use of salt to draw an understanding of our purpose and use in His work on this earth.
D. Salt has long been used as a disinfectant and as a preservative. In the early days of medicine, it was rubbed into wounds to prevent infection. Meat and other kinds of food are often "salted down" as a way of preserving them in an unspoiled state for future use.
E. Our purpose as Christ followers is to mimic these functions of salt in society. We are to be an antiseptic, and a preservative, to keep our world from becoming completely rotten.
F. We are to flavor our surroundings with Christ and with Christian principles, so that those around us are exposed to the things of God. Heaven knows that they receive ample exposure to the wrong things of the world. We are to be sure that there is ample exposure to the right things of the kingdom.
G. In our homes, in our factories, in our schools, in our places of commerce, we must be that salt that flavors the situation with Christ.
II. The Salt That's Not Salty
A. Now notice in v. 13, that as soon as Jesus declares that we are "the salt of the earth," He adds, "but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?"
B. He is saying, first of all, that it is possible for us to lose our effectiveness. Sometimes salt goes flat, losing its taste, its strength, it quality.
C. This can and does happen to us as Christ followers. When we lose our zeal for the things of God and become immersed in the things of the world, we lose our saltiness.
D. When we fail to be obedient to the Word, not forgiving one another, not praying for one another, not esteeming one another higher than ourselves, we lose our saltiness.
E. When we have division and disagreement and we stubbornly refuse to reconcile with our brother or our sister in the Lord, we lose our saltiness.
F. When we remain silent and inactive when there are things which we should be saying or doing for Jesus, we lose our saltiness.
G. And the result? The Church becomes insignificant and ineffective in the world; just look at the end of v. 13, "It is there for good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men."
H. "Thrown out and trampled under foot!" That simply means that the world ignores us and considers as making little or no difference.
I. Here's a way to tell if this is happening - do people refrain from telling dirty jokes or off color stories in your presence? Or do they just go ahead because they know you'll laugh along with everyone else?
III. The Saltiness Not Lost
A. So we're the salt of the earth, but we can lose our saltiness. We need to know how not to let that happen, or how to correct it if it does happen.
B. To begin with, maintain your relationships properly. First, do this in the home, so that your prayer life isn't hindered, I Peter 3:7. Then do it outside the home, so that your giving (worship)isn't hindered, Matthew 5:23-24.
C. Take the lead in doing this, so that your relationships are healthy and serve to increase your saltiness, not take away from it.
D. Second, maintain your prayer life vigorously. Be jealous and stubborn about your daily time to be alone with God. Don't allow "urgent things" to rob you of this precious time of increasing your saltiness. See Mark 1:35.
E. Third, study your Bible! Where does salt come from? Salt mines - they have to literally dig it out! Our saltiness comes from digging out the truth of God's Word for our lives. See Romans 15:4.
F. Finally, speak up and act up! Don't sit idly by while wrong is made to look like right. Speak up for what actually is right and act up in the sense of actually living your faith before others. See James 1:22.
G. If you will implement and follow these simple steps you can avoid becoming salt without flavor or you can reverse the condition if you're already salt without flavor.
IV. The Light of the World
A. Now let's consider what Jesus said we are in v. 14, "You are the light of the world."
B. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and the picture of this teaching is set before you every Sunday morning in our worship. Our acolytes bear the light from outside this room into this room. They ignite these candles before you so that the light is seen by all.
C. When you become a Christian (Christ follower)you become an image-bearer of God. Jesus said of Himself in John 8:12, I am the light of the world." Since He is light, then once you are a part of Him by faith, you bear His light!
D. Notice what He said in John 9:5, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
E. Clearly, He intends for us to understand that now we are the ones who manifest His light to the world.
F. And like our acolytes, we are to bring His light before the world and let it shine for all to see.
G. Jesus continued in v. 14 , saying, "A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden." Just as a city on a hill stands out, so should we, His Church, stand out. We are not meant to blend in with our surroundings, but we are to stand out and be highly visible for Him.
V. The Light That Shines
A. Now once again, Jesus used a specific analogy in order that we might gain a specific understanding.
B. Consider some things about light - it dispels darkness; it exposes what was in the darkness; it provides a way to see what you need to do; it is not to be concealed.
C. Again, our purpose as Christ followers is to mimic these functions of light in society.
D. We are, first of all, to dispel darkness. This simply means that just as the flip of a light switch ends the physical darkness in a room, we are to end the spiritual darkness in the lives of those around us. We dare not stand idly by while others live in the dangerous darkness of not knowing God.
E. Second, we are to expose what is in the darkness (just like turning on the light at night keeps you from stumping your toe on a chair). The evil of Satan that lurks in the dark recesses of the human heart needs to be exposed by the light of Jesus Christ so that folks can see it and avoid it. We are to so live as to be that contrast with sin that makes clear the path that people need to take.
F. Third, we are to provide light that enables folks to see what they need to do. This is by way of example, wherein we live godly lives that portray the walk with Christ that He wants everyone to experience. If you are trying to work on something important, more light will help you see how to do it.
G. Fourth, light is not to be concealed, but revealed. Jesus made a practical observation in v. 15, "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket." You don't turn on a lamp just to put it in a black box where the light cannot be seen. Well, neither should be keep our Christianity under wraps so that it is concealed from those around us.
H. Rather, Jesus said do this, "but [put it] on a lampstand and it gives light to all who are in the house." God has made you His light bearer for a purpose, to give light to all who are in your house (influence).
VI. Lampstand Followers
A. His final instruction in this passage (v.16) tells us to be lampstand followers, "Let your light so shine before men..."
B. We sing, "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine..." Know this, it is no "little light," but rather the light of Jesus Christ in you! It has life changing power!
C. You should see your self as a lighthouse on the rocky shoreline, beaming forth a life-saving light for those souls around you traveling the rough and dangerous waters of life.
D. The practical application of lampstand faith is expressed in Jesus' following words, "that they may see your good works..."
E. What good works are these? Simply be a good neighbor, in the way of the Good Samaritan (read Luke 10:29-37). Show compassion/kindness, get involved, give generously.
F. The crowning achievement of being a lampstand follower is that God is exalted in the eyes of the world, look at the end of v. 16, "and glorify (recognize, honor, praise) your Father in heaven."
G. When you are that shining light of the Lord to those around you, you are serving the Lord in a manner that brings great joy to His heart, for you are fulling the purpose for which you were created.
Conclusion:
So now we know, or we ought to know, who we are. In Christ, that is, as Christ followers, we are both the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We are to flavor every situation with His presence/principles, and we are to shine His light to dispel the darkness. Now that we know what we know, here's the critical question is your salt salty and is your light shining?
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Sermon on Mount Part 3, December 3, 2006
It's The Law / Matthew 5:17-19 / 12-3-06
Introduction: Well, so far in our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we have looked into what we are to be when we grow up, that is, we learned the characteristics (the "Be" Attitudes) that we are to possess as we mature spiritually. We have also discovered who we are in Christ, by virtue of our association with Him. He said we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Hopefully, we understand now what that means for us.
Now, we're going to consider the next section of this wonderful teaching narrative which is verses 17-19. Here Jesus explains the relationship of His ministry of grace to the Law of God. I have found over the years of being in the ministry that this is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the Christian faith. Do we need grace, or do we need the Law? Do we need both? How do they relate to one another? Am I saved by grace or must I also keep the Law to be saved? Many are the questions and often, much is the confusion, that surrounds the issue of grace and the Law.
But at the heart of the matter, we find here the clear teaching of the Lord on this subject. I want us to study this carefully, that we might come to the understanding that He wants us to have on this matter.
I. The Law and Jesus
A. Jesus begins this teaching by stating unequivocally that His coming does not change the requirements of the Law in our lives, v. 17.
B. Just because Jesus came does not mean that the Ten Commandments have become the Ten Suggestions!
C. He did not come to destroy (take away) the Law of God, but rather He came to fulfill it completely. How did He do this? In three ways:
1) A sinless life - 2Cor:5:21: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
2) A sacrificial death - Heb:9:26: For then must He
often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
3) A sanctifying ministry - Rom:8:34: Who is he
that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
D. What does this mean for us? Well, it means that since we cannot live a sinless life, we cannot be right with God on our own accord. We have no means to reconcile with Him, for we cannot sanctify ourselves with any sacrifice we could offer.
E. This being true, God, in His mercy toward us, sent Jesus to live a sinless life, and to sanctify us by the sacrifice of Himself, on our behalf.
F. The end result of this is explained in Romans 10:3-4 (read from the Amplified Bible). Jesus is the end of our keeping of the Law for the purpose of having a right relationship with God.
G. This is justification by substitution - He takes our place of not being right with God (sin) and He gives us His place of being right with God (righteousness).
H. We commonly refer to this simply as grace.
II. The Law and You
A. So Jesus is the end of the Law and we are saved by His grace. Does this mean that we do not have to keep the Law? May we simply ignore it?
B. To be honest, a lot of folks think this way and abuse the grace of God. But look carefully at what Jesus told us, He did not come to abolish the Law - it is still completely in effect, see v. 18!
C. We are required to live by it just as surely now as at any time in history. It is, and always has been, a requirement for us to live by His Law, but it is not a requirement for us to be saved by our keeping of His Law.
D. The Christian is obliged to keep the Law, but it earns him or her no merit as regards eternal salvation. Let's consider Romans 3:20-26 (Amplified Bible).
E. The purpose of the Law is to point us to Christ, as we understand that God's standard is beyond our own ability.
F. God expects us to heed His Law, so we'll know how to live successfully (see II Timothy 3:16). Without it, we have to try to figure out the business of successful living on our own - and we haven't historically done a good job at that!
G. Jesus came to show us, by example, that by simply adhering to God's Law, adding nothing and taking nothing away, you can live successfully.
H. Contrast that with the Pharisees, who added so much to God's Law that it became so complicated, even they couldn't keep it!
III. The Law and Others
A. Now that brings us to the third thing Jesus said in the passage, in v. 19 (read verse). This verse clearly pertains to saved persons, who are "in the kingdom."
B. But notice that there are two kinds of persons who are "in the kingdom" - those who adhere to the Law and those who don't.
C. Jesus says you have two choices - keep the Law and teach others to do the same and you'll be great in the kingdom of heaven. Or, break the Law and teach others to do the same and be least in the kingdom of heaven.
D. This is a teaching specifically addressed to believers, again, those "in the kingdom of heaven." The Lord wants us to understand He has done nothing to lessen the effect of God's Law on earth. In fact, He has enhanced it by showing us the practical application that God wants for each of us.
E. Consider His teaching on this in Matthew 25:14-30, The Parable of the Unprofitable Servant (read passage from NJKV).
F. We think heaven is nothing but bliss and that everyone will receive the same things there. Not so, according to the Lord's teaching.
G. As believers, we'll all be there by virtue of grace. But as servants, we'll receive blessing and reward based on what we have or haven't done.
H. The truth is, many will come face-to-face with the Lord's rebuke, due to their careless manner of living.
Conclusion:
So what have we learned here, class? We've seen that Jesus fulfilled the Law on our behalf, assuring our righteous standing with God through our faith in Him. We've seen that He told us specifically to keep the Law and to teach others to do so. And He admonished us not to break the Law or to teach others to do so.
Now where do you stand on all of this? Are you right with God because you are trusting in Jesus, who perfectly kept the Law in your place? And what about teaching others? You are teaching them, you know. By your example, you teach your children, grandchildren, fellow church members, relatives, co-workers, and even total strangers that God's Law is either to be obeyed or its not. How would you say you're doing with your teaching? |
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Sermon on Mount Part 4, December 31, 2006
The Intent of the Heart / Matthew 5:20-26 / 12-31-06
Introduction:
Tonight at the stoke of midnight, we're going to walk out of the door of this year that is ending and through the door of a new year that is beginning. As they say in the accounting world, we'll close the old books on this year and open the new books of 2007. In these last few hours of 2006, I want to suggest that we consider how best to begin the new year of 2007. From this Scripture we have just read, it appears that we would do well to begin the new year by looking carefully at the intent of our heart.
The key word in the is passage is found in v. 24, and is the word reconciled. According to Webster's Dictionary, this word means, "to make friendly again; to settle a quarrel; to make consistent or compatible; to make content or acquiescent." To borrow from the accounting world again, it means "to bring the books into balance."
What better way to begin a new year, than to bring "the books into balance," or in other words, to bring our lives into balance by reconciling whatever is out of sorts? I believe that in this passage, Jesus is directing us to examine the intent of our hearts as compared to His truth, which is, that being reconciled with God and with others are the most important aspects of life. Is this what we find in our hearts today? Perhaps, as we study this text, we'll discover how to make this the intent of the heart.
I. The Standard of Reconciliation (vs. 20-22)
A. Jesus begins this teaching by pointing out that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Now we know that the scribes and Pharisees were considered to be the most religious and the most righteous folks of that day. Yet Jesus declares that their righteousness is inadequate for entrance into His kingdom.
B. Why was this so? Well, you see, theirs was an external righteousness, based upon appearances only. The intent of their hearts was corrupt even though their outward manner seemed quite pious. They were attempting self-righteousness based upon their efforts to simply "look" righteousness.
C. Jesus says it must be deeper than that. It must be genuine, based upon what He has done for us (grace) and the internal change of heart that His grace produces. When you are made truly righteousness by His grace in your life, then both your inward intents and your outward actions will reveal a godly character.
D. He gives the example of murder to illustrate what He is talking about. In v. 21, He refers to the Sixth Commandment, which states that you shall not commit the outward act of taking another person's life.
E. But in v. 22, He explains that this commandment also refers to how you feel toward others in your heart. You can commit murder in your heart toward another without ever committing the physical act of murder. If you harbor resentment or ill will or hatred toward someone else, then you are breaking the spirit of the law, if not the letter of the law.
F. Malice and enmity of heart against others leads to hard feelings, unkind words, and spiteful actions. These are not the characteristics of a righteous person. That is why Jesus said that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, which was based on false pretense.
G. Ours must be the real deal - a combination of righteous actions that come from righteous motives. We can be angry, but it must not lead to sin, it must not linger so as to destroy the tenderness of brotherly love, see Ephesians 4:26.
II. The Steps of Reconciliation (vs. 23-26)
A. Now the question that presents itself at this point is, how can we accomplish what the Lord requires of us? If the intent of our hearts must be righteous, how do we make it so?
B. Well, that is an excellent question, for we all know how easy it is to allow the wrong feelings toward others to invade our hearts. Just how is it that we guard against such sinful ways? Is it even possible?
C. Friends, it is not only possible, but it is also probable if we will follow the Lord's teaching on how to do this as found in vs. 23-26. Jesus gives us a step-by-step procedure on the way to keep the right intent in our hearts toward one another.
D. Step 1 - Take stock of your relationships on a regular basis. In v. 23, He says, "If you bring your gift to the altar..." When would we bring our gifts to the altar? In worship, right? How often do we worship? Weekly, right? So at least once a week, in our coming to worship, we should take time to review and consider our relationships.
E. Step 2 - Remember! Look at the last part of v. 23, "...and there remember that your brother has something (a grievance) against you..." Take an honest look back at the last week. Did you hurt someone, offend someone, ignore someone, bully someone, demean someone, gossip about someone, have a misunderstanding with someone? Where were the relationship problems in the week gone by?
F. Step 3 - Leave! In v. 24, Jesus continues and says, "Leave your gift there before the altar..." In New Testament days, it was customary for worshipers to go to the temple on a "come-and-go" basis to present their offerings. It was not always in a group setting, as our worship is today. So back then, they could interrupt the act of offering their gift in this way. However, we can do the same, by simply leaving at the end of the service with the resolve in our hearts to reconcile with those we have remembered.
G. Step 4 - Go! Jesus continues in v. 24, "...and go your way..." The Lord clearly intends for us to take the initiative in this process. He said "go your way," He did not say, "wait on the other person to come your way." Most often our reasoning is that if the other person will come to us, if the other guy will take the first step, offer the olive branch, if you will, then we will respond appropriately. So we sit by and wait, convincing ourselves that we're in the right and the other person needs to make the first move.
H. This is poppycock! According to Jesus, a believer is to follow His personal example. He came to us, remember? He was in the right, but He made the first move. This is not a game of chess where you are trying to calculate the best move to make. This is obedience to the Lord and the only consideration should be how well will I follow His lead?
I. Step 5 - Reconcile! Listen again to the last part of v. 24, "First be reconciled to your brother..." Jesus says that we are to settle our differences one with another, period. Easier said than done, though, right? Sometimes it isn't that hard, but other times it seems impossible. Some folks are just downright stubborn and not the reconciling type. What should we do, wrestle them to the ground until they cry "uncle?" Well not physically, but we should wrestle with them spiritually. By this I simply mean, do your part by going to them with the genuine intent of settling the issue. If they refuse to reconcile, leave them alone but commit the situation to ongoing prayer.
J. Step 6 - Return! Then Jesus says in v. 24, "...and then come and offer your gift." The message here is loud and clear if you are listening. God wants us to worship Him with a right heart. If we cannot forgive one another and reconcile with one another, then we cannot worship Him as He desires. The ministry of Jesus was all about bringing us into a reconciled relationship with God and with each other. These two things are inseparable in the mind of God.
Conclusion:
Notice what Jesus said in the last two verses of this text (read vs. 25-26 again). What does He mean? I think it is this, don't let unresolved issues go for a long time. Find agreeable ground as quickly as you can. Otherwise, you will become a prisoner of bitterness, unforgiveness, and hard feelings. Those emotions are stern taskmasters and they will exact a high price from you. Your health, both physical and spiritual, will suffer.
Friends, it is time to close the books on 2006. What needs to be settled? What needs to be reconciled? What is the intent of your heart? | |
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There is the REAL Christmas Story, December 16, 2007
Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? Do you work on it throughout the year or are you one of those last minute shoppers, fighting the crowds on Christmas Eve? We are all busy trying to find the perfect gift, have our decorations perfected, and prepare the perfect feast for Christmas dinner. We paint on pretty smiles and pretend that one-day of the year we have no troubles and we have no struggles, sorrows or fears.
Let's face it. Some people are just hard to shop for. You have no idea what they want or need. You haven't the foggiest notion what size they wear or what color looks best on them. Some folks are just picky and nothing you buy would suit them anyway.
Think about all the stress we have put on ourselves because we have to have a perfect Christmas. The worse problem is that underneath all the decorations, wrapping paper and bows we all know that it's not perfect. It hasn't been perfect during the year. Then, just because it's Christmas suddenly it is all going to work out right.
To be quite honest this year has not been what we thought it would be. We never expected to be without a preacher at North Union. We never imagined we would be listening to someone different every Sunday morning. We didn't know we would lose an entire family from our congregation. We never knew we would face death, sickness, or despair. There are wounds that still aren't healed from the past. There are relationships that are still broken that we struggle with; people who won't be at that Christmas dinner. There are things in ourselves that we don't like and those feelings remain. We have unfulfilled dreams and unanswered prayers. And then Christmas comes.
The very first Christmas was not as I would have imagined had I been writing that story. I would have placed the King of Kings in a castle, riding a white horse, wearing long, luxurious robes and a crown enlaid with precious jewels. But it would be easy for us to put the Christmas story in the category of religious myth or Christian fairy tale if I had written the story. It would be easy to paint it all perfect and clean and pure because that is how God is. But it wasn't even as beautiful or as serene as it appears in our Christmas pageants either. It certainly wasn't as clean or neat or nice.
The Christmas story reminds me once again that this story is a real story about real people. When we treat the Christmas story as something other than the sober, historical truth, we drain it of its true meaning and reduce it to the level of a nice, sweet fairy tale that teaches us to be good and love each other because that's what Jesus would want us to do.
The whole story of Jesus birth was one difficulty after the other. First, Mary discovered she was going to have a child and that Joseph would not father her firstborn. Imagine the conversation at the supper table as she broke the news to her parents. Picture Joseph's face as she shared her news with him. I'm sure he was not at all pleased to find out his fiancée was having someone else's child. Talk about a rocky start to a marriage! Joseph was probably ribbed to shame by his friends and Mary, by her family and all those nosy neighbors, laughing and pointing.
Then there was the journey to Bethlehem. Momma always tells our birth story to us on our birthdays. Between the three of us, we have quite an interesting tale and each one is unique. But as she shares this story, even though our birth story was not in a chapter of What to Expect When You are Expecting, she laughs and recalls with pride each of our stories. I can imagine Elizabeth and Mary sharing their stories as John and Jesus play happily in the backyard. They both could write a best seller: What Not to Expect When You are Expecting.
Mary would share with a smile on her face, their travel over rocky ground and dry dessert to Bethlehem. Not to mention the fact that she had to ride a donkey. I can see her face draw at the thought of being turned away from the inn and having her baby in a barn. But I also picture the pride and the slaps of congratulations when Joseph tells about delivering his own child and placing him in a manger. The beams of joy as he tells of the first time he gazed upon Jesus face.
Mary and Elizabeth and Joseph understood something that I think we need to understand, because when it comes to the promises of God, when it comes to the action of God in this world, we need to understand that there is an "already" and a "not yet" when it comes to God's plans in this world. We celebrate that Christ has come, but we also celebrate that He is coming again.
We spend most of our Christmas season searching for the perfect gift, the huge bargain, the ideal decoration, and the last parking spot. At the very first Christmas, many people missed it because they were too busy looking for other things. The politicians, the business community, the innkeeper, even the religious leaders missed the first Christmas, because they were looking at other things. The only people, who enjoyed the very first Christmas, nearly two thousand years ago, were the people who were looking for it.
What are you going to find this Christmas? Matthew 7:7 says, "Seek and you will find." The shepherds found Jesus because they were searching. They were seeking Him. And later on, another group, the wise men, found Jesus because they were looking for Him, too. This Christmas God wants to give you four Christmas gifts that you'll find if you seek them. Because whatever you're looking for is what you'll find.
Through Jesus, God offers you forgiveness for your past, peace of mind in the present, and a solid future in eternity. A little boy wrote a letter to Santa Claus that said, "Dear Santa: There are three boys living at my house. Jeffrey is two, David is four, and Norman is seven. Jeffrey is good some of the time, David is good some of the time, and Norman is good all of the time. I am Norman."
You know the problem with that? Not one of us is a Norman. None of us are always perfect, or right. In fact, if we had a giant screen up behind us and were able to view everything we've ever thought, said, or done; most of us would be extremely embarrassed. We have a gaping hole in our souls---we are all on a quest to find a source of meaning to our lives. Why am I here? Does my life count? Why should I get up in the morning, go to work, come home, watch TV, and go to bed? Where do you think those ideas are coming from? God is putting those questions in your mind because He is creating a desire in you â?? a thirst to know Him. We all live with a sense of regret because none of us are perfect. We need a savior. "Unto you is born a Savior." Yes, you can be forgiven. Now that's the most priceless gift you can get, the gift of a clear conscience. Yet at Christmas time God offers you the chance to have your past forgiven and wiped clean, so you can start over, brand new. That's good news!
This Christmas you can find peace of mind. "Those who love your teachings will find true peace." Psalms 119:165. We all pray for peace on earth. But frankly, we haven't the slightest idea what genuine peace of mind is all about. Some look for peace in the bottom of a bottle, some jump from one relationship to the other trying to fill the void, some work till they collapse into bed so they don't have to spend time thinking about fears and lonliness, others work and work and achieve and achieve, so they can prove to the world they are somebody. For others it is New Age gimmicks: doing yoga, aromatherapy, gazing at crystals. That is not peace of mind either.
Real peace of mind is having a relationship with Jesus Christ, God's Son, and becoming friends with Him. Real peace is knowing that no matter what I do, God will never stop loving me. Real peace is knowing that no matter what happens, God will never leave me alone. He will always be with me. Real peace is living by the Bible.
There are three things that rob us of peace of mind: guilt, grief and grudges. You don't have to walk around with a bundle of guilt. God said, "I sent a Savior to wipe away your sins, so you can be forgiven. Grief also robs us. Christmas can bring up all kinds of hurtful memories. There may be a loved one missing this Christmas, or a divorce you went through. The doctor may have delivered some horrible news. God cares about your hurt. He knows about it. God says to cast all your cares upon Him, and He will care for you. Cast all your burdens on the Lord.
Grudges also rob us of peace. We become resentful or grudgful when others hurt us. How you respond to that hurt will determine your level of happiness in life. You've got to let go of those hurts. You may say, "I can't. They hurt me too much." You're right. That's why you need Jesus, because only He can give you the power to let go. They may not deserve it; but you need to forgive for your own sake, so you can get on with your life and not stay stuck in the past over a grudge, a hurt, or resentment.
This Christmas we can find Hope. We find hope in the way God has kept his promises in the past. It is impossible for God to lie. He has promised to be "our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble." Psalm 46:1. We don't know what tomorrow holds for us, but at that bend in the road we must remember that nothing is wasted with God. The only thing that really teaches one what life's about is the joy of understanding, the joy of coming in contact with what life really signifiesâ??through suffering and affliction. We have two reasons for hope even in the darkest moments: 1. God is at work engineering our circumstances in ways that we cannot see and 2. He can forge good out of what seems hopeless and even evil.
There is a great hope in the help God supplies in the midst of our troubles. And it may also encourage you to recall the title of one of our Christmas Carols, "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus. Be patient and wait on the Lord. The only road that leads to the destination God desires for us has its sharp bends. All attempted shortcuts lead to the wilderness. Even the "bends" of life have a divine purpose. The wandering wise men gave Jesus their hope. When everyone else saw a night sky, this small band of men saw the light. The sight of the star sparked a desire in their hearts that sent them packing. They went, seeking Jesus. God uses the darkness to reveal his stars. Hope means better days are coming. Things won't always be the way they are now.
This Christmas you can find Eternal Life. I hate to tell you this but someday we are all going to die. Tomorrow, next year, in ten yearsâ??no one but God knows. Second, we're going to spend more of our life on that side of death than this side. That's why God sent Jesus Christ to prepare us for the other side. You can find eternal life by trusting Christ. This is called salvation. He clears up my past, takes care of my present, and secures my future. That's one gift you won't find under the Christmas tree. You can only find it in the Man of the cross. Can you imagine being given a gift at Christmas and never unwrapping it? It would be silly. "Why haven't you unwrapped it?" I say. You reply, "Oh, I love the wrapping paper. I'm sure I'm going to love it. And yet, many of us continue to move closer to God Christmas after Christmas. We know the songs and stories. We know what it's all about, but we've never unwrapped the gift. So whats up with that? God says, "I want to offer you forgiveness, peace of mind, hope and eternal life, and you haven't even unwrapped it? Be serious."
Is there hope in the world? Yes!!! Hope came in the form of a tiny baby 2000 years ago in Bethlehem. We must do as the shepherds and wise men did. Seek and we will find Him. Hope is only available to those who will humble themselves and bow in faith before the Lord Jesus Christ.
Some people think about Jesus each year at Christmas. Deeply touched, they resolve to know Him personally. Then the moment passes and the pressures of a new year lead them away from the manager. You can't cram for Heaven the way you cram for a geometry final. You can't take a crash course to get into Heaven. There is no Heaven 101. Sooner or later, you've got to make a personal commitment that Jesus Christ will be your Lord and Savior. Each time you put it off makes it harder the next time.
It was the week before Christmas. Parking spaces were hard to come by. There were long lines, crowded stores, rude people, and grossly inflated prices. In one long check out line, one man was heard to say, "They should kill the guy that started Christmas." One wise and godly woman in the line said, "They did. They hung Him on a cross." There is the REAL Christmas story.
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Soul Farmer, January 20th by Dylan Joyce
As most of you know, I have been farming since before I could walk. When Momma went back to work I stayed with Bobbo and Granny. Come springtime, about the time I was three months old, Bobbo was ready to start getting the ground ready for planting season. He mounted a car seat in the tractor right beside his seat and off we went to the field. I have loved farming ever since that day. I inherited his love for the earth and for growing things. I am majoring in farm and ranch management in college and work 40-60 hours a week with Mr. Charles and Mr. Andy King, whom you met a couple of weeks ago. This coming year we will be farming my grandmother?s land. I am on my way to achieving my dream of becoming a real farmer. That is why I chose for the subject of my sermon: Sowing Seeds.
Our Scripture will come from Matthew 13:1-9. Please stand with me as we read God?s Word.
This morning?s parable uses the image of a sower, scattering seeds in various types of terrain, with the hope that they will sprout and blossom. A farmer, before he plants the seeds takes great care in selecting the type of seed he wishes to sow. He may examine its suitability for hill ground or bottom ground, if it is disease resistant, pest resistant, drought resistant, or weed resistant. Selected properly these seeds will germinate well, develop and bear good fruits. Fruits that have the same kind of seeds as good as the good seeds selected before. If the farmer is not wise enough to choose the good seed and doesn?t know how to prepare, these seeds might not germinate and will decay. These un-grown seeds will just be fertilizer to the soil.
What kinds of seed should we select to sow? I suggest that the ministry of the church is to sow seeds---seeds of faith, hope, and love. Sometimes the church forgets that our primary purpose is to sow seeds of faith; we get too caught up in the mechanics, costs, obstacles, trying to decide exactly what will bring people to church, what people want, or what will entice people to commitment. We focus so much on the problems of thin soil, seed-stealing birds, weeds, and thorns, that we use too little energy on the joy and blessings of faith. We forget that God gives the growth that our role is simply to sow the seed, to sow it lovingly, lavishly, generously. Our mission is to experience and express the love of God as we know it through Jesus Christ.
Faith is a relationship with God, a relationship that provides a foundation from which to determine what we value in life and actions upon those values. Faith offers a moral compass to guide us through the varied highways of life. Trust in God grounds us when the storms of life threaten to undo us. Faith is an attitude of trust in what we cannot know for certain or ever understand fully. You can know all about God, but the question is do you "know" God? Just as we plant a seed, and cover it with dirt, and give it water, something else happens to that seed to turn it into a plant. Our mission is to sow seeds of faith that bring people into relationships with God. And have faith that what we plant will grow; even outlive us, carrying forward our good work.
Each of us has known times in our lives when we felt like lifeless, barren soil, stomped on by the drudgery of daily existence, beaten down by the overwhelming challenges of life. Perhaps you remember a time when you were just going through the motions, wondering where the purpose was in it all. We have all ached to have a seed of hope fall upon our bleak pathways. We all need seeds of hope planted in our lives. Seeds that will give a healing touch of hope, stirring us to new life once again. Hope doesn?t get us out, but it does get us through.
Even in the face of obstacles, we are called to sow seeds of love. The cares of the world and the lure of wealth are strong temptations that draw us into selfishness and away from loving our neighbor. These are the thorns that easily choke the life out of relationships. Love is not a vague feeling or an abstract idea. Love is actively seeking what is best for the one loved. Love is working toward what is best for our neighbor, no matter what the cost. Love is embodying the healing, caring ministry of Jesus. We sow seeds of love so that all might experience the love of God. Jesus embodied the love of God so fully in his life and ministry and in his death and resurrection.
What we sow is what we will reap. Just as reaping the seeds for corn will produce corn and not beans, sowing seeds of wickedness will bring forth corruption and more wickedness and ultimately death. However, if we sow in the spirit we will reap everlasting life.
There was a young man who had trouble with one of the local farmers in his hometown. To get at the farmer, the young fellow went out one night to his fields and sowed weeds throughout the farm. The farmer fought the weeds for years, but one day the young man married the farmer?s daughter and inherited her father?s farm. The young man spent the rest of his life fighting the weeds he had sown earlier.
God provides us with blessings and abundances so that we might share in the good work of God. God invites us to join in scattering seeds of hope, faith and love. His wish is that all people might have the opportunity to receive the gifts of new life.
The next step in sowing is making the soil ready. Jesus speaks of three different types of soil that the seeds have been scattered upon. Ideally, every farmer wants good soil that produces abundantly on which to plant his crops. It is only when we take the soil that is given us, cultivate it, fertilize it, and properly nourish it that the soil produces a good harvest. These seeds produce 30, 60, and 100 times more than what was originally planted.
Jesus tells how some seeds fell along the path. We will call ours the field road. It is hard and packed down from trucks and tractors driving over it. The seeds just lie on the road where the birds came along, see them and eat the seeds. The word is heard but not really understood and nothing comes of it.
Then there are the seeds that fell on rocky soil and grew up and withered away. These seeds begin to take root, but because of the underlying level or rock, the roots don?t grow deep enough to provide enough moisture to sustain the plant. So when the sun comes up, the plants are scorched and wither away, because they weren?t rooted firmly enough into the ground. This is the one who receives the seed of faith in an intimate and enthusiastic way, but soon falls away because there is no depth to their faith. Their faith struggles with understanding how to distinguish between what is pressing or difficult and what is important. It is easy to be overwhelmed by cares and concerns that make up our lives. When faced with persecution because of what they profess to believe, this can choke off faith and they fall away. Their faith withers away for lack of nourishment.
So how do we get the soil ready? A good farmer will not just go out to the field and start sowing seeds randomly. So when we witness, we don?t begin where we are, but where the other person is. A good farmer would pull soil samples and find out what fertilize needs to be incorporated into the soil for the best production. The ground should then be ripped to reduce the compaction of soil where it had been packed down from years of cultivation. Next comes the disk to break up the clods and turn under weeds and other debris. Application of the correct nutrients or fertilize would be mixed into the soil. A field cultivator would then be brought in to work in the fertilize and finish the seed bed. Our field is ready for the planter or sower to begin sowing.
God has already started to prepare the spiritually barren soil by fertilizing it with His grace. The Holy Spirit goes before us to fertilize the ground. It is in Jesus name only that our seed is able to germinate in the ground for the unsaved needs.
Before we begin to sow we must like the farmer find the needs. We must enter into the other person?s world and share their burden. We must look at the world from another?s perspective. Right relationships can only be built if each of us is willing to walk a mile in someone else?s shoes, and sometimes the second mile if necessary.
We must get involved to share God and fill their need. We may be the only church others see. When Jesus saw the thirsty, He offered water. When He saw one racked by guilt and unforgiveness, He visited and brought salvation to the whole house. To one who was bleeding, He offered wholeness through faith. To the religious, He offered the new birth. Jesus was involved in their lives.
We must speak the other?s language. The great miracle at the Pentecost was that all heard the Gospel in their native tongues. A story was told about a Yankee preacher who was ministering in the Deep South. After the church service, a dear woman shook his hand at the door and offered a compliment, "That was a fine sermon, preacher. We don?t know what you were talking about, but we sure love to hear you talk." We must talk the talk as well as walk the walk if people are to understand.
We must be sensitive to the passages in people?s lives. People are most receptive when they are "going through something", like the death of a spouse, divorce, jail, losing their job, an outstanding achievement, debt, family trouble, and so on. Hurting people need to know that God has sent a special Comforter for times like these. We meet hurting people every day, laughing on the outside, but crying on the inside. Let us be sensitive to this; and let us also be helpful.
When a farmer sows in the spring, he does not expect to reap his crop until fall. After planting a seed, it takes time for it to produce. It would be foolish for a farmer to grow weary one week after planning his crop and then sell the farm. This is one of God?s laws of harvest. Seeds planted in the warm, rich earth take sun, water and time. We must be patient for the harvest of the good fruits we have planted. If we are patient, we will reap. We will harvest in the right season. The reward of the farmer for his sowing is to eat of the fruit of his labor.
All plants begin life as a single seed, a tiny, almost insignificant piece of living matter. Within the protective coating of each seed lie an embryo plant and a supply of stored food, in the form of protein, and oils, to start the embryo on the way. When germination conditions are favorable, the seed?s stored food will launch the embryo plant into growth and sustain it until it is capable of manufacturing its own food. When germination occurs, the seed coat splits. A rootlet starts downward into the soil and a sprout bearing seed leaves makes its way to the surface of the soil. Given the proper conditions, a seed can produce a plant whose size is totally out of proportion to the seed that it developed from. As a seed holds the promise of life, so God?s Word holds the promise of new life. As a seed is alive, so God?s Word is living and active; it is full of power and energy.
We have been given a commission to go forth and make believers of all the nations of the world. Let?s face it. It?s not an easy job. We live in a society where the open expression of religious views is not really encouraged. In many cases you might be ridiculed or oppressed. Perhaps you feel inadequate. Or perhaps after putting forth your best effort, you have become discouraged because you have not seen the results you wanted. But to spread the seed of the word of God, you cannot just preach it. You have to act it out. Live it. Show by example what it means to be a Christian. That personal interest is one of the things that helps plant the seed of faith. Put your faith into practice.
Remember you are a soul farmer. The soul is being prepared by God?s grace. If you are to harvest, you must relate to the soil. Identify good soil, find the need, and sow the seed. Fertilize it with your own story and in the name of Jesus Christ. Be persistent in your work and in your prayerful waiting as the crop grows in grace unto maturity. And that is all you can do. Even though many of the seeds we plant will not grow, some will take root, and grow to maturity. And these seeds will give a bountiful harvest, the size of which we cannot even conceive.
The seed catalogs are arriving in the mailboxes. Spring is coming soon. What will you pick out to sow, how are you preparing the soil? If harvest time came today, what would you reap? It is time to sow righteousness by obeying the Lord.
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Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? December 19th, by Robert Joyce
Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? Do you work on it throughout the year or are you one of those last minute shoppers, fighting the crowds on Christmas Eve? We are all busy trying to find the perfect gift, have our decorations perfected, and prepare the perfect feast for Christmas dinner. We paint on pretty smiles and pretend that one-day of the year we have no troubles and we have no struggles, sorrows or fears.
Let's face it. Some people are just hard to shop for. You have no idea what they want or need. You haven't the foggiest notion what size they wear or what color looks best on them. Some folks are just picky and nothing you buy would suit them anyway.
Think about all the stress we have put on ourselves because we have to have a perfect Christmas. The worse problem is that underneath all the decorations, wrapping paper and bows we all know that it's not perfect. It hasn't been perfect during the year. Then, just because it's Christmas suddenly it is all going to work out right.
To be quite honest this year has not been what we thought it would be. We never expected to be without a preacher at North Union. We never imagined we would be listening to someone different every Sunday morning. We didn't know we would lose an entire family from our congregation. We never knew we would face death, sickness, or despair. There are wounds that still aren't healed from the past. There are relationships that are still broken that we struggle with; people who won't be at that Christmas dinner. There are things in ourselves that we don't like and those feelings remain. We have unfulfilled dreams and unanswered prayers. And then Christmas comes.
The very first Christmas was not as I would have imagined had I been writing that story. I would have placed the King of Kings in a castle, riding a white horse, wearing long, luxurious robes and a crown enlaid with precious jewels. But it would be easy for us to put the Christmas story in the category of religious myth or Christian fairy tale if I had written the story. It would be easy to paint it all perfect and clean and pure because that is how God is. But it wasn't even as beautiful or as serene as it appears in our Christmas pageants either. It certainly wasn't as clean or neat or nice.
The Christmas story reminds me once again that this story is a real story about real people. When we treat the Christmas story as something other than the sober, historical truth, we drain it of its true meaning and reduce it to the level of a nice, sweet fairy tale that teaches us to be good and love each other because that's what Jesus would want us to do.
The whole story of Jesus birth was one difficulty after the other. First, Mary discovered she was going to have a child and that Joseph would not father her firstborn. Imagine the conversation at the supper table as she broke the news to her parents. Picture Joseph's face as she shared her news with him. I'm sure he was not at all pleased to find out his fiancée was having someone else's child. Talk about a rocky start to a marriage! Joseph was probably ribbed to shame by his friends and Mary, by her family and all those nosy neighbors, laughing and pointing.
Then there was the journey to Bethlehem. Momma always tells our birth story to us on our birthdays. Between the three of us, we have quite an interesting tale and each one is unique. But as she shares this story, even though our birth story was not in a chapter of What to Expect When You are Expecting, she laughs and recalls with pride each of our stories. I can imagine Elizabeth and Mary sharing their stories as John and Jesus play happily in the backyard. They both could write a best seller: What Not to Expect When You are Expecting.
Mary would share with a smile on her face, their travel over rocky ground and dry dessert to Bethlehem. Not to mention the fact that she had to ride a donkey. I can see her face draw at the thought of being turned away from the inn and having her baby in a barn. But I also picture the pride and the slaps of congratulations when Joseph tells about delivering his own child and placing him in a manger. The beams of joy as he tells of the first time he gazed upon Jesus face.
Mary and Elizabeth and Joseph understood something that I think we need to understand, because when it comes to the promises of God, when it comes to the action of God in this world, we need to understand that there is an "already" and a "not yet" when it comes to God's plans in this world. We celebrate that Christ has come, but we also celebrate that He is coming again.
We spend most of our Christmas season searching for the perfect gift, the huge bargain, the ideal decoration, and the last parking spot. At the very first Christmas, many people missed it because they were too busy looking for other things. The politicians, the business community, the innkeeper, even the religious leaders missed the first Christmas, because they were looking at other things. The only people, who enjoyed the very first Christmas, nearly two thousand years ago, were the people who were looking for it.
What are you going to find this Christmas? Matthew 7:7 says, "Seek and you will find." The shepherds found Jesus because they were searching. They were seeking Him. And later on, another group, the wise men, found Jesus because they were looking for Him, too. This Christmas God wants to give you four Christmas gifts that you'll find if you seek them. Because whatever you're looking for is what you'll find.
Through Jesus, God offers you forgiveness for your past, peace of mind in the present, and a solid future in eternity. A little boy wrote a letter to Santa Claus that said, "Dear Santa: There are three boys living at my house. Jeffrey is two, David is four, and Norman is seven. Jeffrey is good some of the time, David is good some of the time, and Norman is good all of the time. I am Norman."
You know the problem with that? Not one of us is a Norman. None of us are always perfect, or right. In fact, if we had a giant screen up behind us and were able to view everything we've ever thought, said, or done; most of us would be extremely embarrassed. We have a gaping hole in our souls---we are all on a quest to find a source of meaning to our lives. Why am I here? Does my life count? Why should I get up in the morning, go to work, come home, watch TV, and go to bed? Where do you think those ideas are coming from? God is putting those questions in your mind because He is creating a desire in you â?? a thirst to know Him. We all live with a sense of regret because none of us are perfect. We need a savior. "Unto you is born a Savior." Yes, you can be forgiven. Now that's the most priceless gift you can get, the gift of a clear conscience. Yet at Christmas time God offers you the chance to have your past forgiven and wiped clean, so you can start over, brand new. That's good news!
This Christmas you can find peace of mind. "Those who love your teachings will find true peace." Psalms 119:165. We all pray for peace on earth. But frankly, we haven't the slightest idea what genuine peace of mind is all about. Some look for peace in the bottom of a bottle, some jump from one relationship to the other trying to fill the void, some work till they collapse into bed so they don't have to spend time thinking about fears and lonliness, others work and work and achieve and achieve, so they can prove to the world they are somebody. For others it is New Age gimmicks: doing yoga, aromatherapy, gazing at crystals. That is not peace of mind either.
Real peace of mind is having a relationship with Jesus Christ, God's Son, and becoming friends with Him. Real peace is knowing that no matter what I do, God will never stop loving me. Real peace is knowing that no matter what happens, God will never leave me alone. He will always be with me. Real peace is living by the Bible.
There are three things that rob us of peace of mind: guilt, grief and grudges. You don't have to walk around with a bundle of guilt. God said, "I sent a Savior to wipe away your sins, so you can be forgiven. Grief also robs us. Christmas can bring up all kinds of hurtful memories. There may be a loved one missing this Christmas, or a divorce you went through. The doctor may have delivered some horrible news. God cares about your hurt. He knows about it. God says to cast all your cares upon Him, and He will care for you. Cast all your burdens on the Lord.
Grudges also rob us of peace. We become resentful or grudgful when others hurt us. How you respond to that hurt will determine your level of happiness in life. You've got to let go of those hurts. You may say, "I can't. They hurt me too much." You're right. That's why you need Jesus, because only He can give you the power to let go. They may not deserve it; but you need to forgive for your own sake, so you can get on with your life and not stay stuck in the past over a grudge, a hurt, or resentment.
This Christmas we can find Hope. We find hope in the way God has kept his promises in the past. It is impossible for God to lie. He has promised to be "our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble." Psalm 46:1. We don't know what tomorrow holds for us, but at that bend in the road we must remember that nothing is wasted with God. The only thing that really teaches one what life's about is the joy of understanding, the joy of coming in contact with what life really signifiesâ??through suffering and affliction. We have two reasons for hope even in the darkest moments: 1. God is at work engineering our circumstances in ways that we cannot see and 2. He can forge good out of what seems hopeless and even evil.
There is a great hope in the help God supplies in the midst of our troubles. And it may also encourage you to recall the title of one of our Christmas Carols, "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus. Be patient and wait on the Lord. The only road that leads to the destination God desires for us has its sharp bends. All attempted shortcuts lead to the wilderness. Even the "bends" of life have a divine purpose. The wandering wise men gave Jesus their hope. When everyone else saw a night sky, this small band of men saw the light. The sight of the star sparked a desire in their hearts that sent them packing. They went, seeking Jesus. God uses the darkness to reveal his stars. Hope means better days are coming. Things won't always be the way they are now.
This Christmas you can find Eternal Life. I hate to tell you this but someday we are all going to die. Tomorrow, next year, in ten yearsâ??no one but God knows. Second, we're going to spend more of our life on that side of death than this side. That's why God sent Jesus Christ to prepare us for the other side. You can find eternal life by trusting Christ. This is called salvation. He clears up my past, takes care of my present, and secures my future. That's one gift you won't find under the Christmas tree. You can only find it in the Man of the cross. Can you imagine being given a gift at Christmas and never unwrapping it? It would be silly. "Why haven't you unwrapped it?" I say. You reply, "Oh, I love the wrapping paper. I'm sure I'm going to love it. And yet, many of us continue to move closer to God Christmas after Christmas. We know the songs and stories. We know what it's all about, but we've never unwrapped the gift. So whats up with that? God says, "I want to offer you forgiveness, peace of mind, hope and eternal life, and you haven't even unwrapped it? Be serious."
Is there hope in the world? Yes!!! Hope came in the form of a tiny baby 2000 years ago in Bethlehem. We must do as the shepherds and wise men did. Seek and we will find Him. Hope is only available to those who will humble themselves and bow in faith before the Lord Jesus Christ.
Some people think about Jesus each year at Christmas. Deeply touched, they resolve to know Him personally. Then the moment passes and the pressures of a new year lead them away from the manager. You can't cram for Heaven the way you cram for a geometry final. You can't take a crash course to get into Heaven. There is no Heaven 101. Sooner or later, you've got to make a personal commitment that Jesus Christ will be your Lord and Savior. Each time you put it off makes it harder the next time.
It was the week before Christmas. Parking spaces were hard to come by. There were long lines, crowded stores, rude people, and grossly inflated prices. In one long check out line, one man was heard to say, "They should kill the guy that started Christmas." One wise and godly woman in the line said, "They did. They hung Him on a cross." There is the REAL Christmas story.
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He Is Able / by:Andy King / March 2, 2008
HE IS ABLE
Hebrews 7:25
INTRODUCTION:
Don't limit God because nothing is impossible with Him.
1. HE IS ABLE TO SAVE TO THE UTTERMOST.
No one is to bad for God to save. For example look at Paul. He was a Pharisee who killed Christians. What does it mean to be saved to the uttermost? It means to be saved in entire completeness. Completely saved from the past, int eh present and for the future.
2. HE IS ABLE TO TRANSFORM LIVES. II Cor. 5:17
Salvation not only saaves us from Hell, but transforms our lives. Thoses things we once loved, we despised and thoses things that we once despised, we now love. CHANGED ATTITUDE.
3. HE IS ABLE TO KEEP US FROM FALLING.
Jude 1:24 says, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you fautless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy."
John 10:26-29: "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand."
We are joined to Christ forever! Romans 8:38-39: "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
4. HE IS ABLE TO FILL OUR HEART WITH JOY
I Peter 1:8: "Whom having not seen, you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believeing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory."
No one should be happier than Christians because we have Jesus in our hearts and have a retirement benefit that is out of this world. Look at vs. 9 "receiving the end of your faith-the salvation of your souls."
5. HE IS ABLE TO USE YOU IN SERVICE
You say that you are smart enough or strong enough or good enough to do God's work. Well, you need to hear I Corinthians 1:27-29: "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence."
6. HE IS ABLE TO KEEP HIS PROMISES
Paul is speaking of Abraham in Romans 4: 20-21 says, "He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelilef, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform."
II Timothy 1:12: "For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day."
7. HE IS ABLE TO RAISE US UP.
John 6: 39-40: "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at that last day.
CONCLUSION:
For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for each one.......
You say it's impossible, God says all things are possible.
You say I'm too tired, God says I will give you rest.
You say nobody really loves me, God says I love you.
You say I can't go on, god says my grace is sufficient.
You say I can't do it, God says you can do alll things.
You say It's not worth it, God says it will be worth it.
You say I can't forgive myself, God says I forgive you.
You say I can't manage, God says I will supply all your needs.
You say I'm afraid, God says I have not give you a spirit of fear
You say I'm always worrried and frustrated, God says Cast all your cars on me.
You say I'm not smart enought, God says I will never leave you or forsake you.
You say I'm not able, God says I am able.
II Corinthians 9:8: And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to all good work.
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