Welcome Home - November 25th, 2012 Sermon

By Pastor Greg

As some of you know, we helped our daughter and son-in-law move into a new house last weekend. Looking back on that day it seems I provided more brain than brawn. It was apparent that I could not keep up with the younger men present. It wasn’t always like that. I used to be the one working long and hard. But because I have not been diligent, I am not in the same shape I was 10 years ago (and yes I know round is a shape). I was shocked at how quickly a growl turned into a groan.

All joking aside, a person must stay active in order to keep muscle from turning flabby and soft. It takes focus and a lot of discipline, especially as you grow older. Well, the same is true in our spiritual lives. A person must work diligently and stay focused in order to keep their faith from turning flat.

As Citizens of the Kingdom, a Christian is in this world but not part of this world. This is actually the Lord’s Prayer; that those He has been given would not fall away (see John 17:12). And Jesus understood the difficulty in being part of His Kingdom while still living in this world. This is why He is presently our advocate (1 John 2:1). He prays on our behalf, even when we sin.

This duality; this “in the world but not part of the world” reality in which we live, is what makes being a Christian so difficult at times. With corruption all around us (and at times within us), a Christian must be ever diligent; always watchful lest they fall away from the faith.

I think the Apostle Peter understood this all too well. I think this is what he experienced the morning he heard the rooster crow. Its sound became a wakeup call to Peter that his faith had gone flat; that when he needed his faith to be strong, he instead found it weak and flabby. Perhaps this explains why Peter continued to remind the early Christians to be diligent; to work hard at strengthening their faith and growing in maturity. Peter understood that for faith to endure until the end, a Christian must constantly be at work.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. ⁴ And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. ⁵ In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. ⁸ The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. ¹⁰ So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. ¹¹ Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:3-11).

The call of Jesus in a person’s life is for that person to leave one kingdom behind and join Him in His Heavenly Kingdom. And as I said a few weeks ago, we wait for the day when we will finally come home. But in the mean time we live in this world as citizens of another; as Citizens of Heaven. Knowing this, God has provided what we need to live a godly life while in this world. Peter points out that God has provided His glory, His divine power, and His promises so you and I can escape this corrupt earthly kingdom and one day be joined with Christ in His Heavenly Kingdom. Because of Jesus, a believer has a new home. Yet even though God has provided these things, a believer must exercise that faith. That faith must be strengthened. And according to Peter we must add certain things to our faith so that we might endure. We are on a journey home, but it's going to take more than child-like faith to keep us from falling away until we get there.

Peter gives us seven Christian virtues we must add to our faith so we might remain steadfast until the end. As Christians, we begin with faith. But to that faith we must add Moral Excellence, Knowledge, Self-Control, Patient Endurance, Godliness, Brotherly Affection, and Love for Everyone. And he doesn’t deceive us into believing that these traits will develop by themselves. Nor does he lead us to believe that this growth will be easy. Becoming a Christian who demonstrates these traits will take a lot of work. But work we must; for if we do not, if we try to live out our Christian life on faith alone, we run the risk of falling away. It is the short-sighted and blind Christian who thinks faith is enough to see them through to the end. If a Christian remains an “infant in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1), they remain weak and vulnerable to the corrupt world all around them.

Have you ever wondered why a person seems to drift away from God? Have you ever wondered why your own participation in the church seems to rise and fall? Do you sometimes find yourself lured back into the world, acting just like the people of this world? Perhaps its because you have not added to your faith. Perhaps its because you have not strengthened yourself for the work. I tell you the truth; it takes a lot of effort to keep yourself from falling because we live in this world as citizens of another. And the temptations assail us every day; the temptations to turn our backs to God and instead start acting just like our coworkers or classmates. This is why it takes much diligence and work to endure in this world as a Christian.

Sooner or later your going to realize that there is a big difference in knowing the path and walking the path. And those unprepared for the journey might start out strong, but will probably find themselves weakened and ill-equipped for the long journey ahead. If the pilgrim is to make progress, he will need to add to his faith for the long journey ahead.

Do not be deceived. Just because you said certain words one day in the past does not mean you have what it takes to remain faithful until the end. The writer of Hebrews warns that it is possible to turn away from the faith; to give up this Christian journey and turn your back to God (Hebrews 6:4-6). To keep this from happening, the believer must grow and mature. And so I say to you, work hard to add what you need in your life as a Christian to keep from falling away; to keep from becoming weary in your journey to the Kingdom of God. Do everything you can and all that you must to remain steadfast until the day you stand before the Lord, who will throw His arms open wide and say, "welcome home!"

The Greatest in the Kingdom - November 11th, 2012 Sermon

By Pastor Greg

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled and his eyesight was blurred. At the dinner table his shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor; milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about dad," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor." So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. However, one evening at supper the four-year-old child spilled some of his food on the floor, and he too knocked over his glass of water. Turning to his parents, he asked “Does this mean I have to sit with grandpa?”

Children are remarkably perceptive. They see things and observe things that most adults miss. Children see our attitudes and observe our behaviors. And they are not afraid to ask penetrating questions. The grandson in the story rightly assumed that grandpa had to eat alone because he made such a mess. And in his innocence the boy assumed that based upon his parent’s behavior, there was rank in the house. And the messy were the least important in the home.

One day, as Jesus and His disciples were walking to Capernaum, the disciples began to argue among themselves which of them was the greatest. But they did this quietly, hoping that Jesus would not hear their discussion. But when they settled in a house, Jesus asks them what they were discussing out on the road. Oh, He knew what they were saying, and he wanted the disciples to know that He knew. According to Matthew, the disciples finally blurted out what was on their mind. They wondered who was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And to illustrate His answer, Jesus uses a child.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, 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. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:1-6).

According to Jesus the greatest in the Kingdom is not the most educated or the most gifted. The greatest is not the one who has done the most to advance the Kingdom of God. Isn’t that comforting to know? Jesus says that just because we are not the best of the best, or not the most gifted and talented, we are still of value in the Kingdom of heaven. As Jesus stood with this child, He could have turned to Peter who had recently been to the mountaintop with Jesus and witnessed His transfiguration (the same Peter who walked on water), and said “that’s not what makes you great”. Those words can be comforting. Not all of us (few of us, actually) accomplish such great things in life, yet we are not least in the Kingdom of God.

Although great deeds and great words do not equal greatness in God’s Kingdom, neither does doing nothing or little at all. Please notice that Jesus didn’t say that this child was greater than the disciples. That’s not what He was doing here. He didn’t say that innocence or an absence of works in the Kingdom is what makes someone greater either. I mean, let’s face it; this child probably didn’t bake very many casseroles for the weekend pot-luck meal. Neither did this child preach or teach or witness to others about Christ. So don’t start thinking that you are great because you do very little for God’s Kingdom. What Jesus is trying to teach is that the greatest in the Kingdom is the one who demonstrates humility; the one who has a servant’s heart, or the one who submits themselves to the Father’s authority. Greatness in the kingdom was not based on great works or words, but on childlike humility of spirit.

The disciples were asking the wrong question. They should have been concerned about serving the Lord, not asking about positions in the kingdom. Their service needed to be directed toward people, not themselves. Truthfully, their question was just as discriminating as the question a religious lawyer asked Jesus one day (see Luke 10:30-37). In that instance Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to answer the question “who is my neighbor”. In this case, Jesus pointed to a child to answer the question “who is the greatest”. Both lessons point straight to the heart, asking them the question “who is more important in your eyes, a despised Samaritan or yourself? Who is more important, you or this child?” According to Jesus the greatest in the Kingdom is the person who sees others as more important than themselves (see Philippians 2:3-4).

What makes the lesson of the child so significant is the fact that according to Jewish Law this child had no rights (as mentioned in The Bible Knowledge Commentary) But Jesus said that until the disciples get down off their high horse and begin seeing everyone as valuable and important, they would not even enter the Kingdom of Heaven. So instead of worrying over who was the greatest, these disciples should be more concerned that their selfish, self-centered attitudes will exclude them from the Kingdom altogether.

Do you think we struggle with this same tendency? Do you think we have developed the same idea that rank in the Kingdom is based upon great works or great words? Sometimes I think we do. It seems that today’s Church has fallen into this same mindset. It seems we have because I will often hear someone say that children are the church of tomorrow; as if today the adults are greater and the children are less simply because they do not contribute to the Kingdom in significant ways. That’s why those words just don’t seem right to me. To push the needs of the children aside; to say that tomorrow you can be part of the church, but not today, is to be guilty of the same sin Jesus addressed in this section of Matthew.

I believe our children see this. I believe they assume there is rank in the church based upon our behavior. Based upon our decisions a child can easily recognize that the needs of the adults are more important than the needs of the children. That’s why we must lay aside all selfishness, and instead humble ourselves before God; considering the needs of the children among us and recognizing their value in the Kingdom of God. They are not least in the Kingdom and we are not the greater. Everyone has value in God’s Kingdom, regardless of their age.

Thy Will Be Done - November 4th, 2012 Sermon

By Pastor Greg

The couple's young daughter had adopted a stray cat. To her mother's distress, the cat began to use the back of their new sofa as a scratching post. "Don't worry," her husband reassured her. "I'll have him trained in no time." They watched for several days as he patiently "trained" their new pet. Whenever the cat scratched, he deposited the cat outdoors to teach him a lesson. The cat learned quickly. For the next 16 years, whenever he wanted to go outside, he scratched the back of the sofa.

What do you expect? It’s only a cat. I mean did they really think it would walk to the back door and ask to go outside? That’s just impossible. Who would expect a cat to do something impossible? And yet, it seems, this is what Jesus asks of us.

Last week, as I spoke about the Kingdom of Heaven, I pointed out that it is not only something we will experience one day in the future, but it is something that we, as Christians, are a part of right now. This is something Jesus tried to get the Apostles to understand. The Kingdom had come. Christ had begun to reign. God the Son was at work among the people of this earth. The scriptures talk about how He healed the sick, helped the blind to see, and how He cast out demons. This is what we expect from the Lord. But what we don’t expect is for Jesus to ask a mere mortal to do what He had been doing. “And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits. So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil” (Mark 6:7, 12-13).

Okay, these were the Apostles. But these twelve ordinary men accomplished God’s will. God’s will was being done on earth not just by Jesus but also through these men. But the obvious question is why. Why did Jesus feel it was necessary for these twelve men to do what He could do and was doing?

If you read closely through this part of the Gospel Story, you’ll notice that Jesus was not just helping the people of this world, but he was teaching and training these twelve men as well. He was preparing them for the day He would no longer be with them. Once gone, the work of the Kingdom would be their responsibility. If God’s will was to be done, it would be done on earth through these twelve ordinary men. So to prepare them for that day Jesus stretches their faith. He teaches them to trust. He opens their hearts and minds to the present reality of the Kingdom of God. Well, at least He tries to open their hearts and minds.

At the end of their very successful mission trip, the twelve Apostles return to Jesus amazed at what they were able to accomplish with His authority. This should have been an incredible eye opening experience. They should have learned that where Jesus sends or when He commands, great things can be accomplished by ordinary people. But unfortunately it seems they missed that point. In wasn’t more than a day later that they become shocked at what Jesus asks them to do next (read Mark 6:30-44).

Pointing out the obvious need, it seems the Apostles didn’t even expect Jesus to feed the crowd. It seems they expected Him to preach the benediction and send people down to SAL’S for pizza. But instead Jesus says “You feed them”. And truly, what Jesus asked was humanly impossible. They didn’t have the money and they didn’t have the resources. And I’m sure Jesus knew this. I’m sure He wasn’t shocked to learn they were broke. But that didn’t stop Him from giving the command.

Look closely at this story and you’ll notice a couple of details. Long before the resources were made available, Jesus tells the Apostles to have the people sit in groups. So they begin to wander through the crowd asking the people to be seated. “Why”, a curious boy would have asked. Well, what do you say to the boy, whose father is now listening closely as well? I guess you tell them the truth. “Jesus is going to feed us”. You say those words, but do you believe those words. You know quite well that back in the kitchen there is only a small sack lunch that another boy gave as an offering (no, he didn’t tithe his lunch – see John 6:9). The resources necessary for this task have not yet been supplied, but in obedience to Christ’s command you begin the work anyway; you start doing the ministry of the Kingdom before you have what you need to complete the task Jesus has just given you.

Notice as well that once the people are seated it is the Apostles who distribute the food while Jesus is the One who supplies the food, but only enough for the moment. Please notice that the Apostles had to return to Jesus to have their baskets refilled (Kept giving in verse 41). This is the Kingdom of God at work. This is God’s will being done on earth through twelve ordinary men. Jesus gave the command. The Apostles responded in faith. Jesus supplied all that they needed to fulfill that command, but only after the Apostles started doing the work of the Kingdom.

We pray Thy Will Be Done, but do we believe this? And what I mean is that when we see the needs all around us we had better be prepared for His response. His answer to our pray might catch us completely off guard. When we mention to Him the hurting, the naked, the sick, and the hungry, are we prepared to hear Him say, “You feed them”? This is a task seemingly impossible for ordinary people like you and me. And just as with the Apostles, I don’t believe our inadequacy will surprise Jesus. He knows where we are weak. He knows that our resources are limited. But still He calls us to feed them. He still calls us to do the work of the Kingdom. No, He’s not asking us to depend upon our own resources or our own abilities to accomplish His will. He is asking us to have the faith necessary to begin the task believing that He will supply all that we need in order to accomplish that task. And it is the same with our ministries. He is asking us to begin; to demonstrate faith that He will provide. But this is Christ’s way of preparing us. He stretches our faith. He teaches us to trust. He opens our hearts and minds to the Kingdom of God.

This is the Lord’s will. It is through the Church that Thy Will Be Done. Jesus has ascended to heaven but He has left the Church behind to continue His work. And He has equipped the church to do that work by the Holy Spirit. So instead of waiting for Jesus to do something or waiting for Him to provide everything we need to accomplish His will, the Church (we Christians) need to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Then, and I believe only then, will Jesus begin to supply what we need for the work of His Kingdom.

I think it’s interesting that the group of Apostles barely had enough to feed themselves at the beginning. Yet at the end there were 12 baskets of leftovers. I find it significant that at the end of their labor of faith there was more than what they started with. And I wonder if Jesus will do the same for us if we will simply exercise some faith and get to work.