Foundations of the Church – Prayer!: June 29th, 2014 sermon

By Pastor Greg

          John was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place. Looking up toward heaven, he said, "Lord, take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life and give up beer." Just then a parking place miraculously appeared! John looked up again and said, "Never mind. I found one!"

          Maybe we shouldn’t laugh quite so hard.  After all, don’t we pray just like John?  Don’t we offer thoughtless prayers to God?  Are we not guilty of shallow, meaningless prayers?

There have been countless books written about prayer.  I was walking through a bookstore a while back and discovered a whole section devoted to prayer.  One particular title caught my attention though.  It simply said “A Better Way to Pray”, and suggested that if our prayer life is not working, perhaps we should consider changing directions.  Well, that made me stop and think for a good long while, not that my prayers are ineffectual, but that somehow humanity developed the notion that an infinite God could possibly hear the miscellaneous thoughts of a people living on a planet tucked somewhere near the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy.

          Just stop and think about this for a minute.  Here we are, flesh and blood, with no supernatural powers to speak of, imagining that simply by thinking of God and putting together a few thoughts, that He would hear us, or that He would even care what we had to say.  And yet all through the Old Testament we read about men and women who believed that God did hear and that God did care.  Contrary to how some people prayed to a false god, a prayer to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was really quite simple.  It was much like the way we pray today.  No magic tricks, no special posture, and certainly no need to get God’s attention (think back to the way Elijah prayed as compared to the prophets of Baal).

          So that day in the bookstore I wasn’t convicted about how I pray, I was overwhelmed by the fact that I can pray, and that God does listen and care when I pray; when you pray.  He hears us and He listens, that much is evident from the scriptures.  And without ever picking up the book and reading it, I came away changed because for a few short moments I allowed God to be in His rightful place.  He is infinite, I am finite.  He is Holy, I am filled with sin.  He is all knowing, I can’t even remember where I parked.  And yet God listens when I pray; when you pray.

          Consider what King Solomon says in 2 Chronicles.  Solomon had just finished building the Temple.  At the dedication he stood on a large bronze platform and prayed a prayer that asked instead of told (read 2 Chronicles 6:14-21). 

          Solomon confessed that even though God is not confined to a place, He could still hear his prayer and that He would listen.  But the significant part is that Solomon assumed that God would listen to these prayers even when the people did sin; even while being punished because of that sin.  This is significant because Solomon assumed that no matter what the people might do or how much they disobeyed God’s commands He would still listen to their prayers.  On behalf of those who truly repent, Solomon asks God to forgive.  He doesn’t tell God to consider a person’s sacrifice.  He doesn’t tell God to consider how a person’s good deeds out weigh their bad.  He simply asks God to demonstrate mercy, grace, and love to the person who has humbled themselves and repented of their sin.  In Solomon’s prayer I see a man who has a healthy understanding of who he is and who God is.

          This understanding of God is carried over into the New Testament Church.  The group of people who walked and talked with Jesus learned that He was no mere man.  He was and is God.  He was not simply some man whose teaching they all liked or whose ideals were appealing.  He was not just crazy in His commitment to God.  He was God.  He is God.  And this understanding affected the way this early church functioned.  With humbleness, this early church submitted and surrendered to the leadership of Christ.  He was the head of the church.  Nothing was done without first praying.  The church asked for the Lord to lead and guide; to show them what to do and where to go.  These early believers were more than just followers of Christ; they became His servants (Darth Vader got it right. “What is thy biding my master”?).  When the early church prayed, they prayed asking the Lord to lead, not telling Jesus what they were going to do or where they were going to go (Read Acts 13:1-3).

          I believe the truly repentant know that God is the One who has granted forgiveness.  It was given by grace, not earned nor deserved.  A person truly saved by grace understands that God is the exalted One.  He reigns supreme.  In our personal lives we are moved that our infinite God would hear and answer the prayers of sinful people like us.   But it seems that sometimes we forget this, and you can hear it in our prayers.  God is diminished when we spend more time telling Him what we want or what we need instead of asking God what He would have us do.  God is diminished when we pray to get results instead of pray to get instruction.  Likewise, it seems the church sometimes forgets this as well, and you can see it just by watching how decisions are made.  God is diminished by the church that makes plans and sets goals without once asking the Lord what He would have them do.  God is diminished by the church that tells God what they are capable of doing.  Somehow the balance of power shifts, and the Lord is told to sit quietly in the corner as the people go about the business of the church.

I point this out to you because I believe there is much we need to learn about our relationship with God.  God is supreme.  He is ruler over all.  A person must remain humble before God, keeping in mind that He is the potter and they are the clay.  If a person forgets that, then God becomes nothing more than some trinket or idol that sits in the corner.  And the only time they acknowledge Him is when He is needed to bless a decision or solve some crisis.  And this unhealthy understanding of God will affect that person’s worship, giving, and most certainly their prayers.

We have been granted what seemed unobtainable; that people like you and me would be allowed to stand before God and pray.  And it is this unusual privilege that defines us as a believer and as the Church.  And truly, the attitude of our heart can be heard in our prayers.  From a heart that has truly exalted God we hear asking, not telling.  So when we keep God where He belongs, and when a church remembers that Christ is the Lord and Master of the church, it changes our prayers.  We ask the Lord to lead and direct.  And when we pray, we listen with anticipated obedience; waiting for the head of the church to give direction and instruction.

Foundations of the Church: Change - June 22nd, 2014 Sermon

By Pastor Greg

In February I was part of a mission team that traveled to Haiti.  Our goal was to be a witness for Jesus, lead many to Christ, and help build a new church building for the Maranatha Church.  To me, the most significant thing that happened was the conversion of Gerald, a former witch doctor who lived close to the church.  The week I was there, we installed the roof on the new church building, and led a few more people to Christ.  People were being changed in that community.  At the end of the week, an impromptu worship service happened inside the new building.  And Gerald was there.  He heard us singing and brought his guitar.

That's a former witch doctor sitting in a church building singing "pass your cares, pass your cares, pass your cares onto the Lord".  The lady in the back wearing the white ball cap was recently freed of a demon.  A few others had accepted Jesus just that week!  It was amazing.

This is the kind of change we think of when we think of people being changed by Christ.  As a matter of fact, the story of Acts is the story of a changed people.  We read about how the Apostles were transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.  We read about the crippled man who was healed by Peter and John.  We read about a magician named Simon who believes and is baptized.  There is the story about the man from Ethiopia who hears about Jesus, believes, and is baptized.  But most notably there is the Pharisee named Saul who traveled around the region seeking to arrest those who belonged to The Way of Christ.

When Saul the Pharisee watched the stoning of Stephen, he was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.  So passionate was Saul about putting an end to this craziness, that he “began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, (then) would put them in prison.” (Acts 8:3).  But one day this man meets Jesus, and the transformation is amazing, absolutely amazing (Read Acts 9:1-9, 19b-22).

This is the kind of transformation we expect.  Someone of the world meets Jesus, and becomes a whole new person.  But what we don’t expect is the change that comes to those who are already Christian; those who already belong to The Way of Christ.  Consider what happens to a disciple named Ananias who lived in Damascus, the very city that was about to face the wrath of Saul (read Acts 9:10–19 (NLT)

¹⁰ Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”  “Yes, Lord!” he replied. ¹¹ The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. ¹² I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”  ¹³ “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! ¹⁴ And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”

¹⁵ But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. ¹⁶ And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

¹⁷ So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. ¹⁹ Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.  Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days.

What is significant about this is that Ananias “was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus.” (Acts 22:12).  He was also obviously a believer; for he was afraid to talk with Saul.  But even though he already belonged to The Way of Christ, this man needed to have his heart changed.  Even he needed to continue growing in his faith.  God had just sent him to a man he would rather avoid.

Ananias was not the only disciple of Jesus who needed to change.  The rest of the disciples living in Jerusalem needed to change as well.  They needed to learn that even their fiercest enemies could be changed by the power of God’s Spirit.  They too needed to have their hearts changed, even though they were already Disciples of Christ (read Acts 9:26–28 (NLT).

²⁶ When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer! ²⁷ Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus. ²⁸ So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.

Even Peter needed his faith to grow and needed to have his heart changed.  Even after walking with Jesus for a couple of years, even after being reborn by the Spirit, even after preaching and leading thousands to Christ, and even after healing others in the name of Jesus, Peter needed to change.  He needed to grow.  God needed to sit him down and show him that they did not share the same attitude about certain people in this world.

I could go on.  But the main point it this, that no matter how long you have been following Christ, the Lord never stops calling you to change.  Sure, He calls people to confess their sins and leave the world behind; to be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit.  But He calls believers to be changed as well; to let go of things in their life that do not belong, and beliefs that are contrary to God’s.  To become Christian is to experience Salvation.  To become more like Jesus is Sanctification.

Christianity is the story about a life changed: from conviction to repentance; from repentance to belief, from belief to baptism; from baptism to discipleship; and from discipleship to sanctification.  Our entire life spent as a Christian involves change.  Knowing this, it’s safe to say that there isn’t a single person here today that doesn’t need to change.  Some need to change and become a Christian.  Some need to change and grow as Christians.  Just because we may have asked Jesus into our hearts years ago does not mean we are now off the hook.  Becoming a Christian through faith in Jesus is just the beginning.  The Lord continually challenges us to let go of things in our life that don’t belong, to change attitudes that do not reflect God’s attitude, and to deepen our level of commitment to our Father and to our Brethren.  It is the mark of a truly mature believer who understands this.  It is a sign that you truly have surrendered your life to Christ when you actually ask God to change your heart; to change you so that you are more like Jesus today than you were yesterday.

Grey Poupon - June 15th, 2014 Sermon: Father's Day!

By Pastor Greg

As ham sandwiches go, it was perfection.  A thick slab of ham, fresh bun, extra sharp cheddar cheese, and plenty of expensive light brown gourmet mustard.  Gently the father carried it to the picnic table, holding it with two hands.  But before he could take that first savory bite, his wife was suddenly at his side.  “Here, hold the baby while I get my sandwich”, she said.  He balanced the child between his left elbow and shoulder and was reaching again for the ham sandwich when he noticed a streak of mustard on his fingers.  Loving mustard, and having no napkins, the father licked it off.  It was NOT mustard.  No man ever put a baby down faster.  Sprinting back to the kitchen with his tongue protruding, he proceeded to polish his tongue with a washcloth in each hand.  Later his wife said, “Now you know why they call that mustard ‘Poupon.”

So, who does the father yell at?  Who is to blame?  The mother?  The baby?  The manufacturer of the mustard?  Or is dad the one to blame?  Yes, I know it is a difficult possibility to accept, but it might just be the father’s fault.

And while I’m on the subject, dads, is there anything else we need to confess?  Is there anything else that just might be our fault?  Well, I really hate to depress you but yes, there just might be one other thing we need to confess.  I think we father’s, as a whole, need to confess to God that we have not been the man He intended us to be.  And our society is suffering because of this.

As we look at the moral decay in our society, who is to blame for the decades of decay?  Whose fault is it that godliness is on the decline?  Is it possible that we men have contributed to the godless condition of our society?  And how should we men react if we discover that it’s not the government who destroyed morality but we did?  What if we are the ones to blame for Sunday morning soccer games and not the coach?  Are we man enough to do something about it?  Do we have the courage to change?

As we look at the moral decay all around us, is there any way our society can be restored to its former standard?  And by moral decay I mean the lying, cheating, slanderous, selfish way people live today.  There is little regard for others.  Many make no time for God, let alone respect Him.  Many do not respect anyone in authority.  Some have no respect for life.  Most live as if there is no standard of right and wrong.  And when they are caught doing wrong, it’s always someone else’s fault.  What can we do to change this?

Well, the first thing we need to keep in mind is that this immorality is not something new.  This way of living has been around for a long, long time.  Throughout the ages, God has been calling His people to reject the ways of the world and instead live in a way that honors Him.  As His people were about to enter the Promised Land, God told them “Do not live according to the customs of the people I am driving out before you. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them” (Leviticus 20:23).  And in order to show them how they were to live, He gave them a Book.  He also told the men, the fathers, that they were to be the spiritual leaders in their home.  God told fathers to, “not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).  In Deuteronomy 6:6-7 He says,” And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up”.  If we father’s do this; if we “Direct [our] children onto the right path, [then] when they are older, they will not leave it” (Proverbs 22:6).

So when God told the nation of Israel to not live like the rest of the world, He gave them a Book to follow and assigned the responsibility of teaching God’s commands to the fathers. Unfortunately it’s obvious the fathers did not take this responsibility seriously.  Eventually the people of God became just as bad as the rest of the world.  Even worse!  The very people God told to not act like the world ended up being “more evil than the pagan nations that the Lord had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land” (2 Kings 21:9).

You and I may not be the nation of Israel, but God still desires the same for you and me.  He desires that we not live according to the customs of the people of this world.  Christ’s passionate plea is that His followers be in the world but not of the world (John 17:15).  And the Father, in His great mercy, has not only given us a Book to follow but His Spirit to guide us.  As a believer in Jesus we have been given the Holy Spirit so we might win the victory over the world. “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).  Think about it!  God has provided us a Book so that we might know what He desires from us.  And He has given us His Spirit so we might follow His commands and live in a way that honors Him.  So why does it seem the world is influencing the Church rather than the Church influencing the world?  I suspect it’s because we have not taken God’s commands seriously.  I suspect it’s because we men are not doing what God has commanded.  It’s not someone else’s fault, it’s our fault.  We’ve become lazy in one very important area. 

A lot of Christian father’s do a fine job supporting their children in their activities.  They do a good job providing for their children’s basic needs.  But see, that’s where most father’s stop.  Because when it comes to spiritual things, most fathers are seldom involved.  They’re more worried about soccer practice than with church activities.  By our own example we tell our children what is important.  We fathers have been just too preoccupied with other areas of life and have delegated our child’s Spiritual instruction to our wives or to a Sunday School teacher while we’re off chasing a Titleist with a 7 iron.  And then we wonder why our children don’t come to church?  We have forgotten that morality is more often caught by our children than taught.  Our children don’t learn as much from what we say as by what we do.  So if we wonder why our child has no respect for authority, maybe we need to look at our own attitudes and actions.  If our child has no desire to attend church, maybe we should look at the example we’ve given them from our own lives.

Father’s we need to become men of the Book.  We need to be filled with God’s Spirit, but we also need to know what God’s Word says.  We need to take our role as Spiritual Leader seriously.  We need to take an active role in our children’s spiritual lives.  We need to have moral conversations with our children before they face a moral dilemma.  We need to show them that we live according to God’s standards.  Our children need to see “right” lived out through us so our conduct stands in stark contrast to the “wrong” of this world.

So I guess if we dads want to lament the condition of our society and mourn over just how bad things are, we better be ready to accept the blame.  We’ve been lazy and have not taken our responsibility seriously.  The change we want to see in our society starts with us.

Foundations of the Church: Calling - June 1st, 2014 sermon

By Pastor Greg

          You don’t need to read too much of the Bible in order to realize that God is a calling God.  God called Adam and Eve to draw near while He walked through the Garden.  God called Moses and David to accept leadership responsibility, even when they didn’t feel worthy.  God called Isaiah and Jeremiah to teach and preach.  Even Jesus called.  He called people follow Him.  And out of those followers Jesus called twelve to be His Apostles.  It’s pretty clear that God is a calling God.  And since that is true, in just seems to make sense that His church would call people as well.

          Look through the book of Acts and you will see this calling trend continue.  After Jesus ascended to heaven, the apostles called Matthias to replace Judas as a leader in the church (Acts 1:26).  When the church was birthed, these Apostles continued to call people; they called them out of the world and into the Kingdom of Heaven (Peter’s first sermon called 3000 out of the world).  And from those who followed Christ in Spirit and in Truth, the apostles called out seven men to oversee some of the work of the church (Read Acts 6:1-6).

          I don’t want to get caught up in the reason there was a problem.  That’s for another sermon.  But the point is that the church faced a problem.  And in order to solve that problem, the church selected qualified men to address the problem.  There was a need, and the church looked within and found seven men who would be the answer to that need.

This calling of people is one of the foundations of the church.  Church is not about creating a religious experience.  Church is a place where disciples are trained; a place where a believer can grow in Spirit and in Truth, preparing them for the day they too are called.

          There are many ways a person can be called, and many different ways a person can be used by God.  And it all begins with a calling.  But somehow it seems the church has lost its ability to call people into service.  Today it seems the church has excelled at creating spectators; men and women who are believers in Christ, but who seem to be willing to stand on the sidelines.  They want to know God and to be known by God.  They worship Jesus in Spirit and in Truth.  They have truly called Jesus both Lord and Savior.  But when it comes time to accept a calling, they seem to run and hide.

          I don’t know what has caused this.  Maybe it’s because the church has failed to help believers grow in Spirit and in Truth.  Maybe it’s because the church elects people instead of calls people.  Maybe it’s because leadership within the church has failed to help people hear a calling.  I’m not exactly sure why.  But maybe the problem is not just with the church.  Maybe there are far too many believers who are hiding behind things instead of listening to God.

          Like Moses, many believers are hiding behind things.  Moses was a classic hider.  Standing before God he hid his face.  He hid behind his weaknesses.  He hid behind his past.  He even hid behind his brother who was so much more gifted than he was (see Exodus 3-4).  And yet God persistently called.

          I think the same thing happens today.  I think most believers hide behind their weaknesses.  They hide behind their past.  They hide behind others who are so much more gifted.  Some people even hide behind their schedules, in effect telling God that their calendar is more important than He is.  Some people hide behind past failures.  Oh, they served once, but never again.  Not after what happened the last time.  This hiding seems to be the greatest hindrance to calling today.  And even though a church continues to call, believers continue to hide.

          For a long time in my own life I hid.  I hid behind my past.  I hid behind my weaknesses.  I hid behind my mistakes.  I used them as an excuse why I could not serve; why I should not be called.  I was consistently hiding while God was consistently calling.  But after about 10 years I crawled out of my hiding place, completely in shock that the church agreed with God’s calling.  I remember one saintly lady sighing “What took you so long?”  It turns out that my church saw this in me for years.  That’s why I was being asked to serve on the Board or teach Sunday school.  I found out that the church had been calling for years, and I had spent all that time hiding.

          The lesson here is that a church has a responsibility call people out of the world and into the Kingdom of Heaven.  A church needs to teach and train believers in Spirit and in Truth. And a church must call believers into service.  But believers must stop hiding and accept the call.  God is calling them into His service through His church.  So if your church consistently calls you to serve in some capacity, it’s because they see something in you that you are refusing to see for yourself.  Your church is asking you to stop hiding behind things; behind your weaknesses, failures, and your past.  Your church is calling you to serve your Master, even when you don’t feel worthy or even if you are unsure.  The church sees a need, and in you they see the answer to that need.

          I love the story of Barnabas and Saul in the book of Acts.  It’s a testimony of how the church continued to call people to serve.  The Spirit was working in the hearts of people in the city of Antioch (a city in modern day Turkey, about 300 miles north of Jerusalem).  Apparently there was a great awakening happing there.  So the believers in Jerusalem call out Barnabas and send him there to check out what was happening.  “When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch” (Acts 11:22).  There was a need, and the church called.  The church felt Barnabas was the right man for this task.  When Barnabas saw the great revival taking place in that city, he went and called Saul.  “Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul”. (Acts 11:25).  Through Barnabas, Saul the Pharisee is called to help minister in this place.  Their work is so effective that it was in Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.

          If you find that your church consistently calls you to serve in some capacity, it’s because they see something in you that you refuse to see.  Your church is asking you to stop hiding behind things, and accept the work God is calling you to do, even if you don’t feel worthy or even if you are unsure about yourself.  Your church has seen what the Spirit is doing.  And realizing that they need help, they thought of you.  Your church is calling.  When will you stop hiding?