Provoked - July 27th, 2014 sermon

By Pastor Greg

Listen to sermon HERE

A cowboy rode into town and stopped at the saloon for a drink (root beer, of course!).  Unfortunately, the locals always had a habit of picking on the new guy in town.  When he finished, he found his horse had been stolen.  So he stormed back into the bar and fired a shot into the ceiling, and shouted, "WHICH ONE OF YOU SIDEWINDERS STOLE MY HOSS?"  No one answered.  "ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA HAVE ME ANOTHA SODA, AND IF MY HOSS AIN'T BACK OUTSIDE BY THE TIME I FINISH, I'M GONNA DO WHAT I DUN IN TEXAS! AND IIIIIIIIIIII DON'T LIKE TO HAVE TO DO WHAT I DUUUUUN IN TEXAS!"  Some of the locals shifted restlessly.  After his second root beer he walked outside.  To no one’s surprise, the horse was back.  Just as he jumped into his saddle, the bartender called out, "Say partner, what happened in Texas?"  The cowboy turned back and said, "I had to walk home..."

          Obviously the guy was bit provoked.  You could tell by the words he used.  You could hear it in the tone of his voice.  And if you could, you would be able to see it on his face. 

          Today the word provoked is commonly used to describe someone who has become angry.  They are irked, annoyed, aggravated, exacerbated, and infuriated.  But a lesser known meaning is someone who is roused; someone who is urged on or stimulated to action.  And it is this definition that aptly describes what happened to the Apostle Paul one day.

          Paul and Silas had been in Berea preaching and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus.  But they are forced out of town because of some jealous Jews.  Paul travels to Athens, Greece by himself, waiting for the others to arrive.  That’s when Paul gets provoked; not necessary provoked to anger but to action (Read Acts 17:16-34).

          Was Paul provoked to anger?  Probably not, for his words caught the attention of the philosophers.  He reasoned in the Synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles.  His words were reasonable, spoken not from a heart filled with anger, but a heart troubled that there were people in this city who did not know Jesus as Lord.  As Paul walked through this city, the Lord stirred his spirit to action.  His heart was roused; provoked to do something, to tell someone about Jesus and the resurrection of the dead.

          Paul was provoked.  And because of this, some people became believers.  This is what happens when a person is stirred to action in the name of Jesus.  When the heart of a believer is roused to action, only God knows the difference they will make in someone’s life.  When a church is roused to action, only God knows how much of a difference that church will have on someone’s life and possibly in the life of the entire community.  Provided, or course, that the church does have a heart that can be provoked.

I want you to see a noticeable contrast that happened when Paul started talking about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment (See Acts 17:30-31).  Most of these Epicurean and Stoic philosophers laughed at Paul.  In their arrogance, they sneered at Paul’s seemingly childish philosophy.  Oh, they loved to talk about religion.  They loved to toss ideas back and forth.  But no one was provoked about what they heard.  They simply wanted to get together and talk.  They wanted to speak of religious ideals and ponder things of eternity, but they were not roused to action.  Well, most of them were not.  One man, one of these philosophers, was provoked by what he heard, and he allowed Paul’s words to change his life.  Dionysius, a member of this council, along with a woman named Damaris, heard what Paul had to say, and became provoked to action.  They, and a few others, joined Paul and became believers.

A heart that is easily provoked by the Spirit is a key foundation to the life of a church.  In order for a church to truly make a difference in a community it must be provoked to take action; to get involved, and to try and make a difference in this world.  A church that has a heart easily provoked is a church that is ready to speak about Jesus and the resurrection of the dead.  A church that is easily provoked becomes a church that is stimulated to action.

          You can tell when a church is provoked.  You can hear it in their words.  You can see it on their faces.  You can tell by their actions.  These are the churches who take bold steps to reach out to their communities, not only telling about Jesus but also doing for others in the name of Jesus.  These are the congregations that see a need and take measures to meet that need.  These are the congregations that realize there is much more to being a church than meeting once a week to talk about God and sing to Jesus.  Missionaries are sent and supported.  Ministries are offered to help people find healing and wholeness through Jesus.  Teaching is provided in order to train and equip people to serve.  When we see a church acting this way, it is a sign that they have become provoked; stirred to action.

          You can tell when a church is not provoked.  You can hear it in their words.  You can see it on their faces.  You can tell by their actions.  Their words do not strengthen and build up the Body of Christ.  They become harsh and critical of others.  Their faces show no joy or enthusiasm for Jesus.  There is no passion; no zeal.  There is no harmony.  There is no unity.  No one is roused to action.  They love to sit around discussing religion and toss ideas back and forth, but there is no action.  And unfortunately, when a church is not provoked to be a witness for Christ, they become provoked at one another.

          In the City of Athens, this center of religious diversity and the intellectual capital of the world, we find idolatry.  Many different gods were worshiped.  There were temples and shrines to these gods everywhere.  But also in this city there was a Jewish Synagogue, a local place for Jews to assemble for fellowship and for teaching.  The text does say that there were a few God-fearing Gentiles in this Synagogue, but for the most part it seems the rest of the city did not know a thing about this God of Israel.  This is why the philosophers scoffed when Paul started talking about sin, righteousness, and judgment; things that even a Jew would understand.  But apparently even though this Synagogue existed within a city filled with idol worship, no one was provoked to do anything or say anything about it, until Paul came along.

          I wonder, is this a lesson we need to learn?  Do we battle with complacency, or do we truly become provoked by the Word of God?  Does it change us and challenge us?  It’s important we ask ourselves this question because complacency within the North American church is epidemic.  There are few Christians provoked to action any more.  There are few churches roused to truly make a difference.  Across America thousands will shake their pastor’s hand after church saying how wonderful the message was, yet never allow the words to provoke them.  Few people are provoked to change or provoked to tell their neighbor about Christ.  It’s gotten so bad in North America that Anglican Bishops from Africa and Asia have formed Anglican Mission in America (see article HERE).  The godly in Rwanda are sending missionaries to America to do what we have been commanded to do in the first place.  It’s become that bad.

          And so I beg you, please, let’s not let this happen to us.  Let the Word provoke us to change, and let it challenge us to follow our Lord’s command to make disciples, to baptize them, and preach the Good News throughout the earth.  I fear that unless we are careful, one day there may not be one Christian or one church left in our community that can be provoked to action.

Victory - July 20th, 2014 sermon

By Pastor Greg

 Click here to listen to sermon

          In December Hollywood will be releasing a new movie depicting the life of Moses.  Exodus: God and Kings looks to be more than simply a remake of The Ten Commandments.  After reading the Exodus story, Director Ridley Scott said the story of Moses is amazing.  He had no idea it was such an epic adventure.  Sure, Hollywood will take many liberties in the film, but one thing will certainly stands out: that God reaches down and protects His chosen nation.

          The Exodus story is not the only example in the Bible where God’s hand of protection was with Israel.  Not only did God protect Israel from the Egyptian army (Exodus 14:28), but He steps in to help Gideon and his 300 men overcome the Midianites (Judges 7:7).  God intervened when the Assyrian army laid siege against Jerusalem, striking down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers without sword or spear (see 2 Kings 19:35-36).  God was present among the people.  God protected them and watched over them.  He would care for them and provide for them.  He would be their God, and they would be His people.  And no power of darkness, no scheme of man, would overcome those God chose to love.  Provided, of course, those people lived in obedience and submission to all God had commanded.

          Because God stood with them, Israel overcame countless nations that came against her with sword and spear.  However, Israel would not just face a physical battle.  She would not just battle against flesh and blood.  She would face a spiritual battle as well; an attack against morals, against beliefs, and against their commitment to God.  And this was a battle Israel was not prepared to face.  Although Satan could not win a victory against Israel with the sword, he would cause them to become complacent, lazy, and indifferent.  He would entice them with all the other things in this word that bring pleasure and happiness.  “Surely God wouldn’t mind”, he would whisper in their ear.  Satan enticed Israel to lay down her shield and drop her sword.

          Bit by bit, sin by sin, Satan began to win the spiritual battle against Israel, lusting them away from God with the sensual appeal of false gods.  Israel became so weak, so enticed by the allure of these other gods, that she forgot who had protected and provided for her all along.  They even went so far as to erect an idol to the fertility goddess Asherah right inside the very Temple that had been built and dedicated to the Lord (2 Kings 21:7).

          Israel’s mistake was thinking that the enemy would come with sword and spear.  She saw her enemy as one of flesh and blood.  But Babylon did not destroy Israel.  Babylon was permitted victory as an instrument of God’s discipline.  No, Israel allowed herself to be destroyed from the inside out.  She did not realize that her greatest threat came in the form of a spiritual battle; a war waged against heart, mind, and soul.  And because she was not prepared for this, she lost the battle.

Unlike Israel in the Old Testament, the New Testament Church realized just who the enemy really was.  The real enemy facing the Church was not the Jewish religious leaders or the Roman government.  Those first Christians knew who the adversary really was.  And every now and then he would reveal himself to the world. The Apostles and many disciples had an opportunity to witness Jesus confront Satan and his demons.  There are many examples given in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).  Jesus encounters a mad man.  But rather than confront the man, He speaks to the demons controlling the man.  And with a simple command, Jesus wins a victory over the forces of darkness (see the story about the demon possessed man in Luke 8:26-39).

          So the New Testament writers were quite familiar with the enemy, which is why they often reminded their readers to take this spiritual battle seriously.  Paul reminded the Christians in Ephesus to, “put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:13-17).  And Peter called his readers to, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

These first Christians knew who the enemy was, and they knew how to overcome the enemy.  They knew any victory over Satan begins first by building a relationship with Jesus; something the seven sons of Sceva did not realize (Read Acts 19:8-20).

These seven men might have been very religious.  Their dad was a priest.  But they went up against this demon in their own power and with their own abilities, not as followers of Jesus or servants of Jesus.  They had observed what Paul did in Jesus name but failed to realize that Paul was just the servant.  The Lord was the victor.  Paul was not victorious in his confrontations with demons.  Paul was, however victorious in his relationship with Jesus.  Paul and Peter and John and Silas, each one of them took their relationship with Jesus seriously. 

How quickly we forget who the real enemy is.  How quickly we forget that we are not fighting a battle with guns and knives.  How quickly we forget that “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).  How quickly we people turn to other things for strength.  And just like Israel, we figure our faith will remain strong while we dance with the devil.  That’s what was wrong with the seven sons of Sceva.  They didn’t take Jesus seriously; they figured they could be victorious over Satan in their own strength and wisdom.  And sometimes I think we do the same. 

          If you and I want to overcome the temptations of Satan in our life, we need to make Jesus the center of our life.  We will not be able to stand against Satan if all we are wearing is the Helmet of Salvation.  I agree that as Christians we are no longer under Satan’s power.  Christ has won that victory.  However, Satan is still in our presence.  Judgment Day has not yet come.  Satan has not yet been cast into the Lake of Fire.  He is still present among us, and unless we are careful he may even influence you and me.  This is why a Christian must be on guard always.  This is why a Christian must cling to the promises of Christ and follow the teachings of Christ.  This is why a Christian must immerse themselves into spiritual disciplines.  

The victory belongs to the Lord.  But you and I need to win a victory as well.  Our victory comes as we dress ourselves for the spiritual battle we face each and every day.  The Lord has given us the crown of Salvation, but we must dress ourselves with the rest of the armor.  We must know God’s Truth.  We must know God’s Word.  We must know the depth of God’s love for us.  We must place our faith in the Lord’s promises and in His presence among us.  We must take our relationship with Jesus seriously.

Courage - July 13th, 2014 Sermon

 
By Pastor Greg

.Listen to sermon here

I’ve loved the movie The Wizard of Oz ever since I was a child. As a child my family would gather around the old Philco television set and watch Dorothy dream (although it was a number of years before I realized she really was dreaming). One year we went to Grandma B’s house and watched it in color. That was cool.
One particular character has always been a favorite of mine. Can you guess who it is? There is actually a quiz that helps you discover which Wizard of Oz character you are. I kid you not. I took the test. Guess who I am? Go on, guess!
I’m the cowardly lion. I need a little courage. “What makes a King out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk, in the misty mist or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder?
Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got? Courage”. What did the Apostle’s have that we ain’t got? Courage. You can say that again.
Since its beginning, the world has been against the Church; against those who are followers of Christ. Only moments after the Holy Spirit filled the early followers of Christ and only moments after they began preaching, people have been telling the church to sit down and shut up. (Read Acts 4:1-29)
With the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Church is born. And the moment it is born, the church gets to work; boldly proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah. But do you see how quickly the persecution began? In just a matter of days, Peter and John were being told to sit down and shut up.
How do you suppose Peter and John felt during this trial? I imagine their hearts were racing and they were a bit nervous. But instead of complaining about what happened; instead of hiring a lawyer to protect them, and instead of marching down the street claiming to be the victims of government abuse, this early church prays. They thank God for their trial and for the opportunity He gave them to stand and proclaim Christ. Then, to top it off, they ask for more boldness. “And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word”. (Acts 4:29).
One of the key foundations of this early Church was their courage. And I’m not talking about being aggressive. Courage is doing what needs to be done or what should be done even when the heart is still trembling and full of fear. Courage is not being blind to the threat, but knowing that there is something far more important at stake. Courage is taking the step forward fully realizing the consequence. These believers did not ask for fire from heaven to destroy the enemy, but for power from heaven to preach the word and heal the sick.
Can you imagine if Peter and John had gone back to their room whining and crying about what they had to endure? “God, this is too much!” They hate us, they called us names, and they won’t let us speak about you! Lord, remove those who oppose us so our job will be easier”. If we were to stumble across a prayer like this in the Bible, it would look all wrong; completely out of place. Well, there actually is a prayer like this. Jeremiah complains to God one day that all the people hate him and that no one listens to his preaching. And instead of going “There, there Jeremiah. Don’t cry. Let Me see if I can smite all those nasty, bad people who make your job so difficult’, God says “If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan?” (Jeremiah 12:5). God looks at Jeremiah and says, “You call that hard? Show a little backbone for Pete’s sake! Show a little courage”.
I think this would be God’s reply to the Church in America today.
Over and over again we are told how the secular world is making life difficult for the Church. The Atheists and even our own government seem to be against Christians and the Church. We are up in arms when a Church is denied the same basic freedoms that other organizations have. And with the way Christian morals and values are marginalized, the Church acts as if it is the most persecuted minority in this nation. I know. It sure seems that way. And this might just be true. It sure seems the leaders of this nation are trying to eliminate any symbol, reference, and teaching that happens to reflect Christianity. So what are we to do? How should a Christian react to being marginalized; to being told they cannot teach, preach, and pray anywhere except within the confines of their building? What if the government even starts telling us what we can preach and teach in our buildings? So what are we to do? Some Christians think we need to use lawyers to fight our fight for us. But I think the church just needs to get a little backbone; to display some courage when people start telling us what we can teach and preach.
God has always been looking for men and women who have the courage to speak up and stand up when the world tells them to sit down and shut up. God is looking for a Church filled with people of courage; people who don’t ask Him to calm the sea, but to give strength to the sailor. There is a lesson we need to learn from the example we see from this early Church. What should today’s church do when we face those who want to silence our message? Pray, but don’t pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger men and women. Pray for strength to stand when the world demands you sit down. Pray that the Lord might give you His words to speak when told to remain silent. Don’t pray for tasks equal to your abilities; pray that the Lord would grant you the abilities to accomplish the task set before you. Pray for boldness. Pray for courage

Trapped

Sitting at lunch the other day I noticed a small bird trapped in a huge convention center.  It would fly from one end of the food court, perch on a steel support beam for a moment, then fly back to the other side.  It did this over and over again.  It seemed distressed, and at first I wondered why.  I mean after all, this bird had more than enough room to fly.  The ceilings were three stories high!  Since I was eating at a food court, I suspected there were food scraps to eat.  I'm sure there were bugs.  In some areas of the convention center there were even trees.  All the comforts of home in a climate controlled environment absent of predators.

I expected the bird to be happy.  I expected the bird to look at its surroundings and be grateful for all that the Lord had provided (or at least someone had provided); grateful for the hedge of protection all around him.  But the bird kept flying to the window.  It kept trying to get out.  It knew that this is not where it belonged.

I understand how that bird feels.  This week I feel just as trapped.  I feel like I'm in a place I don't belong as well.

I spent the week attending my denominations annual business meeting.  And this year, like so many in the past, I felt out of place.  Oh sure, I was surrounded by Christians who talked about Jesus, sang to Jesus, and read prayers to Jesus, but that old feeling returned.  It does every year.  And I hate it.

At first I thought it was the structured, liturgical style of worship.  I grew up in a church that was structured and formal in its worship style.  And that church almost lost me.  So when I sit through a style of worship that takes me back to my yesterday, I cringe at the empty formality of responsive readings and unison prayers (and all God's people said . . .).  Anyway, this is what I thought was bothering me; this reminder of yesterday.  But then I saw the bird.

I think I feel trapped at these conferences because a business meeting is not where I belong.  I have been gifted and equipped for a different kind of ministry; a ministry where I am connecting people to Christ, not a ministry of policy and polity.  I am more energized witnessing in the cities rather than debating proceedures.

The ministry of administration is an essential part of the church.  I don't deny that.  But if you see me sitting in the convention center looking out the window, its because there is someone on my mind; someone who does not know the Lord.  And they just happen to be on the outside.  Where I want to be.