Step Into the Water - April 26th, 2015 sermon

By Pastor Greg

There's a man trying to cross the street.  As he steps off the curb, a car comes screaming around the corner and heads straight for him.  The man walks faster, trying to hurry across the street, but the car changes lanes and is still coming at him.  So the guy turns around to go back, but the car changes lanes again and is still coming at him.  By now, the car is so close and the man so scared that he just freezes and stops in the middle of the road.  The car gets real close, then swerves at the last possible moment and screeches to a halt right next him.  The driver rolls down the window.  The driver is a squirrel.  The squirrel says to the man says, "See, it's not as easy as it looks, is it?”

By now, I hope you realize that there is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.  Walking the path is not as easy as it looks.  An excellent example of walking the path of faith can be seen in twelve ordinary men who were told to carry God’s Ark into the Jordan River.  We read the story in Joshua 3:12-17.

¹² Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. ¹³ The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall.”

¹⁴ So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. ¹⁵ It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, ¹⁶ the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.

¹⁷ Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground. 

I can just imagine what these twelve priests must have thought.  Through Joshua, God commanded these men to step into the water.  They were to pick up that Ark and wade out into the Jordan River while it was flooding and while the water was rushing downstream.  They were supposed to stand out there, holding a 500-pound chest while 2 million people just walk on by.  Faith is not as easy as it looks.  As these men stood next to the raging river, they had been assured the water would stop, but it happened after they took the first step, not before.

Once we become a believer, God will often command us to take a step of faith before His promises are revealed.  God’s promises happen after we get started.  And I tell you the truth; this is where we see genuine faith.  We would rather God stop the water before we take that step, but that’s not faith.  We would rather God solve the problems before we get started, but that’s not faith.  We would rather have all we need before we start a project or a ministry, but that’s not faith.  Faith happens when we take that first step placing our confidence in the Lord’s command and His promises.

Becoming a Christian involves confession and repentance.  However, it also involves surrender.  We allow Jesus to be the Lord of our life.  We become His servants.  We allow ourselves to be the Lord’s hands and feet.  We serve where He calls us to serve.  We speak as He directs us to speak.  We go where He sends us.  This is what it means to call Jesus Lord.  This is what it means to walk the path.  It means that if we are serious about our relationship with Jesus, there will come a time when He sends us to do His work or calls us to speak His words.  However, sometimes what the Lord commands gives us the “heebeegeebees”.  We want to look at the Lord and say, “Seriously, you what me to do what?”  This is where faith takes over.  This is where we start moving mountains.

By Faith - April 19th, 2015 sermon

By Pastor Greg

An Amish boy and his father were visiting a mall.  They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny, silver walls that could move apart and then slide back together again. The boy asked, "What is this, Father?"  The father responded, "Son, I have never seen anything like this in my life, I don't know what it is". While the boy and his father were watching with amazement, a heavy elderly lady in a wheel chair rolled up to the moving walls and pressed a button.  The walls opened and the lady rolled between them into a small room.  The walls closed and the boy and his father watched the small circular numbers above the walls light up sequentially.  They continued to watch until it reached the last number and then the numbers began to light in the reverse order.  Finally the walls opened up again and a gorgeous, 24-year-old blonde woman stepped out.  The father, not taking his eyes off the young woman, said quietly to his son, "Go get your Mother."

Unfortunately, this Amish father had never seen an elevator before and did not fully understand its purpose.  Perhaps the same can be said about faith.  Faith is a word often mentioned in the church and is something a Christian is supposed to possess, but perhaps we don’t fully understand what Faith is.  Do you know what faith is?  Have you ever seen someone demonstrate faith?

Let’s think about faith for a moment.  When someone sings a Christian song, is that a demonstration of faith or is it a heart stirred to worship?  When someone puts money in the offering plate, is that showing faith or is it showing commitment to the Church?  When a person bows before God in prayer, is that faith or is it reverence to God?  What does faith look like?  What does faith do?  How do I know if I have faith? 

The writer of Hebrews says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  For by it the men of old gained approval” (Hebrews 11:1-2).  In the rest of the chapter he gives us many examples of faithful people and what their faith accomplished (Read Hebrews 11:3-40). 

One of the first things we learn about faith is that it is not a feeling; however, this is what most people think.  Faith is not guided by emotion.  Faith is a decision.  Sarah made a decision to believe that God’s Word and God’s promises were true (Hebrews 11:11).  The writer of Hebrews also points out that faith is an action.  Abraham’s faith was seen in his obedience (Hebrews 11:8,17).  Don’t you wish you had that kind of faith; the kind of faith that believes and obeys even though you have no idea how things are going to work out?  Although we should have this kind of faith, too often our faith looks more like Gideon’s. 

One day, as Gideon was lamenting the condition of his nation, the Angel of the Lord appeared.  Gideon reminds the Lord about how the Midianites had been marauding throughout the nation for seven years.  They would burn the crops and steal the livestock.  Gideon certainly had passion and desire.  But standing before the Lord, he says, “Somebody should do something about this problem”.  “Yes”, the Lord replies, “You’re right, somebody should.  And that somebody is you”.  However, even though the Lord encouraged Gideon by calling him a mighty hero, he throws the problem right back at God.  He says, “Where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about?  The Lord has abandoned us” (Judges 6:13).  “You fix the problem Lord.  You do something”

Gideon saw the problem and wanted something to happen.  He had the compassion and the desire, but he was unwilling to put that compassion and desire into action.  In other words, he could not solve the problem because of the littleness of his faith.  He simply would not get involved.

Don’t we do the same?  We want something to happen.  We pray for things to happen, but that’s where it stops.  We think our neighbors need to start coming to church.  We pray that one day they might find Jesus.  My friend, that’s not faith; that’s compassion and desire.  Faith walks next door and builds a relationship.

It is commendable that we have compassion for others.  It is wonderful that we desire to make a difference in this community.  But compassion and desire is not the same as faith.  However, faith is displayed when we do something about our compassion and desire.  I know, I know.  There are many excuses why we can’t get involved.  Time, training, age, you name it.  We do the same thing Gideon did when the Lord told him to get involved.  “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family” (Judges 6:15).  So the Lord simply replied “I will be with you”.

Faith is not confidence in our own abilities.  Faith is not seen in our compassion or in our desires.  Sure, these attitudes are the result of a heart influenced by the Lord, but they are not faith as described by the writer of Hebrews.  Based upon the example in Hebrews, faith is seen when we do something even though it is beyond our abilities.  We see faith when we do what the Lord has commanded even though it’s not our preference.  Faith is placing confidence in the Lord’s promise, not in our situation.  Faith is obeying the Lord even though our accountant says we shouldn’t.  Faith is belief in God coupled with actions that cause us to rely on God.  Faith is showing God that you believe in whom He is and that He is true to His word.  The point is that faith is an action verb.  It calls us to do something. 

It is by faith we say, “We Believe”, but biblical faith also calls us to put that faith into action.   We move mountains when we get out of our pew and start doing something.

Come and See - April 5th, 2015 sermon

By Pastor Greg

On February 15, 2015, the Muslim extremist group ISIS executed 21 Christians.  The image is one of brutality and hatred.  The extremist felt they were killing their enemies - enemies of their movement and enemies of their god. 

At 3 p.m. on April 3, 33AD[1], Roman authorities, along with Jewish religious authorities, crucified Jesus of Nazareth.  The image is one of brutality and hatred.  The religious authorities felt they were killing an enemy of their God – one who was leading the people away from the true faith.  They killed this Man because He had the audacity to claim that He was the Son of God.

Those two executions have one thing in common.  In both cases, people felt that they were actually ending someone’s life.  They viewed the executions as a victory.  These religious zealots felt that by killing Jesus and by killing those 21 Christians, their Christian influence in this world ended.

Throughout the ages, Christians have stood before lions, before the sword, before the gun, and before courts.  Countless Christians have been executed because of their faith.  “They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground” [2] (Hebrews 11:37-38).  Pastors, children, school girls, mothers, people in faraway lands and people right here in the United States have been executed because they openly admit that they believe in Jesus; because they call themselves a Christian.

Where does a person find the courage and the strength to stare into the barrel of a gun and say, “Yes, I’m a Christian”?  As the executioner stands waiting to release the guillotine, what would cause someone to remain strong and steadfast and proudly proclaim their faith?  Why wouldn’t they change their story in order to save their life?  Christians seem unnerved as they gaze into the eyes of death.  Why is that?  I’ll tell you why.  It’s because of Easter.

Claiming a victory over Jesus and His teachings, I imagine the Jewish religious leaders were relieved.  They had triumphed on Friday.  They got what they wanted.  They ended the life of this Jesus who claimed to be the Son of God.  Friday was a day of victory for these religious leaders, but they failed to realize that Sunday was coming.

“Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.

² Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. ³ His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. ⁴ The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.

⁵ Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. ⁷ And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”

⁸ The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. ⁹ And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there” [3] (Matthew 28:1-10).

Those who crucified Jesus did not permanently kill Jesus.  His physical death was only temporary.  Those religious and Roman authorities accomplished nothing on that crucifixion Friday.  They only managed to keep Jesus in the grave 3 days.  How pathetic!  Jesus stood eye to eye with death and said, “Seriously, killing me is the best you can do?”  The Cross was not the end of the story, rather it was just the beginning.

Where have martyred Christians found their hope and their strength?  How were they able to remain steadfast and immovable in their faith?  The answer is in the empty tomb.  Come and see, said the angel.  Come and see the stone that is cast aside.  Come and see the folded grave clothes.  Come and see the empty tomb.  Come and see the risen Christ.

The one important thing those Muslim extremist had forgotten is the empty tomb.  In their pathetic attempt to kill 21 Coptic Christians, they forgot the one promise Jesus has made to all who follow Him – everlasting life.  Those Muslims didn’t kill anyone.  Not one of those Christians died.  Oh, their body may have died for a little while, but the Resurrection is a reminder that one day those 21 Christians will stand before the Father in glory; clothed in a body that will not die.

“So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. ²² Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).  The Cross is a sign of Salvation.  The Empty Tomb is a sign of Resurrection.  The open tomb is a sign of God’s promise to every Christian. 

Truthfully, no martyred Christian is truly dead.  Because of their faith in Jesus, they have everlasting life.  They stood defiantly facing death and exclaimed, “Seriously, killing me is the best you can do?” Actually, all who die knowing Christ as Lord and Savior have this same promise.  Although we may physically die for a time, we are not dead.  Moreover, one day we will receive what the Lord has promised - a resurrection of our own.  “For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies” (2 Corinthians 5:3).  We will put on new flesh – a promise revealed through the empty tomb of Jesus.

Come and see, my friend.  Come and see the empty tomb.  Come and see the resurrected Christ.  Let not your heart be troubled.  Believe in God: believe also in Jesus.  And when death invades your life, hold fast to the promised resurrection as seen in the risen Christ.

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[1] According to several biblical and historical experts.

[2] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Heb 11:37–38). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Mt 28:1–10). Carol Stream, IL.