Robert Smith Funeral Service April 20, 2016

Death has a tendency to make us nervous.  However, it’s natural that we would feel this way.  Death feels so wrong.  Death doesn’t seem like it belongs among the many beautiful things in life.  I suppose it feels right for the wicked, evil people in this world, but not the good and the innocent; those who did nothing to deserve death.  They were innocent victims of life’s greatest tragedy.

The tragedy is that almost every life has ended in death.  In the Bible there were a few who were spared (Enoch and Elijah), but for the rest of humanity, we either go quickly, or slowly and painfully, to the grave.  The same curse is upon all of humanity.  We are actually held hostage by death.  After all, which one of us can make death our slave?  Who among us can cast death into the sea?  We are slaves to death, held hostage against our will.  Life seems to be a struggle almost from our beginning.  And although we work with all our might to hold it back, death one day claims us all.  We become just another victim with no means of escape … unless, of course, we believe in the promise of God.

According to Jesus, we are held hostage by death.  Reading from Isaiah, He says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.  He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19).  The “captives” are those held hostage by sin and death.  Jesus was sent to set us free.  He says that, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28), meaning that many were held hostage, but that He would sacrifice Himself so hostages might be set free.  Jesus came to set us free from slavery.  He gave up His life so we might find life.  He forfeited His own life to break the shackles of death.

This is the Good News preached by the followers of Christ.  This is the Good News proclaimed by the Church today.  Death need not hold you captive.  You do not need to remain in bondage.  Believe in the promise of God – that in Jesus you have everlasting life – and you are set free from death’s grasp.  It has no claim over your life.  “Even though your body may die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God” (Romans 8:10).

This is the promise of God.  He who believes in God and in the Son has passed from death into life (John 5:24).  For those who believe, days like this become a victory, not a defeat.  Death does not win when a believer dies physically because Jesus has set them free.  Bob is experiencing a victory today.  Death did not win; death was defeated in Bob’s life the day he accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord.  “What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later” (Romans 8:18).

Even in suffering and death – even when death seems so wrong – “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ²⁹ For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

³¹ What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ³² Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? ³³ Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. ³⁴ Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

³⁵ Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ³⁶ (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) ³⁷ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:28-39).

In this life, believers in Jesus “wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children” (Romans 8:23).  Bob, on the other hand, is experiencing what God has promised – his reward for a life lived in faith.

All of this Good News still does not take away the reality of death.  Days like this remind all of us that our time on earth is short.  One day, death will be a reality we must face.  It may come slow and painful, or it may come quickly, but it will come.  The question remains whether death for you will be a tragedy or a victory.  It all depends on what you chose to do with God’s promise of Good News.  It all hinges on what you chose to do with Jesus’ offer.  You can remain a slave to death for the rest of your life, or you can accept Jesus as your savior and find that you are free.  Bob made the choice long before he faced physical death.  I only hope that you would make the same choice before it is too late.

Just What I Needed to Hear - April 17, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

Nestled in the mountains just east of Chambersburg is the Caledonia Golf Course.  With some greens 30 feet higher than the tee, it is a rather challenging course.  The 12th hole runs parallel to Route 30, and the traffic on that road can sometimes become a hazard … especially if you have a tendency to slice your drive.  I remember one day in particular.  As I swung my 3 wood, the ball began to slice out over the road.  It landed right in front of a State Police cruiser, bounced underneath the car; banging off its undercarriage, before rolling to a stop.  The police officer pulled to the side of the road, walked over to the green, and asked who hit the golf ball.  My buddies all pointed to me.  They’re such good friends.  And then … and then this officer had the nerve to hand me a ticket.  Can you believe that?  He fined me for reckless driving.  Thanks, Mr. Police Officer.  I’d like to see him take a swing at the ball.  Sheesh, everyone’s a critic.  *sigh* I used to love playing golf.

I understand that we need rules when playing a game.  We need rules in life as well.  Without them, there would be chaos.  However, the rules and laws did not come first.  Traffic laws were created after the automobile was invented.  Likewise, God handed down His laws after He selected a group of people to reflect His glory.  Jesus teaches this in Mark 2:27. “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”^[1]  However, certain Jewish leaders and teachers had twisted many of these laws.  They placed impossible burdens on the people.  Jesus scolded the experts in religious law because they “crush [the] people with unbearable religious demands, and never lift a finger to ease the burden” ^[2] (Luke 11:46).  This is why Jesus comforted the people by telling them “My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).

God’s commands and laws are necessary, but they cannot overrule grace.  Take, for instance, the way some Jewish leaders responded to the man Jesus healed at the Pool of Bethesda.  Instead of recognizing God’s grace in this man’s life, they were more concerned about the rules, which is why Jesus explains to them what God cares about the most – redeeming those held hostage by sin.

¹⁹ So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. ²¹ For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. ²² In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, ²³ so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.

²⁴ “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. ^[3]

As He approached this crippled man, Jesus knew full well that it was the Sabbath.  Yet regardless, Jesus takes a moment to heal to a man who had been dealing with his illness for 38 years.  To you and me, this is a reflection of God’s grace.  The person is much more important that any Sabbath laws created by Jewish rabbis.[4]  However, these Jewish teachers and leaders had made their laws more important than the person – an issue Jesus was trying to change.

God’s eyes are fixed on people.  When God looks at humanity, He recognizes our sinful condition, but rather than point out how sinful we are, He sends His Son to offer us grace.  Rather than standing back and criticizing our lousy efforts, telling us how poorly we are playing the game, Jesus steps in and does something amazing.  He offers His life for those of us who fail time and time again.  I tell you the truth; those are words I really need to hear.  Instead of telling us we’ve crossed over the line; that we’ve messed up, goofed up, fouled up, and struck out in life once again; instead of pointing out our failures and our helplessness, Jesus offers to come along side and help us.  This is what Jesus came to accomplish, not sit on a bench and condemn, but to step down from the bench as save.

Look at what the Lord promises us in verse 24.  Jesus says that those who hear His word (present tense), and believes in God (present tense), has eternal life (present tense).  By this faith, a person does not come into judgment (present tense) but has passed out of death into life (active tense – which means it is happening right now).  In other words, it’s not about living a perfect life, it’s about hearing and believing.  Jesus doesn’t criticize us for our failures.  It is because of our weakness and sin that Jesus came in the first place.  Just as Jesus saw this crippled man’s physical helplessness, He sees our spiritual helplessness.  However, instead of pointing out our mistakes – our failure to follow God’s laws perfectly – He gets involved in our lives and offers us grace.  He offers to pay our penalty.  He pays the debt for our crime.  I tell you the truth, those are words I really need to hear. And I suspect these are words you need to hear as well.

Like the Apostle Paul, I am continually moved by what the Lord has done in my life.  I am constantly amazed that instead of criticism and condemnation, I received grace.  ³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? ³³ Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. ³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; [w]e were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” ³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord ^[5] (Romans 8:31-39).  There are days when this is exactly what I needed to hear.  I sincerely hope that these words are what you needed to hear as well.  Today is the day of Salvation, not condemnation.

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^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Mk 2:27). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Lk 11:46). Carol Stream, IL.

^[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 5:19–24). Carol Stream, IL.

[4] Over the years, Jewish Teachers had created 39 things a person could not do on that day.  I kid you not.  A person could not write two letters or erase two letters.  A person was prohibited from extinguishing a fire.  Seriously!  I’m not making this up.  It was against Sabbath laws to unravel two threads. 

^[5] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Ro 8:31–39). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Separated from God - April 10, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

A couple had been debating the purchase of a new automobile for weeks.  He wanted a new truck.  She wanted a fast little sports car.  He would probably have settled on any beat-up old truck, but everything she seemed to like was way out of their price range.  "Look!" she said. "I want something that goes from 0 to 200 in 4 seconds or less.  And my birthday is coming up. You could surprise me."  So, for her birthday, he bought her a brand new bathroom scale.  Services are pending.

I guess she doesn’t like surprises.  There’s just no pleasing some people.  That’s a problem Jesus faced from time to time as well.  For example, remember the man who had been unable to walk for 38 years?  Remember how Jesus singles him out amongst a great crowd of people?  After what Jesus did for this man, you would expect him to be thankful.  Yet when he discovers that it was Jesus who healed him, he runs and tells the Jewish leaders.

(John 5:9-15) After Jesus told this man to “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk”, we read that ⁹ Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, ¹⁰ so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!” ¹¹ But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” ¹² “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded. ¹³ The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. ¹⁴ But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” ¹⁵ Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him”.^[1]

After this man had been healed, he eventually he ends up in the Temple.  For what reason did he go there?  Perhaps to present himself to the priest as someone ceremonially clean (he was no longer diseased), meaning that he would be able to worship in the Temple once again.  People in that day were taught that a physical illness caused them to be separated from God.  However, most Jews didn’t realize that spiritual sickness is what stood between them and God, not simply their physical condition.  This is why Jesus admonishes the man to not sin anymore.  He hints that separation from God is not confined to something physical.  This man could also become separated from God through spiritual disobedience and through sinful behavior; something the Teachers of the Law never mentioned.

Although Jesus came to “set the captives free”, this man doesn’t seem to respond.  According to John, both the woman at the well and the nobleman responded to what Jesus had done for them.  There seems to have been some sort of spiritual awakening in their lives.  However, the Lord’s grace doesn’t seem to have affected this man, which is unfortunate.  You would expect some type of exuberant response.  Yet when he did learn that it was Jesus, he went directly to the Jews and informed them (verse15).  This man, who received a miracle from God, did not recognize his need for spiritual healing as well; the reason Jesus later approached him in the Temple. Any physical problem this man had was of no consequence to what he would face when he died. 

In Matthew 10:28, Jesus says, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”.  He indicates that there is a difference between our physical sufferings and the condition of our soul (or our spirit).  There is a huge difference between our spiritual sickness and any physical or emotional sickness we might have.  It is important that we recognize this difference because it affects our response to Jesus.  For example, even though there was a great crowd of people gathered at the pool of Bethesda, Jesus only healed this one man.  He only reached into this man’s life to fix his problems.  The rest of those gathered around the pool remained blind, lame, and paralyzed.  Were their lives of lesser value?  Did Jesus not love them or feel they deserved grace?  This is the great conundrum we face when we simply focus on healing or happiness.  If all we want from Jesus is a full belly and a happy life, then we have missed the whole reason Jesus came in the first place. 

There are many people today who think and act just like this crippled man.  They want God to fix all their problems in life.  They want a life filled with all the comforts and pleasures, but never consider their greatest problem – spiritual separation from God.  Jesus calls this kind of person a “white-washed tomb” (Matthew 23:27).  They look good on the outside, but on the inside, there is still unaddressed sin.  These are the people who come to God begging, “Take away my problems, Lord”, or “Heal my sickness, Jesus”.  People turn to Jesus, asking Him to solve their problems in this life, but never ask Him to address their spiritual sickness; the real problem they are facing.  Even the Church falls into this trap.  Well-meaning Christians clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and provide shelter for those without a home, but they neglect to address the real problem these people face: their spiritual separation from God.

This is why Jesus came (see John 3:18).  He came to set the captives free.  He came so that we might not be destroyed in the Day of Judgment.  You and I need to realize that our sinful behavior keeps us separated from God, both in this life and the next.  Unless we allow Jesus to heal us spiritually, we will spend eternity living in outer darkness.  Jesus died on the cross not so we might have a blessed and happy life, but so we might find forgiveness for our sin.  He may not address our physical problems, but He certainly provided a means to be healed spiritually.

In Matthew 22, Jesus describes this event as a great banquet.  People are gathered around the table waiting for the King to arrive.  When the King does appear, He notices someone who was not dressed properly.  “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 22:13).  This is why you and I must seriously consider our spiritual health.  We will all one day physically die, but our spirit and our soul will continue to live.  They are eternal.  And unless we have allowed Jesus to cover our sin before we die, we will find ourselves standing before God with our sin exposed.

Yes, there is something far worse than living with a “lack of strength” for 38 years, and that is spending eternity in hell; eternally separated from God.  This is why the health of our soul is much more important that any physical problems we face.  This is why we must accept Jesus as our Savior today, before it is too late.  Only by accepting Jesus as Lord will we be properly dressed.  Only by confessing our sin today will we keep something worse from happening to our lives. 

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 5:9–17). Carol Stream, IL.

In the Eyes of Jesus - April 3, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

One of my favorite actors committed suicide back in 2014.  Like many of you, I was saddened to hear that Robin Williams had taken his own life.  According to a Time magazine article from August of that year, Williams had been battling depression.  Although he appeared to be one of the happiest people alive, there was “A bottomless well of grief” deep within his soul.  Like the 39,000 other Americans who take their life each year, Robin Williams “concluded that the only way to annihilate a terrible despair was to annihilate the self”.^[1]  If only these people trusted Jesus rather than their own strength, a lesson one crippled man needed to learn as Jesus approached him one day.

(John 5:1-9)  ¹ After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  ² Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes.  ³ In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters; ⁴ for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.] *  ⁵ A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.  ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”  ⁷ The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”  ⁸ Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”  ⁹ Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.

What a terrible way to exist.  For 38 years, this man had been crippled by his illness.  We don’t know how many years he had been coming to the Pool, but it is evident he had been trying to find healing long enough to become discouraged.  Did you hear the hopelessness in this man’s voice?  “Someone always gets there first.”  Did you notice his loneliness?  “I have no one.”  Why didn’t this man simply say yes?  Why the list of excuses?  I think it’s because he had been looking to solve this problem on his own for a long time; even though he lacked the physical capabilities to make this happen.  Sure, it might sound like he was whining about his disability, but I believe he was ashamed of his inability to take care of this problem on his own.

Do you want to know something interesting?  As Jesus was making His way to Jerusalem, He comes to this Pool, which is located on the northeast corner of the Old City – just outside the walls of the Temple.  Why do you suppose He wandered into this building?  Maybe he was thirsty, I don’t know, but it seems unusual that out of the multitude that lay there, Jesus focuses on this one particular man.  It’s almost as if Jesus knew.  It appears that the Lord knew this man had lost all hope.  That’s when the Lord told Him to stand up and walk.

Think of how absurd the Lord’s command must have seemed to this man.  He could have mocked Jesus by saying, “Seriously? Get up and walk? Don’t you think if I could, I would have done that already”?  Instead, this man rises to his feet.  Instead of sneering at the simplicity of the Lord’s command, the man surrenders his problem to the Lord.

This man’s 38-year problem is our problem as well.  He had been trying to fix this issue through his own effort and strength of will.  We are just like him.  Although we may not be dealing with a physical illness like his, we carry around the same emotional and relational problems.  For how many years have you been searching for acceptance and love?  For how many years have you been longing to be valued as a person?  For how many years have you allowed cruel and hurtful words to cripple you?  From the outside, you look healthy, but on the inside, you are crippled; your heart and soul lay on a mat looking for some “thing” or some “one” to help you find healing.  “No one cares” you whisper to yourself.  “No one sympathizes with my pain.”  You lay there in your illness day after day, coping with a hurt you cannot possibly heal.  You lay there in hopelessness and helplessness.  However, let me remind you that Jesus sees you, and He knows all about your problems.

Now if Jesus sees you and knows about all your problems, then let me ask you this; if He were to approach you about removing your burden or solving your life-long struggle, what would you say?  Many of us think we would say, “You bet I want to get well,” yet, just as this man at the pool, I believe we would make excuses why we have not been able to solve this problem on our own.  You see, this self-serving, self-reliant world has created within us an attitude of independence; meaning that we have learned to depend on no one.  We’ve been taught to believe that if we reach down inside of ourselves, we can find one last ounce of strength to overcome the thing that has disabled us.  Yeah, like that’s worked.  Even our own efforts seem to fail us over and over again.  When, oh when, will we learn to trust Jesus with our problems?

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest”, says the Lord.  “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).  In Jesus you will not only find forgiveness for sin but also the ability to forgive those who have sinned against you.  In Jesus you will find peace and joy.  He is not criticizing your inability to heal yourself.  He is offering to heal you. 

Just as He asked this crippled man, the Lord asks you, “Do you wish to get well?”  And I know, trust me, I know what you’re thinking.  You’re so ashamed of yourself.  You look at the Lord and mutter something about why you’ve never been able to solve this on your own.  But you can’t.  You can’t fix this because the very thing that has crippled you is keeping you from fixing yourself.  That’s why you need God’s grace; why you need to trust in Jesus.

As the hymn says, if you are weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care, Jesus offers to lift that load from your shoulders.  In His arms He’ll take and shield you.  In His arms you will find the comfort, relief, and support you have been trying to find on your own.  “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7).

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[1] http://time.com/3107468/robin-williams-dead-suicide-psychology/

*The end of verse 3 and all of verse 4 are not contained in early manuscripts of John’s gospel.  It appears that they were inserted at a later time to explain why the pool was stirred.  No Greek manuscript prior to 400 A.D. contains these words.