With a Hungry Soul - May 29, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

The kid had swallowed a quarter and it got stuck in his throat, and his mother ran out in the street yelling for help.  A man passing by took the boy by his
shoulders and hit him with a few strong strokes on the back, and he coughed
the coin out.  "I don't know how to thank you, doctor”, his mother started.  "Oh, I'm not a doctor”, the man replied.  "I'm from the IRS."

Poor woman.  She didn’t quite get what she had expected.  I believe this sometimes happens to many of us as well, especially when we come to God.  We pray for one thing, but something else happens.  For some people, this makes them angry at God or perhaps even walk away from God.  This is what happened to a large group of people who had been following Jesus for a while. They left because they didn't get what they wanted.

About a day after Jesus fed the 5,000 near the town of Tiberius, many of those same people traveled to Capernaum hunting for Jesus.  However, John indicates they were following Jesus for the wrong reasons.  First, they wanted to make Him their king (John 6:15), and now they only wanted another meal (John 6:26).  In other words, these people were attracted to Jesus but for all the wrong reasons.  This is why He has a very lengthy conversation about being the “Bread of Life”.

²⁴ So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus.  ²⁶Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. ²⁷ But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”  ³⁰They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? ³¹ After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” ³² Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. ³³ The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ³⁴ “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.” ³⁵ Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ⁴⁰ For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” ⁴¹ Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” ⁴⁷ [Jesus replied] “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. ⁴⁸ Yes, I am the bread of life! ⁴⁹ Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. ⁵⁰ Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”  ⁵² Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked. ⁵³ So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. ⁵⁴ But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. ⁶⁰ Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”  ⁶¹ Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? ⁶² Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? ⁶³ The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁶ At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. ⁶⁷ Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” ⁶⁸ Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. ⁶⁹ We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”

In this very lengthy exchange, Jesus is attempting to open the eyes of the people.  He says they need to start thinking about their eternal soul, not their empty tummy (verse 27).  He points out that the longing of their souls could be satisfied by placing their faith in Him (verse 35).  He says, metaphorically, “Eat My flesh and drink My blood” (verse 53).  He is telling these people to depend on Him for their very life – that He is the One who will sustain them.  In other words, those who recognize the deep longing of their soul will turn to Jesus.  Unfortunately, those who wanted happiness and contentment in this life wanted Jesus to be a miracle worker, not a Savior.  The sad part about this is that most of these people walked away.  They stopped following Jesus because He refused to make them happy (see John 6:66).

Are we not just like those who turned away from Jesus?  Many people today think that Jesus exists to make their life happy and content.  How many times have we prayed for these very things?  We don’t want to be sick.  We don’t want to fail our test.  We want the promotion or a better job.  We don’t want to go hungry or homeless.  We want – almost expect – God to provide all that we need so we are comfortable in this life.  We pray for things that would make a non-Christian wonder why we are following Jesus in the first place.  Why have we come to Him?  Why have we gone looking for this Jesus?  Is it so He might give us an abundant life?

Too many people merely want all of God’s blessings and ask Jesus to provide peace, happiness, contentment, and fulfilment.  But instead of giving people these things, Jesus gives Himself; as if His broken body and shed blood is what humanity really needs, not a new Lexus.

I know that sounds a bit funny but stop and think for a moment.  As God looks down upon humanity, I am sure He sees all the tragedy, the sadness, the disease, the war, and the hunger.  And since He is a loving God, the Father decides to get involved.  He chooses to address the issues facing the world.  Do you know what His solution was?  His solution was to send His Son.  Jesus came not take away the problems, but to take away our sin.  God’s answer to evil came in the form of a little baby lying in a manger.  His response to wickedness was to send that child to the cross.

This entire dialog was the Lord’s attempt to turn the eyes of the people off of this life and consider their life to come.  This is true for us as well.  Our comfort and pleasure in this life do not impact our eternal life.  However, far too often we focus on this life, never considering what we will experience in the next.  We have become like the wealthy farmer who spent his time and energy accumulating comforts in this life, yet did nothing to address his relationship with God.  “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” (Luke 12:21).

I share this with you today as a warning to not follow Jesus for all the wrong reasons.  Do not build your relationship with Jesus on the wrong things.  It was the spirit of the antichrist who merely saw Jesus as a miracle worker, and those who were deceived walked away (John 6:66).  However, it was the Spirit of the Father that enabled Peter to exclaim “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life” (John 6:68).  So if you have come to Jesus expecting Him to give you a blessed, wonderful, peaceful, and abundant life, then you are following Him for the wrong reasons.  Our relationship with Jesus must be built upon His death and sacrifice, for this is the reason He came.  He came to have His body broken so ours would not, and to shed His blood so ours would be spared.

With Obedient Hearts - May 22, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

A woman comes home from visiting her doctor and rushes to her husband.  Sobbing, she falls into his arms.  “What’s wrong honey,” he asks.  “What did you find out”?  Between tears, the wife replies, “The doctor gave me some new pills, and he told me I would have to take them the rest of my life!”

To the husband, this really doesn’t seem to be such a crisis, so he tries to console his wife.  “There, there, sweetheart,” he says.  “That doesn’t seem to be such a big deal.”  Suddenly angered at his insensitivity, she thrusts the pill bottle in his face and says, “Oh really!  Then why does the bottle say ‘No Refills!!’”

What do we do when we find ourselves confronted with a crisis?  How do we manage to get through those trying times in our life?  Truthfully, we only have a certain amount of emotional strength.  Where do we turn when we reach the end of our rope?  What do we do when our rope breaks?  This is a lesson Jesus taught His disciples – a lesson you and I need to learn as well.

After Jesus feeds the crowd of 5,000, He teaches the disciples another valuable lesson out on the sea.  In John 6:16-21 we read, ¹⁶ Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, ¹⁷ and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. ¹⁸ The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. ¹⁹ Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. ²⁰ But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” ²¹ So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.”^[1]

John does not indicate why the disciples started across the Sea of Galilee, but according to Mark, Jesus had instructed them to leave while He went up the mountain to pray (Mark 6:45-46).  Did Jesus know the storm was coming?  Of course, this was Jesus after all.  However, since this is true, then why did He send them?  Why did Jesus put His friends in such a difficult situation?  Why permit something in their lives that they could not handle on their own?  Sure, sometimes we are caught in a storm because we have disobeyed the Lord.  Jonah is a good example.  He dealt with a storm and a whale because he disobeyed the Lord’s command.  But the disciples faced a storm even though they obeyed.  Why put them through this?

According to Mark, this storm was necessary because they had not learned to depend completely on Jesus (Mark 6:52).  The miracle of the loaves may have taught them to rely on the Lord to supply their needs, but this lesson taught them to depend on Jesus with their very lives.  When Jesus sends us into something, He will be watching and praying, ready to deliver us when we need Him the most.

Many people believe the Lord will never give us more than we can handle on our own.  I hear it quoted often.  However, that idea is actually a misinterpretation of Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 10:13.  What he actually says deals with temptation, not the ability to deal with a crisis.  He writes, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” ^[2]  What the disciples faced was not temptation but fear and alarm.  They had been placed in a situation where their very life was in danger.  That’s a huge difference.  That’s like the difference between staring at a chocolate covered donut and staring at a gang of thugs (unless they are selling chocolate covered donuts).  We’re talking trials here.  We’re talking about hardships and burdens that make you tremble with fear.  We’re talking about things in your life that make you wonder how you’re going to make it through the day; things that make you want to run away - to give up or quit; to reach the end of your rope.

The lesson these disciples needed to learn is that in the midst of the storm and trial, the Lord provided all they needed (the lesson from the Bread and the Fish), that He watched over them and prayed for them, and that although He was not with them physically, He saw their entire journey through the storm (the lesson from this storm at sea).

Please don’t misunderstand the lesson here.  I’m not talking about tying Jesus to the end of your rope.  I’m talking about making Jesus your entire rope.  We don’t need Jesus to supplement our own strength.  He needs to become our strength.  That’s the lesson here.  The disciples, many of them seasoned fishermen, set out to sea trusting in their own skills and abilities.  However, they reached a point when those skills could not overcome the obstacles.  It was then that Jesus demonstrated His ability to be unaffected by the storm and His ability to calm the storm.

You know, John the Apostle was one of the fishermen on that boat.  Later, he would write, “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”^[3] (1 John 4:4).  Somehow, I think John looked back to this moment and realized that he was able to overcome many trials and storms later in life by depending on Christ, not on his own strength and abilities.

This is something you and I must learn.  We must learn to rely on the strength the Lord gives.  We must depend on Him with our very lives.  This is because we are going to face problems.  We are going to face trials and struggles.  Life is going to be hard from time to time.  Life is hard.  It is hard for everyone, and those who are prepared for the trials will survive.  Jesus needed to prepare his apostles for the day He would send them to places where they were not welcomed.  He would send them as sheep among the wolves (Mathew 10:16).  It is the same today.  We are Christians; soldiers on a mission in enemy territory (compare John 15:18).  We should expect storms.  We should expect trials and difficulties.  We should be prepared to battle our way through life because this world is not our home.

Your skills and abilities will get you through life only so far.  Eventually, you are going to face something that is beyond your ability to overcome.  Something is going to rock your life so hard that you fear to sink and to drown.  This is why we need Jesus.  We need to be reminded that He is watching and praying and that He will not permit us to fall.  Like the Psalmist, we remember that ¹ God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. ² So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. ³ Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! ^[4] (Psalm 46:1-3).

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^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Jn 6:16–21). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (1 Co 10:13). Carol Stream, IL.

^[3] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (1 Jn 4:4). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^[4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Ps 46:1–3). Carol Stream, IL.

With Empty Hands - May 15, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

A guy driving a Mini Cooper pulls up at a stoplight next to a Rolls-Royce. The driver of the Mini rolls down his window and shouts to the driver of the Rolls, "Hey, buddy, that's a nice car. You got a phone in your Rolls? I've got one in my Mini!"

The driver of Rolls looks over and says simply, "Yes, I have a phone."  The driver of the Mini says, "Cool! Hey, you got a fridge in there too? I've got a fridge in the back seat of my Mini!" The driver of the Rolls, looking annoyed, says, "Yes, I have a refrigerator." The driver of the Mini says, "That's great, man! Hey, you got a TV in there, too? You know, I got a TV in the back seat of my Mini!" The driver of the Rolls, looking very annoyed by now, says, "Of course I have a television. A Rolls-Royce is the finest luxury car in the world!" The driver of the Mini says, "Very cool car! Hey, you got a bed in there, too? I got a bed in the back of my Mini!"

Upset that he did not have a bed, the driver of the Rolls-Royce sped away, and went straight to the dealer, where he promptly ordered that a bed be installed in the back of the Rolls. The next morning, the driver of the Rolls picked up the car. The bed looked superb, complete with silk sheets and brass trim. It was clearly a bed fit for a Rolls Royce.

So the driver of the Rolls begins searching for the Mini, and he drove all day. Finally, late at night, he finds the Mini parked along the street with all the windows fogged up from the inside. The driver of the Rolls got out and knocked and knocked and knocked on the window of the Mini. Eventually the owner stuck his head out, soaking wet. "I now have a bed in the back of my Rolls-Royce," the driver of the Rolls stated arrogantly. The driver of the Mini looked at him and said, "You got me out of the shower for THAT?!"

Just about everyone I meet is looking for more of something.  We are never quite content.  Somehow we’ve come to believe that something more will solve all our problems.  This idea can even be found in the church.  Even in the Church you will find the idea that something more is needed.  Perhaps it’s more youth or more people in the pews.  Maybe it’s more money in the bank.  Whatever it is, most Christians think it is necessary in order for their church to grow and be successful.   Oh, I know there is always one or two that don’t want anything to change.  They prefer things to stay the same, but for the most part, just about every Christian wants something more to happen in their church.  Unfortunately, most Christians don’t feel it will happen because they need something more.  They only see their empty hands.

I’m not sure why we Christians tend to look at our empty hands as a setback.  I don’t know when or how Christians developed the tendency to “doom” something to failure without ever starting, but it sure seems to be a popular trend.  I mean, think how often you’ve heard the words “That will never work”, or “We don’t have the money to make that happen.”  Oh, I think every true believer wants something to happen in his or her church, but of course, no one has the time to give.  There are even people who want to serve the church in some capacity.  Some believers actually have some terrific ideas on how to reach the Lost.  Yet they give up their passion and desire to serve the Lord because they assume they need something more.  Like the rest of us, these people shrug their shoulders in defeat without even trying.  That’s sad.  It’s sad that all we see are empty hands.

There is more in the empty hands of a Christian than they can possibly imagine.  When a Christian’s hands are empty of worldly things, there is room for God to display His glory and grace.  And honestly, only when our hands are empty can we learn to depend on the Lord.  Just consider a lesson Jesus taught to the Twelve.

From John 6:1-15, we read, “After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. ² A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. ³ Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. ⁴ (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) ⁵ Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” ⁶ He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. ⁷ Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” ⁸ Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. ⁹ “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” ¹⁰ “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) ¹¹ Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. ¹² After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” ¹³ So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves. ¹⁴ When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” ¹⁵ When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.” ^[1]

This whole incident was used by Jesus to test the twelve Apostles (verse 6).  It’s clear that all they saw were their empty hands.  This is why Jesus asked them such an impossible question; “Where can we buy enough bread to feed these people?”  The answer was not by looking at their empty hands and lack of resources, but by depending on the Lord to accomplish this feat.  Notice their attempt to produce enough food on their own.  They found a young boy who had packed a lunch for the day, but Andrew merely points out how little they had in their hands.  They needed more.

Of course, the lesson should be obvious to you and me.  We should learn that Jesus is not limited by our empty hands.  Our lack of time and resources should never stop us from doing the Lord’s work.  Our empty hands should never stop us from following the dreams and passions Jesus has placed on our hearts, but they do.  Many good Christian men and women never follow the dreams of their heart – never follow the passions and visions for ministry placed there by the Lord Himself.  I tell you, this is not a problem in God’s Church; it’s an epidemic. 

I suspect the Apostles would have loved to feed the great crowd of people.  So why did they object?  It wasn’t that Jesus made a bad suggestion.  It was the impossibility of the task that alarmed them – impossible, of course, because they only saw their empty hands.  They never saw what the Lord could do with those empty hands.  In the same way, far too many of us simply see our empty hands, even though deep within our hearts we desire to see the Kingdom of God grow, and desire to see Jesus change the lives of those still living in darkness.  The Lord has placed tremendous ideas in the hearts of Christian men and women.  The Spirit has given Christian men and women the Spiritual gifts necessary to accomplish incredible things for the Kingdom of God.  Yet many Christians only see their empty hands.

Be honest with yourself.  Don’t you always feel the need for something more in order to do as the Lord has commanded?  Most Christians do this.  They continue to sit in a church pew week after week never following the passions of their heart because all they see are their empty hands.  They see what they are lacking, not what Jesus has already provided.  They see their weaknesses, not where God has strengthened them.  They see all the pitfalls and potential failures rather than trusting the Lord for the success.  The Apostles did this.  Many of us do this.  The Christian’s in Corinth did this, which is why Paul reminded them, ²⁶ “Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. ²⁷ Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. ²⁸ God chose things despised by the world,* things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. ²⁹ As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God” ^[2] (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

We don’t need more.  We need to see what God can do with our empty hands.  When we serve the Lord with empty hands, He gets all the credit, which, surprisingly, is exactly the way things are supposed to work.

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 6:1–15). Carol Stream, IL.

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (1 Co 1:26–29). Carol Stream, IL

What Hallmark Forgot - May 8, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

A mother had a son who really loved Chap Stick.  Far too often he would pester and pester his mother until, exasperated, she went to the bathroom drawer and gave him what he wanted.  Eventually she decided to show him where it was stored so he could get it for himself. Well, one Sunday as the whole family was rushing around trying to get ready for church, the boy could not be found.  So the mother searches everywhere and finally finds him in the bathroom applying Chap Stick very carefully to the cat’s rear end.  He looks at his mom and says "chapped."  Now if you have a cat, you know that their little rear ends do look pretty chapped.  And the only question to really ask at that point is whether it was the FIRST time he had done this or the hundredth.

          

Happy Mother's Day mothers.  And may it remind you that no matter how hard you try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been using your Chap Stick on the cat's rear end.  I’d like to see that printed on a Mother’s Day card.

          

Many people see Mother's Day as a secular holiday, designed by the greeting card industry, promoted by restaurants, beloved by florists.  Some pastors agree, objecting to the commercialism of the holiday.  American consumers typically spend about $10 billion each year on Mother's Day; the purchase greeting cards, flowers, meals, and other presents for mom.  But the numbers don't tell the whole story, not by a long shot. 

          

The woman credited with founding Mothers Day is Anna Jarvis who lived in Grafton, WV.  Anna’s mother spent a great deal of her time organizing "Mothers' Work Day Clubs" in the 1850's.  These clubs provided medicine for the poor, inspected milk for children, provided nursing care for the sick, and shelters for children with tuberculosis.

          

When the Civil War broke out she called together four of her clubs and, in a remarkable display of courage and compassion, the women nursed soldiers from both sides.  After the war, Anna’s mother became a genuine peace maker by organizing "Mothers' Friendship Days" to bring together families across the Mason Dixon line.

          

In 1907, two years after her mother's death, Anna organized the first "Mothers' Day" in Grafton, WV so that the work of peacemaking and the war against poverty would not be forgotten.  So in reality, Mother’s day began not so we would remember one’s own mother, but to help us focus on the cause of peace among the nations of the world, the fight against poverty, and the abuse of children.  In the end, Mother’s Day is more a celebration of what is in a woman’s heart, not it the fact that they have given birth to a child.  It seems to me that this is something Hallmark forgot.

          

Paul writes in Romans chapter two, ²⁸ For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision.  ²⁹ No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God.  And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit.  And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.”  (Romans 2:28-29)

          

Here’s the part I find really interesting.  According to Paul, a person was a Jew based upon the attitudes in their heart, not based upon any birth record.  And it is one of the central truths of Christianity.  A person is not a Christian because their mother was a Christian but because of what is in their own heart.

          

So ladies, I want to ask you about what’s in your heart.  If we truly are celebrating the Mother’s Day that Hallmark forgot, then we need to look beyond merely taking responsibility for giving birth and look at the role we are playing within the family of God.

          

In Titus chapter two Paul says to “teach the older women to live in a way that honors God.  They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers.  Instead, they should teach others what is good.  These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God” (Titus 2:3-5).  The thought here is that ladies have a wonderful opportunity to show the impressionable young girls among them the traits of a godly woman.  If you will recall, it was her mother’s heart that impacted young Anna Jarvis.  However, I believe this kind of Godly woman impacts more than the younger women.  I believe they can impact an entire family of Christians … perhaps even their entire community.

          

The beautiful part about all of this is a woman does not need to give birth to a child in order to have these characteristics in her heart.  You could have a strained relationship with your mother and yet recognize that there are other women who have demonstrated these characteristics.  The godly women influence you in a way your own mother never did or never could (some have lost their mothers while they were very young).  Hallmark seems to have forgotten that what we are really celebrating on Mother’s Day is the heart of a godly woman.

          

Not every woman has been a mother, and not every mother holds a place of honor in their children’s eyes.  However, I think each of us has encountered a woman who has displayed godly characteristics of compassion, love, tenderness, and dignity.  These are the women who brighten our lives.  So today I’d like to say thank you to the women here for their integrity; for their wisdom, their purity, and their service to God.  Thank you for the way you teach us how to care for one another and how to love one another.  Thank you for your discipline and your modesty.  Hallmark may have forgotten what Mother’s Day is really all about, but I hope none of us here today will forget that it is a celebration of what lies deep within a woman’s heart.

Just What I Needed to Know - April 24, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

There was a time when Albert Einstein was going on a train to an out-of-town engagement.  The conductor stopped by to punch his ticket.  The great scientist, preoccupied with his work, rummaged through his coat pockets and briefcase.  Embarrassed, he could not find his ticket.  The conductor said, "We all know who you are, Dr. Einstein.  I'm sure you bought a ticket.  Don't worry about it.  Everything is okay.”  The conductor walked on down the aisle punching other tickets.  Before he moved to the next car, he looked back and saw Dr. Einstein down on his hands and knees looking under his seat trying to find his ticket.  He came back and gently said, "Dr. Einstein, please don't worry about it.  I know who you are.”  Einstein looked up and said, "I too know who I am.  What I don't know is where I'm going!"

Imagine that.  All them “smarts” but too absent minded to know where he was headed.  Reminds me of a lot of people today.  It’s difficult to make sense out of life if you don’t know where you are headed.  Life seems like a pointless journey if you don’t know your destination.  Unfortunately, many people have no clue where their life is leading them.  Some don’t even care.  Personally, I can’t imagine anything more hopeless that to live a life that is leading nowhere.

As Jesus walked among the people of Israel, He attempted to give hope to those who did not know where they were going.  He reached into the hearts of those filled with despair and told them about a day in the future when all their trials and sufferings would make sense.  He spoke to the blind, the lame, and to those held hostage by death, and told them that one day, all of this would end.  He spoke of a future day - a day when even those who are dead and in the grave will be brought back to life.  He reminded them of God’s promise from long ago: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake to everlasting life” (Daniel 12:2).  However, even though He spoke such encouraging words, many Jewish leaders got all bent out of shape simply because Jesus said He was the one who would be granting life to those who had died.

“And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. ²⁶ The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. ²⁷ And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man.* ²⁸ Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, ²⁹ and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment” ^[1] (John 5:25-29).

As I said, most of these Jewish leaders were more concerned about what Jesus had said about Himself rather than find hope in what He promised.  Earlier, Jesus had told this group of Jewish leaders that those who hear His message and believe in God have passed from death to life.  Now, that’s a pretty nifty promise, if you ask me.  Because of a person’s faith in Jesus, they will not die spiritually.  This is the whole “Salvation” promise Jesus spoke to the lost people of Israel.  This is the “Good News” the Apostles preached throughout the world.  However, this speaks of freedom from judgment.  It doesn’t talk about our destination.

Knowing that our faith in Christ removes us from God’s judgment and knowing we have passed from death into life, are two things that make this present life a bit more bearable.  Our trials and bumps along the way are a bit more tolerable knowing that overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us (Romans 8:37).  No matter what we experience in this life, we know that Jesus still loves us.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Yet Jesus doesn’t just want to give us peace for the journey.  He wants us to know our destination.  He wants us to know where we are going, which is why He speaks about the resurrection.

Have you ever stopped to consider the words of Jesus here?  Those who are physically dead will one day live.  Everyone who is in the grave will hear His voice, and everyone will be called out.  At this point, some will experience eternal life while others will experience judgment.  This is where Jesus reveals a person’s destination.  This is where He tells us where we are going.  The spiritually dead person who responds to the words of Christ will live (verse 25).  The physically dead believer will be raised to eternal life (verse 28).  The rebellious person will experience judgment.  In other words, the grave is not a person’s final resting place.  The grave is not a person’s destination.  As explained by the Apostle Paul, a believer’s destination is “eternal life” and an “eternal body” (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15).  Death is not the end for a believer, nor will they live in heaven as disembodied spirits.  God saves the whole person, and this includes the body. 

          I tell you the truth, this life is a lot more tolerable knowing my destination.  Bumps and bruises make a bit more sense knowing where I am headed.  Even the Lord’s discipline is a bit easier to endure knowing that it is only temporary and is being used by the Father to help me become more holy; to help me become different from a person of the world.  Knowing where I am going helps me run the race before me.  It assures me of a great reward for being faithful.  I may not receive much in this life, but then again, I will one day leave all this behind.

          I want you to experience this same kind of peace and assurance.  I want you to know where you are headed as well.  This is why week after week I talk about your relationship with Jesus.  When you know Him as Savior, you will know where you are headed, and life’s journey does not seem quite so difficult when you know where you are going.

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 5:25–29). Carol Stream, IL.