Without Conviction - June 26, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

A man absolutely hated his wife's cat and decided to get rid of him by driving him 20 blocks from home and leaving him at the park.  As he was getting back, the cat was walking up the driveway!  The next day he decided to drive the cat 40 blocks away. He put the beast out of the car and quickly headed home.  Driving back up his driveway, the cat was already home once again!  He kept taking the cat further and further away, but the cat would always beat him home. At last, he decided to drive quite a distance--so he turned right, then left, past the bridge, then right again and another right until he reached what he thought was a safe distance from his home and left the cat there.  Hours later the man calls home to his wife: "Hon, is the cat there?"  "Yes," the wife answers, "why do you ask?"  Frustrated, the man answered, "Can you please put him on the phone?  I’m lost and need directions".

Wow, there’s something you will not hear very often; a man admitting he is lost.  Sadly, you don’t hear those words very often in a church.  You just do not see very many people break down and admit they are a slave to sin.  It didn’t happen very often in biblical times either, even when Jesus was teaching.  Just as most men refuse to admit they are lost, most people refuse to admit they need a Savior.

In our study of the book of John, we have been focusing on how people reacted to Jesus.  Some people responded to Jesus with acceptance and faith.  Others responded to Jesus with skepticism and doubt.  People had a tendency to either accept or reject Jesus.  We see this in chapter eight.  While Jesus teaches, some accept and believe while others remain skeptical.  Both groups hear what Jesus says, but one group remains unconvicted.

Jesus had gone to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles.  On the last day of the celebration, He had called Himself the Living Water.  Well, the next day as He was teaching, He described Himself as the Light of the World.  However, even though some in the crowd that day believed (John 8:30), others remained skeptical.  Rather than being convicted by what Jesus taught, they argued with the Lord, refusing to believe.

To those who believed, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. ³² And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  However, the skeptics in the crowd interrupted.  ³³ “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”  Jesus was talking about spiritual bondage here, and I think this group of skeptics understood that.  They knew Jesus was revealing God’s new plan of salvation; they simply did not feel they needed to repent.  They replied, “We already go to church.  My whole family goes to church” (my paraphrase of verse 33).  These people just refused to believe they had sin in their lives.  This is why Jesus starts talking about sin and slavery.  He says, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. ³⁵ A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free ^[1] (John 8:31-36).

This debate continues for the next 21 verses, where Jesus attempts to open the eyes of these skeptics.  However, because they were without conviction, they did not believe.  They did not need a Savior.  They had no sin.  This is why Jesus called them “Children of the devil” (verse 44); anyone who refuses to admit they are sinners believes the lies told by Satan – lies told to lead them away from God.

John will later write, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. ⁹ But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts”^[2] (1 John 1:8-10).  This whole issue is a matter of life and death.  We cannot simply shrug it off or ignore it.  We are either a slave or a son, captive or free.

The devil still attempts to lead people away from the source of truth and life (“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God”^[3] - 2 Corinthians 4:4).  Just as he did with these Jews, the devil continues to whisper in the ears of Men “You are not lost.  You’re a good person, not a sinner.  Don’t let this Jesus fellow tell you any differently”. 

What was the point in sending Jesus to the cross if you and I were not that bad?  Why did God permit His Son to die if we were not sinners?  The sacrifice of Jesus is pointless until we realize the magnitude of our sin; until we recognize that we are slaves to sin and death.  However, just like those skeptical people in the Temple, people today are deaf and blind to this truth.

I worry that countless individuals who come to church are without conviction; they have never admitted their sinfulness.  They like Jesus, and they like the whole church experience, but it seems they believe Jesus came to remove evil and oppression from the world, not remove wickedness and sin from their life.  By not allowing Jesus to be their Savior, they have never been set free from sin.  They are servants, not sons (verse 36) - in the house but not part of the family.  As one modern theologian puts it, “they date the church but never marry Christ”.  It saddens me that “The most difficult people to win to the Savior are those who do not realize that they have a need. They are under the condemnation of God, yet they trust their religion to save them. They are walking in the darkness and not following the light of life. They are sharing a “living death” because of their bondage to sin; and, in spite of their religious deeds, they are dishonoring the Father and the Son.”^[4]

The solution is that we stop hiding behind our hymnbooks and offering plates and let God examine our hearts.  To be free from sin is to be forgiven of our sin.  However, until we admit our sin, we will not seek forgiveness.  On this day, let’s be just as open and honest as King David was.  Let’s stand before the Lord and ask, ²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. ²⁴ Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life ^[5] (Psalm 139:23-24).

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 8:31–36). Carol Stream, IL.

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (1 Jn 1:8–10). Carol Stream, IL.

^[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (2 Co 4:4). Carol Stream, IL.

^[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Jn 8:48–59). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

^[5] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Ps 139:23–24). Carol Stream, IL.

A Book of Remembrance - June 19, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

          A mother was walking with her four-year-old daughter one day when the little girl picked up something from the ground and started to put it in her mouth.  Of course, the mother told her not to do that.  “Why?” asked the little girl.  “Because it’s dirty and probably covered with germs,” said the mother.  The little girl looked at her mother in amazement.  “Wow!  How do you know all this stuff?”  Thinking quickly, the mother responded, “All mothers know this stuff.  It’s on the Mommy Test.  You have to know it, or they don’t let you become a Mommy.”  Mother and daughter walked along in silence for a few minutes while the little girl pondered this new information.  After a while, she exclaimed, “Oh I get it now.  Then if you flunk, you have to be the daddy!”

Oh ha, ha, ha.  Very Funny.  Just what I needed.  Another joke that makes father’s look stupid.  Like we need any more help. 

 Greg, Heather, and Andrea. Moulton, Iowa, 2004

Sometimes I think my children only remember the stupid things I’ve done.  Sometimes I think they only remember when I was angry or when I disappointed them or when I’ve embarrassed them (like the “lemon flavored snow cones joke” from Monster’s Inc. Okay girls, so it took me while to get it. Stop reminding me of this painful experience.  Next time give me a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it)  But every now and then they remind me of something that brought them joy.  They will show me a picture and reflect back on that special time.  There are memories of joy recorded on the hearts of my children, and you know, those are the memories that surprise me.  Didn’t expect they’d remember the good.

 I do the same thing with my father.  Sure, there were times when he made me angry, but then there are the fond memories.  For example, every time I hear the word Bar Mitzvah, I think of my father.  My family was attending a wedding in New Jersey for my cousin.  The reception was held at a multi-venue banquet facility.  Part way through the reception, we couldn’t find dad.  We thought he went out to the bathroom.  Only later did we learn that my father walked into a Bar Mitzvah celebration just down the hall.  My dad crashed the party.  Picked up a Yarmulke at the door and went in.  I love my Dad.  I’ve filed that memory away under “Things I need to try someday when my family’s not around”. 

I know there are things about your father that have bothered you for years.  We all have them because our fathers are indeed human.  They are going to make mistakes.  However, I think there are probably some fond memories as well – things that make you smile.  I mean, after all, there are good memories as well as the bad.

Making memories.  All of us are in the process of making memories.  Either we give memories to others, or we are forming memories from others.  A Father is either giving his children memories, or he is receiving memories from his children.  It would be wrong to assume that all memories are bad.

I think the same thing can be said about God.  What I mean is that God does not just remember all the things we have done wrong.  Our heavenly Father also remembers what we have done right or when we have pleased Him in some way.  I know we tend to believe that God is keeping a record of all our offenses.  Somehow we’ve been taught that every time we do something wrong, a note is placed in a permanent file in Heaven.  We learned at a young age to be careful little hands what we do, be careful little feet where we go, and be careful little tongue what we say because the Father up above is looking down in love.  And we have visions of God opening page number 3,279 and recording yet another time when we did not live up to His expectations.  But it has occurred to me that if we have called Jesus our Lord and Savior, God is receiving good memories from us.  He is actually keeping a “Book of Remembrance” of those who bring Him joy.

In the book of Malachi, there is a short and seldom mentioned reference to a “Book of Remembrance.”  In it were recorded the good things that a group of Jews had done because they honored God and were obedient to His word. Malachi 3:16-18 says, ¹⁶ At that time those who feared the Lord spoke to one another. The Lord took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared Yahweh and had high regard for His name. ¹⁷ “They will be Mine,” says the Lord of Hosts, “a special possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.  ¹⁸ So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. ^[1] 

I wonder if God is still keeping track of what we've been doing right?  We spend our day’s laboring for Christ and then have the audacity to think God doesn’t notice?  Do you really believe He doesn't see the times that you pray for others, or when you reach out to people who have been cast aside by society?  Do you think God is blind to the sacrifices we’ve made for Him and His Church?  Don’t you think He knows when we swallow angry words and respond in love?  Doesn’t God know when someone experiences grace, mercy, and love because you introduced them to Jesus?  Have you ever thought that God is keeping a scrapbook of your life?  As hard as it may be for you to imagine, God might just be sitting in heaven right now with a scrapbook of your life lying open in His lap.  Calling the angels near, He shows them about the time you chose Him over Satan.  Or the time you sent an encouraging card to someone who was suffering.  He shows them the meal you took over to the young couple that just had a baby.  Your Father in Heaven is watching you, and He is adding new pages to your Book of Remembrance day by day.

          It’s human nature to only remember the bad.  We tend to dwell on this.  We are consumed by the knowledge that someone, somewhere, only remembers the times we’ve messed up.  However, I have found incredible joy with the thought that God has been keeping track of the times I’ve done what is right.  Like a proud parent, He’s gluing stories and pasting pictures in a scrapbook of my life (on fireproof paper, of course).  It warms my heart to think that in heaven there is another “Permanent Record,” filled with times I’ve made God proud.

Fathers, your children do remember the good times.  And so too does your Father in Heaven.  Instead of beating yourself up once again for all the things you’ve done wrong, this Father’s Day please know that God sees the things you do that are good and right and worthy of praise.  I would encourage you to spend the day thinking about what things might be in your “Book of Remembrance.”

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^[1] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. 2009 (Mal 3:16–18). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.

Without Sin - June 12, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

An American attorney had just finished a guest lecture at a law school in Italy when an Italian lawyer approached him and asked, "Is it true that a person can fall down on a sidewalk in your country and then sue the landowners for lots of money?"  Told that it was true, the lawyer turned to his partner and started speaking rapidly in Italian.  When they stopped, the American attorney asked if they wanted to go to America to practice law.  "No, no," one replied. "We want to go to America and fall down on sidewalks."

Honestly, I don’t know if I should laugh at this or cry.  It reminds me of all that is wrong with our country.  It also has a tendency to make me angry; angry at people who work the system, and angry at people who try to get rich by defrauding others.  I read things like this and immediately determine that someone has crossed the line.  They have no morality and no ethics.  They are guilty of sin.  However, I struggle with these angry, judgmental feelings, and maybe you share this as well. 

When I watch our society continually display unethical behavior, and when people demonstrate selfishness, greed, and immorality, my first gut reaction is to judge them as sinners.  I place them on the opposite side of the line; the side where they will one day face God’s judgment (and I ask God to hurry up with that).  In my heart and in my mind I have determined they are evil, despicable, sinners.  Sometimes I even catch myself thinking, “Thank God I am not like them.”  It’s about then that the Holy Spirit jumps out from behind the piano and wrestles my heart into submission.

          Has He ever done this to you?  Has the Word of God or the Spirit of God ever rebuked your judgmental attitude?  Has the Lord ever forced you to look at the person rather than their sin?  I know Jesus did this.  He did this with a group of religious leaders one day.  They had caught a woman in the act of adultery and brought her to Jesus.  She had crossed the line, and the people wondered how Jesus would respond to such an evil, despicable, sinner.

          In John 8:1-11 we read, “Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, ² but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. ³ As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. ⁴ “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” ⁶ They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. ⁷ They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” ⁸ Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

⁹ When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. ¹⁰ Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” ¹¹ “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” ^[1]

          There are two rebukes in this story, and two acts of compassion as well.  Jesus rebuked the religious leaders and the Pharisees for their judgmental attitude against this woman (let the one who has never sinned).  They saw a sinner and immediately used her as an example of all that is wrong in this world.  Jesus also rebuked (or scolded) the woman.  He indicated that she had been sinning (Go and sin no more).  What she had done crossed the line of God’s standard of morality.  He was quite clear on this.  Both the woman and the Pharisees are scolded by Jesus.  He doesn’t tell them their actions were okay.  He points out the sin in what they were doing.  The woman (incidentally, why wasn’t the man brought before Jesus as well) was sinning against God’s standard of morality (a way of loving God).  The Pharisees were sinning against God’s standard of ethics (a way of loving others).  Both groups had crossed the line.  Both deserved judgment.  However, there is a valuable lesson for you and me in Christ’s response to both parties here.

          Jesus looks at the religious leaders who had crossed the line and offers them compassion.  He treats them ethically.  Seriously, watch His response.  Rather than publicly list their sins, Jesus has them search their heart.  He reminds them that they too had crossed the line at one point in their life.  They were given an opportunity to look at themselves through God’s standard of ethics.  The Lord also offers compassion to this woman.  She had crossed the line of morality.  She had sinned.  She knew it, and the crowd knew it.  But instead of merely judging her, Christ reaches across the line and gently offers her grace.  Today, there will be no judgment.  Today there will be a lesson on morality.

          We should not be surprised by the Lord’s response to this woman, after all, He continues to do the same thing today.  Rather than passing judgment to those living across the line, He extends grace.  Paul says Jesus did this for those who were still sinners.  “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”^[2] (Romans 5:8).  Truthfully, the Lord’s response here astounds me.  And I can’t help but think I need to learn this lesson as well.

          Tell me, where in the Bible did Jesus ever tell us to bring Him those living in sin so that He might smite them?  I’m serious here.  Jesus did not leave us with the Great Condemnation.  He gave us the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you”^[3] (Matthew 28:19-20).  And what this forces me to realize is that the Lord expects me to have a little compassion for those on the other side of the line.  If Jesus did this, then I must do the same.

I have learned in my 20 years of ministry that most of the people in this world know they are sinners.  They know their life is not pleasing to God.  What they don’t know is how to find forgiveness.  If we want these people to come to Jesus and find salvation, then we MUST be willing to reach across the line and help them find the Lord’s love and grace.  So rather than standing in our churches complaining about the wickedness of this world, we need to reach out and teach the world about Christ and His sacrifice of love.  Jesus demonstrates for us the kind of heart we should have.  When a person does not know the Lord, they will surely live in sinful ways.  However, rather than judging the individual’s sin, we should be offering them the grace and forgiveness that Jesus gives.

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 8:1–11). Carol Stream, IL.

^[2] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Ro 5:8). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^[3] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Mt 28:19–20). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

With an Empty Mind - June 5, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

One of the disadvantages of reading about Jesus is that we tend to forget just how public His ministry really was.  We don’t have that visual of Jesus standing in front of a huge crowd.  Sometimes we forget that Jesus didn’t hide His message in some secret cave waiting to be discovered.  He didn’t pull a person aside and give them a special revelation.  What is significant about Jesus is that His teachings were public.  He called great crowds of people to believe in Him as God’s Messiah.  Take, for instance, the events told in John chapter seven.

Jesus heads up to Jerusalem for an important Jewish festival; the Festival of Shelters.  It was a week-long celebration remembering how the people lived while God guided them through the wilderness.  It’s that part of Jewish history when God rescued them out of Egypt; the whole Ten Commandments thing.  Midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach (John 7:14).  According to John, some people were a bit confused about what Jesus was saying.  Some, however, believed (John 7:31).  Then, on the last day of the Festival, Jesus stood up, interrupted the ceremony, and called the entire assembly to Himself.

(John 7:37-52) ³⁷ On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! ³⁸ Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” ³⁹ (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

⁴⁰ When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.” ⁴¹ Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? ⁴² For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.” ⁴³ So the crowd was divided about him. ⁴⁴ Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him.

⁴⁵ When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

⁴⁶ “We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded.

⁴⁷ “Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked. ⁴⁸ “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? ⁴⁹ This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”

⁵⁰ Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. ⁵¹ “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked.

⁵² They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes from Galilee!” ^[1]

What we cannot see by merely reading this story is the way Jesus startled the crowd.  On this day of the Festival, a priest would carry a golden pitcher to the Temple from the Gihon spring.  He would then pour it on the altar, symbolizing the water God provided from the rock, while the people sang Isaiah 12:3 – “With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!” ^[2]  However, before the people could start singing, Jesus stands and shouts the words in John 7:37-38.  His declaration is quite bold.  Jesus declares that He is the fountain of Salvation.  The crowd, of course, is shocked, and they begin to form an opinion about Jesus with an empty mind; they never research the facts.  Jesus was, in fact, born in Bethlehem (verse 42).  A few Pharisees and priests did believe in Jesus (verse 48).  Several prophets had come from Galilee (verse 52).  Those who refused to believe never researched the facts.  They simply followed their feelings.

Too many people do the same thing today.  They form an opinion about Jesus with an empty mind.  They never research the facts.  They hear someone say something about Jesus and believe that it is true.  Too many people form their opinion about Jesus based on someone else’s idea.  People compare Jesus to the many other religious leaders throughout the ages without once discovering what Jesus actually said.  Jesus didn’t come to show us another way to Heaven.  He came declaring, “I AM the way.”  “I AM the living water,” says Jesus.  “I AM the bread of life.  I AM the Messiah.  I AM the light of the world”.  “I AM the Good Shepherd.”  Not once did Jesus leave us guessing about who He is and what message He proclaimed.  He publicly declared the truth about Himself and the truth about eternal life.  Yet rather than embrace this truth, many people reject Jesus based upon their feelings; based upon what they want to be true or not be true.

Many Church leaders today feel this is the reason young people walk away from the church once they move out of the house.  They go off to live on their own or go off to college without actually knowing the facts about Jesus.  They leave the nest as easy prey for the enemy – the Satan – who prowls like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).  They will hear a half truth or a deceptive lie about Jesus or about God or about the Bible, and not knowing the real truth, a young Christian will be led astray.  Satan will plant a “tare” within their heart – something that looks and sounds like the real thing – designed to lure them away (Mathew 13:25).  Honestly, the only defense against the counterfeit truth is to know the Truth.

Jesus warns us about living a good life with an empty heart and an empty mind.  He says, ²⁴ “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ ²⁵ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.” ^[3] (Luke 11:24-26).  That’s a scary thought.  This is why we must fill our hearts with the Holy Spirit AND fill our minds with the Truth of God’s Word.  We must know what we believe and why.  A Christian, who attempts to live out their faith with an empty mind, is easy prey.

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 7:37–52). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Is 12:3). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale

^[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Lk 11:24–26). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.