Anxious - July 30, 2017 sermon

By Pastor Greg ...

Over the years, I’ve met a lot of people like Hermie.  I meet them in supermarkets and restaurants.  I’ve seen them on the loading docks and in the shopping malls.  You’ve seen them as well.  Some of you have employees like Hermie, and they frustrate you.  I know.  I’ve supervised them as well.  These people, like Hermie, are simply not happy in their work.

Oh.  Who is Hermie, you ask?  He was an elf that wanted to be a dentist.

Have you ever found yourself in a job you absolutely hate?  If it were not for the money …  It’s one of those jobs where you live for the weekend; a “T.G.I.F.” job.  Sunday night is the worse night of the week.  Ever had a job like that?

This is how Hermie felt as he labored on Santa’s assembly line.  He got depressed just talking about making toys.  But the moment he started talking about dentistry, he perked up and became excited.  He was anxious about the idea.  And when I say anxious, I don’t mean nervous, I mean anticipated excitement.  Hermie could hardly wait to put down his paint brush and pick up a Dentist’s Drill.

According to the Apostle Peter, this is the way a Christian should feel as they begin serving the Lord.

“So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. ² You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. ³ You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. ⁴ Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So, they slander you” ^[1] (1 Peter 4:1-4).

Did you notice what Peter said in today’s text?  As a Christian matures, they step away from the desires of the world, reaching a point where former friends begin to notice a difference.  As a Christian matures in their faith, even their own selfish desires pass away; they put them to death.  A believer ceases to pursue their sinful desires and instead desires to do the will of God.

This is passion; that deep desire in the heart of a Christian to stop living for themselves and instead be the instrument through which God works.  This is the Christian who comes to God begging to be used; a Christian who longs to serve.  This is the Christian who wants to leave the world behind, climb into the boat, and follow Jesus wherever He may go.  They no longer live for themselves, and have armed themselves with the same attitude seen in Jesus; they humbly become a servant.  They leave behind selfish desires and vain conceit.  They are no longer stirred and enticed by the seductions of the world.

What is it that transforms a Christian into a person who is anxious to serve; into a person that can hardly wait to get involved?  Right now, I’m not sure I can pinpoint it to one particular discipline, but I do know it involves leaving behind the desires of the world.  This much, Peter has made clear; he wasn’t making a suggestion.

And sometimes our lack of passion stems from serving in the wrong area.  This happens more often than we may realize.  For example, when writing to the church in Ephesus, Paul mentions 5 different types of leaders God gave the Church.  ¹¹ Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. ¹² Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ ^[2] (Ephesians 4:11-12).  Each of these leaders serves the church but in a different capacity.  Their responsibility is the same – to equip God’s people and build up the church – but the way this happens is different for each of these individuals. 

Apostles are always thinking of the future; where the church needs to be, and how to get there.  They develop new ideas and new approaches.  Prophets are especially attuned to God and His truth, bringing correction and guidance to the Church; challenging people to obedience.  Evangelists recruit.  They draw the world to Jesus and draw believers into action.  Shepherds nurture and protect.  They are the caregivers of the Church.  They protect the flock, building a network of relationships.  Teachers understand and explain God’s truth and wisdom.  They help others remain biblically grounded and remain faithful to God's Word.

No one person is all these things; Jesus designed the Church to function as a group of individuals providing leadership, not just one person.  Since that is true, then to ask an evangelist to function as a shepherd is to place them in an area outside of their passion.  They will not be anxious to serve because they are serving in the wrong area.  This is why a church should ask people to serve according to their passion, not just appoint a warm body to an empty position in the church.

To fully understand Spiritual Gifts, we must realize these things; a person needs to be saved by Jesus, sent by Jesus, gifted by God to serve, and finally, stop chasing their own desires.  Instead, they need to develop within themselves a passion for doing God's will.  Find a believer who is passionate about serving the Lord and who has been called by the Lord, and you will find someone who serves the local church with joy and enthusiasm. 

My friend, do not underestimate the importance of passion in your life.  Calling and giftedness mean nothing without passion.  You could be the most gifted Christian on the planet, but until you stop chasing your own desires, you will never be anxious to do God’s will.

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Pe 4:1–6). Carol Stream, IL.

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Eph 4:11–12). Carol Stream, IL.

The Gift - July 23, 2017 sermon

By Pastor Greg ...

A husband looking through the paper came upon a study that said women use more words than men.  Excited to prove to his wife that he had been right all along when he accused her of talking too much, he showed her the study results.  It read "Men use about 15,000 words per day, but women use 30,000." The wife thought for a while, then finally she said to her husband "It's because we have to repeat everything we say."  The husband said "What?”

If only God would gift some of us with the ability to listen.  Life would be so much simpler.  But if I know God, when we ask Him to help us become a better listener, He’ll give us plenty of practice (“so I said to my mechanic, ‘why would you put 10w30 in my car when it clearly calls for 5w20?’  I mean what’s up with that?”).

Yeah.  We can ask God to help us become a better listener.  We can ask Him to help us become more loving, patient, and kind as well.  But, did you know that we can ask God for Spiritual Gifts?

Right after teaching them how to pray, Jesus says, ⁵ “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; ⁶ for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; ⁷ and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

⁹ “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. ¹¹ “Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? ¹² “Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? ¹³ “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”^[1] (Luke 9:5-13).

Did you notice the lesson Jesus is trying to teach here?  He tells us to come to God unashamed because of our need.  But what need?  What should drive us to the Father over and over again?  He gives us the answer in verse 13.  Jesus implies that our need in these instances is spiritual.

This is where Spiritual Gifts differ from the Gift of the Spirit.  The Gift of the Spirit transforms us and equips us to overcome the world.  The Gifts of the Spirit equip us to be servants in the world. So, this lesson on asking, seeking, and knocking is tied together with God’s present strategy in the world.  And God’s present strategy in the world is to save, not destroy; to take broken individuals and transform them into people who help people meet Jesus. Remember the former demon possessed man from Gadarene?  Jesus didn’t “destroy” the bad guy, right?  He stepped into his life and transformed the man (Luke 8:35-39), clearly demonstrating God present plan in the world.  His plan is to save, not destroy … which is why He sent His Son to save, not to judge (John 3:17).  And, rather than merely transforming this man, Jesus gave him a task; He sent him home to tell others about how the Lord changed his life.

This is how the Church fits into God’s present plan.  We too are given a task.  We too are sent to help others find salvation.  But sometimes it can be a little scary, and I think Jesus knew this.  I think the Lord knows that sometimes it will feel like we are in way over our head.  This is why He tells us to Ask, Seek, and Knock.

In our conversation about Spiritual Gifts, these two things are foundational: to possess a Spiritual Gift, one must first be saved and, second, one must be transformed.  Makes sense.  However, as a Christian matures they should also transform from being self-focused to other-focused.  As a believer grows in their faith, they must allow the Spirit to transform them into a Christian who sees themselves as a servant.  They begin to see the needs around them.  They develop the same attitude which was seen in Jesus.  He humbled Himself and became a servant (Philippians 2:7).  So, at some point, a Christian stops seeing the “bad guy” as bad.  Instead, they have compassion for those unequipped to fight a spiritual battle.  They see all the wickedness, begin thinking “Someone should do something.”  And hear the Lord say, “perhaps that ‘someone’ is you.”

This is God at work in our heart.  This is the Lord giving us a task.  This is the Holy Spirit nudging us to service.  We want to do the work of the church.  However, many of us feel unequipped to serve.  How is it possible for a former messed up person to make a difference in this world?  Jesus says it’s possible when we ask, seek, and knock.

Using the illustration Jesus gave in Luke 11, we want to serve, but are not prepared.  We have no “bread,” so we go to our “neighbor” asking for what we need.  Jesus says this is how we approach God when we desire to serve Him.  We recognize our need and are unashamed to ask, seek, and knock.

I love this command from Jesus because it teaches us to ask God for what we need to serve Him in this world.  And our Father, who desires to see us succeed, gives us what we need.  By asking, seeking, and knocking, the Father gives us Spiritual Gifts so we might become effective servants in this world.

But there is something else here we might overlook.  Because we are commanded to ask for the gifts we need, it’s clear that the Lord will often put us in situations where our natural abilities or acquired skills are not sufficient.  God will often call us to a task that makes us feel utterly helpless.  And He does this so we might learn to depend on Him.

This whole Spiritual Gift issue is much more than answering a list of questions.  In fact, when we do take this test, we will spend more time examining our calling than on how God has already equipped us.  A more accurate understanding of this gifting is that God first gives us the passion, then the gifting.  God first opens our eyes to the needs around us; He helps us look at people with compassion; creating the desire within us to see them changed.  It is then we confess to the Father that we don’t have the skill or the ability.  So, we ask, seek, and knock; begging the Father to give us what we need to fulfill this calling in our life.

And the Heavenly Father will give to those who ask.

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^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Lk 11:5–13). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

The Real Marvel Universe - July 16, 2017 sermon

By Pastor Greg ...

          Yeah.  I was one of those.  I had hundreds of comic books.  Spider-Man was my favorite.  Probably always will be as well.  Something was intriguing about that small nerdy guy.  It spoke to me.  Being the nerd that was always pushed around, I held this secret fantasy about possessing some super power that helped me overcome the bullies in this world.

          Eventually, I learned that all that super-power stuff could never happen.  I mean, I don’t care how strong your iron suit is; the sudden stop after falling 10 stories will kill you.  Momentum baby.  It’s all about the sudden change in momentum.  As far as I know, Jarvis has not overcome that particular law of physics.

          I know.  This news can be quite disturbing.  I mean, we all want a superhero; some of us want to BE a superhero.  But if the laws of physics are against us, what hope do we have in this world?  How do we overcome those who destroy our peace?  How do we stop the bad guys?

          I will say this: dropping bombs and shooting guns will never change the world.  At best, it only keeps evil at bay.  And I think we’ve seen this.  Wipe out one bad guy, and two others will take his place.  No, the world is not changed by defeating the bad people.  The world is not changed by men with iron suits or ones who have been genetically modified.  According to God, the world is changed in another way.         

          Let me show you God’s strategy against evil.

In John chapter three, Jesus talks about being born of water (or “born of the flesh”), and about being born of the Spirit.  He says, “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life”^[1]  (John 3:6).   Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit; the gift that God gives every believer.  His Spirit falls upon those who trust Jesus to be their Savior.  And those born of the Spirit possess the ability to overcome the world.  That’s the real marvel in this universe; that God would equip people like you and me to overcome the world.  And it all begins by being Born Again.

Because of a person’s faith in Jesus, God equips them to overcome the world. John the Apostle says, “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. ⁵ And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God” ^[2] (1 John 5:4-5).  He suggests that the presence of the Holy Spirit in someone’s life is the greatest power on earth … reminding us that “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” ^[3] (I John 4:4).  King Solomon proclaims that the mightiest person in the world is not the one who conquerors a city, but the one who can control their spirit. “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city” ^[4] (Proverbs 16:32).  Or, in today’s language, it takes more effort to control your anger than it does to defeat a supervillain (just ask Dr. Bruce Banner, he has a tendency to smash things when he gets angry).

Because of their faith in Jesus, God equips a believer to become someone new.  They are reborn; although they might look like an average person on the outside, on the inside, they have been transformed (see Romans 12:2).

Okay, so believers are equipped by God to overcome the world, and they have been transformed by God into someone new.  But how does this deal with all the bad guys in this world?  How does becoming “Self-control Man” overcome the evil we see around us?  Well, let me remind you that the evil we see is not the real enemy.  The bad guy is bad because he is not equipped to overcome evil.  He has been influenced by the forces of darkness and cannot resist the hidden powers in this dark world.  Don’t forget what Paul has said.  “We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” ^[5] (Ephesians 6:12).  To equip us in this battle against the evil rulers in the unseen world, God arms us with His Spirit, which enables us to win victories against the mighty powers of this dark world.  This also explains why the Armor of God consists of spiritual practices (righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God), not blasters or lightsabers.  If the real enemy is spiritual, then it makes sense that we become equipped to win a spiritual battle.  Those who have not received this gift are not prepared to fight a spiritual battle; they are easy prey for the forces of darkness.

I don’t know if this explains why many people are attracted to superheroes, but I do know that most have a sense there is something evil in this world yet have no idea how to defeat it … which is why Jedi Masters and Superheroes give them hope.

The Christian, on the other hand, has been equipped to resist evil and is even given God’s Spirit to achieve a victory.  The Christian knows there is evil in this world AND has been gifted by God to overcome.  This is why God’s present strategy against the bad guys is not to wipe them out (at least not yet), but to change them from the inside out.  It’s God’s plan to save, not to destroy … which is why He sent Jesus to offer His life as a ransom (see John 3:16-17).  And we’ll talk about how the church fits in with that plan a little later.  But for now, I want you to realize that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who believe in Jesus because it represents the kind of battle we will face in this world.

One of the saddest things I see portrayed in film, or in comic books, is how a person, once evil, stays evil.  Bad guys stay bad guys.  But that is not what we see in the real world.  In the real world, we see person after person giving their life to Jesus, and then God giving them His Spirit.  And that person, who previously could not win a spiritual victory, is transformed.  They are changed from the inside out.  To me, the real superheroes in this world are those who take God’s message of grace and share it among the wild and wicked people of this world.  That’s the real marvel in this universe; that God would take the bad guy, change him into a good guy, and then use him to tell others about Jesus.

This is the kind of heroes the world needs today.

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Jn 3:6). Carol Stream, IL.

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Jn 5:4–5). Carol Stream, IL.

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

^[4] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Pr 16:32). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^[5] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Eph 6:12). Carol Stream, IL.

The Naked Disciple - June 25, 2017 sermon

By Pastor Greg ...

Everyone seems to make such a fuss about their calling.  I remember the stress I faced in high school when asked what I was going to do with the rest of my life.  I remember taking these aptitude tests; exams designed to help you choose a career path.  After one test the school guidance counselor called me to her office to discuss my results.  She said I needed to practice saying "do you want fries with that"?

Anyway, we kind of do the same thing in the church.  We start asking one another about God's will.  We ask senior high students about whether they know God's will for their life.  We have people take Spiritual Gift tests so they can learn how the Spirit has gifted them.  And while these exams mean well, they have a tendency to leave a person saying, "Okay, now what?  So I have the gift of hospitality.  How should I use this?"  And even more importantly, where should I use this?  And I really think that's the bigger question here.  I mean, it doesn't take someone very long to learn that they are pretty good at something or really enjoy doing something.  And a Spiritual Gift inventory will help someone understand that God has also equipped them to serve the Kingdom in a unique way.  But none of this answers the question of where.  Where should I serve?  Where should I be using my gifts, talents, and passions?  "Lord, where would you have me go"?  This, of course, would be our calling; God calling us to do something of significance for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Wouldn't it be nice if God would clearly say "Go here and do this"?  It would be like God saying "Your mission Jim, if you choose to accept it", and then we would be given clear instructions (of course, the tape would self-destruct in 5 seconds).  I mean, He did it for people in the Bible.  Why can't He do it for you and me?  He did it for Jonah.  "Go to Nineveh and preach" (Jonah 1:2).  From all of His followers Jesus calls out twelve for special leadership (Luke 6:13).  And what about Barnabas and Paul.  God called them out of Antioch as missionaries (Acts 13:2). 

So maybe you’ve been wondering if God would call you.  And if He would, where would He send you?  What great and glorious thing might God call you to do for the Kingdom of Heaven? 

But what if He doesn't call?  What if our calling is to ask people if they want fries with that?  What if God does not call us somewhere, but instead sends us home … just like the He did with the naked disciple?

In Luke chapter 8 we meet a man who was demon possessed and lived among the tombs in the land of Gerasene.  This was a Gentile territory on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.  In the story the Lord drives out many demons from this man and cast them into a herd of pigs.  The pigs, now demon possessed, run down a steep bank, jump in the lake, and drown.  This, of course, caught the attention of the townsfolk, who rush out to the area to see what is going on (read Luke 8:35-39).  When the herdsmen saw it, they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed. And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake. The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.

The first thing that catches my attention in this story is how Jesus tells this man that no, he can't come with them.  Really?  Why can't he come with Jesus like all the other disciples?  And why send this man away yet allow Mary Magdalene to tag along?  I mean, put yourself in this man's shoes.  How would you feel if Jesus told you to go on home?  I'd have thoughts like, "Maybe I'm not good enough to be traveling with the in crowd.  Maybe Jesus sent me home because I didn't grow up in church.  Maybe Jesus sent me away because of my past."  If I were this man I'd probably be reminding myself that I should simply be grateful that He freed me from bondage and stop having these lofty ideas about being His servant.  I mean, I'm not someone significant or important.  I didn't walk on the water.  I was simply healed.

Now, I know this is what would go through my mind.  Because I was not able to serve in the way I wanted, I would take this as the Lord rejecting me for some reason.  Yet this man did not.  Luke says he did as he was told.  He went back home and did as Jesus had commanded.

The lesson we need to learn here is that when it comes to being the Lord's servant, a person needs to be prepared for how the Lord calls them to serve.  We might have ideas and visions of our own.  We might imagine glorious things.  We determine in our own minds what a successful calling looks like and then measure our life based upon those standards.  And when these things don't materialize, we draw the conclusion that apparently we just don't measure up; that the fault is ours.  But in reality it is simply that Jesus had something else in mind.

The point is this: each of us, as a believer, has a purpose and a calling in the Kingdom of Heaven.  The problem is whether this calling lives up to our expectations.  We expect one thing, but the Lord gives us something different.  It's not because we are less valuable or not good enough, but because it is all part of the Lord's plan.  He has a purpose in mind when He sends us and to where He sends us.  And, as in the case of this former demon possessed man, He may even send us back home.  Not out in the mission filed.  Not to pastor a church.  Not even to teach a Sunday school class or lead a Bible study.  He sends us home and calls us to tell our family and our neighbors what great things God has done for us.  It's not a glorious calling.  It won't make us famous.  But it does fit within God's plan.

Before I end, I want you to notice something in this story.  Did you notice how the people reacted to Jesus?  After witnessing the miracle of this healed man, the people asked Jesus to leave.  They were afraid.  They wanted Jesus gone.  And it was to these very people that Jesus sent the healed man.  “Go back to those people who are afraid of Me, those people who ran Me out of town, and talk to them about Me”, the Lord says.  Now we might think this man would accomplish nothing; that his calling would be pointless and meaningless.  Yet if we jump ahead a few months we see Jesus returning to this region (Matthew 15:29-31).  Only this time a great multitude came to Him bringing people who were crippled, blind, mute, and sick in many different ways.  And when Jesus healed these people the crowd glorified the God of Israel - this, from the same people who had earlier chased Him away.  What changed?  I believe it was this former demon possessed man who, out of obedience, went back home and did as Christ had commanded.

My friend, don't ever think that where the Lord sends you or how He calls you is insignificant.  If your calling does not measure up to your expectations you are still contributing to the work of the Kingdom, just contributing according to the Lord’s plans.  In order to accomplish His will, the Lord will ask us to serve Him today in ways that do not make sense.  And there are times He will send us to places where we think it will not make a difference.  Instead of calling us out of town, He will send us back to our school or job or career asking us to faithfully serve right where we are.  In order to accomplish His will tomorrow, the Lord asks us to stay where we are today.  In light of this I think we need to straighten up the notion that doing the Lord's will requires climbing in a boat and traveling to some distant place just to tell others about Jesus.  No, most of the time we are simply called to become like the naked disciple - people who remain right where they are and tell the whole town about Jesus.

Therefore, remain steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; knowing that your labor in His name is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).