This past week I took part in a unique activity. Every year here in south Georgia there is a three-day farm expo called the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition. It is the largest farmer's tradeshow in the southeast, drawing about 200,000 visitors and about $14 million in trade to the small town of Moultrie over the three-day period each October. I had been to this event almost every year it was held, and had focused my time on the items that interested me, primarily the wildlife, forestry, and livestock exhibits. With over 1,680 acres on the show ground, it is impossible to see every exhibit, even if you were to attend all three days.
On the outer fringe of the showgrounds, there were always a couple of tents put up by local church groups or associations. The Georgia Baptist Convention always had people manning a tent each year, and there were always one or two others. These sites generally gave away tracts, free water, and offered free Bibles or New Testaments to people who came by. But, one-on-one evangelism was not conducted.
This year, a new group moved into the area and asked for volunteers from the Valdosta District of the Methodist Church. This group, The Fellowship of Christian Farmers Internation (FCFI), sponsored a tent at the expo for the first time. I, along with my mother and a couple from the Naylor Methodist Church, went over and helped on Thursday morning. It was truly a blessed event, and I was blown away by their ministry and by the results that they are having.
The FCFI gives out what they call, "wordless walking sticks." These are nothing more than hoe handles with a loop of leather with salvation beads on them. We had put together these leather salvation bracelets as part of Vacation Bible Schools for years for the kids, but I had never thought of using them for direct evangelism as the FCFI does. They had arranged chairs in the tents in several small circles, with about 8-9 chairs per circle. The volunteer would take one chair, and then people visiting the tent would come in and fill the others. The volunteer would then offer each adult a walking stick (those under 18 got yardsticks with the leather loop or bracelets). Then, the volunteer would give a short (<5 minute) presentation of the gospel using the beads on the leather loop to explain the key points. Then, each person was asked if they were sure of their salvation and whether they had accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior or not. If not, they were asked if they had any questions and if they would like to pray for salvation at that time.
The majority of the people who visited the tent came to get one of the free walking sticks. But, in order to do so, they had to first hear the gospel. Most of those who came into the tent while we were there were already Christians. But quite a few, especially among the teens, were not. During the 3-1/2 hours that we were volunteering, our little team of 4 had 21 professions of faith (not including several we didn't count because it was obvious they weren't sincere). Over the three-day week, over 300 people prayed to receive Jesus as their Savior.
Now, I know that every single one of those prayers did not result in salvation, but I do know that quite a few people were sincerely touched by the gospel message and did receive Christ as their Savior. For those who didn't pray to receive Christ or who prayed but were not sincere, one thing is certain, they did hear a clear presentation of the gospel, perhaps for the first time.
I probably talked with and shared the gospel with about 150 people that morning. Out of that group, I had about 10 people steadfastly refuse to receive Christ or to have anything to do with a church of any kind. They came in for a free walking stick, and that's all they wanted. And that's what they got. But, in addition to that, they did get to hear the gospel, and I pray that God's message might continue to work on their hearts in the days and weeks ahead.
I don't know how effective this type of evangelism is -- only Christ does -- but I think the ministry accomplished two important tasks. First, it offered a clear presentation of the gospel to thousands of people over the course of those three days. And, secondly, it offered members of my church the opportunity to directly share their faith and share the gospel of Christ with others in a one-on-one situation. When we went there, everyone was a little apprehensive about sharing their faith in public with strangers. But, by the end of our shift, everyone was confident in their ability to share the gospel and tell others about Christ. Everyone on our team was able to pray with someone to receive Christ -- something none of them had done before. And that may have been the most important thing to come out of this weekend for our little group. I am looking forward to see how God is going to use this experience to touch the lives of those who went to the expo and how He is going to work in our church as a result.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
SERMON: KNOW FEAR
Preached by Gregory W. Lee
8 October 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Esther 4
-- what would you do if I told you I had a surprise for you this morning? -- I know everybody in here is aware that we are in an election year and that the candidates are travelling all around the state campaigning and meeting the voters
-- but, what would you do if I told you that we have a special guest this morning? -- what if I told you that Governor Sonny Perdue is here and is going to worship with us today?
-- now, the Governor isn't really here, but I want you to stop for a second and think about what feeling coursed through you when you thought that he might walk through that door -- for a moment, did you worry about how you were going to act in his presence? -- did you wonder what he might think of you or this church? -- did you start to think of what you might say to him?
-- what if I had told you that President Bush was here? -- how would you have reacted? -- I imagine, whether it was either Governor Perdue or President Bush, that you would have somewhat in awe of their presence in this church -- your attention would probably be on them during the service -- and that's understandable -- people in these high offices are afforded respect and honor because of who they are
-- we would probably do that to any celebrity who happened to come by or who we happened to meet -- if we were to bump into Robert Redford or any other actor on the street, I imagine most of us would be somewhat tongue-tied and in awe of his presence -- I remember a few years ago, I was at an Atlanta Falcons game back when Larry Munson still called the play-by-play for the Falcons -- I am a huge fan of Larry Munson, and our host at the game offered to take me up there to meet him -- I thought about it -- and I remember thinking, "What am I going to say to Larry Munson?" -- I was so in awe of meeting him that I was just too scared to do so -- so I didn't take them up on their offer
II. Xerxes and Esther
-- well, the giving of honor and respect to these celebrities is somewhat expected -- that is exactly what is going on in this passage with Esther and King Xerxes -- just to refresh your memory of the story of Esther -- King Xerxes had deposed his first wife and had conducted a royal beauty pageant to find a new wife -- Esther was selected to be his wife, and she has been living in the palace ever since -- during this time, the king's wives did not live with him -- they had their own apartments and lived separately from the king and were not allowed in his presence unless summoned
-- now Esther was a Jew, but at the advice of her cousin Mordecai, she had not told anyone her heritage, probably because Jews were not regarded as highly as other citizens in Persia -- as the story progresses, Mordecai refuses to bow down to the King's right hand man, Haman, so Haman has a decree given to kill all the Jews
-- as this passage opens up, Mordecai has asked Esther to go before the King and to plead on behalf of her people
-- now, the important thing I want you to see in this passage is how Esther responds to Mordecai's request to go before her husband and her king and her demeanor as she enters the throne room
-- look back at Chapter 4, verse 9
9. Hathach went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said.
10. Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai,
11. "All the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king."
-- Esther is terrified by Mordecai's request -- she is scared to death -- during this time of history, the king had total and ultimate authority over everything and everyone in his kingdom -- he had total and absolute power -- the very words that he spoke were law -- and anyone who came into his presence without being summoned would be immediately put to death, unless he intervened and granted them entry
-- in short, King Xerxes demanded and expected total honor and respect from all of his subjects -- no one would dare cross the king or enter into his presence simply because of who he was -- and Mordecai was asking Esther to do just that -- if the king felt disrespected -- if he felt she was dishonoring him, then she would be killed
-- but she agreed to do so on behalf of her people -- skip down to verse 15
4:15. Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
16. "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."
17. So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther's instructions.
5:1. On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.
2. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
3. Then the king asked, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you."
-- notice how Esther approaches the throne room of the king -- she goes forward in humbleness and meekness -- with all due respect and awe and fear for the position and power of the king -- she enters his presence only after preparing herself to meet him -- after days of fasting and prayer for her safety
-- she goes into the presence of the king very much like we probably would approach Governor Perdue or President Bush or any other celebrity we might meet -- we would approach them with humbleness and respect and awe after having prepared ourselves for the meeting
-- the Bible calls that attitude of honor and respect and awe to a person in high office by an unusual word, "fear" -- at times in the Bible, the word "fear" can mean to be afraid -- it can mean to be scared of something or someone -- that is how we used the word last week when we talked about how the presence of Christ in our life should remove the fear of the world from us -- how knowing Christ drove out our reasons for being afraid
-- but this week we are focusing on the other definition of fear -- fear meaning giving honor and respect and awe to another person -- that is the way the word "fear" is used in Psalm 111:10, when it says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom"
-- it was in both of these senses of the word "fear" that Esther approached the King -- she was not only in fear of her life, but she was in fear of the very presence of the King, meaning she respected and honored his position and authority and power
-- there is a big difference between these two meanings of the word "fear" -- a great example of this can be found in the book, "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame -- in this book about anthropomorphic animals living along a riverbank, Rat and Mole approach the island where Pan lives -- Pan was the ruler of the riverbank where these animals lived -- a mystical being who had power and authority over them
-- Mole asked Rat as they approached Pan, "Rat, are you afraid?" -- "Afraid?" murmured the Rat, his eyes shining with unutterable love. "Afraid? of Him? O, never, never. And yet -- and yet -- O Mole, I am afraid."'
-- Rat was not in fear of his life or in fear of Pan being dangerous towards him -- but he was fearful -- he was humble and respectful and afforded Pan all the honor that his office required
III. The Fear of the Lord
-- I started this sermon by asking you to consider how you would react if Governor Perdue or President Bush came into our service -- you would probably be fearful of them -- not in the sense of being in fear of your life or in fear of them being dangerous to you -- but you would be fearful in the same sense that Rat was fearful of Pan -- you would be in awe of their power and position and authority
-- now, let me ask you the more important question -- how is it that you approach God in your life and in your prayers?
-- as Tim Muelhoff points out, over time, the church is America has slowly stripped God of attributes that make us uncomfortable or fearful -- God's holiness and sovereignity and omniscience and omnipotence -- and we have fixated on the attributes of God that we take comfort in -- His kindness, trustworthiness, love, and patience -- and, in doing so, we have lost the fear of the Lord that we need in our lives
-- because of this, when we read the Bible, we really see two Gods -- the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament -- we read about how fearful the God of the Old Testament was -- how harshly He dealt with the people in that time -- and then we tell ourselves, "I'm glad we have the God of the New Testament on our side -- the God of love and mercy and grace -- and not the God of the Old Testament"
-- because we have stripped God of the attributes that make us uncomfortable, we conclude that the God of the New Testament is nothing like the God of the Old Testament -- but yet they are -- the Bible says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever -- the same God who struck down the firstborn in Egypt in the Old Testament is the same God who struck down Ananias and Saphira for lying to the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts -- the same God who sent the Israelites into exile is the same God who died for us on the cross -- and He demands the same fear and respect from us that He demanded from the ancient Israelites
-- when I was younger, people focused more on the awesomeness of God -- on His power and His greatness and His sovereignity -- we recognized the transcendance of God
-- transcendance means that God is far above and greater than His creation -- it is a recognition that He is God and I am not -- it is recognition that God is and always will be infinite, independent, unchanging, and sovereign -- transcendance recognizes the authority and power of God and requires us to give Him the honor and glory He so deserves
-- it was a recognition of the transcendance of God that caused David to write, "What is man that you are mindful of him -- the son of man that you think of him" -- it was a recognition of the transcendance of God that caused David to pen the words of Psalm 113:4-6 -- "The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens -- Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? " -- as a contemporary worship song says, "God is great and greatly to be praised" -- that is the essence of living in the fear of the Lord
-- in our lives, we should approach God as Esther approached King Xerxes -- in fear and trembling -- because of the transcendance of God
-- even though God tells us in His word that He loves us and even though He came to earth to die for us, the fact remains -- God is God -- we exist only because He allows us to -- and, as Jesus said in Luke 12, God is the only one with the power to send us to Hell -- we have reason to be afraid of our God
-- however, if you have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, you do not have to be afraid of God and His wrath because Christ has taken that upon Himself -- but, you should be afraid of Him in the sense of giving Him the honor and respect and awe that His magnificent glory demands
-- God is our King -- He is our Creator -- He is the Lord God Almighty -- when God spoke, the world came into being -- when God spoke, light flashed into the heavens -- when God spoke, life sprang up from the earth -- God is worthy of all honor and glory and praise -- He is worthy of our fear -- because of who He is and what He can do
-- if we do not fear the Lord our God, then our spiritual lives become devoid of power -- by stripping God of His attributes of sovereignity and power and authority, then we become powerless in our lives because we fail to trust in God's power -- when this happens, our faith becomes powerless and we don't trust God's ability to work in our lives -- when this happens, we become powerless to turn from sin and find ourselves in bondage again -- and, when this happens, our prayers become powerless as we doubt that God can and will work in our lives
IV. Closing
-- so, how can we regain a healthy fear of the Lord in our lives? -- in order to do so, we must follow the steps that Esther took in this passage
1) Remember His greatness -- Esther was reminded daily of the power and authority of King Xerxes because she lived in his kingdom and saw his power exercised -- she remembered times when King Xerxes had used his power to do great things in Persia -- in order to regain a healthy fear of the Lord, we need to be reminded daily of the power and greatness and transcendance of our God -- read Psalms and passages in the Bible that speak of the greatness of God -- recall times in your life that God has demonstrated His greatness by working in your life
2) Sing praises to God's greatness -- when Mordecai went to Esther with his request, she initally refused because of the greatness of the king -- she spoke of his greatness and of his authority and power -- in the same way, when we sing songs that praise God for the works of His hand and for who He is, it causes us to recognize the transcendance of God in our lives -- songs like, "How Great Thou Art" and "Our God is an Awesome God" will cause you to exalt God and remember who He is in relation to who you are
3) Change the way we approach God in our worship and in our prayers -- when Esther was confronted with the requirement to go before King Xerxes, she prepared herself in advance -- she prepared her heart -- she fasted -- she prayed -- and then, and only then, did she approach the throne -- and when she did approach, she did so with humility, recognizing his authority and power and her lack thereof
-- we need to do the same thing when we seek to approach God, whether that is in worship or in our prayers -- in the Lord's Prayer, Jesus tells us to begin by praying, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name -- Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" -- this model prayer encourages us to first approach God by praising His name, His glory, His power, His authority -- be careful how you enter the presence of God -- before just going to God with requests, pay special attention to God first and to whom you are addressing -- remember His transcendant qualities and remember who you are
-- God may be our Father and our Savior, but He is still our God -- we need to remember that we are not just talking to a friend, but to the Creator of the whole universe
-- by doing these three things, we will find ourselves developing a healthy fear and respect of God -- we will restore God to the position He so deserves in our lives and in our churches -- and we will find ourselves more cognizant of His power and authority in our lives and will trust Him and His power even more than before
-- by doing these three things, we Jesus will not just be our Savior -- He will also be our Lord
-- let us pray
8 October 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Esther 4
-- what would you do if I told you I had a surprise for you this morning? -- I know everybody in here is aware that we are in an election year and that the candidates are travelling all around the state campaigning and meeting the voters
-- but, what would you do if I told you that we have a special guest this morning? -- what if I told you that Governor Sonny Perdue is here and is going to worship with us today?
-- now, the Governor isn't really here, but I want you to stop for a second and think about what feeling coursed through you when you thought that he might walk through that door -- for a moment, did you worry about how you were going to act in his presence? -- did you wonder what he might think of you or this church? -- did you start to think of what you might say to him?
-- what if I had told you that President Bush was here? -- how would you have reacted? -- I imagine, whether it was either Governor Perdue or President Bush, that you would have somewhat in awe of their presence in this church -- your attention would probably be on them during the service -- and that's understandable -- people in these high offices are afforded respect and honor because of who they are
-- we would probably do that to any celebrity who happened to come by or who we happened to meet -- if we were to bump into Robert Redford or any other actor on the street, I imagine most of us would be somewhat tongue-tied and in awe of his presence -- I remember a few years ago, I was at an Atlanta Falcons game back when Larry Munson still called the play-by-play for the Falcons -- I am a huge fan of Larry Munson, and our host at the game offered to take me up there to meet him -- I thought about it -- and I remember thinking, "What am I going to say to Larry Munson?" -- I was so in awe of meeting him that I was just too scared to do so -- so I didn't take them up on their offer
II. Xerxes and Esther
-- well, the giving of honor and respect to these celebrities is somewhat expected -- that is exactly what is going on in this passage with Esther and King Xerxes -- just to refresh your memory of the story of Esther -- King Xerxes had deposed his first wife and had conducted a royal beauty pageant to find a new wife -- Esther was selected to be his wife, and she has been living in the palace ever since -- during this time, the king's wives did not live with him -- they had their own apartments and lived separately from the king and were not allowed in his presence unless summoned
-- now Esther was a Jew, but at the advice of her cousin Mordecai, she had not told anyone her heritage, probably because Jews were not regarded as highly as other citizens in Persia -- as the story progresses, Mordecai refuses to bow down to the King's right hand man, Haman, so Haman has a decree given to kill all the Jews
-- as this passage opens up, Mordecai has asked Esther to go before the King and to plead on behalf of her people
-- now, the important thing I want you to see in this passage is how Esther responds to Mordecai's request to go before her husband and her king and her demeanor as she enters the throne room
-- look back at Chapter 4, verse 9
9. Hathach went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said.
10. Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai,
11. "All the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king."
-- Esther is terrified by Mordecai's request -- she is scared to death -- during this time of history, the king had total and ultimate authority over everything and everyone in his kingdom -- he had total and absolute power -- the very words that he spoke were law -- and anyone who came into his presence without being summoned would be immediately put to death, unless he intervened and granted them entry
-- in short, King Xerxes demanded and expected total honor and respect from all of his subjects -- no one would dare cross the king or enter into his presence simply because of who he was -- and Mordecai was asking Esther to do just that -- if the king felt disrespected -- if he felt she was dishonoring him, then she would be killed
-- but she agreed to do so on behalf of her people -- skip down to verse 15
4:15. Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
16. "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."
17. So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther's instructions.
5:1. On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.
2. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
3. Then the king asked, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you."
-- notice how Esther approaches the throne room of the king -- she goes forward in humbleness and meekness -- with all due respect and awe and fear for the position and power of the king -- she enters his presence only after preparing herself to meet him -- after days of fasting and prayer for her safety
-- she goes into the presence of the king very much like we probably would approach Governor Perdue or President Bush or any other celebrity we might meet -- we would approach them with humbleness and respect and awe after having prepared ourselves for the meeting
-- the Bible calls that attitude of honor and respect and awe to a person in high office by an unusual word, "fear" -- at times in the Bible, the word "fear" can mean to be afraid -- it can mean to be scared of something or someone -- that is how we used the word last week when we talked about how the presence of Christ in our life should remove the fear of the world from us -- how knowing Christ drove out our reasons for being afraid
-- but this week we are focusing on the other definition of fear -- fear meaning giving honor and respect and awe to another person -- that is the way the word "fear" is used in Psalm 111:10, when it says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom"
-- it was in both of these senses of the word "fear" that Esther approached the King -- she was not only in fear of her life, but she was in fear of the very presence of the King, meaning she respected and honored his position and authority and power
-- there is a big difference between these two meanings of the word "fear" -- a great example of this can be found in the book, "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame -- in this book about anthropomorphic animals living along a riverbank, Rat and Mole approach the island where Pan lives -- Pan was the ruler of the riverbank where these animals lived -- a mystical being who had power and authority over them
-- Mole asked Rat as they approached Pan, "Rat, are you afraid?" -- "Afraid?" murmured the Rat, his eyes shining with unutterable love. "Afraid? of Him? O, never, never. And yet -- and yet -- O Mole, I am afraid."'
-- Rat was not in fear of his life or in fear of Pan being dangerous towards him -- but he was fearful -- he was humble and respectful and afforded Pan all the honor that his office required
III. The Fear of the Lord
-- I started this sermon by asking you to consider how you would react if Governor Perdue or President Bush came into our service -- you would probably be fearful of them -- not in the sense of being in fear of your life or in fear of them being dangerous to you -- but you would be fearful in the same sense that Rat was fearful of Pan -- you would be in awe of their power and position and authority
-- now, let me ask you the more important question -- how is it that you approach God in your life and in your prayers?
-- as Tim Muelhoff points out, over time, the church is America has slowly stripped God of attributes that make us uncomfortable or fearful -- God's holiness and sovereignity and omniscience and omnipotence -- and we have fixated on the attributes of God that we take comfort in -- His kindness, trustworthiness, love, and patience -- and, in doing so, we have lost the fear of the Lord that we need in our lives
-- because of this, when we read the Bible, we really see two Gods -- the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament -- we read about how fearful the God of the Old Testament was -- how harshly He dealt with the people in that time -- and then we tell ourselves, "I'm glad we have the God of the New Testament on our side -- the God of love and mercy and grace -- and not the God of the Old Testament"
-- because we have stripped God of the attributes that make us uncomfortable, we conclude that the God of the New Testament is nothing like the God of the Old Testament -- but yet they are -- the Bible says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever -- the same God who struck down the firstborn in Egypt in the Old Testament is the same God who struck down Ananias and Saphira for lying to the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts -- the same God who sent the Israelites into exile is the same God who died for us on the cross -- and He demands the same fear and respect from us that He demanded from the ancient Israelites
-- when I was younger, people focused more on the awesomeness of God -- on His power and His greatness and His sovereignity -- we recognized the transcendance of God
-- transcendance means that God is far above and greater than His creation -- it is a recognition that He is God and I am not -- it is recognition that God is and always will be infinite, independent, unchanging, and sovereign -- transcendance recognizes the authority and power of God and requires us to give Him the honor and glory He so deserves
-- it was a recognition of the transcendance of God that caused David to write, "What is man that you are mindful of him -- the son of man that you think of him" -- it was a recognition of the transcendance of God that caused David to pen the words of Psalm 113:4-6 -- "The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens -- Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? " -- as a contemporary worship song says, "God is great and greatly to be praised" -- that is the essence of living in the fear of the Lord
-- in our lives, we should approach God as Esther approached King Xerxes -- in fear and trembling -- because of the transcendance of God
-- even though God tells us in His word that He loves us and even though He came to earth to die for us, the fact remains -- God is God -- we exist only because He allows us to -- and, as Jesus said in Luke 12, God is the only one with the power to send us to Hell -- we have reason to be afraid of our God
-- however, if you have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, you do not have to be afraid of God and His wrath because Christ has taken that upon Himself -- but, you should be afraid of Him in the sense of giving Him the honor and respect and awe that His magnificent glory demands
-- God is our King -- He is our Creator -- He is the Lord God Almighty -- when God spoke, the world came into being -- when God spoke, light flashed into the heavens -- when God spoke, life sprang up from the earth -- God is worthy of all honor and glory and praise -- He is worthy of our fear -- because of who He is and what He can do
-- if we do not fear the Lord our God, then our spiritual lives become devoid of power -- by stripping God of His attributes of sovereignity and power and authority, then we become powerless in our lives because we fail to trust in God's power -- when this happens, our faith becomes powerless and we don't trust God's ability to work in our lives -- when this happens, we become powerless to turn from sin and find ourselves in bondage again -- and, when this happens, our prayers become powerless as we doubt that God can and will work in our lives
IV. Closing
-- so, how can we regain a healthy fear of the Lord in our lives? -- in order to do so, we must follow the steps that Esther took in this passage
1) Remember His greatness -- Esther was reminded daily of the power and authority of King Xerxes because she lived in his kingdom and saw his power exercised -- she remembered times when King Xerxes had used his power to do great things in Persia -- in order to regain a healthy fear of the Lord, we need to be reminded daily of the power and greatness and transcendance of our God -- read Psalms and passages in the Bible that speak of the greatness of God -- recall times in your life that God has demonstrated His greatness by working in your life
2) Sing praises to God's greatness -- when Mordecai went to Esther with his request, she initally refused because of the greatness of the king -- she spoke of his greatness and of his authority and power -- in the same way, when we sing songs that praise God for the works of His hand and for who He is, it causes us to recognize the transcendance of God in our lives -- songs like, "How Great Thou Art" and "Our God is an Awesome God" will cause you to exalt God and remember who He is in relation to who you are
3) Change the way we approach God in our worship and in our prayers -- when Esther was confronted with the requirement to go before King Xerxes, she prepared herself in advance -- she prepared her heart -- she fasted -- she prayed -- and then, and only then, did she approach the throne -- and when she did approach, she did so with humility, recognizing his authority and power and her lack thereof
-- we need to do the same thing when we seek to approach God, whether that is in worship or in our prayers -- in the Lord's Prayer, Jesus tells us to begin by praying, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name -- Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" -- this model prayer encourages us to first approach God by praising His name, His glory, His power, His authority -- be careful how you enter the presence of God -- before just going to God with requests, pay special attention to God first and to whom you are addressing -- remember His transcendant qualities and remember who you are
-- God may be our Father and our Savior, but He is still our God -- we need to remember that we are not just talking to a friend, but to the Creator of the whole universe
-- by doing these three things, we will find ourselves developing a healthy fear and respect of God -- we will restore God to the position He so deserves in our lives and in our churches -- and we will find ourselves more cognizant of His power and authority in our lives and will trust Him and His power even more than before
-- by doing these three things, we Jesus will not just be our Savior -- He will also be our Lord
-- let us pray
SERMON: WE ARE NOT ALONE
Preached by Gregory W. Lee
15 October 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to 1 Corinthians 16
-- when I was growing up in the 70's, it seemed like the most popular tv shows and movies involved aliens and UFOs -- I grew up watching the reruns of Star Trek and Lost in Space -- and it seemed like most shows on tv, from time to time, had an episode about aliens coming to earth -- one of the most popular tv shows in the late 1970's was "Mork and Mindy" -- the show where Robin Williams played an alien who came to earth in a giant egg from the planet Ork and lived with Mindy McConnell, who was played by Pam Dawber -- and, of course, there was Project Blue Book, which was supposed to be true stories of UFOs from the files of the Air Force
-- people were fascinated with the idea of aliens existing in the universe and paying visits to earth -- as a kid, I spent a lot of summer nights in my front yard, staring up at the sky and looking for UFOs with my friends -- all of us had stories about friends of a friend who had seen a UFO in the woods, and we spent hours scanning the skies looking for a UFO ourself
-- our country was caught up in a UFO-craze -- everyone was looking for UFOs and stories of extraterrestrials dotted our newspapers and our nightly news -- it seemed like the question on everyone's lips during that decade was, "Are we alone?"
-- and, when you look back, that's an understandable question -- our country had just come through the turbulent 60's, with the protests and the drug culture and the defining war of that generation in Vietnam -- it was during the early 70s that we saw our troops finally leaving Saigon and when we had political corruption in the highest office in the land, leading to the resignation of Richard Nixon -- gas prices were at an all time high -- inflation was soaring -- the future looked hopeless -- and, as we looked around, we couldn't find a calvary -- we couldn't see anyone arriving on the horizon to save the day -- people were naturally looking around and wondering, "Is this all there is to it? -- is there not another group of people who are more intelligent -- who can come in and give us some guidance? -- are we all alone?"
-- one of the biggest fears that people have is being alone -- At one of his crusades, Luis Palau, the South American evangelist, asked the people in his audience to indicate the subject on which they would most like him to speak -- The majority of the people there asked him to speak on the subject of loneliness
-- loneliness occurs when you feel isolated or separated from other people -- cut off from those you would like to have contact with -- physically or even emotionally -- you can be surrounded by people in a crowd, but still feel alone because you don't have a connection with them
-- having a connection with someone else is the number one desire for all people -- it is a spiritual desire -- put into us by God when He created Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Eden -- He put in them a desire to be connected with Him and to be connected with one another -- because of this God-given desire, we long to be in a relationship with someone else -- we long to be connected -- we long to know that we are not alone
-- it was this desire that caused people in the 1970s to go crazy over UFOs and extraterrestrials -- and it was this desire that caused concerns in the early churches of the first century
II. Connected with Christ
-- now, the early church knew that, in a spiritual sense, it was not alone -- it was connected with Christ through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit -- after Christ ascended to Heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers -- and on the day of Pentecost that we read about in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came and filled the disciples in the Upper Room and brought about the salvation of over 3000 people when Peter preached in the streets of Jerusalem
-- the majority of these new converts were not from Jerusalem, but were visitors to the city who came to celebrate the feast of Pentecost at the temple -- when the celebration was over, these new believers left Jerusalem and returned to their homes and their families in distant cities, carrying with them the good news of the death and resurrection of Christ
-- this was the start of the Christian church in the world -- and, as these new believers shared their faith with their families and friends, small groups of people joined together to worship and praise Jesus on a regular basis
-- after the Jews increased their persecution of Christians in Jerusalem, we read in the Bible that most of the church that was in Jerusalem scattered and went out to other areas in Palestine -- these Christian leaders, who had sat at the feet of the apostles and had been taught by those who knew Jesus and who had been taught directly by Jesus, went forth to strengthen and encourage and build up these fledgling churches -- eventually, men like Paul and Barnabus and Silas and John Mark went out as official ambassadors from the leaders of the Christian church that was centered in Jerusalem and Antioch
-- and, as we can glean through Scripture, when these men and women sought out these small groups of Christians in these distant cities, one of the first things they did was to affirm to them that they were not alone
-- you see, as Christians in house churches scattered throughout Palestine and Asia, these believers would have been small in number -- their faith was not accepted by the Jews or the Romans and they faced daily discrimination and persecution -- they struggled to maintain their group and to maintain their faith in the face of increasing tribulation -- and the Bible seems to indicate that there were times when they were tempted to just give up and give in and let the culture overwhelm them -- they felt alone -- they were not directly connected to any other groups or linked to the larger Christian church
-- so you can imagine what it was like for them when people like the Apostle Paul showed up at their door, telling them, "You are not alone" -- and sharing with them the good news of what Christ was doing in the church throughout the Roman world
-- this was one of the main reasons that Paul and the others sent out letters and carried communications from church to church -- to let them know that they were not alone -- in addition to giving them leadership and guidance and teaching in the ways of Christ, they were also letting them know that they were not alone -- they were connected, not only with each other in their local church, but with other Christians and other churches scattered throughout Asia and the Middle East
-- we see a good example of that here in 1 Corinthians 16 in the close to this epistle -- this letter -- from the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth
III. Connections in Corinth
-- before we dive into this passage, let me tell you just a little about the chuch at Corinth -- Corinth was in modern-day Greece, located about 40 miles west of Athens on the Isthmus of Corinth -- it was a large city, with about 400,000 residents at the time this letter was written
-- Paul had established the church at Corinth -- he had visited the city on his second missionary journey and had gathered together the believers in the city and formed them into a house church and gotten them connected with one another
-- and as he wrote letters to them, instructing them and encouraging them, Paul was always careful to affirm to them that they were not alone -- that they were part of a larger community of believers who existed in Asia and the Middle East
-- look down now at verse 1, and let's run through this together
1. Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.
2. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
3. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.
4. If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.
-- notice how Paul starts his closing to the Corinthian Church -- he reminds them to take up a collection when they gather together to worship Christ -- they were coming together once a week -- on the first day of the week -- on Sunday -- the Lord's Day -- to corporately worship Christ and to encourage and learn from each other -- they were connected with each other in that city -- and this meeting each Sunday was one way they affirmed to each other that they were not alone -- that if troubles or difficulties arose in that city -- if people started discriminating or persecuting the Christians there -- that they had brothers and sisters in Christ in that place who would stand for them or who would help them in their time of need
-- that is one of the main reasons that we are gathered together today -- we don't have to have church to worship God -- our lives should be worship to God -- we should go about every day recognizing God in our lives -- reading the Bible -- praying to Him -- staying connected to Him -- but, we come together on Sunday to affirm each other -- to encourage each other -- to strengthen ourselves in our walk and to learn more about God and what it means to be a Christian -- we come together to remind ourselves that we are not alone
Hebrews 10:22-25 talks about the importance of coming together once a week like this -- listen as I read this passage
22. let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
23. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
24. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
25. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
-- so, in this closing, Paul was reminding them to meet together weekly, and when they met, to take up a collection for God's people -- now that's an important phrase -- "God's people" -- it was a reminder to the church in Corinth that they were not alone -- that there were other believers in Christ -- "God's people" -- who were in other places -- the Galatians -- and others -- who needed this money to survive and spread the word of God
-- What Paul is saying to this church, in essence, is -- "Stay connected -- stay connected with one another -- and stay connected with the body of Christ as a whole -- help God's people and help God's work by supporting them with your offerings and your prayers and your thoughts"
-- verse 5
5. After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you--for I will be going through Macedonia.
6. Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go.
7. I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.
8. But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost,
9. because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.
-- Paul continues on reminding the Corinthians of the other churches -- churches in Macedonia -- and Ephesus -- other groups of believers who were just like the Corinthians -- struggling to live and to worship God where they lived -- the church in Corinth was not alone -- it was connected, not only with Christ -- not only with each other -- but also with all of God's people -- whether that was in Macedonia or Ephesus or Antioch or Jerusalem
-- verse 10
10. If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am.
11. No one, then, should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.
12. Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.
-- Paul reminds them of the other leaders who represented the world-wide Christian community -- Timothy and Apollos -- men who were bringing teaching and who were providing pastoral support to these far-flung communities -- note that Paul says they are coming with the "brothers" -- "there are others out there -- you need to support them just as they support you with their efforts -- never forget that you are not alone"
-- skip over to verse 19
19. The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.
20. All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
-- all the churches in Asia send greetings -- the leaders of those churches send greetings -- all the brothers -- all the Christians -- know about you and care about you and are sending you greetings -- you are not alone
-- I was reading this week in the newsletter from the Voice of the Martyr's -- I don't know if you get this magazine or not, but I would encourage you to do so if you don't -- it is free -- all you have to do is contact them and they will send it to you -- but it is a monthly magazine that keeps us connected with what is happening to our brothers and sisters in countries that are hostile to the gospel of Christ
-- one article in that magazine really piqued my interest -- it was titled, "They All Went Back" -- as you all know, North Korea has been in the news over the past several years -- and more so this week as they claimed to have conducted an underground nuclear explosion
-- but you may not be aware of the fact that there are Christians in North Korea even though it is a communist country and even though all religion is outlawed -- these men and women try to survive amidst horrendous persecutions, including beatings and executions
-- a lot of them try to leave the country -- they sneak across the border into China, seeking refuge from the religious persecution in North Korea -- recently, several of these Christians came across the border and were taken in by Christians associated with Voice of the Martyrs
-- these North Korean Christians were overjoyed to find out they were not alone -- to find out that others knew that they were struggling in Korea and to know that others were trying to help the Korean believers in whatever way possible -- amazingly, after escaping from this communist country -- after getting away from the persecutions that were impacting them and the lives of their families and friends -- these North Korean christians decided to go back to North Korea
-- why? -- because now they knew that they were not alone -- now they knew that others were out there, praying for them, providing resources for them -- and, because of this, they all went back to share the good news of Jesus -- to share their faith with others in North Korea -- and to strengthen the persecuted church in that place -- to let them know, that they were not alone
IV. Closing
-- as we read through this closing to the letter to the Corinthians, we are reminded that we are not alone -- yes, we know that we come together here every Sunday to corporately worship God -- but, we are reminded that there is more to Christianity than what takes place within these walls
-- we are not alone -- we are connected with all the people of God -- not just in our charge -- not just in our denomination -- but all the people of God, no matter where they are
-- unlike the Corinthians and the North Koreans, who desperately needed to know that they were not alone because of the struggles that they were facing, we tend to become isolationists in our churches -- we tend to focus only on ourselves and our congregation and rarely interact with the church as a whole -- we need to remember that we are not alone, not because we are facing trials and tribulations and need help from others -- but so that we can be the help that others need
-- as United Methodists, we like to call ourselves a "connectional" church, because we are supposed to be connected to all other Methodist congregations -- not just financially, through our apportionments, but also spiritually -- through our prayers and our lives
-- we need to be making an effort to be more connectional with other congregations -- both Methodist and other denominations -- to encourage those who are struggling and to join together with them in their ministries and activities
-- we are not doing a good job at that -- and I want you to reflect on the words of the Apostle Paul in this letter this week to see if we need to make changes in the way we approach life as Christians in this community
-- one good way to put Paul's words into action this week is to participate in the Gospel Explosion in Naylor -- most of the local churches coming together for a day of celebration and praise
-- but, we need to consider other ways as well -- perhaps we need to join with other small congregations to do joint ministry -- to do service projects -- to spend one day a month sharing the gospel with people in our communities
-- our men and women groups here should be connected with other groups throughout the denomination, and they are not -- I want to encourage you to start thinking past the walls of this church and to start remembering that we are not alone but that we are called to share in the lives of all God's people, no matter where they are
-- as you leave here today, I want you to keep this in mind -- as Christians, we are never alone -- first, we have Christ in our lives, so no matter where we are, we are connected with Him -- secondly, we have this church -- and we need to be actively invovled in this church and in the ministries of this church -- and, finally, we have our brothers and sisters in other churches -- Methodist, Baptist, Church of God -- all the others -- and we need to be directly involved in their lives as well
-- if you are not doing this, then I want to encourage you to make a change in your life today -- let us pray
15 October 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to 1 Corinthians 16
-- when I was growing up in the 70's, it seemed like the most popular tv shows and movies involved aliens and UFOs -- I grew up watching the reruns of Star Trek and Lost in Space -- and it seemed like most shows on tv, from time to time, had an episode about aliens coming to earth -- one of the most popular tv shows in the late 1970's was "Mork and Mindy" -- the show where Robin Williams played an alien who came to earth in a giant egg from the planet Ork and lived with Mindy McConnell, who was played by Pam Dawber -- and, of course, there was Project Blue Book, which was supposed to be true stories of UFOs from the files of the Air Force
-- people were fascinated with the idea of aliens existing in the universe and paying visits to earth -- as a kid, I spent a lot of summer nights in my front yard, staring up at the sky and looking for UFOs with my friends -- all of us had stories about friends of a friend who had seen a UFO in the woods, and we spent hours scanning the skies looking for a UFO ourself
-- our country was caught up in a UFO-craze -- everyone was looking for UFOs and stories of extraterrestrials dotted our newspapers and our nightly news -- it seemed like the question on everyone's lips during that decade was, "Are we alone?"
-- and, when you look back, that's an understandable question -- our country had just come through the turbulent 60's, with the protests and the drug culture and the defining war of that generation in Vietnam -- it was during the early 70s that we saw our troops finally leaving Saigon and when we had political corruption in the highest office in the land, leading to the resignation of Richard Nixon -- gas prices were at an all time high -- inflation was soaring -- the future looked hopeless -- and, as we looked around, we couldn't find a calvary -- we couldn't see anyone arriving on the horizon to save the day -- people were naturally looking around and wondering, "Is this all there is to it? -- is there not another group of people who are more intelligent -- who can come in and give us some guidance? -- are we all alone?"
-- one of the biggest fears that people have is being alone -- At one of his crusades, Luis Palau, the South American evangelist, asked the people in his audience to indicate the subject on which they would most like him to speak -- The majority of the people there asked him to speak on the subject of loneliness
-- loneliness occurs when you feel isolated or separated from other people -- cut off from those you would like to have contact with -- physically or even emotionally -- you can be surrounded by people in a crowd, but still feel alone because you don't have a connection with them
-- having a connection with someone else is the number one desire for all people -- it is a spiritual desire -- put into us by God when He created Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Eden -- He put in them a desire to be connected with Him and to be connected with one another -- because of this God-given desire, we long to be in a relationship with someone else -- we long to be connected -- we long to know that we are not alone
-- it was this desire that caused people in the 1970s to go crazy over UFOs and extraterrestrials -- and it was this desire that caused concerns in the early churches of the first century
II. Connected with Christ
-- now, the early church knew that, in a spiritual sense, it was not alone -- it was connected with Christ through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit -- after Christ ascended to Heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers -- and on the day of Pentecost that we read about in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came and filled the disciples in the Upper Room and brought about the salvation of over 3000 people when Peter preached in the streets of Jerusalem
-- the majority of these new converts were not from Jerusalem, but were visitors to the city who came to celebrate the feast of Pentecost at the temple -- when the celebration was over, these new believers left Jerusalem and returned to their homes and their families in distant cities, carrying with them the good news of the death and resurrection of Christ
-- this was the start of the Christian church in the world -- and, as these new believers shared their faith with their families and friends, small groups of people joined together to worship and praise Jesus on a regular basis
-- after the Jews increased their persecution of Christians in Jerusalem, we read in the Bible that most of the church that was in Jerusalem scattered and went out to other areas in Palestine -- these Christian leaders, who had sat at the feet of the apostles and had been taught by those who knew Jesus and who had been taught directly by Jesus, went forth to strengthen and encourage and build up these fledgling churches -- eventually, men like Paul and Barnabus and Silas and John Mark went out as official ambassadors from the leaders of the Christian church that was centered in Jerusalem and Antioch
-- and, as we can glean through Scripture, when these men and women sought out these small groups of Christians in these distant cities, one of the first things they did was to affirm to them that they were not alone
-- you see, as Christians in house churches scattered throughout Palestine and Asia, these believers would have been small in number -- their faith was not accepted by the Jews or the Romans and they faced daily discrimination and persecution -- they struggled to maintain their group and to maintain their faith in the face of increasing tribulation -- and the Bible seems to indicate that there were times when they were tempted to just give up and give in and let the culture overwhelm them -- they felt alone -- they were not directly connected to any other groups or linked to the larger Christian church
-- so you can imagine what it was like for them when people like the Apostle Paul showed up at their door, telling them, "You are not alone" -- and sharing with them the good news of what Christ was doing in the church throughout the Roman world
-- this was one of the main reasons that Paul and the others sent out letters and carried communications from church to church -- to let them know that they were not alone -- in addition to giving them leadership and guidance and teaching in the ways of Christ, they were also letting them know that they were not alone -- they were connected, not only with each other in their local church, but with other Christians and other churches scattered throughout Asia and the Middle East
-- we see a good example of that here in 1 Corinthians 16 in the close to this epistle -- this letter -- from the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth
III. Connections in Corinth
-- before we dive into this passage, let me tell you just a little about the chuch at Corinth -- Corinth was in modern-day Greece, located about 40 miles west of Athens on the Isthmus of Corinth -- it was a large city, with about 400,000 residents at the time this letter was written
-- Paul had established the church at Corinth -- he had visited the city on his second missionary journey and had gathered together the believers in the city and formed them into a house church and gotten them connected with one another
-- and as he wrote letters to them, instructing them and encouraging them, Paul was always careful to affirm to them that they were not alone -- that they were part of a larger community of believers who existed in Asia and the Middle East
-- look down now at verse 1, and let's run through this together
1. Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.
2. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
3. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.
4. If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.
-- notice how Paul starts his closing to the Corinthian Church -- he reminds them to take up a collection when they gather together to worship Christ -- they were coming together once a week -- on the first day of the week -- on Sunday -- the Lord's Day -- to corporately worship Christ and to encourage and learn from each other -- they were connected with each other in that city -- and this meeting each Sunday was one way they affirmed to each other that they were not alone -- that if troubles or difficulties arose in that city -- if people started discriminating or persecuting the Christians there -- that they had brothers and sisters in Christ in that place who would stand for them or who would help them in their time of need
-- that is one of the main reasons that we are gathered together today -- we don't have to have church to worship God -- our lives should be worship to God -- we should go about every day recognizing God in our lives -- reading the Bible -- praying to Him -- staying connected to Him -- but, we come together on Sunday to affirm each other -- to encourage each other -- to strengthen ourselves in our walk and to learn more about God and what it means to be a Christian -- we come together to remind ourselves that we are not alone
Hebrews 10:22-25 talks about the importance of coming together once a week like this -- listen as I read this passage
22. let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
23. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
24. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
25. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
-- so, in this closing, Paul was reminding them to meet together weekly, and when they met, to take up a collection for God's people -- now that's an important phrase -- "God's people" -- it was a reminder to the church in Corinth that they were not alone -- that there were other believers in Christ -- "God's people" -- who were in other places -- the Galatians -- and others -- who needed this money to survive and spread the word of God
-- What Paul is saying to this church, in essence, is -- "Stay connected -- stay connected with one another -- and stay connected with the body of Christ as a whole -- help God's people and help God's work by supporting them with your offerings and your prayers and your thoughts"
-- verse 5
5. After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you--for I will be going through Macedonia.
6. Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go.
7. I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.
8. But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost,
9. because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.
-- Paul continues on reminding the Corinthians of the other churches -- churches in Macedonia -- and Ephesus -- other groups of believers who were just like the Corinthians -- struggling to live and to worship God where they lived -- the church in Corinth was not alone -- it was connected, not only with Christ -- not only with each other -- but also with all of God's people -- whether that was in Macedonia or Ephesus or Antioch or Jerusalem
-- verse 10
10. If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am.
11. No one, then, should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.
12. Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.
-- Paul reminds them of the other leaders who represented the world-wide Christian community -- Timothy and Apollos -- men who were bringing teaching and who were providing pastoral support to these far-flung communities -- note that Paul says they are coming with the "brothers" -- "there are others out there -- you need to support them just as they support you with their efforts -- never forget that you are not alone"
-- skip over to verse 19
19. The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.
20. All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
-- all the churches in Asia send greetings -- the leaders of those churches send greetings -- all the brothers -- all the Christians -- know about you and care about you and are sending you greetings -- you are not alone
-- I was reading this week in the newsletter from the Voice of the Martyr's -- I don't know if you get this magazine or not, but I would encourage you to do so if you don't -- it is free -- all you have to do is contact them and they will send it to you -- but it is a monthly magazine that keeps us connected with what is happening to our brothers and sisters in countries that are hostile to the gospel of Christ
-- one article in that magazine really piqued my interest -- it was titled, "They All Went Back" -- as you all know, North Korea has been in the news over the past several years -- and more so this week as they claimed to have conducted an underground nuclear explosion
-- but you may not be aware of the fact that there are Christians in North Korea even though it is a communist country and even though all religion is outlawed -- these men and women try to survive amidst horrendous persecutions, including beatings and executions
-- a lot of them try to leave the country -- they sneak across the border into China, seeking refuge from the religious persecution in North Korea -- recently, several of these Christians came across the border and were taken in by Christians associated with Voice of the Martyrs
-- these North Korean Christians were overjoyed to find out they were not alone -- to find out that others knew that they were struggling in Korea and to know that others were trying to help the Korean believers in whatever way possible -- amazingly, after escaping from this communist country -- after getting away from the persecutions that were impacting them and the lives of their families and friends -- these North Korean christians decided to go back to North Korea
-- why? -- because now they knew that they were not alone -- now they knew that others were out there, praying for them, providing resources for them -- and, because of this, they all went back to share the good news of Jesus -- to share their faith with others in North Korea -- and to strengthen the persecuted church in that place -- to let them know, that they were not alone
IV. Closing
-- as we read through this closing to the letter to the Corinthians, we are reminded that we are not alone -- yes, we know that we come together here every Sunday to corporately worship God -- but, we are reminded that there is more to Christianity than what takes place within these walls
-- we are not alone -- we are connected with all the people of God -- not just in our charge -- not just in our denomination -- but all the people of God, no matter where they are
-- unlike the Corinthians and the North Koreans, who desperately needed to know that they were not alone because of the struggles that they were facing, we tend to become isolationists in our churches -- we tend to focus only on ourselves and our congregation and rarely interact with the church as a whole -- we need to remember that we are not alone, not because we are facing trials and tribulations and need help from others -- but so that we can be the help that others need
-- as United Methodists, we like to call ourselves a "connectional" church, because we are supposed to be connected to all other Methodist congregations -- not just financially, through our apportionments, but also spiritually -- through our prayers and our lives
-- we need to be making an effort to be more connectional with other congregations -- both Methodist and other denominations -- to encourage those who are struggling and to join together with them in their ministries and activities
-- we are not doing a good job at that -- and I want you to reflect on the words of the Apostle Paul in this letter this week to see if we need to make changes in the way we approach life as Christians in this community
-- one good way to put Paul's words into action this week is to participate in the Gospel Explosion in Naylor -- most of the local churches coming together for a day of celebration and praise
-- but, we need to consider other ways as well -- perhaps we need to join with other small congregations to do joint ministry -- to do service projects -- to spend one day a month sharing the gospel with people in our communities
-- our men and women groups here should be connected with other groups throughout the denomination, and they are not -- I want to encourage you to start thinking past the walls of this church and to start remembering that we are not alone but that we are called to share in the lives of all God's people, no matter where they are
-- as you leave here today, I want you to keep this in mind -- as Christians, we are never alone -- first, we have Christ in our lives, so no matter where we are, we are connected with Him -- secondly, we have this church -- and we need to be actively invovled in this church and in the ministries of this church -- and, finally, we have our brothers and sisters in other churches -- Methodist, Baptist, Church of God -- all the others -- and we need to be directly involved in their lives as well
-- if you are not doing this, then I want to encourage you to make a change in your life today -- let us pray
SERMON: NO FEAR
Preached by Gregory W. Lee
1 October 2006
I. Introduction FEAR
-- turn in Bibles to 1 Samuel 17
-- can you remember a time in your life when you were really scared? -- when fear gripped your life and your heart was in your throat?
-- when I was growing up, my daddy was a volunteer fireman in Adel -- and every year, the fire department would have a swim party for all the members of the fire department and their families -- it was at one of these parties that I experienced a very scary situation
-- I don't remember how old I was, but I was probably around 7 or 8 years old -- I knew how to swim and how to dive and had spent the whole evening having a good time in the pool with my friends -- now the pool at Adel had two diving boards -- a regular diving board and a high dive -- me and my friends used the regular diving board while the older kids were using the high dive -- I watched them for a while, but I was scared to death of the high dive -- I couldn't imagine what it would be like to get up there and jump off
-- later that evening, my father encouraged me to go up on the high dive and to jump off -- I remember climbing that ladder and how high it seemed -- I walked out to the end of the board and looked out -- it was just as high as I imagined it -- I was absolutely scared to death -- I looked back and thought about chickening out and climbing back down, but the ladder was filled with other kids -- and I really didn't want to chicken out in front of them
-- I stood there for a long time, just looking down -- I had a choice to make -- I could let my fear overwhelm me and climb down -- or I could jump, even though I was scared -- while I was trying to make up my mind, I heard a voice -- I looked down, and my father was in pool with his arms open, encouraging me to jump in -- "I'll catch you -- just jump"
-- Daddy had always been someone I could trust -- he was always there for me -- he had never let me down -- he had never disappointed me once -- now he was asking me to do something I was scared to do -- jump from the high dive and into his arms in the pool below
-- what should I do? -- what choice should I make? -- should I play it safe and not jump? -- or should I conquer my fear, trust my daddy, and jump?
-- I knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I could trust my daddy -- so I closed my eyes, held my nose, and jumped
-- now I'm sure my situation in this story is similar to something that you have faced in your life before -- every single one of us in here has faced times in our lives when we've been scared of the future -- scared of making the wrong choice -- scared of doing something that could possibly hurt us
-- and everyone of us had to make a decision -- whether to let fear control us and our actions or whether to go forward and conquer the fear that threatened to take over
-- make no mistake about it -- the world is a scary place -- there are lots of things in our daily lives that can cause fear -- and I'm not just talking about the fear of the big things like terrorism or war or crime -- there are also the mundane things of life that can cause us fear and concern
-- things like problems at work -- or financial worries -- or keeping our families together -- fear of losing our jobs -- fear of tests -- fear of speaking in public -- as the recent e-coli scare with the spinach proved, we even have to fear our food from time to time -- yes, this world is filled with things to fear -- things which cause us alarm -- things which cause worry and stress in our lives
-- but you know what? -- God knew that -- and He prepared us for this scary world in His word -- do you command of God is repeated the most in the Bible? -- it is not one of the ten commandments -- it is not love one another -- it is not love your neighbor as yourself -- it is, "fear not" -- time and time again -- 366 times to be exact -- God tells us in His word, "Fear not -- do not be afraid"
-- when God came to Abram to establish a covenant with him, His first words were "Do not be afraid"
-- when the Israelites faced enemies enroute to the Promised Land, God told Moses, "Do not be afraid, for I am with you"
-- when Joseph found out Mary was pregnant and thought of divorcing her, God told him, "Do not be afraid of taking Mary to be your wife"
-- and when the women first encountered Jesus after His resurrection, the first words He said to them were, "Do not be afraid"
-- Jesus had earlier taught His disciples in Luke Chapter 12 to not fear the world -- He told them in verses 4-6, "Don't be afraid of those who can kill the body but do no more -- not a single sparrow is forgotten by God -- so don't be afraid -- you are worth more than many sparrows"
-- God knew that this was a scary world -- He knew that there were times when our mortal frames would quake in fear and when our hearts would be in our throats -- He knew that there were going to be times that we would be terrified with life and with the future -- and, for that reason, He tells us time and time again in His word, "Do not be afraid"
-- fear is part of life -- but so is conquering fear
II. Scripture Lesson
-- if you would, look with me now in 1 Samuel 17 and let's revisit the story of David and Goliath
-- just to give you the context of this passage -- at this time in the history of the nation of Israel, Saul is king and the nation is at war with the Philistines -- they had been battling each other in minor skirmishes for some time, and now they had drawn up their armies against each other in battle -- the Israelite army was encamped on one hill and the Philistine army on another hill and they would meet daily in the valley for battle
-- every day, Goliath from Gath, a giant about nine feet tall, would come out of the Philistine camp and threaten the Israelite army -- he offered to meet their champion on the field of battle and to let the battle be decided between them -- whatever city had the victorious champion would be declared the victor, and the other nation would submit to them
-- look down at verse 8
8. Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.
9. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us."
10. Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other."
11. On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
-- Goliath sparked fear in the Israelites -- he filled their hearts with terror and none would stand against him -- but can you blame them? -- Goliath was a giant -- who could possibly go against a giant and win? -- who wouldn't be terrified to face such a man?
-- we all have Goliaths in our lives -- giant problems that we don't know how to handle -- issues of the future that we are concerned about -- things that we daily come against and that lead us to say, "who could possibly go against these and win? -- what can I be expected to do in this overwhelming situation?"
-- right now at work we are facing a similar situation -- they have announced that there is a very good likelihood that my office may be reorganized next year -- there is a very good chance that some of us might lose our jobs -- and there's nothing that we can do about it -- and you can imagine the fear that a lot of us have at the moment
-- maybe you are facing something similar -- maybe you have some situation in your life that is looming over you like a giant on the battlefield and you just don't know what to do -- that is exactly the situation that the Israelites were faced with when Goliath would go forth every morning and issue his challenge to the army
-- the question, then, is how to respond to this scary situation -- what do you do when the giants of life rise up against you? -- how do you respond?
-- the nation of Israel responded to Goliath with fear -- verse 11 says that they were dismayed and terrified -- the KJV says they were "greatly afraid" -- and so, they did nothing -- they hid in their tents and behind their shields and they allowed their fear to overwhelm them
-- that is what happens when we look at the giants of life through the eyes of men -- we see no possible help in our situation -- we see no way out -- we see no answer but death and destruction and disaster -- and that causes us to become paralyzed in our fear
-- but not everyone in Israel thought that way -- skip over to verse 32
32. David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."
33. Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."
34. But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,
35. I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.
36. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.
37. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."
-- David was no stranger to fear -- he was a shepherd, herding his father's sheep in the wilderness of Israel -- spending days and weeks in the wilderness -- protecting the sheep from the dangers of predators like bears and lions -- David says that there were times when these ferocious animals had grabbed a sheep from the flock and it was his job to save his sheep
-- was it a scary situation? -- you bet -- was it a situation where David could be hurt or killed? -- yes, these were extremely dangerous times -- David couldn't have been faulted for being afraid -- but, instead of letting his fear overwhelm him and keep him paralyzed, he trusted in God's help and attacked the bear and the lion to save his sheep from harm
-- and now, having trusted God in the past and knowing that God would not let him down if he trusted Him again, David has gone to Saul and said that he would take on the giant -- this little shepherd boy would stand up against Goliath -- not in his own strength, but in the strength of the Lord -- not fighting from fear, but fighting through fear to give God the glory and the honor
-- Saul recognized his courage -- Saul recognized his faith and trust in the God of Israel -- perhaps Saul recognized his own failure to trust in God -- and Saul bid him to go and face the giant
-- now, we all know the story -- Saul gave David his armor, but it didn't fit him -- it wasn't what he was used to -- so David took it off and trusted in God and in his sling -- he stooped down and picked up five stones from the riverbank and stood to face the giant
-- by the way, do you know why David picked up five stones? -- if he really trusted God, why did he pick up more than one? -- it was because David realized that the situation was even potentially more scary than the rest of the army thought -- Goliath had four brothers -- and David was preparing himself to take on all five of the giants if he had to -- not only was he trusting God to handle Goliath, but he was trusting God to handle all the giants in his path
-- what gave David such faith? -- what gave David such trust? -- look down at verse 44
45. David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
-- David trusted in God -- David knew that by himself, there was no way he could win -- by himself, there was no way he could kill a trained fighting man, let alone a giant warrior -- but David didn't go in his own power -- he didn't trust in his own ways -- he trusted in God
-- and God didn't disappoint -- David twirled his sling -- the rock flew out and struck Goliath in the ground, killing him on the spot -- and then, I guess to make sure that Goliath was dead, David ran over, drew Goliath's sword, and cut his head off
-- Jesus said that with God, all things are possible -- even allowing a shepherd boy to slay a giant warrior in the name of God with nothing more than a sling and five smooth stones
III. Closing
-- when God tells us in His word, "Do not be afraid," He is not telling us that we will never face fearsome things -- when He tells us, "Do not be afraid," He is not telling us that we will be able to conquer giants on our own -- that is not the message of the Bible
-- no, what God is saying when He says, "Do not be afraid" is, "Trust me -- have faith in me -- allow me to take care of this problem for you"
-- no matter what the situation is that you are facing -- no matter how hopeless it might seem, God is saying, "You don't have to face it on your own -- don't fear -- I will take care of it for you"
-- how do you conquer fear? -- you conquer fear through faith -- through trusting God -- through trusting that God can and will work on your behalf -- John tells us in 1 John 4:18, "perfect love drives out fear" -- God is love -- and His perfect love drives out our fear -- we know that we don't have to fear the future, because God will take care of it for us -- He has promised to never leave us or forsake us -- and no matter how big the obstacle may seem -- no matter how scary the future may look -- God says, "Do not be afraid -- trust in me"
-- in his book "Riding the Heavens," Max Meyers tells the story of the time he had to fly four Papua New Guinea natives from their village to a hospital in a larger town -- the men were extremely sick and desperately needed help -- and even though they had never flown before, they agreed to go with him on the 20 minute flight to the regional hospital
-- Max writes that the weather turned bad, and right after takeoff, rain began to fall and the clouds grew ominous -- he was worried that if he tried to rise above the clouds he might not be able to find a way down again -- so he threaded his way through the clouds down the narrow valleys in that mountainous region
-- suddenly, he heard a low drawn-out moan coming from the backseat -- he glanced back, and looked at the terror-filled eyes of the three men in the backseat -- they were locked in a speechless embrace of abject fear -- he glanced at his fourth passenger who was sitting in the front seat by him -- in contrast to the three in the backseat, this man was staring ahead, contemplative and detached -- he even looked casual
-- Max asked him, "aren't you afraid?" -- the man responded, "only my skin is afraid" -- "what about the rest of you?" he asked
-- pointing out the window, the native answered, "I see the mountains -- they are so close -- I see the trees and the rocks as they rush by -- I see the rain and I hear it beating on the glass -- I see the clouds all around us -- I didn't know that this big bird of yours shook like this -- there is much to be afraid of here -- but, my fear is only as deep as my skin."
-- "What about under your skin," Max asked.
-- "I'm not afraid under my skin -- I know the One who made the mountains -- I know the One who made the rocks and the trees -- I know the One who made the clouds and the rain -- He's told me that I don't need to be afraid? -- Why? -- Because He lives inside my skin. -- And He has promised to never leave me. -- Because of that, I am not afraid"
-- God knew that there would be times in our lives when we faced fearsome things -- He knew that if we let them -- if we looked at them only through our fleshly eyes -- if we only faced them in our own strength -- that we would be overwhelmed and paralyzed by fear
-- He knew that we would be afraid in our skins from time to time
-- so that is why He told us, "Do not be afraid" over 366 times in His word -- one for each day of the year, even leap years -- This command is a promise to us -- a promise that He will take up our battles for us -- a promise that we will never have to face the giants alone -- so we have no reason to fear
-- I want to close now by sharing with you a poem that I found on the internet -- "I refuse to be discouraged -- to be sad or to cry -- I refuse to be downhearted -- and here's the reason why
I have a God who's mighty -- who's sovereign and supreme -- I have a God who loves me --
and I am on His team
He is all wise and powerful -- Jesus is His name -- though everything is changeable -- My God remains the same
My God knows all that's happening -- Beginning to the end -- His presence is my comfort --
He is my dearest friend
When sickness comes to weaken me -- to bring my head down low -- I call upon my mighty God -- into His arms I go
When circumstances threaten -- to rob me of my peace -- He draws me close unto His breast -- where all my strivings cease
And when my heart melts within me -- and weakness takes control -- He gathers me into His arms -- He soothes my heart and soul
The great "I AM" is with me -- My life is in His hand -- The Son of the Lord is my hope -- It's in His strength I stand
I refuse to be defeated -- my eyes are on my God -- He has promised to be with me -- as through this life I trod
I'm looking past all my circumstances -- to Heaven's throne above -- my prayers have reached the heart of God -- I'm resting in His love
I give God thanks in everything -- my eyes are on His face -- the battle's His -- the victory's mine -- He'll help me win the race" -- LET US PRAY
1 October 2006
I. Introduction FEAR
-- turn in Bibles to 1 Samuel 17
-- can you remember a time in your life when you were really scared? -- when fear gripped your life and your heart was in your throat?
-- when I was growing up, my daddy was a volunteer fireman in Adel -- and every year, the fire department would have a swim party for all the members of the fire department and their families -- it was at one of these parties that I experienced a very scary situation
-- I don't remember how old I was, but I was probably around 7 or 8 years old -- I knew how to swim and how to dive and had spent the whole evening having a good time in the pool with my friends -- now the pool at Adel had two diving boards -- a regular diving board and a high dive -- me and my friends used the regular diving board while the older kids were using the high dive -- I watched them for a while, but I was scared to death of the high dive -- I couldn't imagine what it would be like to get up there and jump off
-- later that evening, my father encouraged me to go up on the high dive and to jump off -- I remember climbing that ladder and how high it seemed -- I walked out to the end of the board and looked out -- it was just as high as I imagined it -- I was absolutely scared to death -- I looked back and thought about chickening out and climbing back down, but the ladder was filled with other kids -- and I really didn't want to chicken out in front of them
-- I stood there for a long time, just looking down -- I had a choice to make -- I could let my fear overwhelm me and climb down -- or I could jump, even though I was scared -- while I was trying to make up my mind, I heard a voice -- I looked down, and my father was in pool with his arms open, encouraging me to jump in -- "I'll catch you -- just jump"
-- Daddy had always been someone I could trust -- he was always there for me -- he had never let me down -- he had never disappointed me once -- now he was asking me to do something I was scared to do -- jump from the high dive and into his arms in the pool below
-- what should I do? -- what choice should I make? -- should I play it safe and not jump? -- or should I conquer my fear, trust my daddy, and jump?
-- I knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I could trust my daddy -- so I closed my eyes, held my nose, and jumped
-- now I'm sure my situation in this story is similar to something that you have faced in your life before -- every single one of us in here has faced times in our lives when we've been scared of the future -- scared of making the wrong choice -- scared of doing something that could possibly hurt us
-- and everyone of us had to make a decision -- whether to let fear control us and our actions or whether to go forward and conquer the fear that threatened to take over
-- make no mistake about it -- the world is a scary place -- there are lots of things in our daily lives that can cause fear -- and I'm not just talking about the fear of the big things like terrorism or war or crime -- there are also the mundane things of life that can cause us fear and concern
-- things like problems at work -- or financial worries -- or keeping our families together -- fear of losing our jobs -- fear of tests -- fear of speaking in public -- as the recent e-coli scare with the spinach proved, we even have to fear our food from time to time -- yes, this world is filled with things to fear -- things which cause us alarm -- things which cause worry and stress in our lives
-- but you know what? -- God knew that -- and He prepared us for this scary world in His word -- do you command of God is repeated the most in the Bible? -- it is not one of the ten commandments -- it is not love one another -- it is not love your neighbor as yourself -- it is, "fear not" -- time and time again -- 366 times to be exact -- God tells us in His word, "Fear not -- do not be afraid"
-- when God came to Abram to establish a covenant with him, His first words were "Do not be afraid"
-- when the Israelites faced enemies enroute to the Promised Land, God told Moses, "Do not be afraid, for I am with you"
-- when Joseph found out Mary was pregnant and thought of divorcing her, God told him, "Do not be afraid of taking Mary to be your wife"
-- and when the women first encountered Jesus after His resurrection, the first words He said to them were, "Do not be afraid"
-- Jesus had earlier taught His disciples in Luke Chapter 12 to not fear the world -- He told them in verses 4-6, "Don't be afraid of those who can kill the body but do no more -- not a single sparrow is forgotten by God -- so don't be afraid -- you are worth more than many sparrows"
-- God knew that this was a scary world -- He knew that there were times when our mortal frames would quake in fear and when our hearts would be in our throats -- He knew that there were going to be times that we would be terrified with life and with the future -- and, for that reason, He tells us time and time again in His word, "Do not be afraid"
-- fear is part of life -- but so is conquering fear
II. Scripture Lesson
-- if you would, look with me now in 1 Samuel 17 and let's revisit the story of David and Goliath
-- just to give you the context of this passage -- at this time in the history of the nation of Israel, Saul is king and the nation is at war with the Philistines -- they had been battling each other in minor skirmishes for some time, and now they had drawn up their armies against each other in battle -- the Israelite army was encamped on one hill and the Philistine army on another hill and they would meet daily in the valley for battle
-- every day, Goliath from Gath, a giant about nine feet tall, would come out of the Philistine camp and threaten the Israelite army -- he offered to meet their champion on the field of battle and to let the battle be decided between them -- whatever city had the victorious champion would be declared the victor, and the other nation would submit to them
-- look down at verse 8
8. Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.
9. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us."
10. Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other."
11. On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
-- Goliath sparked fear in the Israelites -- he filled their hearts with terror and none would stand against him -- but can you blame them? -- Goliath was a giant -- who could possibly go against a giant and win? -- who wouldn't be terrified to face such a man?
-- we all have Goliaths in our lives -- giant problems that we don't know how to handle -- issues of the future that we are concerned about -- things that we daily come against and that lead us to say, "who could possibly go against these and win? -- what can I be expected to do in this overwhelming situation?"
-- right now at work we are facing a similar situation -- they have announced that there is a very good likelihood that my office may be reorganized next year -- there is a very good chance that some of us might lose our jobs -- and there's nothing that we can do about it -- and you can imagine the fear that a lot of us have at the moment
-- maybe you are facing something similar -- maybe you have some situation in your life that is looming over you like a giant on the battlefield and you just don't know what to do -- that is exactly the situation that the Israelites were faced with when Goliath would go forth every morning and issue his challenge to the army
-- the question, then, is how to respond to this scary situation -- what do you do when the giants of life rise up against you? -- how do you respond?
-- the nation of Israel responded to Goliath with fear -- verse 11 says that they were dismayed and terrified -- the KJV says they were "greatly afraid" -- and so, they did nothing -- they hid in their tents and behind their shields and they allowed their fear to overwhelm them
-- that is what happens when we look at the giants of life through the eyes of men -- we see no possible help in our situation -- we see no way out -- we see no answer but death and destruction and disaster -- and that causes us to become paralyzed in our fear
-- but not everyone in Israel thought that way -- skip over to verse 32
32. David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."
33. Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."
34. But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,
35. I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.
36. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.
37. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."
-- David was no stranger to fear -- he was a shepherd, herding his father's sheep in the wilderness of Israel -- spending days and weeks in the wilderness -- protecting the sheep from the dangers of predators like bears and lions -- David says that there were times when these ferocious animals had grabbed a sheep from the flock and it was his job to save his sheep
-- was it a scary situation? -- you bet -- was it a situation where David could be hurt or killed? -- yes, these were extremely dangerous times -- David couldn't have been faulted for being afraid -- but, instead of letting his fear overwhelm him and keep him paralyzed, he trusted in God's help and attacked the bear and the lion to save his sheep from harm
-- and now, having trusted God in the past and knowing that God would not let him down if he trusted Him again, David has gone to Saul and said that he would take on the giant -- this little shepherd boy would stand up against Goliath -- not in his own strength, but in the strength of the Lord -- not fighting from fear, but fighting through fear to give God the glory and the honor
-- Saul recognized his courage -- Saul recognized his faith and trust in the God of Israel -- perhaps Saul recognized his own failure to trust in God -- and Saul bid him to go and face the giant
-- now, we all know the story -- Saul gave David his armor, but it didn't fit him -- it wasn't what he was used to -- so David took it off and trusted in God and in his sling -- he stooped down and picked up five stones from the riverbank and stood to face the giant
-- by the way, do you know why David picked up five stones? -- if he really trusted God, why did he pick up more than one? -- it was because David realized that the situation was even potentially more scary than the rest of the army thought -- Goliath had four brothers -- and David was preparing himself to take on all five of the giants if he had to -- not only was he trusting God to handle Goliath, but he was trusting God to handle all the giants in his path
-- what gave David such faith? -- what gave David such trust? -- look down at verse 44
45. David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
-- David trusted in God -- David knew that by himself, there was no way he could win -- by himself, there was no way he could kill a trained fighting man, let alone a giant warrior -- but David didn't go in his own power -- he didn't trust in his own ways -- he trusted in God
-- and God didn't disappoint -- David twirled his sling -- the rock flew out and struck Goliath in the ground, killing him on the spot -- and then, I guess to make sure that Goliath was dead, David ran over, drew Goliath's sword, and cut his head off
-- Jesus said that with God, all things are possible -- even allowing a shepherd boy to slay a giant warrior in the name of God with nothing more than a sling and five smooth stones
III. Closing
-- when God tells us in His word, "Do not be afraid," He is not telling us that we will never face fearsome things -- when He tells us, "Do not be afraid," He is not telling us that we will be able to conquer giants on our own -- that is not the message of the Bible
-- no, what God is saying when He says, "Do not be afraid" is, "Trust me -- have faith in me -- allow me to take care of this problem for you"
-- no matter what the situation is that you are facing -- no matter how hopeless it might seem, God is saying, "You don't have to face it on your own -- don't fear -- I will take care of it for you"
-- how do you conquer fear? -- you conquer fear through faith -- through trusting God -- through trusting that God can and will work on your behalf -- John tells us in 1 John 4:18, "perfect love drives out fear" -- God is love -- and His perfect love drives out our fear -- we know that we don't have to fear the future, because God will take care of it for us -- He has promised to never leave us or forsake us -- and no matter how big the obstacle may seem -- no matter how scary the future may look -- God says, "Do not be afraid -- trust in me"
-- in his book "Riding the Heavens," Max Meyers tells the story of the time he had to fly four Papua New Guinea natives from their village to a hospital in a larger town -- the men were extremely sick and desperately needed help -- and even though they had never flown before, they agreed to go with him on the 20 minute flight to the regional hospital
-- Max writes that the weather turned bad, and right after takeoff, rain began to fall and the clouds grew ominous -- he was worried that if he tried to rise above the clouds he might not be able to find a way down again -- so he threaded his way through the clouds down the narrow valleys in that mountainous region
-- suddenly, he heard a low drawn-out moan coming from the backseat -- he glanced back, and looked at the terror-filled eyes of the three men in the backseat -- they were locked in a speechless embrace of abject fear -- he glanced at his fourth passenger who was sitting in the front seat by him -- in contrast to the three in the backseat, this man was staring ahead, contemplative and detached -- he even looked casual
-- Max asked him, "aren't you afraid?" -- the man responded, "only my skin is afraid" -- "what about the rest of you?" he asked
-- pointing out the window, the native answered, "I see the mountains -- they are so close -- I see the trees and the rocks as they rush by -- I see the rain and I hear it beating on the glass -- I see the clouds all around us -- I didn't know that this big bird of yours shook like this -- there is much to be afraid of here -- but, my fear is only as deep as my skin."
-- "What about under your skin," Max asked.
-- "I'm not afraid under my skin -- I know the One who made the mountains -- I know the One who made the rocks and the trees -- I know the One who made the clouds and the rain -- He's told me that I don't need to be afraid? -- Why? -- Because He lives inside my skin. -- And He has promised to never leave me. -- Because of that, I am not afraid"
-- God knew that there would be times in our lives when we faced fearsome things -- He knew that if we let them -- if we looked at them only through our fleshly eyes -- if we only faced them in our own strength -- that we would be overwhelmed and paralyzed by fear
-- He knew that we would be afraid in our skins from time to time
-- so that is why He told us, "Do not be afraid" over 366 times in His word -- one for each day of the year, even leap years -- This command is a promise to us -- a promise that He will take up our battles for us -- a promise that we will never have to face the giants alone -- so we have no reason to fear
-- I want to close now by sharing with you a poem that I found on the internet -- "I refuse to be discouraged -- to be sad or to cry -- I refuse to be downhearted -- and here's the reason why
I have a God who's mighty -- who's sovereign and supreme -- I have a God who loves me --
and I am on His team
He is all wise and powerful -- Jesus is His name -- though everything is changeable -- My God remains the same
My God knows all that's happening -- Beginning to the end -- His presence is my comfort --
He is my dearest friend
When sickness comes to weaken me -- to bring my head down low -- I call upon my mighty God -- into His arms I go
When circumstances threaten -- to rob me of my peace -- He draws me close unto His breast -- where all my strivings cease
And when my heart melts within me -- and weakness takes control -- He gathers me into His arms -- He soothes my heart and soul
The great "I AM" is with me -- My life is in His hand -- The Son of the Lord is my hope -- It's in His strength I stand
I refuse to be defeated -- my eyes are on my God -- He has promised to be with me -- as through this life I trod
I'm looking past all my circumstances -- to Heaven's throne above -- my prayers have reached the heart of God -- I'm resting in His love
I give God thanks in everything -- my eyes are on His face -- the battle's His -- the victory's mine -- He'll help me win the race" -- LET US PRAY
Monday, October 09, 2006
SERMON: GIVING IT ALL
Preached by Gregory W. Lee
24 September 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Col 3
23. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
24. since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
-- several years ago I took a job in Tennessee and I was convinced that it was time for me to get in shape -- I was recently out of school and I had allowed myself to get out of shape -- and so I went down to this local gym in the town where we were living
-- they told me that if I joined the gym, they would guarantee that I would lose 20 pounds and be more physically fit in as little as six months -- so I joined the gym -- and it wasn't cheap -- it cost quite a bit, but I figured, "Hey, it's worth it to get back into shape"
-- when I started their they weighed me and took all these physical measurements on me -- six months later, they did it again -- and I had actually gained several pounds and not gotten into any better shape
-- when I complained to the manager, they said, "Well, how often did you come and work out?" -- I was dumbfounded -- they never said I actually had to do anything -- all they said was that if I joined, they would guarantee that I would lose weight
-- that is when I remembered a valuable principle -- you only get out of something what you put into it -- I had put absolutely nothing into getting into shape, so I got nothing out of it
-- every one of you out there knows that that is a true statement -- we learn that early on as kids, don't we? -- I remember one time when I was younger I went to the store with my mother -- and there was something I wanted -- some toy that I just had to have
-- well, my parents tried to instill in us the value of money at an early age and encouraged us to work around the house to earn some money to buy the things that we wanted -- so when I asked for this toy, my mother said, "Do you have enough money to get it?" -- I didn't have any money with me so I couldn't get it -- but then I remembered, I had my piggy bank at home
-- I went home and got my piggy bank and got my money out of it and I went back to the store and bought that toy -- I was able to get money out of my piggy bank because I had put money into it
-- you only get out of something what you put into it -- that is true with piggy banks -- and with buying toys -- and getting into shape -- and everything else in life -- I don't care what it is -- whether we're talking about relationships -- or education -- or jobs -- or clubs -- or athletics -- it doesn't matter what it is -- you only get out of it what you put into it
-- that holds true for our spiritual lives as well -- you only get out of your spiritual life -- out of a church -- out of a worship service -- out of a sermon -- even out of your relationship with God -- what you put into it
-- if you invest in your life -- if you invest in your spiritual life -- then you are going to get something out of it -- but if you don't, then you aren't going to get anything out of it
II. Scripture Lesson
-- in this passage, the Apostle Paul gives us some great words of advice -- writing to the church at Colosse, Paul has been giving them specific instructions on how to live as Christians --
at home -- at church -- in the marketplace -- everywhere they go
-- and in these verses, he points to this same principle that we have been talking about -- if you want to get anything out of life -- whether it's your physical life or your spiritual life -- then have to put something into it -- look back at verse 23
23. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
24. since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
-- "whatever you do" -- whatever you do in life -- whether that's your job or taking care of your family or going to school or trying to get in shape or trying to strengthen your relationship with God -- Paul says, you should "work at it with all your heart"
-- No matter what you do, you need to do it wholeheartedly -- you don't need to just try to get by -- you need to give it your all -- give it your best -- do all that you can do -- to put into life as much as you can, so that you can get as much out of life as possible
-- we all know people who get by in life without giving it their all -- I see them every day at work and I'm sure you see them, too -- they slack off on their jobs -- they slack off on their responsibilities -- they just don't do what they are supposed to
-- oh, if they're slick, they can get by -- if they see the boss is coming, they can look busy -- or if the neighbors come over, they can be the best husband or wife in the world -- but when the boss turns his back and the neighbors go home, then they go back to their old ways
-- they pretend to be investing in life, but they aren't really putting anything into it
-- Paul says a Christian should never do that, because we are called to a higher calling -- he says that we shouldn't be trying to just get by in life -- but that we should be giving it our all -- because of Jesus
-- Jesus expects us to give our all for Him -- to put in a full day's work at the office -- to fulfill our responsibilities to our families -- to do what it takes to build our relationship with Him
-- Paul says that our ultimate boss -- our ultimate judge -- is Jesus Christ -- and we should be putting all that we have into our lives and into our spiritual lives because Jesus gave His all for us -- He died that we might live and that we might bear spiritual fruit for Him -- it is Jesus that we are serving -- and it is Jesus that will hold us accountable for what we did or didn't do at the end
-- there was a story in Reader's Digest one time about this couple who had done really well in their lives financially -- they had worked hard and both of them retired early -- when they moved from the Pacific Northwest to Punta Gorda, Florida, the husband was 59 years old and his wife was only 51
-- the article said that they spent their days cruising on their 33-foot boat and playing golf and picking up seashells along the beach -- their entire lives were wrapped up in the pursuit of leisure -- in the pursuit of pleasure
-- they had quit investing in life and were now reaping the rewards -- I guess they had misread Ephesians 4:1 -- in that verse we are urged to live a life worthy of the calling -- of the vocation -- that we have received from God -- I guess they got "vocation" and "vacation" confused
-- their earthly bank may have been full -- but their spiritual piggy bank was still empty -- they had neglected working wholeheartedly for the Lord -- and one day they are going to have to stand before Jesus and give an account of their life -- and what are they going to say then, "Look at my seashell collection?"
-- Paul tells us here that as Christians -- we need to remember who we are actually working for -- that it's o.k. to invest in life here, but to not neglect our spiritual life in the process -- we should never forget that it is Jesus that we are ultimately working for -- Jesus didn't die so I could retire to Punta Gorda and enjoy life picking up sea shells -- He died so I might inherit eternal life and so I might bear spiritual fruit for Him
-- flip over to Ephesians 2
8. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--
9. not by works, so that no one can boast.
10. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
-- do you see how these verses go along with what Paul was saying in Colossians? -- you were created in Christ Jesus to do good works -- God prepared you to serve Him by doing these things -- and you are called to work at it with all your heart -- to make an investment into your spiritual life as well as your physical life
-- do you want to know how full your spiritual life is? -- then ask yourself these questions -- how often do you come to church and leave thinking, "I didn't get anything out of that sermon?" or "I didn't get anything out of that worship service?" or "I wasn't moved when we sang those songs?" -- how often do you read the Bible and think, "I didn't get anything out of that passage?"
-- sometimes sermons are flat -- sometimes worship services aren't moving -- but if it happens a lot, you really need to ask yourself, "What have I been putting into it?" -- have I been investing in my spiritual life?
-- what do you do to get ready to come to church? -- do you prepare your heart? -- do you seek God through prayer? -- do you listen to inspirational music? -- do you try to move closer to God? -- or do you just come to church trying to get something out of an empty bank?
-- you only get out of life what you put into it -- if you aren't investing in your spiritual life -- whether that's church or Bible study or prayer or anything else -- then you are not going to get anything out of it
-- salvation is a free gift from God -- but if that is all that you get out of Jesus' death and resurrection, then you are short-changing yourself -- Jesus died that we might have life and have it to the full -- He not only desires us to be saved from Hell but He desires us to become sanctified -- to become more like Him in our lives every day -- to grow in grace
-- when you are growing, there is movement -- if there is no movement, there is death -- Louis Chester once told me that if you look out in your yard and your dog is not moving, then he might just be asleep -- but if you look out there and the dog hasn't moved in several days, then you need to go bury it before it starts stinking because it is dead -- life is defined by movement and by growth
-- think about the Dead Sea -- that is a perfect example of what we are talking about -- you only get out of something what you put into it -- the Dead Sea is a stagnant body of water -- there is no life-giving flow -- there is no water going in and water going out -- it is not alive and growing -- it is dead -- nothing lives there
-- you only get out of life what you put into it -- if you don't constantly invest in your spiritual life, then you are not going to get anything out of it -- you are not going to grow in grace -- you are not going to become more like Jesus -- you are going to be dissatisfied with your relationship with God
-- you need to invest in your spiritual life -- and that means more than just coming to church once or twice a week
-- there are 168 hours in each week -- in a given week, we spend about 40 hours working -- 56 hours sleeping -- 29 hours eating and taking care of ourselves and our families -- 41 hours on leisure activities -- and only two hours on spiritual activities, including church
-- that's not investing in our spiritual lives -- that's not working with our whole hearts as to the Lord Jesus -- that's not putting much into our spiritual banks -- and we wonder why our churches and our prayers and our spiritual lives are so devoid of power
-- you only get out of something what you put into it -- and if you never put anything in, then you aren't going to get anything out
III. Closing
-- as I close, I want you to think about where you are in your spiritual life -- are you satisfied with your spiritual life? -- are you getting as much out of church as you could be? -- are you seeing responses to your prayers -- victory over sin -- are you growing in grace and becoming more like Jesus every day?
-- what can you change in your life that would yield enormous spiritual results -- what if you spent an additional 30 minutes a day reading the Bible -- or praying -- or helping the needy -- or ministering to someone -- what would giving God an additional 3-1/2 hours a week yield in your life?
-- you only get out of life -- you only get out of church -- you only get out of your relationship with God -- what you put into it
-- if things aren't right, then maybe it's time you start investing in your spiritual life
-- we're going to start by sharing in Holy Communion this morning -- out of all the means of grace, this is one of the most powerful ways for us to share in God's grace and experience His presence
24 September 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Col 3
23. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
24. since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
-- several years ago I took a job in Tennessee and I was convinced that it was time for me to get in shape -- I was recently out of school and I had allowed myself to get out of shape -- and so I went down to this local gym in the town where we were living
-- they told me that if I joined the gym, they would guarantee that I would lose 20 pounds and be more physically fit in as little as six months -- so I joined the gym -- and it wasn't cheap -- it cost quite a bit, but I figured, "Hey, it's worth it to get back into shape"
-- when I started their they weighed me and took all these physical measurements on me -- six months later, they did it again -- and I had actually gained several pounds and not gotten into any better shape
-- when I complained to the manager, they said, "Well, how often did you come and work out?" -- I was dumbfounded -- they never said I actually had to do anything -- all they said was that if I joined, they would guarantee that I would lose weight
-- that is when I remembered a valuable principle -- you only get out of something what you put into it -- I had put absolutely nothing into getting into shape, so I got nothing out of it
-- every one of you out there knows that that is a true statement -- we learn that early on as kids, don't we? -- I remember one time when I was younger I went to the store with my mother -- and there was something I wanted -- some toy that I just had to have
-- well, my parents tried to instill in us the value of money at an early age and encouraged us to work around the house to earn some money to buy the things that we wanted -- so when I asked for this toy, my mother said, "Do you have enough money to get it?" -- I didn't have any money with me so I couldn't get it -- but then I remembered, I had my piggy bank at home
-- I went home and got my piggy bank and got my money out of it and I went back to the store and bought that toy -- I was able to get money out of my piggy bank because I had put money into it
-- you only get out of something what you put into it -- that is true with piggy banks -- and with buying toys -- and getting into shape -- and everything else in life -- I don't care what it is -- whether we're talking about relationships -- or education -- or jobs -- or clubs -- or athletics -- it doesn't matter what it is -- you only get out of it what you put into it
-- that holds true for our spiritual lives as well -- you only get out of your spiritual life -- out of a church -- out of a worship service -- out of a sermon -- even out of your relationship with God -- what you put into it
-- if you invest in your life -- if you invest in your spiritual life -- then you are going to get something out of it -- but if you don't, then you aren't going to get anything out of it
II. Scripture Lesson
-- in this passage, the Apostle Paul gives us some great words of advice -- writing to the church at Colosse, Paul has been giving them specific instructions on how to live as Christians --
at home -- at church -- in the marketplace -- everywhere they go
-- and in these verses, he points to this same principle that we have been talking about -- if you want to get anything out of life -- whether it's your physical life or your spiritual life -- then have to put something into it -- look back at verse 23
23. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
24. since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
-- "whatever you do" -- whatever you do in life -- whether that's your job or taking care of your family or going to school or trying to get in shape or trying to strengthen your relationship with God -- Paul says, you should "work at it with all your heart"
-- No matter what you do, you need to do it wholeheartedly -- you don't need to just try to get by -- you need to give it your all -- give it your best -- do all that you can do -- to put into life as much as you can, so that you can get as much out of life as possible
-- we all know people who get by in life without giving it their all -- I see them every day at work and I'm sure you see them, too -- they slack off on their jobs -- they slack off on their responsibilities -- they just don't do what they are supposed to
-- oh, if they're slick, they can get by -- if they see the boss is coming, they can look busy -- or if the neighbors come over, they can be the best husband or wife in the world -- but when the boss turns his back and the neighbors go home, then they go back to their old ways
-- they pretend to be investing in life, but they aren't really putting anything into it
-- Paul says a Christian should never do that, because we are called to a higher calling -- he says that we shouldn't be trying to just get by in life -- but that we should be giving it our all -- because of Jesus
-- Jesus expects us to give our all for Him -- to put in a full day's work at the office -- to fulfill our responsibilities to our families -- to do what it takes to build our relationship with Him
-- Paul says that our ultimate boss -- our ultimate judge -- is Jesus Christ -- and we should be putting all that we have into our lives and into our spiritual lives because Jesus gave His all for us -- He died that we might live and that we might bear spiritual fruit for Him -- it is Jesus that we are serving -- and it is Jesus that will hold us accountable for what we did or didn't do at the end
-- there was a story in Reader's Digest one time about this couple who had done really well in their lives financially -- they had worked hard and both of them retired early -- when they moved from the Pacific Northwest to Punta Gorda, Florida, the husband was 59 years old and his wife was only 51
-- the article said that they spent their days cruising on their 33-foot boat and playing golf and picking up seashells along the beach -- their entire lives were wrapped up in the pursuit of leisure -- in the pursuit of pleasure
-- they had quit investing in life and were now reaping the rewards -- I guess they had misread Ephesians 4:1 -- in that verse we are urged to live a life worthy of the calling -- of the vocation -- that we have received from God -- I guess they got "vocation" and "vacation" confused
-- their earthly bank may have been full -- but their spiritual piggy bank was still empty -- they had neglected working wholeheartedly for the Lord -- and one day they are going to have to stand before Jesus and give an account of their life -- and what are they going to say then, "Look at my seashell collection?"
-- Paul tells us here that as Christians -- we need to remember who we are actually working for -- that it's o.k. to invest in life here, but to not neglect our spiritual life in the process -- we should never forget that it is Jesus that we are ultimately working for -- Jesus didn't die so I could retire to Punta Gorda and enjoy life picking up sea shells -- He died so I might inherit eternal life and so I might bear spiritual fruit for Him
-- flip over to Ephesians 2
8. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--
9. not by works, so that no one can boast.
10. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
-- do you see how these verses go along with what Paul was saying in Colossians? -- you were created in Christ Jesus to do good works -- God prepared you to serve Him by doing these things -- and you are called to work at it with all your heart -- to make an investment into your spiritual life as well as your physical life
-- do you want to know how full your spiritual life is? -- then ask yourself these questions -- how often do you come to church and leave thinking, "I didn't get anything out of that sermon?" or "I didn't get anything out of that worship service?" or "I wasn't moved when we sang those songs?" -- how often do you read the Bible and think, "I didn't get anything out of that passage?"
-- sometimes sermons are flat -- sometimes worship services aren't moving -- but if it happens a lot, you really need to ask yourself, "What have I been putting into it?" -- have I been investing in my spiritual life?
-- what do you do to get ready to come to church? -- do you prepare your heart? -- do you seek God through prayer? -- do you listen to inspirational music? -- do you try to move closer to God? -- or do you just come to church trying to get something out of an empty bank?
-- you only get out of life what you put into it -- if you aren't investing in your spiritual life -- whether that's church or Bible study or prayer or anything else -- then you are not going to get anything out of it
-- salvation is a free gift from God -- but if that is all that you get out of Jesus' death and resurrection, then you are short-changing yourself -- Jesus died that we might have life and have it to the full -- He not only desires us to be saved from Hell but He desires us to become sanctified -- to become more like Him in our lives every day -- to grow in grace
-- when you are growing, there is movement -- if there is no movement, there is death -- Louis Chester once told me that if you look out in your yard and your dog is not moving, then he might just be asleep -- but if you look out there and the dog hasn't moved in several days, then you need to go bury it before it starts stinking because it is dead -- life is defined by movement and by growth
-- think about the Dead Sea -- that is a perfect example of what we are talking about -- you only get out of something what you put into it -- the Dead Sea is a stagnant body of water -- there is no life-giving flow -- there is no water going in and water going out -- it is not alive and growing -- it is dead -- nothing lives there
-- you only get out of life what you put into it -- if you don't constantly invest in your spiritual life, then you are not going to get anything out of it -- you are not going to grow in grace -- you are not going to become more like Jesus -- you are going to be dissatisfied with your relationship with God
-- you need to invest in your spiritual life -- and that means more than just coming to church once or twice a week
-- there are 168 hours in each week -- in a given week, we spend about 40 hours working -- 56 hours sleeping -- 29 hours eating and taking care of ourselves and our families -- 41 hours on leisure activities -- and only two hours on spiritual activities, including church
-- that's not investing in our spiritual lives -- that's not working with our whole hearts as to the Lord Jesus -- that's not putting much into our spiritual banks -- and we wonder why our churches and our prayers and our spiritual lives are so devoid of power
-- you only get out of something what you put into it -- and if you never put anything in, then you aren't going to get anything out
III. Closing
-- as I close, I want you to think about where you are in your spiritual life -- are you satisfied with your spiritual life? -- are you getting as much out of church as you could be? -- are you seeing responses to your prayers -- victory over sin -- are you growing in grace and becoming more like Jesus every day?
-- what can you change in your life that would yield enormous spiritual results -- what if you spent an additional 30 minutes a day reading the Bible -- or praying -- or helping the needy -- or ministering to someone -- what would giving God an additional 3-1/2 hours a week yield in your life?
-- you only get out of life -- you only get out of church -- you only get out of your relationship with God -- what you put into it
-- if things aren't right, then maybe it's time you start investing in your spiritual life
-- we're going to start by sharing in Holy Communion this morning -- out of all the means of grace, this is one of the most powerful ways for us to share in God's grace and experience His presence
SERMON: HOME AGAIN
Preached by Gregory W. Lee
17 September 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Luke 15
11. Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons.
12. The younger one said to his father, `Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
14. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
15. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
16. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17. "When he came to his senses, he said, `How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
18. I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'
20. So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21. "The son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. '
22. "But the father said to his servants, `Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.
24. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25. "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
26. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
27. `Your brother has come,' he replied, `and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28. "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
29. But he answered his father, `Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31. "`My son,' the father said, `you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
32. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"
-- this morning, as we have gathered together to celebrate our annual homecoming here at Naylor Methodist Church, I have a couple of questions for you -- why are you here today? -- to what are you coming home?
-- what drew you here? -- is it a memory of family and friends in this church from years gone by that has drawn you here this morning? -- is it a memory of growing up here in this church that has brought you here? -- or is it merely a tradition -- just something that you do every September?
-- what drew you here? -- was it a memory of a spiritual moment that happened at this altar -- in this place -- a moment when God touched your life and you were never the same again? -- or was it something else?
-- what drew you here? -- what did you come here to find? -- what is it you are seeking? -- is it the past -- or were you drawn here this morning in anticipation of the future?
-- as I was reflecting on the concept of church homecomings, I thought about the people who desire to go on a trip to the Holy Land -- in a sense, this is a type of homecoming, but what is it they are seeking? -- what is it that is drawing them to that place? -- it is simply a chance to visit the great sites of our faith or is it more -- do they want to be where God once acted in a great and powerful way in the hopes that He will act in their lives in the same way?
-- the answer to these questions get to the heart of what a homecoming is supposed to be -- part of a church's homecoming should be a ministry of remembrance -- a time when the members of a church and their family and friends meet to celebrate the mighty acts of God that occurred in their church -- every church has events in their past where God moved in their midst -- and these events have shaped the lives of those who were present at that time
II. What is a Homecoming?
-- a homecoming is a time to revisit these events and to praise God for what He did at that time -- this is a biblical mission and ministry for people of faith -- when God led Joshua and the other Israelites across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land -- their homecoming event -- God had the Israelites take 12 rocks -- one for each tribe -- from the dry bed of the Jordan River and make an altar out of the stones -- in the future, Joshua told the people, when your children ask you what these stones stand for, you are to tell them of God's mighty works in bringing you and your fathers out of Egypt and into the Promised Land
-- but, if that is all you get out of a homecoming, then you are leaving short-changed -- for our God is not just the God of the past -- He is also the God of the present and the God of the future -- homecomings should not only be times of remembrance but times of looking forward to what God is going to do in us and through us and through this church in the years to come -- a time to prepare our hearts and our minds and our bodies to be part of God's mighty works for this church
-- homecomings should encompass all three aspects -- the past -- the present -- and the future -- they should be times of renewal, revival, and refocusing of our ministries and our lives to God's plan
-- one reason why we tend to think of homecomings as celebrations of the past may be because we have confused our concept of what a homecoming is -- we tend to think of our salvation experience as being our homecoming -- and so, when we have made it home, there is nothing else to worry about
-- that is one reason why homecoming sermons tend to be primarily evangelistic -- that is why you here so many homecoming sermons preached on the parable of the prodigal son -- what better picture of a homecoming could you have? -- a wayward child comes to his senses, repents of his sin, and returns home to the loving arms of his father -- the perfect picture of a biblical homecoming -- or is it?
-- if you think about it, the story of the prodigal son is similar to the story of a caterpillar turning into a beautiful butterfly -- as I'm sure you all know, a butterfly starts out his life as a caterpillar -- a very ugly, self-centered creature that cares for nothing but eating and stuffing itself with every pleasure of life -- and then, once it is thoroughly sated, it encloses itself in a chryalis -- bound up and unable to move -- very much like the condition of the prodigal son as he sat in the middle of a pig pen reflecting on what his life had wrought
-- but then, a life-changing experience happens -- the caterpillar matures inside its self-imposed prison -- the chrysalis splits open -- and the caterpillar emerges as a new creation -- as the creature it was created to be -- a beautiful adult butterfly
-- in the same way, the prodigal son has a life-changing experience, leaves the self-imposed bondage of his sin, and returns to his father to become the son that his father always wanted
-- but the story of the prodigal son doesn't end with that event -- I am fairly certain that he didn't spend the rest of his life partying and enjoying banquets of fattened calves -- instead, he was restored to his position as the younger son of a wealthy landowner and took up all the responsibilities of sonship -- in other words, coming home to his father was not the end of his journey, but only the start
-- think about the butterfly again -- the butterfly's journey is not over when it emerges from the chrysalis -- it is now an adult with adult responsibilities -- it has become a new creation, created by God for a specific purpose
-- did you know that every year, every single adult monarch butterfly in this country migrates to Mexico -- to a single plot of ground that is no more than 10 acres in size -- do you know why? -- to bear fruit -- to have young -- to carry on the heritage of their species by sharing their very life with the next generation -- their journey home was not completed when they emerged from the chrysalis -- their journey home is only complete when they fulfill God's plan for their lives
-- in the same way, our journey home is not complete when we are saved -- our Christian life only begins at salvation -- and our journey is only complete when we fulfill God's plan for our lives -- when we are saved, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and are called to become mature in Christ -- to accept the responsibilities of sonship and to bear fruit for Christ by sharing our heritage and faith with all that we meet
-- we've got too many prodigal sons in the church today who think that coming home just means coming to the altar, getting saved, and just showing up for church every Sunday -- all they're doing is sitting down to a banquet of fattened calf without taking up any of the responsibilities that come with being a child of the king
-- they've gotten out of the pigpen -- they've turned from their sins and turned to God -- they've come home -- and they've done nothing else -- is it any wonder that the older brother got angry?
-- if you would, please turn over to Phillipians 3 and we'll close there
III. Pressing on Towards Home
-- verse 10
10. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11. and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
-- the Apostle Paul had been in the pigpen -- he had been living in his self-imposed prison brought on by the consequences of his sin -- but he experienced a life-changing event on the road to Damascus as Jesus Himself brought the light to Paul -- convicting him of his sins and setting him on the road to home
-- Paul had been the prodigal son -- but he had come home -- he had been welcomed into the loving arms of the Father and had enjoyed the banquet with the fattened calf -- but Paul knew that this was not the end of his journey -- it was merely the first step
-- verse 12
12. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
-- Paul was not content with just being a new Christian and taking up space on the pews on Sunday mornings -- he knew that God had not saved him on the road to Damascus just to have him rest on his laurels for the rest of his life -- Paul knew that there was something more -- a journey that he had to complete -- before he would finally get home and enter God's rest
-- Paul says here that he is going to "press on" to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus had saved him -- to fulfill the responsibilities that went along with his salvation -- to grow in grace and to become all that Christ had called him to be
-- Paul's point here is that he isn't going to quit -- he isn't going to be happy sitting on the sidelines -- but he is going to keep moving forward -- straining and pressing and giving it all he has to make it to the finish line -- to finish the race -- to fight the good fight -- to be all that God had called him to be
-- Paul wants to finish well
-- you know, there's a lot of people who start out well in life -- in school -- in their jobs -- in their marriages -- in their spiritual lives -- but it doesn't matter how you start out -- the only thing that matters is how you finish
-- it doesn't matter how much you study for a test in school, if you don't show up to actually take the test
-- it doesn't matter how talented and skilled you are in your job, if you don't complete the tasks your boss gives you
-- you haven't fulfilled your marriage vows if you quit after 5 or 10 or even 35 years -- you've only fulfilled them when you keep them until "death do you part"
-- you haven't fulfilled your calling as a parent if you only take care of them and guide them in their development until they reach 10 or 12 or 14 years of age -- you've only fulfilled your calling when you are there for them throughout their whole life
-- and you haven't fulfulled your calling as a Christian if you only get saved and do nothing else -- you've only fulfilled it when you become all that Christ has called you to be -- when you've served as Christ as gifted you to serve
-- there's a lot of people who start the race -- but there's very few who finish well
-- verse 15
15. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
16. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
17. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you
-- what's the difference between someone who starts the race and doesn't finish it and someone who finishes well? -- Paul tells us here -- it's maturity -- maturity defines those who do more than just keep pews warm on Sunday mornings -- maturity defines those who aren't happy to just sit on the sidelines but who get into the game
-- Christian maturity means growing in grace -- growing in Christ -- pressing on and straining forward into the ministry that Christ has given
-- a mature Christian is one who follows the example of Christ -- who follows the example of Paul -- who lives according to the pattern that Paul left for us
-- mature Christians are those who strive to accomplish great things for God -- who serve Christ by serving their brothers -- who serve Christ by serving in the marketplace -- who serve Christ by leading the next generation -- and who serve Christ by serving their faith community
-- mature Christians are those who step into their responsibility as children of the King
-- how do you become mature? -- by striving with all your being for Christ -- by living for Him 24/7 and not just on Sundays -- by making sure that you spend time alone with God daily in prayer and meditation
-- how do you become mature? -- by making sure that you are in His word on a regular basis, seeking His will and His guidance for your life -- by not neglecting the assembly of God but meeting with your brothers and sisters in Christ for corporate worship and support and encouragement
-- how do you become mature? -- by following the example of Christ -- picking up your cross daily -- and dying to self -- by decreasing so that He can increase
-- that is the path to maturity -- that is the path to Christian responsibility -- that is the path to finishing the race well so that you might win the prize for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus
IV. Closing
-- let me close by sharing with you an illustration by Lyn Chaffart -- one day, Lyn's golden retriever gave birth to 6 beautiful puppies -- it was her dog's first litter -- and Lyn had been concerned about her ability to be a good mother -- but instinct took over and her dog started to become an outstanding mother to her puppies
-- as time went by, the puppies reached the point where they didn't require all of their mother's attention -- but she continued to stay with them and care for them as much as possible
-- Lyn wrote that one day, her dog started to be a little restless and begged to go running with her -- Lyn took her out for a walk and her dog spent the time sniffing the bushes, watering the spring flowers, and rolling in the grass -- just enjoying life being a dog
-- but, after just a few minutes outside, she was ready to go back and fulfill her responsibilities as a mother -- to take care of her puppies again
-- just like Lyn's dog, God has given each of us responsibilities -- and in order to accept and fulfill those responsibilities, our values and our lives have to change -- just like the focus of Lyn's dog's life became her puppies, our desires and our drive must become focused on our God-given assignment
-- God wants us to finish well -- He wants us to complete the task He has given us -- He still makes time for us to enjoy life -- to sit down and feast at banquets of fattened calves -- but He doesn't want that to be our focus
-- if Lyn's dog had chosen to romp and play forever and not go back to her puppies, someone else would have had to care for them -- and, as young as they were, some of them might have died
-- we have to remember that our salvation is not the end of the journey -- we have to remember that God does not save us for us to just enjoy His bountiful blessings here on earth and neglect our responsibilities -- He allows us moments of pleasure to enjoy -- but He expects us to follow the lead of the Apostle Paul -- to live our life with the awareness that we have been called to not only start the race -- but to finish it as well
-- I began this message by asking you why you were drawn to homecoming this morning -- what was it you were seeking? -- what was it you hoped to find?
-- perhaps you've been going through your life with the awareness that there is something more that God has called you to do -- perhaps you've realized that you haven't been growing in your Christian life and you haven't been doing anything for God lately
-- this morning, as we have gathered to celebrate the wonderful acts of God in this place, perhaps it is time for you to forget what lies behind and start to strain towards what is ahead -- maturity with Christ as you allow Him to work through you and in you to finish the race well
-- let me close with this question: Where are you at in your journey with God? -- are you moving forward -- doing more for Him today than yesterday -- actively minstering and serving in His name? -- if not, then I would encourage you to get back in the race today by rededicating your life in service to God
-- don't be a prodigal son who settles for just starting the race -- but be someone who finishes the race and who longs to hear the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant"
-- the altar is open -- and as the last hymn is played, I would invite you to respond to God's word as you feel led
-- let us pray
17 September 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Luke 15
11. Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons.
12. The younger one said to his father, `Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
14. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
15. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
16. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17. "When he came to his senses, he said, `How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
18. I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'
20. So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21. "The son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. '
22. "But the father said to his servants, `Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.
24. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25. "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
26. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
27. `Your brother has come,' he replied, `and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28. "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
29. But he answered his father, `Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31. "`My son,' the father said, `you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
32. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"
-- this morning, as we have gathered together to celebrate our annual homecoming here at Naylor Methodist Church, I have a couple of questions for you -- why are you here today? -- to what are you coming home?
-- what drew you here? -- is it a memory of family and friends in this church from years gone by that has drawn you here this morning? -- is it a memory of growing up here in this church that has brought you here? -- or is it merely a tradition -- just something that you do every September?
-- what drew you here? -- was it a memory of a spiritual moment that happened at this altar -- in this place -- a moment when God touched your life and you were never the same again? -- or was it something else?
-- what drew you here? -- what did you come here to find? -- what is it you are seeking? -- is it the past -- or were you drawn here this morning in anticipation of the future?
-- as I was reflecting on the concept of church homecomings, I thought about the people who desire to go on a trip to the Holy Land -- in a sense, this is a type of homecoming, but what is it they are seeking? -- what is it that is drawing them to that place? -- it is simply a chance to visit the great sites of our faith or is it more -- do they want to be where God once acted in a great and powerful way in the hopes that He will act in their lives in the same way?
-- the answer to these questions get to the heart of what a homecoming is supposed to be -- part of a church's homecoming should be a ministry of remembrance -- a time when the members of a church and their family and friends meet to celebrate the mighty acts of God that occurred in their church -- every church has events in their past where God moved in their midst -- and these events have shaped the lives of those who were present at that time
II. What is a Homecoming?
-- a homecoming is a time to revisit these events and to praise God for what He did at that time -- this is a biblical mission and ministry for people of faith -- when God led Joshua and the other Israelites across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land -- their homecoming event -- God had the Israelites take 12 rocks -- one for each tribe -- from the dry bed of the Jordan River and make an altar out of the stones -- in the future, Joshua told the people, when your children ask you what these stones stand for, you are to tell them of God's mighty works in bringing you and your fathers out of Egypt and into the Promised Land
-- but, if that is all you get out of a homecoming, then you are leaving short-changed -- for our God is not just the God of the past -- He is also the God of the present and the God of the future -- homecomings should not only be times of remembrance but times of looking forward to what God is going to do in us and through us and through this church in the years to come -- a time to prepare our hearts and our minds and our bodies to be part of God's mighty works for this church
-- homecomings should encompass all three aspects -- the past -- the present -- and the future -- they should be times of renewal, revival, and refocusing of our ministries and our lives to God's plan
-- one reason why we tend to think of homecomings as celebrations of the past may be because we have confused our concept of what a homecoming is -- we tend to think of our salvation experience as being our homecoming -- and so, when we have made it home, there is nothing else to worry about
-- that is one reason why homecoming sermons tend to be primarily evangelistic -- that is why you here so many homecoming sermons preached on the parable of the prodigal son -- what better picture of a homecoming could you have? -- a wayward child comes to his senses, repents of his sin, and returns home to the loving arms of his father -- the perfect picture of a biblical homecoming -- or is it?
-- if you think about it, the story of the prodigal son is similar to the story of a caterpillar turning into a beautiful butterfly -- as I'm sure you all know, a butterfly starts out his life as a caterpillar -- a very ugly, self-centered creature that cares for nothing but eating and stuffing itself with every pleasure of life -- and then, once it is thoroughly sated, it encloses itself in a chryalis -- bound up and unable to move -- very much like the condition of the prodigal son as he sat in the middle of a pig pen reflecting on what his life had wrought
-- but then, a life-changing experience happens -- the caterpillar matures inside its self-imposed prison -- the chrysalis splits open -- and the caterpillar emerges as a new creation -- as the creature it was created to be -- a beautiful adult butterfly
-- in the same way, the prodigal son has a life-changing experience, leaves the self-imposed bondage of his sin, and returns to his father to become the son that his father always wanted
-- but the story of the prodigal son doesn't end with that event -- I am fairly certain that he didn't spend the rest of his life partying and enjoying banquets of fattened calves -- instead, he was restored to his position as the younger son of a wealthy landowner and took up all the responsibilities of sonship -- in other words, coming home to his father was not the end of his journey, but only the start
-- think about the butterfly again -- the butterfly's journey is not over when it emerges from the chrysalis -- it is now an adult with adult responsibilities -- it has become a new creation, created by God for a specific purpose
-- did you know that every year, every single adult monarch butterfly in this country migrates to Mexico -- to a single plot of ground that is no more than 10 acres in size -- do you know why? -- to bear fruit -- to have young -- to carry on the heritage of their species by sharing their very life with the next generation -- their journey home was not completed when they emerged from the chrysalis -- their journey home is only complete when they fulfill God's plan for their lives
-- in the same way, our journey home is not complete when we are saved -- our Christian life only begins at salvation -- and our journey is only complete when we fulfill God's plan for our lives -- when we are saved, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and are called to become mature in Christ -- to accept the responsibilities of sonship and to bear fruit for Christ by sharing our heritage and faith with all that we meet
-- we've got too many prodigal sons in the church today who think that coming home just means coming to the altar, getting saved, and just showing up for church every Sunday -- all they're doing is sitting down to a banquet of fattened calf without taking up any of the responsibilities that come with being a child of the king
-- they've gotten out of the pigpen -- they've turned from their sins and turned to God -- they've come home -- and they've done nothing else -- is it any wonder that the older brother got angry?
-- if you would, please turn over to Phillipians 3 and we'll close there
III. Pressing on Towards Home
-- verse 10
10. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11. and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
-- the Apostle Paul had been in the pigpen -- he had been living in his self-imposed prison brought on by the consequences of his sin -- but he experienced a life-changing event on the road to Damascus as Jesus Himself brought the light to Paul -- convicting him of his sins and setting him on the road to home
-- Paul had been the prodigal son -- but he had come home -- he had been welcomed into the loving arms of the Father and had enjoyed the banquet with the fattened calf -- but Paul knew that this was not the end of his journey -- it was merely the first step
-- verse 12
12. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
-- Paul was not content with just being a new Christian and taking up space on the pews on Sunday mornings -- he knew that God had not saved him on the road to Damascus just to have him rest on his laurels for the rest of his life -- Paul knew that there was something more -- a journey that he had to complete -- before he would finally get home and enter God's rest
-- Paul says here that he is going to "press on" to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus had saved him -- to fulfill the responsibilities that went along with his salvation -- to grow in grace and to become all that Christ had called him to be
-- Paul's point here is that he isn't going to quit -- he isn't going to be happy sitting on the sidelines -- but he is going to keep moving forward -- straining and pressing and giving it all he has to make it to the finish line -- to finish the race -- to fight the good fight -- to be all that God had called him to be
-- Paul wants to finish well
-- you know, there's a lot of people who start out well in life -- in school -- in their jobs -- in their marriages -- in their spiritual lives -- but it doesn't matter how you start out -- the only thing that matters is how you finish
-- it doesn't matter how much you study for a test in school, if you don't show up to actually take the test
-- it doesn't matter how talented and skilled you are in your job, if you don't complete the tasks your boss gives you
-- you haven't fulfilled your marriage vows if you quit after 5 or 10 or even 35 years -- you've only fulfilled them when you keep them until "death do you part"
-- you haven't fulfilled your calling as a parent if you only take care of them and guide them in their development until they reach 10 or 12 or 14 years of age -- you've only fulfilled your calling when you are there for them throughout their whole life
-- and you haven't fulfulled your calling as a Christian if you only get saved and do nothing else -- you've only fulfilled it when you become all that Christ has called you to be -- when you've served as Christ as gifted you to serve
-- there's a lot of people who start the race -- but there's very few who finish well
-- verse 15
15. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
16. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
17. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you
-- what's the difference between someone who starts the race and doesn't finish it and someone who finishes well? -- Paul tells us here -- it's maturity -- maturity defines those who do more than just keep pews warm on Sunday mornings -- maturity defines those who aren't happy to just sit on the sidelines but who get into the game
-- Christian maturity means growing in grace -- growing in Christ -- pressing on and straining forward into the ministry that Christ has given
-- a mature Christian is one who follows the example of Christ -- who follows the example of Paul -- who lives according to the pattern that Paul left for us
-- mature Christians are those who strive to accomplish great things for God -- who serve Christ by serving their brothers -- who serve Christ by serving in the marketplace -- who serve Christ by leading the next generation -- and who serve Christ by serving their faith community
-- mature Christians are those who step into their responsibility as children of the King
-- how do you become mature? -- by striving with all your being for Christ -- by living for Him 24/7 and not just on Sundays -- by making sure that you spend time alone with God daily in prayer and meditation
-- how do you become mature? -- by making sure that you are in His word on a regular basis, seeking His will and His guidance for your life -- by not neglecting the assembly of God but meeting with your brothers and sisters in Christ for corporate worship and support and encouragement
-- how do you become mature? -- by following the example of Christ -- picking up your cross daily -- and dying to self -- by decreasing so that He can increase
-- that is the path to maturity -- that is the path to Christian responsibility -- that is the path to finishing the race well so that you might win the prize for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus
IV. Closing
-- let me close by sharing with you an illustration by Lyn Chaffart -- one day, Lyn's golden retriever gave birth to 6 beautiful puppies -- it was her dog's first litter -- and Lyn had been concerned about her ability to be a good mother -- but instinct took over and her dog started to become an outstanding mother to her puppies
-- as time went by, the puppies reached the point where they didn't require all of their mother's attention -- but she continued to stay with them and care for them as much as possible
-- Lyn wrote that one day, her dog started to be a little restless and begged to go running with her -- Lyn took her out for a walk and her dog spent the time sniffing the bushes, watering the spring flowers, and rolling in the grass -- just enjoying life being a dog
-- but, after just a few minutes outside, she was ready to go back and fulfill her responsibilities as a mother -- to take care of her puppies again
-- just like Lyn's dog, God has given each of us responsibilities -- and in order to accept and fulfill those responsibilities, our values and our lives have to change -- just like the focus of Lyn's dog's life became her puppies, our desires and our drive must become focused on our God-given assignment
-- God wants us to finish well -- He wants us to complete the task He has given us -- He still makes time for us to enjoy life -- to sit down and feast at banquets of fattened calves -- but He doesn't want that to be our focus
-- if Lyn's dog had chosen to romp and play forever and not go back to her puppies, someone else would have had to care for them -- and, as young as they were, some of them might have died
-- we have to remember that our salvation is not the end of the journey -- we have to remember that God does not save us for us to just enjoy His bountiful blessings here on earth and neglect our responsibilities -- He allows us moments of pleasure to enjoy -- but He expects us to follow the lead of the Apostle Paul -- to live our life with the awareness that we have been called to not only start the race -- but to finish it as well
-- I began this message by asking you why you were drawn to homecoming this morning -- what was it you were seeking? -- what was it you hoped to find?
-- perhaps you've been going through your life with the awareness that there is something more that God has called you to do -- perhaps you've realized that you haven't been growing in your Christian life and you haven't been doing anything for God lately
-- this morning, as we have gathered to celebrate the wonderful acts of God in this place, perhaps it is time for you to forget what lies behind and start to strain towards what is ahead -- maturity with Christ as you allow Him to work through you and in you to finish the race well
-- let me close with this question: Where are you at in your journey with God? -- are you moving forward -- doing more for Him today than yesterday -- actively minstering and serving in His name? -- if not, then I would encourage you to get back in the race today by rededicating your life in service to God
-- don't be a prodigal son who settles for just starting the race -- but be someone who finishes the race and who longs to hear the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant"
-- the altar is open -- and as the last hymn is played, I would invite you to respond to God's word as you feel led
-- let us pray
Thursday, October 05, 2006
SERMON: THE GREAT TRIBULATION
[I have gotten behind in publishing my sermons because of the Kairos Prison Ministry that I served at and because of getting ready for Charge Conference at our churches. I am going to try to put out one sermon each day until I get caught up.]
Preached by Gregory W. Lee
3 September 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Romans 1
18. The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
19. since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
20. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
23. and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
25. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
26. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.
27. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
29. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,
30. slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;
31. they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
-- the Bible tells us that God is patient and long-suffering -- that He gives us every opportunity to turn from our sins and to turn to Him -- to turn from our iniquities and to turn to the One who died in our place
-- but sometimes the cup of iniquity is full and the people are ripe for judgement -- sometimes the hearts of people have been so hardened that they refuse to respond to God's word and receive the forgiveness offered through Christ Jesus -- when this happens, the Bible tells us that God removes His divine protection and pours out His wrath and judgement on those whose hearts have become darkened
-- such appeared to be the case in 1908, when the inhabitants of the city of Messina, Italy, flaunted their wickedness and their anti-Christian spirit by publishing an abominable parody on Christmas Day, daring God to prove Himself by sending an earthquake to destroy them if He was real -- if we are so evil, they wrote, then do something about it
-- three days later, in the early morning hours of December 28, 1908, a devastating earthquake struck, literally destroying the city of Messina and the surrounding districts and resulting in the deaths of 84,000 people
-- God is patient and long-suffering, not wanting any to perish but all to be saved -- but there will come a point when He will not allow wickedness and violence and injustice to continue unpunished any longer
-- at some point in the future, the Bible tells us that God's wrath is going to pour out on this world to such an extent that Jesus Himself said that if the days were not cut short, no one would survive
-- in Matthew 24:21, Jesus called this the time of great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now -- Jeremiah called it the time of Jacob's trouble -- and we call it Daniel's 70th week -- the Great Tribulation of the Book of Revelation
-- during this final seven-year period, God is going to pour out His wrath on this planet for one purpose -- to force everyone on the earth to decide -- once and for all -- if they are going to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior or if they are going to reject God and choose an eternity in Hell
-- this morning, we are going to finish up our series on eschatology -- the study of end-times events -- as we rapidly look at the events of Daniel's 70th week from the Book of Revelation
-- as you remember, we are waiting for the start of this final seven-year period to begin -- it will start with the signing of a peace treaty between the antichrist and Israel -- and when this happens, the events outlined in Revelation chapters 5 through 22 will be triggered and all of the horrible events of Revelation that you grew up hearing about will come to pass
-- if you would, turn over now to Revelation Chapter 5 and let's finish our study with a quick overview of the events of this period
II. The Scroll of Judgement
-- Chapter 5
1. Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.
2. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?"
3. But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.
4. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.
5. Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
-- as this chapter opens, the Apostle John has been carried to heaven in a vision -- and while he is there, he sees God the Father Almighty sitting on His throne -- high and mighty -- being worshiped by all in heaven -- and in the right hand of the Father He holds a scroll with writing on both sides
-- the scroll is rolled up and is secured with seven seals -- in the days when messages from the king were transmitted on scrolls, the king would seal up the scroll by dropping wax on the scroll and pressing his ring into it -- when the recipient received the scroll, they would know immediately who it was from and whether it had been read -- if the seal was intact, the scroll had not been opened -- but if the seal had been broken, the scroll had been read
-- this scroll identified in Chapter 5 has seven seals -- evidently, the scroll was partially written on -- and then a drop of wax put in the scroll to seal it -- and then some more was written -- and another seal put in place -- until the scroll was fully written upon and the final seal was placed on the outside
-- some scholars have suggested that this scroll is the title-deed to earth -- that God gave it to Adam and that Adam gave it to Satan when he sinned in the garden of Eden -- the reason John is weeping is because he realizes that unless someone is found who is worthy to open and read the scroll, Satan will maintain possession of the earth and its inhabitants
-- however, this is merely conjecture -- we do not know what the scroll is or what it contains outside of the judgements of God on the earth that will be poured out during this final seven-year period
-- John tells us here that only one Person, in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll -- Jesus -- the Lion of the tribe of Judah -- the Root of David -- the Lamb who was slain -- Jesus is the only One able to open the scroll and its seven seals
III. The Seal Judgements
-- look over at Chapter 6
1. I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!"
2. I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
3. When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!"
4. Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
5. When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.
6. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
7. When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!"
8. I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
-- as each seal is broken, a judgement from God is released in a final attempt to bring the hearts of the people to Him -- the breaking of the first four seals releases the beings that we call the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
-- the first rider on a white horse represents the antichrist and his government that appear at the start of the tribulation -- the second rider on a red horse represents war that will be waged on earth during this time -- the third rider on a black horse represents famine that will stalk the land -- and the fourth rider on a pale horse brings with him death for one-fourth of the people left on earth
-- verse 9
9. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.
-- when the fifth seal is broken, John sees the souls of those who have been martyred for their faith in Christ -- the tribulation period will be a period of intense persecution of Christians and will result in the death of many who profess Jesus as Lord and Savior -- those who are on the earth will have had their hearts so hardened that they take out their anger on the people of God
-- verse 12
12. I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,
13. and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.
14. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
-- the breaking of the sixth seal results in a great earthquake that is so powerful that it shakes the very foundation of earth and heaven -- the people who are left -- from the kings to the princes to the slaves and the poor -- all hide in fear at the wrath of God that is being poured out on the earth
-- according to Tim LaHaye, by this point, 21 months will have passed -- the people on earth will be fully aware that they are in the Tribulation period -- the antichrist has appeared and taken control of the world, establishing a one-world government and preparing to implement his one-world religion -- the world has been suffering through a time of war, famine, inflation, resulting in the death of 25% of the world's population -- and the worst is yet to come
-- six seals on the scroll have been broken -- and when the seventh seal is broken, it will introduce seven additional judgements called the Trumpet Judgements -- Chapter 8
1. When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
-- seven angels are seen who are given seven trumpets, and as each blows his trumpet, additional calamities pour out on the people of earth
-- as we move from the seal judgements to the trumpet judgements, the intensity of God's wrath increases as His judgements grow more and more severe
IV. Trumpet Judgements-- verse 6
6. Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
7. The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
-- when the first angel sounds his trumpet, hail and fire mixed with blood was hurled down on earth -- a third of the earth was burned up -- a third of the trees were burned up -- and all of the green grass burned up -- there is no reason to believe that this is not a literal judgement being poured out on the people -- God displayed His wrath in a similar fashion against the people of Sodom and Gomorrah -- this time, He will do so against the whole earth
-- verse 8
8. The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood,
9. a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
-- when the second angel sounds his trumpet, a great mountain is thrown into the sea -- third of sea turned into blood -- third of living creatures in sea died -- third of ships destroyed
-- verse 10
10. The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water--
11. the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
-- when the third angel sounds his trumpet, a great star falls from the sky and poisons a third of the waters
-- verse 12
12. The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
-- the fourth angel sounds his trumpet, and the light of the sky is lessened as the sun and stars and moon are affected
-- each of these trumpet judgements becomes more severe in their impact on the people on earth -- the land itself -- the ability of the land to produce food and shelter and water -- is affected -- and yet the majority of the people refuse to come to God, so God's wrath continues to pour out on them
-- Chapter 9
1. The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.
2. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.
3. And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.
4. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
-- when the fifth trumpet is sounded, demonic beings are released to torment the people on earth who have refused to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior -- they are described as locusts with the power of scorpions -- we don't know if this is a literal description of what they look like, but we do know they will inflict horrible wounds on everyone who has not received Christ
-- as is the case in all of these judgements, God is trying to turn the hearts of the people towards Him by giving them a glimpse of hell on earth -- sometimes God will allow trials and tribulations and calamities into our lives to drive us to our knees -- to drive us to Him through our despair -- such is the case in this final seven-year period
-- verse 13
13. The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God.
14. It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."
15. And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.
16. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.
-- the sixth angel sounds his trumpet and a great army is released against the people on earth -- whether this is a demonic army or an army filled with the power of Satan is not certain -- but this army will kill one-third of those left alive by the plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur
-- yet still the people do not repent of their sins and turn to God -- look at verse 20
20. The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk.
21. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
-- flip over to Chapter 11, verse 15
15. The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."
-- when the angel sounds the final, seventh trumpet, John once again sees the heavens filled with the worship of God -- just like the seventh seal introduced seven additional judgements, the seventh trumpet introduces the seven bowl judgements -- in Chapter 15, we read that the angels with the seven bowls introduce the seven last plagues -- last, because with them God's wrath is completed
V. Bowl Judgements
-- these last seven judgements are found in Revelation 16 -- we don't have time to look at them in detail, so let me just list them for you
-- the first bowl produces painful sores on those who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image
-- the second bowl turns all the waters of the sea into blood, killing all living things in the sea
-- the third bowl turns all the rivers and springs -- all the remaining fresh water -- to blood
-- the fourth bowl intensifies the sun and causes it to painfully burn the people on earth
-- the fifth bowl plunges the earth into a supernatural darkness like that experienced when Christ died on the cross
-- the sixth bowl dries up the waters of the Euphrates River and releases three demonic spirits who go forth to gather the world for the final battle against God, Armageddon
-- and the seventh bowl brings forth a great earthquake that destroys all the nations and splits the city of Jerusalem into three parts
VI. Closing
-- at this point, having suffered through seven years of torment and distress unequaled in its power, the earth is completely destroyed and broken -- those whose hearts have not been hardened and who have not received the mark of the beast have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior -- the rest refuse to repent of their sin and choose to oppose God tothe bitter end
-- at this point, we see the second coming of Christ -- with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God, the heavens split open and Christ returns to earth on a magnificient white horse -- flip over to Revelation Chapter 19, verse 11, and let's close there
11. I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.
12. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.
13. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
14. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
15. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.
16. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
-- when Jesus returns, He destroys the armies of the beast and casts the antichrist and the false prophet into the lake of fire -- He binds Satan and throws him into the Abyss for 1,000 years and He establishes a kingdom on earth that will stand for 1,000 years until the new Jerusalem comes down from Heaven and the earth and the heavens are made new
-- why does all of this happen? -- Why does God allow His judgement and His wrath to be poured out on the earth in such a way during this final seven-year period? -- for one reason -- to show men the folly of their ways and to force them to make a decision as to whether they will follow God or whether they will follow their own evil desires
-- by the end of the great tribulation, everyone will have made their choice -- either they will have received the mark of Jesus -- the Holy Spirit within them -- or they will have received the mark of the beast -- there are only two choices -- the way of God or the way of Satan
-- each of us are faced with that same choice -- we can choose to go through life doing things our own way -- living life based on our own desires and wants and wishes -- living in bondage to sin and death -- or we can choose to accept the forgiveness of our sins offered through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
-- the choice is up to us -- it is a choice that we will have to make at some point in our lives -- either we choose God -- either we choose heaven and life with God in eternity -- or we choose hell
-- as I close in prayer, I want you to close your eyes and ponder this question -- is there a time in your life when you remember making a choice to follow God -- is there a time in your life when you consciously chose to accept Jesus -- when you asked Him to forgive you of your sins and to be your Lord and Savior?
-- you may have come to church your whole life -- you may have been a leader in this church -- you may have taught the Bible to others -- but if you have never made a personal decision to accept Jesus, then the Bible teaches that you are lost
-- Romans 10:9-10 says, "If you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved"
-- if you have never made this confession before, then God invites you to do so today -- right now -- to ask Him to forgive you of your sins -- to free you from His wrath -- and to lead you to eternal life in heaven
-- the choice is yours -- choose wisely
-- let us pray
Preached by Gregory W. Lee
3 September 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Romans 1
18. The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
19. since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
20. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
23. and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
25. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
26. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.
27. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
29. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,
30. slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;
31. they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
-- the Bible tells us that God is patient and long-suffering -- that He gives us every opportunity to turn from our sins and to turn to Him -- to turn from our iniquities and to turn to the One who died in our place
-- but sometimes the cup of iniquity is full and the people are ripe for judgement -- sometimes the hearts of people have been so hardened that they refuse to respond to God's word and receive the forgiveness offered through Christ Jesus -- when this happens, the Bible tells us that God removes His divine protection and pours out His wrath and judgement on those whose hearts have become darkened
-- such appeared to be the case in 1908, when the inhabitants of the city of Messina, Italy, flaunted their wickedness and their anti-Christian spirit by publishing an abominable parody on Christmas Day, daring God to prove Himself by sending an earthquake to destroy them if He was real -- if we are so evil, they wrote, then do something about it
-- three days later, in the early morning hours of December 28, 1908, a devastating earthquake struck, literally destroying the city of Messina and the surrounding districts and resulting in the deaths of 84,000 people
-- God is patient and long-suffering, not wanting any to perish but all to be saved -- but there will come a point when He will not allow wickedness and violence and injustice to continue unpunished any longer
-- at some point in the future, the Bible tells us that God's wrath is going to pour out on this world to such an extent that Jesus Himself said that if the days were not cut short, no one would survive
-- in Matthew 24:21, Jesus called this the time of great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now -- Jeremiah called it the time of Jacob's trouble -- and we call it Daniel's 70th week -- the Great Tribulation of the Book of Revelation
-- during this final seven-year period, God is going to pour out His wrath on this planet for one purpose -- to force everyone on the earth to decide -- once and for all -- if they are going to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior or if they are going to reject God and choose an eternity in Hell
-- this morning, we are going to finish up our series on eschatology -- the study of end-times events -- as we rapidly look at the events of Daniel's 70th week from the Book of Revelation
-- as you remember, we are waiting for the start of this final seven-year period to begin -- it will start with the signing of a peace treaty between the antichrist and Israel -- and when this happens, the events outlined in Revelation chapters 5 through 22 will be triggered and all of the horrible events of Revelation that you grew up hearing about will come to pass
-- if you would, turn over now to Revelation Chapter 5 and let's finish our study with a quick overview of the events of this period
II. The Scroll of Judgement
-- Chapter 5
1. Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.
2. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?"
3. But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.
4. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.
5. Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
-- as this chapter opens, the Apostle John has been carried to heaven in a vision -- and while he is there, he sees God the Father Almighty sitting on His throne -- high and mighty -- being worshiped by all in heaven -- and in the right hand of the Father He holds a scroll with writing on both sides
-- the scroll is rolled up and is secured with seven seals -- in the days when messages from the king were transmitted on scrolls, the king would seal up the scroll by dropping wax on the scroll and pressing his ring into it -- when the recipient received the scroll, they would know immediately who it was from and whether it had been read -- if the seal was intact, the scroll had not been opened -- but if the seal had been broken, the scroll had been read
-- this scroll identified in Chapter 5 has seven seals -- evidently, the scroll was partially written on -- and then a drop of wax put in the scroll to seal it -- and then some more was written -- and another seal put in place -- until the scroll was fully written upon and the final seal was placed on the outside
-- some scholars have suggested that this scroll is the title-deed to earth -- that God gave it to Adam and that Adam gave it to Satan when he sinned in the garden of Eden -- the reason John is weeping is because he realizes that unless someone is found who is worthy to open and read the scroll, Satan will maintain possession of the earth and its inhabitants
-- however, this is merely conjecture -- we do not know what the scroll is or what it contains outside of the judgements of God on the earth that will be poured out during this final seven-year period
-- John tells us here that only one Person, in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll -- Jesus -- the Lion of the tribe of Judah -- the Root of David -- the Lamb who was slain -- Jesus is the only One able to open the scroll and its seven seals
III. The Seal Judgements
-- look over at Chapter 6
1. I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!"
2. I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
3. When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!"
4. Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
5. When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.
6. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
7. When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!"
8. I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
-- as each seal is broken, a judgement from God is released in a final attempt to bring the hearts of the people to Him -- the breaking of the first four seals releases the beings that we call the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
-- the first rider on a white horse represents the antichrist and his government that appear at the start of the tribulation -- the second rider on a red horse represents war that will be waged on earth during this time -- the third rider on a black horse represents famine that will stalk the land -- and the fourth rider on a pale horse brings with him death for one-fourth of the people left on earth
-- verse 9
9. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.
-- when the fifth seal is broken, John sees the souls of those who have been martyred for their faith in Christ -- the tribulation period will be a period of intense persecution of Christians and will result in the death of many who profess Jesus as Lord and Savior -- those who are on the earth will have had their hearts so hardened that they take out their anger on the people of God
-- verse 12
12. I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,
13. and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.
14. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
-- the breaking of the sixth seal results in a great earthquake that is so powerful that it shakes the very foundation of earth and heaven -- the people who are left -- from the kings to the princes to the slaves and the poor -- all hide in fear at the wrath of God that is being poured out on the earth
-- according to Tim LaHaye, by this point, 21 months will have passed -- the people on earth will be fully aware that they are in the Tribulation period -- the antichrist has appeared and taken control of the world, establishing a one-world government and preparing to implement his one-world religion -- the world has been suffering through a time of war, famine, inflation, resulting in the death of 25% of the world's population -- and the worst is yet to come
-- six seals on the scroll have been broken -- and when the seventh seal is broken, it will introduce seven additional judgements called the Trumpet Judgements -- Chapter 8
1. When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
-- seven angels are seen who are given seven trumpets, and as each blows his trumpet, additional calamities pour out on the people of earth
-- as we move from the seal judgements to the trumpet judgements, the intensity of God's wrath increases as His judgements grow more and more severe
IV. Trumpet Judgements-- verse 6
6. Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
7. The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
-- when the first angel sounds his trumpet, hail and fire mixed with blood was hurled down on earth -- a third of the earth was burned up -- a third of the trees were burned up -- and all of the green grass burned up -- there is no reason to believe that this is not a literal judgement being poured out on the people -- God displayed His wrath in a similar fashion against the people of Sodom and Gomorrah -- this time, He will do so against the whole earth
-- verse 8
8. The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood,
9. a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
-- when the second angel sounds his trumpet, a great mountain is thrown into the sea -- third of sea turned into blood -- third of living creatures in sea died -- third of ships destroyed
-- verse 10
10. The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water--
11. the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
-- when the third angel sounds his trumpet, a great star falls from the sky and poisons a third of the waters
-- verse 12
12. The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
-- the fourth angel sounds his trumpet, and the light of the sky is lessened as the sun and stars and moon are affected
-- each of these trumpet judgements becomes more severe in their impact on the people on earth -- the land itself -- the ability of the land to produce food and shelter and water -- is affected -- and yet the majority of the people refuse to come to God, so God's wrath continues to pour out on them
-- Chapter 9
1. The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.
2. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.
3. And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.
4. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
-- when the fifth trumpet is sounded, demonic beings are released to torment the people on earth who have refused to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior -- they are described as locusts with the power of scorpions -- we don't know if this is a literal description of what they look like, but we do know they will inflict horrible wounds on everyone who has not received Christ
-- as is the case in all of these judgements, God is trying to turn the hearts of the people towards Him by giving them a glimpse of hell on earth -- sometimes God will allow trials and tribulations and calamities into our lives to drive us to our knees -- to drive us to Him through our despair -- such is the case in this final seven-year period
-- verse 13
13. The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God.
14. It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."
15. And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.
16. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.
-- the sixth angel sounds his trumpet and a great army is released against the people on earth -- whether this is a demonic army or an army filled with the power of Satan is not certain -- but this army will kill one-third of those left alive by the plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur
-- yet still the people do not repent of their sins and turn to God -- look at verse 20
20. The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk.
21. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
-- flip over to Chapter 11, verse 15
15. The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."
-- when the angel sounds the final, seventh trumpet, John once again sees the heavens filled with the worship of God -- just like the seventh seal introduced seven additional judgements, the seventh trumpet introduces the seven bowl judgements -- in Chapter 15, we read that the angels with the seven bowls introduce the seven last plagues -- last, because with them God's wrath is completed
V. Bowl Judgements
-- these last seven judgements are found in Revelation 16 -- we don't have time to look at them in detail, so let me just list them for you
-- the first bowl produces painful sores on those who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image
-- the second bowl turns all the waters of the sea into blood, killing all living things in the sea
-- the third bowl turns all the rivers and springs -- all the remaining fresh water -- to blood
-- the fourth bowl intensifies the sun and causes it to painfully burn the people on earth
-- the fifth bowl plunges the earth into a supernatural darkness like that experienced when Christ died on the cross
-- the sixth bowl dries up the waters of the Euphrates River and releases three demonic spirits who go forth to gather the world for the final battle against God, Armageddon
-- and the seventh bowl brings forth a great earthquake that destroys all the nations and splits the city of Jerusalem into three parts
VI. Closing
-- at this point, having suffered through seven years of torment and distress unequaled in its power, the earth is completely destroyed and broken -- those whose hearts have not been hardened and who have not received the mark of the beast have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior -- the rest refuse to repent of their sin and choose to oppose God tothe bitter end
-- at this point, we see the second coming of Christ -- with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God, the heavens split open and Christ returns to earth on a magnificient white horse -- flip over to Revelation Chapter 19, verse 11, and let's close there
11. I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.
12. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.
13. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
14. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
15. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.
16. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
-- when Jesus returns, He destroys the armies of the beast and casts the antichrist and the false prophet into the lake of fire -- He binds Satan and throws him into the Abyss for 1,000 years and He establishes a kingdom on earth that will stand for 1,000 years until the new Jerusalem comes down from Heaven and the earth and the heavens are made new
-- why does all of this happen? -- Why does God allow His judgement and His wrath to be poured out on the earth in such a way during this final seven-year period? -- for one reason -- to show men the folly of their ways and to force them to make a decision as to whether they will follow God or whether they will follow their own evil desires
-- by the end of the great tribulation, everyone will have made their choice -- either they will have received the mark of Jesus -- the Holy Spirit within them -- or they will have received the mark of the beast -- there are only two choices -- the way of God or the way of Satan
-- each of us are faced with that same choice -- we can choose to go through life doing things our own way -- living life based on our own desires and wants and wishes -- living in bondage to sin and death -- or we can choose to accept the forgiveness of our sins offered through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
-- the choice is up to us -- it is a choice that we will have to make at some point in our lives -- either we choose God -- either we choose heaven and life with God in eternity -- or we choose hell
-- as I close in prayer, I want you to close your eyes and ponder this question -- is there a time in your life when you remember making a choice to follow God -- is there a time in your life when you consciously chose to accept Jesus -- when you asked Him to forgive you of your sins and to be your Lord and Savior?
-- you may have come to church your whole life -- you may have been a leader in this church -- you may have taught the Bible to others -- but if you have never made a personal decision to accept Jesus, then the Bible teaches that you are lost
-- Romans 10:9-10 says, "If you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved"
-- if you have never made this confession before, then God invites you to do so today -- right now -- to ask Him to forgive you of your sins -- to free you from His wrath -- and to lead you to eternal life in heaven
-- the choice is yours -- choose wisely
-- let us pray
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