Ran across this letter from the writings of George Washington. Despite claims from liberal scholars that Washington was a deist and did not believe in a personal God, his writings continue to say contrary. In this letter, we see Washington calling for a Thanksgiving Day to "acknowledge the providence of Almight God" and to thank Him for all that He has done in bringing about our great country.
The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799. John C. Fitzpatrick, Editor.[Note 77: A copy of this proclamation was sent to the executives of the States by the President in a brief form letter (October 3). This form is recorded in the "Letter Book" in the Washington Papers.]
City of New York, October 3, 1789.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee78 requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanks-giving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
[Note 78: The Senate concurred in the House resolve to this effect, September 26.]
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th. day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.79
[Note 79: From the original in the writing of William Jackson. It was signed by Washington, who had written in the day "third" in the date.
This was the first national Thanksgiving Day proclamation under the Constitution.]
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
SERMON: BEING JOHN THE BAPTIST
Preached by Gregory W. Lee
5 November 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Matthew 3
1. In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea
2. and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
3. This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"
4. John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
5. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
6. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
9. And do not think you can say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
10. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11. "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
-- several years ago, there was a movie called, "Being John Malkovich" -- it revolved around this failed puppeter named Craig Schwartz, who is forced to take a job in a rather strange office -- as time goes by, he discovers a secret portal in the office that allows him to enter the consciousness of the actor John Malkovich for 15 minutes at a time
-- now, while this is not a movie that I would recommend to the church, I do want us to think about the concept of the movie for just a minute -- what insights could you gain into the life of another person if you could spend 15 minutes inside of them? -- all my life I have been told to not judge anyone until I walked a mile in their shoes -- sometimes I think it's important for us to try to get inside the mind of another person to understand what that person is all about
-- in this case, I want us to spend the next little while trying to get inside the mind of John the Baptist -- without a doubt, John the Baptist is one of the least understood and appreciated characters in the New Testament, even though he has one of the most important roles that God ever gave to a man -- Jesus Himself said that, among those born of women, there had never been a man like John the Baptist
-- but, John is overshadowed by others in the New Testament -- Jesus, of course, since Jesus is the whole point of the Bible and life itself -- but also by Jesus' disciples -- Peter and James and John and the others -- and by the Apostle Paul and James and Barnabus and Silas and the other leaders of the early Christian church
-- so, this morning, let's spend some time looking at the life and times of John the Baptist and let's see what insights we can gain into his character and his place and his message and what these insights mean to us in our attempt to serve Christ in this place
II. What then is this child going to be?
-- flip over to Luke 1 and let's start our study of John the Baptist there
5. In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
6. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly.
7. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.
-- here we are introduced to John's parents -- Luke describes them as being godly -- upright in the sight of God -- observing all the Lord's commandments and following the law blamelessly -- both of them were descended from Aaron, which means that they were descended from the Jewish priestly line
-- to put this into our modern terms, what we see described here is a country preacher and his wife, who love the Lord and who are serving Him in their lives and in the church to the best of their ability -- however, Luke goes on to tell us that Elizabeth is barren -- she is childless -- and, in that day and age, that meant everything to a woman -- children were a blessing from the Lord, and Elisabeth's failure to have a child -- even though she was the daughter and wife of a priest -- made the people in that place believe that she was out of favor with God
-- this just goes to show why we should never try to judge another person's relationship with the Lord until we have walked a mile in their shoes -- what we take as being out of favor with God may just be a delayed blessing, as is the case with Zechariah and Elizabeth -- they may be godly -- they may be serving God with their whole hearts -- but God may be withholding a blessing or a healing or a touch in their life at this moment in order to bring greater glory to Himself at a later time -- such was the case with Zechariah and Elizabeth
-- verse 8
8. Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
9. he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
-- in David's day, the number of priests had greatly increased -- Aaron had numerous descendants who were called to serve God in the temple -- so David divided the priests up into 24 divisions, and set up a system by which each division would fairly share the duties of serving God in the temple
-- each of the divisions served in the temple for one week twice a year and at major festivals -- but, the highlight of a priest's service would be to offer incense at the daily sacrifice -- each priest could offer incense only once in his lifetime -- and the time came for Zechariah to serve in this capacity
-- this would be like me -- as a part-time local pastor -- being called to come to General Conference for the Methodist Churst -- the world-wide gathering of Methodist leaders and Bishops held every four years -- to offer the opening prayer -- it would be a once-in-a-lifetime honor
-- that is what it was like for Zechariah to offer incense in the temple -- now, it was his duty to offer corporate prayers on behalf of the people of the nation of Israel as he served -- while he was inside the temple offering incense and prayers to God, the rest of the priests and the other worshippers would be offering prayers outside
-- and, it seems, that while Zechariah was offering his prayers for the people, he whispered a quiet prayer of his own -- one that touched the hurt that was in his and Elizabeth's life -- their failure to have a child of their own -- Luke tells us they were up in age, so Zechariah's prayer probably wasn't for a child, but may have just been a reminder of the pain they had suffered and a request for their pain of infertility and loneliness to be removed by God -- but God had bigger plans for this godly couple
-- verse 11
11. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
12. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
13. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
14. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
15. for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.
16. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.
17. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
-- and here we are introduced to the person of John the Baptist -- we are given a glimpse of what it meant to be him -- of what it was like to live inside of him for just a moment -- God had heard the prayers of Zechariah and had sent Gabriel to come to him and let him know that his prayers had not only been heard, but they had been answered -- the couple were going to have a son -- but not just any son
-- not only was this child going to be a joy and a delight to Zechariah and Elizabeth, erasing the days of pain and loneliness from their lives -- but, more importantly, he was going to cause great rejoicing in the land of Israel because he was coming to prepare the way of the Lord -- he was being sent to bring the people of Israel back to their God -- to make the people ready to receive the coming Messiah
-- verse 18
18. Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."
19. The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
20. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."
-- God always rewards those who serve Him and who are upright and just in His sight -- the rewards may be long in coming -- they may not even come in this lifetime -- they may not be what we expect, and we might not recognize them when they come -- but, the message of the Bible is clear, serving God with a whole heart results in God's blessings
-- however, God does not reward a lack of faith -- James tells us in James 1:6-7 that when we ask of God in prayer, "we must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."
-- when Gabriel appears to Zechariah and announces the birth of a son, Zechariah is filled with doubt -- he is still righteous -- he is still upright in the eyes of the Lord -- he is still blameless in his character -- but, when the answer to his whispered prayer comes, he displays a heart that is beginning to doubt in God's willingness to bless and work in his own life
-- how often that happens to us -- we go through life trying to serve God as best we can -- walking humbly and upright in His sight -- trusting in His hand and in His mighty power to move and act in us -- but, as time goes by, and the child doesn't come -- or the sickness lingers -- or our prodigal children don't return -- or we are faced with financial troubles -- or any of a hundred other things -- we begin to doubt in our hearts
-- we still murmur the prayers -- we still seek God's face -- but we begin to doubt that God will work -- we know He can -- but we start to believe that He won't
-- think about the story of Lazarus -- as Mary and Martha stood by the grave of their dead brother Lazarus, they doubted that Jesus would do anything -- they knew He could -- and they knew that if He had come earlier, Lazarus wouldn't have died -- but now, they doubted that He would do anything to relieve their grief
-- after the tremendous victory over the pagan priests at Mount Carmel, the prophet Elijah fled to a cave and had a pity party -- despite seeing God act in such a decisive way for the nation of Israel, Elijah doubted that God would work in his own life
-- in all of these cases, we see the same theme -- godly, righteous people -- people who trust in the Lord and in His mighty power -- begin to give up hope -- not in the power of God -- but in God's willingness to work in their lives
-- how many miracles are detoured in our lives because we refuse to believe? -- how many blessings don't come our way because we become double-minded in our prayers
-- Romans 8:28 says, "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" -- this verse says, "don't doubt -- trust God" -- even though the blessing has been delayed -- even though the healing hasn't come -- even though the thing we most desire and most earnestly seek in our lives hasn't happened, doesn't mean that God isn't going to meet it -- standing at the grave of their dead brother Lazarus, Jesus told Mary and Martha, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
-- God will always answer prayers -- He will always work for the good of those who love Him -- if answers to your prayers are not coming, then one of three things is going on -- either you are asking for the wrong thing -- or it is just not God's timing -- or He is using your situation to mold you and make you into a better Christian -- when God answers prayers, you can be sure that it will be in a way that brings glory to Himself -- our task is to pray fervently and to trust that God not only can, but will, work in our lives to bring good out of all situations
-- maybe it had been too long for Zechariah and Elizabeth -- they were up in years -- Elizabeth's womb had closed -- so, when Gabriel announced the upcoming birth of a son, Zechariah spoke from doubt and not from faith -- "How can I be sure of this?"
-- as a priest in God's service, he should have known the answer in his heart before those words ever came out -- "you can be sure because God said it" -- Zechariah had indeed prayed for himself and his wife, but he had lost faith in God's willingness to answer his prayers
-- and because of his doubt -- because of his lack of faith -- Zechariah's lips were sealed -- until the promise of God was fulfilled and John the Baptist was born and named -- Zechariah would be unable to speak
-- why? -- because his words would betray the doubt in his heart -- his words would not bring glory to God -- so he was struck dumb until the miracle was complete
-- verse 21
21. Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple.
22. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
23. When his time of service was completed, he returned home.
24. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
25. "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."
-- so Zechariah returned home, perhaps still doubting and wondering in his heart -- but, Elizabeth became pregnant as Gabriel had promised -- and she gave glory to God in her response to this miraculous pregnancy
-- skip over to verse 57, and let's finish our first session on the life of John the Baptist by looking at the birth of the son of the promise
57. When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.
58. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
-- as I was studying this passage this week, those words of Luke in verse 57 stood out at me -- "she gave birth to a son" -- now, why was this significant?
-- a couple of reasons -- first, it showed that doubt still existed in Zechariah's heart -- he had been told that the couple would have a son and that he would be great in the eyes of the Lord -- but still, when Elizabeth became pregnant, Zechariah must have doubted -- if he had truly believed, don't you think he would have shared this with Elizabeth? -- he may not have been able to tell her, but surely he could have written it down? -- I think that's why Luke did not qualify this phrase by saying, "she gave birth to a son as God had said" -- Zechariah had not shared the news of Gabriel and the promise of God up to this time
-- look over at verse 44
44. As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
-- when Mary, the mother of Jesus, came to visit her cousin Elizabeth, John jumped for joy in Elizabeth's womb -- but Elizabeth did not acknowledge that this was a boy -- she merely said, "the baby in my womb" -- she didn't know
-- and, secondly, it shows the goodness of God -- the desire of all Jewish women was to have a son -- to have someone to carry on the family name -- but, more importantly, to have someone who might just be the Messiah -- it was the overwhelming desire of all Jewish women at that time to be the one to bear the Messiah -- not only did God answer the prayers of Zechariah and Elizabeth by letting them have a child in their old age, but He gave them a son
-- isn't that just like God? -- how many times have we prayed for something, but then gotten even more than what we prayed for -- God wants to answer our prayers -- He wants to bring joy into our lives by blessing us richly -- but we must trust and not doubt that He will do so
-- verse 59
59. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,
60. but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."
61. They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name."
62. Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.
63. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John."
64. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.
65. The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.
66. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him.
-- finally, Zechariah's heart has overcome his doubt -- for nine months he has lived with doubt over the promise of a son -- yes, Elizabeth became pregnant -- but who's to say it's a boy? -- so he remained quiet -- literally -- and didn't share the promise of God
-- but, as we sing in our hymns, his faith became sight -- as the sound of the newborn John filled the room, doubt was overcome with faith and with a renewed trust in the power -- and willingness -- of God to work in the lives of those who love Him
-- but, one final thing had to be done -- the child had to be named as God commanded -- so, breaking from normal conventions at that time -- Zechariah demanded that the child be named "John," even though no one in his family had ever borne that name
-- and, the moment Zechariah expressed his faith by writing on the tablet, his mouth was opened -- his tongue was loosed -- and in the silence, a heart renewed in faith and trust praised God
-- it it any wonder that the people who were there responded by asking the question that foreshadowed the life and ministry of John, "What then is this child going to be?"
-- and that is the question we will pick up next week when we meet again
-- as we close in prayer, I am going to invite you to respond to God's word as you feel led -- perhaps you have been struggling with unanswered prayer in your life -- perhaps doubt -- not over God's power but over His willingness to work has filled your heart as it did Zechariah's -- if this is the case, I would invite you to recommit yourself to God this morning -- ask Him to remove your doubt -- and renew your trust in His grace
-- let us pray
5 November 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Matthew 3
1. In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea
2. and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
3. This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"
4. John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
5. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
6. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
9. And do not think you can say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
10. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11. "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
-- several years ago, there was a movie called, "Being John Malkovich" -- it revolved around this failed puppeter named Craig Schwartz, who is forced to take a job in a rather strange office -- as time goes by, he discovers a secret portal in the office that allows him to enter the consciousness of the actor John Malkovich for 15 minutes at a time
-- now, while this is not a movie that I would recommend to the church, I do want us to think about the concept of the movie for just a minute -- what insights could you gain into the life of another person if you could spend 15 minutes inside of them? -- all my life I have been told to not judge anyone until I walked a mile in their shoes -- sometimes I think it's important for us to try to get inside the mind of another person to understand what that person is all about
-- in this case, I want us to spend the next little while trying to get inside the mind of John the Baptist -- without a doubt, John the Baptist is one of the least understood and appreciated characters in the New Testament, even though he has one of the most important roles that God ever gave to a man -- Jesus Himself said that, among those born of women, there had never been a man like John the Baptist
-- but, John is overshadowed by others in the New Testament -- Jesus, of course, since Jesus is the whole point of the Bible and life itself -- but also by Jesus' disciples -- Peter and James and John and the others -- and by the Apostle Paul and James and Barnabus and Silas and the other leaders of the early Christian church
-- so, this morning, let's spend some time looking at the life and times of John the Baptist and let's see what insights we can gain into his character and his place and his message and what these insights mean to us in our attempt to serve Christ in this place
II. What then is this child going to be?
-- flip over to Luke 1 and let's start our study of John the Baptist there
5. In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
6. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly.
7. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.
-- here we are introduced to John's parents -- Luke describes them as being godly -- upright in the sight of God -- observing all the Lord's commandments and following the law blamelessly -- both of them were descended from Aaron, which means that they were descended from the Jewish priestly line
-- to put this into our modern terms, what we see described here is a country preacher and his wife, who love the Lord and who are serving Him in their lives and in the church to the best of their ability -- however, Luke goes on to tell us that Elizabeth is barren -- she is childless -- and, in that day and age, that meant everything to a woman -- children were a blessing from the Lord, and Elisabeth's failure to have a child -- even though she was the daughter and wife of a priest -- made the people in that place believe that she was out of favor with God
-- this just goes to show why we should never try to judge another person's relationship with the Lord until we have walked a mile in their shoes -- what we take as being out of favor with God may just be a delayed blessing, as is the case with Zechariah and Elizabeth -- they may be godly -- they may be serving God with their whole hearts -- but God may be withholding a blessing or a healing or a touch in their life at this moment in order to bring greater glory to Himself at a later time -- such was the case with Zechariah and Elizabeth
-- verse 8
8. Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
9. he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
-- in David's day, the number of priests had greatly increased -- Aaron had numerous descendants who were called to serve God in the temple -- so David divided the priests up into 24 divisions, and set up a system by which each division would fairly share the duties of serving God in the temple
-- each of the divisions served in the temple for one week twice a year and at major festivals -- but, the highlight of a priest's service would be to offer incense at the daily sacrifice -- each priest could offer incense only once in his lifetime -- and the time came for Zechariah to serve in this capacity
-- this would be like me -- as a part-time local pastor -- being called to come to General Conference for the Methodist Churst -- the world-wide gathering of Methodist leaders and Bishops held every four years -- to offer the opening prayer -- it would be a once-in-a-lifetime honor
-- that is what it was like for Zechariah to offer incense in the temple -- now, it was his duty to offer corporate prayers on behalf of the people of the nation of Israel as he served -- while he was inside the temple offering incense and prayers to God, the rest of the priests and the other worshippers would be offering prayers outside
-- and, it seems, that while Zechariah was offering his prayers for the people, he whispered a quiet prayer of his own -- one that touched the hurt that was in his and Elizabeth's life -- their failure to have a child of their own -- Luke tells us they were up in age, so Zechariah's prayer probably wasn't for a child, but may have just been a reminder of the pain they had suffered and a request for their pain of infertility and loneliness to be removed by God -- but God had bigger plans for this godly couple
-- verse 11
11. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
12. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
13. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
14. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
15. for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.
16. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.
17. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
-- and here we are introduced to the person of John the Baptist -- we are given a glimpse of what it meant to be him -- of what it was like to live inside of him for just a moment -- God had heard the prayers of Zechariah and had sent Gabriel to come to him and let him know that his prayers had not only been heard, but they had been answered -- the couple were going to have a son -- but not just any son
-- not only was this child going to be a joy and a delight to Zechariah and Elizabeth, erasing the days of pain and loneliness from their lives -- but, more importantly, he was going to cause great rejoicing in the land of Israel because he was coming to prepare the way of the Lord -- he was being sent to bring the people of Israel back to their God -- to make the people ready to receive the coming Messiah
-- verse 18
18. Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."
19. The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
20. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."
-- God always rewards those who serve Him and who are upright and just in His sight -- the rewards may be long in coming -- they may not even come in this lifetime -- they may not be what we expect, and we might not recognize them when they come -- but, the message of the Bible is clear, serving God with a whole heart results in God's blessings
-- however, God does not reward a lack of faith -- James tells us in James 1:6-7 that when we ask of God in prayer, "we must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."
-- when Gabriel appears to Zechariah and announces the birth of a son, Zechariah is filled with doubt -- he is still righteous -- he is still upright in the eyes of the Lord -- he is still blameless in his character -- but, when the answer to his whispered prayer comes, he displays a heart that is beginning to doubt in God's willingness to bless and work in his own life
-- how often that happens to us -- we go through life trying to serve God as best we can -- walking humbly and upright in His sight -- trusting in His hand and in His mighty power to move and act in us -- but, as time goes by, and the child doesn't come -- or the sickness lingers -- or our prodigal children don't return -- or we are faced with financial troubles -- or any of a hundred other things -- we begin to doubt in our hearts
-- we still murmur the prayers -- we still seek God's face -- but we begin to doubt that God will work -- we know He can -- but we start to believe that He won't
-- think about the story of Lazarus -- as Mary and Martha stood by the grave of their dead brother Lazarus, they doubted that Jesus would do anything -- they knew He could -- and they knew that if He had come earlier, Lazarus wouldn't have died -- but now, they doubted that He would do anything to relieve their grief
-- after the tremendous victory over the pagan priests at Mount Carmel, the prophet Elijah fled to a cave and had a pity party -- despite seeing God act in such a decisive way for the nation of Israel, Elijah doubted that God would work in his own life
-- in all of these cases, we see the same theme -- godly, righteous people -- people who trust in the Lord and in His mighty power -- begin to give up hope -- not in the power of God -- but in God's willingness to work in their lives
-- how many miracles are detoured in our lives because we refuse to believe? -- how many blessings don't come our way because we become double-minded in our prayers
-- Romans 8:28 says, "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" -- this verse says, "don't doubt -- trust God" -- even though the blessing has been delayed -- even though the healing hasn't come -- even though the thing we most desire and most earnestly seek in our lives hasn't happened, doesn't mean that God isn't going to meet it -- standing at the grave of their dead brother Lazarus, Jesus told Mary and Martha, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
-- God will always answer prayers -- He will always work for the good of those who love Him -- if answers to your prayers are not coming, then one of three things is going on -- either you are asking for the wrong thing -- or it is just not God's timing -- or He is using your situation to mold you and make you into a better Christian -- when God answers prayers, you can be sure that it will be in a way that brings glory to Himself -- our task is to pray fervently and to trust that God not only can, but will, work in our lives to bring good out of all situations
-- maybe it had been too long for Zechariah and Elizabeth -- they were up in years -- Elizabeth's womb had closed -- so, when Gabriel announced the upcoming birth of a son, Zechariah spoke from doubt and not from faith -- "How can I be sure of this?"
-- as a priest in God's service, he should have known the answer in his heart before those words ever came out -- "you can be sure because God said it" -- Zechariah had indeed prayed for himself and his wife, but he had lost faith in God's willingness to answer his prayers
-- and because of his doubt -- because of his lack of faith -- Zechariah's lips were sealed -- until the promise of God was fulfilled and John the Baptist was born and named -- Zechariah would be unable to speak
-- why? -- because his words would betray the doubt in his heart -- his words would not bring glory to God -- so he was struck dumb until the miracle was complete
-- verse 21
21. Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple.
22. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
23. When his time of service was completed, he returned home.
24. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
25. "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."
-- so Zechariah returned home, perhaps still doubting and wondering in his heart -- but, Elizabeth became pregnant as Gabriel had promised -- and she gave glory to God in her response to this miraculous pregnancy
-- skip over to verse 57, and let's finish our first session on the life of John the Baptist by looking at the birth of the son of the promise
57. When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.
58. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
-- as I was studying this passage this week, those words of Luke in verse 57 stood out at me -- "she gave birth to a son" -- now, why was this significant?
-- a couple of reasons -- first, it showed that doubt still existed in Zechariah's heart -- he had been told that the couple would have a son and that he would be great in the eyes of the Lord -- but still, when Elizabeth became pregnant, Zechariah must have doubted -- if he had truly believed, don't you think he would have shared this with Elizabeth? -- he may not have been able to tell her, but surely he could have written it down? -- I think that's why Luke did not qualify this phrase by saying, "she gave birth to a son as God had said" -- Zechariah had not shared the news of Gabriel and the promise of God up to this time
-- look over at verse 44
44. As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
-- when Mary, the mother of Jesus, came to visit her cousin Elizabeth, John jumped for joy in Elizabeth's womb -- but Elizabeth did not acknowledge that this was a boy -- she merely said, "the baby in my womb" -- she didn't know
-- and, secondly, it shows the goodness of God -- the desire of all Jewish women was to have a son -- to have someone to carry on the family name -- but, more importantly, to have someone who might just be the Messiah -- it was the overwhelming desire of all Jewish women at that time to be the one to bear the Messiah -- not only did God answer the prayers of Zechariah and Elizabeth by letting them have a child in their old age, but He gave them a son
-- isn't that just like God? -- how many times have we prayed for something, but then gotten even more than what we prayed for -- God wants to answer our prayers -- He wants to bring joy into our lives by blessing us richly -- but we must trust and not doubt that He will do so
-- verse 59
59. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,
60. but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."
61. They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name."
62. Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.
63. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John."
64. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.
65. The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.
66. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him.
-- finally, Zechariah's heart has overcome his doubt -- for nine months he has lived with doubt over the promise of a son -- yes, Elizabeth became pregnant -- but who's to say it's a boy? -- so he remained quiet -- literally -- and didn't share the promise of God
-- but, as we sing in our hymns, his faith became sight -- as the sound of the newborn John filled the room, doubt was overcome with faith and with a renewed trust in the power -- and willingness -- of God to work in the lives of those who love Him
-- but, one final thing had to be done -- the child had to be named as God commanded -- so, breaking from normal conventions at that time -- Zechariah demanded that the child be named "John," even though no one in his family had ever borne that name
-- and, the moment Zechariah expressed his faith by writing on the tablet, his mouth was opened -- his tongue was loosed -- and in the silence, a heart renewed in faith and trust praised God
-- it it any wonder that the people who were there responded by asking the question that foreshadowed the life and ministry of John, "What then is this child going to be?"
-- and that is the question we will pick up next week when we meet again
-- as we close in prayer, I am going to invite you to respond to God's word as you feel led -- perhaps you have been struggling with unanswered prayer in your life -- perhaps doubt -- not over God's power but over His willingness to work has filled your heart as it did Zechariah's -- if this is the case, I would invite you to recommit yourself to God this morning -- ask Him to remove your doubt -- and renew your trust in His grace
-- let us pray
Saturday, November 11, 2006
PASTORAL MENTORS IN THE UMC
Earlier today I was discussing the upcoming District Committee on Ministry (DCOM) meeting with a fellow part-time local pastor. He had just received a mild chastisement from the District Superintendent for not contacting his district-appointed mentor in order to get ready for the meeting. Several years ago I was taken to task for not doing the same thing.
My friend mentioned that he had called his mentor (actually, his third mentor since beginning the process 7 years ago) and tried to set up an appointment. After several tries, he had finally gotten in touch with him and set up a date. But, his mentor had someone go in the hospital so the meeting was cancelled. So, he still hasn't had a meeting, and now, unless he can get something set up within the next two weeks, he's going to have to face the wrath of the DCOM. He was a little frustrated with the whole thing, which I fully understand. I have called my mentor a couple of times in the past week, trying to set up a meeting, and have not spoken with him yet. One time, I got no answer. The next time, I left a message on his machine, but he hasn't returned my call yet. Still, as the DS and the DCOM remind us, "It's our responsibility to meet with our mentors on a regular basis."
My friend's son made a good point today after his last attempt to meet with the mentor failed. His son said, "I thought a mentor had responsibilities to you, as well." After hearing this comment from my friend's son, I started pondering the whole pastoral mentoring process in the UMC Candidacy Process.
I understand the need for a mentoring (discipling) relationship. I have actually preached and taught from the pulpit the need for everyone to be in such a relationship, both as a disciple and as a mentor. The spiritual life is hard, and the pastoral life is even harder. We need guidance. We need to seek the advice of someone who has been down that path before us. We need someone who can hold us accountable in our spiritual lives. But, I question the way it is done in the UMC (at least in our district).
In my experience (and in the experience of my friends), the mentoring relationship in the pastoral candidacy process is more a one-way street. It is the local pastor or student pastor's responsibility to set up meetings and to bring up issues. But, it shouldn't be that way. In a true discipleship relationship, the mentor should be meeting with the disciple on a regular basis, working through issues and helping them to grow in their faith and in their pastoral ministry with definite goals along the way. I'm not saying there should be a standard program that all mentoring relationships should follow, but I think the pair should work on the needs of that particular student pastor or local pastor. Perhaps the mentor should meet with the Pastor-Parish Relations committee of his disciple on a regular basis, so he can be aware of the issues that are going on and develop a plan to help the disciple grow through these issues. It cannot just be up to the student pastor/local pastor to decide what issues to work on. Sometimes, we just aren't aware there are problems or issues with our ministry. Generally, it takes someone outside of you to point out your faults and the areas you need work on. You are just too close and just can't see them. This should be a responsibility of the mentor.
A couple of years ago, another local pastor friend of mine got discouraged over the lack of discipleship training coming from the District. Because we couldn't get assistance from our mentors, we agreed to meet together. So three of us formed a mutual discipleship/accountability group to meet and discuss pastoral issues that we were facing in our churches. While this has been a great group and while it serves as a driver in my spiritual life, it does not answer the need for a Paul in our lives, someone who is older and more mature in the faith and in the pastorate who can give us guidance based on years of wisdom.
At the present time, I would have to say that I am disappointed in the mentoring relationship in our district. I see it -- and maybe the elder mentors do as well -- as just another hoop that we have to jump through enroute to the DCOM meeting. It's not something that anyone wants (primarily because it hasn't been tried as it should be). It's just something that we have to do.
There are concerns in the Methodist Church over the lack of young clergy. Perhaps it is time to revisit the mentoring requirement of the candidacy program and to revive it into a meaningful relationship that helps grow pastors for our church.
My friend mentioned that he had called his mentor (actually, his third mentor since beginning the process 7 years ago) and tried to set up an appointment. After several tries, he had finally gotten in touch with him and set up a date. But, his mentor had someone go in the hospital so the meeting was cancelled. So, he still hasn't had a meeting, and now, unless he can get something set up within the next two weeks, he's going to have to face the wrath of the DCOM. He was a little frustrated with the whole thing, which I fully understand. I have called my mentor a couple of times in the past week, trying to set up a meeting, and have not spoken with him yet. One time, I got no answer. The next time, I left a message on his machine, but he hasn't returned my call yet. Still, as the DS and the DCOM remind us, "It's our responsibility to meet with our mentors on a regular basis."
My friend's son made a good point today after his last attempt to meet with the mentor failed. His son said, "I thought a mentor had responsibilities to you, as well." After hearing this comment from my friend's son, I started pondering the whole pastoral mentoring process in the UMC Candidacy Process.
I understand the need for a mentoring (discipling) relationship. I have actually preached and taught from the pulpit the need for everyone to be in such a relationship, both as a disciple and as a mentor. The spiritual life is hard, and the pastoral life is even harder. We need guidance. We need to seek the advice of someone who has been down that path before us. We need someone who can hold us accountable in our spiritual lives. But, I question the way it is done in the UMC (at least in our district).
In my experience (and in the experience of my friends), the mentoring relationship in the pastoral candidacy process is more a one-way street. It is the local pastor or student pastor's responsibility to set up meetings and to bring up issues. But, it shouldn't be that way. In a true discipleship relationship, the mentor should be meeting with the disciple on a regular basis, working through issues and helping them to grow in their faith and in their pastoral ministry with definite goals along the way. I'm not saying there should be a standard program that all mentoring relationships should follow, but I think the pair should work on the needs of that particular student pastor or local pastor. Perhaps the mentor should meet with the Pastor-Parish Relations committee of his disciple on a regular basis, so he can be aware of the issues that are going on and develop a plan to help the disciple grow through these issues. It cannot just be up to the student pastor/local pastor to decide what issues to work on. Sometimes, we just aren't aware there are problems or issues with our ministry. Generally, it takes someone outside of you to point out your faults and the areas you need work on. You are just too close and just can't see them. This should be a responsibility of the mentor.
A couple of years ago, another local pastor friend of mine got discouraged over the lack of discipleship training coming from the District. Because we couldn't get assistance from our mentors, we agreed to meet together. So three of us formed a mutual discipleship/accountability group to meet and discuss pastoral issues that we were facing in our churches. While this has been a great group and while it serves as a driver in my spiritual life, it does not answer the need for a Paul in our lives, someone who is older and more mature in the faith and in the pastorate who can give us guidance based on years of wisdom.
At the present time, I would have to say that I am disappointed in the mentoring relationship in our district. I see it -- and maybe the elder mentors do as well -- as just another hoop that we have to jump through enroute to the DCOM meeting. It's not something that anyone wants (primarily because it hasn't been tried as it should be). It's just something that we have to do.
There are concerns in the Methodist Church over the lack of young clergy. Perhaps it is time to revisit the mentoring requirement of the candidacy program and to revive it into a meaningful relationship that helps grow pastors for our church.
SERMON: FINDING HOME
Preached by Gregory W. Lee
29 October 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Acts 9
1. Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest
2. and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
3. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5. "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied.
6. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
7. The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.
8. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.
9. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10. In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered.
11. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
12. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."
13. "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.
14. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."
15. But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.
16. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."
17. Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
18. Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,
19. and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
-- you have to leave home in order to find home -- you have to leave home in order to find home -- now that's a statement that's true for all of us -- because in our lives we find out that if we remain at home -- safe and secure in who we are and in where we are and even in what we believe, we may find ourselves more lost than ever before
-- such was the case with the Apostle Paul in this passage -- when this passage opens up, we see the Apostle Paul -- still going by his given name of Saul -- as a confident young man -- safe and secure in who he was, where he was, and in what he believed -- he was a Hebrew among Hebrew -- a Pharisee among Pharisees -- of the Tribe of Benjamin -- circumcised on the eighth day -- zealous for the Lord
-- in our day, we use the term "yuppie" to describe a person who is a young, urban professional -- someone who is up and coming in their world -- and that is exactly what Saul was -- he was an up and coming leader in the synagogue -- a rising star -- a bright pupil who was taught at the feet of Gamaliel -- he knew the law and was extremely zealous for the law
-- he knew who he was -- he knew what he wanted to be -- and he knew what was needed to be done to get there -- and that was who the Apostle Paul was -- he was very secure in his position -- he was the golden boy of the temple and the synagogue -- he was expected to take over the reins of leadership -- and that's the way things were going in his life -- he was safe and secure at home -- he was at home in the temple -- he was at home in the synagogue -- and he was at home with who he was and where he was going
II. My Story
-- you know, in many ways in my own life, I was similar to the Apostle Paul -- I grew up going to a small Methodist church in Adel -- our church was on a part-time charge, so we only had church every other Sunday -- second and fourth Sundays
-- missing church every other week kind of gets you out of a rhythm in going -- so, while I say I grew up in the church, we missed quite a few Sundays here and there -- we would sometimes go months between services -- but I did go enough to get a good foundation in Sunday School of what the Bible said -- of who God was -- and I learned who Jesus was
-- I was safe and secure in that church -- it was home -- I grew up in the Sunday School -- we were well-liked by the people there -- my parents were respected in the community
-- when I was 12 years old, I asked my preacher to baptize me -- not because of any personal decision that I had made -- not because of any faith I was professing -- it was simply because it was expected in my home church -- when you were around the age of 12, you were expected to be baptized and join the church -- my sister, even though she was 1-1/2 years younger, had already been baptized -- and it was time for me to do so -- so I went down and joined the church, and I was welcomed in with gladness -- I was hugged and loved and I felt more at home than at any point in my life up to that time because I was safe and secure in who I was and what I was doing
-- but God isn't happy with faith like that -- or even with faith like Saul -- I was safe and secure from all alarms -- not because of Jesus, but because I was at home -- and that is the situation that we find the Apostle Paul in this passage -- safe and secure from all alarms simply because he was at home and had fulfilled -- and even exceeded -- all the expectations of his elders in the church
-- but God is not going to leave you in that situation if you are not truly saved -- He will do whatever He has to to get your attention -- He is going to draw you away from home -- away from your comfort zone -- away from your false security -- so you can put real faith in Him -- and He will use whatever He has to to get your attention -- people -- places -- events -- trials -- tribulations -- whatever it takes to get your focus off of home and onto Him -- that is why I say that you have to leave home in order to find home
III. At Home with Paul
-- well, in Paul's case, Paul's world was disturbed -- seems all of a sudden, in his idyllic setting in the temple and synagogue, this group of false believers had come in -- they were following this peasant rabbi, Jesus, who had claimed to be the Messiah -- and they were coming into the temple and defiling it with their presence -- they were disturbing the status quo -- they were disturbing Paul's home -- and Paul didn't like that
-- Paul knew that he had to do something about these followers of Jesus who called themselves, "The Way" -- He needed to purge them from the church in order to purify the church -- he needed to get rid of those who were different and who were causing a disturbance in his world -- and so that's what he did
-- there's a concept that we know of called "homeostasis" -- this term means that we like things to stay the same -- people don't like change -- and this is true even for dysfunctional systems as well -- we prefer to stay with what we know rather than allow change to come in, even if the change might be better
-- that is why we see a lot of abused wives staying in bad situations -- they prefer what they know over the uncertainty of change -- it's better to stay with what they know than to head into the unknown -- that's why a lot of churches won't grow -- they prefer themselves the way they are and won't make the changes to make themselves better -- you have to leave home in order to find home
-- so in this place in the book of Acts, we see Saul starting the persecution of Christians -- it started with the stoning of Stephen -- Saul may not have actually picked up a rock and thrown it, but he stood there approving it -- and he took it upon himself to purge the Jewish church of these people called, "The Way" -- of these Christians who followed Jesus
-- he became known for his brutal persecutions of Christians -- he so persecuted the church in Jerusalem that it scattered and disappeared for the most part -- there was no one left but a handful of elders -- and Paul found himself almost out of a job -- but he heard they were going to other cities and spreading their teaching there -- and so Paul decided to hit the road to put an end to this madness once and for all
-- look back at verse 1
1. Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest
2. and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
-- so Paul hit the road to Damascus to search out Christians -- God was using the presence of these Christians in Paul's life to get his attention -- to draw him away from home -- out of his comfort zone -- so Paul might find home
IV. Home on Ossabaw
-- in my life, Paul came in and used a coworker to draw me away from home -- when I graduated from college, I took my first wildlife job -- working with wildlife diseases on Ossabaw Island off the coast of Savannah -- and it was there that I first sensed God trying to get my attention -- He had drawn me away from home so I might find home -- and he put me on that island with a man who was, well, there's just no way around it, he was just strange -- his name is Ed, and he's one of my dearest friends, but Ed's one of those people that peculiar things just happen to -- let me show you what I mean
-- in the early 1980's there was a deer die-off in the Everglades as the result of some unusual flooding -- the deer had gathered on high spots in the swamp and were dying, and the state wanted to kill most of the survivors to prevent future die-offs -- but several animal right's groups got involved and sued the state and demanded the right to catch the deer and move them out of the swamp -- the state hired the Wildlife Disease Study to prove that the die-off was due to parasites and diseases and to show that moving them wouldn't stop the problem -- so, Ed and his team down there to check out the deer to see what was causing the die-off
-- the news media got involved, so the head of the Wildlife Disease Study flew down there to be interviewed -- they set up the interview on camera with Ed and his team working up the deer on this row of tables behind Dr. Hayes, kind of in the background of the shot -- while they were interviewing Dr. Hayes, Ed reached over to get something off the table, and accidentally knocked over the alcohol lamp
-- it spilled over the table and ignited the apron of the guy who was working next to Ed -- so once this guy realizes that he's on fire, he panics and starts running -- Ed grabs a towel and starts chasing him -- now, like Larry Munson says, get the picture -- here is the head of the Wildlife Disease Study being interviewed on camera, and behind him there's this guy on fire running back and forth with another guy chasing him with a towel -- well, Ed finally tackled the guy and put the fire out and he wasn't really hurt at all -- but it just goes to show you what kind of things happened when you were around Ed
-- I remember one time when I was working on Ossabaw Island with Ed -- we had been out working till early in the morning hours -- Ed offered to drive back and me and this other guy were kind of dozing off in the truck
-- well, at one point, I looked up and Ed was just driving along, weaving in and out of the trees -- I said, "Ed, where's the road?" -- and we got to looking, and Ed had driven off the road and was just wandering through the woods -- it took us about an hour to find our way back -- like I said, Ed was a unique individual, and God was using Ed to lead me away from my comfort zone and to lead me home to Him -- you have to leave home in order to find home
-- what God was doing in my life and in the Apostle Paul's life is no different than what He's doing in your life -- God is going to use something or somebody to get your attention so that you will come to Him in true faith -- trusting in Him and not in any false security you might have gotten just because you grew up in church
-- the thing about God is that He's persistent -- God will keep increasing the pressure in your life until you finally either come to Him or completely turn away -- look down at verse 4
3. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5. "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied.
6. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
7. The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.
8. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.
9. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
-- when Saul did not respond positively to the presence of the Christians in his life, God pulled out all the stops -- Jesus Himself appeared before Saul on the road to Damascus -- and the moment He did, Saul became literally blinded by the light -- he fell to his knees -- and, in the blink of an eye, all of Paul's world -- Paul's beliefs about who he was and what he was doing -- Paul's home -- was shattered
-- in the church, we call that being broken -- and sometimes, God has to break you in order to remake you into a new creation -- if you don't respond to God's call -- to the people and places and events that He's putting in your life to get your attention -- then He will break you -- as I said, you have to leave home in order to find home
V. Treasure in Clay Vessels
-- let me show you what I mean by using this clay pot as an example -- a lot of us are like this clay pot -- we're safe and secure with who we are and with where we are and with what we believe -- it's almost like we're in this little cocoon of safety [drop pot into pillow case] -- and nothing can touch us there
-- but, God's not going to leave us like that -- so slowly, He starts adding a little disturbance to us -- a person here who grates on our nerves -- a teaching that questions our belief -- an evangelist whose message speaks to our heart -- through it all, God is trying to get us to come out of the pillowcase -- to come to Him -- to leave home in order to find it
-- but, if we don't respond, then God adds more pressure -- more trials -- more tribulations -- more challenges to our faith and our security and our comfort -- until, finally, He breaks us just like He broke the Apostle Paul [break pot]
-- but God does that for a reason -- He does it so that we might come to Him in true faith and repentance -- He does it so that we might become His sons and daughters in Christ
-- He breaks us -- He breaks our world -- He breaks our home -- so that we might come home to Him
-- let me finish up with my story -- my friend Ed was a unique individual -- but he was also a Godly individual -- Ed knew Jesus -- and as I watched him over the course of that summer, I realized that Ed was on a different path
-- I watched him get up every morning at 5:30 to read his Bible -- I watched the way he served us in so many different ways in the house we were staying in -- the way he washed the dishes all the time -- the way he cooked more than his share -- it was always Ed who filled the truck with gas -- it was always Ed who made sure we had all our equipment every day
-- and I realized that Ed had something that I didn't have -- and even though we made fun of him driving off the road and getting lost in the trees that night, I came to realize that Ed wasn't lost -- I was the one who was lost
-- and it was at that point, on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, that God broke me -- it was at that point that God led me from what I thought was home and brought me to a new home with Him -- God shattered this clay pot, but He did it for a reason -- He did it so He could make me into this [take up the new pot] -- a bigger pot -- a better pot -- a pot that was home in Him
-- and that is exactly what He did with Saul on the road to Damascus, changing him from a murderous zealot into an apostle who was the greatest missionary of all time
-- what is the take-home message from today? -- you have to leave home in order to find home -- a lot of you may be like I was, safe and secure in the church -- in your family -- in your home -- but not safe and secure in God
-- you are not a Christian because you come to church -- you are not a Christian because you were raised in church -- you are not a Christian because your parents were Christians -- you are only a Christian when you personally ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior -- to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart
-- and I think the message from Scripture is clear -- God is not going to leave you where you are -- the Bible tells us that it is God's will that all men be saved -- God is going to do whatever He has to do to get your attention and to draw you home to Him -- even if that means sending you to an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with a guy as peculiar as Ed -- even if that means stopping you on the road to Damascus -- even if that means breaking you -- God will do whatever He has to to get your attention -- we call that "prevenient grace" -- the grace of God wooing us and calling us to Him
-- let me share with you one more example -- Eddie Rickenbacker was a famous pilot in WWII -- His B-17 bomber was shot down in the Pacific Ocean and he and his crew were forced to jump in a small life raft -- they didn't have any food and not much hope of rescue -- one day, they were sitting in the raft and having a worship service and a sea gull came along and landed on Eddie's head -- he reached up slowly, grabbed the bird, and killed it -- his crew ate the gull and used the guts for fish bait -- it kept them alive for 30 days until they were rescued by the Navy
-- Eddie said he knew that God sent that gull to them to save them -- but God didn't just use that gull for physical salvation -- he used to gull to reach the life of an unsaved member of the crew, James Whittaker -- it was seeing God so dramatically answer their prayers that led James Whittaker to give his life to Christ -- that gull was an example of God's prevenient grace in James Whittaker's life -- grace to keep him alive and grace to show him that what he needed most of all was a spiritual savior
-- you have to leave home in order to find home -- let me ask you a question, "have you ever left home?" -- have you ever made a personal decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? -- what are you putting your trust in? -- this church -- your parents -- your family -- your home?
-- right now, God's prevenient grace is calling each and every one of you -- some to salvation -- some to come back to the relationship that you once had with Him
-- maybe it's through the witness of a friend, like my friend Ed
-- maybe it's through hard times -- sickness in your family -- the death of a loved one -- maybe it's been a close call with death
-- maybe God is speaking to you in the midst of prosperity and happiness, letting you realize that you're putting your faith in money and things and security rather than in Him
-- maybe God is just tugging at your heart and telling you that something's wrong -- something's missing
-- regardless of what God may be telling you this morning, I would invite you to respond to God's word as you feel led -- and remember this -- you have to leave home in order to find home -- let us pray
29 October 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Acts 9
1. Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest
2. and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
3. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5. "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied.
6. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
7. The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.
8. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.
9. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10. In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered.
11. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
12. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."
13. "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.
14. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."
15. But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.
16. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."
17. Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
18. Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,
19. and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
-- you have to leave home in order to find home -- you have to leave home in order to find home -- now that's a statement that's true for all of us -- because in our lives we find out that if we remain at home -- safe and secure in who we are and in where we are and even in what we believe, we may find ourselves more lost than ever before
-- such was the case with the Apostle Paul in this passage -- when this passage opens up, we see the Apostle Paul -- still going by his given name of Saul -- as a confident young man -- safe and secure in who he was, where he was, and in what he believed -- he was a Hebrew among Hebrew -- a Pharisee among Pharisees -- of the Tribe of Benjamin -- circumcised on the eighth day -- zealous for the Lord
-- in our day, we use the term "yuppie" to describe a person who is a young, urban professional -- someone who is up and coming in their world -- and that is exactly what Saul was -- he was an up and coming leader in the synagogue -- a rising star -- a bright pupil who was taught at the feet of Gamaliel -- he knew the law and was extremely zealous for the law
-- he knew who he was -- he knew what he wanted to be -- and he knew what was needed to be done to get there -- and that was who the Apostle Paul was -- he was very secure in his position -- he was the golden boy of the temple and the synagogue -- he was expected to take over the reins of leadership -- and that's the way things were going in his life -- he was safe and secure at home -- he was at home in the temple -- he was at home in the synagogue -- and he was at home with who he was and where he was going
II. My Story
-- you know, in many ways in my own life, I was similar to the Apostle Paul -- I grew up going to a small Methodist church in Adel -- our church was on a part-time charge, so we only had church every other Sunday -- second and fourth Sundays
-- missing church every other week kind of gets you out of a rhythm in going -- so, while I say I grew up in the church, we missed quite a few Sundays here and there -- we would sometimes go months between services -- but I did go enough to get a good foundation in Sunday School of what the Bible said -- of who God was -- and I learned who Jesus was
-- I was safe and secure in that church -- it was home -- I grew up in the Sunday School -- we were well-liked by the people there -- my parents were respected in the community
-- when I was 12 years old, I asked my preacher to baptize me -- not because of any personal decision that I had made -- not because of any faith I was professing -- it was simply because it was expected in my home church -- when you were around the age of 12, you were expected to be baptized and join the church -- my sister, even though she was 1-1/2 years younger, had already been baptized -- and it was time for me to do so -- so I went down and joined the church, and I was welcomed in with gladness -- I was hugged and loved and I felt more at home than at any point in my life up to that time because I was safe and secure in who I was and what I was doing
-- but God isn't happy with faith like that -- or even with faith like Saul -- I was safe and secure from all alarms -- not because of Jesus, but because I was at home -- and that is the situation that we find the Apostle Paul in this passage -- safe and secure from all alarms simply because he was at home and had fulfilled -- and even exceeded -- all the expectations of his elders in the church
-- but God is not going to leave you in that situation if you are not truly saved -- He will do whatever He has to to get your attention -- He is going to draw you away from home -- away from your comfort zone -- away from your false security -- so you can put real faith in Him -- and He will use whatever He has to to get your attention -- people -- places -- events -- trials -- tribulations -- whatever it takes to get your focus off of home and onto Him -- that is why I say that you have to leave home in order to find home
III. At Home with Paul
-- well, in Paul's case, Paul's world was disturbed -- seems all of a sudden, in his idyllic setting in the temple and synagogue, this group of false believers had come in -- they were following this peasant rabbi, Jesus, who had claimed to be the Messiah -- and they were coming into the temple and defiling it with their presence -- they were disturbing the status quo -- they were disturbing Paul's home -- and Paul didn't like that
-- Paul knew that he had to do something about these followers of Jesus who called themselves, "The Way" -- He needed to purge them from the church in order to purify the church -- he needed to get rid of those who were different and who were causing a disturbance in his world -- and so that's what he did
-- there's a concept that we know of called "homeostasis" -- this term means that we like things to stay the same -- people don't like change -- and this is true even for dysfunctional systems as well -- we prefer to stay with what we know rather than allow change to come in, even if the change might be better
-- that is why we see a lot of abused wives staying in bad situations -- they prefer what they know over the uncertainty of change -- it's better to stay with what they know than to head into the unknown -- that's why a lot of churches won't grow -- they prefer themselves the way they are and won't make the changes to make themselves better -- you have to leave home in order to find home
-- so in this place in the book of Acts, we see Saul starting the persecution of Christians -- it started with the stoning of Stephen -- Saul may not have actually picked up a rock and thrown it, but he stood there approving it -- and he took it upon himself to purge the Jewish church of these people called, "The Way" -- of these Christians who followed Jesus
-- he became known for his brutal persecutions of Christians -- he so persecuted the church in Jerusalem that it scattered and disappeared for the most part -- there was no one left but a handful of elders -- and Paul found himself almost out of a job -- but he heard they were going to other cities and spreading their teaching there -- and so Paul decided to hit the road to put an end to this madness once and for all
-- look back at verse 1
1. Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest
2. and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
-- so Paul hit the road to Damascus to search out Christians -- God was using the presence of these Christians in Paul's life to get his attention -- to draw him away from home -- out of his comfort zone -- so Paul might find home
IV. Home on Ossabaw
-- in my life, Paul came in and used a coworker to draw me away from home -- when I graduated from college, I took my first wildlife job -- working with wildlife diseases on Ossabaw Island off the coast of Savannah -- and it was there that I first sensed God trying to get my attention -- He had drawn me away from home so I might find home -- and he put me on that island with a man who was, well, there's just no way around it, he was just strange -- his name is Ed, and he's one of my dearest friends, but Ed's one of those people that peculiar things just happen to -- let me show you what I mean
-- in the early 1980's there was a deer die-off in the Everglades as the result of some unusual flooding -- the deer had gathered on high spots in the swamp and were dying, and the state wanted to kill most of the survivors to prevent future die-offs -- but several animal right's groups got involved and sued the state and demanded the right to catch the deer and move them out of the swamp -- the state hired the Wildlife Disease Study to prove that the die-off was due to parasites and diseases and to show that moving them wouldn't stop the problem -- so, Ed and his team down there to check out the deer to see what was causing the die-off
-- the news media got involved, so the head of the Wildlife Disease Study flew down there to be interviewed -- they set up the interview on camera with Ed and his team working up the deer on this row of tables behind Dr. Hayes, kind of in the background of the shot -- while they were interviewing Dr. Hayes, Ed reached over to get something off the table, and accidentally knocked over the alcohol lamp
-- it spilled over the table and ignited the apron of the guy who was working next to Ed -- so once this guy realizes that he's on fire, he panics and starts running -- Ed grabs a towel and starts chasing him -- now, like Larry Munson says, get the picture -- here is the head of the Wildlife Disease Study being interviewed on camera, and behind him there's this guy on fire running back and forth with another guy chasing him with a towel -- well, Ed finally tackled the guy and put the fire out and he wasn't really hurt at all -- but it just goes to show you what kind of things happened when you were around Ed
-- I remember one time when I was working on Ossabaw Island with Ed -- we had been out working till early in the morning hours -- Ed offered to drive back and me and this other guy were kind of dozing off in the truck
-- well, at one point, I looked up and Ed was just driving along, weaving in and out of the trees -- I said, "Ed, where's the road?" -- and we got to looking, and Ed had driven off the road and was just wandering through the woods -- it took us about an hour to find our way back -- like I said, Ed was a unique individual, and God was using Ed to lead me away from my comfort zone and to lead me home to Him -- you have to leave home in order to find home
-- what God was doing in my life and in the Apostle Paul's life is no different than what He's doing in your life -- God is going to use something or somebody to get your attention so that you will come to Him in true faith -- trusting in Him and not in any false security you might have gotten just because you grew up in church
-- the thing about God is that He's persistent -- God will keep increasing the pressure in your life until you finally either come to Him or completely turn away -- look down at verse 4
3. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5. "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied.
6. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
7. The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.
8. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.
9. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
-- when Saul did not respond positively to the presence of the Christians in his life, God pulled out all the stops -- Jesus Himself appeared before Saul on the road to Damascus -- and the moment He did, Saul became literally blinded by the light -- he fell to his knees -- and, in the blink of an eye, all of Paul's world -- Paul's beliefs about who he was and what he was doing -- Paul's home -- was shattered
-- in the church, we call that being broken -- and sometimes, God has to break you in order to remake you into a new creation -- if you don't respond to God's call -- to the people and places and events that He's putting in your life to get your attention -- then He will break you -- as I said, you have to leave home in order to find home
V. Treasure in Clay Vessels
-- let me show you what I mean by using this clay pot as an example -- a lot of us are like this clay pot -- we're safe and secure with who we are and with where we are and with what we believe -- it's almost like we're in this little cocoon of safety [drop pot into pillow case] -- and nothing can touch us there
-- but, God's not going to leave us like that -- so slowly, He starts adding a little disturbance to us -- a person here who grates on our nerves -- a teaching that questions our belief -- an evangelist whose message speaks to our heart -- through it all, God is trying to get us to come out of the pillowcase -- to come to Him -- to leave home in order to find it
-- but, if we don't respond, then God adds more pressure -- more trials -- more tribulations -- more challenges to our faith and our security and our comfort -- until, finally, He breaks us just like He broke the Apostle Paul [break pot]
-- but God does that for a reason -- He does it so that we might come to Him in true faith and repentance -- He does it so that we might become His sons and daughters in Christ
-- He breaks us -- He breaks our world -- He breaks our home -- so that we might come home to Him
-- let me finish up with my story -- my friend Ed was a unique individual -- but he was also a Godly individual -- Ed knew Jesus -- and as I watched him over the course of that summer, I realized that Ed was on a different path
-- I watched him get up every morning at 5:30 to read his Bible -- I watched the way he served us in so many different ways in the house we were staying in -- the way he washed the dishes all the time -- the way he cooked more than his share -- it was always Ed who filled the truck with gas -- it was always Ed who made sure we had all our equipment every day
-- and I realized that Ed had something that I didn't have -- and even though we made fun of him driving off the road and getting lost in the trees that night, I came to realize that Ed wasn't lost -- I was the one who was lost
-- and it was at that point, on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, that God broke me -- it was at that point that God led me from what I thought was home and brought me to a new home with Him -- God shattered this clay pot, but He did it for a reason -- He did it so He could make me into this [take up the new pot] -- a bigger pot -- a better pot -- a pot that was home in Him
-- and that is exactly what He did with Saul on the road to Damascus, changing him from a murderous zealot into an apostle who was the greatest missionary of all time
-- what is the take-home message from today? -- you have to leave home in order to find home -- a lot of you may be like I was, safe and secure in the church -- in your family -- in your home -- but not safe and secure in God
-- you are not a Christian because you come to church -- you are not a Christian because you were raised in church -- you are not a Christian because your parents were Christians -- you are only a Christian when you personally ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior -- to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart
-- and I think the message from Scripture is clear -- God is not going to leave you where you are -- the Bible tells us that it is God's will that all men be saved -- God is going to do whatever He has to do to get your attention and to draw you home to Him -- even if that means sending you to an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with a guy as peculiar as Ed -- even if that means stopping you on the road to Damascus -- even if that means breaking you -- God will do whatever He has to to get your attention -- we call that "prevenient grace" -- the grace of God wooing us and calling us to Him
-- let me share with you one more example -- Eddie Rickenbacker was a famous pilot in WWII -- His B-17 bomber was shot down in the Pacific Ocean and he and his crew were forced to jump in a small life raft -- they didn't have any food and not much hope of rescue -- one day, they were sitting in the raft and having a worship service and a sea gull came along and landed on Eddie's head -- he reached up slowly, grabbed the bird, and killed it -- his crew ate the gull and used the guts for fish bait -- it kept them alive for 30 days until they were rescued by the Navy
-- Eddie said he knew that God sent that gull to them to save them -- but God didn't just use that gull for physical salvation -- he used to gull to reach the life of an unsaved member of the crew, James Whittaker -- it was seeing God so dramatically answer their prayers that led James Whittaker to give his life to Christ -- that gull was an example of God's prevenient grace in James Whittaker's life -- grace to keep him alive and grace to show him that what he needed most of all was a spiritual savior
-- you have to leave home in order to find home -- let me ask you a question, "have you ever left home?" -- have you ever made a personal decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? -- what are you putting your trust in? -- this church -- your parents -- your family -- your home?
-- right now, God's prevenient grace is calling each and every one of you -- some to salvation -- some to come back to the relationship that you once had with Him
-- maybe it's through the witness of a friend, like my friend Ed
-- maybe it's through hard times -- sickness in your family -- the death of a loved one -- maybe it's been a close call with death
-- maybe God is speaking to you in the midst of prosperity and happiness, letting you realize that you're putting your faith in money and things and security rather than in Him
-- maybe God is just tugging at your heart and telling you that something's wrong -- something's missing
-- regardless of what God may be telling you this morning, I would invite you to respond to God's word as you feel led -- and remember this -- you have to leave home in order to find home -- 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
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
HOT NEW CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA!!!
The best selling book is now an
at-home experience like no other!
“Your Best Life Now” by Joel Osteen has sold over 3 million copies and has been on the New York Times and Publisher’s Weekly Best Seller list for over 50 consecutive weeks. The game enables players to step beyond the one-on-one nature of the book and feel, touch, and live Joel’s 7 Steps To Living At Your Full Potential with your friends and family. Your Best Life Now: The Game is an entertaining and educational way to take inventory of yourself and accountability of your actions. Climb the mountain as you
• Enlarge Your Vision
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• Live To Give
And • Choose to Be Happy
Each new plateau represents a challenge and a chance to open up and experience these steps first hand as you learn to live Your Best Life Now.
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On the off-chance you want to beat the crowd to this item sure to be on everyone's wish list, check here.
I wish this was a joke, but I'm afraid it's not. What's next? A video game where you have to get Joseph and Mary to Jerusalem while outwitting Satan's minions? How about, "Beatitudes -- The Game?"
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