SERMON: THE END IS NEAR?

22 April 2018

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Matthew 24:3-8

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

            -- I heard about these two men who were standing on the side of a road not far from here holding up a sign that said, “The end is near” --as they were standing there, a car came flying down the road -- the two men waved at the driver and raised their sign up and down to make sure he saw it

            -- when the driver saw them, he honked his horn and put his fist in the air and yelled out to them, “You crazy religious nuts!  Get out of here -- no one wants to hear your stupid stuff!” -- and he sped up and kept going down the road

            -- All of a sudden, the men heard tires squealing and the sound of a large splash -- they looked at each other and one of the men said, “I told you we should have just written ‘Stop! The Bridge is Out!’”

            -- in case you have missed the news, it has been reported recently that Christian numerologist David Meade predicted the rapture of Christians will occur tomorrow, April 23rd, 2018¹ -- in light of the media reports, Meade issued a statement saying that, contrary to news reports, he had not predicted an exact date, but that the rapture would occur sometime between May and December, ushering in the seven years of tribulation and the 1,000 year reign of Christ²

            -- Meade is basing his predictions on the alignment of the sun, moon, and Jupiter within the constellation Virgo -- this alignment, Meade asserts, is what is described in Revelation 12:1-2 when it says, “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and crying out in the pain and agony of giving birth.”³

            -- this isn’t the first time we’ve heard specific predictions as to when the Rapture or the end of the world would occur -- back in 2011, mainstream media covered the claims of Harold Camping that the Rapture would occur on May 21st, 2011, with the world coming to an end five months later on October 21st, 2011

            -- throughout history, others have made similar predictions, announcing their dates for either the Rapture, the return of Christ, or the end of the world -- but, all of these have proven to be wrong

            -- just like them, we know that Harold Camping was wrong since 2011 has come and gone and the world is still here and is still filled with Christians -- so, I think it’s safe to assume that David Meade is probably wrong in his predictions, too, and the rapture is not going to happen tomorrow -- nor is the world going to end before December 31st

            -- while most Christian groups don’t agree with David Meade or Harold Camping or any of the others who predict the end of the world on a specific day, it has become common for the media and the world to use these predictions as opportunities to ridicule and mock Christians as a group -- when tomorrow comes and goes without anything happening, you’ll see news story after news story about it and Christians are going to be the focus of jokes from late night entertainers

            -- one good thing about predictions like this, though, and the media coverage that follows is that it generates conversation and discussion -- I know we’ve talked about this in my office -- and, you may have had discussions with friends or family who have heard about Meade’s prediction and want to know what you think

            -- so, to help you in your discussions, I wanted to spend some time this morning discussing eschatology -- the theological word for the study of the end of the world or end times theology

            -- now, as we go through this today, I want you to keep in mind that there is probably no area in the church where you are going to find greater arguments or differences of opinion than on end times theology -- you need to know that understandings and beliefs about the end times vary greatly depending on the church and the denomination and the individual

            -- some people regard the end times prophecies in the Bible as merely symbolic and do not believe that the world will come to a cataclysmic end with Christ’s return -- others believe in the return of Christ but not in the descriptions of tribulation that follow -- while others believe in a literal understanding of all of these prophecies, including those found in the Book of Revelation

            -- my recommendation to you is to dig into the scriptures on your own -- look up what the various scholars have said about the end times -- and come to your own understanding of what you think the Bible is saying based on your study and insights from the Holy Spirit -- don’t just accept what I say or this church says or any denomination says -- be a good Berean and study the scriptures yourself

            -- eschatology is one of those areas that it’s okay to agree to disagree about -- there are doctrines in the church that we consider essential -- that you must hold to in order to fit the definition of a Christian -- the atoning death of Christ on the cross as the propitiation for our sins -- Jesus’ resurrection and ascension -- salvation by grace through faith alone -- those are essentials

            -- eschatology is not -- believing in the imminent return of Christ is not a criteria of salvation -- believing or not believing in the rapture is not a criteria of salvation -- salvation comes through putting your faith in the atoning death of Jesus on the cross and believing in the resurrection and the promise of eternal life that Jesus offers

            -- let me go ahead and tell you up front which camp I belong to -- I tend to take a literal understanding of the Scriptures unless the meaning is clearly symbolic -- in school, I learned the principle of Occam’s Razor, which states, “the simplest explanation is most likely the correct one” -- and this is what I apply to Scripture and Bible study

            -- I believe in a literal understanding of end times theology -- including the rapture, the Tribulation Period, the second coming of Christ followed by the millennial kingdom when Christ rules for 1,000 years, and then the final judgment and the creation of a new heaven and a new earth -- this would be considered a very conservative view and very similar to the teachings of Tim LaHaye, one of the authors of the Left Behind series

           

            -- so let’s look back at this passage in Matthew and see what we can learn about the end times from Jesus

II.  Olivet Discourse

            -- before we begin, let me give you a little background on this passage -- Matthew Chapter 24 is called “The Olivet Discourse” -- which is just a fancy way of saying that Jesus gave this message on the Mount of Olives -- “Olivet” -- to His disciples

            -- The Olivet Discourse is Jesus’ message about the end times -- both the end of the nation of Israel and the end of the world in general -- it is found in all three synoptic gospels -- Matthew, Mark, and Luke -- but Matthew has the greatest amount of material on this discourse

            -- look at verse 3

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

            -- this message by Jesus comes in response to the same questions that drove David Meade to make his prediction -- when will the world end? -- when will Jesus come back?

            -- right now, the world seems to be focused on these types of issues -- with the tremendous natural disasters that we have seen over the last decade -- tsunamis -- earthquakes -- floods -- hurricanes -- famine -- wildfires -- volcanoes -- people are asking if global warming is real -- if we’re starting to see the beginning of the end of our environment and our way of life

            -- and, when you add in the concerns about the Trump presidency -- the issues with Russia and China and North Korea -- war in Syria and Afghanistan and Iraq -- the concerns about the stock market and lots of people predicting a stock market crash any day -- people are worried -- they’re talking about how bad things are and they’re saying, “What’s going to happen? -- Is the world ending in our lifetimes? -- When will it end?”         

            -- these kind of questions were on the disciples minds -- they worried about the future --  so they came up to Jesus and asked, “When is this going to happen? -- when is the world going to end?”

            -- let’s look at Jesus’ response

            -- verse 4-8

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

            -- basically, what Jesus is telling His disciples here is “Don’t worry” -- He is saying, “Don’t get all caught up in worrying about when the end is going to come or how it’s going to happen” -- don’t think that just because you see natural disasters or wars or famines that it means that the end has come

            -- all of these things have happened throughout human history -- we’ve always had wars and rumors of wars -- we’ve always had earthquakes and natural disasters -- we’ve always had false messiahs and false religions -- Jesus says, “This is not cause for concern for those who know Me -- these things will always happen -- it’s not a reason to panic”

            -- but, He tells us in verse 8, that these things are the beginning of the birth pains -- or, as the KJV puts it, the beginning of sorrows

            -- I think it’s interesting that the NIV uses the term “birth pains” -- because this leads to an interesting interpretation and translation from the Greek -- assuming the NIV translators got this right, the idea of birth pains leads us to an interesting analogy -- or possibly, allegory

            -- first, when you have a birth, that means a child is coming -- so, in this case, who is it that is coming? -- we would have to say that Jesus was talking about Himself and His second coming

            -- secondly, what happens when a woman goes into labor? -- she begins by having contractions and pain that comes minutes or hours apart -- and then, as the time grows near, these contractions get closer and closer together until finally she gives birth

            -- assuming that Jesus is making this same point about the false messiahs and wars and natural disasters, we can say that as the end of the age draws near, that we should see these things occurring more and more often and closer together than ever before

            -- skip down to verse 32-36

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

            -- now, contrary to what was originally published as David Meade’s prediction of the rapture on April 23, we don’t know the exact day or hour when Jesus will come back -- we don’t know when the rapture will occur or when the end of the age will come -- but, according to Jesus, we can know when it is close at hand

            -- Jesus uses the example of the fig tree to make the point that His followers should know when the times are getting close -- think about it -- we can tell when it’s about to be spring and summer, can’t we? -- we start seeing the trees get their leaves -- we start seeing the birds migrate back through -- the temperatures start rising -- we know when the season is near at hand

            -- Jesus says we’ll know the same thing about the end of the age -- when we start to see all of these things that He has been talking about coming to pass more and more often we should recognize that the season of the end of the age is near -- that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen today or tomorrow -- it could -- but it could also happen 100 or 500 years from now -- near doesn’t mean immediate -- it means close

            -- one other thing about Jesus’ use of the fig tree in His example -- in the Bible, the fig tree sometimes represents the nation of Israel -- so, Jesus could be saying here that when we see the nation of Israel restored -- when we see the Jews come back into their homeland again -- that it means that the end is near

            -- 40 years after Jesus was crucified, in 70 AD, the nation of Israel was totally destroyed and the temple was torn down -- for 2000 years, there was no nation of Israel and the Jews were dispersed throughout the world, living in other countries -- but, on May 14th, 1948, the Jews came home and the modern nation of Israel was recognized -- is this what Jesus is talking about in His example of the fig tree? -- that’s quite likely -- and this may be yet another sign that the end of the age is near

            -- one thing that we need to keep in mind that Harold Camping forgot was verse 36 -- "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,  but only the Father.” -- we can’t predict the day or the hour that Jesus will come back -- it’s not for us to do that -- only the Father knows the exact time that this will happen

            -- we can know the season -- we can recognize the signs of the birth pains -- but the actual date and hour is not ours to know

            -- verse 37-44

37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

            -- Jesus it makes clear here -- when the end of the world does come -- when Jesus does return -- the world is not going to be expecting Him -- it won’t be like this weekend when all of the media’s attention is on the prediction by David Meade that the rapture is going to happen on Monday or, at the latest, sometime between now and December

            -- Jesus’ followers will know the time is at hand just as Noah knew the flood was coming -- Noah didn’t know the exact day or hour when the rain would start falling and we don’t know the exact day or hour when Jesus will come -- but we’ll know it’s soon because we’ll see prophecy fulfilling before our eyes -- we’ll know the season is at hand -- however, the rest of the world will be clueless because they have chosen to turn away from the knowledge of the truth

            -- that’s the reason Jesus tells us that when He does come back, one will be taken and the other left -- one will go to heaven to be with Jesus and the other left behind

            -- the important thing to note here is that Jesus is definitely coming back -- Even though we can assume Meade got the date wrong, it doesn’t change the fact that Jesus is still coming back -- He tells us so right here in verse 42 and again in verse 44 -- that is a promise from God -- and we have to believe and trust in it and expect it to come to pass just as He said

III.  Closing -- What Now?

            -- so, what now? -- what should we do as Christians and believers in anticipation of the second coming of Christ? -- Jesus tells us right here in this passage

            -- Jesus gives us the command to keep watch and be ready -- to watch and be ready means several different things

            -- this means that we truly become disciples of Christ in our daily lives -- we live for Jesus everyday and not just on Sundays -- when we sin, we confess our sins and thank God for His forgiveness -- we maintain our relationship with Him by reading our Bibles and praying and worshiping Him every day

            -- this also means that we are ready to share with others the hope that we have in Jesus and in His death and resurrection -- one good thing about Camping’s prediction is that people are talking about Jesus in the media and at the water cooler and in school -- we have an open door to share with people about Jesus and about our faith

            -- we should use this opportunity to share with them the good news of salvation and let them know that they won’t have to worry about the end of the world if they would turn to Jesus in faith for the forgiveness of their sins -- it gives us the opportunity to let them know that through Jesus they would come to know a peace and a joy that surpasses all understanding and that removes all fear from their lives -- even the fear of the world coming to an end

            -- Jesus goes on in this passage to talk about the faithful and wise servant who does what his Master has told him to do -- it is our calling as Christians to go and make disciples of the whole world, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit -- and teaching them to obey everything that Jesus has commanded

            -- this is what a faithful and wise servant does -- and this is how we should occupy our time and bring glory out of predictions from people like David Meade and Harold Camping

            -- so, let’s sum this up -- the message of this entire Olivet Discourse from Jesus is that, yes, the end of the age is coming -- it is ever closer -- and we will know the time when it is near based on the events around us

            -- but, our focus shouldn’t be on the end -- our focus should be on our mission and our lives as Christ-followers -- we should concentrate our efforts on being ready -- both personally -- living lives of holiness and righteousness every day -- and missionally -- sharing the gospel of Christ with those around us so that they, too, might come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ

            -- as we close in prayer today, I want to encourage you to take a moment and consider where you are with Jesus and make whatever changes you need to in order to restore and continue your relationship with Him -- and I want to encourage you to commit to sharing the good news of Jesus with those around you -- so that it won’t be your friends and your family who get left behind when the end does come

            -- let us pray

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1 Elizabeth Lorente, “April 23 is the Latest Kooky Prediction for the Rapture” https://nypost.com/2018/04/19/april-23-is-the-latest-kooky-prediction-for-the-rapture/

2 “No, the World will not end on Monday,” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/19/david-meade-end-of-world-predictions-rapture

3 Sofia Petgar, “The End is Now?”, https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/6034240/end-of-the-world-april-23-world-war-3-david-meade-rapture/

Finding Faith

For some time now, I have been involved with a three-day spiritual retreat program for youth called Chrysalis.  It is modeled after the adult Walk to Emmaus and Tres Dios programs.  It is designed as a short-course in Christianity for youth, a moment in time when they can withdraw from the world, withdraw from their smartphones and social media and other entertainment, to enter a place where they can hear the voice of God calling to them in a quiet whisper all too easily drowned out in our chaotic world. A weekend that will hopefully help them grow in their faith as they finish high school and college and begin adult life on their own.

This is a remarkable program offered during a pivotal moment in their lives, and I can’t tell you how much joy I have received from these young men and women as I have watched God move in their lives over the course of these three days, reaching them and touching them through His Spirit.  While this is not designed as an evangelical weekend, we still see many of these young people profess faith in Christ or recommit their lives to Him during this time apart from the world. 

Without fail, at the close of this weekend, we hear these young men and women speak of how they are going to take their experiences with God and go forth to do great things for Him.  Of how they are going to change the world by starting in their homes and their schools and their churches.  And, without fail, I pray that this does indeed happen.

Unfortunately, we all know the statistics.  A very high percentage of church-going teens will abandon the church when they enter college and adult life.  For those active in church at the start of their college careers, at least one-third will have left the church before they graduate.  These statistics have been the bane of the youth pastor and the source of heartache for parents from time immortal.

The reasons for this exodus are varied and well documented, ranging from the influence of unbelieving college professors and peers to a shifting of social gatherings from church youth groups to other secular entertainment venues.  It is hard to point to just one thing that might be leading these young people to leave the church and their faith behind, but I want to offer up a possible suggestion from Scripture:

“The people served the Lord while those who had seen the great things the Lord had done still lived...After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel.  Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals.  They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt.” -- Judges 2:7, 10-12a

After Joshua led the people of Israel into the Promised Land and settled them there through God’s power, he and the rest of his generation passed away.  These were the people of faith in this community -- the men and women who were eyewitnesses to some of the greatest workings of power from God on behalf of His people.  During this time, the people watched manna fall from the sky, water come from a rock, and the Jordan River pile up and stop flowing to allow the nation to cross on dry land.  The people watched as God led them to victory after victory against the Canaanites and the other inhabitants in the land.  They were the heirs to God’s power in their lives.

But, unfortunately, despite all they had seen and experienced, they failed to pass on their faith to the next generation.  This generation grew up without knowing the Lord nor what He had done for Israel.  And this lack of knowledge -- this lack of faith -- led them into idolatry and sin.  As it is written in the Book of Judges, “the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.”

The thing to remember is that this generation grew up with the religious practices of their elders.  They watched as their fathers and mothers worshiped God in the Tabernacle.  They participated in the annual feasts.  They offered up the sacrifices with their families.  But, they weren’t really incorporated into the ways of God or the reasons why these things were done.  They are like those the Apostle Paul described in 2 Timothy 3:5 as “having a form of godliness but denying its power,” as those who are religious and go through the practices of religion, but do not have a true, saving faith.

I believe this is the root cause of the exodus of our young men and women from the church as they enter adulthood.  We have failed to truly raise them up in the faith and knowledge of our Lord and Savior.  Instead, we have separated them into special groups based on their age and isolated them from the rest of the church.  When the music began to change and contemporary music became more popular, rather than integrating this into our services, we created separate services.  We have failed in our calling to disciple our children and raise them in the faith.  We have given them just enough religion to inoculate them for a time and to give them a form of godliness without a real understanding or knowledge of who God is and what He has done for them.

To answer this, we must begin to intentionally disciple and mentor these young men and women.  To not separate them from the larger community of faith but to integrate them into the community, to teach them to obey everything God has commanded, and to demonstrate for them what Christians look like and act like as adults.  We must challenge them in their faith, and encourage them to question and to test the confines of religion as children and young teens within the sanctuary of our churches and faith communities, rather than letting them wait until they are isolated away from the church on college campuses or in other adult environments. 

Faith that is not tested is not true.  Faith that is not tested will not stand against the schemes of the devil nor the lures of this world.  We must allow our youth to test their faith and confirm what they believe before they head off into the world.

"Faith that is going to be trusted is going to be tested."  Leonard Ravenhill

I think Steven Furtick, the lead pastor of Elevation Church, got it right in his book, “Greater,” when he wrote:

“For each of us there comes a time when we can’t just live out of the abundance of faith instilled in the great men and women who have gone before us.  We have to walk in faith for ourselves.  We have our own work.  We have our own gifts.  We have our own step of faith to take.”

Three-day spiritual retreats like Chrysalis are wonderful movements and times for youth to connect with God.  But, they cannot replace a lifetime of discipleship by parents and adults in a church or community of faith setting.  We need to be intentionally building in the lives of our young people if we want to avoid the fate of the nation of Israel described in the Book of Judges.

SERMON: IN THE MIDDLE OF A MIRACLE

15 April 2018

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Mark 9:14-27

14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

            -- several years ago, I had to go to a conference for my job -- when I got on the plane in Valdosta, there was a raging thunderstorm -- lightning was crackling all around as we ran to get on the plane -- rain was hitting the side windows -- it almost sounded like hail -- I was surprised that they even let the plane take off

            -- and once we were in the air, it got even worse -- the turbulence was the worst I had ever experienced -- the plane was just shaking and jumping and bouncing -- and, I’m not that comfortable flying on a good day -- and here I was, in the middle of a storm and lurching around and, frankly, I was worried for my life

            -- the pilot took the plane steadily up and up and up, which wasn’t normal for the flight from Valdosta to Atlanta -- usually, we would stay pretty low and you could look around as you flew -- but, today, he took an upward track and we just kept going up and up -- finally, we broke through the clouds and emerged in the middle of blue sky -- the sun was shining -- there was no rain -- no storm

            -- I looked below me and I could see the dark thunderclouds underneath the plane -- but, where we were, it was smooth and sunny

            -- I learned a lesson that day -- even though you may be experiencing storms in your life -- even though you may be in a frightful position and you don’t know how you’re going to survive -- there is sunshine and blue skies just on the other side

            -- this morning, I wanted us to look at a passage from the Book of Mark -- it’s a familiar passage to us -- the healing of a boy with an evil spirit -- it happens right after the Transfiguration -- when Jesus went up on the mountainside with James, John, and Peter and was transfigured before them and spoke with Elijah and Moses

            -- now one thing we have to be careful of when we read or hear familiar passages like this is jumping too far ahead -- that’s a problem when you know the rest of the story -- but, I want you to put yourself in this story and not jump ahead to the end, because there’s a lesson there for us today about storm clouds and sunshine

II.  The Middle of a Miracle

            -- if you would, look back with me at verse 14-22

14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

            -- when Jesus and His disciples made it back to where the other disciples were waiting for them, they found a huge crowd gathered there and an argument going on between the disciples and the teachers of the law

            -- a man was in the midst of a major crisis -- he was in middle of a storm -- and he didn’t know what to do -- his son was possessed by an evil spirit which caused him to have seizures and put him into danger -- even throwing him into fire or water to kill him -- this had been going on his whole life

            -- the father had obviously heard of Jesus and of the miracles that happened when Jesus was around, so he had asked the disciples if they could help -- if they could cast the demon out and heal his son -- and, to their credit, even though Jesus wasn’t there, the disciples tried to help -- but were unable to drive the spirit out

            -- their failure was an opportunity for the teachers of the law to criticize and complain yet again -- we read in the gospels that the teachers of the law had been critical of Jesus and His disciples -- they had said that His actions were not done in accordance with the law of Moses -- and they evidently jumped on the failure of the disciples to cast out the demon as a way to make their point once again

            -- this argument that Jesus walked up on shows us that when we have a problem -- when we are in the midst of a storm -- some people will use this opportunity to criticize and to divide and to create discord -- some people just want to cause drama anytime they get the opportunity

            -- just think about Job’s experience from the Old Testament -- when God allowed Satan to afflict Job as a means of testing Job, Job’s three friends came to meet with him, and all they did was criticize him and accuse him of being a sinner, and they didn’t offer any true help or support in the midst of Job’s need

            -- that’s what we’re seeing here in the start of this story -- and that’s what a lot of us experience when we’re in the midst of a storm -- people like to offer unconstructive criticism -- they like to tell us what to do -- they like to make us think we’re the problem and the source of all our woes -- they like to cast blame -- but, rarely, do they actually do anything to truly help

            -- but, that’s not the main point I want you to see -- look at the father in this passage -- listen to his words -- feel his hurt and his pain -- here was his son in constant agony -- possessed by an unclean spirit -- put in danger time and time again -- and it seems like no one can help -- all they want to do is complain and argue and fight

            -- this man’s hope just got dashed yet once again -- the storm clouds have intensified around him and his son -- once again, what little hope he had of seeing his son healed was gone --- and it seems like no one really cares -- all they’re doing now is standing around arguing with each other over who is right while his son still suffers

            -- that’s the way it feels when you’re in the midst of a storm -- when you’re in the midst of a storm, you feel alone -- when you are in the midst of a storm -- when you’re facing trials and tribulations that just seem unbearable -- it’s hard to believe you’re ever going to find your way out again -- that you’ll ever see the sun shine again

            -- we all face storms like this in our lives -- they take many forms -- wayward children -- spiritual problems -- habitual sin -- financial problems -- fear, anxiety, and worry about the future -- sickness -- even the death of a loved one

            -- when you’re in the storm, that’s all you can see -- the storm can make you lose hope -- the storm can make you think things are never going to be right again -- but, the truth of the situation is that you might be in the middle of a miracle and not even know it

            -- think for a moment about the story of the prodigal son -- when this story is preached, it usually takes one of three approaches:

            1.  The story of a son who hits rock bottom, realizes his sin, repents of his sin, and returns to a father who loves him more than he ever thought imaginable

            2.  The story of an older brother who, although he has been obedient and never left, bears a hard heart and who believes he must earn the father’s love through works and cannot accept one who comes solely on the basis of grace

            3.  The loving father who shows extravagant mercy and grace to his prodigal son when he finally returns

            -- but, have you ever considered reading the story of the prodigal from the point of view of the father in the middle of this episode? -- think about what he is going through

            -- his son has rejected him and all his teachings -- his son has left him and gone off and abandoned his home, his family, his traditions, and his religion -- and he doesn’t know where his son is

            -- he only knows his son is harming himself physically and spiritually -- he worries about his son -- he probably prays for him daily -- and every day, he probably sits out front of his home and hopes to see his son come walking back up the drive again -- but, day after day, the road remains empty and his son isn’t home

            -- but, you see, we know the rest of the story -- we know what’s going to happen in the end -- the father thinks he is in a never-ending storm of woe -- but, he’s actually in the middle of a miracle and he just doesn’t know it

            -- he looks around and all he can see are storm clouds -- he doesn’t know if his son will ever return -- he doesn’t know if his son is going to survive -- he doesn’t know if he will ever see his son again -- scripture says to train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he shall not depart from it -- the father has done that, but his son departed none-the-less -- will he ever come back?

            -- the father of the prodigal faces a daily crisis of belief -- the storm of his wayward son has caused him to doubt in whether the Lord can -- or will -- do anything to bring his son home

            -- that’s the same place the father of this demon-possessed boy is at in this story from Mark -- he can see the storm, and nothing more -- he has lost all hope -- all faith -- all belief -- in a God who can and will heal -- and, all he has left is doubt, despair, and agony

            -- that’s why he cries out here in verse 22 to Jesus -- “IF” -- “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help” -- the storm has taken away his faith and trust -- and he just doesn’t dare to hope for help any longer

            -- that’s the way it is, isn’t it? -- when you are in the midst of a storm, it may look like nothing will ever get better again -- it may look like there’s no answer -- it may look like the worst has come to pass and there is no hope -- there is only hurt and pain and despair

            -- but, just like the father of the prodigal son -- and just like the father of this demon-possessed boy -- you may actually be in the middle of a miracle, but just not realize it because the storm has battered your faith and belief

            -- the thing we must remember when we are in the midst of storm is to not put a period where God is putting a comma -- every day is a new day of God’s grace -- the Bible says that God’s mercies are new every morning -- hope springs eternal when looked at through the lens of Jesus

            -- and, even though we many not realize it, God is there with us in the midst of the storm -- He promises to bring good out of everything, even if we can’t dare to believe it now -- when all we can see is the storm, we have to remember that a miracle may be waiting right on the other side of the clouds

            -- verse 23-27

23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

            -- the prodigal son was lost for years -- his father had all but given up hope, when God put the prodigal in a pig pen and led him to repent and to come home again

            -- this man’s son had suffered greatly for years at the hand of this unclean spirit, but God had orchestrated a meeting with Jesus that day -- and the spirit was driven out and healing came where hope had been lost

            -- we don’t know God’s plans for our lives or the lives of our loved ones -- we don’t know the extent of the storm -- but God’s word promises that He will bring good out of everything that comes into our lives and that He brings beauty out of our ashes

            -- this passage reminds me of the hit song by the band Journey where they sang, “Don’t stop believing...” -- that song should be our anthem as Christians

            -- even though the storm rages around us, don’t stop believing -- even though the pain won’t go away despite medicine or surgery, don’t stop believing -- even though our loved ones have strayed away and show no sign of coming home again, don’t stop believing -- you may be in the middle of a miracle, and not even know it

            -- when you’re in the midst of a storm, sometimes all you can do is keep looking down the road for a son who never appears -- sometimes all you can say is, “I believe, help my unbelief” while you watch your child write in pain -- but, know this: faith is built in times of trial and testing -- faith gets stronger when the winds of storms blow against us -- faith will see us through

            -- believing and not giving up in the midst of a storm tells Jesus that you trust Him, even if you still have doubts -- that you trust Him, even if you don’t understand why this is happening -- that you trust Him, even though you can’t see how this can possibly turn out for good

            -- remember that miracles only happen in response to the storms in our lives

            -- God did a miracle in the heart of the prodigal son, and he repented and returned when no one believed he would -- and God did a miracle in this man’s life, as Jesus drove the evil spirit out and healed this man’s son, even though he had little hope and faith left

III. Closing

            -- I heard a profound statement of truth this week that speaks to the truth of this passage -- you can only see the results of God’s hand on your life after the storm has passed, not when you are in the middle of it

            -- it is only after the storm is over -- when the miracle is realized -- that we can see how God was there the whole time

            -- I think most of you know that I am a fan of The Walking Dead -- I haven’t missed an episode from the very beginning, even though some episodes and some seasons were not as good or entertaining as others

            -- this season is certainly one of those -- it just hasn’t been a very good season from a viewer’s standpoint, and the ratings are the lowest the show has ever faced

            -- but, in the midst of this poor season, there was a nugget of sunshine that I received that I keep with me almost daily

            -- the good guys are in a battle against evil in this season of The Walking Dead -- but, they keep losing, time and time again -- they come up with a plan to get rid of the bad guys, but the bad guys are always one step ahead and the bad guys always come out on top

            -- the good guys are getting discouraged -- the people don’t want to go out and fight and lose again -- they’ve given up hope -- they’re resigned to their fate -- the storm is just too great

            -- but one character -- a man called King Ezekiel -- speaks to his people after they have lost yet another battle and are preparing to fight again the next day -- he speaks to them in the midst of their storm and fans into flame the spark of faith they had left -- let me share with you his speech as we close this message:

            -- “We face dire challenge and chance -- our lives -- our way of life -- it hangs in the balance -- we are a fragile glass, standing on a wire, high above the asphalt, as we pray for not one drop of rain, under an overcast sky -- and yet I smile
            -- “we will fight -- and we will bleed -- and yet I smile

            -- “we shall face men -- some cornered into their roles by circumstance -- some, desperate murderers thrilled by blood -- we shall end them all -- as is our charge this day -- as is our sorrow -- and, yet I smile

            -- “we shall leave our loved ones to traverse a dangerous road -- rushing out of peace into war -- and yet I smile

            -- “for we will mine glory from the rock of struggle this day -- we will honor and protect this bastion of life in the land of the dead -- and we will win

            -- “trust the king -- we will win

            -- “I smile -- and laugh -- and rejoice this day because from this day we are joined in purpose and vision -- we are of a singular heart and mind -- on this day, we are one -- and so I smile”

             

            -- I don’t know where you are in your life today -- you may think you are in the midst of storm -- you may be looking around and seeing nothing but dark clouds -- but, you may actually be in the middle of a miracle

            -- and, so, when you find yourself in the middle of a crisis -- when you find yourself doubting if good can every come again -- the message of this father is to not give up hope, but to smile and to trust and to believe -- because miracles only come after a trial -- and rainbows only come after a storm

            -- you may be in a storm, but your miracle may be just ahead -- don’t stop believing -- don’t stop trusting -- don’t stop smiling -- for your God is with you

            -- let us pray

DISCIPLINE EQUALS FREEDOM AND SUCCESS

Last week I failed.  And not a little failure, but a big failure.  With a capital “F.” 

You see, I stepped on the scale at the start of last week and found I had gained over 10 pounds.  Despite my New Year’s resolutions to the contrary, I had gained weight.  And, not just a little weight, but a lot of weight.  An entire pant-sized gain.  An extra notch on the belt gain.  An “I can see it in your face” gain.  And, I felt devastated.

For the past 10 years or so, I have been trying to improve my health and overall fitness.  My father had open heart surgery at 57, and both my parents have had knee replacement surgeries and other health maladies.  My goal was to reverse those trends in my own life, and to get back in some kind of shape other than round.

So, 10 years ago, I started on my fitness journey.  I began dieting and exercising and watching what I ate.  I was meticulous in record-keeping -- counting calories, logging exercise, looking for trends.  I tried to eat healthy food -- to avoid excess sugar and desserts and to get rid of the other unhealthy habits I had acquired.  And, I saw results.  Over the course of the last 10 years, I lost

almost 60 pounds, and have been able to maintain my weight fairly constant over the past 4 years.

But, according to the scales and according to the measurements of my doctor, I was still obese.  When I looked around at work, I was still the biggest guy there.  So, I decided it was time to drop some more weight.  To finally get close to my “ideal” weight in the charts on the wall at the doctor’s office.  I began watching my diet closer -- exercised more -- tried to stay active and increase activity to five days a week instead of just three.  But then Thanksgiving.  And I thought, one dessert won’t matter -- just one piece of pecan pie won’t hurt.  I have been maintaining my weight for over four years, so just a little indulgence here and there will be quickly resolved.

But Thanksgiving turned into Christmas and then into New Years, and the little indulgences didn’t stop.  Then I got sick -- first with a bad cold and then the flu, both of which hampered my ability to exercise and my desire to eat healthy.  Nothing helps a sickness like a heaping bowl of Kraft macaroni and cheese!  In February, I began pastoring a new church, who had a tradition of a Second Sunday covered dish dinner on the grounds, and I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by not eating their dishes, so I just poured on more homemade macaroni and cheese, pasta, rice, etc.  All of which resulted in the distressing results when I climbed on the scale last Monday morning.

It’s easy to point to why this happened -- too much macaroni and cheese!  But, if you were to sum this up in one word, it would be a lack of discipline.  A lack of consistently following my goals of fitness, diet, and exercise.  A lack of discipline resulted in a failure to meet my health goals, plain and simple.  The same can happen in our spiritual lives, too.

The Bible teaches the principle of spiritual discipline -- of faithfulness in our spiritual lives through participation in the means of grace, such as reading the Bible, prayer, worship, and ministry.  Being disciplined enables you to be consistent with your faith and in your relationship with God.  And, over time, this leads you to become more and more like Jesus in your mind, heart, and soul.

Paul told Timothy in 1 Tim 4:7b-8 -- “Train yourself to be godly -- for physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 

What does he mean by training yourself to be godly?  He means first defining your goal -- godliness -- becoming more and more like Jesus in your life.  That is where we want to go.

The question is how do we get there?  We get there by taking consistent actions that lead us in the direction we want to go.  Things like praying and reading God’s word.  Ministering to other people.  Worshiping God alone and in corporate settings.  Having a daily quiet time.  Reading a daily devotional.  In other words, being disciplined in your spiritual life by establishing habits that you do daily and without fail.  These lead you to grow in grace and to become more like Jesus.  So, discipline equals spiritual success and leads us to godliness.

I like the concept of discipline.  It works for me.  I do well when I establish structure in my life and form habits that I do every day.  It keeps me moving in the right direction, and it helps me make decisions in what to do and what not to do.

Thinking about this makes me realize just how perfect of a fit Methodism was for me.  I was raised in a Methodist Church and served as a pastor in Methodist churches.  Methodists obtained their name because of the methodical way the members were encouraged by John and Charles Wesley to train themselves in godliness.  They were given spiritual disciplines to follow daily and weekly, and by following these methodically, they grew closer to Christ in mind, soul, and spirit. 

In his book “Extreme Ownership,” Jocko Willink makes the following observations about the effectiveness of discipline in a team, specifically, among the members of the Navy Seal teams he helped train:

            -- “when individual members of the team are highly disciplined, they can be trusted, and therefore allowed to operate with very little oversite”

            -- “I knew they would act in a disciplined manner within the standards we had established -- professionally, ethically, tactically, and strategically”

            -- “they knew what was expected, and they executed accordingly”

            -- “they made decisions based on the disciplined structure we had -- the disciplined structure allowed them that freedom”

Willink’s overall point in his book is that discipline is not restrictive, but freeing.  He states that discipline equals freedom, because it allows you to meet your goals and not to take off in unplanned directions that could cause mission failure.

Spiritual discipline is something we should all consider in our Christian lives. Building spiritual habits will help us grow and make us more like Christ.  Training ourselves through these daily disciplines will turn into the people Christ intended us to be -- as Paul said, “for both the present life and the life to come.”  But, we have to start.

This week, I want to encourage you to pick up one spiritual habit and start to make it part of your daily routine.  Maybe it’s to pray every day.  Or to read one chapter from the Bible each night.  Whatever it is, just pick one spiritual discipline and practice it faithfully for the next 30 days and see what a difference it can make.

TWO KINGDOMS IN CONFLICT

The world says ‘seeing is believing.’

Jesus teaches ‘believing is seeing.’

The world says attain wisdom

The Bible teaches we should be willing to become a fool

The world says ‘be a survivor’

Jesus taught we should be willing to lose our lives

The world says ‘go for the gold,’ achieve greatness

Jesus taught us to be willing to be the last, the least

The world exalts leaders

Jesus said we should make ourselves servants

The world exalts human potential and greatness

Jesus said we should humble ourselves

The world says ‘look out for number one’

The Bible teaches we should look out for the interests of others and count others better than ourselves

The world says ‘get all you can’

Jesus says ‘give all you can’

The world says we should make our good deeds known

Jesus taught we should keep our good deeds secret

The world says love is a feeling, it’s conditional and it will grow old

The Bible teaches the love is a lasting, unconditional commitment; love never fails

The world says we should hate our enemies

Jesus taught us to love our enemies

The world says ‘get even,’ retaliate

Jesus taught forgiveness

The world puts spin on events to cover up mistakes

Proverbs teaches us to confess our mistakes

The world emphasizes the great things human can accomplish

The prophets taught things happen ‘not by might, nor by power,’ but by God’s Spirit

The world says ‘drown your sorrows’

The Bible contrasts that with ‘be filled with the Spirit

The world operates on cynicism and skepticism

Jesus taught that all things are possible to those who believe

The world says you should consult your horoscope

Jesus talked about searching the scriptures

The world says the Bible was written by human agency only

The Bible itself claims that all Scripture is God breathed

The world says the Bible is old-fashioned and out-of-date

Jesus said that heaven and earth will pass away, but not his truths

The world thinks Jesus was a good man

The early church confession was that Jesus is Lord

The world says Jesus is not coming back

Jesus promised ‘I will come and receive you to myself’

The world concludes, ‘I’ll never worship Jesus Christ’

The Bible says that someday every knee will bow and every voice will admit that Jesus Christ is Lord.

~adapted from Straightforward by Larry Tomczak, a classic book from the Jesus movement of the late 1970s.  Italicized sections allude to or quote scripture passages unless otherwise indicated.

[Ran across this on Paul Wilkinson's blog and thought it was too good not to share.  Hope it spoke to  you as much as it did to me.]