SERMON: BREAKING FREE OF THE RUT

20 May 2018

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Acts 2:1-4

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

            -- I want to begin this morning by sharing with you a true story about a woman named Annie -- now, Annie was a fan of Do-It-Yourself TV -- she would watch all the DYI shows on the Home and Garden Network and the Learning Channel and all the others -- she’d watch as these normal, everyday people transformed their houses into showplaces all on their own, without having to hire others to do the work -- and Annie caught the buzz

            -- you see, Annie wanted to tile her kitchen floor, but after watching all of those DYI shows on TV, she came to the decision that rather than paying over $700 to an expert, she could do it herself -- so, she went out and bought a "do-it yourself" tile kit from Home Depot -- this kit was perfect -- it laid out the procedures step by step and all you had to do was follow it and your tile would be laid in no time at all

            -- Step One was simple -- just spread the powerful glue on the floor -- done -- Annie was proud of herself -- then, Annie went to Step Two, only to slip and fall face-first into the slippery glue -- and, before she knew what had happened, she was stuck to the floor

            -- when Annie's Yorkshire Terrier saw her lying on the floor, she did what all dogs do when their owners are in trouble: she went over to lick her owner's face -- so now both Annie and her dog were stuck in the glue

            -- But luck was on Annie's side, because her two daughters -- ages 9 and 10 -- were home -- she yelled out for help, and when they came running and realized what had happened, they began laughing hysterically -- But eventually, with their help, Annie got unstuck from the floor and was able to go on to Step 2 and lay the tile -- mission accomplished -- But she still had glue all over herself, and didn’t know what to do -- they never covered this on TV -- so she called a glue emergency hotline, but no one answered.

            -- now, as Larry Munson used to say, “Get the picture” -- While she was waiting for someone on the hotline to pick up, the glue on her body finished hardening, such that:

            (1) her right foot became stuck to the floor

            (2) her legs became stuck together

            (3) her body became stuck to the chair, and

            (4) her hand became stuck to the phone

            -- Finally, she managed to hang up and had to dial 911 with her nose.

            -- When the rescue personnel arrived they found Anne still stuck to the chair and the floor and the phone -- sitting there, wearing only her underwear.

            -- Fortunately, the rescue crews were serious, competent, highly trained professionals, who laughed until they cried -- After they recovered, the rescue crews were able to free Anne with solvents, and everything was fine -- Anne got her new floor and saved herself $700 

            --  So, what is the point of this story? -- well, just like Annie, we sometimes find ourselves stuck -- we find ourselves in a rut, unable to get out -- we find ourselves just doing the same old-same old in the same way, every day -- and, this can happen in our spiritual lives, too -- even though we’re Christians, we can get caught up in a familiar old sin, and find ourselves just unable to get loose -- or, maybe we’re just stuck going through the motions and we feel like our faith is not what it used to be

            -- this morning on Pentecost Sunday, I wanted us to talk for a few moments about breaking free -- about getting out -- about getting unstuck and out of our ruts and into the life God has planned for us

            -- for, you see, that’s really what Pentecost is all about -- that’s what the Holy Spirit can do in your life -- if you let Him

II.  Pentecost

            -- let’s touch on the story of Pentecost from Acts 2 -- everyone in here is familiar with this story -- with this seminal event that is the true birth of the Christian church

            -- as we read in Acts 1:3, after Jesus rose from the dead, He spent a period of forty days with His disciples -- teaching them and showing Himself to them and giving convincing proofs that He was alive -- this was a crash course in Christianity for the men who would become the leaders of His new church

            -- and, at the end of these forty days, when the time was right, Jesus called His disciples together and told them that He was leaving -- but, He said, “do not leave Jerusalem...wait for the gift My Father promised which you have heard Me speak about -- for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit”

            -- and Jesus led them out to the Mount of Olives where He ascended into heaven, physically and visibly, before their eyes

            -- the disciples left the Mount of Olives and returned to the place where they were staying, and a few days later, on the day of the Jewish festival of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to the disciples as promised -- He didn’t come upon the disciples as He did in the Old Testament with the prophets and the kings -- temporarily resting upon them for a time and a purpose

            -- no, when the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, He came to indwell the believers -- to fill them with His presence and His power -- to live within them -- and us -- forever more

            -- this is the story of Pentecost -- this is the story and the event that we are celebrating and recognizing today

            -- with this backdrop in place, I want us to go back to our original concern that we opened with -- what do we do when we find ourselves in a rut? -- trapped in the familiar? -- in the same old-same old of life -- both physically and spiritually? -- and what role does the Holy Spirit play in helping us break free from this place of bondage?

III.  Breaking Free from the Same Old-Same Old

            -- I want us to answer that by looking at a story from Mark 10:46-52 -- the healing of blind Bartimaeus -- because I think we can find an example of breaking free from the actions of Bartimaeus in this account

            -- look with me now at Mark 10, starting in verse 46

46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging.

            -- so Mark tells us that Jesus and His disciples had come to Jericho -- we don’t know how long they were in the town, but we have to assume they were there for at least a day -- we don’t get the impression they just came to the city and walked through on their way to somewhere else

            -- they were there long enough for a large crowd to gather -- which kind of implies that Jesus had been teaching and preaching and maybe even doing some miracles and works in that place -- He had done enough that He had caught the attention of the people, and now they are walking with Him as He is leaving their city

            -- Mark tells us that as they were leaving, they passed by blind Bartimaeus, who was sitting there beside the road begging -- Bartimaeus was in a rut -- he was the epitome of being in a rut -- for his life consisted of sitting there in that same place day after day after day, begging from those who passed by

            -- every day, Bartimaeus would get up, roll out of bed, and make his way to the gate of the city where the largest crowds would filter through -- every day, he would find his spot -- the same old patch of familiar ground where he sat every single day -- and he would begin to beg -- calling out to the crowd for money to support him -- and every day, after the crowds dwindled down and as the gates were starting to close, Bartimaeus would get up and maybe go to the market and buy a loaf of bread and a flask of wine from the vendor and go home and eat and go to bed -- knowing that tomorrow was going to be the same -- every single day exactly the same

            -- kind of like that movie, “Groundhog Day,” where Bill Murray’s character experiences the same day over and over again -- that’s the way Bartimaeus was going through life

            -- maybe that’s the way that some of you are going through life -- maybe that’s the way your secular life looks -- just getting up, going to work, coming home, going to bed, and doing it all again the next day

            -- and maybe that’s the way some of your spiritual lives look -- your faith has turned into a routine where you just get up and come to church on Sunday and sit in that same seat you’ve been sitting in for years and years and years and sing the same old hymns over and over again and you hear that same old preacher just droning on and on about a passage you’ve heard preached before and then you get up and you go home and nothing changes and you come back next week and do it all over again

            -- that’s where we are at at the start of this story -- that’s where Bartimaeus is at -- maybe that’s where some of you are at, too

            -- verse 47

47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

            -- so Bartimaeus is sitting in his same old familiar place, doing his same old familiar thing, but today, there’s something different -- but today, there’s Jesus

            -- what a great phrase! -- what a great thought! -- but, today there’s Jesus -- we can have that thought, too -- it changes everything -- look what happened to Bartimaeus

            -- when Bartimaeus heard the noise of the crowd, he knew something different was going on -- he asked those around him what was happening -- why were all the people there -- what was different? -- they told him it was Jesus of Nazareth -- so Bartimaeus began to shout out in a loud voice, “Jesus, have mercy on me”

            -- here we see the first step in breaking out of our ruts -- in getting unstuck from the spiritual glue that bind us -- we have to open our eyes and see the possibilities around us -- we have to open our eyes and see what could be

            -- this week I listened to a commencement speech from David Foster Wallace, an author I am currently reading -- and this speech just really resonated with me -- in this graduation address, Wallace encouraged those young men and women to get past the mundane -- to get past the self -- to not allow themselves to get stuck into a prison of their own making, but to open their eyes and look around them and see the possibilities -- to choose to live differently from the world

            -- that’s what’s going on with Bartimaeus here -- he may have been physically blind -- he may have been trapped in his same old-same old rut, but when he heard Jesus was walking by, he realized what that meant -- he had heard the stories of the healings -- of the miracles -- of the great prophet and teacher who taught with authority and spoke the word of God to everyday people -- he knew that Jesus had healed others -- and, if Jesus was walking by, then why not cry out for that same healing for himself?

            -- now, think about this from your standpoint -- if you find yourself trapped in a rut this morning -- physically or spiritually -- open your eyes -- look around -- and look within -- for Jesus may not be walking by for us as He did for Bartimaeus that day, but He is present within us -- we carry within us the capacity for change -- the means of a miracle -- the ability to get out of our ruts once and for all -- all we have to do is open our eyes -- believe it is possible -- and cry out to the Holy Spirit for help

            -- verse 48

48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

            -- there’s that same old story again, this time from the world -- that same old defeatist attitude -- “stop calling on Jesus -- nothing is going to change -- just be quiet -- accept who you are -- accept where you are -- and just get on with your life”

            -- the second step in breaking free is to stop listening to the voices of the world that tell you that you can’t -- that you won’t -- that you aren’t able

            -- drown them out -- don’t listen to their voices -- but cry out all the more to Jesus, just as Bartimaeus did -- Mark says when the crowd rebuked him and told him to be quiet, he just yelled all the more for Jesus

            -- someone once said that we can’t solve the problems of today by using the same kind of thinking that created them -- you have to think differently -- you have to stop listening to the voices of the crowd and believe that things can be different when Jesus comes by

            -- verse 49

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”

            -- Jesus stopped -- read that again -- “Jesus stopped” -- Jesus always responds to the cry of a true believer -- He always responds to someone who calls out to Him in need

            -- when He heard the cries of Bartimaeus -- when He saw his persistence and his insistence, even in the face of opposition from the crowd, Jesus stopped and said, “Call him -- bring him to Me”

            -- step 3 in breaking free is persistence -- we have to keep on, keeping on -- don’t let the world get you down -- don’t listen to their voices -- but believe that Jesus hears your cries and that He is going to respond -- know that the Holy Spirit who indwells you is working within you to intercede on your behalf -- and that by crying out in Jesus’ name, He will stop and move heaven and earth simply because you ask

            -- verse 50

50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

            -- now, don’t miss what is going on in this verse -- when Jesus said, “Come,” Bartimaeus leapt up and threw his cloak aside and ran to Jesus -- that cloak was important -- that cloak was more than just a piece of clothing -- it was a symbol of his position -- it was a symbol of his need -- it was what he sat on, day after day after day, as he begged for his survival -- it was what he wrapped himself in to protect himself from the elements -- it was his comfort and his protection and his means of making a living

            -- but when his eyes had been opened -- when he realized that Jesus was offering a different way -- he left the old behind -- what need did he have of a cloak when a miracle was waiting? -- what need did he have of reserving a spot to beg in tomorrow if his eyes would be returned today?

            -- step 4 in breaking free is to cast off that which is hindering you -- to cast off and leave behind the same old-same old that has you trapped -- and to step out in faith into the possibilities that Jesus has for you

            -- it’s like the quote in your bulletin from Joyce Meyer -- good intentions aren’t going to get you out of a rut -- good intentions are not going to effect a change in your life -- the only way to get out of a rut is to jump up, cast off that which is hindering you, and take action -- that’s what Bartimaeus did by running to Jesus and looking for His power to change his life -- that’s what we can do as Pentecost people, knowing that we have the Holy Spirit within us

            -- the power to break free is with you daily -- all you have to do is believe and take action

            -- verse 51

51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

            -- why did Jesus ask Bartimaeus, “what do you want Me to do for you?” -- because Bartimaeus was facing a choice -- he could have chosen the same old-same old -- he could have said, “I need money -- please give me some food -- please fill my cup for today” -- but, that would have put him right back in the same place tomorrow

            -- but Bartimaeus chose to break free of his rut and to ask for that which would make a true difference in his situation -- he chose to seek the extraordinary over the ordinary -- “Rabbi, I want to see”

            -- with that request, Bartimaeus demonstrated his faith -- he believed Jesus could heal him -- he believed that Jesus could make a difference -- he believed that Jesus could set him free from the bondage he was in

            -- to paraphrase the old cliche -- he asked for more than just a fish -- he asked Jesus to teach him to fish

            -- with eyes, he would no longer have to beg -- with eyes, he would no longer be trapped in the same old-same old -- with eyes, he could do that which was impossible at this moment

            -- when we come to Jesus -- when we ask the Holy Spirit to do something in our lives -- make sure you are asking for something that is not just temporal or temporary -- ask for the stars, because the Creator of the stars is waiting for you to do so

            -- verse 52

52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

            -- with a word, Jesus healed blind Bartimaeus -- his eyes were restored and he received his sight -- but still, a choice remained

            -- what was Jesus saying when He told Bartimaeus to “go?” -- what choices were laid before him?

            -- he could have chosen to go back to his old life -- back to Jericho -- maybe not blind, anymore -- maybe with more opportunities to do things -- to make a living -- to change his life -- but his world would still be limited -- he would still be there among the same old people that he knew -- walking the same old streets that he walked every day -- doing the same old things in the same old way again -- and, before you knew it, he would be back in another rut of the familiar

            -- but, Bartimaeus chose differently -- he chose a different road -- he chose to follow Jesus into the unknown and to live a life of unexpected blessings and opportunities in gratefulness to the Savior who had saved him

            -- what will you do with your freedom? -- when Jesus reaches down -- when the Holy Spirit works within you and changes you and opens your eyes and offers you a new way, what will you do?

            -- what road will you follow?

            -- Bartimaeus chose the road with Jesus, and it made all the difference

IV.  Closing

            -- reading this story on Pentecost Sunday made me stop and consider where I am in life -- the choices that I make -- the things that I do

            -- I couldn’t help but think of Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken”

            -- I had to read this poem in school, but I never really appreciated it until I was much older and was out in the real world where we are faced with decisions and choices every day

            -- if you don’t mind, I’m going to read it to you right now -- it’s not a long poem, but I believe it does bring home the point of this passage when it comes to choosing a different way -- a different path -- of choosing to break free from our ruts and in choosing to receive the possibilities that the Holy Spirit opens for us

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

            -- Frost tells us in his poem that the two roads he faced were entirely different -- one was well-traveled -- the other was not -- one was the path taken by most of the people -- the other one  was selected by the few

            -- that’s the choice that is before us as Christians today -- we are faced with so many choices and so many decisions in our lives -- where do we go? -- what do we buy? -- how do live? -- what should we do?

            -- the example of Bartimaeus urges us to take the less-traveled path -- the path that leads out of the same old-same old and into a life worthy of the calling of God -- this is the higher path -- the better way -- a way filled with opportunities and excitement and adventure

            -- because of Pentecost -- because of the sending of the Holy Spirit to indwell us and to fill us with His power and His presence -- we have the choice to break out of our ruts -- to break free from our same old-same old existence -- and to step out into a new life with Jesus

            -- choose today to do different -- choose today to be different -- open your eyes -- cry out to the Holy Spirit -- receive the impossible -- and follow Him down the road where He beckons

            -- if you’re lost -- if you’re trapped in a spiritual rut -- if you’re unsure of where you are with God at the moment -- do what Bartimaeus did -- cry out to the One your heart seeks -- go back to your first love -- begin again by seeking God, because God has promised if we seek Him, we will find Him -- if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us -- begin by seeking Him through His word -- by crying out to Him in your heart -- and running to Him through the word and through your prayers -- this is the way you find yourself again in God -- this is the way you break free of your spiritual ruts

            -- let us pray

SERMON: TRAINING UP A CHILD

[Sermon Video Link here]

Mother’s Day Sermon

13 May 2018

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Proverbs 22:6

Start children off on the way they should go,
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

            -- a London editor was working on an article about Winston Churchill and wanted to focus on how his teachers had influenced him and transformed him into Great Britain’s most celebrated Prime Minister -- he compiled a list of all the teachers Churchill had in his life and sent it over to him for review -- Churchill returned the list with this comment: “You have omitted to mention the greatest of my teachers -- my mother.”¹

            -- well, in honor of our mothers on this Mother’s Day, I wanted to share with you a few of the things my own mother taught me that have stuck with me to this very day:

            -- My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION..."Just wait 'til we get home."

            -- My Mother taught me about RECEIVING...."You are going to get it when we get home!"

            -- My Mother taught me LOGIC..."If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

            -- My Mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE..."If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

            -- My Mother taught me HUMOR..."When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me." -- I'll let you think about that one for a minute

            -- My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT..."If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

            -- My Mother taught me about GENETICS..."You're just like your father."

            -- My Mother taught me about my HERITAGE... "Where do you think you were born? In a barn?"

            -- My Mother taught me about the WISDOM OF AGE..."When you get to be my age, you will understand.

            -- And my all-time favorite... my mother taught me about JUSTICE..."One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you....Then you'll see what it's like."

            -- in the familiar proverb that we opened with, we are reminded that if a child is trained in the way they should go -- if they are raised up and started off in the right direction -- then when they are older, they will not turn from it

            -- this verse has been a comfort to parents of wayward children from time immemorial -- it promises that our children who have strayed will come home again -- that no matter how far they have strayed from the fold, they will find their way again -- much as the prodigal son found his way from the pigpen back into the loving arms of his father -- this proverb has given hope to worried and anxious parents since it was first written down

            -- but have you ever considered that this proverb is contingent on an action? -- it doesn’t just happen -- children don’t just miraculously come home because their parents are waiting for them -- no, the proverb says that children must first be trained in the way they should go so they will know the path they should be following -- and, who is responsible for this training? -- for the most part, it is our mothers

            -- I think we all would agree with Winston Churchill that our mothers were a major influence on our lives and on who we are today -- our mothers were our first nurturers -- our comforters -- our protectors -- our providers -- and our teachers

            -- more so than anyone else in the formative years of our lives, our mothers were there with us -- guarding over us and providing us with a foundation of life that continues to this day

            -- so, this morning, on this Mother’s Day, I wanted us to stop and consider the enormous influence that mothers have on their children -- and how you, as mothers and grandmothers and godly women, can continue to influence those around us

II.  Training a Child

            -- have you ever wondered what the writer meant here by the term “training a child” in the way they should go?

            -- the word “train” that is used here is actually a gardening term -- it refers to the practice of taking a plant and shaping it so it grows in the way you want it to -- the easiest way to consider this is to think of grape vines

            -- here in south Georgia, everybody has seen grape vines growing out in the wild -- if you’ve ever walked in the woods down here, I guarantee you that at some point, you have tripped over a grape vine -- in the part of our yard that we are letting grow naturally, we have grape vines growing all over the place -- they cover the ground -- they crawl up the trees -- they cover the bushes -- they get entwined in the branches of our azaleas and shrubbery -- you know what I’m talking about -- you’ve seen that, right?

            -- now, have you ever been to one of the wineries in our local area? -- or have you ever seen pictures of the vineyards in California or France or one of those other places? -- or in someone’s garden where the vines are on a trellis? -- what do the vines look like there?

            -- they’re orderly, right? -- they are growing along the wires and the frames and the trellises -- they’re not on the ground -- they’re not crossing the paths between the rows -- they’re growing where they are supposed to -- and, do you know how that happened? -- because the gardener “trained” them where to grow

            -- when vines began to stray and to grow outside the area where they were supposed to be, the gardener would take that tendril and put it back on the wire or the trellis -- they would wrap it around the wire -- “training” it in how it should grow -- and, over time, that tendril and branch would grow in the right way and in the right form to produce fruit

            -- that’s what the proverb writer is talking about here -- he’s talking about “training” our children in the right way -- and that’s more than just verbal instruction -- that’s practical training and shaping -- that’s walking with them every day -- demonstrating to them the right way to live and to interact with others -- teaching them what it means to live as godly citizens in this community -- and correcting or training them when they go the wrong way -- sometimes that is merely through instruction -- other times through discipline or punishment -- but, the idea is that we continually monitor our children as they grow -- shaping them and training them and keeping them on the right path -- then, the proverb writer says, when they are old, they will not turn from it -- it will have become who they are

            -- that is our calling as Christian parents -- and that is especially the calling of a Christian mother and godly woman

           

III.  Continuing to Train

            -- so, the lesson for today is that when your children are grown, your jobs as mothers is done, right? -- no! -- there is still so much to do -- there are still so many opportunities for you to influence other generations and to train them up in the way they should go

            -- several years ago, there was a phrase going around in politics that you might have heard: “it takes a village to raise a child” -- now, the reason this political party chose to use that phrase was as justification for the Government to have a greater influence in the lives of families -- to the point where the Government would be able to dictate how a child was taught and how they were to be trained

            -- I disagree with that premise and with the assertion that the Government should impose itself directly into your personal lives in this way, but I do agree with the overall concept that it takes a village to raise a child -- I think this is something that we have forgotten in the church and it’s something we need to recapture

            -- when we become a Christians, the Bible tells us that we are born again -- we are born into a new spiritual family -- the family of God -- this means that our allegiances should shift from the old to the new, in much the same way as the allegiances of a newly married couple shift from their parents to each other as their primary relationship -- now, certainly, we are still part of our old, biological families -- but what being born again into a new family means is that we have new relationships with new family members -- and this carries it with it inherent responsibilities

            -- we are no longer just responsible for the well-being of our biological families -- but we are responsible for the well-being of our spiritual families -- the members of our faith communities -- our churches

            -- that means that we are responsible for nurturing and teaching and training the other members in our new spiritual families in the way they should go -- as Jesus put it in the Great Commission from Matthew 28:18-20, we are to make disciples and teach them to obey all the things He has commanded us to do -- we are to train them in the way they should go

            -- so, what does that look like? -- turn over to Titus chapter 2 and we’ll end there

            -- Titus 2:1-5

1 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

            -- in this pastoral letter to Titus, the Apostle Paul instructs Titus on how to encourage the members of his church to teach and to train one another -- the older men and women are to train the younger men and women and teach them how to live godly lives in relationship with their spouses, their children, and those around them

            -- specifically, in regards to the older women, Paul says in verses 4-5 that they are to “train the younger women to love their husbands and children” -- to train them “to be self-controlled and pure -- to be busy at home -- to be kind -- to be subject to their husbands” -- so that the word of God would not be maligned or disrespected

            -- what Paul is saying here is that our responsibility to train others in the way they should go does not end when our own children are raised -- but that we are to continually train and teach those in our faith communities and in our churches how to live holy and godly lives

            -- this means that we model for others what a godly woman or man is to look like -- we model for others what a godly marriage relationship is to look like -- we model for others what a godly parental relationship is to look like -- and we mentor and guide and train them when we see them straying from that path

            -- and that includes the children in our churches -- even though a child is not part of your biological family, they are part of your spiritual family -- and it is your calling and your responsibility to speak life into them -- to nurture them and protect them and train them in the way they should go

            -- I would also say this includes other children you come into contact with -- children you may have a relationship with in some fashion -- maybe children in your neighborhood -- or children of friends or coworkers or others

            -- you can be a godly influence on them -- you can help shape their lives, even if just for a moment -- who knows? -- that kind word -- your comforting hug -- your loving smile -- your nugget of wisdom -- may affect them and shape them for the rest of their lives

            -- my goal here this morning is to help you see the enormous power you have as godly women and mothers and grandmothers -- more so than the men here this morning, you have the ability to speak into the lives of children and to shape them and train them for greatness

            -- it has been said that behind every good man is a good woman -- we assume that is referring to his wife, but in reality, it probably speaks more of his mother’s influence than anything

IV.  Closing

            -- I want to close by sharing with you the story of basketball great Richard Jefferson, who played most of his career with the New York Nets²

            -- when Jefferson was born, his mother, Wanda Johnson, was a single mother with two other kids living in Los Angeles -- a high-school drop-out, she didn't have a job and survived on welfare -- and in that neighborhood, with its high crime rate and rampant joblessness, Wanda knew that she was going to have to do something, or her kids would have no hope or future other than what they had known all their life

            -- so, when Jefferson was six years old, Wanda moved her family from Los Angeles to Phoenix because of its lower cost of living and lower incidence of crime and violence -- already a Christian, Wanda became heavily involved in a charismatic church in the area, and began to turn her life around

            -- rather than accepting her condition and allowing her kids to follow her path into poverty, Wanda started turning her life around -- she began trusting that God would provide -- that God wanted more for her and her kids than what they currently had

            -- she got a job and got off welfare -- she remarried -- and went back to school, earning her GED and then going to college -- eventually completing her PhD in English and serving as a member of the teaching faculty at a community college in Phoenix

            -- but, that's not all she did -- at the same time she was clawing her way out of welfare and poverty, she did all she could to serve God -- going on mission trips to Kenya and other countries and becoming a leader in her Phoenix church along with her husband

            -- today, Wanda Johnson is a changed person -- a far cry from the single mother of three on welfare living in the slums in Los Angeles

            -- but, the most remarkable part of her story is the impact that it had on her children -- the power of a mother's life can result in significant changes in the life of their children -- and as Richard Jefferson watched his mother change her situation -- as he watched her start to believe in herself -- he began to believe in himself, too

            -- he quit making excuses -- he started working hard -- and he became one of the best players in high school and college and eventually began playing professional basketball -- if you ask him today, Richard Jefferson is quick to give the credit to his mother's influence in his life -- if not for her, he would not be who he is today -- if not for the power of his mother, he might be just another statistic

            -- because of her example -- because of the influence and her intentional shaping and training -- Richard Jefferson is highly successful and well-respected by all who know him, not only for his playing ability, but also for his behavior and his Godly lifestyle -- and he owes it all to his mother

            -- that's the thing about the ability of a godly woman who lives out her calling to teach and train up her children and grandchildren and those around her -- she can affect lives forever -- even if she does nothing more than serve as a godly role model, her example can influence and change the lives of those around her

           

            -- so, as we leave here today on this Mother’s Day, let me first say, “Thank you,” to my mother and to the mothers in this place -- thank you for your love and for training and shaping us into who are today

            -- and let me encourage you to continue to love and train and shape those around you -- to speak into their lives -- to model for them what a godly woman and mother and grandmother and wife looks like -- so that they may learn from you and follow the path that God has laid out before them

            -- let us pray

1 Green, Michael P.  1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, Baker Books

2 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/06/sports/pro-basketball-nets-jefferson-follows-mother-s-example-succeeds-through-positive.html?pagewanted=1

SERMON: STRIVING FOR HOLINESS

[Click HERE for Sermon Video on YouTube]

6 May 2018

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Hebrews 12:14

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

            -- several years ago, a family from the country decided to go to the big city for a vacation -- they had never been off the farm before, and they were just amazed at all the sights and all the technologies of the city

            -- when the father and the son went into the hotel to get a room, they saw the metal doors of the elevator and just couldn’t figure out what its purpose was -- while they were standing there talking about it, an elderly lady came up and pushed the button -- the doors opened -- and they watched as she hobbled inside -- a few minutes later, the doors opened again and a beautiful young woman came walking out

            -- the father looked at the woman and looked at the elevator and told his son, “Quick! Go get your mother!”

            -- this morning, we’re going to talk about transformation -- about transforming from who we are into the beautiful new creations that God wants us to become

            -- of course, we can’t do that by using an elevator -- but we can do that through the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives -- what I’m referring to is the process of sanctification -- of becoming holy as God is holy

            -- as this verse in Hebrews tells us, holiness is something we should be making every effort to obtain in our lives -- I really like the way some other translations render this verse -- they say we should be striving for holiness in our lives -- the word “striving” implies doing everything we can to meet a goal -- fighting the good fight -- giving it all our strength -- making holiness our priority above all else

II.  What is Holiness?

            -- now, if we’re going to talk about holiness and about becoming holy, the first thing we need to do is define our terms -- what do we mean by the word “holy?” -- what does the Bible mean when it talks about becoming holy as God is holy?

            -- holiness is one of those words that is easy to recognize, but hard to define -- if I ask you to define, “holiness,” you’d probably have a hard time coming up with a concise definition

            -- more than likely, you’d probably respond by describing what holiness looks like in a person -- by describing the way a person acts that sets them apart from those around them -- or maybe even referring to people like Billy Graham or Mother Teresa

            -- you’d probably say that someone who was holy was good or did good things or loved everybody -- but, that’s more a description of the effects of holiness than an actual definition of what holiness is

            -- holiness becomes ever harder to define if you try to come up with a definition for the holiness of God, because the holiness of God is transcendent -- it’s above human understanding -- it’s so much more than we can envision -- it’s so much higher than we can actually define or measure -- the holiness of God is not just what He does, but who He is -- all of His attributes are part of His holy being and character

            -- if we turn to the Bible, we see that the root meaning of the Hebrew and Greek terms that we translate as holy is “set apart” or “separated” -- so, to be holy is to be set apart or separated from the world or from the flesh and to be dedicated for service or for the use of God

            -- let me give you an example of what I’m talking about -- I have been reading through the Bible this year, so I’ve spent a lot of time reading through the first five books of the Bible, where God gave the ten commandments and all of the social and cultural laws for the nation of Israel -- what we generally call the Mosaic Law -- the Law that God gave to Moses for the nation of Israel

            -- these laws were very specific -- God told the Israelites they could eat only certain foods -- they were to worship and offer sacrifices only on a certain day of the week -- He told them they had to observe specific feast days, each with different types of sacrifices that had to be made

            -- God even specified what kind of clothes the Israelites could wear -- for instance, their clothes had to be made of one type of -- they couldn't blend two types of material together to make a shirt.

            -- so, why did God give them all these specific rules? -- Why did He make them follow all these strange customs when all of the other nations didn’t have to? -- because God had chosen the nation of Israel as His people -- He had called them out of the world -- He had set them apart and separated them from all the other people in the world

            -- and to help them see that they were different and set apart for Him, He gave them these societal and cultural rules to set them apart from those around them

            -- by setting them apart from the world in this way, the Bible tells us He was making them into a holy nation

            -- let me give you another example -- we’re having holy communion this morning -- you see before you on the altar a loaf of bread and a glass of grape juice -- we recognize these as the elements of a holy sacrament -- a sacred moment with God

            -- but, yesterday, that loaf of bread and that grape juice were on a shelf at the grocery store in town -- they were just ordinary, normal items that anyone might have just picked up and carried home for supper -- but they are there before us as holy elements -- why?

            -- because they were taken out of the world and set apart before God for His use -- they were separated from the world and dedicated to God

            -- in the same way, when we are made holy as He is holy, the process is for us to be taken out of the world and set apart for Him -- to be separated from the world and dedicated to God -- being in that state is what we call “holy” and living in that state is what we call “holiness”

III.  The Two Types of Holiness

            -- in the Bible, we see two separate forms of holiness related to people -- the first holiness is the holiness of the cross -- the holiness of justifying grace -- the holiness that is conferred on us through the atoning death of Jesus in our place

            -- when we believe in Jesus and trust in Him for salvation -- the holiness and righteousness of Jesus is given, or imputed, to us -- this holiness separates us out of the world and sets us apart for God

            -- we may still live in the world physically, but we are not part of the world spiritually any longer -- we now belong to God and live in His Kingdom

            -- that’s why some people call this type of holiness, “positional holiness” -- because our position -- our standing -- in the eyes of God has changed -- when God looks at us, He doesn’t see us as part of the world any longer -- He sees the holiness and righteousness of Christ on us and recognizes us as part of His kingdom

            -- so, the first type of holiness is who we are in Christ

            -- the second type of holiness is what we typically think of when we hear the word, “holy” -- this is the holiness of sanctification -- the holiness in how we act because of Christ -- a change in our behavior as a result of God’s sanctifying grace in our lives

            -- through justifying grace we are made holy in the eyes of God -- through sanctifying grace we are made holy in our lives -- in other words, sanctification is the process of becoming more like Jesus in who we are and how we act every day

            -- this is the holiness that Hebrews 12:14 is referring to when it tells us to make every effort to be holy -- to strive after holiness

            -- Peter said something similar in 1 Peter 1:15 -- he commanded us there to “be holy in all you do”

            -- this holiness requires effort on our part in cooperation with the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit

            -- if you would, turn over to Colossians 3 and we’ll finish up there in a passage where the Apostle Paul gives us guidelines on how we are to do this -- how we are to strive after holiness and live holy lives in our world today

            -- Colossians 3:1-4

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

            -- the path of holy living begins after you have been saved -- in order to be sanctified and made holy in your behavior, you must first be made holy in your position and standing before God -- that’s why Paul begins this chapter by saying, “since you have been raised with Christ” -- “since you have been made holy through Christ’s death on the cross” -- now, this is what you should do

            -- first, set your mind on things above, not on earthly things -- you are no longer part of this world -- you have been separated and set apart into God’s kingdom, so live with a kingdom mindset -- so, set your minds on heavenly things -- set your minds on holy things -- and your actions will follow

            -- this is why we talk about becoming holy from the inside out -- as we are changed by God -- as our minds and hearts are changed by God -- our behaviors start to mirror who we have become -- when we are saved, we are made into a new creation -- and when we are sanctified, we start acting like we are a new creation -- and the longer you walk with God, the more holy and righteous your actions will become

            -- so, what does this look like?

            -- verse 5-11

  “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.

“But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”

            -- to strive for holiness -- to make every effort to be holy in our lives means that we consciously make the decision to put aside all the things of the earth -- all the things that God calls sinful

            -- things like sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, idolatry -- Paul says this is the way you used to live -- this is how you used to act when you were part of the world      -- so, get rid of anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language -- don’t lie to one another -- don’t discriminate against each other

            -- now that you are separated and set apart from the world and put into God’s kingdom, you need to quit acting like the rest of the world and start acting like you are a member of His kingdom

            -- Paul says that you have taken off your old self with its practices -- that is who you were when you were part of the world -- now you have put on a new self through justifying grace -- and this new self is being renewed and changed and transformed into the image of God through sanctifying grace -- this new self should be striving to become holy as He is holy

            -- verse 12-17

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

“Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

            -- so, once we have begun putting to death all of our behaviors and actions that were part of who we were in the world, Paul says that we have to take up a new way of living -- we have to replace the old, sinful acts with new, holy acts

            -- he tells us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience -- to bear with each other -- to forgive one another for all grievances -- to be at peace with one another and strive to live a life of love

            -- as Jesus put it, “to love our neighbor as ourselves” -- and, if we do that, then the word of Christ is truly dwelling within us -- we are becoming holy in our actions as well as in our being

            -- that is what the writer of Hebrews was counseling us to do when he encouraged us to strive after holiness -- to live out our Christian faith everyday -- to be set apart from this world -- not just positionally, but in our behaviors and our actions

            -- one thing to keep in mind is that sanctification is a process -- becoming holy as God is holy -- becoming more like Jesus in our daily lives -- is not going to happen overnight -- it’s going to take time and effort -- that’s why we sometimes call the process of sanctification, “Progressive Holiness”

            -- as you strive for holiness in your life -- as you do the things that Paul encourages us to do in this passage -- putting to death our sinful actions and behaviors and taking up new, godly behaviors -- you should see progress -- you should be able to look back at how you acted a year or 10 years ago and say, “I’m doing better than I did then” -- you may not be where you want to be, but you should at least be able to see some progress in your behaviors and action

            -- also, keep in mind that we don’t have to strive for holiness on our own -- we have the Holy Spirit inside of us, who works in us and through us to transform us into who God wants us to be

            -- where you used to be powerless against sin, now you have power because of the Holy Spirit within you -- where you used to be able to do nothing about anger and rage and malice and all those other sins Paul lists here -- now, you can choose to turn away from those sins because you are empowered by the Holy Spirit

            -- He helps you become holy in your life -- He is the agent of change in progressive holiness and sanctifying grace

IV.  Closing

            -- I want to close this by sharing with you a story about a friend of mine -- he is a Godly man and was instrumental in leading me to faith -- well, he works at the University of Georgia and week he and a group of other Christians gather for lunch to study the Bible and to share their lives with each other -- they talk about where they have done well for God that week, and where they have failed

            -- they didn’t advertise this to anyone -- they would just get together and do this as a means to be accountable -- as a way to strive together for holiness in their lives

            -- my friend said that one day, they were in the room having lunch when someone knocked on the door and came in -- he said, “I don’t know what you are doing in here -- and I don’t know what’s going on with you -- but, there’s something different about you, and I want it”

            -- that’s what we’re talking about -- this guy was not a believer -- he belonged to this world -- but, he recognized that these men who were meeting for lunch were living lives differently than all those around them -- he recognized they were separated from the other people in that work place -- not physically -- but spiritually, as evidenced through their actions

            -- that’s what we should be striving for -- we should be striving to be different than those around us -- to be holy as God is holy -- to live such good and holy lives that those around us can see a difference in who we are and how we act

            -- so, make every effort you can to be holy -- strive for holiness in your life -- put off the ways of this world -- put off the sin that so easily hinders and entangles -- and take up a new life and a new way of living through the power of the Holy Spirit

            -- let us pray

THE BIRDS OF THE AIR

In Genesis 15, we read an interesting account of God’s confirmation of a covenant with Abram.  As you know, God first called Abram out of Ur in Genesis 12, telling him to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household and to step out in faith and go to the land that God would show him.  At that time, God established a covenant with Abram and promised to make him into a great nation through which all peoples on earth would be blessed.

Following this, God affirmed His covenant with Abram/Abraham at least twice more, including the affirmation recorded in this passage in Genesis 15.  After Abram met Melchizedek and offered a tithe to him following the battle of the kings, God appeared to Abram in a vision and confirmed the original covenant made with him in Genesis 12.  He had Abram bring a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon, as a covenantal offering.  “Abram brought all these to Him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half” (Genesis 15:10).  When the sun set that night and darkness had fallen, “a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces” (Genesis 15:17).  This was God’s acceptance of the sacrifices and His affirmation of the covenant.

But, what really caught my attention in this passage was verse 11.  After Abram had brought all the animals before the Lord and prepared them as a covenantal sacrifice, “birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.”  What this verse describes is not just a natural event, but a supernatural happening and a spiritual attack by the forces of evil on Abram and his offering of a sacrifice.

In Scripture, we see Satan’s emissaries described as birds or flocks of birds on multiple occasions, including here in Genesis 15:11.  Think about the parable of the sower that Jesus told to His disciples in Matthew 13:1-9 and His explanation in Matthew 13:18-23.  In this parable, Jesus told of a sower scattering seed, which represents the word of God.  Some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came in and ate it up.  Jesus explained in Matthew 13:19 that this represents the person who “hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it” and that “the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.” 

The principle to glean from these passages is to be wary of the schemes of the devil when we begin to grow in our relationship with God.  Whenever we come before God to renew our relationship with Him or to offer ourselves or our resources before Him, Satan always intervenes.  He comes in to snatch up our offering and to take our blessing away, just as the birds of prey attempted to foul Abram’s sacrifice and snatched away the word of God planted in the hearts of the unbeliever.  Satan always tries to interject himself between us and God and to hinder our spiritual growth and our effectiveness in the kingdom.  Satan does not want us to grow closer to God or to do great things for God, and he will do whatever he can to thwart these efforts.

As Paul tells us in Ephesians 6, we need to be aware of the devil’s schemes so we can take steps to stand against him.  Truth begets power, and if we know the devil is going to step in and try to snatch away our joy and our blessings, we can prepare ourselves and our churches to withstand him.