SERMON: TESTED AND APPROVED: WISDOM

18 January 2015

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Proverbs 3:13-26

Proverbs 3:13-26 (NIV)

13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,

14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.

17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

19 By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;

20 by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.

21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight;

22 they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.

23 Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble;

24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

25 Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

26 for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.

            -- on February 21, 1994, Aldrich Ames, a CIA analyst working in Washington, D.C., in the Department of Operations, the most sensitive element of the CIA branch involved in Soviet counterintelligence, was arrested at his home and charged with spying for the Russians against the United States

            -- in his subsequent court trial, Ames admitted to the charges and confessed that he had provided sensitive information and the identities of U.S. assets to the Russians since 1985 in exchange for an estimated $4.6 million -- he was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without parole for his crimes against the U.S. and remains behind bars today

            -- now what is amazing about this story is not that an American would betray his country for financial gain -- this story is all too common -- not only here but in other countries as well -- no, what is amazing is that this occurred within the very office of the Central Intelligence Agency responsible for taking in and evaluating information to determine threats to our nation's security

            -- Ames was a mid-level Government employee with a salary of $60,000 per year -- however, his lifestyle did not match his salary -- Ames lived in a $540,000 home in Arlington, Virginia, that he had paid for in cash -- he drove a $60,000 Jaguar to work every day -- after his second marriage, he had home remodeling and decoration costs of almost $100,000 -- and he and his wife racked up phone bills of $6,000 per month, mostly to her family in Columbia

            -- and, if that wasn't enough, Ames showed up to work each day to his office at the CIA wearing tailored suits made just for him, conspicuously finer than those of his colleagues -- and he had premium credit cards with monthly minimum payments higher than his monthly salary -- yet he never found himself in debt

            -- looking back at the case of Aldrich Ames, one has to wonder why his supervisors and fellow employees in the CIA did not catch on earlier -- all the warning signs -- all the information -- was there, but they just didn't see -- they just didn't know what to do with it, and so Aldrich Ames continued to serve as a mole for the Russians within the CIA for 10 years before he was finally caught¹

            -- this morning we are beginning our new sermon series called "Tested and Approved" -- a look at the cardinal virtues necessary for a successful Christian life

            -- virtues are the characteristics -- the behaviors -- we need to adopt and to live out and to make a part of us and our lives if we are to be the men and women Christ has called us to be -- to live a virtuous life means we conform our lives to Christ -- intentionally choosing to live our lives according to a high moral standard, based on the teachings of Christ

            -- the virtues we will be discussing are called the cardinal virtues -- "cardinal comes from the Latin "card," which means hinge -- these are the virtues upon which the door of one's moral and ethical life swings"² -- these are the foundation of our character and form the basis of who we are, both in public and in private

II.  What is Wisdom?

            -- this morning we are going to be looking at the cardinal virtue of wisdom or prudence -- and what better place to do that than in the Book of Proverbs -- one of the wisdom books of the Bible?

            -- if you would, look with me again at verse 13

Proverbs 3:13-18 (NIV)

13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,

14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.

17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

            -- Solomon urges us to find wisdom -- to gain understanding -- which then begs the question, what is wisdom?

            -- the dictionary defines wisdom as "accumulated philosophic or scientific learning or knowledge" -- but I'm going to tell you this definition is not complete -- it's missing part of the complexity of wisdom as found in the Bible -- you see, there are different facets -- different meanings -- for the word wisdom

            -- the dictionary definition I gave you equates wisdom to knowledge -- and that is true in the general sense -- in philosophy, and even here in the wisdom books of the Bible, this is known as sophia -- this is general knowledge -- the gathering of information -- sophia refers to learning about something

            -- all of us are in the business of gaining knowledge in this way every day -- kids in school are learning about the basics of science and math and English -- if you work outside the home, you had to learn the basics of your job -- you had to learn the skills required to work in your profession -- if you drive, you had to learn how to drive -- knowledge is nothing more than knowing something about a subject

            -- we have whole government agencies like the CIA that do nothing but gather information -- their sole purpose is to acquire information about other countries -- about other militaries -- about terrorist activity -- they are knowledgeable about these subjects

            -- in the same way, we are supposed to be knowledgeable about spiritual things -- we are supposed to know the basics of our faith -- we are supposed to know the Bible -- to know how to pray -- to know what it means to be a Christian -- that is what sophia -- that is what knowledge is -- it is the acquisition of information

            -- but there is another facet of wisdom known as phronesis -- think of this as practical wisdom -- phronesis is taking the sophia -- the knowledge you possess -- and applying it to your life to make relevant decisions on what to do and how to live -- in other words, phronesis is putting knowledge to work

            -- let me give you a practical example -- think about driving a car -- about the basics of getting a license and learning how to drive -- I know the requirements have changed some since I first got my license, but the basics are still the same -- in order to get a license, you have to do two things -- first, you have to learn the foundation of operating a motor vehicle -- how to adjust the seat and the mirrors so you can reach the pedals and be able to see what is going on around you and behind you -- you have to learn how to physically operate the car -- how to turn the key in the ignition to start the engine -- how to put on the brake and how to apply the accelerator -- if you have a manual transmission, you have to know how to apply the clutch and let it off just right so the car moves into gear -- you have to know how to park and how to turn around and how to safely operate the car -- the basics -- that's the first thing

            -- the second thing is you have to know the rules of the road -- you have to study the written rules that everyone who drives has to follow -- when to stop at red lights and stop signs and yield signs -- when to apply your blinkers and when to apply your hazard lights -- what the normal speed limits are in your area on various roads, even if there are no speed limit signs posted -- when it's okay to turn right on red or what lane you are supposed to turn into on a divided highway when you turn left -- those kind of things

            -- these two things are the information -- the basic knowledge -- the sophia -- you need to get a driver's license and start driving -- but we all know, there's more to driving than just knowing how to operate a car and the rules of the road

            -- what is missing is phronesis -- the practical application of the knowledge you possess to real world situations -- the rule book doesn't teach you how to drive at night in a storm or how to drive on ice and snow -- the rule book doesn't cover every situation you'll face in driving -- what if there's a wreck in front of you? -- is it okay to pass the accident on the shoulder of the road even though the law says you can't pass on the shoulder?

            -- these are things that you learn through experience -- these are situations where you take the knowledge you possess and filter it through your experience and your understanding of the situation to arrive at a real world situation -- this is practical wisdom -- the application of knowledge in life

            -- this is what was missing at the CIA in the case of Aldrich Ames -- they had the basic information -- they had the sophia -- but they didn't know what to do with it -- they failed at applying phronesis

            -- so here in Proverbs 3:13 -- when we read, "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom -- the man who gains understanding" -- know this is referring to both sophia and phronesis  -- what Solomon is telling us is that we will be blessed in our lives if we take the knowledge we have of God and what God desires and then apply that information in our lives -- if we make practical use of what God has told us in His word

            -- so wisdom is a virtue, not because it is an action in and of itself, but because it informs our decisions and our behavior -- wisdom is the filter we use to determine what we do in our lives -- as Crawford H. Toy wrote, "Wisdom is the knowledge of right living in the highest sense"       

III.  The Application of Wisdom

            -- out of all the virtues we are going to discuss, wisdom is the greatest deficit in our world today -- as Brett and Kay McKay point out in an article they wrote on the virtue of wisdom, "As our society has become more complex, specialized, and bureaucratic, the opportunity to exercise practical wisdom has increasingly been replaced with reliance on rules, regulations, and incentives to achieve our goals."²

            -- in other words, people aren't thinking for themselves -- when they are faced with a decision, they don't apply the process of wisdom -- they don't take the information and knowledge they possess and filter it through the context of the situation and their own experience to arrive at a reasonable course of action -- instead, they look at what the rules tell them and they follow that sole course of action whether it is appropriate or not

            -- I have been fighting this at work for months now with our lawyers at the Pentagon -- the law says that the installation commander will meet face-to-face with the Native American Tribal Governments to discuss with them any projects Moody AFB is planning to do before we proceed

            -- the only problem is the Native American Tribes we need to talk to are not right next door -- they're in Oklahoma and they have told us by phone and by written correspondence that they don't want to talk to us about our projects any longer -- they don't care what we do on the installation -- "But," the lawyers say, "the law says you have to have face-to-face meetings and that's what you're going to do"

            -- the lawyers are deriving their course of action from a rule and are ignoring the context and the experience and the wishes of the very people who don't want us to visit them -- phronesis is not being applied

            -- so how do we acquire this virtue of wisdom? -- it's a three-step process

            -- the first step is knowing -- we need to acquire knowledge -- we need basic information about life

            -- this information -- our rules of the road, if you will -- needs to come from the Kingdom of God and not from this world -- this means the basis of our information and knowledge needs to come from God and from His Word

            -- we need to know God's word -- we need to know God -- we need to spend time with Him by reading the Bible and praying and worshiping with others and reading other sources of spiritual commentary and insight

            -- we need to immerse ourselves in the truth of God and let this knowledge of Him serve as the background data from which we make decisions about who we are going to be and what we are going to do

            -- this information forms the framework for decisions in our lives

            -- next, we need to understand -- this is where context and experience and revelation come into play -- in James 1:5 we are instructed to ask God to give us wisdom in order to understand a given situation and what should be done -- every situation is different -- every person we interact with is different -- and there is not a one-rule-fits-all answer

            -- so we seek to understand what God wants us to do in any given situation -- we look at the basic information we possess -- what does God's word say about this subject?

            -- and then we look to our experience and the experience of the church -- how has this been handled in the past? -- what worked? -- what didn't work? -- what should have been done instead?

            -- and then we ask God to give us wisdom -- we ask Him to give us insight into the situation and spiritual discernment that we might know what to do in this particular situation

            -- God speaks to our hearts and reveals to us the truth of a situation in light of His word and He guides us into making our decision based on His will rather than the black-and-white of the Law

            -- the goal is to seek understanding of what God wants rather than trying to just adhere to the Law -- this was the mistake the Pharisees made -- the Law said no one should work on the Sabbath, so we read in the gospels they tried to have Jesus arrested because He broke the Law by healing a man with a shriveled hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath -- a clear violation of the Law

            -- but Jesus pointed out that God's intent -- God's will -- was that good should always take precedent over the black-and-white rules of the Law -- the Law was to provide a framework through which to make decisions -- not to be the end-all on how to act in every situation

            -- so we seek to understand God's will in this particular situation and context within the framework of our basic knowledge of His Word

            -- the final step is doing -- the application of wisdom to life -- it's not enough to know what to do -- we must act on what we know

            -- our behavior and our actions must follow our wisdom -- once a choice is made, it should be carried out

            -- following through is the final step in the process of wisdom

IV.   Closing

            -- In one of the commercials that was shown at the 2010 Super Bowl, Cars.com tells the story of a wonder child named Timothy Richman, who demonstrates for us this process of wisdom

            -- when he was a toddler, he saw a pan of food cooking on the stove catch fire -- he had heard that baking soda puts out fires, so Timothy threw his rattle at a box of baking soda located on a shelf above the flaming pan, knocking over the box, which poured the soda into the pan and extinguished the flames.

            -- when he's a little boy, his father gives him a bike -- and as his father starts to put on the training wheels, Timothy repeats to himself the knowledge he learned about how to ride a bike -- "Balance, momentum, and a low center of gravity," and with that, before Timothy's dad can get the training wheels on, he pedals the bike away and down the driveway.

            -- In junior high, Timothy confidently walks up to a teen on an Italian beach who has been stung on the leg by a jellyfish and acting on his knowledge of first aid, he pours vinegar on the inflamed skin -- he explains in perfect Italian that vinegar can neutralize jellyfish stings.

            -- As a high school student on safari in Africa, he uses his knowledge of veterinary medicine to deliver a baby Bengal tiger that was breeched.

            -- the last scene in the commercial shows Timothy at a new car lot looking scared to death -- but then he sees a Cars.com sign and pulls out his cell phone and searches the site on the internet -- The narrator for the commercial concludes, "So Timothy Richman got his knowledge at Cars.com, regained his confidence, and got the perfect car at the perfect price."³

            -- sophia -- phronesis -- and application -- know it -- understand it -- do it -- this is the three-step process to acquire the virtue of wisdom in your life

            -- wisdom is the foundation of our lives with Christ -- it is the greatest of the cardinal virtues -- and to know Christ -- to understand Christ -- and to obey Christ is our goal

            -- let's pray

1 Websites accessed 18 January 2015:  http://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/aldrich-ames; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldrich_Ames

2 Source: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/12/19/practical-wisdom/ -- Brett and Kate McKay

3 Craig Brian Larson, editor of PreachingToday.com; source: 2010 USA Today Ad Meter and Cars.com

OLD OR ELDERLY?

Yesterday, while we were at the wolf preserve, I overheard a couple say to another, "We're not old. We're elderly." And the significance and profoundness of their statement has really stuck with me.
To mature and grow older is a fact of life that I recognized so clearly as I looked at the sea of sorority girls and college students standing in line with Kim and I as we waited our turn to be photographed with the wolves. We are no longer young adults -- we have grown older.

But, as the wise sages next to us quipped, to grow older does not mean you are old. You are only as old as you feel. You are only as old as you live. You are only as old as you choose to be.

The challenge is to not give in to the steady decay of physicality and vigor, but to remain youthful in attitude, aptitude, and appearance. The challenge is to avoid the temptation to take a lifetime of memories and experiences and hang them on the mantle in a frame of the past, but to take those experiences and build new memories for the future.

Life does not end because you grow older. Abraham was 100 when Isaac, the son of his faith was born. Moses was 80 when he was called to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Abraham and Moses were not old. They were merely elderly, and they let God use them to do mighty things. God desires the same of you!

Regardless of your age, you are only old if you choose to be. Like our friends at the wolf preserve, you can choose to be elderly and choose to let God continue to work in you and through you for the rest of your life. Remember, there is not a minimum retirement age in Christianity. God expects you to keep on keeping on until the end!

GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

There is a lot of truth to this meme. When we are going the right way -- when we are walking on the straight and narrow -- we are always going to meet opposition. Opposition from the world who is going on the broad path the other way. And opposition from Satan, who will do anything to keep us from going forward with Christ.

I heard a message one time from Dr. Bruce Wilkinson where he talked about a student in seminary bragging about how good his life was going now that he had started school. The professor said he had never been more disappointed in the student than in that moment. "If you are having no difficulties and are having no problems while you are in seminary studying about Jesus, that means Satan views you as no threat and not worth his time."

Here's hoping that on this Monday you meet enemies as you start this new week.

Pastor Greg

SERMON: TESTED AND APPROVED

11 January 2015

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Romans 16:10

Romans 16:10a. Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ.

            -- Admiral William H. McRaven, a 36-year Navy SEAL veteran, was asked to give the commencement address to the Class of 2014 at the University of Texas in Austin -- his titled his message "10 Lessons to Change the World." -- I want to share with you his first about how to change the world:

            -- "Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors would show up in my barracks room [for inspection] -- and the first thing they would inspect was your bed -- If you did it right, the corners would be square, the covers pulled tight, the pillow centered just under the headboard and the extra blanket folded neatly at the foot of the rack

            -- "It was a simple task—mundane at best. -- But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. -- It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real warriors -- tough battle hardened SEALs -- but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.

            -- "If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day -- By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed -- Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter -- If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right

            -- "And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better -- If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed."

            -- this morning we are going to start a new sermon series on changing the world --specifically, on what you can do to change the world -- I have taken the title of this series, "Tested and Approved," from Paul's description of his friend Apelles here in Romans 16:10

            -- as Paul closes this letter to the church at Rome, he ends with personal greetings to the people he knows there in that community -- he has something to say about all of them, but his words about Apelles speak volumes -- "Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ"

            -- we know nothing about Apelles apart from these five words -- but what five words they are -- they speak to Apelles' faith, character, and integrity

            -- Paul tells us Apelles' faith had been tested in some way -- perhaps through persecution -- perhaps through tragedies of life -- perhaps through abandonment by friends and family -- we don't know -- but Paul tells us Apelles withstood the test and emerged victorious -- approved unto God -- approved in Christ

            -- that is my personal desire for all of us as we start this new year together -- to be men and women who can be described as Apelles -- "Tested and Approved in Christ"

            -- we begin by taking care of the little things and building on the foundation of our faith -- we begin by choosing to be disciples -- not just in name but in practice -- men and women who choose obedience -- who choose character -- who choose integrity and faithfulness to Christ above all the world has to offer and our own selfish desires

II.  The Cardinal Virtues of the Christian Life

            -- last year we went through a sermon series on the Seven Deadly Sins and discussed the dangers of each -- today we are going to pick up where that series left off and begin looking at the life-changers -- the Cardinal Virtues that are essential to our Christian life

            -- these were first listed for us in an epic poem in 410 AD and different versions of them have appeared over the years as men and women have tried to live out their Christian faith in this world -- the virtues we will be discussing in this series are prudence or wisdom -- courage -- temperance or self-control -- justice -- diligence -- and humility

            -- these virtues are the behaviors we need to adopt and to live out in our life if we are to be the men and women Christ has called us to be -- what we are talking about is conforming our life to Christ -- intentionally choosing to live our lives according to a high moral standard, based on the teachings of Christ

            -- these are the little things Admiral McRaven talked about in his commencement address -- these are the little things that change who we are and make us capable of withstanding any test or trial that comes our way -- these are essential to our Christian lives

            -- the one word that we need to hold onto throughout this series is the word integrity -- integrity is a reflection of your character

            -- all of us in here put on an act every single day -- every day we put on a persona -- we put on a good face for the world -- we act like the world thinks we should act as a Christian -- but if we're honest with ourselves, we'll have to admit that a lot of times we don't act like that when we're alone

            -- integrity is being who Christ wants you to be in public and in private -- integrity is being a person who exemplifies the Cardinal Virtues and the characteristics of Christ -- whether you're in public or you're by yourself

            -- Socrates wrote, "The first key to greatness is to be in reality what we appear to be" -- we are called to be men and women of integrity -- we are called to live lives of holiness and righteousness through the power of Christ in us -- that's what this series on the Cardinal Virtues is all about

III.  Putting Off the Old, Taking Up the New (Colossians 3:1-14)

            -- so as we begin this series, I want to invite you to turn over with me now to Colossians Chapter 3 and let's briefly look at this passage that summarizes our goals in this series

            -- let's start at verse 1

Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV)

1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

            -- writing to the church at Colossae, Paul begins this section by reminding them of who they are in Christ -- they are no longer the men and women they used to be -- they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb -- their sins have been forgiven -- they are new creations in Christ -- raised with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly realms

            -- because of that, Paul tells them to set their hearts and their minds on the things above -- not on the things of the earth -- as Jesus said, where your treasure is, is where your heart should be -- their treasure was in heaven, so their hearts and minds needed to be focused on heaven and the things of heaven, not on what the world says is important

            -- our Christian life does not begin when we die -- we are not saved just so we can go to heaven -- we are saved that we might have life and have it abundantly -- and that life begins when we change our focus and our goal and our direction from what we want and what the world wants to what Christ wants for us

            -- verse 5

Colossians 3:5-11 (NIV)

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.

8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

            -- since we have been raised with Christ -- since we have new life with Him -- we need to start acting like it

            -- one day this successful businessman was walking down the street when he was approached by a beggar -- the guy was obviously homeless -- his whole appearance was unkempt -- long, dirty, uncombed hair -- dirty clothes -- he carried all his possessions in a bag slung over his back -- he held his hand out and asked for a couple of dollars so he could get something to eat

            -- as the businessman reached in his pocket and started to hand the man some change, he looked at him and realized he knew him -- it turns out this beggar was a friend of his from high school -- they talked for a moment and he found out the beggar had made some bad choices -- started drinking and using drugs -- and eventually found himself out on the street with no job and no money and no home

            -- the businessman said, "Come with me" -- and he took him home with him and got him cleaned up -- they went to the barber and got him a shave and a haircut -- they went to the department store and got him new clothes -- and the businessman told him, "Now listen, you come by my store on Monday and you tell the manager I sent you -- he's going to be expecting you and he'll have a job for you and we'll put you up in a spare room in the back of the store until you get on your feet again"

            -- the beggar thanked his old friend for all that he had done and went on his way -- Monday came around and the businessman went by the store to see how his friend was doing -- the manager told him that no one had come by all day -- every day that week, he'd check and still, the beggar had not come by

            -- one day the businessman is out and walking down the street and who does he see but the same beggar standing on the street corner asking for money -- he goes up to him and says, "What are you doing here? -- why didn't you come by my store and get the job I promised? -- why didn't you take the life I was offering?"

            -- the beggar dropped his eyes and said, "It was just too good to be true -- I just couldn't believe I could change and I didn't believe you really had a job for me -- it was just easier to go back to what I knew"

            -- if we're not careful, we'll do the same thing this beggar did -- Jesus died on the cross to forgive us for our sins and offer us a whole new life with Him -- but we have to do something with the gift He has given -- we have to move forward in faith and make some changes in our lives

            -- Paul tells the folks in Colossae, "Look here -- you have been raised with Christ -- you have a new life -- so you need to put to death your old nature and your old ways

            -- put to death your sexual immorality -- your impurity -- your lust -- your evil desires and greed -- get rid of your anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language -- stop lying to one another -- that's who you used to be, but that's not who you are now -- remember who you are in Christ and live the new life you have been given

            -- verse 12

Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)

12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

            -- if we're going to be who God wants us to be, then we're going to have to make some drastic changes in our lives -- the reason why we need to get rid of the old way of living is to make way for the new

            -- we are called to be imitators of Christ -- to look and act like Him in this world -- do you know what the word Christian literally means? -- it means "little Christ" -- and that is who we should be

            -- that means we have to be different from this world -- different from who we used to be before we trusted in Jesus as our Lord and Savior and were given the Holy Spirit to empower us and make us holy

            -- we are called to be reflectors of God's love on this earth -- when people see us, they should see Christ in us

            -- so Paul tells us here -- get rid of the old stuff and clothe yourself with the things of God -- put on the virtues of Jesus -- compassion -- kindness -- humility -- gentleness -- and patience -- bear with each other -- be patient and kind one to another because we're all on this journey together even though we may all be in different places along the way

            -- forgive others as God forgave you -- and let your life and your actions and your being be characterized by love above all else

IV.  CLOSING

            -- what does it take to be approved unto God? -- what does it take to be tested and approved in Christ?

            -- the Apostle Peter asked that same question in 2 Peter 3:11 -- "What kind of people ought you to be?" -- now that Christ has saved you -- now that Christ has sent His Spirit to indwell you -- now that you have been filled with God's divine power -- what kind of person should you be?

            -- he goes on to answer that question in the rest of verse 11 -- "You ought to live holy and godly lives"

            -- Paul reminds us here in verse 12 that we are God's chosen people -- holy and dearly loved -- and he tells us we should act like it -- we should put off the old and put on the new -- we should choose to take up the virtues of Christ and live a new life -- a different life -- than the one we used to live

            -- so as we begin this series together on the Cardinal Virtues of the Christian Life, let me ask you:  what if we became like Apelles? -- what if we patiently sought to acquire the virtues that matter? -- what if we came to realize that the only approval that really matters is God's? -- what then?²

            -- that's the questions I want you to answer in your own heart and in your own life as we go through this series together

            -- let us pray

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1 Admiral William H. McRaven, "Admiral McRaven: 10 Lessons to Help Change the World," Real Clear Politics (5-22-14) [Preaching Today: http://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2014/october/7102014.html]

2 Modified from message by Jennifer Dukes Lee [http://manettecommunitychurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/November-2014-Newsletter-Web.pdf]

A FAITH-LIFT

Last night was the first team meeting for the 2015 South Georgia Chrysalis weekends. It has been several years since I have served on any of the Chrysalis teams, and I have been looking forward to this for some time.

While it was nice to catch up with some old friends last night, it was a faith-lift to see all those young men and women in high school and college who are willing to stand up and serve their Lord and Savior in this ministry!

Sometimes we get a slanted impression of the world from the media. When we see news shows cutting to a green screen at the mention of Jesus and claiming "technical difficulty," when we see atheists posting billboards around the country proclaiming no Jesus this Christmas, when we see Christians bashed on TV and in movies and in the public realm, it can be discouraging. It can make it seem as if Satan is winning.

But he's not! God has won! The battle was over when the Christ-child was born in a manger on Christmas morning and when Jesus proclaimed from the cross, "IT IS FINISHED!"

Do you want proof the battle is over and Jesus has won? Just look at the young men and women who are serving on this year's Chrysalis and who faithfully stand up for Jesus in their churches, their schools, and their homes every single day!

SERMON: TRUE FREEDOM

16 November 2014

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Acts 16:25-34

            -- before we turn to this passage this morning, I wanted to take an opportunity to share with you a thought about God's word -- as we turned to this passage, you may have noticed that we've been here before -- I preached a sermon from this passage a couple of years ago

            -- I try my best not to repeat passages when I preach, but I know it does happen -- I'm sure you remember a few months ago when I preached two sermons almost back-to-back using the same passage of Scripture -- and here we are again repeating a passage we looked at a couple of years ago -- I thought this might be a good opportunity to explain why that sometimes happens

            -- I have found God rarely gives me a message that is just for the church -- I begin every week with this prayer, "God, show me what You want me to share with the church this week -- give me Your message for Your church" -- and I have learned that God rarely does that -- God rarely gives me a message for a Sunday morning that is not meant, first and foremost, for me

            -- that doesn't mean it doesn't apply to the church and that doesn't mean you can't get anything out of it when you hear what God's been saying to me -- but it means that when God speaks to me through His word, He seems to do so with the intent to first change me -- and, really, that is the purpose of Scripture -- to let us hear the Word of God and to let God's word work in us to change us and make us into the men and women He has called us to be -- in other words, God has not given us His Bible simply to be a source of messages for other people -- God has not given us His Bible for others, but for us

            -- I think that's something we are sorely missing in our churches today -- if you look at the historical New Testament church and compare it to what we have today, we are an anomaly -- the early church didn't have one person who got up and gave a prepared message every Sunday -- no, the early church was more communal -- more relational -- everyone shared what they had -- whether that was food or money or time or a message from God

            -- and when the church gathered, the people would go around the room and talk about what God had told them that week -- they would all share the message God had given them -- whether it was an interpretation of Scripture or a song or a Psalm or whatever -- knowing it was for them, first and foremost, but that others might benefit as well -- we've lost that in our churches -- people don't feel free to share what God's spoken to them but instead come to hear a prepared sermon from a professional minister -- but that's a different subject and maybe we'll talk about that one day

            -- so, to get back to the long point I'm trying to make about why we sometimes repeat passages in sermons -- when it does happen, especially if it happens really close to the last time I preached on a subject, I think it's my fault -- I think it means that I missed what God wanted me to get out of His word -- I may have been faithful and said the words and given the message that He wanted me to give, but maybe I just didn't understand it or apply it to myself -- and, so I think God leads me back to that passage over and over until I do get it -- until I do understand and, more importantly, do something with what He has told me -- now that doesn't mean you need to hear it multiple times in a Sunday morning sermon, but sometimes it happens, and I just ask for your grace and understanding when it does

            -- but there is another reason we sometimes repeat passages -- Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in all righteousness" -- and in Hebrews 4:12 we read, "For the word of God is alive and active."-- these verses remind us that God's word is living and active and dynamic -- and there are times, like this morning, when God leads us back to a familiar passage to reveal to us some new truth about this passage that we need at this moment

            -- and I think it's important for us to remember this as we move into the holiday season because there are very few passages about Christmas -- and I guarantee you that you've heard all of them -- the stories and the passages and the themes of Christmas are so very familiar to us, we know them by heart

            -- but knowing them by heart can make us deaf to God's voice -- we think to ourselves, "Been there, done that, read that passage, heard that sermon before," and we can miss what God wants us to get out of it -- so we've got to be careful to not ignore God when He does lead us back to a passage we have already studied -- especially a passage we may know very well, because if He's doing that, there's a reason -- and if you will listen for His voice over these holidays as you hear the old familiar stories of the birth of Christ and the visit of the Magi, maybe, just maybe, you will learn something new

II.  Scripture Lesson (Acts 16:25-34)

            -- okay, I've beaten a dead horse that has nothing to do with what God wanted me to say this morning, so let's move on and see what new insight God has for us from this passage in the Book of Acts      

            -- Acts 16:25-34

Acts 16:25-34 (NIV)

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.

27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.

28 But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"

29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.

30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."

32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.

33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.

34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God--he and his whole family.

            -- as everyone knows, I spent last weekend at Valdosta State Prison on a Kairos Ministry Team -- the theme of Kairos is simple and is summed up in the phrase, "Listen, listen, love, love" -- we don't try to spend our time preaching to the inmates -- heck, many of them know the Bible better than we do -- but instead we spend our time listening to what they have to say and loving them with the love of Christ

      -- at the closing of the weekend, the inmates are given the opportunity to reflect on the weekend and on any changes that might have happened in their lives since they first walked into the gym on Thursday night -- one common thought I heard from the prisoners that spoke at the closing was this -- "Though I may never see freedom again, I am freer now than ever before in my life."

      -- that got me to thinking -- you know, here's these guys sitting in prison-- some of them serving life sentences -- knowing they will never get out into the real world again -- but yet they can say they are freer now sitting behind bars than they've ever been before in their lives

      -- Jesus said in John 8:36, "if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed." -- and that is exactly the spiritual truth these men were expressing -- freedom isn't dependent on your circumstances or your physical location -- freedom is a matter of the heart -- if you have been freed from sin and death by the blood of Jesus Christ, then you can be sitting in a cell in Valdosta State Prison -- you can literally be locked behind bars and razor wire -- but you can be freer than someone outside the walls

      -- look back at verse 25

Acts 16:25 (NIV)

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

      -- in this familiar passage, we see Paul and Silas in prison -- just like the men at the Valdosta State Prison, they were behind bars, chained to the wall -- certainly not a place of freedom -- certainly not a place where you would expect a worship service

      -- but here we see them at midnight, praying and singing hymns to God -- you see, for Paul and Silas, it didn't matter where they were, they were still free -- and they knew they were free -- even though it appeared to all the world as if Paul and Silas were in chains, they knew they were free -- so they couldn't help but praise God

      -- this reminds me of a little boy and his father who were on a long car trip -- the little boy was in the back seat, and he kept standing up -- his father kept telling him to sit down -- the little boy would sit down for a few seconds but then he'd stand back up -- this went on time and time again -- finally, the father said, "If you don't sit down, I'm going to stop this car and give you a spanking and make you sit down."  -- the little boy sat down and was quiet for a few minutes and then announced, "I may be sitting down, but I'm standing up in my heart."

      -- freedom isn't about circumstances -- it's not about your physical condition -- it's about having Christ in your heart -- as Paul and Silas show us in this verse, you can be bound in chains in a filthy prison and still be freer than the rest of the world

      -- but, you know, the opposite is true as well -- you can be walking around free in this world, but you can still be bound up spiritually -- prisons don't just exist behind bars and razor wire -- prisons exist in the heart as well

      -- think about the last time you were around a lot of people -- maybe at the store or in a restaurant or at a football game -- did you ever stop to wonder how many of those people around you were in prison -- not a physical prison -- but a spiritual prison?

      -- that cashier that was so rude to you -- that waitress who never brought you a refill of tea -- that grumpy old man who cut you off in the parking lot -- could it be they acted that way because they were living in bondage? -- could it be they acted that way because they were still chained with sin and death?

      -- look at verse 26

Acts 16:26-34 (NIV)

26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.

27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.

28 But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"

29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.

30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."

32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.

33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.

34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God--he and his whole family.

      -- in Luke 4:18, Jesus said the Father "has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners"

      -- Jesus wasn't talking about people in jail -- he was talking about people in the world -- people who were held in spiritual bondage -- I think it's important to note Jesus said He came to proclaim freedom -- He came to announce it's availability to those who would listen

      -- through Jesus, freedom from sin and death had arrived -- it was available as a free gift from God -- you are saved by grace -- but the prisoners Jesus was talking about had to act on His proclamation -- that's why the verse in Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "you are saved by grace through faith" -- it takes faith -- it takes repentance -- it takes a change of mind about Jesus and an acceptance of the free gift of God to open the locks of our spiritual prisons

      -- it reminds me of the Andy Griffith show -- remember Otis, the town drunk? -- Barney would always lock Otis up in the jail, but the key was sitting there on a nail right outside the door -- Otis could get his freedom any time he wanted -- all had to do was reach out through the bars and grab the key and open the door -- it's the same way with the prisoners in our world today -- all they need to do is take the key

      -- after the earthquake shook the prison walls in response to Paul and Silas' worship, we read that the doors of the prison sprang open and the chains came loose -- the Philippian jailer was about to kill himself, but Paul called out to not do that -- that no one had escaped

      -- the jailer called for lights and came before Paul and Silas in fear and trembling and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" -- it was that moment he first realized he was the one who was actually in chains

      -- Paul told him, "Take the key -- reach through the bars and grab the key of salvation Jesus put there -- believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved -- you will be free"

      -- have we ever talked in here about Juneteenth? -- do you know what that is?

      -- Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated by African-Americans here in the south -- as we all know, when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation and when the Civil War ended and the 13th Amendment was adopted, slavery was abolished and the slaves were freed once and for all -- but, some of them didn't get the word or they didn't believe the word and so they didn't act on the truth that was proclaimed to them

      -- some slaves in Texas and in other parts of the south continued to live and work as slaves for another 2-1/2 years -- they were free, but they continued to live as slaves

      -- Juneteenth commemorates the day in June when the former slaves finally began to believe and live in their freedom

      -- what's funny about this holiday is that the opportunity for them to be free was always there -- they just didn't act on it -- just like all the unbelievers around you who continue to live in prison walls of sin and death because they haven't acted on the free gift of salvation offered by Christ and reached outside their bars and taken hold of the key that's hanging right there to let them free

      -- but, you know, unbelievers aren't the only ones who continue to live in a prison of their own making -- there are many Christians out there -- maybe some of you -- who are still held in chains of some type or the other

      -- unbelievers may be living in a spiritual maximum security prison with bars and razor wire, but there are many Christians living is other prisons -- let's picture them as minimum security prison with open gates -- and sure, the bars are gone and the razor wire is gone and all that separates them from complete freedom in Christ is for them to walk through the gate into the free world, but they won't

      -- Let me explain what I mean -- when Christ went to the cross as an atonement for our sins, He not only purchased for us freedom from our past sins -- but He purchased for us freedom from our present and our future sins and from everything that is keeping us from becoming more and more like Him

      -- but what happens in the life of a lot of Christians, when we get saved, we don't let Jesus remove all our chains -- we keep a few wrapped around us and don't let Him take them off -- these chains are the things that are hindering us in our walk with Christ -- these are the things that are keeping us from growing in grace

      -- for some of us, it's a sin in our lives that is really difficult to get rid of -- maybe it's an addiction to pornography or drugs or alcohol or an impure thought life -- maybe it's pride or arrogance -- maybe it's gossip or anger or hatred -- whatever it is, it's still there in our heart holding us in bondage

      -- maybe we're in bondage to our past sins -- maybe we know that they have been forgiven, but we just can't let them go, and Satan is using them to hold us back

      -- maybe we're in bondage to legalism -- maybe we think that we have to come to church to be saved -- that we have to belong to a certain church to be saved -- that we have to do this good work or that good work or follow this church law to be saved

      -- maybe we're in bondage to the future -- our lives are filled with worry and anxiety and we just can't let it go and move on in faith in Christ

      -- maybe we're in bondage to another person -- maybe someone in our life is controlling what we say or what we do -- maybe we have unforgiveness in our heart towards another -- or maybe we need to ask forgiveness of another

      -- whatever it may be, it's obvious that most Christians have not totally accepted the freedom that Christ has to offer

      -- once again, it parallels what happened to African Americans following their freedom from slavery -- as Martin Luther King, Jr., pointed out in his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963, President Lincoln proclaimed freedom for the slaves in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation, but 100 years later, the blacks still had not accepted all the rights and privileges that went along with that freedom

      -- in other words, although they were free in name, they had never walked through that last gate and left all their chains behind -- freedom was theirs for the taking, but they just wouldn't accept it -- the same is true for many Christians today

III.  Closing

      -- I heard the story one time about a group of commandos who went into Vietnam to rescue some of our POWs -- the men had been in this prison for so long, subjected to physical and mental torture, that they were in very poor condition

      -- in a daring operation, the commandos infiltrated the prison and opened the doors to the cells, expecting the prisoners to rush out into freedom -- but, instead, they wouldn't budge -- they were afraid to leave -- they couldn't accept the freedom they were being offered was real -- and they feared what might happen if they left -- so the commandos had to go in and lead each man out into freedom

      -- in Galatians 5:1 we read, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

      -- freedom -- true, spiritual freedom -- is ours for the taking -- the same spiritual freedom that caused the prisoners on this Kairos to proclaim, "Even though we may never walk outside these prison walls again, we are freer now than we've ever been"

      -- when you don't shake off all the chains and walk through the open gate of your spiritual prison into the freedom that Christ has given, you allow yourself to be burdened again by things which hinder your walk with Christ -- you are keeping yourself in a prison of your own making even though the proclamation of emancipation resounded from the empty tomb three days after Jesus' death on the cross at Calvary

      -- it is time for all of us to reach through the bars of our cells and take hold of the key of salvation and sanctification and step into the freedom Jesus is proclaiming

      -- for some of us, that might mean accepting for the first time the freedom of salvation Jesus is offering, just as the Philippian jailer did in this passage

      -- for others it might mean receiving and living in the freedom from sin Jesus offers -- putting aside the sins that are holding us back and walking in the freedom that comes through Jesus' power in our lives

      -- whatever it is -- wherever you are -- I ask that you respond to God's word this morning as you feel led

      -- let us pray

SERMON: DUE DILIGENCE

2 November 2014

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Hebrews 6:9-12

Hebrews 6:9-12 (NIV)

9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case--things that accompany salvation.

10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

            -- when I woke up this morning, my thumb hurt, just like it's been hurting off and on for the last several weeks -- and the pain in my thumb that lingers from my alligator bite one month ago reminded me of something I had shared with you in the past -- complacency kills

            -- when my boss asked me what was the cause of my accident, I gave him one word -- complacency -- that feeling of over-confidence in handling an issue -- of overlooking dangers in life because you've done something so many times before and not had a problem

            -- my alligator bite was caused by nothing more than complacency -- in my case, I was blessed it was only my thumb -- but complacency literally kills people each and every day

            -- and this should not be unfamiliar to you -- we've talked about this before -- but there is a concept in theology called "closing the homiletic circle" -- it refers to making sure you complete your message -- you've all heard sermons, probably some from me, that just needed more

            -- they talked about a subject or went into great details about sin or a problem in the church, but they never got around to answering the question what to do about it -- it's kind of like all those talk show hosts you hear on the radio -- they're all good at telling you the problems with our country, but they never have any answers

            -- so the concept of "closing the homiletic -- the preaching -- circle" means you've got to be careful to always give the rest of the story -- to not just talk about the why of an issue but also the how -- answering the question, "yes, this is a problem, but how should I respond?" -- and I realized in my message on complacency I had clearly pointed out complacency leads to death -- but I did not close the homiletic circle and show you a better way -- I didn't point out what leads to life

            -- I was reading some management and productivity articles this week and happened on an article that did just that in regards to longevity -- in our country, the life expectancy for a woman is 82.2 years and for a man is 77.4 years -- but there are some people in our country who live well past that age and the authors of this article wanted to know why -- what was it about them that made them so long-lived? -- was it just genetics? -- was it healthier living? -- or was it something else -- something that all of us could apply to our own lives and extend, not only the days of our lives, but the quality of those days?

            -- and what they found in their research was surprising -- yes, genetics played a big part, but even having those genes did not mean you would live to be 122 years old like Jeanne Clement, the person with the longest confirmed life span

            -- the greater determinant in life expectancy really just came down to three things:  1) relationships -- have meaningful and lasting relationships with others; 2) be a good person -- to quote the authors of the study: "the clearest benefit of social relationships came from helping others. Those who helped their friends and neighbors, advising and caring for others, tended to live to old age"; and, 3) get your act together -- the term the authors used was conscientiousness -- this was "the best predictor of longevity when measured in childhood -- [and it] also turned out to be the best personality predictor of long life when measured in adulthood"¹

            -- Conscientiousness is defined as "the personality trait of being thorough, careful, or vigilant -- it implies a desire to do a task well -- Conscientious people are efficient and organized as opposed to easy-going and disorderly"² -- in other words, conscientious people are not complacent

            -- now I want you to get what I just said -- can you think of a group of people that are supposed to be characterized by those three traits:  relationships, being good people, and being conscientious? -- Oh, I don't know -- Christians?

            -- yeah, that's us -- or to put it a better way, that's supposed to be us -- as Jesus said, "I have come that you may have life -- abundant life -- life to its fullest" -- so this morning let's close the homiletic circle on complacency and let's talk about how we can live life to its fullest by being who God has called us to be

II.  Scripture Lesson on Conscientiousness (Hebrews 6:9-12)

            -- if you would, look back with me at Hebrews 6 and we'll go through these verses together to see what we can learn about relationships, about being good people, but mostly about being conscientious

            -- verse 9

Hebrews 6:9 (NIV)

9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case--things that accompany salvation.

            -- we don't know who wrote the Book of Hebrews, so we're just going to call him "the writer"

            -- as the writer opens up these verses, he uses the phrase, "even though we speak like this" -- he's actually referring back to the teachings he had just covered in Hebrews 5:11-6:8 -- we've talked about these verses in here before -- in them, the writer has been harshly rebuking his readers for not maturing in their faith -- he says they are still drinking the milk of Christianity and had not matured yet to the point where they were eating solid food

            -- so you sense a level of frustration on his part as he is still having to answer the basic questions of the faith rather than being able to lead them on to maturity in Christ -- the writer got very frank with them in the previous section -- he wasn't mincing words -- he was getting in their face, such as it were, and saying, "you need to do better"

            -- he tells them in Hebrews 6:1 it was time to leave these elementary teachings and press on to the more mature teachings of faith

            -- but then he softens what he's saying -- remember: we're told in Scripture to speak the truth in love, and that's what we see the writer do here -- he calls them "dear friends" -- some translations say "beloved" -- it is the only time this term is used in the entire book of Hebrews -- in essence, what he's saying is "even though we speak harshly to you like this, we do so because we love you and we're worried about you and we don't want you to fall away in your faith and service to God"

            -- he goes on to tell them here, "we're confident you're going to do better -- we're confident you're going to move forward in your faith, just as we've been saying -- we're in your camp -- we're here for you -- we're going to help you -- but you've got to do this if you are going to make your faith complete"

            -- is it just me, or does this not sound like a football coach in a halftime locker-room? -- "you've been playing poorly -- you haven't been giving it your all -- but I know you can do better, so get out there in the second half and show me what you can do"

            -- the "better things" the writer says he knows the Hebrew Christians are going to do are the "things that accompany salvation" -- don't misunderstand what the writer is saying here to the Hebrew Christians -- these better things -- these works don't save us -- but works accompany salvation and prove our faith

            -- the writer is referring to those evidences of our faith that follow salvation and lead us to maturity in Christ -- he's talking about relationships -- active growth and participation in Christian community -- he's talking about being good people -- Christian love and service -- ministry to others -- and he's talking about being conscientious -- about discipleship and paying attention to the things of faith

            -- these are the things that should accompany salvation -- these are the solid food of Christianity that the writer encourages his readers to start eating instead of the milk of elementary teachings

            -- verse 10

Hebrews 6:10 (NIV)

10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

            -- as the writer opens verse 10, he is obviously countering a potential argument from his readers -- why is God being unjust? -- why doesn't God remember the things we have done for Him?

            -- I like what David Guzik wrote on this subject -- "When we are discouraged, we often think God has forgotten all we have done for Him and His people -- But God would cease to be God -- He would be unjust -- if He forgot such things -- God sees and remembers -- How many lose sight of the fact that God sees their service? -- How many serve for the applause and attention of man, and are discouraged because it doesn’t come?"

            -- God sees what we do -- He remembers what we have done -- it is written in the book of our life -- God has not forgotten -- but the writer is going to go on in this verse and the rest of our passage today to make the point that having served God in the past doesn't mean our work is finished

            -- notice that almost everything else in verse 10 is past tense -- "the love you have shown Him" -- you "have helped His people" -- the readers of this epistle were living in the past -- like a lot of Christians and a lot of churches they were standing on past accomplishments, past ministries, and past actions -- they were not moving forward and doing new and greater things for Jesus

            -- the point the writer is trying to get across to his readers is that it's not about what you've done -- it's about what you're doing -- it's like God is saying, "What have you done for Me lately?"

            -- I remember when I was at Morven UMC, we had a couple of missionaries who were serving in Brazil come by and spend a couple of weeks with the church, preaching and sharing about their ministry -- one of the missionaries was riding with the pastor one day and asked her, "What has God been doing in your life?" -- and the pastor began telling the missionary about how she was brought to the Lord and called into the ministry and all that had happened to her -- and the missionary interrupted her and said, "I didn't ask you what God had done in your life -- I asked you what He was doing right now"

            -- that was eye-opening to the pastor and it was eye-opening to us in the church when she shared it -- we had all been living on the past, just like these Hebrew Christians -- we were resting on our laurels, and not moving on to the next act of service God was calling us to -- something for us to think about today -- what is God doing in your life right now? -- and what are you doing for God right now?

            -- verse 11

Hebrews 6:11 (NIV)

11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

            -- the writer says we want each of you to show this same diligence -- some translations say "we desire each of you" -- the Greek word the writer uses here is the same word that is translated in other places in the Bible as lust -- it is an intense longing -- a great and overwhelming desire -- the writer wants this more than anything else for the Hebrew Christians -- he is saying we greatly wish this for you with all that we are -- because this is what you need to be mature in Christ -- this is what you need to live

            -- he reminds them that each of them have to do this -- Christianity is a personal faith -- although we are part of the church -- although we are in a relationship with a Christian community -- there is still an individual calling on our lives -- each of us have to live out our own faith with fear and trembling -- each of us has to strive to be mature in our own lives

            -- I see this tendency to just get by on other's accomplishments at work and in the church -- there's a whole lot of people that do exactly what the writer is saying don't do -- they do as little work as possible -- they just ride in the bus and take credit for what others do while they themselves do nothing

            -- we all need to take account for our own actions and our own faith -- we all need to make sure we are progressing towards holiness -- this is where accountability comes in -- as the church we are to look to others to help us in our journey -- and we are to turn to others to help them in their journey -- honest criticism to make us better

            -- the writer urges his readers to "show this same type of diligence" -- to display -- to demonstrate -- to prove by their actions they are diligent Christians

            -- diligence is the same thing as being conscientious -- diligence means eagerness -- earnestness -- willingness -- or zeal -- it means to do something with intense effort or movement -- it means pressing forward and doing your best -- having a plan and accomplishing your goals

            -- diligence means we work to the very end -- we don't give up -- we keep striving forward towards the goal -- what the writer is saying her is it doesn't matter what you've done before -- it doesn't matter how you start -- what matters is how you finish

            -- just ask Georgia -- scoring on the first drive of the Georgia-Florida game with a 39 yard touchdown run is awesome -- having a running back get 100 yards in the first quarter is outstanding -- but doing nothing else for the rest of the game makes this meaningless -- a lot of Christians start well, but try to slide into the end based on earlier efforts -- we must show diligence to the very end -- we must display conscientiousness

            -- the writer says to do this in order to make your hope secure -- I have had Christians who have been saved for a long time come to me doubting their salvation -- I have had to give them a baby bottle -- I had to walk them through the milk stage of their life with Christ because they were insecure in their salvation -- they were worried they had failed

            -- insecurity comes not so much from a lack of faith as a lack of conscientiousness -- they know they have strayed from what they used to do -- they know they have not been diligent and have gotten complacent in their faith -- and the conviction from the Holy Spirit is causing them concern

            -- but instead of seeing this as a call to persevere and be diligent in their faith and service and love, they are seeing this as a salvation issue

            -- there's a warning here for us -- we all need to check ourselves and make sure we have not become complacent -- we need to make sure we're not just living on past accomplishments and coasting towards the finish line

            -- the writer says be diligent in your faith so you can make your hope secure -- if you're running the race wide open -- if you're doing what you did at first -- if you're active in your faith and growing in Christ, insecurity in regards to salvation is not going to be an issue -- the message here is that assurance comes from diligence

            -- verse 12

Hebrews 6:12 (NIV)

12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

            -- here we see again the warning against complacency -- the writer says we don't want you to become lazy -- we don't want you to become spiritual sluggards -- we want you to be conscientious about your faith

            -- the writer advises his readers to imitate those who show this quality of conscientiousness in their faith -- this is "a call to reproduce in our own way of life those godly qualities that result from salvation and that we see in others."³ -- as Richards wrote, "The idea is intimately linked with the thought that teachers and leaders ought to be clear, living examples of the practical implications of commitment to Jesus."³         

            -- as Christians, we are first and foremost called to imitate Christ -- to do so, we have to be in constant exposure to Him -- I've said it before, I'll say it again -- prayer, Bible study, church, action -- these are the ways God expresses Himself to us and these the means of grace that expose us to His presence and His life

            -- but the writer also urges us to imitate others who know to be diligent in their Christian faith and action -- there is great value in learning about the lives of great Christians and imitating their life and their witness of faith

            -- Jim Elliot, who gave his life while trying to reach the Auca Indians, was largely shaped through the reading of Christian biography.

            -- he wrote in his journal: "“I see the value of Christian biography tonight as I have been reading Brainerd’s Diary much today. It stirs me up much to pray and wonder at my nonchalance while I have not power from God -- I recall now the challenge of Goforth’s Life and By My Spirit, read in the summer of 1947, the encouragement of Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, and The Growth of a Soul. There are incidents which instruct me now from the reading of J. G. Paton’s biography, read last winter. And now this fresh Spirit-quickened history of Brainerd. O Lord, let me be granted grace to ‘imitate their faith.’"

III.  Closing

            -- let me close by sharing with you these prophetic words from Dr. J. Vernon McGee:

            -- "I wonder what God would say to us today as He sees all of our so-called Christian organizations in constant activity but with little action or movement -- The huge building program proclaiming astronomical figures in cost and “people reached” is indeed impressive -- The mushroom growth of both churches and organizations would seem to indicate a healthy condition -- The polls which give such a large percentage of evangelicals would appear to be a sign that we are marching to Zion.

            -- "But before we sing “Onward Christian Soldiers,” let’s find out how many are marching -- We are not even standing on the promises; we are sitting on the premises

            -- We are not stalwart soldiers of the faith -- We are paper dolls playing church in our bigger and better sanctuaries -- We are seeking entertainment, not instruction or inspiration in our smug complacency -- We do not have a vision or concern for a lost world out there that has not even heard the Word of God."

            -- although Dr. McGee did not use the word, I think the best term to sum up what he saw taking place in modern Christianity over 30 years ago is complacency

            -- what he described then has only gotten worse in the intervening years -- we see a church living in the past -- we see large sanctuaries empty on Sunday mornings -- we see Christians who vote more with their wallet than their convictions -- we see a tempest of sound and fury but no real accomplishment for the kingdom of Christ -- we have become complacent and blind to the danger around us

            -- there was a commercial several years ago that pointed out that our dreams and goals as kids never seem to match the reality of our lives -- the kids in the commercial would say, "when I grow up, I want to be..." and then they would speak out to a path that no one really wanted -- I remember a couple of them -- "when I grow up, I want to be a junkie strung out of drugs" -- and another one said, "when I grow up, I want to be a mid-level manager drowning in a sea of debt"

            -- when we responded to Christ's call for salvation and for new life with Him, none of us looked ahead and said, "When I grow up, I want to be a Christian who just comes to church on Sunday and doesn't do anything else" -- no, that wasn't our goal -- we just settled for being and doing less than what God wanted

            -- do you want to live a long and meaningful life -- not only physically but spiritually?      

            -- the writer of the Book of Hebrews tells us how as he calls us from our current place of complacency to a vibrant journey of maturity in faith through Christ -- listen to his voice from the passage we have been discussing -- he is calling us to express ourselves in our relationships in the church -- he is calling us to be good people -- to do the better things that accompany our salvation -- and he is calling us to be diligent and conscientious Christians -- Christians who don't just get by, but Christians who do great things for Christ

            -- do you want to be alive for Christ? -- then do this

            -- let us pray

1 "The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study" as cited in Barker, Eric, "How to live a long life, according to science," The Week Online, http://theweek.com/article/index/266851/how-to-live-a-long-life-according-to-science

2 https://www.google.com/search?q=define+conscientiousness&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb

3 (Richards, L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency)