SERMON: The Greatest of These is Love

THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE

19 April 2009

 

I. Introduction

    -- turn in Bibles to 1 Corinthians 13

 

13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

 

    -- right before Easter, we finished up our 40-day study [40 DAYS OF LOVE -- FIREPROOF] -- this 40-day study focused on relationships -- and we primarily looked at our relationships with each other and with our spouse and how building a strong foundation on God's word and His image of love would lead us to experience greater and deeper levels of intimacy in all our relationships

    -- but, if that was all that we got out of this chapter then we would have missed the greater point of the Apostle Paul's words here for the Church at Corinth and for us -- while Paul's words do provide us with a tangible foundation for our earthly relationships, Paul's focus -- first and foremost -- was on our relationship with the Father and how God's love permeates our lives and is the sole reason for our existence and our experience with Him

    -- we have just celebrated Palm Sunday and Easter as a church family -- we have seen and experienced the glory of Jesus' coming to Jerusalem and His death on the cross of Calvary as payment for our sins -- and we are left with the question, "Why? -- Why would God do that for us?" -- as we talked about last week and as we read in John 3:16, it was simply because of love -- because of God's overpowering, unconditional, agape love for us that He sent His Son to die in our place on the cross

    -- "For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life"

    -- and that brings us squarely back to Paul's final words in this chapter -- our relationship with God is ultimately sustained only through His love -- everything else fails -- everything else passes away -- the one constant in all of the universe -- the one constant in all of eternity -- is love

    -- love -- not faith -- should be the concern of the church

    -- love -- not hope -- should be our driving focus

    -- love -- and only love -- should be the reason for our existence and the binding force behind all that we do

    -- so, this morning, I want to take the lessons of our 40-day study on love and relationships and shine the light of Calvary and the resurrection on it and take a few moments to consider what Paul means when he says here that love is the greatest of all

 

II. Faith, Hope, and Love

    -- before I read this verse again, let me remind you of the context -- the Christians at Corinth had been confused over spiritual gifts -- they were competing amongst themselves over which spiritual gifts were the greatest -- which were the most desirable -- and were establishing a pecking order in the church based on these gifts -- they were thinking and living selfishly instead of for each other or for the church

    -- so, Paul wrote this epistle to correct them -- right before this chapter, Paul spent quite a bit of time talking about spiritual gifts and their purpose -- how they existed solely for the benefit of the church and how each individual member and each individual gift was given for the benefit of all -- "Your focus," he was pointing out, "needs to be on your brother and sister and not on yourself."

    -- and then he penned these words that we call, "The Love Chapter" -- in this chapter, Paul says that what the Corinthians should be striving for was love -- instead of spiritual gifts -- instead of power and prestige -- they should be focusing on developing and demonstrating love

    -- "Everything else," he told them, "passes away -- everything else fails -- prophecies will cease -- tongues will be stilled -- knowledge will pass away" -- until finally, you are left with what is important -- look back at verse 13

 

13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

 

    -- let's look at each of those three for a moment and let's think about why Paul says that, of those three, love is the greatest

 

    -- first, let's look at faith -- what is faith? -- it's a word that we talk about a lot in the church -- "I have faith in Jesus" -- "I have faith in God" -- but what does that mean?

    -- the best definition of faith is that which we have in Hebrews 11:1 -- "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see -- the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"

    -- faith is belief in what we have not seen with our own eyes, but that we still trust in as truth none-the-less

    -- do you remember the story I once told you about the Great Blonden -- the famous tight-rope walker from around the turn of the 20th century? -- he was most famous for his daring walks across Niagra Falls -- 160 feet above the water walking over 1,000 feet from one side of the river to the other

    -- legend has it that one time he was preparing for a show and he was getting the crowd pumped up -- "Do you believe that I can walk this tightrope across the falls?" he asked. "We believe" replied the audience. -- "Do you believe that I can walk the tightrope across the Falls pushing a wheelbarrow?" he asked. "We believe" replied the crowd, even more enthusiastically. -- "Do you believe that I can walk the tightrope across the Falls pushing a wheelbarrow and carrying a man on my shoulders?" asked Blonden a third time. With great shouts the cries went up "We believe, we believe!"

    -- "Then, who will volunteer to climb on my shoulders and go across with me?" Blonden shouted. -- Silence. -- No one stepped forward. No one said a word, though they were all suddenly looking at one another -- finally, one man stepped forward -- Blonden's manager -- and climbed on his shoulders and Blonden went across the wire -- pushing the wheelbarrow and carrying his manager on his shoulders

    -- the only one there who had true faith was the manager -- he believed in that which he had never seen -- he had seen the evidence that Blonden could do great feats -- he had seen him cross the river before on a wire -- and based on that evidence, he believed that Blonden could do what he said -- that is faith

    -- that is what Paul means here when he uses the word, "faith" -- that is what Paul means when he writes in Ephesians 2:8, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith" -- through your trust and belief in God's redemption through Christ

    -- so, why would Paul say that love is greater than faith? -- it goes back to the definition -- faith is belief in what we have not seen -- once you have seen, then there is no need for faith

    -- remember in the Upper Room when Thomas refused to believe in Jesus' resurrection until he saw it with his own eyes? -- Jesus appeared to him and proved that He was alive and Thomas believed -- in John 20:29, Jesus responded to Thomas, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." -- Thomas did not have faith because he could not believe until he saw the risen Christ himself

    -- think about it like this -- faith had a beginning and it will have an end -- faith has not always existed -- before man -- when God created the heavens and all the spiritual beings -- the angels and the cherubim and the seraphim and all the others -- faith did not exist

    -- from the moment the angels were created, they saw the face of God -- because of this, they had no concept of faith -- they cannot understand or accept faith as the evidence of things not seen because they have seen and witnessed God from the beginning -- there was no place for faith before the foundation of the world

    -- faith did not even exist on earth prior to the Fall in the Garden of Eden -- Adam and Eve lived on sight and not faith -- they had no need of faith because they walked with God -- they knew Him -- they saw Him -- and they believed because they saw

    -- it was only after the Fall -- after the separation -- that faith came into being -- faith was born in the Garden of Eden -- as John Wesley put it, "it was only when love was lost by sin that faith was added" -- faith was designed to re-establish the law of love and to point to God's redeeming love through Christ

    -- and, at some point in our future, faith will cease to exist -- when we are taken to heaven to live with God, we will no longer live on faith -- on the evidence of things unseen -- because we will see and know God and His love in a real and personal way

    -- it will be like we sing in the great hymn, "It is well with my soul" -- the last verse says, "And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight" -- when faith becomes sight it, it is no longer faith

    -- this is why Paul says that here that love is greater than faith

 

    -- Hope is similar to faith -- hope is the substance that faith longs for -- hope is the thing that we don't see, but that we believe, through faith, exists -- in other words, hope is the tangible part of faith -- it is the reality that we haven't seen but that we believe is there -- for the Christian, our ultimate hope is in God -- our ultimate hope is in Jesus and His redeeming blood -- as the hymn says, "Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness" -- our hope is based on the truth that we believe in

    -- but, just like faith -- hope has a beginning and an end -- hope is tied to a point in time -- let me show you what I mean

    -- let's say you've got a birthday coming up -- and there's a present that you want -- you tell your family about it -- you drop hints -- you remind them over and over again that you really want this gift -- and you hope they give it to you -- your hope is tied to the tangible presence of that gift and to a specific time -- your birthday -- and, once your birthday occurs, your hope is over -- either you received the gift and you've got it -- or you didn't get the gift, and your hope that you would get it for your birthday is over

    -- hope has a definite beginning and end -- our hope is based on Jesus' promise that He will never leave us or forsake us -- our hope is based on the fact that Jesus said that when we die, we will be with Him -- so, our hope is tied to our death -- once we are dead, hope is over -- either you will have received the gift of eternal life through Jesus or you will not -- but, the opportunity to hope has ended

    -- that's why Paul said that love is greater than both faith and hope -- because both of them will come to an end -- both of them will cease to exist at some point in the future

 

    -- so, what about love? -- why is it the greatest?

    -- well, for one thing, love does not have a beginning and an end -- John tells us in 1 John 4:8 that God is love -- and since God does not have a beginning or an end, love does not have a beginning or an end -- love has always existed in God and it will always exist in God

    -- and, so, from the moment that God created time -- from the moment that God started creating the heavens and the earth -- the spiritual and the human -- love existed -- love had a place in all of the children of God, from the moment of their creation -- from the moment God created beings, they existed knowing and experiencing His love

    -- even though faith and hope didn't exist in heaven -- even though the angels could not experience faith and hope -- they did know and experience love

    -- even though sin entered the world and faith and hope sprang into being after the Fall of man in the Garden of Eden -- even though there was a beginning point for faith and hope -- the same wasn't true of love -- love existed in the Garden before God created Adam -- and love continued to exist even after man rejected God and turned from Him in disobedience

    -- even now, we exist in a great ocean of love poured out on us through Christ Jesus -- every relationship that we have is a reflection of the love that is God and that never ends

    -- and, eventually, when we die and go to heaven -- when our faith has become sight -- when our hope has been realized -- love will not cease -- love will continue on -- love without end -- because we will be drinking from the source of the fountain of love -- we will be basking in God's love for eternity

    -- that's why Paul writes here in 1 Corinthians 13:8 that "Love never fails" -- love never ends -- and, for that reason, love is greater than both faith and hope

 

    -- why is love greater than faith and hope?

    -- because this love that Paul writes of is the one thing that binds us and unites us as one -- one body -- one faith -- one hope -- one baptism -- one Spirit -- one church

    -- it doesn't matter what individual gifts we have -- it doesn't matter what individual talents we have -- because, as Christians, we should be giving our gifts and talents to the church through love

    -- love should be our driving force -- it should be the reason we exist as a church and it should give focus to our purposes

    -- that is why Jesus said that the greatest commandments were to love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul strength and to love your neighbor as yourself

    -- if your focus is on loving God and neighbor, then you are fulfilling God's call and His holy law

    -- everything that we do in the church -- whether it's the worship -- the singing -- the fellowship -- the prayers -- or the proclamation of the word -- everything that we do -- should be done in love and because of love

    -- everything that we do outside the church -- our ministries -- our service to others -- our evangelism -- everything -- should be done in love and because of love

    -- any other reason will result in failure because everything else will fail -- only love never fails -- only love will remain -- and that is why the greatest of these is love

 

    -- let us pray

SERMON: I Need a Hero (Easter)

I NEED A HERO

Easter Service -- 12 April 2009

 

I. Introduction

    -- turn in Bibles to Psalm 121

 

1. I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?

2. My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

3. He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber;

4. indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

5. The LORD watches over you-- the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6. the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

7. The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life;

8. the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

 

    -- the other night, we went out to see the new Disney animated feature, "Bolt" -- you know, in recent years I've seen a lot of animated movies, but I have to say, this is definitely one of the best

    -- just in case you aren't familiar with the story, the movie is about Bolt --a small white dog who has spent his entire life on the set of a tv series as a superhero -- because of that, Bolt believes that he really has super powers and that everything that happens in the tv show is real -- eventually, Bolt gets lost and ends up on the other side of the country -- he tries to make his way back to Hollywood with a cat and a hamster to rescue his owner, Penny, who he thinks has been kidnapped by an evil green-eyed man bent on destroying the world

    -- even though the whole movie was really good, there was one scene that was just unforgettable -- in this scene, Bolt has just come to the realization that he's not special -- that he doesn't have super powers -- and he's about to give up on his plans to travel back and find Penny again

    -- he's just sitting there dejected when his hamster friend, Rhino, comes up and tries to make him see that he is still a hero -- listen to this quote from the movie, "You can do it, Bolt -- you can do it -- because all over this planet there are animals who feel like they can't -- they need a hero, Bolt -- someone who, no matter what the odds, will do what's right -- they need a hero to tell them that sometimes the impossible can become possible -- if you are awesome"

 

    -- you know, that might have just been a cartoon movie, but greater truth has rarely been spoken -- we do need heroes -- psychologists tell us that we are all born with this innate desire -- this longing -- for a hero in our lives -- for someone we can look up to -- for someone who will stand up against impossible odds and win the day -- for someone who will stand up when all hope is lost and say, "It's o.k. -- I can get you out of this"

    -- if you just think about it, it's obvious -- I mean look at the tv shows and the movies that have been popular over the last 50 years -- Superman -- Batman -- Spiderman -- one of the hottest tv shows out right now is called "Heroes" -- and the 4th highest grossing film of all time was released last year -- Batman: The Dark Knight -- and that's not even mentioning the success of films like the X-Men and Iron-Man and others

    -- and not only do we need heroes -- we want heroes -- remember that Bonnie Tyler song from some years ago, "I Need a Hero"

"Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods? -- Where's the great white Hercules to fight the rising odds? -- Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed? -- Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need

 

I need a hero -- I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night -- He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and gotta be fresh from the fight -- I need a hero -- I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light -- He's gotta be sure and he's gotta be soon and he's gotta be larger than life -- I need a hero"

 

    -- as Ray Cotton wrote, "We all want to look up to someone, somebody who models a lifestyle we admire... -- individuals who have risen above the circumstances of life to accomplish something significant" [Ray Cotton -- Where have all the heroes gone? http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/heroes.html]

 

    -- the question is, "Why?" -- why do we need heroes? -- why do we have this longing in our soul?

    -- well, it's pretty obvious if you just look around -- take for instance just the last 10 years -- in the last 10 years, it seems like our world has fallen apart -- in the last 10 years, we experienced terrorist attacks in our own cities -- against our own people -- we've seen the devastation of tsunamis and floods -- of earthquakes and mudslides and hurricanes -- we've seen our stock markets tumble -- and our economy crash -- and our politicians wring their hands with indecision -- and we've realized that there is nothing that we can do to save ourselves

    -- that's why we need a hero -- that's why we long for someone to swoop in and save the day -- I think that's one reason why President Obama was swept into office as he was -- I think he came on the scene as a fresh face -- as a new voice -- as the person we hoped who could save us from Iraq and Afghanistan and the economy -- he came on the scene as...a hero

    -- but, as talented as President Obama may be, he has one thing in common with all the other men and women we have labeled "heroes" over the years -- eventually, they fail -- eventually, they fall -- eventually, they let us down -- because they're only human

    -- that's why Brigadier General Joe Foss wrote that "America needs a new generation of heroes . . . people who are ruled by a conscience that doesn't take the Ten Commandments lightly -- people who have a fundamental reverence for their Creator, and a respect for the people and things He has created." -- people who don't rely on themselves but on the God who made them

 

    -- the writer of the Psalm that we read together also needed a hero -- most scholars assume that this Psalm was written by David -- either as he fled Saul and his army or as he fled Jerusalem after his son usurped the throne

    -- regardless, we know that David was surrounded by enemies -- he had little hope left of surviving, much less reclaiming the throne of Israel -- everywhere he looked, he saw danger and death and destruction

 

    -- look back at verse 1 and see what he wrote

 

 

1. I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?

 

    -- Corrie ten Boom once wrote, "Look around and be distressed -- Look within and be depressed -- Look at Jesus and be at rest"

    -- David looked around and was distressed -- he looked within himself and didn't see any hope there -- so he lifted his eyes to the hills -- he lifted his eyes to heaven -- looking for help from above

 

    -- verse 2

 

2. My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

 

-- David makes it clear here -- our help does not come from charismatic presidents or politicians -- it doesn't come from bank presidents or generals leading armies -- our help comes only from the Lord, from the maker of heaven and earth -- and that's true, whether we're talking about being surrounded with enemies or if we're talking about natural or economic disasters or if we're talking about the state of our soul -- our only hope is in God -- and our only hero must be God

 

    -- that's what this day is all about -- that's why we're gathered here this morning -- not because of Easter eggs or Easter bunnies -- and certainly not because of the tradition of Easter dinner with family and friends

    -- we're here because of a hero named Jesus -- a hero who came on the scene 2000 years ago when all hope was lost -- a hero who stood up against overwhelming odds to do the impossible -- to save our souls from eternal separation from God -- to win for us victory over sin and death

    -- you see, we look around us now and we think things are bad -- but really, they're not -- we've been through recessions and depressions before, and we've always come out -- we've persevered through natural disasters -- we've survived storms and floods and earthquakes -- and we've made our way through many wars and many attacks on our country and on our way of life -- things might look bad -- things might look hopeless -- but they're really not -- we're going to come out of this o.k., too

    -- but, there is one fight that no human has ever been able to win -- there is one opponent that no human has ever been able to take down -- and that's sin -- that's disobedience to God -- breaking His moral code -- doing what we shouldn't do -- missing God's mark

    -- it's a fight that we're all in -- it's a fight that we've all been fighting since we were born -- the Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned -- every single person -- every person in this room who is drawing a breath right now -- all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God

    -- and Romans 6:23 tells us that the punishment for sin is death -- not physical death -- but spiritual death -- that means separation from God for eternity -- separation from our loved ones for eternity -- that means eternal punishment for the wrong that we have done

    -- and even though we have tried ever since the Garden of Eden, no one has been able to defeat sin -- no one has been able to stand toe-to-toe with death -- every person who has tried has failed -- even the people that we call heroes

    -- and we know this, deep in our hearts -- that's why we long for a hero in our lives -- for someone who can stand up against sin and win -- for someone who can get in the ring with death and take him down once and for all

    -- and since no one down here could fill those shoes -- since no one down here could be the hero that mankind needed -- God stepped in and became the hero for us

    -- the most familiar verse in the Bible -- John 3:16 -- puts it this way -- "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life -- for God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world -- but to save the world through Him"

    -- do you know what that means? -- that means that God sent Jesus to earth to be our Hero -- to be that person that Rhino was talking about in the movie "Bolt" -- to be that awesome person who always did what was right -- who always reminded us that with God, all things are possible -- even living a sinless life and dying on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sin -- so that our sins would be forgiven and we would become righteous and holy and live forever with God in Heaven

    -- that's what happened on the cross when Jesus died -- and that's why He rose from the dead on the third day -- today -- Easter morning -- to prove that He had done all that He had said He would do -- to prove that He had won the victory over both sin and death -- to show us that we, too, would be resurrected and live with Him forever if we just believed in Him -- if we just trusted Him to be our Hero for life

 

    -- you know, every other hero will eventually let you down -- every other hero will eventually stumble and fall -- every great man and woman that we looked up to all had character flaws -- all failed to live the perfect life -- all of them failed to meet God's perfect standard

    -- but Jesus is not like them -- Jesus will never let you down because Jesus is the Hero that we have been longing for in our hearts from the moment we took our first breath -- Jesus is the only hero who can truly save us from ourselves -- but, we have to let Him

    -- you see, John 3:16 says that God "gave" us His Son -- Jesus was a gift -- and gifts have to be received -- they have to be accepted -- even the gift of a Hero -- in a minute, I'm going to give you the opportunity to do just that

    -- but first, let me tell you a story -- back during the Vietnam War, our troops liberated a POW camp where the North Vietnamese had kept some of our military men who had been captured during the war -- the men who liberated that camp went in and unlocked the doors to the cells where these POWs were being kept -- but several of the POWs refused to come out of their cells -- they had lived so long in captivity that they couldn't accept the gift of freedom when it was offered -- they couldn't be free until they received the gift that was being offered to them

    -- a lot of us have lived for a long time in captivity to sin and death -- we've put on a brave face -- we've convinced the world that we've got it all figured out -- but we know, in our heart of hearts, that we're not free -- we know that we need a Hero -- we know that we need a Savior -- we know that we need someone who will come and break the chains of sin and death and set us free and make us right with God again

    -- Jesus is that someone -- Jesus already paid the price for your sins on the cross -- He died the Hero's death for you -- and He broke the chains of sin and death when He rose from the dead on Easter morning -- now, He's offering that gift to you -- and all you have to do is receive it

    -- we're going to close in prayer right now -- and with every head bowed -- every eye closed -- I'm going to lead us in the prayer that will receive that gift from God -- in the prayer that will help us to choose life through our Hero Jesus

    -- if you've never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior before -- if you've never trusted in Him as your Hero -- as the one who paid the price for your sins and who offers to forgive you for all the wrong that you have done -- then I want to invite you to pray this prayer with me right now -- it's not so much the words that are important as the fact that you are putting your faith and trust in Jesus as your Hero and your Lord and your Savior

    -- if you have already received Jesus -- if you already trust Him in this way -- then pray this prayer with me as a rededication of your life -- as an affirmation of what you believe

 

    -- after I close in prayer, as the last hymn is played, I want to encourage you to respond to God's word as you feel led

    -- if you have made a decision to receive Christ this morning, then I want to encourage you to come forward and make a public declaration of that fact

    -- maybe you feel called to be baptized -- if so, then I would invite you to come forward during the last hymn as well

    -- whatever it is that God is calling you to do, please don't leave here until you respond to His word

    -- let's pray

SERMON: The Sounds of Easter (Sunrise Service)

THE SOUNDS OF EASTER

EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE

12 April 2009

 

I. Introduction

    -- if you have your Bibles with you, invite you to turn with me to Luke 23 -- I'm going to read verses 50-56 this morning as we begin our Easter sunrise service together

 

50. Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man,

51. who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.

52. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body.

53. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.

54. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

55. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.

56. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

    

II. The Sounds of Easter

    -- I want everyone here to do something for me -- in just a second, I want you to close your eyes and take just a moment and listen to the world around you -- I'll tell you when to open your eyes again -- but for just 15 seconds, I want you to pause and to listen -- ready? -- close your eyes and let's start [time 15 seconds]

    -- what did you hear? -- what sounds caught your ear this morning?

 

    -- we've gathered here this morning at the foot of three crosses -- just like Jesus' disciples did over 2000 years ago -- have you ever stopped to think what they heard as they stood there that first Easter? -- have you ever stopped to think about what Jesus heard that last week of His life? -- have you ever stopped to wonder about the sounds of Easter?

 

    -- that first Easter week started when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey on Palm Sunday -- what was it like riding down the Mount of Olives into the Kidron Valley? -- what noises filled His ears? -- the sound of the donkey plodding along? -- the sound of sandals slapping against the hard earth? -- the sound of His disciples quietly talking amongst themselves?

    -- we do know what happened as He neared Jerusalem -- the Bible tells us that the air was filled with the sound of the crowd -- with the people shouting joyfully, "Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord -- Hosanna in the highest"

        

    -- What about on Maundy Thursday -- the night of the Last Supper? -- What sounds surrounded Jesus then? -- probably the sound of the temple -- of the people gathering to sacrifice the paschal lamb -- lambs bleating -- people talking and singing -- babies crying

    -- What about later that night, as He reclined at the table with His closest disciples and shared the Passover Meal? -- perhaps the sound of a fire crackling in the stove? -- dishes clattering -- glasses clinking -- the sound of friends enjoying each other's company over a meal -- the sound of conversation and laughter

    -- What about when He washed their feet? -- what do you think they heard then? -- the rustle of cloth as Jesus bent before them? -- the sound of water dripping as He washed their feet -- the sound of cloth against skin as He dried them -- the words of Peter saying that Jesus would never wash his feet and then changing his mind and saying, "not just my feet -- but my heads and my hands, as well"

    -- What other noises did Jesus hear? -- did He hear the clink of the 30 pieces of silver as the priests gave them to Judas for betraying Him? -- did He hear the sounds of the temple guards approaching -- of the clatter of their swords bouncing against their armor? -- did He hear the sound of the torches and the crowds gathered to judge? -- did He hear the rooster crow as Peter denied Him? -- did He listen as the demons rejoiced at the sight of His capture and trial?

 

    -- What about on Friday? -- as Jesus was passed around between Pontius Pilate and King Herod -- as He was paraded before the crowd -- what did He hear? -- what noises caught His attention?

    -- the noise of the whip as it whistled in the air before striking His flesh? -- the angry cries of the crowd -- the same voices that shouted "Hosanna" now shouting "Crucify?"

    -- the noise of His own feet as He trod along the Via Dolorosa toward Calvary -- the sound of His cross dragging along behind Him -- the muttering of the crowd that lined the street -- the cries of His family and friends?

 

    -- What about at Calvary? -- what then? -- did He hear the sound of the hammer striking the nail as it punctured His hands and His feet? -- the sound of the cross being lifted, with ropes straining to seat it into the hole carved in the hill? -- the moans of pain and the cries of derision from the thieves surrounding Him on the other two crosses? -- the jeers and taunts from the Pharisees and the priests and the others gathered to watch? -- the sobs from His mother and the other women?

 

    -- we don't know exactly what Jesus heard that week -- the noises that filled His ears -- but we do know one thing that He listened for with all His heart -- straining to hear it, even from the cross -- especially from the cross

    -- He longed to hear the sound of His Father -- He longed to hear His Father's voice -- but He didn't -- He couldn't

    -- Matthew and Mark tell us that right before Jesus died, He cried out in a loud voice, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" -- Why have You left me? -- Why aren't You here? -- Why can't I hear You?

 

    -- In 1 Kings Chapter 19, we read about Elijah following his showdown with Jezebel's priests on Mount Carmel -- like Jesus, Elijah longed to hear the voice of God -- like Jesus, Elijah longed to know, just for a moment, that God had not abandoned him -- that he was not alone -- that God was still there and things were still o.k.

    -- and the Bible says that Elijah went out of the cave where he was hiding and listened for the Lord -- as he listened, a strong and powerful wind blew over him, tearing the mountain apart and shattering the rocks, but the Lord wasn't in the wind

    -- After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the quake -- After the quake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire -- And after the fire -- after the chaos -- after it was all over -- in the stillness and the silence -- there came a gentle whisper -- and it was in the quiet of the whisper that Elijah heard God

 

    -- in this passage that we opened with, it's all over -- the betrayal and the capture are done -- the trial and the beating is over -- the crucifixion has ended -- the darkness that had covered the land for three hours has lifted -- the veil in the temple has been torn in two, exposing the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant to all for the first time in over 2000 years -- Jesus has proclaimed, "It is finished" -- and He has died

    -- the show's over -- and the crowd leaves -- looking over their shoulders one more time at the three men left there on the crosses at Calvary -- only a handful of people remain at the foot of their Master -- at the foot of the cross holding Jesus

 

    -- let me read this passage again, starting at verse 50

 

50. Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man,

51. who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.

52. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body.

53. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.

54. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

55. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.

56. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

 

    -- as always happens after a funeral, the crowd begins to leave first-- and the family is left there to mourn alone in silence -- Joseph took Jesus' body -- and, as John tells it, he and Nicodemus carried Jesus together to the garden, where there was a new tomb where no one had ever been lain before

    -- and Jesus' mother and Mary Magdalene and a few other faithful women followers of Jesus watched as Joseph and Nicodemus prepared the body for burial -- and then they all left the garden together

 

    -- think for a moment what that place sounded like as the sun started to set on Good Friday -- as the Sabbath was beginning -- as Joseph and Nicodemus and the women had just left

    -- the garden would have been quiet -- peaceful -- still -- like the calm before a storm

    -- you'd almost think no one was there -- you'd almost think that Jesus had finally been abandoned by everyone -- but in the silence of that place, God was there and He finally spoke the words that Jesus had longed to hear

    -- you would have expected to hear God's voice earlier in the week -- when the crowd shouted "crucify" -- when the guards flogged the Son of God -- when the crowds jeered as Jesus carried the cross -- when the sound of the hammer reverberated from Golgotha

    -- but just like with Elijah after Mount Carmel -- God's voice was not heard in the chaos of that week -- His voice wasn't in the wind of the crowd's shouts of "Crucify" -- His voice wasn't in the quake of the hammer's blow on the cross -- His voice wasn't even in the fire of the judgment and wrath being poured out on Jesus on the cross for our sake

    -- His voice was in the whisper that echoed in the walls of the tomb -- "Yes, Jesus, You are right -- It is finished" -- and with that whisper, Jesus rose from the dead -- in the quiet of that place, God spoke and Jesus heard and eternity was never the same

 

    -- sometimes we get caught up in the action -- we get swept up in the chaos of life -- and, try as we might, we just can't hear God speak -- we call out for Him in the wind -- in the quake -- and in the fire -- but we can't hear His voice

    -- sometimes we can only hear Him after the crowds have gone home and we are left in silence and we listen with ears of faith

    -- this morning, as we are gathered here at the foot of these crosses to remember the empty tomb -- and the risen Christ -- and the whisper of victory -- let's take a moment and listen again for God's voice to speak to us

    -- let's take a moment to listen in the stillness of this place -- and let Him whisper to our hearts -- and let Him remind us that He is our God and we are His people -- and this day is all about what He did for us

    -- as we close, let's remember that it is not the sounds of Easter -- it is not the sounds of the chaos -- of the excitement -- of the action -- that we need to be focusing on -- but on the quiet whisper that changed eternity forever -- on that still small voice that continues to speak today, "It is finished"

    -- let's pray

SERMON: God of This City

GOD OF THIS CITY

Palm Sunday

5 April 2009

 

I. Introduction

    -- turn in Bibles to Luke 19

    -- this morning marks the start of Holy Week or Passion Week -- this week celebrates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday -- today -- and continues on through Maundy Thursday -- the night when Jesus had the Last Supper with His disciples and washed their feet and was betrayed by Judas -- the night when Jesus gave us His command to go forth and love one another

    -- it continues on through Good Friday -- the day when Jesus was beaten and crucified and killed on the cross at Calvary -- when His body was placed in a borrowed tomb -- and it culminates in Easter -- the day when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and His victory over sin and death once and for all

    -- Holy Week has always been the most important week in the Christian calendar -- without this week -- without the events that took place during this week -- there would be no Christianity -- there would be no forgiveness of sins -- there would be no hope for the resurrection of the body or for eternal life with God

    -- and, so, even though we know the story of Holy Week -- even though we are very familiar with the stories of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter -- it is important for us to continually revisit it -- to proclaim it's meaning to our children and our grandchildren -- to proclaim it's meaning to our world -- and to reclaim it as an essential part of our faith and our life in Christ

 

II. Scripture Lesson (Luke 19:28-44)

    -- so this morning, I want us to look again at a familiar passage -- the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday

    -- so, if you would, please look with me at verse 28 in Luke 19

 

28. After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

29. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them,

30. "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.

31. If anyone asks you, `Why are you untying it?' tell him, `The Lord needs it.'"

32. Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.

33. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"

34. They replied, "The Lord needs it."

35. They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.

-- Jesus has been making His way to Jerusalem for some time -- He knows exactly what is coming -- He knows what events are going to happen during Holy Week

    -- Jesus has told His disciples time and time again that He had to go to Jerusalem -- that He would be betrayed into the hands of the chief priests and that He would suffer and die but that He would be raised from the dead in victory on the third day

    -- Jesus had been to Jerusalem before -- He had worshiped and taught in the temple before -- but now He's coming with a different purpose -- now He's coming to proclaim Himself King of Israel -- now He's coming to proclaim Himself as God of this city

    -- so, as we read in the Bible in the passages before this, Jesus leaves the City of Jericho and continues on towards Jerusalem -- He follows the road from Jericho up to the Mount of Olives until He gets to the villages of Bethpage and Bethany -- when He gets there, He has His disciples get a donkey colt for Him to ride --- and in verse 35, Luke tells us that when Jesus' disciples come back with the colt, they put Jesus on it and He continues on the road to Jerusalem

 

    -- there's a couple of important things in these verses for us to consider

    -- first, the colt -- why did Jesus have His disciples get Him a colt? -- was He tired? -- did He need a break? -- did He just not feel like walking anymore?

    -- no, of course not -- Jesus was used to walking -- He was used to traveling -- it was not uncommon for Him and His disciples to walk miles and miles in a day -- it was only two miles from Bethany to Jerusalem -- not that great a distance -- even at a slow pace, Jesus could have walked there in less than an hour

    -- so, if that's not the reason for the donkey, what is? -- it goes back to a prophecy that Zechariah made in Zechariah 9:9 -- Zechariah proclaimed that the Messiah would come riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey -- in Jesus' day, the regional custom was for kings and nobles in a procession to ride into town on the back of a donkey -- so by riding the donkey those last two miles into Jerusalem, Jesus was proclaiming to Jerusalem, "Your King has come"

 

    -- second, the path Jesus took to Jerusalem was significant -- He could have come into town from a variety of different roads -- but He chose to circle around the city and to come in from the east -- from the Mount of Olives

    -- now, when we think of the Mount of Olives, we typically think of it as being just a small hill outside of Jerusalem -- but actually, the Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge that lays directly east of Jerusalem -- it's about a mile long and rises to a height of about 2700 feet -- about 200 feet higher than Mount Zion -- the mountain that Jerusalem is built on -- from the top of the Mount of Olives, you can look out across the Kidron Valley and have a commanding view of Jerusalem, especially of the temple mount

    -- it was from this high vantage point that Matthew tells us that Jesus looked out over the city and wept over how they had rejected God's word and His prophets -- and how He had proclaimed that He had longed to gather the children of Israel together under Him as a hen gathers her chicks under her wing -- but how they refused

    -- it was from this high vantage point that Jesus now travels into the city -- now what makes Jesus' journey from the Mount of Olives to the city significant is the fact that Zechariah had prophesied in Zechariah 14:4-5 that the Lord would come into the city on this very road -- carrying with Him all of His holy ones

    -- so, in other words, by riding a donkey down from the Mount of Olives and crossing the Kidron Valley and entering Jerusalem from the east, Jesus was proclaiming to Israel that He was Messiah -- that He was God -- that He was their King -- and He was coming to gather them under His wing

 

    -- verse 36

 

36. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

37. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

38. "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

39. Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

40. "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

 

-- as Jesus began His two-mile journey to Jerusalem, people began to gather around Him -- crowds came running and surrounded His procession -- people spread their cloaks on the road in front of Him so that He would literally ride into Jerusalem on a red carpet -- John tells us that they waved palm branches as Jesus passed by, signifying that Jesus was going to bring peace to the land of Israel once again

    -- and all along the way, the people shouted out in loud voices, "Hosanna -- Hosanna -- blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" -- or, as Luke has it here, "Blessed in the King who comes in the name of the Lord"

    -- Luke tells us in verse 37 that the whole crowd of disciples -- the whole crowd of people who had been following Jesus -- began to praise God for all the miracles they had seen Jesus do

    -- and there's something important to consider there -- Jesus was making His triumphal entry into Jerusalem -- for three years, He had traveled around Israel and Samaria -- preaching and teaching and doing miracles -- He had healed the sick -- He had given sight to the blind -- with a touch from His hand, lepers were cleansed and the lame walked

    -- Jesus had done all of that throughout the land of Israel, but not in Jerusalem -- and now, He was leaving the lands where His miracles had been performed -- He was leaving the land where His authority and power and deity was known and recognized -- and He was going to a place where He was unknown -- where the people only knew of Him by rumor and not by sight -- in a very real sense, Jesus was leaving the land of light and traveling to a land of darkness, a land that had yet to be touched by the power of God

    -- all along the way, the crowds of people cheered and worshiped Him because of the great things that He had done -- and when the Pharisees heard them, they were incensed -- they were extremely upset because the crowd was proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Messiah -- "Rebuke your disciples," they cried out -- "Tell them to stop -- what they are doing is wrong"

    -- but Jesus told them in verse 40, "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out" -- in other words, Jesus was telling the Pharisees, "The people cry out because of the great things I have done -- and, even though you don't hear it, all of Creation is crying out because of the great things I will do here in this place -- I have come -- My light and power have come -- and a new day is dawning in Jerusalem"

    

III. God Of This City

    -- C.S. Lewis once wrote that "a great many things have gone wrong with this world that God made -- and that God insists, and insists very loudly, on our putting them right again" -- that is the very reason why Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday over 2000 years ago -- to put things right in the world again and to give us the power to put things right in His name

    -- Jesus rode into a city that only knew the great things that He had done -- but Jesus was coming to do greater things there -- He was coming to change a world -- He was coming to change eternity -- and He still does just that, if we just look

 

    -- there's a song out right now that is my current favorite -- it's by a group from Ireland called, "Blue Tree," and the song is called "God Of This City" -- when I started thinking about Palm Sunday, I couldn't help but think about this song -- the story behind it is remarkable and I want to share it with you

    -- Blue Tree had been invited by some friends to travel to Thailand to be part of a Christian worship event there in that country -- the lead singer for the group wrote that this was the darkest place anyone would ever go to -- physically and spiritually -- they said you can just feel the evil there -- you can just feel the enemy all over that place

    -- the band played for several days in a resort area there in Thailand -- and they said it was great -- they really experienced God's presence there -- but they felt called to do more -- and so they told their friends, "If you can get us anywhere else to play -- anywhere -- we want to play -- we just want to do what we do in the middle of somewhere and go head-on [against the evil in this place]"

    -- there was a bar there called the Climax Bar -- it's on a street that is filled with every vice imaginable -- thousands of prostitutes -- including children as young as eight and nine years old selling themselves on the street to whoever wanted them -- drugs -- alcohol -- gambling -- a den of iniquity -- a cesspool of evil

    -- the owners of this bar said that Blue Tree could come in and sing if they brought a group of people with them and if the people agreed to buy drinks during the entire show -- the owners didn't know that Blue Tree was a Christian band -- in fact, the band said most of the people there didn't even speak English -- all the owners wanted was to get someone in there who would spend money

    -- it turns out the bar was a strip club and brothel -- but for two hours -- standing right there on the stage next to the stripper poles -- Blue Tree lifted God up in praise -- in the middle of the darkness, they did the same thing the people did as Jesus rode into Jerusalem -- they praised Him for what He had done -- they praised Him for His miracles -- for His forgiveness of sin -- for His victory over death

    -- and as they were singing, God spoke to the band -- all of a sudden, the lead singer started singing the phrase, "Greater things," over and over again -- and he said it felt like God was prophesying over that city -- over the evil in that land

    -- before they knew it, God had given them the song, "God Of This City" -- played for the first time on earth in a brothel -- played for the first time on earth in a place of evil -- played to proclaim God's presence and plan for the people in that city in Thailand

    -- here's the words that God gave them that night:

 

    -- You're the God of this city -- you're the King of these people -- You're the Lord of this nation -- You are

    -- You're the light in this darkness -- You're the hope to the hopeless -- You're the peace to the restless -- You are

    -- There is no one like our God -- There is no one like our God

    -- For greater things have yet to come -- and greater things are still to be done in this City -- For greater things have yet to come -- and greater things are still to be done here

    -- We believe -- We believe in you, God

 

IV. Closing

    -- the message of this song is the same one that Jesus gave to the City of Jerusalem and to the world when He rode into town on a donkey 2000 years ago

    -- great miracles have been done -- great things have been done in the past -- but we don't live in the past -- greater things have yet to come -- greater things are still to be done in this city -- greater things are still to be done in this place

 

    -- Jesus was telling the people on the road to Jerusalem that day to look ahead -- to look forward to the greater things that were yet to come -- to the greater things that were still to be done -- because Jerusalem was not only the place where Jesus was to die -- it was also the place where He would be resurrected -- where sins would be forgiven -- where death would be conquered -- where the Church of Christ would be born

 

    -- God is still in the business of doing greater things -- and one day, that street in Thailand where the Climax Bar is located, will resound with the praises of God as darkness flees and every knee bows at the name of Jesus

 

    -- the question before us this morning is, "What greater things does God want to do in this place? What greater things does God want to do in you?"

    -- take a moment and think about what has happened in this place -- of the lives that have been changed at this altar -- of the miracles that have been done -- of the praises that have been lifted up

    -- too many times, we are like the crowd on the road to Jerusalem -- we praise God for what He has done -- we praise Him for the past while the darkness closes in -- we walk through places of evil in our communities and in our world and we look back to what God has done, rather than ahead to what God can do

 

    -- what greater things are yet to come here? -- what greater things are still to be done in this city and in this community and in our hearts?

    -- God is calling us to action this morning -- He is calling us to battle -- He is calling us to carry His light to the darkness -- His hope to the hopeless -- His peace to the restless -- He is calling us to greater things

    -- this morning, as we begin our celebration of Holy Week, we are going to share together the sacrament of Holy Communion to unite us with each other and with Christ and to fill us again with His power to do great things in His name

    -- let's close in prayer, and then we'll join together in this sacrament

 

    -- let us pray

SERMON: Mornings with Manna

MORNINGS WITH MANNA

29 March 2009

 

I. Introduction

    -- turn in Bibles to Exodus 16

 

11. The LORD said to Moses,

12. "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, `At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.'"

13. That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.

14. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.

15. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.

16. This is what the LORD has commanded: `Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.'"

17. The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little.

18. And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed.

19. Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning."

20. However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

21. Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.

 

    -- I don't know if I told you about my new endeavor or not -- during this time of the year, I have to get ready for Course of Study up at Emory University -- and as part of that, I have to read quite a few books for my classes and write several research papers as pre-work for the class and I have to get this pre-work turned in before I go up there each summer

    -- during most of the year, I am able to balance all of my responsibilities at work and at church and at home -- but things get rather hectic at this time of the year -- and I noticed that I tend to let my quiet time with God slip away when I get busy -- I found that I was just not reading the Bible as a devotional as I should -- I was reading it -- I was using it to prepare sermons and Bible studies, but wasn't taking the time to read it devotionally and let God speak to me through it

    -- and that's not uncommon for most of us in this busy time that we live in -- George Barna reported that 92% of American homes have at least one Bible -- most of our homes have more than one Bible -- but less than 40% of us are reading the Bible during the week outside of church -- and only 24% of Christians have a family Bible time -- most of us are just not reading the Bible much at all -- we go through times, like at the start of the year, where we read the Bible a lot -- but most of the time, we just let it sit on the shelf until a crisis hits

 

    -- it reminds me of a joke I saw on the internet the other day about reading the Bible -- it was called "The Diary of a Bible" -- and it's the journal of a Bible from a typical American home recording what is going on with it throughout the year -- listen to this and see if you can't relate

    -- January: A busy time for me -- Most of the family decided they were going to get serious and read me every day this year -- They kept me busy for the first two weeks, but they seem to have forgotten me now.

    -- February: Clean-up time. -- I was dusted yesterday and put back in my place on the coffee table -- My owner did use me for a few minutes last week -- He had been in an argument and was looking up some references to prove he was right.

    -- March: Had a busy day first of the month -- My owner was elected president of the PTA and used me to prepare for a speech.

    -- April: Grandpa visited us this month -- He kept me on his lap for an hour reading 1 Cor. 13 -- He seems to think more of me than do some people in my own household.

    -- May: I have a few green stains on my pages. Some spring flowers were pressed in my pages.

    -- June: I look like a scrapbook -- They have stuffed me full of newspaper clippings -- one of the girls in my home was married, and they put the clippings in me to keep them safe

    -- July: They put me in a suitcase today -- I guess we are off on vacation -- I wish I could stay home; I know I'll be closed up in this suitcase for at least two weeks.

    -- August: Still in the suitcase -- they forgot to unpack me

    -- September: Back home at last and in my old familiar place on the coffee table -- I have a lot of company -- Two women's magazines and a couple of old newspapers are stacked on top of me -- I wish I could be read as much as they are.

    -- October: They read me a little bit today -- One of them is sick -- Right now I am sitting in the center of the coffee table and they've cleared everything from around me -- I think that the Pastor is coming by for a visit

    -- November: Back in my old place -- Somebody asked today if I were a scrapbook

    -- December: The family is busy getting ready for the holidays -- I guess I'll be covered up under wrapping paper and packages again.... just as I am every Christmas.

 

    -- when I read that joke, my toes started hurting because that thing stepped all over them -- I can really relate to that diary of the Bible -- I can't tell you how many Bibles I have at home -- I've got Bibles in all different translations -- the NIV -- the KJV -- the NKJV -- the American Standard Version -- the Revised Standard Version -- and the New Revised Standard Version

    -- I've got study Bibles -- life application Bibles -- Spirit-filled Bibles -- paraphrases like the Living Bible and the Message -- I've got big Bibles that fit on my coffee table and I've got little bitty New Testaments that fit in my shirt pocket

    -- but, you know what, I wasn't using any of them except in Bible Study and in sermon preparation -- I wasn't taking time to spend with God -- I wasn't giving Him part of my day so He could speak to me and give me guidance and encouragement and instruction

    -- so, I have a new endeavor -- I am trying to start taking an intentional quiet time with God every day, regardless of what's going on -- I went out and bought me a new Bible, if you can believe that -- this is a one-year Bible that is set up to help you read through the Bible in one year, reading from the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Psalms, and Proverbs daily -- I got it because a friend of mine is using it, and now we can get together and discuss the same scriptures on a regular basis and talk about where the Lord is leading us

 

    -- God wants us to spend time with Him -- that's the message of the Bible -- God created Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden so that they could be in relationship with Him -- so that they could spend time with Him and love Him and worship Him

    -- and when we broke that relationship through our sin, God sent Jesus to earth -- God became a man -- so that we would know what it meant for a man to live in perfect relationship with Him -- so we could see what it looked like -- and so that Jesus would pay the price for our sins and restore our relationship with the Father once again

    -- God loves us and wants to spend time with us -- we see that over and over again in the Bible -- but most of us don't give God the time that He wants or that He deserves -- we don't read our Bibles or pray or spend time with Him daily like we should

II. Scripture Lesson (Ex. 16:11-21)

    -- this morning, we're going to look at an event from the Old Testament that happened with the nation of Israel and see how it demonstrates just that -- how it demonstrates that God wants us to turn to Him and trust Him every day for our sustenance -- physical and spiritual

    -- before we look at the scriptures again, let me give you the context -- as you know, the nation of Israel had lived as slaves in Egypt to Pharaoh -- working on his construction projects and serving him in very poor circumstances

    -- so God sent Moses to the people of Israel and to Pharaoh with this message -- God had heard the cries of the people and was going to bring them out of Egypt and into the promised land -- and as Chapter 16 opens, we see that God has indeed brought the people out of Israel -- after the 10 plagues fell on the Egyptians, God led the people to the Red Sea and parted the Red Sea to deliver them from the advancing army of Pharaoh -- leading them to safety on dry land while Pharaoh's army was destroyed

    -- at this point, they have now crossed the Red Sea and have been wandering in the desert for several weeks -- things haven't really turned out like the people expected -- they were expecting to immediately walk into a land of milk and honey -- and instead, they are in the middle of the desert -- there's no food and there's no water -- and they start complaining and murmuring and grumbling -- they blame Moses and his brother Aaron for what's going on -- but their gripe is really against God, since Moses and Aaron were just following God's commands

    -- the problem is that the people don't have a relationship with God -- they had been in Egypt so long that they had forgotten Him -- in a sense, they had taken their Bibles and put them on the coffee table and just ignored them for hundreds of years -- and they can't go into the Promised Land until they know God -- not just know about Him -- not just know Him through Moses and Aaron -- but know Him as a real and living person -- know Him intimately as someone who loves them and cares about them -- know Him as their God and Creator and Redeemer

    -- so that brings us to verse 11 -- look again at verse 11 with me

 

    -- 11. The LORD said to Moses,

12. "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, `At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.'"

 

-- God knows our wants and our needs -- He hears us murmuring and complaining even when we aren't spending time with Him -- and so He gives us what we need -- He meets our needs so that we might recognize His hand in our lives -- so that we might recognize His presence in our lives -- God was trying to get the Israelites to look past their situation -- to look past Moses and Aaron -- and to see Him and to know Him and to experience Him in their lives

 

    -- verse 13

 

13. That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.

14. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.

15. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.

 

-- so God sent quail that evening, and in the morning, the Israelites woke up to find the ground covered with these tiny flakes that looked like frost -- they had never seen anything like this before -- they didn't know what it was

    -- so Moses told them, "This is the bread that God has sent you" -- in verse 31 we read that they called this bread "Manna" -- which literally means, "What is it?" in Hebrew

    -- that's the thing about God -- He always provides -- He always gives us what we need -- the problem is that God's provision in our lives doesn't always look like what we expect, and so sometimes we fail to see His hand in the miracle and continue to grumble and complain -- when we spend time with God and ask for His presence in our lives, we have to receive Him as He comes, not try to force Him to look and act like we want

    -- verse 31 goes on to tell us that the manna God provided was white, like coriander seed -- and that it tasted like wafers made from honey -- the people could eat it just like it was -- or they could boil it and cook with it and form it into loaves -- it was truly a miracle food that had never been seen before or since

 

    -- verse 16

 

16. This is what the LORD has commanded: `Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.'"

17. The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little.

18. And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed.

 

 

-- God's plan was for each person to go out and physically gather the manna every day -- if there was someone in their tent -- in their family -- who couldn't go out and gather it themselves, then someone in their tent was to do it for them

    -- relating this to spending time with God and spending time in God's word, there's a few important principles here

    -- first, everyone has to spend time in God's word -- God wants a relationship with you -- you can't just sit back and expect someone else to just give you God's message for you and your life -- you have to take the initiative and go out and gather it in every day

    -- there is one exception to this -- God does make the provision for you to receive His word once a week from another source -- from His church -- in verses 22-29, Moses tells the people that on the sixth day of the week, they are to gather twice as much manna as normal, because they can't go out and gather it for themselves on the seventh day -- this is the Sabbath -- the time when the community was to stop work and to come together to worship the Lord corporately, together -- corporate worship and attendance to God's word is important

    -- second, another principle we see here is that if you are the spiritual leader of your home, it is your job to gather and distribute the manna for those in your home who can't gather it themselves -- your children -- your grandchildren -- those who are sick -- you need to make sure they are getting fed -- that means that you take time out of your day every day to read the Bible with them as a family reading time

     -- finally, we see that God gives us just what we need -- when we need more of His word -- when we need more of His presence -- God leads us to gather more -- to spend more time with Him -- when we need less, He leads us to spend less time with Him -- but, at the end of the day, we'll find that He has given us just what we needed

 

    -- verse 19

 

19. Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning."

20. However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

21. Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.

 

-- here's the thing that really got my attention in this passage -- not only do you need to gather the manna every day -- not only do you need to be spending time with God in His word every day -- God's word indicates that you need to gather your manna first thing in the morning

 

 

III. Morning Time with God

    -- if you look at all of the great Christians -- at all the men and women of faith whose names are well-known -- those who made a difference in the world -- you'll see that they all had one thing in common -- they all made a daily habit of going to God in a quiet time first thing in the morning before they started their day

    In his book Power Through Prayer, E. M. Bounds wrote, "The men and women who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees -- When we fritter away the early morning opportunities and freshness in pursuits other than seeking God, we will make poor headway seeking him the rest of the day -- If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, he will be in last place in the evening."

 

    -- spending time with God in His word and in prayer each morning does several things for us -- first, it puts Jesus on the throne of our life -- when the first thing we do every day is to go to Jesus, it confirms that He is the most important thing in our life -- that it is to Him that we look for guidance and direction and encouragement to start the day -- not our job -- not the news -- not even our family -- but Jesus

    -- secondly, it let's Jesus set the priorities for our day -- I got to thinking about it, and I realized that every morning when I got in the shower, I immediately began to plan my day -- I thought about all I had to do that day at work and at school and at home -- and I set goals and I came up with the way things should go

    -- but that's not what we should do as Christians -- as Christians, we should start out day be going to God and asking Him to show us what is important today -- what He wants us to work on -- who He wants us to relate to -- and when we do that, we'll find our days go by easier and that we are more productive and successful

    -- God told the Israelites to do just that -- to get up every morning and start their day with Him -- to gather in the manna that He had provided for them for that day -- and it's important to note that the manna was only good for that one day -- God gave them what they needed for that day and no more -- if they tried to hoard His word -- if they tried to skip a day or plan out their own day, the manna started to rot and stink

    -- we need to gather our manna every day -- and, as it points out in here, we need to do it first thing in the morning -- doctors tell us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day -- if we don't take time to eat breakfast every morning, we're just not going to be as productive and energetic as we would be if we stopped and ate breakfast -- you can't get by until lunch on yesterday's food -- and you can't get by today with yesterday's communion with God

    -- I like what Hudson Taylor said about spending time with God first thing in the morning -- he wrote, "You don't tune up the instruments after the concert is over -- that's stupid -- it's logical to tune them up before you start" -- in the same way, it's stupid to take our quiet time with God at night after our day is over rather than spending time with Him first thing in the morning so He can help us get through the day

 

IV. Closing

    -- I'm going to wrap this up now and I want to issue a challenge to you -- I don't know what your private life is like -- I don't know how much time you are spending with God every day -- it could be this message was just for me -- but, if God has been speaking to you, then I want to challenge you to come along with me on this journey and let's commit to spending time with God every single day

    -- psychologists tell us it takes three weeks for us to get used to a new way of doing things and then it takes another three weeks for that new practice to become a habit -- that's why most of our New Year's resolutions never stick -- it's because we're giving up before they become part of us -- if you're going to commit to spending time with God every day, then make the commitment right now to give this at least six weeks so that you've got a fighting chance of succeeding

    -- you don't have to get up and give God two hours every morning -- just start with five minutes and let it grow from there -- all of us can find five minutes first thing in the morning to spend with God -- try to increase it and build it up to at least 15 minutes a day -- if you did 15 minutes a day, that would amount to only 1 hour and 45 minutes a week -- there's 168 hours in every week and I don't think 1 hour and 45 minutes devoted to God is too much to give

    -- let me close by giving you some suggestions about getting started on this

 

    1. Pick a specific time and place to meet with God every day -- make that your holy place -- carve out that time and place and give it totally over to God -- I'm going to recommend that you do this in the morning, because that just seems to make sense

    -- Oswald Chambers wrote, "Specific times and places and communion with God go together. It is by no haphazard chance that in every age men have risen early to pray. The first thing that marks decline in the spiritual life is our relationship to the early morning"

    -- if you don't want to see a decline in your spiritual life, go to God first thing in the morning

    2. Follow a standard plan in your quiet time:

        -- once you're in your special place at your specific time -- before you do anything else -- just sit there for a moment to center yourself and let your mind relax -- think about who it is you are coming to meet -- approach God with a sense of reverence and awe

        -- next, pray briefly -- just a quick prayer -- and ask God to speak to your heart -- ask Him to calm your spirit and make you open to His presence

        -- then, read a section of scripture -- I'd suggest following a daily reading plan but whatever you turn to or feel led to go to is fine -- there's a spiritual practice called "Lecto divina" -- it literally means, "Divine Reading" -- you read the scripture slowly -- not so much for information as for formation and union with God

        -- then, you stop and think about what you read -- you meditate on it -- were there any words that really spoke to you? -- were there any concepts or ideas that God sent your way? -- is God leading you to do something?

        -- finally, you close in prayer -- worshiping God and thanking Him for His presence -- asking Him to direct your paths -- to be with you this day -- to keep His word fresh in your mind and in your heart as you go about your day

 

    -- I encourage you to take some time this week with God -- to get serious about spending time with Him -- to get serious about letting His word feed you and sustain you through your days -- this is a challenge that I am taking up -- and I encourage you to join me in this

    -- let's pray In his book Power Through Prayer, E. M. Bounds wrote, "The men and women who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. When we fritter away the early morning opportunities and freshness in pursuits other than seeking God, we will make poor headway seeking him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, he will be in last place in the evening."

SERMON: 40 Days of Love -- Love that Lasts

40 DAYS OF LOVE SERMON SERIES:

LOVE THAT LASTS

22 March 2009

 

I. Introduction

    -- turn in Bibles to 1 Corinthians 13

 

4. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8. Love never fails.

 

    -- this morning, as we finish our series on the 40 Days of Love, our key verses are verses 7 and 8

    -- notice how many times Paul uses that word "always" in these verses -- love "always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres"

    -- Paul is making a point here -- "Love never fails" -- love always surrounds you -- it always lifts you up -- it always is there for you -- love will never let you down

    -- but, is that true? -- do we always experience God's love in our lives in this way? -- do we always give out God's love to others in this way?

    -- it's no secret to any of us that it's hard to maintain this type of love -- there are times in our lives when we just seem to run dry -- when God's love seems distant -- when God seems distant -- and when giving love to others is the farthest thing from our minds -- this happens for a couple of reasons

    -- first, it's just like the seed that landed on the rocky path and in the bad soil in Jesus' parable about the sower -- if we're not careful, the cares and worries and troubles of this world and the actions of the evil one will snatch away God's word and God's love and keep it from growing in our hearts

    -- and secondly, another reason why it's hard for us to maintain this type of love in our life is because we are continually giving it away -- as Christians, when we are filled with God's love, we naturally want to give it out to others -- we minister to them -- we serve them -- we love them -- we give to them -- over and over and over

    -- just to give you a physical picture of what's going on -- it's kind of like we're this cup -- we start out filled with God's love to over-flowing -- and then we give a little to this person -- and a little to this person -- and a little more to this next person -- and before long, we find out that our cup is starting to run dry -- eventually, there's not enough love in our cup to sustain us, much less to give out love to others

    -- and that's when we start to feel like we are distant from God -- distant from God's love -- distant from others -- it's those times in our lives when we are empty that we just can't offer up love for others, and we find ourselves getting irritable and short-tempered with those around us and selfish in all we do

    -- in order to always experience God's love in our lives -- in order to experience this overwhelming and all-encompassing and protecting love and give it out to others -- we have to stay connected -- we have to continually go to the source of love in order to be refilled and renewed and refreshed so that love is constantly flowing in our life like a river of living water

    -- the question, then, is how do we do that? -- How do we stay filled with God's love? -- How do we keep our cups filled to overflowing so that our love lasts -- so that we can continue to love others as God loves us?

    -- the answer to these questions is not some great big secret -- it's written down right there in the Bible for all to see -- and it's demonstrated through Jesus' example to us

    -- basically, in order to maintain a loving heart -- in order to have a love that lasts -- both for us and for others -- we have to develop healthy habits in three areas of our lives -- our bodies -- our minds -- and our spirits

    -- so, this morning, if you would, turn over to Deuteronomy 6 with me and let's start looking at this concept of being renewed, revived, and refreshed in God's love by developing healthy habits in these three areas

 

II. Developing Healthy Heart Habits

    -- verse 1

 

1. These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess,

2. so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.

3. Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.

 

    -- a lot of people have a misconception about Christianity and about Jesus -- they tend to think of Jesus as nothing more than a fire escape -- a plan that you have to get out safely at the end -- they think that church is just about what you're going to do when you die

    -- that's the way a lot of people approach church -- that's the way a lot of people approach Jesus -- that's the way a lot of people approach evangelism -- we like to ask the question, "If you were to die today, would you go to heaven or hell?" -- but that's not the real issue -- that's not why Jesus came

    -- as He tells us in John 10:10, "I came that you might have life and have it abundantly" -- and we see the same thing here -- God's love for us is not just about heaven and hell -- it's not just about getting ready to die -- God's love has to do with living

    -- it says right here that we should follow God's path -- we should follow His commands and His decrees and His laws so that we might enjoy life with Him and with those around us -- not just that we might live -- but that we might "enjoy" life

    -- it is only by following God -- by staying filled with His love -- by constantly giving out His love to others -- that we live life to its fullest -- that we live a long and abundant life

    -- so, how do we do this?

 

    -- verse 4

 

4. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

5. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

 

    -- as I said earlier, there are three areas that we have to consider in our lives -- that we have to maintain in our lives -- if we are to remain connected and filled to overflowing with God's love

    -- Verse 5 tells us that we are to love God with all our strength -- that's physical strength -- that's our body

    -- we are to love God with all our heart -- that's our emotions -- as some translations put it, that's our mind

    -- and, finally, we are to love God with all our soul -- that's our spirit

    -- body, mind, and spirit -- these are the three connections that we must maintain in order to keep God's love fresh and flowing in our lives -- let's look at these separately as we consider how to maintain a loving heart

 

    1. We need to develop habits that refresh us physically -- that keep our bodies fit and functioning -- it's no secret that when we are sick or run-down or physically tired, we just don't feel like loving others in the same way we do when we are in top condition

    -- when I first started in the ministry, Kim and Brooke couldn't understand why I always took a nap on Sunday afternoon -- but after spending time preparing sermons and Bible studies and preaching at two services every Sunday, I get physically drained -- I need to refresh my body -- I need to renew my strength

    -- and I've found that for me, one of the best ways to do this is to get more rest -- I'm just like all of you -- we're just constantly on the run -- grabbing a meal when we can and not making an effort to take care of our bodies -- and even though I sometimes feel guilty about doing it, I have found if I just stop and rest and take a short nap, I wake up refreshed and renewed

    -- along those same lines, I've found that my body works best when I eat healthy meals -- when I eat a balanced diet -- when I get regular exercise -- when I have those three things working in my life -- rest and diet and exercise -- I find my strength is greater and that I am more able to do things with God and for others

    -- 1 Corinthians 6:20 says to "honor God with your body" -- Psalm 127:2 says it is vain to rise early and stay up late and to spend all your time toiling for food -- it says that God causes those He loves to sleep

    -- the first thing we need to do to maintain a loving heart is to take care of our bodies and develop habits that refresh us physically

 

    2. We need to develop habits that recharge us emotionally -- that keep our minds and our hearts fit and functioning -- living in this world today takes a toll on our emotional health -- and as we give more and more of ourselves to others, we need to stop and refill our emotional love tanks

    -- I had a friend who just poured herself into her ministry -- she lived for others -- she took their pains and troubles and trials onto herself and just bore them for the people around her -- she just gave and gave and gave -- but, the problem was, she never took time to refill her emotional love tank -- and one night, she just broke down -- she ran out of gas -- and was over-whelmed with all of that pain and emotion that she had been bearing for others

    -- she hadn't taken time for herself -- she didn't recharge herself emotionally -- and she found herself unable to love and minister to anyone -- it took time for her to recharge and to reconnect and to get back into the swing of things

    -- we have to be careful that we don't let our emotional love tank run dry and that we don't let it get filled with the wrong type of emotions -- there are just so many times you can watch the news and not get depressed -- there are just so many times you can help someone with problems in their lives without getting cynical -- and so we need to take time to recharge our emotions

    -- there's three ways to do this -- first, we need solitude -- in Mark 6:31, when Jesus' disciples were starting to run low and get over-whelmed by the ministry they were doing, Jesus told them to come with Him to a quiet place to get some rest -- this is why God commanded us to have a Sabbath -- not a time to just physically rest -- but a time to get away by ourselves with God -- a time to reconnect with Him and to let Him recharge us away from the hustle and bustle of this world

    -- secondly, we need recreation -- we need to re-create ourselves -- we need to find something that energizes us -- a hobby -- a sport -- something that interests us -- that entertains us -- that can help refill us up in a healthy way

    -- and, finally, we need laughter -- I read a study the other day that said that we don't laugh enough -- that kindergarten kids laugh over 300 times a day but that adults laugh no more than 17 times a day -- the study went on to say that laughter dissolves tension and stress and anxiety -- it boosts our immune system -- it reduces pain -- it improves our ability to deal with life -- this study said that we need to laugh more -- laughing can recharge your emotional tank

    -- after a long day at work, I like to come home and watch sitcoms on the tv -- I am emotionally and physically drained -- and I have found that if I watch a short comedy or listen to a funny show on the radio that I am a lot more refreshed than if I come home and watch the news

    -- in order to maintain a loving heart, we have to recharge ourselves emotionally

 

    3. Finally, we need to develop habits that renew us spiritually -- we can never forget the source of our love -- we have to intentionally spend time with God daily and let His Spirit renew us and revive us -- in Romans 12, Paul tells us that we will be transformed by the renewing of our mind -- by the renewing of our spirit

    -- don't forget, Christianity is not about dying -- it's about living -- it's about being renewed and experiencing God's love and power in our lives now -- not just in the future after we die

    -- in John 15:5, Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." -- we need to go back to the Source on a daily basis -- we need to stay connected with God

    -- we do this in three main ways -- first, through having a daily quiet time with God -- a time when we get alone with Him and just spend time in His presence -- reading His word -- praying -- and listening for His voice in our lives

    -- secondly, we do this by participating in a small group or by spending time with a mentor -- we need others in our lives to help pull us along -- to pick us up when we fall -- to encourage us to keep going

    -- Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! -- Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? -- Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

    -- finally, we need to spend regular time in corporate worship -- in worship with others -- we need to come together on a regular basis and join together as one people and one church and lift our voices and hearts up to God in worship -- to pray with others -- to participate in the sacraments

    -- it takes all three of these -- a daily quiet time -- small groups -- and worship -- to renew ourselves spiritually

 

III. Closing

    -- as we close this series on the 40 Days of Love, one thing stands out -- the quality of our relationship with God determines the quality of every other relationship we have -- if we are going to love others as Christ loved us -- if we are going to share with them God's agape love and become people of love and life -- then we are going to have to have a quality relationship with God

    -- we are going to have to develop the habits that are needed to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and strength -- we are going to have to intentionally keep our cups filled so that we might let God's love overflow from our lives to those around us

    -- as I close this morning, let me encourage you to go back through your notes for these past six weeks and to look at the path to a deeper love relationship with God -- we've covered a lot of ground in this study -- some of it was familiar -- some of it may have been new

    -- but one thing is certain -- you are only going to get out of this what you put into it -- and if you just put these lessons out of sight and out of mind, you are not going to develop the loving heart that Christ wanted us to

    -- God calls us to love Him and to experience His love now -- to live the abundant and full life that He called us to live here -- and the only way to do that is by developing and maintaining hearts of love as we seek to love Him with all our heart and soul and strength and as we seek to love our neighbor as ourselves

    -- let us pray