SERMON: THE HEART OF WORSHIP

Preached by Gregory W. Lee
23 April 2006

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Mark 11:12-17

12. The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
13. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
14. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
15. On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,
16. and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
17. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "`My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? But you have made it `a den of robbers.' "

-- I have a confession to make this morning -- I think I may be on the verge of a major midlife crisis -- maybe not a crisis -- but definitely a reordering of my life
-- I don't know what's going on, but lately I've been filled with a restlessness -- a hunger -- for something more -- I guess it started a few years ago, but lately, it has become almost a burning desire -- I don't know -- maybe it's just a symptom of getting older -- maybe it's just a symptom of being at my current job too long -- I don't know -- but I am feeling a desire for more -- for more excitement -- for more challenge -- for more danger
-- I've been at Moody for eight years now and I've basically built the wildlife program there from the ground up -- in those eight years we've done an enormous amount of work -- we've gotten a lot of good things accomplished -- and it's been recognized by others -- not to toot my own horn here, but for the last three award periods, we have received national awards for our program
-- but now, I find myself in a position where we've accomplished about all we can do -- and we are moving into a maintenance type phase -- where we're just keeping what we started going -- continuing on with our wildlife studies and our management but not doing anything new -- not doing anything challenging -- not doing anything exciting -- life at work has gotten somewhat dull -- somewhat routine
-- I think that's what drives a lot of midlife crises -- I think it comes from looking up one day and seeing that everything has become routine -- it's the same thing day in and day out -- you get up -- you go to work -- you come home -- you eat supper -- you watch a little t.v. -- you go to bed -- and you start over the next day -- just the same-old same-old day in and day out
-- I don't think God made us for the routine -- I don't think God intended for our lives to be filled with the same-old same-old day in and day out -- I think God created us with a desire to be challenged and to be involved in doing exciting things for Him -- and I think this desire is what is causing my current bout of restlessness
-- so, maybe, midlife crises are really not bad things -- I know they can be bad -- I know a lot of men and women use these times to leave their families and their responsibilities and go off in ungodly directions -- but maybe that's because they don't really understand what's going on -- I wonder if these midlife crises aren't stirrings of the soul that God sends us to get us out of our ruts -- out of our routines -- and into the wild adventure that He has called us into
-- this could be one explanation for why our seminaries and other pastoral schools are mostly filled with middle-aged men and women -- folks who have responded to the call of God to go in the ministry and who have left successful careers behind to follow Him where ever He leads -- think about a lot of the men and women in the Bible who have done great things for the Lord -- with only a few exceptions, all of them started their career with God in mid-life or even later
-- so, maybe midlife crises are good things

-- as I've been thinking about this subject over the last several months, it occurred to me that our churches and denominations wouldn't hurt from a good midlife crisis or two -- it is very easy for us to get caught up in the same-old same-old in our churches -- in our programs and activities -- in our ministries -- and especially in our worship services
-- we can find ourselves trapped in the humdrum existence of just doing church -- living out the routine and staying in a rut as we simply go through the motions of worshiping God and ministering to other people
-- such was the case with the nation of Israel in Jesus' day -- they had gotten so wrapped up in the routines of the temple worship -- in making sure they followed the liturgy and the law to the letter -- that they missed connecting with God in any real way -- the routine replaced the relationship
-- that is the setting of this passage from Mark

II. Scripture Lesson -- Mark 11:12-17
-- according to Mark, Jesus had just entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and went to the temple, but because it was late, He and His disciples left and went out to spend the night in Bethany -- a small town located about two miles outside of Jerusalem on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives
-- they got up early the next morning -- evidently before breakfast -- and headed for the temple where Jesus was going to preach and teach -- look back at verse 12

12. The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
13. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
14. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.

-- now this passage is one of those situations where there is both a literal and a prophetic intepretation -- Mark tells us that Jesus was hungry -- and I believe He was literally hungry -- I think He and the disciples had gotten up and left Bethany without getting anything to eat and He got hungry along the way
-- so when Jesus saw a fig tree in the distance, He walked up to it to see if it had any fruit -- here was this fig tree -- full of leaves glistening in the rising sun -- if any tree should have had fruit, it should have been this one -- it looked like it should have fruit, but Mark tells us that when Jesus got up there and searched, there wasn't a single fig on the whole tree -- so Jesus cursed the tree which eventually caused it to wither
-- but Mark didn't just include this passage in the text to let us know what happened to Jesus with the fig tree -- this passage foreshadows what is about to occur in the temple in regards to the religious practices of the Israelites

-- you see, not only was Jesus physically hungry, He was spiritually hungry -- He was hungry for the presence of the Father -- so He was headed to the place where God's presence resided -- remember in those days that God's presence resided in the Holy of Holies and that all worship centered around the temple in Jerusalem -- Jesus was headed for the place that should have been able to satisfy His hunger
-- but, when He got there, it was just like the situation with the fig tree -- the worship in the temple had all the outward appearances of being a fruitful place -- it had all the appearances of being a place where God was worshiped and where His presence was made manifest through the worship of the people -- but it wasn't
-- Israel was just like the fig tree -- it had the outward leaves of a God-given religion -- it looked like it should have fruit -- but it didn't -- there was no spiritual fruit to be found -- that is why God said in Isaiah 29:13, "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men."
-- worship for the Israelites had become routine -- they had quit worshiping God with their hearts and had substituted a routine, man-made religion in its place -- a religion not based on a relationship with their Creator but based on rules taught by men -- worship for them had become the same-old same-old with nothing much happening -- people came to the temple and followed their rules -- they made their daily sacrifices -- they made their daily offerings -- they uttered their required prayers -- they followed the worship bulletin to the letter -- but that was all that was accomplished
-- since their heart wasn't in worship, God wasn't in worship -- God tells us that if we draw near to Him through worship, then He will draw near to us -- the Israelites weren't drawing near to God -- their prayers and offerings and sacrifices were just offered out of obligation -- just offered because that was next on the worship bulletin -- it didn't really mean anything -- it was just something they did because they were Jewish -- and, so, the presence of God was missing from their midst
-- rather than living on the edge like they did in their early days, when God parted the Red Sea to bring them out of Egypt and brought water from a rock for them and sent manna and quail from Heaven -- the Israelites had gotten caught up in doing the same thing the same way for so long that they never even looked for anything to happen any more -- they had forgotten the meaning of worship -- they had forgotten the heart of worship -- and, as a result, their worship had grown stale and their religion had grown barren
-- Jesus went to the temple looking for spiritual food -- for spiritual fruit -- but He found none -- and so He took steps to make it fruitful -- to make it bear power -- once again
-- look back at verse 15

15. On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,
16. and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
17. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "`My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? But you have made it `a den of robbers.' "

-- in these verses, there are two things that Jesus does to make the season right for the temple to bear fruit once again

A. Purity
-- the first thing He does to restore the temple is to purify it -- when Jesus got to the temple, He found it filled with money-changers and merchants
-- you see, in order to make an offering at the temple -- whether it was an animal sacrifice or a financial offering -- it had to be acceptable in the eyes of the priests -- the priests wouldn't take foreign money -- so anyone who came in from another land had to exchange their money for acceptable money -- over time, this developed into quite a business -- money-changers set up in the temple itself and would exchange money at an exorbitant price -- making a sizable profit from those who were going in to make an offering to God
-- in the same way, there were rules about the animals that could be sacrificed -- God had said they couldn't be blemished in any way -- and so when someone brought an offering to the temple, the priests would examine it and, if it had a blemish, force them to buy a clean animal from the merchants -- the merchants were ready and willing to sell clean animals to worshipers, for a tidy profit, of course
-- Jesus came in and saw what was going on -- how these money-changers and merchants were using the house of God to make a profit -- and He overturned their tables and rebuked them for turning God's house into a den of robbers -- the priests had allowed in these profit-mongers who filled the temple with wordly things and who distracted from the true worship of God
-- as Matthew Henry says in his commentary, "Those who allow vain wordly thoughts to lodge within them when they are at their devotions turn the house of prayer into a market -- they that make long prayers for a pretense to devour widow's houses turn it into a den of robbers" -- in other words, worship at the temple looked like that that would be acceptable to God -- sacrifices were made -- the proper money was offered -- righteous-sounding prayers were given -- but it was done more for the sake of making a profit than for connecting with God
-- so Jesus came in and purified the temple by getting rid of the worldly distractions and the false rules that were keeping people away from a true relationship with the Father

B. Prayer
-- after Jesus had purified the temple, the next thing He did was to restore the conduit of relationship, prayer -- it is through prayer that we connect most with our heavenly Father -- it is through prayer that we worship God and that He speaks to us -- it is through prayer that we form a lasting relationship with God
-- once the temple was purified, Jesus sought to restore the purpose of the temple as a house of prayer -- as a place where true worship was offered and true relationships with the Father were sought
-- Jesus knew that the only way God's presence was going to come in power in the temple was through the establishment of prayer -- not ritualistic prayer -- not rote repetitions of many words -- but heart-felt offerings of love and worship to the Creator
-- Jesus said that the temple should be known as a house of prayer for all nations

C. Power
-- immediately after Jesus purified the temple and sanctified it through prayer, God's presence began to be felt again and spiritual fruit began to fall upon those gathered there like manna from Heaven
-- in Matthew's account of this event, Matthew records that immediately after Jesus ran out the merchants and money-changers and immediately after prayers began to be offered, the blind and the lame came to Him at the temple and He healed them
-- where before there was no spiritual fruit -- where before there was only routine and meaningless worship -- now there was power from the Lord God Almighty
-- once the temple had been purified and sanctified, then Jesus allowed His power to minister to those who were gathered there

III. Closing
-- as we close this message today, remember these three points to energizing worship in your life and in this church and in our denomination -- Purity -- Prayer -- Power
-- in order to bring about changes in our spiritual lives, we must first purify ourselves and our worship -- we must bathe ourselves in prayer -- and then, and only then, will God's power fall upon us
-- let me ask you a question: -- are you connecting with God through your worship or are you simple showing up and going through the routines?
-- if you don't feel that you are reaching God through your worship -- if you don't feel His presence in your life as you seek His face, then follow the steps of Jesus in this passage -- Purify yourself -- Pray and worship God with all your heart and all your mind and all your strength -- and expect His power to fall upon you
-- right now, if there is something in your life that is hindering your worship of God -- your relationship with God -- whether its sin or worldly distractions or just giving in to the humdrum existence of everyday life -- then I would invite you to come to the altar and give it up to Him -- purify yourself, and pray to God for His power and presence to fall upon you today
-- let us pray

AMERICAN'S RELIGIOUSITY

Ran across this quote from George Barna on Rick Warren's website. Thought-provoking insights based on research among those who attend our churches.

"Americans are willing to expend some energy in religious activities such as attending church and reading the Bible, and they are willing to throw some money in the offering basket. Because of such activities, they convince themselves that they are people of genuine faith. But when it comes time to truly establishing their priorities and making a tangible commitment to knowing and loving God, and to allowing him to change their character and lifestyle, most people stop short. We want to be 'spiritual' and we want to have God's favor, but we're not sure we want him taking control of our lives and messing with the image and outcomes we've worked so hard to produce." - George Barna

SERMON: NOTHING BUT YOU

Easter Message Preached by Gregory W. Lee
16 April 2006

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Romans 8:30-39

30. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32. He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
33. Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
34. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36. As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
37. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39. neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

-- One day there was this young farmer who was having a bad turn of events -- first, the drought came and killed half of his newly planted crop -- then, the rain started and wouldn't quit and killed the rest -- being a Godly young man, he was out in his fields pouring out his heart to God -- he just knew that God had a reason for all that had happened -- as he was praying he glanced up and saw two clouds that formed the letters "P" and "C" -- he stared at those clouds, just knowing they were a message from God -- then it hit him -- God was telling him to "P"reach "C"hrist
-- so he went out and sold his farm and bought a used circus tent -- he set up in town and hired one of the county's best gospel groups to open for him -- he announced an evangelistic crusade, and on the planned night, the gospel group began to sing -- all were in agreement that it was the best singing they had ever heard -- they waited in anticipation for the sermon as the young farmer went up behind the pulpit and started to preach the longest, driest, and most confusing sermon they had ever heard -- the crowd sat there in stunned silence and began to file out, leaving one old man behind
-- the old man walked up to the dejected young farmer and asked him why he felt that God had called him to preach -- the young farmer told him the whole story and how the clouds told him that he was supposed to go and "Preach Christ" -- the old man scratched his head and said, "Did it ever occur to you that God might have been telling you to go and plant cotton?"
-- this farmer was well-intentioned -- he just had a problem understanding the message that he received

-- just like him, a lot of times we have a problem interpreting messages or events in our lives because our perspective is wrong -- a lot of us tend to focus on the things of the earth -- and that can cause us to put our time and energy into the wrong thing
-- if your focus is only on the here and now, then you'll find yourself working only for the temporary -- for the good things in life -- and it will cause you to see all your problems and trials as insurmountable
-- but, if your focus is eternal, then we can look at our problems and trials as light and momentary affairs that will be swept away in eternity -- in the same way, we can spend our time working on what is truly important in light of eternity
-- in this passage, Paul is trying to get his readers to change their focus -- to quit looking at the world and the world's way of doing life and to start focusing on eternity and on God's way of doing life -- it all comes down to perspective

-- the message Paul is trying to get you to see here is, "Don't lose your perspective -- focus on what is truly important in life" -- as we will see, this passage is written for the Christian believers in Rome
-- look now with me at Romans 8:30

II. Scripture Lesson -- Romans 8:30-39

-- verse 30

-- 30. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

-- now don't get hung up on the term "predestination" -- as we understand it, Paul is referring here to the foreknowledge of God -- in other words, God knew beforehand who would respond to Him and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior
-- in this verse, Paul lays out for us our entire Christian journey -- it always starts with the call of God in our lives through God's prevenient grace -- God calling us and wooing us and putting things and people in our lives so that we will hear His voice and respond to Him
-- and when we respond, when He brings us to the cross and we give our life to Jesus -- we are justified -- we are just as if we never sinned -- when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, His blood covers all our sin and He forgives us of everything that we have ever done and all that we ever will do -- this is the point of salvation -- the time when we are born again
-- finally, Paul says that those who are justified -- those who are saved -- are glorified -- this refers to the Holy Spirit's work in our life to sanctify us and to make us more like Jesus -- this is the time in our spiritual lives when we become mature in the faith and we progress further and further down the road toward Christ-likeness
-- to be fully glorified means that we fulfill the purposes and meaning and calling for which Christ called us -- that we have become the person God called us to be apart from sin

-- now, with this salvation comes the blessing of God -- look at verse 31

31. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32. He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

-- salvation gives us eternal life with God and it puts us in God's hand -- He watches over us and protects us -- Paul asks the question, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" -- in other words, God has your back -- you don't have to fear -- speaking spiritually, God is standing up for you against all those who may come against you
-- in addition to this, He has blessed us with a spiritual inheritance through Christ -- as it says in Ephesians, God has blessed us with every heavenly blessing -- every single one -- we even have the presence of God living in our heart -- His very Spirit leading us and guiding us as we go about our days

-- Paul goes on to tell us of the good news of the power and presence of Christ in their lives -- you have to remember the context of this passage -- Paul is writing this letter to the Christians in Rome -- to those who are living at the very doorstep of the Emporer Nero -- within just a couple of years, these Christians are going to be persecuted in horrific ways -- they are going to be killed through crucifixion -- they are going to be put in the arena with the lions -- they are going to face untold horrors in their life
-- and God has given this message to Paul to encourage them during this time so that they might not despair at their wordly sufferings

-- verse 33

33. Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
34. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

-- Here Paul asks rhetorical questions to point out that if God is on our side, we have nothing to fear -- "Who can come and bring charges or accusations against you?" -- it doesn't matter whether it's Nero or Satan himself, they have no case -- Christ justified you and paid the penalty for all of your sins and wrong-doings on the cross -- you are holy in the eyes of God -- you are righteous in the eyes of God -- there is nothing that they can say against you that has any merit now that Christ is on your side -- and, not only did He die on the cross for you, but He continues to pray for you and intercede with the Father on your behalf in times of trial and troubles

-- verse 35

35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36. As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
37. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39. neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

-- in these verses, Paul is trying to change our perspective -- he knew how easy it was for us to become distracted in our Christian walk by the trials and troubles that we face day in and day out -- granted, things here aren't as bad as they were for the Roman Christians -- we aren't facing persecution and famine and danger like them -- but we have our own problems, don't we? -- we go through life in this fallen world with trials and troubles on all sides of us -- sickness -- death -- accidents -- failed marriages -- rebellious kids -- abusive relationships -- addictions -- all kind of things come into our life and threaten to take our eyes off Jesus
-- but Paul wants to remind us in this passage that our time here on earth is just a fleeting moment compared with eternity with Christ -- compared to the love that Christ has for us

-- at the Milan Cathedral there are three doors that lead into the sanctuary -- over the right-hand door there is this inscription: "All that pleases is but for a moment" -- on the left-hand door it reads, "all that troubles is but for a moment" -- but over the middle door there is a simple sentence: "Nothing is important save that which is eternal" -- Paul wants us to see that our focus needs to be on the eternal and not on the moment

-- he says that there is nothing in this world -- there is nothing in this world that can separate us from the love of Christ -- not trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness -- not danger or the sword -- not death or life -- not angels or demons -- not the present or the future or anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord
-- sometimes we forget that -- sometimes we take our eyes off the eternity ahead of us and instead put our focus on the things of this life -- it's kind of like the little boy who was trying to put together his first puzzle -- he opened the box and poured out all the pieces on the table and tried to put them together -- some of the pieces were bright -- some dark -- some seemed to go together -- others seemed to fit nowhere -- finally, frustrated and exhausted and with nothing to show for his effortts, the boy gathered up the pieces, put them in the box and gave it to his father -- I can't do it, he said, you try it
-- to his amazement, his father assembled the entire puzzle in only a few minutes -- you see, he said, I knew what the picture was like all the time -- I saw the picture in the puzzle, but you only saw the pieces
-- Paul is trying to get us to see here that we need to quit looking at the pieces but instead focus on the big picture -- none of this can separate you from the love of Christ -- none of this can keep you from Him

III. Scripture Lesson 2: Isaiah 59
-- but there is something that can keep you from Him -- there is something missing in that list that Paul gave in those last five verses we read -- there is one thing that can separate you from the love of Christ -- and that is you
-- each one of us is born with a choice -- a choice to listen to God's call and respond to His voice and accept His free gift of salvation through Christ or to turn away and live life on our own
-- if you would, flip over to Isaiah 59 and we'll end there
-- verse 1

1. Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
2. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
3. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things.
4. No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.

-- your sins -- your iniquities -- separate you from the love of Christ -- all those things that you do -- all those times that you have lived life for the moment -- lived life for yourself -- all those times that you chose to do things your way and not God's way -- those sins keep you from enjoying the presence of God
-- if you have never accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, then that is where you are this morning -- separated from the love of Christ -- separated from the blessings of God -- separated from the presence of God -- condemned through your own actions and with nothing more to look forward to than what you can find here on earth
-- when you are separated from God, there is nothing that you can do to save yourself -- you can't work your way to heaven -- you can't buy your way to heaven -- you can't be good enough to get there on your own -- you are facing eternity separated from God in hell
-- but God loves you too much to leave you where you are -- He loves you too much to see you go to Hell -- to see you live life apart from Him -- as it says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that through Him you might have eternal life"

-- look at verse 15

15. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.
16. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him.
17. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

-- God knew that there was no way for you to ever be holy enough or righteous enough or perfect enough to get to Heaven, so He made a way for you -- since no one else could save us, God Himself saved us in the most remarkable way -- God became a man -- He was born to a woman, just like all of us -- He lived here on earth and suffered trials and tribulations and temptations life us -- He went to the cross and He took our place and He paid the penalty for our sins with His own body -- and then, He was raised from the dead on the third day to prove that He had conquered sin and death
-- when our sins separated us from God, God took the steps to remove them so that we might come to him -- all we have to do is to get out of the way -- to recognize the fact that we are sinners and that we have allowed ourselves to be separated from the love of Christ -- all we have to do is to acknowledge our sin -- to turn away from our sin -- and ask Jesus to forgive us for all that we have done in our lives -- and God's word promises that He will do just that
-- and all of those spiritual blessings -- God's protection and providence and presence -- will flow into your life and you will be able to say with Paul, "Now there is nothing that can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus" -- and you will live life with a new perspective and a new focus -- that of eternity with Christ in Heaven

IV. Closing
-- George Washington Truett was a preacher in Dallas for 47 years -- he once visited a wealthy West Texas rancher and had dinner in his huge ranch home -- after dinner, the rancher took Dr. Truett up to a veranda on top of his house and lit up a big cigar
-- the sun was setting, and if you've ever been to west Texas, you know you can see a long way out there -- the man pointed to the south toward some oil rigs and said, "I own everything in that direction as far as you can see"
-- he pointed east toward some cotton fields and said "and I own everything in that direction, too" -- he pointed north towards a huge herd of cattle and bragged, "and preacher, I own everything as far as you can see in that direction" -- finally, he turned to the west and said, "and I own everything you can see in that direction, except the sun, of course"
-- Dr. Truett turned to the man and pointed straight up to the sky and said, "and how much do you own in that direction"
-- that, my friends, is the question before us this morning -- how much do you own in that direction? -- have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior -- are you living in the light of eternity through His love or are you living life only for the here and now
-- give altar call
-- let us pray

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE LEAVING EARTH

In our Bible studies of late, questions have been coming up about the validity of non-scriptural books, such as the Gospel of Judas, Gospel of Thomas, and other books mentioned recently in the news and in the Da Vinci Code. The promotion of these books and other attacks on Christianity always come up around our major holidays, so I wasn't surprised to see the National Geographic show on the Gospel of Judas come up right before Easter. We see the same thing at Christmas with in-depth television reports on "Was Jesus really born," "Is Christmas really a pagan holiday," etc.

We know this and we expect this. It makes good copy and attracts viewers/readers. It has made Dan Brown a lot of money for his wacky conspiracy theories in the Da Vinci Code. Some of these attacks on the Bible and on Christianity are by well-meaning individuals who are convinced that they are right and Christianity is wrong. Others are merely out there trying to make a fast buck or make a name for themselves.

But, I am more worried over the lack of biblical literacy on the part of Christians in this country. George Barna and other researches have reported that almost 90% of all homes in America have a Bible, and more copies of the Bible have been sold than any other book, ever. But, the evidence is that the church is not reading the Bible and, if they are reading it, they are not absorbing a lot of what they read (just look at the American culture today if you doubt that). Very, very few of our church members have a clue over how the canon of Scripture was formed and why we have the books in our Bible that we do.

This leads to a major problem that we are seeing exploited by Dan Brown and the others. Namely, if you don't know the truth, then you can fall for every passing fancy that comes your way. In other words, if you don't know how and why the canon of scripture was developed, then you can easily buy into Brown's conspiracy theories about the early church throwing books out willy-nilly to promote their own social agenda. Likewise, if you don't know what the Bible actually says, then you tend to develop your theology and world-view from movies, t.v. shows, articles, and other media that don't always portray an accurate picture of scripture. As the old bumper sticker says, "Prevent Truth Decay -- Read Your Bible Everyday!"

I believe in the trustworthiness of the Bible. When Paul wrote to Timothy that all scripture was God-breathed and useful for teaching, preaching, and rebuking, I believe it. When I started at my churches, I told them to never accept anything I said without first checking it against the Bible. I told them to never accept anything that anyone said -- whether it was other preachers, t.v. evangelists, or any one else -- without first checking it against the Bible. I urged them to be Bereans (if you don't understand the reference, look it up!). Perhaps if Christians spent more time reading and applying God's instructions through His written Word, then we wouldn't see such controversies over the Gospel of Judas and we wouldn't see vast numbers of people in our country believing in and following works of fiction such as the Da Vinci Code.

CONFIRMATION CLASS CONCERNS

My niece just completed a confirmation class in the UMC that she attends. After the class was over, she was told that it was time for her to be baptized and join the church, and that it would occur on Palm Sunday. She balked because she wanted me to baptize her.

So, I sat down with her last Friday night to see what they had covered in confirmation class and whether she had any questions. When I asked her what they were taught in the class, all she could remember was that the pastor asked them to look up verses in the Bible and find them and that he had them pray over the pews in the sanctuary one night.

I don't know what was actually taught in the class, but my niece did not absorb any of the church's teachings on the meaning of salvation, who Jesus was and why He died, what it means to be baptized, and what it means to be a member of the church. When I asked her what words like "sin" and "baptize" and "salvation" meant, she was unable to answer them. As we talked, though, I became sure that she had received Jesus as Lord and Savior.

I am concerned over confirmation classes that are offered in our churches that seem to push kids into being baptized simply because they are the right age, not because they have actually made a conscious decision on their own to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. I know that there are some good confirmation classes being taught, but there are also some that are very suspect. On Post Methodist, Jason Woolever posted a great note about confirmation classes and how he made sure the kids fully understood the reason for the class and the step they were taking.

SERMON: REJOICING WITH THE RISEN

EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE
Preached by Gregory W. Lee
16 April 2006

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Mark 16:1-8

1. When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.
2. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb
3. and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"
4. But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.
5. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
6. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.
7. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, `He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'"
8. Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

-- Why are you here? -- Why are you gathered here this morning at the foot of this empty cross? -- Jesus isn't up there any more -- today is not Good Friday -- He's not up there dying on the cross -- suffering for our sins -- pouring out His blood and His life in exchange for ours -- He's not there -- the cross is empty
-- you know I've often wondered why the modern church has put such an emphasis on the cross -- it always seems to me like it only tells half the story -- it reminds me of that hymn that we often sing at Easter, "Were you there" -- this hymn asks, "were you there when they crucified my Lord?" -- "were you there when they nailed Him to the tree" -- "were you there when they pierced Him in the side" -- "were you there when the sun refused to shine" -- and then it ends up with, "Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?" -- this is a song for Good Friday -- because this is a song that only tells part of the story

-- when you only look at the cross, you only get part of the picture -- all you know is that the cross is empty -- all you know for sure is that Jesus has died and been laid in a tomb -- if you focus only on the cross, you miss the point of Easter
-- so, let me ask you again -- why have we gathered here this morning at the foot of an empty cross? -- what meaning does an empty cross hold for us? -- are we merely copying the actions of the disciples? -- after the horrors of Good Friday -- after Jesus had died and His body was removed and laid in a tomb -- after the crowds had left and three empty crosses stood naked against the sky -- do you think the disciples gathered together at the foot of the three crosses and looked up at them, just like we're doing this morning?
-- the Bible doesn't tell us -- it is quiet about what happened to the disciples between the time they deserted Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane and first thing Sunday morning -- we don't know for sure what they did on the days after Christ was killed on the cross -- we don't know for sure where they were on that first Easter morning -- we know they were together, but beyond that we simply don't know
-- they might have been huddled together in the upper room, hiding in fear for the knock from the temple guards that might send them to the cross as well -- or, they might have been doing just as we are doing, standing at the foot of the cross and contemplating what Jesus' death would mean to them
-- has it ever occurred to you that on that first Easter morning, all the disciples had left was an empty cross and thoughts of what might have been? -- the only hymn they knew at this point was, "Were you there?" -- but, like I said, the empty cross is only part of the story

-- when Mel Gibson made his movie "The Passion of Christ," he was heavily criticized for only showing the final twelve hours of Jesus' life -- from the Garden of Gethsemane to His death on the cross -- all of his advisors argued with him about the movie -- they said, "You can't stop there -- that doesn't tell the whole story -- the cross is just part of the story -- we need to show it all" -- finally, he consented and filmed the rest of the story
-- the rest of the story is the empty tomb -- as we know, early on Easter morning, Mary Magdelene and the other women went to the tomb where Jesus had been laid and they found that the stone had been rolled away -- the entrance was open and the tomb was empty

-- an empty tomb to go with an empty cross -- they had gathered there at the tomb for a reason -- they had gathered there to anoint the body of Jesus with aromatic spices to finalize His funeral -- they had gathered there because that was where Jesus was -- perhaps they had also gathered there on that first Easter morning to contemplate what they would do, now that Jesus had died and was buried in this borrowed tomb
-- so you can imagine their surprise when they got there and found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty with no body in sight -- but, unlike those gathered at the cross, the women who gathered at the tomb received an answer in response to their contemplation -- an angel was there at the tomb, and he greeted them with astonishing news -- "Why are you looking for the living among the dead? -- Jesus is not here -- He has risen, just as He had said."
-- and rushing away from the tomb to seek out the eleven remaining disciples, they ran headlong into Jesus Himself -- they met the risen Lord and they were filled with inexpressible happiness and joy because Jesus was alive again

-- an empty tomb and an empty cross -- one, a place of questions -- the other, a place of answers -- one, a place of sadness and "what-might-have-beens" -- the other, a place of joy and happiness and hope
-- so, let me ask you one final time, "Why are we gathered here this morning at the foot of an empty cross? -- why are still pondering Good Friday when the good news of Easter is upon us? -- why aren't we rejoicing with Mary Magdalene and the other women at the site of an empty tomb?"

-- why do we focus so much on the cross and so little on the empty tomb? -- the cross is important -- for it was the site where Jesus suffered and died for our sins -- but the empty tomb is also important -- for it is the place where our faith became sight -- where the promise of eternal life with God became real for us -- where we learned that Christ had indeed conquered sin and death and won for us eternal salvation and righteousness through His death and resurrection

-- did you know that the early Christians did not focus on the cross like we do today? -- when Peter and Paul and the other apostles preached, they didn't focus on the cross -- instead, they focused on the empty tomb -- on the resurrection of Christ from the dead -- for that was the source of their joy and happiness and hope
-- I think we need to become more balanced in our Christian lives today -- there is a place in our lives for Good Friday -- for the ugliness and the brutality and the horror of the passion and the cross -- for the penalty that had to be paid for our sins -- but there should also be a place in our lives for the empty tomb -- for the joy and the happiness and the hope that comes with the rising of the Son on that first Easter morning

-- the church has spent far too much time focusing on the gloom of Good Friday and not enough time reflecting the joy of Easter
-- Chonda Pierce, the Christian comedian, talked about joy on one of her albums -- she said that she goes to a lot of worship services -- and it never ceases to amaze her how most Christians can stand and sing, "the joy of the Lord is our strength" with such sour looks on their faces -- be honest -- when is the last time you have looked around on a Sunday morning and seen the joy of the Lord expressed in the face of the person next to you as they sung that morning's hymns?
-- we have somehow forgotten just how joyful and how wonderful the good news of Christ's resurrection really is -- when the angel appeared to the shepherds on Christmas Day, he told the shepherds that he brought good news of great joy -- I think it's time that we learned to express this joy again

-- before we close this sunrise service, I want to invite you to turn with me to Psalm 118 and look at a passage there that I think reflects a clear balance between the empty cross and the empty tomb
-- look with me now at Psalm 118:19

19. Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
20. This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter.
21. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.

-- these verses help answer the question of the empty cross -- they explain why Christ suffered and died on the cross -- the Bible tells us that we are all sinners and that we are separated from the righteousness and the glory of God because of our sin -- there was no way for us to become holy and righteous in the eyes of God -- there was nothing that we could do -- there was nothing that we could say -- there was no way for us to be reconciled with God
-- but, by offering Himself on the cross as the perfect atonement for our sins -- by dying on the cross and receiving our punishment for our sins, the Psalmist tells us that Christ opened up for us the gates of righteousness -- the path into the presence of the Lord God Almighty
-- when Jesus died on the cross, the temple veil between the holy place and the holy of holies was torn, opening up the gate of righteousness and giving us the right to enter into the very presence of God -- as the blood of Christ covered us, His righteousness was imparted to us -- His holiness was imparted to us -- and we were made righteous and holy in His Name -- it was through the cross that we received salvation and reconciliation with God
-- the empty cross reminds us that Christ is the only gate through which we may enter --in John 10:7, Jesus said He was the gate through which the sheep will enter the pen -- in John 14:6, Jesus said that He was the Way and that no one comes to the Father except through Him --as it says in Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
-- the empty cross reminds us of the price that Jesus paid to redeem us and reconcile us to God

-- verse 22

22. The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
23. the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

-- the cross divided the world into two types of people -- those who follow Christ and those who don't follow Christ -- Christ is for us the rock of our salvation -- the capstone -- the crowning achievement -- the culmination of all history -- the empty cross reminds us that our foundation is built on the sacrificial death of Christ and that without it, we are doomed to die in our sins
-- but not everyone has accepted the good news of the empty cross -- not everyone has accepted the free gift of grace we have in Christ's death on the cross -- verse 22 tells us that some rejected Him -- some cast the stone aside -- and they went on trying to build their life without Jesus as their foundation
-- these are the people who have built their lives on sinking sand -- who may build grand mansions out of their lives -- but no matter what they have built, it will all come crashing down in the end because they have not built on the foundation of the empty cross
-- those who received salvation through the finished work of Christ on the cross have a strong foundation, and whatever they build will last throughout eternity

-- verse 24

24. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

-- this is the verse that we get our familiar praise song, "This is the Day" from -- did you know that this song is not just referring to any old day, but to the day of salvation -- the day of reconciliation -- the day of the Lord
-- the Psalmist tells us here that when we remember the day of our salvation -- the day that we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior -- that we should rejoice and be glad in it -- for it was on that day that we passed from death to life -- from sinners to the saved
-- this verse bridges the gap between the message of the cross and the good news of the empty tomb -- if we only had the cross, we might never know for sure that our salvation was secure -- we might never know for sure that the gate had been opened to us -- but because of the empty tomb -- because of the presence of the risen Lord -- we can rejoice in the good news of Christ
1 Peter 1: 8-9 says, "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

-- the rest of this passage expresses the joy of the Psalmist at the salvation of the Lord -- look at verse 25

25. O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success.
26. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.
27. The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.
28. You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

-- in the Old Testament, the Israelites celebrated God's great deeds through worship -- there was lots of noise -- lots of singing -- and lots of dancing -- their hearts overflowed with joy and happiness at what God had done for them, and this naturally flowed into heart-felt worship
-- in verse 27, the Psalmist invites us to join in the festivities -- to enter into the presence of the Lord God Almighty through the gate of righteousness -- and to express our joy and happiness at what He has done for us
-- for too long, the church has been parked in front of an empty cross on Good Friday -- it is time for us to visit the empty tomb -- to experience the miracle of the resurrection -- to experience the presence of the risen Lord -- and to rejoice in the promise of salvation and eternal life through Christ
-- will you join me today in putting aside the gloom of Good Friday and reflecting the joy of Easter?
-- let us pray

THOUGHTS ON GOOD FRIDAY

John 19:29-30 "A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips.
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

Have you ever noticed how it is the simple words, the few words, that seem to be the most important in your life? Simple words spoken out loud that cause changes in who you are and what you will do with the rest of your life?

Simple words such as: "I love you." "Will you marry me?" "I'm pregnant." "He passed away." "The tests were negative." "It's cancer." "You're fired." "He's going to make it." Simple words,simple messages, but messages that always change our lives in one way or the other.

There is power in these simple words,these simple messages, and we have all experienced this power that comes from the spoken word in our own personal lives. But out of all the millions of words that have ever been spoken, none have ever carried as much power, as much meaning, as these final words of Christ from the cross of Calvary. "It is finished! It is finished!" As Oswald Chambers said, this was "the greatest note of triumph ever sounded in the ears of a startled universe."

Three little words, one little sentence, but they comprised a message that reverberated through eternity, that shook the very gates of Hell, and that continue to touch lives today. Three little words that summed up the life of a sinless Savior. Three little words that summed up the greatest event in the course of human history. Three little words that literally meant the difference between heaven and hell for the human race.

What exactly was Christ saying when He uttered these words from the cross? In the Greek, this term literally means "it is accomplished" or "It has been paid in full" or "It has been fulfilled." Jesus had come to earth to share in our humanity. He had ministered to us through His miracles and His teachings. He had suffered for our sins as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane and as He was nailed to the cross. And now He announced the final victory from what should have been the instrument of His defeat.

With the finality of those three little words from the cross, Christ proclaimed the fulfillment of the law and all the prophecies of the Old Testament. He proclaimed the end of the need for animal sacrifice for the temporary forgiveness of sin. He proclaimed that the demands of justice for sin had been satisfied. And He proclaimed the end of sin and death in the life of man.

As those words left the lips of Christ and went forth to the ends of the earth, as He died on the cross as the perfect atonement for our sins, Jesus proclaimed the end of the curse and the dawning of a new age and a new life with Him.

With those three little words, "It is finished," Christ proclaimed that all those things that had held us in bondage -- the sin and the death that had made us slaves -- were forever defeated by Him through His death and resurrection. It was over! It was accomplished! Our debt had been paid in full!

But yet, we continue to live our lives as if we could improve on what Christ has done. Can you improve on a masterpiece? Imagine that you are walking through the Louvre in Paris. As you approach the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, would you think about taking a palette and brushes and touching up his work? Maybe put some more color on her cheeks? Perhaps change her nose a little?

"That's ridulous!" you say. For nearly 500 years, the Mona Lisa has been considered one of the greatest artistic works of all time. How absurd to think we could add anything to this masterpiece!

Yet that's what many people try to do with Christ's masterpiece of salvation. They think they must improve on it with some work on their own. But that masterpiece was completed when Jesus proclaimed from the cross, "It is finished"

When Jesus spoke those words, He meant what He said. The price for our sins had been paid. There was nothing else left to do. There was nothing else left to add, except to repent of our sins and accept God's gift of eternal life and forgiveness of sins through the death of Christ on the cross.

When Jesus spoke those words, He completed the masterpiece. All we can do is admire His work and receive God's gift of salvation as our own on this day when we remember the death of our Lord and Savior.

"Christ's work for my salvation is complete
No work of mine can add to what He's done
I bow to worship at the Master's feet
And honor God the Father's only Son" (Hess)

Amen!

FILING SERMONS AND ILLUSTRATIONS?

In an attempt to control a chaotic life and quit losing things on a regular basis, I am in the process of trying to organize and file. I've got a label maker, and I'm not scared to use it. My wife is walking around worried that once I get my bookshelf labeled, I'm going to start on the doors, walls, etc. In my mind, it never hurts to have something labeled!

I have already organized some of my books, my CDs, and my DVDs. Now, I'm starting on the big stuff -- trying to get my electronic files in some order where I can look up sermons, illustrations, quotes, or references and easily put my hands on them.

I downloaded "Sermon Library" software for this purpose (shareware available at PCMag.com), but it isn't the total answer. It does pretty good on filing sermons, but it doesn't do so well at filing illustrations or quotes.

Does anybody have any suggestions on how I can file illustrations and quotes in electronic format in a searchable format, either using standard software that comes with most computers or other free or relatively inexpensive software? How do you file your references and illustrations?

MORE WINDS OF CHANGE?

After reading the following from the Pastor's Weekly Briefing from Focus on the Family, I began to wonder if we are starting to see the winds of change blowing through our churches now. Are we in the beginning stages of a major revival in our land? For years now, I have felt that revival was roaring through our youth, as evidenced through the proliferation of praise and worship and contemporary music on popular radio and t.v. and the increased spirituality of our youth. Are we beginning to see the fruits of this outpouring of the Spirit in our churches now, as the youth have become young adults and started filling the pews in our traditional services?

From Focus on the Family's Pastor's Weekly Briefing:

"The most prolific jump in activity relates to Bible reading. Bible readership plummeted to a 20-year low of just 30 percent in 1995. But after several years of stalled growth, it has now hit a high of 47 percent of adults reading the Book during a typical week, other than when they are at church. This is the highest readership level achieved since the 1980s.

"Church attendance has increased slowly in recent years. While we have not returned to the 49 percent of adults who attended in a typical week as recorded in 1991, there has been a significant rebound from the 37 percent recorded in 1996, climbing to 47 percent in 2006.

"Involvement in small groups that meet for Bible study, prayer or personal relationships — other than Sunday school or Christian education classes — has reached a new high in 2006. Currently, nearly one out of every four adults (23%) is engaged in such a gathering during a typical week. A decade ago, one out of every six adults (17%) did so.

"Church volunteerism has returned to its 1991 level of 27 percent. Volunteering at a church has been one of the more stable measures during the past 15 years, ranging from a low of 20 percent to the current high.

"Adult Sunday school attendance has risen in recent years from 17 percent (recorded in 1995 and 1996) to 24 percent in this year's tracking survey.

"The only two religious behaviors which did not reflect significant change were prayer — slightly more than four out of five adults claimed they had prayed in the past week — and evangelism — with six out of ten Christians claiming to have shared their beliefs about Jesus with someone whom they knew believed differently."

These are exciting changes that Barna recorded and the Focus on the Family reported in this newsletter. Maybe we are in the beginning stages of a sweeping national revival?

WHO YOU LISTENING TO?

My mother-in-law has an African Gray parrot named Paco that has learned to imitate human voices perfectly. It can imitate my father-in-law's voice to such a great extent that you would swear he was talking to you.

One day she was sitting in the house with her dog Laia at her feet. All of a sudden, she heard her husband call the dog. "Laia, come." Laia jumped up and ran -- straight to the bird cage! It wasn't her husband, it was Paco! When Laia got near the bird cage, Paco said, "Laia, sit," and Laia sat perfectly. Everytime Laia got up and started to walk away, Paco would yell, "Laia, come. Laia, sit." Paco literally drove Laia crazy by doing this day after day after day.

Things like this can happen in our life, too. While we should be listening for and following the small still voice of God, a lot of times we get distracted by voices that sound a lot like Him but are false. They lead us astray and keep us from listening to our true Master.

We need to learn what the voice of God sounds like by staying close to Him in prayer and through the other spiritual disciplines. That way, we won't be fooled when the voices of the world call us, no matter how attractive they might sound.

THE WINDS OF CHANGE?

I guess it should have been a warning when the results of my psychological examination for acceptance into the UMC pastorate pegged me as a "rebel." When I heard that, I laughed wholeheartedly, because, as anyone who knows me can testify, I am generally pretty laid-back and submit to the authorities that God has placed above us.

But, for some reason, a very rebellious streak has risen in me lately. For the past two weeks, I have been called on the carpet in my secular job several times for bucking the system and going "outside the chain-of-command." It revolved around a couple of issues that I felt strongly about and where I felt the senior leadership had failed to live up to their requirements. I forced the issue and got taken to task for it.

Then, I found myself led to preach a sermon on the issue of illegal immigrants in the country and what the Christian response should be. Once again, I found myself standing up against popular opinion and against what our leadership (at least in the Congressional House of Representatives) felt was the right course of action.

I'm not sure what is causing this or where this is leading. For the past few months, I have felt a passion for defending the cause of the oppressed and for standing up against injustice and unrighteousness where I see it displayed. I mentioned to my wife on a couple of occasions that if my life situation was different, I could see myself serving in Iraq because I felt strongly in favor of supporting the freedoms that were being established over there. I was reading the Voice of the Martyr's magazine last night, and I felt that stirring again as I read of how persecuted Christians were standing up against injustice and for the cause of Christ in their lands, despite the fact that Christianity was not legal in their countries. I wanted to do more than just read about it. I wanted to help. I wanted to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my brothers and sisters and defend their cause.

On the way home today I was listening to Adventures in Odyssey, the kid's radio show put out by Focus on the Family (OK, I have to confess, I am addicted to this kid's show and listen to it daily). This episode was about the start of the revolution in America and about the true role of Paul Revere in the conflict. As I listened to the story I became caught up in it. I wanted to be Paul Revere, in the sense that I wanted to stand up for something that was right and that was bigger than myself. I wanted to be the one who stood on the front lines, doing whatever was necessary to fight against injustice and oppression. It struck me as I listened to this story that the men and women in that day did just that. Even though it was illegal to stand up against the King of England, they did it, because it was the right thing to do.

So, where is all of this headed? I simply don't know. I feel like we are on the cusp of a mighty change in this country and in this world. What that change will be and the course it will place us on, I don't know. I just pray that God gives me the wisdom to discern His will in the days to come and that I will be strong enough to stand in the face of injustice and oppression if that is what I am being called to do.

SERMON: ALIENS AMONG US

Preached by Gregory W. Lee
2 April 2006

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Mt 25:31-40

31. "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
32. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34. "Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
35. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37. "Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38. When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
39. When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40. "The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

A. The Meaning of the Cross
-- we just finished up our short-term Disciple Bible study -- An Invitation to the New Testament -- and the authors put forth a profound statement in the last lesson concerning the cross of Jesus
-- when we look at the cross of Jesus -- when we think about the cross of Jesus -- we see redemption -- we think of the forgiveness of our sins -- of our God dying on the cross for us -- paying the penalty for our sins and fulfilling the law through His death -- we think of atonement and victory over sin and death -- in other words, when we look at the cross, we think of the spiritual meaning -- the theological meaning -- for why Christ had to die
-- but, while we look at the cross from a theological perspective, the truth is that on that Friday that Christ died -- no one -- not a single human in Jerusalem outside of Christ Himself -- fully understood that purpose -- no one knew why Jesus was really dying
-- in their eyes, Jesus was put on the cross for sociopolitical reasons -- He was dying because He was a threat to the religious establishment -- because His teachings threatened the traditional meaning of the law -- and because He was a potential revolutionary whose very presence could lead to increased Roman persecution
-- true, the High Priest and the Sanhedrin trumped up a charge of blasphemy on which to condemn Him, but that is not the real reason they wanted Him dead -- they feared His message and His influence and the potential for political and social upheaval if the people followed Him
-- so, in a very real sense, Jesus suffered and died because of His stand for justice and righteousness and mercy and grace in a world dominated by law and tradition at the sake of all else

-- this was the hallmark of Jesus' message to the religious establishment of His day -- when confronted by the legalism of the Pharisees and Saduccees, He responded with teachings that underscored the real reason for the law -- a relationship with God and compassion and mercy to others
-- for instance, in John 8, when the adulterous woman was brought before Jesus' feet and the crowd demanded a response from Jesus, He did not respond as they anticipated -- the law said the woman should be stoned -- but Jesus' responded with mercy and grace and forgiveness over and above what the law called for
-- Jesus' ministry on earth was characterized by His reaching out to the poor and the oppressed of His day -- He ministered to those the church forgot -- the poor -- the sick -- the lepers -- the tax collectors and prostitutes and other social outcasts -- and that ministry ended up costing Him His life on the cross

-- Jesus' ministry reflected God's call in scripture to take care of the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the aliens -- in James 1:27, James tells us that "religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
-- Deut 10:17-19 says, "For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. -- He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. -- And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt."

-- according to Jesus' teaching -- according to His life and death -- true faith in God is demonstrated when we show God's love by taking care of the poor and oppressed in His name
-- in other words, as Christians, we are not only called to believe in Him for salvation and to tell others about Him, but we are to demonstrate our love for Him through our good works done for others in His name -- taking care of the poor and oppressed -- of the hungry and the thirsty and those without clothes -- those who are sick or strangers or who are in prison -- regardless of the cost -- regardless of the price that we might have to pay
-- this is what Jesus was talking about when He told us in Matthew 16:24 to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him -- He meant for us to imitate Him -- to take a stand against injustice and oppression and to reach out and minister to those who were being oppressed around us -- even if it would lead to suffering -- even if it led to death itself

B. Reward for Doing Good
-- this passage in Matthew 25 underscores God's call to do just that -- to take care of the poor and the oppressed
-- this passage comes at the end of a lengthy teaching by Jesus about the coming of the kingdom of heaven -- one day Jesus was asked by His disciples when the kingdom would come and what signs would precede the coming of the kingdom -- Jesus responded by telling them that the day and hour were unknown, but that they should be prepared for His coming at any time
-- He then told them the parable of the wicked servant, who wasn't ready when his master returned, and the parable of the ten virgins -- five of whom were ready when the bridegroom came and five who didn't have oil in their lamps and were left out because they weren't ready -- through these parables Jesus was trying to encourage them to be alert and to be watchful and to expect the coming of the Lord at any time
-- then to make sure they knew what they were supposed to be doing while they were waiting for the coming kingdom, Jesus told them the parable of the talents, to remind them of their calling and mission while they were waiting -- in this parable, He taught us that we are called to take what God has given us and share it with others -- to multiply the kingdom of God through our actions and through our faithful ministry to others
-- finally, Jesus ends His teaching on the coming kingdom by telling this story of the final judgement -- a time when the kingdom will come and when He will return and separate out the sheep from the goats -- the believers from the unbelievers

-- in this story, we read of the rewards that await those who have believed in the name of Christ and who have denied themselves, taken up their cross, and followed Him by ministering to those in need around them
-- look again at verse 34

34. "Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
35. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37. "Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38. When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
39. When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40. "The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

-- so we see in this passage, we see again the call to reach out to the poor and the oppressed among us -- especially to those who are hungry and thirsty -- who are strangers -- who are in need of clothing -- who are sick -- and who are in prison
-- and Jesus tells us that whatever we do for the least of these brothers of His, then we did it for Him

II. Aliens Among Us
-- now I bring all this up for a reason -- we are being faced with a situation in our country that is demanding a biblical response from the church -- a situation that is requiring us to deny ourselves, to pick up our cross, and to follow Christ in ministering to the poor and oppressed regardless of the consequences
-- as I'm sure most of you know, our country is embroiled right now in a controversy over immigration rights -- it started back in December, when the House of Representatives in Congress passed the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act
-- this bill tried to address the problem of illegal immigration in this country, but in doing so, expanded the definition of smuggling so broadly that anyone who aids undocumented immigrants -- even in providing basis services -- such as giving someone in need food and water and clothing and medicine -- things that Christ clearly commanded us to do in this passage -- could be legally prosecuted
-- in verse 35, when Christ said that He was a stranger and we invited Him in -- the word "stranger" there is the Greek word "xenos" -- it literally means a foreigner -- an alien -- an immigrant

-- now, tying everything together that we've talked about this morning -- based on my study of various Bible passages and lots and lots of reading this week -- I have come to the conclusion that God is calling for His church to take a stand on this issue -- to minister to the immigrants in our midst -- to show them God's love by sharing with them the message of the cross, both the message of salvation and the message of sharing with those in need -- regardless of the cost
-- in Leviticus 19:33-34, we read, "When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. -- The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God." -- granted, this was a command to the Israelites, but I think this principle is reflected in the life and ministry of Jesus and is clearly dictated to us in this passage from Matthew 25
-- God's command seems clear to me -- we are called to minister to poor and the oppressed -- the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the needy, those in prison, and also the immigrants -- the aliens in our land -- even if doing so is in conflict with man's law

-- so, in light of the bills currently before our Congress and before our lawmakers in this state -- and the massive protests that we saw in all the major cities in our country -- including Atlanta -- this week -- the church should be asking itself two questions:
1) What should we do about the immigrants in our lands?
2) What are our responsibilities as Christians?

-- I spent some time this week researching these and other questions this week, and I want to close by sharing with you my thoughts on this issue, based on my study of the Bible and reading commentaries and thoughts from both sides on this issue:

1. What do we do about the illegal immigrants?
-- passing a law that declares illegal aliens to be whole-sale felons and unable to receive aid from American citizens is unAmerican and unChristian -- as the church, we need to take a stand and petition our lawmakers to defeat bills that are unjust
-- we need to recognize that these people are individuals -- with individual stories and life histories and reasons for immigration that may include political, religious, and economic asylum -- to simply export such people as criminals would be tatamount to sending them to their deaths
-- we need to develop a way to identify those illegals who wish to become American citizens and create a way for them to become citizens
-- those who are identified as criminals in their country of origin or who are criminals because they broke a law of our land should be tried in a court of law and extradited back to their country
-- those who don't want to become American citizens but who wish to work here for a limited time should be given the opportunity to do so through a guest worker program for a limited number of years -- then, once their time is up, they should be given the option of becoming a citizen or going back to their country
-- bottom-line: in the midst of the immigration crisis, the Christian response should be to offer hospitality to these foreigners, aliens, and strangers first and foremost -- this means that we should treat them as Christ called us to treat them -- treat them with love and mercy and grace -- we have a responsibility as Christians to care for them

2. Does this mean that we should not try to assimilate them into our culture?
-- no, America has always been a country welcoming to those from other places -- our American culture is distinct and should be maintained as such -- we include as part of our culture facets from those who melted into us
-- when I was a kid, the key term we learned in social studies was that America was a melting pot -- I always envisioned this as a soup -- you put into the pot all these different ingredients and they form a single dish -- a single country -- but, somewhere along the way, we quit melting and started dividing into parts -- rather than becoming a soup comprised of many parts, we became a pizza -- with individual parts that could be separated out by themselves
-- I feel that those coming to this country should conform to us to the maximum extent possible, including accepting the predominant language, culture, and religion -- does that mean that we don't have freedom of religion here? -- no, it doesn't -- but it does mean they should respect our religion and we should have the right to try to convert them to our religion as well

3. What about the borders?
-- I have no problem with us trying to make the borders more solid -- especially given the age of terrorism that we currently live in -- but, we do need to make an effort to allow legal immigration because our country has been built on the principle of being a haven of freedom and opportunity for the oppressed from other lands -- do you remember what the last line on the plaque at the bottom of the Statue of Liberty says?
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!!

4. What about immigration laws?
-- as Christians, we should fight for fairness in all laws that are passed and not allow laws to unfairly punish certain groups of people for political gain
-- we should evaluate them in light of our Christian responsibility and petition our lawmakers to craft bills that are fair and just to all

5. Should the taxpayers be responsible for taking care of the needs of illegal immigrants?
-- no, this is the responsibility of the church -- just because the church has abdicated its call to take care of the poor and the widows and the orphans and the aliens to the Government does not mean that we can't -- and shouldn't -- take that roll back
-- if all the born-again Christians -- not everyone who calls themselves a Christian but those who profess a belief that they have been born-again -- if only that percentage of Christians was to tithe, we would eliminate the need for social security, medicare, medicaid, welfare, and all the other social programs of the Government and still have more money in our coffers than ever before
-- but, we all know this isn't going to happen, don't we? -- so, what is the impact to taxpayers from illegal immigrants? -- would it surprise you to find out that illegal immigrants aren't clogging up the social-services system? -- Forbes Magazine notes that only 5% of illegal aliens receive food stamps or unemployment assistance and only 10% send their kids to public schools

6. What do we do when God's law conflicts with man's law?
-- at the end of it all, we must remember that, ultimately, we are not citizens of this world or any nation of this world -- we are, ourselves, strangers and aliens in a foreign land -- ambassadors of reconciliation for our King put into this place to speak on His behalf -- our first and foremost loyalty should be to the Kingdom of Heaven above that of any kingdom on earth
-- when man's law conflicts with God's law, then we must make a stand for justice and righteousness by doing what God commands and not what the law demands -- in John 8, when the law demanded death for the woman caught in adultery, Christ asked for mercy and grace and the woman was ultimately freed, despite what the law demanded

III. Closing
-- I know I've gone long, but let me close with this one story -- let me put a face on this issue of illegal immigration
-- when Kim and I were at Morven, there was a family in our church comprised of illegal aliens -- they had come to this country to find a better life -- to give their kids a better life -- they worked hard at low-paying jobs to take care of their three kids -- they were not on welfare -- they did not use food stamps -- they were not on unemployment
-- they did enroll their kids in school to make sure they had an education -- and, even though the parents could barely speak or understand English, they brought those three boys to church every single Sunday so they could learn about Jesus -- their kids were in our youth program -- their kids were in our Vacation Bible School -- their family was a vital part of our church
-- the church helped out as best it could -- giving them food and helping them from time to time with money when they needed it -- doing whatever we could to show them the love of Jesus in a real and tangible way
-- we didn't worry whether what we were doing was legal or not -- we did it because Christ commanded it -- we did it because we loved them
-- and because of that, this entire family of illegal aliens are now believers in Christ
-- based on our experiences in Morven, it's easy to think about illegal immigrants as a generic, faceless mass of people -- but it means something else to look in the eyes of an 8-year old boy and tell him that he's a criminal because his parents brought him to this country to give him a better life

-- I don't know where you stand on this issue of immigration -- but I do know two things --
1) God calls us to reach out to the poor and the oppressed and the alien among us and to minister to them in His name; and,
2) when we get to Heaven and stand before the throne of Christ, He is going to ask us how we did

-- the answer to that question is up to you
-- let us pray