Imagine: June 2020

Sunday, June 28, 2020

SERMON: UNBROKEN

I. Introduction

-- turn in Bibles to 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

2 Corinthians 4:7-18 New International Version (NIV)

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

-- in 2010, Laura Hillenbrand released a non-fiction book called “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption” -- the true story of Army officer Louie Zamperini, who survived a harrowing experience in World War II and who went on to become an evangelist after his conversion at a Billy Graham crusade in California

-- Zamperini had lived a hard life -- constantly in trouble with the law -- constantly doing things he shouldn’t -- his brother saw the path he was on and saw how fast he could run, so he got him involved in long distance running -- the running and the training taught Zamperini discipline, and helped curb his wayward behavior -- he changed direction in life and focused on making himself better -- going on to compete in the 1936 Olympics as part of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team -- and enrolling in college, where he continued to run track

-- not long after Zamperini graduated from college, World War II broke out -- and Zamperini enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a Lieutenant, serving as a bombardier on a B-24 bomber -- on one mission, Zamperini’s plane had mechanical problems and crashed in the Pacific Ocean -- only he and two other crew members survived -- they bailed out of the plane in inflatable rafts, and managed to survive for 47 days with little food or water before being captured by the Japanese and being sent to a series of prisoner of war camps in Japan

-- Zamperini was subjected to constant harsh labor, punishment, and torture at the camps -- when he refused to broadcast anti-American propaganda over the radio, the guards would beat him and torture him -- they were constantly hurting the prisoners and abusing them physically and mentally in an attempt to break their will -- to cause them to surrender hope -- to make them just give up

-- on one occasion, the men were loading coal into barges, and Zamperini paused during his work -- the guard, who had singled out Zamperini for punishment time and time again, ordered Zamperini to lift a heavy beam onto his shoulders -- he told the other guards to shoot Zamperini on the spot if he dropped it -- as the other prisoners watched, Zamperini managed to put the heavy beam on his shoulders and stand there, swaying in exhaustion -- and then, Zamperini did the impossible -- as tired as he was -- as physically exhausted as he was -- he lifted the beam and stood there with it lifted above his head until the sun set and the guards told him to go back to the barracks -- Zamperini remained unbroken despite all the Japanese had done to him

-- stories like this resonate with us -- we are drawn to them -- because they are examples to us of courage, strength, perseverance, and hope in the midst of difficulties -- they teach us how to be strong and courageous in our own lives when we face trials and tribulations -- and their examples inspire us to keep on keeping on even when all we want to do is quit and give up

-- 2020 has been one of those years that has worn on a lot of people -- it has been an unprecedented time in history -- characterized by trials and tribulations that seemingly just won’t end

-- we began the year with the threat of war between the U.S. and Iran -- with the impeachment of Donald Trump -- and the largest locust invasion in over 70 years, impacting Africa, the Middle East, and Asia -- we saw volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, and avalanches across the globe -- we watched as wildfires in Australia and in South America destroyed vast swaths of forested land and homes and towns -- and all of this was before the global coronavirus pandemic exploded onto the scene -- not to mention the riots and the lootings that began here over the death of George Floyd and that have swept across the globe into other countries

-- and we’re only half-way through this year -- what more can happen? -- how much more can we take? -- how can we keep going on?

-- we find the answers to those questions right here in God’s Word -- in the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us how we can remain unbroken in a world that feels very much out of control

II. Scripture Lesson (2 Corinthians 4:7-18)

-- if you would, look back with me at 2 Corinthians 4, starting with verse 7 and let’s see what God inspired Paul to write about situations such as these

-- verse 7-12

-- Paul begins this section of his letter to the Corinthians by reminding them of the treasure they hold in their hearts -- the all-surpassing power they possess that comes from God and not themselves

-- this treasure Paul writes about is the power of the gospel -- God’s grace and mercy made manifest in our lives through Jesus Christ -- it is the message of salvation -- of justification -- and of sanctification -- it is God working in us and through us to make us holy as He is holy -- to forgive us of our sins -- and to lead us into lives of righteousness and power through His grace -- it is the power of God to help us live Kingdom lives here in this world now

-- Paul is trying to remind the Corinthians that they have within themselves the very presence and power of the living God -- that although they walk in this world, they are not part of this world -- they are part of the Kingdom of God -- and they are empowered to live above the world and above the troubles of this world through the grace of God within

-- that is what he means when he talks about the treasure being in jars of clay -- he’s referring to our bodies -- he says the treasure is within us -- it’s held within these jars made of brittle clay that could easily break in times of trials and tribulations, were it not for the treasure hidden inside

-- Paul’s point was that we can’t depend on ourselves or on other people or on the Government when times get bad -- we have to trust and believe in the treasure of God within us if we are to stand firm in these times we are now facing

-- Paul knew what he was talking about -- he’s not just a preacher telling a story he read in a book or relating a theological principle he learned in seminary -- no, Paul knew what he was talking about because he had experienced trouble in his life -- he knew trials and tribulations intimately

-- in Chapter 11, beginning at verse 25, Paul tells us of all the trials that he had gone through since beginning his Christian ministry -- everything from being beaten with whips and rods to being stoned and left for dead -- about being shipwrecked and spending a night in the open ocean -- about going through his journeys hungry and thirsty and cold -- about how he had been in danger from Jews and Gentiles alike -- in danger from thieves and from false brothers

-- Paul wasn’t telling us all this to brag -- he was telling us this so that we could trust his word -- because he knew what troubles looked like -- because he had experienced them many times in his life -- and would continue to experience them, even after he put pen to paper here for the Corinthians -- going to prison and eventually being executed by the Emperor Nero -- we could believe him when he told us the secret to withstanding these trials in our own lives

-- Paul was able to survive and strive through the storms of life -- not through his own strength or character -- but solely through the treasure of God’s presence in his life

-- that’s why Paul can write here in verses 8 and 9 that he was hard pressed, but not crushed -- perplexed, but not in despair -- persecuted, but not abandoned -- struck down, but not destroyed -- nothing phased Paul -- Paul was unbreakable because he stood with God and in God’s power

-- that is the only way we can survive when trials and tribulations come our way -- we must live by faith, because it is only by faith and trusting in God’s treasure within us that we stand -- as Victor Frankl wrote, “A weak faith is weakened by predicaments and catastrophes whereas a strong faith is strengthened by them”

-- on Friday, I gave a tour of the base to some biologists from the state of Georgia -- as we were riding around, I carried them by a forest stand that was very sparse -- it only had a handful of trees left in it -- and you could tell they were confused as to why the forest was in such bad shape

-- so, I told them we had just completed a timber thin, removing about half of the trees in the stand so that the remaining trees would grow bigger -- when Tropical Storm Irma came through with devastating wind and rain -- the soil became saturated and when the winds hit, about 75% of the remaining trees toppled over, unable to stand in the storm it faced

-- trees stand because of what you don’t see -- they need a strong root system that goes deep to hold them up -- and the problem with the trees that were left after our timber harvest was that they had never faced any storms before -- they had lived sheltered lives, protected by the trees around them -- and, so, their roots had not grown deep

-- and when Irma hit them with all her force, they were unable to stand against the wind and the rain and they toppled over

-- storms and trials and tribulations like we are experiencing this year are necessary in the life of a Christian -- they build our faith and strengthen our roots -- trials and troubles force us to rely on the treasure of God’s presence hidden in our mortal frame -- and as we experience these trials and storms of life, we grow stronger -- we learn to trust in God more and more -- our faith grows -- and our character grows -- and we learn to face trials as Paul faced them -- with courage and perseverance and strength

-- that is why God allows trials to come in our lives in the first place -- to help us learn to trust in Him in all things -- Paul calls these trials here “the death of Jesus,” alluding to the sufferings Jesus endured for us -- but just as Jesus overcame on the cross and through the resurrection into new life again, so we are made alive in Christ through faith so that we can bear up to trials when them come our way

-- verse 13-18

-- Paul writes here in verse 16, “we do not lose heart” -- we do not give up -- we do not allow ourselves to be broken by the things of this world

-- yes, we might be wasting away on the outside -- we might be buffeted by winds and rain and the storms of life -- but we do not lose heart -- we stand firm and are being renewed daily by the presence of God within

-- we’ve been through a lot this year -- not only with because of the trials and troubles that have affected the whole world, like the global coronavirus pandemic and the riots and looting -- but all of us here have been through our own personal storms -- times of trials and troubles in our own lives or in the lives of our families and friends

-- sometimes, I look at what some people are going through and I wonder how they’re making it -- I look at what we’re facing, and I wonder if we’re going to survive

-- but then I remember the words of Paul when he reminds us that these trials and troubles -- as great as they seem to us in the moment -- are just light and momentary troubles that are working in us and through us to achieve for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all

-- we have to remember that although we are jars of clay -- fragile and perishable items -- living in mortal bodies that are wasting away outwardly, especially more so as we grow older -- we have within us a treasure that is eternal and all powerful that gives us strength and courage and hope in times of trial

-- we have this all-surpassing power within us that not only gives us the power to stand in the storm, but to grow and to become stronger and to become servants of the living God, reaching out to others to tell them of God’s love and mercy and grace and showing them with our lives what it means to live for God daily

-- our actions are the voice of our beliefs -- what we do in times of trials and tribulations -- as Christians and as the church of Christ -- tells this world what we truly believe about God

-- do we believe that God is all-powerful and can do all things through us? -- do we trust in faith in the midst of the storm or only when the sun is shining?

-- Paul says to fix our eyes not on what we see, but what is unseen -- to look past the clouds and the rain and the wind of the storms of life and to see the sun that shines on the other side -- to see and know eternity in our hearts

-- he reminds us that what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal -- and it is there we find our life and our hope and our way

III. Closing

-- listening to the people around me, I hear the voice of failure creeping in -- everyone is getting tired of the storm -- it has just been blowing and blowing and blowing all year, never letting up -- the trials and the tribulations just keep coming

-- for a time, I think we were standing in our own strength -- depending on our own ability to stand in the face of adversity -- but now, as time has gone on -- as the storm and the trials continue -- the jars of clay are cracking -- people are losing strength and courage and hope

-- people are tired -- and they’re ready to quit -- that’s really what’s going on with all the complaints about wearing masks or social distancing or any of the other recommendations the Government is putting out -- people are tired of it and just want it to go away -- if they put their head in the sand, then they can pretend the danger is not there and just go on with their lives as if nothing is happening

-- but God calls for us to not lose heart in the midst of the storms, whether they are global pandemics or the personal storms we all face in our lives -- He calls for us to surrender ourselves and our will and our strength so that we might know His all-surpassing power that is the treasure within us

-- if we will stand firm in our faith and put our trust in Him, we can weather any storm that might come our way -- and, in doing so, we will serve as a beacon of hope -- a lighthouse of faith in a dark and stormy world

-- I have been praying for God to lift His hand from us -- to take away the plague -- to take away the riots and the racism and the discord in our world -- to give us a break from the natural disasters that we have been facing -- but I read a quote by Philip Brooks that showed me I was praying for the wrong thing

-- Philip Brooks wrote that we should not pray for easy lives, but that we should pray to be stronger people -- that we should not pray for tasks that are equal to our strength, but for power equal to our tasks -- that by learning to trust in the treasure in these jars of clay we would become miracles of God’s presence in a world that yearns for hope

-- so, as we close in prayer today, let’s pray that God would use this storm of 2020 to make us better people -- stronger people -- more faithful people -- people who know Him and trust in Him in all things -- people who look past our light and momentary troubles to the eternity that awaits and who share the good news of God’s treasure with all those around us

-- let us pray

Sunday, June 21, 2020

SERMON: EXPERIENCING GOD: FEEL (When God Moves Your Heart)

I. Introduction

-- this morning we are going to open with one verse -- John 11:35

John 11:35 New International Version (NIV)

35 Jesus wept.

-- I imagine everyone listening this morning has heard that verse before and knows it -- some may just know it as the shortest verse in the Bible -- just two words -- “Jesus wept”

-- others may know it in context -- they may hear it and remember that this verse appears in the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead

-- Jesus’ friend Lazarus -- the brother of Martha and Mary -- was sick -- so they sent word to Him, hoping that He would come and heal their brother, just as He had healed so many others in their presence

-- but Jesus delayed His return and Lazarus died -- when Jesus arrived in Bethany, He found that Lazarus had already been in the grave for four days -- Martha went out to meet Him, questioning through her tears why Jesus had not come -- in verse 21 she says, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died” -- her pain and grief are evident and deeply felt, although she still believes in Jesus as the Messiah, trusting that all will be made well in the end

-- Mary, the younger sister, went out to see Jesus and repeated the same words of pain that Martha had said, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died” -- in response, we read that Jesus was deeply moved in spirit and troubled and asked where Lazarus had been laid -- it is when they told Jesus to come and see the place where Lazarus lay that we find verse 35 -- “Jesus wept”

-- of course, the story doesn’t end there -- Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb and told the Jews to take away the stone -- after some argument, they did -- not understanding why Jesus asked for them to do so -- but, after praying out loud to the Father, Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth” -- and the dead man came out -- alive once more

-- this morning, we are continuing in our sermon series on experiencing God -- looking at the many ways God reaches out to us and touches us in our daily lives -- so far, we have looked at See -- when God shows us His presence or leads us to see others in need -- Hear -- when God speaks to us even through the noise of the world -- and Touch -- when God places His Hand on us or leads us to help someone physically by touching their lives in a special way

-- this morning, we are looking at Feel -- at how God moves our heart through our emotions -- which leads us back to John 11:35, “Jesus wept”

-- the shortest verse in the Bible -- just two words -- easily memorized -- but not so easily understood -- for those two words mean so much -- there is so much wrapped up in them -- there is so much they tell us -- they speak of who Jesus was -- of who Jesus is -- and about why He was sent to us in the first place -- of what His coming was meant to show us about who we are

II. The Emotions of Christ

-- on the altar in a lot of our churches, there are two candles that are kept burning -- have you ever wondered why? -- why two? -- why not just one? -- is it just for the symmetry? -- for the feng shui? -- for the balance -- for the look?

-- no, the two candles are placed there deliberately -- they symbolize the two natures of Jesus as the light of the world -- fully God and fully man

-- one candle represents His divine nature -- His deity -- that He is God -- the other candle represents Jesus’ human nature -- the heart of the incarnation -- that He was one of us

-- and it is these two natures that come together in the words, “Jesus wept” -- showing us the heart of God and the heart of man, expressed with deep emotion and feeling

-- so, what are emotions? -- according to the dictionary, emotions are strong feelings that derive from your circumstances, your mood, and your relationship with others -- they are part of who you are -- they combine with your intellect, your personality, your soul, and your spirit to make up the complete person

-- you can think of emotions as our response to ourselves and the world around us -- scientists say that there are five to eight basic emotions that all humans share -- Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, Anger, Trust, Surprise, and Anticipation -- but there can be many more, depending on how you react and respond to the world around you

-- now, some in the church don’t like to discuss emotions -- they don’t feel that emotions have a place within religion because our emotions can be affected by external and internal stimuli -- in other words, our emotions change based on how we’re feeling inside or what is going on around us -- and because our emotions will sometimes cause us to act in negative and unhealthy ways

-- for that reason, they argue, emotions should be suppressed -- our faith and our responses should only be based on the truth of God’s word -- on what is written in black and white -- you faith can’t be based on feelings, they say -- your faith can’t be based on your emotions -- and, in that regard, they’re right -- but the answer shouldn’t be to wall our emotions away from our faith and spirituality

-- as John 11:35 shows us, our God is a God who has strong emotions and who has given those emotions to us -- the Bible is full of examples of our God as an emotional God

-- Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus and He wept at the sight of Jerusalem

-- John 3:16 -- “for God so loved the world that He sent His only Son…”

-- Matthew 9:36 -- “Jesus had compassion on the crowds…”

-- Genesis 6:6 -- “The Lord was grieved that He had made man…”

-- Isaiah 62:5 -- “…so will your God rejoice over you”

-- we read of God’s love and joy -- of His anger and wrath -- of His compassion and grief -- of sadness and happiness and jealousy

-- our God is a God of emotions -- and this tells us that the emotions that we feel in our lives are God-given -- because we were made in His image, we experience emotions and deep feelings in our lives, just as He does

-- so, emotions should not be suppressed because they are a part of who we are -- of who God made us to be

-- but I will agree that our emotions should be approached with caution -- because we live in a fallen world influenced by our enemy -- and because we are afflicted with self -- with a sin-nature -- we find that our emotions can be good or they can be bad -- they can be right or wrong

-- our goal is to recognize and live out true emotions in our lives as God leads us -- not suppressing them -- not pushing them away like the stoics -- but learning to live and to relate to God and others through our emotions and our passions that God gave us -- there’s nothing wrong with being emotional, provided our emotions are proper and our responses to those emotions God-led

III. Why Did God Give us Emotions?

-- so, why did God give us emotions? -- what is the purpose for our feelings?

-- God moves us through our emotions -- our emotions move our hearts to respond to others and to things going on in the world -- in other words, emotions lead to action

-- speaking of John 11:35, Pope Leo the Great said, "In His humanity Jesus wept for Lazarus; in His divinity he raised him from the dead." -- in other words, Jesus’ emotion -- His sadness at the death of Lazarus -- led Him to act and to raise Lazarus from the dead

-- emotions can be the catalyst God uses to inspire us to move and do something for Him

-- let me give you an example of what I’m talking about

-- right now, many in our country are focused on the Ahmaud Arbery shooting that occurred in Brunswick a few months back -- as I’m sure you know by now, Arbery, a young African-American man, was jogging through a subdivision in Brunswick when he was confronted by two residents who believed he was a burglar -- the confrontation went bad -- we don’t know exactly what happened -- even with the video that has been making its rounds, it’s just not clear -- but the fact is that Arbery was shot and killed at close range by the two men

-- this act has triggered an emotional response that is sweeping across the nation -- and how you feel about the shooting depends on who you are -- your race -- your age -- where you live -- your faith -- what you believe about God

-- many in the country are angry -- hurt -- scared -- anxious -- worried -- defiant

-- but here’s the questions we should be asking -- how does God feel about this act? -- how does God want us to feel about this act? -- what does God want us to do in response?

-- this is the point where we need to turn to His word

-- emotions are like the needle on a compass -- like the voice on our GPS saying, “turn here” -- the way we are feeling about the Arbery case can point us in the direction God wants us to go, but we have to be careful that we are responding based on His word and not reacting based solely on emotions

-- we can look back through history and see many cases of where tragic accidents or events led to strong emotions and resulted in changes for the better -- of where God used our emotions to inspire us to action

-- but, on the other hand, there are just as many cases where emotional reactions to situations resulted in ungodly responses -- where emotions ran high and actions were taken that did not reflect God’s word or God’s will

-- emotions are important -- they were given by God to catch our attention -- to move our hearts -- to stir us to action -- but we can’t rely solely on emotions, since our emotions can be affected by self, the world, or even Satan

-- if we feel strongly about a situation, it could be God’s prompting to begin to respond in that direction -- however, we must always confirm what God would have us do through His word, prayer, and Godly counsel before we proceed

-- as Mark Manson wrote, “Emotions are merely signposts” -- they point the way -- but we should never react emotionally without first considering where our emotions may be leading -- our emotions should lead to a calculated response based on God’s word and commands

-- our goal is to be Spirit-led, not emotion-led -- so, how do we do that?

-- in 1 John 4:1, we read that we should not believe every spirit, but to test the spirits to see whether they are from God or not -- we should follow that same principle when it comes to our emotions -- we need to test our emotions to see if they are coming from God or are coming from self or the world

-- one way to do this is to consider the acronym THINK:

-- T -- True -- is this emotion true? -- is it how we usually feel in a situation like this? -- is it how God would feel about this situation?

-- H -- Helpful -- is this emotion helping or is it hurting the situation? -- is how I’m feeling leading me to make things better?

-- I -- Inspiring -- does this emotion inspire a Godly response?

-- N -- Necessary -- is this emotion necessary? -- is it beneficial?

-- K -- Kind -- does this emotion lead to kindness? -- does this emotion cause me to act as Jesus would act in this situation?

IV. CLOSING

-- so, let’s bring this to a close -- the take-home message for you today -- the thing I want you to know and to get out of all of this -- is that there is nothing wrong with being emotional -- our emotions -- our feelings -- are from God -- they are part of what it means to be made in His image -- just as God is emotional -- just as God feels and loves and hurts and grieves and weeps, so we are called to be emotional in our lives

-- God uses our emotions to get our attention -- to point us in the direction we should go -- to lead us and to inspire us to move -- to act -- to minister in His name -- and to help make a difference in the lives of those around us

-- we have to be careful to read our emotions correctly -- to not take all emotions at face-value, but to test them to make sure they are coming from God and not from self or from the world or from Satan

-- but when our emotions line up with God’s word -- when He points us to the path He would have us go and confirms it through His word and through prayer and through His people -- then lives are changed and hearts are transformed and the kingdom of God advances

-- I want to leave you with this one example of someone who let their emotions dictate the path they chose, and how that made all the difference

-- I am sure that everyone who is listening has heard of Mother Teresa and her ministry in India to the poor and the afflicted and the outcast in Calcutta -- but did you know that this was not what drew her to India in the first place?

-- Mother Teresa was born in the Kosovo region of the Ottoman Empire -- in what became Yugoslavia and is now North Macedonia -- as a child, she became fascinated with missionaries and dreamt of carrying God’s word to people in foreign lands -- her goal was to teach and evangelize people and lead them to salvation in Jesus’ name

-- in 1937, Teresa became a teacher in a convent in Calcutta, eventually becoming the head-mistress there -- for almost ten years, she lived out her childhood dream to teach and tell others about Jesus

-- but as she taught there in the convent, she became increasingly disturbed about the poverty and the affliction she was witnessing -- her heart began to break as she witnessed starving children and handicapped adults begging in the street -- she grieved over their condition -- she wept at their plight -- God began moving her through her emotions

-- in 1946, Teresa experienced what she described as “the call within her calling” -- she could not ignore what she was feeling when she saw the poor begging in the street -- and, after praying and seeking counsel through God’s word, she left the convent to live in the streets with the poor and the orphans and the afflicted

-- eventually, she formed the Missionaries of Charity that created a hospice, a hospital for lepers, an orphanage, and other ministries to better the lives of the poor and afflicted throughout India

-- when she died in 1997, the Missionaries of Charity had grown to over 4,000 sisters and an associated brotherhood of 300 members operating 610 missions in 123 countries

-- and all of this came about because God moved Mother Teresa’s heart when she saw the poor children begging in the street

-- there is nothing wrong with being an emotional or passionate person -- for our emotions and our feelings come from God Himself -- they reflect His heart and motivate and inspire us to do great things

-- don’t feel bad about being emotional -- don’t take it as a weakness that you are moved to great feelings in life -- embrace your passions -- embrace your feelings -- see if God is leading you to do great things like Mother Teresa -- let His passions be the catalyst that inspire you to action -- that inspire you to move

-- let me close with this -- what is God leading you to do today? -- where are your emotions -- your feelings -- your passions -- leading? -- how is God going to use your feelings to change the world?

-- let us pray