SERMON: THE MEASURE OF A CHRISTIAN: BLESSED ARE THOSE

THE MEASURE OF A CHRISTIAN: BLESSED ARE THOSE
WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
(The Beatitude Series)
19 June 2011

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Matthew 5

1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

-- Socrates was a renowned philosopher in ancient Greece -- he was known world-wide for his wisdom and understanding of life -- one day, a devoted follower of Socrates came to him and said, “I want to know as much as you -- how do I become wise?”
-- Socrates led the man to the ocean and as they stood on the shore watching the waves roll in, he asked the man, “What do you want?” -- the man said, “I want knowledge”
-- Socrates led the man into the water until it was chest deep and he paused in the breaking waves and asked the man, “What do you want?” -- the man said again, “I want knowledge”
-- Immediately, Socrates grabbed the man and plunged him underneath the water -- The man struggled to free himself, but Socrates kept his head submerged -- Finally, after much effort, the man was able to break loose and emerge from the water
-- Socrates then asked, “When you thought you were drowning, what one thing did you want most of all?” -- Still gasping for breath, the man exclaimed, “I wanted air!”
-- Socrates paused for a moment and then wisely commented, “When you want knowledge as much as you wanted air, then you will get it!” (Adapted from Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries)

-- Jesus tells us here in the fourth Beatitude that this concept of Socrates is true for righteousness, as well -- look back with me at verse 6

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

-- in other words, Jesus is saying that when we want righteousness as much as a drowning man wants air, we will find it -- when we want righteousness as much as a starving man wants food or a thirsty man wants water, then we will find it
-- when righteousness and holiness become the overwhelming desire of our heart -- when they become all that we want and all that we need and all that we seek -- then we will find it

--as we continue in our sermon series on the Beatitudes, we are going to be exploring this concept of desiring righteousness in our lives
-- this Beatitude builds on the first three and continue to move us higher and higher on the ladder of faith -- helping us to become more and more like Jesus as we seek His presence and desire His power in our lives
-- in a very real sense, this Beatitude is the first test of our devotion to Christ -- previously, we talked about how each Beatitude led us to begin living a life with God
-- first, we are poor in spirit -- aware of our need for a Savior -- aware that we need forgiveness and salvation at the cross
-- next, we mourn our sins as we become aware of the depth of our sinfulness and of the vast gulf between us and God -- we realize that we can’t do it on our own -- we can’t live this life in our own power
-- which leads us to the third Beatitude -- realizing the power of God within us -- exercising the power of the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to start us on the path of holiness and righteousness
-- in this fourth Beatitude -- blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness -- we are confronted with the question, “Are we progressing in our spiritual lives?” -- this Beatitude asks us to pause and think about how we are living and what we are living for -- what do we spend our time and energy on? -- what desires fill our hearts? -- what drives us on a daily basis? -- are we seeking after God or are we still following the ways of this world?
-- so, let’s look at this Beatitude now and see what we can learn about living for God on a daily basis?

II. Righteousness
-- let’s start by thinking a moment about righteousness -- Jesus tells us here, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
-- what is righteousness? -- that is a common word in the Bible -- both in the Old Testament and the New Testament -- we use it a lot in our churches -- we sing about it in our hymns -- we read about it in our devotions -- but what is it? -- what does that word really mean? -- what does Jesus mean when He tells us to hunger and thirst after righteousness?
-- really, Jesus means two things -- first, He means that we hunger and thirst after a right relationship with God -- we seek to be right with God
-- I think most of us here have been in a relationship of some kind -- whether it’s a romantic relationship or just a friendship with another person -- and I guarantee you, at some point in that relationship, you had a fight -- you got into an argument -- something happened -- somebody did something wrong or said something wrong and the other person got hurt
-- and what happened to the relationship at that moment? -- it suffered, didn’t it? -- it was strained -- it was broken -- it wasn’t right
-- and what had to happen to make that relationship right again? -- the person who messed up had to make amends -- they had to apologize or buy flowers or whatever it took to repair the hurt and to make that relationship right again
-- that’s what Jesus means here by righteousness -- we are all called to be in a right relationship with God -- but when sin comes into our life, it damages that relationship -- God cannot be where sin is -- and until we deal with that sin -- until we take steps to get that sin out of our life, our relationship is broken -- it’s not right
-- we make it right by believing that Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross and asking Him to forgive us for our sins -- we apologize for what we have done and we ask Jesus to make amends for our sins with His body and His blood -- and that puts us back into a right relationship with God -- that’s part of what He means here when He says that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are blessed

-- the second part of righteousness is keeping that relationship from getting broken again -- and how do we do that? -- by being true and faithful to God -- by living holy lives -- by doing the right things -- the things that God wants us to do and staying away from sin and temptation
-- to be righteous means that we try to live lives of integrity and character and holiness -- that we try to live the way God wants us to live so that our relationship with Him grows stronger everyday

III. Hungering and Thirsting for God
-- that’s what Jesus means by the word, “righteousness,” in this Beatitude
-- which leads us to the next question -- how? -- how do we become righteous? -- how do we stay righteous? -- how do we keep our relationship with God right?

-- one night at a campfire, an old native American was teaching the younger generation about the inner struggles that he had dealt with in his life -- he told them that inside of him were two dogs -- one of the dogs was mean and evil -- the other dog was good -- and they fought constantly for control of his life
-- when the young men around the campfire asked him which dog wins, the old man paused a moment and said, “the one I feed the most”

-- it’s the same way with us in our daily lives -- every day we wake up with desires in our heart -- we have wants and wishes -- we have needs to be met
-- in this Beatitude, Jesus uses the analogy of a person who is hungry or thirsty to describe what it is like to have a desire in your life -- the point He is trying to get across here is that our desires are natural -- they are good -- they have their source in God Himself
-- think about it like this -- why do we get hungry and thirsty? -- because our body needs food and water to survive -- God put this desire in us because He knew it was something that we needed -- hunger and thirst are good things, because they remind us to get food and water so that we can live
-- all of the desires that you have are things that God knows you need -- things like food and water -- things like relationships and marriage and sex -- things like houses and possessions and jobs -- things like spiritual satisfaction -- all of these are desires that God has put in us because He knows that we need them to live and to be happy
-- problems come only when we seek to fill our God-given desires in ungodly ways
-- this Beatitude forces us to ask the question, “where do we go to have our desires met? -- where do we go seeking to be filled and satisfied?”
-- really, there are only two choices -- we can go to God or we can go to the world
-- if we go to God, then our desires will be met in Godly, righteous ways and our relationship with Him will be good
-- if we go to the world, then our desires will be met in ungodly ways, and our relationships with God and with others may be strained or broken

-- think about food again -- how many of you have ever been shopping at Walmart for groceries? -- have you ever noticed how the stores are laid out? -- to get to the fruits and vegetables, what do you have to do? -- walk past rows of freshly baked doughnuts and cakes
-- to get to the milk and dairy section, what do you have to do? -- walk past displays and end caps with potato chips and cokes and cookies
-- why is that? -- because the store knows that, not only are these doughnuts and potato chips more expensive than healthy food, but that they won’t satisfy -- potato chips may taste good and take away your hunger for a moment, but they won’t meet your nutritional needs like a healthy meal -- and in just a little while, you’ll get hungry again and you’ll come back and you’ll buy more -- that’s their goal
-- it’s the same way with getting your desires met -- you’ve got two choices -- you’ve got the world and you’ve got God -- you can either choose to let God meet your desires in His healthy ways, or you can give in to temptation and try to get your needs filled in ungodly and unhealthy ways

IV. Filled with the Presence of God
-- in the context of this Beatitude, Jesus is not only talking about the physical desires and needs that we have, but also our spiritual desires and needs -- God made us with this place in our heart that can only be filled by His presence
-- as David wrote in Psalm 42:1-2, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
-- God put this desire in our heart to want Him -- He wants us to hunger and thirst for His presence -- to desire Him and a relationship with Him more than anything else that this world has to offer
-- and, when we choose Him over this world -- when He is our desire -- our all-in-all -- when He is what we are seeking more than anything else -- He promises that we will be filled

-- filled with what? -- obviously not food and drink -- but filled with the presence and power of Christ in our lives
-- filled with the very righteousness and holiness of God as the Holy Spirit works in our lives -- from the inside out -- to help us to become holy as God is holy
-- in the church, we call this sanctification -- that’s just a ten-dollar term that means that we are becoming more and more like Jesus everyday -- this means that we are not only following Jesus, but we’re starting to act like Jesus -- we’re starting to think like Jesus -- we’re starting to look like Jesus

-- this means that in our daily lives, we are showing those around us the same love that Jesus showed to those in His day -- this means that we are choosing to walk past the displays of doughnuts and potato chips and all the other temptations that the world throws at us and we are choosing to follow God and to follow His ways
-- this means that we are living for Him -- not just on Sundays -- but everyday

-- think about what this Beatitude says -- blessed are those who hunger -- blessed are those who thirst -- those are active words -- those are words that indicate this is an on-going situation -- right now -- this moment and every moment -- we are hungering and thirsting for God -- we are seeking His presence and His ways and choosing to follow Him, forsaking all others
-- this isn’t something that we do one time and get the t-shirt and go home -- no, this is something that becomes a part of us -- just like breathing -- it’s something that we do without even thinking about it -- it becomes our reason for living -- it becomes our life

-- remember that I said that this Beatitude is a good test of your relationship with God -- of the depths of righteousness that you have obtained
-- if you are truly hungering and thirsting for righteousness -- if you are truly hungering and thirsting for God in your life and are walking in His ways -- then you should see a change -- you should be able to look back on your life six months -- one year -- five years ago -- and be able to say, “I’m better than I was then -- I’m more righteous than I was then -- I’m more holy than I was then”
-- when we hunger and thirst after righteousness, God promises to meet us and to fill us with His presence so that we might continue to grow in grace and to become more and more like His Son, Jesus

V. Closing

-- C.S. Lewis wrote, “We are half hearted creatures, fooling around with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us
-- like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a [vacation at the beach], we are far too easily pleased”

-- it is too easy to go through this life chasing what the world has to offer while ignoring the true gifts that God has waiting
-- too many of us waste our time and our energy and our resources by trying to have our wants and wishes and our desires and needs met by this world rather than by our Creator
-- Jesus tells us that is we would turn our eyes from the glitter and glamour of this world and would instead hunger and thirst and chase after God, that He would fill our lives with His power and His presence and His glory
-- this Beatitude tells us that the path to a full life does not lay in the temporary satisfactions of this world but in the righteousness of God
-- joy comes from being in a right relationship with God and from living life according to His plan and His will
-- so, as we close in prayer, let me encourage you to take a moment and think about where you are in your life -- are you making mud pies in a slum instead of enjoying a vacation at the beach? -- are you gorging on potato chips rather than feasting on the riches of God’s heavenly banquet? -- are you living the life that God wants you to live?
-- if not, then I want to encourage you to chase after God -- to hunger and thirst for His righteousness -- so that you will be filled and satisfied and happy living in God’s presence
-- come to Him now -- turn to Him -- for the forgiveness of your sins -- for new life with Him -- and for a change that will last forever
-- let us pray

SERMON: THE MEASURE OF A CHRISTIAN: BLESSED ARE THE MEEK

THE MEASURE OF A CHRISTIAN: BLESSED ARE THE MEEK
(The Beatitude Series)
12 June 2011

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Matthew 5

1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


-- when I was a kid, the circus came to town -- this wasn’t a big circus -- this wasn’t like the Ringling Brothers or Barnum and Bailey -- this was one of those tiny little circuses that made the route through the smallest communities around the country
-- I remember when it rolled into town -- it set up in an open area south of Adel -- with one large tent and a few smaller tents and the ubiquitous carnival stands with games of chance that no one ever seemed to win at
-- I was probably only about 5 or 6 years old -- and I don’t remember a great deal about the circus -- but the one thing I do remember is the elephant -- this was the first time I ever really saw an elephant in person
-- this circus just had one elephant -- and when it wasn’t in the tent doing its act, they had it tied up outside the tent for people to look at -- I was amazed at this large creature -- how powerful it was -- at the quiet strength that was hidden right below the surface -- it’s one thing to see an elephant on TV -- it’s another thing to be that close to an elephant in person
-- you just knew that this animal could break loose if it wanted -- the only thing that kept it in place was a metal stake driven into the ground and a chain that went from the stake and around the elephant’s foot -- even at my young age, I knew that that chain and stake couldn’t hold that elephant if it wanted to leave -- it was too strong -- it was only the power of the relationship between the trainer and the elephant that made it stay there enduring the gazes of little boys and girls

-- this elephant is a perfect example of the Beatitude that we are going to be discussing this morning -- today, we are continuing in our sermon series on the Beatitudes and are going to be looking at the third Beatitude -- Matthew 5:5

5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

-- as you remember, we can think of these Beatitudes as rungs on the ladder of faith -- as the steps to Christian maturity as we seek to become true disciples of Christ -- a disciple isn’t just someone who follows Jesus -- a disciple is someone who takes upon themselves the very nature and character of Christ as they follow Him and learn from His example
-- the first step towards a mature faith in Christ is seen in the first Beatitude -- blessed are the poor in spirit -- we cannot begin our spiritual journey of faith until we become aware of our spiritual condition -- until we become aware of our need for a Savior
-- the second Beatitude -- blessed are they who mourn -- calls us to become aware of our sinfulness and of the depth of forgiveness that Jesus showed us from the cross -- as we discussed last week, knowing how great a sinner we are leads us to mourn over our sin and to rejoice over the fact of just how great a Savior we have
-- the next step to spiritual maturity is encompassed by today’s topic -- the third beatitude -- blessed are the meek

-- as we go through this series, the one thing I hope that you are starting to recognize is the supernatural quality of these characteristics -- by calling us to live counter to the ways of the world -- by calling us to live counter to our natural inclinations and our natural way of thinking and living -- Jesus is asking us to do something and to be something that we cannot do or be on our own
-- we cannot simply choose to become poor in spirit -- we have to respond to a call from God to do so -- we have to respond to His prevenient grace -- the grace that calls us to move from where we are to the cross of Calvary -- it is a supernatural act of God that creates in us the condition that Jesus calls “poor in spirit”
-- in the same way, we cannot simply choose to become aware of our sinful nature and mourn our condition and our sin -- it is a supernatural awakening to the fact of who we are and how we compare to a holy God
-- and, in the same sense, we cannot simply choose to become meek -- we become meek only when God gives us the power to truly submit ourselves to Him -- body, mind, and spirit -- and we respond to His call and willingly place ourselves under His lordship

II. Meekness
-- so, as we begin this discussion of the third Beatitude -- let’s start with the question, “What is meekness? -- when you hear the word, ‘meek,’ what comes to mind?”
-- in preparing for this message, I read an article where the author went out into the street with a tape recorder and asked this question to a lot of people who were passing by on the street
-- “What does the word, ‘meek,’ mean?” -- invariably, the answer came back the same -- almost to a person, each of them said that meekness was the same thing as weakness -- to be meek was to be weak -- wimpy -- cowardly -- frail -- afraid
-- that is what this word has come to mean in our day and age -- but that is not the true biblical definition of what it means to be meek -- think about the people that the Bible lifts up as being meek men
-- Numbers 12:3 - “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” -- is Moses someone you would call weak or cowardly or frail? -- think about what this man did -- at the age of 80, he stood in front of Pharaoh -- the most powerful leader in the world -- and pointed his finger at him and said, “Thus saith the Lord, let my people go” -- it was Moses who led the people out of Egypt and through the Red Sea with the entire Egyptian army hot on their heels -- it was Moses who brought them to the edge of the Promised Land -- who led them in the wilderness -- we served as their judge and their leader and their visionary -- who planned their battles and led them to victory against those nations who tried to destroy them
-- does this sound like a weak or cowardly man? -- no -- and yet the Bible tells us he was very meek, meeker than any other man on the face of the earth

-- who else? -- turn over to Matthew 11:29

Matthew 11:29 -- Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

-- the KJV translates Jesus as saying “for I am meek and lowly of heart” -- Jesus called Himself meek -- and there is no way you can call Jesus weak or cowardly or afraid
-- even before you get to the cross and the fact that Jesus willingly carried His own instrument of death to Golgotha and willingly sacrificed Himself for us, think about what Jesus did as a man
-- while others around Him fled in the presence of people who were possessed by demons, Jesus looked evil in the eye and commanded a whole legion of demons to come out of the man at Gerasenes and to leave him alone
-- Jesus went into the temple and turned over the tables of the money changers -- He made a whip out of cords and ran those merchants out of God’s house
-- He associated with the dregs of society -- with the sinners and the tax collectors and the murderers and thieves -- with those people that good society would have nothing to do with out of fear
-- He was friends with prostitutes and priests -- and He stood toe-to-toe against the Pharisees and the religious leaders, calling them out for the wrong they were doing
-- does this sound like the actions of a weak and cowardly man? -- not at all -- so meekness is not weakness -- a meek man is not wimply or girly or cowardly or afraid

-- the true definition of meekness is great power under control -- the submittal of your power and your nature and your will to another person
-- think about that elephant I told you about -- that elephant was much stronger than its trainer -- it was more powerful than that little chain that held it in the ground -- if it had wanted to, it could have ripped that stake up and took off down the street -- but it didn’t -- it was meek -- it submitted its will to another -- and its great power was under control
-- other ways to describe meekness are humbleness -- being lowly of spirit -- being gentle -- to be meek means that you are strong and you know it, but you have surrendered your strength to another

-- the true measure of meekness comes through our relationships with others -- meekness is expressed through how we treat those around us -- to be meek means that we move past the point where anger and bitterness and hatred rule our lives -- meekness is curbing the "natural" desires to rebel, fight, and have our own way -- to push ourselves forward and to demand our right and what we should be getting
-- to be meek is to be kind and considerate to others, even to those who oppose us -- to be meek is to be easily approachable, not prideful or resentful, not temperamental or harsh -- to be meek is to submit your will to the Lord so that you might act like Jesus in all situations
-- in other words, when you exhibiting meekness, you are making a choice to respond rather than to react -- you are choosing to express love and respect and grace rather than anger or harshness or pride
-- the greatest definition of meekness is the description of Jesus that we read in Philippians 2:5-8

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

-- Jesus demonstrated the attitude of meekness when He chose to lay aside His power and His glory and came to earth to be one of us -- the Creator of the universe willingly became a baby in a manger -- and during His time here on earth, He never once demanded what was rightfully His as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords -- through His life, Jesus showed us the true image of meekness -- power under control and submission to the Father’s will

-- don’t miss how radical a concept this was to everyone in first century Palestine
-- the Jews were very proud of their heritage and their race -- they were proud of their position as God’s chosen people -- and this was instilled in them at birth
-- think about the Romans -- they took great pride in their power -- they were the greatest empire in that time -- they ruled the known world
-- we’re not that different from them today, are we? -- as American Christians, we are proud of our country -- proud of our heritage -- we rejoice in the fact that we are the world’s last remaining superpower -- we have a swagger in our step
-- and even in our personal lives, we are told that the way to get ahead is to promote yourself -- to become a self-made man -- to become strong -- to rise to the top -- to go for the gold
-- this is what we are taught -- this is what we strive for -- this is what the people we admire look like
-- but, Jesus comes and says, “let me show you a different way” -- blessed are the meek
-- blessed are those who don’t express their strength -- blessed are those who aren’t prideful -- who don’t demand their own way -- who don’t fight for their rights -- blessed are those who submit to the will of God -- blessed are the meek
-- it goes against logic -- it goes against everything that we know and everything that we have been taught -- it basically comes down to this
-- we accept Jesus as our Savior when we come to the cross -- when we ask Him to forgive our sins and to give us eternal life -- no one has a problem with Jesus as Savior
-- but, when Jesus calls us to be meek -- when He calls us to lay aside our strength and our power in order to allow God’s will to be done -- He is calling us to make Him Lord -- He is telling us to choose whether we are going to be the god of our lives or if we are going to let Him be God -- He is calling for us to let Him make all the decisions -- He is calling for us to say, “not my will, but yours be done” -- and that is hard
-- but, to be a Christian -- to be a mature Christian -- a true disciple of Christ who not only follows Jesus but takes up the character and nature of Jesus -- then this is the next step -- we have to submit our will to His and allow Jesus to not only be Savior but to be Lord
-- and the reward for this, Jesus tells us, is that we will inherit the earth

III. Inherit the Earth
-- what does it mean to inherit the earth? -- it is simple a recognition of the state of mind that accompanies the Godly characteristic of meekness
-- a meek person is satisfied -- content -- joyful in their position with the Lord despite their position on earth
-- in Philippians 4:11-12, Paul wrote, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. -- I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. -- I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” -- and that secret? -- Paul tells us in verse 13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”
-- when you walk through this life without having the burden of chasing after the American dream -- without running to the end of each rainbow looking for the pot of gold -- without striving for everything that the world tells us makes a person full and complete -- then you have truly arrived
-- you can enjoy life -- while the world is running around, you can sit and rest in the presence of God because you know that you have all things in Him -- that every need is being met -- and that He is with you and His presence fills you
-- to inherit the earth means that you get the best out of life -- right here -- right now

-- there is also a future component to this promise from Jesus -- while a meek person goes through this life satisfied and contented, this is also a promise for eternity -- for the future inheritance that we will receive when Jesus comes again and His Kingdom is established
-- the Bible tells us that when Jesus returns, there will be a new earth -- an earth established, not on the principles that drive it now -- not on pride and wealth and power -- but on the Kingdom principles of love and grace and mercy
-- the glimpse of peace and contentment that a meek person realizes now will be truly expressed in the new earth as we enjoy God’s presence forever

IV. Closing
-- so, how do we become meek?
-- the answer is easy, but not easy to do -- the simple answer is...we surrender
-- we surrender ourselves -- our hearts -- our minds -- our will -- our strength -- to God
-- as John the Baptist put it -- we decrease so that Christ might increase

-- this is not an easy thing to do -- this is really not even possible for us as humans -- this is only supernaturally possible -- so this means that we depend on the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit within us to make it happen

-- it begins with the first choice to surrender -- to lay aside our wants and our wishes and to submit our will to God -- to become meek, we have to first choose to let Jesus be the Lord of our life -- and we have to choose to go against our nature and our flesh and say, “not my will, but yours be done”

-- secondly, you cultivate a relationship of faith and trust with God -- as you walk with God on a daily basis -- as you become more mature in your faith, you will naturally begin to trust Him more and more as you see how He has been with you and worked on your behalf in the past
-- look for the fingerprints of God in your life -- keep track of the ways that God has moved and has made a difference -- and then choose to let Him do so again and again and again instead of always demanding your way and your will be done

-- finally, we measure ourselves in our relationships with others -- before you react to another person, take a moment to think about that old cliché -- What Would Jesus Do?
-- when someone says something against you -- when someone hurts you -- think, “how would Jesus react?” -- would He react with anger -- with harsh words -- with cutting comments -- or would He respond with love and kindness and grace?
-- and then you respond in the way you think Jesus would
-- as R.K. Hughes wrote, the ultimate "test as to whether we are truly meek is not whether we can say we are poor sinners, but rather what we do when someone else calls us vile sinners.” -- your response displays the level of meekness and humbleness in your heart

-- if we are to be disciples of Christ -- if we are to become mature in our faith -- then we must seek to have the same mind and attitude that He displayed on earth -- Jesus modeled meekness for us with His life -- and we must strive to do the same with ours
-- let us pray

SERMON: THE MEASURE OF A CHRISTIAN: THOSE WHO MOURN

THE MEASURE OF A CHRISTIAN: THOSE WHO MOURN
(The Beatitude Series)
5 June 2011

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Matthew 5
-- this morning, we are going to be continuing in our sermon series on the Beatitudes that I have titled, “The Measure of a Christian” -- as we said last time, the Beatitudes are a list of eight things that Jesus gave us in this passage in Matthew that we consider the measure of a Christian -- the character standards that all Christians should be striving for and that mark our progress and growth in the Kingdom of God
-- I’m going to go ahead and read the entire passage from verses 1 through 12 so that we have the verses in context, but our focus this morning is on the second Beatitude that we find in verse 4 -- Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted
-- so, if you would, follow along as I read Matthew 5:1-12

1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


-- every so often I have to travel with my job -- and so, over the last few years, I have found myself flying a great deal more than I should -- and I guess because I don’t fly a whole lot, when the flight attendants come out and start giving their safety presentation as the plane is taxiing to the runway, I always try to pay attention -- I know for a lot of people this is old hat and they’ve heard it hundreds of times -- but, for me, I want to know what I should do in case of an emergency
-- and if you’ve flown, you’ve heard this before -- the attendant tells you how to buckle your seatbelt -- how to find the exits -- and how to use your seat cushion as a flotation device -- and then they always end with this one safety instruction that always seems to me to be the most important
-- they point to a compartment over your head and say, "If the cabin loses air pressure, an oxygen mask will drop from the compartment over your head -- if you are seated next to a child or someone who is having trouble putting on their mask, put yours on first, and then help them put on their mask”
-- in my mind, this just goes against all common sense and wisdom -- if you’re like most people in an emergency situation where there are children present, your first thought is going to be to take care of the children first -- isn’t that the way we’ve always been taught? -- to take care of the most vulnerable first?
-- think about the Titanic and when it started to sink -- what was it they said about the life rafts -- let the women and children go first -- take care of those who are most vulnerable first before you take care of yourself
-- so, the instructions of the flight attendant seem to go against the norm -- take care of yourself first, and then help someone else -- this isn’t the way we would normally do things -- this isn’t what common sense would dictate
-- but, it makes sense if you sit down and think about it -- hypoxia -- the lack of oxygen -- can affect your ability to react and to think -- and that’s the last thing you want going on in an emergency situation -- if you’re going to help someone, you need to be thinking and reacting normally -- so, the attendant tells us to put our own masks on first so that we will not be impaired and so that we can help those around us better

II. Blessed are those who mourn
-- that’s the same reasoning that Jesus uses here in this second Beatitude -- you can’t help someone else with their sin, until you first face your own sins -- when it comes to sin, you have to take care of yourself before you can begin to take care of others -- and we do this through holy mourning
-- let’s look Beatitude a little closer and I’ll show you what I mean
-- here in verse 4, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn”

-- there’s that word again that we find in all the Beatitudes -- “blessed” -- if you remember, we said that to be blessed was to be favored by God -- to be experiencing His presence and His power and His grace in our lives
-- when we use the word, “blessed,” we are saying that we have had a supernatural, spiritual encounter with the living God -- as the familiar Gaither hymn puts it, “He touched me”
-- and, as we can see from the context of this verse, to be blessed doesn’t mean that the things around us are necessarily going good -- it doesn’t mean that our finances and our homes and our relationship are all perfect -- it doesn’t mean that we’re not suffering -- in this verse, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn,” -- and mourning usually doesn’t indicate something good has happened but that we are walking through something that has profoundly impacted our lives
-- when Jesus tells us in this context that we are blessed, it means that God is with us and that He has touched our lives and that we are aware of His sustaining presence in whatever it is we are going through -- that’s what it means to be blessed

-- “Blessed are those who mourn” -- think for a moment about what causes you to mourn -- we mourn when we have lost someone -- we mourn when someone we love has passed away -- we mourn because there has been a death
-- I hear this verse recited a lot at funerals, because of the promise from Christ in the second part of this Beatitude that those who mourn will be comforted -- and while this is true, this is not the type of mourning that Jesus has in mind here
-- remember the context of the Beatitudes -- Jesus is teaching about spiritual things -- He is speaking about spiritual character and spiritual growth -- not about being comforted because of a worldly loss
-- so, what is it that causes us to mourn spiritually? -- what death or what loss are we grieved about?
-- we mourn because we have become aware of the spiritual death that follows a sinful life -- we mourn for our sins -- we grieve for what we have done to God -- as David says in Psalm 51:4, “Against you, you only, have I sinned” as he points out that all our sins are sins against God

-- the group Thunder and Lightning has a new song out called, “You Love Me Anyway,” which speaks to the fact that we have sinned against God and done wrong against Him
-- the chorus of the song says, “I am the thorn in your crown -- I am the sweat from your brow -- I am the nail in your wrist -- I am Judas’ kiss -- but You love me anyway
-- “I am the man who yelled out from the crowd, for your blood to be spilled on this earth-shaking ground -- then I turned away with a smile on my face -- with this sin in my heart I tried to bury your grace -- and then alone in the night, I still call out for You -- so ashamed of my life -- my life --- my life -- but you love me anyway”

-- when Jesus speaks of the mourners in this passage, He is referring to those who have become aware of the depth of their sin -- who know that their sin is not just a temporal thing -- but that their sin was against the very throne of heaven and cast darkness against the light and purity and holiness of God
-- this Beatitude is for Christians -- for people who have already taken their first step towards spiritual holiness by accepting the first Beatitude -- who have come to Jesus poor in spirit, recognizing their need for a Savior, and receiving salvation at the cross
-- this second Beatitude speaks of a deepening realization of just what Christ has done -- of just what Christ has suffered -- for us
-- as we come face-to-face with the true reality and impact of our sin to God -- as we realize the price that Jesus paid to forgive us -- we begin to mourn and grieve for our part of the cross -- for the thorns in the crown -- for the sweat from His brow -- for the nails in His wrist -- for the blood that He shed for us
-- it is at this point that true repentance begins -- it is relatively easy to come to Christ at first -- to believe that He died on the cross for our sins and rose again on the third day -- to put our faith and trust in His atonement for our sins
-- but, it is another step altogether to truly understand what that means -- that is what the second Beatitude is all about -- it is about truly acknowledging and repenting of our sins so that we might walk with Christ
-- this is what Jesus means when He says elsewhere in the Bible that we have to pick up our cross and follow Him -- we have to acknowledge our sin and put it to death through repentance so that we might rise with Christ to new life

III. For they shall be comforted
-- this leads us to the second part of this Beatitude -- to the promise of Christ
-- Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted
-- one thing that I learned early on in ministry is the value of a comforting spirit -- there were many times when I sat with a friend at the hospital as someone they loved passed away -- and there were no words that could be said -- there was nothing I could do but sit there and hold them and be with them -- but, that was enough
-- when Jesus tells us here that those who mourn will be comforted, this is a promise of presence -- this is a promise that He will be there to sit there and to hold us and to be with us as we grieve over what we have done and as we mourn the depths of our sin
-- the presence of Jesus is the promise of a new day -- it is like the sun breaking over the horizon after a really bad storm has passed -- it is like a light shining in the darkness when you are lost and all hope is gone
-- Jesus says that after we mourn, He will comfort us -- there are three ways that the comfort of God comes to us in the midst of our grief

-- first, we are comforted through His word -- through the Scriptures -- as we read of the promises that He has given us -- we stand on these promises -- we believe in what He has said -- and we know that they will all come to pass
-- Jesus promised us forgiveness from our sins -- He promised us eternal life with Him -- He promised to never leave us or forsake us -- He promised to always be with us and that He would make a place for us
-- when we are gripped in the depths of mourning over our sins, these promises are the light that lead us forth into new life with Him

-- secondly, we are comforted through His church -- through the presence of other believers -- I had a conversation this week with someone about the church and what the church really was -- the church is not a building -- it’s not a name on a sign -- the church is a community of faith -- a gathering of believers who come together in grief and in mourning over sin and in celebration of the risen Christ to hold each other up -- to keep each other accountable -- and to encourage each other to continue on in their faith
-- who better to comfort those who mourn than someone who has already mourned -- who better to walk with down unknown paths than someone who knows the way
-- the Bible tells us that we need each other to live out this Christian life -- it speaks of the church -- and through the church, the presence of God comforts our souls as we grow in grace and truly mourn and repent of our sins and pick up our cross and follow Christ

-- the third way we are comforted is through His presence -- through the Holy Spirit who lives in us and through us
-- the Bible tells us in Romans 8:26-27 that the Spirit helps us in our weakness -- when we don’t know what to pray -- when we don’t know how to pray -- the Spirit prays for us -- He intercedes on our behalf -- He comforts our souls and He carries our needs to the Father
-- there is a reason that one name for the Holy Spirit is Comforter -- just as this verse says, when we mourn, we are comforted -- when we mourn, we are blessed by the very presence of God falling upon us and taking away our pain and our grief so that we might rise up and carry on to new life

IV. Closing
-- holy mourning over sin is a good thing -- it may not be pleasant -- it is not something that we like to go through -- but it is necessary -- it is a vital part of the Christian life -- it is something that we have to do if we are truly become holy in our lives
-- the mourning that Jesus is talking about in this Beatitude comes about when we honestly recognize the sin in our life and decide to do something about it -- it leads to true repentance -- not just to the initial stages of faith and belief at the cross -- but to a deepening faith and love that grows from a realization of just what Christ has done
-- mourning and repentance proceeds to comfort as we begin to experience the new life that Jesus promised -- a life characterized by holiness and obedience to God’s word instead of a life bound up by sin or the consequences of sin

-- I once read a story about Robert Murray McCheyne, a pastor in Dundee, Scotland -- even though he had died at the young age of 30, his life and his ministry had a profound impact on the people in that community -- many, many people had come to Christ because of his influence -- many, many people had changed their lives because of his presence in their pulpit
-- the impact that McCheyne had did not go unnoticed outside of Dundee -- one day, a young pastor who had just graduated from seminary and who was beginning his first pastorate visited McCheyne’s former church to see what he could learn about ministry from those McCheyne had touched
-- he went to the old sexton of McCheyne’s church and asked him what McCheyne’s secret was -- the sexton led the pastor into McCheyne’s study and showed him a table with some of McCheyne’s books on it sitting next to a chair -- he told him, "Sit down and put your elbows on the table." The visitor obeyed. "Now put your head in your hands." He complied. "Now let the tears flow; that's what McCheyne did."
-- Next he led the pastor into the church and said, "Put your elbows on the pulpit." The visitor did. "Now put your face in your hands." He obeyed. "Now let the tears flow; that's what McCheyne used to do."
-- the sexton’s point was clear -- Robert Murray McCheyne cried freely over his sins and over those of his people -- and his holy mourning led to repentance and to transformed lives and the comfort of Christ
-- we need to be more sensitive to the convicting voice of God's Spirit and more determined to live a separated and holy life.
-- We may rejoice in God's forgiveness, but we should never be afraid to mourn for our sins, because Jesus tells us that those who mourn will be comforted and blessed (modified from D. C. Egner (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

-- as we close in prayer now, let me remind you of one of the wonderful promises that we find in God’s word -- in 1 John 1:8-9 we read, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. -- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
-- as we pray, let us confess and mourn over our sins -- that we might be comforted and that we might be purified from all unrighteousness and leave here transformed again by the very presence of God in our midst
-- let us pray

SERMON: THE MEASURE OF A CHRISTIAN: POOR IN SPIRIT

THE MEASURE OF A CHRISTIAN: POOR IN SPIRIT
(THE BEATITUDE SERIES)
15 May 2011

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Matthew 5:1-12

1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


-- Several years ago, Popular Mechanics published an article entitled, “25 Skills Every Man Should Know”1 -- it was a list of things that Popular Mechanics felt defined a real man -- a man who was stepping up and fulfilling their roles and responsibilities in this world today -- this was the standard that all men should strive for in their lives
-- the list was quite interesting, and I’m not going to say how many of these I can or can’t do -- but let me read a few of the items on the list this morning so that the men here might see how they measure up against this standard that Popular Mechanics put forth

1. Patch a Radiator Hose
2. Rescue a Boater Who has Capsized
3. Frame a Wall
4. Back up a Trailer
5. Fix a Dead Outlet
6. Build a Campfire
7. Get a Car Unstuck
8. Paint a Room

-- this is just a partial list of the skills that Popular Mechanics said were the measure of a man -- a real man, they said, should be able to do all of these things
-- well, interestingly, Jesus also gave us a list of eight things in this passage in Matthew that He said are the measure of a Christian -- not skills, per se, but character standards that all Christians should be striving for -- that all Christians can use to measure their progress and growth in the Kingdom of God
-- we call this list of eight things that Jesus gave us here the Beatitudes -- and we’re going to be starting a sermon series now on these eight Beatitudes because these are foundational and are things that we need to know if we are going to be the men and women of faith that Christ has called us to be -- if we are truly going to be His church in this world today

II. The Beatitudes
-- so, before we look at the first Beatitude in detail, let’s spend a few moments talking about the Beatitudes in general
-- now, the word “Beatitude” is not in the Bible --it is derived from a Latin word “Beatus” which means “happy” or “blessed” because each of these eight standards that Jesus gave us begins with the words, “Blessed are”
-- let me list those for you again:
-- Blessed are the poor in Spirit
-- Blessed are those who mourn
-- Blessed are the meek
-- Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
-- Blessed are the merciful
-- Blessed are the pure in heart
-- Blessed are the peacemakers
-- Blessed are those who are persecuted

-- some Bibles translate the word “Blessed” as “Happy” -- so you might see these in your Bible as “Happy are the poor in Spirit” or “Happy are those who mourn”
-- I am not a big fan of this rendering of the Beatitudes because I don’t believe the word, “Happy,” really catches the true meaning of what Jesus is trying to get across in this passage and I don’t believe it fits with the original manuscripts -- I think it changes the focus and intent of what Jesus is saying
-- let me explain what I’m talking about -- the focus of the word “happy” is self -- happiness is an emotion -- it is what gives you pleasure -- people in this world today run around seeking this elusive happiness so that they will have pleasure in their own personal lives -- the focus is on themselves and their feelings and their emotions -- and when their conditions change, their happiness flees
-- on the other hand, the focus of the word “blessed” is God-oriented -- the word literally means, “favored by God” or “experiencing spiritual prosperity” -- it is more closely related to the biblical concept of “joy” which is not an emotion, but the sense of fulfillment and peace that comes from being in complete and total fellowship with God -- you can be going through the worst trials in the world, and still be joyful and still consider yourself blessed because of the presence of God with you
-- that’s why the rendering, “Happy are those who mourn,” makes no sense -- because there is no happiness in mourning -- by definition, you are grieving a loss -- your happiness is gone -- but, yet, we see all the time those men and women who, in times of mourning, still exhibit the character of joy and blessedness in their lives because they know that God is with them even in the midst of their sorrow and grief
-- so, I think we need to stick with the term “blessed” in the Beatitudes rather than the term “happy” -- if you want to say “joyful,” I’m good with that -- but let’s move past “happy”

-- now, as I have said, the Beatitudes are our standard of conduct -- our standard of living -- in the Kingdom of God -- one writer has said that these are the attitudes that Christians should be striving for in our daily lives -- so, when you’re faced with issues in your life and don’t know how to respond, you look to the Beatitudes to see what your attitude should be
-- one way to think of the Beatitudes is a ladder, leading to our ultimate goal of purity in heart -- each Beatitude builds on the one before it -- and you must pass through each one on your way to spiritual maturity and perfection
-- we start with poverty of spirit -- with humility and humbleness of heart -- next, we mourn for our sins and for the sins of others and the corruption of this world -- we strive to become meek, refusing to exalt ourselves or compare ourselves with others
-- “we hunger and thirst for righteousness as if it were bread and water, the righteousness of Christ that justifies us so that we may act justly in the world.”
-- “We extend mercy to everyone for everything, not judging anyone for anything and in so doing we feed the hungry and visit the prisoner and give to the poor.”
-- “We extend mercy and hospitality to whoever is put before us at any moment.” And as we follow these steps, we learn to overcome conflict and persecution -- to be peacemakers and peacebringers -- who usher in the Kingdom of God and the presence of Christ wherever we may be 2

III. Poor in Spirit
-- so, let’s look at the first Beatitude -- if you would, look back at verse 1 and let’s start there

1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

-- at this time, Jesus’ ministry is growing -- He has called His 12 disciples, and has been traveling throughout Judea and Galilee, ministering to the people -- healing and preaching and teaching
-- Matthew tells us that one day Jesus is being followed by large crowds of people -- and He goes up on a mountainside and sits down facing them so that His voice would carry throughout the crowd and begins to give them the message that we call, “The Sermon on the Mount”
-- the Sermon on the Mount covers three chapters here in Matthew -- and parts of it are recorded in each of the other three gospels -- as Jesus begins this lengthy message, He begins with these eight Beatitudes that we have been discussing because, as we have said, these are the steps to maturity in Christ
-- “Blessed are the poor in spirit”

-- well, the first thing that we see here in this Beatitude is the phrase, “blessed” -- now, we talked about that some earlier, but the important thing to note here is that the use of this word implies the action of God in our lives -- the Bible tells us that apart from God, we can do nothing -- and by using the word “Blessed” here, Jesus is telling us that apart from God, we cannot take up these Beatitudes and make them a part of us
-- this is an act of God in our lives -- an act of grace -- God’s free gift that is given to us and that draws us to Him and makes us into His likeness and image

-- Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” -- Luke just renders this in his gospel as, “Blessed are the poor”
-- which obviously begs the question, “what does Jesus mean by ‘poor?’”
-- in Luke 18, we read the story of the time a rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked Him what he must do to gain eternal life -- after discussing what it meant to follow God and to live for Him, Jesus told the young man "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
-- when Jesus tells us here in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” is He telling us to do the same thing that He told the rich young ruler? -- is He calling on us to give away all that we have and to live lives of poverty in this world?”
-- no, here in the Beatitudes, Jesus is focused on the virtues of the heart -- on the character of a person -- the measure of who they are spiritually
-- Jesus is calling for us to be poor -- not in worldly terms -- not in financial terms -- but in spiritual terms -- poor in spirit
-- in this Beatitude, Jesus is calling for us to acknowledge our spiritual condition before God and turn to Him and Him alone for salvation
-- before we can begin our journey with God -- before we can start climbing the ladder to spiritual maturity and purity of heart -- we first have to put our foot on the rung of spiritual poverty
-- we have to admit before God who we are in our hearts -- who we are in our spirits -- and turn to Him and Him alone for provision -- for salvation -- for justification

-- the Bible describes for us what we were like before Christ -- in Romans 3:10-12 we read, “"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
-- and over in Romans 3:23 it says, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”
-- the problem continues to be that we fool ourselves and we don’t admit our true nature to ourselves or to God -- we go through life thinking that we can get to heaven because we are good ole’ boys or good ‘ole girls
-- we are not aware of who we are -- that is, we are not aware of who we are until the prevenient grace of God puts a mirror before our spirit -- until God speaks to our hearts and convicts of our sin and shows us our true nature
-- to be poor in spirit is to know who we are in the depths of our heart -- to know our true state before a holy God -- to stand before God and cry out as Isaiah did as he stood before God’s throne, “Woe unto me, I am ruined”
-- to be poor in spirit is to come before God with nothing --with empty hands -- not depending on works -- not depending on tradition or heritage or anything else -- but coming as we are and trusting Him to make us rich in Christ
-- Jesus says that the poor in spirit are blessed, because they have recognized their spiritual state and have come to the only source that can bring restoration and healing and value to their lives
-- they are also blessed because of what they receive -- “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” -- in other words, once you are poor in spirit and turn to God for salvation, you enter into the kingdom of heaven and receive eternal life with the Father
-- to be poor in spirit, then, means that you have acknowledged your sin -- that you have confessed to God who you are -- and that you have asked Him to forgive you of all that you have done
-- it means that you have repented of your sins -- you’ve done a u-turn and are now following God rather than the path you used to be on -- and that you are now living in faith in the kingdom of heaven -- trusting and believing in the atoning death of Jesus Christ for your salvation
-- blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God

IV. Closing
-- let me close today by leaving you with a story that really demonstrates the poverty of spirit that Jesus is calling us to in this first Beatitude

Jenny was 13 and wild.  Eveyone agreed that she got wilder with each passing month.  Taller and more physically mature than many of her friends, Jenny found it was easy to attract older guys by merely tossing back her long, strawberry blonde hair and giving a faint smile.  Before she was 14 years old, she was experienced in all the vices the world could dangle before her.  Jenny got caught up in an endless cycle of sex, drugs, and alcohol abuse, and appeared to be heading down a long, dark road with no way out.

-- If you asked Jenny, she would tell you she was having a good time, but she was lying -- she knew her lifestyle wasn't right.  Maybe that's why she agreed to go with a friend to an event put on by a local church.  Even though Jenny didn't return in the following weeks, something in the youth pastor's short message found its way into her heart.  He told a story about a prostitute, so sorry about the way she was living that she cried at the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet dry with her hair.

            -- Several years passed, and Jenny grew more out of control, "raging" night after night.  One night, as a very stoned Jenny and a group of her friends roamed around town after yet another party, God began to break through to Jenny.  Suddenly, the guilt, self-loathing, and despair that had been pressed down and covered up with sex, drugs, and alcohol for so long, exploded in her mind.  She was sick of her life, sick of her behavior, and sick of who she was.  For the first time in her life, Jenny desperately wanted to be clean and to feel love, true love.

            -- Remembering the youth pastor's message from so long ago, Jenny thought, "Maybe God can help," and tried to find a church.  Leaving her friends in the streets, Jenny made her way to the nearest church.  She opened the gate to the garden leading to the back of the church, and then she saw him.  It was Jesus.  He was standing on top of a concrete pad in the middle of the garden.  His arms were out-stretched like He was waiting for her. 

-- Jenny went to him.  She dropped on her knees in front of this life-sized statue of Jesus and began to weep.  And just like the prostitute in the story heard so many years ago, Jenny's tears fell on the feet of the statue of Jesus and she dried the feet of the statue with her hair.  While Jenny was there at the feet of the statue, the grace of the living God poured out on her, wiping away all the years of sex and drugs and alcohol and gently removing the obstacles that had been built up between Jenny and the one person who could truly love her and fulfill the longings in her soul, Jesus.

1 25 Skills Every Man Should Know, Popular Mechanics, http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/skills/4223337?page=1&all
2 The Pure in Heart Shall See God, Eric Simpson, Associate Editor, "In Communion: The Journal of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-simpson/the-pure-in-heart-shall-s_b_854738.html

SERMON: THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

29 May 2011

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Revelation 2:8-11

8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.


-- "Is this the day I die?" -- this is the first thought that crosses the mind of Li Wan, a Chinese Christian, every morning when he wakes up -- “Is this the day I die?
-- and although Li Wan is a fictional character in the book, “Safely Home,” by Randy Alcorn -- these words, or words very similar to them, cross the minds of real-life Christians when they wake up every morning in countries like China, Sudan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and other nations where Christians are persecuted for their faith

-- it is sometimes hard for us as American Christians to realize the extent of persecution that is going on in this world -- every Sunday, we gather together for worship -- we get up and drive to our places of worship -- we join with other believers and gather in public places to praise and worship our Lord
-- but, for millions of other Christians throughout the world, this is a dream -- when they worship, they have to come together in secret -- in small numbers -- to avoid the spying eyes of the Government -- they have to gather together in hidden places because they face the constant threat of arrest and persecution for their faith
-- for example, just last Sunday, 25 members of an underground church in China were arrested by the Government -- their crime? -- they came together just like this for a worship service
-- the American church tends to become too wrapped up in its own affairs and the politics of our country to recognize the plight of our brothers and sisters in restricted nations -- while we are quick to cry “Persecution” when the federal district courts rule the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional or when local governments refuse to rezone an area to allow a church to expand, we don’t know what true persecution is
-- just last year, 100 million Christians faced some form of discrimination or persecution because of their faith -- and a 2010 Catholic report stated that 75% of all religious persecution in the world today is directed towards Christians -- more Christians are being martyred and persecuted for their faith right now than at any time in the history of the world
-- in this year alone, we have witnessed increased hostility in China towards the underground church as pastors and members have been arrested and tortured for their faith -- we have read about Christians in Iran who were arrested and accused of “activities against the government” -- we have seen riots in places like Indonesia and Nigeria -- and we have seen the direct killing of Christians in the Sudan and Egypt and other countries
-- as Mark Seddon -- a journalist for Britain's Independent newspaper stated -- "We may be witnessing a new age of Christian persecution"

II. The Persecuted Church
-- this morning, I want us to spend some time thinking about the persecuted church -- about our brothers and sisters in Christ who are in constant threat for their faith
-- persecution is nothing new in the Christian church -- we read about it first in the Book of Acts, as the Jews persecuted the followers of Jesus and forced them to relocate from Jerusalem to Antioch
-- we read about it in the letters of Paul and John and Peter -- and we read about it here in Revelation in Christ’s letter to the church at Smyrna
-- before we look at this letter, let me give you a little background on the city of Smyrna - Smyrna was known as the crown of Asia -- commercial center of Asia Minor -- major stop on trade route between Persia and India and Rome
-- it was a very wealthy city that knew its place in the world -- it knew its importance relied on trade with Rome and, as a result, it was heavily involved in emperor worship -- in other words, most of the people in the city viewed the Roman emperor as a god, and worshiped him in addition to a myriad of other gods
-- at the time this letter was written, the Christians in Smyrna were starting to suffer from external persecution -- both from the pagans who worshiped the Roman emperors and from Jews who were opposed to the Christian sect
-- many scholars believe that the church in Smyrna was symbolic of the early period of persecution in the Christian church from about 100 AD through 312 AD -- in other words, even though this letter was given to the Christians at Smyrna in the time of John, the words of this letter were for the persecuted church as a whole

-- let's look now at this short letter from Christ to the church at Smyrna
-- verse 8

8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.

-- Jesus knew what was going on in the town of Smyrna -- He knew of the persecution they were suffering -- He knew that they lived in constant fear of death -- so He begins His letter to them by reminding them of who He was
-- He tells them here in verse 8, “I am the First and the Last -- I am the one who died and came to life again."
-- these words were given to reassure them in their faith -- He was reminding them that the persecutions they were going through were only a moment in their life -- that even though some of them would face death, He had already overcome death -- and that death would not be the end of their life but the entry into a new life with Him
-- the words of Christ remind us of the message that God gave the church at Corinth through the Apostle Paul -- listen as I read 1 Corinthians 15:54-58

54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”[a]

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”[b]

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.


-- that is what Christ was telling the church at Smyrna here in verse 8 -- “stand firm -- let nothing move you -- not even the threat of death -- because I have overcome death and I stand with you”

-- verse 9

9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!

-- the persecutions that the church in Smyrna faced affected the life and the livelihood of its members -- because of their faith, this church had little wealth or resources --they were poor by earthly standards
-- as the trade center of Asia, Smyrna had a workman's guild that monitored the activity of all the craftsman and tradesman in the city -- when someone stood up and opposed the status quo -- when they opposed worshiping the emperor as god -- then they were boycotted or shut out of opportunities for work
-- and, because the Christians in that time were bold for their faith, they were being forced out of the workplace and weren't able to make a living
-- so how could Christ say they were rich in the midst of their poverty? -- because they were storing up treasures in Heaven and not on earth -- in Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus tells us, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
-- every time the church stood up for Christ against emperor worship -- every time the church suffered trials and persecutions because of their faith -- they were storing up treasure in heaven
-- their wealth -- their riches -- their focus -- was not on this world but on the world beyond -- and their faith was considered rich by Jesus

-- look back at the second part of verse 9

9b. I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

-- people who say they are Jews but are really a synagogue of Satan -- while we are not entirely sure of what was going on in the church at Smyrna, we can make a guess as to what Jesus is referring to here in this second part of verse 9 based on what we see today in the persecuted church

-- first, He could be referring to the ongoing persecution of Christians by the Jews -- at this time, Christianity was evolving into its own religion, but in a lot of places it was still considered a sect of Judaism -- in fact, in the eyes of the Romans, Jews and Christians were lumped together and seen as one and the same
-- based on the words of Christ, we have to assume that the Jews in the synagogue were spreading lies about the Christians to the government officials and to the people of the city -- not unlike the lies that caused the Christians to be blamed for burning Rome under the Emperor Nero
-- these lies -- this slander -- resulted in greater pressure against the Christians and caused the government to increase their hostility towards these believers
-- we’ve seen the same thing recently in Pakistan -- when a bookstore owned by a Christian started growing and affecting his business, another bookseller falsely accused the Christian of burning the Koran -- this lie and accusation of blasphemy against Islam inflamed the local Muslims -- they formed a mob and burned down the Christian’s store and chased the man and his son home in fear for their lives while the local police stood by and did nothing
-- these types of lies and slander is common in the persecuted church today

-- secondly, Jesus could be referring to the false Christians who had infiltrated the church -- now, we’re all familiar with the fact that some people who attend church are not really Christians -- they may sing the same songs and pray the same prayers and listen to the same sermons but in their heart, they have never accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior -- many times, these people come to church only to be seen or to make connections for business or political reasons -- this is not what I’m talking about when I’m talking about false Christians in the church
-- a common problem in the persecuted church is the presence of spies -- of people who profess to be Christians in order to join a church but who, in reality, are working for the government and gathering information to assist in the persecution of the church
-- we see this quite often in places like China, where the underground church is firmly established and the government is taking drastic steps to remove it -- in China, the government will send in people disguised as Christians -- Judas Christians -- to find out what they can about the church -- who its pastor is and who its members are and when it meets -- so that they can provide this information to the government
-- this could be what Jesus is talking about in this verse -- but, regardless, it was obvious that the church at Smyrna was undergoing intense persecution and affliction and that its members were struggling to survive

-- verse 10

10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.



-- Jesus tells this church, "I know what is going on -- I know what you are going through -- I know that there are more persecutions to come -- but...don't be afraid -- don't be afraid -- I am with you -- and if you are faithful -- even to the point of death as I was -- I will give you the crown of life"
-- Christ was telling this church to hold on -- that more persecutions were on the way -- but that He would be there with them through it all
-- persecution was one of Satan's first tactics in his war against the church -- the Apostolic church was wreaking havoc on Satan's worldwide dominion -- people were getting saved and turning to Christ in record numbers -- so Satan knew something had to be done -- and he thought that he could just stamp out Christianity through persecutions -- both from evil world rulers and from the established religion of the day
-- but, it didn't work -- the more the church was persecuted -- the more it grew

-- Watchman Nee, one of the great Chinese pastors of the 20th century, ministered to a growing church in China during a period of persecution just like this -- the communist government would send spies to his church to make sure that he wasn't preaching anything against the government -- and in their eyes, preaching Christ as Lord and Ruler of everything was treason against the government
-- so one Sunday, Watchman Nee didn't say a word -- he just grabbed a glass of water off the table and looked like he was trying to crush it with his hands -- he started shaking it and shaking it and all the water spilled out -- finally, he threw it on the ground and it shattered -- and then he took his heel and ground it against the glass -- breaking it up into smaller and smaller parts -- and then he ended the service and sent everyone home
-- the government spies didn't have a clue what had just happened -- but the true believers did -- the government of China was trying to stamp out Christianity -- but every time they tried to destroy a church by crushing it with their heel -- it didn't go away -- it just spread into more and more pieces and it grew and grew and grew -- just like the glass in Watchman Nee's sermon delivered without words
-- this is exactly what happened with the persecuted church represented by the church at Smyrna -- the more Satan tried to persecute them and wipe them off the face of the earth, the stronger they became and the more the message spread

-- one thing that is really interesting here is Jesus’ statement that the church would suffer 10 days of persecution -- obviously, the word “day” here is meant symbolically -- this is not 10 literal days but 10 periods of history
-- in fact, if you read church history, you will find out that the early church went through10 major periods of persecution, just as Christ said -- and, during each of those periods of persecution, the church actually grew larger and stronger

-- verse 11

11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

-- he who overcomes -- he who persists under persecution -- he who holds strong to the word of God -- never breaking and never failing to give God glory and honor -- he will not be hurt by the second death
-- here's an important spiritual truth -- how many times should a person be born? -- twice -- once through natural birth -- the second time through supernatural birth -- we call this being born again
-- now, how many times should a person die? -- the answer here is once -- we all die a natural death -- unless the Lord comes for us first, every person in this room will one day die and leave our earthly body behind -- but only the unbelievers -- only the non-Christians will suffer the second death
-- flip over to Revelation 20

6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

-- the second death is eternal separation from God -- the second death is eternity in Hell -- and it is suffered only by those who don't believe in Jesus
-- so, Jesus tells the believers at Smyrna -- "don't be afraid -- the world may persecute you -- they may take away all your worldly wealth and all your material possessions -- they may say all kinds of evil about you -- they may take away your very life -- but if you remain faithful -- if you stand fast to the word and the promise I have given you, you will be overcomers and you will not suffer the second death"

III. Closing
-- now, the thing I really want you to get out of today’s message is that the experience of the church at Smyrna is being experienced by hundreds and thousands of other churches throughout the world today
-- right now, our brothers and sisters in Christ are facing afflictions and persecutions just as the Christians in Smyrna did 2000 years ago -- they are losing their jobs and their homes and their businesses -- they are being ridiculed and mocked -- they are being arrested and beaten and tortured -- and many are losing their lives
-- persecution takes many forms -- but it is a fact that should propel the church in America to action

-- so, what can we do to help our brothers and sisters who suffer daily under the afflictions and trials of persecution?

-- first, we educate ourselves -- that is the whole purpose of Secret Church -- to give us a feel for what it might be like to be in a church where you have to sneak in to worship Christ -- to be in a church where you are constantly looking over your shoulder for the police to come in -- where you are never sure if the person who is next to you is a fellow believer or a spy who will be betray you to the authorities
-- there are many organizations that are dedicated to getting the word out about the persecuted church -- Voice of the Martyrs -- Open Door -- Jihad Watch -- Christian Freedom International


-- go to their sites -- read their information -- learn about the true extent of persecution that you will never hear about in the media

-- second, we give -- we give our resources in support of the persecuted church -- those organizations that I just mentioned are active in restricted nations around the world reaching out to those who are imprisoned and are being unjustly persecuted
-- they can use your money -- they can use your time -- they can use you -- to help take care of men and women just like us who are being persecuted for their faith
-- third, we get active -- we write and call our elected officials -- we ask that our government get involved in human rights issues in places like China and Pakistan and Indonesia -- we ask our government to take a stand on behalf of religious persecution of any kind -- and we support the leaders who do so
-- another way to get active is to write letters to persecuted Christians -- if you go to the Voice of the Martyrs site, they have prisoner awareness sheets with information on Christians that you can write letters of support to and who you can add to your daily prayers -- it was because of a letter writing campaign to three Christian prisoners in Iran that led to their release just this week
-- you put your letter together online -- and the computer will translate it so that you can print it out and mail it to bring encouragement to a Christian suffering in a prison in a restricted country
-- think about the encouragement that John’s letter of Revelation brought to the church at Smyrna -- you can bring that same encouragement to another person by just letting them know that you cared enough to write them

-- and, finally, we pray -- while we may never see the face of any of these men and women who are being persecuted for their faith, God does -- He sees them and He hears their cries and He moves on their behalf
-- in Ephesians 6:18, Paul tells us to keep on praying for all the saints
-- through our prayers, we touch the throne of Heaven and put a hedge of spiritual protection around these faithful churches -- pray that the eyes of their enemies might be blinded to their presence -- pray that the hearts of the leaders in their countries might be changed -- pray that the faith of these men and women would be made stronger and would not falter -- pray that they would stand firm and overcome all the trials and afflictions that might come their way
-- if you do nothing else, pray -- for prayer changes everything

-- we’re going to close in prayer right now -- and I ask you to join me in prayer for the persecuted church and for the blindness of America Christians to the plight of the underground church
-- God is calling us to make a difference in the lives of these people -- and we must begin today
-- let us pray

SERMON: THE END IS NEAR?

22 May 2011

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Matthew 24:3-8


3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.


-- I heard about these two men who were standing on the side of a road not far from here holding up a sign that said, “The end is near” --as they were standing there, a car came flying down the road -- the two men waved at the driver and raised their sign up and down to make sure he saw it
-- when the driver saw them, he honked his horn and put his fist in the air and yelled out to them, “You crazy religious nuts! Get out of here -- no one wants to hear your stupid stuff!” -- and he sped up and kept going down the road
-- All of a sudden, the men heard tires squealing and the sound of a large splash -- they looked at each other and one of the men said, “I told you we should have just written ‘Stop! The Bridge is Out!’”

-- as I’m sure everyone in here is aware, Harold Camping, a Christian radio host from California, predicted that the rapture would occur on March 21st, 2011 and that the end of the world would follow five months later -- with the world ending on October 21st, 2011
-- Camping based his assertion on a mathematical formula using numerology and the repetition of numbers in the Bible to come up with his prediction that the world would come to an end 7,000 years after the flood of Noah, which he dated at 4,990 B.C.
-- and while most Christian groups did not agree with Camping or his prediction of May 21st as the day of the Rapture, the media and the world took a profound interest in his assertion and waited to see if this latest prediction of the end of the world would come to pass -- in fact, earlier this week, Google reported that searches related to Camping’s prediction took up four of their top 10 search positions for the week
-- now that May 21st has come and gone, we can be sure that Christians are going to be faced with ridicule and mocking because of Camping’s failed prediction -- even though most Christian groups did not agree with Camping, the odds are that we will get lumped in with the “religious nuts” and you’ll see news story after news story and jokes from late night entertainers about Christians and the end of the world
-- and, more than likely, your friends and family who know you are a Christian may come up to you and ask you about Camping and his prediction and what the truth really is -- so I wanted to spend some time this morning discussing eschatology -- the fancy word for the study of the end of the world or end times theology
-- now, as we go through this today, I want you to keep in mind that there is probably no greater division or difference of opinion in the church than on end times theology -- understandings and beliefs about the end times vary greatly depending on the church and the denomination and the individual
-- some people regard the end times prophecies in the Bible as merely symbolic and do not believe that the world will come to a cataclysmic end with Christ’s return -- others believe in the return of Christ but not in the descriptions of tribulation that follow -- while others believe in a literal understanding of all of these prophecies, including those found in the Book of Revelation
-- so, keep in mind that in the Christian church, there are vast differences in beliefs and understandings about the end times -- you really need to read the scriptures on your own and look up what the various scholars have said about the end times and come to your own understanding of what you think the Bible is saying
-- the thing to remember is that eschatology is not a criteria for salvation -- it is one of those things that we can agree to disagree about in the church -- believing in the imminent return of Christ will not save you any more than believing that the prophecies are merely symbolic will save you -- salvation comes through putting your faith in the atoning death of Jesus on the cross and believing in the resurrection and the promise of eternal life that Jesus offers
-- let me go ahead and tell you up front which camp I belong to -- I tend to take a literal understanding of the Scriptures unless the meaning is clearly symbolic -- in school, I learned the principle of Occam’s Razor, which basically states, “the simplest explanation is most likely the correct one” -- and this is what I apply to Scripture
-- so, I believe in a literal understanding of end times theology -- including the rapture, the Tribulation Period, the second coming of Christ followed by the millennial kingdom when Christ rules for 1,000 years, and then the final judgment and the creation of a new heaven and a new earth -- this would be considered a very conservative view and very similar to the teachings of Tim LaHaye, one of the authors of the Left Behind series
-- so let’s look back at this passage in Matthew and see what we can learn about the end times from Jesus

II. Olivet Discourse
-- before we begin, let me give you a little background on this passage -- Matthew Chapter 24 is called “The Olivet Discourse” -- which is just a fancy way of saying that Jesus gave this message on the Mount of Olives -- “Olivet” -- to His disciples
-- The Olivet Discourse is Jesus’ message about the end times -- both the end of the nation of Israel and the end of the world in general -- it is found in all three synoptic gospels -- Matthew, Mark, and Luke -- but Matthew has the greatest amount of material on this discourse

-- look at verse 3


3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”


-- this message by Jesus comes in response to the same questions that drove Harold Camping to make his prediction -- when will the world end? -- when will Jesus come back?
-- right now, the world seems to be focused on these types of issues -- with the tremendous natural disasters that we have seen over the last decade -- tsunamis -- earthquakes -- floods -- hurricanes -- famine -- wildfires -- volcanoes -- the list goes on and on -- people are looking at all of this and saying, “Surely the world can’t survive” -- when will the end come? -- how will the end come?
-- and, so, right now, everyone is interested in end times -- we’ve seen Harold Camping’s prediction of the rapture and the end of the world this year -- the Mayan calendar prediction of the end of the world on December 21st, 2012 -- and, just yesterday, I was watching a program about the Georgia Guidestones near Elberton, which also warn of the end of the world based on ancient prophecies
-- Jesus’ disciples weren’t immune to this wondering -- so they came up to Jesus and asked Him, “When is this going to happen? -- when is the world going to end?”
-- let’s look at Jesus’ response

-- verse 4

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

-- basically, what Jesus is telling His disciples here is “Don’t worry” -- He is saying, “Don’t get all caught up in worrying about when the end is going to come or how it’s going to happen” -- don’t think that just because you see natural disasters or wars or famines that it means that the end has come
-- all of these things have happened throughout human history -- we’ve always had wars and rumors of wars -- we’ve always had earthquakes and natural disasters -- we’ve always had false messiahs and false religions -- Jesus says, “This is not cause for concern for those who know Me -- these things will always happen -- it’s not a reason to panic”
-- but, He tells us in verse 8, that these things are the beginning of the birth pains -- or, as the KJV puts it, the beginning of sorrows
-- I think it’s interesting that the NIV uses the term “birth pains” -- because this leads to an interesting analogy -- first, when you have a birth, that means a child is coming -- so, in this case, who is it that is coming? -- we would have to say that Jesus was talking about Himself and His second coming
-- secondly, what happens when a woman goes into labor? -- she begins by having contractions and pain that comes minutes or hours apart -- and then, as the time grows near, these contractions get closer and closer together until finally she gives birth
-- assuming that Jesus is making this same point about the false messiahs and wars and natural disasters, we can say that as the end of the age draws near, that we should see these things occurring more and more often and closer together than ever before

-- skip down to verse 32

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[a] is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

-- now, contrary to what Harold Camping believes, we don’t know the exact day or hour when Jesus will come back -- we don’t know when the rapture will occur or when the end of the age will come -- but, according to Jesus, we can know when it is close at hand
-- Jesus uses the example of the fig tree to make the point that His followers should know when the times are getting close -- think about it -- we can tell when it’s about to be spring and summer, can’t we? -- we start seeing the trees get their leaves -- we start seeing the birds migrate back through -- the temperatures start rising -- we know when the season is near at hand
-- Jesus says we’ll know the same thing about the end of the age -- when we start to see all of these things that He has been talking about coming to pass more and more often we should recognize that the season of the end of the age is near -- that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen today or tomorrow -- it could -- but it could also happen 100 or 500 years from now -- near doesn’t mean immediate -- it means close
-- one other thing about Jesus’ use of the fig tree in His example -- in the Bible, the fig tree sometimes represents the nation of Israel -- so, Jesus could be saying here that when we see the nation of Israel restored -- when we see the Jews come back into their homeland again -- that it means that the end is near
-- 40 years after Jesus was crucified, in 70 AD, the nation of Israel was totally destroyed and the temple was torn down -- for 2000 years, there was no nation of Israel and the Jews were dispersed throughout the world, living in other countries -- but, on May 14th, 1948, the Jews came home and the modern nation of Israel was recognized -- is this what Jesus is talking about in His example of the fig tree? -- that’s quite likely -- and this may be yet another sign that the end of the age is near
-- one thing that we need to keep in mind that Harold Camping forgot was verse 36 -- "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” -- we can’t predict the day or the hour that Jesus will come back -- it’s not for us to do that -- only the Father knows the exact time that this will happen
-- we can know the season -- we can recognize the signs of the birth pains -- but the actual date and hour is not ours to know

-- verse 37

37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

-- Jesus it makes clear here -- when the end of the world does come -- when Jesus does return -- the world is not going to be expecting Him -- it won’t be like this weekend when all of the media’s attention was on the prediction by Harold Camping that the world was coming to an end on Saturday
-- Jesus’ followers will know the time is at hand just as Noah knew the flood was coming -- Noah didn’t know the exact day or hour when the rain would start falling and we don’t know the exact day or hour when Jesus will come -- but we’ll know it’s soon -- however, the rest of the world will be clueless because they have chosen to turn away from the knowledge of the truth
-- and, so, Jesus tells us that when He does come back, one will be taken and the other left -- one will go to heaven to be with Jesus and the other left behind
-- the important thing to note here is that Jesus is definitely coming back -- Even though Camping got the date wrong, it doesn’t change the fact that Jesus is still coming back -- He tells us so right here in verse 42 and again in verse 44 -- that is a promise from God -- and we have to believe and trust in it and expect it to come to pass just as He said

III. Closing -- What Now?
-- so, what now? -- on the heels of the failed prediction by Harold Camping, what should we do as Christians and believers in the second coming of Christ? -- Jesus tells us right here in this passage
-- Jesus gives us the command to keep watch and be ready -- to watch and be ready means several different things
-- this means that we truly become disciples of Christ in our daily lives -- we live for Jesus everyday and not just on Sundays -- when we sin, we confess our sins and thank God for His forgiveness -- we maintain our relationship with Him by reading our Bibles and praying and worshiping Him every day
-- this also means that we are ready to share with others the hope that we have in Jesus and in His death and resurrection -- one good thing about Camping’s prediction is that people are talking about Jesus in the media and at the water cooler and in school -- we have an open door to share with people about Jesus and about our faith
-- we should use this opportunity to share with them the good news of salvation and let them know that they won’t have to worry about the end of the world if they would turn to Jesus in faith for the forgiveness of their sins -- it gives us the opportunity to let them know that through Jesus they would come to know a peace and a joy that surpasses all understanding and that removes all fear from their lives -- even the fear of the world coming to an end

-- Jesus goes on in this passage to talk about the faithful and wise servant who does what his Master has told him to do -- it is our calling as Christians to go and make disciples of the whole world, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit -- and teaching them to obey everything that Jesus has commanded
-- this is what a faithful and wise servant does -- and this is how we should occupy our time and bring glory out of this failed prediction by Harold Camping

-- so, let’s sum this up -- the message of this entire Olivet Discourse from Jesus is that, yes, the end of the age is coming -- it is ever closer -- and we will know the time when it is near
-- but, our focus shouldn’t be on the end -- our focus should be on our mission and our lives as Christ-followers -- we should concentrate our efforts on being ready -- both personally -- living lives of holiness and righteousness every day -- and missionally -- sharing the gospel of Christ with those around us so that they, too, might come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ

-- as we close in prayer today, I want to encourage you to take a moment and consider where you are with Jesus and make whatever changes you need to in order to restore and continue your relationship with Him -- and I want to encourage you to commit to sharing the good news of Jesus with those around you -- so that it won’t be your friends and your family who get left behind when the end does come
-- let us pray