SERMON: LOVING ENEMIES

22 March 2015

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Luke 6:27-36

Luke 6:27-36 (NIV)

27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.

30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.

31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them.

33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that.

34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.

35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

            -- this week we celebrated St. Patrick's Day -- and, for most of us, this day has become nothing more than a day we go about wearing green and celebrating our Irish heritage -- if you were a stranger in this country and were to go to the city of Savannah on St. Patrick's Day and see the Savannah River dyed green and the crowds of people drinking and partying on River Street, you would have no idea this day was actually set aside to honor a great Christian man and the work he did for Christ in Ireland

            -- it is a shame that we give such little consideration to St. Patrick on the very day that bears his name -- and it's a shame that the church has forgotten just what a great man of Christ he was

            -- St. Patrick has become a man of legend, shrouded in myth -- we remember him as the patron saint of Ireland who drove the snakes out of the country and used the three-leaf clover to spread the gospel -- but when you cut through the mists of myth and know the true story of Patrick, you will see why he is so revered by the people of God and of Ireland today -- and why we should remember his example of Christian charity as we seek to live out our lives for Christ today

            -- Patrick was born in Britain in the fourth century -- he was the son of a local community leader and the grandson of a priest -- this was a time of chaos and decline in Britain as the Roman Empire was beginning to crumble -- the Roman forces had withdrawn from Britain back to Italy to protect the seat of their power -- which left Britain without military support  and vulnerable to attacks from the Picts and the Irish and the other tribes in that area that had previously warred with the native Britons

            -- in the power void left by the Romans, these other tribes began raiding the countryside of Britain -- attacking and pillaging towns and villages and taking young men and women captive for slaves -- it was in such an attack that Patrick was captured and carried to Ireland as a slave when he was just 16 years old

            -- for six years, Patrick served as a shepherd in Ireland -- living as a slave in a pagan land ruled by local chieftains who constantly warred with each other -- it was here Patrick was first introduced to the religion of the Druids, and realized how the Druids kept the nation dominated by requiring strict adherence to their religious practices -- still, Patrick maintained his faith in Christ and spent his time in the countryside praying and reciting scripture 

            -- Patrick wrote in his Confessions that after he had been in Ireland for six years, he heard a voice telling him that he would soon go home -- a few months later, the voice spoke again, saying that his ship was ready -- and Patrick fled from his slave master, made his way to the coast, where he caught a ship back to Britain and to freedom

            -- while in Britain, Patrick's faith continued to grow and he began to serve in the church, as his father and grandfather had done -- one day, Patrick had a vision of a group of Irish men crying out to him, "We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us again"

            -- Patrick realized that God was calling him to leave his homeland and to return to Ireland -- to minister to his enemies -- to the people who had taken him captive and destroyed his home -- to live the rest of his life in the land where he once had been a slave

            -- Patrick had a choice to make -- he could stay in Britain and serve God in the church there -- ministering to his own people in his own land -- or he could follow the message of the vision and carry the gospel to the pagans of Ireland -- opposing the established Druid religion and sharing the love of Christ with those who had previously enslaved him and brutally attacked his homeland

            -- to go to Ireland meant certain death -- to go to Ireland meant that he would face persecution and trials and troubles, not only from the chieftains and the Irish people, but especially from the Druids who had enslaved the island with their superstitious religion -- still, Christ bid him to go and tell the Irish about the good news of the cross -- and Patrick went -- facing his fears and the trials ahead -- and carried the light of Christ to a people living in darkness

            -- Patrick's ministry in Ireland was extremely fruitful -- in his Confessions, he says that he baptized thousands of people -- he ordained priests to lead the new Christian communities -- and he founded hundreds of churches throughout Ireland -- almost single-handedly, Patrick led Ireland from pagan superstition to belief in Christianity -- and it is because of this that we celebrate his name every year on March 17th

II.  Loving Your Enemies

            -- but how was he able to do so much? -- why was Patrick's ministry so successful? -- I don't think it was because Patrick was a gifted orator or an anointed preacher -- I don't think it's because he had a special blessing from God -- I think he was so successful because of one thing -- Patrick was a man who truly found a way to love his enemies and care for them with his whole heart and that made all the difference

            -- this morning we're going to look at this passage from the Gospel of Luke where Jesus commands us to love our enemies -- now when I read that, I find it easy to say that it really doesn't apply to me -- I don't have any real enemies in my life -- I can't say that there are people in my life who are actively working against me or trying to destroy my life like the people Patrick faced

            -- but as we look closer at this message from Christ and consider the principles He is giving us in this passage, I do think we need to acknowledge there are many people in our lives, who may not be enemies, but who are just hard to get along with

            -- they may be family -- they may be friends -- they may be people we don't even know -- but, truth be told, they really get our goat -- they try our patience -- they make us angry

            -- it's like what a friend of mine posted on Facebook yesterday -- someone I consider a true man of faith -- he wrote: "there are some people in this world who seem to have the sole purpose of testing my patience -- My guess is that I'm supposed to learn a lesson from their actions, but I have to say that when someone upsets either my wife or either of my daughters, I don't take that very well at all."

            -- some people are just unloveable -- they may not be our "enemies," but we just don't like them -- they just make us angry and they try our patience and they test our faith -- I have to be honest and tell you, there's been many days I've come back from a trip to town and said, "I just don't like people"

            -- as the great poet of our time, Taylor Swift, says "Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate..." -- and it seems like these are the people we keep running across in our lives

            -- so what do we do with people that just aren't nice? -- with people that are just difficult and that seem to revel in causing chaos and disruption? -- with people who just don't seem to care about anyone else and who just make us mad by what they do?

            -- what do we do with them? -- how do we live with them? -- how do we respond?

            -- well, to be honest, I'm afraid that you're probably not going to like the answer -- because what Jesus is telling us to do in this passage seems wrong and it seems impossible and it goes against our human nature -- but, as Christians, it is what we are supposed to do

III.  Scripture Lesson (Luke 6:27-36)

            -- so let's look now at this passage from Luke 6 and see what Jesus tells us to do about our enemies and about those people in our lives who just make us angry

            -- look back with me at verse 27-36

Luke 6:27-36 (NIV)

27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.

30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.

31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them.

33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that.

34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.

35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

            -- you've got to be kidding me -- we all know this commandment -- we've heard it before -- "love your enemies" -- but surely Jesus didn't mean that, did He?

            -- how do we love somebody that doesn't love us? -- heck, how can we even be nice to someone who treats us like they do? -- Jesus can't mean what He's saying here, right? -- when He says to love our enemies, He's probably just talking about in a broad, general sense -- like Christians are supposed to love one another -- not actual "loving" them and doing things for them, right?

            -- Wrong! -- Jesus is pretty emphatic about this -- the Greek word He uses here for love is the word agape -- you guessed that, didn't you? -- agape love -- unconditional love -- the love of God that reaches out to us and loves us in spite of who we are and what we've done

            -- when Jesus tells us to agape our enemies, He's saying to love them with our heart and with our hands and with our feet -- agape love is not only a noun -- it's also a verb -- it means actively loving someone else -- in this case, someone who hates us  

            -- reaching out to them and caring for them and doing for them, even though they might be the most unloveable and difficult person on earth

            -- Jesus gives us three specific actions in these verses to define what He means by loving our enemies

            -- first, He says to do good to those who hate you -- that's an action -- Jesus is telling us to go out and do good things for them

            -- I read this story about a lady whose chickens got out of her pen one day -- they went over to the neighbor's yard and destroyed his garden -- pulling out all the plants and eating them and scratching up the other plants -- he was so angry he killed those chickens and carried them over to the woman's house and threw them on the porch

            -- do you know what she did? -- she took those chickens and cleaned them and cooked them into a pot pie and then carried that pot pie back to her neighbor, apologizing for what her chickens had done and telling him she hoped this gift made up for it

            -- that's what Jesus is talking about -- do good to those who hate you -- when someone makes you just so angry you want to spit, Jesus says, "do something good for them" -- it goes against our nature, but that's the point

            -- as Christians we are a new creation and we live in a new kingdom with a new code of behavior -- a code that says "do good to those who hate you"

            -- the next thing He tells us is to bless those who curse you -- that means we don't respond in kind -- I can tell you, the last thing I want to do when someone curses at me and abuses me verbally or belittles me in a meeting is to bless them -- but Jesus says that's what we're supposed to do

            -- our human nature tells us that we have to win -- we have to get them back -- if they yell at us, then we're supposed to yell back -- if they put us down, then we're supposed to do the same thing back to them -- the world says its a competition and you have to win and the other person has to lose

            -- but Jesus tells us to take the fall -- to choose to lose -- to choose to die to self so we might live for Him

            -- rather than yelling back at someone or angrily responding, Jesus says to bless them with your words -- respond with kindness -- speak words of grace -- or, if you can't do anything more, just don't respond

            -- finally, Jesus tells us to pray for those who mistreat us -- this reminds us of what Paul taught in Ephesians Chapter 6 -- our struggle is not against flesh and blood -- our enemies

            -- these people who are mistreating us and hurting us and making us mad and irritated are doing this for a reason -- they're doing it because this is all they know -- this is what they have been taught to do by the world

            -- we come into this world as selfish creatures and if we don't get our own way, we start life by throwing baby fits -- and a lot of people keep doing it their whole life -- it's all they know

            -- Jesus says, "Pray for them -- pray that they would come to a saving knowledge of the truth -- pray that they would come into the Kingdom of God -- pray that their hearts would be softened by the presence of God and that they would come to the cross for forgiveness and life and love -- Pray for them, because they need it"

            -- Jesus goes on in the rest of this passage and gives examples on what loving our enemies should look like -- if someone strikes you on your cheek, love them anyway -- if they take your cloak -- if they take things that don't belong to them -- love them anyway -- if they come to you and want more and more and more, don't turn them away but love them anyway

            -- in each of these examples, Jesus is emphasizing a principle -- love is more important than self -- this passage is about our attitude towards ourselves and the things we possess

            -- what is more important? -- our honor or the eternity of the one who just slapped us on the cheek? -- what is more important? -- material possessions or a spiritual inheritance?

            -- when considering how to love our enemies and how to relate to those around us, we must remember the command of Christ to take up our cross, die to self, and follow Him

            -- we can only love our enemies when we stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about them and their true needs -- we can only love our enemies when we stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about Christ

IV.  CLOSING

            -- I read a devotional by D.J. Pollay that really sums Jesus' message up for us and shows us how to live it out in our lives today

            -- Pollay writes about the day he was in a taxi and they got cut off by another driver -- he just missed them by inches and Pollay's cabdriver had to slam on brakes to keep from hitting them -- and then, to make things worse, the guy who cut them off started yelling at them like they were the ones at fault

            -- the taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy like they were best friends -- so Pollay asked him, ‘Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!’ -- that's when the taxi driver taught him the ‘The Law of the Trash Truck.’

            -- He said a lot of people are like trash trucks -- they run around full of garbage -- full of frustration -- full of anger -- and full of disappointment -- As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it -- and sometimes they dump it on you

            -- Don’t take it personally, he said -- Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on -- don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

            -- The bottom line is that successful people do not let trash trucks take over their day

            -- when this happens to you -- and it will -- just say to yourself, "Trash truck!" -- and let it go -- "Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets"¹

            -- so do what Jesus tells you to do in this passage:

            -- love the people who treat you right -- and love the people who don't

            -- do good for them -- show them a different way -- be for them the hands and feet of Christ -- take the garbage out for them so maybe it won't pile up anymore

            -- bless them when they curse you -- speak words of kindness to those who don't deserve it -- remember how Christ died for you when you didn't deserve it -- and speak God's favor on them as those who really need it

            -- and pray for those who mistreat you -- they act this way because it's all they know -- pray that they will come to know a better way -- pray that they will trade in their trash truck for a chariot to heaven

            -- love your enemies and do to others as you would have them do to you

            -- let us pray

1 Modified from "The Law of the Garbage Truck" by D.J. Pollay -http://www.simpletoremember.com/jewish/blog/garbage-truck/

SERMON: THE TWO CUPS OF EASTER

Easter Sunrise Service

5 April 2015

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Matthew 26:36-46

Matthew 26:36-46 (NIV)

36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."

37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.

38 Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter.

41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

42 He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."

43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.

44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

46 Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

            -- when you think of Easter, what comes to mind? -- what is the symbol of Easter for you?

            -- for many people, Easter means the Easter bunny -- it means hunting for brightly colored Easter eggs -- Easter is symbolized by Easter baskets filled with chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps -- it means celebrating the day with chocolate and candy

            -- for others, especially for Christians, the symbol of Easter is the cross or the empty tomb or even the outline of a fish -- for thousands of years, these symbols have represented our faith and our understanding of who Jesus was and what He did -- we wear these symbols as jewelry -- we decorate our cars and our Bibles with them -- they represent for us the reason we are gathered here on Easter morning

            -- but today I want to talk about another image that symbolizes for us the meaning of Easter -- the symbol of the chalice or cup

            -- this symbol was predominant on the Thursday of Holy Week and pointed to the purpose for Christ's coming, death, and resurrection

            -- if you remember, Holy Week began on Palm Sunday, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey as crowds cheered His name and laid palm branches before His path and shouted, "Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord -- Hosanna in the highest"

            -- four days later, on Thursday night, Jesus and His disciples joined together in the Upper Room to celebrate the Passover Seder -- the Jewish ritual feast that marked the start of the celebration of Passover and that involved the ceremonial drinking of four cups of wine

            -- after they had finished sharing the Passover meal, Jesus and His disciples left for the Mount of Olives, where Jesus prayed alone in the Garden of Gethsemane about the ordeal He was about to face

            -- look with me now, if you would, at Matthew 26 and let's discuss the first cup of Easter

            -- verse 36-38

Matthew 26:36-38 (NIV)

36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."

37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.

38 Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

            -- the Passover was a joyous holiday for the Jew -- it was a time of celebration -- a time of remembering God's mighty works in delivering the Jews from bondage in Egypt

            -- as Jesus and the disciples made their way from the upper room to the Garden of Gethsemane, I have no doubt the disciples were in a good mood -- they had just come from a party -- they were happy and well-fed -- and I'm sure this mood carried with them as they made their way up the Mount of Olives to the garden

            -- but the closer they came to the garden, the greater the distance became between Jesus and them -- as they were jovial and joked with each other, Jesus became more and more quiet -- more and more somber -- more and more sorrowful -- Jesus tells Peter and James and John in verse 38 that His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death

            -- but this distance between Jesus and the others was not just in mood -- it was also physical -- Matthew tells us that Jesus directed His disciples to sit in a certain place while He went on farther into the garden to pray by Himself

            -- this distance between Jesus and His disciples that we see in this passage was not just a coincidence -- it points to the separation between us and the Father -- the great expanse that exists between us and Him because of our sin and disobedience -- because of our sins, there is a distance between us and God -- because of our sins, we cannot approach Him

            -- only Jesus could enter into the presence of God because only Jesus had lived a perfect and sinless life -- and that's important to remember as we continue on in this passage

            -- verse 39-46

Matthew 26:39-46 (NIV)

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter.

41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

42 He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."

43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.

44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

46 Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

            -- Jesus left His disciples and went into the Father's presence to pray -- and three times, Jesus prayed about the same thing -- a cup that the Father had asked Him to drink from

            -- this cup was the source of Jesus' grief and sorrow that night -- this cup was the reason why Jesus was in agony in the garden -- as Luke records, Jesus' ordeal that night was so great that as He prayed and wrestled with the Father about this cup that He actually sweated out drops of blood onto the ground

            -- what was this cup? -- more importantly, what was in this cup?

            -- some say this was the cup of sin or iniquity referred to in the Bible -- that this is the reason why Jesus prayed to the Father and said, "Father, if there is any other way, please do not make Me drink from this cup" because He did not want to take this sin upon His sinless self -- and that does makes some sense

            -- Jesus was the only person who ever lived who was able to fully keep God's law and be obedient to Him in all things -- Jesus was the only sinless person that ever lived -- yet, the Bible tells us that Jesus became sin for us on the cross -- that all our sins were placed upon Him -- and that He carried them with Him on the cross -- that's why some people say that Jesus drank our sins that night in the garden

            -- others say this was the cup of suffering -- that when Jesus looked in the cup He saw the suffering of the cross -- He saw the pain of the flogging and the beatings He would endure later that night and early into the next morning -- He saw the pain and suffering of the crucifixion He would have to go through on Friday and so He prayed to the Father, "if it is possible, please keep me from this suffering" -- this is the cup that some say Jesus prayed to avoid that night at Gethsemane

           

            -- but I don't believe that it was either the cup of sin or the cup of suffering that caused Jesus such grief and sorrow that night -- instead it was another cup that we see described for us in Psalm 75 and Jeremiah 25 -- the cup of God's wrath

            -- let me read for you Psalm 75:7-8 -- "But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another -- In the hand of the LORD is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs."

            -- in Jeremiah 25:15 we read, "Take from my hand this cup of the wine of my wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it"

            -- this cup Jesus prayed about in the Garden of Gethsemane was the cup of God's wrath -- now when the Bible speaks of the wrath of God, it is referring to God's righteous judgment against sin and transgression

            -- all of us deserve God's wrath and judgment because all of us are sinners -- as it says in Romans 3:23, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" -- God is right and righteous when He punishes us for our sins -- and that punishment is eternal death and separation from Him -- Romans 6:23 says, "the wages of sin are death"

            -- so what was going on in the Garden of Gethsemane that night was that Jesus had been presented with the cup of God's wrath and judgment that had been stored up for all eternity -- not only the wrath and judgment for my sin and your sin -- but for the sin of each and every person who ever lived and who will ever live

            -- if you can imagine the punishment that each of us deserve and then expand that almost infinitely, that is what Jesus was being asked to drink in our place with the Cup of Calvary -- that is why His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death -- that is why He prayed, "Father, if there is any other way, please let this cup pass from Me"

            -- several years ago we watched a movie called "The Last Sin Eater" -- it was based on a practice that grew up among the people of Wales in the early 1800s -- when a person died, a wafer of bread would be placed upon their chest -- it was believed that the sins of the person would enter that wafer of bread

            -- and then one person in that community -- the Sin Eater -- would eat the bread -- taking upon himself the sins of the deceased that he would carry the rest of his life

            -- this person was considered condemned and unsaveable -- it was believed he would suffer the wrath and judgment of God for all of the sins of the deceased he had eaten as well as for his own personal sins and that he was outside the reach of God's grace, condemned to eternal damnation and punishment

            -- now while we know this was not possible -- that a sinful person cannot carry the sins of another -- that each of us must pay the penalty for our own sins -- this is a picture for us of what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary when He drank from the cup of God's wrath

            -- because Jesus was sinless -- because He was fully God and fully man and lived a perfect life -- He alone was capable of drinking from the Cup of Calvary and taking upon Himself the entire wrath and judgment of God for the sins of the world

            -- this was the struggle Jesus faced in the garden that night as He wrestled with the Father -- would He drink of this cup or would He choose to let it pass and force each of us to suffer the penalty for our own sins?

            -- the decision was made in verse 42 when Jesus said, "may your will be done" -- at that moment His path was set and He stood to face the kiss of the betrayer and the suffering of Calvary in our place

            -- it was on the cross of Calvary that Jesus drained the cup of God's wrath -- it was on the cross of Calvary when He swallowed our sin and suffered the penalty in our place -- and it was because of this cup that Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

            -- on the cross of Calvary, as Jesus died, the cup of God's wrath was emptied

            -- which brings us to the second cup of Easter -- if you still have your Bible opened to Matthew 26, look up with me at verse 26-29

Matthew 26:26-29 (NIV)

26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."

27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.

28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

29 I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."

            -- there is a saying in science, "Nature abhors a vacuum" -- which means that if something has been emptied, it will be filled by something else -- the same is true in the spiritual realm

            -- the cup of God's wrath was emptied on Calvary, poured out on Christ Himself -- but the cup did not remain empty -- it was redeemed, renewed, and refilled -- as we see in these verses, the cup of God's wrath was replaced with the cup of the new covenant, filled with the precious blood of Christ, which was poured out for us for the forgiveness of our sins

            -- because of Christ's sacrificial death -- because He chose to drink of the cup of Calvary and offer up His body and His blood as payment for our sins -- we have been given a new cup from which to drink -- the cup of grace -- the cup of forgiveness -- the cup of the new covenant

            -- through the sacrament of Holy Communion, we remember and experience anew the sacrifice of Christ's death on the cross and the hope of eternal life and forgiveness of sins made possible through His resurrection

            -- so as we close our service on this Easter morning -- with a new day of hope dawning around us -- let us come together and share this cup of the new covenant as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

            -- let us pray

SERMON: TESTED AND APPROVED: HUMILITY

15 March 2015

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Luke 1:46-49

Luke 1:46-49 (NIV)

46 And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord

47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,

49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name.

            -- in an article from Discipleship Journal, Gert Doornenbal relates a story his father told him when he was very young -- in their village in the Netherlands there once lived a very godly old man -- everyone who saw him recognized his holiness -- they recognized the power of God within him -- they saw within him something they lacked --and when his children asked him what the secret of his godly life was, he answered, "Humility, children. Humility."

            -- "And what else, Father?" asked the children. "What else?"

            -- "Humility, children. Humility."

            -- "But what else? -- Surely there's more."

            -- "Humility, children. Humility."¹

            -- this morning we are finishing our sermon series "Tested and Approved" on the cardinal virtues of a Christian life -- so far we have looked at the virtues of wisdom, courage, self-control, justice, and diligence -- this morning we are ending the series with what is arguably, the greatest of all the virtues we can seek in our lives -- the virtue of humility

            -- as Doornenbal's story demonstrates, the key to living a Christian life -- the key to become who God wants us to be -- rests with the virtue of humility -- "humility makes us people with a finely tuned ear for God's word, because we want to know his will --Humility makes us people who can find time for prayer, because we want to live through his power -- [and] the result [of acquiring humility] will be a growing joy in the Lord."¹

            -- "Without humility there can be no true abiding in God's presence or experience of His favor and the power of His spirit -- without [humility] there can be no abiding faith or love or joy or strength."²

            -- we find here in the opening chapter of the gospel of Luke a perfect example of humility in the person of Mary, the mother of Jesus -- in this chapter, both Mary and Zechariah, her cousin Elizabeth's husband, are greeted by the angel Gabriel who comes to tell them of their role in the story of the coming Messiah -- but their responses to the message from God could not be more different

            -- when Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and said his wife Elizabeth was going to bear a son, Zechariah immediately questioned God -- "How can this be?  We are old and my wife is barren and past child-bearing age" -- Zechariah did not believe because he turned his eyes from the promise and possibility of God to himself -- his focus was not on what God could do, but on what he could not possibly do -- and Zechariah lost his voice for nine months for his sin

            -- but contrast that to the story of Mary -- when Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she was to bear the Messiah through the power of the Holy Spirit, she believed with no hesitation -- she accepted the promise and looked to how God would fulfill this blessing through her

            -- as Mary's cousin Elizabeth said in verse 45 when Mary came to her home -- "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

            -- do you see the difference? -- Mary's focus was not on herself -- even in the midst of her pregnancy, she did not think of self, but focused on God and the possibilities that come through Him

            -- as we see through her example, humility is not thinking less of ourselves, but not thinking of ourselves at all -- we become humble when we turn our eyes upon Jesus and others and never turn them back on ourselves again

            -- look back at verse 46-48a

Luke 1:46-48a (NIV)

46 And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord

47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48a. for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

            -- Mary's humility exalted the Lord -- her soul -- her very being -- glorified the Lord because her focus was on Him -- her attention was on Him -- her hope was in Him -- she rejoiced in His presence, and God was mindful of Mary's worship

            -- humility -- humbling ourselves before God -- recognizing there is a God and we are not Him -- is the first step towards truly becoming holy

            -- our goal as Christians is to bring glory to God -- to worship Him with all our being -- to exalt Him in our lives -- and we do this first through humility -- by dying to self -- by becoming less and letting Christ become more

            -- John the Baptist understood this -- in John 3:30, he proclaimed to his disciples, "He [Christ] must become greater and greater -- I must become less and less"

            -- this is the heart of humility

            -- look back at the second part of verse 48b-49

Luke 1:48b-49 (NIV)

48b. From now on all generations will call me blessed,

49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name.

            -- when we become truly humble in our character and in our actions, others will take notice -- they will see who we are and they will call us blessed -- they will recognize God's power in us -- they will see God through us

            -- notice that even here in Mary's song, the focus is not on her or her role in bearing the Messiah -- the focus is always on God and what He has done

            -- the humility that Mary demonstrated through her life is an example of what we should be striving for in our own

           

II.  The Path to Humility

            -- in fact, we are commanded in the Bible to seek this same humility that Mary so exemplified -- in 1 Peter 3:8 we see the command, "Be...humble" -- and in 1 Peter 5:6 we are told, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time."

            -- in Philippians 2, Paul tells us our attitude -- our character -- should be like that of Christ -- that we should humble ourselves as He humbled Himself when He came to earth, taking on the very nature of a servant

            -- in Colossians 3:12, Paul says to clothe ourselves with humility -- and we read in James 4:10 to humbles ourselves before the Lord

            -- Jesus Himself taught humility through His message and His example -- several times in the gospels we read how He sought to ingrain an attitude of humility in His disciples

            -- in Matthew 11:29, He said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart" and in Matthew 23:12, He taught, "Whoever humbles himself will be exalted"

            -- when we read these commands to be humble in the Bible, we need to understand what it is God is asking from us -- He is not asking for self-hate -- He is not asking us to put ourselves down -- to take on this persona of being a nothing -- a worm -- someone to be walked upon -- that is not what He means

            -- when I was in Tennessee, I knew someone who thought this was the path to humility -- every time you saw them -- every time they were in church -- all you would hear from them was "Woe unto me -- I am a worthless sinner -- I am no good -- I am nothing"

            -- saying this -- living like this -- discounts everything God has done in your life -- this is "irrational modesty"³ -- and it is not healthy -- to be humble does not mean you put yourself down -- to be humble means you take an honest evaluation of who you are and who God made you to be -- and, just as you don't exalt yourself above others in pride, you don't become lower than them in humility -- you recognize who you are and you live your life as God intended

            -- to constantly put yourself down -- to go through life in a state of self-hate -- is to say that God made a mistake -- that He can't work through you -- that He can't make you anything of value -- but, as the old saying goes, "God doesn't make junk" -- Christ didn't die on the cross so you would go through life in this state -- He died on the cross so you would be freed of your sins to rise to the place He created you to live -- to be the person He created you to be

            -- "Biblical humility is simply saying, "Lord, thank you for the way you made me. -- I don't have to try to be like somebody else or do what someone else does -- I just want to be and do what you want me to be and do."³

            -- to be humble is an act of surrender -- it means you submit your will to God's -- you step off the throne and put God on the throne -- and you do what He wants you to do and not what you want to do

            -- to be humble means that we are letting God be God in our lives -- "humility is an honest and objective reflection of our real relationship to God" -- by choosing to live as Christ and to humble ourselves before God, we are demonstrating the truth of the fact that we are dependent on God -- our life -- our being -- our very existence depends on Him

            -- as someone once said, "All that we have comes from God -- our lives, our salvation, our hope, our Christ. God has given all; nothing is our own. God gives; God will take away; God will give again."

            -- when we recognize that we are not and cannot be in control of our own lives and we live in that understanding, then we are finally submitting ourselves to God and paving the way for Him to work in our lives -- that is why humility is the first step in true holiness

            -- the problem, however, is that humility is not a virtue easily captured -- it is not something we can do on our own -- think about the example of the disciples -- Jesus kept teaching them to be humble -- He kept demonstrating to them the path of humility through His life and His interactions with others

            -- but still they continued to fail time and time again -- even right up to the end -- in the upper room itself -- we see them arguing among themselves over which of them was the greatest -- humility was a concept something they could not grasp

            -- it is only after Pentecost that we see the disciples finally obtaining that which was commanded to them -- it was only after the coming of the Holy Spirit were they able to finally lay hold of the greatest of the virtues that they needed to be holy as God is holy

            -- to become humble requires the total surrender of ourselves to God through the power of the Holy Spirit within

            -- let's turn over to Psalm 131 and we'll bring this to a close

            -- if you will notice at the start of this psalm from David, we read it is a psalm of ascents -- which is a perfect picture of how one truly becomes humble

            -- there are 15 of these psalms of ascent in the Bible -- pilgrims to Jerusalem who were coming to worship God at one of the three feasts of the Lord would sing these psalms as they approached the city -- climbing higher and higher on Mount Zion -- until they reached the pinnacle -- the temple of God

            -- some scholars suggest these were also sung by the priests as they ascended the steps of the temple to offer sacrifices and incense to the Lord

            -- these psalms offer a picture of someone leaving themselves behind as they approach the throne of grace -- of someone turning their eyes from self to Jesus -- from pride to surrender and humility

            -- look at the example of humility we see in David's psalm of ascent here, starting in verse 1

Psalm 131:1 (NIV)

1 My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.

            -- someone who is humble is neither proud or haughty -- they are not arrogant -- they do not elevate themselves or take credit for more than they should

            -- David says he does not concern himself with great matters or things too wonderful for him -- this means he knows his place in the Kingdom of God -- he knows who he is -- he knows who God made him to be -- and he is content in that place -- neither exalting himself above God or others nor lowering himself through self-hate or debasement

            -- verse 2

Psalm 131:2 (NIV)

2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

            -- David compares himself to a weaned child -- a child of four or five years old -- old enough to walk on their own, but completely submissive and dependent on their mother's care and guidance

            -- what a picture of humility -- someone coming into their own -- becoming their own person -- yet going through life in dependence on God

            -- Jesus said that unless we humble ourselves as children, we would not enter the Kingdom of God -- child-like humility is the picture David is giving us here -- the example we are to fix in our minds and strive to obtain through God's power

            -- verse 3

Psalm 131:3 (NIV)

3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.

            -- our hope is in the Lord and Him alone -- our focus is on the Lord and Him alone -- the heart of humility is surrender and the death of self -- the heart of humility is letting God increase while we decrease

            -- humility is not a one-time event -- it is a process -- a way of life -- something we will need to strive for on a daily basis -- but we must strive for it, because it is the key to holiness and perfection in Christ

III.  Closing

            -- A man was walking through an art gallery when he came upon a picture of the Lord Jesus dying upon the cross -- he stopped and looked at the beautiful portrait of Calvary's love

            -- as he stared into the face of Christ, so full of agony, he was surprised by a tap on his shoulder -- the docent in the gallery said, "Lower -- the artist painted this picture to be appreciated from a lower position."

            -- So the man bent down -- and from this lower position he observed new beauties in the picture not previously shown -- "Lower," repeated the docent. "Lower still."

            -- The man knelt down on one knee and looked up into the face of Christ -- the new vantage point yielded new beauties to behold and appreciate.

            -- But motioning with his cane toward the ground, the docent said, "Lower. You've still got to go lower."

            -- The man now dropped down to two knees and looked up -- only then as he looked up at the painting from such a low posture could he realize the artist's intended perspective. Only then could he see the full beauty of the cross.

            -- this is the key to humility -- only as we position ourselves lower and lower in humble submission can we behold more fully the glories of our wonderful Lord and step into the place to which He has called⁴

            -- as we finish this series on the cardinal virtues of the Christian life, I want to invite you to reflect again on who you are and who God called you to be -- I want to encourage you to strive for these virtues of wisdom and courage -- of humility and self-control -- of diligence and justice

            -- I want to encourage you to ask God to fill you with His Spirit -- to empower you to be the men and women of Christ He has called you to be -- I want to encourage you to live out a life of holiness in Him

            -- let us pray

           
1 Gert Doornenbal, "An Old Man's Secret," Nov/Dec 1982, Issue #12, Discipleship Journal

2 Andrew Murray, "Humility"

3 "Right Relationships," George Sanchez, Discipleship Journal, Issue 1, Jan/Feb 1981

4 Modified from David Moore's Sermon "In and Around Heaven" -- Illustration from Sermon Central [http://www.sermoncentral.com/illustrations/sermon-illustration-sermon-central-stories-submission-worshipgeneral-humility-70197.asp]

SERMON: TESTED AND APPROVED: DILIGENCE

8 March 2015

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Ephesians 6:5-9

Ephesians 6:5-9 (NIV)

5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,

8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

            -- sometimes in my life, I have to question God -- I just have to ask Him why things are so hard -- why is life so difficult -- why do I have to struggle so much just to try and follow Him in this world

            -- we read in the Bible how God miraculously healed the sick -- how Jesus would just touch the leper and they would instantly be clean -- or how He would touch the lame and their twisted and paralyzed limbs would be made whole

            -- and I have to ask, why don't you do that to us? -- when we became Christians, why didn't You just touch us and make us holy and remove from us all those things that were so displeasing to You? -- why didn't you just heal our hearts and our characters in a moment as you did for the sick and the lame?

            -- I read a story one time that I think speaks the reason why -- you see, there was this small farmer whose farm was surrounded by larger and more successful farms -- this farmer wasn't able to hire men to help him put in the crops and harvest them when they got ready like the other farmers, so he made his three sons do the work for him -- these boys would get up before school and help in the field -- and then when they got home, they would change clothes, and go back out again, working until dark alongside their father to keep their farm going

            -- one day, several of the other farmers met with the father and told him that it wasn't necessary to work the boys that hard in order to raise a crop -- the father quietly responded, "I'm not just raising a crop -- I'm also raising boys"

            -- would it have been easier for the farmer to hire men to help him work? -- sure, just as it would be easier for parents to do the small chores around the home rather than asking their children to help -- and just as it would be easier for God to just make us holy as He is holy

            -- but the farmer is not interested in only raising a crop and parents are not just trying to get the household work done -- in the same way, it seems to me that God is not just interested in making us perfect without our participation

            -- it is in the daily grind of life -- it is in the doing -- that we truly learn and grow and become who He has called us to be

            -- as Solomon pointed out in the Old Testament, to be given a fortune is not as meaningful as to make a fortune on our own -- to be given a fortune does not make you appreciate it as much as the one who made their fortune themselves

            -- and, in the same way, to be made holy without any effort on our part would not mean as much to us as learning how to depend on God to help us live life in this world today

            -- this morning we are continuing in our sermon series on the cardinal virtues of the Christian life -- and we are going to be looking at the virtue of diligence -- a virtue that speaks of hard work -- of dedication -- of passion and of perfection

            -- as Alexander Maclaren points out, "Diligence makes faith fruitful -- Diligence makes God's gifts ours."¹

            -- so let's take a few moments today to examine this concept of diligence and think about how we can begin to apply this to all areas of our lives -- to work -- to school -- to faith

II.  What is Diligence?

            -- let's begin by answering the question, what is diligence?

            -- Diligent comes from the Latin diligere, which means "to value highly -- to take delight in" -- in common use today, diligent means to be a hard-worker -- to be conscientious -- to do your best

            -- someone who is diligent doesn't just do the job -- they do the best job in the best way and with the best attitude

            -- one of the best examples I've ever heard of a diligent worker was at a Promise Keeper's conference -- I don't remember who the speaker was, but he was telling the story about his time working construction in Atlanta as a college student -- he said it was hot and it was miserable and no one wanted to be out there and everyone was grumbling and complaining and just trying to make it through another day

            -- while they were out there a truck pulled up to clean out the site's portapotty -- it had been about a week since the potty was cleaned -- and if you've ever been inside one of those portapotties in the summer time, you know what they're like -- they're hot -- they're smelly -- they're nasty -- you just don't want to even touch them, much less be inside of them

            -- so this truck pulls up and the guy gets out of the truck to clean the portapotty -- and as he starts pulling the hose off the truck and hooking it up, he's whistling -- they can hear it all the way up where they're working on the high rise apartment building -- this guy just acts happy -- and so they nudge each other -- just wait -- just wait until he has to go inside that portapotty and suck out all the waste that's accumulated in the July heat over the last week

            -- you know how it is when you're in a bad mood -- you just want to share it -- you just want everyone to suffer like you're suffering -- and they just can't wait to see this guy knocked down and just as miserable working as they are

            -- so the man opens the door and goes inside with the hose -- and he can't just leave it -- he has to stand there and hold it as it sucks out the waste -- so every eye is on him as he goes inside and closes the door -- and they wait -- and they listen

            -- they're expecting him to start cussing -- to start complaining -- they're expecting him to just run out of there retching -- and, sure enough, the man quits whistling -- but, instead, he starts singing a hymn to himself right there inside that portapotty

            -- as he's finishing up, the speaker said he went down to talk to him -- to ask him how he could be so happy while having to do such a horrible task in the July heat -- and the man tells him, "My job isn't to suck out waste -- my job is to make this world a better place for everyone else -- and if I do my job right, then this portapotty will be clean and you won't mind going in and using it -- and if I do my job right, it makes Jesus happy -- and that's why I'm happy and why I can sing when I work"

III.  Scripture Lesson (Ephesians 6:5-9)

            -- look back if you would me at Ephesians 6:5-6

Ephesians 6:5-6 (NIV)

5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

            -- Paul addresses his comments in these verses to Roman slaves -- now in order to really understand and appreciate what he's saying here, you have to understand the position of a slave in Roman society

            -- slaves were the lowest of the low -- they were considered in-human -- they weren't considered people -- in fact, you would get in more trouble for killing someone's livestock than for killing their slave

            -- some Romans suggested that sick slaves not even be given food, because why waste food on someone who wasn't productive -- they encouraged slave owners to just get rid of their elderly slaves and not to take care of them any longer

            -- slaves were worked mercilessly and treated horribly by their owners -- they could be beaten and maimed and killed without any recourse

            -- but many were coming to Christ at the preaching of Paul because of the freedom and the promise of eternal life and a better future through Jesus

            -- and so Paul addresses how these slaves should relate to their masters now that they have come to Christ

            -- look what he tells them here -- obey your masters with respect and fear -- obey them with sincerity of heart -- do what's right, he says, no matter how they treat you -- do what you're asked to do, because this is what Jesus would have you do

            -- don't just obey them when they're watching -- don't just do enough to get by -- but do a good job in the right way, every time

            -- what Paul is asking them to do is to be diligent in their work -- not because their masters deserve it -- but because that is what Christ asks of them

            -- what kind of witness do we give when we refuse to do our best for someone? -- when we don't do a good job or when we have a lousy attitude? -- how does that reflect on Christ?

            -- over the course of my career, I've had to hire a lot of people and a lot of contractors to do work for me on the base -- and I can tell you, some of the worst people I've ever hired were Christians

            -- it's reached the point that when someone tells me up front, "I'm a Christian," it's a red flag -- because they never seem to do a good job -- there's a logger we have used from time-to-time on the base -- and he puts out signs by the highway when he's working that says, "Love Jesus" and "Praise the Lord" and then has his company name on the bottom -- and I hate to have him get the bid on a job because he does such a bad job -- he's absolutely the worst logger I've worked with -- and I shudder to consider what others think about Jesus when they see the job he does

            -- that's what Paul's saying here -- slaves, even though your masters may treat you horribly -- even though you may suffer the worst conditions -- you should strive to do your best -- you should strive to be the best -- because Jesus demands it and your performance is a reflection of His grace and mercy to this world

            -- what we do and how we do it matters

            -- verse 7-8

Ephesians 6:7-8 (NIV)

7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,

8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

            -- serve wholeheartedly -- give it your all -- do the best you can, in the best way you can, with the best attitude you can -- serve your master as if you were serving the Lord Himself, because you are

            -- to serve wholeheartedly is to instill meaning and purpose into life -- to serve wholeheartedly helps us see the importance of what we are doing

            -- I was listening to a podcast this week about finding purpose and meaning in your work -- and the guy was telling the story about his time working oversees in a little hospital mission in Asia

            -- he said every morning he would set his watch for 5:30 am so he could get up and watch the sun rise and remember why he was there -- he got to noticing that every morning when he got up, the dirt path in front of the hospital had been swept clean of leaves and litter -- there was an old guy there in his 80s -- and it wasn't his job -- but every morning he would get up and sweep that path -- so one day, the speaker asked him why he did it

            -- "people come to this clinic to have babies and others come when they are dying -- both those who are coming into this world for the first time and those who are leaving this world deserve a clear path on which to do so"

            -- "You practice diligence by deciding what you can do and then giving it all you have to give -- You treat each action as important and do things carefully, one step at a time -- You don’t rush through things -- You give them your full attention"²

            -- to be diligent you must put meaning into life -- you must approach the tasks of the day as opportunities to serve -- and with the attitude that you're doing this for the Lord and, because of that, you're going to do it the best way you can, regardless of what you're asked to do

            -- Paul counsels the slaves here in verse 8 and says, "Keep your focus -- remember the promises you have in Christ -- do your best -- be diligent in your work -- and know that God will reward you for whatever good you do"

            -- it doesn't matter if your boss sees you do it or not -- it doesn't matter if your teacher notices -- what matters is that Jesus sees it, and it brings Him glory and pleasure

            -- verse 9

Ephesians 6:9 (NIV)

9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

            -- after counseling the slaves on how they are to act, Paul now turns his attention to their masters -- treat your slaves well -- don't be harsh to them -- don't threaten them -- but treat them as you would Jesus

            -- remember that your position on earth is not reflective of your position in eternity -- God shows no favoritism -- God has no favorites -- and you are no better than those beneath you -- you are no better than those God has given you the authority to manage

            -- treat them fairly and trust they will respond in kind

            -- as supervisors or bosses -- as parents -- we need to remember the words of Jesus -- that He came not to be served, but to serve -- that He came to be a slave to the world -- just because we may be in a position of authority doesn't mean we need to act as if we have been crowned king -- we are called to serve those who work for us and to treat them as we would treat Christ

            -- what Paul is saying here is that diligence in the work of supervision has more to do with the way you relate to the people who work for you than in just getting the job done

IV.  Closing

            -- Dr. Harry Ironsides, the noted preacher, once told the story of the time he worked for a Scottish shoemaker named Dan Mackay -- Mr. Mackay was a very serious Christian, and his shop reflected his faith -- Bible verses and pictures decorated the walls -- and people were given Christian tracts and literature when they came in to purchase shoes or have them repaired

            -- Ironsides' job was to pound leather for shoe soles -- A piece of cowhide would be cut to size and then soaked in water -- and Ironsides would pound the soles until they were hard and dry -- it was hard work -- and Ironsides wrote that he often tired of doing it

            -- he noticed the cobbler down the street didn't make shoes the same was as Mr. Mackay -- rather than pounding the soles to make them hard and resistant, he would take them straight from the water and nail them to the uppers while they were still dripping wet -- Ironsides asked this cobbler why he did it this way, and the cobbler replied with a smirk, "They come back all the quicker this way, my boy!"

            -- Ironsides thought that if Mr. Mackay started nailing his soles on while they were wet, it would increase their business, so he excitedly went to share the idea with his boss -- Mr. Mackay stopped his work and opened his Bible to the passage that reads, "Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

            -- "Harry," he said, "I do not cobble shoes just for the [money] that I get from my customers -- I am doing this for the glory of God -- I expect to see every shoe I have ever repaired in a big pile at the judgment seat of Christ, and I do not want the Lord to say to me in that day, ’Dan, this was a poor job. You did not do your best here.’ I want Him to be able to say, ’Well done, good and faithful servant.’"

            -- Then he went on to explain that just as some men are called to preach, so he was called to fix shoes -- and that only as he did this well would his testimony count for God -- Ironsides wrote, "It was a lesson I have never been able to forget -- Often when I have been tempted to carelessness, and to slipshod effort, I have thought of dear, devoted Dan Mackay, and it has stirred me up to seek to do all as for Him who died to redeem me."³

            -- diligence -- doing a good job in the right way and with the right attitude reflects more on our relationship with Christ than perhaps anything else we do -- for the world sees us -- not as we sit in our seats on Sunday mornings or as we bow our heads in prayer or in the story of God's word -- no, the world sees us as we walk and work -- and the world watches to see how our actions and our attitudes reflect our faith

            -- diligence is more than just a virtue to strive for in our lives -- it is a reflection of who we are in Christ

            -- so as I close in prayer and we leave here to go back to our jobs and to our schools and to our homes at the start of this new week, let's remember the message of this passage and remember to serve wholeheartedly, as if serving the Lord and not men

            -- let us pray

 
1 Alexander Maclaren -- http://biblehub.com/library/maclaren/expositions_of_holy_scripture_ephesians_peter/the_power_of_diligence.htm

2 http://hhes.ccs.k12.nc.us/files/2012/06/Diligence.pdf

3 H. A. Ironside, Illustrations of Bible Truth, Moody Press, 1945, pp. 37-39.

Ten Things That Inhibit Prayer

In my experience, the prayer life of a Christian is always the first aspect of their relationship with Christ that suffers when something is not right.  It is God's early warning system of problems in our spiritual lives, and it lets us know that changes need to be made.  Nothing is more frustrating or worrying than praying to God and feeling our prayers are not being heard, or worse, not even feeling like praying in the first place.

I ran across this list of ten things that can inhibit our prayers and jotted them down in my journal some time back.  These are not original, and I was unable to find the original source.  If anyone knows the source, please let me know through a comment so I can give credit to the author.  Regardless, these are helpful reminders as we seek to grow and move forward in our relationship with God.

TEN THINGS THAT INHIBIT PRAYER
1.  Disregarding God's law -- Proverbs 28:9
2.  A lack of compassion for those in need -- Proverbs 21:13
3.  Pride -- Luke 18:9-14
4.  A sinful lifestyle -- Isaiah 59:1-2
5.  Unconfessed sin -- Psalm 66:16-20
6.  Disobedience -- Deuteronomy 1:45
7.  Wrong motives -- James 4:1-3
8.  Broken Relationships -- 1 Peter 3:7
9.  Unforgiveness -- Mark 11:25
10.  Doubt -- James 1:5-7