SERMON: EVERYDAY HOLY

31 May 2015

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to John 17:20-23

John 17:20-23 (NIV)

20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,

21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:

23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

            -- The noted English architect Sir Christopher Wren was supervising the construction of a magnificent cathedral in London -- a journalist thought it would be interesting to interview some of the workers, so he chose three of them at random and asked them this question, "What are you doing?"

            -- The first replied, "I’m cutting stone for 10 shillings a day." -- The next answered, "I’m putting in 10 hours a day on this job." -- But the third said, "I’m helping Sir Christopher Wren construct one of London’s greatest cathedrals."¹

            -- I've been doing an awful lot of thinking about work recently -- I've had a lot of conversations with coworkers about their jobs and their thoughts on work -- I've been reading several books and blogs on productivity in the workplace -- and I've been around a lot of young people who are graduating from high school and college and getting ready to enter the job market -- so the idea of work and careers has been on my mind a lot

            -- and I've noticed a common theme coming from all of these sources on the subject of work -- I actually heard it summed up best at a graduation party for my cousins last weekend -- "Oh, go and have fun now while you're young and you don't have a full-time job -- because once you start working, you'll never get to have fun again"

            -- the message that is being given out right now is that work is drudgery and should be avoided at all costs -- and the focus of all these productivity books and blogs about life-hacks is that if you can increase your productivity, you can do more work in less time -- which means you can minimize the amount of actual work you have to do, so you can get to what is truly important in life -- having fun

            -- the whole message they're sending out is that work is not fun, but is only a necessary means to an end -- and I see that, in my own life and in the lives of those who work with me -- I had one young man come up to me this week and say, "I'm just not happy -- I'm the definition of disgruntled" -- and that concerned me -- not only because I see him at the start of his career looking ahead to years of work in his chosen field -- not only because I see this same idea in my own life -- but because it is a direct affront to God's will and God's plan for our lives

            -- contrary to popular opinion, God did not create work as a punishment for man -- in fact, before the Fall -- when Adam and Eve lived with God in perfect harmony -- one with Him and in perfect accord with Him -- God placed them in the Garden of Eden and gave them a job -- He told them to take care of His creation -- to tend the garden and to be His stewards, so that He might receive glory from their actions

            -- so, in other words, work was originally conceived by God as the means by which we were to bring Him glory -- by living our lives for Him -- by letting our everyday acts of service be consecrated to Him -- our work was to bring Him glory

            -- but this is not what we see today -- this is not how most of us feel about work or about school today -- so what went wrong?

II.  Working to be Whole

            -- I was thinking about this when I turned to this passage in John during my devotions this week -- and a novel thought entered my mind -- a different understanding and meaning for this passage

            -- let me show you what I'm talking about -- look back with me at verse 20

John 17:20-23 (NIV)

20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,

21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:

23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

           

            -- in this prayer of Jesus on the night He was betrayed, Jesus prayed for all of His disciples -- both those who were gathered with Him that night and for us, who would come to believe because of their witness

            -- and the focus of this prayer is on unity -- Jesus prays that we may be one, as He and the Father are one

            -- and then down in verse 23 He prays that we might be brought to complete unity to let the world know that the Father had sent Jesus

            -- now when we see these verses taught, we are typically given the interpretation that Jesus wants us to be in one accord with each other -- united together -- one mind -- one body -- one soul -- to be the church, undivided in message and in bearing

            -- and I think that is true -- I certainly do agree that Jesus wanted us to be one with each other -- we have even taken that thought as our vision for Koinonia Church -- to do life together -- to be in fellowship and unity and accord with each other

            -- but I think Jesus' meaning may go a little deeper than that -- if you think about it, how does a group of people coming together as one demonstrate to the world that Jesus had been sent from the Father? -- we have groups of people who come together in unity all the time, but what does that show? -- how does that change what anyone else believes?

            -- for instance, back in 1997, the Promise Keepers organization organized a gathering of one million men at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. -- the purpose was to show the country a group of men united under the Lordship of Jesus Christ -- coming together in unity and in one accord -- regardless of denomination or race or anything else -- living out these verses that we just read

            -- but what impact did this gathering have on the country? -- did this gathering -- this demonstration of unity -- result in a change in the hearts and minds and beliefs of the rest of the country? -- did it cause them to all of a sudden realize that Jesus had come from the Father for them? -- no, I don't think it did -- so was Jesus wrong in His prayer when He prayed that we would be one so that the world would know that He had come?

            -- of course not, but perhaps we have misunderstood what He meant -- or not taken it to a deeper level than what we read on the surface

            -- when you think about Jesus being one with the Father, what does that mean? -- it means He lived in perfect harmony with God, right? -- He was one with God -- everything He did was in perfect accord with the Father's will -- He was not divided in His actions or thoughts or attitudes, but He was in God and one with God in all things, right?

            -- so when Jesus prays to the Father and asks that we might be one with Him -- that we might be united so that the world might see Jesus through us -- could He perhaps not only be referring to us being united as a group, but as individuals -- whole and unified in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions?

            -- here's what came to me this week as I pondered these verses in light of my recent conversations about the drudgery of work -- I think our problem with work today stems from the fact we live divided lives -- we have become a bipolar people -- separated along two planes -- the secular and the sacred -- the everyday, normal life and the spiritual life -- and because of this, our minds and our actions and our thoughts are divided

            -- we have unintentionally become the people that outsiders say live one way at church but live another way during the week -- and because we are living this way, we believe that what we do outside of church is less important, less holy, less sacred, less desirable than what we do in church -- thus, work becomes a burden -- work becomes drudgery -- something we have to do rather than something we get to do

            -- when Jesus talked about us being one as He is one, I think He may also have been referring to the way we live our individual lives -- I think He may have been praying that we would be one with the Father in all our ways

            -- when Jesus lived here on earth, everything He did was pleasing to His Father -- there was no separation between the secular and the sacred -- Jesus was fully man, and yet even as He went about His days here on earth as a man, He lived a perfect, sinless life -- His actions were always consistent and always holy -- as He prepared and ate His meals, as He worked in His father's carpentry shop, as He traveled from place to place -- doing what we would call mundane works -- still He was in perfect accord with the Father -- still He was one with the Father

            -- everything He did was an offering to God and brought Him glory -- Jesus was no less holy when He was with His disciples in the boat fishing or when He was making a yoke for oxen than when He was teaching in the temple about the kingdom of God

            -- and that is what He demands of us -- to be one with the Father at all times -- one with Him and one in Him -- so that all we do is a holy offering to Him -- whether we are talking about the mundane tasks of life or the gathering with other Christians for worship

            -- this is what I want you to get -- if we are one in Christ -- He in us and us in Him -- then every moment of every day is a sacred moment -- every moment is a moment for God to be glorified through our actions -- even our moments at work and at school

            -- think about what Jesus meant when He said in John 8:29, "I always do the things that please the Father" -- He wasn't just talking about His healings and His miracles and His teachings -- He wasn't just talking about the spiritual things He was doing -- He was talking about every aspect of His human life, including what we would term work

            -- as Tozer put it, we are to "lift every act up into a living kingdom and turn the whole life into a sacrament"² -- we are to view the mundane and the secular -- our jobs and our work and our school -- as holy offerings to God, pleasing in His sight

            -- to be united in this way means to be united in our whole life -- our body, our mind, and our soul -- to be united in all aspects of our lives and in all the acts that we do -- no separation of the secular and the spiritual -- but one life lived for God and with God and through God

            -- you might be thinking, "Yes, but how?"

            -- the difference comes down to motive -- as Jesus carved out yokes in his father's carpentry shop, how did He view His work? -- as just another task of drudgery until the day was over? -- no, certainly not -- I am certain Jesus used His skills and His talents to make the best yoke possible, and when He was finished, He offered it up to the Father as a gift -- He viewed it as giving the Father His very best

            -- we should do the same as we go to work and to school -- every moment of every day we should consider our actions and remember the point of our work

            -- when God walked with Adam in the Garden during the cool of the day, what do you think they talked about? -- what do you think Adam said to God? -- I bet they talked about what Adam had done -- I can just see Adam pointing over to a stand of trees and saying, "See there, God? -- I pruned those branches for You -- I pruned those trees so they would be more productive -- I tried to do a good job because I wanted You to be proud -- what do You think?"

            -- that's the attitude we should be taking all the time -- we should stop thinking of our spiritual lives as occurring only when we are at church or doing churchy stuff -- but start thinking about how we are pleasing God even when we do what we consider mundane, secular tasks -- even when we are at work

            -- on my desk at work I have a scripture reference that I use to center me when I'm having a particularly rough day -- Ephesians 6:7 -- "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord and not people" -- if your motive is to bring glory to God -- if your motive is to sanctify the Lord in your heart through your actions -- then you will never do another common act -- but all you do will be good and acceptable to God through Jesus Christ

            -- I like the way A.W. Tozer phrased it -- "For such a man, living itself will be sacramental and the whole world a sanctuary"²

            -- this is what it means to be whole -- to be united -- to be holy in all that we do -- and I think that is closer to the heart of Jesus' prayer in this passage -- not that we would just come together as a group of people with shared beliefs, but that we might live our lives in such a way that others will see Him through us -- at work -- at school -- at play -- as well as at church

III.  CLOSING

            -- let me close by leaving you with this thought -- we are all familiar with the story of the Last Supper -- of Jesus' final gathering with His disciples in the Upper Room on the night that He was betrayed -- and, as you remember, on that night, Jesus took upon Himself the role of a slave and got up and put a robe around Himself and washed the feet of the disciples who were gathered at the table with Him

            -- that moment is holy for us -- although some denominations may differ in what acts they define as sacraments, everyone agrees that this was a sacred moment -- that the washing of the disciple's feet by Jesus was a moment of holiness and grace

            -- but, I want you to consider this -- on that very night in Jerusalem, hundreds of slaves in that city did the exact same thing in other rooms -- hundreds of slaves got up and washed the feet of those gathered to share in that evening's meal -- but yet we don't regard their actions as holy or sacred -- why?

            -- it comes down to motive -- it comes down to intent -- Jesus washed the feet of the disciples -- a common, ordinary act of drudgery and service -- but He did so with the intent to glorify the Father -- He did so with the intent to make this a sacred moment

            -- you can do the same in your own life -- every moment can be a sacred moment -- every moment at work or at school or at play can be a moment of holiness if it is offered up to God -- if your intent and your motive at that moment is not to just get the job done, but to do this act as an act of service and sacrifice to your God

            -- to turn the secular sacred, we have to remember intentionality -- we have to be doing these acts with the intention of bringing glory to God

            -- A writer for a great newspaper once visited India -- while there, he met a missionary nurse who lived among the lepers and ministered to their needs -- he noticed how tender and loving she was to these poor souls who were afflicted with this horrible, contagious disease

            -- Looking at her in amazement, the reporter commented, "I would not wash their wounds for a million dollars." -- She responded by saying, "Neither would I, but I’d gladly do it for my Savior -- the only reward I am looking for is His smile of approval."³

            -- let me close by asking you this -- Why are you living the way that you are? -- Why are you working at your job all week long? -- Why do you do the things that you do and say the things that you say? -- Do you do it for personal gain, for the money, to climb the ladder of success? -- Is it an act of drudgery? -- a labor you toil at until the work day is over? -- Or do you go about your job with the mindset you are doing it all for the glory of God in Christ Jesus?³

           

            -- let me leave you with this thought from God's word -- Romans 12:1 taken from The Message, the paraphrase by Eugene Peterson:

            -- “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.”

            -- let us pray

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1 [Cited in sermon by Jerry Anselmi, "The Right Way to Work," http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-right-way-to-work-jeffery-anselmi-sermon-on-christian-values-39212.asp?page=0]

2 A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of Holiness

3 Alan Smith, "God was a Carpenter," sermon on Sermon Central [http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/god-was-a-carpenter-alan-smith-sermon-on-workplace-evangelism-49113.asp?page=0]

SERMON: SEEING CLEARLY

24 May 2015

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Acts 2:1-4

Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

            -- this morning is Pentecost Sunday -- a celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church of Christ -- after Jesus rose from the dead, the Bible tells us that He spent a period of forty days with His disciples, teaching them from the scriptures about Himself and about the kingdom of God -- and on the fortieth day, Jesus ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives -- but before He left, He told His disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the gift from the Father -- the coming of the Holy Spirit

            -- and on the day of Pentecost, a traditional Jewish holiday that occurs 50 days after the Passover, we read that the disciples were all in one place when they heard the sound of a violent wind and they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and rested on each of them -- and at that moment, they were baptized with the Holy Spirit and the presence of God filled their hearts

            -- the coming of the Holy Spirit was momentous -- this was the birth of the church of Christ -- and it marked a new relationship between mankind and the Spirit -- you see, in the past, the Holy Spirit would come upon a person to gift them and anoint them for a specific ministry or for a specific time -- but the presence of the Spirit in their lives was not permanent -- He did not indwell them -- He didn't live within them

            -- He would come and go, as we see in the story of King Saul, the first king of Israel -- God sent the Holy Spirit to Saul, but the Spirit left Saul when he disobeyed God -- and even Godly men like King David would pray to God in the Psalms and say, "Oh God, please don't take your Spirit from me" -- the Spirit would come and go based on the relationship of the person with God at that time

            -- but now, because of Christ, we have entered into a new relationship with the Father -- the veil has been torn -- and the righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us -- so that we are regarded as always holy in the sight of God -- and God has gifted us with the Holy Spirit -- not to come and go -- but to come and live within us -- to indwell us -- so He might enable us to live our lives with Christ

            -- the Holy Spirit does many things for us:

            -- He gives us His power, that we might have the ability to walk with Jesus and obey Him in all things

            -- He gives us His counsel, so that we might be wise and discerning and know what direction we should go

            -- He gives us assurance of faith and reminds our hearts that we are saved by grace when we sometimes doubt

            -- He gives us the words to speak to others and helps us to witness for Christ with our lives

            -- and He intercedes on our behalf -- praying for us to the Father and advocating for us even when we don't know what to pray

            -- when I think of the Holy Spirit and what He does for the church, I like to say that what the Holy Spirit has done for us is to open our eyes to a new life and a new reality

            -- in 2 Corinthians 4:4 we read, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." -- the Holy Spirit has given us sight -- He has removed the veil Satan had put before us and opened our spiritual eyes that we might see clearly for the first time the truth of God's glory and the presence of Christ

            -- it's kind of like that old song that goes, "I can see clearly now the rain has gone -- I can see all obstacles in my way -- Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind -- it's gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiny day"

            -- that's the ministry of the Holy Spirit -- He helps us see -- He opens our eyes to the presence of God in our midst

           

            -- there was a story on ABC News this week about a Pennsylvania man who had his eyes opened in a special way -- Opie Hughes is colorblind, so he doesn't see the world as it truly is -- he can't see the reds or the greens -- he can't see the brilliance of God's creation -- he was unable to see his children clearly

            -- but his sister raised money to buy him a special pair of glasses that enable him to see in color -- and when he opened the box with the glasses and put them on, he almost fell to his knees at the sight -- it's just amazing to watch the video -- can you imagine what it felt like for him to look around and see green leaves and red flowers for the very first time? -- can you imagine how it felt to be able to see his children in color and even see the color of their eyes? -- it's like he went from a black and white movie into real life^{1, 2}

            -- that's what Pentecost Sunday is all about -- when God sent the Holy Spirit to indwell us, we became just like Opie Hughes -- the world becomes real -- colors become more vivid -- and we become aware of a spiritual reality around us that we never knew existed before

            -- it's like our eyes have been opened and we can see for the first time

            -- if you would, let's turn over the Old Testament -- to 2 Kings Chapter 6 -- I want us to look at one of my favorite passages in the Bible that speaks to what it means to have our eyes opened

            -- 2 Kings 6, starting at verse 13 -- while you're turning there, let me set up the context for you

            -- this passage takes place during the time when the Israelites were divided into two countries -- the northern country of Israel and the southern country of Judah -- Elisha served as the prophet of God to the nation of Israel

            -- now the country of Aram was at war with Israel -- but every time the Arameans set up an ambush for the King of Israel and his men, God would tell Elisha -- Elisha would send word to the king, and the Israelites were able to avoid the trap and defeat the Arameans

            -- the King of Aram was not happy with this turn of events, and so he decided to capture and kill Elisha

            -- which brings us to 2 Kings 6:13 -- look at verse 13 with me

2 Kings 6:13-14 (NIV)

13 "Go, find out where he is," the king ordered, "so I can send men and capture him." The report came back: "He is in Dothan."

14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

            -- the King of Aram got news that Elisha was in the city of Dothan, so in the middle of the night, he sets up an ambush -- he sends in a large force of his men with chariots and horses and they surround the city, ready to capture Elisha when he tries to leave the next day

            -- verse 15  

2 Kings 6:15 (NIV)

15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.

            -- early the next morning, Elisha's servant gets up -- rubs the sleep from eyes -- looks out over the horizon to see the sun rise -- and sees the city surrounded

            -- a vast army was there to capture Elisha -- men with swords and bows -- chariots and horses -- there was no way for them to escape -- and he starts to panic -- he cries out "what shall we do?"

            -- how many times in your life have you been in a similar situation? -- got up, looked around, and it looked like your world was falling in

            -- you sat at that table staring at a handful of bills -- feeling surrounded with no way out

            -- you were tempted in that same old way once again -- and you looked for a way of escape but everywhere you looked you were surrounded

            -- you looked at your life and it seemed it was all too much -- the pain and the loneliness and the feelings of inadequacy -- and you felt there was no escape

            -- you got up and went to work at a job you hated, for a wage much lower than you deserved -- but you saw no way out

            -- you looked around for someone to help you out of this mess, but your so-called friends are just on Facebook and no one was there to really support you or help you

            -- I don't know what situation it might have been in your life -- but we've all been there -- we've all gotten up just like Elisha's servant and looked around at a world that seemed like it was just out to get us and we didn't know what to do

            -- verse 16

2 Kings 6:16 (NIV)

16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

            -- there's a big difference between Elisha and his servant -- Elisha had the Holy Spirit with him -- Elisha's eyes were opened and he could see more than his servant could

            -- so Elisha responds, "Don't be afraid -- there are more of us than there are of them for the Lord our God is with us"

            -- verse 17

2 Kings 6:17 (NIV)

17 And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

            -- Elisha prayed and the eyes of the servant were opened and he saw the army of the Lord encamped around them -- protecting them from the enemy

            -- the important thing to note is they were there the whole time -- the servant just didn't know it because he couldn't see -- and because he didn't know they were there -- because he lacked the faith of Elisha in God's presence and protection -- he was paralyzed with fear and unable to trust and serve God as he should because he wasn't looking at his situation with eyes of faith

            -- when I was a kid, one of my favorite stories was the story of Stanley and Livingstone -- I'm not sure if they even teach about Livingstone any more, but David Livingstone was an early explorer and missionary in Africa -- he is the guy who discovered Victoria Falls and named it after Queen Victoria -- Stanley was a journalist who came to find Livingstone and write an article about him -- and after searching for him for weeks, finally found him in the jungle and famously said, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"

            -- because of his ultimate fame and success, not many people remember that David Livingstone had difficulties when he first began his ministry in Africa -- the people were not receptive to white Europeans coming into their country and taking it over -- and for that reason, they didn't like Livingstone being there -- in fact, one tribe decided that if they killed Livingstone, that would send a message and the Europeans would stop coming

            -- so this tribe began tracking Livingstone and his party through the jungle -- one afternoon as Livingstone was setting up camp, he got word was that these warriors had surrounded his camp and they were going to attack and kill everyone when it got dark

            -- in his journal that night, David Livingstone wrote: "It is evening. I feel much turmoil and fear in the prospect of having all of my plans knocked on the head by savages who are just now outside the camp -- But Jesus said, 'All power is given unto me in heaven and earth, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the ends of the earth.' -- This is the word of a gentleman of most strict and sacred honor, so that's the end of my fear -- I feel quiet and calm now." -- and so Livingstone went to sleep even though he knew the warriors were right outside his camp

            -- but, surprisingly, nothing happened -- they didn't attack Livingstone's camp that night, and a few years later, Livingstone actually witnessed to these warriors and many of them put their faith in Jesus

            -- one night Livingstone asked the chief of that tribe about that night they surrounded his camp -- he said, "We had heard rumors you were going to attack us."

            -- The chief said, "That's right, we were ready to attack the camp that night and kill you and everyone else."

            -- Livingstone asked, "Why didn't you attack?" -- The chief said, "When we got close to the camp, we looked and saw warriors surrounding your camp with swords in their hands -- we got scared and so we didn't attack"

            -- "the funny thing is," Livingstone would later recall, "we didn't have any guards or any warriors with us"³

            -- does that sound familiar? -- the exact same thing happened in this story with Elisha and his servant -- they were surrounded by an army of angelic warriors who protected them from those who sought to harm them

            -- but they couldn't be seen, until the Holy Spirit opened the eyes of those who were there

           

            -- in Luke 24, we read the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus -- as you remember, these disciples were fleeing Jerusalem after the death of Jesus -- it's Sunday morning, and they've heard rumors that Jesus has rose from the dead, but they haven't seen Him themselves -- and they're not sure what to believe -- it's hard to believe something like that unless you see it with your own eyes

            -- as Luke tells the story, Jesus Himself came and walked with these two disciples on the road, but they were unable to recognize Him until later that evening -- when Jesus sat down with them for a meal and took the bread and broke it in their midst, suddenly their eyes were opened and they recognized Him

            -- that's what the Holy Spirit does for us -- that's the reason for Pentecost Sunday -- He gives eyes to our faith and empowers us to press on for the glory of God in our lives

            -- as Erwin McManus put it, the whole point of choosing to live an adventure is to keep your eyes wide open and to soak in the beauty of the life all around you -- "Eyes wide open is exactly how God created us to live our lives -- And this is exactly what [the coming of the Holy Spirit] has come to ensure, that we are awakened to live life [with eyes] wide open as we move full speed ahead."⁴

            -- so as we close this morning, let us pray that God might open our eyes through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit -- let's ask that God would let us see this world and the people of this world through His eyes, that we might love them as He loves them and that we might lead them to eternal life through Jesus

            -- let's pray

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1 http://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2015/may/1052515.html?start=3

2 http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-now/colorblind-dad-sees-color-for-the-first-time-184224953.html

3 http://www.sermoncentral.com/illustrations/sermon-illustration-sermon-central-staff-stories-intercessoryprayer-missions-79951.asp]

4 Erwin Raphael McManus, The Barbarian Way (Nelson, 2004), pp. 76-69

SERMON: AFTER THE STORM

17 May 2015

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Exodus 14:21-31

Exodus 14:21-31 (NIV)

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided,

22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea.

24 During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.

25 He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt."

26 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen."

27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea.

28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen--the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

30 That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore.

31 And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

            -- last week we had a hurricane exercise at Moody AFB -- every year, just prior to the start of hurricane season, we have a practice exercise to make sure everyone knows what to do when a hurricane is approaching

            -- we go through various scenarios and have to simulate evacuating the planes from the base because of the high winds -- we confirm that all our people are present and accounted for -- we have to make sure the vehicles are all fully fueled and that emergency equipment is ready for the storm -- chainsaws and chains and come-a-longs -- we double-check our emergency supplies

            -- and then we play the "what if" game, where we envision a major catastrophe during the storm and what we would do if it happened -- for instance, this exercise involved a fuel truck getting turned over and damaged from the storm and leaking fuel into a stormwater outfall, so my guys had to go out and show the inspection team they knew what to do to contain the spill and clean up the soil and the water

            -- we do this every year, because we know the storms are going to come -- and we want to be ready and prepared for them when they hit

            -- as we were going through this exercise, it occurred to me that we do this in the church, too -- thinking back over some of my messages over the past several years, I realized that we've talked a lot about going through storms in our lives -- about facing dangers and obstacles and trials and tribulations

            -- we've talked about facing these storms and how we get through them by leaning on God's strength and relying on our faith in Him in these troubled times -- and I know this wasn't just a practice in semantics for us -- because all of us in here have been through the storms -- we've experienced them in our lives -- heartache and brokenness -- sickness and death -- financial and marital problems -- just many, many storms that have threatened us all over the past several years

            -- but in our focus on getting through the storms, I think we may have forgotten to consider what comes next -- we've done a good job at  preparing ourselves mentally and physically and spiritually for the storms -- but what do we do after the storm has passed? -- what do we do when we're standing in the aftermath of a disaster and a new day is dawning and the sun is shining and the birds are singing and we realize, "We made it" -- what then?

            -- this morning, I wanted us to think for a moment about what God has done in our lives and about where He wants to lead us -- what should we do when we get out of a storm? -- where should we go? -- who should we become?

            -- we find the answer in the next chapter over -- Exodus 15 -- as we read of the response of the Israelites to God's dramatic rescue from the Egyptian army at the shores of the Red Sea

            -- just to remind you of what God had done for the Israelites up to this point -- the Israelites had gone into Egypt during a severe famine in the land of Canaan -- they prospered there and multiplied in number, and this worried the Egyptian leaders -- they feared the Israelites were becoming too powerful -- so they placed them in bondage and made them their slaves

            -- for 400 years the Israelites lived as the slaves of the Egyptians -- serving them and building their temples -- but God heard their cries and sent Moses to lead the people out of Egypt

            -- God sent plagues against the people of Egypt -- you remember the stories -- the waters turned to blood -- there was infestations with flies and frogs -- hail that rained from the sky, killing the animals in the field -- there was darkness -- there was disease -- there was pestilence -- finally, God struck down the first-born of all the people and animals of Egypt -- and then Pharaoh relented and told the Israelites to leave

            -- but after they left, he changed his mind and chased after them with his army, pinning them against the Red Sea with no way out -- it was going to be a slaughter -- but, as we just read in Exodus 14, God parted the waters of the Red Sea -- He made a way where no way existed before -- and He led the Israelites out of Egypt and destroyed the army of the Egyptians at the same time

            -- the nation of Israel had faced a storm of biblical proportions and emerged on the other side of the Red Sea victorious -- so what do they do when they made it through the storm?

            -- look with me now at Exodus 15, starting in verse 1

            -- verse 1-12

Exodus 15:1-12 (NIV)

1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.

2 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

3 The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.

4 Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh's officers are drowned in the Red Sea.

5 The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone.

6 "Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy.

7 In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble.

8 By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.

9 "The enemy boasted, 'I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.'

10 But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

11 "Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you-- majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

12 You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them.

            -- this passage reminds me of the commercials after the Superbowl -- when they ask the players for the winning team, "You just won the Superbowl -- What are you going to do now?" and they say, "We're going to Disney World!"

            -- Moses and the nation of Israel, God just led you through the Red Sea and defeated your enemies -- what are going to do now? -- and Moses and the nation replied, "We're going to sing!"

            -- and that's what they did -- they sang -- they danced -- they praised the Lord

            -- it's like the lyrics to that old song, "I sing because I'm happy -- I sing because I'm free -- His eye is on the sparrow -- and I know He watches me"

            -- the Israelites sing because they are happy -- they knew God in the past, but only in an impersonal way -- they knew Him as "God up there somewhere" -- but now they know Him as their God and their Savior -- and so they sing because they know they are free -- they have seen God do a mighty work beyond -- they had faced the impossible and seen God make it possible -- they had faced death itself and been given life -- they had been redeemed because of Him -- and so they sang

            -- redemption moves us to sing -- their worship was the result of redemption -- they looked back at their deliverance and they recognized it came from God and God alone -- and they praised Him with all their heart

            -- when we make it through the storm, the first thing we should do is praise God -- for we didn't make it in our own strength -- we didn't make it based on our own good works -- we made it because God chose to do a mighty work in our lives

            -- as Judson Cornwall wrote, "Worship helps us find who we are and why God has placed us here on the earth -- When we bow in God's presence with worship, only then are we made complete"¹ -- we will have only made it out of the storm when we pause to praise and worship God

            -- verse 13-18

Exodus 15:13-18 (NIV)

13 "In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.

14 The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia.

15 The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away;

16 terror and dread will fall upon them. By the power of your arm they will be as still as a stone-- until your people pass by, O LORD, until the people you bought pass by.

17 You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance-- the place, O LORD, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established.

18 The LORD will reign for ever and ever."

            -- I just shared with you that we went through a major hurricane exercise at Moody -- but, you know what? -- tomorrow, when I get back to work at Moody, everything will be back to normal -- just like we never experienced the storm in the first place -- just like it never happened

            -- there is a principle called homeostasis -- it means people like things to stay the same -- their goal is to always keep the same-old, the same-old -- they want things to be normal

            -- just like in a TV show -- on almost every TV show you watch, the characters live in the same-old, same-old -- the status quo -- no matter what storms or trials the characters may face in this week's episode, by the time the credits roll at the end of the show, everything is back to the way it was in the beginning -- and by next week's episode, it's like no one even remembers what happened

            -- that's what we've learned to expect out of life -- when we go through a storm, the best we hope for is a return to normality -- to the same-old, same-old -- we are longing for the status quo to be restored -- how many times have you said to yourself, "Now that I'm through this, things can get back to normal" -- but is that the right answer?

           

            -- I saw a motivational poster at work the other day -- it said, "Do ordinary things better than anyone else" -- and when I read it, I thought to myself, "that is the stupidest advice I have ever heard" -- be ordinary -- strive for mediocrity -- don't push yourself beyond your limits -- don't try to do something bigger than yourself -- don't try to do more -- no, just be ordinary -- just be normal

            -- but, folks, as Christians, we are not supposed to be normal -- Peter wrote that we are peculiar people -- we are aliens and strangers in this land -- and that means that we are not supposed to be normal or ordinary or any of that -- our goal is not to be like the rest of this world -- our goal is to be like Christ and to live in the Kingdom of God

            -- that means we live beyond normal -- we live beyond the natural to the supernatural -- we live beyond the ordinary to the extraordinary -- and that means that when we pass through the storm, we don't go back to the way our lives were before -- no, we grow and go with Christ to new horizons and promised lands

            -- look what's happened in these verses -- the Israelites have gone from praising God for what He has done and have started praising Him for what He is going to do -- they're not looking at getting back to the same-old, same-old -- they're not wanting to get back to their former normal way of life -- no, they're looking ahead

            -- it's not about just getting through the storm -- it's about moving on with God to the promised land -- God's purpose in His mighty acts through Moses was not intended to just free the Israelites from Egypt's grasp -- no, His mighty acts were to free them for the future

            -- too often in the church we focus on salvation as the means to the end -- in other words, once you are baptized and join the church of Christ, you are done -- your ticket is punched -- heaven awaits

            -- but Jesus did not just die on the cross and rise from the dead on the third day to just free you from your sins -- no, He did all of this to free us for the future -- to lead us into abundant life with Him -- to be more and to do more than we were capable of before

            -- it's the same with any storm that God brings us through -- God wants us to do more than just weather the storm -- He wants us to do more than just go back to the same-old, same-old when He's done a mighty work in our lives

            -- He wants us to go through the storm and gain experience and faith and then to move forward in that faith into new experiences with Him -- the focus isn't on just getting through the sea and out of Egypt -- God didn't expect the Israelites to just set up camp and live on the shores of the Red Sea for the rest of their lives -- no, He had bigger plans for them -- the promised land awaited

            -- thus, our focus after the storm should be on trusting in God's mighty power because of the miracle He has just done and focusing on what He is going to do in us and through us in the future

            -- Bob Deffinbaugh wrote, "Israel came to know God in a greater way as a result of the trials and testings that they experienced in Egypt and in the wilderness -- We, too, come to know God more intimately and more fully in the midst of the trials which He leads us through -- And when we “pass through” these trials, we look to the future fulfillment of God’s promises as even more certain, having experienced His faithfulness in the tough times of our lives."²

            -- in other words, going through the storms make us aware that nothing can hold us back when we go with God -- our desire should not be for the same-old, same-old, but for the Promised Land that lies ahead

            -- the one thing we can see clearly in these verses is that the Israelites didn't just emerge from the sea free from Egyptian bondage -- they emerged without fear

            -- the Bible tells us that perfect love casts out fear -- and when you have walked with God through a frightening storm and emerged on the other side, from that point on fear has lost its power

            -- no matter what the Israelites faced from this moment on -- whether that was the chiefs of Edom or the leaders of Moab or the people of Canaan -- whether this was trials in the wilderness or persecution at the hands of their enemies -- they would be able to face those storms without fear because they now trusted in a God who could save

            -- from this moment on, the Israelites were going to be say in the face of the storms of life, "God parted the Red Sea -- this little storm is nothing for Him" -- we need to get to that place in our lives, too -- where we trust in God for our future and that our future is greater than we could ever imagine

            -- when Jesus and His disciples were being buffeted by a great storm on the sea that threatened to capsize their little boat, we read that Jesus stood and rebuked the storm -- we need to do the same

            -- we need to call to mind the victories that God has given us and rebuke the next storm in His power -- "Storm, go away -- look what God just brought me through -- you are nothing, compared to that and nothing compared to Him"

            -- looking around this room, just think for a moment what God has brought you through and speak to your fears:

            -- "God healed my hepatitis-C -- this little thing is nothing compared to that"

            -- "God led me through brain surgery -- what is this little bump in the road compared to a God who can do that?"

            -- no matter what your future holds, you can face it without fear because you stand on what God has done in the past and you have faith that He is going to bring you through this trial too

            -- I want to leave you with this quote from Sir Ernest Shackleton, who led an expedition to Antartica in the early 1900's -- after going through the trials and almost losing all his men, he said, "After today, nothing will be hard, ever again."

            -- that quote sums up this entire passage -- as the Israelites stood on the shores of the Red Sea and rejoiced and praised God for the victory that was and the victory that was to come, their hearts cried out, "After today, nothing will be hard, ever again"

            -- let that be your heart-cry as well

            -- let us pray

1 Judson Cornwall. Leadership, Vol. 16, no. 2.

2 Bob Deffinbaugh, https://bible.org/seriespage/8-song-sea-exodus-15

SERMON: CRIPPLED NO MORE

10 May 2015

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to 2 Samuel 4:4

2 Samuel 4:4 (NIV)

4 (Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.)

            -- as we open this morning, I want to share with you the story of Abaynesh , a teen-aged girl who lives in Ethiopia -- Abaynesh  was born with a severely crippling condition called knock knees

            -- now this is not what we think of when we say someone around us is knock-kneed -- when we see them, we mean their knees touch, but in Abaynesh's  case, her knees were so bowed in that they actually crossed -- and she was unable to walk or to get around on her own

            -- the people in her village said the reason she looked like that was because of a curse -- that she had been cursed by evil spirits -- and so the people in the village shunned her

            -- “They called me ‘the crippled one.’ she said.  "Everyone in my village made fun of me because my knees crossed each other like this. -- I never thought I would be able to get a job to support myself, because I was only able to sit down and do the simplest of work.” -- as a result, Abaynesh  lived a life of isolation and hopelessness -- never leaving the walls of her hut -- never daring to hope she might live a normal life

            -- Abaynesh's  mother gave her away to another family as a servant -- to cook and clean for them -- but this family did not take care of her and gave her very little food to eat in return for the work she did for them -- she was forced to search outside the home for scraps in order to survive -- crawling around in the dust looking for anything she might eat

            -- and as her isolation and time inside the house increased, Abaynesh lost hope she would ever look or feel normal -- She feared that she would be cursed this way forever.

            -- but a miracle happened -- a team from CURE Ethiopia found out about her and her condition and arranged for her to receive surgery to heal her legs -- and after a long and painful recovery, Abaynesh  has been made whole and well -- she is now able to walk and to work and to support herself as a housemaid for another family in a new village in Ethiopia

            “I prayed and promised God that I would devote myself to Him if He healed my legs ” -- and He did¹

            -- it is always heart-warming to hear stories like this -- to read of people like Abaynesh who were once crippled but have been made whole -- who once were sick but who are now healed -- who were once lost, but now have been found

            -- this morning, I wanted us to take a moment and talk about a person in the Bible that you may not know much about -- a crippled man called Mephibosheth -- and see what we can learn about healing in our own lives through his story

II.  The Story of Mephibosheth

            -- we are first introduced to Mephibosheth here in 2 Samuel 4:4 -- let's read that verse again

2 Samuel 4:4 (NIV)

4 (Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.)

            -- let me give you the background so you'll understand who the players are -- as you probably remember, Saul was the first king of Israel -- God had appointed Saul to be king of Israel at the request of the people -- they were tired of being governed by judges and prophets -- they wanted a king just like all the other nations around them -- and so God granted their request and made Saul king

            -- Saul was a gifted military leader, but he wasn't a very good king -- he rebelled against God -- he refused to follow the direction God gave through the prophet Samuel -- and so God raised up David -- a man after His own heart -- to become king in place of Saul

            -- after David defeated Goliath, Saul elevated him to a leadership position in the army -- and David led the nation to victory many times in their war with the Philistines and the Amalekites -- and each time he won a battle, his name grew in the land and people began to follow him

            -- David was everything Saul wasn't -- not only was David a gifted military leader, but he was a natural leader -- he loved the people and the people loved him -- and as David led Saul's armies, the people started giving David more and more acclaim and praised his name in public above Saul's -- and this made Saul jealous and angry -- and so he decided to kill David and declared war on him

            -- some time after this, Saul and Jonathan were killed in a battle with the Philistines -- and the throne of Israel passed to his only remaining son, Ish-Bosheth -- Ish-Bosheth was betrayed by his followers, and was killed while he was laying in bed -- which left Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the only heir remaining to the throne of Israel

            -- when Ish-Bosheth was killed, the people in Saul's house were afraid that David was going to come and kill Mephibosheth and everyone there in the palace in order to become king of Israel once and for all

            -- so everyone began to run for their lives -- Mephibosheth's nurse grabbed him and tried to run with him, but he fell and injured his feet and became crippled for life -- they fled to a small village in the wilderness, where they hoped to live in anonymity, safely away from David's wrath

            -- so that's the back story about Mephibosheth -- so let's get to the good stuff

            -- turn over to 2 Samuel 9 and we'll pick up the story of Mephibosheth there

            -- verse 1-3

2 Samuel 9:1-3 (NIV)

1 David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"

2 Now there was a servant of Saul's household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" "Your servant," he replied.

3 The king asked, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?" Ziba answered the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet."

            -- now David had a special relationship with Saul's son Jonathan -- you could say they were blood brothers -- and even though Jonathan's father Saul hated David and wanted to kill him, Jonathan loved David and David loved Jonathan -- they would do anything for each other

            -- Jonathan actually warned David that Saul was coming to kill him so that David could escape and get away safely -- and David protected Jonathan when they were on the battlefield -- Jonathan and David made a covenant with each other to always take care of each other's families, no matter what -- and even now, years after Jonathan's death, David still thought of his friend and remembered their relationship and their covenant

            -- I bring this up because what happens to Mephibosheth occurs because of the relationship between David and Jonathan -- it's a reminder to us that our religion is not a religion based on rules -- it's a religion based on relationship

            -- the very first verses of the Bible speak of relationship -- when we look at Genesis 1:1-2, we read of God the Father creating the heavens and the earth -- of Jesus, the Word of God, speaking into existence all creation -- and the Holy Spirit hovering over the waters of the deep -- the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- joined together in relationship -- and from that relationship -- from their love -- the universe was created so that we might live in relationship with God

            -- that's why God gives us portraits of grace such as the picture of the relationship between David and Jonathan, to remind us of what our relationship with Him should look like

            -- and it was like that in the beginning -- man was in relationship with his Creator -- the Bible says that God walked with Adam in the Garden in the cool of the day -- they enjoyed each other's presence -- they loved each other -- things were good -- everything was as it should be

            -- but just like Mephibosheth, we were crippled by a fall -- when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit, their spirits were crippled and their sin destroyed our relationship with God forever -- no longer can we love Him as He desires -- we are crippled in spirit and unable to walk with Him in fellowship

            -- verse 4

2 Samuel 9:4 (NIV)

4 "Where is he?" the king asked. Ziba answered, "He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar."

            -- when David asks where Mephibosheth is, he is told Mephibosheth is living in Lo Debar -- Lo Debar was a city east of the Jordan River -- the whole area is a barren wasteland -- the literal meaning of Lo Debar is “the place of no bread.”

            -- Mephibosheth was hiding out in a desolate place -- he was in the far country -- he was as far away from David as he could possible get

            -- this describes us -- we live as Mephibosheth does in the start of this passage -- in the wilderness -- crippled in spirit -- hiding from the King with no hope of restoration -- with no way for us to walk back into His good graces

            -- Mephibosheth is a picture of who we were before we came to Christ

            -- verse 5

2 Samuel 9:5 (NIV)

5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

            -- what a picture of grace! -- Mephibosheth was unable to come before the king, so the king went to him -- even though Mephibosheth sought to live his life in hiding, David sought him out and did everything he could to bring him home to the palace

            -- we see in the actions of David a picture of God's prevenient grace -- David represents God the Father in this passage -- and just as the king sought out Mephibosheth, so the King of the universe sought us -- God sought us through His creation -- He sought us through His word -- He sought through His Son

            -- before we were even aware of His presence -- before we even knew He existed -- God was seeking us and reaching out to us through His prevenient grace

            -- our spiritual lives begin because God took the initiative and sought us -- we could do nothing on our own -- we do not have the capacity within ourselves to even begin seeking God or desiring Him -- this is all a move of God

            -- and because we could not go to God, God came for us -- we were just like the lost sheep that Jesus spoke about -- God left the ninety-nine in order to find us -- the one sheep that was lost -- in order to bring us to the cross of forgiveness

            -- verse 6-12

2 Samuel 9:6-12 (NIV)

6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, "Mephibosheth!" "Your servant," he replied.

7 "Don't be afraid," David said to him, "for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table."

8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?"

9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.

10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master's grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

11 Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons.

12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba's household were servants of Mephibosheth.

            -- it's important to note here that Mephibosheth was restored to his place because of another -- David made Mephibosheth like his own son and elevated him to a place at the king's table -- not because of anything Mephibosheth had done or because Mephibosheth was good and righteousness

            -- no, David elevated Mephibosheth because of another -- he elevated Mephibosheth because of Jonathan

            -- it's the same for us -- that's the story of Christianity -- we can stand today forgiven and clean and restored -- we can live in relationship with God and eat at His table -- not because of anything we have done -- but simply because of what Jesus has done

            -- just as Jonathan was the bridge between David and Mephibosheth, Jesus stands as the bridge between us and the Father -- and to come to the Father, we must come through Jesus -- for it is only be believing in His finished work on the cross can we be reconciled and restored in relationship with the King

            -- verse 13

2 Samuel 9:13 (NIV)

13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table, and he was crippled in both feet.

            -- Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem -- he ate at the king's table -- but he remained crippled in his feet for the rest of his life

            -- Mephibosheth remained physically crippled, even after being elevated -- God healed the relationship, but He didn't heal the body -- every day when Mephibosheth woke up and saw his crippled feet and realized where he was, he was reminded of how he got there -- he didn't do it on his own -- he was only in the king's palace because of grace

            -- when the Apostle Paul was beset with a thorn in the flesh, he prayed to God three times to have it removed -- but God refused to remove it -- it stayed as a reminder to Paul of his need for God

            -- in the same way, even though we stand before the throne of God as redeemed Christians, our sin nature remains within us to remind us that we stand before God only through grace -- that we can never make it our own -- but that we need Him every moment of every day

            -- we remain crippled like Mephibosheth to remind us that we are dependent on God for all that we are and all that we do

            -- so as we close today, let us take a moment to thank God for remembering us in our crippled state -- to thank Him for seeking us when we were in a far country -- to thank Him for saving us when we could not save ourselves

            -- and let's leave here today in humbleness and adoration -- and let's carry his message of hope to the crippled souls around us

            -- let us pray

------------------------------------------------

1 Modified from story by Bruce Alain Flury, "Meet Abaynesh" https://cure.org/2012/05/meet-abaynesh/

Should Christians Give Money to the Homeless?

Ran across this on the Christianity board on reddit.com and wanted to share. This was posted in response to the question: "Should Christians give money to homeless when experts advise not to do so?"

"I'm the president of a homeless shelter in my region.

First, I would like to say that the homeless are just neighbors without homes... nothing more. About 60% of the folks who stay in our shelter are there for less than 2 weeks. Something happened to them that dropped them out of a housed situation: loss of a job, a medical situation, car breakdown (which might result in loss of job), etc... generally, something economic failed them (which says a lot more about our economic system than these individuals BTW) in some way (as opposed to mental health or substance abuse). They don't need a lot of help to get back on their feet, and we go to great lengths to help them with the problems they ask for help with, and let to them find the solution that they think will work for them... most often, they know what to do and what they need help with.
 
The most important thing that homeless people need are homes. Any other problem they may have is orders of magnitude more manageable in the stability of a home. period.
 
We do in fact have a lot of folks who are substance abusers or have mental health problems (or both... shudder). Obviously, they can be a lot more challenging.
 
The causes of homelessness are many, so it's difficult to "label" people and we wouldn't want to if we could. We just have to work face to face with every individual while having a strong regard for their dignity as neighbors and friends and for their own judgment. That seems to do the trick in most cases.

Regarding help that you might want to give, I think you just have to use your judgment. It's not a bad idea to carry some $5-$20 gift cards for local shops or resturants; target/walmart are good (but be mindful that you might need a car to get to them in some areas and many homeless are carless... [imaging living in this society without one!]). A nearby grocery store or drug store (CVS, Walgrens, etc) will help them to get food, socks, toiletries, etc. and might give you a little peace-of-mind about drugs and alcohol. Sometimes, I just give cash and leave it to the individual's own judgment (with maybe a nudge from the H.S.).

Bottom lines:
Notice them; don't ignore them.
Treat them like neighbors, which is just what they are.
Treat them like peers, which is just what they are.
Help where you can.
Give time, talent, and treasure to your local shelter!"

I strongly second the recommendation to give out gift cards instead of cash. Also, I like to make up gift bags to keep in the car with toiletry items and non-perishable foods to pass out. We have found that toiletry items are a much-desired commodity.

I would also add to this man's advice: Pray before doing anything and ask God to give you a discerning spirit to know what you can do to help.