Defining a "Successful" Church

I was talking with a guy this week about his church.  I hate to admit it, but even as a pastor, I tend to fall into this trap of defining success in the church much as the world defines it and comparing myself to other pastors. 

I couldn't help myself from asking, "So how many people do you have?"  The same question I've been asked many times.  It's a value mark for pastors and for churches.  If your church has more members than another's church, then that means you're more successful, more spiritual, more worthy, than them.  Why else do we ask that question?

Or, if you're like me, the pastor of a microchurch (the hot name for a small church today) who finds out the person you're talking to has more people in his church than you, you can go all spiritual on them.  "Oh, yes, I used to believe a larger church meant more success, but today I have realized that it is important to focus on relationships, and I just cannot have the type of relationship I want with X number of people in my congregation," where X is an imaginary number that is larger than your current congregation size.  For instance, if you have a church of 60 people, then X is 100.  If you have a church of 200 people, then X is 1,000.  Or, if you have a church of 25 people, then X is 50.  You get the idea.

Anyway, I asked this guy about his church -- how many people do you have following you?  "Oh," he says, "I've got a lot that follow me, but there's only twelve that are there every time we gather for worship or teaching."  Twelve.  Could be a new church plant.  Could be a guy focusing on relationship like other microchurch pastors.  Still, I average a little better than that if you count Sunday morning worship along with Bible study, so check one for me.  Still, better find out...  "Been at it long?"  "About three years," he says.  Three years, and you only have 12 people?  Wow.

Time for the next question.  What about your building?  Where do you meet?  You see, that is the other major defining point for success in the religious world today.  Everyone knows you need a building.  And the old adage from the Kevin Costner film, "Field of Dreams," holds true -- "If you build it, they will come."  Build a new church, hang a sign out front, and watch the people come.  It happens.  But then there are those who can't afford a building, so they rent space in a strip mall.  Used to be out of the norm, but now it's acceptable.  Becoming common as the cost of maintenance goes up.  And then you have a few outliers -- those strange meeting places:  doggy day cares, motels, etc.  Makes you wonder...

So, where do you meet, I ask.  Do you have a building or do you rent or what?  "No," he says.  "I just stop where the Father tells me and I preach there.  Usually it's outside, somewhere in nature.  We just find a good spot, I take a seat, and I start to teach."  "That's nice," I say.  "That's weird," I think.  So I try to help.  "You know, if you had a building -- a permanent place -- then maybe more people would come."  "Yes," he says.  "But would they be the right people?"

Interesting.  This guy may be a bit quirky.  Not sure if he's really cut out for the ministry or not.  Probably just another person who was not happy with organized religion.  "So what's your services like?  How many people are you baptizing?"  He replies, "I spend more time just getting to know people and seeing where they are.  They come to me with their sicknesses and I heal them."  [RED FLAG!!!]  "I just tell them about God and try to show them how they should live for Him every day."

Okay, now I see what I've got.  Some guy who has decided to break out of the "church" thing and just promote his own idea of ministry.  He doesn't have a building.   He's only got a handful of people in his church.  He's doing all these healing services and isn't worried about doctrine or teaching the right things.  He acts like he's got these secret powers to heal and a direct line to God.  He's doing this feel-good ministry and "getting close to people."  He thinks church is just about helping people and healing them and showing them how to relate to God.

It's people like this who make a bad name for the rest of us who have been to seminary or Bible school and who know what's right and what should and should not be taught.  He's never going to be accepted by the religious community.  He's always going to be on the fringe.  This guy is certainly not going to be considered successful by modern standards.  Keep an eye out for him and let others know if you see him.  His name is Jesus.

SERMON: TESTED AND APPROVED: COURAGE

25 January 2015

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Acts 20:17-24

Acts 20:17-24 (NIV)

17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.

18 When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.

19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews.

20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.

21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.

24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

            -- what comes to mind when you think of courage? -- American soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy at D-Day as a hail of German bullets buffets their ranks? -- General Stonewall Jackson sitting calmly astride his horse at the first Battle of Bull Run, as shells and bullets were flying all around him? -- William Wallace taking the field of battle at Banockburn with only a handful of Scotsmen against the might of the English Army? -- the image of the lone Chinese student standing in the street and staring down the tanks at Tiananmen Square?

            -- certainly, those are some of the images of courage that come to mind when we hear that word today -- but what about the story of a young monk who was called to stand trial before the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire -- Emperor Charles V was surrounded by his advisors and representatives from the church at Rome -- "Spanish troops, decked out in their parade best, surrounded the ruler, while bishops, princes and representatives of the great cities [of Europe] filled the rest of the great hall"

            -- on a table beside the monk sat a pile of books written by the monk -- treatises of theology questioning the faith and practices of the Church at Rome -- the monk was asked two questions:  Had he written these books? -- to which he affirmed he had -- and, secondly, was he willing to recant of what he had written or suffer the pronouncement against him by the court of the Holy Roman Emperor?

            -- the monk understood the implication of the question -- "Charles V and the other Roman Catholics present" at the hearing believed the pope to be the spokesman of God on earth -- his word and the practices of the Roman Catholic Church were sacrosanct -- and they "thought the pope should be the final authority in matters of faith and practice" -- to speak against the church at Rome was to speak against the Empire -- and to speak against the church and the Empire was a death sentence

            -- in the silence of the question, "Will you recant?", the monk stood still and then "the young man turned to his accusers and asked for more time" -- they gave him one day to make, what was for him, a life or death decision

            -- the next day the court reconvened and the young monk stood again before the arrayed power of the Empire and the Church of Rome -- the question hung in the room -- "Will you recant?"

            -- to recant meant to affirm the pope and the Church of Rome were the sole dictators of the faith and practice of Christianity in the western world -- but the young monk, a man by the name of Martin Luther, did not believe that -- he believed Scripture should be the final authority in matters of faith and practice

            -- so he "answered his accusers: Some of his books, he said, even his opponents agreed contained edifying teaching about the Bible's message -- Naturally, he would not retract these -- Other of his writings attacked "the papacy and papist teaching," yet to retract them would only encourage tyranny, he said

            -- "In some writings, he admitted, he had attacked individuals, perhaps too harshly. Still he couldn't retract these books because these people defended papal tyranny.

            -- "The examiner rebuked the monk for not speaking to the point, and demanded: "You must give a simple, clear, proper answer to the question: Will you recant or not?"

            -- silence once again reverberated through the courtroom -- "Unless I can be instructed with evidence from the Holy Scriptures... I cannot and will not recant."

            -- Knowing he could be arrested or killed for his answer, he concluded, "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen."¹

            -- as this story shows, courage takes many forms -- while we typically relate courage to field of valor, the true definition of courage is simply doing what is right and just despite the consequences -- standing against adversity despite the odds

            -- it took just as much courage for Martin Luther to stand before the political and religious power of his day and speak out against the tyranny and injustice of the church as it does for a soldier to take the battlefield

            -- courage is a state of the heart -- a virtue demanded by our Lord and Savior -- it comes from a foundation of faith and is built upon the promises of God

II.  Courage

            -- this morning we are continuing our sermon series, "Tested and Approved," looking at the cardinal virtues of Christianity -- the characteristics -- the behaviors -- we need in order to live out our Christian lives in this world

            -- last week, we looked at the virtue of wisdom, which we said was the core virtue that supported all the others -- this week, we are looking at the virtue of courage

            -- the word courage comes from the Latin word cor, which means “heart” -- So to have courage simply means to have “heart.” -- "God's idea of strength is to have a heart like a lion" -- that's why men who have heart -- like Richard the Lionhearted, the King of England -- are known as men of courage and virtue

            -- so when we read in the Bible the command to "take heart," it is a call to be lionhearted -- it's a call to have courage

            -- but "the courage to do what? -- the courage to do the right thing when all else tells you not to do it -- the courage to rise above your surroundings and circumstances -- the courage to be God's idea of a real man [or woman] and to give of yourself for others when it costs you to do so and when everything tells you to look out for yourself first"²

 
            -- and while there are many passages and many stories in the Bible of men and women of faith and courage -- stories like Peter walking on the water at Jesus' command -- Gideon facing down the Midianites with only a handful of warriors -- Esther approaching King Xerxes on behalf of her people -- and Daniel in the lion's den -- I was led today to another great man of courage -- the Apostle Paul

            -- this passage in Acts 20 concerns one of the most important and moving moments in the life of the Apostle Paul -- Paul is at the end of his third missionary journey and is making his way to the city of Jerusalem in response to the prompting of the Holy Spirit

            -- and while we may not see in this passage the image of courage we usually recognize -- the courage of the battlefield -- the courage of standing in the face of tyranny and injustice -- we do see the courage of faith developed over a lifetime of following Jesus

            -- think about it -- most of us here will never face down an enemy on the field of battle or be called to stand before the court to defend our faith -- we will probably never need the courage of the soldier or of Martin Luther -- but the courage of Paul that we see in this passage is the virtue we should be seeking in our lives -- the courage to stand in our faith against whatever this life may throw our way -- against the daily hardships we all face

            -- as this passage opens, Paul knows his time on earth is short -- the Spirit has told him he would face prison and hardships on this journey -- his very death has been prophesied -- but still he is faithful and turns his face to the end of the journey, pressing on to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus Christ had given him

            -- as his ship stops at the port of Miletus, Paul calls for his friends, the elders from the church of Ephesus, to meet with him there on the shore -- they gather around him, and as they realize this will be the last time they will see him on earth, their tears begin to flow -- they share remembrances of their life together -- they talk about the success of the church and Paul's hope for their future -- he encourages them -- he gives them courage -- to carry on in the face of adversity that will surely come against them -- and then they pray with him as he boards his ship for his last journey to Jerusalem and they say goodbye to their friend and their brother in Christ

III.  Scripture Lesson (Acts 20:17-24)

            -- let's look together again at this passage and see what we can learn about the virtue of courage from this glimpse of the Apostle Paul's life

            -- Acts 20:17

Acts 20:17-21 (NIV)

17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.

18 When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.

19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews.

20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.

21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

            -- as Paul meets with his friends for the very last time and encourages them to stand firm in the future, he reminds them of the example he has given through his own life of faith -- from the very beginning, Paul's courage to persevere in the face of difficulty was evident

            -- Paul had been persecuted by his fellow Jews -- both from within and from outside the church of Christ -- he had stood against the heresies of the Judaizers -- Jewish converts who demanded the Gentiles become Jews if they would seek salvation through Christ -- in the face of their commands on the Gentiles, Paul stood up and said, "No, salvation is by grace through faith alone -- not by works, lest any man should boast" -- Christianity was not Jesus plus Judaism, but Jesus alone

            -- Paul's stand against them is a reminder that the opposite of courage is not cowardice, but conformance -- and sometimes courage is simply the ability to lean into your wisdom and do something different -- to stand against the traditions of religion and what the world says is the right way in order to uphold the true doctrines of faith

            -- Paul had never wavered in his faith when confronted with the schemes and the plots of the Jews against his life, but continued to serve God in the face of floggings and imprisonment and stoning -- through shipwrecks and hardship -- through trials and defeats

            -- we learn from Paul that courage is not necessarily success in all endeavors -- but merely the ability to keep on keeping on -- the will to pick yourself up and keep on doing what you know to be right despite what adversities you face

            -- Paul says he did not hesitate to preach anything that would be helpful -- but that he declared to both the Jews and the Greeks the true gospel of Christ -- courage can be as simple as being obedient to God's word in a Christ-rejecting world

            -- verse 22

Acts 20:22-23 (NIV)

22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.

            -- courage is facing the unknown without fear because you know that God is with you -- Paul didn't know what awaited him in Jerusalem -- others had prophesied this trip would end in his death -- but Paul didn't fear death

            -- he had faced prison and hardships before -- and the Lord had seen through you -- courage was trusting God to do it again

            -- In John 16:33 Jesus told his disciples, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart -- have courage -- I have overcome the world." -- as Bill Gothard wrote, courage is "acting on the knowledge that He who is in me is greater than he who is against me."³

            -- Paul tells us it was the Holy Spirit Himself who compelled him to go on into the unknown at Jerusalem --  Paul could face the future unafraid because he knew God was with him and he knew God was greater than anything and anyone he was going to face

            -- do you know God is with you? -- as Paul underscores in these verses, courage is the fruit of trusting faith -- without God -- without the faith that God is with you -- courage is not possible

            -- verse 24

Acts 20:24 (NIV)

24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

            -- courage comes from faith and purpose -- Paul knew why he was here -- he knew why God had called him -- he understood his place in the story of God's grace

            -- and leaning on his purpose and calling -- knowing that God was with him and that God undergirded his every move -- Paul had the courage to go forth and finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus had given him

            -- the Bible tells us that without a vision, the people perish -- without a vision, courage perishes -- do you know why you are here? -- do you know what God has called you to do with your life?

            -- Paul knew that God had called him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and he resolutely completed his task -- finding the courage to continue despite the hardships he faced

            -- knowing why God has called us and trusting He has placed us where He wants us is the seed of courage in our lives -- we must know God and know His presence if we want to live out the life He has called us to live in this place

IV.  Developing the Courage of Faith

            -- so how do you develop the courage of faith? -- how do you build this virtue into your life?

            1.  Begin with the small stuff

      -- several years ago, I read a story from a preacher who had just moved to Houston, Texas  -- he was trying to find his way around the area -- and, normally, he would drive his car -- but a few weeks after he got settled into town, he had to go to the downtown area, and rather than drive his car, he decided to take advantage of Houston's mass transit system -- so, he went down to the bus stop near his home and waited for a bus heading downtown

      -- when the bus got there, he climbed on and handed his fare to the driver -- the driver gave him his ticket and the change and the pastor headed to an empty seat -- When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him too much change back

      -- he sat there and tried to decide what to do -- it was only a quarter -- 25 cents -- he thought to himself, the right thing to do would be to give the quarter back -- it would be wrong to keep it -- it wasn't his -- but then he thought, "What does it matter? -- It's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? The bus company already gets too much fare for a trip downtown -- they'll never miss it -- Maybe I should just accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet."

      -- but, when his stop came and he was making his way off the bus, he conscience got the better of him -- he stopped at the door and handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change."

      -- The driver grinned and took the quarter -- and then he said, "You're the new preacher in town, aren't you? -- I have been thinking lately about starting back to church and someone suggested I go to your church -- so, I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change."

      -- When the preacher stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, and held on, and said, "O God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter."

             -- to begin developing courage and integrity, begin with the small stuff, for it is the foundation of your life -- don't lie -- don't cheat on your taxes -- don't accept too much change at the register -- don't illegally download music or movies -- your goal as a Christian should be integrity above all

            -- if you can't be trusted in the small things, you can't be trusted at all

            2.  Compassion and Empathy -- Paul says in verse 19 he served the Lord with humility and tears  -- his ministry was paved with compassion and empathy -- but how does that relate to courage, you may ask?

            -- courage is the epitome of selflessness -- courage is the willingness to stand up for others in the face of personal adversity -- if you don't care about someone or something, you will never stand for it -- but if you follow the example of Paul -- if your life is characterized by humility and compassion and empathy for others -- then you will not idly stand by as you see them face injustice and tyranny and evil

            -- this week we took a moment to recognize the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- while he is often the face of the civil rights movement, we cannot forget the men and women who stood with him on the front lines -- men and women who willingly took the same abuse and rejection faced by African-Americans -- men and women who chose to be beaten and imprisoned because of their compassion and empathy -- for their stand against injustice and evil

            -- to know people is to care for them -- and to care for them, you must stand for them and serve them -- strength in the service of others is courageous

            3.  Trust God -- this means living on faith, without fear -- 365 times we are told in the Bible, "Fear not" -- and Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." -- the message of Paul is to live in the courage of faith

            -- trusting in the promises of God gives you the ability to walk into the face of danger or into unknown situations with the knowledge that no matter what happens, God is with you -- the worst thing that can happen to you is that you die, but if you die, you go to be with the Lord -- if you can walk through this life without fear of death -- with no fear for yourself -- then you can be courageous in all you do

V.  CLOSING

            -- as I was studying for this message, I couldn't help but think of the Matt Damon movie, "We Bought a Zoo" -- if you remember this movie, Matt Damon's character, Benjamin Mee, steps out in courage to do something the world thought was crazy -- in order to rebuild his family after the death of his wife, he dared to go against the norm in order to live a life that would bring meaning to them all

            -- there's a great quote in this movie that sums up where we need to begin with this virtue of courage -- Mee's son is struggling with fear and anxiety and is unable to muster up the courage he needs to step out and speak to the girl he loves -- Mee tells him, "You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage -- just literally twenty seconds of embarrassing bravery -- and I promise you, something great will come of it"

            -- remember this, the scariest moment is always just before you start -- that is the moment where courage is birthed -- when faith is forged

            -- when we were in Dothan this weekend, we noticed the electronic signs that were all over the place that said, "This year I will..." -- every one of them had to do with courage -- every one of them had to do with standing on the precipice of faith and taking twenty seconds of insane courage and embarrassing bravery to do something different

            -- one sign said, "This year I will finally ask her out" -- another said, "This year I will finish my novel"

            -- what does your sign say? -- what is God calling you to do in this new year? -- what act of courage -- what step of faith -- is He asking you to do that will be the start of something great in your life?

            -- "This year I will... what?"

            -- let us pray

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

1 Mark J. Galli, "Adventures In Time Travel: Need Courage? Hope? Inspiration? Take A Trip Through Church History."  Discipleship Journal

2 Eric Metaxes, Seven Men and The Secret of their Greatness

3 Cynthia Heald, "How To Be A Courageous Christian Woman" -- Discipleship Journal - Sept/Oct 1981

SERMON: TESTED AND APPROVED: WISDOM

18 January 2015

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Proverbs 3:13-26

Proverbs 3:13-26 (NIV)

13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,

14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.

17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

19 By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;

20 by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.

21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight;

22 they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.

23 Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble;

24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

25 Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

26 for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.

            -- on February 21, 1994, Aldrich Ames, a CIA analyst working in Washington, D.C., in the Department of Operations, the most sensitive element of the CIA branch involved in Soviet counterintelligence, was arrested at his home and charged with spying for the Russians against the United States

            -- in his subsequent court trial, Ames admitted to the charges and confessed that he had provided sensitive information and the identities of U.S. assets to the Russians since 1985 in exchange for an estimated $4.6 million -- he was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without parole for his crimes against the U.S. and remains behind bars today

            -- now what is amazing about this story is not that an American would betray his country for financial gain -- this story is all too common -- not only here but in other countries as well -- no, what is amazing is that this occurred within the very office of the Central Intelligence Agency responsible for taking in and evaluating information to determine threats to our nation's security

            -- Ames was a mid-level Government employee with a salary of $60,000 per year -- however, his lifestyle did not match his salary -- Ames lived in a $540,000 home in Arlington, Virginia, that he had paid for in cash -- he drove a $60,000 Jaguar to work every day -- after his second marriage, he had home remodeling and decoration costs of almost $100,000 -- and he and his wife racked up phone bills of $6,000 per month, mostly to her family in Columbia

            -- and, if that wasn't enough, Ames showed up to work each day to his office at the CIA wearing tailored suits made just for him, conspicuously finer than those of his colleagues -- and he had premium credit cards with monthly minimum payments higher than his monthly salary -- yet he never found himself in debt

            -- looking back at the case of Aldrich Ames, one has to wonder why his supervisors and fellow employees in the CIA did not catch on earlier -- all the warning signs -- all the information -- was there, but they just didn't see -- they just didn't know what to do with it, and so Aldrich Ames continued to serve as a mole for the Russians within the CIA for 10 years before he was finally caught¹

            -- this morning we are beginning our new sermon series called "Tested and Approved" -- a look at the cardinal virtues necessary for a successful Christian life

            -- virtues are the characteristics -- the behaviors -- we need to adopt and to live out and to make a part of us and our lives if we are to be the men and women Christ has called us to be -- to live a virtuous life means we conform our lives to Christ -- intentionally choosing to live our lives according to a high moral standard, based on the teachings of Christ

            -- the virtues we will be discussing are called the cardinal virtues -- "cardinal comes from the Latin "card," which means hinge -- these are the virtues upon which the door of one's moral and ethical life swings"² -- these are the foundation of our character and form the basis of who we are, both in public and in private

II.  What is Wisdom?

            -- this morning we are going to be looking at the cardinal virtue of wisdom or prudence -- and what better place to do that than in the Book of Proverbs -- one of the wisdom books of the Bible?

            -- if you would, look with me again at verse 13

Proverbs 3:13-18 (NIV)

13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,

14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.

17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

            -- Solomon urges us to find wisdom -- to gain understanding -- which then begs the question, what is wisdom?

            -- the dictionary defines wisdom as "accumulated philosophic or scientific learning or knowledge" -- but I'm going to tell you this definition is not complete -- it's missing part of the complexity of wisdom as found in the Bible -- you see, there are different facets -- different meanings -- for the word wisdom

            -- the dictionary definition I gave you equates wisdom to knowledge -- and that is true in the general sense -- in philosophy, and even here in the wisdom books of the Bible, this is known as sophia -- this is general knowledge -- the gathering of information -- sophia refers to learning about something

            -- all of us are in the business of gaining knowledge in this way every day -- kids in school are learning about the basics of science and math and English -- if you work outside the home, you had to learn the basics of your job -- you had to learn the skills required to work in your profession -- if you drive, you had to learn how to drive -- knowledge is nothing more than knowing something about a subject

            -- we have whole government agencies like the CIA that do nothing but gather information -- their sole purpose is to acquire information about other countries -- about other militaries -- about terrorist activity -- they are knowledgeable about these subjects

            -- in the same way, we are supposed to be knowledgeable about spiritual things -- we are supposed to know the basics of our faith -- we are supposed to know the Bible -- to know how to pray -- to know what it means to be a Christian -- that is what sophia -- that is what knowledge is -- it is the acquisition of information

            -- but there is another facet of wisdom known as phronesis -- think of this as practical wisdom -- phronesis is taking the sophia -- the knowledge you possess -- and applying it to your life to make relevant decisions on what to do and how to live -- in other words, phronesis is putting knowledge to work

            -- let me give you a practical example -- think about driving a car -- about the basics of getting a license and learning how to drive -- I know the requirements have changed some since I first got my license, but the basics are still the same -- in order to get a license, you have to do two things -- first, you have to learn the foundation of operating a motor vehicle -- how to adjust the seat and the mirrors so you can reach the pedals and be able to see what is going on around you and behind you -- you have to learn how to physically operate the car -- how to turn the key in the ignition to start the engine -- how to put on the brake and how to apply the accelerator -- if you have a manual transmission, you have to know how to apply the clutch and let it off just right so the car moves into gear -- you have to know how to park and how to turn around and how to safely operate the car -- the basics -- that's the first thing

            -- the second thing is you have to know the rules of the road -- you have to study the written rules that everyone who drives has to follow -- when to stop at red lights and stop signs and yield signs -- when to apply your blinkers and when to apply your hazard lights -- what the normal speed limits are in your area on various roads, even if there are no speed limit signs posted -- when it's okay to turn right on red or what lane you are supposed to turn into on a divided highway when you turn left -- those kind of things

            -- these two things are the information -- the basic knowledge -- the sophia -- you need to get a driver's license and start driving -- but we all know, there's more to driving than just knowing how to operate a car and the rules of the road

            -- what is missing is phronesis -- the practical application of the knowledge you possess to real world situations -- the rule book doesn't teach you how to drive at night in a storm or how to drive on ice and snow -- the rule book doesn't cover every situation you'll face in driving -- what if there's a wreck in front of you? -- is it okay to pass the accident on the shoulder of the road even though the law says you can't pass on the shoulder?

            -- these are things that you learn through experience -- these are situations where you take the knowledge you possess and filter it through your experience and your understanding of the situation to arrive at a real world situation -- this is practical wisdom -- the application of knowledge in life

            -- this is what was missing at the CIA in the case of Aldrich Ames -- they had the basic information -- they had the sophia -- but they didn't know what to do with it -- they failed at applying phronesis

            -- so here in Proverbs 3:13 -- when we read, "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom -- the man who gains understanding" -- know this is referring to both sophia and phronesis  -- what Solomon is telling us is that we will be blessed in our lives if we take the knowledge we have of God and what God desires and then apply that information in our lives -- if we make practical use of what God has told us in His word

            -- so wisdom is a virtue, not because it is an action in and of itself, but because it informs our decisions and our behavior -- wisdom is the filter we use to determine what we do in our lives -- as Crawford H. Toy wrote, "Wisdom is the knowledge of right living in the highest sense"       

III.  The Application of Wisdom

            -- out of all the virtues we are going to discuss, wisdom is the greatest deficit in our world today -- as Brett and Kay McKay point out in an article they wrote on the virtue of wisdom, "As our society has become more complex, specialized, and bureaucratic, the opportunity to exercise practical wisdom has increasingly been replaced with reliance on rules, regulations, and incentives to achieve our goals."²

            -- in other words, people aren't thinking for themselves -- when they are faced with a decision, they don't apply the process of wisdom -- they don't take the information and knowledge they possess and filter it through the context of the situation and their own experience to arrive at a reasonable course of action -- instead, they look at what the rules tell them and they follow that sole course of action whether it is appropriate or not

            -- I have been fighting this at work for months now with our lawyers at the Pentagon -- the law says that the installation commander will meet face-to-face with the Native American Tribal Governments to discuss with them any projects Moody AFB is planning to do before we proceed

            -- the only problem is the Native American Tribes we need to talk to are not right next door -- they're in Oklahoma and they have told us by phone and by written correspondence that they don't want to talk to us about our projects any longer -- they don't care what we do on the installation -- "But," the lawyers say, "the law says you have to have face-to-face meetings and that's what you're going to do"

            -- the lawyers are deriving their course of action from a rule and are ignoring the context and the experience and the wishes of the very people who don't want us to visit them -- phronesis is not being applied

            -- so how do we acquire this virtue of wisdom? -- it's a three-step process

            -- the first step is knowing -- we need to acquire knowledge -- we need basic information about life

            -- this information -- our rules of the road, if you will -- needs to come from the Kingdom of God and not from this world -- this means the basis of our information and knowledge needs to come from God and from His Word

            -- we need to know God's word -- we need to know God -- we need to spend time with Him by reading the Bible and praying and worshiping with others and reading other sources of spiritual commentary and insight

            -- we need to immerse ourselves in the truth of God and let this knowledge of Him serve as the background data from which we make decisions about who we are going to be and what we are going to do

            -- this information forms the framework for decisions in our lives

            -- next, we need to understand -- this is where context and experience and revelation come into play -- in James 1:5 we are instructed to ask God to give us wisdom in order to understand a given situation and what should be done -- every situation is different -- every person we interact with is different -- and there is not a one-rule-fits-all answer

            -- so we seek to understand what God wants us to do in any given situation -- we look at the basic information we possess -- what does God's word say about this subject?

            -- and then we look to our experience and the experience of the church -- how has this been handled in the past? -- what worked? -- what didn't work? -- what should have been done instead?

            -- and then we ask God to give us wisdom -- we ask Him to give us insight into the situation and spiritual discernment that we might know what to do in this particular situation

            -- God speaks to our hearts and reveals to us the truth of a situation in light of His word and He guides us into making our decision based on His will rather than the black-and-white of the Law

            -- the goal is to seek understanding of what God wants rather than trying to just adhere to the Law -- this was the mistake the Pharisees made -- the Law said no one should work on the Sabbath, so we read in the gospels they tried to have Jesus arrested because He broke the Law by healing a man with a shriveled hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath -- a clear violation of the Law

            -- but Jesus pointed out that God's intent -- God's will -- was that good should always take precedent over the black-and-white rules of the Law -- the Law was to provide a framework through which to make decisions -- not to be the end-all on how to act in every situation

            -- so we seek to understand God's will in this particular situation and context within the framework of our basic knowledge of His Word

            -- the final step is doing -- the application of wisdom to life -- it's not enough to know what to do -- we must act on what we know

            -- our behavior and our actions must follow our wisdom -- once a choice is made, it should be carried out

            -- following through is the final step in the process of wisdom

IV.   Closing

            -- In one of the commercials that was shown at the 2010 Super Bowl, Cars.com tells the story of a wonder child named Timothy Richman, who demonstrates for us this process of wisdom

            -- when he was a toddler, he saw a pan of food cooking on the stove catch fire -- he had heard that baking soda puts out fires, so Timothy threw his rattle at a box of baking soda located on a shelf above the flaming pan, knocking over the box, which poured the soda into the pan and extinguished the flames.

            -- when he's a little boy, his father gives him a bike -- and as his father starts to put on the training wheels, Timothy repeats to himself the knowledge he learned about how to ride a bike -- "Balance, momentum, and a low center of gravity," and with that, before Timothy's dad can get the training wheels on, he pedals the bike away and down the driveway.

            -- In junior high, Timothy confidently walks up to a teen on an Italian beach who has been stung on the leg by a jellyfish and acting on his knowledge of first aid, he pours vinegar on the inflamed skin -- he explains in perfect Italian that vinegar can neutralize jellyfish stings.

            -- As a high school student on safari in Africa, he uses his knowledge of veterinary medicine to deliver a baby Bengal tiger that was breeched.

            -- the last scene in the commercial shows Timothy at a new car lot looking scared to death -- but then he sees a Cars.com sign and pulls out his cell phone and searches the site on the internet -- The narrator for the commercial concludes, "So Timothy Richman got his knowledge at Cars.com, regained his confidence, and got the perfect car at the perfect price."³

            -- sophia -- phronesis -- and application -- know it -- understand it -- do it -- this is the three-step process to acquire the virtue of wisdom in your life

            -- wisdom is the foundation of our lives with Christ -- it is the greatest of the cardinal virtues -- and to know Christ -- to understand Christ -- and to obey Christ is our goal

            -- let's pray

1 Websites accessed 18 January 2015:  http://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/aldrich-ames; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldrich_Ames

2 Source: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/12/19/practical-wisdom/ -- Brett and Kate McKay

3 Craig Brian Larson, editor of PreachingToday.com; source: 2010 USA Today Ad Meter and Cars.com

OLD OR ELDERLY?

Yesterday, while we were at the wolf preserve, I overheard a couple say to another, "We're not old. We're elderly." And the significance and profoundness of their statement has really stuck with me.
To mature and grow older is a fact of life that I recognized so clearly as I looked at the sea of sorority girls and college students standing in line with Kim and I as we waited our turn to be photographed with the wolves. We are no longer young adults -- we have grown older.

But, as the wise sages next to us quipped, to grow older does not mean you are old. You are only as old as you feel. You are only as old as you live. You are only as old as you choose to be.

The challenge is to not give in to the steady decay of physicality and vigor, but to remain youthful in attitude, aptitude, and appearance. The challenge is to avoid the temptation to take a lifetime of memories and experiences and hang them on the mantle in a frame of the past, but to take those experiences and build new memories for the future.

Life does not end because you grow older. Abraham was 100 when Isaac, the son of his faith was born. Moses was 80 when he was called to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Abraham and Moses were not old. They were merely elderly, and they let God use them to do mighty things. God desires the same of you!

Regardless of your age, you are only old if you choose to be. Like our friends at the wolf preserve, you can choose to be elderly and choose to let God continue to work in you and through you for the rest of your life. Remember, there is not a minimum retirement age in Christianity. God expects you to keep on keeping on until the end!

GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

There is a lot of truth to this meme. When we are going the right way -- when we are walking on the straight and narrow -- we are always going to meet opposition. Opposition from the world who is going on the broad path the other way. And opposition from Satan, who will do anything to keep us from going forward with Christ.

I heard a message one time from Dr. Bruce Wilkinson where he talked about a student in seminary bragging about how good his life was going now that he had started school. The professor said he had never been more disappointed in the student than in that moment. "If you are having no difficulties and are having no problems while you are in seminary studying about Jesus, that means Satan views you as no threat and not worth his time."

Here's hoping that on this Monday you meet enemies as you start this new week.

Pastor Greg

SERMON: TESTED AND APPROVED

11 January 2015

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Romans 16:10

Romans 16:10a. Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ.

            -- Admiral William H. McRaven, a 36-year Navy SEAL veteran, was asked to give the commencement address to the Class of 2014 at the University of Texas in Austin -- his titled his message "10 Lessons to Change the World." -- I want to share with you his first about how to change the world:

            -- "Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors would show up in my barracks room [for inspection] -- and the first thing they would inspect was your bed -- If you did it right, the corners would be square, the covers pulled tight, the pillow centered just under the headboard and the extra blanket folded neatly at the foot of the rack

            -- "It was a simple task—mundane at best. -- But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. -- It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real warriors -- tough battle hardened SEALs -- but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.

            -- "If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day -- By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed -- Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter -- If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right

            -- "And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better -- If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed."

            -- this morning we are going to start a new sermon series on changing the world --specifically, on what you can do to change the world -- I have taken the title of this series, "Tested and Approved," from Paul's description of his friend Apelles here in Romans 16:10

            -- as Paul closes this letter to the church at Rome, he ends with personal greetings to the people he knows there in that community -- he has something to say about all of them, but his words about Apelles speak volumes -- "Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ"

            -- we know nothing about Apelles apart from these five words -- but what five words they are -- they speak to Apelles' faith, character, and integrity

            -- Paul tells us Apelles' faith had been tested in some way -- perhaps through persecution -- perhaps through tragedies of life -- perhaps through abandonment by friends and family -- we don't know -- but Paul tells us Apelles withstood the test and emerged victorious -- approved unto God -- approved in Christ

            -- that is my personal desire for all of us as we start this new year together -- to be men and women who can be described as Apelles -- "Tested and Approved in Christ"

            -- we begin by taking care of the little things and building on the foundation of our faith -- we begin by choosing to be disciples -- not just in name but in practice -- men and women who choose obedience -- who choose character -- who choose integrity and faithfulness to Christ above all the world has to offer and our own selfish desires

II.  The Cardinal Virtues of the Christian Life

            -- last year we went through a sermon series on the Seven Deadly Sins and discussed the dangers of each -- today we are going to pick up where that series left off and begin looking at the life-changers -- the Cardinal Virtues that are essential to our Christian life

            -- these were first listed for us in an epic poem in 410 AD and different versions of them have appeared over the years as men and women have tried to live out their Christian faith in this world -- the virtues we will be discussing in this series are prudence or wisdom -- courage -- temperance or self-control -- justice -- diligence -- and humility

            -- these virtues are the behaviors we need to adopt and to live out in our life if we are to be the men and women Christ has called us to be -- what we are talking about is conforming our life to Christ -- intentionally choosing to live our lives according to a high moral standard, based on the teachings of Christ

            -- these are the little things Admiral McRaven talked about in his commencement address -- these are the little things that change who we are and make us capable of withstanding any test or trial that comes our way -- these are essential to our Christian lives

            -- the one word that we need to hold onto throughout this series is the word integrity -- integrity is a reflection of your character

            -- all of us in here put on an act every single day -- every day we put on a persona -- we put on a good face for the world -- we act like the world thinks we should act as a Christian -- but if we're honest with ourselves, we'll have to admit that a lot of times we don't act like that when we're alone

            -- integrity is being who Christ wants you to be in public and in private -- integrity is being a person who exemplifies the Cardinal Virtues and the characteristics of Christ -- whether you're in public or you're by yourself

            -- Socrates wrote, "The first key to greatness is to be in reality what we appear to be" -- we are called to be men and women of integrity -- we are called to live lives of holiness and righteousness through the power of Christ in us -- that's what this series on the Cardinal Virtues is all about

III.  Putting Off the Old, Taking Up the New (Colossians 3:1-14)

            -- so as we begin this series, I want to invite you to turn over with me now to Colossians Chapter 3 and let's briefly look at this passage that summarizes our goals in this series

            -- let's start at verse 1

Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV)

1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

            -- writing to the church at Colossae, Paul begins this section by reminding them of who they are in Christ -- they are no longer the men and women they used to be -- they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb -- their sins have been forgiven -- they are new creations in Christ -- raised with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly realms

            -- because of that, Paul tells them to set their hearts and their minds on the things above -- not on the things of the earth -- as Jesus said, where your treasure is, is where your heart should be -- their treasure was in heaven, so their hearts and minds needed to be focused on heaven and the things of heaven, not on what the world says is important

            -- our Christian life does not begin when we die -- we are not saved just so we can go to heaven -- we are saved that we might have life and have it abundantly -- and that life begins when we change our focus and our goal and our direction from what we want and what the world wants to what Christ wants for us

            -- verse 5

Colossians 3:5-11 (NIV)

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.

8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

            -- since we have been raised with Christ -- since we have new life with Him -- we need to start acting like it

            -- one day this successful businessman was walking down the street when he was approached by a beggar -- the guy was obviously homeless -- his whole appearance was unkempt -- long, dirty, uncombed hair -- dirty clothes -- he carried all his possessions in a bag slung over his back -- he held his hand out and asked for a couple of dollars so he could get something to eat

            -- as the businessman reached in his pocket and started to hand the man some change, he looked at him and realized he knew him -- it turns out this beggar was a friend of his from high school -- they talked for a moment and he found out the beggar had made some bad choices -- started drinking and using drugs -- and eventually found himself out on the street with no job and no money and no home

            -- the businessman said, "Come with me" -- and he took him home with him and got him cleaned up -- they went to the barber and got him a shave and a haircut -- they went to the department store and got him new clothes -- and the businessman told him, "Now listen, you come by my store on Monday and you tell the manager I sent you -- he's going to be expecting you and he'll have a job for you and we'll put you up in a spare room in the back of the store until you get on your feet again"

            -- the beggar thanked his old friend for all that he had done and went on his way -- Monday came around and the businessman went by the store to see how his friend was doing -- the manager told him that no one had come by all day -- every day that week, he'd check and still, the beggar had not come by

            -- one day the businessman is out and walking down the street and who does he see but the same beggar standing on the street corner asking for money -- he goes up to him and says, "What are you doing here? -- why didn't you come by my store and get the job I promised? -- why didn't you take the life I was offering?"

            -- the beggar dropped his eyes and said, "It was just too good to be true -- I just couldn't believe I could change and I didn't believe you really had a job for me -- it was just easier to go back to what I knew"

            -- if we're not careful, we'll do the same thing this beggar did -- Jesus died on the cross to forgive us for our sins and offer us a whole new life with Him -- but we have to do something with the gift He has given -- we have to move forward in faith and make some changes in our lives

            -- Paul tells the folks in Colossae, "Look here -- you have been raised with Christ -- you have a new life -- so you need to put to death your old nature and your old ways

            -- put to death your sexual immorality -- your impurity -- your lust -- your evil desires and greed -- get rid of your anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language -- stop lying to one another -- that's who you used to be, but that's not who you are now -- remember who you are in Christ and live the new life you have been given

            -- verse 12

Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)

12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

            -- if we're going to be who God wants us to be, then we're going to have to make some drastic changes in our lives -- the reason why we need to get rid of the old way of living is to make way for the new

            -- we are called to be imitators of Christ -- to look and act like Him in this world -- do you know what the word Christian literally means? -- it means "little Christ" -- and that is who we should be

            -- that means we have to be different from this world -- different from who we used to be before we trusted in Jesus as our Lord and Savior and were given the Holy Spirit to empower us and make us holy

            -- we are called to be reflectors of God's love on this earth -- when people see us, they should see Christ in us

            -- so Paul tells us here -- get rid of the old stuff and clothe yourself with the things of God -- put on the virtues of Jesus -- compassion -- kindness -- humility -- gentleness -- and patience -- bear with each other -- be patient and kind one to another because we're all on this journey together even though we may all be in different places along the way

            -- forgive others as God forgave you -- and let your life and your actions and your being be characterized by love above all else

IV.  CLOSING

            -- what does it take to be approved unto God? -- what does it take to be tested and approved in Christ?

            -- the Apostle Peter asked that same question in 2 Peter 3:11 -- "What kind of people ought you to be?" -- now that Christ has saved you -- now that Christ has sent His Spirit to indwell you -- now that you have been filled with God's divine power -- what kind of person should you be?

            -- he goes on to answer that question in the rest of verse 11 -- "You ought to live holy and godly lives"

            -- Paul reminds us here in verse 12 that we are God's chosen people -- holy and dearly loved -- and he tells us we should act like it -- we should put off the old and put on the new -- we should choose to take up the virtues of Christ and live a new life -- a different life -- than the one we used to live

            -- so as we begin this series together on the Cardinal Virtues of the Christian Life, let me ask you:  what if we became like Apelles? -- what if we patiently sought to acquire the virtues that matter? -- what if we came to realize that the only approval that really matters is God's? -- what then?²

            -- that's the questions I want you to answer in your own heart and in your own life as we go through this series together

            -- let us pray

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1 Admiral William H. McRaven, "Admiral McRaven: 10 Lessons to Help Change the World," Real Clear Politics (5-22-14) [Preaching Today: http://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2014/october/7102014.html]

2 Modified from message by Jennifer Dukes Lee [http://manettecommunitychurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/November-2014-Newsletter-Web.pdf]