SERMON: THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE

27 February 2011

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Colossians 1:21-23

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[a] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

-- it should be no secret to any of you now that I am somewhat of a movie geek -- I really like movies -- and I think this all goes back to the way I learn things -- I believe I am a visual and auditory learner -- in order for me to learn things, I really have to hear it or see it rather than just read it
-- and I have found in my life that I tend to retain things better when I can see it or when I can hear someone talking about it in a lecture -- I think that’s one reason why I don’t read a lot of nonfiction -- it just doesn’t stick with me the way it does when I watch a documentary or hear a lecture on the subject
-- there’s just something about seeing it on the big screen that brings it all home to me and I really can grasp what’s going on in the big picture -- which, for me, is pretty amazing -- I tend to get hung up on the details, especially when I read, but when I watch movies, I am able to step back and see the whole story as it unfolds and I’m better able to really get what is going on

-- I guess that’s why I really like movies that have a story that is greater than what is on the screen -- movies that have depth and that mean more than just what they’re showing on the surface -- that’s one reason I always look forward to this time of the year when Christianity Today puts out their list of the Top 10 Redeeming Films of the past year
-- every year when this list comes out, the first thing I do is add all of them to my Netflix queue and move them up to the top of the list because I know these are going to be movies that I am really going to get a lot out of
-- a lot of the movies on this list you probably have never heard of, but they all have one thing in common -- every single one of them have an underlying theme of redemption and hope -- in every one of them, you see how the lives of the characters and those around them are redeemed -- how they’re lifted up out of their circumstances and given a hope and a dream that propels them on to new heights and to new adventures and to new lives
-- you know, maybe one reason why I like these movies so well is that I can relate to them -- because, if you stop and think about it, aren’t they really about us? -- aren’t they really about what Jesus has done for us?

II. Scripture Lesson (Colossians 1:21-23)
-- that’s what Paul is saying here in this passage as he writes to the church at Colosse -- a small group of believers that were being led by one of Paul’s disciples -- a man named Epaphras
-- Epaphras had written to Paul and asked for help because some in the church were starting to believe in a false teaching that said that they had to do more to be saved than just receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior -- this false teaching told them they had to follow certain rituals and call on angels and do other things above and beyond what Jesus had said and what Paul had taught
-- so Paul writes this letter to the church at Colosse to remind the Colossians of the grace and the redemption and the hope that they had in Christ and in Christ alone -- he reminds them of the story of their life -- of who they used to be before Jesus -- of who they were now because of Jesus -- and of who Jesus wanted them to be in the future

-- let’s look back at this passage and see what we can learn about the story of our own lives through Paul’s message to the Colossians

-- look back at verse 21

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[a] your evil behavior.

-- “once” -- isn’t that the way all good stories begin? -- “once” -- “once upon a time” -- that’s the way Paul says that the story of our lives begin -- “once upon a time there lived a man -- once upon a time there lived a woman -- and their lives were not good”
-- Paul reminds us of who we used to be -- he says that we were alienated -- separated -- cut-off -- from God -- that’s like being cut-off from life itself
-- that’s like a cut flower in a vase -- it looks nice -- it smells nice -- but it’s as dead as dead can be because it is alienated and separated from the source of life -- no matter how much you prop it up -- no matter how much water you add -- eventually, that flower is going to fade and it’s beauty is going to pass away and it’s going to wither and be no more
-- that was us -- that’s who were -- alienated from God -- alienated from life with no hope and no future
-- and, to make it worse, not only were we alienated from God but we were the enemies of God -- we had been deceived by temptation and sin and we liked who we were and we didn’t like the God who came along and offered something better -- we thought we were happy living in our own little pit of despondency and despair and when someone offered a hand to redeem our lives and to pull us up, we slapped it away
-- this, Paul says, is who you were -- remember what your life was like -- remember who you were before Jesus

-- verse 22

22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—

-- but just when things seemed their darkest -- just when it seemed like all hope was lost -- just when we realized the mess that we had made of our lives and understood that we couldn’t get out of this pit on our own -- the Savior came riding into the story like a hero on a white horse
-- Paul says that Jesus reconciled us -- He brought us back into a relationship with the Father -- by offering His own body on the cross at Calvary -- through His death -- through the shedding of His blood -- Jesus atoned for our sins and paid the price to redeem us from sin and death and to bring us once more into fellowship with God
-- Romans 5:8 says while we were yet sinners -- while we were yet in that pit of sin and despair -- Jesus died for us
-- this, Paul says, is who you are now -- once upon a time you lived in a pit -- but now, through the death of the Savior, you have been made holy in the sight of God -- without blemish -- free from accusation and guilt -- spotless before your God and your King
-- Paul is reminding the church at Colosse of who they were at that very moment -- there was nothing else that needed to be done -- there was nothing else that needed to be added -- the blood of Christ had redeemed them and washed them clean so they stood before God holy and blameless in His sight
-- they didn’t need to add unnecessary rituals and traditions -- they didn’t need to call on any other spiritual beings -- they didn’t have to do anything more -- all they had to do was accept the gift of grace that Jesus offered through His own body and blood and to live the new life that He had given
-- in verse 21 Paul said, “This is who you were” -- and here in verse 22 he tells them, “This is who you are”

-- but Paul doesn’t leave it there -- look down at verse 23

23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

-- “This is who you are to become”
-- just like your story did not end in the pit of sin and death -- your story doesn’t end at the cross -- your story is just beginning
-- Paul urges the Colossians to “continue” in their faith -- the Greek word he uses here literally means to “persevere” or to press on
-- Paul says “continue” in your faith and press on to take hold of the hope that you have in Christ -- do more than just settle at the cross and wait for death to take you -- continue to write the story of your life

-- this is what I call a “now what?” moment -- these are times in your life when something has changed -- something big and dramatic that demands a response
-- you graduate from school -- you get married -- you get a job -- you lose a job -- something happens -- a new chapter begins -- and you think to yourself, “now what?” -- and then you realize, “I have to do something”
-- that’s what Paul is saying here to these Christian believers in Colosse -- remember who you were -- remember what you used to be and how you used to live before Jesus came along
-- look at who you are now -- look at what Jesus has done for you -- look at how your life has started over -- how you have been made holy and righteous and blameless before God
-- and then, by urging them to continue on in their faith, he asks them, “now what are going to do with what you have been given?”
-- the Spiderman movie of a few years ago made this quote famous -- “with great power comes great responsibility” -- that’s what Paul is saying here to this church -- you have a responsibility now to do something with the redemption you have been given
-- he goes on to say, “this is the gospel that you heard -- this is the gospel that has been proclaimed and that I am the servant of” -- and the implication is there -- follow my example -- do something with your life -- continue in your faith and write your story in the lives of others

III. Closing
-- in the paraphrase, The Message, we read the following in 1 Cor 1:9, "God, who got you started on this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of His Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that."
-- we can’t forget that we ARE in the midst of a great spiritual adventure -- an adventure that is being written out in our lives every single day -- God called us from the life that we used to be living -- He rescued us from the miry clay and the pit that we were living in and He washed us clean through the blood of Jesus so that we might start this new adventure -- that we might begin a new story with Him -- that we might continue in our faith

-- the question I want to leave you with this morning is what is your story going to look like? -- at the end of your life, when others gather around to remember who you were and how you touched their lives, what are they going to say about you? -- will they remember a life filled with hope -- a life lived with faith -- a life that cared enough about others to get up and make a difference in this world? -- or will they struggle for words to describe and for remembrances of the past?
-- we have been given a great opportunity -- Christ Himself has delivered us from sin and death and put our feet on a new path -- He has given us a blank page to write the story of our life on -- so what will you write? -- what will you say? -- what will you do?

-- with those thoughts in mind, I want us to close today by sharing together the sacrament of Holy Communion -- because through the sharing in the body and blood of Christ we are reminded of what He has done for us -- we are challenged to live up to the calling that He has placed on our lives -- and we are reassured that He is with us as we write into the story and lives of others
-- so, as Seth leads us in our last song, let’s prepare our hearts and our souls to receive Holy Communion
-- let us pray

SERMON: THE END IS NEAR?

22 May 2011

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

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.


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

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

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

-- look at verse 3

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

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

-- verse 4

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

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

-- skip down to verse 32

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[a] is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[b] but only the Father.

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

-- verse 37

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

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

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

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

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

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

SERMON: HEARING GOD THROUGH CIRCUMSTANCES

20 February 2011

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Job 1:13-19

13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

-- this morning we are finishing up our series on hearing God -- we started out by looking at hearing God through His Word -- then we looked at hearing God through prayer -- and then last week we looked at hearing God through the church
-- this morning, we are going to look at the last way God normally speaks to us -- our circumstances

-- as we said, these four ways are not equal and they are not mutually exclusive -- when God speaks to you, He does so primarily through the Bible -- then He confirms what He has told you in the Bible through prayer, the church, and circumstances
-- one thing to keep in mind is that God will never ever tell us to do something that contradicts the Bible -- He will never ever tell us to do something that goes against His Word
-- that’s why I pointed out last week that we have to be careful when we think we have heard something from God, but we are only hearing it from one source like the church or our circumstances
-- the problem here is that sometimes people get it wrong -- even if they mean well, people sometimes give bad advice -- and if what they are telling you does not line up with what you are reading in God’s word, it is not from God

-- a pastor friend of mine had a couple come to him a couple of years ago for advice -- they both went to his church and they both were married -- just not to each other -- and they came to him and said that God was telling them that they should divorce their spouses and then marry each other
-- that was what their friends were telling them -- that’s what people in the church were telling them -- but this obviously went against what the Bible says -- yes, there are biblical grounds for divorce -- yes, I believe that divorce may be justified in the cases of abuse -- but these are extreme cases, and the Bible tells us that God’s plan for the family is for husbands and wives to stay together -- in 1 Corinthians 7, He tells us that a wife must not separate from her husband and a husband should not divorce his wife
-- my friend told these people that what they were hearing was not from God -- and he wisely counseled this couple to break off their relationship and to go back to their spouses and repair their marriages
-- so, we have to be careful that what we think we are from hearing from God lines up with what the Bible says -- this is especially true for our topic today

II. The Problem with Circumstances
-- more people are led astray by their circumstances than any other thing -- and they think that if their circumstances are pointing them to a certain area, then it must be from God
-- we’ll all heard that saying -- we’ve probably all said that saying -- “If God closes one door, He opens another one” -- or, sometimes we hear it as, “If God closes a door, He opens a window”
-- and that may be true, but you can’t rely on circumstances alone to determine if the door that is closed was closed by God or if the window that was just opened was opened by God

-- I heard a story a few years ago about this woman who was having problems in her marriage -- she decided to take some time just for herself and she went out west to the mountains -- she rented a little cabin out in the middle of nowhere and was going to spend the time reading and thinking and trying to figure out what to do in her marriage
-- well, as luck would have it, while she was there she happened to meet this guy who was everything her husband wasn’t -- and he swept her off her feet -- and she ended up having an adulterous affair
-- when it came time to go back home, she was torn and didn’t know what to do -- she got on the plane and started really missing the man back in the cabin -- so, she said, “God, give me a sign -- if I am not supposed to go back to my husband but am supposed to be with this other man -- close that door and open another one”
-- all of a sudden, the plane hit a pocket of turbulence -- the flight attendant came on the intercom and said, “The pilot has turned on the ‘Fasten Seat Belt’ sign -- everyone needs to return to the cabin and buckle their seat belts”
-- well, this woman heard that message -- “Return to the cabin” -- and she took that as a sign from God -- as soon as the plane landed, she booked a flight back to the cabin and the man she had had an affair with and divorced her husband
-- looking at circumstances alone led her to do something that clearly was not God’s will and that was contrary to God’s message in His Bible
-- one of the big problems with circumstances is that we try to make them fit what we want to do -- we use them to justify our behavior and our actions -- rather than trying to find out what God is saying to us through them

III. Scripture Lesson (Job 1:13-19)
-- here in this passage in Job, we see the problem that can arise if we try to ascertain the will of God from our circumstances alone
-- this book -- the Book of Job -- is the oldest book in the Bible -- most scholars agree that Job was probably a contemporary of Abraham -- they lived in the same time and same area and there are indications in the Book of Genesis that they may have known each other and may have actually been related
-- in verse 1 of this chapter we learn that Job was a very Godly man -- the Bible tells us that he was blameless and upright -- he feared God and shunned evil -- Job was a good guy trying to live his life for God when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, disaster struck

-- look back at verse 13

13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

-- one minute, Job is going through life -- following God -- doing what’s right -- not harming his neighbor or anyone else -- he’s an upright, outstanding citizen in his community -- a leader who is well-respected
-- and, then, Job has a bad day -- a really, really bad day -- it starts out when a servant rushes up and tells him that raiders have come and stolen his oxen and his donkeys and killed all of his servants
-- and then, while he’s still talking, another servant comes up and tells him that all of Job’s sheep and all of his shepherds have been killed -- and while Job is hearing this news, yet another servant comes up and says that a different band of raiders has swept down and stolen all of his camels
-- and then the worst of all -- he gets news that all of his sons and daughters have been killed in an accident
-- keep in mind -- this has happened in the span of moments -- Job has gotten all of this bad news within just minutes of each other -- can you imagine the shock that he is feeling -- the pain that he is suffering
-- here is a Godly man -- trying to do his best and not cheat anyone or do anyone any harm -- and all of a sudden, he has lost his wealth and his family forever
-- but, things just get worse -- over in Job Chapter 2 we read that Job loses his health -- he gets afflicted with painful sores that cover his whole body from the soles of his feet all the way to the top of his head

-- so, here’s the question -- if you were looking only at Job’s circumstances, what conclusion would you come to about what is going on in his life?
-- if this happened in your life, what would you think? -- what would you think God was trying to tell you?
-- well, Job has three friends who come by who have all the answers -- they look at what has happened to Job and they tell him they know exactly what is going on -- “You have sin in your life -- you have done things that are wrong and God is punishing you for them -- repent of your sins and turn back to God and maybe He will quit punishing you”
-- we kind of think that way, too, don’t we? -- we may not say this exactly that way, but that’s kind of what we believe? -- “if you do good things, good things will happen to you -- if you do bad things, bad things will happen to you” -- Christian Karma
-- Job’s friends were convinced -- the only reason bad things like this happened to a person was because they were bad and had done bad things themselves
-- but that doesn’t jibe with what we know about Job -- the Bible tells us that he was holy and blameless -- he feared God and shunned evil -- Job wasn’t bad -- he didn’t do bad things -- but bad things happened anyway -- so, what’s going on?

-- Job’s story continues for 42 chapters, and eventually, God Himself comes and speaks truth into the situation and lets Job and his friends know that everything that has happened to Job -- all the bad things that have come his way -- were not Job’s fault
-- they were not the result of sin in Job’s life -- there not because Job was bad or because he had done bad things -- these circumstances were a plan of Satan to get Job to turn away from God
-- but here at the start of this book -- at the start of this story -- Job didn’t know that -- he just knew that his circumstances were bad -- and if he had just looked at them alone and not sought God’s word on the situation, Job might have gotten the wrong idea and gone off and done something that would not have been what God would have wanted

IV. God’s Perspective
-- so, how can we use our circumstances to help us know what God wants us to do? -- or, in another way, how do we look at our circumstances from a Godly and Biblical perspective rather than a worldly perspective?

-- to start with, we need to keep in mind the two ways that God uses circumstances to speak to us
1. first, He uses circumstances to confirm what He has previously told us in His Word -- as we’ve talked about before, God primarily speaks to us through the Bible -- but then He confirms this in other ways -- and as we seek to know and understand what He is telling us, then we will see all four ways -- the Bible, Prayer, Church, and Circumstances -- start to line up and we’ll be hearing the same message through each of them
-- in other words, what you see in your circumstances and what you hear through prayer and the church will line up with what God is telling you in the Bible

2. the second way God uses circumstances in our lives is to get our attention -- this is especially true for people who are not reading God’s word on a regular basis or who are avoiding God in their lives -- He will use circumstances -- people, places, things, events -- in our lives to get our attention and to clue us in that God is talking to us
-- I had a friend who was running from God as hard as she could -- caught up in drugs and other vices -- and God kept calling her and calling her and she kept putting her hands over her ears -- finally, she had a bad car accident that got her attention -- she survived without a scratch and decided it had to be a message from God -- she started to read the Bible -- she started to listen for His voice -- and she realized that God was using the circumstance of that car crash to correct her and get her back on path -- that He had greater plans for her than to burn out her life on drugs and alcohol -- today, she is a pastor who is making a difference in the lives of many people
-- now, that’s not to say that God only sends bad things our way to get our attention -- sometimes, He sends good things -- but He does use circumstances to let us know that He is talking -- we just have to be careful to not assume that the circumstances are the message alone

-- so, when all of a sudden your circumstances change -- whether for good or bad -- the first thing we should do is go to God and ask Him to show us His perspective on our circumstances -- what is He doing in our lives? -- Why has our situation suddenly changed?
-- Job wisely did not accept the counsel of his friends and their perspective on what they thought was going on to cause such bad things to happen to Job -- instead, he appealed to God and asked God what was going on
-- we should do the same -- ask God what is going on -- and then seek His voice in the Bible and in prayer and through the church to see where God is leading you

-- and, then, when we’re sure God is speaking to us -- when all four ways are starting to line up and what we are seeing in our circumstances agrees with what God is telling us in the Bible and in prayer and through the church -- we need to adjust our life to God and do what He is telling us to do
-- sometimes, God leads us to go off in new directions in our lives or in our careers or in our spiritual life
-- sometimes, God just wants us to correct things in our lives that are wrong or to get us back on track when we’ve strayed off His path -- sometimes, He uses circumstances to grow our faith or to develop our character

-- the key to correctly understanding the circumstances of your lives is to have a Godly perspective -- to focus on God and not on what you are going through
-- don’t let your circumstances or situations dictate what you think God can or can’t do in your life -- it’s easy for us to get wrapped up in our own little lives -- to think that if things are going good, then we must be doing all right with God -- or if things are going bad, that we must be doing bad with God
-- but, when you’re doing that -- when you’re going through life looking at your circumstances and situations like that -- you are actually self-focused -- your emphasis is on you and your happiness -- rather than on God and what His plans are
-- we have to always put God first -- we have to always seek His perspective and His understanding to make sense of our situations and circumstances -- otherwise, we will end up making wrong assumptions just like Job’s friends did or just like that woman on the plane
-- Job remained faithful and righteous in God’s eyes because he trusted God throughout all the circumstances of his life and because he looked for God’s perspective rather than man’s
-- that is the example we should follow, as we seek to hear and understand God in our own lives
-- so, as we close this series on hearing God’s voice in our lives, let me leave you with a promise from God on His plan for us -- Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
-- don’t fear what God is doing in your life, but trust Him and listen for His voice to lead you down the path that He has chosen for you

-- let’s pray

New Blog -- The Christian Kindle

For those who might be interested, I just started a new blog called, "The Christian Kindle." My plans are to post links to free and discount Christian books, and to provide short reviews of books that I have recently read.

I hope that others will join in and post in the comments with their own reviews and links to Christian books.

You can get to it by clicking on the name above, or by copying and pasting this url into your browser: http://thechristiankindle.blogspot.com/

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

A recent note from a friend passed my way that read, "Why do evil people always seem to win?" and it got me thinking. Yeah, why? Why do good things happen to bad people and, conversely, why does it seem like bad things happen to good people?

Just this past week we were studying the Book of James in our Wednesday night Bible study, and James was trying to make the point to the first century Jewish Christians that they shouldn't blame God for the temptations that come their way. "God cannot be tempted," James wrote, "And God does not tempt anyone with evil." He then made his case for that argument with the point that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above, from the Father of lights, and that God doesn't send evil. In the midst of our conversation on those verses, someone stopped me and said, "But that's not true, is it? What about plagues? What about hurricanes? Those aren't good. If everything comes from God, then how can those be good."

We continued on into a discussion of what it means to live in a fallen world, a world that has been corrupted by sin and evil and that seemingly exists with a mind of its own, although God does work in the midst of sin and evil to bring about good. Hence, we can point to God's grace and presence in the midst of September 11th and Hurricane Katrina while not throwing these into the categories of a "gift from God" or, as our insurance companies put it, "An act of God." They are just an artifact of a world gone wrong.

But, theological interpretations aside, what about the simple human observation that people who are not "good," that people who aren't living for God, who aren't trying to do good in their lives, who are just out for themselves, sometimes seem to get it better than the rest of us. And those of us who are trying to do what is right, trying to live out our faith in this uncertain world as best we can and to follow God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength seem to get continually screwed (pardon the expression, but you know exactly what I mean). Hence the comment from my friend, "Why do evil people always seem to win?" Good question.

I spent some time pondering that last night as I wrestled with the experience of a very bad week at work. It was only three days long, but I felt like I had been put through the wringer. Worn out emotionally and physically, I took Friday off just to try to recover and get ready for next week. But why is life so difficult for those of us who are believers? In John 10:10, Jesus said that He had come that we might have life and life to the full. Other translations render this as "abundant life," and we make the case in church that this life starts now and not in some distant future after we die. But where is this abundant life? Why aren't we enjoying it right now?

As I pondered the rightness and wrongness of life, God led me to the part of John 10:10 we don't usually quote -- "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy." Ok, I understand that, but why do only the believers suffer? And the answer I received was that it was only the believers who were in the battle. And then I understood. I understood why I get tempted the worst after a really good Sunday worship service. I understood why things get so bad at work and at home right before I go to minister in the prison. I understood why I have such problems in my life right before I go to serve at the Walk to Emmaus. I understood why things are so difficult when I do my best and am really trying to walk with God.

It is because I am in the battle. Theodore Roosevelt once wrote, "It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."


Why do bad things happen to good people? Because they are in the arena -- they are on the front lines of the battle. Because they are going face-to-face with the enemy, carrying the truth of God and the message of hope and life to a people held captive. Because they are the ones who are pressing against the Gates of Hell and who are suffering the constant attacks from the evil one who is trying to destroy them with all his might. These are the ones that Roosevelt talks about whose countenances are "marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strive valiantly" and who constantly get back up when they are knocked down to stand again against their foe. Of course Christians suffer. Of course persecution and trials and hardships come our way. Not only because we live in a fallen world, but because we are going toe-to-toe with an enemy who will do anything to discourage us and to discredit us and to bring us down. Bad things happen to good people simply because they are good.

And, conversely, good things sometimes happen to bad people. Sure, they face the same hurricanes and natural disasters as we all do because it's part of living in a fallen world. But, they don't face what the Christians do. They are not in the battle. They are not engaged. They pass by on the sidelines without a care in the world. They are not a party to the conflict, and, thus, are not of interest to the enemy. Why waste his time on those who are not fighting, on those who are content with just walking through this world seeking to serve self above anything or Anyone else? They stroll through the battlefield, seemingly unaware of the raging war, as all around them they are surrounded by those who are actually engaged in the battle.

This reminds me of the movie, "The Matrix." In the movie, the character Neo is told that everything that he knows, his whole life, is nothing but a manufactured mirage. It is not real, it has been created so that Neo will walk through life unaware of the real battle that is occurring around him. So, Morpheus offers Neo a choice. He can take one of two pills, a blue pill that lets him stay the way he is, returning to his old life and living in the same old way with the same old things. Or, he can take the red pill, which will destroy the power of the mirage and open his eyes to the reality of life around him, putting him in the midst of the battle being waged for his very soul. What does he do? If he takes the red pill, he will leave all the old behind and nothing will ever be the same again, but he will be putting himself into harm's way and bad things will happen.

That is the choice that we all have to make at some time in our lives, but rather than red and blue pills, we have to choose to accept and follow Christ or to walk in our world oblivious to the spiritual reality around us. It those who take the red pill, who accept and follow Christ, that find themselves in the battle and who sometimes ask, in the light of a particularly grueling campaign, "Why does it seem like the evil people always win?" The truth is that they don't. It just seems like it right now because the battle is still being waged, but in the end, they will get their due and we will enjoy the victor's rewards.

The message from God is to persevere, to endure to the end, and to know that He will see us through. As Paul wrote in Ephesians, "Stand firm" The battle may still be occurring, but the war has been won. The victory was secured with the shout, "It is finished," and with the triumph of an empty tomb. We have won the day, and despite the momentary hardships that life and Satan throw our way, we have prevailed and we will overcome.

SERMON: HEARING GOD THROUGH THE CHURCH

13 February 2011

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Acts 13:1-3

1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

-- this morning we are continuing our series on hearing God -- we started out by looking at hearing God through His Word -- through reading the Bible with an open heart and listening for the Spirit to speak to us through what we read
-- last week, we looked at hearing God through prayer -- at using prayer more than just an opportunity to ask for needs and to put our requests before the throne but by remembering that prayer was communication -- two-way communication with God where God would speak to our hearts in response to our needs and requests
-- this morning, we are going to look at hearing God through the church -- and next week, our plan is to finish up by looking at hearing God through our circumstances

-- now, one thing we have to keep in mind as we go through this is that -- although God speaks to us in each of these ways -- these ways do not carry equal weight and are not mutually exclusive
-- let me explain what I mean by this -- when you are trying to hear from God -- when you are listening for His voice and trying to discern His will for you and your life -- the first place you should go is the Bible -- this is where we hear God’s voice the most clearly -- this is where He speaks to us the most
-- but, when you read something in the Bible and you think it’s God talking to you, then you should pray about it -- you should ask God to confirm that this is His will -- that this is His voice -- and then listen to what the Spirit says
-- after you pray, you go to the church and hear what God is saying through His people -- and then, lastly, you look at the circumstances in your life
-- if you are hearing from God, you will see all four of these ways start to line up -- in other words, what you read in the Bible and understand to be a word of God for you will be confirmed in your prayer time -- this will be reinforced through the church -- through the messages that the church gives you, and not just this group of believers, but the church of Christ in the world -- you’ll hear it in messages from individual believers for you -- through sermons -- through song -- through worship -- and, finally, you will see your circumstances line up as God directs your will and your path
-- and that’s the order of confirmation that you need to take -- the Bible first, then prayer, then the church, and then circumstances -- if you are just hearing something through the church or through your circumstances that you don’t see confirmed in Scripture, then it is not God’s word -- always, God will speak to you through His word first and foremost -- and then, if it is God’s word, then God will confirm it for us through prayer, the church, and circumstances
-- I can share with you what this looks like through my own life -- when Kim and I moved back to Georgia from Tennessee, we ended up joining a Methodist Church in Morven -- it was a small church, mostly older women when we started, and they just took us in like we were their long-lost children -- it became a true home for us -- it was like a family
-- and, because of this, we really got involved with the church -- every time the doors were opened, we were there -- Sunday School -- Sunday morning worship -- Sunday night services -- Wednesday night Bible study -- we really got involved in church and in the lives of these people
-- after a while, a couple of young couples started coming to the church and the pastor asked me to lead a new Sunday School class -- I had never done that before -- I loved Bible study -- I loved learning about God through reading His word -- but I had never considered being a teacher before
-- but, during my devotional times I had started reading some things that sounded like God was speaking to me -- passages where God was calling people out and sending them to teach others about Him -- to proclaim His word -- and when I prayed, I kept hearing a similar response from God -- so, I thought, o.k. -- maybe this is what God was talking about -- He wants me to be a Sunday School teacher -- so I took the job
-- and this class started to grow from two couples to three and then to four until we filled up the room where we were -- but, at the same time I was leading that class and attending Bible study, I kept hearing the same message from God’s word and from prayer, “Go -- I have called you to proclaim My Word -- I have called you to teach me people” -- and I was thinking, “But, I’m already doing that -- why do you keep asking me to do what I’m already doing?”
-- and, then it started -- when I’d leave church on Sunday morning, the pastor would shake my hand and, “Want to preach tonight?” -- and I’d just say, “No -- that’s not my job -- that’s yours” and then I’d go on -- and then, every now and then, people in the church would say in passing, “You’re good at teaching -- have you ever thought of being a preacher?” -- “No, never thought about it -- that’s not what I’m called to do”
-- I started hearing messages on the radio over and over about God calling people into ministry -- it reached the point I would just turn the radio off and not listen -- I started hearing it more and more in Bible study -- in the songs we sang in church -- from the people -- from everyone
-- at one point, we had a guest speaker come to church and he preached a message on the ministry of reconciliation from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians -- and as he preached on what it meant to be an ambassador for Christ, he said, “Some in here are called to go into the ministry” and when he said it, he looked right at me -- he didn’t know me from Adam -- but he knew what God was calling me to do
-- God was confirming to me through the church that what I had heard in the Bible -- what I had felt in prayer -- this call that He had given me to go into the ministry -- was real -- God used His people to speak to my heart about becoming a preacher
-- after all of this, I finally sat down with Kim and told her we had to talk -- and I said, “I think God’s calling me into the ministry” -- and she said, “Well, yeah -- everyone already knows that”
-- so I went to the pastor and talked with her -- and she agreed and she brought the issue before the church -- and the entire church affirmed that God was indeed calling me out to go into ministry -- they laid hands on Kim and me and prayed for us and started us off on this grand adventure that we are in today

II. Scripture Lesson (Acts 13:1-3)
-- the message that we read in the Bible is that God uses the church to help us understand God’s will for our lives -- He uses the church to help us hear His voice and to confirm what He has told us through the Bible and through prayer
-- that’s exactly what He did when He called me into the ministry -- and that’s exactly what we see here in this passage

-- just to share with you the context of what’s going on -- all of us are familiar with the story of the Apostle Paul -- he started out as Saul the Pharisee -- the one who hated the Christians and who went about from place to place persecuting them
-- one day, while he was traveling to Damascus, Saul had an experience with Jesus on the road and became a believer -- he immediately started telling others about his experience and how Jesus had changed his life -- but Saul wasn’t accepted in the church -- the people were scared of him and thought this might just be a scheme to infiltrate the church and to find more Christians
-- but one of the early church leaders, a guy by the name of Barnabus, met Saul and heard his story and knew that Saul truly had changed -- so Barnabus took Saul under his wing and brought him to the church at Antioch -- and together, Barnabus and Saul started teaching in the church -- basically, they started a Sunday School
-- and, slowly, Saul started to gain the trust of the other people in the church -- in fact, when God told the church that there was going to be famine and the church took up an offering for the people in Judea so they could survive the famine, the church sent Saul along with Barnabus to carry the money to the church leaders in Jerusalem

-- so, let’s look at this passage again -- if you would, let’s back up just a little and start in Acts 12:25 and go through the first part of Acts 13:2

Acts 12:25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.

Acts 13:1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting

-- now, the first we see in this passage is the church at work -- God had already identified and raised up leaders in the church -- men who were gifted in leadership and in teaching -- who were called to prophesy -- to proclaim His word to that local gathering of believers
-- just as an aside, notice that there was not just one leader -- one pastor -- but God had raised up several individuals who shared leadership responsibilities in the church as God had gifted them -- too often in our churches today, we assume that God has called one person -- the pastor -- to do the ministry -- but that’s not true -- God has called every person in a church to minister in the ways that He has gifted them -- ministry in the church is not limited to one person, but is given to all
-- as we look here, we see the church doing two things -- first, they’re worshiping -- they are going to God and praising Him for who He is and for what He has done in their lives -- that is our first act as Christians -- that is our main purpose as a church -- that is why God created us and why we exist -- to bring glory to God through our praise and worship and actions and to extend His glory to others
-- secondly, we see them fasting -- that means that this church was actively seeking God’s will and direction for their lives -- when we fast, it means we abstain from food and from other distractions so we can clearly hear God’s voice and so we can know what God wants us to do -- we put aside the things of the world so we can be open to listening to God
-- exactly what I asked you to when I challenged you to take thirty minutes to do nothing but sit and listen -- that was really just a lesson in fasting -- maybe not fasting from food -- but fasting from the noise and chaos of the world
-- as a church, we are called to worship God and to do what He wants us to do -- and the only way we can do that is to hear Him when He calls

-- look at the second part of verse 2

the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

-- as the church fasted -- as they listened with their whole hearts -- the Holy Spirit spoke to them and told them what to do -- He told them to set apart Barnabus and Saul for the ministry He had called them to do -- and that’s exactly what they did

-- now, there’s a couple of important things to see here
-- the first thing we see is that this calling -- this setting apart of Barnabus and Saul -- was done at the direction of God and not the church -- God is sovereign over all, and that includes the church -- the Bible tells us that Jesus created the church and formed it to be His body here on earth, but Jesus is the head -- the church should move and act based on what God tells it and not man and not tradition and not rituals
-- in this case, the church listened for God to speak -- and they didn’t move and they didn’t do anything until they heard from God -- the whole point of today’s message is that God speaks to the church just like He speaks to individuals -- and a functioning church should be hearing from God and receiving confirmation that what they are reading in their Bibles and hearing in prayer is what God is calling them to do

-- secondly, look what they did after they heard from God -- they confirmed what they heard through fasting and prayer -- remember what I said, when God speaks, He speaks to us in all four of these ways -- the Bible, prayer, the church, and circumstances
-- we have to be careful that when we think we have heard from God we don’t just move out and do it until He confirms it in at least one other way -- in this case, the church heard the Holy Spirit tell them to set aside Barnabas and Saul -- and then they waited until they got confirmation through more prayer and fasting

-- third, the church laid hands on Barnabas and Saul -- this is an act of confirmation and affirmation by the church for these two men -- there is no doubt in my mind that both Barnabas and Saul knew they were being called to go out as missionaries and spread God’s word throughout the Roman Empire
-- in fact, when Saul had his Damascus Road experience, Jesus told Ananias that He had appointed Saul to be His missionary to the Gentiles -- Saul was aware of this -- he was just waiting until he had confirmation
-- and the gathering of the church and the laying on of hands was confirmation that the church had heard from God what these had heard and were setting them aside as missionaries to the nations

-- and, finally, we read the church sent them off -- once God has spoken -- once we have received confirmation in other ways -- through prayer or the Bible or church or circumstances -- then we have to act on what God is telling us to do -- we have to do it

-- several years ago, one of the churches that I was pastoring was called to start a ministry to Hispanics -- I had felt this through my study of God’s word -- others had felt it, too, and had come to me about buying a van and going out and picking up the children of the migrant workers and bringing them to church
-- everywhere we looked -- everywhere we read -- we kept getting the same thing -- one day, I brought in a guest speaker to tell us about his ministry -- and when he started talking, he stopped and said, “you know, I’m not going to talk about Lifelines today -- I want to talk about your church doing a Hispanic ministry” -- and he spent the next thirty minutes laying out for us a plan to reach out to the Hispanics around us and to bring God’s word to them
-- it was obvious God was calling us to this -- we had confirmation from His word -- from our prayers -- from the church itself -- not only our local church but the body of Christ as evidenced by this guest speaker -- and then the way the circumstances just fell into place
-- I brought it up before the finance committee and the administrative council and they said, “No -- we’re not going to do this”
-- and when I heard that, I felt the presence of God leave that church -- not that God wasn’t there, because He promises to never leave us or forsake us -- but when we clearly heard what God wanted us to do and then refused to do it, He moved His hand off of us -- He took His blessing from that church -- and He sent that Hispanic ministry to another church in the area
-- from that point on, attendance in the church declined -- at worship -- at Bible Study -- at all events -- while this other church grew and grew and continues to grow and to see God work through them and in them in amazing ways
-- when we hear from God -- as individuals and as a church -- when we know that God is calling us to do something, we must do it -- just like the church at Antioch did
-- they heard from God -- they confirmed the message through fasting and prayer -- they affirmed Barnabas and Saul -- and then they sent them out
-- the lesson is, “When God speaks, we respond” -- plain and simple

III. Closing
-- so, let’s bring this all home -- what role does the church play in helping you hear from God?
-- the church is God’s megaphone -- through His church, God confirms to us the message that we have heard through His Word and through prayer
-- if God is truly speaking to your heart and is calling you to do something for Him, then He will confirm it through others -- you’ll hear that message reaffirmed in other ways -- through prayer, through the church, and through circumstances
-- when you think God is speaking to you -- when you think you are hearing God tell you or the church to do something, you should bring it before the church and seek confirmation from His people
-- as Dr. Henry Blackaby says, “Don’t ever be afraid to let the body of believers assist you in knowing God’s will -- take the counsel of the people and go to God for clear direction”
-- if the church is telling you the same thing that you believe God has told you through His Word and through prayer, then you can proceed with confidence
-- God speaks through the church, if you’ll just listen for His voice
-- let’s pray

SERMON: HEARING GOD THROUGH PRAYER

6 February 2011

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Colossians 1:9-12

9. For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
10. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
11. being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully
12. giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

-- as we open this morning, I want with you a true story from John Ortberg about a guy named Bob
-- Bob was in insurance salesman in Washington, D.C. -- he had just became a Christian and was learning about the Christian faith when he came in all excited one day -- he had just read the part in the Bible where Jesus says, “Whatever you ask for in my name, you shall receive it.”
-- Bob wanted to know if that is true -- and his mentor replied, “Yes, it’s true -- but it’s not like a blank check -- you have to take it in the context of the teachings of the whole scripture and prayer and make sure what you are asking for is in God’s will -- but, yes, Jesus really does answer prayer”
-- so Bob says, “Then I want to test it -- I need to pray for something” -- so his friend Bob, “OK, let’s pick something for you to pray about -- and since I truly believe that God is going to answer your prayer, let’s make a bet -- if you pray for six months for this and nothing happens, I’ll give you $500 on the spot -- but, if you don’t pray, even one day, then our bet is off”
-- Bob agreed and his friend said, “What do you want to pray for?” -- Bob said, “Well, I’ve always been interested in Africa, so I’m going to pray for Africa.” -- His friend said, “Africa’s pretty big -- why don’t we narrow it down”
-- So Bob thought for a moment and said, “OK, then, I want to pray for Uganda” -- his friend asked, “Why? -- Have you ever been to Uganda?” -- no -- “do you know anybody in Uganda?” -- no -- “then why Uganda?” -- I don’t know -- I just want to pray for Uganda
-- so they agreed on Uganda and Bob just started praying everyday for Uganda -- and for a long time, nothing happened
-- but then one night he was at a dinner in Washington -- and he was making small talk with the lady next to him and he asked her what she did for a living -- she said she helped run an orphanage in Uganda -- the largest of its kind in the country
-- so now Bob began to pound her with question after question about Uganda and what she did there and how things were going -- after a while the woman said, “You’re obviously very interested in my country -- have you been to Uganda before?” -- “No.” -- then why are you so interested -- well, someone is kind of paying me five hundred dollars to pray for Uganda”
-- before the dinner was over, the woman asked Bob if he would like to come and visit Uganda and tour the orphanage -- Bob was so excited he couldn’t stand it and made arrangements the next day to visit
-- when he arrived in Uganda, the director of the orphanage gave him a tour of the capital city -- and he was appalled by the poverty and the lack of basic health care -- so, when he got back to Washington, he started to write to the large drug companies, describing to them the vast need he had seen -- He reminded them that every year they would throw away large amounts of medical supplies that went unsold -- “Why not send them to this place in Uganda?” he asked.
-- and some of them did -- they sent millions of dollars of medicine and supplies to Uganda to be distributed at the orphanage
-- the director of the orphanage called Bob and said, “This is amazing -- we have had so much help because of you -- will you come over here and join us at a huge celebration this year to celebrate what we have been able to do?” -- so Bob flew back over to Uganda
-- while he was there at the party, someone introduced him to the president of Uganda -- the president offered to take Bob on a tour of the city -- while they were riding around, Bob saw this brand new large building and asked what it was for -- the president said it was a prison for political prisoners who disagreed with the government -- Bob shook his head and said, “You shouldn’t do that -- you should let them go” -- and that was all that was said
-- they finished the tour and Bob went home to Washington and was surprised a few days later when he had a knock at his door -- he opened the door and there were two men in suits there from the Government wanting to talk to him
-- “are you Bob?” -- yes -- were you in Uganda recently? -- yes -- did you make any statements about political prisoners? -- yes -- what did you say? -- I told the president he should let them out
-- they went on to say that they had been working for years to get these prisoners released to no avail, but all of a sudden, the president of Uganda had released them -- and when the State Department asked why, the president said, “Because Bob asked me to”
-- by this time, the six months of praying were up -- and Bob went back to his friend and gave him a check for $500 -- Bob said, “You know what -- the Bible is right -- Jesus does hear us when we pray and He does answer our prayers”

-- this morning we are continuing in our series on hearing the voice of God -- as we have said, God usually speaks to us in four ways -- the Bible -- prayer -- the church -- and circumstances -- last week we looked at God speaking to us through His Word -- this week, we are looking at how God speaks to us through prayer

-- everybody knows that, as Christians, we are called to pray to God on a regular basis -- but the important thing to keep in mind is that prayer is two-way communication with God -- a lot of people think of prayer as us talking to God and asking Him for things -- but God always responds to us when we pray and we need to listen for His voice as we say our prayers to Him
-- in other words, not only is prayer a time for us to talk to God -- but it is a time for us to listen for God’s response -- the Bible is clear that God hears our prayers and meets our needs, but He does more than that -- through prayer, God changes us and helps us to grow more like Jesus
-- we see that clearly in this passage in Colossians 1 in the opening of Paul’s letter to the Church at Colosse -- let’s look at it in a little more detail

II. Scripture Lesson (Colossians 1:9-12)
-- look back at verse 9 with me if you would

9. For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

-- now Paul had heard about the growing faith of the Colossians and of their love for all the saints -- so here in this letter he tells them how, from the moment he has heard of this, he has not stopped praying for them
-- there’s an important principle that we gain from Paul here in this verse -- our prayers should be constant -- Paul uses the phrase elsewhere that we should “pray without ceasing”
-- now this doesn’t mean that we should go around all day chanting prayers and doing nothing else -- but it does point to the fact that we need to be persistent in our communication with God -- especially our communication with God on behalf of someone else -- what we call intercessory prayer
-- if you’re like me, too often your prayer life looks like a rollercoaster -- there will be times when you’re really praying and really pouring your heart out to God -- and then you’ll have long periods where you don’t even really think of praying
-- Paul says that our prayers -- if they are to have any value -- have to be persistent -- they have to be constant -- they have to be done on a regular basis even if we don’t see any answers or any results to start with -- in my opening story, Bob didn’t see any results from his prayer for Uganda for months, but when they came, they really came
-- we need to get in the practice of setting aside a certain time once a day where we just spend persistent, regular time in prayer with God -- even if we don’t feel like it -- even if we don’t see any results -- the key is persistence -- the key is keeping on doing it because that’s what God wants -- that’s what we see Paul doing right here in this verse -- “We have no stopped praying for you”

-- now, Paul prayed that the Colossians would be “filled” with the knowledge of God’s will -- this word, “filled,” means something special in the Bible -- it’s not like we think of the word, “filled,” in our day -- it doesn’t mean the same thing -- it’s not like what we mean when we say we fill a glass to rim
-- the word in the original Greek that we translate as “filled” actually is the same word that is used to talk about a sail on a sailboat being filled with wind -- it implies being controlled and given direction and meaning by the item doing the filling
-- for a sailboat, this means that when the sail is filled with wind, the boat moves in a certain direction -- for a Christian, to be “filled” with the knowledge of God’s will means that we are filled with His presence -- we are in such close communion with Him that we know what He wants us to do and we get up and do it -- we are moved to follow Him -- we are given direction and we head out to do what He has called us to do and to become the people He has called us to become -- to be filled in this way is to be active and not passive
-- if there is ever a prayer that we need now-a-days for the church and for American Christians, it is that we be filled with the knowledge and the presence of God in this way so that we would quit just sitting around but would actually go out and do something for Jesus

-- Paul prays that the Colossians would know God’s will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding -- this points out to us that, as Christians, we are operating on a whole nother level -- we may be living in this world, but the Bible says that we are not of this world any longer -- we are part of God’s kingdom -- and we live and move and have our being through God and not through the ways of the world
-- Paul doesn’t pray that the Colossians become wise in the world’s ways -- he doesn’t pray that they become educated in the things of the world -- but that they would become wise in the spirit -- in other words, Paul is saying that he wants the Colossians to learn God’s ways and to follow God even if it leads them to do things the world wouldn’t understand -- just like Bob praying for Uganda -- that makes no sense from the world’s perspective -- but God made a difference through Bob because he prayed with spiritual wisdom for God’s will to be done

-- so, what happens when we pray?
-- well, two things happen -- first, God hears us and answers us -- the Bible tells us in Psalm 138:3, “when I called, you answered me” -- and in Daniel 9:23 we read, “as soon as you began to pray, an answer was given” -- and Jesus said, “Whatever you pray in My Name, you will receive”
-- when we pray, God hears us and answers our prayers even though the answer may not be what we want -- sometimes the answer might be “no” or “wait” -- but, always, God hears and answers us when we pray at the very moment we pray

-- secondly, when we pray, God changes us -- remember that prayer is not just tapping into a heavenly vending machine where we ask for stuff and it drops out of the sky -- prayer is communication with God -- it is part of our relationship with God -- and when we pray, God not only answers our prayers, but He uses this time to change us and make us more like Him

-- look at verse 10

10. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
11. being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully
12. giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

-- when we pray and are filled with the knowledge of God’s will and move out under God’s control and His direction, we live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to Him in every way
-- Paul describes for us here what a life that is pleasing to God looks like:

-- first, it bears fruit -- that means that we are doing good works for God -- we are touching other people’s lives as God leads us and directs us -- we are meeting people’s spiritual and physical needs and they are coming to know God through us -- that is what it means to bear fruit for the Kingdom

-- secondly, we are growing in the knowledge of God
-- the more we talk to God through His Word -- the more we pray to God -- the closer we grow to Him and the more we become able to hear His voice -- kind of like a couple that is just starting to date -- when you start a relationship, you don’t really know the other person -- you don’t know about them and you don’t know them
-- but, over time, as you spend time with them and you talk to them, you begin to know them -- you know what they like and they don’t like -- you know what they want to do -- you know what they don’t want to do -- and you even know what they’re saying when they say nothing at all -- it’s the same way with prayer
-- the more time you spend with God, the more you know God and the more you start to become like God

-- third, we are strengthened with God’s power -- we learn to trust in God and His power rather than in our own strength -- we can do nothing of lasting significance in our own power -- but when we rely on God, we can do things that we couldn’t even think of doing in our own strength
-- through prayer and through God’s strength, we can move mountains -- we can part seas -- we can even change the hearts of African dictators and see entire countries like Uganda change for the better
-- as it says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” -- and, as Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, “With God, all things are possible”

-- finally, we will reflect God’s own character in our lives -- we will demonstrate endurance and patience and joy -- we will live lives not focused on this earth or on today -- but lives that are focused on tomorrow -- on eternity -- on the things that have eternal significance
-- we will become people aware of God’s presence in our lives -- not just on Sundays but every day -- and we will become people of thankfulness -- of gratefulness -- who continually recognize God’s blessings and thank Him for all that He is and all that He has given

-- prayer not only changes the world -- it changes us and makes us more like Christ

III. Closing
-- so, as we close, let me just remind you once again that Christianity is not about church -- it’s not about reading your Bible or just praying for things because that’s what Christians are supposed to do
-- Christianity is about relationship -- it’s about a relationship with God -- it’s about coming to know God in a real and personal way, just like you would come to know a spouse over time
-- and we do this through communication -- through talking to God and listening as He responds -- through prayer, we offer up our praise and thanks to God for who He is and for what He has done -- through prayer, we let God know of the needs in our lives and in the lives of those around us
-- and through prayer, God speaks to our heart -- He changes us from the inside out -- He makes us more like Him and fills us with His presence
-- through prayer, we know more about God and we know God -- we know what He likes and what He doesn’t -- we know what He wants done and we know what He doesn’t want us to do
-- and, through prayer, we come to know God in a way that most people never will

-- so, as I close, I want to encourage you to take some time today to just sit in the presence of God in prayer -- go to Him today -- talk to Him today -- don’t even ask for anything -- just praise Him for who He is and listen for His voice to respond
-- my prayer for all of us is that we would come to know God and experience Him more in our lives through a vibrant and real prayer life
-- let’s pray

SERMON: HEARING GOD THROUGH THE BIBLE

30 January 2011

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to 2 Timothy 3:14-17

14. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,
15. and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
17. so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

-- if you’ve turned on the TV lately, you’ve probably noticed how there are lots of shows about Alaska out there right now -- I was pointing this out to Kim the other night as we were flipping through the channels -- it used to just be the Deadliest Catch -- but now you’ve got Sarah Palin’s Alaska, Ice Road Truckers, Gold Rush, Alaska State Troopers, Flying Wild -- just show after show after show
-- and one thing that’s common about all of these shows is the isolation -- at some point, all of the people who are up there living and working in Alaska are going to find themselves isolated from the world and from their boss -- the only way they can get instructions and help when things go wrong is to either rely on their radios or on the instruction manuals for their job
-- most of us are used to having our boss right there with us, at least part of the day, to tell us what to do and to give us instructions -- but just imagine what it would be like to be up there in Alaska -- isolated from everyone and without your boss right there to help
-- let’s say that you were hired to open up an office in the interior of Alaska -- before you leave your boss gives you a radio and a policy and procedure manual and tells you that you will receive further instructions when you get there
-- when you set up the office, you hear your boss’s voice over the radio saying, “The only way I will be able to communicate with you is through this radio -- I won’t talk to you every day, so you’ll have to keep your ears open and listen for me when I call
-- but, be careful, because our competitors also have access to this channel -- and they are going to try to imitate my voice with false messages and instructions because they want you to fail in your job
-- “because of this, you have to be real careful to make sure you are hearing from me and not the enemy -- when you hear a message, always check it against the manual that I gave you -- since I’m the one who wrote the manual, I’m not going to ask you to do anything that goes against it -- also, if I am not talking on the radio, don’t focus in on the background noise, pretending that you’re hearing my voice -- If I am not speaking, let the manual be your guide
-- well, it’s not long before you hear your boss’s voice on the radio again -- he says, “Take all of the money from the cash drawer and give it to the next person that walks in, no questions asked” -- that seems a little curious, so you look in the manual and you see that this is specifically forbidden -- besides, you know your boss well enough to know that he wouldn’t tell you to do something like that -- you quickly realize that this voice is an imposter, and because you trusted in the manual, you don’t do something wrong that your boss wouldn’t like [illustration adapted from Sandy Gregory’s story of The Remote Employee -- http://www.acts17-11.com/hearing.html]

-- we are continuing in our series on hearing the voice of God -- as I said last week, God usually speaks to us in four ways -- the Bible -- prayer -- the church -- and circumstances -- Christian tradition and experience over the last 2000 years have shown that these are the ways that God normally chooses to communicate to us now although they are not equal in importance
-- this morning, we are looking at hearing God’s voice through the most important way that we have -- reading God’s Word -- the Bible

II. Scripture Lesson (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
-- the story that I gave in my illustration is a pretty good picture of where we are as Christians today -- the Bible tells us that Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, where He sits at the right hand of God the Father -- because of that, we can’t see or touch or hear Jesus like the disciples could when He walked with them on earth
-- we are separated from God right now in a physical sense -- but, even though we are physically isolated from God, He made sure that we could stay in touch -- through His Spirit and through His instruction manual -- the Bible

-- the Bible is God’s primary source of communication with us as Christians today -- and as Paul tells Timothy here in this passage, it is of utmost importance in our spiritual lives
-- let’s look at this passage in a little more detail and see what we can learn from Paul’s instructions to Timothy here in his second letter to Timothy -- just to remind you of who Paul and Timothy were -- Paul, of course, was an apostle -- a leader of the early church who wrote a good portion of the New Testament
-- on the road to Damascus, Paul had an experience with the risen Christ -- and Jesus changed his life forever -- Paul went from being a Pharisee who persecuted Christians to being a mighty evangelist who carried the word of God to the far-flung reaches of the Roman Empire
-- during his travels, he came to know Timothy -- a much younger man -- who Paul took under his wing and mentored and raised up to be a leader in the church -- Timothy took over as pastor of the church at Ephesus when Paul left and we see him mentioned in many of Paul’s books
-- so, let’s look here at what Paul tells Timothy about the Bible and let’s see what we learn together

-- vs. 14 --

14. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,


-- Paul instructs Timothy to continue in what he had learned and had become convinced of -- and that’s a very important point
-- a lot of Christians start well -- they hear the word of God and they get convicted of their sins and they ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior and then they really start to grow in Christ -- they’re constantly reading the Bible and going to church and praying and ministering to people they know
-- but, before you know it -- they start to slow down -- they start to slip back into their old ways -- and they find themselves not reading the Bible as much as they used to -- or they’re not praying like before -- and then they start missing church and just aren’t walking with God like they used to -- I think most of us who have been Christians for some time can relate to this
-- so, Paul tells Timothy here -- “continue in what you have learned” -- in other words, “keep going -- press on -- Don’t hold back -- but keep on growing in Christ through what you have learned and become convinced" of
-- this is more than just reading through the Bible quickly and trying to get through a certain number of verses or a certain number of chapters -- Timothy had learned and become convinced of the truth of God because he had absorbed it -- he had made it a part of himself -- he meditated on it -- he weighed whether it was true or not and in the end he became "convinced" of it -- he believed in what he had read because he heard God’s voice through the Bible

-- this tells us that we are supposed to do more than just casually read God's word -- we are to take it in and examine it -- God's word is to be our standard and our manual which we use to know what to do and to judge whether things are right or wrong
-- let's say somebody shows up at your door and starts telling you about God -- how do you know if what they are saying is true or not? -- how do you know if what they are saying is right? -- there’s a lot of religious people and a lot of religious groups in our area that sound pretty good and that make sense when you talk to them -- so, how do you know if they are truly Christians or not? -- you know by testing what they say against the standard of God's word -- if what they say they believe in does not agree with God’s word, then they are not Christians -- no matter what they call themselves and no matter how holy they look on the outside
-- it’s not to say they’re bad people -- but if what they are teaching does not agree with the basic foundational beliefs of God that we see in the Bible, then they’re not Christians -- they’re another religion
-- God gave us His Bible so we would know Him and His truth and not be led astray by false teachings -- the Bible is God’s written word to us -- His instructions -- that are meant to help us see and understand His plan for our lives and to help us continue on in what we have learned and become convinced of

-- look back at verse 15

15. and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

-- Paul points out to Timothy here that the Scriptures are able to "make you wise for salvation through faith"
-- now what means is that God speaks to our hearts through the Bible -- He speaks to the hearts of Christians and to the hearts of unbelievers -- God uses the Bible to convict people of their sins and to bring them to the saving knowledge of His Son, Christ Jesus
-- probably all of us know that if you go to a hotel room that you usually find a Gideon’s Bible in a drawer there in the room -- sometimes we wonder if that does any good or if the Gideon’s are just wasting their time
-- a couple of years ago, we had a man from the Gideon’s come to our church and he told us his story -- he had with him a Gideon’s Bible that he had taken from a motel -- he said that when he was younger, he was in a bad place -- things were not going well in his life -- he was addicted to drugs and alcohol and he just found himself in that motel room thinking about how bad his life was and wondering if things could ever get any better -- he had hitten rock-bottom -- and when people do that, they sometimes turn to God because they don’t know what else to do
-- so, he took the Bible out of the drawer and started to read it -- he said he had read it before and gotten nothing out of it -- but this time, I guess he was ready to listen -- and God spoke to him as he read through the book of John
-- he heard the good news of salvation -- he read what Jesus did for him -- how Jesus died on the cross for his sins so that he might live forever in heaven -- and all of a sudden it clicked -- he understood and he prayed to receive Jesus as His Lord and Savior -- all because he picked up a Bible and God spoke to him through its pages
-- not only does God’s word make it possible for the Christian to continue in what they have learned and become convinced of -- but God’s word makes the unbeliever wise for salvation through faith -- it is the way God speaks to those who are lost and needing a Savior

-- verse 16

16. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
17. so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

-- as it says in Hebrews 4:12 God’s word is living and active -- even though God gave the words in this book to men over 2000 years ago, it is “God-breathed” -- inspired by the Holy Spirit and infused with His life -- God still speaks to us today through its pages
-- He uses the Bible to help us grow more like Jesus -- He uses it to turn us into the people He wants us to be -- and He uses it to equip us to go forth and to do great things in His name

-- Paul points out four uses of the Bible in the life of the Christian: teaching -- rebuking -- correcting -- and training in righteousness

1. Teaching -- that means learning more about God and in His purposes here on earth -- not only for us but also for us to pass on to others -- as I’ve said often in Bible study, it does no good to just study the Bible unless you do something with it -- you’ve got to apply it to your life and then you’ve got to teach it to someone else
-- if you read the Bible and listen for God’s voice and His instructions, He will teach you what you should do and how you should live

2. Rebuking -- to rebuke means that you reprimand someone who is doing something wrong -- you show someone the error of their ways -- rebuking is for the person who is knowingly caught up in sin and won't do anything about it -- when you read God’s word, He will speak to you through its pages and He will convict you of your sin and will warn you to repent and to turn around and follow Him

3. Correcting -- to correct someone means you show them the right direction if they start out wrong -- correcting is for those people who are making an error but haven't gone full-blown into sin yet -- when you are learning to walk with Christ, it’s easy to get off course -- it’s easy to take a wrong step here or there because you just don’t know
-- I was watching True Grit with John Wayne yesterday and in the movie John Wayne heads out across this prairie for the town of McAlister -- there’s no road -- no trail -- nothing but a sea of grass as far as the eye can see -- and it occurred to me how hard it would have been to live in those days -- if you headed out and were just off by one degree in your course, you could miss where you were going by hundreds of miles
-- that’s why God uses the Bible to correct our path before we get off-course -- it’s kind of like our compass in life -- if we start to drift off course, God steers us back onto the right path through His Word

4. Training in righteousness -- this has two aspects
-- first, it is the training of children in the way they should go -- directing them in what God's commands are -- back in verse 15 Paul reminds Timothy that he had known the Scriptures from infancy -- in other words, from the time Timothy was a small boy, his parents and his grandparents were training him in Godly ways -- they were teaching him the truth of God through the Scriptures so that he might grow up to be a Godly man
-- the second aspect is training in righteousness is the continued training in God and His commands so that we will become more and more righteous and we will continue in our spiritual journey, becoming thoroughly equipped for every good work
-- I have been a Christian for a long time -- and I have read this Bible through several times -- not always cover to cover but various books and passages on a regular basis -- and even though I have read this time and time again, I am always finding new things -- I am always seeing things that I have never seen before or understanding things that I didn’t understand before -- that’s because God is constantly speaking to us through His word and as we read it, He will use it to train us in righteousness and to give us what we need in that moment
-- you will never reach the point where the Bible is stale and you’ve learned all you can learn -- God will always show you new truths through His word as you stay in it on a regular basis

III. Closing
-- Scripture is valuable to us -- it should be regarded as a gift from God because it is a means of grace -- a way that God has chosen to make Himself known to us -- it is living -- it is ever new and ever fresh -- it is just as relevant to our lives today as the morning newspaper -- and it is the very word of God
-- it says in verse 16 that all scripture is God-breathed and inspired by the Holy Spirit -- and this means ALL scripture -- the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, can be used by God to speak to our hearts and to change our lives if -- if -- we will read it and listen for God’s voice and apply it to our lives
-- the Bible is God’s primary way of speaking to us today -- and we need to be in His word and listening for His voice on a regular basis -- if you do nothing else as a Christian, then you need to be reading God’s word daily

-- let me close by leaving you with this quote from an anonymous author:

-- "This book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers -- its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding; its histories are true and its decisions are immutable
-- read it to be wise -- believe it to be safe -- practice it to be holy
-- it contains light to direct you -- food to support you and comfort to cheer you
-- it is the traveler's map -- the pilgrim's staff -- the pilot's compass -- the soldier's sword and the Christian's Character
-- here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed -- Christ is its grand subject, our good its design -- and the glory of God its end
-- it should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet -- read it slowly, frequently , and prayerfully
-- it is a mine of wealth -- a paradise of glory -- and a river of pleasure -- follow its precepts and it will lead you to Calvary -- to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ -- yes, to glory itself, for eternity"

-- let us pray