SERMON: WRITE YOUR RIGHTEOUS STORY

8 June 2014

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Luke 1:1-4

Luke 1:1-4 (NIV)

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,

2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

            -- I just finished reading a book called "Younger Next Year" -- and while it is mostly a book about fitness for people in the last third of their life, the authors made an important point in there that I wanted to pass on today

            -- they basically said that our lives today would be vastly improved if we would begin to approach life like a child again -- physically -- mentally -- and emotionally

            -- their point was that we get too caught up in being an adult and we get so stressed in life that we forget how to play and how to be active and how to focus on what's truly important and how we miss the everyday miracles of life because we're not taking time to look at life through the eyes of a child any more

            -- in order to be younger next year, we need to take time to just enjoy life as we used to

            -- well, with that thought in mind, I wanted to pass on a list I got off the internet called "Important Things I've Learned From Kids"

-- It's more fun to color outside the lines.

-- If you're gonna draw on the wall, do it behind the couch.

-- Ask "Why?" until you understand.

-- Even if you've been fishing for 3 hours and haven't gotten anything except poison ivy and a sunburn, you're still better off than the worm.

-- Make up the rules as you go along.

-- If the horse you're drawing looks more like a dog, make it a dog.

-- If you want a kitten, start out asking for a horse.

-- You can't ask to start over just because you're losing the game

-- and, finally, everyone's got a story, you just have to ask

            -- those are some important things we all need to remember -- and apply -- in our lives -- especially that last one -- "everyone's got a story, you just have to ask"

            -- I was actually reading a post from Donald Miller, one of my favorite authors, this past week and he basically said exactly the same thing -- Miller has been promoting this idea of approaching your life as a grand story for some time now -- it started when they were making a movie out of his autobiographical book, "Blue Like Jazz," and he had to step back and see his life from a different perspective -- as a story that was being played out on the big screen and not just the day-to-day life that we all see it as

            -- helping write the script for the movie and learning about the need for conflict and trouble in our lives and how this helps us grow and helps a story's protagonist move along to get what they are seeking changed the way Miller looks at life

            -- he started this company called "Storyline" and he helps people do the same with their lives -- the concept is when you begin to realize your life is a story, you begin to see the bigger picture of your life and the direction God is moving you and you can make the necessary adjustments to align your life with God's grand story of you -- you can change your story to make it better¹

            -- it's kind of like the Christian song, "Write Your Story," from Francesca Battistelli -- in that song she says, "I'm an empty page -- I'm an open book -- Write your story on my heart -- Come on and make Your mark" -- and that's the same point Miller is making -- the same point the kids were making in that list I shared with you

            -- everyone has a story, all you have to do is ask -- all you have to do is make them aware of it -- and so Miller has been going around intentionally asking people their story and helping them see the story of their life from a different perspective so they can see God's role in this story

            -- well, since reading Miller's book, "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years," I've really gotten enamored with this idea of living life like a story -- and I've tried to impress this on others -- I was talking with someone just last week about a crisis they were in that is totally encompassing their lives -- and they were wondering how they would ever make it through

            -- and I reminded them that God was writing their story at this very moment -- and this crisis wasn't the end -- it was only a chapter -- or maybe even just a paragraph -- a moment in time -- a moment in the story that was necessary to grow them and to change them and to make them stronger so they would move on to the better things which God had for them in the end

            -- and just realizing that their story was more than the crisis seemed to help -- it seemed to give them hope for the future

            -- everyone has a story, you just need to make them aware of it

           

            -- and while Donald Miller and Francesca Battistelli may be the latest to promote this idea of God writing the story of our lives, they certainly weren't the first -- what is the Bible but the story of God written in the lives of every day people -- people like you and me?

            -- what is the Bible but the stories of people who take a moment to say, "Hey, let me tell you who God is. -- Let me tell you what God has been doing in my life?"

            -- Luke does the same thing in his gospel -- he tells us who God is and what God has done in his life -- but I am willing to bet you're like me -- you never stopped to look at these first four verses to his gospel -- you just pushed on to the meat of the story -- to the good stuff

            -- but these first four verses are important, because they remind us of something we really need to remember -- everyone has a story -- and that includes you and me -- here in this introduction to his gospel Luke begins by reminding us of this fact

            -- he's writing to a friend of his -- Theophilus -- who was perhaps a benefactor or someone who was assisting Luke in his work in some way

            -- more than likely Theophilus wasn't his real name -- if you were to break down the etymology -- the meaning of the word "Theophilus," you'd see it comes from two Latin roots -- philus meaning "loving" or "drawn to" -- and Theo -- "related to God" -- so the break down of Theophilus' name really means, "one who loves God" or "one who is drawn to God" -- so this was probably not his real name or it may have been the name he assumed when he became a Christian as many people back then did change their names when they changed their lives and became followers of Jesus

            -- he tells his friend Theophilus he thought it would be a good idea to write down this account of the things that had been fulfilled "among us" in order to help Theophilus know with certainty the truth of what he had been taught and believed

            -- there's a couple important points in these verses I want you to see and I want you to think about

            -- first, Luke says he wanted to write an orderly account of these things of these things which happened to us -- in other words, Luke is telling us in the introduction to this gospel that he has a story -- he has a story that he wants us to hear -- it's a story that he not only heard from others, but that he was an eyewitness to -- a story that he saw with his eyes -- that he looked upon -- that he touched with his hands -- a story that happened to him

            -- second, this story of Luke is not just an ordinary story -- it's the story of faith -- it's the story of Luke's faith -- the story of salvation -- Luke wants to tell us how God came to earth in the form of a man so that we could have fellowship with him -- so that we would know Him in a real and personal way -- so that we would have someone we could follow -- someone we could imitate and emulate in our actions -- someone who would go to the cross for us and pay the price for our sins so we could experience life with God forever

            -- third, this story of Luke was written with a purpose in mind -- he wrote this story for Theophilus, so Theophilus would know beyond the shadow of a doubt that what he had been told -- that what he believed -- was true -- Luke wrote this down and said, "This happened -- I know the people it happened to -- I was part of this story -- I was there and I can tell you it's true -- and because I was there and because I am telling you it's true, you can trust in it -- you can believe it -- you can have faith in it"

            -- so what does this mean to us? -- what are we supposed to get from Luke's introduction to this gospel? -- what is the take-home message for today?

            -- first, we need to remember and really take hold of the fact that everyone has a story -- that's the most important thing of all -- we have to remember we are in the midst of a story -- it will change the way you live

            -- let me give you an example -- my loving family, sitting right over there, thinks I have lost my mind because I told them Tuesday was a special day and we were going to go out and celebrate it -- you see, on Tuesday I will have been alive for 17,500 days

            -- now normally, we don't celebrate random, generic days -- we celebrate bigger milestones -- birthdays -- anniversaries -- holidays -- but the point I am trying to make with this celebration of my 17,500th day is this -- if everyone has a story -- if our lives are a story that is being written every day, then every day we need to wake up and say, "What chapter am I going to write today? -- What will the story of my life say about this new day when I look back on it at the end of my life? -- What can I do today to make my life meaningful?"

            -- remembering you have a story and that every day you are writing a story reminds you to live each day to the fullest and to make each day count, even your 17,500th day on earth

            -- second, as we just noted, Luke's story was not just an ordinary story, but it was the story of faith -- as Christians, our stories are not just ordinary stories either -- in the King James translation of 1 Peter 2:9, the Apostle Peter writes that we are a peculiar people -- and I really like that phrase -- we are nothing if we are not peculiar

            -- the stories that we are writing are not just the stories of going to work and going to school and going out to eat and play trivia on Thursdays -- no, the stories we are writing are stories of faith -- stories of our interaction with Jesus and with those around us -- stories of how our faith intersects with this world and the people of this world and changes it in ways great and small

            -- when you remember you have a story and that it is a peculiar story -- the story of faith that you are writing -- then you can begin to revolve each part of your life around Jesus -- as Whitney Hopler points out, it helps us discover the purpose of our life and empowers us to fulfill it²

            -- in addition to waking up each morning and saying, "Today is a new day -- what story am I going to write today?" -- you need to also ask, "What is Jesus going to do through me today? -- where is He going to send me? -- what does He want me to do? -- who will He put in my path? -- what life will I interact with today?"

            -- as Luke says, we all have a story -- a story of faith -- that we write every day -- we just need to remember it

            -- third, finally, we need to remember not only do we have a story -- not only is the story we are writing a story of faith -- but our story needs to be written with purpose

            -- I've been reading a lot lately about passion and about purpose and about finding your true path in this crazy world today -- and while most of what I have been reading is secular literature, the main point remains true -- we need to identify our passion -- we need to identify our purpose -- if we are going to live meaningful and happy and successful lives

            -- we spend too much time focusing our energy and our resources on things that really don't matter -- and this keeps us drained emotionally and physically and spiritually -- I have a friend at work who is so frustrated with his job and with the difficulties of his job that it's affecting his physical health and his emotional state -- he can't sleep -- he gets up in the middle of the night and works -- he's short with everybody around him -- and his doctor says his health has drastically declined over the last couple of years

            -- so I told him you can't do this -- you can't keep this up -- you need to stop caring about every single thing that we do at work this much, because it just doesn't matter -- honestly, a lot of what he is so worried about today, no one will even care about five years from now -- it won't even be an issue -- so why waste all your time and energy focusing on things that don't matter while the important things are neglected? -- I told him to reevaluate his passion and his purpose -- not to stop caring, but to stop caring about the nonessentials

            -- when you remember that each day you are writing a story of faith and that Christ is intimately involved in that story from the moment you first open your eyes in the morning until you lay your head down that night, your focus shifts

            -- rather than worrying about ourselves and focusing on the nonessential part of life, our passion and our purpose shift to focus on Jesus -- we will begin to look for Him in our daily lives -- we will seek Him out and find where He is working and join Him in His redeeming work in this world today

            -- Jesus told us that every day we must die to self and pick up our cross and follow Him -- and by aligning our passion and His purpose in our lives together, we can put aside all the things of life that are hindering us in our walk with Jesus and we can "maximize our participation in His story"

            -- by focusing our passion and purpose on Christ every day, we can rest and relax in His presence -- we can rely more on Him and not ourselves -- we can focus on what's truly important and let the lesser things that worry us so much pass away

            -- the bottomline message is this -- remember that every day you are writing a story of faith and that you need to focus your time and energy and resources on what is truly important and not on the nonessentials of life

            -- let's bring this home -- we're going to close today with the song, "Blessed Assurance" -- a great hymn of the faith that really speaks to what we've been talking about today -- that everyone has a story they are writing every day

-- Fanny Crosby, the writer of this hymn, knew this -- in her lifetime, Ms. Crosby wrote over 9,000 hymns -- most of them inspired by her own life experiences with God -- by her stories of faith God was writing on her heart

-- 9,000 hymns -- and what makes this accomplishment so much more noteworthy was the fact that Ms. Crosby was blind from the time she was 6 weeks old until her death -- but she never got bitter -- she never got angry at God for her condition -- because, despite her perceived handicap, she learned to recognize God's hand in the story of her life -- she realized her life was a story of her faith -- and she recorded them in the form of hymns so they would continue to bless us today

-- one day at a Bible conference in Northfield, Massachusetts, Miss Crosby was asked by the great evangelist, D.L. Moody, to give a personal testimony -- At first she hesitated, then quietly rose and said, 'There is one hymn I have written which has never been published -- I call it my soul's poem -- Sometimes when I am troubled, I repeat it to myself, for it brings comfort to my heart.' -- She then recited this lyric to her unpublished hymn while many wept:

"Someday the silver cord will break,

and I no more as now shall sing;

but oh, the joy when I shall wake

within the palace of the King!

And I shall see Him face to face,

and tell the story--saved by grace!"³

-- Fanny Crosby's life and songs point out that everyone has a story -- a story of God's grace in their life -- a story of faith and passion and purpose -- if only they will realize it

-- let's turn over to Acts 29 and we'll end there -- Acts 29, verse 1 -- everybody there? -- what's wrong? -- oh, there's no Acts 29 in your Bible?

-- look at the end of chapter 28 then -- Acts 28:28-31

Acts 28:28-31 (NIV)

28 "Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!"

29

30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.

31 Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

-- for twenty-eight chapters, Luke has been giving us the play-by-play action of the story of the apostles and of the church after the ascension of Christ -- he's given us every single detail of where Peter and Paul had been and what happened there and then what happened next -- even details about what ship they took and what happened as they traveled

-- but here the story just stops -- it doesn't really end -- it just stops with Paul imprisoned in a house in Rome waiting an audience with the Roman emperor Nero

-- there's no final closing words from Luke -- he doesn't tell us what happens to Paul -- we know from history Paul was beheaded by Nero, but Luke doesn't tell us that

-- Luke doesn't end this story about Peter and Paul and the Holy Spirit empowering and creating the church of Christ on earth -- or, rather, God doesn't end this story -- Why?

-- because the story is not over -- we are still living in the Book of Acts -- we are writing Acts Chapter 29 every day of our lives -- we are still writing the story of the Holy Spirit's action in our lives and how the church of Christ is still moving and working and changing this world through His power and presence

-- you are part of that story -- every day you live is part of that story -- and when we get to heaven and Acts 29 is read, what will be said about your role? -- what will be said about what you did in the great story of life?

-- everyone has a story they write every day of their life -- what story are you writing today?

-- let's pray

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

1 Donald Miller, Storyline Home:  http://storylineblog.com/

2 Whitney Hopler, "How to find your place in Jesus' great story," Crosswalk.com [http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/how-to-find-your-place-in-jesus-great-story.html]

3 "The Unpublished Hymn," Sermon Central Staff, [http://www.sermoncentral.com/illustrations/sermon-illustration-sermoncentral-staff-stories-comfort-68461.asp]

SERMON: FATHER KNOWS BEST

15 June 2014

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Psalm 139:1-6

Psalm 139:1-6 (NIV)

1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

            -- today is Father's Day -- and as I began to study and meditate on this passage of Scripture, I couldn't help but think of how fitting it was that God had led us to this Psalm on this particular Sunday

            -- in this Psalm of David we see David pouring out his gratitude towards God the Father for His protection and grace throughout his entire life -- from before he was formed in his mother's womb and, even now, after he has been graced with the responsibility for leading God's chosen people as their first true Godly king

            -- the major theme that weaves its way through this Psalm is that David could always count on God to be there when David needed Him -- and as I reflected on this theme, I realized it was also true in my own life -- growing up -- and even to this day -- the one thing I could always count on was Daddy being there, no matter what the problem

            -- for instance, my first couple of trucks were not four-wheel drives, and I can't tell you the number of times I got stuck in the mud when I went hunting or fishing -- and it didn't matter when it happened or where it happened -- whether it was during the day or after dark -- all I had to do was walk to a phone -- for you younger folks, there was actually a time when no one had cell phones and we had to use a pay phone or knock on someone's door and ask to borrow a phone -- all I had to do was call, and Daddy would stop whatever he was doing and come and help me get out

            -- and his help didn't quit when I grew up and got married -- several years ago, Kim and I were driving up to Adel well after dark and, all of a sudden, all the lights came on in the car and I lost my steering and my air conditioning and everything right in the middle of the interstate -- we made it to a gas station and called home and Daddy came in middle of night -- he actually brought a mechanic and parts with him and replaced our serpentine belt right there on the spot

            -- he was there when I was getting out of school and getting married and moving from town to town to town -- he's always been there to help when I needed it -- and to this day I know if I have a problem, I can count on his help and advice when I need it -- I know he'll be there

            -- a few years ago Dave Branon interviewed a couple of pro athletes, and their story was very similar to mine -- Howard Cross, a football player for the New York Giants, told Branon, “I spent most of my time with my dad. He was always there for me, taking care of me, pointing me in the right direction.” -- And basketball player Avery Johnson, point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, said, “My parents were prime-time examples. They were always there for me.”" [Dave Branon, Our Daily Bread]

            -- that's exactly the message David is giving us in this Psalm -- he's telling us we can trust in the Lord to always be there for us -- David points out in this poetical Psalm that the Lord knows us -- He loves us -- and He wants the best for our lives -- that's why I titled today's message, "Father Knows Best"

II.  Scripture Lesson (Psalm 139:1-24)

            -- so let's turn now to Psalm 139 and let's see what we can learn about "Our Father, who art in heaven," from David's perspective and close by considering what our response should be to the Father's providence, protection, and presence in our lives

            -- as we begin, I want to make you aware of the structure of this Psalm -- David wrote this in four poetical stanzas of six verses each -- the first three sections each address a separate aspect of God's interactions with us while the last section covers our response to Him

            -- so with that said, let us look now at Psalm 139:1 at the first section of this Psalm

            A.  The Omniscience of God (Psalm 139:1-6)

            -- verse 1-6

Psalm 139:1-6 (NIV)

1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

            -- in this first section of Psalm 139 David emphasizes the Father's omniscience -- he tells us the Lord knows us because He is aware of who we are and what we are -- God's knowledge extends to our movements -- our thoughts -- our actions -- our words -- our very being

            -- he opens this Psalm with the words, "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me" -- and there's a couple of important things there I want you to see

            -- the idea of God searching us that David conveys is not that of a superficial search -- God didn't just Google us -- He didn't just track our movements by our phone's GPS -- no, the concept here is a deep searching of our very being -- who we are on the inside, not just who we pretend to be to this world or to ourselves

            -- God searched to the depths of our souls -- to the innermost parts of ourselves -- in order to know us intimately and personally

            -- and I want you to see that this is a personal searching and knowing of yourself by God -- David doesn't say in this section, "O Lord, You know all things" -- he doesn't just address God's infinite knowledge and omniscience in this light -- instead David says, "You have searched me and You know me"

            -- I went to a Promise Keeper's event a few years ago, and the speaker was sharing with us his thoughts on prayer -- he said at an early age it had been impressed on him by his mother to pray to God in all things -- not just the big things -- when he lost his socks and couldn't find a matching pair that he needed for football, he would yell out to his mother, "Have you seen my socks?" -- and she would respond, "Have you prayed about it?" -- and he said his initial response was, "No -- God doesn't care about my socks -- He's got more important things to worry about than that" -- but he had come to learn that God does care about our socks because God cares about us and about the things that affect us -- even whether we have matching socks or not

            -- that's what David is saying here -- God cares so much about us individually that He has searched us out to the innermost parts of our being and He knows us intimately and personally -- the idea David gets across in these first six verses is that God is so in love with us that if He had a wallet, our picture would be in there -- God loves us so much that He pays attention to everything we do and say and think and believe

            -- it reminds me of what William Young wrote in his book, "The Shack" -- as the character in that book speaks to God about certain individuals in his life, God smiles at the mention of each one of them and responds about them, "They're my favorite!"

            -- that's what David's saying here -- you're God's favorite -- and because of that, He has searched you and He knows you and He loves you

            B.  The Omnipresence of God (Psalm 139:7-12)

            -- verse 7-12

Psalm 139:7-12 (NIV)

7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

            -- in this second section of Psalm 139 David emphasizes the Father's omnipresence -- he tells us the Lord knows us because He is always with us -- there is no where we can go where He is not

            -- an atheist philosopher once asked a Christian, "Where is God?" -- the Christian responded, "Where is He not?" [John Arrowsmith (1602-1659) commentary on Psalm 139]

            -- David's point here is that God is everywhere I am -- He is everywhere I could be -- man is always somewhere, but God is always everywhere -- there is no where we can go that God's presence is not already there

            -- I've been reading several books lately on missionaries to the persecuted church and their own ministry in the restricted countries of the world -- and the one thing that stands out so clear in their accounts is that they can travel to the spiritually darkest places on earth -- they can go into the midst of Muslim territories where Christianity is not tolerated -- and, yet, they find God is already there -- His prevenient grace is already present, working and protecting and guiding the people to a saving knowledge of His Son Jesus Christ

            -- David says, "Where can I go from your Spirit? -- Where I can flee from your Presence?" -- and the answer is you can't -- because God is there

            -- David says if I go up to the highest heavens or if I go to the depths of the earth and make my bed in Sheol, I find you there

            -- if I rise on the wings of the dawn -- a poetical way of saying if we go as far to the east as possible -- or if we settle on the far side of the sea -- David was referring to the Mediterranean Sea -- to going as far to the west as possible -- as far as the east is from the west -- no matter where we travel -- no matter where our feet carry us -- God is there

            -- even in the middle of the night -- when the darkness closes in and our fears become larger and more scary -- God is not distant, but right there among us -- making our night as bright as day -- and keeping us safe through the storms of our hearts

            -- the question is why? -- why do we keep finding God wherever we are? -- because He wants to be there when we need Him -- He wants to be there because He loves us and just can't stand to be apart

            C.  The Omnipotence of God (Psalm 139:13-18)

            -- verse 13-18

Psalm 139:13-18 (NIV)

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

            -- in this third section of Psalm 139 David emphasizes the Father's omnipotence -- he tells us the Lord knows us because He created us -- and I want you to see the emphasis of David's remarks here about our Creator Father

            -- once again, we don't see God's work in our lives given to us in general terms -- this isn't a retelling of Genesis 1 and 2 -- David doesn't say here, "God created the heavens and the earth -- God created mankind" -- no, look what David says

            -- "You created my inmost being -- You knit me together in my mother's womb" -- what David's saying is that God made him -- individually -- personally -- before David's parents ever came together -- before God created this earth -- before time began -- God said, "I am going to make David so I can love him in a real and personal way"

            -- God said the same thing about each of us -- God -- the God of the universe -- the God who walked on water and raised the dead and died for us on the cross -- the God whose thoughts are so immense that if you tried to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand -- that God -- that God sat on His heavenly throne and said, "I am going to create Greg so I can love him"

            -- and I want you to know, I'm not trying to be sacrilegious here, but when I thought about the point David is trying to get across here -- that God loved us so much He made us individually and planned out what we were going to be like and what we were going to do and where we were going to go -- I just couldn't help but think of Bugs Bunny

            -- remember the cartoon where Hugo the Abominable Snowman picks up Daffy Duck and hugs him and says, "Just what I always wanted -- my own little bunny rabbit -- I will name him George and I will hug him and pet him and squeeze him and rub him and caress him..."

            -- that's kind of what David is saying God is like -- God made you and He made me -- not just as a general afterthought -- not just, "Hey, I need a couple more people down there" -- no, God said, "I need a Greg and I'm going to make him and I'm going to love him and I'm going to search him and know him and protect him and guide him and take care of him and be with him no matter where he goes"

            -- and that's true for you and me and the most vilest sinner on earth -- God loves us the same -- God loves us extravagantly -- that's why the Bible tells us that while we all were still sinners, Christ died for us -- the Godly for the ungodly -- the just for the unjust

            -- God has a plan for our lives -- all the days ordained for us are written out in His book -- and while we may have strayed from His plan for our lives -- while we may have rejected Him -- He never rejected us but waited for us to come home to Him as the prodigal's father waited for him to return

            D.  Our Response (Psalm 139:19-24)

            -- verse 19-24

Psalm 139:19-24 (NIV)

19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

             -- so how do we respond to this extravagant love of God? -- now that we know what God has done for us -- now that we know just how much He loves us and cares for us and calls us to Him -- how do we respond? -- what is our spiritual act of worship in response? -- how can we love God as He loved us?

            -- in John 14:23 Jesus said, "If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching" -- and in 1 John 5:3 we read, "This is love -- to obey His commands"

            -- what is our response to a God who loves us in the way David has expressed in this Psalm? -- our response can only be to love Him by obeying His commands and living in a righteous relationship with Him -- that's why this last section of David's Psalm is a call to personal holiness

            -- every time I have read this Psalm, I have always thought verses 19 through 22 were just out of place -- here we've had this wonderful Psalm of praise extolling God's virtues that are expressed to us through His searching and knowledge of us -- through His presence in our lives -- through His power expressed in His personal creation of us -- and then we reach these verses which begin with the thought, "If only you would slay the wicked!" -- it just seems out of place, doesn't it?

            -- but after spending some time really studying this and thinking about what David is saying here, I have to come to understand why he added these verses

            -- as I said this last section is a call for personal holiness in response to the Father's goodness -- and what David is trying to express in these verses is the need to reject wickedness -- holiness means living apart from the wicked -- it means being in the world but not of the world

            -- over in the New Testament when Jesus sent His disciples out to minister in His name, He told them He was sending them as sheep among wolves -- we are the sheep -- we are of His flock -- and we are to act and think and live and breathe as sheep -- as those called by His name

            -- but we are surrounded by the wolves -- by the wicked -- by the world -- who live differently from us -- who have different values -- different ways of dealing with those around them

            -- David says, "I hate them" -- some translations say "I hate them with a perfect hate" -- and, while we certainly aren't supposed to hate anyone, the point David is making here is that we are to hate the sin -- we are to hate the wicked -- we are to hate their actions -- the way they slander the Lord's name -- the way they speak of God with evil intent -- the way their lives are filled with evil -- that's what he's saying

            -- how we can know God in such an intimate way as described in this Psalm and associate with the evil of this world? -- we can't -- oil and water don't mix -- evil and holiness don't mix -- so personal holiness means living apart from the wickedness of this world

            -- personal holiness means we choose to turn our backs on the world and live with and for God -- we live in an honest and open relationship with Him -- David is a realist about living in this world -- he is described in the Bible as a man after God's own heart -- and yet David sinned in ways most of us could not even imagine -- taking another man's wife and killing him to cover up his sin

            -- that's why David asks God here in verse 23 to search him and know him -- to test his heart -- he already said in verse 1 that God had searched him and knew him -- so why ask God to do it again? -- because we get corrupted just by living in this world

            -- this is a dirty place -- and just walking through it, that dirt clings to our feet and we carry it home and we carry into our hearts -- and so David asks God to search him and to search his heart and to show him anything that shouldn't be there -- to reveal to him any ways that he has that are not right -- so he might repent of his sins and follow God with a clean heart and clean hands

            -- David cries out to God, "Lead me -- show me your path -- guide me in the paths of righteousness for Your Namesake" -- that is the only response we can make to God's presence and providence and power in our lives

III.  Closing

            -- in a copy of Reader's Digest, Donald Ballar shared this story about an instructor of student truck drivers -- the instructor gave this scenario to his class. "You are in an 18-wheeler with a heavy load, barreling down a mountainous two-lane highway -- Ed, your co-driver, is asleep -- There are six trucks behind you, and as you come over the top of a hill, one of the trucks behind you pulls out into the left lane to pass -- As he comes along side of you, you see several trucks coming from the opposite direction moving towards you -- One of the trucks coming at you is in your lane because it is passing another truck

            -- so, there are five trucks behind and one beside you -- there are several trucks in front of you and the two out front have both lanes blocked -- The question is, 'What will you do?'

            -- one student called out, 'The answer is simple -- I would wake up Ed.'

            -- 'Why would you do that?' asked the instructor.

            -- The student replied with, 'Cause Ed ain't never seen a truck wreck like this one before!'"

            [Terry Laughlin, Victoriously Living Over the Flesh; http://www.sermoncentral.com/illustrations/sermon-illustration-terry-laughlin-humor-holiness-68391.asp]

            -- that's exactly what this Psalm all about -- it's about preventing a truck wreck -- it's about staying on the right path and following God with all your heart and mind and soul -- it's about making sure that there is nothing in our lives that is hindering our walk with God and preventing us from fulfilling His calling for us

            -- David has made the case in this Psalm that God is with us -- He knows us, intimately and personally -- He is always with us, no matter where we go -- and He created us -- not to be in a truck wreck -- but to live lives of purpose and meaning and holiness -- to be holy as He is holy

            -- David's point in this whole Psalm is to tell us that if we could just be aware of God's power and presence and providence in our lives -- we would walk differently than we do -- we would walk in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives

            -- Jonathan Edwards, one of the great preachers of early American history, used to make personal resolutions -- one of these resolutions written in his journal was "Resolved, never to do anything which I would be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life"'

            -- that's the same idea that David expresses as he cries out in verses 23 and 24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart -- test me and know my anxious thoughts -- see if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting"

            -- with that thought in mind, let me close by asking you this question:  Are we serious enough about living our lives in obedience to Christ that we are willing to do something about it?

            -- I have felt led to start a new sermon series next week on everyone's favorite subject -- sin -- specifically looking at the seven deadly sins -- with the goal being to ask God to search our hearts -- to reveal to us our sins -- and to lead us in the way everlasting

            -- so with that, let us close -- and, as we pray together, may you respond to God's word as you feel led

            -- let's pray

OKRA

When I was a child, my mother had a rule.  No matter what was placed on the table before you, you had to take one bite.  No refusing anything.  No turning your nose up at it without first trying.  You didn't have to like it.  You just had to try it.  One bite.  That's all.  One sizable bite that met her size requirements, taken into your mouth under her watchful eye.


However, there was an aspect of the one-bite rule that I still find disturbing.  It didn't matter that a food had been tried and found wanting in the past.  If that same food was presented at another meal at a later date, it still must be tried again.  And so as a child I suffered through a litany of culinary delights and disappointments all imbibed one single bite at a time.

But out of all my mother cooked, nothing was as horrific or terrible as the image of boiled okra gracing the family dinner table at our evening meal.  For those from more northern climates who are unfamiliar with okra, this is a southern food termed by some a "delicacy," especially when served deep fried with a light batter crusting.  But none of that for us.  No fried okra ever graced our table to my memory.  It was always boiled, slimy okra.  Sitting on my plate, growing larger by the minute, staring me in the eye and daring me to eat it. 

And eat it, I did.  Just one bite.  No more.  No less.  But, oh what a chore that bite was.  Sometimes hours would pass before I could will myself to open my mouth and swallow one bite of boiled okra, washed down by a gallon of sweet tea just to remove the taste.  But when it was over -- when the one-bite had been accomplished -- I could never rest easy in victory because I knew, I just knew, it would not be long before that boiled okra appeared again.  My worst enemy.  Back to battle me again.

Now, it's important that you know I am a discerning culinary patron.  In other words I am picky. I am now and have always been so.  And knowing this, and knowing that taste buds change as one matures, my mother wisely implemented her one-bite rule for me and my sister at our family dinner tables.  And thankfully so, because despite my boldest objections and worst, scrunched up face at the initial taste of sauteed squash and steamed broccoli, these have turned out to be two of my most favorite foods.  Foods which I might not even try today if not for the one-bite rule.

But, to this day, I will not and cannot eat boiled okra.  Just the sight of boiled okra is enough to trigger my gag reflex.  Merely typing this and having to write the word okra over and over again is enough to turn my stomach.  Okra is one of the few foods I refuse to allow near my plate.  When presented with this at a restaurant or a church pot-luck, my answer is always the same:  "I don't eat boiled okra."  And I haven't.  Not since I was old enough to leave home and the one-bite rule behind.  I don't even think of okra if I can help it.  But all that changed this week.

You see, I was riding along on my way to work, praying to God and asking for His grace in obedience to His commands.  You know, as well as I, that none of us are where we need to be spiritually.  Despite the fact we have been forgiven of our sins on the cross of Calvary by the precious blood of Christ, we all still choose to sin on a daily basis, and for many of us, there is one or two sins that are particularly besetting, our "thorns in the flesh," if you will.  These sins have become bad habits for us, and even though we try to turn away from them, we find ourselves choosing to give in to temptation and sinning against God in the same way over and over again. 

This past week was a week that happened to me, and as I rode along confessing and repenting of my sin and asking God to keep me from stumbling again, an image appeared in my mind.  No, the heavens did not open as they did for John on the island of Patmos.  Nor did I see Christ in a bright light as Paul on the road to Damascus.  I didn't even see fiery chariots or images of spectacular beasts rising from the sea.  No, I saw, just as clear as day, a bowl of boiled, slimy okra.

That's right.  Okra.  Boiled, slimy, gag-inducing okra.  And I said, "God, what is this?  How does this help? How is this an answer to prayer?"  Surely God wasn't suggesting I partake of a bowl of this boiled okra as a means of self-flagellation and punishment for my sin.  But gently, God showed me what this meant.

First, He pointed out the way I feel about okra is the way He feels about sin.  Just as repulsive as okra is to me, sin is to Him.  Just as the mere thought of okra turned my stomach and made me want  to throw up, this was how God saw sin in my life.  And I thought, "Wow!"  I never thought of it like that before.  Before sin was just something I dealt with on my own.  I knew it was wrong.  I knew God didn't want us to do it.  But I never thought about how He viewed it.  It changed my impression of sin.  Every time I sinned, I was placing a big bowl of slimy boiled okra in front of my loving God and Savior and telling Him to eat it even though He hated it and always would.

Secondly, God pointed out to me that sin in my life could be dealt with in the same way okra was.  Too often I would blame my propensity to sin on my human nature.  "It's just the way I am.  I'm not perfect.  I'm not God.  I can't help but sin.  Everyone sins.  It's part of being a human."  However, in 1 John 2:1, John tells us that he is writing this epistle "so that you will not sin."  Do you see what he's saying?  Sin is a choice.  We can choose not to sin if we follow God's word.  God will never give us more than we can bear, and when we are tempted He will always make a way out for us.  We don't have to give in to sin.  We don't have to sin.  We can choose to say no.

But, I told God, I can't say no.  I'm just not able to.  I'm not strong enough.  I can't do it.  I have to sin.  It's just my nature.  And God showed me the okra again and reminded me of something I had forgotten.  I have not tasted a bite of boiled, slimy okra since I was 18 years old.  For 30 years I have avoided okra like the plague.  For 30 years, I have looked okra in the eye and said, "No!  I will not eat you!"   And God said, "If you can do that for okra, why can't you do that for Me?  Why can't you look your sin in the eye and just say 'No?'"

Huh.  I had never thought of that before.  I had always approached sin as if I was the victim.  Sin was the aggressor.  Sin was defeating me.  Sin would always win.  But okra...now that was a different story.  I was the aggressor.  I had defeated okra.  I always won.  What if I started of looking at my sin like it was a bowl of boiled, slimy okra?  What if, instead of saying, "I give up.  I'm not strong enough," I started saying, "I don't do that sin any more.  Not even one bite.  I'm an adult.  I'm mature in Christ and the victory has been won.  I don't have to eat that sin any more.  I am an overcomer."

So, I'm starting to play the association game with sin.  When I am tempted to give in to that same old bad habit that has been dogging me for years, I'm going to think about it like it was a bowl of boiled, slimy okra.  And I'm going to apply the same principle to this sin that I apply to okra, just with the power of the Holy Spirit behind me.  I'll let you know how it works.  In the meantime, why don't you try this too?  Think of the one thing that just totally disgusts and repels you, and begin to associate it with that sinful bad habit in your life and see how it works for you.  And, be sure and let me know.  I'll be praying for you.

Pastor Greg

SERMON: IT IS FINISHED (TETELESTI)

EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE

20 April 2014

            -- turn in Bibles to John 19:16-30

16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).

18 Here they crucified him, and with him two others--one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.

21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."

22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24 "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son,"

27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty."

29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips.

30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

            -- as tax day rolled around this week, I heard an interesting fact about our tax law here in the U.S. -- the 2013 tax code has over 4 million words -- if you were to print out the entire thing, it would take almost 74,000 pages of paper

            -- it seems a current state of affairs to be verbose in our writing and in our communication with each other -- but perhaps we would be better served if we chose our words more carefully, and rather than writing fluff to make our documents larger, we instead concentrated on expressing the point in the fewest possible words

            -- have you ever considered the fact that the messages that truly have impacted history and our own lives are all messages of very few words?

            -- for instance, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address -- considered by many to be the greatest speech ever given in America -- just 272 words that changed the fate of our nation

            -- or what about Franklin D. Roosevelt's radio address on December 7th, 1941 -- "Today is a day that will live in infamy" -- just hearing those words immediately reminds us of the tragedy of Pearl Harbor

            -- or in more recent history -- remember the impact hearing the words, "The Space Shuttle Challenger has exploded" or "A plane has hit the world trade center in New York," had on your life? -- I don't doubt that each of us -- at least those who are old enough -- can remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news

            -- even in our own personal lives, it is amazing how many life-changing events are announced with just a few simple words

            -- words such as:  "I love you" -- "Will you marry me?" -- "I'm pregnant" -- "He passed away" -- "The tests were negative" -- "It's a girl" or "It's a boy"

            -- simple words -- simple messages -- but messages that change lives

            -- maybe that's why the most profound event in the course of human history and this world was announced with just one word -- Tetelesti

            -- as His time on the cross was nearly over, John tells us here in verse 30 that Jesus lifted His eyes to heaven and cried out in a loud voice, "It is finished -- Tetelesti" -- and with that proclamation, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit to the Father

            -- the only place in the entire New Testament where the word Tetelesti is used is in this passage -- and to understand the importance of that word, you need to know how it was used in Jesus' day

            -- someone only used the word Tetelesti when their work was completed to perfection

            -- for instance, when an artist finished a painting, he might have put down his brush and stepped back and proclaimed Tetelesti to declare the picture was perfect

            -- or a servant would respond Tetelesti when asked by his master if the work assigned had been completed as asked

            -- a judge might have said Tetelesti when he conferred a sentence or issued a ruling that a sentence had been completed -- Tetelesti -- "Justice has been served"

            -- a priest would say Tetelesti when an unblemished and acceptable sacrifice was given to God and a soldier might cry Tetelesti as a battle cry towards a vanquished foe¹

            -- Tetelesti was only used to indicate the task was perfectly completed

            -- all over the world today, believers have gathered to celebrate this final word from the cross -- while the empty tomb and resurrection stand as proof of Christ's final victory, it was the cry of Tetelesti that proclaimed to all creation that the task assigned to Jesus had been perfectly completed -- that "it" was finally over

            -- the question, then is "what task did Jesus accomplish? -- what is the "it" that Jesus said was over?"

            -- part of the answer can be found in Luke Chapter 4 -- Luke records Jesus' first message in the synagogue at Nazareth -- as He stood up to read the scriptures, He turned in the scroll of Isaiah and read this passage:

            -- Luke 4:18-19 -- "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor -- He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

            -- every eye in the room was on Him to see what He would say in response to this powerful verse -- He reached over and slowly put up the scroll and announced "today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing"

            -- don't miss what He did there -- when I took my homiletics -- my preaching -- class -- I was told, "Never close your Bible when you are preaching -- never read the Scripture and close the Bible and start preaching -- you always leave the Bible open because this is the source -- this is the place where revelation comes from -- this is where your message originates -- the word of God is alive and active and should never be put away while it is being proclaimed"

            -- so why did Jesus do just that? -- why did Jesus put the scroll up before He spoke that day in the synagogue? -- because it was finished -- it was fulfilled

            -- Jesus had been assigned the task of preaching the good news of salvation to the poor -- of proclaiming freedom for the prisoners -- healing to the blind -- release to the oppressed -- and announcing the day of the Lord's redemption

            -- His presence in the synagogue that day fulfilled the prophecy from Isaiah

            -- as Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets -- I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them" -- through His sinless life and His death on the cross, the law and the prophets were fulfilled -- for Him and for us -- it was finished perfectly and completely -- Tetelesti

            -- another "it" that was finished on the cross was the curse of sin and death -- Adam and Eve had been warned not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because if they did, they would surely die

            -- and when sin entered the garden through the temptation of the serpent, Adam and Eve sinned by eating the fruit, and the curse of sin and death fell upon mankind and all creation

            -- because of them we are born with the curse in our bodies -- we sin because we are sinners -- we sin because we have been born infected with a sin nature that corrupts our very soul and spirit -- and not only do we suffer from this sin nature, but all creation suffers too

            -- that is why Paul said in Romans 8:22 that all creation has been groaning up to the present time -- it groans because of the curse that has been laid upon it

            -- but when Jesus died on the cross, the Bible tells us that He became the curse for us -- He became sin for us -- the righteous becoming unrighteous -- the sinless One taking upon Himself our sins and transgressions -- bearing the consequence of sin and death and paying a debt we could never pay

            -- when Jesus cried out from the cross, "It is finished," He was referring to the debt that each of us owed and the sin in our lives -- Tetelesti means our sins are completely forgiven -- Tetelesti means our sin nature has been destroyed -- Tetelesti means we are no longer bound by sin and death but have been freed for victorious life in Christ

            -- we no longer have to sin because Jesus has perfectly and completely removed sins and the sin nature on the cross of Calvary -- Tetelesti

            -- the final "it" that was finished on the cross was the divide between God and man -- the Bible tells us God is holy and cannot look upon sin -- He cannot be in the presence of sin -- and so, when Adam and Eve infected the human race with sin, they separated us from God's very presence -- their sin created a chasm that none could cross

            -- it was for this reason Jesus was sent to earth -- remember John 3:16? -- "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish but have eternal life"

            -- that is the final task Jesus came to fulfill -- He came not only to fulfill the law and the prophets -- not only to pay the penalty for our sins -- but to reconcile us to the Father by transferring His righteousness to us

            -- when Jesus cried out from the cross, "It is finished," it also meant the bridge that Jesus had built with His own body had been completed -- and now we could cross the chasm to the Father

            -- His sinless life became our bridge to the other side -- His righteousness replaced our unrighteousness -- His holiness replaced our unholiness -- and we are reconciled to the Father through His Jesus' death and resurrection

            -- the separation has ended -- it is finished -- because Jesus paid the price -- Tetelesti

            -- the final cry of Jesus from the cross was the summation of God's love to a world that had turned its back on Him -- it was a cry of defiance against Satan and his minions -- a cry of victory over sin and death -- and a cry of reconciliation with the Father -- Tetelesti -- Jesus had completely and perfectly ended His task on earth and so He bowed His head and gave up His spirit and died

            -- so if it is finished, why are you still trapped by lingering sin? -- if it is finished, why then do you still fear death? -- if it is finished, why do you still worry and fret over life? -- if it is finished, why do you still strive to pay a debt that has already been paid?

            -- Tetelesti means it is finished -- finite -- nothing left to do -- it has all been done

            -- someone once asked in a lecture what the difference was between Christianity and all the other religions of the world -- the lecturer paused for a moment and said, "All the other religions of the world tell its adherents, "Do! -- Do this and you will be saved." -- Christianity, on the other hand, says "Done! -- Tetelesti! -- It is finished!"

            -- as you leave here today on this Easter morning -- as you go forth into the rest of your day and time here on earth, remember the cry of Jesus from the cross -- cease your striving and work -- cease your worry -- believe that it is finished -- that all your sins have been forgiven -- that all your sin debt has been paid -- that you are being created anew in the image of your God and Father -- and walk in the knowledge that it is done -- Tetelesti"

            -- let us pray

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

 [SOURCE:  “It Is Finished!” Jesus Does Not Need Your Help by Tony Miano, edited by Matt Slick, http://carm.org/it-is-finished, accessed 4/19/2014]