Pacific NW Camp Devotion Re-cap - 1 John

*Live-stream our services at www.RedemptionCLC.com

Theme: We Know and Believe

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Students are taught from early on that almost every type of assignment that is given in the form of a paper is to have an introduction and a conclusion. Part of the reason behind this is to clearly introduce and summarize the purpose of the paper. This technique helps the reader discern the intent of the author and the main substance of the message.

This past week we centered our devotional thoughts at Pacific NW camp on John’s first epistle, or letter. Although this writing was not a research or study paper, it was an instructional letter. John takes the time to openly tell the reader why he wrote this letter. By going through it, we pick up on four separate instances where John mentions a unique reason:

1 John 1:4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. 

1 John 2:26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 

1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Complete joy, warning of sin, warning of deception from false teaching, and assurance of eternal life in Jesus’ name. These are the four reasons John gives for this letter and they help us understand what we should make of it today. The same four reasons apply equally, if not more, to our lives as they did to the first readers.

Our devotional series didn’t specifically consider these reasons that John stated, but it did address how to achieve what John intended. On our three main devotion days we divided the content into the three main teachings that John considers throughout the letter.

          God’s Light

          God’s Life

          God’s Love

When we study and understand these three teaching points, we grow in our ability to heed what John stated as the purpose behind the letter – and through it we gain confidence to declare that we “know and believe” what Jesus has accomplished for us. In our message this morning we will take a brief look at the three discussion points from camp.  

God is Light. John opens the letter with this thought. Of course, John wasn’t thinking about God’s physical appearance, though the portions of the Bible that describe that certainly contain a bright image. John was speaking about the distinction between sin and righteousness. In the Bible, sin is darkness, righteousness is light. So, John states in chapter 1, verse 5: This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

That’s essentially where the description of God ends. The fact that God is perfect is not complicated. we don’t need a dissertation on the subject from John. This one verse suffices. The direction John then takes the reader is to consider his or her own life. If God is holy, and demands holiness from anyone in His presence, what does that mean for your life? The following verses of chapter one form the familiar confession that we often use (last weekend actually).

If God is light and we are in darkness because of sin, we had better confess our sins to God in repentance. Even though John talks about our lives, the overall power stays focused on God. John says, 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Part of the light of God is being willing to freely forgive sinners like us – rescuing us from the darkness of evil thoughts, lies, anger and grudges, lusts of the heart, impatient attitudes, misguided hopes and priorities in life, and so much more.

In each of our devotions we made connections to the Gospel of John, penned by the same author. When it comes to God as light we are reminded of Jesus’ endearing promise in John 8: “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” A chapter later, Jesus put this promise into action when He healed a blind man. When the Pharisees questioned the man on how Jesus, who they perceived as a sinner, could heal him, the man responded: "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."

The blind man received more than physical sight that day – he received the confidence and assurance of faith in His Savior. He knew and believed what Jesus could do for him, opening not only his eyes to see but His heart to believe and inherit eternal life.

God is Life. Similarly, to how we describe life with God, John spoke in his letter about what we have today through faith and what we look forward to in eternity. 1 John 3:6 states, “Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.” Here’s the connection between life in Jesus and the light of Jesus in our present lives. The light and life given by God serve one another. John said something similar at the beginning of His Gospel: “All things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life and the life was the light of men.”

However, John wasn’t afraid to teach about heaven either. Our sermon verse is an example of such a statement. John knew that there was more to life with God than what happened here on earth, even in matters of our Christian life. We are looking for the better, heavenly home. Just as Jesus was instrumental on the physical creation of this world – calling all life into existence, so also has He established the heavenly mansions in heaven for those who trust in Him. The Christian’s life is always about both – what we do today and what we look forward to in eternity. If we focus too much on one or the other we lose sight of what Jesus accomplished for us and we end up distorting what it means to live with God.

The account we considered from John’s Gospel was when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. What better example could there be of Christ’s ability to restore physical life? It is a perfect summary of what life with God is all about. But within the story of Lazarus’ raised life was an example of the other angle to life with God. It was Martha who also was raised in a way that day. When she first encountered Jesus outside the city, she lamented that He had not been there sooner to prevent Lazarus’ death. Imagine having to patiently wait, knowing and believing what Jesus could accomplish, and feeling let down. That’s where Martha was at, but Jesus reaffirmed His power over death by promising Martha that He is the resurrection and the life and that all who believe in Him conquer death.  

The key there is to believe in Jesus, for shortly after, Martha doubted again. When they arrived at Lazarus’ tomb and Jesus commanded them the open the entrance, it was Martha who questioned saying, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for it has been four days.” Jesus’ response is telling and it’s a learning point for us, He said, “Did I not tell you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?”

We talk about knowing and believing. John’s theme in his letter is one of confidence in Jesus. It’s tough to believe that at times, even for the strongest Christians, because faith is about God’s power, not ours. It’s not about seeing with our eyes, but with our hearts when the Holy Spirit establishes God’s kingdom of grace in them. Jesus gently reminded Martha about life with God through faith, as He powerfully displayed His love by raising her brother from the dead.

And that leads us to our final thought – God is Love. This is probably the dominant topic in John’s letter. Basically, the last two chapters are speaking primarily about love. Even though 1 John is one of the shorter books of the Bible, the word love is used 40 times. We considered one of those passages a week and a half ago at Chick’s victory service: 1 John 4:10 – This is love. Not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice of the world. John confesses that love from God is about the sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the world. Again, we see how this topic is connected to the mission that Jesus accomplished to redeem the world, just as it was for light and life from God.

Another familiar love passage in 1 John is from chapter 4, verse 19: We love Him because He first loved us. One thing you’ll notice about John’s treatment of love is that he continually connects the love that God shows to us to the love that we are to show to one another. In this way, John teaches us that our love is motivated and led by God’s love. If someone claims to be loving, but is involved in something contrary to God’s will, it can’t really be classified as love from God. Likewise, if a Christian claims to have the love of God, yet cares little or not at all for those in his life, he doesn’t have the love of God. John asks this pointed question in chapter 3, verse 17: But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? John concludes by saying, My little children, let us not love in word or in speech, but in deed and in truth.

We connected the love of 1 John to the Gospel of John in the story of Thomas after the resurrection of Jesus. It wasn’t loving for Thomas to demand a certain amount of proof about Jesus. He should have believed just upon hearing the word of the other disciples. Likewise, there are many times where we demand things of God and we act like He is the unloving one when He doesn’t do what we want. We treat others around us in an unloving way when we demand that they meet our standards and level of morality, rather than drawing closer to God’s truth. Jesus’ response was the epitome of love. He gave Thomas what Thomas had demanded – physical proof, but accompanied it with a thought-provoking reminder – “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Likewise, when we are loud-mouths who make selfish demands, Jesus meets us with the same love of forgiveness and renewal, gently reminding us to trust in Him and not ourselves.

In these three gifts – light, life, and love – from God, we have confidence to say “We know and believe” in Jesus Christ our Savior. We know what He did for us and we believe that He will keep His promises – both for this life and for the life to come. This is how John’s goals of writing are realized in our lives. Amen.

"How to..." grow in your faith - 1 Corinthians 3:10-18

Theme: How to grow in your faith

1 Corinthians 3:10-18 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. 18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. (ESV)

I grew up working on house projects. I have five older sisters and when the time came for them to purchase a home, my dad would lead the way in helping them find a bargain – a fixer upper in modern lingo. Contrary to the shows on TV nowadays, there’s not a lot of actual glamour in fixing up a house, especially when you’re the one doing the work and you’re actually on a normal person’s budget. Just about as soon as I could swing a hammer, my dad expected me to contribute.

But early on there was a bit of a problem – I had no idea what I was doing. You see, when you’re doing something as visible as home construction, you can’t hide defects very well. If you don’t know what you’re doing and you mess it up, it will become known. So, what do you do? You send the novices to the demo work – demo meaning tearing things down. I remember very vividly one of my first assignments, I was probably 9 or 10 years old. I was given a crow-bar and told to rip plaster and lath off of a wall. If you know anything about plaster and lath you know it’s an extremely messy process to take it down. I was overly excited at the prospect of using a large metal instrument to rip something apart. But even in that project I had very little idea of how to properly wield a crow bar and as a result I was quite ineffective in my work. The wall came down eventually, but it took a lot longer than it should have and I created quite a bit greater of a mess. But you can’t complain much when the labor is free. 

Eventually, as I grew in my knowledge, I became more skilled. I even was able to contribute to actual construction, instead of just demo work. I learned how to install windows and doors, how to shingle a roof, what was needed on a load bearing wall, how to add insulation to a wall cavity, and many other projects. All along the way, my effectiveness as a worker showed in the end result of the project. Sometimes good, sometimes not so good. But regardless – there’s was no room for deception.

In our text, Paul talks about his ministry among the Corinthians as building a structure. this is not a foreign thought in Paul’s teaching, he will actually continue that them to the Corinthians in chapter 6. Paul helped found this congregation. In some respects, people might say he was credited with establishing their church. But Paul didn’t take credit. He writes, For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

This is really the main thought of this section, and the key to understanding how to grow in your faith. It’s all about Jesus. If He is your foundation, you will grow. In fact, it’s even simpler. Unless you have Jesus as the center of your faith, as the foundation, you aren’t a Christian. Not only is Jesus the center, He is the end all, be all. There is nothing about true faith apart from Him.

The problem is that peoples’ ideas about growing in faith are very similar to the Corinthians’ ideas about ministry. They believed in many different options. Part of the problem that Paul was addressed was a growing factionalism in the church. Paul talked about this at the very beginning of the letter, 1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household , that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ."

God’s plan for the Corinthians was clear. No divisions. Unity around His Word. Together in the same mind and the same judgment. This standard continues to this day in God’s Church. It’s what He wants us to follow. Some mistake these principles as a total loss of individuality in the Church, but that’s not the case. As it is in each building, there are different and unique parts, but one purpose. The same is true of another analogy from Paul in this letter, that of the body – different and unique parts, but one united purpose. So it is to be in the Church, different people, but one united purpose and understanding of God’s Word – the light that leads our way as God’s people and God’s disciples.

The same is true of growing in the faith. There are so many additives out there in the world today; so many quick, easy, or prosperous ways to becoming a better believer. Many Christians are led into spiritual despair because their faith does not look like the kind that is advertised with mainstream Christianity today. The idea is that you have to practice your faith a certain way, you have to feel a certain way in your heart, or you have to look a certain way in your daily demeanor, or… you’re not growing as you should be.

These new laws about Christian sanctification and living are really nothing more than worthless building materials. And they divide the church like Paul warned about being factional in one’s ministry. These commands are all directed inward at the self – what you must do, how you must feel, what you must look like – as the basis for proof that you have grown in your faith. And they sound good. It is always attractive for inward-looking sinners who are plagued with an inward-looking flesh to hear commands that point at themselves. But the real danger is that it loses sight of the one true foundation – Jesus.

If it truly is the case that faith is grown by what we do and how well we do it, why did Christ come to earth? Why did He live in our place? Why did He die? What exactly did He rescue us from if we hold the power to change our lives for the good? Those are good questions but the same people will say, “Christ opened the door for you.” “He paved the way so that you now do have the power to help yourself.” “Think more positively, do more good, be better to yourself so that you feel better.” “Those are the signs of growth that Christ unlocks.” Layer upon layer of looking at the self.

Beware of these lies. Christ is not a foundation from which I get to jump off of at some point to another foundation. Christ is not the “model” Savior that I follow and thereby justify myself. He is the total Savior, upon whom I am totally dependent, even after I come to faith. Growing in faith is not about leaving the safety and power of Jesus’ grace. If we are blessed to be given such a solid foundation as God’s underserved love for us, why would we ever leave it? How could we call that growth?

God speaks clearly saying,

·       Romans 3:28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

·       John 6:29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." 

·       Ephesians 4:15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-- Christ-- 

Your faith is like a structure. At the heart of that building is the gift of eternal life which rests completely on the foundation of Jesus as your crucified and risen Lord and Savior. Growing in that faith is like building around that structure. You can use the solid materials found in God’s Word, what our text calls the “gold, silver, and precious stones” or you can build with the world’s “wood, hay, and straw.” It’s the same as the tools of Paul’s ministry to the Corinthians.

The one thing you can’t do is deceive God. The value of your faith will be laid bare on the last day, if not sooner. There are certain things in life that will test your faith, but ultimately it will be brought to open view on the final day. On that day, the worthless materials are destroyed – burned up and that fire of judgment reveals what you really have from God. People today can tout all they want about spiritual growth. They can be famous. They can have millions of followers. They can be extremely relevant and in touch with our culture. They can have thousands upon thousands of church members. But, if what they believe does not come from Christ it doesn’t mean anything. It will be burned up on that last day.

This doesn’t mean we have to be perfect in our words, actions, or confession of faith to be saved. Paul says (and remember he’s addressing believers here) that even if your works are burned up because they were false and hollow, you can still be saved. “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” The key is to be found in Christ and you better believe that that truth can apply to many people who currently put stumbling blocks of false teaching in the way of others; just as you better believe that even the most Biblically-accurate Christian is still going to build with plenty of wood, hay, and straw as a sinful person.

The key is Jesus and we rejoice in that at the end of the day. But, Paul’s warning still applies because we are tempted to make so much of what others say when it comes to growing in faith. Satan wants us to play this game – to make our own spiritual judgments based on the popularity of the opinion instead of the truth of God’s Word. Frankly, Satan doesn’t care whether a person is saved or not despite the numerous false beliefs they have, he only wants to start the process along that’s going to gradually shift our faith’s foundation from Christ to some other platform.

Learn the lesson for your faith that I learned as a worker – you can’t hide the end result. It will be revealed for what it is. That truth is so much more appropriate with God and our faith than any other earthly example. So within your faith in Jesus, believe that He not only saves you but prepares you to get to heaven throughout life. Believe that He not only forgives your sins, but He also is the foundation of all growth as a Christian. Believe these truths for one simple reason – Christ has promised them to you in His Word.

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

"How to..." handle disappointment - Acts 27

"Live-stream our services at www.RedemptionCLC.com

Theme: How to… handle disappointment

Our lesson for this morning on how to handle disappointment comes from one of the stories we had this week at VBS. It comes from Acts 27:39-44, where Paul and his companions encounter a life-threatening storm on the Mediterranean Sea:

Acts 27:39-44 When it was day, they did not recognize the land; but they observed a bay with a beach, onto which they planned to run the ship if possible. 40 And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore. 41 But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves. 42 And the soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, 44 and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land. (NKJV)

At VBS, we used the lesson about Paul’s shipwreck to talk about patience and waiting on God’s plan. This is really another way of talking about how to handle disappointment. When we asked the kids what kinds of things are hard to wait for, they said things like, waiting for the school bus, waiting for their birthday, or waiting for a new lego set.

As you can tell, these types of disappointments are trivial compared to what Paul was going through or even what the typical adult goes through. But they are important because they play in role in determining the habits we set up from early on to handle disappointment. How a child learns to react to not getting the type of toy they want will have a lasting impact on how they handle later disappointments -perhaps related to work, health, or finances.

In our lesson today I’d like to look at a few simple tips to keep in mind when thinking about disappointment. These are not tips that magically make things better. Rather, they serve to keep us focused on what really can help us when we are let down – Jesus. For the moment, let’s recap Paul’s journey up to Acts 27. What we see here is a series of major disappointments.   

·       Paul was waiting to get to Rome to be held as a prisoner and most likely executed for his faith, all for nothing more than preaching the Word of God without shame.

·       Skirting along the Aegean coast.

·       Stopped at Crete and considered wintering (Paul’s advice)

·       Had to fasten the ship together with ropes

·       Tossed all the cargo overboard

·       No sun or stars for several days

·       After the 14^th day of struggle, they risked a minor mutiny. Some sailors attempted to steal a lifeboat and escape. In a desperate attempt to save them Paul had to notify the centurion.

The first tip: think of what is well-known and simple in life.

In verses 33-34 in Acts 27, Paul does something strange. In the midst of this horrific storm, from which few if any of the men thought they would survive, Paul tells them to stop working to save the ship and have something to eat. Imagine being told something similar in the middle of a life or death situation. Eating is a simple task we do every day. Yes, it is necessary for survival but not in the very moment.

What was Paul’s rationale? He explained saying, do this “since not a hair will fall from your head.” God has made His promise to Paul – that not one passenger from that ship would perish so long as they didn’t try to take matters in to their own hands. That’s why Paul told the sailors not to try to escape. That’s why he told the crew to sit down and eat. Paul’s message was: You’re safe in the big problems – take care of yourself in the little problems.

This seems like sound advice when you’re sitting in relative peace and comfort. But if any one of us were on that ship, wouldn’t we also fight as much as we could for survival? Certainly the most difficult thing would be to sit still and do the mundane, ordinary things that seem so unnecessary in the time of crisis. There’s a parallel to our lives even in our safest moments. You don’t have to face a life or death situation to go through this because life itself is a constant life or death situation – not always of our physical lives but of our spiritual lives.

Paul had peace because God had spoken on the matter and Paul believed God. The same is true of the war against our souls that rages beneath of the surface of what is seen on earth. When we get caught up in disappointment perhaps one reason is that we’re forgetting the simple things God has spoken about. We’re forgetting that He has taken care of the big problems, so that we can focus on the little problems. God gently reminds of this throughout His Word in so many places.

Romans 8:31-32 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 

Matthew 6:25-26 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 

John 14:1-2 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

Mary and Martha

If you’re struggling with disappointment, maybe your focus has been shifted away from the accomplishments God has achieved by His Son.

The second tip: Be honest about the scope of the disappointment

When we get disappointed, we tend to overestimate the importance of the situation and the effect it will have on our lives. Sometimes, we attribute this attitude only to little children or teenagers, who seem to rise and fall each day based on how their expectations are met. But the truth is that we all do this.

We could mention some of the same things as we did in part one to talk about re-shaping our view of the scope of disappointment. But, how does this play out practically in life? Let’s look at Paul. He shows an amazingly measured view of what was going on in his life. While we don’t know everything about Paul’s inner feelings or emotions in these last years of his life, the portrait we get in the Scriptures indicates someone who is stable in at peace with their situation in life. If someone would have grounds for feeling that everything was spinning out of control and losing all hope it would have to be Paul.

It’s more than just the story of the shipwreck that needs to be considered at this point. As crazy of a story as this was, it was just another bump along the road of Paul’s life. In fact, it was actually the third time he had been shipwrecked. When they did reach land on the island of Malta, Paul was bitten by a viper and the inhabitants wanted to worship him as a god. In this journey alone he had already been a prisoner for some time, awaiting more bondage in Rome. He knew this was probably an eventual march to his martyrdom. This idea about his death had to been a constant shadow over Paul throughout this whole process. It’s hard enough to be faced with disappointment after disappointment, but it’s another level of pain when it’s for a cause that is going to lead you to death.

What practical advice do we get from Paul? What we see is the fruit of a lifetime of study in God’s Word, trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, and constant prayer to God. Sometimes these fruits go unnoticed and underappreciated because we don’t get to see them in other peoples’ lives. And so, sometimes we then exaggerate the scope of our own disappointments, taking a defeatist attitude. But every moment in God’s Word and grace is a precious and powerful moment for strength of faith and renewal of divine optimism in Jesus. Don’t misuse your opportunities – like prayer, Bible studies, conversations with fellow members, and participation in the Lord’s Supper. These are the practical ways that God keeps your focus on Him.  [2 Timothy 4:6-8]

The third tip: Set your expectations according to God’s plan.

I’d say the number one reason we get disappointed is because our expectations aren’t met. It’s important to understand the difference between your expectations and God’s plan. Sometimes we think that the two are always aligned because we’re Christians. However, as sinners our expectations are often much different than God’s plan. It’s easy to attach “Christian” to something like a sticker, only to have it peel away in time. How often do we let God define what is part of His own plan? As weird as that sounds, it’s often the one thing we struggle to do the most. When we get disappointed in life, we can end up allowing that disappointment to spill into the way we look at God. (cycle develops)

We don’t know what Paul’s expectations were. Without a doubt, like all sinners, he had expectations that were misguided or fell short. Our hope here is not to fix that. Expectations are like air the air we breathe, no matter how hard we try we’ll never rid ourselves of them because they come naturally and we’ll always have them. Looking at this from the perspective of faith, there is a proper place for expectations in our lives, when they are dependent on God. We call this by a different name – hope. 

Hope is when we have reason to expect something from God based on faith. So our goal is not to rid ourselves of expectations, but rather build our hope in Jesus. If that’s what we do, then we will never be disappointed. But if we’re consumed by the expectations we set up for ourselves, or that we feel pressured to accept from others, we will be overcome by disappointment. It’s really a matter of what is most important in your life, or what occupies the most real estate in your heart. God or man?

So while we don’t know what Paul’s expectations were, we do know that God’s plan was most important to him. Whether is was a shipwreck or wretched days and nights in a storm, the impending knowledge of a painful execution, or the heartache of hearing the precious gospel message rejected, Paul was never overcome by disappointment because God’s plan and purpose was at the core of his faith.

To have this faith in Jesus makes you the strongest person you can be – ready and able to meet any challenge you face. But it also implicitly means that you are vulnerable and able to humbly submit to God and rely on Jesus for needed blessing – most of all the forgiveness of sins. Therein lies the challenge and the reason why we so often slip into disappointment. But with and through Jesus there is reason for hope.   

None of these tips will erase the reality of disappointment in your life but they can minimize its impact. These tips work this way not because of how well you follow them but because they help you shift your focus to Jesus and not yourself. Any tip that works like this in life is powerful in its effect.

"How to..." read your Bible - Colossians 3:16-17

* Live-stream our services at www.RedemptionCLC.com 

Theme: How to… read your Bible

You might be wondering how we could cover this topic in one sermon. There’s been so much written about how to read the Bible. This is one of the most often asked questions about Christianity. There are countless steps, procedures and techniques out there. Every Christian denomination has its own principles which govern how they use Scripture. Every Christian wrestles to some degree with what to make of the Bible. Questions that come up are:

·       What’s the context? Historical narrative, prophecy, parable, poetry, allegory, etc?

·       What’s the meta-narrative? This essentially means the over-arching theme.

·       What did it mean for the original readers vs. what does it mean for us?

·       What translation should I use?

·       What about all those scholars who have refuted the Bible or shown it to be nothing different than any other sacred book?

·       What can a pastor understand vs. what can I understand?

·       What about the other so-called apocryphal books – Gospel of Thomas or the Wisdom of Solomon? Who choose the books that are in the Bible?

·       What is relevant to my life today? With so many things (especially in the OT) talking about life for Israel, what applies or doesn’t apply to me?

These are all valid questions that deal with how to read the Bible and there’s a time and a place for them. But that’s not where I’m going to go today. There’s one very important concept that governs all use of Scripture, and that’s what we’ll focus on this morning. Ultimately, the best way to read your Bible is to do so with the intent to honor God. All of our questions, concerns, and thoughts about the Bible come back to honoring God when we ask one very basic question – “Did God really say?” The Bible is God’s book. His Word. That’s what the book itself says. That’s how Jesus treated it. That’s what our faith beckons us to believe.

Your answer to that question completely changes how you read the Bible, and consequently what profit it has in your life. This is why that’s the very question that Satan posed to Eve in the beginning. He knew that her view of God’s Word (even though she didn’t have a Bible) would impact how she honored God. The same truth is present in our lives. The best principle for reading the Bible is to stay focused on honoring God and to do that you need to trust that it’s truly His Word. This is where we come to in our text for today, from Colossians 3:16-17:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 

In our era, we’re told to straddle the fence of Biblical interpretation. Accept the parts of the Bible that speak of love but ignore the parts of the Bible that speak of judgment. Preach the gospel, not the law, at least the laws that 21^st century people disagree with.

It’s often what we discussed last weekend, culture, that leads us to deny verbal inspiration (define). However, there’s more at stake in this process than just one teaching of God’s Word. It’s ultimately about honoring God. Do we care about that today? It’s easy to answer “yes” but consider the ramifications of that when it comes to the Bible. It’s impossible to sit on the fence when it comes to God’s Word if you want to honor Him. It’s an all or nothing thing.

This doesn’t mean you have to have it all figured out – no one does. It also doesn’t mean you can’t question or challenge preconceived ideas about interpretation. Challenging something is one way to verify the truth and allow it to more clearly come out. What we mean by “all or nothing” is in terms of your approach to Scripture. Are all of your choices and activities centered on honoring God? Do you fully believe that He has delivered His perfect Word to you in the Bible? Do you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to the correct understanding or do you shoe-horn your own thoughts into the picture? These are all questions of approach and they are monumental pieces in how you treat the Word of God. There are only two options with approach– either it’s His Word or it’s yours. Once you start choosing what to believe and what not to believe, you have taken God’s place. The reality is that His Word speaks clearly and with authority. Our job is to listen, not to choose.

Are you an empathetic listener with God? Empathy is listening in order to learn. We often confuse that with sympathy, which is listening in order to act. Far too often we feel a need to sympathize with God – that is to understand in a way that helps us become equal partners with God. So many people twist or abuse Scripture because they want an active part in faith life with God. They want to know as He does and have a part in His power. Sympathy always makes the hearer feel better. Empathy is directed at the speaker first. God wants us to listen to understand, not to respond – at least not right away. When we focus only on responding immediately, or getting our two-cents in, we miss the point. That’s what happens when Christians shove teaching down peoples’ throats. It’s also what happens when non-Christians summarily dismiss portions of God’s Word that are not popular today. Both sides do this and it all strikes at honoring God.

If the Bible cannot be trusted in all that it says our faith is a lost cause and frankly, we’re wasting our time here. Yet, increasing atheism and even many modern Christians continually tell us that it’s nearly impossible to understand the simple words of God. You’ve heard this lie in various forms:

·       “That’s your interpretation, of which there are many”

·       “That’s what it meant back then, but not today”

·       “That applied to them, but not to me”

·       “Who’s to say what it means – we can’t know for sure.”

These sayings are all moral principles thrust upon Bible-following believers as a way to deny God’s moral principles (Sexual purity is one example). “Don’t judge me with the Bible because absolute truth does not exist.” “Don’t use your moral principles to tell me what’s right or wrong in my life.” Well, that very argument is invoking an absolute truth itself, and therefore is based on a logical fallacy.  

Anyone who reads their Bible with sincerity – no matter where you start – will quickly see the emphasis that God puts on holding His Word in high regard. Everywhere you look in Scripture God is talking about His Word and how important it is for you. You either have to take that as it reads and trust it– or give up on it. There is no in-between.

Many people have given up on the Bible because they’ve bought into the false idea that no one can understand it. They give up because they don’t want to trust someone else’s interpretation or opinion of things. They give up because of this daunting prospect yet it’s exactly what they fall into. There’s either God’s Word, or not. If God’s Word does not exist, as the Bible presents it in errorless truth, then we are all in the boat of opinion. At that point there is no basis for truth or morality – no ability to speak of what things “ought to be” or “should” be because the only foundation that exists is opinion. Essentially, if God is not faithful in His Word – everything is ruined and in chaos.

Consider this example: God’s Word like the sun. We’ve never handled it or touched the sun. We’ll never fully understand it in all its physical properties. It’s impossible for us to quantify and comprehend it in totality. You can’t take part of the sun and put it in a jar or under a microscope. You have to live with unknowns about the sun. Yet despite all of those unknowns – all of life rests on the sun’s existence and no one can deny it. Despite the unknowns we still know a lot and we can use that information in a positive way. The sun’s ability to provide in our lives and to exist is not validated by our understanding of it. Likewise, it’s not discredited by our lack of knowledge either. Whether or not we know or trust anything about the sun, it still exists and it still continues to work in all its ways. Same with the Word of God. (Jesus to Nicodemus) John 3:8 “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

In our Scripture reading for today we saw another account from Jesus’ life that was very much along the same lines. Many people had questions about Jesus. They were amazed at His teaching but they didn’t know where He got such authority. When the crowds questioned Jesus about this, He replied "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 "If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. (John 7:16-18)

Jesus explained to them that He was merely speaking for God. There was more to be sure – Jesus is God – but He simplified it for them in this context. In the way He viewed them – as just a man and nothing more – Jesus was God’s mouthpiece. He was not conjuring up His own doctrine. He was not going on a different path than God. And the greatest proof of these things was that Jesus’ main priority was glorifying God. Jesus didn’t give them a lesson on interpretation. He didn’t prove the Bible’s origin from God. He didn’t give them the top five principles for understanding Scripture. He simply said that He spoke for God in order to glorify God. Everything Jesus said about Himself here can apply to your life too.

You are not God. But you’ve been given the right and privilege to speak God’s Words. Sinners are redeemed and saved when you do this. Everything in faith falls eventually apart when you quit or give up. The first step down the path of unbelief is to give up seeking to honor God in all thing. When you are willing to do that – any is up for grabs – including your understanding of the Bible.

Many people assume that we tout the Word of God to a high degree because we like to have control over people. It’s believed that the sum and substance of the Bible is about the right laws and commands to follow and to keep people in line. Shame on us if we give that impression. The real reason we emphasize the purity and effectiveness of God’s Word to the degree we do is because it’s the vehicle through which the unconditional gospel flows. The Bible today is the closest we can get to directly conversing with God Himself. In fact, that’s exactly how He wants us to think of it each time we open the Scriptures. That’s why we use reliable Bible translations in our studies and in our services. It’s why we sing hymns that contain Scriptural truth, even if the music is out of style today. It’s why our worship is not structured to glorify ourselves or evoke emotions, but rather to express humility and respect for God. We want the word of Christ to dwell richly in all who come to our church – not as a law but because to know and believe the simple and clear gospel message in Christ. When that happens, sinners are saved, and God is honored.  

Knowing and understanding the Bible is not difficult for the one who seeks to honor God. That’s why Jesus said the greatest example of faith was a little child. Human scholarship and academia more often get in the way of God’s truth. As we close, consider these portions of Psalm 25 as a recap of our study. When you ponder, “How do I read my Bible?” remember that the greatest virtue is the desire to honor God above all else.   

Psalm 25:4 Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

Psalm 25:8 Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way. 9 The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.

Psalm 25:12 Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will show him the way he should choose.

Psalm 25:14 The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.

"How to..." positively affect culture - Acts 17:21

Theme: How to… positively affect culture

It's fitting that we talk about culture today, since this past week we celebrated Independence Day in our nation. When we think of culture, we often think first of something geographical – perhaps nationality or ethnicity. These are certainly aspects of culture, but there’s so much more. Culture is essentially anything that shapes a person and causes them to identify as they do. Sometimes culture is chosen, sometimes it’s not.

Cultures is like a lens through which you see the world. It has an impact on the meaning you attach to certain things and what you choose to stand for. In terms of our faith, it’s critical to understand that religion is a culture. Religion is obviously something that shapes the way people think about the world. Religion is one of the biggest aspects of culture to the human nature because it enters into the unknown.

Therefore, as we think about culture and its impact in our lives, we recognize that when we speak of our faith we will be speaking of a culture as well. But we must also understand that our faith is only as valuable as what it can do beyond its cultural impact. What I mean by that is that faith has to be about more than just how I see the world around me. It has to be more than just an influencer of what I choose to do in life or how I choose to treat others. Ultimately, if faith (religion) never becomes more than culture than I have no certainty in eternal or spiritual matters. 

Many people today believe that all religions are nothing more than products of an individual’s cultural identity. This is why we see increasing hostility toward Christian witnessing and evangelism, because it’s seen as an attack on another person’s cultural heritage. Christians are labeled as bigots and divisive when they insist that Jesus is the only way to salvation – or in other words, that Christianity is the only true and valuable religion. You see, when we lose sight of that one single point that there’s more to our faith than a cultural impact, we end up losing sight of the very meaning of our faith itself.  

Today, we seek to understand how to positively affect our culture. Instead of letting the world run rough-shod over our faith, how do we display Christ in all matters of life? Furthermore, instead of hastening after every popular notion and opinion of our times, how do we maintain integrity and truth in our faith? And on top of that all, how do we keep the love of the gospel in Christ center in our actions with others, so as not to become puffed up and conceited in the truth that God has given? These are all questions we must wrestle with when we diligently consider how to positively influence our culture by our faith. Let us take a look at a lesson from God’s Word that shows us His path: 

Acts 17:16-21 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, "What does this babbler wish to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities"-- because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean." 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. (ESV)

As Paul waited for Silas and Timothy in Athens he encountered a scene very similar to our nation. Athens was a melting pot of different cultures. We’re told that Paul reasoned with the Jews and other devout (meaning religious) people. He also conversed with the Epicureans and the Stoics. Along with these different cultures came not only a variety of ethnicities but a variety of different ways to seek the truth. Both the Stoics and the Epicureans both dated back to the 300s BC. Their founders both stood for the premise that personal human happiness was the highest level of enlightenment on earth – but they sought this goal in very different ways. The Stoics emphasized self-denial and service yet under the guise of self-fulfilling satisfaction. Essentially, you help others because it makes you feel good about yourself. The Epicureans were the opposite, they strove for happiness by self-indulgence. Their philosophy was to do whatever you want to make yourself feel better.  

In our age, many people would celebrate the great diversity of cultures that Paul encountered. He didn’t. Rather he mourned at the false hope and vain morality he witnessed. Paul was so moved that we’re told he was “provoked in his spirit” to preach Christ. But that would mean cutting to the heart of these cultures.

In Paul’s approach we see how believers can positively affect their culture. You preach Christ. You declare the truth of God’s love in His Son – through Christ’s death and resurrection, for all people. That sounds simple enough on the surface and it’s intended to be incredibly simple so that all can believe it. It’s something that we all know. But pay attention to the subtleties of Paul’s approach. First, we see that he doesn’t care what others think of him. This is one point that is do difficult to adopt into our thinking and practice. We know the typical shame that the world heaps upon the Christian who boldly proclaims his or her faith. No one enjoys being belittled or insulted. As we mentioned earlier, many people look at Christians as cultural snobs for sharing the love of the only Savior of the whole world with others. It’s hard not to shy away from the witness of Christ for these reasons. It’s much more attractive to blend in with the world, and their various religious identities, than to be looked at as an outsider. As far as we know, Paul was the only Christian present in these discussions, but he didn’t care about the shame of standing for Jesus.

Notice that the philosophies of the Stoics and the Epicureans endure to our present age. So much of our culture in the United States is about achieving what I want most of all. Follow your dreams. You do you. Don’t let anyone tell you no. Don’t listen to the haters. All of these mantras are directed at serving the self. Sure, there are many ways to do this, just as diversified in approach at the Stoics and Epicureans were. But it’s all centered on the self – the “me first,” “I” culture.

How does our culture align with Christ’s own words when He said, "`You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' (Mat 22:37 NKJ) "And the second is like it:`You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' (Mat 22:39 NKJ)

John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

“Seek first kingdom of God and His righteousness…” Matthew 6:33

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (Phi 2:3 NKJ)

If our faith is important to us – if Jesus Himself is important to us – we must recognize the conflict between His Word and the world’s. Equipped with the gospel in word and sacrament, there’s no need to fear what the world’s reaction may be. By faith, you are safe in Jesus’ death and resurrection in any circumstance, and that can change the “me first” attitude to one that looks out for the interests of others and of God. 

We also see that to positively affect culture you must care more about truth than opinion. Another thing about culture is that it changes. It fluctuates according to popularity and current style.

We’re told that the Greek philosophers sat around in their debate chamber and waited for something new to discuss. What they chose to focus on was shaped by trends, not truth. They were excited to hear what Paul spoke because it was new to them. By now, in our age, Christianity is old news. This is one of the negative effects of being a predominantly Christian nation for so long – it falls out of style.

We have examples of this in Scripture too. Look no further than God’s people in the OT, another Christian nation. We’re familiar with how Israel ebbed and flowed in and out of faith. Most of the time unbelief started by wanting something new. Consider Jeremiah’s words, when speaking to God’s people when they had heeded false teachers who gave them false hope, Jeremiah instructs: Jeremiah 6:16 Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said,`We will not walk in it.' (Jer 6:16 NKJ)

To positively affect your culture toward Christ, you need to be invested in truth, not opinion. Paul didn’t care about the fascination that the Greek philosophers had in his message. He wasn’t there to win a popularity contest. A few verses after these he would boldly call them to repentance. For Paul, the cultural impact was on unashamedly declaring the truth of Jesus Christ as Redeemer and Lord. It didn’t matter to whom he spoke. What Christ accomplished through His death and resurrection transcends culture. It’s that element of our faith that is above how we view the world around us. The love of Christ that is ultimately why preaching the Word of God is loving, even if it causes a person to change their culture. The Christian faith has flourished and spread across all the nations of the world in this very way, not by destroying culture but by transcending it, and it all starts with one individual who is willing to be invested in the truth and to speak the truth.

Paul was not ashamed. Paul wasn’t infatuated with flattery. But did he really accomplish anything?

An old man was doing his daily walk along the beach one morning, when he spotted a young boy crouched by the water, scooping something up from the sand and throwing it into the sea.

He noticed that the boy kept on shuffling a little further down the beach, then repeating this same action again and again – stopping, scooping, throwing, moving.

“What are you doing there, boy?” the old man asked, walking closer.

“I’m saving these starfish that are stranded” replied the boy, “if they stay on the beach they will dry out and die, so I’m putting them back into the ocean so they can live.”

The old man was silent for a few seconds.

“Young man” he said, “on this stretch of beach alone, there must be more than one hundred stranded starfish. Around the next corner, there must be at least one thousand more. This goes on for miles and miles and miles – I’ve done this walk every day for 10 years, and it’s always the same. There must be millions of stranded starfish! I hate to say it, but what you’re doing will never matter.”

As the boy tossed another starfish in the sea, he replied “well it mattered to that one”, and continued with his work.

Did Paul accomplish anything? Do we accomplish anything when we try to affect our culture? The philosophies of the Stoics and Epicureans flourish today.

What we’ve seen from God’s Word is that you can make a difference even if you don’t start a global movement. Changing culture to Christ starts with one person who cares about the truth and is willing to share the truth. That truth is that Jesus is Lord and Redeemer – victim on the cross out of love and victor through the grave in glory. That truth transcends culture and bestows eternal life. 

Theme: We don’t win people by becoming more like our culture. We win them by becoming more like Christ. It really doesn’t matter if you think the culture is good or bad, staying focused on Jesus is what matters. We need to be cautious about continually hastening after “something new”.

Preached at Redemption, 7/7/19

Ascension - 1 Peter 4:7-11

The Nature of our Service is About Loss and Love

1 Peter 4:7-11 Now the end of all things is near; therefore, be serious and disciplined for prayer. 8 Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10 Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God's words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead, He and a small band of His followers assembled in a small town outside of Jerusalem. Jesus would rise up to heaven, visibly, until He was out of their sight. And then He was gone. We appropriately refer to this event as Ascension, a date observed by Christians every year 40 days after Easter.

The first followers of Jesus finally experienced the very thing they feared most – losing Jesus. He was gone and since then He has not returned in bodily form to earth, at least not in a normal way as He had lived (Paul’s conversion). One wonders how the disciples reacted to this. Loss changes people in different ways. When loss involves a deeply cherished and respected individual, it can be a difficult time. Mental health experts say that loss can change people in their daily routines, in what they prioritize in life, in long-term goals, and even in a person’s faith. Sometimes, loss leads a person closer to God, to once again appreciate and use the blessings of faith which God shares through His Word. At other times, loss causes a person to push against God – to become bitter and angry, and to lose faith.

Good or bad, loss certainly changes a person. So, what about the disciples? They were so weak and feeble just a little over 40 days before. They all forsook Jesus to save their own necks. They worried and contemplated what to do, assuming He was gone as they huddled together in a locked room. It seemed then that loss had changed them for the worse. As they now stood gazing up to heaven, witnessing with their own eyes the departure of their Lord and Savior, we can hardly overestimate the gravity of the situation and how crucially important the coming days would be. 

Of course, you already know the answer. You wouldn’t be sitting here today if positive change had not come about through the loss of Jesus at Ascension. Truly, there wasn’t really a loss per se. Jesus wasn’t dead or defeated. He didn’t leave because enemies subdued Him. He departed in victory, according to His plan. And yet, we still know how dearly cherished Jesus was to the disciples. Even knowing that He was in heaven, it would still be tough to move forward without Him. Who wouldn’t have that struggle, having experienced the sublimity of working with God’s own Son in the flesh for three years?

The greater question is, how did the disciples do it? How did they move on so seamlessly, and build the Church of God on earth? How did they conquer an empire that deeply opposed their beliefs, that killed and imprisoned them, a global power that defied the rest of the world’s nations? How did Christ’s disciples eventually span the entire earth, reaching each continent with the gospel, and establishing Christianity as the major religion in the world? And perhaps most important, How do we continue that legacy today?

The answer is through service. Service to God, service to our fellow humans. And service done through loss and love. 

This portion of God’s Word before us today is not about the Ascension, but it does describe the nature of the service we offer in the name of our victorious Savior. And throughout Peter’s words we see how loss changes us.

The disciples became different men when they lost Jesus. You could say the training wheels were taken off. They were abundantly blessed to be with Jesus but they also needed to grow in their faith. Jesus indicated this when He said on the eve of His death, John 16:12 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. (Joh 16:12 NKJ)

The coming of the Holy Spirit, ten days after Christ’s Ascension, marked a turning point for the disciples. They were emboldened to stand for the gospel. They felt the responsibility of bearing the banner of salvation. Overall, as far as their personalities and characteristics were concerned, not much had changed. They were still common men, sinners in just as much need of the message they were preaching as their audience was. But now, when called by God to step up and serve, they delivered. The Holy Spirit sustained them in Christ’s absence, just as He promised to, and just as He continues to do today.

Through loss, they were changed for the better. Peter now describes some of those losses that apply to us. Overall, the message is that service involves giving up (losing) certain things for the benefit of others.

·       Instead of living for the moment, and for the cares and pleasures of the world, we train ourselves in discipline and sobriety.

·       Instead of operating by the qualities of our sinful nature, with quarrelling and self-pride leading the way, we serve without complaining – thinking more of the other person’s interests than our own.

·       We use our gifts and skills to help others, to build them, rather than looking for ways to separate ourselves.

·       And the most important loss of all involves confessing our sins before God and seeking to receive change than can only be given by Jesus. Yes, forsaking sin and temptation is a loss. Swallowing one’s pride and admitting fault takes sacrifice. But it’s change for the good.

Too many people try to live their lives without loss. Some are afraid of loss. What would it mean to be less popular? How can I be happy with fewer possessions? What will happen to my vision and dreams if I serve others? These are all thoughts generated by fear – fear of losing out on something. In other circumstances, spiritual blindness leads people to foolish priorities. They become consumed by sinful pride. Interactions with others are only done as a means to some other end. This too, is a path that seeks to avoid loss.

This insistence on keeping a certain level of comfort and attachment to the world, while saying that we follow Christ, can be extremely detrimental to our faith. It causes us to loosen our defenses and cut corners of guarding against temptation. It provides a faulty confession and witness to the world around us, so they get a warped picture of what it means to be a Christian.

God says we don’t have to dance around loss, but rather we can embrace it. Not in the sense of hastening after it, but in trusting that He changes us for the better when we experience it. The is what the disciples realized through the Ascension of Jesus. They lost something, but they gained a gift in the process and it led them the better service. When God deprives you of something, try to discern the blessing in disguise. When you come to confess your sins, actually bring something before the Lord. Talk to Him about what you’re repenting about. Don’t over generalize to the extent of falling between the cracks. Contemplate your life before God’s commandments with brutal honesty. Trust that when you bring something before Him, you will lose it in exchange for His mercy. When we lose the selfish, sin-ridden inhibitions of our fallen nature before Jesus, we understand better the second aspect of the nature of service, growing in love.

Loss is the catalyst for change, but it’s love that provides the power. Love is what gives meaning to loss. And so, God tells us, Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins. “Above all” refers to that which leads the way in your life [emblem]. If you think about your values and qualities as a line of things that describe you, what would be at the very front? What would be the thing you want people to see the most? God says that should be love – the kind of love that can cover a multitude of sins.        

God tells us a bit more about this love, too. First, it’s to be offered in a sincere and deep way. The word “intense” is used in our verses. This is a love that goes above and beyond. It’s a love that makes sacrifices and looks out for the interests of others. Secondly, this love upholds the Word of God. As we love by our words, it should be according to the God’s Word. As we love in our actions, they should honor and glorify Christ. And this love is the kind that instead of excusing sin, covers it with repentance and forgiveness.

The love of serving others by faith is rare. Jesus predicted this and explained why it’s rare saying, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24:12).” Love suffers when sin abounds. Jesus agreed with Peter when he wrote that love must uphold God’s Word. Without that connection, Christ is not honored, the gospel is not imparted to sinners, and service is not rendered to one another. We must love in truth, not in making concessions for every belief outside of God’s Word. The world’s love is cheap. That kind of love changes from person to person. It’s based on fleeting feelings and temporary experiences. God calls the believer to something deeper and more stable. Love that doesn’t change. Love that does not have its origin in this world but in the very nature of God. This is why true, unadulterated service to others is rare, because the love that fuels it is rare.

Whenever lawlessness abounds over love, someone is excluded. When Christians do this, it leads them to belittle others outside of the church. It causes Christians to despise those who are different, instead of caring for their needs. It leads Christians to become hypocritical and self-righteous – using their faith merely as a way to hold power over others. But lawlessness affects those outside the church, too. It causes them to denounce all other beliefs that do not align to their own, in the name of tolerance and justice. It leads them to use equality as a cloak to suppression of righteousness and control. It has all the signs of utopian bliss, but it cuts and excludes just as much as the most hateful, racist, and bigoted person. In both examples, Christian and non-Christian, when lawlessness abounds, love grows cold.

Christ alone offers love that embraces all – that brings change for the better, and that upholds true holiness. A love that serves. There will be loss – don’t mistake that for worldly division and prejudice. Loss doesn’t mean you’re doing things wrong, or that you’re not right in what you believe. God’s loss is directed first at the self. He wants you to see the need and experience that loss before you tell others about it. He desires that each person look honestly at their own heart and intention, because in so doing loss is revealed and then love changes. No one you talk to is going to be changed like that by you pointing the finger, or by you conceded God’s Word. You first experience loss and love in your life, and you share both with others. Loss of pride. Loss of distrust. Loss of self-reliance. Loss of sin. And in place of it all, love from Jesus. No one is excluded, especially God.   

It didn’t seem helpful or loving for Christ to depart the world and go to heaven. One wonders how the first disciples made it. Well, like them, we need to take that first step – stop gazing up and look forward. We see the same thing that they saw – serve God and one another. Along the way there will be loss and there will be love, and that’s the message we continue to share from God’s Word. With that as our source, we have every blessing from the Holy Spirit.  Amen.