The Hard Topic of Hell - Nov 7, 2010

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INTRODUCTION:

What I’m holding here is a reading schedule for the Sundays of the Church Year. For each Sunday it has a selected reading from Old Testament, a Psalm, a New Testament Letter reading and a reading from the life of Christ - a Gospel reading.

I usually don’t select what we’re going to read on a given Sunday. I rely on this structure that others have taken the time, study and effort to arrange. With a schedule like this, the idea is to expose us to 52 of the Bible’s most important teachings - every year.

On this schedule we’re almost to the end. There are three Sundays left in the Church Year: Last Judgment Sunday, Saints Triumphant Sunday and Christ the King Sunday.

Today is “Last Judgment Sunday”. One of the topics you can’t really get away from in connection with the Last Judgment is “Hell”. That’s what we’ll be talking about today.

SERMON:

Hell is one of those sticky subjects that we Christians like to avoid. We feel uncomfortable dealing with it. It’s a topic that is easily misunderstood. It’s a topic that is seen as unfairly judgmental.

Perhaps you’ve had a loved one come to you and say, maybe with tears in their eyes, “So you think I’m going to Hell?” Talking about Hell can be extremely difficult, uncomfortable and awkward.

David Brickner is the head of an organization called “Jews for Jesus”. This group is made up of Jewish born people who have come to believe that Jesus is the Savior promised in the Old Testament. On Larry King Live, Brickner took part in a debate with a Jewish Rabbi who doesn’t believe that Jesus is the Savior.

Brickner got put on the spot on the topic of hell. Here’s how it went down:

Larry King: Do you believe that Rabbi Boteach is going to heaven?

David Brickner: I believe that all of us are going to hell, but God is in the business of saving us, and that’s why He sent Jesus the Messiah.

Larry King: So you’re saved and he’s not.

Brickner: I’ve got my sins forgiven. I don’t know how Rabbi Boteach is having his sins forgiven. That’s between him and God, and I’m not the one who judges Rabbi Boteach.

Larry King: But you’re making a judgment here, you’re telling us that if he doesn’t accept Christ that he’s in trouble.

Brickner: Well, Jesus made that judgment and that’s the point. I believe that the teachings of the New Testament are clear, Jesus is the way to have our sins forgiven.

If you go on “You Tube”, you can watch the highlights of this conversation. It’s pretty intense. The ideas of judgment and Hell are not pleasant. They stir up our emotions. God Himself even says He doesn’t like it. In Ezekiel 33, verse 11 God says,

“…As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live…” (Ezekiel 33:11 NIV).

I think that Brickner answered well. He pointed out the truth that “Hell” isn’t an “I’m better than you” thing. All of us have sinned against God, over and over. We’re all headed to hell because of that fact. But God is in the business of saving us. That’s why Jesus was born, why He lived, why He died, and why the Father raised Him from the dead. His sacrifice was accepted, and through Him we are saved from the otherwise inescapable fate of Hell.
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The part of the Bible that we’re going to read as our sermon reading is from Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonian Christians. Right at the beginning of that letter Paul emphasizes the fact that God’s grace is the only thing that saves us from trundling off into an eternity of hell.

Our sermon reading is 2 Thessalonians 1, verses 5-10. Paul opens up this letter by writing in verse 1…

“1Paul, Silas and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:1-2 NIV).

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, “Grace” means “undeserved love”. We don’t escape Hell because of what’s inside us, we escape Hell because God loved sinners who didn’t deserve His love. He sent His Son to suffer Hell in our place thus rescuing us. This said, let’s read our sermon reading.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 (NIV)

5All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
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Do you really think that Hell exists? Isn’t the whole idea of Hell a little cruel and mean? I mean, a loving God would never consign people to an eternity of suffering, would He? These are some of the questions that Christians get asked about Hell.

One reason people find Hell a hard idea to accept is because our culture has colored and modified the concept of Hell to be something other than what the Bible describes.

Horror movies depict hell as a place where grotesque monsters torture people in horrific ways. Books like “Dante’s Inferno” describe Hell in detail, as having descending rings, or levels, where sinners are tortured in various dark ways depending on how wicker their lives were. This ISN’T the Bible’s description of Hell. The Bible certainly describes Hell as a horrible place where you don’t want to be, but it doesn’t describe it as an underground torture chamber run by wickedly cheerful demons happy to cause pain.

The Biblical concept of Hell circles around one major idea. Separation from God and all His goodness. Verse 9 of our reading expresses this when it says,

“9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:9 NIV).

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a series of parables which deal with the Final Judgment. At the close of these parables, the wicked are cast out into the “darkness”, where there is “weeping” and “gnashing of teeth”. The last of these parables ends with Jesus saying…

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:46 NIV).

In Mark 9, Jesus warns against taking sin lightly when He says,

“43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—44where
‘Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched’” (Mark 9:43-44 NIV).

Jesus pictures Hell as a place where the fire never stops burning, and the maggots never die. A place of perpetual rotting, decomposition and disintegration.

Now, some are quick to point out that these are metaphors. They’re picture language. Some would say that because the Bible uses metaphors to describe Hell, it must not be a real place. They might say, how can Hell be a place of utter darkness AND a place filled with fire? Or how can worms exist in a place that’s always burning?

But they miss the point of metaphors. Metaphors are language tools that help us to communicate. We might say, “The White House announced Friday that __________.” We don’t mean that there’s a building in Washington D.C. that has a mouth. We mean the administration of the President. Duh. Metaphors make communication simpler.

Metaphors become especially helpful when someone is talking about something outside of our own personal experience. Something we’ve never seen anything like. A real thing, but one that is beyond our comprehension.

The Bible doesn’t just use metaphors to describe Hell, it also uses them to describe Heaven. In Revelation 21, John sees a vision of heaven in which the streets were made of gold. Is God trying to communicate to use what type of paving material He prefers, or is this a metaphor meant to describe the unbelievable richness of Heaven? Heaven, the place where God dwells, is so unbelievably glorious that gold is as common as dirt. Something like this is what the image of golden streets is meant to express.

The metaphors that the Bible uses to describe Hell depict a reality beyond our greatest fears. An existence where there is no light. An existence where the worst kind of pain - is constant. A place where there is no relief, no healing. No escape from deterioration. A place where the overwhelming emotion is gnashing of teeth – rage, anger and sorrow.

Why? Why did God make this place? Why does it exist?

Jesus tells us in Matthew 25, verse 41.

“41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41 NIV).

Hell was not part of God’s original creation. That creation was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). There was no sin or evil in it. But in the beginning, God created a universe in which there was real freedom. It was perfect, but the highest creatures that God created, the angels and the humans, they were free. Perfect and sinless, but free. They could of their own choice step away from God. And when the angel named Satan did, and when other angels followed him into sin, Hell was prepared FOR THEM.

Look at our sermon reading again. 2 Thessalonians 1:5-6. It says that God is JUST. Justice means sin must be punished. The angels who chose to rebel against God, to oppose Him and separate themselves from Him, will find themselves separated from God in eternity. The same is true of human beings. By disobeying God, we rebel against Him. We choose to separate ourselves from God in life, and He will honor this choice in eternity. What a horrible thought.

God does not want this to be our fate. 1 Timothy 2:3-6 says,

“…God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself as a ransom for all…” (1 Timothy 2:3-6 NIV).

I said at the beginning of our meditation today that we’re all on the road to Hell because we’re all sinners. If God is just God, sin must be punished. Jesus knew this was the case. And God’s eternal Son stepped down from His throne and became one of us. He lived a sinless life, and prepared Himself to experience Hell in our place.

Jesus understood that if sinners were to be released from their fate, someone would have to pay the price for sin. Someone would have to suffer Hell in their place.

Less than twenty for hours before His crucifixion, Jesus went to garden outside of Jerusalem. Matthew 26, verse 36…

“36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:36-39 NIV).

It was not merely physical pain that brought deep sorrow and trouble into the heart of Jesus. It was the reality of the Hell that He was just hours from facing. But there was no other way to prevent sinners from their fate but this. So, He went to the cross. And when darkness covered the land from 12-3 on that Friday afternoon, Jesus knew Hell in a way that we cannot understand. Mark 15:34…

“34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34 NIV).

But those weren’t His final words. Before He gave His spirit into the hands of the Father, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Our Hell became His. His suffering for us is finished. His righteousness in now His gift, to us. It comes to us by simple trust in who He is, and what He has done for us.

Last week we read from the book of Romans for our sermon meditation. I’d like to read those words again today.

Romans 3:21-26 (NIV)

21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
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Prayer: Father, sometimes we lose sight of how serious sin is. We’ve all grown up in world that winks at sin. Some of us have grown up in a church that proclaims our sin is completely forgiven because of Christ. We haven’t lived under the fear of Hell. Help us to comprehend the horrible truth of Hell. That it is our destiny, apart from Jesus. You stepped in and rescued us, Lord, it was not our doing, but yours. Help us not soften the reality of Hell as we interact with people who don’t know your grace. Help us instead to speak the truth of sin and Hell in an appropriate way. Help us also to have the opportunity joyfully follow that truth with the message of Christ, who freed us from that destiny. Amen.

The Peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

God's Gift of Righteousness - Oct 31, 2010

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Introduction:

What are we commemorating on Reformation Day?

A man? Martin Luther? Certainly not.

Luther himself didn’t seek to trumpet his own name, only the truths found in the Bible. He was even against anyone calling themselves “Lutheran”. He thought the followers of Christ ought to be called by Christ’s name, not his.

So then what ARE we commemorating? A split into two separate churches, the Roman Catholic and the Lutheran? Certainly not this either.

Though division is sometimes necessary and right, the split itself is never something to rejoice about.

On Reformation Day we commemorate and celebrate a restoration. We celebrate a rediscovery and a cherishing of the Bible’s most important teaching: salvation for sinners, by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.
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The two most important teachings found in the Bible are: law and gospel.

Through the law, God tells us what we ought to be, and how we have failed miserably. The law shows us that we have sinned against God and deserve nothing but punishment.

Through the gospel, God tells us we He has done to reclaim us from sin. The gospel shows us that God’s Son suffered and died in our place so that our sins stand forgiven.

Look for the gospel in our readings for today.
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Sermon:

Grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We read from Romans 3, verse 19 and following.

Romans 3:19-20 (NIV)

19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
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Have you ever had a broken bone? Even if you haven’t, you know the drill. You hit your arm on something hard - and there’s pain. This isn’t just a bruise, even a deep bruise, you can tell that something else is wrong here. You think it’s broken. But you can’t be sure it’s broken until you get an x-ray.

So you go to the doctor and she takes some x-rays. Now you can see what’s causing all the pain. It’s not just a fracture, it’s clearly broken.

Now comes the fun part. Resetting the break so that it can heal properly. If the bones aren’t set right, they’ll grow together wrong. Then you might have pain, or limited use of your arm - for the rest of your life.

So, the doctor sends you back to the x-ray technician. She says, “Three x-rays daily for the next month or so, and those bones will set up perfect.”

You say, “Huh? Aren’t you going to move the bones into the right place and then put a cast on this?”

“Oh, no,” your doctor says, “X-rays will stitch those bones back together in no time”.

At this point you’re thinking, “I’m gonna need a second opinion on this”.

Obviously, x-rays don’t heal bones. They don’t move bones. They don’t ease pain. X-rays are only for diagnosis, not for healing. In fact, if you blast yourself with x-rays long enough, you’ll die from it.

That’s how God’s law works. When we use the Ten Commandments, or the other laws found in God’s book, we can see where the pain comes from. We can see what’s wrong inside of us. It’s called sin. The breaking of God’s law.

Now here’s the problem; many religious teachers are great at using the law to show people that they’re broken. But then they send them away with more things to do and laws to keep in order to heal them. And that just doesn’t work.

The law can’t heal, it only reveals.

Romans 3:20 is my favorite passage in the Bible about the law. It condenses the purpose of God’s law into one short little statement:

“20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin” (Romans 3:20 NIV).

“Observing the law”, in the Greek, is literally “by works of the law”. In other words, sinners CAN NOT get God’s stamp of approval by doing what God’s law says. It’ll never happen because even if we get it right half the time, the rest of the time we DON’T. And God sets the bar as high as He is. Only the holy can be with Him. Only the sinless.
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The 21 year old Martin Luther was terrified of God. He had been taught that God expected him to make up for his sins. But even as he was trying to do this, Martin knew his own heart. He knew that he hated God for this requirement of holiness. How could his works EVER be pure enough to make up for his own sins?

Young Martin became a monk and dedicated his life to God. In the monastery he punished himself severely for his own sins. But in these things he found no peace. His sin still weighed heavily on him, and each day he added to that weight with more sin and guilt.

Eventually, Luther got to study the Bible for himself. There he found the healing which the law could never give. He found it in passage like our next section from Romans 3.

Romans 3:21-24 (NIV)

21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
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Our natural inclination is to think that we have to DO SOMETHING in order for God to be happy with us. We think, if I’m a sinner, that means I’ve got to do something to make God overlook that fact.

But God wants us to know that this is stupid. Our righteousness can’t come from inside. Jesus once said,

“19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19).

Is that where our righteousness is gonna come from?

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah described how God sees our ‘righteous acts’ when he wrote…

“all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;” (Isaiah 64:6 NIV).

Our righteousness can’t come from inside. If our righteousness is to 100% pure, it has to come from God.

Look at verse 21 again and answer this question: Is our righteousness from us or from God? Is our righteousness because of our doing works of the law?

It gets better. In verse 24, Paul says that we are “justified freely by [God’s] grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus”.

Our justification is free, because Jesus paid for it on the cross. Someone did have to pay for our sins, but it wasn’t use. We weren’t qualified or able. Jesus did it for us.
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But it can’t be that easy right? There’s gotta be something God wants us to do right? That’s what people always think.

Peter preached in Jerusalem on the first Pentecost, and when he stopped telling the people about how Jesus died on the cross, the people asked,blockquote>“Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37 NIV).When Paul stopped the jail keeper of Philippi from committing suicide, the man turned to him and asked,“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30 NIV)But the Gospel isn’t about what WE can do, it’s about what GOD has done for us in Christ. That’s where our righteousness comes from.

Look one more time at verses 21-24. It’s like the Holy Spirit KNOWS that we’re gonna somehow try to put redemption on our own to-do list. So He describes where our righteousness comes from thoroughly. Verse 21: It’s from God. It’s apart from the law. Verse 22: It’s through faith, not deeds. It’s freely given. Verse 24: It’s a graciously given gift. It comes to us because of Jesus Christ.

It was the denial of this central teaching that eventually drove Martin Luther to part ways with the Roman Catholic church. The official Catholic teaching concerning forgivness was put on paper around the same time that Martin Luther died. At the council of Trent, in the fourth session the following statement became official teaching…

“If any one should say that justifying faith is nothing else than trust in the divine compassion which forgives sins for Christ’s sake, or that we are justified alone by such trust, let him be accursed” (Council of Trent, Sess. IV, Can. 12).

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Let’s hear Paul’s final words about justification from our section.

Romans 3:25-28 (NIV)

25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
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In the Old Testament, God overlooked the sins of those who trusted in Him because He knew that His Son would one day pay the price for them in full.

Today, God remains just as patient. He does not strike people dead when we sin, but leads them to the foot of the cross to see their Savior, and to receive the gift of forgiveness that He earned for them through faith.

On this Reformation Day, we can’t boast. Everything we have has been given to us by God. From our possessions, to our friends, to our families, to the complete freedom from sin and punishment that we have in Christ, to our relationship with God. It’s all a GIFT, and you can’t brag about something you had no part in earning.
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Luther loved the book of Romans. Speaking about this book He once said…

“This epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament, and is truly the purest gospel. It is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but also that he should occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. We can never read it or ponder over it too much; for the more we deal with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes” (Luther’s Works 35:365).

May God continue to be merciful to us, so that we will forever treasure the book of Romans, and the precious Gospel that permeates it. May we ever confess with Paul that we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Our righteousness is not our own, it is the gift of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

All glory be to God.

Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Preach the Gospel - Oct 24, 2010

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Sermon:

Our sermon reading for today comes from the second letter that the apostle Paul wrote to the young pastor Timothy.

Timothy was a young man from the city of Lystra. His mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois raised him to know the God the Bible. When the apostle Paul passed through Lystra on one of his missionary journeys, Timothy heard Paul’s message about Jesus, and came believe that Jesus really was the Savior from sin that the Old Testament had promised.

When Paul came through Lystra a second time, he asked Timothy to join his missionary team. Timothy did.

Timothy was much more than one of Paul’s sidekicks. He became a dear friend and valued colleague. If you look at the beginning of some of Paul’s letters you’ll find Timothy’s name. For example, Philippians 1, verse 1 reads…

“1Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi,” (Philippians 1:1a NIV).

Paul wrote 13 of the books in the New Testament. Of these thirteen letters that he wrote to congregations or individuals, Timothy helped write 6 of them. Of the remaining 7 letters, two were personal letters that Paul wrote specifically to Timothy.

Not only was Timothy a great help to Paul in writing to congregations, he also served as Paul’s messenger and emissary. When the Corinthian church needed guidance and Paul couldn’t go to them, he sent Timothy in his place. When Paul was awaiting trial in Rome and couldn’t visit the Christians in Philippi, he sent Timothy.

In his letter to the Philippian congregation, Paul briefly sketches part of Timothy’s character for us. Philippians 2, verse 19 reads…

“19I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel” (Philippians 2:19-22 NIV).

When the letter we call “Second Timothy” was written, Timothy was serving the Christians of Ephesus. Paul however, was in a very different situation. When Paul penned this second letter to Timothy, he was in a Roman prison for the second time.

The first time Paul was imprisoned at Rome it was a rather easy stay. He got to live in his own rented home, and was merely under guard while he awaited trial before Caesar.

The second time, Paul was imprisoned took place during the reign of the notoriously crazy emperor Nero. There was no comfortable rented home this time. This time Paul was in actual chains like a common criminal. We’re told that it was difficult for Paul’s friends to even find his cell. Sadly, at this trying time for Paul, he was abandoned by nearly everyone. Only Luke remained at Paul’s side.

Paul would not escape this imprisonment. It would end with the apostle being beheaded. Paul’s second letter to Timothy is the last letter that we have from his hand.

Paul sensed that his earthly life and ministry was coming to close. And so, in a way, Second Timothy is Paul’s last will and testament.

Paul had no earthly wealth to pass on to Timothy, no property in Tarsus that Timothy might inherit. Instead, Paul gives Timothy a charge. A command. One last assignment to fulfill. Paul charges Timothy to take his single most valuable possession, and give it to the world. Paul says, Timothy, Preach the Word. We read from…

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 (NIV)

14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
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Note the first thing that Paul does in this section is encourage Timothy in his own faith. There’s a reason for that. The Scriptures first create a Christian, then, and only after that takes place can the Scriptures create a Christian life. In verse 15 Paul says,

“…from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15b NIV).

Only after that does Paul talk about all the other things Scripture is valuable for: teaching, rebuking, correcting, training in righteousness.

First comes faith in the Savior, then comes the life of faith.

I know this is a simple concept, but it’s important because so often Christians get their “Christian life” ahead of their faith in Christ. We think that somehow our fight against our own sins must reach a certain level before God will really be happy with us. Before we can be sure He really loves us. Before heaven’s gates are really opened to us. But this kind of thinking is just plain wrong.

Galatians 2:15-16 says…

“We… …know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:15-16 NIV).

Turn to 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17. There Paul talks about what faith in Christ means. He says…

“17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21 NIV).

Paul boils it down in Romans 8, verse 1. There he just says…

“1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 8:1 NIV).

Scripture first frees the sinner by giving the gift of full forgiveness through Christ, THEN Scripture nourishes and grows the saint.

This is why as a church we come back the gift of forgiveness that Christ earned for us on the cross, over and over. We can’t get enough of that message because that message is where our inner life comes from. Everything else that is “Christian” must branch out from there.
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When a person comes to faith in Jesus it’s like a seed has been planted and springs up. But it’s not done yet. It still has purpose. Now it will grow up and thicken and produce flowers, or corn or grain or whatever fruit it has to produce.

Or think about it with a different metaphor. A person who comes to faith is like an old condemned house that has been bought before demolition day. Someone came along and forked out the cash and bought the whole property. But that someone isn’t going to tear the house down. This house has been bought for a purpose. It needs to be remodeled.

Look at verse 16 again.

“16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV).

Rebuking is tearing down the old faded walls. Correcting is replacing them with new ones. Training in righteousness is upgrading that house so that it is more functional and useful than it ever was. Now it’s ready for it’s purpose.

Through the message that our sins have been taken away by Christ, God frees the sinner, and begins to grow the saint. God buys the house, and begins makes it useful for his purpose.

Remember this metaphor. You’ve been bought by the King. Your house may still be as ugly as sin, but you’ve been bought by the King. He buys ugly houses. He buys them to save them from demolition.

First the Christian, then the Christian life.
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Let’s hear what else Paul has to say to Timothy.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NIV)

4:1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
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Let’s reset a bit here. Paul is writing to his young friend, pastor Timothy. They’ve been through a lot together. Wrote six letters. Travelled all over the place on missionary journeys. They’ve seen mobs of angry opposition and persecution. But they’ve also seen hearts turn to Christ in faith. They’ve seen hope spring up where before there was none. Paul is comfortable with Timothy, and Timothy with Paul. And so Paul’s encouragement to Timothy to do his work as a pastor has a bit of an edge to it.

He says, Listen Timothy, you and I both need to remember why this thing is so important. This message we’re announcing to the world is SO crucially important because, regardless of what anyone says or believes, one day God’s Son WILL appear. One day Christ Jesus WILL judge the living and the dead. Everyone WILL stand before Him. One day the Kingdom of the Son will arrive in all its fullness. This is why you gotta PREACH THE WORD. Without the message of sin and grace, countless people will be lost forever.

Paul says that a big part of Timothy’s job as pastor is correction and rebuke. Look again at verse 2.

“2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2 NIV).

In the Greek the word translated “correct” carries the idea of “convicting” someone. Pointing out their sin. Showing them their guilt.

The Greek word for “rebuke” carries the idea of speaking out to stop some action from continuing. Pointing out sin and warning of the consequences of continuing in it.

There’s an idea floating around in Christian circles that out of love we should let all ideas stand unless they directly attack the Gospel of forgiveness. But, Paul tells Timothy that any teaching that doesn’t match with God’s Word needs to be corrected. Any lifestyle that conflicts with God’s pattern for us needs to be rebuked.

This idea of overlooking things “out of love” was a big problem in the Corinthian congregation. In Corinth there was a man who was sleeping with his step-mother. Yeah, with his father’s wife, and the Corinthian congregation thought it was admirable that they weren’t confronting the man about it. Turn to 1 Corinthians 5, verse 1.

“1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?” (1 Corinthians 5:1-2 NIV).

It wasn’t that this sin was somehow “worse” than others. The problem was what that this sin wasn’t something done and repented of. It was an on-going sin that said, I’m not really sorry about this. I’d rather walk in this way, than walk with Christ.

Preaching the word isn’t ONLY talking the talk, it’s also walking the walk. Just like Timothy, we need to be ready at all times to convict people of their sin, and speak up to each other in measured, patient, careful love. And when repentance is shown, we need to pull that person into our embrace and assure them that through Christ God has forgotten their sin. It’s forgiven.

Paul tells Timothy, you gotta do preach the Word NOW. You gotta correct and rebuke NOW, while you still can. Look again at verse 3.

“3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4 NIV).

The tools we have to effect those around us, in our own fellowship and beyond, are our own words and actions. When people no longer care to hear what we’re saying, our door of opportunity has closed. We gotta use the time we still have with people open their eyes to their sin and direct them to Christ for cleansing.

Paul finishes by saying to Timothy,

“5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5 NIV).

Dear Christians, these words were written to Timothy, but they also apply to us and all people who value Jesus as Savior. We’ve been plucked out of the sea and placed in a raft. By faith in Christ we stand forgiven and poised on inheriting eternal life. But we’re not done yet. We’ve got a job to do just like Timothy. There are still others in the waters that we need to claim for the King.

That’s our service. That’s our purpose.

By the way, the Word “preach” in “preach the Word”? In the Greek it just means announce. It doesn’t mean you need a pulpit, just a voice.

Preach the Word.

Free the sinner, grow the saint. Jesus will judge all in the end, and establish His eternal Kingdom before our very eyes. Let’s use the time while the opportunity remains.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for taking our sins on your own back. Thank you for suffering our hell, and cleansing us from all guilt. Help us to clearly see the value of this gift you’ve given. Move us to dedicate our lives to announcing your Word, both Law and Gospel, to the people we know and love. Give us patience. Give us wisdom. Give us endurance. Guide us by your Holy Spirit, and by your power, give us success. Amen.

And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Your Enemy is Legion; Your Ally is One - Oct 17, 2010

This Sunday’s sermon was written by Pastor Mike Roehl and provided through “Ministry by Mail”. To read it online go to “Ministry by Mail” by clicking here.

To LISTEN to the sermon online click here. To DOWNLOAD an MP3 of this message, first right click here then choose "save link as" or "save target as".

Await the LORD's Help - Oct 10, 2010

Audio will be available again soon. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Sermon:

INTRODUCTION:

Lieutenant General Lewis B. Puller, also known as “Chesty” Puller, is the most decorated Marine in United States history. He is the only Marine ever to be awarded five Navy crosses. The Navy cross is the highest award you can get in the Marines, and the second highest medal awarded for bravery in combat.

They called him “Chesty” because he was absolutely fearlessness and devoted to fulfilling his duty, come what may. Puller is quoted as once commenting,

“We’ve been looking for the enemy for some time now. We’ve finally found him. We’re surrounded. That simplifies our problem of getting to these people and killing them.” –Chesty Puller

Our Scripture reading for today is a Psalm that was written by King David. David was a man who, like Puller, was very familiar with war and death. And like Puller, David was also fearless, devoted and confident. I’m not sure where Puller’s confidence came from, but I know that David’s confidence came from his trust in the LORD.

Our theme for today is...

“We Await the LORD’s Help”
1. With No Fear
2. With Joyful Praise
3. For He is Absolutely Trustworthy
4. In This Life and Beyond

Psalm 27 (NIV)

OF DAVID.

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
4 One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.
13 I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.
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It wasn’t scary as I fished the Big Carp river in the daylight. But as the night descended on me, fear descended on me too. I was a teenager, fishing off on my own while my family was back at the cabins.

As always, it was one more cast, one more cast. And before long I was scrambling up the steep bank in the gloom of twilight. Out far too late for comfort. When I got up to the top of the ridge and found the trail that led back to the cabin, things only got worse.

The river was in the open, where some light still fell from the setting sun. But the ridge above the stream, there the trees suffocated all remaining light. Of course I didn’t have a lantern. Or a flashlight. The trail was clear enough, but I would have to walk it in the darkness.

As I did, my mind filled the darkness just beyond the distant trees with all sorts of unknown terrors. It’s silly to think of it in the daylight, here with all of you, now an adult. But then and there I was terrified.

Maybe you’ve had a similar experience in the darkness. Where the unknown seems to wait and watch. Maybe your fears aren’t of the dark, but of the unknown that is the future.

What about that foolish thing you said? What about this disease you have? What about these bills? What about that thing you done? What’s gonna happen?

One follower of God to another, David says to us, The LORD is your light and your salvation – what are you afraid of?

The God of the Bible, whom we worship, knows what lies in the darkness. He knows what lies in our future. He knows the troubles we face today and what we will face tomorrow. When we look to Him for guidance, the light of the Bible blazes to illuminate the way.

In the darkness of troubles we need to remember that we have a lantern. When we’re sinking down, we need to look up like Peter did in the sea of Galilee and call out for help saying, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30 NIV).

David says, “The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1b NIV). And in another Psalm it says,

“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them” (Psalm 34:7 NIV).

To be confident in the middle of the worst of times, we must learn to visualize what is the truth – that the LORD is our stronghold. He is the Castle that surrounds us at all times. If we can see this in our minds, believe it, then we can learn to face our fears, with no fear. We can learn to face our fears with the confidence of a young David, running swiftly to meet Goliath, with his sling in his hand and his trust in the LORD.
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As David waited for the LORD to help him, he did so with joy and while praising the LORD. Verse 4...

“4 One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD” (Psalm 27:4-6 NIV).
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If you had one wish from a genie in a bottle, what would you wish for?

David would wish to remain in God’s house for the rest of his life. Throughout his life, David had known the LORD and had trusted in Him. And the LORD had blessed David.

David was just a shepherd boy, the youngest of eight brothers. But God chose him to be king of all Israel.

When David faced Goliath, God gave him a miraculous victory.

When Saul, the present king of Israel tried to hunt David down to kill him, God continually helped David escape his grasp.

And David didn’t just know the LORD’s protection, he also knew the LORD’s great compassion and forgiveness.

When David took another man’s wife and deceitfully had her husband murdered, God was not pleased. But he sent the prophet Nathan to turn David away from his own destructive lust.

When Nathan pointed out David’s sins, David was utterly convicted in his heart and said,

“I have sinned against the LORD” (2 Samuel 12:13a NIV).

And Nathan assured him,

“The LORD has taken away your sin” (2 Samuel 12:13b NIV).

David wanted to remain in the house of the LORD because there he would be safe from all enemies, including his own sinful self. In the house of the LORD David was safe from God’s wrath under the shelter of His forgiveness. In the house of the LORD David was secure on the high rock of God’s future Messiah.

We stand on that same Rock. Though sinners every day, we are forgiven because Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, suffered and died for our sins too. And each time we confess our sins to God, He meets us with the same reassurance, I have taken away your sin. I have laid them all on my Son. You stand forgiven.

This is why we happily praise the LORD. This is why we sing and make music to God, in our hearts, with our lives, and here in church with our instruments and voices.
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In verse 7 David turns from speaking to us, and speaks to the LORD in prayer. He says...

“7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence” (Psalm 27:7-12 NIV).
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David was confident that, come what may, he would be received by the LORD. Even if his closest friends and loved ones deserted him, the LORD would not.

We can have the same confidence. We can be sure that the LORD will not abandon us. He will lead us to repent of our sins and will bring us back into His forgiveness and bless us, because of what happened to God’s Son.

On the cross Jesus cried out,

“...My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34b).

He was rejected by God. God’s own Son was forsaken and left alone on the cross to suffer the cosmic punishment for all mankind’s sins – so that God could smile on all who turn to Him. We’re forgiven, because He was forsaken.

David closes this Psalm by inviting us to share His confidence in the LORD. In verse 13-14 David says...

“13 I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:13-14 NIV).

OUTRO

When surrounded by hostile enemies, the Marine Chesty Puller was not afraid. Instead, he saw the closeness of his enemies as his own advantage.

When surrounded by our own set of troubles, we can have the same the confidence because of Christ. We can say to ourselves, “I’m surrounded by troubles and can’t see a way through them. This aught to give me a front row seat to view my LORD’s saving hand in action.”

So, let’s wait for the LORD. With no fear. While praising Him with great joy. Because He is more faithful than anyone else who loves us, and will bless us throughout this life, and beyond.

Be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Amen.

And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

The Gift Abused, God Removes - Oct 3, 2010

Due to the church laptop being stolen, no audio is available this week. Sorry!

SERVICE INTRODUCTION:

“...in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes” (Benjamin Franklin).

This quote is commonly attributed to Ben Franklin. It’s a bit pessimistic. But, today’s Bible readings express a similar point. They tell us that we should not put our trust in governments, economies or wealth. Governments fall. Economies fail. Money runs out.

Instead the Bible tells us to trust in Jehovah God. HE ALONE lives forever, reigns over all and has the ability to bless us BEYOND the grave.

SERMON:

The public High School I attended offered a class in woodworking. We just called it “shop class”. The shop room was equipped with all sorts of great tools for shaping and joining wood together. There was a planer, a jointer, a table saw, a band saw. There was a big cabinet full of hand tools and there were bins that held sanders, nail guns and all sorts of other power tools.

Our shop teacher knew better than to trust high school boys to be responsible with such weapons of mass destruction. So, he very rarely left the shop room. But every once in a while, he had to step out. And that’s usually when it happened. By “IT” I mean some kind of abuse of the power tools. Sometimes it was a belt sander race, or firing a few nails into the ceiling tiles with one of then pneumatic nail guns.

I think you can imagine what happened when we got caught doing something stupid like this. There was speech delivered about how it was a PRIVILEGE to use these tools. The offenders were sent to the principal’s office, and the tools being misused were taken away.

This was a fitting response. I mean really, they didn’t give us these expensive tools so that we could PLAY with them. We were supposed to be learning how to make things. How to take rough lumber and turn it into a table, or a chair, or a cabinet.
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In our sermon reading for today, we’re going to hear about some very privileged people in Israel’s history. They were the high officials who ran the government during a time when Israel’s economy was booming. But they abused their position of privilege and responsibility. God responded by taking back the authority He had given. The theme for today’s message is...

The Gift Abused, God Removes.
1. God Gives with a Purpose
2. His Patience Has a Limit

Amos 6:1-7 (NIV) (This is God speaking...)

1 Woe to you who are complacent in Zion,
and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria,
you notable men of the foremost nation,
to whom the people of Israel come!
2 Go to Calneh and look at it;
go from there to great Hamath,
and then go down to Gath in Philistia.
Are they better off than your two kingdoms?
Is their land larger than yours?
3 You put off the evil day
and bring near a reign of terror.
4 You lie on beds inlaid with ivory
and lounge on your couches.
You dine on choice lambs
and fattened calves.
5 You strum away on your harps like David
and improvise on musical instruments.
6 You drink wine by the bowlful
and use the finest lotions,
but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
7 Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile;
your feasting and lounging will end.
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At this time in Israel’s history, the nation was split into two different Kingdoms: the Northern Kingdom was called “Israel”, and the Southern Kingdom, “Judah”. The capital of the Southern Kingdom was Jerusalem, which was built on Mt. Zion. The capital of the Northern Kingdom was built on Mt. Samaria. When God spoke these words through Amos, He was addressing the rulers of both Kingdoms.

These rulers were very blessed. They were the most powerful and important people in the nation! The people of Israel came to them for answers and for protection. They had a reputation of greatness, because God had placed them in power.
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Not only were these men the most important people in the nation, these two Kingdoms were the greatest in the neighborhood.

In verse 2 God tells these rulers...

“2 Go to Calneh and look at it;
go from there to great Hamath,
and then go down to Gath in Philistia.
Are they better off than your two kingdoms?
Is their land larger than yours?” (Amos 6:2 NIV).

The answer was “NO”. The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah were bigger and better off than any of these. These rulers that God was addressing were the “top dogs” of the two most best nations around.
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But, their response to God’s tremendous gifts to them was complacency. They were happy to sit back and relax. They were not interested in getting up and doing anything, unless it involved getting another bowl of wine. The economy was doing well. The income of the average Israelite was up. Never mind that the people were worshipping idols instead of the true God. What did that matter?

Idol worship was especially rampant in the Northern Kingdom. In verse 6, God calls the Northern Kingdom “Joseph”. He says, “you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph”. You see, the tribal land of Joseph’s two sons made up the majority of the Northern Kingdom’s land mass.

God tells us that the rulers of BOTH kingdoms were sitting back and taking it easy even though the Northern Kingdom was being devastated by idol worship.
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These men could have made a difference. They could have instituted reforms that would have encouraged their citizens to return to God. God didn’t give them power and money so they could play with it.

God gives with a purpose. They should have been moved to great sadness over the unbelief around them. They should have done something about it. Instead, they looked at how good they had it and said, “Awesome, let the good times roll!”
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Look at verse 3.

“3 You put off the evil day
and bring near a reign of terror” (Amos 6:3 NIV).

The English here is a little confusing. What it means is, they couldn’t see any reason that their good situation might change. And since there was nobody in sight who could stop them, they ruled with their own interests in mind.

Verses 4-6 tell us what they were did. They got plenty of rest on their designer furniture. They ate only the best. They tinkered around on their instruments and made up songs. They drank lots of wine and pampered themselves with the most expensive lotions.

In verse 7 God informs them that His patience has a limit. They’ve had their chance to be proper rulers. Soon, it’s all gonna be over.

“...you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end” (Amos 6:6b-7 NIV).

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So, what are YOU and I supposed take away from all this? First of all, this warning was spoken by God, through Amos specifically to the rulers of Israel and Judah because of their abuse of power. It wasn’t written to you and me.

But, can we learn from it? You bet. It might not have been written TO us, but it certainly was written FOR us. Our response to God’s blessings should never be complacency. Our response should never be: Oh, great, now I can take it easy and live for myself.

Our response to God’s blessings should be: Lord, what do you want me to do? Lord, what’s the right way to use this talent or gift?
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You see, the greater the gift is, the greater the chance of complacency. Remember the parable that Jesus told about the farmer who was blessed with a huge crop? Luke 12, verse 16...

“...The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21“This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16b-21 NIV).

The greater the gift, the greater the chance we’ll waste that gift. Spending it all on ourselves.

This happens with God’s greatest gift also. With the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel tells us that though we are sinners who don’t deserve God’s love, He has loved us anyway. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to sacrifice Himself in our place. On the cross Jesus took His sinless life and offered it in our place. He suffered for us, so we stand cleansed. Forgiven of every sin, and worthy of living with God for eternity! What a gift!

And yet our response CAN BE, “Great, now I can take it easy and LIVE FOR MYSELF.” The free gift of sins forgiven through Jesus Christ wasn’t given to us so that we can play in this life. We are given peace with God and freedom from condemnation so that we can fully enjoy life, living it to God. To His praise. To His glory.

The incredible gift of God’s forgiveness means we get to live for God and to God, not for our old sinful self.
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In First Peter 2, the apostle Peter tells his fellow Christians...

“16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king” (1 Peter 2:16-17 NIV).

If we use God’s grace as an excuse to sin, we’re in danger of losing that message and all the eternal blessings that it gives.

Turn to Revelation 2:1-5. This is Jesus’ message for the church that was worshipping in Ephesus.

“1“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” (Revelation 2:1-5 NIV).

Apparently the Ephesian Christians’ love for Jesus had begun to grow cold. He tells them to return to their first love, or He will come and remove their lampstand. That means there would be no more fellowship of Christians there.

Turn to Amos 8:11-12. This is similar message. Where the gift of God’s Word is neglected, it eventually goes away.

“11 “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD,
“when I will send a famine through the land—
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.
12 Men will stagger from sea to sea
and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the LORD,
but they will not find it” (Amos 8:11-12 NIV).

Again, these messages were not written specifically to us, but they WERE written for our warning. The gift abused, God removes. Let us cherish the Word of God and the Gospel of Christ above any other blessings we have. And when we find that we have not been faithful with any of the gifts God has given, let us return to Him with repentant hearts, asking His forgiveness. For God tells us in 1 John...

“9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NIV).

The Father forgives all who come with a repentant heart in the name of His Son.
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Prayer: Father in heaven, your harsh words against the rulers of Israel and Judah are scary to our ears. The idea that you would with draw you Word from us or take our church away is horrible. Without your Word and the forgiveness that Christ has won for us, we would be lost. Help us not to abuse your gifts. Help us to use all we have properly. Be ever patient with us Lord, forgiving our every failure because of Christ’s perfect sacrifice. Amen.

God's Community of Grace - Sep 26, 2010

To DOWNLOAD an MP3 of this message, first right click here then choose "save link as" or "save target as".

Sermon:

What do you think of when you hear the word “community”? Maybe you think about the neighborhood where you live. Maybe when I say “community” you think of the small town that you grew up in. A town where you knew everyone, and everyone knew you.

Or, maybe you didn’t grow up in a small town, and when I say “community” you think of think of something else. Maybe you think of a church, or a school, or the circle of friends. The communities we are part of aren’t always located near our homes.

The word “community” comes from the word “common”. As in, having things in common. At its heart, community is about sharing. It’s about knowing each other. Caring about each other. It’s about supporting. Giving when there’s a need. It’s about a GROUP of people being ONE.
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Today, we’re going to finish our sermon series on the book of Colossians. And as we hear Paul’s closing words, we’re going to see the faint outline of a CHRISTIAN community.

This community didn’t live together in one neighborhood. It’s wasn’t living on the same street that brought them together. These people were separated by hundreds of miles, but they were still one. God’s grace had brought them together.

Now, when I say that God’s grace had brought them together, I don’t just mean that it was God’s doing. When I say God’s GRACE brought them together I mean GRACE in the greatest sense of the word: God’s undeserved love for sinners had brought them together.

These people had come to know and believe the message of the Bible. That all people are damned because of their sins, but because of Jesus all stand forgiven. Through His sacrifice on the cross our debt has been paid. Through faith in Jesus we receive the gift of complete forgiveness. For every sin we’ve ever committed. For every sin we’ll ever commit.

Through faith in God’s Son, these people were brought into God’s community of grace. And in that community, they then shared grace with one another. Let’s read.

Colossians 4:7-18 (NIV)

7Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. 9He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.
10My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) 11Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. 12Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. 13I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. 15Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
16After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.
17Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.”
18I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
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Before we talk about the Christian community we see here, lets took at the individuals pieces of that community.

Verse 7, Tychicus. Tychicus was the messenger sent to deliver Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Later in life he would travel to Ephesus to serve the congregation there.

Verse 9, Onesimus. Here’s an interesting story. Onesimus was the slave of a man named Philemon, who was part of the congregation in Colosse. Onesimus had robbed his master and had run away. Hiding in the bustling city of Rome, Onesimus met Paul and came to trust in Jesus. Here we find him, a run-away slave, returning to his master Philemon because it’s the right thing to do. He carried another letter from Paul, one for his master. You can read this letter, it’s the “book” of Philemon found in the New Testament.

Verse 10, Aristarchus. Once when Paul was in the city of Ephesus, a group of men started a riot because they were angry with Paul. His preaching of Jesus’ message was cutting into their profits from selling silver idols. There was a huge riot and two of Paul’s travelling companions were seized. Aristarchus was one of them. After being grabbed by the angry mob, they were swept into the city’s theatre where the mob chanted “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians” (their false god) for two hours. This might have been slightly scary for Aristarchus.

Verse 10, Mark. This is the guy who wrote the Gospel of Mark. He was a cousin of Barnabas and a friend of the apostle Peter.

Verse 12, Epaphras. This is the man who came to faith and then started the church in Colosse. It’s likely that he was also instrumental in bringing Christ’s message to the surrounding cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis also.

Verse 14, Luke. Luke was a doctor who travelled with Paul on his missionary journeys from time to time. He wrote the Gospel of Luke after thoroughly researching the events of Christ’s earthly life.

Verse 14, Demas. Sadly, the only other word we hear about Demas is that he later abandoned Paul and Christ, because he loved the world more.
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Now, when you read this section, it’s not hard to tell that Paul and his fellow workers care about the Christians living in Colosse. This last portion of Paul’s letter is dominated by one word: GREETINGS. Remember to say “Hi” to so and so.

Paul even sends Tychicus for the purpose of telling them all about what has been happening in Rome. Paul didn’t want to put this personal update on paper, instead he sent Tychicus to fill them in.

And there’s more than shows their love for each other. Did you notice that Paul specifically mentions that Onesimus is coming with Tychicus and calls him “our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you”. This was a runaway slave returning home. Paul knows it, and softens his reception by his tactful words.
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Because they cared about each other, this community also supported one another. Paul says that he has sent Tychicus to tell them about all that has happened, and to ENCOURAGE THEIR HEARTS. Let me remind you that it was nearly 1,000 miles from Rome to Colosse as the crow flies. This wasn’t a trip that was made lightly.

And those who couldn’t make the journey were still supporting the Colossians. Paul says that Epaphras was constantly “wrestling in prayer” for them. At the beginning of the letter Paul said that he was praying for the Colossians also, and he had never even met them!

Sometimes our attitude seems to be, if you don’t have any BETTER way of helping, you can always pray. Maybe we aught to flip that around. Maybe we should think, when we’ve prayed it from every angle, then maybe we can do something else to help. You know, use the power tools first, then the finishing brush?

I suppose that one of the best examples of this community’s support is the fact that Paul wrote this letter in the first place. He took the time, penned the letter, sent the messenger – all to encourage his fellow Christians in the faith.
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One of the signs of a strong community is it’s ability to work through inner problems without disintegrating. Its one thing to band together against threats from the outside, its something altogether different to face inner conflict and work things out. This community did that.

Twelve years previous, Paul had a serious disagreement with Mark. On Paul’s FIRST missionary journey Mark had come along, only to turn back at Pamphylia. Paul didn’t think Mark had a good enough reason to turn back and refused to take Mark along on the SECOND missionary journey.

But by the time of Colossians, there are no bad feeling lingering between Paul and Mark. Paul even tells the congregation at Colosse that if Mark comes to visit they should be SURE to welcome him.

In the future they would have more internal problems. Demas would abandon the faith and embrace the world. Who know what damage and pain this would cause in this fellowship. But they would work through it. They were one in Christ, and they would look to Him for comfort and guidance.
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Community does not work if people function alone. This is true of the Christian community as well. Look at the Christian community here in Colossians. They didn’t function alone. They considered themselves to be ONE. It wasn’t a bunch of separate people who happened to believe in Jesus. They were ONE IN CHRIST. That meant they were involved in each other’s lives.

How can we care about each other, or support one another, or pray for each other’s needs if we don’t KNOW each other? If we can’t TALK to each other? How can we be UNIFIED if we think the faith and the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ are their own business and not ours also?

This community in Colossians didn’t function alone. They were all about being in each other’s business. Paul says, Hey I’m sending Tychicus to tell you what’s going on here with us in Rome. Paul says, Onesimus, you gotta go back to Philemon. Paul says, Mark, you’re not coming on the second mission. You shouldn’t have turned back. Epaphras is praying for his home congregations like a mad man! All these guys are sending their greetings to Colosse and Laodicea. Paul tells Archippus to make sure he’s doing the work God gave him to do in Colosse. Paul asks them not to forget that he is in prison.

THEY DIDN”T FUNCTION ALONE. It wasn’t, Hey I know my sins are forgiven through Jesus so now I don’t need this community anymore. Not at all. They stayed connected. They worked as a unity.
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At the beginning of Colossians Paul wrote,

“1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father” (Colossians 1:1-2 NIV).

Paul began this way, calling them “holy” because they were holy through Christ’s all cleansing blood. Their sins were forgiven, and through faith in Christ they were acceptable to God. Paul ends on that same note. The last verse of Colossians reads,

“I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you” (Colossians 4:18 NIV).

After all this talk about Christian community we need to end on the same note also.

Being part of God’s family does not depend on how well we succeed in living godly lives. I’ve been calling it “God’s Community of Grace” for a reason. We don’t deserve to be in it. But we are, because Jesus’ death and resurrection have made a place for us in this community.

For this, let’s give thanks.

Prayer: Father in heaven, you have drawn us here together to hear your word. To learn of sin. To learn of grace. To know our sins have been erased, and to see our place in your community of grace. Help us to mature in our relationship with you. Help us to mature in our relationship with each other. Open up our hearts toward you and each other. Make us the Christian community you want us to be. And keep us always in Christ, the one who bought us. The one who cleansed us. The one who sought us out and found us. The one who unifies us in peace, forgiveness. Amen.

Sharing the Secret - Sep 19, 2010

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Sermon:

We’re nearly to the end of our study of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Last Sunday, we heard Paul give directions about how the Colossian Christians were to act in certain relationships. Paul talked about how Christian husbands and wives should treat each other. How Christian children and parents should treat each other. How Christian slaves and masters should treat each other.

In our short reading for today, Paul gives some more general directions for Christians. Today’s directions don’t hinge on being involved in a certain relationship. What Paul says today is for ALL Christians.

Basically, Paul says, “Christians, you know your sins are forgiven by God because the mystery of Christ has been revealed to you. Now, share that secret.

That’s simple right? Yours sins are forgiven through Christ, now share that message. Simple to say, not always simple to share.

Some people don’t get it. They’ve been brainwashed into thinking that religion is all about how we can EARN God’s love. When they hear the true message of the Bible; that we have FREE forgiveness through Christ’s cross, they just don’t believe it. It’s too good to be true! Nothing’s really free, is it? Sharing Jesus with that person could be difficult. It might take more than reciting John 3:16 and giving them a Bible. You might have to take a couple runs at it before they really understand.

Sharing the secret, isn’t always easy.

The great apostle Paul would have told you the same. Paul was perhaps the greatest missionary in the history of the world, but he wrote this:

“1When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2 NIV).

For Paul, sharing the secret was sometimes nerve wracking.

But Paul got better at it right? Well, after three missionary journeys he ended up in prison at Rome. From Rome, he wrote a letter asking his friends in Ephesus to pray for him. What did he ask them to pray for?

“19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Ephesians 6:19-20 NIV).

Paul still needed God given courage to share the Gospel in a way that was worthy of that message.

In our reading for today, Paul gives the Colossians a little help. He shares the secret, of sharing THE secret.

Colossians 4:2-4 (NIV)

2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
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Paul says, First of all, start with prayer. GOD will lead the way and open doors.

In fact, Paul says a little more than “start with prayer”. Paul tells the Colossian Christians to “devote” themselves to prayer, and to “be alert”, or “watchful” in prayer.

We might think of a military lookout watching for the enemy. With walkie-talkie in hand he scans the horizon. At the first sign of the enemy, he calls in to his superior officer.

Having an open line to our Creator is a powerful tool. Through Christ this line has been opened up to us. It’s not open to all people. With our sins covered by Christ’s sacrifice, we can talk openly with God the Father. Jesus even teaches us to call God “Our Father” in the Lord’s prayer.

Without Christ, we wouldn’t have the right to speak to God. Our sins would render us unworthy. But since stand completely forgiven through faith in Christ’s cross, our prayers ascend freely to God.
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Paul knows the Colossians will pray for themselves, and he asks them to include him and his fellow workers in their prayers. Paul says,

“3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains” (Colossians 4:3 NIV).

Doors need to be open in order to share.

When I sit down with my family to eat dinner and someone knocks on the door wanting to talk about re-siding the house, or putting in new windows – that’s just not a “doors open” time for me. I’m not going to listen. I’m not going to even have a conversation.

People don’t like pushy and rude sharers. They like friends who they trust. People they know ACTUALLY, REALLY, TRULY care about them. One open door for sharing Christ is the open door of true friendship.

I’m pretty sure that if we pray for God to bring people into our lives that we can share Christ with, He will. Or, He’ll open our eyes to people we’ve overlooked, or hesitated to share with before.

Why not give it a try?

Prayer: Father in Heaven, I’ve been hesitant to share you will others. Mostly out of fear of the unknown. Not knowing what they’ll say. Not knowing if I’ll be seen as a pushy religious freak. I don’t want to be afraid. I want to share. Give me the courage to speak up and share Christ. Bring people into my life, and give me opportunities to do just that. Build my faith stronger through these experiences, and keep me in Christ. Amen.
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Paul asked the Ephesian congregation to pray for his courage. He also asked the Colossian congregation to pray – for him to be able to proclaim the message of Jesus clearly.

“Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should” (Colossians 4:4 NIV).

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In Paul’s day, the Holy Spirit frequently enabled Christians to perform miracles. One such miracle was speaking in a language which that person had never studied. Sometimes you hear it called speaking in “tongues”. Well, that word “tongues” in the Greek just means “languages”.

Anyway, the Holy Spirit gave this gift to some, but he also gave them the power to control it.

Most people don’t know it, but the Holy Spirit also gave some rules for tongue speaking through the apostle Paul. Basically, He said, If nobody in the congregation can translate what the miraculous language speaker is saying, then that person should be quiet during worship.

Someone speaking in a foreign language wasn’t going to help the rest of the congregation grow in their relationship with Christ. And the same is true when we speak to non-Christians. They’re not going to come to faith if they don’t understand what in the world we’re talking about.

Paul asked the Colossians to pray that he’d preach the Good News of Jesus CLEARLY. So that people can UNDERSTAND it.

I think this is something we need to think and pray about too. How are we communicating to the people around us? When we do speak the message of Christ, are we doing it in language our children can understand? In language our friends understand? In language our neighbors understand?
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Before we move on I want to share something encouraging. Paul’s requests were prayed about, and answered.

Check this out. We believe that Paul wrote at least four of his letters while in captivity at Rome. We call them the “Captivity Letters”. They’re Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. It appears that Philippians was the last one to be written because in Colossians and Ephesians Paul asked the congregations to pray for 1) A door to be opened for the message of Christ, 2) For clarity in his own preaching, 3) for boldness in his preaching.

But, listen to what Paul wrote to the Philippians…

“12Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly” (Philippians 1:12-14 NIV).

And at the END of Philippians, Paul writes...

“22All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household” (Philippians 4:22 NIV).

They asked for a door. A door was opened. Even people in Caesar’s own house came to Christ.

Start with prayer. God will lead the way and open doors.
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Paul goes on. In verse 5 of our text, Paul says…

“5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 5:5-6 NIV).

First of all, when Paul says “outsiders” he doesn’t mean that in a bad way. He uses this term for people who don’t yet know Christ because we want o bring them IN to a relationship with the God who created them, with the Savior who took their sins away.

In other words, Paul says that we don’t want to CLOSE any doors that God has opened to us to do this. So be careful in every interaction!
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Another way of looking at this is that we’re having an “open house” for God. That means that we are representing Him to the people around us.

Let me tell you about something that happened to me recently. I was on the way home from a class. It was late. It had been a long day. I was driving the church van, and I came to a section of the road that had traffic cones and markers out on it. It was obvious that they were working on the road.

But it wasn’t obvious what you as the driver were supposed to do. It was just a two lane road with cones arranged to move you over into the left lane and a few blinking lights to get your attention.

Since I wasn’t quite sure what to do, I slowed down and then started to creep over into the left lane. Then I realized that there was actually someone standing there in the shadows, holding a stop sign.

I came to a complete stop and rolled down my window. The guy came around to my window, and to my surprise he started to bawl me out.

He said something like, “What do you think you’re doing! You never just drive into oncoming traffic like that! What do you think you’re doing!”

Like I said, it had been a long day, it was late and I wanted to get home. Also, I was irritated that I was getting reprimanded for not seeing him on this dark road, and so I cut him off mid rant. I said, “I don’t need this. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

Well, he motioned me through. But, I couldn’t help but notice as I moved away that he kinda glanced at the side of the van.

As I was driving home I thought, That wasn’t good. That wasn’t the way God wanted me to respond to that guy.
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Being wise in the way we act toward outsiders means NOT reacting instinctively. Often our instincts are sinful. Being wise in the way we act toward outsiders means reacting to people with CALCULATED GRACE, regardless of how they’re treating us.

We all know people who have mastered this art. People who never follow their “knee jerk” reaction. People who respond graciously to ANYTHING we say to them. These are the people that we want to emulate and imitate, FOR GOD. For the “open house” that we’re holding in His Name.

Paul says, Let your conversation always be full of grace, as if it were salt. Sprinkle grace around on your conversation.
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But how many times haven’t we done the opposite. How many times haven’t we shut doors by our own rude or careless remarks. How do you follow that with Christ? That’d be like me shouting back to that road worker, Hey! Jesus loves you and has forgiven your sin, Bible class at 10, Worship at 11!

Letting our conversation be full of grace means being forgiving others. Speaking kind words. Loving words. Caring words. Un-judgmental words. Putting the best construction on things. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? Put the best construction on things? How many times don’t we jumped to conclusions instead? Thinking we’ve got people pegged, when we really don’t know their heart.

Paul says that we should let conversation be “sprinkled with grace” so that we know how to respond to everyone. The way to respond in any conversation is with the attitude of Christ. With an attitude that puts up with other people’s garbage because Christ has put up with OURS! And He still does! Christ forgives our rudeness to Him. He has forgiven us before we even sin and He repays our evils with KINDNESS and LOVE.

If we can learn how to do the same in our daily interaction, then doors for Christ will remain OPEN. Opportunities to speak SPECIFICALLY of Christ’s sin-forgiving grace, those opportunities will appear.
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Paul says he wants to proclaim the MYSTERY OF CHRIST. That’s like another way of saying, that he wants to proclaim the GOOD NEWS of sins forgiven through Christ. But Paul uses the phrase, “Mystery of Christ” because this message is something that needs to be revealed to people. They’re not going to wake one morning as go HEY! I think I’ll put my trust in Jesus today! God brings people to faith through His Word and through His Holy Spirit.

We know the mystery of Christ because people in our lives have brought it to us and explained it to us. Whether was our parents, or our friends or our extended family. We know His forgiveness and love because Christ has touched us with that forgiveness and love.

So, lets take that mystery of Christ and lets carry it in our lives. Lets watch out for every opportunity to pray to God for help. Lets showing that mystery to others: FIRST by our gracious conduct, and then with the specific Gospel of Christ: the fact that He died for them too. To take their guilt and sin away. The fact that He lives, so that we will live forever with Him.

Prayer: Father in heaven, thank you for the open line to your throne. We can talk directly to you, because your Son has come to us and made us part of your family. Lord Jesus, thank you for removing our failures and sins, and replacing them with your grace and love. Help us to reach out and give this gift of peace to those we meet. You have sprinkled us with your blood, cleansing us forever. Help us now to sprinkle our speech and our conduct with that same grace.

Amen.