Chardon church of Christ

July 4th - A Day to Remember

Deuteronomy 8:1-10

INTRO: This morning I’m going to take a break from our study of the book of Acts. Today is July 4th, Independence Day. For Americans it is a wonderful time to celebrate, gather together with friends and family, have picnics, watch parades, see fireworks and generally kick back and relax.

Our text for this morning is from the book of Deuteronomy 8:1-10. I invite you to turn there and read along with me. “1 Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers. 2 And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. 5 You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you.

6 “Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; 8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; 9 a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.”[NKJV]

Moses spoke these words we find in the book of Deuteronomy to the nation of Israel on the banks of the Jordan river just before they crossed over into the promised land.
I particularly note the words of wisdom Moses spoke on that day in verse 2: “you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”

In this life we need both a good memory, and likewise the ability to forget. All the blunders, murmurings and fault findings unjustly made need to be forgotten, but here we read of the fear of Moses that they might forget the God who had led them all the way, who had fed them with manna, bread from heaven, and who had caused their garments not wear out, nor their feet to swell.

The nation of Israel was a chosen nation and had a close relationship, a fellowship with God that no other nation before or since has had, except the Christian nation, the Kingdom which is the church that belongs to Christ. Yet, I would like to suggest that there may be somewhat of a parallel in various ways to this wonderful bit of history. This sermon will not be popular with today’s society. It seems to me that we are only happy when we are pointing out the problems, and there are many, in preference to celebrating the virtues.

Some have called America a child of providence.
I am inclined to agree with those thinkers who believe the founding of the United States of America was providential and that God had a hand in it. This is not to say that America is a chosen nation like Israel, but it is to say that possibly there was a guiding hand in the history of America, one of the greatest countries on earth--whose motto is, "one nation under God with liberty and justice for all."

I think it is unfortunate and unforgivable for a nation that has been blessed as we have, not to remember what God has done for us and how He has led us for more than 200 years.

The Fourth of July weekend was approaching, and Miss Pelham, the nursery schoolteacher, took the opportunity to tell her class about patriotism. 'We live in a great country,' she announced. 'One of the things we should be happy about is that, in this country, we are all free.' Little Johnny, came walking up to her from the back of the room. He stood with his hands on his hips and said loudly, 'I'm not free. I'm four.'

July 4th does not mean anything to most people in the world, but to citizens of the United States it marks the day we call "Independence Day." It commemorates our independence from the rule of Great Britain. Of course, a war followed that declaration, but our "freedom" stood the test.

I think the words that Moses spoke to Israel could, in a real sense, be wisely applied to America. We might state it like this, "You shall remember that the Lord your God led you these 200 some years into the 21st century."

I have traveled a little bit and have seen some other parts of the world, and without "knocking" any other country, I believe that we live in one of the most wonderful countries that exist. I thank God for the privilege of being a Christian and a citizen of the United States of America.
What I am trying to say is that on July 4th Americans should stop and consider their blessings. Be thankful for what we have, thankful for God's blessings on our nation, and thankful for His blessings on us.

I do think the year 1620 marks the real beginning of this splendid land we live in.

We should all gratefully remember that it was the coming of those few Pilgrim Fathers in the historic Mayflower who brought and introduced into this country the supreme idea of the one true God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They brought to this land the knowledge that the one true God is a triune God. Jesus and the apostles of Christ revealed this great truth to mankind.

Speaking of the Pilgrims -- Teacher: If there were still Pilgrims alive today, what would they be famous for?
Little Johnny: Their age!

A number of years ago, I had the privilege of looking, inside, and out, at an exact replica of the Mayflower. Great Britain gave this replica of the Mayflower to the United States as a token of appreciation for helping them in World War II. I think that was a nice gesture on the part of England. I was surprised that the boat was so small, just over 100 feet long.

It is said in history that this great undertaking on their part was based on the idea that God would walk together with them. They came here to worship God according to the Christian faith, as they understood it. I wonder what life would be on this continent today, if the people who first founded our country had not been believers in Christ and the Christian religion.

What if they had come from China or India or from the Middle East? Certainly the names of our cities would be different. I am sure the names of people would have been different. Where did these names come from–Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, James, etc.? I am told in this country there are some six million women who answer to the name of Mary.

I do believe that God providentially had a hand in the Pilgrims bringing His name and the name of His son to these shores. God's people have the right to believe in providential experiences, but they cannot be proven.

It was the posterity of the Pilgrims who settled the thirteen original colonies who in the course of years drafted that immortal document, The Declaration of Independence. Yes, six years of bloody warfare followed to make good the decree.

Finally, with the loss of thousands of their kind and their little country almost literally baptized in the blood of their forefathers, they were recognized as a nation among the sister nations of the world. Our great country springing from a foundation like that now extends from ocean to ocean, and from the Lakes to the Gulf.

Today it has the reputation of being the greatest nation on the face of the earth. I think Americans ought to consider how that perhaps God has kept His eye upon us as a people in our civil and religious privileges. We have come to be exceedingly great.
We are feasting upon the very fat of the land, and our wealth seems unlimited.

In the language of scripture, this too is a land flowing with milk and honey, even more than Canaan was to Israel. God has greatly blessed us.
The eyes of the entire world have for some time looked to America, not only as the world money and trade center, but for that religious life which Christ envisioned would encircle the globe, make spiritual ignorance vanish, and bring untold blessings to the millions of earth.

Unquestionably, we lead all nations in spreading the pure gospel of Christ to a lost and dying world. We do big things in America. I know it sounds like I am boasting but the facts speak for themselves.

In 1936, it took five or six days to cross the ocean on the Queen Mary, probably the fastest sailing vessel in that bygone time. It took the Mayflower five or six months. Lindbergh needed but thirty hours. We can now cross the ocean in five or six hours.

In addition, we are rapidly becoming the Medical Center of the world. Rulers from other countries come here to have surgery. Doctors come from all over to train in this country. We should remember how God has providentially blessed our nation.

In saying these things, I do not mean to imply that all things are right with America, certainly they are not. Just as an individual must recognize their own faults and strive to improve in order to grow, so must we as a nation. Nor do I meant to imply that we are a chosen nation, as Israel was under the law of Moses. I have drawn a comparison between Israel and America because in some ways it seems justified.

It is my sincere hope that we do not make the mistake Israel made by failing to remember how God led them and blessed them. He does not lead us miraculously as He did Israel, but He leads by His written word.

All who are acquainted with the history of Israel know that they did not remember God's goodness toward them. Israel drifted away from God and worshiped idols, and God held them accountable by sending them into captivity to Assyria and Babylonia.

Is it not true that we are living in a country where the influence of God and Jesus is rapidly vanishing? The dominant value systems in America are anything but Christian. The moral values of America are changing right before our eyes. As a nation we have lost confidence in our fellow man and in the Bible. We are in an identity crisis.

We don't seem know who we are, where we came from or where we are going. Many think we came down out of the trees 20 million years ago, and we descended from a mother gorilla.

The old time elements of honesty, uprightness and downright truthfulness are below par on the market of the world. The blackest crimes and the most atrocious acts that ever stained the pages of history lies at our very door.

People are beginning to live like people did in ancient times before Jesus came. The Greek Demosthenes, who lived 300 years before Christ and was one of the greatest orators of all time, said, "We keep mistresses for pleasure and concubines for the day to day needs of the body, but we have wives in order to produce children legitimately."

Seneca, the Roman philosopher who lived in the first century said, "Chastity in Rome is simply proof of ugliness. Innocence is not rare, it's nonexistent." The moral values regarding chastity and marriage are changing in America. Chastity is not considered an important virtue, as it once was. I have heard statistics given that men and women are waiting longer to get married. The average age for women to marry was 27 in 2008, and the average for men was 35.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the number of unmarried partners living together has tripled in the past few decades, 6 million in 1996 to 19 million in 2018. People are afraid to commit because of the problems associated with the desolation of a marriage. Yet experts from Masters and Johnson to modern specialists have shown that a committed relationship provides the most fulfillment for both men and women. Within the last twenty or thirty years, pre-marital sex, extra-marital sex, abortion and homosexuality have become acceptable human behavior by the general population.

When you compare the moral values of America today with those of America a hundred years ago, I think it is a sound conclusion that America is drifting away from God. It is an undeniable fact that the dominant value systems of America are anything but Christian. The collapse of the nuclear family leaves children struggling with life and trying to fill the void they feel.

When we remember the birthday of our nation every July 4th, it is also a time to remember our roots; who founded this country, why they founded it, and why they came. This country was founded by people who passionately believed in Christ and the Christian religion. They came to practice and to promote that religion, not the false religions of other nations.

Although it is refreshing to hear Americans from the highest to the lowest stand up for our pledge of allegiance that contain the words, "one nation under God..." even that is under attack.

Yes, Independence Day is indeed a time to remember. We are standing upon the past. We are its products. The land on which we stand today is a made land, made by people who lived hundreds of years before we were born. The soil into which we are to sow our seed is a prepared land.

For this land we enjoy, there is an obligation and duty we owe to God, the Father of our spirits, and that duty must be paid. But... that is not all. God has given us something greater than America.

The church of the Lord Jesus Christ was established twenty centuries ago in Jerusalem, but Christians drifted away from God; the true church fell away from the truth until by 500 A.D. it has almost disappeared from the earth. This false system of Christianity lasted over a thousand years. The church for which Jesus died lay buried beneath the rubbish of superstition and idolatry during the long spell of the Dark Ages, until about 1500 A.D.
From our studies I hope that you have learned of the great historical events that have corrupted the church Jesus purchased with His blood.

The years 1500 to 1800 saw God's hand of providence that opened the Reformation in Europe. A number of protesting churches were formed and broke free from the Papal Church of Rome. They sincerely believed it was a movement back toward the Bible, God’s word, but it did not go far enough. Many of the Protestant churches did not see fit to throw away their distinctive traditions. They decided to stay divided as separate churches with their own different doctrines and names.

However, forces were at work to continue the Reformation. God's providential hand was seen in a further progress. About 1800, a remarkable development occurred in America among the Protestant churches.

It has been estimated that some thirty to fifty Protestant preachers and thousands of members of those churches all over America became dissatisfied and left those churches. They left because they were not teaching the truth on many subjects such as baptism, the Lord's Supper, worship, and other important subjects. This movement became known as the Restoration Movement.

It was a Restoration of the original church as it was in the first century, as it was when the Apostles lived. This is the way congregations of the churches of Christ came into existence. They did not start a new church, they just rebuilt the old church the apostles built and restored the original names given to the New Testament church.
The early church referred to the Lord's church as the churches of Christ and the churches of God.

Romans 16:16 says: – “Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.”
And I Corinthians 1:2-3 – “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I would suggest to you that I see a similarity between the Pilgrims who first came to our shores and these people in the 1800's who could no longer worship with people they loved dearly, some of them their relatives and friends, who could not worship God in ways the New Testament did not approve.

The result of this great movement, back to the teachings of the apostles, was like the coming of another Mayflower, bringing to America a new vision and a new respect for God's word. That is the way congregations of churches of Christ came into existence in early America. In doing this, their life was almost as difficult as was the life of the original Pilgrims in that first year and in the ensuing years.

CONCLUSION:
I close with the thought that today members of churches of Christ stand upon the ground prepared by others. We should remember those preachers and people who had the vision to bring the original church back to the world in its worship, apostolic teachings and practice.

I recognize that today I am standing religiously upon the foundation prepared by others.
I would be untrue to myself and ungrateful unless I was willing to look back and remember and give honor to whom honor is due. I am glad to share in the continuation of the work, those good people, under God, began in early America. Consider what I say, and the Lord give you understanding.

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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

# 594 – Jesus Will Give You Rest

Reference Sermon: Whitehall Church of Christ

Real or Fake Faith

James 2: 14 – 20

One third grader was wearing a Fitbit watch, which prompted the teacher to ask, “Are you tracking your steps?” “No,” said the little girl. “I wear this for Mommy so when Daddy gets home she can show him how active she was during the day!”
If I said to you, "Thou shalt not think of a purple elephant," - suddenly, you would be able to think of nothing else. But, if I then set before you a huge hot fudge sundae - creamy Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, laced with deep dark fudge, topped with mounds of whipped cream, lightly toasted almonds, and a juicy red cherry - the purple elephant wouldn’t enter your mind because you’d be captivated by something much better right before your eyes.
So it is that Paul can tell us with authority, "I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won‘t be doing what -your sinful nature craves." Galatians 5:16
When you think about our world today, have you ever noticed how many imitation products there are? I guess you could call them fake -
Think about it -
I could walk around in style with a fake rolex watch that looks just like the real thing. I can have fake or imitation perfume or cologne, fake nails, fake hair, fake Apple products, fake Nike Air Jordan's, fake Adidas clothes, I can put fake sugar in my coffee and I can wear fake designer clothes, along with my fake leather, while I talk about fake news.
Of course, sometimes fake works just as well as the real thing. Sometimes fake teeth are better than no teeth. But there is one area in life where fake doesn’t work and you need the real thing. We need to have real faith, not fake faith.
When you think about it, without faith, we would not be able to overcome some of the obstacles we face in life. Fake faith will never have the power to help or save you. Fake faith will never answer prayers nor will it transform you.

We are continuing in the book of James and this morning we’re going to look at, James 2:14-20. The hope from today is that we will better understand what fake faith is . . . and that will lead us to understand a little more at what it means to put our faith into action.

Let me read from James 2, beginning in verse 14 -
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Some people believe James and Paul are contradicting each other. But really they are complimenting each other. Paul is emphasizing how do we know we are saved. James is emphasizing how to show you are saved. Paul focuses on the root of our salvation, which is internal and unseen;
while James focuses on the effects of our salvation, which is external and seen by others.
So, James tells us some things about real faith, but it’s interesting that he starts out by telling us some things real faith is not.

Today we’re going to look at those things, examples of when we’re not showing real faith. In James 2:14, he wrote - 14 What good is it, my brothers, IF SOMEONE SAYS he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
The key is when James wrote, “if someone says they have faith. . .” That’s the main point in this first test of showing you have real faith.
In other words REAL FAITH IS MORE THAN JUST THE WORDS I SAY. It’s more than just a memorized prayer. It’s even more than memorizing scripture. There are lots of people with no faith who can quote scripture better than we can.
Claiming that I have faith and knowing all the Christianese, knowing the buzz words and what all the theology is about doesn’t mean I have faith. This may sound rude, but just because I say I have faith, doesn’t mean I have faith.
Just because I say I can dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I can. Just because I say I can play the piano, doesn’t mean I can. Think about what’s been going in our world right now. Between the pandemic and social justice issues; and in the past election . . . many people who claim to be Christian certainly have not acted that way. Actions speak loudly.
James is telling us - just because you say you have faith, doesn’t mean you have faith. Faith is more than words.

Listen to these words from Jesus in Matthew 7:21
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Do you hear those words from Jesus? Just because you say Lord, doesn’t mean you will enter heaven. It’s not just what you say, it’s what you do in the name of faith. Now, I have to be a little careful here, because I’m not the judge, but your actions will be a true representation of your faith. That’s what Jesus is meaning. If you have nothing to show for your faith, then is your faith really real?
So what value is fake faith? It has no value other than to delude ourselves and make us think we’re OK, when we really aren’t.
So . . . real faith is more than just the words I say.

Another example of fake faith comes in James 2:15-16
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
Real faith is more than just an emotion or lip service. That’s a great example by James. If we see someone in need, someone is outside in the middle of winter without a jacket and we look at them and just say, “hey man, I’ll be praying you can find some warm clothes.” Or if you see someone who is hungry, instead of just saying, let’s pray ... which don’t get me wrong is great to do, but what they need more than anything is a meal.
If I were to shut my finger in my car door . . . and you’re walking by, I want MORE than your sympathy or prayers, I have a very real need and that’s to help me get my finger out of the door.

Real faith is practical, it’s messy and it gets involved with people’s needs.
Next James tells us that real faith is more than an idea I debate. He tells us this in verse 18 -
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

What James is getting at here is that for some people faith is just a conversation, or an idea, or a debate. Some people can talk about God and religion day and night, but they have no faith. They don’t want to practice it, they want to preach it or dissect it. Some people don’t want to obey God, they’d rather debate God. They will talk and talk about God, but don’t ask them to make a commitment to God.

James is arguing that some people want to talk about faith, while others will talk about good works. James quickly dismisses both of these. He counters that by stating - - I can show you my faith from my works.
It’s a contrast between 3 types of people.
1) Those who want to talk about the Bible
2) Those who want to do good deeds,
3) And, those who do both.
They don’t have a desire to show their faith, other than to talk about God, never to demonstrate God to the world around them.

What’s key in this verse is when James says “I WILL SHOW YOU my faith by my works.”
He’s telling us that real faith is visible, that we can see faith in action. Let me ask you, how do you know someone loves you? Just because they tell you?
I guess that’s a starting point. But if that’s all there is to the love, then that’s not real love.
The best way to see someone’s love is to experience their love. When you put love into action, now the words I LOVE YOU, have meaning.

There’s too many people who say I love you, but don’t love. Their love is abusive and dysfunctional. It’s a love that tears down, rather than to build up. That’s not love. Love is shown by the way we treat one another.
We can’t see faith, until we see it in action. I can talk about faith all day. I can debate faith. Real faith has results. Real faith is visible to others. Now, we don’t do things to be seen, we do them because we’ve been called by God to do them.

Show me your faith, and then I will believe you have faith. Don’t tell me about it, don’t talk about it, don’t quote it, don’t give me the feelings behind it . . . show me your faith is real!
When you repent of your sins and turn your life over to God through baptism . . . you should be changed. Paul tells us in one of my favorite verses 2 Corinthians 5:17
17 if anyone is in Christ, you are a new creation, behold, the old has passed away, the new has come. - 2 Corinthians 5:17 -

Isn’t that great?! Paul is telling us that those old things, those old sin habits, those old bad things that you used to do - they will pass away, they will die. We have to let them die, and sometimes it takes work and years for that to happen. And when it does happen, we become a new creation! That old caterpillar works it’s way out of the cocoon and flies away as a beautiful butterfly. That should be the image of the Christ follower as well.

Real faith is more than just a truth I believe. James uses sarcasm to make his point. In verses 19-20, James wrote - 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe — and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people generically or boastfully tell me “oh, I believe in God.” As if that’s going to get them brownie points from God. Because James counters that thought by saying “even the devil believes.” The devil believes in God, the devil has head knowledge, but doesn’t obey God.
Saying I believe in God, doesn’t get you in heaven. That’s radical sounding, but even the demons believe in God. Why else did satan want to kill Jesus? He knows who Jesus is. He’s the Son of God.
It’s not just something you believe in your head.
It’s not just something you argue about.
Real faith is not a great idea.
It’s not just saying a bunch of words.
Real faith is not getting warm fuzzies and feelings.
Real faith is evident when we put our faith into actions. It is something I do.
Real faith is always active, it’s not passive. Ultimately, faith is a choice, it’s something we all do.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love. -
Those are great words to hear, because they are action words - - -
We are to be watchful, stand firm, act like men, be strong, and do everything in love.
When people look at you and I ... do they see us acting this way? Are we standing firm in the faith? are we being strong? Are we acting like men? Are we doing all things in love?
Those actions tell the world who we are in Christ or without Christ.
Now, here’s the ultimate question . . . if you were arrested for being a Christian. And your case came before the judge to determine if it should go to trial . . . is there enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian?
Will people say - they’ve seen a change in you, because real faith always produces a changed life.
REAL FAITH IS MORE than the words I say,
IT IS MORE than an emotion or feeling,
IT IS MORE than an idea.

James 1:26 & 27 tells us:
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

* Ideas for this message came from a sermon by Rick Warren.

God The Father

Luke 15:11-32

INTRO: Today is father’s day. There are those of us who are fathers and grandfathers some even great grandfathers. I was thinking about this and I realize that a number of us are “empty nesters”. Our children have left home not just to go to college but to be on their own, perhaps in far away places, maybe to start families of their own. I wondered for those of us in that situation, do we stop being fathers for our children when they leave? How do we continue to be a dad when our kids are grown? How does that relationship change?

Certainly we do not have the same relationship, that same authority line, to use a word maybe kids don't want to hear. How do you deal with a grown child?
Indeed, what is my responsibility to my children and their families once they leave home and have their own family – leaving father and mother and cleaving to their spouse?
These questions are not made-up questions, but things I think about and have been thinking about since our daughter got married. In fact how do you deal with the fact they are married?

You've now got a son-in-law or a daughter-in-law perhaps even both and you don't have the same history with them, obviously, as you have your own children.
You're knowledge of them is limited, especially at the beginning of their marriages. It is something we have to learn about. Parenting grown kids is very, very different than parenting children at home and the relationship is nowhere near the same.

I think about stories in the Bible of godly fathers, and I look to them to give me some examples, because these are not hypothetical questions, they are real questions.

Our lesson today is taken from Luke 15:11-32 which I’m sure you will recognize. One verse in particular I would like us to consider is Luke 15:20 "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” [para]
The focus of this sermon is the father found in the story of the prodigal son. There are lessons we can learn from this dad.

In the parable that we're going to look at today, Jesus tells us about a father, and in the parable the dad is a representation of God the Father and how God parents grown children.   I want to live in such a way, that even though my children are no longer at home, they will never doubt my love for them or my desire for them to be right with God and so I wanted to look again at this parable..  

I’ll admit I never really thought through this story from the fathers point of view.
I've dealt with the story of the prodigal son by considering the son or dealing with the older brother or a combination of both in the sermon.

Before we dig into the father of the story, it’s helpful if we hear and understand why Jesus tells the story.

I. Background Gives Meaning to the Message - Luke records for us the context of the three parables that we find in Luke 15. Let’s start with why Jesus told these three parables before we look at the last one today.

A. Luke 15 opens with these words Luke 15:1-2 – “ Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them.''” The reason for the parable, the reason Jesus tells all three of these parables, is verse 2, “this man receives or welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

1. That’s the issue here. Jesus interacts with them as if they were equals or friends, but the Pharisees and the teachers of the law see them as sinners and He eats with them. These teachers of the law have made this statement around how much of a connection—should religious people have with non-religious people or religious people that are not acting righteously.
2. In fact, to their point of view, eating with, welcoming, being in some type of fellowship with, tax collectors, and sinners would be wrong.

B. To appreciate the parables, we need to understand this group of people that came to Jesus, whom Jesus has table fellowship with. These are people who, by definition, were excluded from the religious community.

1. I would guess most of these people do not attend the synagogue on the Sabbath. They would not be welcomed in those synagogues and if they were there they would not be in fellowship with others as we see in Luke 18:13 – “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven...” These people are, for the most part, considered to be outside of a covenant fellowship.
2. My guess is they are outside of that general bonding that happens in the religious community, but yet these people came to hear Jesus. Obviously, as you take a look at the Ministry of Jesus, He spends a tremendous amount of time reaching out to the very people that the religious world had forgotten about, or pushed aside, or had deemed unworthy.
3. Yet here they are wanting to hear Jesus. We are not told how they knew of Jesus, perhaps by word of mouth, or that His reputation is of one that cares. They gather around him to listen to him. Jesus accepted these people as they were, not what they were worth to the religious assembly. Jesus wanted them to hear God’s message. Unconsciously, His enemies spoke in these words the Master's highest praise. Intended by them as a slander, the words have been treasured by the church of all ages as glorious and eternal truth. I’m thinking of the hymn we sing; “Sing it o'er and o'er again: Christ receiveth sinful men; Make the message clear and plain: Christ receiveth sinful men!”

C. Jesus is not condoning their actions but is affirming their value in the eyes of God. I say that, because in all three parables, the message is that when a person repents, God forgives.

1. Jesus is not saying these people don’t need to repent, in fact, just the opposite. There is repentance that needs to take place, but when it does, forgiveness is immediately and completely given by God. God desires these “tax collectors and sinners” to be a part of His great family. He places value upon them for who they are, not what their value is to the religious community.
2. If we were living in that time He would not be condoning our actions, but valuing each of us as a person, wouldn't “we” want to hear what He had to say? It is the same today, He can look at you and He can see that you have worth, even though inside you may feel unworthy of anything.

II. God Hurts - Let’s look at the dad of the last parable and see what lessons we can learn from him.

A. I want to take a look at the story from the father’s point of view. Luke opens the parable of the prodigal son in; Luke 15:11-12 – “Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. "And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood”. I have heard people say that the father in this story was wrong for giving the younger son his inheritance. You may disagree with what the dad did, but before you say his actions were unwise, let me remind you that the father of the story Jesus tells, is our Father in heaven. So at this point I’m trying to grasp how the father in the parable did the Godly thing.
B. What Jesus is talking about is how God the Father deals with His children, specifically, the tax collectors and sinners. The giving to the younger son is simply the statement that our Father in Heaven gives us the freedom to love him or forsake him. I repeat, this is really a story from the father’s point of view, and with understanding that the father, is God. There's only one conclusion that I could come to then, and that is God never forces me to be a part of the family.

1. He doesn't do that. It's an honor to be a part of His family. It's a blessing to be a part of Him, but He never forces me to be a part of Him. God will not force your obedience. He wants you to want Him, to see your need for Him, to rely upon Him, but God will not make you stay in the family.
2. We need to understand a truth that is seen in the overall story, God hurts when we think we know better how to live our lives, than being under the guidance of God and a part of the family of God.
3. If as I grow, I decide that I love the world more than I love the Father and I want to live my life my way more than I want to live under the guidance of the Father, then I can take what I think are the blessings that I have been given by God and go and live my life the way I want to live my life. The son is saying; “I would rather get from you what I can get then to be in a relationship with you. In light of that, the father lets him go.
4. Thinking about that this statement that the son makes, it has to hurt the father. Parents hurt when their child leaves home and throws the love of the parents away.
5. It’s not that the child hates the dad here, but the child believes he can lead his life better than being at home with his father. When children refuse a parent’s love because they want to do their own thing, ignore the warnings given by the parent, --the parent hurts.

C. If I think on this story and examine myself, I find that I bring pain to God when my desire to live my life, my way, is me being like the younger son, wanting what God has to offer, but not the God who is offering it.

1. The Father says, I understand that your desire is not to be in a relationship with me, and I'm not going to force that relationship. If you think you can do better out on your own than you can with my wisdom and guidance and love and support then--I'll let you go.
2. To think that the father of this story doesn't hurt, that he just gives the son money and lets him walk away, I think misses the parable, misses all three of the parables, and the meaning behind the father's pain. It is dismissing God when I crave sin more than desire a relationship with Him. When I do so I have done to my Heavenly Father exactly what the prodigal son did to his father.

III. God Forgives - There is more to this teaching by Jesus than just that God hurts when I choose to live in sin instead of in His family.

A. I would have to say that there are times in my life where I have willfully and openly chosen to live in sinful actions that I know are absolutely counter to God. Yet at that moment, I really did not care. I wanted my sinful way of life. It’s what I wanted because I believed it would bring me more happiness in the moment.
B. Let us continue in Luke 15:13 – “the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”[KJV] The younger son takes his inheritance, goes far away and wastes that property in ways that are obviously sinful, until it’s gone. And then in Luke:15:14 – “And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.”[ESV]

1. His inheritance is gone and a famine strikes where the young man is living, and he has two choices: die of starvation or find a job to survive.
2. You know what? Dying isn't his choice. He goes out to find a job. Verse 15 – “So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.”
3. Look at the context of all this. The boy gets a job to feed pigs. I don't think Jesus is making this story overly complicated for us to figure out. I am hearing Jesus speak right into my life as well as the lives of those listening. If I am like one of those tax collectors and sinners, and I chose to walk away from the relationship that comes from God’s family, and if I chose to live the way I wanted to live, and then I find that I do not like what my life has become, I did it to myself.
4. Those people may understand the pigs much better than you and I understand them. The young man finds himself feeding pigs. He doesn't just find himself feeding pigs, the Bible says in the next verse that he finds himself wanting to eat the food that he is feeding them.
5. That tells me that pigs are more valuable than the boy is to the owner of the pigs. He who had found the benign governance of his father so unbearable, has been reduced to submission as one of the lowest menials.

C. Back to the parable in verse 17, Luke 15:17 – “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!” It says “he came to himself”, some translations say he “came to his senses.”

1. When he came to his senses, what does he remember? The relationship with his father. He remembers what it's like to be a part of the family. His desire is to go back home and to be a part of that again.
2. That's a very difficult thing to do, because the moment you do that, you've got to admit you messed up. Most people don't want to get to that point. They don't want to say, I messed up, I walked away. They want to find a way to blame their situation on someone or something else. It's the church's fault, it's God's fault, it's my family's fault.
3. This boy, to his credit, told himself the truth. Instead of a false bravado with which he might have screwed up his courage to stick it out, he simply faced up to the facts of his hunger, loneliness, and hopelessness.

D. He puts together his confession and his decision in verses 18 and 19, Luke 15:18-19 – “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.'' '”

1. The son plans to talk to his father and he's going to say; “I’ve sinned against heaven and against you, I am no longer worthy to be called a son.” Would you give me a job? He is asking; Would you at least let me be kind of connected to the family, if not a part of the family? Could I be on the outskirts of the family and still enjoy a little bit of the benefits of the family?
2. Remember, if you were listening to Jesus talk and heard the first two stories and now this third one, you knew as a sinner Jesus was talking about you. Jesus spoke into your life, your past, and reminded you that you are spiritually where you are because of your own choices.
3. These people were coming to hear Jesus for a reason. They were on their journey from the pigs back home and Jesus takes them to the Father in the parable.

E. The son has put his confession together in his head and then we come to Luke 15:20. “he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”

1. Whoa! Wait a second. Doesn't that boy need to say, Father, I totally messed up. I am wrong. I am no longer worthy to be called your child. Doesn't he need to get all of that out first?
2. Verse 20 is full of emotion: But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, felt compassion, ran and embraced him. Wait, doesn't he need to sit on that front row and confess every sin he's ever done publicly in front of everybody else and be totally humiliated before we could give him a hug?

F. The Bible says while he, the son, was yet a great way off, his father saw him. How did that happen? I suspect we might say the father had kept an “eye out” for the son. Remember who the first people to hear this were.

1. The point of the story is that Jesus is saying God desires those tax collectors and sinners. If I was one of those people and I'm listening to that story, this has got to be overwhelming to me. That's the God that I walked away from yet He runs to me.
2. The God to whom I said to; I would rather live my own life than live in relationship with you—embraces me.
3. Doesn’t the son confess? Yes he does in verse 21 but he does not need to seek his father out. I note that the son never came out with the intended request to be made as one of his father's hired servants. His father interrupted him before that part of his speech could be made! The son’s coming home was the repentance his father wanted to see. What is the father’s reaction to the repentance of the son? He throws a party!
4. Think what it would have felt like to know that the Father you rejected would run to meet you. Jesus tells of the father in this verse that he was watching for the son to return and when he saw him “he felt compassion” and ran to him.

G. How does God run to us today? God didn’t wait for us to make it all the way home. God comes running to us with a message of love and forgiveness in the form of Jesus. The father doesn’t wait for the son to get out his words of confession and sorrow. Instead, the father interrupts and throws a party for the son who came home.

1. Jesus Christ, put Himself right here on this earth to show us the Father's love. He came not because I am worthy to go to him, but because of the cross and the resurrection.
2. He opens His arms for me to be in a relationship that I don't deserve to be in, to live under a new covenant, this body of Christ.

IV. Lessons From The Father - Here is what I observe we should learn as fathers from the father Jesus describes: First, there is the possibility that our children will hurt us. Here's the truth, children will probably cause us to hurt inside at some point in our adult life, in their adult life.

A. They will either say or do things that could cause us to feel as though they are dismissing who we are in their life, not that they hate us of course. They've cut those apron strings and I understand much of that, but I know that there are going to be times in which adult children still bring pain to their parents.

1. I have met few parents of adult children who have not felt some hurt by their kids. Certainly not to the degree in this story, but parents hurt when their children dismiss their love and guidance.

B. The second lesson is that we want to be the type of father that should the need arise, meets our repentant child with a true embrace. We want to be the father that doesn't have to wait for our child to say I'm sorry. When we see the actions that he or she is trying to put forth into words, let it cause us to say, “we're good”.

1. Even though they may work through trying to say what they're trying to say, we want to be the type of dad that embraces them and loves them even when they know they've hurt the relationship. If their life shows the signs of repentance, then our actions will be to embrace them without shaming them.

C. Third, we want to be the father that promotes unity in the family. Luke 15:25-28 – “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. "So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. "And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.' "But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.”

1. Jesus in this parable tells is not just about the prodigal son and the father. The story is also about the older brother, which we know is the representation of those Pharisees and teachers of the law that were muttering about Jesus spending too much time with the tax collectors and sinners.
2. The older brother, when he hears the music and he finds out what's going on, stays outside. The father has to go out to him, just like the father went running to the younger son. The father could have just focused on the family and the younger son. He also might have said, wait a second, you say you've never messed up. I could probably give you time and time again in which you have.
3. I give a tremendous amount of honor to the father of this parable, because the bottom line is... he's got two kids that have really messed up, one just more publicly than the other. It doesn't stop the father from going out to the elder son and listening to the older son talk about how life isn't fair.
4. Perhaps the older brother would have deserved some correction but the father does not do that. He points out what's right with both of them. The focus is on what is good.
5. We should want to be a type of father who does that. The father doesn't deny anything. He just simply says to that older child, everything I have is yours. Then the father talked about “his brother” that was dead and is now alive, was lost and is now found.
6. The father doesn’t dismiss the older brother or tell him how bad he is, but he wants the boys to see the same value in each other that he sees in both of his sons.
7. The father promotes unity among his children, even though the children, these boys, probably are struggling to have unity with each other. That’s the kind of father we should want to be. The father loves them both, and it really kind of brings me to my fourth and last lesson that I learned from the father in the story.

D. Fourth, we want to be a father who celebrates what’s right about our kids, not focus on their failures. The father that Jesus speaks of sees the good in the repentance of the younger brother and the good in the faithfulness and work of the older brother. That’s the kind of father we want to be.

CONCLUSION:
It’s Father’s Day and I am a blessed dad. I have children who care about me or at least they tolerate me. They live in relationship with me though we are apart physically. They share their family with me. I feel blessed by my children, children-in-law and grand children. I am also blessed with nieces and nephews and their children and their children’s children. They may think I am out of touch with reality at times, but they love me. They are kind to me, treat me with respect and share their lives with me. I am a blessed dad.

Do we ever disagree now that my children are adults? Yes. Do we work through it? Absolutely, we're family and we want to stay family.

Jesus is telling us not about the personal family, but about God's will. Jesus tells us just a little about the nature of our Heavenly Father.

God loves you.
You have a Father in heaven who, even when you disappoint Him, will run to welcome you with a hug when you come home. We have a Heavenly Father who celebrates us and values us even when we have given no reason for God to value us.

We have a Heavenly Father whose family is big enough for all of us. Some of you really are better, more spiritual, and live more holy lives than others. Just don’t forget the family of God welcomes home the worst of us.
If God is going to love the unlovable, the hurtful, the one whose life and words cut to the heart; then I want to make sure this family is open enough for them to come home and be celebrated.

I will close with this thought: Are we the type of church, the church which belongs to Christ, that welcomes home someone whose life has been lived in open rebellion but would really like to find their way back to something better?

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In this plan we learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.
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Reference Sermon: Jeffrey Dillinger

What Is a "Jesus plus" Gospel?

Acts 15:1-13

INTRO: This morning I’m going to continue from where we left off in the book of Acts. We left Paul and Barnabas in Antioch encouraging all the believers by telling them what God had done through them and how God had opened a door for them to preach to the Gentiles. What we’re going to see today is warning for the church about legalism.

First I want to tell you a story about someone we all know, Little Johnny. Little Johnny and his mother returned from the store and began putting away the groceries. Johnny opened a box of animal crackers and spread them all over the table. "What are you doing?" his mother asked. "The box says not to eat them if the seal is broken" Johnny explained. "I'm looking for the seal."

That young man did what he knew he should, and read the label. When you read a label, make sure you understand what you’re reading. If there is one thing we know as Christians, it is that there will always be questions which need to be answered. When those questions come up we need to go out of our way to answer them.

I. Read with me what Luke tells us happens in Acts 15... If you recall in Acts 14 at end the chapter Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch, now in; Acts 15:1-2 - “And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.'' Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.”.

A. Luke tells us that certain men caused a great uproar among the Gentile churches. They taught that submission to the Law of Moses, as demonstrated by circumcision, was required for a person to be saved.
B. Their teaching didn’t go unnoticed and led Paul and Barnabas to raise some serious questions. These teachers were quite willing that the Gentiles should come into the Church but on the condition that first they became circumcised. If this attitude had prevailed, Christianity would have become nothing other than a sect of Judaism. Preaching the resurrection of Christ, of course, but nevertheless relying on the Law of Moses for salvation. This argument split what had been a united church into two distinct camps. Circumcised and uncircumcised. Paul and Barnabas argued strongly about this and matters were at a deadlock.
C. Paul records an event in Galatians 2:12-13 – where he is speaking about Peter; “... before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy”. We see from this how Peter was influenced and that in turn influenced others including Barnabas.
D. Commissioned by the church in Antioch, Paul, Barnabas and some unnamed others went to Jerusalem to get answers for those questions. Remember the church is still in its infancy, yet it appears that we’re beginning to see a division within the Lord’s church between the circumcised and uncircumcised.

II. Let’s look at the next verse. Acts 15:3 - “Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren." [NAS]

A. I’d like us to notice that when Paul and Barnabas were on their journey they didn’t stop everywhere and tell about the problems the church in Antioch was having. Instead the group reported the conversions which had been occurring in the Gentile world because of the preaching of the gospel. When the Christians heard the report they rejoiced and this is a great example to us of what our reaction should be to the saving of a soul.
B. Can an assembly have problems? Sure they can, and it is our duty as Christians is to address the problem with love and the Word. Ok, funny story time; Over in England there was a new priest who was trying to institute some reforms in his very old-fashioned parish by teaching his congregation new responses. He said to them, "When I say, 'The Lord be with you,' you will reply all together, 'and with you also.' Then I will say, 'Let us pray.'" The day came for the introduction of the new form of worshipping but something happened to the microphone, and the priest, trying to adjust it, said in a loud voice, "There is something wrong with this microphone." The congregation responded with one loud voice, "And with you also!"
C. When we go around and talk about church problems to anyone and everyone we speak to, there is something wrong with us as well. Paul and Barnabas didn’t speak to anyone about the problems in Antioch until they got to the people they wanted to ask the questions of.
D. What you talk to others about is your choice. However when you make that choice consider; Proverbs 10:19-21 - “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.”
E. If all we focus on are the problems, we’re going to miss out on the things which God is accomplishing in front of our eyes. I know news travels fast these days especially with the internet, but it never ceases to amaze me how fast news traveled during Biblical times. My mother used to say “nothing travels faster than bad news.”

III. Let’s look now at the next two verses, 4 and 5; Acts 15:4-5 - “when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees , now listen, which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” Note; here we are in Jerusalem and are told of some men of the school of the Pharisees which believed, that is have accepted Christ, yet hold on to something else.

A. Luke tells us that when Paul and Barnabas arrived in Jerusalem, they again reported on the good which had been done among the Gentiles. When you go home today I’d suggest you take the time to read Galatians 2 where you will find a more detailed account of these events in Jerusalem. In the second verse of Galatians 2 we read; “communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation”. It seems from Galatians 2 that Paul reported to a small group of reputable men.
B. Paul spoke to a small group of men because by doing that he could avoid a public confrontation between the apostles. Paul related to them the gospel he had preached among the gentiles. As Christians we can deal with problems the right way but if there are people who insist in causing more problems, there’s little that we can do to stop it.
C. Luke told us in Acts 15:5 - “... there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” Some from among the Pharisees still pressed their point by saying that all Gentiles who wanted to go to heaven would have to submit to the Law of Moses. This is a perfect example of a “grace plus” gospel.
D. These people are saying you need to obey the gospel of Christ but... you also need to be circumcised in the flesh to be saved. Legalism is nothing new nor has it gone away; in fact it’s still very popular within certain religious groups.

IV. I don’t want to look at other religious groups though; Today I want us to take a closer look at ourselves. Are we legalistic? How can we tell if we are?

A. If you think that you only have to attend worship every week for your salvation then you might be a legalist. If you think that you have to do good deeds for your salvation then you might be a legalist. We do not attend worship for our salvation; we attend worship because of our salvation. We do not do good deeds for our salvation we do good deeds because of our salvation.
B. There are too many legalistic Christians in the world who are quick to condemn other people because of something they don’t agree with. Christians who make huge issues out of things like what translation of the Bible we all must use.
C. We can only use this version and never that version. We can only use a particular hymnbook for singing. We can only worship in a building which doesn’t have a kitchen in it. We can only observe the Lord’s Supper each week if we use one cup. Yes, we do struggle with issues of doctrine at times.
D. I heard a story about a man who got to the gates of heaven and Peter was there to meet him. The man asked, "can I come into heaven?" and Peter said, " it depends, I've got to see if you've got 1000 points." The man said, "A 1000 points?" Peter said, "Yeah, tell me what you've done in your life." The man said, "well, I'm sure I've got a 1000 points, I've been a Christian almost all of my adult life, I've been a faithful husband and father, I've got 3 kids, one is a preacher, one is a missionary, my daughter is a nurse in the slums, I went one night a week to work with her, I was a faithful member of the church, I was an elder for 20 years, I supported mission works all over the world, I witnessed my faith in my job, I anonymously helped build a hospital, how much is that?" Peter looked and said, "that's one point what else have you done?"... At that the startled man said, "Lord have mercy". Then Peter said, "That's a 1000 points, come on in."
E. Folks, we do not rely on anything we do for salvation but we totally rely on what Christ has done for our salvation. In other words we don’t try and be faithful to live the Christian life for our salvation; we try and live the Christian life faithfully because of our salvation.
F. We need to keep away from the “Jesus plus”, plans of salvation because all that does is create a legalistic attitude among the saints where some think they are better than others. Paul warns us about that attitude in 2 Corinthians 10:12-13 – which says in part; “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” [NKJ]

V. Well then, what of works? I think it’s important to say that works do have an important place for Christians concerning their salvation. Having said that I know the legalists might be thinking, wait a minute Tom, what about Ephesians 2:8-9 - where Paul says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”

A. What Paul says is true but it is also true that the New Testament informs us that faith without works is dead. James tells us this in James 2:14-24. Since the Bible, being the word of God, does not contradict itself, there must be a sensible solution to this apparent difficulty.
B. Certainly the solution is not as Luther suggested, that one is at liberty to reject the book of James as an inspired document! What we need to do is recognize that there are different kinds of works addressed in the Bible, and a difference in the performance of an act or work.
C. For example—the Bible talks about the Works of the Law. In his letter to the Romans, Paul makes it clear that no one can be saved by keeping the works of Moses’ law. In Romans 3:28 Paul argued that “a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law”. The term “law” in this passage is broader than the Mosaic system, though it certainly includes that law. It does not suggest that obedience to Christ may be ignored with impunity.
D. A little later in Romans 6:17 Paul affirmed that these saints in Rome had embraced freedom from the penalty of sin as a result of having been “obedient from the heart” to the “pattern of teaching” by which they were delivered.

1. As an aside; they knew what they were doing, and did it of their own free will i.e., “from the heart”. Their choice was a response to a “pattern of teaching”, their baptism was instructed baptism. A person was not baptized on a moment of emotion. They were instructed. They had to know what they were doing; they were shown what Christ offered and required. Then, and only then, would they be informed so could they make the decision.
2. Following the works of the Mosaic Law could not save because it required perfect compliance. Paul explains this well in his letter to the Galatians starting in Galatians 3:10 and following.

E. If we look at Hebrews 10:4 it tells us that the commands of Moses had only the blood of animals, which could not atone for sin in the absolute sense. The primary focus of the Hebrew system was to direct attention to the coming Messiah. In Galatians 3:24-25 – we read; “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” [NKJ]
F. The law was never designed to provide the ultimate phase of God’s plan of salvation. Because if it was and the Mosaic Law had that kind of power, Christ need never have died in the first place as the sin-offering. Paul tells us so in Galatians 2:21 “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.'' [NKJ]
G. Again referring to Ephesians 2:8-9 - that, “For by grace have you been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works that no man should glory”. [NKJ] The works here which Paul is talking about are those which men pile up, imagining that such will justify them, while they, with a smug self-sufficiency, ignore the sacrifice of Christ and God’s redemptive grace. I know people that say you just have to be a good person and God will take you to heaven. The “good person” they have in mind is man’s idea of “good”. I would suggest, you can not be “good” as God intends it unless you obey the gospel.

VI. The Red Cross is famous for its benevolent efforts, but there is no justification to be found there, because its “works” are mere human benevolent efforts, wholly separated from the mission of the Son of God. Anyone who boasts, “I am a good person; I do not need Jesus Christ,” is guilty of the same mistake.

A. Then the Bible talks about the works of obedience. There are works mentioned in the Bible that are designated as “works of God.” By this expression it is not implied that these are works which God himself performs. Rather, they are works ordained of God, to be obeyed by men, that are indispensable to salvation.
B. Look at John 6:28 where the disciples asked the Lord, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus responded in John 6:29 - "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.'' Notice that this “work of God” required a human response. They were to respond by believing.
C. We also need to keep in mind that “repentance” is a component in God’s scheme of redemption. We saw that in Acts 2:38 and Acts 3:19. Yet, repentance is classified as a “work.” There is no question about it; certain kinds of works are a part of the salvation process.
D. The reason we spent a bit of time on this was simply to explain that we need to be careful when we say that were saved by grace. Because works are also a part of God’s plan for our salvation. Are we saved by grace? Yes we are. Are we saved by works? Yes we are, but we need to be clear when we say that, lest those that hear us start looking for that “broken seal animal cracker”.

VII. Paul and Barnabas have some question from the saints in Antioch and these other circumcised believers in Jerusalem which need to be answered. Look at the next verses in Acts 15:6-12 - “ So the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: "Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. "So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us, "and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. "Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.'' Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. " [NKJ]

A. First of all note the words “to consider this matter”, this is different from “to decide”. Luke tells us that the questions which needed to be answered were placed before the apostles and elders and it seems as though quite a discussion followed, which in itself is an important point. Luke says “after much discussion” Peter addressed them. A discussion involves more than one person and the reason I believe this is important is because you need to use multiple resources to get your answers.

1. Let me expand on that lest I be misunderstood. In other words when someone asks you a question to which you don’t know the answer, ask as many people as you can for an answer but... start and end with the Bible. When I have questions I will go to my resources for answers. If I don’t find the answer within the text, I look at literature and the web but I don’t just stop there. I ask Christians who are very mature in their Biblical knowledge and get answers from them. When I finally exhaust all my resources, I look at these answers and weigh up which ones make sense and, this is the important point, are in harmony with the rest of the Bible.
2. Folks, please don’t just settle for an answer from one person, look at your resources and ask as many knowledgeable people as you can. That’s what these people did before Peter addressed them.

B. Peter's actions were not always commendable, as when he dissembled in Antioch for example, but it is clear that he knew the truth. He insisted that God intended for the Gentiles to receive salvation through Jesus and such was the rule of authority for the church. He reminded them that God had sent him to the house of Cornelius to preach the gospel and they were accepted on the basis of the same obedient faith demonstrated by the Jews on Pentecost.
C. He asked, “why should the gentiles be burdened with a law which neither the Jews, nor their fathers, had been able to keep”? In fact, Peter said placing such a requirement on the Gentiles would test God.
D. Instead of meriting salvation through perfect law keeping, all would be saved by the grace of God. Here we see the “gospel of grace” silences the “grace plus” viewpoint.
E. Acts 15:13 - “The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.” Luke tells us that Paul and Barnabas' gave their dramatic report of the miracles God had worked through them among the Gentiles.

CONCLUSION:
The sectarian idea that this was a General Council of the Church, convened to settle true Christian doctrine, misses the point altogether. The council was in error, not the apostle Paul. Although the brethren appointed Paul to go up to Jerusalem, it was God who sent him there (Galatians 2:2), not to permit the council to pass on Paul's preaching, but in order to correct the shameful failure of the apostles and elders in that city to admit the Gentiles, without any restrictions, into the Christian fellowship. In Galatians, Paul flatly affirmed that:

“But from those who seemed to be something, whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.”
Note what Paul says: They ... added nothing to me; but on the contrary ... when they perceived the grace that was given unto me ... they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship (Galatians 2:6-9).

Paul had fully as much authority as anyone in the Jerusalem church; and it would have been shameful for the great apostle who for years had already been preaching God's will regarding circumcision and the Law of Moses, both of which had been nailed to the cross of Christ, to then have submitted the issue to the Jewish party in Jerusalem, even bolstered as it was by James and the apostles. No! Paul never did any such thing; but through God's revelation, he went up there to correct them and to bring conciliation, and to bring them into line with the will of God... not the other way around.

Folks, may we never boast about our good deeds. May we never put an extra burden around each others necks to try and earn our salvation. May we always tell others about the good news of Jesus Christ and the great things He is doing through us all. And may we always preach the, “Jesus plus nothing”, plan of salvation.

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In this plan we learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.
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Reference Sermon: by Mike Glover

It Makes No Difference To God

James 2:1-13

I love that story about a man who fell into a pit and could not get out. A few minutes later a subjective person came along and said, "I feel for you, down there." And then an objective person came along and said, "It's logical that someone would fall down there." A little later a Pharisee said, "Only bad people fall into a pit." And then a mathematician calculated how he fell into the pit. Still a little later a self-pitying person said, "You haven't seen anything until you've seen my pit!" And then a charismatic said, "Just confess that you're not in a pit." He was followed by an optimist who said, "Things could be worse." And then finally a pessimist came along and said, "Things will get worse."

You see friends, the world holds different views about people in different situations and while the world looks at people and considers what do to next. We need to be like Jesus who came along and saw that man in the pit and took him by the hand and lifted him out. Because, Jesus doesn’t care who you are or what your situation is, His hand is always outstretched to help you.

Now we know that during Biblical times there were many social barriers, people were either rich or poor, slaves or free, Jew or Gentile, Greek or Barbarian. But part of the good news of the gospel was that because Jesus... social barriers lost much of their strength. Paul says in Galatians 3:28 “So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ Jesus.”

He also says in Colossians 3:11“As a result, there is no longer any distinction between Gentiles and Jews, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarians, savages, slaves, and free, but Christ is all, Christ is in all.” But if your living in a society which is so used to social barriers it can take some time for those barriers to come down.
It was going to take time for this truth to sink into the hearts of those who were Christians. Even the apostle Peter, as great a servant of Christ that he was took time to understand this truth. That’s why according to the Book of Acts God had to tell Peter through a vision and a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit that God doesn’t prefer one race of people to another. Acts 10:34-35 “ Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

Now you may be wondering what has this got to do with today’s lesson? Well in James 2:1-13 James is going to deal with the problem of partiality. Because not only was it a problem which was going on in the Lord’s church in James’ day but it’s still a problem today within the Lord’s church. Now we know from other scriptures that Jewish Christians often showed partiality in regards to the Gentiles.

But here in James the problem was showing partiality between the rich and poor. James 2:1-4 “My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance. Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes. If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, "Have this best seat here," but say to the poor man, "Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet," then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives”.

The definition of prejudging is to form a judgment on (an issue or person) prematurely and without having adequate information.   "it is wrong to prejudge an issue on the basis of speculation"

And please don’t think that we cannot be guilty of this today. It still happens; I’ve seen it happen where some people treat rich people different from the poor.
I know people who will happily invite their rich friends back for dinner but totally ignore their poor friends. And if there has ever been a long lasting problem in this world, it’s the problem of racism. Christians should not be in the practice of showing favour according to race.

Our goal as Christians is to imitate Jesus, to be like Him in all ways. Luke 6:40 “No pupils are greater than their teacher; but all pupils, when they have completed their training, will be like their teacher”. In other words all of our actions whether they are done physically or verbally should be a reflection of what Jesus teaches.

I’ve said this many times now, people in the street don’t read the Bible, they read our lives and our lives may be the only way they can get to know Jesus. And what I’m saying is that if we show partiality as Christians, then we leave the impression that Jesus Himself is partial. In other words, if you’re prejudiced, then people will think that Jesus is prejudiced. If you’re biased with people then people will think that Jesus is biased with people. If you are a racist, then you’re telling the world that Jesus is a racist. Do you see what James is saying? He’s saying that if we are not careful ...the glory of the Lord can be spoiled by our partiality.

In other words we become judges with evil thoughts. James 2:4 “Then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.” God has always hated unjust judges, hasn’t He? Jesus Himself warned us about the dangers of judging in Matthew 7:1“Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you.”

Now remember Jesus didn’t say, never judge but what He did say is that we need to judge right. John 7:24 “Stop judging by external standards, and judge by true standards." James’ point is this, if we judge against the poor due to our prejudice against them, we will find ourselves actually fighting against God! The Psalmist reminds us of that fact in Psalm 109:31
“Because he defends the poor and saves them from those who condemn them to death.” But not only do we find ourselves fighting against God, we actually end up despising the very people whom God chose to honor.

James 2:5 “Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.”
according to 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, the vast majority of those who responded to the gospel message were from among the poor. God chose to honor all people back then and He still chooses to honor all people today.

There's a wonderful story about a church that once asked for a letter of recommendation on a young graduate who was being considered for employment as a preacher. The congregation he was a part of could not say enough about the young man. They wrote, ‘his father was an Elder for many years; his mother was a missionary, his great grandfather was a great preacher and his two brothers serve as deacons in another congregation.’ His recommendation was given without hesitation. Several days later, the church sent a note saying the information supplied was altogether inadequate. It read: "We are not contemplating using the young man for breeding purposes. Just to preach."

You see, it makes no difference to God, He is not a respecter of persons but He accepts those from every family, nation, and race who fear Him and work for His kingdom. That was the whole point of Peter’s vision.

Acts 10:34-35 “Peter began to speak: "I now realize that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis. Those who fear him and do what is right are acceptable to him, no matter what race they belong to.” In other words when we show partiality because of a person's race or because they are a stranger that we do not know.

It’s then that we despise those whom God has honored by His offering to them salvation through the gospel. And let me tell you friends this is one crime we don’t want to be guilty of when we face God on Judgment Day. You see as Christians we sometimes still think like the world thinks.

James tells us next in James 2:6-7 “But you dishonour the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich! They are the ones who speak evil of that good name which has been given to you.” It was the rich who were doing this to the Christians in James' day. And, Just like we find in James’ day there are people today who try to win the majority over to their way of thinking. And sadly what we often find it is usually the "well-off."

And, if we allow them to oppress us or influence us towards others, we all end up breaking what James calls "the royal law or the law of the Kingdom." James 2:8-11 “You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker. Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all. For the same one who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder." Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker if you commit murder”.

In other words we break the law which says, "You shall love your neighbor as your self." And make no mistake about it, this is one of the most fundamental laws that God has ever given.
A man came up to Jesus one time and asked Him in Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher," he asked, "which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and the most important commandment.
The second most important commandment is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

We need to remember that we are sinners ... Romans 3:22-23 "22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:  23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

So, what James is telling us today is that if we show partiality to some people then that makes us as guilty as an adulterer
or a murderer. And I don’t know about you but this illustrates quite powerfully to me just how terrible any sin is. Those in the world who aren’t yet Christians still have a sin problem to deal with. And it’s a problem they can’t deal with themselves; sin is a problem which only God can solve.

And He paid the price for our sins by sending His son to shed His blood and die on the cross. An old time minister understood this point of Jesus dying for our sins. And, one night while the minister was returning home from an evening service he was robbed. The thief, however, found his victim to have only a little money and some Christian literature.

As the bandit was leaving, The Minister called out, "Stop! I have something more to give you." The surprised robber paused.
"My friend," said The Minister, "you may live to regret this sort of life. If you ever do, here's something to remember:
'The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin!'"

The thief hurried away, and The Minister prayed that his words might bear fruit. Years later, The Minister was greeting people after a Sunday service when he was approached by a stranger. What a surprise to learn that this visitor, now a believer in Christ as a successful businessman, was the one who had robbed him years before!

"I owe it all to you," said the transformed man. "Oh no, my friend," The Minister exclaimed, "not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin!"

Ephesians 1:6-7   "6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"

You see friends, when we are baptized into Christ, we come into contact with the blood of Christ which sets us free from our sin. And it’s then we are right with God and because we’re right with God we don’t need to fear Judgement Day. But Judgment Day is waiting for us all, and if we’re going to be judged we all need to know and understand the standard by which were going to be judged.

4 And that standard is found in James next words. James 2:12-13 “12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.  13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

The law that sets us free refers to the law of Christ, or the gospel. That law which according to John 8:31-38 has set us free from the bondage of sin through the mercy shown in Christ. That law according to Colossians 2:20-22 which has set us free from man-made restrictions. And so what James is saying to us this morning is that if we apply man-made restrictions upon others like showing partiality. We’re actually not showing mercy toward others. And we all know what happens if we don’t show mercy; no mercy will be shown toward us.

Matthew 6:14-15 “If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done.”

Why wouldn’t we want certain people to receive mercy when we need it so much ourselves? Why wouldn’t we want the sex offender or the wife beater to come into contact with the blood of Christ when we need it so much ourselves? Why wouldn’t we want to help the rich or poor person to get to heaven when we know full well we can’t make it without help on our own?

That’s why “My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance”.
James 2:1. That’s why we should “Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free.”

A girl recalls a moment in her life that she will always remember...
One evening my mother made dinner after a hard day's work. She put a plate of eggs and burnt toast in front of my father ...
I immediately noticed, the burnt toast ....
And, I was waiting to see if he was going to complain about it, but my father started to eat them, smiling and asked me how I spent my day at school ...
My mom apologized to my dad for the burnt toast.
I will never forget his response to her:
“Honey, I love burnt toast!"
Later when I went to bed and my dad came over to kiss me goodnight, I asked him if he really liked the burnt toast?
He hugged me and said, "Your mother has had a difficult day and she is really tired.
She went out of her way to prepare this meal for us, why blame her and hurt her.
Burnt toast never hurt anyone; but words can be very painful! "
We have to know how to appreciate what others do for us, even if it's not perfect, because it's the intention to do well that counts, and no one is perfect ...

Sermon Contributor : Michael Glover

How Do You Compare to The Prophet Elijah?

James 1:21-22 & James 5:17

Four Students plan to arrive late to their final exam so they can take it the next day. By the time they arrive the exam is almost over, so they head over to the professor to ask if they can take it the next day. They tell him they tried their best to come on time, but their tire blew out and it took a very long time to replace it. The professor tells them, "Don't worry about it. You can take it today and, since there's almost no time left, you only have to answer one question. If you get it right, I'll give you an A on the test." The students, thinking this is even better than they thought, excitedly take their seats and look at the question:
Which tire blew out?
James 1:21-22 tells us 21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Life is a daily test and God records in the Book of Life our answers according to how we live our lives. And, to go along with the story I started this sermon with, I too have one question. How do we measure up when compared to the prophet Elijah?
in James 5:17. It says this: Elijah was a man like us, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
You remember Elijah. He was one of the greatest prophets of the OT. He is the one who stood before wicked King Ahab & looked him eyeball to eyeball & said, "Ahab, if you don’t straighten up the heavens will be sealed & there will be no more rain on our land."

Someone described Elijah as a "blood & guts" prophet. Elijah is the one who climbed to the top of Mt. Carmel for a "call down fire from heaven" showdown with the priests of Baal, & who said to the people of Israel, "Who are you going to worship, Baal or Jehovah? Let’s settle it once & for all."

You remember Elijah. When his life’s work was over he was the one who was caught up in the whirlwind & a chariot of fire sent by God.

And when Jesus was on the earth, Elijah & Moses were the ones whom God chose to meet & talk with Jesus on the Mt. of Transfiguration.

When John the Baptist started preaching, the crowds said, "Elijah has come back." And when Jesus hung on the cross & cried out, "Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani?" the crowds said, "He is crying for Elijah to come."
In every Orthodox Jewish home at Passover time, even today, when they put the chairs around the table & spread all the emblems of Passover, there is always one empty chair because they are waiting for Elijah to come.

Elijah, the OT prophet of God, was a very special person indeed! And yet, there is this amazing statement in James 5:17that says, "Elijah was a man just like us." And that phrase, "just like us," is only used one other time in all the Bible.

The 14th chapter of Acts tells about Paul & Barnabas in the city of Lystra. They healed a crippled man & the miracle was so amazing that the citizens of Lystra decided that Paul & Barnabas were gods. They called Paul "Mercury" & Barnabas "Zeus" & began to worship & offer sacrifices to them.
But as the crowd surrounded them, Paul cried out, "Wait. We’re not gods. We’re men, just like you."

What does James mean when he says, "Elijah was a man just like us?" To be honest with you, I’m having a little trouble with that also. Can you picture Elijah driving up & down the roads of Chardon? Can you see him in line at McDonald’s, ordering a Big Mac & french fries? or shopping at Walmart? Rather hard to imagine, isn’t it? Yet, James says that "Elijah was a man just like us."

If James had said that Peter was "a man just like us," I wouldn’t have as much trouble believing that because Peter was often saying the wrong thing, talking when he should have kept quiet & making mistakes.
So if James had said, "Peter was a man just like us." I would say, "Yes, I can somewhat relate to that."

But James says, "Elijah was a man just like us." As a prophet from God, Elijah did some very extraordinary things.

But James’ message is that Elijah was just an ordinary person, & that God can take ordinary people & accomplish extraordinary things. So, let’s take a closer look at Elijah to see what we can learn from his example.

First of all, we learn from Elijah that someone committed to God will not compromise his faith. Elijah has an interesting name. It comes from two words, "el" & "jah." Put them together & his name means, "Jehovah is God." Now that may sound redundant, but his name was very important, & it reflected Elijah’s conviction.

A. Elijah believed with all his heart that "Jehovah is God, & there is no other God." And that brought him into a direct confrontation with King Ahab. You remember King Ahab, don’t you? Maybe you remember his wife better. Her name was Jezebel.
Now King Ahab also believed that Jehovah was God. The problem was that he married a woman who believed that Baal was God.
And Ahab was a politician who didn’t want to offend anybody, especially Jezebel. Therefore he decided, "If worshiping one god is good, then worshiping two gods is even better."
So he built altars to Jehovah & also to Baal. Into his palace he brought priests of Jehovah & also priests of Baal, & he told the people, "You can worship whichever God you choose, or you can worship both of them if you want."

B. But Elijah confronted Ahab & condemned his idolatry. As a result of Ahab’s example,

Many of the Israelites were now worshiping Baal, while others were worshiping Baal one day & Jehovah the next. They couldn’t make up their minds.
Finally Elijah calls for a climactic contest on top of Mt. Carmel & in 1 Kings 18:21 he utters these words to the people of Israel, "How long are you going to waver between two opinions? If Jehovah is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him."

Elijah was saying, "You cannot serve both Jehovah & Baal at the same time. So make up your minds which one you’re going to worship." And he challenged the priests of Baal to a contest to see which one is God & actually able to answer prayer.

The priests of Baal built an altar & called on Baal to send down fire from heaven. But nothing happened. They shouted out to Baal almost all day long until they were hoarse. They tore their clothing, & even cut themselves, but nothing happened.

Finally, when it was obvious that they had completely failed to get any response from Baal, Elijah said, "Now it is my turn." It was time to prove once & for all who is the one true God.

In 1 Kings 18:30 we read, "Then Elijah said to all the people, ’Come here to me.’ They came to him, & he repaired the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins."
Elijah rebuilds the long neglected altar of God & offers his sacrifice upon it. Then when Elijah prays, God dramatically responds with fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice. “Jehovah is God." That is the proclamation of the life of Elijah.

C. Is there a message there for the church today? It seems to me that there is. Elijah said, "I will not be contaminated by my surroundings. I will keep my life pure, my testimony untarnished. I will keep on standing up for the fact that God is who He is, & there is no other god."

Do we need to hear & proclaim that message today?
You see the world will tolerate us as Christians as long as we don’t get too serious about it. It is perfectly acceptable to the world for us to believe that Jesus is the Christ as long as we conform to its standards & values & attitudes.

Several years ago an article appeared in the Wall Street Journal about a woman who called herself Reverend Terry & her new-age religion. She called it "The New Christianity" & here is what it said that she teaches.
"Happiness is limitless, & people don’t need to change for the better, but simply to realize that they are already perfect."
As you look at the world around us, do you believe that? Somehow, she seems to have a very strange perception of this world.

She doesn’t believe in sin or hell. "Sin is simply self hatred," she says, "& hell is what some of us build for ourselves right here on earth."

The article described her audiences as young & suntanned, driving Mercedes & BMW’s. She teaches prosperity & happiness & says, "You should never feel guilty for anything that you do, but rejoice in your own perfection." Now isn’t that comforting? "Do what you want to do & never feel guilty."

Her conclusion is that since there isn’t any such thing as sin, there is no need or room for Jesus Christ to come & save us from our sins.
Somehow it all sounds like the 18th chapter of I Kings, doesn’t it - where they compromised & diluted the worship of God to the place where they were no longer paying any attention to the word or will of God.

Is that what is happening today? People say, "Your god is as good as mine. You worship yours & I’ll worship mine & I might even worship yours once in a while because it really doesn’t make much difference." OR, you worship the way you want to worship and I will worship the way I want to do.

But Elijah’s message for us today is, "Separate yourselves from the world’s values... not isolate yourselves but separate yourselves." We must never be contaminated by what “the world” teaches.
The PRODICAL SON’s story in the New Testament illustrates this point.

Now let’s look at Romans 12:1 2. We’ve heard it so often that I am not sure we really listen to it.
Paul says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test & approve what God’s will is His good, pleasing & perfect will."

There are two words in this passage that I have underlined: "conform" & "transform." And as you study the Bible & read about the impact made by lives of the people mentioned in its pages you’ll find that they can fit into one of two categories: those who conformed to their world, & those who transformed their world.
Ananias & Sapphira conformed. Yes, they went to church, & they said their prayers. They joined in the life of the church. They were respected in the church. But they desired to be praised, & they ended up lying to the Holy Spirit.

Judas conformed. He had the privilege of listening to the teachings of Jesus of learning straight from the lips of Jesus Himself. But he conformed & sold out to the world.
Joseph in the OT didn’t conform. He was sold into slavery.
He found himself tempted to commit adultery with Potiphar’s wife. But he didn’t conform to the world, & in time he transformed the world in which he lived.
Daniel did not conform. He wouldn’t conform to the pleasures of the palace. He wouldn’t bow down to their golden idols. He kept on believing & praying & he transformed the world that was around him.

The same is true of Peter, James, John, & all the other great saints who followed God. The pressures were there, but they would not conform & finally they turned the world upside down - or right side up.

Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God & mammon. You will end up loving one & hating the other." And that’s where it is today in our society. There are other altars, & other gods beckoning for our attention & our worship.
Society says, "That’s all right. You can still go to church & be a respectable Christian. Just go ahead & serve the other gods too."

But from Elijah comes this message, "Don’t conform, but be transformed." And here is how, "First of all, offer your bodies as living sacrifices. Give yourself to God."
Secondly, "Renew your mind." Let God’s Word teach you & shape your thinking, your attitudes, & your values in a new & wonderful way.
Thirdly, "Then you will be able to test & prove God’s good & pleasing & perfect will" for your life.

CONCL. That’s God’s message for us today. We dare not compromise it. We dare not dilute it. Like Elijah, we must stand strong on it & proclaim it to the world today.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one & only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him" [John 3:16-17].

During the war in Vietnam, a young West Point graduate was assigned to lead a group of new recruits into battle.
Despite difficult circumstances he did his job well, leading them to accomplish their assigned objectives. But one night they met stiff enemy resistance. And as they were making their way to the helicopters that would evacuate them to safety one of his men fell, severely wounded.

The young lieutenant & his men who had reached the helicopters knew that any attempt to save him would almost certainly mean death for the would-be rescuer. But the young lieutenant rushed back anyway. He was able to save the soldier, but in the process was mortally wounded & died before the helicopter reached the base.

After the rescued soldier had recovered & returned to the States, the lieutenant’s parents heard that he was in their vicinity. Wanting to know this young man whose life was saved at such a great cost to them, they invited him to dinner. When their guest arrived, he was late and had obviously been drinking. He was loud & obnoxious. He used foul language & showed no sensitivity or gratitude for the sacrifice of their son who died to save him.

The grieving parents did the best they could to make the man’s visit a positive one, but their efforts went unrewarded. Their guest finally left. As the dad closed the door behind him, the mother collapsed in tears & cried, "To think that our son had to die for somebody like that."

Yet, that’s what Jesus did, isn’t it? He SUFFERED and DIED on the CROSS for EACH and EVERY ONE of US!!!!!
Even those who were mocking and beating him! We hear him say on the cross as he hung there in ALL that pain, “Forgive them for they know not what they do”.

Sermon Contributor Melvin Newland

Knowing God Through His Word

Jeremiah 9:23-24

INTRO:

Good morning. I ran across something in Jeremiah that I would like to look at this week. We will get back into the Book of Acts in a future lesson.

Our text is in Jeremiah chapter 9 and the topic of that chapter is the judgment against Judah. The pitifully wicked and immoral behavior of God's Once Chosen People had reached its terminal extent; and the horrible punishment which their apostasy so richly deserved was soon to be executed upon the degenerate, reprobate nation. In this chapter is a warning to those that would glory in themselves.

Now let’s look as our text in Jeremiah 9:23-24 – “Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,'' says the Lord.”

There are many verses in the Bible that stress the need to know God but how do we do that? How do we know God? Isaiah 55:9 tells us; “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” It would seem then that we have an impossible task in knowing our creator... yet we are admonished to know God.

I think most of us understand that we can learn some things of God through His creation. The existence of beauty tells us something about the nature of God. Romans 1:20 tells us; “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,”

What I would like to do in this lesson is explore the fact that we can also know God through his Word. If the Bible is inspired, then it should help us to know God.

Let me relate to you a personal parallel to this as told by one individual. He wrote that his relationship with his wife took place in a similar way. When his first wife died in 2008, he found himself strongly missing what had been a good marriage. He said, “Through a series of unlikely connections, I began writing to a woman who had attended one of my presentations in Grand Junction, Colorado. In a period of months, I came to know this person well enough to believe that we had so much in common that marriage was possible.” That marriage happened with virtually no personal contact. He explained that while there had been a few surprises, they were now in their tenth year of marriage, and the relationship was a great blessing.

In the same way, we come to know God through His written Word. John 1:1 - tells us that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Verse 14 tells us “... the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” First John 1:1-2 refers to the same Word as the “Word of life” – “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us ”

The Greek word used in these verses is “logos,” and that word conveys what the dictionary calls “the divine wisdom manifest in the creation, government, and redemption of the world”. Let me share with you some of the different ways in which the Bible helps us know God, just as the written correspondence of that individual with his future wife enabled him to know her before they were in each other’s physical presence.

I. THE BIBLE HELPS ME TO KNOW GOD IN A NON-GENDER WAY. Our culture is obsessed with concerns about gender. Whether it is transgender or sexual identity, people today tend to couch everything in some sexual way.

A. The Bible repeatedly presents God in a way that transcends sexual concerns. When Proverbs 8 finds wisdom challenging us, wisdom is presented in the feminine gender.
B. When Jesus portrays God reaching out to Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37 He portrays Himself as a hen gathering her chicks. “"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”
C. When Paul writes to the Galatians in Galatians 3:28 he says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

II. THE BIBLE HELPS ME TO KNOW GOD AS A KIND, JUST, AND MERCIFUL BEING. We have all been around men and women who radiated kindness and fairness. You cannot read the life of Christ and not see that He attracted people by His fairness, His mercy, and His kindness.

A. Let’s look at John 8:3–11 – “3. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4. they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.” This woman was caught in the act of adultery and brought to Jesus in the hope of catching Him out and in Verse 5 they said; “"Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?''”
B. The response of Jesus was kind and fair. He confronted the accusers with the challenge, “"He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.''”
C. Jesus did not condone her sin, but His kindness and compassion radiated the attitude God has towards our struggles. The word “eleos” (el'-eh-os) translated “mercy” in passages like Matthew 5:7; 9:13; 12:7; and James 3:17 is most accurately translated as kind, compassionate. The Old Testament word “ḥeseḏ” (kheh'-sed) in Hebrew involves “loving-kindness” but is translated “mercy” in our English translations.
D. When we think we see God as being unkind or unfair, it is always a situation where humans are ignoring God’s purpose and reaping the consequences of what they have done. We tend to look selfishly at our own immediate gratification and not at the long-term purpose of God when He does not act in the way we think He should, or when we think He should.

III. THE BIBLE HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD HAS AN INTEREST IN AND FUNCTIONS IN ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES. A science teacher in a public school observed that kids who had a father who was interested in them and in all aspects of their lives had a distinct advantage over kids whose fathers were disinterested or non-existent.

A. When we investigate the different words used in the Bible for God, what we find is that each of those words associated with a different part of human life. “Yahweh” carries with it the idea of love. “Elohim” means strength and might. “Adonai” indicates majesty, master.
B. There are a variety of less common names which convey God’s involvement in an area of our lives. Translators have struggled with this varied use. That is the reason we have “God,” “Lord,” “Jehovah,” “I Am,” “Father,” etc., used in different passages in the Old Testament.
C. What this tells me is that God is active and concerned with all aspects of my life. God is not some judge sitting in a judgment seat looking for ways to condemn me. He is an active, personal being who, as the Bible puts it, “...is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).

IV. THE BIBLE HELPS ME SEE GOD AS THE CREATOR OF BEAUTY, POWER, WONDER, AND WISDOM. Have you ever sat by yourself in a place of incredible beauty and thanked God for what He has prepared and allowed you to perceive?

A. In scripture, we see people mesmerized by what surrounds them.

1. Proverbs 8 reminds us that wisdom was involved in the creation process.
2. Psalm 19 tells us that, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
3. David looks at his own body in Psalm 139:14 and expresses amazement at how God made him.
4. Psalm 23 speaks of God’s support for us in the trying times of life. Jesus calls his followers to reflect on the beauty of the lily, and Romans 1:18-23 tells us we can know God exists by seeing the design and complexity built into all that surrounds us.

B. One of the most illuminating books of the Bible on this is the book of Job. The subject of the book of Job is God's dealings with mankind in a world in which Satan, the adversary of God, has introduced sin, suffering and death. Nevertheless, the ways of God with mankind always have a good purpose. Romans 8:28 says; “... we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

1. Job was a wealthy but righteous and God-fearing man. God allowed Satan to take away from Job his wealth, his family, and his health. With his three friends Job discussed the problem of why a righteous God allows a righteous man to suffer innocently. Job's three friends were not able to understand these ways of God. They thought God was punishing Job for sins and could not see that God also uses suffering to refine and to teach believers.
2. Job’s friend Eliphaz (el-ee-faz') bases his response that this is Job’s fault, on human experience in all three speeches (See Job 4:8).
3. Bildad (bil-dad'), who also addresses Job three times, gives reasons for his philosophical statements with tradition (see Job 8:8).
4. Finally, Zophar (tso-far') in a haughty and legal way traces Job's sufferings back to lack of obedience in respect to God's demands (Job 11:5-16).
5. Through all this Job sticks to his righteousness and sincerity. He thinks that God treats him in an unrighteous way and yet hopes that God will finally accept him.
6. Then Elihu (el-ee-hoo') appears. Let’s look at Job 32:1-10 – “1. So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2. Then the wrath of Elihu (el-ee-hoo'), the son of Barachel (baw-rak-ale') the Buzite, (boo-zee' ) of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. 3. Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. 4. Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited to speak to Job. 5. When Elihu (el-ee-hoo') saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused. 6. So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said: "I am young in years, and you are very old; therefore I was afraid, and dared not declare my opinion to you. 7. I said, 'Age should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.' 8. But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. 9. Great men are not always wise, nor do the aged always understand justice. 10. "Therefore I say, 'Listen to me, I also will declare my opinion.'”
7. Elihu (el-ee-hoo') begins his long tirade which continues through chapter 37. He is patronizing, his speech is loaded with repetitions, he protests too much about his sincerity and is blatantly unfair to Job. Job never claimed perfection, Job never accused God of malice or injustice. What Job did was complain bitterly that the things happening to him were undeserved. He could not understand why God allowed them to happen.

C. The whole cycle of speeches in Job is a marvel of human failure to understand.

1. The relation between sin and suffering Job never for a moment disputed. The thing that confronted Job was that, despite his integrity toward God and the absence of any gross wickedness that could possibly have deserved the terrible misfortunes that had overtaken him, he was judged by his friends, and everyone else, as a wicked sinner who was getting exactly what his wicked conduct deserved.
2. Elihu was not reasoning with Job with a view of helping. He was attacking Job. If we were to take the sayings of Elihu out of context, as many do, we might convince ourselves that they are commendable sayings but the invariable purpose of everything he said was for bringing about Job's renunciation of his integrity toward God, the same being the primary purpose of Satan himself. No speech with an evil purpose is a good speech, regardless of the content of it.
3. In chapter 36 Elihu shows himself. Now I’m reading Job 36:2-4 – “2. "Bear with me a little, and I will show you that there are yet words to speak on God's behalf. 3. I will fetch my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. 4. For truly my words are not false; one who is perfect in knowledge is with you.”
4. No one should miss the unqualified arrogance and egotism of such a declaration as this. Elihu pretended to be speaking on God's behalf; but his speech was totally dedicated to the destruction of Job's confidence in his integrity, that being, of course, not God's purpose at all, but as we said it was Satan's.

D. Now I would like us to look at one of the most delightful passages in the Bible Job 38-41.

1. We do not have the time here to examine this whole passage but let’s look at Job 38:1-12 – “1. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 2. "Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3. Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. 4. "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. 5. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6. To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8. "Or who shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth and issued from the womb; 9. when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band; 10. when I fixed My limit for it, and set bars and doors; 11. when I said, 'This far you may come, but no farther, and here your proud waves must stop!' 12. "Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place”
2. Here and following God unleashes a barrage of facts at Job and his friends. God challenges their attempts to explain things too complex for their understanding. Science is still investigating some of those things, but all of them speak of the beauty, the power, the wisdom, and the design of God.

E. This understanding brings me to the statement of David in Psalm 8:3-9 – “3. When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4. What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5. For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. 6. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7. All sheep and oxen even the beasts of the field, 8. The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas. 9. O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!”

V. THE BIBLE SHOWS ME THAT GOD HAS AN ETERNAL PURPOSE IN ALL THAT HE DOES. In Isaiah 55:11 we find God saying, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

A. Time after time the biblical record shows that the purpose God had for something, was accomplished. It does not always happen in the way that it seems to us God desired, but it happens.
B. Remember when Paul stood on the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to the unknown God. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:”

1. Paul proceeded to explain that it was "God, who made the world and everything in it” and that He did “not dwell in temples made with hands.”
2. He explained that “in Him we live and move and have our being,... 'For we are also His offspring.”
3. Then Paul told them about Jesus and that now God “commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.''
4. Then in Acts 17:32 we find “... when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, "We will hear you again on this matter.'' So Paul departed from among them.” Like the Athenians of Acts 17, we frequently do not understand the spiritual purposes that God has for the things that happen, but the result is always what God intended.

C. That is not just true of the biblical characters like the ones described in Hebrews 11. The Bible tells us of their success stories and their failures. How things worked out for them helps me to know God and to know that God has a purpose for my life just as He does for every human on the planet.

1. The problem is that many of us simply do not allow God to accomplish His purpose through us. If that happens, God uses someone else to achieve that purpose.
2. We are not just mindless robots programmed to a certain destiny. We are creatures who can love, and we are able to choose not to love.
3. The beautiful exchange between Jesus and Peter in John 21:15–22 shows God’s purpose in Peter’s life. Jesus uses “agapao” asking Peter to be prepared for what is in front of him. Peter keeps responding with “phileo” indicating friendship but not a self-sacrificing love. God had a purpose for Peter.
4. And we know that Paul was referred to as “a chosen instrument” in Acts 9:15. These men could choose not to accept the purpose for which Christ had called them. Paul expresses fear about that very fact in 1 Corinthians 9:27 when he says, “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”.

CONCLUSION:
I know it can seem incredible to us that God has a purpose for our life. Like Paul, our past has opened the door to that purpose. We serve a God whose capacity to love and to lead us to something far better than we could ever do on our own propels us forward.

Do not assume you are just a speck drifting aimlessly through space/time. You are a being created spiritually in the image of God, and God has great things planned for you. God is a God of purpose, and His will always gets done. I just want to be a small part of that purpose. As I get to know God better through his Word, my confidence in being with God in eternity grows — and yours will too.

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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

Invitation song # 607 – All Things Are Ready

Reference John N. Clayton and James Burton Coffman.

The Mirror

James 1: 22 – 25

After being away for some time on a business trip, ... Bill thought it would be nice ... to bring his wife ... a small gift.
"How about some perfume?" ... he asked the cosmetics clerk.
She showed him a bottle ... costing $60.00.
"That's a bit much," he said, ... so she returned ... with a smaller bottle ... for $30.00.
"That's still quite a bit," ... he complained.
Growing annoyed, ... the clerk brought out a tiny $15.00 bottle.
"You know," ... he said, ... "What I mean is ... I would like to see something ... really cheap."
So the clerk handed him ... a mirror. (Pause)
Today ... I would like us to look ... at who we are.
To take a long hard look in the mirror ... and see who we what is in the reflection.
Not who we act like, ... not who others perceive us to be, ... not what we have been ... in the past, ... but "who we really are".
Corinthians 2 Corinthians 3:18-19 speaks to this mirror and to our image. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as [a]by the Spirit of the Lord.
What is reflected in the mirror ... what do you see in the mirror? (Pause)
Have you ever been out somewhere and then catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror which causes you to stop dead in your tracks and think...YIKES! Is that REALLY what I look like right now!The mirror reminds us of EXACTLY how others see us at that particular moment.
A certain private school ... was faced ... with a unique problem.
A number of 12-year-old girls ... were beginning to use lipstick ... and would put it on ... in the bathroom.
That was fine, ... but after they put on their lipstick ... they would press their lips to the mirror, ... leaving dozens ... of little ... lip prints.
Every night, ... the maintenance man would remove them ... yet the very next day, ... the girls would put them right back ... on the mirror.
Finally, ... Mrs. Hatcher ... the principal ... decided that something ... had to be done.
She called all the girls into the bathroom and met them there ... with the maintenance man
She explained that all these lip prints ... were causing a major problem for the custodian ... who had to clean the mirrors ... every night.
To demonstrate how difficult it was ... to clean the mirrors, ... she asked the maintenance man to show the girls ... how much effort ... was required.
He took out a long-handled squeegee, ... dipped it in the toilet, ... and cleaned the mirror with it. (Pause)
Since then, ... they have had no problems with lip prints ... on the mirror. (Pause)
Paul in his first letter to the believers gathered in Corinth ... also spoke of ... looking at our image ... in a mirror.
1 Corinthians 13:11-12 tells us " When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
Now, Ancient mirrors, ... which were manufactured in the great city of Corinth, ... were made of metal ... and gave a very dim reflection.
Thus Paul's words ... "Now we see in a mirror, dimly".
This is an illustration ... of our imperfect knowledge ... on this side of eternity.
Now, ... when we cross over to the other side of eternity ... when we are in heaven, .... we will know all things ... knowledge will be full ... it will be complete.
But ... on this side of eternity ... it is dim ... it is imperfect.
Have you ever seen your reflection ... in a metal spoon?
I hope I'm not the only one who has ever done that.
The reflection in the metal spoon ... is a strange image ... isn't it?
It is dim.... It is imperfect.
Mirrors in Paul's time were metal ... and you could not see a very accurate reflection of yourself, ... it was much like looking into a metal spoon.
But in today's age, ... we have mirrors .... that very much display .... what we really look like.
You can clearly see yourself ... your image ... what you look like.
But this too ... is not the mirror ... we should be looking into.
It is not the mirror ... Paul is alluding too.
So.... if we want to know who we really are, ... what mirror ... should we look in?
We need to look into the mirror of God's Word ... The true mirror ... God's Mirror .... which shows us ... who we really are.
We need to examine ourselves ... and ask the question:
Am I being all that God has called me to be?
Am I allowing the Lord to mold me?
Am I doing my best ... Am I giving my best?
When we look into God's mirror ... We may find ... feelings, ... thoughts, ... problems ... attitudes that we hold on to .... and have not allowed God ... to transform.
We need ... we must ... yield to God's Word ... to God's will and allow him ... to mold us ... into the image ... into the reflection of His son.
We need to allow Him ...to impact the way we walk, ... the way we talk, ... the way we think ... the way we act.
It is time ... time to allow him to mold us... to transform us.
It is so easy ... to see the tiny faults of others ..., yet miss the larger faults ... in ourselves.
(Matthew 7:4-5) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
I have often found ... that when I begin to look at others ... short comings... that God is calling me ...to look at the log in my own eye.
To look at the ... "Man in the Mirror" ... that Person ... in the mirror.
When you get all you want and you struggle for pelf,
and the world makes you king for a day,
then go to the mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say.
For it isn't your mother, your father or wife
whose judgment upon you must pass,
but the man, whose verdict counts most in your life
is the one staring back from the glass.
He's the fellow to please,
never mind all the rest.
For he's with you right to the end,
and you've passed your most difficult test
if the man in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world,
down the highway of years,
and take pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
if you've cheated the man in the glass.

If we begin with ... "The Person in the Mirror", ... we will be molded ... we will be transformed.
If we look into the True mirror ... God's mirror... it will reflect back ... a true image ... of who we are.
Each morning ... as we prepare for the day ahead ... we generally do not leave ... without looking ... into a mirror.
The mirror enables us ... to see if there is anything out of place ... and gives us an opportunity to correct ... what is wrong.
So often ... we can get wrapped up in our own ways .... that we set aside ... the ways of the One ... whom we are called ... to be like.
Jesus has the power ... to change ... "The Person in the Mirror"!
Jesus has the power to transform you .... He has the desire to infill you ... with His glory!
(2 Corinthians 3:18 )
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as [a]by the Spirit of the Lord.
If we start with ... "the Person in the Mirror", ... then we can begin to impact our world ... one person at a time!
If we start with ... "the Person in the Mirror", ... and let God mold us, ... we will be transformed!
If we each start with ... "the Person in the Mirror", .... then we can begin to make our church .... a beacon of light ... to those around us!
Praise God ... for his mercy ... and for his provision ... For what He has done .... and will continue to do ...in my life.... And in yours.
Yet ... If we are honest ... There are times ... when we are deceived ... and do not act like ... the man or woman .... God has called us ... to be. (Pause)
A Fellow was sitting at a stop light.
The lady in front of him ... was going through some papers.... That were lying on the passenger's seat of her car, ... and when the light changed to green ... she did not move.
She did not follow ... the instruction ... of the light.
You know ...Stop on Red... Move on Green ... and go real fast on Yellow.
And When the light turned yellow ... then back to red, ... this gentleman began (with his windows up) screaming and beating on the steering wheel ... of his car.
His expressions of distress ... were quickly interrupted by a policeman, ... gun drawn, tapping on his window.
Against his protests of, ...."You can't arrest me for hollering in my car," .... the officer ordered him into the back seat .... of his patrol car.
After about an hour in a holding cell, the officer checked out the individual and then advised him .... he was free to go.
The man said, .... "I knew you couldn't arrest me for what I was yelling ... in my own car. .... You haven't heard the last of this."
The officer replied, ... "I didn't arrest you for shouting in your car.
I was directly behind you at the light. .... I saw you screaming and beating your steering wheel.
Then I noticed the Proud Christian on board sign in your window.... and the John 3:16 bumper sticker, ... and I thought ... you must have stolen that car." (Pause)
The way we actually live our lives may be the only Bible ... some folks ... will ever read.
We need to remember ... who we are ... and what we look like.
And The Scriptures speak to this in our text of (James 1:22-24)"... be doers of the word, ... and not hearers only, ... deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word ... and not a doer, ... he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like."
How can that be?
How can someone look in the mirror...? see themselves, ...and then ... at once ... immediately ...walk away ...and forget .... what they look like?
"Wait a minute? ... Am I balding? ... Am I overweight? ... Am I short? .... Do I have hazel eyes? .... Do I have a scare on my chin?
Yet... It is possible ... to look in the mirror ...and then forget .... what you look like.
And .... There are two reasons why that can happen.
First ... You do not believe the mirror is an accurate reflection ... of who you are.
That is ... You do not trust the mirror... that you are looking into.
Have you ever been to a fun house at a carnival or fair ...and walked through the... Hall of mirrors?
They have certain mirrors ... that are designed to make you look ... not as ... you are.
* You can stand in front of one mirror ...and look extremely muscular... I kind of like that mirror.
* You can stand in front of another and look extremely short and fat.
* You can stand in front of yet another and be ten feet tall .... and as skinny as a rail.
Obviously ... These mirrors are not ... an accurate reflection ... of who you are.
So you walk away from them... and forget ... what you looked like.
So ... You do not believe the mirror is an accurate reflection ... of who you are.
Or the 2nd reason you can look in a mirror and forget what you look like is because you are being deceived.
The enemy is deceiving you ... deceiving you into believing ... that you do not look like ... what the mirror is reflecting.
This often happens to people .... with eating disorders ... or people that are experiencing depression ... or are being oppressed ... by the enemy.
The only mirror of eternal significance ... is the Mirror ... of God's Word.
Remove the veil ... that is covering your eyes ... and look deeply ... into the truth of the mirror.
God's Word ... encompasses the real mirror ... a mirror that we can trust.
God's Word ... God's mirror ... will not only transform you... but reflecting from the mirror ... are wonderful truths ... of who you are in Christ.
Do you trust God's mirror?
Or do you walk away from it ... believing that you are not worthy?
Do you look into the mirror of God's Word ... that proclaims ... you can do all things ... through Christ Jesus?
And yet walk away ... believing ...that you could never be good enough?
Do you look into the mirror of God's Word ... that declares ... greater is he that is in me ... then he that is in the world?
Yet you walk away ... thinking that ... you will fail.
If you do, ... then there is a reason.
Either you do not trust the mirror you are looking into ... or .... You are being deceived.
do not forget who you are...and where you are going.
Do you trust God's Word? .... Do you trust ... it's reflection ... of who you are?
If you do... then do not be deceived ... walk boldly ... be the salt of the earth ... be the light of the world. (Matthew 5:13-14)
Be the reflection of Jesus and yield to his transforming love.
For You are ... a new creation .... in Christ Jesus.

Sermon Contributor Jeff Smead

Godly Mothers

2 Timothy 1: 2 – 7 and Proverbs 31: 1 - 29

Since today is a special day I will not be looking at the Book of James this morning! Instead we will be looking at Proverbs and 2nd Timothy. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms in our audience this morning!!!

On our journey through life nothing can compare with the impact made by our mothers. Their words, for good OR for bad, are never fully forgotten, and the memory of their presence lasts a lifetime.

Here are 10 things MOM taught us:
1*FORESIGHT: Make sure you wear clean underwear in case you’re in an accident.
2*LOGIC: If you fall out of a tree and break your neck, don’t come crying to me. OR Because I said so, that’s why!
3*RELIGION: You better pray that comes out of the carpet.
4*TIME TRAVEL: If you don’t straighten up I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week.
5*GENETICS: You’re just like your father.
6*CONTRADICTIONS: Shut your mouth and eat your dinner.
7*CONTORTIONS: Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck?
8*My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.
9*My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I’ll give you something to cry about."
10*My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home"
AND AS A BONUS, My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

ILL. Abraham Lincoln said, "No one is poor who had a godly mother." And I believe he was right. The influence of a godly mother on her children cannot be overstated.

B. There are some notable examples of motherhood in scripture. But this morning I want to mention two special passages that we ought to consider. One is found in Proverbs, chapter 31. Listen to a few selected verses.
(v 10)“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies...
(v13) She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands...
(v16) She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard...
(v18) “She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night...
(v 24) She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes...
(v 28 and 29) “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her; ‘Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.’”

And the 2nd passage which we find in 2 Timothy 1:5 was written by the apostle Paul to young Timothy, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
Whether you’re a “stay-at-home” mom like Timothy’s mother, or one who works like the mother praised in Proverbs 31, the emphasis of my message this morning has to do with a mother’s influence upon her children and her family.
And I urge those of you who have no children or whose children are far away, look around and take note of those who may be in need of a "parent figure," or a "second mom or dad." You may be just the mentor or friend that someone else desperately needs.

C. Mothers, and fathers too, I encourage you today to recommit yourselves to the task God has entrusted to you - the task of building a home according to the blueprint of Proverbs 24:3-4.
Listen to what it says, "By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."
Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, passed on to your children so that they might build their lives on a foundation that is sufficient for all their needs.

ILL. There were once 4 scholars who were arguing over Bible translations.
*One said he thought that the King James Version was the best because of its beautiful and eloquent style of speech.
*Another said he preferred the American Standard Bible for its accurate translation of the original text.
*A third preferred the New International Version because of its modern language and ease of understanding.
*After thinking about it for a moment, the 4th scholar said, "I have always preferred my mother's translation."
When the others expressed surprise, saying that they didn’t know that she was a translator, he responded, "Yes, she trans-lated it. She translated it into life, and that's the best translation I’ve ever seen."

D. We have already mentioned one young man who saw such a translation of God's Word in his lifetime. His name was Timothy. He lived in the 1st Century, and it is to him that Paul's New Testament letters of 1 and 2 Timothy were addressed.
Paul was Timothy's older friend and mentor. As Paul sat in a Roman dungeon, facing impending death, he wrote to Timothy to encourage him in his ministry.
But 1st and 2nd Timothy are also letters filled with reminiscence. Paul draws upon his memories and recalls the examples of faith and commitment he has observed in the life of Timothy.

Particularly in 2 Timothy 1:2-7, Paul reminisces about the way Timothy's faithfulness is largely a reflection of the examples and instruction which he had received from his mother and grandmother.
And, in the process, Paul pinpoints 4 contributions that they made to his life; contributions we will consider this morning.
Listen as I read 2 Timothy 1: 2- 7. “To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.
"Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

PROP. This entire passage deals with the contributions Timothy's mother and grandmother had made to him as he was growing up.
I. A LIVING FAITH
The 1st contribution they made, and I think the most important one, is "A Living Faith." In Vs. 5 Paul refers to the "...sincere faith, which first lived in your grand-mother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
The word "sincere" here is a word that means "without hypocrisy, genuine." In essence, it's a faith that is real, that has been applied realistically and consistently to the issues and situations of life.
Where Lois and Eunice came from originally... we have no idea, but we do know that they eventually settled in the Roman town of Lystra. They had been born Jewish, but they came to know about Jesus, and they DID take their faith in Christ very seriously, seriously enough to make sure that Eunice's young son knew all about it.

What did Timothy hear and see in his home? Assuming that he was a normal kid, everything! That is the way it works.
Despite all the aggravation that our children give us by apparently not listening to what we tell them, they still hear and see, and it does make an impression - for good or for ill.
Those of us who have, or have had, young children are amazed at the things youngsters pick up. They see commercials on the cartoon channels and then, when it’s time to go to the grocery store, they’re already prepared with a mental list of all the brand names that have attracted them.
They repeat words or phrases that they hear around the house, sometimes to mommy's and daddy's embarrassment.

They remember things that parents quickly forget. They might be naive and easily led, but kids will not be fooled for long.
And just as they are not fooled by anything else, they will not be fooled about religion either. So, if you really want to share the Gospel with your children, or with anyone else, you had better take your own faith seriously. Paying lip-service to Christ and the church will never give the proper message.

By your attendance at Bible Study and Worship, by your participation in the life and mission of the church, by the effort you put forth in the deepening of your relationship with the Lord, you will determine what lessons about the Lord and the church your children will learn first.

One thing is certain, parents can never fool their children with a message of "Do as I say, not as I do." Kids are too smart for that.
If you tell them that Sunday School and attendance at worship is important but you yourself find other things to do on Sundays, what message will your children get?
If you tell them that a personal relationship with the Lord is important but they never see you opening the Bible or praying, what message will they get? You know the answer!

Parents who want to make serious claim on the name "Christian" had better make sure that their faith shows in front of their children.
Apparently, Lois and Eunice lived their faith in front of Timothy. They made whatever efforts they could to learn about Jesus. And then mother... and grand-mother passed on the results of that learning to the impressionable boy. They left him an incomparable legacy – a living faith!
SUM. This kind of living faith is what we all should demonstrate to our children, through our actions as well as through our words.

II. A READY CONFIDENCE
A 2nd contribution is given in Vs. 7. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power..." This I call, "A Ready Confidence."
The term for power is the Greek word "dunamos" from which we get "dyna-mite." The word suggests "inner might." Mothers, as you demonstrate inner strength that is ready to tackle life's needs, your children will sense security and confidence and will begin to demonstrate the same kind of confidence themselves.

ILL. Harry and Ada Mae Day lived in a 4-room dried clay house with no running water and no electricity, hundreds of miles from the nearest city. There was no school within driving distance. It seemed the future for their daughter, Sandra, was very slim.
But Ada Mae Day scrimped enough to subscribe to urban newspapers. She started an intense program of home-schooling. Later, she saved enough to send Sandra to the best boarding schools available to them. Sandra went on to Stanford, then to law school, and eventually, Sandra Day O'Connor became the first woman Supreme Court justice in the United States.
Sandra’s intelligence and inner drive had much to do with that. But I believe that credit must also go to the determined confidence of her mother, sitting in her small clay house at night, reading to her children hour after hour, not giving in to the "spirit of timidity" that Paul mentions, but tapping into the "spirit of power" instead.
SUM. Mothers... God's Holy Spirit can infuse your life with power unimaginable to you otherwise. Allow the Spirit to build you into a model of “Ready Confidence” in the face of life's obstacles.

III. A REMARKABLE LOVE
Thirdly, they contributed "A Remarkable Love." Paul also says in Vs. 7 that we have been given a spirit of "love." And this is not just any love - it's love that seeks the highest good for others.
It's selfless. It's love that's continues on even when you're tired, when it hurts. It’s love when it means staying at the task longer than you anticipated. It’s love when it means caring in ways and at times you had not planned. This is why we can only describe it as "remarkable" love.

IV. A RESTRAINING DISCIPLINE
And 4th, they contributed "Restraining Discipline." Vs. 7 says that God has given us a spirit of “self-discipline” - balanced, consistent self-control.
ILL. Dr. Stanley Coopersmith, in a study of middle-class boys, found that children have higher esteem and become more successful and independent when they have a home where sure and consistent discipline is present.
It's been said that children need two pats on the back:
*One high enough to encourage them when they do right, and *one low enough to discourage them when they do wrong.

ILL. Dorothy Nolte wrote, "If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice." And the only way to be fair to our children is to praise where praise is appropriate, and to discipline where discipline is appropriate. And sometimes you will be making a difference in ways that you never imagined.

CONCLUSON. Yes, today is a special day. And for most of us there are many precious memories that we will always treasure. Please listen to this story.
ILL. The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is the way long?" she asked. And her guide said: "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."
But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way.
The sun shone on them, and life was good, and the young woman cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."

Then the night came, and storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Oh Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come." The Mother said, "This is better than the brightness of the day, for I have taught my children courage."

The morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary but she said to her children, "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top, they said, "We could not have done it without you, Mother."
And the Mother, when she lay down that night, looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned perseverance in the face of difficulty. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today I have given them strength."

With the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth - clouds of war and hatred, and the children groped and stumbled. The mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light." And the children looked up and saw above the clouds an everlasting Glory, and it guided them and brought them beyond the darkness.
That night the Mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."
The days went on, and weeks and months and years, and the Mother grew old, and she was little and bent. But her children were strong and tall, and walked with courage. When the way was hard, they helped their mother; and when the way was rough they lifted her, for she was light as a feather. And at last they came to a hill, and golden gates open wide.
The Mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know that the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them."

The children said, "You will always walk with us mother, even when you have gone through the gates." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her, and they said, "We cannot see her, but she is with us still."

INVITATION

Sermon Contributor Melvin Newland

Be Quick to Hear, Slow to Speak, and Slow to Anger

 

James 1:18-21

 

James 1:18-21

INTRO: Good morning. Mark has been working through the little book of James in his series. This book, though it is small, has many things I believe apply directly to us in the 21st century. This morning with Mark’s permission will continue in James. Today’s text is from James 1:18-21 though I intend to focus on verse 19 for the most part.

But first let me tell you a story. As with many funerals, it was a cloudy, rainy day.
The deceased was a little old lady who had devoted her entire married life to fussing at her poor husband. When the graveside service had no more than finished, there was the flash of a distant lightening bolt accompanied by a tremendous burst of thunder.
The little old man looked at the minister and calmly said, "Well, she's there."

I guess the point of the story is that how we live our lives can have a tremendous affect on those around us as well as on ourselves.

Read with me the text for this lesson, James 1:18-21 – “18. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. 19. Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20. for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

We live in a time of information explosion. I read recently that over 100 billion emails are sent each day. That’s more than ten times the population of the whole world. Each day 5000 new books are published many of which are e-books. This year the number of text messages will exceed 6 trillion.

I have read that if we take the year Christ was born as our starting point, it took 1500 years for all the knowledge in the world to double. The next doubling took only 250 years. It doubled again in 150 years. By the end of World War II, knowledge doubled every 25 years. Today knowledge is doubling every 12 months.

No wonder we can’t keep up.

I have also read that; “If you happen to read the New York Times newspaper for one week, you will be exposed to more information than the average person, living in the 1800‘s, came across in their entire lifetime.” (From the message “Tutored by Truth.” by Stephen Davey)

We are being overwhelmed by a tidal wave of information that pours in 24/7/365. The whole world is now “live” and in “real-time.” Stories change every few minutes, and the screen you’re watching may have an anchor reading a story with an image to the right, a sidebar to the left, with a screen crawl at the top and another at the bottom so that you’re following five different information sources at the same time on the same screen.

I. We are easily distracted. It is no wonder that we are easily distracted. We look without seeing, we listen without hearing, and we speak without understanding. We are wired up, tuned in, and hyper-caffeinated generation.

A. Some years ago Dr. Bob Moorehead wrote an essay called “The Paradox of Our Age”. Here’s a brief excerpt:

1. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years.
2. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
3. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.

B. There is much more to his essay and as I read it I thought that every part of it seemed very true, but I was especially drawn to this sentence: “We’ve conquered outer space but not inner space.” Indeed, everything we build is bigger, stronger, faster, and larger. We’ve come a long way in a short time. The engine of human progress hums right along. We send men to the moon, satellites into orbit, and radio waves to the stars. But inner space is another matter. We’re not even close to conquering that. The human heart seems as unruly as ever.

II. Our Greatest Challenge. Certainly as Christians we all know that the real battles of life are inside, not outside. Our greatest challenge is the person we see in the mirror. When I say that the human heart is unruly, I’m not talking about yours, I’m talking about mine.

A. What we are on the inside matters more than what happens on the outside. That’s where the little book of James becomes incredibly relevant. This epistle, written 2000 years ago to beleaguered, scattered, oppressed believers who were just barely hanging on to their faith, speaks with amazing clarity to life in the 21st-century. James wants us to discover the freedom that comes when we respond the right way to the pressures of life. As I said, we look without seeing, we listen without hearing, and we speak without understanding
B. James 1:19-20 specifically answers the question, How do one respond properly when the heat is on, the pressure is building, and you are about to lose it? Pay close attention to his answer: “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” [ESV]

III. These verses appear simple, but putting them into practice is a daily challenge. Let’s focus on the three basic commands James gives us.

A. First, Listen More, James says; “Be quick to hear” (James 1:19a).

1. Wisdom begins when we listen more and talk less. In context, this sort of listening starts by paying attention to what God has said in his Word.

a. In the first century, believers didn’t have all the advantages we have. They didn’t have printed copies of the New Testament. For that matter, if, as some scholars claim, James was indeed the first book of the New Testament that was written, people couldn’t read Romans because it hadn’t been written yet. Likewise for all four gospels, the book of Acts, the rest of the epistles, and the book of Revelation.
b. They didn’t have the Bible on a Smartphone app so they could read it wherever they went. For the most part, hearing the Word meant meeting with other believers and listening to the Word being taught. It meant hearing, learning and then meditating on what you had heard.

2. I sometimes think our modern technology has made it so easy to hear the Word that we hardly hear it at all.

a. When I look at my Smartphone, I see tons of applications, all of them brimming with information that flows in 24 hours a day. I have news apps, email apps, message apps, music apps, and video apps. We have enough online stimulation to keep us occupied round the clock.
b. In the old days (maybe even 10 years ago), when you got on an airplane, you might actually chat with the person sitting next to you. That rarely happens nowadays. At the gate and on the plane, even walking down the street, you see people with their heads down, looking at their Smartphone, or apparently talking to themselves (though they are actually on the phone).

3. I wonder who is better off, the first-century believers who did not have the full Bible or 21st-century believers who have the Bible at our fingertips. No one would trade our technology for life 2000 years ago, but I will say this. Technology is useless (and even dangerous) if we are so busy and so distracted that we are not “quick to hear” what God is saying to us. This principle applies in every area of life. Some people talk so much that they never hear what anyone else says.

B. A while back I read Proverbs 8.

1. In that chapter wisdom is personified as a woman speaking to the reader:

a. Wisdom calls (v. 1).
b. She speaks noble things (v. 6).
c. Wisdom is better than gold or silver (vv. 10-11).
d. By wisdom kings reign (v. 15).
e. God blesses those who walk in wisdom (v. 32).
f. Wisdom gains favor from the Lord (v. 35).

2. But no one gains wisdom by chance. Wisdom says, “If you seek me, you will find me.” I wonder, are we too busy, too worried, too preoccupied, too distracted (a very modern problem) to seek the wisdom God offers in his Word? No one gains wisdom by chance
3. The word translated “quick” in verse 19 of our text was used in a slightly different form in John 20:4 to describe John outrunning Peter to the empty tomb. That’s a helpful picture. We ought to be “outrunning” ourselves to find out what God has to say to us. I know of a person who says that he and his wife have a simple morning rule: “No Bible, no breakfast.” We used to hear often that people started and ended their day with reading from scripture. Not so much nowadays. I like it as a personal habit to adopt.
4. We would all be better off if instead of checking Facebook first thing in the morning, we went running to the Word of God. I can’t make rules for you or for anyone else, but here’s a challenge to think about. Being “quick to hear” doesn’t happen by accident. We’re quick to do many things that don’t matter. Are we quick to listen to the Word of God?

C. Second, James tells us to “be slow to speak” (James 1:19b).

1. Ecclesiastes 5:2 says it this way: “God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.” It’s hard to argue with that.

a. You’re not as smart as you think you are, and neither am I.
b. You’re not as clever as you think you are, and neither am I.
c. You’re not as wise as you think you are, nor am I.
d. We’re simply are not as smart as we think we are.

2. There is a time to speak and a time to be silent. Most of us are better at the former and not so good at the latter. Proverbs 29:20 has a helpful word about this. “Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Ogden Nash put this principle into a neat little rhyme: “To keep your marriage brimming, with love in the loving cup, whenever you’re wrong, admit it. Whenever you’re right, shut up.” It’s so easy to kill a marriage or a friendship with unkind words. How many times have we said something in anger only to regret it a thousand times?
3. Think about this. Social media encourages quick feedback. Someone says something we don’t like so without thinking it through, we post a snippy reply, a snarky comment, a clever comeback or a mean-spirited innuendo. Sometimes we are so eager to post our comments that we hit Send and then start chuckling over our cleverness. Remember it is easy to kill a relationship with unkind words.

a. Slow down. Wait. Think about it.
b. You can delete a foolish comment, but you can’t erase it from the Internet. You can’t remove that foolish comment completely.

4. I suspect when James says “Be slow to speak,” he is thinking about our tendency to speak when we are angry and frustrated. I’m sure you’ve heard it said: Speak when you are angry and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret. How true that is. When I was a child, people used to say “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” The idea was to get the person to realize that you can control your reaction to words. Yet while that’s a nice, brave saying, it only works if you have no feelings. Words hurt far more than sticks and stones, and the wounds they leave take far longer to heal. Unkind words don’t break bones; they break hearts.

D. Third James tells us to “Be slow to anger” (James 1:19c). The translators handle this last command in a variety of ways: “Slow to anger” (ESV). “Slow to wrath” (ASV). “Don’t get worked up into a rage so easily” (Voice). “Slow to lose his temper” (Phillips).

1. Understand James is not saying don’t get angry. That’s unrealistic. We’re all going to get angry from time to time. The word translated as “anger” here actually refers to a deep-seated rage. It doesn’t refer to a passing moment of displeasure which is soon gone and forgotten. No, James is speaking of that deep emotion which, when released, is like a volcano erupting. It spews red-hot lava all over the room. Strong uses the words “violent emotion”.
2. Anger is under our control. Sometimes we talk of “blowing up” as if it happened against our will. But that’s a cop-out. Anger is an emotion we control. Have you ever had an argument with someone and the phone rang right in the middle of the argument? You were raising your voice and getting red in the face and then... you answer the phone and your whole demeanor changes. “Hello, how are you? I’m so glad you called.” Then when you hang the phone up you go at it again. That’s because anger is an emotion you can control.
3. But notice the progression. If we are quick to hear, we will be slow to speak. But if we are slow to hear, we will doubtless be quick to speak. Quick speaking leads to quick anger. The angrier we get, the faster we speak, and the less we hear. Quick speaking leads to quick anger
4. Not long ago we studied in Timothy and Titus about the characteristics of elders and of godly men. We saw these character qualities of a godly man in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. When you study the 25 character qualities and put them in groups, you discover the single largest group involves a man and his anger. As I studied the two lists Paul made, I found 5 of these 25 character qualities unquestionably related to a man and his anger:

a. Not overbearing – Titus 1:7
b. Not quarrelsome – 1 Timothy 3:3
c. Not quick-tempered – Titus 1:7
d. Not violent – 1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7
e. Gentle – 1 Timothy 3:3

5. I was reminded of Solomon’s wise counsel in Proverbs 16:32, “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”

a. Do we really believe that though? Think about it, which would you rather be called, a patient man or a warrior? Ah, the world rewards the warriors while the patient men change diapers and take out the garbage. It’s not much of a contest in the way people think is it?
b. Jesus didn’t come to make us nicer people. He came to make us new people. Solomon says it is better to control your temper than to “take a city.” The teaching here is simply that a person who can take charge of their own conduct, discipline and command their own behavior, having complete control of their appetites and passions – that person is greater than any world conqueror or military hero.
c. Would you rather be called a warrior or a patient man?

E. I suspect James knew we would have trouble with this third command so he added a reason in verse 20: “For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” I rarely quote the Contemporary English Version but what the CEV offers here is this: “If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done.” [CEV]

1. Did you ever know a person who was angry all the time? They get up angry, they shower angry, they eat breakfast angry, they go to work angry, they come home angry, they watch TV angry, and they go to bed angry. When they are happy, that makes them angry.
2. Nothing pleases a person like that. Anger leads to jealousy, harsh words, and even worse.

a. That sort of anger can never produce a life pleasing to God.
b. That sort of anger only destroys; it never builds up.
c. That sort of anger brings the smell of death with it.

IV. Folks, James never once says that human anger is sinful. He never once says that we won’t get angry. He never says that human anger is unnatural. However, he does say that, “human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.” And, he implies that we should not be led by human anger. Simply put, selfish anger never helps anyone!

A. In order to move away from bitterness, anger, and hurtful words, we need to take Ephesians 4:32 to heart: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
B. We are to extend grace to others as God has extended grace to us. We who have been showered with God’s grace in Christ are to give to other, undeserving sinners, the same outpouring of grace. From God to us to others. Grace to us, grace to others. This is God’s plan. We do for others what God has done for us. We have been forgiven; we know what it is like. Now do the same for others. We are not left to wonder what it means to forgive those who have hurt us.

1. We cannot understand God’s love unless we go to the cross.
2. We cannot understand the cross unless we see in it God’s love.

C. Man’s murder became God’s sacrifice. A heinous crime paid an impossible debt. Through the death of an innocent man, we the guilty, go free. If we had been there, the stench of death would have overwhelmed us, but the cross smelled good to the Father. The work of salvation was finally done:

1. See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
2. Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
3. Did e’er such love or sorrow meet,
4. Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
5. We need the Lord Jesus living in us

D. Now in James 1:21 he tells us what we need to do: “21. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” Church, we should want to humbly turn to the word that is within us and let it drive our salvation and our lives as believers. We can think of it this way, we are taking off the evil desire that dwells within our hearts, and we are putting on the humility that is found in our salvation.

CONCLUSION:
Folks, as a Christian matures and gains wisdom, they come to understand that Jesus didn’t come to make us nicer people, but to make us new people. If you hear this sermon and think, “I should try harder to listen more, speak less, and calm down,” that’s good, but there is more. We need the Lord Jesus living in us. In one of his books, British Bible teacher F. B. Meyer talked about how Christ living in us makes all the difference in that moment of temptation. Meyer said that when he felt himself getting angry or irritable, he asked the Lord for the quality most needed at that moment:

Your patience, Lord Jesus.
Your kindness, Lord Jesus.
Your love, Lord Jesus.
Your courage, Lord Jesus.
Your wisdom, Lord Jesus.
Your joy, Lord Jesus.
Your compassion, Lord Jesus.

If we believe that in Jesus Christ dwells all the fullness of God (and we do), and if we believe Christ dwells in our hearts by faith (and we do), then we may believe that in our lives this week the fullness of Christ, the beauty of Christ, the grace of Christ, the mercy of Christ, the holiness of Christ, and the kindness of Christ may fill us and drive out the evil—the lust, greed, impatience, unbelief, critical spirit, and the angry intolerance that holds us back.

When we are living in Christ and Christ is living in us, then by God’s grace we will be . . .

Swift to hear,
Slow to speak, and
Slow to anger.

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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

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Based on Sermon by: Dr Ray Pritchard