The sermons below are the written manuscript completed before the sermon was delivered:

⁴¹Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. ⁴²And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. ⁴³When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. ⁴⁴Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. ⁴⁶After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” ⁴⁹He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰But they did not understand what he said to them. ⁵¹Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵²And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

In the 1990 movie, Home Alone, after a fight with his older brother, Buzz, over pizza, Kevin McCallister (Culkin) gets sent to the attic bedroom, where he wishes that his family would simply disappear. An electrical line failure during the night resets all the alarm clocks, so the next morning the rest of the family, who have overslept, rush to leave to go on a Christmas vacation to Paris, France. During the confusion, Kevin is accidentally left at home and experiences what it is like to be independent for the first time. At the same time two intruders, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), plan to break into the (almost) vacant home. Kevin musters up a plan not only to stop the burglars but also to punish them through different boobytraps set around his house, which include flying paint cans, a BB gun, and a doorknob heated with an electric charcoal lighter.

When we were getting ready to go to the Christmas Carol, it was just about like that. An unnamed person of our family was later than they were supposed to be, which made supper latter than it was supposed to be and then there was this little thing about a final paper than needed to be turned in a PDF format for our daughter to graduate. We were all scampering to leave as we were leaving about 20 minutes later than we were planning that we realized we were acting just like in the movie Home Alone. We decided to count off to be sure we had everyone since we were driving multiple cars, it would be easy to leave someone. We did manage to get everyone to the play. 

In the movie, Once Kevin realizes they've left him home by himself, he at first has a great time doing things that he can’t normally do, but Kevin learns to fend for himself, and eventually has to protect his house against bumbling burglars Harry and Marv, who are planning to rob every house in Kevin's suburban Chicago neighborhood. Kevin's mother Kate is frantic when she realizes that she and the family have unintentionally left Kevin behind in Chicago, and she tries to make it back to Chicago as fast as she can, getting help from a polka band leader named Gus Polinski. The movie ends well as Kevin holds the fort against the burglars just as everyone arrives back home. This is not exactly the way you want to start your Christmas, but this is exactly what Jesus’ family encountered. Jesus is left alone in the temple while the family travels back home.  

There are several important messages for us in today’s passage. One is the piety of Jesus’ family. We have little information about Jesus’ childhood, but this one important scene. Jesus’ family is doing what they always do – they are obeying God’s word. The good Jewish family would make 3 trips to Jerusalem each year. These are pilgrimages. It would be no easy matter to make the 90 mile journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem.   To go to Jerusalem was a huge family sacrifice. It would take 4 to 6 days to make the trip. The trip would last about 1 ½ weeks to even 2 weeks - Three times a year.

Jesus’ family made their religious obligations a priority. We should understand that sacrifice is required to observe religious holidays. Family was important, but God was more important. In today’s text, Jesus is now 12 years old. He is one year shy of being a man in the Jewish culture. He is still considered a child. We may ask how has Jesus’ families observance of the 3 Holy Days effected him?

We have 3 Holy Days as Christians: Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. There are no pilgrimages required. We are not gone for two weeks nor did we have to shut down our business for two weeks. We did not have to go without pay for two weeks to meet our religious obligations. 

Have our children understood that Jesus was given to us as a gift from God during this Christmas time? Have we been as faithful as Mary and Joseph? I want today stress 3 habits that we practice as Wesleyans. John Wesley said we should practice 3 simple rules. These should be our habits.

Our actions should bring no harm to others. We should not gossip. As a matter of fact, I can’t really say bad things about the person who does gossip. I can’t manipulate the facts to match my personal opinion. I can’t lie. I need to lay my weapons down and be a person of peace. This step requires us to have a radical trust in God and for us to bind ourselves to Christ. This step requires us to examine our conscience. Have we been faithful unto God?

While the first rule asks us to stop doing things, this rule asks us to proactively live for Christ. This is really what we have been trying to do at Christmas. What good can we do during Christmas? It really will require us to practice some self-denial. We have been stressing during this Christmas the importance of giving. We should seek more ways in which we can do good.

We demonstrate we love God when we pray not just for ourselves but for others. We demonstrate we love God when we read and practice God’s word. We demonstrate we love God when we come to God’s house. Wesley said all of these were means to God’s grace. An important one for Wesley was also Holy communion when we commune with each other and a most holy God. 

I believe these were habits of the holy family. We are not amazed at their piety, we kind of expect that Jesus Christ’s parents would be at church. What we are amazed at – is they lost Jesus?

The Three Simple Rules by Reuben Job

The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis

We are amazed in the movie where anyone could lose their child and not know it. It simply happened this way. The power went off. They were late. Everyone was thinking someone else had checked for this 8 year old child, but how could Mary and Joseph lose Jesus?

It happened like this. People travelled in caravans because of the dangers of traveling alone. When they left Jerusalem the crowd was huge. The women would have been walking at the front of the caravan, and the men would have been walking at the end of the caravan. Jesus was 12 and he could have been at either place. It was only after they split off to go toward Nazareth and the crowd thinned that they realized, Mary did not have Jesus, and Joseph did not have Jesus. We have left Jesus alone in the city they finally realized.

When I was young, I remember following someone around in the grocery store. They were about the same height as my dad. He had black hair like my dad. He had side burns like my dad, and finally he turned around and I realized this is not my dad. At some point, Jesus realized that he was not with his family. He was smart enough to know to not go out on his own so he returned to a place of safety. The local church – the Temple. In fact, he had been there for several days at this point.

In fact, I would say – Jesus was never alone. The teachings of the family were always with him. What do you carry with you?

There are several things that I can easily name that I carry with me from my family that is now apart of who I am:

1) Treat everyone just like you think you should be treated.  There is no difference in race or nationality. Inside, we all look alike – we are God’s children.   I heard many a time that it was wrong to have drinking fountains for “colored people.” We are all God’s children, and we should not be separated. 

2) Help everyone that you can. Someday, it might be you that needs help. My family practiced helping others. My dad gave away more time in carpentry work and electrical work than I can remember. I remember several times my dad loaned money to someone and never got paid back. It is better to give and get rooked than to by stingy and get judged by God. 

3) There is a God that everyone is going to have to answer too starting with myself. 

Jesus carried his family with him when he was left alone. He knew who he could trust and who he could not. Jesus even used this misfortunate time as a time for learning and to demonstrate that even as a child, God was certainly with him because had an incredible understanding of God. 

I am fortunate that my family taught me Godly virtues. I didn’t learn prejudice where I then would have to ask God to remove that part of my family from me, but sometimes we have learned things that we have to come unto God and say this is who I am and it is sin. Clean me up O God. 

God never leaves us alone as well. God is always there to teach us how to go in this path of life. 

This passage was written so we would see that an early age, Jesus was quite remarkable. As a family, we should learn several things from this:

a. It is never too young to teach Godly habits, and in fact, the longer we wait, the harder these habits are to take up. We should not be amazed that a young child can be godly and even wise. When we raise children up in an understanding and in a life witness of Christ lived out, they will be close to Christ at a very early age. 

Our 8 year old grandson, Matthew told his mom that we are supposed to be about helping others for Christmas. By 8 years old, I had already written Billy Graham and asked him for his free book at that time on how to be saved. By 10, I had written some Catholics had got a free gold ruler that said the golden rule is – do to others as you would have them do to you. While I told in the revival service at Hart’s farm how I had struggled from 10 to 16 to live for Christ, God’s teachings, my families teachings were never far away so that I never got so far away from God that I could not see him. 

b. Encourage your child in Godly ways.

There is no doubt that by 12 years old, there were people in Jerusalem that were saying someday this young boy is going to become a great prophet. Yes even at 12, you could see the Messiah Jesus Christ was there. Families, when you teach your children the teachings of God, they are never alone – you are always with them, but more importantly God is always with them.   Give your children habits to live by for God.  Does your child have an easy to ready Bible? Teach your child the 12 Days of Christmas song but what each thing stands for?

Jesus went where he knew his family would look. As Jesus said, did you not understand, that I would be at my Father’s house. At 13 when Jesus would make the Jewish transition to manhood, he would have been able to address the crowds in the local synagogue. Joseph and Mary must have been beaming inside knowing they had raised such a Godly child – the Son of God was coming unto his own. The Savior of the world. When Kevin was found home alone, he had confounded the burglars. When Jesus was found at the temple alone, he had confounded the religious teachers. He was home but not alone. Amen. 

It is a Wonderful Life from the series, “Hollywood and Christmas”

Sermons for Advent on Hope, Peace, Joy and Love

 

Today’s Scripture: Luke 21:25-36

²⁵“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. ²⁶People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. ²⁸Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

²⁹Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; ³⁰as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. ³¹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. ³²Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. ³³Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ³⁴“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, ³⁵like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Introduction – It’s not always a “wonderful” life

How many are you familiar with the 1946 movie classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed? Oh come on, it won 5 Academy Awards. It is ranked as the #11 in the all time greatest movies on the “American Film Institute’s” list of greatest films. How many of you have seen it more than once? Now that’s what I am talking about. Let me give you a quick recap of the movie as I remember it.

 

George Bailey had stayed in town taking care of business and family as the elder son while his friends had gone to see the world and make their fortunes. Even his younger brother had left to see the world. He had a longing that the difference he had envisioned making in the world, he had missed. Then there came the run on the bank where he worked. The bank examiners were called in. Now not only did he feel he had missed his chance to make a difference in the world, he had let his friends and community down. We find him on a Christmas Eve night on a bridge over an icy river that is flowing quickly contemplating suicide; after all, how could it get any worse? 

 

The truth be known, we all can easily identify with George. Life sometimes just comes crashing down on us and we feel crushed under it’s weight. There is a timelessness of George’s Christmas struggle. In this Christmas struggle, we can identify with what it means to have no hope. George has lost all sense of hope, or we are weighed down with the interruptions of life that has come our way that we have lost sight of hope. We too have felt a sense of something more to our life, but along the way things changed. Can you identify with George? We may feel that “It’s not always a Wonderful Life.”

 

I. Christ’s Coming – A warning and a message of hope.

Our Advent lectionary text brings us to the gospel Luke, which will be our gospel for this year. The text for today begins with 21:5 where the disciples are told Jerusalem and Israel are going to be destroyed. The news given is not encouraging. There is going to be wars, diseases, betrayals, and persecutions. A warning is given on quickness of this doomsday scenario when the scriptures say hope you are not pregnant or with small child – it’s going to be tough. The Gentiles are coming and they are going to stomp Jerusalem. 

 

There is some hope given though – I will be with you (vs. 15 & vs. 18). It is a message of hope.

 

Well that was a message for Jesus’ disciples. Any message there for us? Yes. Luke is remembering Jesus’ teachings, and is saying just like Jerusalem falls and bad times arrive so will it be when Christ comes again. Well that didn’t quite sound like good news, but listen to these words from vs. 28, “now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” There is a word of hope. Christmas always brings a word of hope just as Christ came the first time, he will come again. He is our message of hope and Christmas bells ring and toll shouting out that Jesus brings hope. 

 

George Bailey’s loss of hope

This text gives us the picture of Christians going through some pretty tough times. They haven’t escaped tough times just because they are Christian. If I go back to our movie, George Bailey was on the brink of giving up. Times were tough. He was about to lose the bank. From a human standpoint, life was more than he could bear. What we find in his story, God intervenes through an angel named Clarence. Now let’s don’t try to make Hollywood our source of theology, but here is an angel who need to earn his wings. His task was to give George hope again. He does this by showing him what the world would be like if he had not been there. George had lived like a Christian should live. He had given love, care, and hope to those around him. He had given loans when maybe he shouldn’t have and he was patient on repayment. This was not one of our national banks who are set only on their bottom line and pleasing their stockholders. George gets a gift from God. He gets to see what could be. (kind of sounds like the Christmas carol). When George visits this world that could exist without his influence by the help of the angel, it is a very dark, desolate place named Pottersville. The town has been renamed after Mr. Potter who bought the failed S and L. It is a slum filled with alcoholics, prostitutes, gambling, and anger. There is no hope. We might could say that George Bailey’s loss of hope was the dam that kept everyone else’s hope up. When his dam burst so did everyone else’s. The evil robber baron signifying the devilish powers of this world won. All that was holding it back was this dare I say Christian man who had faith and who was truly changing his world in ways that he could not even imagine. This film signifies what an influence one Christian can have if they can hold the faith during difficult times.

 

 

II. Advice from the Gospel of Luke for those Losing Hope

a. Remember to Look Upward (vs. 28)

Have you ever heard the saying, God had to put me on my back so I would look upward. In other words, God was trying to get their attention. Verse 28 reminds us to not to forget or to not get drug down so deep that we cannot even remember we are God’s children because our redeemer lives. Christmas is the time we retell the old old story. 

 

Isaiah 7:14, “the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look the young woman (virgin) will give you a sign. Look the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.” 

 

Do we remember to look up in our situations. We need to ask ourselves, “What is God trying to tell me in my situation?” George Bailey found out that his messed up life meant something. In fact, I would say the whole Christmas story about God giving birth through the Virgin Mary is a story given to us by God that says “you mean something.” 

 

b. Look for Traps (vs. 35)

The scriptures give us three things to avoid because they will keep us from looking at the one who is coming, the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

            1. Dissipation (vs. 34) – (kraipale – 3190) – The Message translates as parties. Can we get so caught up on having a good time that we forget whose we are and that we are made for a purpose – to bring glory unto God. It might be we are hiking every week-end. What it is – is an attempt to run from our problems. They are still there. Remember, Christ says I am with you always even to the end of the world.

            2. Drunkeness (vs 34) – is to not be in control of one’s senses. This is not proper behavior for one looking upward for Christ. Drinking our way out of our sorrows is not an answer. 

            3. Worries (vs. 34) – I would say it this way – trust God for today, and let God handle tomorrow. Matthew 6:27 says, you can’t add one hour to your life by worrying so why do it?

 

George Bailey’s wife Mary in the movie could have been covered with worry. Afterall, her husband was losing it. She could have resorted to the bottle. She could have tried to forget the reality of their situation by partying on Christmas Eve. She chose to do something different. She called all of George’s friends. 

 

III. Our Reaction as we Wait for Christ’s Return (vs. 36)

a. How do we live?

So my question is this, “since we have hope that Christ is coming again and our redeemer lives, how do we live as we wait upon Christ here on this earth?   Verse 34says we are to be on guard. Vs. 36 says we are to be alert and to pray. In other words, we are not napping while Christ is gone. We are actively seeking to live a life for him now even though many times our lives are filled with difficulties, sorrows, and pain.  Sow bountifully, reap bountifully. That’s what II Corinthians 9 tells us, right? I am not sure why Mary called everyone. Did she pray and ask God for guidance?   Perhaps. I believe that she thought good people would do good things. I don’t know if everyone in this movie was supposed to be a person of faith, but I do think the Bailey family was. George turned inward in the movie and it almost destroyed him. Mary turned outward to those around her that both Mary and George had shown love to in the past. I believe at the center of this story is a story of living out Christian values, and perhaps even a bigger value is to consider this would be the body of Christ living out who God has called them to be as all of their friends rallied around this family. Paul demonstrates this friend principle in I Thess. 3.

 

b. What does a Christian look like?

Let’s define a Christian. Webster’s says, “it is one who professes Jesus and his teachings.” I might also add, “one who claims the saving grace made available through Jesus Christ,” but I also believe as James teaches, show me what you have done or how you have lived Christ out in your life, then I will believe you are a Christian. It is centered in love. We need to be careful that we are living who we say we are.

 

Tim Stevens, in the book titled, Pop Goes the Church, describes one time he was riding with his grandmother who was always telling him the world was ending. The sky was very red that evening as the sunset and Tim said he “thought the world was coming to an end.” His grandmother said, “well let’s pull of the road and watch those sinners burn and go to hell.” Tim asks is this the message we want to give as Christians.

 

In the book UnChristian, it labels three things Christians are best known for in a poll of young people and not one of them include grace and love. Here are the top 3:

1. anti-homosexual

2. judgmental

3. hypocritical

 

I quote again from UnChristian, “only a small percentage of outsiders strongly believe that the labels ‘respect, love, hope, and trust” describe Christianity (27). I believe the reason this movie touches us is we know deep down this is how we were created to be. We are created to love because we were created by the author of love. 

 

I share with you the ending of the movie:

In the end, George realizes thanks to the angel Clarence that his life has counted. His life has made a difference. He runs through town shouting “Merry Christmas” at everyone at the town. The bank examiners are at his house waiting upon him. There is money missing at the bank, and he is going to jail. It would seem he had tried to help too many people and his kindness had backfired, but then we get an interruption after interruption where people come in with buckets of money and pour it out on the table because this family, this man George did something that I believe that we are called to be as Christians – he loved people. Christmas is a gift God gives us to remind us he loves us. Before long in the movie, the room was filled up with people giving money for George, and they started singing Christmas songs. The bank examiners were so touched by the people’s care for George that they too gave money to help him repay what was lost and they tore up their arrest warrant. About then a bell rings on the Christmas tree and the little girl says “our teacher said every time a bell rings an angel has earned his wings.” George looks down at a book by Mark Twain and opens it and it says, “no man is a failure when he has friends,” signed by Clarence the angel.   

 

I give you these words from Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” These are words written to God’s people. 

 

Conclusion – It is a Wonderful Life…(when we know the ultimate outcome)

There are three things that we should not forget.

1. Never give up hope. We have a savior who died for us so that we could be redeemed to God. Christmas is a time of celebration of both Christ’s birth and the fact that Christ will come again. No matter how bad things get, don’t pull a George Bailey. We have Christ who loves us and who is coming again.

2. Look the right way. While the world may want to try to tell us what all the answers are, we have to believe the real answer is found in Christ. 

3. Live like you have been told “you have been saved by grace.” If grace is our mantra, we will be more kind to each other and live as Christ lives.

 

This Christmas remember hope. We have the hope given by our savior and we have the hope given to us that Christ said go and make disciples – maybe this world can be changed one person at a time if we hold on tight to what God has given us – an assurance of eternal life and a life in glory. A heart’s true home is with God. God gives us hope. Yes, it is a “Wonderful Life” if you know the outcome. Give your heart to Jesus as we prepare for the Christmas event. Amen.

 

 

Note: “It’s a Wonderful Life” will air on Dec. 12^th and Dec. 24^th at 8pm on NBC.

Kingdoms in Conflict

Revelation 1:4-8

James Whittaker

 

Sermon Illustration:

Thomas Kozaki was born in 1582 in Ise, Japan. His father Michael was a carpenter and a Christian. Michael met some Franciscan missionaries and he helped build the Franciscan convents and churches of Kyoto and Osaka.

In 1596, fourteen-year-old Thomas was an altar boy. The Japanese ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi wanted to rid Japan of Christians and he ordered their arrest. In Kyoto and Osaka, 26 Christians, including Michael and Thomas, were arrested. They each had a piece of their left ear cut off, and then paraded from city to city, traveling more than 400 miles. For weeks a man shouted their crimes and encouraged their abuse. The arrested priests and brothers were accused of preaching the outlawed faith of Christianity, the laity of supporting and aiding them. They were each repeatedly offered freedom if they would renounce Christianity. They each declined.

The 26 were crucified on February 5, 1597, at Tateyama (Hill of Wheat), in Nagasaki, Japan.

Prior to his death, Thomas wrote a touching letter to his mother. In it he says:

"Remember also the innumerable blessings bestowed by the Lord Jesus Christ. As everything of this world can be lost soon, even if you might become poor and have to beg for food from people, please take care not to lose the glory of paradise. No matter what people may say to you, please forbear with patience and love to the end."

From:  Preaching Illustrations [thisweek@preachingillustrations.com] – received November 17, 2009.

 

Background:  When we read the book of Revelation, we need to remember that it does have a context.  John had been banished to the isle of Patmos.  Christians were being put into an uncomfortable position.  The Romans were expecting all of their citizens to do emperor worship and to worship the Roman gods.  In fact, you could be cut off from the marketplace meaning your food if you failed to comply.  Christians in John’s time were having to make life and death decisions every day.  Let’s face it, when you are forced to go hungry because of your beliefs, it makes you consider am I doing the right thing.  Listen to some of the statements given to the seven churches:

Ephesus:  “you have endured hardships for my name.”

Smyrna:  “do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.”

Pergamum:  “Antipas my faithful witness was put to death.”

Thyatira:  “I know your deeds…your service and perseverance.”

 

It sure sounds to me like the early church expected persecution, suffering, and even death.  Why?  We might ask.  Because if you confess Jesus as Lord, the kingdom of the world controlled by Satan himself is against you.  We are living in one kingdom and have confessed allegiance to another. 

 

I.  Kingdoms in conflict.

Satan would like nothing more than to get us to turn our backs on God.  Can you imagine what it would be like if all the churches truly lived out what it means to be a Christian and to be a church.  We are not saying the path is easy.  In fact, I would say the path is difficult as Satan calls up our pride, self ego, our prejudices, and even calls us to hate.  The pull to not follow God the king of kings and the lord of lords is great.  I go back to the 7 churches in the book of Revelation and share with you some warnings that John brings:

Ephesus:  “You have forsaken your first love.”

Sardis:  “You are dead.”

Laodicea:  “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold or hot….you are lukewarm.”

 

As we come to Christ the King Sunday and celebrate what Christ has done for us, it is also good for us to realize that are other kingdoms vying for our attention.  In the book of Matthew when Satan tempted Jesus, we come to some of the ways that we may find ourselves being tempted.  We need to keep firm in our faith.

 

a.  Stand Firm

Ephesians 6:11, “stand against the wiles of the devil.”

 

Martin Luther when asked to stand down for his protests of the abuses of the 16^th century Catholic Church, he said this famous quote:

“I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.”

 

Do we take that stand of faith?  Jesus asked the disciples were they going to leave him and they said, “where else would we go?”  Are we that committed to Christ the King?

 

Jesus was tempted by Satan at his very weakest point.  He had fasted 40 days.  He had drank water but no food.  He would have been very weak physically.  He was in the desert and there was no food around.  Satan said you are hungry, and you should eat.  Make it happen.

 

Isn’t that the way the devil does – he hits us where we are weak and tries to get us to recant our faithfulness to God. 

 

Where is that we draw a line in the sand and say this is where I stand?

 

b.  Be self controlled and be alert

I Peter 8, “be self controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

 

The second temptation given by the devil in the book of Matthew is to misuse scripture and to misuse the power of God.  In other words, to pretend to being in God’s will, but the reality is we are not.  What a temptation, but let’s make something clear.  The book of Revelation is confessing that Jesus is Lord meaning he is king of our lives.  He is first in our lives.  He is the priority of our lives. 

 

As we are living out our Christian lives, Christ is first in our lives when we are living as he asked us to live.  In the parable of the Talents, we get the message of what God has blessed you with use if for the kingdom.  Don’t put it on the shelf.  Don’t say Amen to what the preacher is saying and never let it penetrate our lives.  The parable of the wealthy farmer warns us to not get so caught in the world that we forget who the real king is.  He is the king who judges our response to his gospel message of salvation.

 

A church that demonstrates their love of God by loving others is leading the way to heaven.  Amen!  Thank God that we are continually seeking new ways to bring glory to the Father. 

 

c.  Submit unto God

James 4:7, “submit yourselves then to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

 

You cannot call Jesus as Lord or say Christ is King unless you have submitted unto the will of God.  In the book of Matthew, Satan tempts Jesus one last time with power.  Is it no wonder that the scriptures tells us so often to humble ourselves. 

 

We have given warnings today, which I believe are in the general theme of the book of Revelation.  Are you ready to meet your God? 

 

In our passage today, it gives us a faith statement. 

 

II.  The Kingdom of God Prevails

a.  Humanity is in need of saving. 

We are by nature disobedient to God.  We are easily swayed by the devil.  According to Christian tradition,  11 of 13 disciples were killed for Christ’s sake.  James is the only one mentioned in the Bible.  What would make the disciples die for their beliefs?

 

This passage begins with the words grace and peace.  A free gift has been given unto us through the redemption given by Jesus Christ.  All of us are disobedient and in need of saving grace.

 

Christ the King brings a free gift.  It is described like this:  “to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.”  When we say Jesus is Lord, we are confessing that we have been set free from the control of this world where the self is number one.  We are letting go of our self conceit.  We are letting go of thinking it is all about us.  When we worship God, we have been freed from sin so we can obey God.  This is a gift. 

 

b.  Humanity will ultimately see Christ as King

When this passage starts, it confesses God is, God was, and God will be.  There is nothing before or after God.  God’s Spirit works to get humanity to see that the Garden of Eden story is really a story about us.  God has told us to not do and the very thing he said to not do, we do.  We truly are like disobedient children.  God wants us to see that our rightful place is as children of God working for the kingdom of God, and even if we as humans refuse to see God at work in our midst, there is going to come a day, when everyone will see Christ as he is.  Philippians says it this way, “every knee will bow.”  This text says, “all will see him, even those who pierced him.”   Those that have accepted God’s plan of grace will see him and those that have actively worked against God will see him. 

 

Ultimately, all will see God at the judgment seat of Christ.  While judgment sounds like bad news, this passage is not a bad news passage.  It is one of hope.  Listen to the names given Christ:

 

“Faithful witness”

“Firstborn from the dead”

“Ruler of the kings of the earth”

 

Christ is our deliver.  He sets us free from our sins.  He sets us free from the powers of death.  God calls out to us, come home, come home.  I am that I am.  King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  We all one day will see God for who he is.  He will never forsake us nor abandon us. 

 

III.  God’s Vision

What does God see in us as fallen humans that have been redeemed?  What is God’s plan?  His plan is found in vs. 6 – He has called us to be a “kingdom and priests to serve God and Father.”

 

We are called to be a part of the kingdom of God.  As we do God’s will, we are living out God’s purpose here on this earth.  We are called to be priests – or bearers of the good news of salvation found in Jesus Christ.  We come together today to celebrate what God has done for us. 

 

We respond by:

1.  Accepting his gift. 

2.  Loving our neighbor as our self.

3.  Loving God with all of our heart.

 

We respond by:

1.  Who we live our life for – is Christ our Lord?

2.  Keeping our hope in Christ’s promise to come again. 

Amen. 

Notes:

According to Christian tradition:

• Peter, crucified upside-down in Rome circa AD 64.
• James, son of Zebedee was beheaded in AD 44, first of the twelve to die (since the addition of Matthias)
• John, son of Zebedee, natural causes due to old age, last of the twelve to die, only one of the twelve (or 13 counting Judas Isacariot) to die naturally (as mentioned by Christ at the end of his (John) Gospel.)
• Andrew, Peter's brother, was crucified upon a diagonal or X-shaped cross.
• Philip was crucified in AD 54.
• Bartholomew (also known as Nathaniel) was flayed alive (skinned) and then beheaded; some sources locate his death at Derbend on the Caspian Sea.^[1]
• Matthew killed by a halberd in AD 60.
• Thomas was killed by a spear in Mylapore, Madras, India in AD 72.
• James, son of Alphaeus, beaten to death with a club after being crucified and stoned.
• Jude was crucified.
• Simon the Zealot was crucified in AD 74.
• Judas Iscariot, according to the gospels, hanged himself after betraying Jesus.
• Matthias, Judas' replacement, was stoned and beheaded.

Sermon: Generous Giving Leads to Abundant Living

Fall Stewardship: Generosity and Simplicity

(CBS)  At a ceremonial dinner at New Jersey’s St. Augustine College Preparatory School, everyone complied with the dress request for coat and tie.

Everyone but Paul Navone.

Navone, 78, showed up in a sweater he’d bought at the Salvation Army for $3.

"Everything I had on was from a thrift shop. As it is where I'm sitting right here now," Navone says.

Fact is, this frugal retired factory worker would never spend money on new clothes, vacation or swanky meals. Really. The only reason he came to this dinner honoring the school's rich new benefactor -- is because he is the school's rich new benefactor.

So begins the story of the unlikely philanthropist.

Navone was born dirt poor and never made more than $11 an hour. He put in 50 years at the glass factories in Millville, New Jersey, working all the overtime he could get.

“I saved. Why would I go home?” Navone asked CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman. “I didn’t have a life.”

He didn’t have a wife or children or a phone or a television. All of which are reasons he was able to save most of his paycheck and let it grow.

"Different people have asked me, 'What were you saving for?' Really, never in my life did I save for a specific purpose," says Navone.

Until, at 78, he finally gave it some thought. He drove over to the local Catholic high school where they were trying to raise money for a swimming pool - and made a huge splash.

The reaction, says Navone, was total amazement.

As a result of all the compounding interest, Navone was able to donate a million dollars for what is now the Navone Pool.

He also gave another million dollars to Cumberland County College for their new nursing education program.

Paul says that it feels good to be rid of those savings -- perhaps because after all these years he figured out what he'd been saving for.

“What I invested in is enriching people’s lives,” says Navone. (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/18/assignment_america/main3730424.shtml)

What a story – a story of generosity and touching people’s lives. Paul was an extraordinary man. He didn’t have a family. He didn’t want to waste money so he practiced being frugal. That is certainly a simple life, but it was a simple life with a purpose – enriching people’s lives. 

As we come to this week’s topic of generosity, we find that scriptures define generosity as one of the fruits of the spirit (Gal. 5:22) and as a spiritual gift (Rom. 12:8). The two words used in these two different passages are different. The one found in Galatians for generosity is “to evoke a state of well-being.” Somehow, within this definition, our very well-being is found in generosity. The other word for generosity used in Romans and in this I Corinthians passage, means “a complete surrender to God” with a “personal wholeness” and an “uncomplicated simplicity.” (all word definitions from NIV Theological Dictionary of NT Words). I quote: it “denotes [a] single hearted devotion and service to Christ.” (“haplous,” NIV Th. Dict. Of NT Words, 146) By the definition alone, our personal well-being and our devotion to Christ are tied to generosity. After all, how can you out give someone who gave you their life as Jesus’ death on the cross represents? 

Principle #1 – Give and Live

This passage says you reap what you sow. Eugene Peterson’s translation states it this way, “a stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop.” Once again, generosity is tied to our well-being. I have tithed most of my life. I need to make a confession to you. I have tithed and wondered what I could have bought with that money. It could have been a car payment. It could have been a house payment. I call that “reluctant giving.” This is not Biblical giving. This is not the type of giving that God desires. 

God desires that we give not under compulsion, not because the preacher made us feel guilty, not because the Bible says give 10% of your first fruits – no we give because we love Jesus. We give because of our devotion. We give and put in the offering plate (note the word offering) that we have picked up of the altar table signifying this is a sacrifice that is holy and acceptable unto God but we do it because of our single hearted devotion to a God who loves us. 

Some preachers say that God will reward your giving with giving back to you as we see in verse 8 where it says God’s “grace abound to you…so that will have all you need.” I believe God blesses our giving, but it doesn’t mean God returns us dollar for dollar. I believe God returns blessings and grace to us as we offer our offering unto God in full devotion unto God. We give and live a life abundantly. Let’s look at some obstacle to giving:

Abraham set up the Biblical standard of 10% as before the law he gave King Melchizedek (who represents a type of Christ) a tithe. The average American church goer gives between 2 and 3% of their income to church work. In proportion to out spending ability and income, this figure has fallen in the last 20 years. It’s a hard thing to give a tithe. 

I love the story where Peter Marshall, chaplain of the US Senate was approached by a man who now made $500,000. He told the chaplain there is no way I can give $50,000. The chaplain said he would pray for the man and he agreed. Marshall prayed out loud and with great conviction, “Heavenly Father I pray that you would reduce this man’s salary back to the place that he can afford to tithe.” (Hamilton, Enough, 84). 

Why is it that billionaires give less percentage of their income to church work than someone in poverty. 

Adam Hamilton, Methodist preacher who I consider a mentor, states that he gives 10% of his net income. I have to disagree with my brother. To quote my brother, “the first tenth was holy to the the Lord” (Hamilton, 81). I quote Jesus who said give unto Caesar with is Caesars and to God what is God. God set up the principle of first fruit. That means before anything else is taken out – God’s is taken out. I was somewhat relieved when I saw my brother also said he believes in giving beyond the tithe, which they practice. 

Last year, I told the church that Dianna and I were making out bottom line giving 11% (1% beyond the tithe) in sympathy with those who are hurting financially. We are still giving that way. We give 11% of gross and we even tithe on the value of the parsonage. God gives. God has blessed, and who am I to say that I cannot give unto God. 

Nelson Searcy, a Baptist who graduated from Duke Divinity school, says he thought that it was a fantastic deal. He only had to give 10% and he got to keep 90%. 

David Slage, pastor of Veritus Church in Decatur, GA, says it is like God gives us 10 apples. All we have to do is to give 1 apple back yet we manage to find some reason why we want part of God’s apple. Car payments, and house payments would probably make the list. With each one, we have taken a bite out of God’s apple so by the time we give God his apple back, there is nothing left but the apple core. Kind of sounds like the Garden of Eden. The apple is gone. God wants our best, not our leftovers. 

The real issue is fear and trust. We are fearful that God cannot take care of us. We fail to trust God. That doesn’t mean that God may just let you slide deep into deep if you have forgotten last week’s principle of simplicity. 

This assumes that our whole life and existence is based on what I own and how much I owe. Why can’t the billionaire give 10%. Is he afraid that he will run out of money? Here God’s word from Malachi 3:10, “bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may b e food in my house. Test me in this says the Lord Almighty and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessings that you will not have room enough for it.”

God gives us generosity as a gift. It is a gift because it frees us from the holds of this world. If we are generous, this world will not be able to lay its claims on us. 

Adam Hamilton says it this way, “life is a gift, and everything belongs to God” (Hamilton, 79). 

Principle #2 – Live and Give

What defines our life? Should not generosity be a part of it. Jesus said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.” Winston Churchill said this: “we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. 

Principle #1 – was this – when we give, we are set free to truly live a live in Christ.

Principle #2 – is this – When we live in Christ, we will want to give to his work. 

I rejoice in the giving for this year. We have met the budget in very difficult economic times. We will have another banner year of mission giving. Last year, we gave over $17,000 in mission giving. That is absolutely incredible. This year we made the dream of a church bus happen. Our hopes are that it will serve us for many years to come. I have seen growth in outreach involvement this year. We are dreaming of a new kitchen even a possible Christian Life Center. 

Our passage in II Corinthians today stated, “he [God] scattered abroad his gifts to the poor.” (9:9). Adam Hamilton states, “God expects us to more than focus only on ourselves.”   When we give to the poor and those in need, we will be blessed.  

Adam Hamilton states another principle: the more we grow in Christ, the more generous we become (Hamilton, 78). But, that is not the last word. Listen to these words, “you will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.” God does somehow make what we have stretch further than it would go if we were only living for ourselves. 

Maybe it occurs in frugal and simple living. 
Maybe it occurs because God just send an unexpected blessing our way. 

Practical Application:

1. If you are not giving 10%, then give 1% more than you did last year. 

If you are giving 10%, consider giving beyond the tithe. All of Dianna’s extra giving is beyond our tithe as we have supported children in Africa, Bethlehem Bible College, ZOE, the 10 Dollar Club, my cousin the missionary in Australia.   

2. Consider this Christmas, in giving 10% of your Christmas giving to a great need. The grandboys last year bought animals from the Heiffer Project. We had them pick them out. Samaritan’s Purse can do the same. 

As we grow together in Christ, as we become more committed to our savior, as we demonstrate more thanksgiving for our salvation and continue to grow in generosity we will find more opportunities to do God’s work. 

-          For $2,500 and with a partnership with “Stop Hunger Now,” a world wide relief agency started in Raleigh and supported by our conference, we get 40 to 50 volunteers to package 10,000 meals in 2 hours. 

-          There are children who go hungry on week-ends since there isn’t a school program for them. The Siler City Food Pantry works with 2 schools in Siler City. Who is going to help our schools in Bonlee or Goldston. 

-          I’m dreaming of a community center/Christian life center where not only we use for our church functions but where the community is touched on a daily basis. It is not just a building, but a place where mission takes place. 

Where will generosity lead us? I ask how generosity will help you fulfill your membership vows of presence, prayers, gifts, service, and witness?

How much is too much to give, when Christ gave his life for us on the cross so that we could have our sins forgiven and a new life could begin. I praise you O God. I thank you church. Let’s find new ways to answer God’s call to be God’s people – a people where generosity is a way of life.   

Luke 6:38, “give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap: for the measure you give will be the measure you get.”

 

Simplicity and Generosity: A Stewardship Series

Cut to a doctor's examining room. A woman sits on the examining table in her skimpy little hospital gown. (You can all relate.) She looks worried as she waits for the doctor to appear, and she hugs her purse nervously on her lap. The woman is actress Jackie O'Ryan from the soap opera All My Children, but here she is starring in a little soap opera drama called Lives of Our Days, complete with suspenseful soap-opera music. As she sits on the table fiddling with her huge gold earrings and necklace, in walks the doctor with grave news: "I'm afraid there is nothing physically wrong with you."

"Then why do I feel so awful, so bloated and sluggish?" she asks. "Nothing gives me joy anymore--not the clothes, the house, the raise. Doctor, I'm frightened. Can't you give me a pill?"

"There is no pill for what you have. I'm afraid you're suffering from ... Affluenza.

"Oh, my God," she reacts. "Why me? Is it fatal?"

So begins John de Graaf's hit documentary film "Affluenza," aired on public television. In this humorous yet hard-hitting documentary, National Public Radio star Scott Simon narrates a look at our culture, at our insatiable appetite for more--which the producers define as truly an epidemic that is making us and our world ill. It is a combination of "affluence" and "influenza."

Define Affluenza: “Affluenza is a nifty little word that some clever sociologist created by mixing two different words together. The word affluence means having a great deal of money. Influenza is a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease. When you mash these two together, you get affluenza, which is a useful word for describing the problems generated by a rich consumer culture that has an endless hunger for more and more stuff. Affluenza is the disease of greed. It's the materialistic mindset that says getting more money and possessions is the ultimate aim of life. Affluenza is the spirit of our age, and it has infected all of us.” (http://eternalweightofglory.blogspot.com/2007/12/josh-harris-on-affluenza.html). 

Jesus talked about money quite a bit. “It's interesting to note that 16 of the 38 parables of Jesus deal with money, possessions, their use, and their relationship to us.”    (http://www.joshharris.com/2007/12/affluenza_part_1.php)

Methodist Preacher Adam Hamilton states, “We live in a world that encourages us to live beyond our means” (Adam Hamilton, Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2009), 10). 

“We are enticed to “have it now” and “pay for it later.” (Hamilton, 10). 

We in America have been living with affluenza. It is a disease of the spirit. Last fall, we got a wake up call with a near collapse of our economy, which still isn’t all that good. The recession is over I have heard economists say. Too bad, it takes so long to get to the working people. Statistics are showing everyone is cutting back and trying to be thriftier. What I am talking about today is just now how to survive an economic downturn though it might be helpful for that. What I am talking about today is what I believe should be a Christian attitude, priority, and mindset whether there is plenty of jobs or few jobs, whether there is plenty of money or little money. Remember these words in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty” (NIV). I am promoting a lifestyle. I believe it is biblical. It is simply this: “live more simply.” I Timothy says, “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil: (NIV). Should we not do something to protect us when God is saying be careful that your hearts are not led astray?

Define: godliness. The Greek word here (eusebeia) is rarely used in the New Testament. It means a Christian attitude of living. Within it, we must remember our ultimate goal – the coming Kingdom of God. (#4936, The NIV Theological Dictionary of New Testament Words, 1153-4). To put this word into context it is this: we are to live like we are living for the kingdom of God and not for the kingdom of this world. That is what it means to be godly.

Define: contentment. (#894- autarkeia) This is another Greek word that is rarely used in the New Testament. In fact, it is used once – in this text. This word means to have enough, to be suffice, to have adequate amounts. In Phil. 4:11, we have a similar word where Paul says I have learned to be content. This word means that we as Christians are to be satisfied with adequate amounts, and less than what our culture thinks is needed

1). We are to have an attitude toward Christian living into the kingdom of God. Things mentioned prior to this passage are not Christian: envy, jealousy, killing someone with out talk, quarrels, and controversies. Christian living means to graciously accept what you have been given. Our goal is not to build up our own personal kingdoms on earth but to help build God’s kingdom. 

2) We are to be satisfied with what we have and to not fall astray by being tempted by much material gain, material wealth. Timothy gives us that familiar phrase, “the love of money is the root of much evil” I Tim. 6:10, and further warns that some Christians wandered far from God because of their pursuit of money and possessions. 

A clear warning in this passage is to not get sucked into the affluenza race or the desire for money. One thing I learned from last fall’s collapse of our economy, we should be living simpler. I believe that Timothy is telling us to live simpler so we don’t get caught up in the world and lose sight of the kingdom of God. As Christians, we are called to live with less so that we can give more to others. 

How can we live Simple Christian Lives in an American economy?

1) Live Below Your Means – This means to live below what you can afford. We have gotten used to the mortgage and loan makers telling us whether or not we can afford a loan or mortgage. All I can say is look at what has happened to our banks and mortgage lenders. I can almost assure you, they will loan you more money than you ought to borrow. For one thing, mortgage lenders will never consider your contributions to the church as part of your obligations, but I believe God does. 

Baptist Tony Campola, who has spoken at our Annual Conference some years back, says we ought to figure out what we can afford and then back off from that a whole layer. You might think I can afford a 2,000 square feet house. He says buy a 1,500 square feet house. Don’t max yourself out. You can afford a $25,000 car. Then buy a $17,000 one. Tony Campola was saying as Christians we purposedly live on less than we can afford. This is totally opposite of what our culture tells us and that is spend, spend, spend and get in debt, debt. Debt.

Coming from WV, one of the lines in one of our favorite songs by Tennessee Ernest Ford was, “You load 16 tons and what do you get? Another day older and a deeper in debt. St. Peter you can’t call me cause I can’t go, I owe my soul to the company store.”  

Listen to what Timothy says, “if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (I Tim. 6:8). When Dianna and I first moved to Raleigh, the cost of housing was substantially more that we were used too and we were at the age where it seemed it was good to move up in our house size. Our new mortgage made it difficult for us to make our contributions to the church. In fact, our mortgage made it difficult to do anything. Give to the poor – we had made ourselves the working poor. For us to continue making our contributions to the church, we cut back on everything and I do mean everything. I don’t know that I would define that as simple living. Last fall, Dianna and I cut back because of her 50% cutback. That was a forced simple living. We decided to make it a choice, a lifestyle, and an attitude. We are still cutting back though at the moment we don’t have too. We have decided it is more Biblical to “live simply.” That doesn’t mean we don’t splurge occasionally. What it does mean is we have consciously said we are living on less so that we can have more to give to the work of the kingdom of God.

John Wesley is known for his saying of “earn all you can” (that’s American), “save all you can,” (well at least we are not saving a negative percentage now), and give all you can. As Paul Harvey used to say, I want to tell you the rest of the story. John Wesley ended up being a very successful preacher and made a lot of money for his time about 1,400 pounds a year. What is amazing is John Wesley back at Oxford with his Holy Club had decided to live on 30 pounds a year so they could give to the poor. That was his goal for the remainder of his life. Everyone told him quit living like a pauper. John Wesley knew what is was like to “live simply.”   

How could we become more like John Wesley who I believe was trying to be like Christ?

I. Reduce your Consumption. Right now our government is trying to spend our way out of a recession just about to touch on a depression. It might work. We did around WWII in trying to get out of the depression and to fight a war, but for individuals to take such a philosophy can wreck our life. Money can become our God. I am going to give you 5 quick ways to reduce your consumption.

1. Delayed Gratification – Hold off on buying something new. Try to pay in cash. Methodist pastor Mike Slaughter talks about saving for 9 years to buy a motorcycle, in his book titled, Upside Living in a Downside Economy. Jesus in his words in the Sermon on the Mount said, “You cannot serve God and wealth” (NRSV).

2. Selling things you don’t need (things you haven’t used in 3 years) or giving them to the Thrift Store. Let’s face it we have more than we need.

3. Pay off credit cards. If you do not pay off your credit card every month, then you need to re-do your budget. An 18% interest rate can get you in debt quick. Yet many Americans have $20,000 credit card balances.

4. Eat out less often. I saw this on TV this week about how much you would save if you made a meal yourself. Another consideration, watch where you eat out. Make the expensive places for special occasions only.

5. Resist impulse buying. Adam Hamilton talks about his desire to have an I-phone when they first came out. He was out of town and shopping at a mall where people were standing in line for an I-phone. They were going to close at midnight. He went back to the mall at 11:40 to look at the phones again. His question was: did he need a new phone? No. Did it make the pull to buy the new phone any easier no. 

What we are really talking about here is freeing ourselves from the love of money. I give you another one to remove us from money’s pull.

II. Pay off debt. We must make a plan to live simply. I have been inundated in the past year with this financial advice. Live off of 80% of your money. This seems to say live more simply. The goal is to give God 10%, save 10%, and to live on 80% of your money. Mike Slaughter in his book titled, Upside Living in a Downside Economy advocates this principle. 

Dianna and I took a more aggressive approach last fall. It is to live off of 70% of what we make. We then give at least 10% to God (we have held true to what I told the congregation that our basic tithe would be 11% for 2009), 10% toward savings (we actually were closer to 12%), 10% toward debt reduction beyond normal mortgage or car payments. This left us with 67% to live on. It’s easier to live simply when you lower what you are to live on. 

Money sure can help us when we are tight on money, short of money, and bills are coming due, but money is not everything. Jesus said, “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Mat. 6:20). We as Christians must realize that our possessions are only something that we are blessed with for a short time on earth. Our possessions and the pursuit of possessions can actually own us, and dictate to us our life. Living simply is Biblical. Jesus said, “where your treasure is, there will be your heart also” (Mat. 6:21). 

Happiness is not found in money, it is found in knowing that are a child of the king.

Maya Angelou, the black author from Arkansas tells the revealing story of her Aunt Tee who worked as a maid for a wealthy family on a very large spread of land. They were the envy of everyone. They had more money than anybody around. On the surface they were wealthy. Let me share Maya's story to show how poor the rich really are:

"Aunt Tee said that what occurred during every Saturday's party startled her and her friends the first time it happened. They had been playing cards and Aunt Tee, who had just won the bid, held a handful of trumps. She felt a cool breeze on her back and sat upright and turned around. Her employers had cracked her door open and beckoned to her. Aunt Tee, a little peeved, laid down her cards and went to

the door. The couple backed away and asked her to come into the hall, and there they both spoke and won Aunt Tee's sympathy forever. " "Theresa, we don't mean to disturb you," the man whispered, "but you all seem to be having such a good time . . ."

The woman added, "We hear you and your friends laughing every Saturday night and we'd just like to watch you. We don't want to bother you. We'll be quiet and just watch." The wealthy man said, "If you'll just leave your door ajar, your friends don't need to know. We'll never make a sound." Aunt Tee said she saw no harm in agreeing and she talked it over with her company. They said it was OK with them, but it was sad that the employers who owned the gracious house, the swimming

pool, three cars and numberless palm trees but had no joy. Aunt Tee told me that laughter and relaxation had left the house; she agreed it was sad."

We reap what we sow. May our sowing be for the kingdom of God, where the harvest is measured in souls saved for where our treasure is, there will be our heart. I pray God for a heart for your kingdom. 

 

Sermon – Life is Messy: Living into God’s Promise

Charles Schultz, the artist of the Peanuts cartoons, is one of my favorite theologians. In one of his cartoons, Snoopy, the beagle, is saying of Woodstock, the little yellow bird, “Someday, Woodstock is going to be a great eagle.” Then in the next frame he says, “He is going to soar thousands of feet above the ground.” Woodstock takes off into the air and as Snoopy looks on he sees the bird upside down whirling around crazily. So he has second thoughts. In the third frame Snoopy says, “Well, maybe hundreds of feet above the ground . . .” But hardly had the words gotten out of his mouth when Woodstock plummets to the ground and lies there, on his back looking dazed, and Snoopy concludes, “Maybe he will be one of those eagles who just walks around.”

Isn’t it amazing how quickly we settle for less than is promised, and for far less than is possible?

So what does Jesus promise? Eternal Life. Eternal life is a big deal. 

Aren’t you glad God doesn’t limit his promise. God’s promises can be trusted and he says believers in Christ shall have eternal life. I share some scriptures: 

John 3:16 – for God so loved the world….the result eternal life

John 10:28 – Jesus followers (sheep) – he gives to them eternal life.

We now end this series titled “Life is Messy.” Aren’t you glad God cleans us up, holds up, and make us even better than before. As we come to today’s scriptures, John is warning us to be true and faithful to our God. John tells us to not forget his past teachings. So what are they? They are instructions so that we do not lose our way. What is John’s advice for us who are on the journey?   

Carnal means to be led by the world and by our own flesh. I John 2:16 says , carnal is “the cravings of sinful man,” “the lust of his eyes,” and his “boasting of what he does.” He is a person of the world. You either love the world or you love God.   Now God didn’t make us sinless but he did give us the Holy Spirit so we could “sin less.” If you are a Christian and still of the world, then perhaps you have never been saved. John McArthur states, “there is no such thing as a Carnal Christian. It is as John says, you are either in the light or you are in darkness. There is no fence sitting. You can’t be a little bit of a Christian. Either you are claiming Christ or you are not. When we say we want to claim the promise of eternal life – remember this: you can’t claim two masters. 

John Wesley in a sermon titled “Almost Christian,” described those who have a form of godliness or goodness but yet have not committed themselves unto God. Their appearances are deceiving. John certainly does not want us to be deceived so he warns us. Know who you are. Are you saved?

One of John’s first commands is “do not sin.” It’s not that we can quit sinning, but we can hedge our bets. Either were following God, trying to live into his commands, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us or we are not following God, ignoring his commands, which might lead us to deny Christ himself. John says anyone who denies Christ is an anti-Christ. How can we not sin? Let’s get that on the table. 

I John 2:9 says, “those…born of God do not sin, because God’s seed abides in them,” and I John 4:4, “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world….whoever know God listens to God.” It is not by ourselves, it is of God. John paints a black and white picture not because he things in life have easy answers, but because he is saying we have to choose either light or darkness. There is no middle ground.

It is the Holy Spirit living inside. When we commit and give our lives to Christ, the Holy Spirit moves into our heart. He is going to start cleaning things up. If the Holy Spirit is not cleansing us up, are we holding back? Are we not co-operating? Are we obeying God?

We as Christians begin with God’s Spiritual milk. I Peter 2:2, “like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation.” Not sinning – it is a transformation that God does in us. The question is are we co-operating with God for the complete and full transformation into a child of the King. 

b. If you do sin, there is an advocate in Jesus Christ

                2) Because of what Jesus did, there is forgiveness of sins available if we ask and believe. 

II. If we are going to live eternally with God, should we not begin living for him now – obey God’s commandments for we are his children. 

If we say we love God and we are seeking eternity, then we should spend some time right now in getting to know this one who we say we are spending eternity with. 

I John 2:5, whoever obeys God has come to living in God’s perfect love. 

We obey God because we love God for all of his gracious acts. To not obey God is to not love God or to not think God has been gracious enough. 

We don’t talk of eternity and heaven as an escape from our reality. God is calling us to live where we are right now, but we do realize that the difficulties we encounter in this life is not all there is. It encourages us to go into the battle with Satan. It encourages us to say as Jesus said, “Get away from me Satan.” We are strengthened. We are emboldened. We are filled with joy. Yes life is messy, but God cleans up our messes. When we worship such a great God, what is our response? Keep on keeping on.

If we know we are a weak Christian, or below par in our faith, are we going to take that to God and try to grow. If we know God has called us to do more, are we going to sit around? If God has greatly blessed your life, can we keep quiet about it?