Antioch Covenant Church

Someone Worth Stopping For
Matthew 20:29-34
“Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes” vs. 34

In Line At The Post Office
There is a story about a sweet little old lady, Jane, who made frequent trips to the local post office. One day when she got there, the line was pretty long of people who were waiting to ship packages and needing the assistance of the clerks. Jane only needed stamps, so a helpful observer who was behind her in line asked, “Why don’t you buy them on-line? You can get all the stamps you need and you won’t have to stand in line.” Jane said, “I know, but the computer can’t ask me about my arthritis.”

There is something that machines can’t give us; that need we have for human contact and to know that someone really cares. In our passage today, we are going to look at some men who felt that they didn’t matter to the people around them yet Jesus sees their need. We are going to look at Matthew 20:29-34 this morning. If you are able, please stand as we read God’s Word.

Read Passage – Matthew 20:29-34
29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33 “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” 34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

The Need For Attention
The placement of this story is very deliberate. In the previous passage, there is a power play going on in the ranks of the disciples. In fact, it’s a pretty interesting thing that the mom of two of the disciples comes to Jesus and says in verse 21:

“Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” Matt. 20: 21

This issue is that some of the disciples were looking to be important in the kingdom of God and wanted seats of prominence. But…they get their mom to come and ask for them. It’s likely that the other disciples wanted the same thing but these guys get their mom to be the point person. Maybe so they could try to say it was their moms idea or maybe they thought Jesus would be swayed more by a proud mom than some self-serving men. Either way the plan backfires. First, the other disciples are upset about this but secondly because Jesus tells they and their mom that he can’t do what they are asking him to do.

They are missing what Jesus was all about. They are thinking about being in prominent leadership positions and Jesus wasn’t about that at all. In fact, he was all about everything opposite of that.

The Attitude Adjustment
What the disciples needed here was an attitude adjustment. Jesus ends this last story by explaining to them what he is all about. He ways in verse 28:

“…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matt. 20:28

Jesus ultimately was a servant, a servant of God. His attitude was that of being a servant and his idea of being in leadership was that of a servant leader. We think we want notoriety and recognition and yet those ultimately never satisfy. The only thing that ultimately satisfies is having God’s attention and his approval. Jesus got that. He wants the disciples to get that and so he uses this opportunity to not only tell the disciples that, but he lives it out in the story we are looking at today.

Jesus Shows Us How to Serve
They don’t see it yet but as they are walking along, leaving Jericho, not the Jericho of the Old Testament, that one had been destroyed and covered up with dirt but this Jericho is built right near where the Old Testament city was, there are two blind men sitting most likely at the city gates begging. They heard that Jesus was going by (verse1) and they seize the opportunity to call out to him. They think it is their opportunity but it is actually Jesus opportunity to reinforce to the disciple what is looks like to have this servant leadership attitude.

This passage points out four things that Jesus shows us about how to serve others and God.

 He Was Attentive and Listened
First, he was attentive and listened. Notice what is happening here, verse 30:
“Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” vs. 30

This scene is really pretty crazy when you think about it. There probably is quite a bit of commotion just because Jesus is there and people are wanting him to heal and do miracles. But then there are these two guys are calling out to try and get Jesus attention. They have to yell really over the crowd noise. The crowd rebuke them. Rebuke means they chastised them. They talked to them in an angry and critical manner. We are not told what they said but it wasn’t just to be quiet. They chastise them in a harsh way. So what happens? They two guys start yelling louder. This situation is escalating. It’s crazy. It’s a zoo. These people are probably screaming at each other and the crowd is probably yelling at these men to shut up.
Ex. Ever been in a situation where one person is telling another what to do and the more they talk the louder they get and before you know it they are yelling at each other. This is that same thing.

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus could hear these guys through all this? You know, listening is an important trait to Jesus. And to God too! The word listen is used over 400 times in the Bible. That doesn’t even include the times the word “hear” is used. Many times you read the words we see in Matthew 11:15 in the Bible:

“Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matt. 11:15

Jesus understands what it is like to be busy, to be pulled in a million directions and the danger of getting caught up in the moment and missing what is really important.
Ex. The child that is pulling on their mom’s leg and saying “Mommy, mommy, mommy, etc.” and not getting a response.

A great thing to remind ourselves is that need to listen and not to miss an opportunity that God might be bringing into our life.
(Disclaimer: I know we cannot help everyone all the time but, how many times do we really listen to see if this is an opportunity God is placing before us?)

 He Stopped
This is how we know that Jesus heard the two men, he does something that is really pretty dramatic; he stopped. Verse 32a:

“Jesus stopped and called them.” vs. 32a
He physically changes the momentum and he takes command of the situation. Again, let me set the scene for you. This is just a few days away from when Jesus was to be arrested, beaten and crucified. He knew that. He had to have a lot on his mind. His disciples are in a squabble and about frivolous things. Jesus stops. The disciples might be confused by this. They have places to go, preparations to make, they are busy people and busy with important things, Godly things. They might even be thinking that Jesus doesn’t have time to stop. He stopped.

This is something Jesus did often. He is on his way to attend to a synagogue leaders daughter who has just died and he stops to attend to a bleeding woman. He stops to talk to Zacchaeus, Jesus is on his way to attend to Jairus’ daughter and he stops because a woman who was bleeding touches his robe, etc. Jesus often stopped.

We are busy people; sometimes doing really important things. We might need to ask ourselves about the need to stop. Ever notice the things we don’t have time for but when something dramatic happens we all the sudden have the time to stop or attend to what we said we didn’t have time for before that. This same kind of story happens in Luke 18 and Jesus does the same thing; verse 40:

“Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him.” Luke 18:40

Ex. Spring Training trip. I am a Giants fan and will be my whole life. But you know, when I was at Spring training last week not one Giant would stop and talk with me or give me the time of day. Billy Butler of the A’s was practicing at 1st base and when he saw us standing near him, drops his glove and comes over and signs my hat (show hat) A few minutes later Eric Sogaurd does the same thing and thn looks around and says “Anyone one else, did I miss anyone?” He’s fighting ofr his job and he took the time to sign my hat . Wow!

 His Focus Was Them
A third thing Jesus did to show us how to serve is he focused on the men who were blind and their needs. Notice his question to them in verse 32b:

“’What do you want me to do for you?’ he asked.” vs. 32b

That might seem like a crazy question but it was a honest one. What is it they really wanted? Money? Food? Help? I find this interesting because a lot of times we assume what people want or need or even more so, we think we know what they need and what is best for them. These guys knew what they wanted and they asked for it.

I hear people tell me they don’t like to pray and ask God for things they need. Why not? God is attentive to us. Don’t make that your only prayer but ask God for what you need.
Ex. I love giving gifts. It brings me great joy to give someone something they really want. It’s really easy to give someone something you think they need. But when you give someone something they really want? There is great joy in that. A servant attitude is to focus on them not on you and make it about them. When you do what you want, the focus is you. Every book in the Bible has a key verse in it. In Mark it is 10:45 where Jesus said:

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

There are really two focuses that Jesus had that we need to have as well:
1. God – his will and his desire for our life
2. Others – serving

 He had Compassion
And finally, fourth, Jesus shows us how to serve because he had compassion. What he saw touched his heart. In verse 34 we read:

“Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes.” vs. 34

Do you know the opposite of compassion? Judgment. It’s so easy for us to judge when we are called to have compassion. There is not one verse in the Bible that calls us to be critic al and to be judgmental. No, but there are many verses that call us to be compassionate. Here’s one, Ephesians 4:32:

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Eph. 4:32

We don’t usually know everyone story. We haven’t walked in their shoes or even been through what they have. Our call is to compassion.
Ex. Our experience in Walmart on Friday
-In line and we were next
-Saw this woman come from another part of the store
-Demanded that she was next and wanted to be helped
-She had two small kids
-We bit our lip
-Clerks annoyed by her and even when one helped her she demanded the attention of the other clerk as well
-Could have escalated to a shouting match
-We weren’t in a hurry and ended up feeling compassionate for her

Many times I have not acted that way. Many times I probably tried to argue my case that I was first and I should be served. I had to pick this sermon didn’t I? 

You’re Worth It
So what does this all come down to. Jesus stopped for two people that others were not willing to give the time of day for. He does that for everyone. He stops for them and he stops for you. You are worth it. So much so that Jesus was willing to be crucified for you and take on your sin. He showed us we are worth it by his actions.

We are to take on the servant attitude that Jesus had. We serve because he served.

The Courageous Church: Embracing Our Differences
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” vs. 27

Broken Leg
A few years ago, Snoopy, the lovable beagle in the Peanuts cartoon, had his left leg broken. Hundreds wrote letters to Snoopy or sent sympathy cards. Snoopy himself philosophized about his plight one day while perched on top of his doghouse and looking at the huge white cast on his leg. “My body blames my foot for not being able to go places. My foot says it was my head’s fault, and my head blamed my eyes…. My eyes say my feet are clumsy, and my right foot says not to blame him for what my left foot did….” Snoopy then confesses, “I don’t say anything because I don’t want to get involved.”

Our bodies are a great picture of how God works in the church and Paul uses that as a picture for us here in 1 Corinthians 12. The way everything in our bodies work together to produce who we are and how we act and react is a pretty incredible thing. Today, we are going to finish our series on The Courageous Church and today we are looking at Embracing Our Differences. Paul uses this to spur us on so if you are able will you please stand as we read God’s Word.

Read Passage – 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

A Beautiful Scene?
The church Paul is writing to here is in the city of Corinth. This was a port town that was a major area for trading and commerce. The Roman Empire had taken over this area and they saw the importance of this city and the great location and importance it could play in their empire so they tore the city down and built a new and beautiful city. The city was filled with merchandizing booths and it was a bustling place. We might liken it to New York City and it being this hub of activity. People were really drawn to it because of the many opportunities and the things that it offered.

It was also a place that would make for a good church and outreach into a community that needed to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. In fact, there was a church there but the church at Corinth was not living up to its potential. In fact, it had some distinct, troublesome problems.

I. Ever hear the saying, “Beauty only goes skin deep, but ugly goes straight to the bone?” The Church of Christ at Corinth was an ugly place – ugly to the bone.
-I Corinthians 3:1-4 tells us of jealousy and division.
-I Corinthians 4:18 talks about arrogant men
-I Corinthians 5:1-2 speaks of their sin of pride
-I Corinthians 9:1-6 tells of the church’s tendency to be backbiters of Paul’s ministry
-I Corinthians 11:17-22 tells of division and gluttony
-Chapter 12 talks about the conflict between those who had the gift of tongues vs. those with other gifts
-Chapters 15 & 16 that talked about a bad doctrine about the resurrection that had leaked into the congregation.

If you lived in Corinth, you’d probably think about going to another church. Corinth was a congregation on a downhill slide but Paul Hadn’t given up on it yet.

The Changing Definition Of Unity
This passage does raise an important thing for us to consider; what is unity? It seems that many people might be tempted to define unity as everything being the same or everyone being the same. I’d like to challenge that. Unity might better be defined not as everything being the same, but everyone or everything working together for a common good or for a purpose. Notice Paul’s words in verse 12:

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” vs. 12

Paul uses the analogy of a body and the many parts working together. Within that understanding we can look at our differences not as divisions, but as opportunities to work in unity to accomplish a common good or purpose.

Unity In Diversity
So that’s what we are focusing on today, how diversity can unify us and bring us together and how God does that for us in our differences with our gifts, talents, and individuality.

• Each One Is Unique
Look around you for just a second. Notice how different each one of us is from one another. You can see a difference in hair (or lack thereof), color, eyes, height, weight, styles, etc. We are all unique in who we are. I have always found it interesting that we all have a unique fingerprint. No two are alike. We are all unique in our own way. Verse 14 tells us:

“Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” vs. 14

Our physical bodies are made up of many parts, so is our spiritual body; the church. We are made up of many parts and together we constitute a body. The funny thing is that we can look alike on the outside but be very different on the inside.
Ex. Our friends that had twins when the girls were growing up. On the outside people had a tough time telling them apart. Natalie was the first to really be able to distinguish between the two. On the outside they looked almost exactly alike but on the inside:
Jimmy – out going, big presence, would take things apart and seemed mechanically oriented
Johnny – more quiet, very sweet in nature, everybody’s friend
See, on the outside they looked the same but inside they were unique. Let me add a bit to this by giving you a verse from Psalm 139:14:

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

Now if you have a pen or pencil, take it out and underline or circle this part; your works are wonderful. Here is what God is telling us; you are wonderful. You are wonderful because God made you, he designed you, and it’s wonderful. Sometimes we might not feel that about ourselves but I believe God’s Word and he tells us here that we, you, are wonderfully made. Each of us have qualities and talents and gifts given to us just by God and you are exactly who you God wanted you to be, and that is wonderful.

• Each One Has A Part
Because you are unique and wonderfully made, you also have a part in the body. Paul uses an interesting analogy here. He says in verse 15:

“Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.” vs. 15

And he goes on to explain how the ear can’t say to the mouth “I don’t need you” and how the eye can’t just decide not to be a part of the body. What he is getting at here is that each different part of the body has a specific part to play for the body to be whole. Most of the time we don’t think about some of the smaller parts of the body until they aren’t working properly.
Ex. Many of us live with parts of our bodies that don’t do their job. You may have a pancreas that doesn’t work and you have diabetes. You may have a liver not working right and you need to have dialysis to filter your blood. And a variety of other things. But each of these things also affects other things like eye sight, how your heart works, etc. We can affect others and not even realize it.

The same is true for each of us. You may feel insignificant. You might not think you make a difference. You might not realize your value. But God does. He created you to have a part in the body. How do I know you have a part? He has told us that he has made us specifically that way, c.f. 1 Cor. 7:7:

“But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.” 1 Cor. 7:7

Here is the reality of what God is saying: God had gifted you with specific talents and skills. Those that are gifted are not just those you see up front. Not just Fil, me, etc. See all of us have gifts and when you use them for God, you are fulfilling your part of being the body of Christ.
Ex. those that handle the finances, those that fix things around the church, those that fold the bulletins or do office work, those that clean, those that work with the kids, and so many more.

• The Body Loses When You Aren’t Active
Now here is the thing about having gifts and talents from God, you are expected to use them and if you don’t, the body losses when you aren’t active.

“But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” vs. 18

You are not who you are by accident. Notice in the verse that God has placed the parts just where he wanted them. You are where you are supposed to be because God wants you there and your part in important.
Ex. Ever kick a chair or a post or something like that and hurt your little toe? Most of us have done something like that at some point and isn’t it amazing how much you really need that toe and you didn’t even notice it before. When it hurts, everything hurts and is affected. Your sense of balance is off. You have to walk slightly differently. You can’t run. You have difficulty putting on certain shoes. It affects almost everything you do. That little toe that you very rarely think about has a big part in all that you do.

God says in verse 24:

“But God has put the body together…” vs. 24

Now God does give us choices but he puts the body together; the physical body as well as the church body. He has brought us and put us together. That is pretty cool when you think about it. God wants us to be together and to work together so we can accomplish his work. But when we don’t do our part, the rest of the body loses.
Ex. Let tell you a story about a woman who work for me from U.P.S. She came to me one day and told me how she had picked up a package and it really hurt her wrist but she refused to go to the doctor. She could handle it. About a week later she show up in my office again but this time she was pulling a heavy package off the top shelf in her package car and because here wrist was hurt she couldn’t hold it right and she pulled the muscles in her shoulder. Again, she refused to go to the doctor. It took a bit longer but a couple weeks later she shows up limping. Trying to compensate for her wrist and shoulder she slipped and hurt her knee. Again, refused to go to the doctor. The final straw was that because of her wrist, her shoulder and now her knee she was compensating for all of that and ended up throwing out her back. This time she went to the doctor. I never her saw her work another day at UPS. Her career was over because when she hurt her wrist she wouldn’t take care of it. It seemed insignificant but her whole body ended up paying the price. True story.

• Diversity Leads To Unity
Finally, as odd as it may seem, our diversity leads to a greater unity. Our diversity helps us work together in unity to accomplish more that we could on our own. Paul says in verse 25:

“…so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” vs. 25

So here is the thing. We discovered that all have gifts from God. We all have strengths. And, we all have weaknesses. But God’s desire is for us to work together and do our part so that unity is achieved and so the work load is manageable. We have a tendency to think that there are more important parts than others. Those that are upfront, louder, more prominent we tend to give a greater importance to. But that kind of thinking is not accurate. Notice in this verse how he points out that the different parts are equal. Because they each play a part.

Yes some people are louder, some are more upfront, some have roles of leadership, some take care of big things, but that does not nullify or lessen the value of those that are quieter, those working behind the scenes, those that are not doing the things that are easily seen or noticed.

Your Part of the Body
Finally, I believe this passage just reaffirms that you are to be the body of Christ. This passage emphasizes that in verse 27:

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” vs. 27

So here is the challenge that comes from knowing that you are part of the body; how does that change your life. Let me bring back that verse from Psalm 139:

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14
I bring this back because I want to point out the end of the verse. It says: “I know that fully well” Do you know fully well that you are wonderfully made and that you are wonderful?

If so, how does that change your life?
If you take this seriously and truly believe it, how would this effect my self-esteem, my inward being, and my how I see myself?
How does this change my view of the world?
What might God be showing me about what I do with my life and my ministry?

Communion

The Courageous Church:
Supporting Social Justices Issues
Matthew 25:31-46
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” vs. 34

Congo Kids
Did you know as a church we tithe? We give a percentage of our income to the Evangelical Covenant Denomination and we designate a portion of that to missions. One of the missions we support is called Covenant Congo Kids. It’s located in Ecuador and it’s a program that seeks to help support and encourage those in a more desolate area. They teach them to be self-supporting and help them learn trades and skills so they can provide and sustain themselves. I thought it migh be good to see that ministry in action so here is a video clip to give you a better idea of what happens there.

Show video

I believe as a church we are called to help others. Sometimes that help is for people in other countries but it can also be for those around us that need advocates and people that are willing to stand up for those that might not be able to do it for themselves. Jesus talks about this in Matthew 25 and I believe that as a courageous church we need to be active in social justice issues. If you are able, would you please stand as we read Matthew 25:31-46.

Read Passage – Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Sheep and Goats
The Passage we red today is part of what is called the Olivet Discourse.

“…he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” vs. 32b

Why sheep and goats? Let me explain by briefly explaining their differences and why the people of Jesus time would have understood what Jesus was saying.

Difference 1 – Looks
They look different. Show pictures

Difference 2 – Diets
Sheep eat grass and a few selected herbs
Goats nibble on grass nubs and weeds, tree, and anything else they find

Difference 3 – Body
Sheep(that have horns) curl around their head
Goats have sharp pointed horns and are dangerous

Difference 4 – Temperament
Sheep are content and tend to stay in place (especially in their pens)
Goats are difficult to tend, are always trying to escape and when penned, will go over, under or sometimes through a fence.

Difference 5 – Mothering
Sheep have liters of 1-3 and keep their babies at their side at all times and if attacked, they will defend their young to the death, giving their life if they have to.
Goats have liters of 3-5 and leave their babies for long periods of time only returning to feed them when necessary and when attacked, will fight, but if it comes down to it, they will save their life before their offspring’s.

The bottom line is that sheep are endearing and have a good reputation are seen in a good light by those tending them. Goats on the other hand are ornery, and difficult and tend to be seen as only out for themselves. Jesus is encouraging us to be like sheep. Why?

A Hallmark of Jesus’ Ministry
Because a hallmark of Jesus ministry is helping people, especially those less fortunate. Like a mama sheep would fight for its young and they are not self- promoting but caring and willing to lay sown their life for others. That’s one reason Jesus is called the Lamb of God. Since caring and protecting and being obedient to the shepherd (God) is what Jesus did, he is challenging us to be the same way because he tells us we can do what he did, and even greater. John 14:12:

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12

As a church, the church of Christ and the bride of Christ, we are called to do the thing he did. This is rough to say but if we are not doing these things, we may have to ask ourselves if we are really trusting what Jesus said and if we are really submitting to him because in this passage we see his heart.

A lot of times the church takes a l ot of heat from not standing up for those being hurt or persecuted. They may use that as an argument not to be a part of a church.
Ill. Ever been talking with someone and they throw this arguments about how the church failed miserably in Nazi Germany in WWII. I ran across some comments by Albert Einstein. Einstein was not a Christian, in fact he was born a Jew. But he had seen first-hand what took place in Germany in those terrible years, and he observed: “Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler’s campaign for suppressing the truth. I never had any special interest in the Church before, but now I feel a great affection and admiration for it because the Church alone has had the courage and persistence to stand for intellectual and moral freedom. I am forced to confess that what I once despised I now praise unreservedly.”
(Arthur Cochrane “The Church’s Confession under Hitler” – Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1962 -indicates his source: Wilhelm Niemoller in “Kampf und Zeugnis der bekennenden Kirche” p.526)

A Word of Caution
Just a quick word of caution about what we are discussing today: this passage is not about earning your salvation. It’s not about earning your way to heaven. No, it’s about our commitment to Jesus Christ, to his ways and his heart, and the willingness to live out what we believe. It’s not about our works but about our willingness to work hard at being the body of Christ.

The Church: Standing In the Gap For:
So what is the real message? It’s this: This is a call for the church to stand in the gap. To stand against injustice, to be advocates and helpers for those that are hurting, those that are put down, those that are persecuted, and those that may have hurt us or others but need the love of Christ in their lives.
Ill. One night a woman dreamed that she was having a conversation with God. She was angry about all the suffering and evil she saw around her, so she complained to the Lord. “God, why don’t you do something about all this?”
God gently replied: “I did. I created you.”

• The Hungry and Thirsty
The first place we can stand in the gap is for those that are in need of food and something to drink. Jesus says in verse 35a:

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…” vs. 35a

I think this is the first thing listed because these are the necessities of life. People cannot go without food and water and live. They are necessities and we are called to help provide them. I would go a step further too, when you do this, you will be blessed. God’s word tells us so. Prov. 22:9:

“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.” Prov. 22:9

Ex. Jesus feeding the 4,000 and 5,000 Jesus recognized that if someone is there and listening on an empty stomach, they won’t hear. They will only hear the grumbling in their stomachs. Minister to their needs and you can minister to their heart.
Ex. Recently I was in Denver, CO for part of my ordination process. I took a walk in this one area of downtown (show pic), and there in the park was a group from a church handing our plastic bag with water, a sandwich, chips, some fruit, and some granola bars. People lined up in this park to get their bags and then they sat in that area eating and talking to one another. That really touched me that this church would do that.
We can do things that are practical and easy to help those who are hungry and thirsty for example:
-Work or donate to a soup kitchen
-Work or donate to a food pantry
-Take a meal to someone on need (deaconess group)
-Contribute to United Way and Salvation Army programs through your work
-Donations of turkeys and canned food at Thanksgiving and Christmas

• Strangers
A second way to stand in the gap as a church is to welcome strangers. Verse 35b:

“I was a stranger and you invited me in…” vs. 35b

One thing we have to ask ourselves is how open we are to people. Now I do realize the need to be discerning and careful but way too often we use that as an excuse not be open to new people. I love that we are open to new people.
Ex. Greeting time. Welcoming strangers doesn’t have to be doing something you are not comfortable with, work within your gifting. If you’re a hugger, give hugs. If you’re a hand-shaker, give a hand, etc. Always be aware of the other persons needs and boundaries too.

One reason the Bible tells us to be so open is that we never know who we are welcoming. It could be an angel. Yea really, Hebrews 13:2:

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2

Ill. Anybody remember that show Touched By An Angel? Its 212 episodes chronicled the cases of two angels, Monica (Roma Downey) and her supervisor Tess (Della Reese), who bring messages from God to various people to help them as they reach a crossroads in their lives. Angels showed up all over the place.

Jesus was always stopping to talk, heal, and work with those he didn’t know. He was welcoming. He welcomed the sick, lepers, diseased, demon-possessed, etc. We are called to enlarge our circle of influence and welcome strangers.

• The Sick
A third place to stand in the gap is with those who are sick. Verse 36a says:

“I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me…” vs. 36a

Here is the thing about being sick, you are vulnerable. It’s not easy to be sick, it’s not easy to be a caregiver to the sick, and it’s hard for many to ask for help. It might just be pride, but many times we have this thing that says we have to do it all ourselves. As a church we are called to help. Helping the sick takes on many different looks. It doesn’t have to be the actual care-giving but that works too. Let me give a verse and then some suggestions about tending to the sick, James 5:14-15:

“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.” James 5:14-15

Did you pick up on it? The first thing you can do is pray. But her are a few more things you can consider:
-A phone call, a card, or a letter
-Covering for the care-giver so they can have a break
-Doing their shopping for them and/or picking up their prescriptions
-Helping out with their home needs (cleaning, yard work, etc.)
-Driving them to an appointment
—-Fill in the blank with what you can think of.

Jesus wasn’t afraid of the sick, not actually he went to them and sought them out.
Ex. Recently when Claudia broke her foot and the help we received

• The Imprisoned
And finally, Jesus mentions one that is a little more on the difficult side, caring for those who are imprisoned; verse 36b:

“I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Vs. 36b

It is important for us to remember that God cares for those who have committed crimes and have committed crimes against society. They are not beyond God’s reach. God’s desire is to see them redeemed, restored, and reconciled through the love and truth of Jesus Christ.
Ex. There is a great story about Paul when he and Silas are in jail. They are there and there is this earthquake. The doors all fly open and the jailer is about to kill himself because he thinks all the prisoners are going to run and then he would be blamed and killed. Paul makes sure everyone stays put and because of his integrity, listen to what happened. Acts 16:34:

“The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.” Acts 16:34

You can make a difference. How?
-Support a ministry like Prison Fellowship, Kairos, Aglow Int’l, etc.
-Support Angel tree Christmas that ministers to the families of those in prison. The families are often forgotten victims in these situations.
-Visit those in prison

Extending the Love of Christ
Really the bottom line here is that we are called to extend the love of Christ.

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook on Friday and I thought it summed up what we are talking about today. She wrote:

If we truly follow Christ, we must do more than accept the poor and the marginalized. We must go live among them. We must share their table and roof (or lack thereof.)

The greatest question that seems to face the church today is this: Are we prepared to let Jesus love who he wants?

Our job is not to decide who is compatible to worship with us. No. The Bible is clear about our mission. We are not called to tolerate anyone. We are called to love them. We are to live as a listening people who are always ready to give an answer for the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15) – Ann Snowberger

The Courageous Church: Heart Healthy

Proverbs 4:20-27

“For they (God’s words) are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.” vs. 22

Fort Knox

-My earliest memories of Fort Know come from Bugs Bunny cartoons. It was portrayed like this: (show picture). But what is it really liked?

-Fort Knox is located close to Louisville, Ky. (show other picture), built in 1936

-It is home to much of the nations gold reserve.

-It is a two story building constructed of granite, steel, and concrete.

-It is 105 ft by 121 ft, and is 42 ft above ground level. That only about ½ the size of a football field.

-The vault door weighs more than 20 tons.

-No one person is entrusted with the combination. Various members of the staff must dial separate combinations known only to them.

The vault casing is constructed of steel plates, steel I-beams and steel cylinders laced with hoop bands, and encased in concrete.

-The outer wall of the depository is constructed of granite lined with concrete. -Construction material:

16,500 cubic feet of granite, 1,650 ft x1,650 x 1,650

4,200 cubic yards of concrete 420 dt, by 420 ft. x 420 ft.

750 tons of reinforcing steel (1,500,000 lbs) (7500 200 lb. men)

670 tons of structural steel (1,340,000 lbs) (6,700 200 lb. men)(

– In the basement is a pistol range for use by the guards.

The building is equipped with the latest and most modern protective devices. The nearby Army Post provides additional protection. The Depository is equipped with its own emergency power plant, water system and other facilities.
There is a place for you and i that needs to be well guarded; something more important than gold. That place is our heart and today we are going to look at how to do that from Solomon’s words in Proverbs 4:20-27.

Read Passage – Proverbs 4:20-27

My son, pay attention to what I say turn your ear to my words. ²¹ Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; ²² for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. ²³ Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. ²⁴ Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. ²⁵ Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. ²⁶ Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. ²⁷ Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

Listen Carefully!

Solomon is considered the writer of this passage. You can tell he really wants our attention here by the way he starts this section in verse20:

“My son, pay attention to what I say turn your ear to my words.” vs. 20

Paraphrasing his words he is saying “Listen carefully!”  Literally the words pay attention mean “turn your ear.”

Ex. It’s as if you are listening to a teacher in a school class and it is going in one ear and out the other.  Kind of like Charlie Brown, remember his teacher “Waw, Waw, Waw, Waw.”   But I have had a lot of teachers that want to stress one particular thing and in the middle of one of their lectures they say; “Now pay attention to this point.”

He really wants us to make sure we are getting this!

Search for Health

Solomon goes on to say that these words are not just a point of emphasis, they are words that help us with our health.  He says in verse 22:

“For they (God’s words) are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.” vs. 22
People are always in the search for health.  There are always new fad’s and new diets coming out and they are million dollar sellers.  We want health.

Ex. The latest one I now of is the step counter. Have you seen that? It’s an app you can put on your phone and it counts the number of steps you take in a day. The idea is that you can be healthier and lose weight if you take 10,000 steps a day. I have one friend who is doing this and sometimes he gets to 9,500 or so steps near the end of the day and so he takes a walk around the block or walks circles in his living room to make it to 10K. Funny note: a friend of mine in Sacramento is doing this and he posts a picture of his steps. The other day he had a great day and was at 18,800 and wanted to know people’s opinion about if he should go for 20k. I wrote: Sure, you can do it, go for 30k!

Anyway, we all have some desire to be healthy.  We feel better physically, we feel more stable emotionally, life seems more enjoyable, and our outlook seems brighter. Healthy is a good thing.

Guard Your Heart

To know who we are and to take care of ourselves we have to start at the core of who we are and that is our heart. Verse 23:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” vs. 23

In our world our society tends to define your heart by your emotions; how you feel and what you consider to be good. I challenge that.  I think the heart goes much deeper. From a spiritual perspective it is the core of who we are. Yes, it is that place where you feel emotions, but it is also the place where you make decisions and where you consider God and his role in your life, it’s that place where you weigh what is good and evil and where you establish who you are and what you want to be. It is that place where everything flows from.

The interesting part of this is this is that guarding is more than just keeping the evil or bad things out.  Yes, that is an important part but guarding also includes what you put into it.  We must be careful not to let evil, negativity, and bad things in but the flip side of that is that we must put the good and proper things in so that what flows out is also good and proper.

Ex. Filling my coffee cup. If I want good coffee to flow from my coffee cup I have to put good coffee into it.  I not only protect t from being filled with the wrong coffee but I am proactive in making sure I put good coffee into it

A Prescription for Heart Healthy

In our passage today Solomon uses the imagery of the body to challenge our thinking. He uses different parts of our physical being to get us to go deeper about what being heart healthy looks like in our lives.

• Eyes: Keep Your Focus

The first consideration has to do with our eyes. When it comes to our eyes we need to keep our focus. It says in verse 25:

 “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” vs. 25

The challenge here is to keep looking ahead.  He uses the term to “fix our gaze.” I love that. Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. It is always amazing to watch how couples in love “gaze” into each other’s eyes. When you gaze like that, your total focus in on that person or object. You are mesmerized.  We are encouraged here to be mesmerized by God’s Word and to keep focusing on them.

The reality is that there are distractions that want to take our focus.

Ex. Think about the times you walk through a mall.  You may be going to buy something specific like say a pair of jeans. But…there are those darn window displays. You walk by and see something and like say the candy store and all the sudden you are strolling through the chocolate section.  Now it gets even worse. You walk by the food court and there are those darn people handing out samplers.

• Mouth & Lips: Positive and Encouraging

The second imagery used is the mouth and lips.  Verse 24 says:

“Keep your mouth free of perversity, keep corrupt talk far from your lips.” vs. 24

Remember that guarding is not just prevent what gets in but it is also putting the right things I so the right things come out.  Our heart is exposed by what comes from our mouth and lips.  Ever been around someone who has a really corrupt mouth? It really is not very comfortable.  Our words and talk can be harmful. We are called not to be critical, biting, and difficult.

Everything in God’s Word is directed at us seeing things his way and that includes our words.  We are called to be like Jesus. Jesus took the time to build up the down trodden, help those less fortunate, use words to heal, speak to women when that was frowned upon by society, etc. Of course the exception to that were the religious leaders who put on a facade and were misleading people. Paul wrote in 1 Thess. 5:11:

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…” 1 Thess. 5:11

Our call is to use words that build up and encourage; positive.

Ex. Flatter me, and I may not believe you.
Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.
Encourage me, and I will not forget you.

– William Arthur Ward (One of America’s most quoted writers of inspirational maxims)

• Feet: Walk the Talk

The third imagery talks about our feet and the imagery of where we go. Verse 26:

“Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.” vs. 26

The challenge here is to consider our paths and where those paths will take us.  We may need to ask to ourselves where we are spending our time?  Who are we spending our time with? Have we given careful thought to that and where do those paths take us? This imagery may remind us of the roads that Jesus talked about in Matthew 7. One path leads to destruction and the other to life. It is important for us to be on the path that leads to life, real life and one that brings stability.  Notice the end of verse 26 where it talks about the steadfastness that comes through being on the right path. Part of protecting our heart comes in the form of walking the walk. We say we are God’s children.  Is that evident by our actions and the paths we choose. Verse 27 gives us a warning and possible outcome if we don’t choose our paths wisely:

“Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” vs. 27

The result of bad paths can be evil.  Satan would love nothing better than to deceive us into walking bad paths so that we are lead into evil.

Sometimes we can help ourselves by spending our time and walking paths that lead us to draw nearer to God.  We choose to spend time with people of like-mindedness, with those with similar goals and aspirations.

Living the Good Life

Let’s go back to the premise of this passage.  We pay close attention and turn our ear towards God’s words so that we gain life.  It really was a purpose of Jesus life and why he came.  Remember the words of John 10:10:

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

We can live the good life when we live more like Jesus did.

Eyes – We see things like Jesus who had his eyes firmly fixed on his father.

Mouth – Used his words to build up and encourage. To bring healing and restoration .

Feet – walked with his disciples and those who followed his Father.

The Courageous Church: Grace-Filled
Romans 6:1-14
“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” vs. 14

St. Ignatius’ Bean
Ignatius beans is known by various names, such as St. Ignatius, Ignatia, Ignatia Amara, Lu Song Guo, Saint Ignatius-beans. This plant is a climbing shrub or a small tree that often grows up to a height of above 60 feet. The shrub bears flowers that have a greenish white hue and are swathed with tiny silky bristles. The fruits of the Ignatius bean shrub are about five inches in width and enclose a yellow pulp and each fruit contains as many as 20 hard seeds that are oval in shape.
This large woody shrub was discovered by the French chemists Joseph-Bienaimé Caventou and Pierre-Joseph Pelletier in 1818 in the Philippines. The shrub was later introduced in Cochin China and is extremely valued in this region for its remedial properties. The shrub derives its name from the Jesuits who were attracted by this plant. The commercially grown variety of beans are approximately one inch long, have an oval shape and a muffled blackish brown hue. These seeds are not only extremely tough, but also have horns and are covered with silver color fine bristles lying flat against the cover. Each fruit of Ignatius bean encloses anything between 12 to 20 seeds that are surrounded by a yellowish pulp.

The homeopathic remedy Ignatia is also useful for treating headaches, especially where the sufferer has a heavy sensation in his/ her head and light-headedness, depression, emotional instability, anxiety, and a few other disorders. Extreme caution should be used when taking this

Here is the scientific name for this plant: Strychnos ignatii and Strychnos tieute. Ring a bell? Yep, most of you see what it produces: Strychnine. Ignatius bean contains the poisons strychnine and brucine.

So hear this now: Ignatius bean is UNSAFE. It is poisonous. Long-term use of Ignatius bean can cause liver damage and be fatal. If you already have liver damage, you are especially at risk for toxicity.

You might be asking why you are getting this very interesting science lesson in church this morning? Think about how many people probably died before the actual Strychnine was discovered. Many times things look appealing but the reality is they can kill you. You don’t realize it at the time. Today we are going to talk about sin and grace and continue our series on The Courageous Church . If you are able, please stand as we read Romans 6:1-14 from God’s Word.

Read Passage – Romans 6:1-14
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

The Illusion of Sin
I am going to talk about something today that we really don’t like to talk about. It is something that has been around since the Garden of Eden. It is unpopular in today’s culture and many churches try to avoid the subject all together. It’s sin. A lot of people don’t like that things are called sin and many people like to say that it’s just the church’s way of controlling peoples minds and actions. In fact, in today’s world right and wrong are very subjective in most people’s eyes and many feel there are really no wrongs. Many ask; “What is right and wrong?”
Ex. ISIS Most of us are watching in the news what ISIS is doing and we know they are brutal guerillas who have very little value for human life. Yet, they are growing at alarming numbers both personal wise and financially. Many (most not in this part of the world) join their forces and rally behind their cause. We have to ask why they could consider such a thing?

Here is the issue: there is an illusion of sin. Sin gives the illusion that it is good for you, won’t hurt you, and you deserve to have what it is offering. The bottom line is that sin has an appeal to us. If it didn’t, we wouldn’t want it.
Ex. Gambling – look at the commercials and how happy everyone is and they seem to be having a great time.

A Way Out
In our passage today Paul is addressing the problem of sin. He is giving us the reality of sin that it is real and harmful and that sin kills. But…there is good news Paul wants us to understand; there is a way out. There is a solution to sin and that is grace. This passage in chapter 6 is an extension of his thought from ch. 5:20:

“But where sin increased, grace increased all the more…” Rom. 5:20b

See sin is real. We need something to counteract our sin and that remedy comes in the form of grace. Paul tells us that where ever there is sin, there is an abundant amount of grace to cover that sin. That remedy came when Jesus died on the cross and died for our sins. Knowing that does not mean that we should just accept sin or even sin at a greater rate so we get more grace. So Paul asserts in verse 1:

“Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” vs. 1

Paul is challenging us and the logical, or illogic, that we just keep sinning so that grace is poured out more and more. Grace is not a “free pass” card for sin. No, we need grace to restore our relationship with God and to be in right relationship with Him.

Grace:
We have studying what is is to be a courageous church and how that impacts how we relate to God and how we care for each other. Grace is a huge part of being a courageous church. Let’s define grace.

What is grace? Grace is: God’s unmerited favor. It is kindness from God we don’t deserve. There is nothing we have done, nor can ever do to earn this favor. It is a gift from God. Grace is divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration (rebirth) or sanctification; a virtue coming from God; a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine favor.

Now that we know that, we can discover through Romans 6 how to live that in our daily lives.

1. Believes We’ve Died to Sin
The first thing Paul points out about grace is that graces believes we’ve died to sin. He says in verse 2:

“We are those who have died to sin…” vs. 2

When I say that what runs through your mind? If you’re like me you might say; “Wait a minute, that doesn’t make sense, I still sin. I struggle with that. That doesn’t make sense!” But notice he talks about it a second time in verse 11:

“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin…” vs. 11

This is relating a very important point to us: sin does not have a stronghold on us anymore if we accept the work of Jesus Christ. I think many of us continue to struggle because we feel like sin should be wiped out and we just shouldn’t sin anymore. Here is the reality: we all sin and as long as we are in this earthly body we will struggle with sin. BUT…when we live in Christ we live in hope. We need to think bigger. We may struggle with sin but it is not going to be that way always. We think bigger by knowing with the grace provided from Jesus’ work on the cross, sin will not be forever and the sin that we do struggle with is covered by his blood. We can also think bigger by claiming victory over that sin. Many times we have gotten to the point of accepting sin and we just figure that is the way things are. No. We have dies to sin and we should live in the reality that Jesus gives us victory over sin and it’s stronghold.
Ex. Having a winning lottery ticket. You can have one but if you never cash it in, you won’t live with the spoils.

2. Knows We Live with Christ
A 2nd understanding of grace is that because we have died to sin, we now know that we live with Christ. This changes everything. It means we have an advocate and a helper to live in a new way. Verse 8 says:

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” vs. 8

Let me expand on this with a story. (1 Samuel 17) Most of us know who David was. There is this story from when David was a young man. He was tending his sheep when his dad calls him to deliver food and supplies to his brothers who are fighting in the Israeli army. They are facing these guys called the Philistines. When David gets there he sees this giant of a man and everyday he comes out and challenges and one in the Israeli army to fight him. The Israelites are paralyzed. Nobody wants to fight him. They are living in fear. David comes along and asks why no one is fighting this guy. David says he’ll do it. He even gets to meet the king who wants him to wear his armor, but it’s too big for him. So David goes and fights this guy who is 9 feet tall and a seemingly unbeatable guy. But David says he is coming in the name of the Lord. He brings to the fight the things he knows. He’s a shepherd so he brings his sling and some stones. The giant laughs. In one shot David hits the giant on the forehead right between the eyes and kills him. He runs over and cuts off the giants head. He probably holds it up victoriously and then what happens? The Israeli army moves in and defeats the Philistines. David lived in victory because he trusted God and lived in his promises.

One of my favorite verse is Galatians 2:20:

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Gal. 2:20

So get this, God has made you who you are and he has given you gifts and talents; just like David. He has given you everything you need to fight the sin that you think can kill you. Many of us live like that Israeli army. We are live in fear and are paralyzed because the enemy looks too big. When we have died to sin, we live with the power and the victory of Jesus Christ and his victory gives us victory.

3. Accepts We Have an Active Part
Now here is the third reality of grace, we accept that we have an active part. We are not called to in inactive but to actively be involved with our victory over sin and acceptance of the grace that Jesus provides for us. Paul tells us in verse 13:

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.” vs. 13

This is a call to action. We are not to accept sin but to, in a sense, be active in resisting it and not letting it overtake us. Paul says not to let it reign. Let me give you another passage to help guide us in this; James 4:7:

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

Submit is a active verse in this verse. We are to actively submit to God and to resist the devil and his ploys of sin. Also notice the other active verbs in this verse, resist and flee.

Let’s go back to the story of David. David took an active part in defeating the Philistines through God’s calling. If it depended on the rest of the Israeli army, the victory would have never happened because they were not willing to take an active part. David showed the necessity of being active in God. But that activity is something that is planned for and worked at ahead of time. Think about David. He was in tune with God. He worshipped God, he spent time with God and he trusted God with his very life. We can do the same. We spend time in his word, he pray, we worship, we confess our sin, and we develop our trust in God and in the abilities he has given us. We overcome sin with the grace of God and by drawing close to him.

Amazing Grace
The final result of all this is that we live differently. We have grace. The grace of God provided through the work of Jesus Christ. We have amazing grace so we live differently. Verse 10 says:

“The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.” vs. 10

Because Jesus died, his graced is extended to us. We in turn, can now be the ones to extend grace to others based on what Jesus did for us. We become a church defined by grace. We recognize that we have sinned and we confess that sin. We recognize that others sin and that God forgives and extends grace so we forgive and extend grace.

The key point of this is Jesus. He has done it for us and we live differently because of him.

Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me….
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

T’was Grace that taught…
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear…
the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares…
we have already come.
T’was Grace that brought us safe thus far…
and Grace will lead us home.

The Lord has promised good to me…
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be…
as long as life endures.

The Courageous Church: God’s Presence
Hebrews 13:1-6
“God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” vs. 5

The Tate’s
Some families attend church together and at some point some families even seem to be the whole church. Take this one church for example who seem to be the main attenders. In their family and church there was:
-Dic Tate, who insists on running everything in church
-His brother Ro Tate wants to change everything
-There was Aunt Agi Tate has a knack for stirring up trouble
-Her husband, Irri Tate, who no one wants to be around
-There was also Hesi Tate who had a difficult time getting going on projects
-His wife, Vege Tate, would just sit around and do nothing
-Also, Aunt Imi Tate who wanted to do what every other church was doing
-And, Devas Tate would always announce that the church was constantly doomed

Although most of these are somewhat funny, there is some truth that we all bring our personalities and temperaments to our church. Part of what makes these funny is that we know people who fit these descriptions. Today we are going to continue our study about what it takes to be a courageous church. Today we will focus on Hebrews 13:1-6. If you are able, please stand as we read God’s Word.

Read Passage – Hebrews 13:1-6
“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. 4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

The Caring Church
What do people see when they come into our church? What vibe do they get? How do they perceive us? Recently I was asked about our church what I believe the tone and personality of the church is. I was also asked what I bring to the church. Interesting question I am not sure I had ever been asked before. One thing I know I want is for anyone who walks through those doors to know that they are loved and cared for because God loves them and cares for them. I think it’s God desire that we being a caring community and a caring church.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that salvation only comes though acceptance of his free gift that he provided by dying on the cross and rising again from the dead. He showed that death is not the victor and that we can have eternal with God because of his sacrifice. But…he did go to be with the Father and that provided for us an incredible gift, the Holy Spirit. Jesus even explained this to the disciples and us in John 14:16-17; that he must go so the Holy Spirit can come and live in us:

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.” John 14:16-17

This is a great promise: we receive the Holy Spirit when we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. So we have part of the Living God in us. That means wherever we go, whatever we do, we have God with us and we bring God into those situations of our lives. Part of the reality of that is that God purposefully set-up for us to be together. His desire is for us to be that place where people see the love of God in action in us.

Caution: We live in a consumer society. A society that changes our allegiance to things very quickly. We change phones and phone companies, we change the products we use, we change the places we buy our food, our cars, etc. Our allegiances are now more determined by money than loyalty to a person or product. The same is true from churches. We change churches because we don’t get along, because we don’t like the worship style, we don’t like the color of the carpet and we it doesn’t fit our preferences. Church reflects society.

When that happens, we don’t seem to be the caring community God has called us to be. It’s hard to be close and to reflect God’s love and God’s presence s in our lives when we don’t spend time together and we are not committed to each other. It’s actually a little bit more than that. It’s the idea that we bring God with us wherever we go and in every situation and relationship in our lives. So how can we better reflect God’s presence in our lives in our actions and in the way we live? Hebrews 13:1-6 helps us understand what that looks like.

Keys To Bringing God’s Presence To Our World
This passage shows us 4 keys to bringing God’s presence to our world; four keys to living courageously because we have the living God in our hearts and spirits.

• Commit To Love
The first key to being a caring community and to being a caring person is to commit to love. Verse 1 reads:

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.” vs. 1

The first most obvious thing that stands out is that it says to “keep on loving” meaning that you are doing that and to make sure you continue on in that action. But the writer does make an interesting distinction and that is to love one another as brothers and sisters. He uses “family” language here. We don’t get to choose our family. We get to choose our friends but usually not family. When we choose friends we choose those we like, those we have things in common with and those we like to hang out with. Not so with family. I didn’t get to choose my parents, my brothers , my sister, my aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Family isn’t always easy to love. Family can be more difficult because you have to love deeper. It takes more of a commitment. I have had “friends” who I don’t have any more because our relationship has somehow broken down. With family we are challenged but also sharpened and pushed to love beyond the norm. There are times when it is tough to love family but you push through that because you are family.

You have chosen to worship here at ACC and we call ourselves a family. That can be tough but it can also be extremely rewarding. We may not always get along, we may not always see eye-to-eye, but we commit to love. This love comes from God and when we struggle to move past our differences we are showing God’s love to each other; and to the world. 1 John 4:12 says:

“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” I John 4:12

A key to being a courageous church and caring for one another is to commit to love and to let the world see that love goes beyond emotions; it’s commitment.
Ex. The number of couple in our church married over 50 years

• Enlarge Your Circle of Influence
A second key to being a courageous church and caring for one another is to enlarge your circle of influence. Verse 2 says:
“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” vs. 2

It’s amazing to me how simple little things in life can make such a huge difference in people’s lives. I know when people use the word hospitality they think about hosting a dinner or something like that but make it more simple. What about just acknowledging someone, saying “hi” when you walk by, etc. Hospitality has more to do with how you treat someone and being cordial and welcoming than with the idea of hosting them for a meal or inviting them to your home.
Ex. Last weeks sermon where Claudia had you greet one another.
Ex. Saying hello to people as you walk down the street. Sometimes this seems hard and uncomfortable but this is having an open spirit and looking beyond yourself.

You may question why this is so important in l ife and I think the verse gives us a key to that. The first part encourages not to forget to show hospitality and that is because we get so busy and so guarded in life that we forget to do that. But the second part shows us the deeper side of why; we could miss an angel. In other words, we could be missing the blessing; the blessing we can give to others and the blessing we can get from being with others, even angels.

• Demonstrate Real Commitment
The third key to being a caring church and person is to demonstrate real commitment. Many preachers use this passage to preach on marriage and these same traits can really help a marriage but they can apply to the larger part of our life as well. It seems that marriage is the illustration the author uses to help us see what it these keys look like in a practical way. Verse 4 says:

“Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” vs. 4

I think the idea of marriage is use here to lead us to a deeper level. In a sense, there should be no deeper love and commitment that we make with another human than in marriage. This is more about the heart of who we are not following the law. It’s interesting to note that that he uses the word “honor” here. You honor not out of obligation but from the heart. You honor out of respect and awe and a deep sense of loyalty. When someone takes that marriage vow they are committing to be one. That’s not just one in some areas but in all areas; finances, plans, dreams, desires, sex, emotional love and support, etc.

Now get this; part of the reason that we are called to be monogamous is that we are to be monogamous to God as well and he is monogamous to us. He loves us warts and all and is committed to his love for us. Let’s face it, relationship have ups and down. They are times where you feel the deep love and times you don’t. A caring community and person will work through the struggles and honor the commitments they make.

• Live In Contentment
Finally, the 4th key to being a caring community and person is to live in contentment. The illustration used in verse 5 is money and things:

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” vs. 5

This key challenges our sense of dependency. Think about this question for just a moment:

What do you depend on for contentment?

It could be money, it could be a job, it could be a relationship, it could be power, it could be control, etc. Whatever it is, we have the tendency to put that in the place of God. God wants us to be dependent on him and unfortunately many of us don’t understand that until we have lost something or been through some type of difficulty. Now I am not saying God caused those difficulties but he uses them to challenge us and to consider what we are counting on for our contentment.

One key to understanding this is money. There is a tendency to think money will give us contentment. But consider this. Money can bring us a temporary happiness. Maybe we get some money and we buy something and for the moment things seem good. But soon afterward we become complacent, used to the thing that brought us happiness, and it then becomes every day, and then it hits, we want something else or something more and we are no longer content.
Ex. Apple iphones. Buy one and the next one is coming out. I have an iphone 3. Ohhh! (Sad voice) I start thinking about what it doesn’t have not what I do have. I become less content.

Now I know this verse is one of the more famous verses in the Bible because it says “Never will I leave you or forsake you.” That is a great promise but it’s also the challenge to let God be our contentment. You can be all you can be with God on your side and whe God is with you.

Living With Confidence
And that leads us to the final verse in our passage today which lets us morve ahead and live in confidence, verse 6:

“So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” vs. 6

We live in confidence because God is with us and He is our helper and we are dependent on Him.

Communion
Notice how aptly this ties into our lives as we move into communion. These four keys will build into our lives to be a more caring community And to be more caring people but they are also everything Jesus did for us as well.

Commit to love – Jesus committed to love us, even die for us
Enlarge your circle of influence – He died for all and desires that none should perish but that all are included
Demonstrates real Commitment – Willing to give his life and go through the pasin and agony of death so that we might live
Live in contentment –

Let’s honor God and express our appreciation for Jesu Christ and all he has done for us by celebrating communion this morning.

The Courageous Church: Redeemed and Free

Galatians 4:1-7

“God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law…” vs. 5

The Drowning Boy

(I couldn’t verify this or find it to be untrue either, I hope it is true and accurate)

In the early 1950’s a wealthy English family invited some friends to spend some time at their beautiful estate. It was to be a day of enjoyment of friends, fun, and food. The gathering almost ended in tragedy. The children went swimming. One of them got into deep water and was drowning. Fortunately, the gardener heard the others screaming and plunged into the pool to rescue the helpless victim. His parents, deeply grateful to the gardener, asked what they could do to reward him. He hesitated, then said, “I wish my son could go to college someday and become a doctor.” Without hesitation the parents replied, “We’ll pay his way.”

The rich boy’s parents made good on their promise and paid for the gardeners son’s college education. Their rich parent’s son also went on to college and both became prominent men in their fields. The gardener’s son became a well know doctor who was instrumental in the development of penicillin.

Years later, when Sir Winston Churchill, was prime minister of England, he was stricken with pneumonia. Greatly concerned, the king summoned the best physician who could be found to the bedside of the ailing leader. Of course that was the gardener’s son, Sir Alexander Fleming. As fate would have it, that little boy who almost drowned was young Winston Churchill. Later Churchill was quoted as saying, “Rarely has one man owed his life twice to the same person.”

There is a prevailing feel that most of us have that when someone does something for us, like Churchill’s parents in the story, we need to do something to either pay them back or show our appreciation. It’s pretty rare that someone does something and doesn’t want anything in return or just does it out of the goodness of their heart. That takes us to the work of Jesus Christ. He did something for us with no desire for payback, no obligations, just provided us with a wonderful gift for free. If you are able, please stand as we read God’s Word from Galatians 3:26-4:7:

Read Passage – Galatians 3:26-4:7

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. ² The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. ³ So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. ⁴ But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. ⁶ Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

God’s Greatest Work?

If you think for just a minute you could probably name some incredibly great things God’s has done; things, like say, creation. Maybe something like parting the Red Sea. Or the virgin birth. The list is pretty incredible. I think you could make a strong argument that redemption was or is God’s greatest work. As great as all creation is, it really can’t compare with the work of redemption. Christ’s work of redemption was set in motion even before creation was brought into being. Redemption or buying back speaks of what Christ has done for us. Christ has paid the price to purchase us back out of our slavery to sin, self, and Satan. The price of our redemption communicates to us the colossal value God places on us.

Set Free

To redeem means “to set free by paying a ransom price, to release or ransom by payment.”

The word redeemed is, to us, a theological term; but it carried a special meaning to the 45 million people in the first-century Roman Empire; mainly because nearly ¼ of them were slaves. Yea, there were probably close to10 million slaves in the Roman Empire! Many of those slaves became Christians and were involved with the local temples and took part in their worship services.

In a sense, you have to change your mind set because our idea of a slave is really based on the evil institution that prevailed in our country back in the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Although their slavery was bad, it wasn’t like ours. In fact, many of the slaves of their day were in that lifestyle by choice. They owed a lot of money or had no other way to provide for their family and choose to enter into slavery as a means of providing for their families or to get out of debt. It’s hard for us to imagine someone choosing to be a slave but that did happen.

Also, in those days, a slave could purchase their freedom. If they could collect sufficient funds or if their master liked them and choose to help them, they could pay the price and set him free. Redemption was a rare and precious thing for a slave because it was something someone did for you.
Redeem Means You Are Free…

For us to be a healthy church, for us to help each other and build solid relationships with God and each other, it is important for us to grasp the freedom that comes from being redeemed or set free because of the work of Christ. Redeem means you are free…

1. Because of the Work of Christ

Redeem means you are free because of the work of Christ. We believe that that Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary, lived on this earth for 33 years, preformed miracles and gave us signs and the Word of God, and died on the cross and rose again to conquer death. This passage affirms that in verse 5 where it says:

“God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law…” vs. 5

Notice the later part of that verse, “to redeem,” to buy back and set free. This is the gospel in a nutshell. Sin is the reality that we have done things that displease God. Many people want to believe that at the core we are good. That is an appealing thought but our goodness pales in comparison to God’s goodness; and the reality is that sin is the thing that separates us from God.

Most of us are familiar with Romans 3:23 that says, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” It’s unfortunate that people tend to stop there because verse 24 is a great addition to that when it says:

“All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Rom. 2:24

Verse 23 convicts but verse 24 frees, and better news, it’s for all people. It verifies the redemption that comes only through Christ Jesus. It’s important that we are careful not to try and earn it by our goodness but to accept the free gift.

Ex. The prodigal son in Luke 15. Two sons. One rebels early but returns humbled and repentant. The other does all the right things, he is the “good boy.” But in the end, who is not with the Father? The older. He was dependent on his goodness while the prodigal son was dependent on the father’s goodness. Christ paid the price. We don’t have to pay it again. We accept the free gift based on the work of Jesus.

2. From Anything that Separates Us from God

Secondly, redeem means you are free from anything that separates us from God; more specifically, from the love of God. Notice in verse 7 the endearing way in which we are looked at from the eyes of God.

“So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” vs. 7

See this is more than just being set free, it is set free with love and elevated to the status of “child” and “heir.” The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ takes away any barrier that would stop us from experiencing God’s love. A great lie that somehow gets communicated to us it that we cannot truly experience the full love of God because he is so wrathful and angry. But redeemed people accept that all barriers are broken down through Christ and that we can experience the greatest love you’ve ever had or felt. Paul iterates this in Romans 8:38-39 when he writes:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 8:38-39

Every possible barrier is broken and has no hold on you or me.

Ex. I have heard a lot of people say things like. “It’s too late for me,” or “I’ve done too many bad things for God to love me,” or “God could never accept or love someone like me.” Those people still haven’t accept the gift of redemption.

• The Problem of Guilt

There is one big obstacle that stops us from truly experiencing the redemption or freedom that Christ brings to us: Guilt. It is important to note that there are different aspects to guilt.

1. There is a good aspect of guilt that stops us from doing the wrong thing at times in our life. It also convicts of the things we do that are wrong and gives us the opportunity to change our life for the better.

Ex. You hurt someone’s feelings, feel guilty and then correct your behavior and apologize and restore the relationship

2. But there is the bad aspect of guilt. The bad guilt is one that keeps us oppressed, hurt, depressed, shamed, and beaten down.

It’s that second kind of guilt that stops us from understanding our redemption and freedom that comes from Christ.

Ex. A preacher of the early 1900s said that when he was 12 years old he had killed one of the family geese by throwing a stone and hitting it squarely on the head. Figuring his parents wouldn’t notice that one of the 24 birds was missing, he buried the dead fowl. But that evening his sister called him aside and said, “I saw what you did. If you don’t offer to do the dishes tonight, I’ll tell Mother.” The next morning she gave him the same warning. All that day and the next the frightened boy felt bound to do the dishes. The following morning, however, he surprised his sister by telling her it was her turn. When she quietly reminded him of what she could do, he replied, “I’ve already told Mother, and she has forgiven me. Now you do the dishes. I’m free again!”

3. To Belong to One Another

Third, redeem means you are free to belong to one another. This is great news because it means we part of something that is much bigger than we are and it frees us to care for and love each other. Because you are free, so is the person next to you and next to them, and so on, and so on. Notice the amazing words of verse 2:

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” vs. 2

As the barriers have been torn down between you and God, so have the barriers been torn down that people use to separate ourselves. We have this in common: we have both been forgiven. An important part of the redemptive process is reconciliation not only to God but to each other. Aul states it this way in Romans 7:4:

“So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead “ Rom. 7:4

Notice the phrase in the middle that says; we belong to one another. Belonging to one another means we care for one another, we help one another, we lift each other up when one is down, we celebrate with one another, we cry with one another, we laugh with one another, we learn from one another, well, you get the idea.

It means first and foremost you are a Christian and part of a larger community.

Slave vs. Free

Finally, it’s important to see how this changes the way we live. We don’t have to live with guilt, with oppression, with negativity. We have been freed. It’s the realization that Jesus did all that for you and me and because he did that for you, you want to know him more and be in a deeper relationship with him. The passage talks about slaves and the opposite of that would be free people. Think about how differ the life of a slave is compared to the life of a free person.

Slaves – oppressed, owe their master, no decisions, like where to go, what to do, what to eat, where to eat, what to wear, etc.

Free – released, free from control, power to determine and decide, (even wrong), no obligation or debt

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. – John Diefenbaker

The bottom line is comes down to Jesus and what he did for us. He redeemed us and set us free.

The Courageous Church: Faithful In Care

Psalm 90

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” vs. 12

bShow each of these items to the congregation and ask:

What do these 5 items have in common?

• 1 gallon of milk
• AA Battery
• Jar of Pepperoncini peppers
• A bottle of aspirin
• My iphone

Answer: They all have expiration dates or a shelf life. If you think about it for a second, most of the things in life have a limited amount of time to exist; plants, animals, buildings, etc. Guess what? Even we have a limited amount of time. In Genesis 6 God even states in verse 3 that the length of a person’s life will not exceed 120 years; so even we have a shelf-life or expiration date. But there is good news – A recent article I read on Yahoo! stated the average age of death in the U.S. has gone up: men 76 women 81

We are starting a new 7 week series on the “theology of care.” Theo is God and ology is study so we are embarking a study of God and God’s Word on how he cares for us and how we are to care for each other. Today we want to build a foundation of that thought based on Psalm 90. If you are able, please stand as we read God’s Word.

Read Passage – Psalms 90

A prayer of Moses the man of God.

¹ Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. ² Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. ³ You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” ⁴ A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. ⁵ Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—they are like the new grass of the morning: ⁶ In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered. ⁷ We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. ⁸ You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. ⁹ All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. ¹⁰ Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. ¹¹ If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. ¹² Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. ¹³ Relent, Lord! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. ¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. ¹⁵ Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. ¹⁶ May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. ¹⁷ May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.

Dealing With The Discomfort

Psalm 90 is considered to be the oldest of the Psalms and was written by Moses.

It was written during a very bleak time in Hebrew history. Moses was commissioned by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt after being slaves to the Egyptians for 400 years. After the God works some incredible miracles to free them from the Pharaoh, he also provides a miraculous escape through the Red Sea. Moses leads the Israelites toward the Promised Land God had for them, a land flowing with milk and honey. They reach a place called Kadesh Barnea, a beautiful oasis that was supposed to be the launching place for them to enter this new land God had for them. From there, Moses sent 12 spies into the land to check out the people. Ten of the spies came back shaking in their boots. They reported that the people were too big and too strong for the Israelites to attack. But two of them, Joshua and Caleb, said that God had given them the land. They knew God had promised them this land and they told the people to trust God and do what He had said he would do. They choose not to believe God. By the time they got to the door of the Promised Land they had turned their back on God and really wanted to go back to Egypt, back to slavery! The consequence for this disobedience was the death of an entire generation. The Hebrews wandered in the desert for thirty-eight years. Exodus 12 tells us there were 600,000 men plus women and children. That means in the next 38 years they would wander in the desert, over one million people died. If you do the math, that comes to about eight-seven funerals a day! So 38 years times 365 days is 13,870 days. That means approx.. 72 people a day had to die for that whole generation to turn over in that time. Moses and the Israelites were surrounded by death. This man of God then took out his journal and began to pour out his prayer to the Lord that we read in Psalm 90.

Generally speaking, people don’t want to talk about death. Oh, it’s true enough that we are aware of its there. Most of us are honest enough to admit it’s going to happen to us one day. But the fact remains that we still don’t want to have an honest discussion about it. It’s morbid. It’s depressing. There is a lot of discomfort when we talk about death.

Ex. I read the birthdays in the paper everyday. BTW did you know Rod Stewart turned 70 yesterday? I also read the obituaries. Could you imagine the obituaries list if you were traveling with the Israelites in the desert?

Developing A Caring Culture

Moses didn’t seem to have a problem talking about death. It’s hard to avoid when it’s all around you. I really have felt led for us to cultivate a more caring culture in our church and that means we need to be honest with ourselves and talk about some difficult things; things like death, illness, struggles like finances, mental health issues, physical health issues, and many other tough issues. If we are going to develop a caring culture we have to be willing to discuss these things.

Our Caring Community Chooses:

So let’s talk about what a caring community chooses to do. There is a key verse in Psalm 90 that we really need to take note of, it’s verse 12:

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” vs. 12

This verse is saying that we accept that we have an expiration date and not to avoid that date but to embrace it so that we live life to the fullest. We live life to the fullest when we gain wisdom and when our heart is embraces wisdom.

1. To Accept Our Finitude

First, our caring community chooses to accept finitude. Finitude is the concept that things are finite, limited, that there is a definite beginning and ending to something. Moses states in verse 3:

“You turn people back to dust, saying, ‘Return to dust, you mortals.’” vs. 3

Here is the issue of man: we want to live forever. If you think about it, God’s original design didn’t include death. But, sin enter and death became a reality. Ever since, man has been trying to discover ways to live forever.

Ex. Some examples are:

1. cryonics, is the low-temperature preservation of animals and humans who cannot be sustained by contemporary medicine, with the hope that healing and resuscitation may be possible in the future. Most Famous: Ted Williams
2. Our fascination with zombies
3. Our desire for space travel and longevity
4. Botox and other medicines designed to make look younger

The thing is, as humans, apart from Christ’s return, we will face death. That’s affirmed in the Bible in Hebrews 9:27:

“…people are destined to die once…” Hebrews 9:27

It’s not pleasant for most of us to think about but it is a reality. It is actually more healthy to learn to discuss it and talk about our finitude, our struggles and our limitations than to avoid it.

Ex. I remember as a young pastor I was meeting with someone in a convalescent home and they brought up the subject of death. I responded, ”Oh, we don’t need to talk about that, we have plenty of time to figure all that out.” They died the next day. I realize now how important those conversations are.

To become a caring community we embrace our finitude and we realize that we all have the same destination. So, we care because we all have the same destination.

• We Care because We All Have the Same Destination

Our hope is that we can help each other understand God’s love and provision for us and that we can all spend eternity with God. I know personally, I look forward to seeing my grandparents, my loved ones, my friends that have past on. You, my church family. It is important that help other understand that too.

2. To Live with (or without) God

Second, our caring community chooses to live with God. God gave us an important gift; the gift of choice. We have the choice to choose God or to reject God. We can choose to live with God’s love as Moses expresses in verse 14:

“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” vs. 14

One of the things that we discover when we choose to live with God is the deep satisfaction that comes with his love. It brightens our day, it makes us happy and glad as Moses states at the end of the verse. But…it is a choice. Remember when Joshua who lead the Israelites into the Promised Land was preparing to die he challenges them about their faith in God. He wants them to choose God but he realizes that it is a choice and he challenges them in Joshua 24:15:

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” Joshua 24:15

The answer is classic: “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” See God cares for us. He cares for you. But he will not force you to choose him. And, he loves those who do not choose him just as much as those that do. But…there are consequences for our choices. This relates to us being a caring community in this way:

• We Care because God Cares for Us

We care for others because god cares for us…and them. For you and I we know God’s love. We know how satisfying it can be and how much joy it brings. We need to bring that to others.

3. Who We Spend Our Time With

Third, our caring community chooses who we spend our time with. Notice how Moses started this poem in verse 1:

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.” vs. 1

I remember as a kind we would go to church about 8 in the morning and wouldn’t come home until 3 or 4 in the afternoon. We have Sunday school, then church, then we usually went to someone’s house for lunch or we had someone over to our house. Then there was the communion service on Sunday nights. Church was an all-day affair.   It was natural for us.

Again this is a choice. We all give ourselves to something. You hear the term “family” all the time now. Work places call themselves a family, sports teams call themselves a family, etc.

Challenge: If someone were to look at your life, what would they say is your God, your family, your priority? Is God your dwelling place? Or is God an occasional stop or maybe even interruption in the busy-ness of your life?

One of my favorite contemporary songs is a song called Better Is One Day. That song comes from Psalm 84:10 which says:

“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” Psalm 84:10

Now this relates to us in that our caring community really enjoys being together.

• We Care because We Are Part of a Bigger Family

It is good to belong. It is good to feel you are part of something beiger than you. Part of our charge is to embrace one another and build the family, the family of God. We do that through caring for each other, helping each other, and spending time together. Sometimes churches get a bad rap because they seem to place such a high priority on attendance. But it’s hard to build a family if you don’t spend time together. You can be related but a real family spends time together and then cares for each other in the times of struggle, hurt, and difficulties.

4. To Acknowledge Realities of the Cycles of Life

And finally, our caring community chooses to acknowledge the realities of the cycles of life. Moses states in verse 6:

“In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.” Vs. 6

I love this analogy because it is so real-life. We have cycles in life, times where things go well and times when things are difficult. Choosing life in God and in God’s family gives us a support structure and encouragement for those times when we are in need and hurting. In fact, isn’t it amazing how refreshing things can be after a good nights sleep? That’s God’s love and care. It springs up new but we can be sure each day will bring struggles of its own. That reminds me of a few verses in Lamentations 3:

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lam. 3:22-23

God is our refreshment when we are hurting and struggling. His great love brings compassion and nurturing. We are a caring community when we bring that same love and care to others.

• We Care because Our Caring Shows God’s Love to Others

Part of our life is to experience God’s love and then to pass that along to others. That is being a caring community. God’s love is infectious. We care for people because Jesus lived that in his life by bringing healing, peace, joy and love as a visible sign of God’s presence in the community.

The Favor Of the Lord

This Psalm has a wonderful ending that we read in verse 17:

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.” vs. 17

The words hands here are important for us to grasp. That’s representative of action. Remember, Christ worked in the community: he provided food, (fish and loaves), he healed, he brought words of encouragement, etc. His hands established the work of God and we are to do the same.

Christ is still working in and through us. He is seated at the right hand of God and interceding for us and we are to be his visible hands in the community.

In The Beginning

John 1:1-5

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” vs.1

Resolutions

Have people share their New Years Resolutions.

(Pause)

I enjoy staying up til midnight and watching the countdown and all the fireworks going off and people watching as people seem to have this look of optimism and hope as the calendar changes from one year to the next. One thing that happens each year is that whole thing of making resolutions. As I was watching one interviewer asking people about their resolutions, it struck me how many of them were ones that people had made before. They even started their response to the interviewer with :”You know, the same old thing…” and then they would fill in the blank with things like lose weight, get to the gym more often, eat better, be nicer to others, do more things to help others, etc. I began thinking about my own resolutions and how many times over the years I had made the same resolutions year after year. The thought hit me: New Years is a time for new beginnings. And then I thought this: it’s okay to fail at a resolution and give it another try. If you’re like me, you might have resolved something and then beat yourself up because you somehow failed at keeping it. That’s okay. I think a better resolve might be to give ourselves a break and embrace new beginnings. Today we are going to look at new beginnings through the eyes of John 1:1-5. If you are able, please stand as we read God’s Word:

Read Passage – John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Why One More Account?

You might have heard the term Synoptic gospels. The word synoptic means “same.” So we have the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Do we really need one more account? One more gospel? The Gospel of John was one of the last books of the NT to be written. It appears to have been written from the city of Ephesus, where the apostle John served as pastor after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 AD. From all indications, he wrote this gospel toward the close of the 1st century, about 95-96 AD. The Synoptic gospels had already been written and circulated as well as the letters of Paul and Peter. In fact, it is quite probable that John had read them.

So what is so different about John’s account? John does not retrace many of the events already described in the other Gospels. He does not write a chronological biography of the life of Jesus. His purpose is not to detail the ministry of Jesus. John is selective in what he includes, and his selections point to a distinct purpose, one he provides for us in 20:30-31.

“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31

In this purpose statement, John offers two primary reasons for his writing:
1) That you might believe Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah) and the Son of God

2) That believing you may have life.

Begin The Year…End The Year

You might wonder why this is so important. I think what John is doing is taking the story of Jesus, the purpose of Jesus, and his impact on our life, to a deeper level. If it was just to tell the story again, that wouldn’t be necessary. He wants to challenge us to really embrace the idea of a deep relationship with Jesus that will change your life. I want to put the same challenge out to us. We know we will end the year with Jesus, right? I mean we will celebrate Christmas again in 11 months and we will tell the Christmas story and the birth of Christ. We like to do that and it’s a part of our tradition. I want to make Jesus the bookends of 2015. Let’s start 2015 and end 2015 with Jesus and commit to working on deepening our relationship with him.

Why Begin With The Word?

John makes it very clear who Jesus is: He is the Son of God and a part of the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. But John does us an interesting term for Jesus here; he calls him The Word. We have just celebrated Christmas and we use the term “Immanuel” which means God With Us as we remembered the birth of Christ. Let’s look a little deeper by putting these together to get a better understanding of Jesus.

Jesus is…
1. The visible manifestation of God

2. The voice of God. Note: most of us and even most people in the OT had not heard God’s voice. Now we heart he very words of God in Jesus.
3. The visible action of God. We see the love of God displayed in Jesus actions

So we begin with The Word because he is God revealed in the flesh, in word and in action. When we see that, we then realize some of the realities of who Jesus is and why this is so important to us in deepening our relationship with God. We begin with The Word because…

• He Always Has Been…Always Will Be

First, because he always has been and always will be. Notice again verse 1a of our passage today:

“In the beginning was the Word…” vs. 1a

Sound familiar? Sure. It’s the same three words we see in Genesis 1:1. When we look back to the beginning our of existence, Jesus was there. Now when we read Genesis 1 we may have difficulty finding him mentioned there. But numerous times throughout the Bible we see it revealed to us that Jesus was there. Genesis is the account of our beginning, not God’s. And, when we look ahead to Revelation we see him there too. Rev. 21:6:

“It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” Rev. 21:6

Jesus has always been and always will be. It’s not like us. We have a definite beginning and end and sometimes we are quickly forgotten.

Ex. This week I was eating breakfast and Claudia was watching CBS Sunday Morning. They were listing actors and actresses that died in 2014. It struck me how quickly we have already forgotten some of them and how some we see there name and say, “Oh, they passed away?” You probably remember some of the big names, especially when they pass away later in the year like Robin Williams, Joan Rivers, and Phillip Seymor Hoffman. Here are others you may have forgotten about:

Shirley Temple Black Feb. 10

Mickey Rooney April 6

Lauren Bacall August 12

James Gardner July 19

Maya Angelo May 28

Sid Caesar Feb. 12

Casey Kasem June 15

Bob Hoskins April 29

And of course many more. See many of you were saying “Oh yea!” as I mentioned a few of those names.

Jesus cannot and will not be forgotten. Can you imagine if they had that list in the 1^st century? Jesus would be on there. The difference is they could have a list we don’t. How many of those people rose from the dead in the 1^st century. One. Jesus. We don’t have lists like that. Jesus, always has been and always will be.

• He’s The Source Of All Things

A second reason to start with The Word is He Is The Source Of All Things. Look what John writes in verse 3:

“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” vs. 3

Listen to the insight John gives us about Jesus in this verse; through him all things were made. So in Genesis we can understanding that Jesus was creating. We are given the insight that nothing, nothing, came into being without him. Paul reaffirms this in Col. 1:16 when he writes:

“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” Col. 1:16

This is important to you and I because it means that we are a creation of Jesus. If all things are created through him and in him, and in Colossians the list is meant to show that means everything, then you and I are a created through him and in him. Now I have some things in my life that I have made; things like art pictures, remodeled parts of my home, built some things, etc. You know, the things I have made I tend to pay more attention to, take care of, and have an interest in making sure they are treated properly.

Now put this together and you see how much Jesus must care for you and how much he really loves you and wants the best for you.

Ex. The flooring I installed in my house.

• He’s The Ultimate Authority

And third, not only is he the source of all things, he is the ultimate authority over all things as well. Listen to the seconds part of verse 1:

“…and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” vs. 1b

Because Jesus is the source, we can see in verse 1b that he is also the authority because he is not just the Son of God, he is God the Son. This is also confirmed in other parts of the Bible. Note what John 17:2 says:

“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. ² For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.” John 17:1-2

Jesus affirms that God the Father has given him authority over all things. This is a key understanding for us if we want to live in deep relationship with Him. Our world teaches us that we have the authority over things. We in Western culture are taught that we have authority over ourselves, over, the things of this world and even over our own bodies. If we take God’s Word literally, in order to live in harmony with Christ we should submit to his authority. That means we trust him that His Word is best for us; that he has our best interest in mind and that he only wants what is best for us.

Ex. Sex

• He’s Where we Find Real Life

Now this is where is all comes together; when we realize Christ always has been and always will be, that he is the source of all things, that he is the ultimate authority, we discover that to be in a deeper relationship with him is where we find real life. Going back to the theme of resolutions, we make resolutions to live better and to have real life. But we can find that same thing when we move not a deeper relationship with Jesus. Verse 4 days:

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” vs. 4

I think it would be safe to say that most people want real life but many are searching for it apart from the source and authority of real life. Jesus says that he came that we may have life and have it abundantly. He doesn’t want us to just go through the motions. He wants our life to be abundant, fulfilling and full of his joy. John 8:12 says:

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

We live in a dark world and sometimes it is hard to find the good things around us.

Finding Light In A Dark World

If you are looking for the one thing that can bring light to the darkness, the one thing that can bring light and overcome the darkness and difficulty of this world, it comes when you begin at the right place and that is with The Word. Notice how our passage ends in verse 5:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” vs. 5

It can be very tiring trying to do it on your own. You might find yourself entering 2015 already tired. Jesus gives us this promise in Matt. 11:28:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Let me give you one more thing to think about. You might be tried. You might be trying to do it on your own. We can’t. We weren’t meant to. We need Christ. You might have made some New Years resolutions that you aren’t sure are going to work out. Maybe they are ones you’ve made before and you because you failed at keeping them before you feel lost in moving forward with the same things again. In fact, maybe you won’t even make resolutions because of that. I guarantee you that Satan wants you to think that. One of the stumbling blocks he puts in our way is for us to focus on our failures.

There is good news. Our God is a God of resolutions. And it gets better. He even built in a way for us to continually start over. You don’t need a change in the calendar to start over. He gave us the gift of communion.

Communion

God is a God who forgives, forgets, and gives us new beginnings; no matter how many times we fail. He is a God of “redo’s.” He even created a way for us to have new beginnings all the time: Communion.

Immanuel – God With Us
Matthew 1:18-25
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” vs. 23

Room At the Inn
A Sunday School was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn’t like was given that part, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead. He was pretty upset about this but he didn’t say anything to the director. During all the rehearsals he thought what he might do the night of performance to get even with this rival who got to be Joseph. Finally, the night of the performance, Mary and Joseph came walking across the stage. They knocked on the door of the inn, and the inn-keeper opened the door and asked them gruffly what they wanted. Joseph answered, “We’d like to have a room for the night.” Suddenly the inn-keeper threw the door open wide and said, “Great, come on in and I’ll give you the best room in the house!” For a few seconds poor little Joseph didn’t know what to do. Thinking quickly on his feet, he looked inside the door past the inn-keeper then said, “No wife of mine is going to stay in dump like this. Come on, Mary, let’s go to the barn.” And once again the play was back on track! (sermoncentral.com)

Cute story. Today we are going to look at the one of the most important stories in history and the significance it has for our everyday life, it’s the birth of Jesus Christ and the name that Jesus is given which the Bible says is the “name above all names.” (Phil. 2:9) If you are able, will you please stand as we red God’s Word from Matthew 1:18-25.

Read Passage – Matthew 1:18-25
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Two Names
Anybody notice something seems a bit off or inconsistent in the reading? I mean did Joseph not hear what the prophet prophesied? For 800 years the Israelites have memorized the passage in Isaiah and they have been waiting for the Messiah and he was going to be called Immanuel. Okay, so here is the child and when they go to name the name they give him is “Imm—“, no, Jesus. Huh? What happened? How did it change like that?

Immanuel
Immanuel – ‘God With Us’ ~ Reveals His Character
• Reveals: Not just another child, but God in human flesh
• Reveals: Not a normal birth, but a virgin birth, Isa. 7:14, which produced a child without a sin nature
• Reveals: God came to fight a battle that humanity could never wage or win. He came to do battle with Satan and sin

*Just an FYI. Ever wonder why you see Immanuel or Emmanuel and which one is right. Well it’s actually pretty simple. In the Old Testament an in Hebrew it is Immanuel. In the New Testament and in the Greek it is Emmanuel. So really they are both right and you can use whichever you prefer.

Jesus
Jesus – OT Joshua – Yeshua ‘Yahweh Saves’ ~ Reveals His Purpose
• Speaks Of His desire to save sinners. We are told that Jesus came into this world not to condemn the lost, but to save them
• Speaks Of His deliverance for the purpose of setting us free, Luke 4:18
• Speaks Of His death: that He came into this world to die for our sins. Jesus came that He might die on the cross to set us free from sin!

Sent From God
One of the unique things about the Christian faith is that God chooses to interact with people, to build a relationship with people, and to reveal himself to people. In most “religions” God is depicted as a ruler and a judge and the purpose fo God is to rule. God is usually also very elusive and impersonal. If you recall Jesus words in his prayer from John 17:25 he says:

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.” John 17:25

God chooses to reveal himself and his character to us; he wants to be known and he wants to know us. Jesus has come to show us that there is a real true God who wants us to know him. Jesus is the image of the invisible God.

Immanuel “God With Us” Means You Have
This was not a new desire, but it was the heartbeat of God even before the world was formed, Rev. 13:8; 1 Pet. 1:18-20. God doesn’t reveal himself and then go away. This act of sending His Son, does not just mean God with us for 33 years. No, it is God with us in human form in the person of Jesus but Jesus makes it very clear that he must go back to the Father so that the Holy Spirit comes. That is the great news, God with us is forever. So the best thing for us is to understand what that means for us in living our everyday life. Here are four things that change our life when we embrace and accept God with us, Immanuel.

1. The Presence and Peace of God
The first difference it can make in our life is that knowing God is With You means you have the presence and peace of God. God makes a promise to us in Hebrews 13:5:

“God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

God’s promise is that we always have him with us. We may like to be alone at times but we never want to feel that we are all alone in the world. We were wired for relationship. Knowing God is with is you is knowing that God has your back. It gives you confidence and strength.
Ex. A child’s desire to have their parents at their recital, play, sports game, etc.

And when you have that presence, a secondary thing comes along with it, peace. God’s presence and God’s peace are synonymous; they go together. In fact, it’s his presence that brings the peace. Romans 15:33 says:

“The God of peace be with you all.” Romans 15:33

Why do so many people feel lonely, lost, or alone? They are missing the presence of God that brings peace.

2. The Resource of Hope
The second difference that “God With Us” makes in our life is that it brings hope. We have spent the last 8 weeks discovering how important hope is and that in the end, it all boils down to three things, faith, hope, and love. (1 Cor. 13:13) Hope is more than just an optimistic dream that things will turn out well. Hope is the assurance that no matter how things turn out, you have God with you and pouring his love into you. We’ve discovered that hope is not everything happening the way you want but the knowledge that God loves you, has the best for you, and in the end you can depend on him. It’s a blessing that we find in Psalm 146:5:

“Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.” Psalm 146:5

Notice that when your hope is in the Lord, you are blessed. Let me follow this up with another verse to show you how hope is “God is With You” from Romans 15:13:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Notice the first words of this verse, “The God of hope.” When God is With us so is his hope and it’s not just a little hope, it’s an overflowing hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that Holy Spirit live sin you and me.

People put a lot of hope in a lot of things, riches, jobs, relationships, etc. We put hope in things and forget that we have the resource of hope, God’s Holy Spirit in us.
Ex.

3. Never Ending Love
A third difference that “God With Us” makes is that we have never ending love. Now this is really important to understand, God’s love is unending and the way that he shows it to us is by being with us. I love the way David puts it in Psalm 36:7:

“How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 36:7

Isn’t that great? God’s love is priceless. You can’t put a value on how important, how magnificent, how comforting god’s love is. And…nothing, and I mean nothing can take it away. Romans 8:38-39:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

We want to believe in love. We want true love and love that never ends, but we live in a world where we give love and promise love and then we see how so very quickly people take it back. It’s hard to imagine how quickly we as humans go from “I love you” to “I don’t love you” or even worse “I hate you.” Our nature is to be reactionary and to go on our feelings rather than on what we have committed to and given ourselves to.
Ill. Companies who commit to us and then turn their back. Spouses who commit to love til death do us part and then change their mind. Friends who promise to love forever and then when struggles come they are gone.

Not so with God. It’s hard to understand but God’s love is not reactionary or based on action. God’s nature is to always love and to love unconditionally.
Ex.

4. Limitless Joy
And finally, “God With Us” makes a difference in our lives because with God’s presence with have limitless joy. This limitless joy is not limitless happiness. It’s not everything always being smooth and easy. We can best understand this joy by looking at a couple of verses. Psalm 30:11 says:

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy…” Psalm 30:11

Notice that it is in the time of mourning that David talks about God’s joy. He puts it in a way that really paints a great picture. In those days you had mourning clothes. Mourning is a time where someone has died and you put on clothes the express your grief. David show how God’s joy takes off those clothes of doom and grief and clothes us with something beautiful, joy! Another promise that in God’s kingdom, joy is abundant. Romans 14:17:

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit…” Romans 14:17

Notice the deepness of this verse. This is not a light, frivolous, kind of thing, it’s a deep contentment. I think most of us would choose joy over sadness yet many times we choose to live in sadness. We choose to struggle by doing it all on our own, we embrace the sadness and the misery and miss the opportunity to live in God’s joy. God sent his son so we might know his joy.

Ex. We sing about this in the traditional Christmas Song:
Joy To The World
Joy to the world
The Lord is Come
Let earth, receive, her king!

You have a choice; Do you choose to live in your mourning clothes and in sadness and depression or do you choose God’s joy? Do you choose to limit yourself and those around you or do you choose to embrace God’s limitless joy?

The Great Substitute
The final reality of God with us is to know how much God really loves you. This Christmas season you can embrace the love God has for you because he sent Jesus. Jesus birth is a great even in history but even in that event there is the reality that Jesus came to die so that our relationship with God is made whole and that we experience the full love of God. Myrrh, one of the gifts the Magi bring to Jesus is a tree resin that is used for burial of the dead. Weird gift for a child? Not for Jesus. He came to die and to restore our relationship with God so that we could experience his full, unconditional, love and experience his peace, hope, love and joy. Jesus even says that the same love God has for him, God has for us. John 17:26:

“I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:26

“God With Us” is great news. Jesus came to live on earth to show us God in the flesh, and so that we can have his presence, peace, hope, unending love and limitless joy. Now that is one great Christmas present.