September 8, 2019

Quit Stealing the Pen     Matthew 20:8-15

Have you ever asked the question “Why me?” You’ve done your best, but your best never seems to be good enough.

You’ve worked just as hard, paid just as many dues, slogged through just as many valleys and hard places as the other guy, yet you never seem to be able to break through to see the light of day.

Have you ever looked around and thought, “Man, they have it better than I do.”? I’m more committed and dedicated to the church than they are, But they’re the ones that have it easy.

There is something that is toxic to Christians and non-Christians alike, It’s called COMPARISION.

They have a better paying job than I have. He has a bigger church than I have. Farmer Brown has a bigger tractor than I’ve got. She has a nice office with a view, and all I have to look at are cinder blocks and mouse traps.

His car is newer than mine. Why do they get a scholarship and make A’s and I have to work at 7-Eleven and go part time and just manage to squeeze by with C’s?

Jimmy has a nice, new shiny bike, and my bike is held together by bungee cords and Duct tape.

Have you been there? Virtually, every one of us from all age groups has done this. We need to step away from the comparison game, look up toward God, and say thanks for what we do have.

In our Scripture reading from Matthew 20

We read about a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agrees to pay them a denarius for the day.

A few hours later he saw others standing around doing nothing and he tells them, “Go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they go.

At noon and at three in the afternoon he does the same thing…And at five he went out and found still others standing around.

He says to them, ‘You also go work in my vineyard.’

Basically, what we have here in this intriguing story is a landowner who needs to contract out short term, temporary labor to harvest his grapes before the Autumn showers hit.

So at 6 AM, he hires a group of workers to go harvest his grapes for the going rate of a denarius a day. The denarius was a silver coin worth a day’s wage for a laborer in Palestine in the 1st century.

The landowner goes looking for workers again at 9 AM, 12 NOON, 3 PM and again at 5 PM to hire additional workers.

So this landowner has quickly amassed a labor force to get the job done. I’m sure that those who started working in the morning appreciated the extra help.

However, when quitting time rolls around, the landowner tells his manager to pay everyone one denarius.

How would you feel if you had worked all day and receive the same as they guy who worked for just 1 hour?

You see, they COMPARED their hours worked and wages earned to those hired later and it didn’t sound right or fair to them.

The latecomers made in one hour what the early comers made in one day. That’s not fair!

I think what Jesus is really saying to his disciples is that there are others that may come into the kingdom of heaven who have not weathered the storms and fought the battles of a long day, but nevertheless, they receive the same reward as those who have been with Jesus from the very beginning.

If that happens Jesus teaches, then don’t start comparing. Focus on your story and your faith journey.

If the Gentiles come in at the last moment and get a place in Heaven, then don’t start comparing. Be grateful that you are there and don’t compare.

Can you accept the fact that God just might be generous to someone who has done less than you?

What Jesus is combating is this idea that what God has done for others then He should also do for me.

Or, if I have paid in more dues, I should get more benefits in return. And the only way to gauge that is to compare yourself with others. Jesus checks that when he told this story. Comparison destroys gratitude. It causes us to grumble and become bitter.

God, like the landowner with his workers, has treated you with fairness, respect, and dignity. He’s been good to you. He’s saved you, He’s given you a measure of health, and enabled you to live and enjoy life. So why would you be ungrateful to Him?

 “Be grateful” Jesus is saying to Peter and his disciples. Don’t worry so much about who you are working with and what their arrangements are.

You follow Jesus and his plan for you. God will make sure that you get what is coming to you. It may not be what you expect or what you want, but it will be what you need.

Hopefully you will take a rest from the comparison game, look around you and see God’s goodness, and then look up to heaven and say “Thank you, Lord. You have been good to me. I will be forever grateful.”

God is writing a unique story of your life. Don’t steal the pen!

God is writing a creative story. How selfish of us to demand that He plagiarize someone else’s story and super impose that on to our stories.

Some of you have interesting chapters that you’ve already experienced – And some of you have lion’s dens to go through.

Some of you have giants to fight. Some of you have battles to win, lands to conquer, and investments to make.

Don’t make God write the story of others on to yours. Let Him write your story, unique, creative, and one-of-a-kind. Don’t steal the pen!

I think you’ll be surprised at how it all ends. Those who allow God to write and complete their stories eventually find that He truly did what was best for them.

American poet Robert Frost wrote “Two paths diverged in a wood. And I – I took the one less traveled and that has made all the difference.”

God is writing your story path. Stop focusing on everyone else’s and listen to what He’s telling you. Go down the path that He has for you.

July 7, 2019

Tackling The Tough Stuff 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

When we face problems in life…and all of us do, we need to lean to lean on Jesus to make it through.

When life hits you with problems, you have a choice to make; you can either become bitter or you can become better.

The Bible is filled with people who endured the tough stuff of life.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers

Jeremiah was thrown into a well

Joseph and Mary had to flee to Egypt

Jesus was betrayed by His disciples: Judas turned Him over to the Jewish leaders…and the rest ran off to save themselves.

Peter and John were beaten for preaching the gospel and

Paul was beaten and thrown into prison…

What kind of tough stuff have you had to deal with?

Have you experienced the tough stuff of betrayal when your spouse walked out the door and called it quits.

Have you experienced the tough stuff of sorrow when you stood by the grave of a loved one.

Have you experienced the tough stuff of illness when you discovered your need for surgery…or when the Dr. dropped the C word.

And have you experienced the tough stuff of doubt when you felt like God had left you.

Today, may I assure you…that every problem you face…is an opportunity to prove God's power.

Chuck Swindoll said: Every day we encounter countless golden opportunities, brilliantly disguised as insurmountable problems.

Our Scripture reading this morning said: But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Now what does all that mean?

Hard Pressed means to be squeezed, oppressed, or troubled.

Paul is describing the daily reality of problems that create an ongoing pressure in life. Paul is talking about a situation that is filled with problems that just won’t quit.

Hard Pressed…On every side

Paul is expressing that there can be problems in every possible way, in every place and on every occasion.

Hard Pressed…On every side…but not Crushed

Paul makes it clear that while trouble and problems may surround us, we don’t have to be overwhelmed by them.

Perplexed means to be at a loss, to be doubting, or not knowing. It’s wondering which way to go, what to do, what to say.

Despair means to be hopeless, to have no confidence, no sense of security

We may be persecuted but Christ will never forsake us.

Persecution comes in many forms:

Isolation

Slander

Criticism

Imprisonment

Threats

Martyrdom

But God never leaves us alone. He is always with us and is here to give us His presence and power.

Finally, Paul says we are “Struck down – but not Destroyed” – Pretty self-explanatory.

Many times, people think that they are the only ones who are dealing with trials or hardships. While no difficulty is the same for every person, having problems is universal.

Everyone has problems. Some people have more problems than others but everyone has problems. There is no way to deny it or candy-coat it, we all have problems.

We experience problems on a regular basis, sometimes even daily. But the more problems that we handle…the more prepared we are to face the next one.

Never think that somehow, you will come to a time in life when you will be free of problems.

We try to show everyone a brave face and fake it through daily life.

Problems push through the pleasantries…Problems hold a mirror up to our face to show us who we really are.

Problems have a dual nature to them. They can have polar opposite effects. Problems can either draw us closer to God or they can repel us from God.

The difference in the two effects depends on us. When we start trying to rationalize our problems or blame them on God, we lose the opportunity for increased fellowship with Him.

When we give our problems back over to God, we surrender them to His grace and we gain His matchless strength moving within us. The result is that the problems are able to draw us closer to God than ever before.

You have heard me say it before…but we need to start viewing our problems as stepping stones instead of stumbling blocks.

The way that we view our problems often shapes the way that we react to them. Seeing problems from the perspective that they can help build our faith, helps us to get through them.

There is never a promise in the Bible for a life free of problems but rather God promises to see us through our problems.

Someone has said: Problems produce character.

Character is who we are when no one else is looking. Character is what we have when we lose everything else. Problems can help build character in our lives. The reality is that problems often help us develop character.

Problems cause us to experience a number of things that nothing else does. While these are negative in the midst of the problem, God has a way of bringing good out of our problems…For example…

We have the ability to have greater empathy for those in similar situations.

Those who relate best to people who are going through problems, are those who have already been there.

Say your car is overheating…are you going to take it to the dog groomer? No…You take it to the guy who has fixed 100 overheating cars…a mechanic!

God can use the problems and the hardships that we experience to help others…through us.

Just as we have been given comfort from Christ, we too can give comfort to others. Giving comfort is simply being willing to come alongside those who are suffering with various problems and lending assistance.

Our problems are often far less than anything that Jesus encountered. If God did not spare His own Son from experiencing problems, why do we think that we should be any different?

Problems are part of the fabric of life and dealing with them is a universal fact. Problems help us to gain a small understanding of what Jesus went through to secure our salvation.

Listen again to verse 7. “…we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

We are the jars made out of clay…

Paul clearly tells the Corinthian church that the treasure they have is the personal presence of Jesus in their lives. The treasure that reveals itself in clay pots…is the power of the one who conquered death and lives today.

April 21, 2019

Two Other Men Luke 23:32 - 43

Today is Easter Sunday and, as Christians, we have gathered to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And while Christ coming back to life is the focus of Easter…this morning I would like for us to take a look at another aspect of that first Easter…That being the two thieves who were crucified next to Jesus.

Scripture records that there were two other men who were also crucified that day. Two criminals were led to Calvary with Jesus, and they were crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left. And there is a great deal for us to learn from these two men.

We might be tempted to think that there is nothing much for us to glean from the example of the two criminals that are spoken of here…But we would be very wrong to think that…

Because the fact is…that when it comes to the most important matters of life and death, sin and salvation from sin…each of us is actuallyexactly like one or the other of these two criminals, hanging to the right and the left of Jesus Christ on the cross.

You see…in the end, there are only two kinds of people in the world – those who believe that Jesus is the Christ…the Son of the Living God, and those who don’t.

And so, this morning we will simply consider these two men:
It is my belief that they are where they are…because of the choices they made.

They stole, they were caught and they are facing the punishment…they were found guilty and were sentenced to death.

Who were these two men? We don’t know their names, their ages, or even what they stole…in fact, we know very little about them…but their responses to Jesus while hanging alongside Him says volumes about who they are, and about us, because the two thieves represent the two basic responses to Christ that are common to all of human history.

In our text for this morning we notice the following about these two men:
1. They hung alongside Jesus.
2. They both observed the intense mockery and ridicule of Jesus.
3. They both heard him called in jest, “The King of the Jews.”
4. One thief joins in the horrific and merciless verbal abuse of Jesus challenging Him to save Himself and them from death.
5. The other thief rebukes his cohort by reminding him that they are deserving of their punishment while Jesus is not deserving of His.

Have you ever wondered what these thieves experienced during the last week of their lives?

We have a record of how Jesus spent His last week before His death…We talked about it Wednesday at our mid-week service. But we don’t really know how these two spent the last week of their lives.

They could have spent the last week of their lives trying to appeal their case before Roman authorities. They could have had the best defense team possible trying stay their executions.

They could have launched a large media campaign trying to portray themselves as innocent bystanders who were at the wrong place at the wrong time.

They could have portrayed themselves as good kids gone bad. Misguided misfits who need to pay for what they did, but who also need to get some help.

Or maybe they spent their last week stealing and barely missed getting caught…until they did get caught and arrested and tried.

Maybe they kept saying, “Just one more time and then we quit stealing.” But they didn’t quit…and their greed finally got them.

Maybe they were in the crowd on Palm Sunday looking for opportunities to pick some pockets while the crowds gathered to welcome Jesus…Or maybe they were so poor and in such dire need that they saw thievery as their only means of making a living.

These were somebody’s children. They mattered to someone. Perhaps, like Mary, their mothers stood nearby and observed their slow and painful death. They also mattered to Jesus.

We don’t know about their last week on earth. We can only speculate. But it is in the Biblical account that we have read this morning that we learn the most important thing about these two thieves. We learn their choice about whether or not they are going to let Jesus into their lives.

Why did the one choose to mock Jesus and die unrepentant? Why did he reject the opportunity to ask for Jesus to “remember” him this day?

Why did the other choose to repent and ask to be remembered in the Kingdom? What was it that made him rebuke his fellow criminal?

I can see the talk shows, the news casts and Dr. Phil all point to relational and psychological reasons for the choices they made…

But…The real reason is deep within their souls. It is a spiritual reason. It is about a basic choice to allow God to be a part of our lives, or not.

In verses 40 - 41, two good clues are present as to why the one criminal seeks Jesus’ forgiveness.

He says: “Don’t you fear God even when you are dying?” “We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”

These words indicate a spiritual awakening has taken place in the soul of this man. Perhaps he knew of, and about Jesus for quite a while.

Maybe he had witnessed Jesus doing a miracle. Maybe he had talked with Jesus. Maybe he had been a part of the crowd as recorded by Luke (in chapter 9 and verses 57 – 62) who had wanted to follow Jesus but found it too hard to do at that time in his life.

But he was aware of who Jesus truly is by his desire to be remembered when Jesus enters His Kingdom.

Now time is short. His life is about over. And the man responds to Jesus in the closing moments of his life.

It is his honest confession about his own guilt and the innocence of Jesus as well as his own fear, respect, and recognition of God that creates the opening in his heart through which God goes to him and he to God.

And Jesus assures him “you will be with me in paradise.”

We really know nothing about these two thieves. But, what we do know is that they choose to respond to Jesus in two different ways at a critical moment in their lives. One chose to reject Him and one choose to accept Him.

These two thieves represent the human race throughout all of human history…We each have a choice to make when we encounter Jesus Christ. It is a choice that each of us must make.

If this was your final week, like the thieves, how would you spend it? And would God have a place in it? Would you be open to God and recognize your guilt and your need for a Savior?

This was the final week for these two men. One died without God. One died with God.

It was also the final week for God’s only Son. Jesus died so that all who choose to trust Him can live in Heaven with Him for all eternity.

“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

April 14, 2019

Palm Sunday Mark 11:1 – 10

Palm Sunday starts with a parade as Jesus triumphantly rides into Jerusalem. Jesus is the Grand Marshall of this parade…and the crowds have gathered to see him.

Young and old, from all walks of life…have come to see Jesus. As Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, the people stand by the side of the road and cheer and wave palm branches and shout “Hosanna”.

They stand on tiptoe to see Jesus. They place palm branches along his way. Hosanna. Blest is the coming of the king. It’s a vibrant image, this parade. And one with which we can all identify.

Now in years past you have probably heard me preach something like: “Don’t just stand there watching the parade…Be a part of it!”

Christianity is not a spectator sport! Christianity is not something we observe occasionally, but disregard most of the time. That’s a sermon I give often in one form or another. It’s one I need to hear. It’s one we all need to hear.

Being a Christian isn’t about passively watching or attending some event from the side lines, and then just returning, unaffected, to our regular lives.

Just standing on the sidewalk for the occasional parade isn’t enough. Following Christ is about following. It’s about doing, it’s about spreading the Gospel, about living each and every minute as a follower of Jesus Christ.

Palm Sunday isn’t about watching Christ pass by, taking a few photos and then getting back to our "real" lives. It’s about sharing Jesus in our world today.

So for a usual Sunday sermon I would say, “get off the sidewalk and do something”. Surely in this week leading up to Easter, we should redouble our efforts, recommit ourselves to doing the work of Christ. Don’t just be a bystander…It’s Easter Week. Do something.

That’s not a bad message to hear. And it’s a sermon worth preaching most Sundays…But not this one. Not Today.

 

Today…that message goes on the back burner. Today, I’m not going to tell you to do more. Actually, I suggest we all do less this week.

This week, of all weeks, is not about what we do, or even what we should do; it’s about what Jesus did for us. All of our focus and attention should be on Jesus, and on His acts…on what He did.

Jesus’ story is the only thing that matters this week. The rest of the year we can fret about our spiritual walk with Jesus. This week is all about Jesus’ literal walk to the cross…and we are bystanders.

We cannot do what He did this week. But we can, and should, watch…because He did it for us. The acts of God this week give us eternal life. We are only bystanders…but our life depends upon what Jesus did, what Jesus does. It isn’t about us…it’s about what Jesus does for us.

Our calling this week is to give our full attention, our full awareness, to watching, to hearing, to sensing, to experiencing everything that Jesus does and to contemplating what those mighty acts mean for us.

Have you ever really, truly "lost yourself" in a book or a movie? I remember reading John Grisham’s book, “The Firm”. I was so lost in that book…that I found myself looking in the rearview mirror to make sure I wasn’t being followed.

We don’t really take part in what’s happening. And yet we can lose ourselves in watching, hearing, attending to that sort of experience.

The Easter story should completely overwhelm and transform our lives. We are not the author, or even the primary participants. We are just bystanders… but the story comes to us, enters into our lives, affecting and transforming us.

But only if we give it our attention. Even bystanders have to show up. To lose ourselves in Jesus’ story during Easter Week, we have to make that story, His story…the sole focus of our lives.

Like Zachaeaus...if we want to see Jesus, we must get a good view for ourselves. We must take responsibility in our lives for moving anything out of the way that blocks our ability to hear or see what Jesus does this week.

So we must try…try with all our hearts, to put aside all of life’s distractions, to be less busy with our own business this week. To do less ourselves, so that we may concentrate on what Jesus does.

Let’s put aside all of our anxieties and all of our ambitions, and silence all other demands upon our attention. Easter Week is not one more thing to add to the juggling act of multitasking.

We have one task this week. To focus all of our senses, all of our attention on Jesus. To lose ourselves in Jesus’ story.

We are bystanders… bystanders by the side of the road as Jesus rides triumphantly into Jerusalem. We can only watch. But we must watch… watch as bystanders in the courtyard of Pilate …

…and bystanders at the foot of the cross. We are just bystanders. It is not our story to live. But it is a story, Jesus’ story…that if we lose ourselves in it, will give us life. 

Watch as Jesus and the disciples gather for the last supper.

Listen to Jesus as He tells them one of them will betray Him.

Hear Peter boldly proclaim that he will never betray Jesus…even if it means his death…

…and hear Jesus tell him that he will deny Him three times before the rooster crows.

Watch Peter deny…listen to the rooster crow.

Watch as Judas betrays our Lord with a kiss.

See Jesus arrested, beaten, spit on.

Watch as the crown of thorns is placed on His brow…see the blood flow down.

Watch a beaten and bloody Jesus as He carries His cross toward Golgotha’s Hill…Mount Calvary.

Listen to the hammer strike the nails that will fasten His hands and feet to that old rugged cross.

Take it all in…and realize how much He loves you.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

April 7, 2019

Elijah and the Widow  1 Kings 17:9-15

In the Bible God gives great honor to widows. He uses them to teach us the deeper lessons of life by their simple acts of faith in God.

Whether you read Moses and the prophets, the Psalms and Proverbs in the Old Testament, or the Gospels, the book of Acts or the letters to the churches in the New Testament…you will not be able to read very far without the subject of widows coming up. There are about eighty direct references to widows in the Scriptures.

The bible has many stories about widows, some of the more well-known include:

The widow of Zarephath…which we will look at today.

The widow who gave her last two coins – Mark 12

And the widow of Nain (Jesus raised her son who had died). Found in - Luke 7

I’m not sure why these ladies’ names are not given. But some were given the names of the cities in which they lived.

Could it be that what these widows did is much more important than their name and that's why their names are not given. Often, we remember people in the bible by what they did…Like the Samaritan woman at the well.

We will start with a little background. The Bible tells us that King Ahab sinned against God more than all his predecessors. We also read that he worshiped the false God Baal and he had married the wicked Jezebel.

As punishment God stopped the rain in the land and told the prophet Elijah to run away from King Ahab and to go to a solitary hiding place. Here God commanded the brook to give him water and the Ravens to bring him food.

So, God stopped the water in one place and provided it in the new place.

God didn't send Elijah to a 5-star hotel with a huge entourage of people. God sent Elijah to a solitary place where he could not be disturbed, it would be just Elijah and God. So that Elijah could hear from God. God even provided the food.

We don't need to be rich or famous or ungodly to fulfil our needs. God can use the basic simple things right in front of you to provide for you.

When it was time for Elijah to move on to his next assignment, the brook dried up. Here we see that God was guiding Elijah. God provided the brook and now he dried it up because he no longer needed it.

Could it be that some things in your life have come to an end, because God is moving you onto the next task.

So, by this time there was famine in the land because God had stopped the rain. God sent Elijah not only to get help from the widow…but to help her. She said: “I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

She was out of food and out of hope.

When God gives us a job to do, it's always to help someone else. It's not about looking after me, me, me... like building bigger barns or bigger bank accounts.

But it's all about helping others. Life and living for Jesus isn't about what I can get, but what can I give.

Elijah asked the widow for some bread and water…In essence He asked her to give him her very last meal.

Before you give up and say “that's it…I'm finished”, give everything to God. Give God a chance to show himself strong to you.

God is saying “I'm here” give all your situations over to me. Think about the things you are worried about and ask yourself, have you given them over to God?

Elijah said in verses 13 & 14:

“Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.

For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

Did you catch that? “First make a small loaf for me” We honor God when we give, whether it’s to Him, or to someone in need…maybe even a total stranger.

Matthew 6:33 “Seek first God/s kingdom and his righteousness and it will be given to you.”

God was basically saying to the widow, that until the famine stops, I will keep on providing for you supernaturally. You too can rest assured that while the situation is out of your hand, God will take care of the situation. God will not give us more than we can handle. He knows what we can handle.

If you have experienced losing someone precious for example, when a loved one passes away, losing someone precious is more than we can handle so God steps in and picks us up and carries us through the hardest times of our grief. Even so God will carry you through other difficulties that are out of your control.

Going back to our story we can say that it just took simple obedience to God, God said it, the widow did it, and then the miracle was done.

If the widow hadn't honored God by giving her flour and oil to God, she would have been a victim of the famine, she wouldn't have been remembered in the Bible, she would have died. God wanted to take away her sorrow and give her an oil of gladness instead.

That's what God wants for each one of us. He wants you to be: above and not beneath; head not the tail; He wants you to use what you have for him.

So, give it to him. If you can cook, then cook. If you can help, then help. Think of one talent God has given you. Everyone has at least one. Use it for God and see it multiply.

After this miracle of provision, sometime later the widow’s son died and she blamed Elijah. She had seen God’s miracle of provision and mercy and now she thinks God is punishing her because of her sin.

Lamentations 3:22-23 teaches us that God never changes, his mercies are new every morning, great is his faithfulness.

First he saved her son from death by starvation, and now he brought him back to life. Her son was not meant to die before his time, he was saved twice.

Problems may come your way more than once or twice but they cannot stay when you have the Oil (which signifies God the Holy Spirit) of God flowing through you.

What do you want to be known for? Your popularity and possessions or for the power and provision of God in your life…helping you to serve the church and others.

The widow’s oil will always remind us of God’s provision and power…and give us faith to trust God to do the same for us…when we call on him and do what he tells us to do.

March 17, 2019

Finding Strength in Weakness 2 Corinthians 12:5-10

“For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10).

The apostle Paul was no stranger to suffering. The book of Acts reads like an action novel as we travel along with the narrative of Paul’s missionary journeys.

He was imprisoned on multiple occasions; he endured shipwreck; he suffered physical infirmity when he visited the Galatians. But the hallmark of Paul is that he never lost hope. Our reading from 2 Corinthians ends with his gem: “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

The demands of life have a way of grinding us down. Life is a marathon! It keeps coming at us, presenting us with demands and unexpected curve balls. When you sustain one setback after another, it’s hard to keep your spirits up.

Our near-record snowfall this winter has taught us that. One or two big dumps we can handle. But they just kept coming and coming and coming!

We’re just plain tired of it! After one of the last snowfalls, I knew it’s been an extraordinary winter when I was happy that we received only six inches of snow! In any normal winter, that would have been a big storm.

But snowstorms and rain showers are nothing in comparison to life’s big challenges: prolonged illness, hard financial times, facing continual criticism from a mean boss, carrying a crushing load of unending duties and responsibilities. Life can be very discouraging.

When we feel weak and worn, it’s a struggle to stay in the game. Hope wanes. We’re tempted to throw in the towel and give up.

In our reading from 2 Corinthians, we catch a glimpse of a prolonged challenge that weighed on Paul. He calls it a “thorn in the flesh”.

There’s been endless speculation as to what his thorn in the flesh was. One line of thought is that he suffered from some ongoing physical problem.

Some think that Paul suffered from a difficulty with his sight, for he writes that the Galatians were ready to tear out their own eyes and give them to him.

Others speculate that it was something of a more spiritual nature, a spiritual weakness. Paul says a messenger of Satan was sent to torment him. Perhaps he felt a pull of temptation? Maybe he was troubled by a perceived character flaw.

We don’t know what it is, and maybe not knowing is better for us…because we can insert our own struggle in its place. What is your thorn? What burden would you like to be relieved from? What malady sticks to you as persistent as a piece of statically charged cellophane?

Paul takes it to God in prayer. “Please, Lord, if it’s possible, could you relieve me from this thorn?”

Paul reflects on his life. He realizes just how blessed he is. In so many other ways, he has attained spiritual heights he never imagined possible. Spiritually, his life has soared into the heavens like a high-flying kite. But this one, nagging problem keeps him tethered to the ground.

Paul sees a relationship. Lest he become too boastful, does this thorn keep him grounded? A kite needs an earthly anchor. It can’t attain its tremendous heights without the tension provided by its anchor. Does Paul’s thorn do the same for him?

Nevertheless, he’d love nothing more than to be freed from it. He prays – not once, not twice –But three times. “Dear Lord, deliver me from this trouble.”

What makes the story of Paul’s thorn so powerful is that it’s so relatable. Who among us hasn’t done the same? That persistent, troubling problem that just won’t go away. It’s always in our prayers.

The profound answer Paul received was not what he expected. In fact, he receives two answers. The first one is this: “My grace is sufficient for you.”

God was saying to him, “Paul, you may have a very tough challenge. But I will never leave you with more than you can endure! My grace is sufficient for you. It will see you through.”

Some time ago I read a story about a critically ill boy in a hospital. The school district in that particular city utilized a tutorial program for hospitalized students or when they had lengthy sick leaves. That way the children would stay up to date with the rest of their class.

One of the tutors received a call to visit a boy in the hospital. The boy’s teacher had called her. The teacher gave her the boy’s name and his room number at the hospital.

“We’re studying nouns and adverbs in his class now,” the regular teacher said, “and I’d be grateful if you could help him understand them so he doesn’t fall too far behind.”

The tutor went to see the boy that afternoon. What she did not know was the reason for his hospitalization. It seems that the boy had suffered terrible burns and was in no small amount of pain.

She was jolted when she saw him. She stammered her way nervously through the lesson. “Your teacher wants me to help you with nouns and adverbs. That’s what your class is studying.”

She felt just awful when she left. She didn’t think her visit would make much difference to the boy considering his condition.

But when she returned the next day, the nurse nabbed her as soon as she arrived. “What did you do with that boy yesterday?” Now the teacher felt doubly bad! She should not have put that poor boy through such a difficult lesson. She began to apologize to the nurse.

“No, no,” said the nurse. “You don’t understand. We’ve been worried about him. But ever since your visit yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He’s fighting back and responding to treatment. It’s as though he’s decided to live.”

Two weeks later the boy explained. He had completely given up hope of ever getting better – until the tutor arrived. He reasoned: “They wouldn’t send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?”

“My grace is sufficient for you.” Just knowing that God will see us through can revive our hope.

The second answer Paul received was just as profound. God said to him…“My power is made perfect in weakness.”

Think about it…the power of God’s salvation has been revealed to us through weakness. In weakness, Jesus went to the cross. Like Paul, He, too, prayed that He may be relieved of His burden. But it was not to be. For God’s power is made perfect through weakness.

Jesus died a beaten man, a spectacle for all to deride. He hung in helplessness, nailed into submission. He gasped for every breath. And at last He died. His lifeless body was removed from the cross and laid in a tomb.

But through His perfect weakness, the total power of God’s saving grace has been realized.

In fact, it was only through Christ’s weakness that the power of divine salvation would be born.

Nothing, nothing at all, can defeat God’s perfect love. That truth was realized in Christ’s death.

Nothing in all of creation can quench this love.

The worst that death and sin could dish out could not extinguish it.

Even the grave cannot overcome it.

Only by dying could Christ defeat death. In His perfect weakness, Christ has overcome.

There is hope in weakness.

God’s grace is sufficient for the living of our days. In living and in dying, whenever we are weak, God’s power is never far from us.

March 10, 2019

Christ and His Church       Psalms 122

Pastor Henry Blackaby wrote a book called: Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God.

In it he says: “Perhaps one of the greatest challenges for Christianity in our day is for churches to so walk with God that the world comes to know Him through their witness. When a church allows God’s presence and activity to be expressed, a watching world will be drawn to Him.”

Too many churches of our day are not walking with God. Perhaps that is because, many churches have forgotten what they are supposed to be. The Church is not simply an organization, but rather a living organism, the Body of Christ.

As such, it is to be wholly under His authority, following His commands, and doing His bidding.

Many church members seem to view their church merely as a glorified business, in which the pastor and board are responsible for its success.

But the Bible tells us that the Church is to function like a body, in which every member operates in concert with the other.

On the whole, the Church is not very important to the world. However, it should be important to the people of God.

God’s people should consider the Church important because…

A. The Church Belongs to Him…it is His body.

Matt. 16:18 “And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it.”

1 Cor. 3:9 “…you are God’s field, God’s building”.

Remember putting your face above a headless frame painted to represent a muscle man, a clown, or even a bathing beauty? Many of us have had our pictures taken this way, and the photos are humorous because the head doesn’t fit the body.

If we could picture Christ as the head of our local body of believers, would the world laugh at the misfit? Or would they stand in awe of a human body so closely related to a divine head?

B. Christ is the Church’s Head.

Eph. 1:22 “And God…appointed him to be head over everything for the church”

Eph. 5:23 “…Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.”

Col. 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church;…” 

My point here should be obvious: Jesus is the head of His church; not the pastor; not the deacons; and not the board, but Jesus.

Certainly, the pastor and board bear authority in the Church…but our authority is subject to the headship of Christ.

The fact is, “No one individual can know all of God’s will for a local church. Each member of the body needs the other members of the body to fully know and do God’s will.”

The Church is to be Holy.

1 Cor. 3:16 & 17 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple”.

It is sad to say, but the modern-day Church is a far cry from what God intended for her to be.

David Ravenhill of the Christian Renewal Center wrote:

The New Testament Church did not depend on a moral majority, but rather on the holy minority. The Church right now has more fashion than passion, is more pathetic than prophetic, is more superficial than supernatural.

The church the Apostles ministered in was a suffering church; today we have a sufficient church. Events in the early Church were amazing; in this day, the Church is often just amusing. The New Testament Church was identified with persecutions, prisons, and poverty; today many of us are identified with prosperity, popularity, and personalities.

He goes on to say: “We lack power because we lack piety, and we lack piety because we lack purity.

We need revival—God’s way. Revival—Spirit-born, heaven-directed, earth-shaking, and hell-robbing—is not just important to the Church and to America. It is IMPERATIVE!

D. The Church is to be Harmonious.

Ps. 133:1 “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”

1 Cor. 1:10 “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.”

1 Cor. 12:25 “so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.”

If there is one group of people who should be the epitome of love and harmony, it should be the local New Testament church.

But sadly there are four main bones in every church. The wish-bones: Wishing somebody would do something about the problem. The jaw-bones: Doing all the talking but very little else. The knuckle-bones: Those who knock everything. The back-bones: Those who carry the brunt of the load and do most of the work.

Remember Jesus bought the church with His own blood.

Acts 20:28 “…Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”

Eph. 5:25 “…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”.

Usually the value of an item is based on what you had to pay for it…Christ gave Himself for the Church.

The parable of the Pearl of Great Price beautifully illustrates the value that Christ placed on the Church.

Matt. 13:45 & 46 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

Should we value so meagerly what Christ has valued so much?

We are to Share Our Lord’s Love with the World.

1 Thess. 3:12 “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you”.

Gal. 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Is the world seeing our love for Christ? Is the love of Christ for the lost world seen through this Church?

We are to Share Our Lord’s Love with the World.

We need to share the Gospel and then build the converts in the Christian life.

Matt. 28:19 “… go and make disciples of all nations…”

Matt. 28:20 “…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

There is not a person in this room for whom Jesus did not shed His blood. You and I are His pearl of great value for which He gave it all. He cares about you. He loves you! The Bible says that He wants good for us…not harm.

This is Christ’s church. He is the head of the church…we are the body. We each have a job to do in this church and for this church. Don’t be a wish bone, a jaw bone or a knuckle bone…Be a back bone. Be the church!

February 17, 2019

A Life Worth Living          Romans 8:1 – 6

 Many people really don't know how to live. They simply exist.  They float through life never really learning how to live.  Jesus doesn’t want you just to exist…He wants you to live life to the fullest.

 Today I want us to look at living positively.

 In John 10:10 the Bible says: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 

 Jesus didn’t say, "I have come that you might have religion" or "I have come that you might have rules" or "I have come that you might have regulations".  He said, "I've come that you might have LIFE and have it abundantly.”  Some translations say… “have it to the fullest.” 

 One thing you need to realize about true Christianity is that Jesus wants you to really experience life.  He’s not about taking away all your fun.  He wants you to experience abundant life…to be optimistic.

 If you run around and say “Life Sucks”(Excuse my language) Than Life is going to Suck(Excuse my language again)

 But if you say life can be hard…but life is good…It’s gonna be good!

 I love what Zig Ziglar said…He said, ”I’m such an optimist I’d go after Moby Dick in a rowboat and take the tarter sauce with me.”

 Living a positive life benefits you in many ways… and it is part of the abundant life Jesus wants you to live.

 There’s guy named Dr. Martin Seligman who is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania.  He has studied thousands and thousands of people and come to the conclusion in his studies that people who are optimistic and people who are positive live longer, have better health, are more happy and accomplish more than people who are not optimistic or positive.

 I think this church is a very positive church… or at least we strive to be.  We emphasize the good news.  There's enough bad news in the world.  The last thing you need to do is come to church and hear more bad news. 

 I want you to hear the good news here.  I think Christians…of all people, ought to be the most positive, optimistic people in the world.  I think that a pessimistic Christian just doesn’t understand what he or she really has. 

 I want to show you 4 reasons why Christians ought to be the most positive people in the world…but sadly by the time I got done with the 4 reasons…this sermon was ten pages long. (And if my sermon is much over 3 pages Denny tries to steal a few pages)

 So today you get the first reason…the best reason…and I hope you can come back next week and I’ll try to finish up the last three.

 # 1…The number one reason Christians should be the most positive people in the world is…As a Christian it’s possible to live life without condemnation.

 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

 The first thing to notice about this verse is the two little words, "in Christ". That's Paul's favorite term for a Christian.  A hundred and sixty-four times in the New Testament it says we are "in Christ".

 The second thing to notice in this verse is that Paul starts explaining why we that are “in Christ” should live a positive life.  Verse 1 states…  "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  The Greek word for “no” is the strongest word for "no" you can use in Greek.  There is absolutely no condemnation if you are a Christian. None, Nada, Zero, Zip…No condemnation!

 That is a hard truth for us to grasp.  Intellectually we can get it.  But emotionally it's just too good to be true.  But it is true!

 If you're a Christian and you blow it…God does not reject you!!  He does not condemn you!  He does not kick you out of His family!

 Even when you sin, He does not hold a grudge and stop loving you.  And you don’t have to pay for your sins… because your sins have already been paid for.  That's what Jesus Christ did on the cross.  Jesus said it Himself in the book of John.

 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  John 3:16-17 (NIV)

 To escape condemnation there is only one condition you need to meet: to be "in Christ".   You can't earn it, you just accept it.  So many people today walk around in self condemnation, beating themselves up continuously for their past.

 They won't forgive themselves, much less accept forgiveness from God.  But in Jesus Christ there is no condemnation!

 Not only are there people who continually beat themselves up over their past and will not accept God’s forgiveness… There are also people today who have just the opposite attitude. 

 These people have the attitude of… I’m a good person, so I don’t need saving.  The Bible says that’s just not true.

 Romans 8:13 says “For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.…”

 Basically this verse states that no matter how good you are… you can not save yourself.  The first part of this verse says… “For what the law was powerless to do …”   This means the law was not able to overcome sin.  That means even the 10 commandments could not overcome sin.

Does that mean we toss out the 10 commandments?  Of course not.  The 10 commandments serve a very important purpose.  The 10 commandments point out sin to us. 

 The 10 commandments tell us how to recognize sin so we can do our best to keep it out of our lives.  Because if we don’t…our lives will be full of chaos and destruction.

 But the 10 commandments or “the Law” will not save you… Romans 8:3… “… what the law was powerless to do …”.   Why can’t the 10 commandments save us? 

 The next part of that verse answers that question.  It states… “because it was weakened by the flesh…”

God is saying that there is no one who has ever perfectly kept the 10 commandments except for Jesus Christ.  The 10 commandments won’t save us… because we’re too weak to keep them all.

 But even though we cannot live a perfect life without sin… the last part of verse 3 states why we are able to live a life without condemnation.

 It says, For what the Law could not do…. “God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering…”

 When Jesus died on the cross He became our substitute.  He became the offering for our sin.  That’s why we as followers of Jesus Christ do not live a life of condemnation.  That’s why we should live a positive life.

 Obviously Christians sin, they fail, they make mistakes.  Christians are not perfect, but we are forgiven.  If we just stopped right here, and never get part 2 of this sermon, that's enough reason in the world to be positive.  God has made it possible to live a life without condemnation.

 It’s time to quit being negative…it’s time to live life with a purpose…to see the glass as half full instead of half empty. 

 In this life there are people waiting to pounce if you make a mistake…but not God…There is NO 

 February 10, 2019

God is Love     Ephesians 3:17 – 21

There was a priest by the name of Valentine. He lived in Rome about 250 AD. At that time, Rome was ruled by an emperor by the name of Claudius.
 
As legend has it…Claudius wanted a big army. He thought men should volunteer to go to war…but a lot of men didn’t want to leave their wives and girlfriends. So, not many men volunteered to fight. 

This made Claudius angry. So he had a crazy idea that if men were not married, they would make better soldiers. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages.
After Emperor Claudius passed his law, Valentine kept on performing marriage ceremonies – but in secret. He would whisper the words of the ceremony, while listening for soldiers on the steps outside. 

One night, he heard soldiers coming. The couple he was marrying escaped, but he was caught and thrown in jail and was sentenced to death. 

While he was in jail many people came to visit him. One of his frequent visitors was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit him in his cell.  They often sat and talked for hours. She believed he did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and performing marriage ceremonies. 

On the day of his execution, February 14, 269 A.D, he left her a note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed it, "Love from your Valentine."

I was in the Valentine's Day Card section at Wal-Mart this past week to pick out Valentines cards for the grandkids. There were cards of every size and shape. Some were simple and some were fancy. Some were funny and some were romantic. They have Valentines for everyone…not just your sweetheart but for anyone that you love.
 
I did a quick check on the internet and found that over a billion valentines are exchanged every year in America. In fact it is the largest card exchanging day besides Christmas.

As I stood there looking at all those Valentine's Day cards the thought came to me, "God sends Valentines too!" Valentines are messages of love, right? …and

Who loves us more than God? Each one of us is God's beloved. Every day is Valentine's Day, because God showers love upon us in so many ways every second of our lives.

Take a breath…Every breath, is a Valentine from God.
 
Every sunrise is a Valentine from God, and so is every sunset.

Every moonlit night and starry sky is a Valentine from God.

Every meal, Every hug from a friend...Every second of our lives is filled with "I Love You’s" from God.

How have you experienced God's love recently? 

The Bible is a collection of the most wonderful Valentines ever written or given. It’s a love letter from God to you and to me - for us to read over and over again, to cherish...and find strength...and hope...and the assurance that we are loved. 

Listen as I read some of these scriptural valentines of love from God:

Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Psalm 13:5
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 3:1

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

Psalm 33:22
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

1 John 4:16& 19

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. We love because he first loved us.

Jeremiah 31:3

 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love…

Psalm 51:1

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

Song of Solomon 2:4

…His banner over me is love

Psalm 59:16
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

Isaiah 54:10

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD…

Psalm 86:5
You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you

Romans 8:35, 37 - 39

³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither 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.

There have never been any Valentines like these! And they all are sent to us because God loves you more than you can know. If you ever forget that, just pick up your collection of God's Valentines and turn to most anyone of them...or close your eyes and let these words of love come back to mind...

Many people don’t just send a card on Valentine's Day…They often send gifts like flowers or candy. God too gave us more than just words on paper. God gave us the best gift of all...“For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”. John. 3:16 

This greatest of all Valentines comes from the very heart of God...overflowing with love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and life abundant and eternal...

I remember when we gave out valentines in elementary school. The teacher would send home a paper that had the names of every kid in the class…and you were expected to give valentines to everyone so that no one felt left out.
That’s how Valentines from God are…They are not just for a few. They are for you...for me... for everyone...every day of the year...

For every day is Valentine's Day when you are the beloved of God!

January 27, 2019

Growing in Grace     2 Corinthians 12:7b-10

Have you ever wondered what is it that sets Christianity apart from other religions? It’s grace.

The thing that sets Christianity apart from every other religion or cult in the world is grace, the “unmerited, unearned, undeserved, favor of God.”

In 2 Corinthians 12, we read that Paul had a thorn in the flesh. We don’t know what that was…But we know that Paul prayed several times that God would take it away. But God told Paul “My Grace is sufficient”.

There are those who will tell you that if you pray and don’t get the answer you want that you don’t have enough faith.

But I believe that sometimes God doesn’t answer our prayers for the same reason you and I didn’t give our kids everything they ask for. God knows better.

Paul prayed 3 times to have this thorn removed and God said, NO!” Instead of answering Paul’s prayer, God says, “My grace is sufficient.”

God’s grace is enough. It doesn’t take anything else. God’s grace is enough.

I. GOD’S GRACE IS ENOUGH TO SAVE YOU

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you were saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift-

I want you to know this morning, that God’s grace is enough to save you. Do you realize there is nothing you can do to earn your salvation? You cannot be good enough.

The Bible says the best you could hope to do, your best works, are like filthy rags compared to God’s holiness.

My friend, you can never be good enough to be saved. You can never go to church enough. You can never give enough to the church. You can never help enough poor people. You can never visit enough prisons, or light enough candles, or pray enough to earn being saved. It is only by God’s grace that you are saved.

So quit trying to be good enough to be saved, and trust Jesus. Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into Him.”

 “God’s grace is enough to save you.”

II. GOD’S GRACE IS ENOUGH TO SEAL YOU

In Romans 5:21 Paul says, “…My sin increased. But God’s grace multiplied even more.”

Do you realize that if you are truly born again, if Jesus is truly your Savior that you are saved, signed and sealed, just waiting to be delivered? You cannot lose your salvation.

When you invite Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Lord and Savior, He comes in to live, to stay, forever. The Holy Spirit lives within you.

Jesus speaking in John chapter 10 says: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

Some people are afraid they’ll sin and God will quit loving them. They’re afraid they’ll mess up and lose their salvation, so they go from one day to the next, never knowing if they’re still good enough to be saved.

Guess what? You’re not, and neither am I. My salvation doesn’t depend on my good works, or my good living. It doesn’t depend on my grip on God. It depends on God’s grip on me, and God grips with grace.

Quit living in fear and trust the grace grip of your heavenly Father.

God’s grace is enough to save you. God’s grace is enough to seal you, and

III. GOD’S GRACE IS ENOUGH TO CHANGE YOU

1 Peter 5:10 Now the God of all grace… will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you…

God, because of His grace, will change you.

The Bible says, because of sin, you and I have fallen short of the glory of God. Because of grace, God can and will restore you.

You, like Paul, may feel like the chief of sinners. You feel that you can never get a grip on life again.

You feel that you can never be forgiven, you can never go back. You say, “if you only knew what I’ve done. I can never have a close relationship with God again. He’ll never take me back.

That’s why they call it Grace!

If God’s grace is enough to save us, if it is enough to seal us, if it is enough to change us, what do we do with God’s grace? Easy…We accept it!

Jesus says, come unto Me all ye who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. This morning, accept God’s grace. Tell Him right now, “God, I don’t deserve you forgiveness. I don’t deserve your grace, but I accept it.”

Second, trust Him. When He says He has you in the palm of His hand. Trust him. You worrying about it, isn’t going to change a thing. Rest in the grace that He offers.

Some of the saddest people are Christians who still worry about whether or not they’re saved.

Jesus said, “My peace I leave with you.” Trust His grace, and accept His peace.

If God has shown you grace, then be willing to show grace to others.

I am afraid that too many of us have forgotten how much grace has been shown us by both God and by others.

I am afraid that we have forgotten how much grace God has shown us, and have become unwilling to show grace to others.

If you want your spouse to cut you some slack, to show you grace in what you say, then you had better show grace in the things you say. Give the benefit of the doubt.

If you want your children to cut you some slack when you are unable to do something you told them you’d do; then you had better cut them some slack, show some grace when you interpret their hasty promises.

If you want your friends to show grace, when you inadvertently stick your foot in your mouth; then you had better show them some grace.

If you want your loved one to show grace when you forget to call, then you had better show them some grace and give them the benefit of the doubt.

We’ve got to get the chips off our shoulders and start showing one another grace, the same grace God shows us.

Share God’s grace with others. Share what you receive.

God’s grace is enough to save us, to seal us, and to change us. Our responsibility is to accept His grace, trust His grace, and share His grace.

January 13, 2019

Are you A Tree?     Luke 19:1 - 10

This morning I want us to take a closer look at Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus represents every person who doesn’t yet have a relationship with Jesus Christ.–Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.

Before I came into a personal relationship with Jesus, I was a Zacchaeus, and so were you. A Zacchaeus is a person who is primarily concerned about one person: Zacchaeus.

Here are a couple of ways in which each of us can relate to Zacchaeus.

1. None of us really measures up.
The one thing we all know about Zacchaeus is that he was vertically challenged–a wee little man. When it comes to God’s standard, we are all wee little people–spiritually. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall SHORT of the glory of God.”

We all fall far short of God’s standard: Jesus Christ. He has a name that is above every other name! The first step in salvation is recognizing that in our own goodness, we will never measure up.

2. He was desperately seeking something.
Zacchaeus was rich, but he wasn’t happy. There was something missing in his life. The details of this story reveal he was a desperate man. He was rich and dignified, yet he ran down the road to try to get in position.

Desperate people run. We used to climb trees when we were kids, but
most adults don’t climb trees, unless they’re chased by a mean dog, or trying to escape a flood. Climbing a tree is an act of desperation.

He didn’t know it, but he was looking for God.

According to Luke 19:10, Jesus came to seek out and to save all the Zacchaeus like you and me. Jesus Christ came on the greatest search and rescue mission in history! So how does that affect our story?

1. He knows us.
The first word Jesus spoke to the little guy was, “Zacchaeus!” He called him by his name.

2. He knows what we need–a relationship
After Jesus called his name, He beckoned Zach to come down from the tree. Jesus spoke those words in love and tender compassion.

Jesus would have been telling the truth if He had said, “Zach, you are a dirty, rotten sinner! Repent, repent, repent! You’d better pay back all the money you’ve stolen from these people. If you don’t God’s gonna getcha’ good!

But Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn sinners–He came to save them. He knew Zacchaeus needed to know he could have a personal relationship with Jesus.

Instead of condemning Zacchaeus, He said, “Let’s go to your house.” At that point, the religious crowd turned against Jesus and criticized Him for spending time with a sinner like Zacchaeus.

I’m not here to point my finger at you and say, “Sinner! Sinner! Sinner!” I’m here to introduce you to Jesus. Maybe you need to make some changes. Zacchaeus did, but you don’t have the power to make those changes on your own. When Jesus becomes your friend, He’ll help you clean up your act.

He sees you not as you are–but as who you can become. Everyone else looked at Zach and saw a mean, little, dirty rotten sinner. When Jesus looked at him in that tree, He must have thought, “I’m going to make this short and sweet!

Do you know what the name “Zacchaeus” means? It means “pure.” Jesus didn’t see a crooked tax collector, He saw a man who could become PURE.

He saw a man who could be so generous he would give half of his money away. At the tree, Jesus didn’t say, “Zach, you’re a thief. Now, after you repent and pay back what you owe to these people, with interest and penalties, then I’ll come to your house and eat with you.”

Instead, Jesus said, “Come one, let’s get to know each other, and once you get to know me, you’ll see yourself in a different light and you’ll want to make some changes.”

There are two kinds of people here today. Some of us are like Zacchaeus. But most of us are what I call former Zacchaeus’. We are recovering Zacchaeus’. We have already had the experience of meeting Jesus.

Do you remember the tree holding little Zach up? That’s us. Here’s the message:

ARE YOU WILLING TO BE A TREE TO LIFT PEOPLE ABOVE THE CROWD SO THEY CAN SEE JESUS?

Years ago, I realized that my role is like that sycamore tree. I can’t be Jesus to people. I can only lift people above the crowd so they can see Jesus clearly. That’s our job!

We can’t save people, only Jesus can. We can’t change people–only Jesus can. Our job is to lift people up until they see Jesus, then He takes over.

What would have happened to Zacchaeus if there hadn’t been a tree there that day? We don’t know. The good news is God had planted a tree just in the right spot so Zacchaeus could see Jesus.

God has planted you and your job is to lift others up so they can see Jesus.