Sermon: The Enemy of our Faith

Text: Matthew 4:1-11
(North Toronto, January 6^th, 1991 AM)
(South Shore, June 4^th, 1995 AM)
(Glen Vowell BC, November 24^th, 1996 AM)
(Chatham Citadel, January 9^th, 2000 AM)

Can I ask you to be honest with yourself for a moment?

Have you ever been tempted? Of course, you have.

Do you remember the last time? Was it to gossip about someone you know? Was it to over indulge in candy, food, drink, or maybe some drug? Was it to covet something that you just should not have? Was it very long ago? How long ago was it?

If it seems like it has been a really long time since you were last tempted, then I have to wonder why Satan seems to have forgotten about you. Hmm… There is really only one reason I can think of that Satan would leave you alone... he would only forget about you if he figured he already has you and has no need to worry. Otherwise, I’m sure you are tempted daily!

Anyway, when you were last tempted, did you give in to that temptation? Did you do what it was you were being tempted to do? If no, then praise God because you won another victory over Satan. If yes, then think about how hard it was to resist. Was it impossible to resist? Not likely. Did you just give in because you wanted to? Perhaps. But either way, the scoreboard was increased in Satan’s favour. He won that victory. The good news is; he never has to again!

The story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness holds all kinds of theological truth. We could discourse on it for a very long time - but this morning I want us to take it simply at face value: Jesus was tempted, and he did not sin. This morning, let us consider that for a few minutes and learn from Jesus, and realize for ourselves that we do not have to sin.

THE CONDITIONS

Before we can look at anything objectively, we have to understand where it is placed; the context of the situation.

When someone writes a book, they have to take time to set the scene so that we can understand where the characters are coming from, and why they interact the way they do. Movie makers do the same. They literally spend millions to build sets that develop a particular mood. They spend hours setting up just the right lighting, and days clipping pieces of film together to get just a few seconds worth of a sequence that will help you understand what is happening in a scene.

I can't spend millions of dollars this morning (sorry), but it is important that we understand some of the background to Jesus being tempted, so that we can better understand what happened in those moments.

Just before he entered the wilderness, Jesus was baptized by John. The Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove, and a voice from heaven said “This is my Son, whom I love, with Him I am well pleased.” In a sense, Jesus was coming from a “Mountain top experience” into the "wilderness." It would have been easy at that time to be filled with pride. He was happy and content. It would have been easy to relax and enjoy the feeling. But Jesus knew temptation would come.

In the first part of Chapter four we read how the spirit led Him out. Jesus knew he would be tempted, and he knew he needed to humble himself after his experience in the Jordan. So, He fasted and prayed.

Fasting is not something we practice a great deal these days. It was an act of devotion meant to purify a person in body and soul. It was more than just the act of physically allowing the body to purge itself, there was a self-sacrifice involved. When offered to God as a sacrifice, it was usually done as an act of repentance for sin. Jesus had not committed any sin, nor would he ever. He had no need to fast to cleanse himself. Instead, he fasted as an act of devotion to God. He believed God would provide all he needed, and relied completely on Him.

Luke tells us that all through the forty days, Jesus was being tempted constantly, but of all the temptations that came upon him, Matthew and Luke only record the last three. These were the climax; the worst Satan could throw at Him. These were the temptations that were tailor made and most crucial to Jesus.

THE QUESTIONS

Did you know that when we are tempted, it is not really the act of sin that Satan is looking for. It does not matter to him what we do. In fact, he doesn’t really care. What he is really after is the state of our heart. That’s what concerns him. He wants to bend your will. He wants you to reject God, to turn to your own selfishness.

Take a closer look. When Satan tempted Jesus, he did not really need Jesus to do anything. What he wanted was for Jesus to turn from God and place all of his trust in Himself, or worse yet place his faith in Satan.

Satan had no need for bread, and although Jesus was hungry, He would survive without it. Satan had no need to see Jesus jump from the temple, and Jesus was not seeking the thrill either. Perhaps Satan would have enjoyed the King of Kings bowing down and worshipping him, but all he really required was for Jesus to turn away from God. Satan knew very well that Jesus could do any of the things he asked him to do, but what he really wanted was for Jesus to turn from God and follow himself.

Satan’s goal is not to destroy our bodies. When he uses drugs, alcohol, abuse, harassment, or any of a thousand weapons, it is not the physical effects he is concerned with. He is looking for companionship in rejecting God.

My Mom used to say, "Misery loves company." Sin thinks it justifies itself when friends agree with it. Satan is out to destroy our souls. He is the enemy of our faith. Physical calamities are only a side effect. His real purpose is to have you reject God and turn somewhere else.

Every temptation Satan presents Jesus with used that one little word that creates doubt everywhere it is heard: “if.” And each time the “if” is used, it is followed closely by the word “you.” In two words, we see the pattern of temptation – “if” creates doubt and “you” promotes selfishness.

In the first two temptations, Satan tried to create doubt that Jesus was really the “Son of God.” The truth about Satan revealed here is one he would rather you not think about. He is a deceiver and a liar. Of all creatures, he and his demons knew more than anyone that Jesus was the Christ; the Son of God. Luke four records an incident not long after Jesus was tempted, when a demon cried out in front of Jesus “Ha, what do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!”

The devil uses the same tactic when he tempts us today. He may not ask us to turn stones into bread, but his goal is the same. He wants us to doubt God and place our faith in our government, or ourselves or worse yet, in Satan himself. Anywhere except the one place our trust should be - in God.

Satan’s method of choice for delivering the temptation might be different. The words might change, but the motive and goal is exactly the same. He wants you to turn from God. He does not care which way you turn, so long as it is away from the Almighty God.

If the question is always, ultimately, the same, then we might assume the answer is also be pretty much the same. That means it may be possible to find a ready-made formula to answer the temptations Satan throws at us. So let’s see…

THE ANSWERS

1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

That scripture holds a lot of important things for us to remember, and in the answers Christ gave the devil, every defensive weapon in the arsenal of that verse was used against Satan.

None of the temptations presented to Jesus were beyond his ability to resist. and the same is true for us: No temptation ever comes upon you that you cannot resist. That does not mean you cannot fall, only that you do not have to. If your will is set on God, and you want to resist, the devil has no power over you, and he will flee from you. The temptation will have no effect.

It is extremely important, however, to note that it is impossible to resist temptation on our own. The passage we just read says that God provides the way of escape from temptation. Without God on our side, we would fall to temptation in an instant, so although you do not have to fall, you do have to keep your eyes firmly fixed on Jesus to resist. Don’t expect to toss him aside and do it on your own.

It is also important to realize that we are talking about temptation itself here, because we who have fallen to sin also face the results – the consequences - of falling to past temptations: An addiction to alcohol, for instance, is the result of falling to an original temptation to drink, and is not completely a new temptation every time. It has created a physical addiction because the will was weak in the beginning. If the original temptation had been resisted, there would never be an addiction, and the resistance to temptation would now be easier.

Once an addiction has taken hold, the temptation becomes whether to accept your fate and let the booze control you, or to take action to combat the problem. Now you are faced with the addiction, and the fresh temptation of every drink to go even deeper. The problem seems compounded, but God’s promise still holds true! With God’s strength, and his assurance that you can beat it, it is possible.

Remember, in the end, it is not the physical condition Satan is seeking in you. It is not that he wants to see you become a drunk. It is what becoming a drunk means to your relationship with God that he is concerned about.

In each of Jesus’ temptations, He used scripture to help him resist. Ephesians six tells us the word of God is a sword. Jesus wielded it in battle with Satan during his time of temptation. The devil even tried his own hand at using the weapon of the word to support his arguments, but he did not use it properly. Instead, he misquoted, and Jesus easily refuted what he said from another part of scripture.

Scripture can help us to know what is right in times of temptation, but it is important that we understand the whole Bible, not just a few key verses. Knowing only a few verses makes it easy to be swayed by those who misquote it. And knowing the direction given by the whole bible helps us not be lead astray by misquoting it ourselves. We must have an understanding of what the Word of God says so that we can know the Words of God. It is not enough to be able to recite it from memory either, because one who recites it may not really understand it. We need to know it, to understand it.

Psalm 119:11 says “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul instructs Timothy to work hard at correctly handling the word of truth.

By reading, studying and meditating on God’s word, we learn His will, not by rote, but by message. Without knowing God’s word, the best we can hope for is to avoid temptation all together, and we all know that is impossible because we all are tempted.

The answer to the temptations is simple though. Scripture helps us do it. Remembering that it is possible to resist helps us do it. But the one thing that keeps us from falling to temptation is keeping our focus on God. To the people of Zion in Isaiah 30:19-21, Isaiah said that when their focus is on God, a voice will be in their ears saying "This is the way, walk in it." Like a guide leading us along a hazardous path.

THE HOW TO

Jesus was victorious over every temptation. He was able to escape even the more deceptive of Satan’s ploys. He did it by maintaining his trust in God, and using the word provided in scripture. We too, in God’s power and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, can resist the Devil’s temptations. Remember what Satan wants when he tempts us. If you do not, you might find yourself giving in to him without even having to be deceived. The solution is only this: Follow Christ, look to God and worship no other; Obey his commands, and listen to no one else, including yourself. Focus on Jesus.

Now, do you still remember your most recent temptation? Think about it honestly; with God’s help, could you resist? Was there a way of escape from the temptation that you fell under? Was your focus on Jesus, or was there doubt created by an “if” and a selfish desire? God has promised us that you can resist, and I believe it is true. Next temptation… what will you do?

Sermon: The Shepherds Quest

Text: Luke 2:8-20
(Chatham Citadel - December 17^th, 2000)
(Meet Me at the Manger # 3)

A few days before Christmas, two women stood looking into a department store window at a large display of the manger scene, with clay figures of the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men, and the animals. With disgust written all over her face, one woman turned to the other and said, "Look at that! The church trying to horn in on Christmas!"[1]

Do you know people who might feel that way about the Christmas story? OK, so Jesus was not born on December 25^th. Yeah, the date was taken from the pagan celebration of the winter solstice. Sure, the presents and Santa Clause have to do with a man named Saint Nicholas who threw bags of gold through a window to help a poor man who had no dowry to marry off his daughters (and they happened to fall in their socks). But there can be no doubt that the celebration has become for us truly about the birth of Jesus. Why else would we call it "Christ-mas" – The Christ Mass, or celebration of Chris - or are you one of those who prefers to say "Happy Holidays".

Is that really how some people feel about the Christmas story? Is it an intrusion into all of the other things Christmas has become?

It is kind of like the two men who stood on the street corner in New York. One looked disgustedly at all the traffic (mostly Christmas shoppers madly rushing about to fill their Christmas lists), and commented to the other how Christmas has made everything so chaotic.

The other man looked at the first with a grin on his face and said, "It's really quite romantic. To think that a baby born two thousand years ago to poor parents in a squalid corner of a back woods town half way around the world could cause a traffic jam on fifth and main."

It didn't seem to bother the shepherds, however, when the angels horned in on their quiet evening out on the hills! God interrupted humanity - broke in with an angelic chorus - woke up the neighbours - and proclaimed the birth of a Savior for the world. And look where he chose to make the announcement… not in King Herod's court, or in Caesar's, but to humble shepherds out on the hillside; common people, who heard the call and answered; who responded with hearts full of praise and wonder.

God sent Jesus for all of us; not just for the rich, or those who consider themselves somehow special. As John 3:16 says, he came for the whosoever. God sent Jesus for the common man, and he began with those shepherds on the hillside - common people like us, and yes, even for those who consider him an intrusion into Christmas.

COMMON PEOPLE

In the verses following our scripture, we read about Jesus being presented at the temple to be circumcised. We meet Simeon and Anna, who we somehow figure must be part of the priesthood working in the temple, but it is not true. Simeon was a simple man - devout and righteous, but not a priest. He was a layperson who had been given a special promise and who hung out in the temple courts awaiting the fulfillment of that promise. Anna was a prophetess, yes, but she too was just a common person, a widow who had devoted her life to praising God in the temple. She too was a layperson.

Just like with the shepherds, Luke was making a point; God did not send Jesus for the scholars only. He sent his son to earth for everyone, because he considers everyone to be important in His kingdom. Jesus himself said "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17)

The Shepherds were common people - unschooled in theology, or homiletics or apologetics. He came for common folk like them, like you and like me. We are important to Him. We are all important to Him.

One time at a Christian conference, a woman, who was complimented on her homemade biscuits commented, "Just consider what goes into the making of these biscuits. The flour itself doesn't taste good, neither does the baking powder, nor the shortening, nor the other ingredients. However, when I mix then all together and put them in the oven, they come out just right."[2]

Many of us might consider our lives to be average, or even wrought with difficulties. We are different, and there are parts in all of our lives that perhaps do not "taste good", but God calls us all, because we are all part of the ingredients of his kingdom, the common and the uncommon.

James Cox comments: "Christianity my friends, has never been a religion of Priest and theologians, minister's and teachers; from the very beginning it has been a religion of devout men and women with no claim whatsoever to professional expertise about their faith. This is important to remember.

"God never intended the church to be an organization of ministers. What he did intend it to be is an organization of laypersons, all "righteous and devout" like old Simeon, all devoted to fasting and prayer like old Anna, and all ready, in simple faith, to receive his Kingdom and rejoice in it. Ministers, in Christianity, are expendable; good, simple folk are not!"[3]

So what is it that makes the common things so uncommon in God's eyes? It has to do with something called consecration, or holiness. In essence all that means is a devotion to God, completely and utterly. The shepherds, Simeon, Anna, the disciples, Mary Magdalene, St. Augustine, Booth, Billy Graham; they all heard the call and they all answered.

The disciples left everything and followed Him. The shepherds ran to his side. Booth gave up his position in the Methodist Church. All so that they could give themselves wholly to God. We know these people as uncommon people, but before they gave themselves wholly to God, they were no different from you or I. They too were just common people who came in contact with an uncommon Savior who changed their lives.

They all heard the call and they all answered.

COMMON PURSUIT

For the shepherds, there was no question, only a statement "Let us go…" They did not hesitate to seek out the new born baby - this "Savior" that the angels spoke of. Luke doesn't even tell us what they did with their sheep when they left, though anyone who has seen a shepherd working with sheep knows that Luke could not have used the verb "hurried" if the sheep had been with them!

Unlike the Magi, who had to search the scriptures and the skies to find the King of Kings, the shepherds knew with certainty what they would find - they believed. All they desired was to get a glimpse of this miracle they had been told about. Which are you more like? Are you like the Magi, are you searching spiritually and studying the scriptures deeply trying to find Jesus? Or are you more like the shepherds who simply heard, believed and accepted. Study is important, yes, but we do not need a deep understanding of theology before we can encounter the living God. It would be like us feeling we had to have an understanding of the complexities of biology before we could shake hands with someone.

What is more, we do not have to pursue God, because He is already pursued us!

One evening a woman was driving home when she noticed a huge truck behind her that was driving uncomfortably close. She stepped on the gas to gain some distance from the truck, but when she sped up, the truck did too. The faster she drove, the faster the truck did. She became more frightened and exited the freeway, but the truck stayed with her. She then turned up the main street, hoping to lose her pursuer in traffic. But the truck ran a red light and continued the chase. Reaching the point of panic, the woman whipped her car into a service station and bolted out of her car screaming for help. The truck driver sprang from his truck and ran toward her car. Yanking the back door open, the driver pulled out a man hidden in the back seat.

The woman was running from the wrong person. From his high vantage point, the truck driver had spotted a would-be rapist in the woman's car. The chase was not his effort to harm her, but to save her, even at the cost of his own safety. [4]

How like us that is. We think God is out to get us, he is the hound of heaven, chasing us and scaring us with His commandments, His call to righteousness and devotion, but all the time it is the other way around. He is pursuing us trying to help us avoid the one who really has evil in mind, and to rescue us from the hidden sins that endanger us.

There was no question in the Shepherds' mind. They heard the call, and they answered.

COMMON PROCLAMATION

There is not much detail about the Shepherds' actual quest. All we know for sure is that they left right away and "found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger." We also know they were absolutely thrilled by what they found. Here before them was a real baby, just as the angel had told them - wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

When they left the scene, they were amazed and could not contain themselves. They told everyone they came in contact with. And, that is how an encounter with God should be… If you have really touched him - if you have really felt His touch - it effects you so deeply that you can't help but let those around you know.

How many more people came to see the new baby because the Shepherds went and told them what to look for? How many more later followed the grown man, Jesus, because they remembered hearing the shepherds speak of him in their youth?

TODAY

Today - that is this day - we may not hear an angel choir singing "Glory to God in the highest", but the call to us is just as clear. "Come and see the baby who is born the Savior of the world - he is Christ, the Lord." Will you, like the shepherds answer that call? Will you run to the manger to see the baby? Will you leave with the same enthusiasm and proclaim it to your friends that God has reached down from heaven and touched us?

The Shepherds responded with their hearts full of praise and wonder. Our response need not be any less. They all heard the call, and answered, what about you?

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[1] Fredericksburg Bible Illustrator Supplements

[2] Leadership Magazine, Winter 1992, Greg Asimakoupoulos, Concord, California

[3] James W. Cox, The Minister's Manual 1995, New York: Harper, 1994, p. 275.

[4] Fredericksburg Bible Illustrator Supplements

Sermon: The Difficult Journey

Scripture: Luke 1:45-55, 2:1-7
(Series: Meet me at the Manger # 2)
(Chatham Citadel, December 10^th, 2000)
(Wallaceburg Corps, December 17^th, 2000)

A professor at Harvard once said to Rebecca Pippert (author and speaker on evangelism), "I admire the fact that you are devout, but in the end it doesn't make any difference whether you believe in God or not. Life is essentially the same for everyone. Don't Christians get cancer, get divorced, long for their children to do well? Don't Christians fail, morally?"

She answered yes, they do.

"You're proving my point," the man said. "God DOESN'T make a difference."

She explained to him that one of the difficulties is; Christians try to pin the difference in the wrong place. Sometimes we try to make it seem as if, when we follow Jesus, we are no longer human. So, what is the difference God makes?

It begins to show, Rebecca told him, in how we handle problems and personal failings - not in freedom from them. She understood there is nothing we do that does not contain some corruption, that does not have some self-serving motive. God shows us the problem of human nature and He gives us a diagnosis for our condition: SIN.

The professor interrupted at this point, "If I was that hard on myself, I'd be depressed! But you seem so joyful."

Then she told him the rest of the story: "That's because I've also been given a solution. It's the forgiveness of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to help me overcome."

"Has the cure worked?" the professor asked.

"I'm not a finished product, if that's what you mean. But I'm learning to live in recovery from sin and I'm growing in amazing grace, and that would make anyone joyful!"[1]

Our journey does not end when we meet Jesus, it only puts us on the right road.

That was Mary and Joseph's experience. One would think that meeting an angel would prove to be a life changing experience, and it was, but the young couple did not find their lives enriched and filled with ease when the angel left them. Rather, they found themselves thrown into hardships beyond belief. But they pressed on, because they trusted God. They trusted that he would ultimately bring redemption to the world, through that same Jesus who would be their son.

They knew God could work miracles, and they trusted that he was using them to fulfill his plan.

STIGMA

The first difficulty Mary and Joseph faced on the journey to the manger was the stinging judgment of their friends and relatives.

Even in the 21st century, being pregnant out of wedlock still holds some stigma, but not anything like in those first century days. Mary could well have been stoned to death for what appeared to everyone to be indiscretion.

Joseph was not immune either. By separating himself from his bride to be, Joseph would have been considered blameless, but he chose to stand by Mary's side, and so took on himself the same stigma. The illegitimate pregnancy would likely have been blamed on him by people who considered themselves wise. They would have raised their eyebrows and whispered knowingly to their cohorts, "aaah, so he is the father…"

But Mary and Joseph pressed on, because they trusted God. They trusted in the message he had given them and they trusted in God's ultimate providence, no matter what the hardships were along the way.

F.B. Meyer tells a story, of visiting a beekeeper who told him how young bees are nurtured. The queen lays her eggs in six-sided cells filled with pollen and honey - enough to feed them until they reach maturity. The top of the cell is sealed with a cap of wax. When the young bee has exhausted their supply, it is time to leave the cell, but to do so, they must fight their way through the wax seal. The opening is narrow, and the struggle is agony for the young bee. In the midst of the struggle, the bee rubs off a membrane that encases its wings, so that when the bee finally emerges, it is able to fly. But that is not the end of the story…

The beekeeper explained that once a moth got into the hive and ate all of the wax capsules. The young bees were able to crawl out without any effort at all. But they could not fly. They were unproductive, and eventually the mature bees instinctively stung them to death.[2]

Hardship is part of our existence in this world, but God in his wisdom has used even these hardships to benefit us. Romans 8:28 reads, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." That is why Joseph (that is, the Joseph with the coat of many colors), could say to his brothers after he had been through so many trials, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20). And why Paul could say to the Corinthians, after all he had endured, "I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." (1 Corinthians 9:23)

They pressed on, because they trusted God.

JOURNEY

The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem is approximately 140 km long - around the distance along the 401 between Chatham and Woodstock. Not a long way by car, but can you imagine the trip walking, or on the back of a donkey - let alone being nine months pregnant at the time? It is a miracle that Mary made it to Bethlehem at all. Under normal conditions, the journey would have taken the better part of a week, but with Mary expecting at any moment, it may have taken much longer.

What is more, Mary was probably not even required to make the journey at all. As the head of the household, her husband, Joseph, could have gone alone to register, saving his pregnant wife the hardships of travel. So why did she go?

She may have went because she wanted Joseph at her side when the baby was born, but more likely she went because she could not continue to face the difficult questions, the ridicule and the scoffing of the people in Nazareth - not without Joseph with her.

That scoffing did not end. Almost thirty years later, at the commencement of Jesus' ministry, after reading from the scripture and prophesying, Jesus was almost thrown off a cliff by these same people.

The road was hard, the ridicule was difficult, but they pressed on, because they trusted God. They trusted that his promise was true - that they would be the earthly parents of the coming Messiah. They trusted that God would take care of things, no matter how terrible they looked at that moment.

INN

Even on reaching Bethlehem, the hardships did not end.

Some have conjectured that Joseph probably arranged a place for them to stay ahead of time, but the place where they were supposed to be that night was given to someone else before they got there - possibly because they were delayed on the journey.

We have no record of what the stable was like, we only know that Jesus was lain in a manger. The manger could have been in an open courtyard with the animals, or in a wooden shed as tradition has made it. Or it might have been in a cave, carved out of the stone, as was often the case in those days. Whatever the facts, however, it was not the most pleasant place to give birth, or to spend your first hours on earth.

Yet, Mary and Joseph endured it. They pressed on, because they trusted God. They trusted that even in these humble surroundings, God was working a miracle. They were focused on what God had in mind, and did not worry about the situation surrounding them.

In the early morning hours of July 4^th, 1952, a swimmer named Florence Chadwick made an attempt to become the first woman to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast, a 21 mile swim through shark-infested waters. The water became foggy that morning, and less than half a mile from shore, Chadwick had to be pulled from the water. It was not fatigue that defeated her. It was limited vision. "If I could have seen land, I might have made it." She said later.

After two months, she made another attempt. This time she kept a picture of the coast in her mind, overcame the despair, and reached her goal. (Wikipedia)

How many times over those nine months, and even in the months following Jesus' birth, must Mary and Joseph have despaired? But they pressed on, because they trusted God.

How many times do we despair at the difficulties life brings us - death, corruption, deceit, disappointment - they blind our vision of the goal.

What is the solution? Focus on Jesus - see your goal and press on. Trust in God.

PROMISE

There are difficulties in life, whether we have faith in God, or whether we do not. The difference is in how we approach those difficulties when we have accepted God's providence. Mary & Joseph faced ridicule, rejection, a difficult journey, and lowly accommodations at the end of that Journey. But they pressed on, because they trusted God.

Our hope is not in earthly things, but in heavenly. Our goal is not ease on earth, but joy in heaven. How else can we understand the words of Paul to the Philippians when he says:

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained." (Phil 3:10-16 NIV)

Let me close with this simple story: A father, who climbed the ladder of success by determination and hard work, told the dean of a college where he hoped to send his son to school, that he wanted to spare his son from the same hardship he had endured. He intended to give his son all the money he wanted.

The dean, after listening to the man's good intentions, suggested he send his son to another college. He told the good man, "Our College already has enough students on that road to perdition."

Are you facing struggles today? Are you not sure sometimes, if you can make it to the next day, past the next bill, through this difficult trial? Trusting God will not make those things go away, but it will change your heart. What others intend for harm, God will use for good. Press on, and trust in God.

 

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[1] When You Don't Have It All Together, Rebecca Pippert, Discipleship Journal #57, May 1990, page 17.

[2] Fredericksburg Bible Illustrator Supplements

Sermon: Angelic Announcement

Text: Matthew 1:18-25
(Series: Meet me at the Manger - Advent # 1)
(Chatham Citadel / Wallaceburg Corps - December 3^rd, 2000)

We all know the story of the first Christmas, and we all, to some degree, enter into the spirit of the holidays. But every year, I wonder do we really appreciate what a momentous occasion the birth of Jesus Christ was? Do we really understand how miraculous it was?

I am not just talking about the miracle of the virgin birth, or that a star could lead kings to a specific spot, or that angels would shout for joy in the presence of shepherds. I am talking about the miracle of God directly entering into his own creation.

Yes, we have dated our calendars by the incident, and we have marked and celebrated it as one of our longest standing holidays. Yes, at no other time can we say Love, Joy and Peace reign anywhere close to the way they do during the Christmas season, and, yes, Christmas is very special in our hearts, but do we really appreciate how cosmically significant the birth of Jesus on earth is?

The event was grand enough to warrant a visit from foreign kings. It was relevant enough to all of humankind that common Shepherds were also invited to come and see. At no other time on earth, in the Biblical record, are angels seen so frequently, or in such great numbers as at this point in history.

Prophecies were proclaimed about the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ, but interpretation was not clear enough for those who studied them to recognize the events when they occurred. If those who studied the coming of the Messiah could have missed it, how easy could it be for us to miss it even today? Perhaps that is why angels had to be sent to proclaim to the participants, and to the witnesses, that God was about to intervene in human affairs.

As we begin our journey through advent, I would like to remind all of us of the importance of the event. Perhaps we will not witness the angel chorus proclaiming "Glory to God in the highest," but we do not have to miss the significance. For a few minutes, let us look at three or four particular instances when angels delivered their proclamation from God. In each case, directly, or indirectly, those instances were related to the coming of Jesus Christ, and in every case, the message was given, not only to inform the recipients, but also to invite them to be participants in the event.

We, too, though it is some 2000 years later, are invited to be participants in the advent, and so, as we look at the angels' message, let us not forget that we are more than hearers of the good news. We too are invited to come and see Jesus.

ZECHARIAH

Luke takes us further back in the story of the nativity than any other Gospel. All of the gospels recognize John the Baptist, and his important role, near the beginning of their story, but only Luke explains the events of his birth, and remarkably, the first dialogue in Luke, following some preamble and stage setting, is spoken by an angel.

The circumstances surrounding John's birth were certainly not as miraculous as those surrounding Jesus' were, but they were definitely out of the ordinary. So much so, that Zechariah himself lacked confidence in the message. As a sign, the angel Gabriel struck him dumb so that he could not speak until the baby was born and it was time to name him. (Perhaps some of us men would have been better off if that happened to us while our wives were pregnant!…)

But the angel's message was not merely to tell Zechariah and Elizabeth they were going to have a son. The announcement brought some much more important news as well. Zechariah's son, John would be the Elijah prophesied in the Old Testament (Malachi 4:5-6), and he would precede the Messiah, the Christ - the Saviour of the world. If Zechariah was struck dumb because he could not believe that he would have a son, imagine what his reaction to this news must have been!

Zechariah was amazed at the news the angel brought - in spite of the fact he had been praying for a son.

Just like Zechariah, we often engross ourselves in our Christian "religion" and hold firmly to its doctrines, even pray fervently for a wide variety of things, but when God says he will answer our prayers, or our faith is tested in some way, we let go so easily.

Zechariah was not only invited to share in the miraculous answer to his prayers, but in the most miraculous event in history. If that kind of message is brought every time an angel appears, it is perhaps not any wonder that they seem to always be saying "do not be afraid!"

JOSEPH AND MARY

Six months later, after that first appearance to Zechariah, the same angel Gabriel traveled to Nazareth, and to Mary, who would become the mother of Jesus. Again, we hear the words "Do not be afraid."

This time, however, Mary has more to fear than the astonishing appearance of Gabriel. To be pregnant out of wedlock in those first-century days could easily have meant death for her. Yet, Mary was certain of her own uprightness before God. Apart from asking how such a thing could be possible - a much more rational and practical question coming from Mary, than it was from Zechariah - Mary is willing to serve God in whatever way she can. Mary knew what she was not guilty of. She had her own integrity to stand on, no matter how it might look to other people, she knew the truth and she seems to accept the matter with relative ease.

Mary's fiancé, Joseph, however, did not take it so lightly. I think we can all appreciate it is easier for a woman to know that there is no possible way she could have been impregnated in the normal way than for a man to know his wife has not been violated. It would take a more extreme step of faith for Joseph to believe than for Mary.

Joseph was a compassionate man, however, and he did not want to bring any harm, or disgrace, to the woman he had chosen to marry. So, he thought it best not to make a fuss over the matter. Instead, he would let her out of her nuptial commitment quietly and gracefully.

That was the rational thing to do, but this was an irrational situation. Joseph needed some divine intervention to boost his faith in Mary, and the story she was telling him. An angel visited him, too. And again the words "do not be afraid" are spoken. But this time in direct relation to the ridicule Joseph and Mary would face from those who simply could not, or would not understand.

Do we need an angel to visit us before we can believe the account lain out before us? Zechariah, Mary and Joseph all had that kind of support to their faith, but there are many that did not.

There is no account of John the Baptist ever having been visited supernaturally in any way we have not, and yet he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah boldly.

Some of us, like Mary and Joseph, are thrown into faith. The young couple did not seem to have any choice but to participate in the birth of Christ. Many of us have grown up in a Christian home and sometimes have the challenge of seeing the grit and grime of living faith - the day to day challenges - without having had the incredible conversion experience of those who have not know Christ until later in life. But whether we are thrust into faith, or come to it in some other way, a miracle is no less a miracle. The fact of God coming to earth is just as thrilling either way.

THE SHEPHERDS

The shepherds did not have the same kind of experience. They were not direct participants, but rather privileged witnesses to the event of Christ's birth. Imagine a quiet night in the fields minding the sheep, when all glory breaks out in the sky above you. Again we hear the words, "do not be afraid" and this time, it is definitely to calm some very shaken shepherd nerves.

Perhaps most of us can relate most closely to those herdsmen on the hillside. We are not the parents of the prophet John, or of the Saviour - we too are common people who live our lives in the daily grind of making a living. The message the angels spoke to those shepherds was one for us too: "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior is born to you; he is Christ the Lord." And when the great company arrived - the back-up choir - they sang "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

There was no recorded conversation between the shepherds and those angels. Perhaps there were others who heard the same message that night. It was the shortest encounter of all those recorded in the nativity, but the message is the most far reaching. The Shepherds could not sit still after hearing it. Immediately they had to pick up their things and go - to find the Christ child.

YOU

This Christmas you will hear the message once again. Not the gruesome events of the crucifixion, or the challenging words of Jesus in his ministry; not the difficult task of following under persecution in Acts or toiling to grow a fledgling church in the epistles. Or any of the other times in the Bible when following faith is shown to be the difficult task that it is. The message we hear at Christmas is that of love. Of the love of a gracious God who went to the extreme of entering into his own creation so that it might be saved from its own corruption.

You too are invited to be a participant this Christmas in that message of love, and in the nativity. How will you answer the invitation? Will you be struck dumb like Zechariah? Will you try to quietly pass it off as a surviving urban legend as Joseph almost did? Will you accept the truth quietly and with confidence as Mary, or will you run to meet Jesus as the Shepherds did?

We know what that little baby became. We know what he means to us personally. Are you prepared to meet the savior in that lowly stable in that manger? The angelic announcement of his coming to earth has been proclaimed… will you come to meet him?

Sing with me again as we just as the words say; Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the new born King.

Sermon: God’s Reminders.

Text: Genesis 6:9-13; 7:5-18; 8:13-15; 20-22; 9:8-17

(South Shore, November 7/93 AM - Remembrance Day)

In welcoming Emperor Hirohito of Japan on his visit to England in 1977, Queen Elizabeth said, "We cannot pretend that the past did not exist. We cannot pretend that the relations between our two peoples have always been peaceful & and friendly. However, it is precisely this experience which should make us all the more determined never to let it happen again!"

As we approach Remembrance Day, there are still some alive who remember, first hand, the atrocities of World War II, and even more who remember later wars such as Vietnam, or Korea, or Iran. Yet, many of us have not really known what it means for the world to be at war. Conflict seems distant and outside our influence.

Sometimes we seem to think that if we were in control, it would never happen. But the fact is that any of these tragedies could still happen at any time. It is important for us to remember our own fallibility and the price that is paid for it. Remembrance Day serves draw our minds back to terrible times in our history for the purpose of preventing that history from repeating itself.

November 11th has become a sign to remind us of the dreadful consequences of sin that result in catastrophic, worldwide war; to remind us of the millions of men and women who gave their lives fighting to defend the cause of right in a world gone wrong.

In Noah’s time, there was also a reminder. A rainbow. A sign in the sky to remind people of the terrible consequences of sin – and of the grace of God.

God hates Sin. It was sin in the lives of corrupt people in Noah’s day that He detested, and that He felt He had to destroy. God came to a point where He grieved so deeply over the mess that man had become, that he decided the only thing left to do was to start over. And so the world was wiped clean.

The Flood seems distant now, just as for many of us, the World Wars seem distant, and yet both remind us of the fatality and futility of sin.

THE COST OF SIN

During World War II, it has been calculated that 54,800,000 men and women lost their lives in combat.

That is a horrendous number of people. To put that in perspective, that’s almost twice the entire population of Canada in 1980. The cost financially was $338 Billion dollars. To give you some idea of how much that is: if an average income were $60,000 dollars a year, and the average working life of a person was fifty years, 115,000 people could live comfortably on that much money – and those dollars were 1940’s dollars, so $60K represented a wealthy income!

And those dollars and lives were not the only cost of war. There were other losses to people as well. Millions of people were missing, captured in war camps, tortured, left homeless, left without parents or siblings.

Sin is costly, and not just in war. Romans 6:23 tells us "...the wages of sin is death…", but I wonder if Paul perhaps meant this in a broader sense than the literal statement? Could he have meant not only physical death, but mental, emotional and spiritual death as well?

In 2nd Kings 4:40, there is a story about a stew pot in which a vine that was not eatable was cooked. When the men of the camp tasted the stew, they exclaimed "there is death in the pot". They didn’t die when they ate it, so they probably meant it was poisoned. Perhaps it gave them indigestion, or made them sick.

In the same way, Sin corrupts us. It creeps in without us realizing it. Sometimes… we even invite it.

It corrupts us and it begins to destroy us. Maybe not all at once, but eventually it will cause broken relationships, tortured minds, loss of possessions, and yes, even death.

In the time of Noah, the people became corrupted by sin. Genesis 6:11 tells us "Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence." Many times we have heard people ask why God allows those who sin to remain on this earth. Why should these Hitler's and Hussain’s remain to hurt so many people. Perhaps that is a question we should all consider as we continue to look at the story of Noah. I believe there is a clue in this story, and maybe even an answer.

THE CONSEQUENCES

At the time of Noah, God decided he would destroy everyone who sinned. No-one was exempt. I don’t even think Noah would have been exempt except that, as 6:8 tells us, “Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord.” That doesn’t mean he was sinless, or even that he was a really great person. In fact, after he lands the ark, we find him drunk and naked in his tent (Genesis 9:21).

There was not one person in the land who was sinless, and this one time in the world’s history, God decided to totally destroy mankind, with the exception of one chosen family.

For forty days it poured rain and the waters rose. For another hundred and fifty days, the water remained. It took another forty days for the water to recede. By that time, there was not a living thing left on the Earth except those that could swim, and those that had been carried with Noah in the ark.

Greek culture used to teach their children that if you stole a chicken and got caught, you would be severely punished, but if you stole a chicken and got away with it, you would be rewarded for your stealth and your ingenuity. But they did not recognize the right of the farmer to enjoy the assurance that his chickens were safe from burglars and they did not compensate him for his loss.

One of the greatest grievances we have of sin is that it leaves victims. Sin does not only affect the sinner, but those closest to them as well. The person committing the sin is not always the one to suffer. Often it is the innocent party who suffers needlessly, while the sinner may even benefit from his evil deeds. Such is the economy of a corrupted world.

The good news is, that’s not the economy of God's Kingdom. In God’s Kingdom there is justice, righteousness, and fair play. God detests sin and all of the consequences of it. It was for that reason that he became so grieved at the world that he decided to destroy it and start over. There was not one man worthy on his own accord to be saved.

But wait a minute. Am I not a sinner? Am I not included then in those that God detests? Am I also one of those who, if living in the time of Noah, would have been washed away in the flood? It’s a sobering though that you and I are included in those who are unworthy – who sin.

THE SIGNS TO REMIND US

When the earth had been purged, and the Ark come to rest again on solid ground, Noah offered up a sacrifice to God. An offering of thanks. God seems to pause and consider this, and what he has just done. In 8:21 he says "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done."

It is almost as if it is for the sake of the earth that he decides to let man live. But in these verses, we find the first hint of God's. redemption. Here we see a glimpse of God’s working towards healing the consequences of sin in our lives. For the first time in our Bible, God shows that he is not only a wrathful God who judges sin severely, but that he has compassion for even those who have wronged him, and desires that we might be better than we are.

Right there and then, God makes a covenant with Noah, and with the whole earth. He tells Noah that He will never again destroy the earth with a flood because of man's sin. He does not tell Noah to go off and do as he pleases, though. There are limits to - what man can get away with. Very specific limits. Limits that show the boundaries of righteousness and will not allow Noah to sin.

What is unusual, though, is that there are no conditions to the covenant that God makes with Noah. God simply says that He will never again destroy the earth with a flood. He will give each of us the chance to live and find redemption; to follow his ways and find faith in His provision. “As long as the earth endures," He says in 8:22, "seed time and harvest, cold and-heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

Along with the new covenant comes a sign: the rainbow. And, even more unusually, the rainbow is not a sign to remind the people of God’s promise, but a sign to remind God of His promise to the people.

Nonetheless, it is a sign that also speaks to us of God's desire to see each one of us redeemed for his kingdom. It is a sign of the love that no longer says, "I must destroy you because you are evil", but now says, "I will let you be for a time, so that you might come back to me and find redemption." It is a sign to us to remember that the only reason we are not destroyed is because we have "Found favour in the eyes of the Lord."

CONCLUSION

We have not yet had our stay-of-execution. We are still accountable to God for the sin in our lives, but God has given each of us an opportunity to come back to him. He has provided a method of payment for our past sins. He has displayed the sign of his love before all people: the sign of the rainbow, a promise of hope, and the sign of the cross, a sign of God’s providence.

Remembrance Day is a reminder to us. A reminder of the atrocities of war, and of the high price paid for peace. The rainbow is a reminder to us of God's love, but it is also a reminder of the high price of our sin. Similarly, the cross is a reminder to us of God's love, but it is also a reminder to us of the terrible price God had to pay to redeem us – a price too high for us to pay ourselves.

None of us can excuse the sins of the past. None of us can go back and fix what we have caused to go wrong in our lives, and how that has in turn hurt others. But it is precisely that lack of excuse that should make us cling to God and be even more determined never to let sin grasp a hold of us again!

God has given you time. Time to consider your sinfulness. Time to seek redemption. Time to accept the gift of blood offered on your behalf. Time to return to him; to set your life on the straight path of righteousness that leads to eternal life and not death.

As you are reminded of the sacrifices made so that you might live in a peaceful world, remember the consequences of what some call evil, and others call sin. Remember the promises God made to Noah, and to us; promises of forgiveness, and redemption. Remember the cross and the high price paid so that you may be forgiven.

Remember.

Sermon: Present Purpose

Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

(South Shore Corps - July 31st, 1994 AM)
(Prince Rupert Corps - March 24th, 1996 PM)
(Chatham Citadel - August 29th, 1999 AM)

I love my wife very much, but she has a very annoying habit.

It drives me absolutely crazy sometimes, and she can’t seem to shake it either. The worst part is, I am not sure that I want her to!

You see, she has a habit of getting chores done around the house before I even think of doing them. Before I have myself "psyched" up to do the dishes, or the laundry, or tidy the bedroom, or the family room, she has already been there. This has the disturbing effect of making me feel like a slacker, and guilty of being lazy.

Maybe I am guilty… a little. You see I have a predisposition towards procrastination.

It doesn't matter to Val that I would have done a particular chore had I been given just a little bit more time. What really matters is that I didn't do it when it should have been done.

Why am I telling you this? Well, it all has to do with a revelation I had while reading a devotional from Oswald Chambers' book, "My Utmost for His Highest." Oswald, as we affectionately called the little book, put it this way:

"We have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; He is not. The question of getting to a particular end is a mere incident. What we call the process, God calls the end." (July 27)

As I thought about this, I began to understand many things in scripture that had puzzled me. One of the more difficult passages this opened up to me was the entire book of Ecclesiastes.

For years I wondered why Ecclesiastes starts with such a strange introduction: "Meaningless! Meaningless! Says the teacher... Utterly meaningless!" I had always found that interesting, and very poetic, but like most poetry, its meaning was not obvious at first. What could Solomon have meant when he went on about everything being meaningless?

As I thought about the devotional, things began to come clearer. It was like a light bulb was coming on. Suddenly, everything I read in Ecclesiastes seemed to make sense. It is so simple, actually, that it is very easy to miss. It is simply this:

Everything has a time and place. Things come and go, but our past and our present have no meaning to God. It is our present that He is concerned with, Who we are, and how we deal with things is what matters to Him. That is "the end" that Oswald Chambers was referring to.

Well, maybe it’s not quite so simple, but it is profound enough for us to look deeper.

MEANINGLESS!

Like most of us today, Solomon was looking for meaning... for purpose in his life…

Our “western” society has fulfilled our needs and just about all of our wants as well. It has come to the point where people do not want to retire any more because instead of work being heavy labour they need to rest from, it has become a means of providing purpose in our lives, no matter how shallow that purpose might be. Solomon was in a similar situation – he had everything, had tried everything, and still had found no purpose in any of it. 

To aid him in his search for meaning, Solomon had the greatest wisdom of any man in the world, and he was also very rich - a pretty good combination if you want to figure something out! He had every material thing that a man from 950 BC could possibly want, and his wisdom exceeded every living person, and still he could not find meaning in anything.

Everything that can be done has already been done, or will be done by someone else. Every thought has been thought already in one form or another. When we think we have something new, we often find out that someone else has already done it, probably better. It may be new to us, but it is not new to someone else, and in the light of eternity it is ancient to God. It’s like rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic – they might look different, maybe even better, but the ship is still sinking and the chairs have no ultimate purpose.

We are all full of plans. We want our children to grow up and become lawyers. We want our retirement money to be set aside and well invested so that we can have a nice comfortable existence after we turn sixty-five. We want, we want, we want, and we want. But the teacher in Ecclesiastes says "It’s all meaningless."

Read Ecclesiastes and you will find all the vices men and women try to find meaning in; Wisdom, Pleasure, Toil, Folly, Oppression, Advancement, and Riches. The teacher tries each, and each he rejects them as having no meaning at all. Talk about nothing being new! These same vices have been in existence since the beginning of time, exist today, and will probably continue until time’s conclusion.

So like Solomon, we ask ourselves, where then can we find meaning in life? Where is the purpose in our existence? If it is not in the things we do, then where can we find it?

BEING

The answer is there – hidden – it is subtle, but important. Listen carefully - our purpose is not found in the things we do. It is found in who we are.

Did you catch that? You are not your job, or your possessions – you are who you are – your purpose is in our being.

Our world has taken that reality and turned it inside out! Our world tells us "Do this and you shall become." But God says "Become… and you shall do this."

Did you get that? Those who seek to “do” continue to find themselves trapped by the meaninglessness of their purpose. Those whose purpose is in being what God wants them to be find the things they do fulfilling no matter how great or how small a task they are attempting, whether they are rich or poor. It doesn't matter because inside them they have found the fulfillment of reached the goal.

Wow, how profound. If my purpose is in being, then I can find joy and peace no matter what my circumstances. That sounds good, but if being is where we find our meaning, then what is it that we should be?

For the answer to that, we need to peak at the end of the teachers’ book. Look at chapter 12 of Ecclesiastes. The teacher concludes in verses 13 and 14:

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter; Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." (12:13-14)

Note that Solomon does not say "continue to fear God", or "in the future fear God." He says simply, and immediately "FEAR GOD." Present tense, no exceptions. It is the here and now that we find purpose in. Live for God in the here and now and you will have purpose to spare. Live for him each and every moment of your life. Do not live for him in the past, and do not live for him in the future, because both are meaningless and for the moment do not exist.

Remember the story of the man who built his house on the sand? Yes, he probably enjoyed the view he had from his window – It would have been beautiful with lush grasses and dainty flowers that sprang up out of the moist soft soil. He dwelt on what he understood from the past. The land looked like it had been there forever, and so he was sure it would continue. He felt safe in building on the past, until the time of the storm came, and his house collapsed.

You see, it did not matter to him what the soil was like now – it didn’t matter to consider the situation he was building in. All he cared about was that the beauty that had been there yesterday was going to be there for him now. But it didn’t last – it was meaningless.

The man who stored up his grain in his barn had the opposite problem – he looked to the future. He wanted a safe retirement. He figured if he could keep all of that grain stored up, he would have plenty to eat and never worry about labouring in his fields again. He would be rich. His future would be secure... or so he thought! That night he died. He could not enjoy the benefits of his hoarding because the future did not turn out as he expected.

Who knows what he had done to accomplish the full barns – some of it was the luck of the weather, but perhaps he had overworked his employees to build the barns and store the grain – all so that he would have a safe and secure future – that never came. It was all meaningless.

Our past will condemn us, and our future is unknown. It is only in the present that we can find certainty. Things will come and things will go, but it is all meaningless, but in the present we know what is here.

That is why Solomon says there is a time for everything. There is a time for this, and a time for that, and everything will come in and of its own time. But in the present, the here and now, God is with us. Our purpose is not in the past, or in the future, it is in the here and now. God has forgiven our past, and He holds our future. He does not even judge us for our past or our future, we are condemned for the condition of our hearts in the present, or we are saved by our obedience to Him in the here and now.

There are other clues to Solomon’s meaning: In chapter 3:11, we read "He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." What does he mean by this? When you think about yourself, do you think about your birth? How about your death? No? You think about your existence and you find it difficult to view the vastness of history as God has created it. You contemplate yourself in the present because that is the way God created us. He has set eternity in our hearts, without beginning or end. He has created us as eternal beings who exist at this moment in time.

Can you remember what you had for breakfast this day last year? Do you know what you will have for breakfast on this day a year from now? Again… No. We contemplate eternity in the present, not in the past or the future. Our purpose, our existence is here and now. Meaning is found for us in being who we are at this very moment.

PURPOSE

Before I begin to wax too philosophical, or is it too late? Let's remind ourselves of what our purpose for the here and now is. Verse 12 of chapter 3 continues by saying "I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live." As I have already stated, it appears that Solomon is saying that living as God would have us live is our purpose. Without living as God would have us live, we have no meaning in our lives. Without Him in our present there is no purpose for the future or forgiveness for the past. Again, in chapter 5, we read these words:

"Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong."

Every Sunday, we find ourselves physically in God's house: His sanctuary. The building we call a church. But physical location does not matter. In fact, Solomon is saying that going there alone is not the purpose for being in that place. He is talking about the spiritual “state”, the present purpose, of those who are going. Our physical location could be anywhere. The question is, where are you spiritually at this moment, while you sit here listening to me? Ask yourself, are you here out of obedience, worshipping God and hearing what he has to say to you, or are you simply fulfilling some religious obligation laid down by your fellow man, to offer your spiritual sacrifice and get it done?

Are you focusing on God and obeying Him, or are you thinking about the Disney movie showing later? If you are, you're living in the future! Are you thinking about how hard it was for you to get out of bed this morning, and how you would still like to be there? Then you're living in the past!

As Paul says to the Ephesians (5:14) "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

Let me quote Oswald once more:

"Gods training is for now, not presently. His purpose is for this minute, not for something in the future. We have nothing to do with the afterwards of obedience; we get wrong when we think of the afterwards. What men call training and preparation, God calls the end.

"God's end is to enable me to see that He can walk on the chaos of my life just now. If we have a further end in view, we do not pay sufficient attention to the immediate present; if we realize that obedience is the end, then each moment as it comes is precious."

If you have been wondering what the purpose of your life is; what God’s plan for you is, then look no further than God, and look no further than this moment. Get your heart right with God right now, and everything else will fall into its place. My mother used to say, “take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.”

There is a time for everything, and that time will come. If God rules in your heart, your purpose will be steadfast, and you will be prepared. “But seek His kingdom and these things will be added to you as well.” Jesus says in Luke 12:31.

Meaningless? All things are meaningless. But the purpose of the present is found in God. Seek Him first and all these things will be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33). You see, it’s not about the things about you or where you are supposed to be. It’s about who you are – Seek Him first and the rest will fall into place.

Sermon: Extreme Commitment

Text: Genesis 22:1-19
(Chatham Corps – August 20^th, 1999 AM)

"In Kentucky, there is a huge rivalry in college basketball between the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky. At one of the 'Dream Games' between the two schools, an elderly woman sat alone with an empty seat next to her. Someone approached her and said, 'Ma'am, I have rarely seen an empty seat in Rupp Arena, let alone at the Dream Game. Whose seat is this?'

"The woman responded that she and her late husband had been season ticket holders for twenty-eight years, and the seat had belonged to him. 'Well, couldn't you find a friend or relative to come to the game with you?' the person asked.

"'Are you kidding?' she replied. 'They're all at my husband's funeral.'"[1]

Commitment… not a popular word these days. Whether it be as small a thing as visiting your mother at least once a month, or as big a thing as waiting until you are married to have sex, it seems that the world does not want us to make any kind of commitment.

Commitment requires faith. Commitment requires trust. And Commitment requires discipline. Of course discipline, trust and faith are three more things the world is not eager to support.

George Barna is credited as having said “Commitment is viewed negatively because it limits our ability to feel independent and free, to experience new things, to change our minds on the spur of the moment and to focus on self-gratification rather than helping others. People willingly make commitments only when the expected outcome exceeds what they must sacrifice as a result of that commitment.”[2]

It is a sad statement to make that our society has come to the point where self-gratification has become more important than a commitment to basic principles of goodness.

Think of your heroes. They are committed to their goals. They are some of those who are honestly committed to doing something without counting the personal cost. They are not looking for personal gain from the results of their commitment. Instead they look at the affect for good in the outcome of the their actions.

If Jesus had looked at his crucifixion in terms of what he would get out of it, I am sure he would have left us in the garden of Gethsemane, or maybe become the triumphant king the Pharisees had expected him to be. Instead he sacrificed everything to die on a Roman cross so that we might have eternal life.

How many men and women have sacrificed themselves in times of war, for the greater good of those who remained at home? How many brave men and women sacrificed themselves to save others when the twin towers fell in New York? If their commitment had been less strong and they had wished to gratify only themselves, where would we be?

“Ah,” you might say, “but those were extreme circumstances.” And perhaps they were. But is commitment only required in extreme circumstances? Shouldn’t it be even easier then to make a small commitment when the circumstances are not so grave? Have a look at yourself and ask; “Would I be willing to make even a modest commitment no matter what the circumstances?”

THE COMMAND IS GIVEN

As we look at chapter 22 of Genesis, the first thing we see is that God was testing Abraham. Those of you who are fans of the King James Version will read “God did tempt Abraham.” I am afraid this is one of those times when we need a new translation of the original Hebrew. In the original, the word “nissah” is translated in the KJV as “tempt” and in the NIV as “tested.” Both are somewhat correct, but the implication of tempt is that God was trying to get Abraham to do what is evil, which was not the case. Rather, God was trying Abraham by fire to see what he was made off. He was testing him.

James 1:2-4 tells us to “consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” So we understand that God’s intention with Abraham was not to have him do evil, but to mature him and make him complete.

But what was God was testing in Abraham?

Abraham must have been very confused by the command. Pagan tribes in Abraham’s day believed that a human sacrifice – often ones own child – would strengthen the gods they worshiped, and that doing so in times of trouble would often bring relief. But for God this was unimaginable. Abraham himself, though he obeyed God to the letter, is credited as having trusted that somehow God would not let this pass without bringing Isaac back.

In vs. 8, he prophesies without even being aware of it that God himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice. In Hebrews 11:19, Paul credits Abraham as having believed God would raise Isaac from the dead.

Whatever the case, Abraham had faith to believe that though it seemed God was asking him to do something extremely difficult, and maybe even downright wrong, that God would not allow evil to happen. God was testing many things in Abraham’s life; his trust in God, his faith and his commitment to carry out what God wished.

And so, when the command was given, the command was obeyed.

THE COMMAND IS OBEYED

There is no record of Abraham ever questioning the command, or even a reflection of inner doubt. God simply makes the command, and Abraham the next morning wakes and obeys. He does not grumble or complain. He does not question God or argue with him. He doesn’t boast to others of his unprecedented commitment to God. He simply trusts that whatever God has in mind, He will work it out.

We can only speculate what must have gone on in Abraham’s heart. When his son asked him in vs. 7, “…where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” We can only imagine the conflict that must have arisen within him. Here was his favorite son – his only son by Sarah his wife – born in their old age and as a promise from God. Here was the son that Abraham loved so dearly, and God was asking Abraham to make a sacrifice of him? Surely Abraham must have been more than curious how God was going to work this one out – and how his heart must have been heavy as he knew there was the possibility that God would require him to go through with it.

Abraham followed the command to the letter. I suspect that there were tears in his eyes as he picked up the knife and raised it preparing himself for a deed that he would not even have thought of doing had it been his own will.

When God asks us to commit to him, he doesn’t expect us to be perfect. Nor does he expect us to go down a path that is impossible for us, but he does not guarantee that it will be an easy path. Abraham was capable of doing the task that God had asked him to do, but it was neither an easy path, nor one that Abraham would have chosen to go down of his own free will.

When Dr. David Livingstone was working in Africa, a group of friends wrote him: "We would like to send other men to you. Have you found a good road into your area yet?" According to a member of his family, Dr. Livingstone sent this message in reply: "If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all."

Would Joshua have chosen to march around the walls of Jericho once for six days, then seven times on the seventh day, blowing rams horns? I doubt he would have even considered that as a tactical plan to destroy the city, yet God in what seems foolishness to us, sometimes requires us to trust him.

And so, Abraham obeyed.

He steeled himself and went forward to do the task, which on the surface seemed to contradict his better judgement. In the end, however, that obedience was honoured.

THE OBEDIENCE IS HONOURED

Abraham did not have to sacrifice his son. God provided the sacrificial lamb. The results of the test: Abraham was credited for his commitment to follow God’s will. And Abraham’s faith and trust in God was increased immeasurably. It is one of those situations where at the beginning, it seems everything will be lost, and in the end everyone wins. You can’t ask for better.

Jesus commitment to us was like that. As we read in Philippians 2, He gave up all the glory of heaven to become a man. As if that were not enough, he gave up even that little which he still had to die on a cross for our sins – not his own sins because he did not have any sin within him – but all of our sins. He was committed to that task. He gave up all to do it for us and received only the love of those who accept his gift in return.

So, remember that question I asked earlier? “Would I be willing to make even a modest commitment no matter what the circumstances?”

What does God require of us? Commitment to a relationship with Him? Commitment to follow his commands? Commitment to preach the gospel to those who have not heard it? Commitment to a life of holiness?

There may be a cost involved in a commitment to Jesus. There may be sacrifices to be made. Today’s world is full of deception, greed, malice and a thousand other sinful vices. Are these not extreme circumstances? If you think about it, does it not require an extreme commitment to a cause of righteousness to make a change? Perhaps even a commitment on the order of Abraham, or Jesus?

So, what is your level of commitment to him?

CONCLUSION

Dr. Herbert Schaefer, a Canadian missionary who worked in India and Hong Kong once told the story of a debate, which broke out on a farm. The debate was raised between a hen and a pig. The topic of the debate was "Involvement and Commitment are equal". The hen argued, "if someone is willing to get involved, that means they are committed."

The pig said, "No, I don’t think so. Getting involved is far from ready to commit." But neither could convince the other of their point of view. Then they heard the voice of the farmer’s wife. "Honey, what would you like for breakfast? Ham or Egg?" The farmer replied, "I prefer ham."

Then the pig told the hen, "You see, when you lay an egg, you are involved in the breakfast. But we are committed to the breakfast when we are eaten as ham."

Do you see the difference? Are we just involved Christianity, or are you committed? Are you ready to commit and sacrifice yourself for the service of the Lord?

What to hear more?

 

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[1] “May All Who Come Behind Us Find Us Faithful”, Robert Russell

[2] George Barna, The Frog in the Kettle, (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1990), 35

Sermon: Get Off the Fence

Text: Joshua 24:1-27
(June 13th, 1993 AM - South Shore, QC, Senior Soldier Enrolment)
(May 16^th, 1999 AM – Prince George Corps, BC)

In Ecuador, 1967, a manufacturer of a foot powder called Pulvapies decided to use the slogan "Vote for any candidate, but if you want well-being and hygiene, vote for Pulvapies." Then, on the evening of the municipal election, the company distributed a leaflet the same size and colour as the official voting papers, saying "For Mayor: Honourable Pulvapies." When the votes were counted, the town had elected Pulvapies Mayor by a clear majority.

Perhaps Ecuadorian voters are not the best informed before an election, but this entertaining story teaches us something. There was either an ignorance of the candidates in the election, or perhaps there was a disrespect for the electoral process. We think in North America that we are better informed, and respect democracy, but are either of those things that much different outside of Ecuador?

In Joshua 24, Joshua is calling the people to an election. They are called to vote for the one true God, our Lord, or cast their ballot for some other god they have run into in their travels. As part of his election campaign, Joshua recites for the people all the things God has done for the nation of Israel, from the time of Abraham, through to his contemporary times. And then he challenges them. In this election, there can be no fence sitting. Not voting for God is a vote for the other party. There is no way to spoil the ballot, and no way to abstain from voting.

"Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve..." says Joshua, "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)

That same challenge rings in our ears and hearts today. As we look at the passage, can you see yourself standing in the crowd at Shechem listening to Joshua’s plea? And when it came time to vote, would your answer to Joshua’s challenge be the same as theirs? "Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other God's" (v16), or would it be the much stronger "We will serve the Lord" (v21)? Or would you turn away and follow other pursuits and your own chosen God’s?

That is an important question that we must answer. One day the election will come for us, and we will have to live with the consequences of our vote. But I have another question. Why did Joshua first tell the people that they could not serve God and then make a covenant with them to do the very thing he had just told them the could not do? Let's take a closer look at the chapter.

IN GOD'S STRENGTH

In the first thirteen verses of Chapter 24, Joshua spells out the history of Israel in detail. From the time God reached into Ur of the Chaldeans and took the patriarch Abraham out of a pagan nation, to the plagues wrought upon the Egyptians to prompt Israel’s release, to driving entire nations out of the land that had been given to them. All these things God did for them. None was accomplished in Israel’s own strength. It was all God’s doing.

In fact, when the Israelites did not follow God, they ran into trouble. When they did not follow him, they became captive to Egypt. When they turned away after they escaped Egypt, they wandered in circles in the desert for forty years before finding the Promised Land. So many times, they angered God by turning their backs on Him.

Along the way, and in their travels, the Israelites picked up many things. They acquired wealth and possessions. They also confiscated idols from the nations they conquered.

Now, as things were beginning to settle down again, their loyalty to God was beginning to waver once again. Some were worshipping the idols of the other lands, others simply kept the idols in their homes as keepsakes. When they were asked about these idols, they explain that they liked the craftsmanship – they were decorative. And when they were asked about the religion the idol represented, they perhaps said with an air of cultural superiority, "That’s their religion, leave them alone, it's fine as long as they don't bother me."

Hmmm, sound familiar? Does it challenge your heart as much as it mine? Perhaps some of you have a Buddha on their mantelpiece and never thought twice about what it represents to millions of Buddhists around the world, and how it disappoints the one true God.

God has done so much for us and will continue to, but he requires us to serve him with everything we have, and to serve him only. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man enters into the kingdom but by me." (John 14:6) It’s time to cast your vote, and there will be no fence sitting. Either you are for Him or you are against Him.

FENCE SITTING

Today in Canada is not like it was fifty years ago. We cannot call ourselves a Christian country any more. Along the way, we have picked up foreign gods. The god of the Muslims, the god of the Mormons, the twin gods Yin and Yang, the Buddha's, the Krishna's.

Joshua certainly didn't allow any fence sitting in the house of Israel. He called for action. Either follow the Lord God, or leave, and if you are going to follow the Lord God, then throw away the idols that you have picked up along the way and "serve him with all faithfulness." (v14)

Our God is still a jealous God. He still commands us to: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind." If you can honestly say that you do, then there is no room for any foreign gods. Today's world still faces us with the same challenge as it did the people of Israel. Perhaps the things that are so easy to worship are no longer idols made of brick or wood, or gold, but perhaps our idols are much less tangible and at the same time more dangerous: wealth, greed, power, health, drugs.

I am reminded of the song we used to sing as children in Sunday School: "Root them out, Get them gone, all the little bunnies in the field of corn: Envy, Jealousy, Malice and Pride, they will never in my heart abide." God calls us to lead pure lives and serve Him, and we cannot let the world take control where only God should rule.

Of course, Joshua didn't intend that everyone should give up their herds and crops and mercantile to become priests. What he intended was that everyone should serve The Lord wherever they were, doing whatever they did best.

All of us are called to serve the Lord God in exactly the same way - wherever we are, doing whatever we do best for His glory. It does not mean that we should all give up our jobs and rush to be full time ministers, or pastors. But wherever we are, we should offer up to God whatever it is that we do and do it as if doing it for Him - in His name and for His Glory.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS - TOOLS

Just for a moment, let’s take another look at Joshua’s first call to the people. The response of the people was half hearted at best. The people said, "we will serve the Lord". In reality, it was more of a reluctant “OK, we’ll do it.”. Their trust was based on the history of Israel that was just recited to them. It was the logical choice. It made sense in an investment kind of way, but their hearts were wholly sold on the idea. Their decision was not based on a real love for God.

Today, many claim to be Christians without the slightest idea what it really means to follow Jesus Christ. Sounds logical. Makes me feel good. It’s a good set of moral standards. OK, I’m a Christian... But Joshua's response to the half-hearted Israelites was "You are not able to serve the Lord." He knew that they were not ready. He knew that, although they had chosen the right side, they were not ready to serve God adequately.

The Israelites may have been just as surprised at Joshua as the crowd was in Jesus in Luke 14 when he stated "If anyone Comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brother and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple."

Perhaps the translation is a little strong, however, or at least the understanding is slightly different. The Greek word in Luke translated "hate" in this verse (miseo) could also be translated "to love less" – in other words, we must love God more than anything else. More even than our closest family, or even our own life. Unless we put God first, we cannot serve God.

Why is this so? Consider this: Christ died for you. He loved you so much that he was willing to give up his life on that cruel cross. Should he not expect that our own hearts should be just as dedicated to Him?

Joshua tells us that God is a holy God, a righteous and a jealous God. God requires so much from us, in fact, that it is impossible for us to fulfill our obligation to him completely. We are, in fact, inadequate for the job. And without a wholehearted effort, we cannot even come close. Accepting God’s gift because it is logical or proper is like accepting the Law of God without the grace of God and there is no way that we can adequately fulfill the law of God.

So how can we ever hope to satisfy God? We can’t! It is only by the grace of God that we are saved. The free gift that God has given us and is giving us. How can that have any response than a heart fully given over to him?

It was only by the grace of God that the Israelites defeated the enemies listed in the first paragraphs of chapter 24, and it was only by the grace of God that they would be able to serve him going forward.

It is only with the grace of God that all of our efforts on His behalf are more than empty offerings. We are inadequate witnesses. We are inadequate in our care for the poor and the sick. We don’t come close in serving as His hands and His feet in a world that needs salvation. We come nowhere near worshipping Him in all his power and glory. But God has given us the grace of Jesus Christ to "fill in the gaps" when we fall short.

We can only truly serve God adequately if we get ourselves off the picket fence and serve him whole heartedly. And as we do, He supplies us with enough grace for all our needs.

That is the message of the Gospel. That God Loves you. That he loves you so much that he was willing to sacrifice all for you. That is the message that we share with others – that our hearts are overwhelmed by his grace and goodness and that we want others to have what we have – hearts filled with the Love of God.

COVENANT

Matthew Henry tells us in his commentaries on Joshua “Those that are bound for heaven, must be willing to swim against the stream. They must not do as the most do, but as the best do. And no one can behave himself as he ought in any station, who does not deeply consider his religious duties in family relations.”

The Israelites relationship with God had to be deep and binding. When the people said "We will serve the Lord" Joshua said "You are witnesses to yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord" The people entered into a covenant relationship. Not one signed on a piece of paper or witnessed before other people, but a covenant binding the heart of God to the heart of the people. A covenant which made God their saviour and the people His servants.

CONCLUSION

This morning, how does your covenant relationship stand with God? How is your commitment to Him and to His service, wherever you are, whatever you do? Will you cast your vote for God? Will you not only say that it is the right thing to follow God, but also commit your heart wholly in His service?

Perhaps you have picked up idols in your travels. In the words of Joshua: "Throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, God of Israel.”

When the Israelites followed, God gave them a land they did not labor for. It was given out of grace and the goodness of God, which was sufficient for all their needs.

Today, God offers you the same free gift. Will you choose to follow Him with all your heart, or will you turn away? Will you say you are a follower of the one true God, or will you live like one?

Today, choose whom you will serve? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.