Tag Archives: Jesus

Sermons

The Stories Jesus Told Part 9

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Do you know who Jesus is?

In Matthew 21, the religious leaders of the day didn’t recognize Jesus as the Messiah, and they questioned his authority, challenging,

“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” ( Matthew 21:23).

Jesus took control of the conversation by returning their question with one of his own,

“The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” (Matthew 21:25).

Jesus placed them in a difficult corner; he knew that they could not respond honestly to his question. If they said John’s ministry was from heaven, then they would be responsible for rejecting John’s ministry, ignoring his call to repent and be baptized. If they said his ministry was  from man (in other words saying John’s ministry had no authority at all), they would be at odds with the crowds who believed that John was a prophet sent from God.

They were caught, and they knew it. They lied, saying, “We do not know”, to try and save face (see Matthew 21:27).

Today, many people face the same dilemma: what to do with Jesus? This is the question that faces every human being. One day, every person will bow before Jesus. By then, it will be too late for many.

C.S. Lewis famously wrote, “Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God.”

There is terrible spiritual apathy in the world today, a willful ignorance of Jesus (see Romans 1:19-20). To Ignore Jesus as the Son of God is willful rebellion.

Albert Mohler said, “When people respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ with this kind of intellectual resignation, they send their souls to hell.” Since the religious leaders refused to answer his question Jesus refused to answer theirs.  Instead he taught a series of parables.

#1: The Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32)

To the Jewish hearers listening to this parable a man having two sons would have been blessed by God. But the older son, the heir of the estate, initially refused to work in his father’s vineyard. The older son showed disrespect towards his father; he didn’t really know him, even though he later changed his mind and went to work. The younger son said he would  work but then disrespected his father by not following through on his word. In verse 31a, Jesus asked, “Which of the two did the will of his father?”

Jesus’ audience got it right: the obedient one did the will of his father. But Jesus rebuked them, telling them that the very people they viewed as the worst sinners possible were entering the kingdom of God before them. The religious leaders viewed the tax collectors and prostitutes as unclean people, not even worthy of their attention. But these people had responded to John’s call to repentance, unlike the religious leaders.

Jesus explained the parable, showing that they were neither the first nor the second son (see Matthew 21:32). The religious leaders were desperately lost.

The key to a right relationship with God is not religious posturing or performing duties, but rather humble frequent repentance.

#2: The Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46)

Jesus knew that within a few days, he would be crucified. This parable was a direct indictment of those who were questioning his authority.

The hearers of the parable would have understood that the master of the house was someone of extreme wealth and authority. The master built a fence around his vineyard, protecting his investment. He also dug a wine press, indicating that he expected to receive fruit from his investment. In addition he built a tower to further fortify his investment. All these actions refer to dominion, ownership, and rulership. The religious leaders would have heard the echoes of Isaiah 5 in the parable; it would have been hard for them to miss.

Jesus said when the harvest time came, the master sent servants to the vineyard, but the tenants beat and killed them (see Matthew 21:35-36). Jesus is clearly speaking about the prophets from the Old Testament and even John the Baptist.

But then the master sent his own son, the heir to the kingdom. The one with the authority. And the wicked tenants, thinking they would take the land, killed the son (see Matthew 21:39).

This is exactly what the Jewish religious leaders would later do to Jesus. They were plotting the death of Jesus, but they had no idea who he truly was. They didn’t know they were talking to their creator. Jesus indicted them further as they declared their own judgment and punishment (see Matthew 21:41).  

The door to a right relationship with God is recognizing and knowing Jesus for who he truly is.

Jesus the Cornerstone

Jesus kept on the offensive, attacking the source of their pride. The religious leaders were proud of their knowledge of the scriptures, their memorization and knowledge of the Torah. Jesus asks in verse 42, “Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
     has become the cornerstone;
 this was the Lord’s doing,
     and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Jesus was quoting Psalm 118. But the theme of Jesus being the cornerstone of the Kingdom of God is found throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Then the penny dropped, “…they perceived that he was speaking about them” (Matthew 21:45).

The chief priests and the elders heard the parables, but because of their pride—their position and self-righteousness—they refused to recognize who Jesus was. They rebelled against the son of God himself, crucifying him on a cross. Even their rebellion was part of God’s perfect plan, for Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  This rebellion against Jesus still happens today. Even in the church, there are people who don’t truly know Jesus. They know the stories, the history, the theology, but they don’t know Jesus, the Son of God. They don’t have a relationship with him. They do all the religious duties but live in rebellion to the Cornerstone.

It doesn’t matter how many years you have attended church, if you don’t know him, you are in rebellion.

Sermons

The Stories Jesus Told Part 7

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 “When I get to Heaven I shall see three wonders there. The first will be to see many people there whom I did not expect to see, the second wonder will be to miss many people whom I did expect to see, and the third and greatest wonder of all, will be to find myself there” John Newton.

The great hymn writer understood that it is all about grace, the unmerited favor of God shown to those who believe in the name of Jesus for salvation.

We love grace when applied to ourselves, but sometimes, when we see grace applied to others, it offends us. The Kingdom of heaven is counter-intuitive and even offensive to our fallen human reasoning.

Grace Extended

In this parable, Jesus talks about a master who hires laborers to work in his vineyard. During the first century Roman empire, these day laborers may have been foreigners who were offered little to no protection from the Roman labor law. They were vulnerable and often abused.

The master agreed to pay those hired at the break of dawn, a denarius for their day’s wages. This would have been an acceptable wage at the time.

The laborers go to work in the vineyard, but then the master decides to hire more laborers. He hires people at five different times during the day; 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm and 5pm.

When it came time to pay the laborers at the end of the day, those hired at 6am were shocked to discover that everyone received the same payment, even though they had toiled for many more hours than the others. It didn’t seem fair.

Grumbling at Grace

The hard-working laborers began grumbling (see Matthew 20:11-12).

Grumbling is a sin that is often overlooked in our churches and homes. We tend to look at grumbling as less than desirable, but not really sinful. This is because grumbling is so easy to do, it is second nature. When we are troubled by something we struggle to keep quiet about it to those around us.

But what does the Bible say about grumbling?

A classic biblical example of grumbling is found in the children of Israel in the wilderness, they grumbled a lot even after God performed so many miracles on their behalf (see Exodus 16:8). But grumbling is also addressed in the New Testament (see James 5:9, Philippians 2:14).  

Albert Mohler writes, “To grumble is to complain about the goodness of God. In this sense, grumbling is the consummate act of ingratitude.”

We like to justify our grumbling, but grumbling doesn’t fix anything, it usually leads to gossip.

Grumbling is a sign of weakness; it takes courage to sit down with someone and humbly share your offence or disagreement and constructively seek to grow in understanding and love for one another.

The laborers in the parable were grumbling because they felt that the decision of the master was unjust. But the master has every right to do what he wants with his resources (see Matthew 20:14-15).

This parable speaks to us about the sovereignty of God. His decision to show grace to whomever He chooses. We sometimes struggle with this, because we don’t have a right perspective of the holiness and the sovereignty of God. The creator has every right to bless His creation as He chooses.

God’s Grace

Just like the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, we struggle with what seems to us to be an injustice if we are honest with ourselves (see Matthew 25:28-29).

We are so closely tied to the religion of humanism that we struggle with the concept of God’s grace when it is applied to people that we have determined are beyond God’s favor.

Grace seldom seems fair, but fairness is subjective at best. Fairness works well when handing out cookies to children on a playground but doesn’t come close to understanding what is at stake with our sinful state before an all-holy God.

If God dealt with us fairly, we all deserve the punishment of hell.

But grace is God’s free gift to all who repent and put their faith in Jesus. Grace goes against the pride and arrogance of our fallen human nature.

Are you saved by grace? (see Ephesians 2:8-9). Have you encountered Jesus Christ, as your savior, repented of your sins and received his free gift of salvation? Maybe you need to respond to Jesus today for salvation.

Grace that Offends

But maybe you are offended by the grace of God? As you think about your life and the people that have hurt you or even those that you have heard of who have done terrible things to others. Who have you determined is beyond the grace of God?

The words of the master in the parable apply here, “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity? Matthew 20:15”

When we refuse to forgive someone for their past, that they have repented of before the Lord, we are not offended at them, we are offended at God.

If you are offended at God, you need to repent and bring that sinful attitude to the cross of Jesus today.

Do you really know the gift of grace?

Sermons

Healthy Leadership – Healthy Church

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By God’s design, the local church is to be led by elders. Other names for that role are pastor, shepherd, or overseer (see Acts 20:28). In 1 Peter 5:1-5, Peter provides instructions and exhortation to the elders of the church; we can all learn from these leadership lessons.

The Role of the Elder

Jesus bought the church with his own blood. Although we like to identify our community as “my church”, in truth, it is “his church”.

The primary role of the elder is to tend to the sheep, feeding, leading, and protecting them. The challenge is that elders are also sheep, and as such they need accountability and shepherding themselves.

The Bible teaches that healthy church leadership should have more than one elder. This strengthens the church and guards against strong personalities that might slowly introduce false teaching.

A healthy church will only grow from healthy leaders. A church will never grow in an area of ministry if the leaders are not leading the way by example.

The Proximity of the Elder.

Peter writes in verse 1, “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed.”

Peter is exhorting the elders who are among the people, implying that these elders were directly engaged with the community. Pastors who are not in the trenches are not shepherding. YouTube “pastors” are not shepherding.

In times of persecution, the leadership of the church is crucial (see 1 Peter 4:17). Humble local shepherds play a critical role in helping the church withstand the temptation to swim along with the stream of the world’s culture, especially during times of trial. Sadly, leaders who run away during persecution are hirelings and not true shepherds as Jesus said in John 10. John Maxwell said, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.” Peter identifies himself as a co-elder, but he had some extra credibility: he witnessed the crucifixion as Jesus died in our place on the cross. He also saw the empty tomb as Jesus victoriously conquered sin and death. Peter knew that even though there is suffering now, there is glory coming later. Glory always follows suffering, and this coming glory should motivate the elders in their shepherding. Peter had a healthy eternal perspective, and we should too. How often do you think about Jesus coming again, and how does it affect your leadership of others?

The Leadership of the Elder

Peter goes on to encourage the elders in verses 2 and 3, “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.”

To exercise oversight is to care for others, not dominate or dictate. Oversight is providing care for the church family; it is a high calling and a serious responsibility.

Peter then compares three styles of leadership.

Compulsion v. Willingness

“People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.” —Theodore Roosevelt.

 The Lord wants elders to lead willingly, not from compulsion or some type of guilt and shame. When the Lord asks us to lead, we must respond willingly with a ready “yes” in our hearts.

Shameful Gain v. Eagerness

Then Peter compares, “shameful gain vs eagerness”

This contrast is the difference between a true shepherd and a hireling; a hireling works because he is paid, but a shepherd works because he loves and is devoted to caring for the sheep (see also John 10:12-13; Titus 1:7).

Domineering v. Servanthood

Different positions require different leadership styles. For example, in the military, the leadership is domineering. When a battle decision has been made and lives are at stake, you cannot have a subordinate wanting to discuss the decision. Obedience needs to be unquestioned. However, in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus models servant leadership for us, and he wants us to lead like he led (see John 13).

The Reward of the Elder.

In verse 4 Peter writes, “And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

This is our hope: Jesus is coming again, and we will all be judged and receive rewards for our faithfulness.

Faithful shepherds will receive an eternal crown of glory.  The “crown” here is the Greek victory garland, given as a prize during the ancient Grecian games. It was woven from ivy or something similar. But those victor crowns faded and eventually were thrown away. The crown Peter describes is incorruptible and does not fade. Many people go into ministry looking for rewards, seeking fame, an audience of thousands, perhaps a best seller book, or rising rank within their denomination. Such rewards are fading greenery; they will never satisfy.

The only reward we should be striving for is to hear the words of the master in Matthew 25: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” When we see Jesus, we won’t desire anything else. We will forget any personal goals or glory; we will simply take our crowns and place them at his feet – that will be the ultimate prize.

The Example of the Elder

Finally, verse 5 reads, “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Peter is referring to younger people in the church, but this also applies to all church members who submit to the leadership of the elders. It is possible that Peter was remembering how Jesus clothed himself in humility as he washed his disciples’ feet. Pride is the root of all sin, but God favors and gives grace to the humble.

Even though these verses are primarily directed towards the church elders, the principles apply to all church leadership roles. The way of leadership is humble servant leadership.

Is God calling you to leadership?

Sermons

Your Best Life Now

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Who doesn’t want to live a meaningful life full of peace and joy? The Bible gives a prescription for us to live life to the fullest. 

Peter is preparing the church for further suffering, preparing them to be strong and healthy as they endure hardship. The Western church is not familiar with persecution, but that may change soon. For a church to remain strong during persecution, they must operate according to the principles of the kingdom of Heaven.  

Living Healthily

Peter lists five essential characteristics of a healthy church in 1 Peter 3:8.  

1: Unity: Unity is not uniformity. We all have different spiritual gifts and different parts to play in the church. We need to be united around the mission of the church. The mission that Jesus gave us has never changed and we are to rally  around that call (see Matthew 28:19-20).                                                                                                       

2: Sympathy: This is having care and compassion for the needs and pain of others in the church. We need to be careful that we don’t simply come and go while overlooking the needs of our fellow brothers and sisters. It is tempting to become hard hearted towards one another, but we must never stop caring (see Romans 12:15). 

3: Brotherly Love: The Greek word for brotherly love is “philadelphia”. This word is only applied in the context of love within the group of believers. Peter encourages his readers to love earnestly from a pure heart.

4: Tender heart: Love in the church is revealed in our tenderness towards one another. Sadly, tenderness is viewed as a weakness today. Tenderness is a heart attitude of actively engaging with the pain of others. Not simply glossing over it with an, “I will pray for you”. Having a tender heart means that we see people and show that we care. 

5: Humility: A humble person puts others first and listens first. Humility is the opposite spirit of the world, and it is the mark of a healthy believer and a healthy church. 

Responding Well

Peter continues in verse 9, “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing”.

Jesus was our perfect example as he prayed for those crucifying him. 

This is turning the other cheek, even if another believer says something about you that is untrue.  

I have had the privilege to meet some amazing leaders over the years working with various mission organizations. One of the essential character qualities that I have found in respected Christian leaders is that they don’t defend themselves. Even when they are falsely accused. 

I know this is easier said than done. We need to learn to commit accusations to the Lord. Sometimes an accusation is warranted, and we must receive it and make corrections. But if it is false or malicious, hand it over to the Lord. 

Blessing Others

In the face of reviling, Peter exhorts to live in the opposite spirit, “…on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing,” 1 Peter 3:9b. 

There are so many ways that we can bless others and as we do, we are promised a blessing from the Lord. 

Living Fully

In verses 10 to 12, Peter inserts some verses from Psalm 34. David wrote this Psalm when he was in extreme danger. 

Verse 10 begins with, “Whoever desires to love life and see good days.”

Everyone should want to live life to the fullest, squeezing every drop of opportunity out of our days. This does not mean living free from trouble or pain; that is not what is promised. But Jesus’ promises of abundant and eternal life begin now.

Sadly, many believers are not enjoying the gift of eternal life that we have been given. They are not accessing the fullness of the life God has given them through Jesus. 

There are many different reasons why people are not living life to the full: emotional trauma, sickness, depression or even apathy. As followers of Jesus, we are invited to live full and rich lives. 

How do we do this? The Bible gives us three keys for this kind of life. 

Speak Positively

“Let him keep his tongue from evil
    and his lips from speaking deceit,” 1 Peter 3:10b.

If you want to enjoy life, watch your tongue. Ceasing from gossip, criticism, and lies. 

Occasionally you will meet truly happy people, and one thing you might notice about them is that they never speak ill of anyone. 

So, if you want to enjoy life, speak only about the positive attributes of others and control your tongue (see James 3). 

Do Good

Verse 11 continues, “Let him turn away from evil and do good,” 1 Peter 3:11a.

This is both a turning away and a turning towards. This is not doing good things and hoping to balance out the bad things we do; that is not the Gospel. We must hate sin; it is our sin that took Jesus to the cross where he completely atoned for it. Then we must pursue good as a response to his goodness.

Seek Peace

The final key is also found in verse 11, “Let him seek peace and pursue it,” 1 Peter 3:11b.

As followers of Jesus, we are to exercise wisdom as we relate to others.  Humility leads us to seek peace rather than our own way, preferring others in love. 

Now, this is not always possible; life without conflict is never possible. Rather we have the opportunity to grow closer as believers, through handling conflict with grace and humility.

Live Your Best Life Now 

You may question whether living by these keys will lead to others taking advantage of you?

Peter quotes an amazing assurance in verse 12. 

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

It takes faith to trust the Lord in every circumstance (see Romans 12:19). He alone can bring about justice for us. 

Follow these principles and live your best life now.

Sermons

The Armor of God

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Who is our enemy? The media is very good at focusing our attention on the enemy. It may be China, Russia, Islamic extremists or even a political figure. But as Christians we are already engaged in a very real war against a vicious enemy who is actively pursuing our destruction. 

Many Christians are not even aware of the reality of the spiritual warfare that we face every day. And that is precisely one of Satan’s most effective weapons. We cannot fight when we aren’t aware of the battle. Satan is the deceiver and the father of lies. 

The Apostle Paul closes the letter to the Ephesians with an encouragement to stand firm against the enemy of our souls. We are at war against spiritual forces whose primary objective is taking souls with them to hell. 

An Already-Won Victory 

But there is good news! This enemy is raging because he is already defeated. When Jesus died and rose again, the victory over Satan was accomplished (see John 12:31).

We live in a broken world, eagerly waiting for Jesus to come again and finally cast Satan and his demons into the eternal fire of Hell. But until that time, we are called to stand firm (see Ephesians 6:10-14). 

We stand not in our own strength but in the strength of the omnipotent God of the universe. He is our strength; His is the victory. 

We do not fight for victory, rather we fight from victory.

Watchman Nee

. We frequently ask God to help us to defeat Satan in a certain area of our lives, but I would suggest a paradigm shift. Instead of asking for victory, thank God for the victory that Jesus has already won and ask Him for the strength to stand firm in that victory in the face of temptation.  

This means praising God for the miracle of victory even before we experience it—and it requires faith. When you feel oppressed and attacked by Satan’s demons, praise God for what He has done and thank Him for the victory, then allow Him to bring about the experience of that reality (see Philippians 4:6). 

If only the modern church grasped the truth that we stand from a position of victory! The victory does not occur in the book of Revelation; it has already occurred in the death and resurrection of Jesus two thousand years ago. 

The Armor for Victory 

God has given us armor to secure our ability to stand against the attacks of the enemy. The apostle Paul used the familiar Roman military armor as a picture of the secure protection that we have as Christians against the attacks of the enemy. 

Each piece of the armor serves a vital role in keeping us safe in the battle. There are six pieces of armor that every Christian should know and apply. 

The Belt of Truth

Questioning the truth has always been one of Satan’s choice weapons (see Genesis 3:1). Sin entered the world because he made Eve question the truth. As Christians, we must know and speak the truth (see John 8:32 and John 14:6). 

The Belt is our guard against the lies of Satan that often are presented in the form of false teaching. We have the truth in the Word of God. If we neglect to meditate on the truth of God’s Word, we will easily be deceived by the lies of Satan.  

The Breastplate of Righteousness

The breastplate covers the chest and the vital organs against the arrows of the enemy. As believers we are covered by the righteousness of Jesus (see 2 Corinthians 5:21), but we are called to pursue holiness and purity in our personal lives.  

We must not give one inch to the enemy by our thoughts and actions. We have a new identity, and we are to live as such (see Philippians 4:8). 

Shoes of the Gospel

The Roman soldiers had spikes under their shoes that enabled them to have traction on any terrain. Paul likens the Gospel to a pair of effective shoes that can enable us to have traction even in challenging environments. As we go, we are to declare the Gospel of Peace (see Ephesians 6:15 and Isaiah 52:7).  

Are you putting on the right shoes?

The Shield of Faith

The ancient Roman soldier carried a large shield that could be used to build a wall of protection when standing alongside other soldiers. 

The shield is a shield of faith; faith is key to our protection. This shield is more effective when we are gathered in community. When a believer removes themselves from community, they become vulnerable (see Hebrews 10:25). 

The Helmet of Salvation

The Roman helmet was heavy and covered the neck and cheeks of the soldier. It goes without saying that our brains are vulnerable to injury in a battle. Satan also knows that we can be most vulnerable in our thoughts and emotions. 

Satan’s demons use the darts of fear, depression, discouragement, and anxiety to attack the child of God. As we meditate on the Gospel, we are reminded of God’s love and promises towards us.  

The Sword of the Spirit

The Roman soldiers had a short sword that was used in close combat. The enemy often will use people closest to us to hurt us the most. Our battles are often very personal. 

This final piece of the armor is the only offensive weapon we have, and it is sufficient. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, and it is precise and sharp (see Hebrews 4:12)

When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness in Matthew 4, he used the Word of God as his only weapon, and Satan left him. Jesus stood firm on the Word, simply stating, “it is written”. 

The Sword of the Spirit is crucial to our victory, but to overcome the enemy, we must know the Word of God. This sword is useless if we keep it in its sheath. The Bible is useless if you never open it and exercise it. 

A Battle Plan for Victory

What are you battling with today? 

Remember to put on the full armor of God and stand firm in the already won victory.

Sermons

A Leader Prays

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My father was a pastor who faithfully served several churches in the years up until his passing in 2013. I am blessed to have had a father who was a man of conviction and a man of prayer.  

I am so grateful that I frequently caught him in prayer. He was leading by example and teaching me valuable disciplines.

Parents do you lead by example in your home? Do your children find you praying? Do your children even know that you pray?

We are continuing our series called, “leadership lessons from the life of Moses”. This week we focus on the importance of the prayer life of a leader.

A Christian leader is only as effective as his/her prayer life.

Moses the Priest.

Moses was a Levite, a priest, and as such he had the responsibility of representing the nation before God and representing God to the nation. This was the crucial role of the priest before the New Testament and the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church at Pentecost in Acts 2. As we know from 1 Peter 2:9, all believers are priests and are called to be Christ’s ambassadors in our various spheres of life.

As priests we are called to intercede for our family and extended community. How well are you fulfilling your priestly role in your area of influence?

In Exodus 33 we read about the Tent of Meeting that Moses set up outside the camp in order to intercede for the nation. It was also a place where anyone could go and pray to enquire of the Lord (see Exodus 33:7).

The tent was set far outside the camp and Moses would go out to the tent of meeting, as an example of being a leader of prayer (see Exodus 33:8). As Moses entered the tent, the people would all stand in awe and worship God. This is the effect of a leader who prays, it leads those who are watching to worship God.

Prayer is warfare.

The tent was available to all the people, but only those who sought the Lord took advantage of it. Reading between the lines, that probably wasn’t a high percentage. The tent of meeting was far outside the camp, it was not convenient.

 “Every one of us is as close to God as he has chosen to be.” J. Oswald Sanders

Today, many Christians will say that they want a better prayer life, but sadly, they don’t put in the effort. Prayer takes effort. Prayer is hard work. This is not legalism or works based Christianity, but if we want to see things change in our homes and in our society, we must be prepared to put in the effort that is required.

Prayer takes effort. It is warfare. You cannot wage war from the comfort of your mattress, sometimes you must go outside of the camp.

I am not saying God doesn’t answer prayers prayed while you are in bed and wrestling with the issues of life, but there is something powerful when we have a special place to go to pray and meet with God. There is something about a change of venue that shifts our perspective. When you change your location to a place that is set apart for prayer, you are ready to engage in warfare. You are ready to pray.

A little word of encouragement; when you sit down or kneel to pray, leave your phone in another room. In a war, a distracted soldier is a dead soldier. I cannot emphasize this more strongly; your cell phone will spiritually kill you. Sadly, in our culture and in the Body of Christ, there are too many people who are paralyzed by the constant enticement of all forms of media and entertainment that are presented in the palm of our hands. These distractions are all killing people’s ability to function effectively, and sadly in the Church, they are taking people out of the mission that they are called to.

Moses the Intercessor:

As Moses prayed, he set an example for the people to see. A high percentage of leadership is not about what you say, it’s about what people see in your lifestyle and example.

Moses was also an intercessor for the nation. He prayed fervently for the nation. He risked his life for the nation in his boldness before the Lord. Moses stood between the nation’s sin and God (see Numbers 11:1-2).

Every Christian leader should intercede for those they lead.

Moses interceded for the future blessing of the nation. Moses was not content to have seen the deliverance of God in the past, he was not content to have the provision of God for today, he was desperate for the presence of God in the future (see Exodus 33:12-15).

As you lead your family, your community, or your workplace, are you desperate for the presence and the leadership of God?

Are you crying out in dependance on God for the future for those you influence?

It was from his place of intimacy with God, that Moses was able to become the greatest leader in the history of the nation of Israel.

How are you preparing to lead? Commit to leading in prayer.

Sermons

He is Risen!

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I love science fiction, especially time travel and movies about alternate dimensions. 

In our entertainment immersed culture, we sometimes struggle with what is real and what is not. 

The reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is something that is extremely hard for us to grasp, but yet it is absolutely real. It  is not science fiction. 

Death is a very real part of our existence, and funerals are often a time when people are confronted by their own mortality.  They are a somber time of realization that we all will die someday. 

This past weekend we celebrated the fact that Jesus is alive and that by his resurrection from the dead, we do not have to fear death. The Apostle Paul quoted the prophet Hosea in 1 Corinthians 15: 55; “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 

Jesus is alive!

Throughout the pages of the Bible, we see prophecies and their fulfillment hundreds of years apart. Notice that when Jesus revealed himself to his disciples, he referred to the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms containing information about himself (see Luke 24:44). The entire Bible points to Jesus (see Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22). 

The message of the early church was the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Before his ascension Jesus spoke to over five hundred people at one time (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-6). It is real.

The resurrection was common knowledge at the time, and it is also recorded in secular history. Apart from that, if Jesus had remained in the tomb, how did that band of fearful broken disciples start a church that exploded across the world and continues to expand today?

If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, we have nothing to hold on to; The Bible is an empty document and cannot be the living word of God. The bodily resurrection of Jesus is what determines our salvation; it is our hope of glory. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we know that he has conquered death and that by placing our trust and faith in him we are assured of salvation and eternal life. Because of the resurrection, all the promises of God’s word are true, and we can stand on those promises.

When we talk about the resurrection, we must understand that Jesus didn’t simply rise from the dead. Many people have been miraculously raised from the dead, but they ultimately died again.  What’s the difference? Jesus was raised with a new body, a body that is not subject to aging, sickness, or weakness. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:20; and Colossians 1, Jesus is the firstborn from among the dead, the first of a new kind of body—an eternal body. 

The resurrected body of Jesus is a physical body. Jesus ate with his disciples and walked and talked with them; he was flesh and blood but different. His new body is a perfect eternal body, one that he still has today as he sits at the right hand of God, and the same body he will have when he returns as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (see Revelation 19). 

The cross is where Jesus willingly offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus, being perfectly sinless, died in our place. But Jesus’s resurrection from the dead was a declaration by God that the price had been paid and we now can be made right with God. By raising Jesus from the dead, God was in effect saying that he approved of the work Christ had done and that there was no more penalty needed for sin. 

Does that mean we never sin? No, we are still subject to temptation and sin; we all are well aware of the fact that no Christian is perfect. But it does mean that when we do sin, we can come to Jesus and ask for forgiveness of our sins (see 1 John 1:9).

The cross is where the price was paid for our sins; the resurrection is where we obtain power to live the Christian life.

What does the resurrection of Jesus mean for us? It means that…

  • Because of the resurrection, Satan and death itself have been defeated. Because of the resurrection, we do not have to fear death. 
  • Because of the resurrection, we are made right with God by of the blood of Jesus shed for us. 
  • Because of the resurrection, we can live victorious Christian lives. Jesus ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, to live inside all who believe in him, to give us power to live a life that brings glory to God (see Acts 1:8).
  • Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we have hope of a glorious future. Jesus said in John 14; “I am going to prepare a place for you… and if I go, I will come back and take you to be with me…”

Unless Jesus returns soon, we will all face death one day. For those who die having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we will be receiving a new body, just like the one Jesus has. 1 John 3:2 says, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

This is not science fiction my friends; this is reality. Jesus is coming back again; his word promises it. Maybe some of us or all of us will die before he comes again, but that does not mean we need to fear death. Because of resurrection Sunday, we no longer fear the uncertainty of death. Those who have made the decision to live for Jesus in this life, will live with him for eternity. 

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

Sermons

Blinded

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Sight is one of our most valuable senses, but there is a blindness that is worse than physical blindness: spiritual blindness. Physical blindness, even though it could affect one’s entire lifetime, is not as bad as spiritual blindness that can lead to an eternity separated from God. 

This week we remember Palm Sunday, the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey with crowds cheering him on—the same crowd that days later would shout “Crucify him!” Before this day, Jesus had been preparing his disciples for his crucifixion. In the Gospel of Luke, he tells them three times what is going to happen in Jerusalem, but they do not understand what he is talking about. To them, Jesus was the invincible Messiah heading to Jerusalem to establish his earthly throne. They did not see the full picture and the amazing purpose of God for Jesus coming to the earth. 

Revealing Spiritual Blindness

Jesus takes his disciples aside and explains that everything written through the prophets about him will be accomplished. The disciples knew the Scriptures; they had been taught that the Messiah would come and re-establish Israel as a mighty nation. But they did not dwell on passages like Isaiah 53, the prophecy about the suffering servant who would be rejected by man and even punished by God. That prophecy didn’t fit their understanding or paradigm of how God would fulfill the Messianic prophecies.  In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus clearly predicted his death would be by crucifixion (see Matthew 26:1-2). This type of death was reserved for the worst criminals. According to the law of Moses, those who were crucified were under a curse by God (see Deuteronomy 21:22-23 and Galatians 3:13). 

No other person in all of history was less deserving of such suffering than Jesus. Not only did Jesus suffer an excruciating death, he also took on the full punishment of the wrath of God for our sins. That was the real suffering of the cross. It was a suffering by design; it was the plan of God all along (see Isaiah 53:10).

In Luke 18:34 we read, “The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.” Luke emphasizes the lack of understanding by repeating it three times. The disciples were blind; they did not see with spiritual eyes. They were looking for the establishment of an earthly kingdom, but the truth was hidden from them. 

Healing Physical Blindness

It is no coincidence that the very next miracle recorded in the Gospel of Luke is that of Jesus healing a blind man. The juxtaposition of the disciples’ spiritual blindness with the man’s physical blindness reinforces their lack of understanding.  Jesus performed many miracles that were not recorded for us in the Bible, but this one was significant.  Its positioning in the Gospel is key. 

This blind man is so loud in his desperation that he incites a rebuke from the crowd, but he keeps on yelling with all his might. He is desperate because he grasps his own blindness and has faith that Jesus can open his sight. 

Notice the contrast: here is a blind man who is desperate to be able to see, and here are disciples who are unaware of their own spiritual blindness. The most significant event in human history was lost on those participating in it—even those closest to Jesus—because they were expecting something else. They didn’t see clearly.

The blind man knew who Jesus was. He recognized that Jesus was the Messiah.  He praised God and followed Jesus. 

Saving from Spiritual Blindness

Those who are the most blind respond the most readily to the Gospel. Those who realize the depths of their sin are the most appreciative of their salvation. 

Remember the words of Jesus to the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:17; “For you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ and you don’t realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” This letter to the Laodicean church was addressed not to those who didn’t believe in Jesus but to the early church who did.  Yet they were blind because they did not completely grasp the truth of the Gospel. 

Jesus was with God at the beginning of creation; Jesus spoke the earth into existence. When he created that hill called Calvary and formed the tree that became his cross, he knew that he would ultimately suffer and die on it.  He created the instruments of his own suffering because of his love for you.

As we go into this Holy Week, we will see the cross all around us perhaps more than any other week of the year. Let that remind us of the foundation of our faith. Without the cross, we have no savior.  Without the resurrection we have no hope. And without the Spirit we have no sight. The truth about Jesus was hidden from those around him when he walked the earth. In the same way, the truths of the Word of God are not self-evident; they are revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. When God starts speaking to you through His Word, it comes alive. It makes you wake up in the morning looking for the Bible. 

As you read about the crucifixion account in the Gospels this week, spend time praying and asking the Holy Spirit to give you insight and understanding. Make it personal, realizing that Jesus was thinking about you as he walked the road to Jerusalem. 

My prayer for all of us is that if there is an area of spiritual blindness, the Holy Spirit would give us eyes to see and ears to hear. As Jesus said to his disciples on another occasion in Matthew 13:16; “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”

Sermons, Uncategorized

Salvation for Sinners and Sufferers

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As we celebrate this Christmas season, we celebrate our savior who took on flesh to free us from sin. But more than freeing us from the bonds of sin, Jesus also came to bring healing and restoration. Healing for the sick, the broken hearted, and the abused.

God sent His son to provide a way for sinners to be forgiven and for those who have been sinned against to be healed.

During our lives, we find that we are sinners in need of forgiveness and at times we need Jesus to heal our brokenness because of sin.

Have you ever considered that the salvation that Jesus offers is wholeness? Eternal life is glorious and starts when you give your life to Jesus, but there is more that Jesus offers, wholeness, healing, and restoration.

The account of king David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11 and 12 is a story of brokenness and pain because of sin. David tries to cover up his sin and he has Bathsheba’s husband killed in battle. Once Uriah is killed, David takes Bathsheba into his palace as one of his wives (2 Samuel 11:26-27).

David, one of the most celebrated heroes in the Bible, the second king of Israel, a war hero, and author of most of the Psalms, sins terribly.

As the account continues in 2 Samuel 12, we see that the prophet Nathan confronts David about his sin. Showing him that what he thought was hidden, was not hidden from God. David’s repentance is immediate, and it is proposed that the great repentance Psalm, Psalm 51 is penned as David cries out to God for forgiveness.

In response, Nathan declares that God has forgiven him and he will not die, but there will be terrible consequences for his sin. Multiple children died and a long list of pain and suffering followed David’s “private sin”. David realizes that his sin is a personal afront to God and he humbles himself in repentance.

The truth is that there are no secret sins and all sins lead to suffering. There are no private or hidden sins. Even if no-one knows about it, God sees, and it affects the body of Christ. The sins that we commit during the week, even if we think they are concealed, affect the entire church family.

As we gather to pursue the presence of God on a Sunday morning, we must come prepared and expectant. If we come in haphazardly or without any thought that we are gathering as the body of Christ to come and worship the Great I AM, not only will we miss out on a blessing, but we will impact the engagement of the church family.

Let us prepare our hearts and minds. Spend time on a Sunday morning in prayer and repentance, with the expectation that we will encounter the living God.

I guess the question is, how seriously do we take the privilege we have of gathering in God’s presence. How grateful are we for the truth of this season? Emmanuel, God with us!

David repents of his sins, and he is forgiven, but what about Bathsheba?

David needed forgiveness. Bathsheba was sinned against; her life was turned upside down. Her husband was killed, and she was taken against her will into the king’s palace as one of his wives. She experienced incredible trauma, and she needed healing.

The salvation that Jesus offers, not only offers forgiveness, but it also offers healing. Jesus came to bring healing and restoration. Healing for the sick, the broken hearted, and the abused.

God sent His son to provide a way for sinners to be forgiven and for those who have been sinned against to be healed. The Gospel is for sinners and sufferers alike.

The apostle Paul used the Greek word, “sozo” 29 times in the New Testament to define salvation. Like most Greek words, it has multiple deeper meanings, and it includes, salvation, saved, to be made well, cured, recover, and restored. “Sozo”, means wholeness.

When we hear the word salvation, we primarily think of forgiveness, but the Gospel also deals with the problem of suffering and restoring to wholeness.

The wholeness of salvation can be hard to measure. When we look at broken items, it is easy to see if they are repaired, put back together. Like a car that was in a wreck or a broken chair that is repaired. But wholeness in a person is much more difficult to measure.

The beauty of Christmas is that Jesus came as a baby, to live a perfect sinless life, he suffered a cruel death on a Roman cross as the spotless sacrifice for our sins, to pay the price that we could never pay. This same Jesus rose from the dead on the 3rd day and now is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, praying for us, interceding for us. Jesus paid the price for us to be reconciled with God and to be made whole. Physical and spiritual wholeness is available to us because of what Jesus has done for us.

When Jesus walked the earth, he experienced suffering, rejection, abuse, and pain. He identifies with our pain when we are called to endure suffering at the hands of others. He is not removed from pain. By identifying with pain, he provided a way for healing. He provides healing for brokenness, for the pain of Bathsheba and for you and me.

What are you dealing with that needs the power of the Gospel to heal today?

Sermons

We are a People of Hope

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Do you remember a time in your life when God felt distant. A season when you were tempted to wonder if God was even concerned about the things that you were struggling with. Maybe you are there right now.

The Bible frequently deals with the theme of God’s perceived absence. Many times, in the Bible, people wondered if God’s promises to them were still valid. Perhaps God had forgotten them.   

The beauty of the biblical narrative is that the Bible not only acknowledges this soul ache, it also provides an answer. Christmas is one of God’s clearest reminders that He intends to come and live with us. Christmas, the incarnation, is a reminder of God with us, the ultimate longing fulfilled.

Abraham was given an incredible promise by God. Abraham was to have a son and he would be the father of a nation that would bless all the nations of the world (Genesis 12:1-3).  God visited Abraham at least four times and reiterated this promise and Abraham believed God (Genesis 15:6).

But the fruition of the promise took years and even decades. As the years ticked by, doubt may have begun to set in, had God forgotten His promise?

Many of us have felt the same way, when we have received a promise from God, or we have been praying for a miracle, but it seemed that maybe God has forgotten us.

Abraham and Sarah were keenly aware of their age and what seemed to be impossible, could God really deliver on His promise? Had He forgotten them?

Finally, when Abraham was almost 100 years old and Sarah was over 90 years old, God blessed them with a miraculous baby boy, and they named him Isaac. God fulfilled His promise and the family line that would lead to Jesus coming as the Messiah had begun.

Isaac was not only a joy for Abraham and Sarah, he was an integral part of God’s plan for the salvation of the world through Jesus who would be born 2000 years later as a fulfillment of many promises.  When God answers our prayers, we thank the Lord for the blessing, but we don’t always see the greater implications of God’s provision. When God blesses us, it is with a plan to bless others as well through that blessing.

When our daughter was born and miraculously given to us, we rightly thought that she was a blessing to our family, but little did we know how much of a blessing she would be to so many other people. God’s blessings are not for us to keep and hold on to, but they are to be given back to the Lord for His purposes so that others can be blessed.

Isaac, the son of the promise was dedicated to God, and through Isaac God would bless the whole earth. Generations later, through another miraculous son in this line, God would keep another promise. That child, Jesus Christ, would forever and finally prove that however slow God seems, his “slowness” is not a sign of his absence (2 Peter 3:9).

God is not slow; He is patient, and His timing is always perfect. That distinction gives us the ability to be patient too, waiting on him to fulfill his promises.

Sometimes, God will act immediately in answer to our prayers, healing an illness, reconciling a broken relationship, or ending an addiction as an example. But on many occasions, God may ask us to wait. Some people are called to carry the cross of pain and heartache for much longer than they anticipated.  

Either way, do we trust God for the outcome? Do we praise God in the waiting and the hoping? If we don’t walk in hope and trust in God, the waiting will discourage us, eating at us, destroying us if we lose hope.

The first candle of the Advent wreath is the hope candle. As we focus on the birth of Jesus in this season, we can look back and see hundreds of promises that God has fulfilled. And we can look forward with assurance, that God will fulfill His promises in the future in His perfect timing. We are a people of hope (Ephesians 2:12-13). And as His children, we have the promise of eternal life with Christ, a promise that is secure by the word of God.

But what about today?

This Advent, do you feel like God is moving too slowly, or not moving at all? Maybe you are in a season where God feels distant, He seems far off, and you wonder if God has heard your prayers. Does God really see you?

The promises of God’s word inform us that He does see you. If you have given submitted your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, He is intimately involved in working out the perfect plans that He has for your life.  

And as we trust and wait, we must avoid trying to do what only God can do. Our natural tendency is to run ahead of God and not trust Him in the waiting.

We are a people of hope, and we can trust in the immeasurable power and love of God over our lives.