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Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts

Monday, November 7, 2016

Increase Their Faith

Introduction
            1 Corinthians 13:13 tells us, Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”  Faith, hope, and love are essential and Christians seek to grow these fruits through membership in the local church. New members of United Methodist congregations vow to support the church with their prayers, their presence, their gifts, their service, and their witness.  Then, the congregation promises, "Do all in your power to increase their faith, confirm their hope, and perfect them in love.”
            Today, we will begin a new 3-week series on these 3 promises my congregation makes to our new members to increase their faith, confirm their hope, and perfect them in love.  Today, we will consider our promise to increase their faith. Next week, we will look at the promise to confirm their hope.  We will finish the third week with a consideration of how we can perfect them in love.

Hebrews 11:1-2
1Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

Faith
            Faith is the reality of what we hope for.  The Greek word Hebrews uses for faith means:  conviction, persuasion; faith is that of which you are convinced.  The idea is almost as if our believing in something makes something a reality.
            Psychologist say much the same thing. For instance, if you have a job interview and don't believe in yourself, don't believe you are qualified, don't believe you have as good a chance as any other candidate, then your lack of faith will come through in the way you interview for the job. You will not present a good image of yourself. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You will probably not get the job. If you believe in yourself, it will come through to your potential employers.
            Our faith in Christ—real faith—changes our perspective on life. It gives life meaning.  Because of faith, we know life is bigger than us; we know it's not all about us and our happiness.  Because of faith, we have purpose.  A purely scientific worldview tells us we are just animals.  Faith convinces us we are more and thus we can do more than survive and we can even live sacrifically for the sake of others.
            Our faith persuades God is for us and not against us.  So many religions though out history have sought ways to appease the gods, to earn divine help, or to manipulate gods into doing what the people want. People made sacrifices or performed rituals intending to manipulate god(s) into helping people.  What kind of god(s) is that?  A god who can be tricked is not God who can be relied upon.  A god who must be appeased is not a good god, but a bully.  A god who requires us to earn love, doesn't offer real love.  Real love, the kind the human heart craves, is unconditional; it doesn't have to be earned.
            I am so grateful our faith in Jesus tells us God loves us despite all our shortcomings, failures, flaws, and sins. God loved us even when we blatantly reject Him, fight against Him, and try to kill Him. And the extent of God’s love is this: He laid down His life on the cross for our sins to save our souls. And through God’s infinite power, Jesus rose to conquer sin and death! Oh the infinite wisdom, power, and love of Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior, our God!
            Our faith in Jesus means we have something to live for and even something to hope for when this life is over. 
            Our faith is not a fairy tale. It is more than just positive thinking that makes our lives better. There is a God who loves us. There is meaning and purpose in ours lives. This is reality. Jesus is Lord. Jesus does save us when we trust in him. There is life beyond the grave. God will right all the wrongs of our world. There will be justice and mercy for all according to God’s infinite wisdom. 

Increasing Faith
            We who are members of Pleasant Grove have been both blessed and a blessing. We have been blessed by God, but also by the saints who've gone before us. I can think of many I have met at my church over the past six-and-a-half years.  I think about a gentle lady named Ann Brookshire.  The first time I remember meeting Ann was in the hospital.  Ann needed a kidney transplant and she often struggled with health problems as she waited for one to be available.  However, Ann handled her illness and waiting with patience and grace.  Her example increased my faith and the faith of many.
            I think of Joanne Oxford, one of the first "At-home" members of our church I met when I came to be the pastor here.  Joanne was so sweet and easy to talk to.  I enjoyed our visits and they increased my faith.
            I think also of Dick Mellema.  Dick suffered from the effects of a stroke he'd had years ago that debilitated him.  Dick didn't do anything grand here at Pleasant Grove, but he was here and his very presence gave us a chance to exercise our faith and Christian love.
            There are other saints still living that encourage us by their words, their deeds, and sometimes just their presence. I know you can name a few who have made a difference in your life.  Look around you; you will see saints if you take time to notice. A saint is not someone who is perfect. A saint is just a sinner saved by the grace of God. We are all sinners and saints if we have faith in Jesus Christ
            Just as we have been blessed by the saints around us, we can also be a blessing to others. We can help increase their faith. By our presence, our words, and our deeds, we can help people see the reality of Christ. We can be the evidence of what they hope for. We can demonstrate that life is not in vain, that they matter, that they are loved, that they have a purpose, that even in spite of trials and in the midst of pain and struggle and grief and sickness and even death, there is victory.  And one day, the glory we find in Christ will make every trial we faced here pale in a comparison.  So members of the household of faith, remember your promise to increase one another's faith. Speak, act, and be the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

Monday, August 8, 2016

I Surrender

Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Introduction
            I have a question I want you to ask yourself this morning.  Have you surrendered to Jesus?  Furthermore, have you truly surrendered it all?
            The life of a Christian is one of surrender.  Not surrender to the world, not giving in to worldly temptations or selling out, but wholehearted surrender to God through Jesus Christ.  Everyone who begins the journey of the Christian life begins with surrender.  In the words of the baptismal vows printed in our hymnal, we promise to:
  • Renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of our sin
  • To resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves
  • And to confess Jesus as our Savior, put our whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as our Lord, in union with the Church… 
We begin with surrender, but we must continue to surrender daily as Jesus reveals more and more areas of our life that need to come under His authority.  This process of sanctification (or purification) takes time and the Lord is patient, but Jesus expects us to continue along the path.  We mustn’t become complacent.  We must press on until every area of our heart is solely under the authority of Christ.

Unconditional Surrender
            I once read a helpful devotion by Robert Munger that compared the Christian life to inviting Jesus as a guest in your home.  I want share it with you today, because it helped me.[i]  Perhaps it will help you to surrender more fully to Christ.

My Heart Christ's Home, by Robert Boyd Munger
One evening I invited Jesus Christ into my heart. What an entrance He made! It was not a
spectacular, emotional thing, but very real. It was at the very center of my life. He came into the darkness of my heart and turned on the light. He built a fire in the cold hearth and banished the chill. He started music where there had been stillness, and He filled the emptiness with His own loving, wonderful fellowship. I have never regretted opening the door to Christ and I never will - not into eternity!

This, of course, is the first step in making the heart Christ's home. He has said, "Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20). If you are interested in making your life an abode of the living God, let me encourage you to invite Christ into your heart and He will surely come.

After Christ entered my heart and in the joy of this new relationship I said to Him, "Lord, I want this heart of mine to be Yours. I want to have You settle down here and be perfectly at home.  Everything I have belongs to You. Let me show You around and introduce you to the various features of the home that you may be more comfortable and that we may have fuller fellowship together."  He was very glad to come, of course, and happier still to be given a place in the heart.

The Study
The first room was the stud - the library. Let us all it the study of the mind. Now in my home this room of the mind is a very small room with very thick walls. But it is an important room. In a sense, it is the control room of the house. He entered with me and looked around at the books in the bookcase, the magazines upon the table, the pictures on the walls. As I followed His gaze I became uncomfortable. Strangely enough, I had not felt badly about this before, but now that He was there looking at these things I was embarrassed. There were some books were there that His eyes were too pure to behold. There was a lot of trash and literature on the table that a Christian had no business reading, and as for the pictures on the walls - the imaginations and thoughts of the mind - these were shameful.

I turned to Him and said, "Master, I know that this room needs a radical alteration. Will You help me make it what it ought to be? - to bring every thought into captivity to you?"

"Surely!" He said. "Gladly will I help you. First of all, take all the things that you are reading and looking at which are not helpful, pure, good and true, and throw them out! Now put on the empty shelves the books of the Bible. Fill the library with Scriptures and meditate on then day and night.  As for the pictures on the walls, you will have difficulty controlling these images, but here is an aid" He gave me a full-size portrait of Himself. "Hang this centrally," He said, "on the wall of the mind."

I did, and I have discovered through the years that when my thoughts are centered upon Christ Himself, His purity and power cause impure thoughts to back away. So He has helped me to bring my thoughts into captivity.

May I suggest to you if you have difficulty with this little room of the mind, that you bring Christ in there. Pack it full with the Word of God, meditate upon it and keep before it the immediate presence of the Lord Jesus.

The Dining Room
From the study we went into the dining room, the room of appetites and desires. Now this was a very large room. I spent a good deal of time in the dining room and much effort in satisfying my wants.

I said to Him, "This is a favorite room. I am quite sure You will be pleased with what we serve."  He seated Himself at the table with me and asked, "What is on the menu for dinner?"

"Well," I said, "my favorite dishes: money, academic degrees and stocks, with newspaper articles of fame and fortune as side dishes." These were the things I liked - worldly fare. I suppose there was nothing radically wrong in any particular item, but it was not the food that should satisfy the life of a real Christian. When the food was placed before Him, He said nothing about it. However, I observed that He did not eat it, and I said to Him, somewhat disturbed, "Master, don't You care for this food? What is the trouble?"

He answered, "I have meat to eat that you do not know of. My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me." He looked at me again and said, "If you want food that really satisfies you, seek the will of the Father, not your own pleasures, not your own desires, and not your own satisfaction. Seek to please Me and that food will satisfy you." And there at the table He gave me a taste of doing God's will. What a flavor! There is no food like it in all the world. It alone satisfies. Everything else is dissatisfying in the end.

Now if Christ is in your heart, and I trust He is, what kind of food are you serving Him and what kind of food are you eating yourself? Are you living for the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - selfishly? Or are you choosing God's will for your meat and drink?

The Living Room
We walked next into the living room. This room was rather intimate and comfortable. I liked it. It had a fireplace, overstuffed chairs, a sofa, and a quiet atmosphere.  

He also seemed pleased with it. He said, "This is indeed a delightful room. Let us come here often. It is secluded and quiet, and we can fellowship together."

Well, naturally as a young Christian I was thrilled. I couldn't think of anything I would rather do than have a few minutes with Christ in intimate  companionship.

He promised, "I will be here early every morning. Meet me here, and we will start the day together."

So morning after morning, I would come downstairs to the living room and He would take a book of the Bible from the bookcase. He would open it and then we would read together. He would tell me of its riches and unfold to me its truths. He would make my heart warm as He revealed His love and His grace He had toward me. These were wonderful hours together. In fact, we called the living room the "withdrawing room." It was a period when we had our quiet time together.

But, little by little, under the pressure of many responsibilities, this time began to be shortened.  Why, I'm don't know, but I thought I was just too busy to spend time with Christ. This was not intentional, you understand; it just happened that way. Finally, not only was the time shortened, but I began to miss a day now and then. It was examination time at the university. Then it was some other urgent emergency. I would miss it two days in a row and often more.

I remember one morning when I was in a hurry, rushing downstairs, eager to be on my way.  As I passed the living room, the door was open. Looking in, I saw a fire in the fireplace and Jesus was sitting there. Suddenly in dismay I thought to myself, "He was my guest. I invited Him into my heart! He has come as Lord of my home. And yet here I am neglecting Him."

I turned and went in. With downcast glance, I said, "Blessed Master, forgive me. Have You been here all these mornings?"

"Yes," He said, "I told you I would be here every morning to meet with you." Then I was even more ashamed. He had been faithful in spite of my faithfulness. I asked His forgiveness and He readily forgave me as He does when we are truly repentant.

"The trouble with you is this: you have been thinking of the quiet time, of the Bible study and prayer time, as a factor in your own spiritual progress, but you have forgotten that this hour means something to me also. Remember, I love you. I have redeemed you at great cost. I value your fellowship. Now," He said, "do not neglect this hour if only for my sake. Whatever else may be your desire, remember I want your fellowship!"

You know, the truth that Christ desires my companionship, that He loves me, wants me to be with Him, wants to be with me and waits for me, has done more to transform my quiet time with God than any other single fact. Don't let Christ wait alone in the living room of your heart, but every day find some time when, with your Bible and in prayer, you may be together with Him.

The Workroom
Before long, He asked, "Do you have a workroom in your home?" Down in the basement of the home of my heart I had a workbench and some equipment, but I was not doing much with it. Once in a while I would play around with a few little gadgets, but I wasn't producing anything substantial or worthwhile.

I led Him down there.

He looked over the workbench and what little talents and skills I had. He said, "This is quite well furnished. What are you producing with your life for the Kingdom of God?" He looked at one or two little toys that I had thrown together on the bench and held one up to me. "Are these little toys all that you are doing for others in your Christian life?"

"Well," I said, "Lord, that is the best I can do. I know it isn't much, and I really want to do more, but after all, I have no skill or strength to do more."

"Would you like to do better?" He asked.

"Certainly," I replied.

"All right. Let me have your hands. Now relax in me and let my Spirit work through you. I know that you are unskilled, clumsy and awkward, but the Holy Spirit is the Master-Worker, and if He controls your hands and your heart, He will work through you." And so, stepping around behind me and putting His great, strong hands over mine, controlling the tools with His skilled fingers He began to work through me.

There's much more that I must still learn and I am very far from satisfied with the product that is being turned out, but I do know that whatever has been produced for God has been through His strong hand and through the power of His Spirit in me.

Do not become discouraged because you cannot do much for God. Your ability is not the fundamental condition. It is He who is controlling your fingers and upon whom you are relying. Give your talents and gifts to God and He will do things with them that will surprise you.

The Rec Room
I remember the time He asked me about the playroom. I was hoping He would not ask about that.  There were certain associations and friendships, activities and amusements that I wanted to keep for myself. I did not think Christ would enjoy them or approve of them, so I evaded the question. But there came an evening when I was on my way out with some of my friends, and as I was about to cross the threshold, He stopped me with a glance and asked, "Are you going out?"

I replied, "Yes."

"Good," He said, "I would like to go with you."

"Oh," I answered rather awkwardly. "I don't think, Lord Jesus, that You would really want to go with us. Let's go out tomorrow night. Tomorrow night we will go to prayer meeting, but tonight I have another appointment."

He said. "That's alright. Only I thought that when I came into your home, we were going to do everything together, to be close companions. I just want you to know that I am willing to go with you."

"Well," I said, "we will go someplace together tomorrow night."

That evening I spent some miserable hours. I felt wretched. What kind of a friend was I to Jesus when I was deliberately leaving Him out of my associations, doing things and going places that I knew very well He would not enjoy? When I returned that evening, there was a light in His room, and I went up to talk it over with Him. I said, "Lord, I have learned my lesson. I can't have a good time without You. From now on we will do everything together."

Then we went down into the playroom of the house and He transformed it. He brought into life real joy, real happiness, real satisfaction, new friends, new excitement, new joys. Laughter and music have been ringing through the house ever since.

The Hall Closet
There is just one more matter that I might share with you. One day I found Him waiting for me at the door. An arresting look was in His eye. As I entered, He said to me, "There is a peculiar odor in the house. There is something dead around here. It's upstairs. I think it is in the hall closet." As soon as He said this, I knew what He was talking about. Yes, there was a small closet up there on the landing, just a few feet square, and in that closet, behind lock and key, I had one or two little personal things that I did not want anyone to know about and certainly I did not want Christ to see them. I knew they were dead and rotting things left over from the old life. And yet I loved them, and I wanted them so for myself that I was afraid to admit they were there.

Reluctantly, I went up with Him, and as we mounted the stairs the odor became stronger and stronger. He pointed at the door. "It's in there! Some dead thing!"

I was angry. That's the only way I can put it. I had given Him access to the library, the dining room, the living room, the workroom, the playroom, and now He was asking me about a little two-by-four closet. I said to myself, "This is too much. I am not going to give Him the key."

"Well," He said, reading my thoughts, "if you think I'm going to stay up here on the second floor with this odor, you are mistaken. I will take my bed out on the back porch. I'm certainly not going to put up with that." Then I saw Him start down the stairs.

When you have come to know and love Christ, the worst thing that can happen is to sense His fellowship retreating from you. I had to surrender. "I'll give You the key," I said sadly, "but You'll have to open the closet and clean it out. I haven't the strength to do it."

"I know," He said. "I know you haven't. Just give me the key. Just authorize me to take care of that closet and I will." So with trembling fingers I passed the key to Him. He took it from my hand, walked over to the door, opened it, entered it, took out all the putrefying stuff that was rotting there, and threw it away. The He cleaned the closet and painted it, fixed it up, doing it all in a moment's time. Oh, what victory and release to have that dead thing out of my life!

Transferring the Title
Then a thought came to me. I said to myself, "I have been trying to keep this heart of mine clear for Christ. I start on one room and no sooner have I cleaned that then another room is dirty. I begin on the second room and the first room becomes dusty again. I am so tired and weary trying to maintain a clean heart and an obedient life. I am just not up to it!"

So I ventured a question: "Lord, is there any chance that You would take over the responsibility of the whole house and operate it for me and with me just as You did that closet? Would You take the responsibility to keep my heart what it ought to be and my life where it ought to be?"

I could see His face light up as He replied, "Certainly, that is what I came to do. You cannot be a victorious Christian in your own strength. That is impossible. Let me do it through you and for you. That is the way. But," He added slowly, "I am not owner of this house. I am just a guest. I have no authority to proceed, since the property is not mine."

I saw it in a minute and dropping to my knees, I said, "Lord, You have been a guest and I have been the host. From now on I am going to be the servant. You are going to be the owner and Master and Lord."

Running as fast as I could to the strongbox, I took out the title deed to the house describing its assets and liabilities, location and situation and condition. I eagerly signed it over to belong to Him alone for time and eternity. "Here," I said. "Here it is, all that I am and have forever. Now You run the house. I'll just remain with You as a servant and friend."

He took my life that day and I can give you my word, there is no better way to live the Christian life. He knows how to keep it in shape and deep peace settles down on the soul. May Christ settle down and be at home in your heart as Lord of all!

Conclusion
            Have you invited Jesus into your home—into your life?  Have you given him access to your mind and your desires?  Are you spending time with Jesus daily in prayer?  Are you working for the Lord—producing good fruit for the Kingdom of God in your life?  Is Jesus happy with your recreational life?  Do the ways you have fun honor him?  What secret things have you been hiding from Jesus?  Isn’t it time to come clean and let Jesus clean out your secret closet?  Have you surrendered it all to Jesus?  Why not raise up your white flag and surrender today?



[i] Adapted from “My Heart: Christ’s Home” by Robert Munger - https://www.usna.edu/Navigators/_files/documents/MHCH.pdf
Robert Boyd Munger (1911-2001) was a Presbyterian minister who wrote this timeless work in
1951.

Monday, June 20, 2016

In God We Trust

The Word of God urges us to trust God.  It is better to trust God than anything or anyone else.  Do you trust God above all else?  You might think so, but take a moment to reflect on this crucial question more deeply.  Listen to the Psalmist and then read this blog as you ask yourself, "Do I trust God more than anything else?"

Psalm 118:1-9 (Key verse: 8)
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.
Let all Israel repeat:
    “His faithful love endures forever.”
Let Aaron’s descendants, the priests, repeat:
    “His faithful love endures forever.”
Let all who fear the Lord repeat:
    “His faithful love endures forever.”
In my distress I prayed to the Lord,
    and the Lord answered me and set me free.
The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear.
    What can mere people do to me?
Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me.
    I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in people.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.

Introduction
            We are so very blessed to live in America, a country where we are free and have so few worries.  We are relatively safe.  We have the opportunity to earn a living and take care of ourselves and our family.  This is in contrast to Christians who lived in NT times, who struggled just to get by in a world very hostile to Christianity and where it was already hard to live (no medicine, no insurance, no grocery stores or refrigerators, let alone electricity or cell phones or air conditioning or other modern conveniences).
            Some would say: with all we have and all we have accomplished, we have outgrown our need for God.  We in the church would never say such, but I think subconsciously many believe it. Certainly, many in the church live as if we do not need God. We can count on ourselves, our prosperity, and all the available resources at our disposal in our world.  We live as if we have less need of God than our ancestors. We have so many more things we can depend upon.
            And yet, Scripture urges us: It is better to trust in the Lord than anything else. It is better because:
  • It gives us peace of mind. We all need assurance that life is dependable. And there is nothing more dependable than God.
  • Depending on God helps us to avoid trouble, for His precepts are true and eternal, and His faithful love endure forever.
  • This morning, I especially want you to understand trusting God (above all else) is a matter of eternal significance. 

The Trustworthiness of God
            First let me say why you can trust God.  You can trust God because God is all powerful.  He created the vast expanse of the universe.  There are 100 billion stars in our galaxy.  It’s hard to understand the magnitude of that number.  So let me put it in perspective.  Suppose you counted all the stars—counting one star every second.  It would take you over 3,000 years to count them all if you counted 1 star every second.  And that's just in our galaxy!  There are 100 billion galaxies in our universe—each containing about 100 billion stars.  And that's just what we know about; there could be more!  God simply spoke and all this came to be.  And God not only created it, He keeps it all working. We cannot even fathom the power of God.
            And, God is all knowing.  One might think with so much to oversee, God would forget about us, but hallelujah!  God does not forget!  Psalm 118:5 – “In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me...”  Jesus said, "Not a single sparrow dies and God doesn't know about it." And he said, "God even knows how many hairs you have on your head." (Matthew 10:29-30).   God knows everything.  He knows everything about you, even your secret thoughts.  He knows you better than you know yourself.  But all of this—being all-powerful and all-knowing would not guarantee we can trust God if it weren't for one more crucial factor.
            God loves us completely.  John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13).  It is not that we loved God, but that he first loved us. While we were still sinners [ie. had totally ignored God, turned our backs on Him, rebelled against Him, and forgotten Him], Christ came and died for us (Romans 5:8).  1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”  So we have this God of unlimited power, who knows everything and everything about us, and who loves us completely and unconditionally.  If we can trust anything, we can trust God. Psalm 118:1 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever.
            But some would ask, does God really exist?  That is more question than I have time to address fully in this blog, but I should at least touch upon the idea. Though most reading this probably accept the existence of God, there may be some who question or who might question in the future.
            First, I would say, that every culture that has ever lived, from all eras and all parts of the world, have all had some concept of God. Some have imagined an ultimate being very similar to the Christian idea of God. Others have conceived of multiple gods or spirits. Though there are variances in people's understanding of the Divine Power, the fact is:  all have perceived there is a God (or gods); and this is strong evidence that our collective human consciousness is aware that God does indeed exist. It would seem there is more out there than just what meets the eye.
            Second, I would add what has been most convincing for me. Look at the complexity of our world.  Look how different humanity is from all other animals. We are more than just animals who accidentally evolved to be more intelligent and self-aware than other animals.  Consider how all the world functions together as an intricate system. If the planet were not tilted on its axis at just the right angle, just the right distance from the sun, spinning at just the right speed, none of this life would be possible.  Consider how complex the workings of the electron, protons, and neutrons that make up the atoms and molecules of matter.  Consider the intricate functioning of just one single cell organism in our world; and then consider the infinite complexities of the human body—far more sophisticated than the functioning of the most complex machine.  Is this not powerful evidence of some supremely intelligent Creator who designed it all?
            If you found a watch lying in the sand on the beach, wouldn't you assume someone had dropped it?  Even though all the elements necessary to make the watch are present in the ocean, it would be ludicrous to believe all those elements accidentally came together to form the watch all by themselves.  To say this world and life is only an accident (not under the intelligent direction of a divine Higher Power) would be crazier than saying an auto parts store exploded and all the parts fell to the earth randomly, in just the right order so as to create a working car.  And not just one, but many—a Ford, a Toyota, a Chevy, a Chrysler, a Volkswagen, a BMW, a Honda...  So I think there is very strong evidence that a supremely powerful God exists.


For what can we trust God?
            So we can trust God.  But for what is it that we can trust Him?  We can trust God to supply all our needs.  We don’t have to worry (about life, what we will eat, what we will wear, where we will live, how we will survive).  God will take care of His people. 
            I don’t mean that He will give you anything you want.  When I was 5-years-old, I saw a movie about Godzilla--this giant monster as tall as buildings who could breath fire and was invincible.  Maybe it apealed to me because a 5-year-old feels pretty insignificant and powerless.  Anyway, we went to church and the preacher said you could pray for anything and if you believed it, God would give it to you (I'm sure I must have misunderstood the preacher, but that's what I heard). So on the way home from church, I got this idea to pray for a giant robot Godzilla in which I could drive around and rule the world.  I prayed and believed that giant robot would be in my front yard when I got home.  It wasn't, of course. Thank God.
            God will give you what you need.  We should work—with the help of the Holy Spirit—to get our desires under control.  It is a spiritual exercise (that leads to a great virtue) to turn our desires away from wanting more and more, and better and better stuff and learning to be satisfied with what God gives us.  What a blessing it is to be satisfied with what God provides and desiring nothing more!
             We can trust God’s forgiveness.  Through Christ, all our sins are forgiven.  Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23); yet praise be to God, we don’t have to carry that guilt and shame. Because of Christ, we are forgiven.  We do not have to tremble at the mention of God’s name—at least, not because we fear retribution.  For God holds nothing against those whom Christ has forgiven.  Have you recognized your need of forgiveness?  Have you cried out to Jesus for forgiveness?  Then He has forgiven you and there is nothing within you to anger God.  Your sins have been taken to the edge of the universe—13.7 billion light-years away—and flung over the edge into nothingness.
            And for all who trust in the Lord, He grants eternal life.  This is a promise from the God of the Universe—the all-powerful, all-knowing, who is Perfect Love.   “This is what my Father wants: that anyone who sees the Son and trusts who he is and what he does and then aligns with him will enter real life, eternal life.” (John 6:40, The Message)  But there is more!
            We can trust God to love us.  Didn’t you hear the Psalmist’s refrain?  “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.  His Faithful love endures forever!"
            God’s love for us does not depend on our goodness, our talent, our achievements, our possessions, our power or influence.
            God loves us when no one else does.
            God loves us when everyone else does—but God loves us for the right reasons.
            God loves us when we are completely unloveable.
            God’s love endures forever.  He will never stop.  He will never leave us or forsake.
            Romans 8:38-39 – “…nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
            There is but one more thing I must mention (there are many more things I could mention, but for the sake of time, just one I will mention).  We can trust God’s justice.  We can trust God to right all the wrongs of our world. We don’t have to hold hatred in our hearts.  We don’t have to hold a grudge against others.  We don’t have to seek vengeance.  We should seek to do good and help others and right the wrongs we see—when it is within our power and when God calls us to do so—but we don’t have to worry that evil will go unpunished or that the wicked will get away with sin.  God knows all and has the wisdom to deal with evil in the right way at the right time.  We can trust God to meet out justice perfectly at the perfect time and in the perfect way.

Wrongly placed Trust
           So you see, we can trust God.  We should trust God.  We should trust God above all else.  And yet the Word of God warns us: It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. (Psalm 118:8)
            If the Word of God needs to urge us to trust God, it must mean people tend to trust other things more.  And that is what we find in our lives.  We are worldly people.  We put our trust in the things of this world more than we trust God. 
            We depend upon our money to buy our way out of trouble or to insure against it.  We depend upon our job to provide the money we need.
            We trust our country's military might to protect us.  We live in the most powerful country in the world.  Our military is second to none.  We are thankful for soldiers who serve to protect us.  We are proud of the incredibly advance weapons of war we possess. Surely, nothing could come against us.  Yet all this is nothing and could fail in a moment.  Our true help comes from the Lord, not our military.
            We trust our politicians to fix the problems of our nation.  “Ha!” You laugh.  “Who could possibly trust our politicians in Washington?”  Then why are we putting so much stock in them?  Why are we so worried about who will be the next president?  Why are we so concerned everything is going to fall apart if Trump gets elected?  Or if Hillary gets elected?  Are we trusting in the president when we should be trusting in God?
            Others trust in drugs or alcohol.  We need something to soothe the pain of this world—to take the edge off our worries.  Yet these substances dull us to life until we are little more than zombies walking through the world missing out on real life.  Eventually, the drugs and alcohol will kill our bodies.  There is a better way.  Trust in the Lord.  He will never let you down.  He never runs out.  His high never wears off.  His peace is more than a sedative—it is real peace, a peace that passes all understanding, a peace that can carry you through any storm because He is the maker of the storm and perfectly capable of carrying you through it or banishing the storm into thin air.
            Some trust in their religion.  This is a very tricky thing, for it almost seems like you are trusting in God.  But when you trust in religion, you are trusting in your actions to guarantee your well-being.  It is thinking, “I will be fine, because I am a good person.”  It is thinking, “God will take care of me, because I have done what He said (or done the right things in life).”  The subtle difference is you are really trusting in yourself, not God.  And that is religion, not faith in Christ.
            We cannot and should not trust anything above God.  And this is crucial.  It has eternal significance—which I will explain in just a moment.

Closing
            But first, I would say, it should not be assumed that you cannot trust anything in this world.  It would be a sorry life to go around mistrusting every person and every thing.  That is no life to live and not God’s intention.  What is needed is for our trust to be prioritized correctly.
            This is a matter of eternal significance.  It is faith in God that saves us.  The Truth is: if you trust anything above God, you are on dangerous ground.  God will not be your backup.  He is Lord and will accept nothing less than first place in your life.  You must put your whole trust in Him through Christ.  If you are trusting in your job more than you are trusting in God, watch out!  God may take away that job to teach you to trust in Him instead.  But even more significantly. if you have been trusting something else ahead of God, you are not really trusting God—He is merely a backup plan.  God must be first.  He deserves to be first.  He will be first or He will not be in your life.
            So what are you to do today?  I say, listen to what the Word of God says.  Examine your heart.  Is God really first?  Are you depending on Him above all else?  Have you been depending on the wrong things for your happiness? Your security? Your comfort? Your peace of mind?  Your salvation?  For love?  For Hope? For wisdom?  For eternity?
            Then repent and heed the words of the Psalmist:  "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.”

Monday, March 21, 2016

Dealing with Disappointment

Philippians 2:5, John 13:3, Luke 22:14-15, Matthew 26:36

Introduction
            Palm Sunday fell on the first day of spring this year.  I love springtime.  The short days and cold, gloomy days of winter are just depressing to me.  Then, spring comes and it revives my soul.  New life begins to bud and it has a wondrous effect on me.  Yet there are still disappointments in life regardless of the season. 
I suppose it was springtime when Jesus faced his most disappointing week.  The week from Palm Sunday to Easter was a very difficult one for Jesus—full of tremendous highs and awful lows.  The week began with a Palm Sunday parade filled with great expectations; but what followed was disappointment after disappointment.  Of course, we know how the story ends—with the ultimate triumph of Easter morning, with Christ rising from the tomb.  But it took a week of disappointments before the glory of Easter was realized. 
            Meditating on Christ's final week on earth made me think a lot about disappointments and how Jesus coped with them and how we might cope with them better too.  Philippians 2:5 says, “You must have the same attitude Christ Jesus had.”    Jesus dealt with his disappointing week in a few key ways.  Perhaps these can help us through dark times as well. 

Faith
John 13:3 – “Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God.  
The first factor that strengthens us when we face disappointments is faith in God.  Think about what Jesus did during his last week on earth.  In the midst of disappointments, Jesus had an unwavering faith in God’s ultimate will.  Jesus was not fooled by the exulting crowd waving palm branches.  He knew that the people of Jerusalem would reject him in just a few days.  However, he was able to see beyond that disappointment to the ultimate victory of God.  For though God’s kingdom would not be realized in Jerusalem that week, ultimately—because of Jesus’ sacrifice—God’s plan of salvation was accomplished.  Jesus had faith in God’s ultimate will and that steeled him when disappointments came.  Perhaps that is how he was able to keep preaching and teaching and speaking the truth about God’s coming Kingdom, even though he knew people would reject his message and hang him on a cross.  Perhaps that is how Jesus was able to wash his disciples’ feet even though he knew one would betray him and they all would desert him.
            Our disappointments are tempered when our faith in God puts them in perspective.  God can use our disappointments to make us stronger; and He can and does turn our disappointments into victories.  We can endure disappointments and continue on the road God has set before us because we know that ultimately, if we have faith in God, we will have “Victory in Jesus”.  And on that Day, the glory we find will overshadow any disappointment we face in this lifetime.
            But faith only soothes our disappointments; it does not usually cancel them.  We still feel the sting when friends betray us.  We still feel sorrow when someone we love dies. 
            Many years ago, Kelly’s brother, Wesley, went down to Florida for Spring Break with a bunch of his friends.  Well, they had been drinking one night and then went out into the surf to swim.  And when they all came back in, there was on missing.  They searched frantically for their friend until they found the guy’s body floating in the waves.  They dragged him up on to the shore and tried to revive him, but nothing worked.  Their friend was gone.  Their Spring Break turned into a terrible disappointment.
            Now you take a Spring Break tragedy like that and you put yourself into the shoes of those friends.  What are we to do in the mean time?  What comfort can we find now—right now while we are hurting so bad?  So there are other things—when accompanied by faith in God—that can help us cope with disappointment.   

Friends
Luke 22:14-15 – 14 When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. 15 Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins.
Jesus coped with his disappointing week by spending time with his closest friends.  Each day, he would teach in the city and then at night he would retreat to the quiet Mount of Olives with his disciples—his twelve closest friends.  And of course, on the very last night—when his anxiety was heaviest—Jesus shared one last meal with his friends (that meal which we have come to call the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion).  When we are overtaken by deep disappointment, it can be very helpful to withdraw a little from all your casual acquaintances and surround yourself with your closest friends. 
One of the biggest disappointments Kelly and I faced together was a miscarriage in December of 2005.  (This was before Abigail was born.)  We were both looking forward to having our third child.  We were already picking out names and had become attached to the tiny new life forming inside Kelly’s womb.  And then, as we went together to the doctor’s office expecting to see a sonogram our tiny little baby’s heart beating—we instead got the disappointing news that the heart had stopped and the child was dead. 
One of the best things we did to cope with our disappointment was to get away for a few days.  A friend loaned us a cabin in Dahlonega.  We left Gavin and Grace with our parents and we just took some time to get away—just the two of us.  Kelly is my closest friend.  To be away from everyone else and just be with her was very therapeutic.  And I think the same was true for her.
So when we have disappointments, it helps to have an unwavering faith in God’s ultimate victory and to surround ourselves with our closest and dearest friends.  Can we learn anything else from Jesus’ disappointing week?  Well, Jesus also sought strength and support from God through prayer.  And I think we should do the same.   

Fervent Prayer
Matthew 26:36 – 36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 
After sharing his final meal with his disciples, Jesus went into the garden to pray.  And I want you to note the tone of his prayer.  It was a very honest, heartfelt prayer.  Jesus didn’t use flowery language.  He wasn’t trying to impress God or anybody else.  He just poured out his heart.  My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.[i]  And he prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away until I drink it, your will be done.”[ii]  Jesus did not seek to change God’s will, but sincerely contemplated whether there was any other way to fulfill God’s plan.  And when, through prayer, Jesus determined there was no other way, he sought and found strength and determination from God.
            Prayer is indispensable for us too when we face disappointment.  It’s not just a way for us to ask God to change our situation—though God does sometimes change the situation.  More importantly, prayer is a time for us to honestly express our disappointment—even if our disappointment is with God.  God can handle our disappointment and through prayer He can help us let them go.  God can give us strength and determination to pass through our disappointments.  So telling God our disappointments is very important.
            Faith, family, and fervent prayer helped Jesus during his most disappointing week.   

Conclusion
            The final days of Jesus’ life teach Christians we must pass through the disappointment of the cross before we reach the victory of Easter.  We want to skip the difficulties.  We like to dwell on happy days and victory songs.  But let us never forget Jesus’ words when he said in Mark 8:34, “If any of you wants to be my follower… …you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.”  Sometimes the victory is not just what happens when we rise again on the other side of disappointment.  Sometimes the true victory is the way we live while we are in the midst of terrible trials.  For then God’s power is truly revealed in us as it was in Jesus on the long road to Calvary.   
Christians are not immune to trials and disappointments in this life.  Yet we have something others don’t have.  Jesus walks with us through our trials.  And we have an assurance that something far better awaits us on the other side.  Don’t you want to take hold of the hope Jesus offers today?  Don’t you want Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of your life?  Then why not ask Jesus into your heart today? 


[i] Matthew 26:39
[ii] Matthew 26:42