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Monday, October 17, 2016

Wrestling with God, Part 3

Introduction 
            Jesus Christ changed Sara's life at Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church. Sara was deeply depressed, addicted to heroine, and on the verge of suicide. Jesus welcomed her with open arms through the people of our church and led her down the road to recovery. (Watch a video of Sara's testimony here.)
            I think about Sara’s story and how she wrestled—wrestled with depression, wrestled with addiction. It was a life or death struggle, but Sara did not wrestle alone. There were so many people who helped her wrestle or who wrestled on her behalf.  For the sake of time, I had to cut the footage of her testimony down to just over 4 minutes. There’s no way we could tell all the people who helped Sara—family members who stepped in and took care of Sara, rehab programs that intervened with professional help, people from other churches who were the hands of Christ to Sara, and so many others. All of these wrestled with God on her behalf. Who knows how many prayers were lifted up for Sara?
            Prayer is essential to the Christian life. It is not just part of the Christian life. It is the Christian life. Martin Luther said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Prayer is powerful. It changes situations. It changes us. Most importantly, it draws us into God’s embrace.
            Today, we will finish our study of the fascinating Bible story of Jacob wrestling with God. We will consider how we wrestle with God in prayer and the effect it has. 
            As a young man, Jacob was incredibly deceitful and cheated his twin brother, Esau, out of his claim to the family blessing and inheritance. Esau was furious with Jacob and vowed to kill him. Jacob fled into exile where he lived for about 20 years. During that time, God blessed Jacob with wives and children and servants and wealth. And as Jacob matured, he realized he must face his brother Esau. He decided to return home—not knowing if Esau would offer mercy or retribution.

Genesis 32:22-32
22 During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. 23 After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions.
24 This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. 25 When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”
But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 “What is your name?” the man asked.
He replied, “Jacob.”
28 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”
29 “Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.
“Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.
30 Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” 31 The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. 32 (Even today the people of Israel don’t eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob’s hip.)

Review
            Jacob wrestled with God all night long. He was battered and bruised; his hip was torn out of socket and yet Jacob managed to hold onto God until God gave Jacob a blessing. The story reminds me of how we wrestle with God in prayer and the way it changes us, our circumstances, and—most importantly—how it draws us into God’s embrace.

Prayer Changes Us.
            Most people think of prayer as a way for us to ask God to change something. We ask Him to heal people who are sick. We ask Him to comfort those who’ve lost loved ones.  We ask Him to help us through difficult circumstance or for wisdom for tough decisions. This is called intercessory prayer and it is an important part of prayer, but it is not the whole of prayer or even the most important part of prayer.
            Søren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, once said, “The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” 
            If we think of prayer in a spiritual sense as wrestling with God the way Jacob wrestled with God, what do we find? We find we are changed through prayer.  In the Bible story, Jacob was forever changed. His hip was torn out of socket. The Bible tells us he limped away from the scene. The encounter with God changed Jacob’s body.
            We also see that Jacob got a new name. He was no longer the “heel grabber” (which is what the name Jacob means); now he is Israel (the man who fights with God and men and overcomes). The encounter with God changed the core of who Jacob was.
            We also see Jacob received a blessing. We don’t know what the blessing was, but perhaps it was the encounter itself. From this day forward, Jacob need fear no man. He has wrestled with God, face to face, and won. Furthermore, the very holiness of God had rubbed off on Jacob.
            Prayer changes us. It changes our attitudes. It changes our thinking. It changes our spirit. It changes our mind. Sometimes, it even changes us physically. (Your knees might get a lot stronger if you are constantly kneeling in prayer!)
            William Law, a noted Anglican priest, once said, “There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him.”  You see, when you pray for someone, they may not change at all, but how you see them will definitely change. You will change and sometimes that is all that is needed.
 
Prayer Changes Our Circumstance
            Prayer definitely can change us, but sometimes God change our situation when we pray.  Sometimes, God heals people who are sick because we pray.  Sometimes, God provides wisdom to make a tough decision because we pray.  Sometimes, God makes a problem go away because we pray.
            Back at the beginning of August, I realized I needed to delegate some important ministry responsibilities at the church to other capable people. I had been doing these tasks out of necessity, but now it was time to give the responsibilities to others.  Two responsibilities in particular were taking up time that I needed to devote in other areas—leading the praise band and coordinating the sack lunch program. I began to pray that God would provide the right people to lead these ministries; and I prayed they would say yes as soon as I asked them. Within two weeks God answered my prayers for both and changed my situation.
            One day, God nudged me and said, “You know, Susan Cooksey would be the perfect person to coordinate that sack lunch program. She loves kids, loves teachers, and has been really committed to packing sack lunches over the last year. And she’s smart! She knows how to do this and could do a much better job than you’ve been able to do.” So I asked Susan and she didn’t even hesitate. She said, “Yes,” and jumped right in. It’s been going so well. She’s even figured out a few ways we can encourage the teachers with special gifts throughout the year.
            The other answered prayer, was that David Crawford agreed to lead the praise band and he’s been doing a great job! You might not realize how much work goes into the praise band. We rehearse about 5 hours for every one-hour service we lead. But David probably puts in several more hours than that picking out music, coordinating rehearsals, and handling technical stuff. He does a fine job and he was an answer to my prayers in August!
            John Wesley said, “God does nothing but in answer to prayer.” A shocking statistic was shared at the OneCry Revival in September. It was said that the average American Christian spends less than two minutes per day in prayer. Two minutes. Does that sound off?  How much do you pray?
            I do know this: in just about any given church, the prayer meeting is the least attended service. You may find 150 people in worship, but only 4 or 5 will come to prayer meeting.  (By the way, we have a prayer meeting at at Pleasant Grove UMC at 9:00 AM every Sunday. I would like you to join us. And I have a special introductory offer for you. Try it for one month, free!)  I wonder how many blessings we miss out on, how much trouble we have to face, how much more difficult life is simply because we do not pray for God to change our circumstances?  So pray!

Prayer Draws Us Into God’s Embrace
            Wrestling is an intimate sport. It’s very real, very humbling, very personal.  It’s honest. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have, what rank you are, what championship titles you’ve won. When you are grappling with another person, all that stuff goes out the window. All that matters is what works, what doesn’t, and who submits their opponent.  And it is very humbling when someone with less experience or who is smaller or weaker beats you—as sometimes will happen.
            Wrestling is very humbling. It’s hard to be dignified when you are straining with all your might to grapple another human being. Your legs and arms are all tangled up; your bodies are pressed together; you sweat all over each other. You know how that person smells, whether they took a bath or washed their clothes—and they know it all about you too.
            And I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Pastors get gas just like everybody else. And sometimes, when your wife cooked tacos for dinner, and then you go to jiu-jitsu and start fighting for your life with another person who is grabbing you and pressing down on top of you with all their weight. And you are straining with all your might not to get choked or arm-barred or crushed to death… Let’s just say, things slip out… And you can’t always control when it happens or the volume at which it happens… So you just have to let go of your dignity.
            Now, when we come to church, we try real hard to maintain our dignity. We dress up nice; we watch what we say, how we act, what kind of “image” we present. Maybe we should be less concerned about all those things. Maybe we should take off our masks and just be who we are.
            In prayer, it’s much like Jacob wrestling with God. It’s not about being dignified. It’s about letting it all hang out in a no holds barred grappling match with God. Pour your heart out to God in prayer. Don’t worry about “keeping up appearances;” God already knows everything about you anyway. Just concentrate on going after God with all you’ve got!
            Do you realize the privilege of prayer? Of wrestling with God in an embrace so intimate you can smell Him, taste Him, feel Him embracing you?  Do you realize how that encounter can change you? To have the sacredness of our Holy God rubbing off on you as your arms and legs and body entangle with the Divine and God struggles to wrestle sinful behaviors, attitudes, and ideas from your soul? When we pray to God, really pray, it draws us into His most intimate embrace.
 
Invitation
Prayer is your way to wrestle with God like Jacob wrestled with God.  Through prayer, God changes us, changes our circumstances, and draws closer to Him.  I hope you will make prayer a top priority of your life.  What do you need to pray about?  Who do you need pray for?
I would like to invite you to write a prayer to God now.  Would you share a prayer in the comment section below?  Simply write a prayer about whatever is on your heart.  Pray for your family, your community, your church, your pastor, your children, whatever.  God will hear you and change you, maybe even change your situation, but He will definitely draw you into a closer relationship with Him when you pray.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Wrestling with God, Part 2

Introduction
            This is part 2 of a study of the fascinating Bible story about Jacob wrestling with God.  This is one of the most epic stories of the Bible.  It is where the name Israel comes from—the name of God’s chosen people and the name of the country we know today as a key ally in the Middle East.  For us, the story is an image of the violent struggle to build a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
          Jacob was born as a twin brother to Esau, with whom Jacob had a great rivalry.  Jacob's name literally means "heel grabber" because Jacob was grasping his brother's heal as Esau emerged from his mother's womb. The sibling rivalry between Jacob and his older brother Esau was fueled by their parents' favoritism.  Their father, Isaac, favored Esau, but their mother, Rebekah, preferred Jacob.  Jacob was a cunning man and he found a way to trick Esau out of the family blessing and inheritance.  It infuriated Esau so much he vowed to kill Jacob.  Jacob had to run for his life to a foreign land.  Well, years went by and Jacob grew up and grew wealthy with wives, servants, children, and possessions. He decided it was time to finally come home and face his brother Esau. Jacob is on the way home when we come to the strange story in Genesis chapter 32.  

Genesis 32:22-32
22 During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. 23 After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions.
24 This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. 25 When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”
But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 “What is your name?” the man asked.
He replied, “Jacob.”
28 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”
29 “Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.
“Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.
30 Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” 31 The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. 32 (Even today the people of Israel don’t eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob’s hip.)


The Spiritual Struggle
Building a relationship with God through Jesus Christ is not a casual pursuit.  It is spiritually violent process, like Jacob wrestling with God, where God wrestles with our sinful attitudes and behavior and we strivethrough the power of the Holy Spirit—to become more like Christ.  It takes passion, determination, and a deep hunger and thirst for the Kingdom of God. 
Imagine a wrestling match where the athletes are throwing one another to the ground, grappling, twisting, pressing their full weight and strength against one another.  Elbows and knees sometimes smash into bodies or faces as the opponents struggle for dominant positions, reach for holds, and fight for submission.  Jacob’s hip was torn from its socket during his match with God.  I can’t imagine the pain!  
Grappling during Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most strenuous exercises I have ever done in my life—even more physically challenging than the high school football I played back in the day.  Does this describe the way we pursue our relationships with Christ?  Should it?
In the New Testament, in Matthew 11:12, Jesus described His Kingdom this way:  he said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been advancing violently, and the violent take it by force.”  What did Jesus mean?  Well, we know Jesus did not use physical violence to force his Kingdom upon the earth.  He did not raise an army wielding swords and spears.  Jesus never physically tried to overthrow the establishment by military force.  So what did Jesus mean?

“The Kingdom of God is advancing violently…”
Jesus taught forgiveness, peace, and love.  These words don’t make us think of violence.  However, forgiveness, peace, and love are radically different from the ways of the world—both in Jesus time and in our own.  When forgiveness challenges malice, a violent struggle ensues for the soul of humanity.  When peace confronts war, there is violent opposition.  When love opposes hatred, it either converts or destroys the one who hates.
Many people today, just as in Jesus’ day, are fine with religion so long as it is just a thing kept on the side—a casual interest.  They are fine with it just so long as it is not taken too seriously.  They want to keep God packed away safely in a box and take Him out only on special occasions—when a baby is born or as a pretty decoration for a wedding or maybe when some problem overwhelms them and they want divine help.  However, God cannot be put in a box, let alone kept there.  He is the one who comes in the night and violently wrestles Jacob to the ground, dislocating his hip, and forcing him to fight for his life until he received a blessing.  
The Kingdom of God came through Jesus according to God’s timing.  No one said, “Ok God, give us some of that religion now.”  No sir!  God said, “It’s time.”  And He sent an angelic host to announce his Son’s birth.  They shouted, “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”  And with Jesus, the Kingdom of God came crashing into our world like a violent, unstoppable hurricane.  Everyone was confronted with the choice to accept or reject Jesus as Lord. 
The same choice confronts you today.  You cannot just say Jesus is Lord and continue do whatever you like.  For choosing your own way over the Lord’s is a rejection of Jesus as Lord.  It doesn’t matter how many times you say you are a Christian; if you do not follow Jesus, you are not his disciple.  For Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.”
The Kingdom of Heaven is advancing forcefully today.  It’s here to grab you, wrestle you to the ground, and demand a response.  Who is Jesus to you?  How will you respond him?  Will you commit to follow him with your whole heart or be left behind? 

“...And the Violent Take it by Force.”
            I watched a documentary on the fall of Saigon in Vietnam in 1975.  After years of fighting, the capital of South Vietnam was about to fall to the communist North.  The capture of the Saigon was imminent and preceded by the evacuation of almost all the American civilian and military.  More problematic were the tens of thousands of South Vietnamese associated with the southern regime who had fought against North Vietnam.  What was to become of them?  There just wasn’t room to evacuate all the South Vietnamese from Saigon and many feared that once communists took control of the city, a bloodbath of reprisals would take place.  
Chaos ensued as American soldiers and officials agonized about who they could save and who would have to stay.  Refugees seeking asylum crowded against gates and in many cases scaled the walls of the American buildings and military bases.  It was most often those who in their determination violently pushed their way through barricades that escaped to safety.  Americans airlifted as many as they could.  Accurate numbers are hard to determine, but the number of South Vietnamese refugees to enter the United States totaled 138,869.  Sadly, it is alleged that some 30,000 South Vietnamese who did not make it out of Saigon were systematically killed by the North.
The evacuation of Saigon is similar to Jesus' description of how the violent take the Kingdom of God by force.  Do you think you will come into God’s Kingdom simply by sitting on your rump in a pew each Sunday?  Jesus said the violent take the Kingdom by force.  The image is that of an invading army scaling the walls of a castle, fighting their way through the defenders, breaking down the doors to the stronghold, and taking over the Kingdom.  Or if you like, imagine the frightened South Vietnamese of Saigon on April 30th, 1975 scaling the walls of the US Embassy, forcing their way onto the last crowded helicopters leaving for the safety of US ships anchored off shore.
Brothers and sisters, the Kingdom of God is at hand.  This is your last hope of salvation.  I want you to feel the sense of urgency those Vietnamese refugees felt.  Time is running out.  You need to come into the Kingdom.  You need to push your way in violently, if needs be.  Don’t let anything keep you out.  Abandon your possessions if you have to.  What good are worldly goods if you lose your own soul?  Forsake all your sin.  You cannot afford to carry all that extra baggage with you as a refugee in the Kingdom.  Put it down.  Leave it behind.  Come to Jesus with only the clothes on your back if you need to.  Force your way in and grab hold of Jesus and refuse to let go just like Jacob refused to let go of God until God blessed him.
  
Conclusion
Jacob wrestled with God.  He clung to him all night, battered and bruised, hip torn from its socket, he refused to let go until God blessed him.  Accordingly, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel because, according to verse 28, he “…fought with God and men and won.”  
What about you?  Are you determined to find Salvation through Jesus Christ?  Are you willing to do whatever it takes to come into His Kingdom?  Then come and kneel before Jesus here at the altar and proclaim Him your Lord and Savior.
And what about you, Christian?  You became a follower of Jesus years ago.  Jesus welcomed you in as a refugee.  You had nothing to offer and no other hope, but Jesus welcomed you anyway.  Will you now just be content to casually lounge around while so many are still outside the walls needing salvation?  Some don’t even know how urgently they need salvation.  They don’t even know their Enemy, Death, is fast approaching and their eternity is in danger.  Others are pressing at the gates trying to get—forced there by the struggles of life:  poverty, substance abuse, heartache, anxiety, depression, loneliness, sickness, loss…  So often, they find the gates of the church locked—locked by our fear of them, locked by our apathy, locked by our complacency.  Will you not join the fight to bring them all in—as many as we can, for as long as we can, by as many means as we can—before it is too late?

Monday, October 3, 2016

Wrestling With God, Part 1

Introduction
            Have you ever wrestled?  When I was a young kid, my older brother used to like to wrestle with me.  Of course, he was 8 years older, so it wasn't much competition.  However, he always let me do well enough so it was still fun for me.  I used to wrestle with my kids when they were younger in much the same way.  We would wrestle on the bed and I would tickle them and it was fun for us all; I had to be careful, though, not to hurt them since I'm was so much bigger and stronger.
            One of the most fascinating stories in our Bible is the story of Jacob wrestling with God.  Can you imagine? A mortal man wrestling with the Creator of the universe?  It's almost unthinkable!  This is one of the pivotal stories of the Bible. It is where the name Israel comes from—the name of God's chosen people and the name of the country we know even today as a key player in our world’s geopolitical power struggles.
            As we study this intriguing passage over the next few weeks, we will consider the ways we wrestle with God and the effect it has on us, on our circumstances, and on the people around us.  I invite you to read the blog each week as we study this story together.

Genesis32-22-32
22 During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. 23 After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions.

24 This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. 25 When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”
But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

27 “What is your name?” the man asked.

He replied, “Jacob.”

28 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”

29 “Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.

“Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.

30 Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” 31 The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. 32 (Even today the people of Israel don’t eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob’s hip.)

Key Points
            Let's begin by pointing out a few key elements in this story.  First of all, you need to understand the larger narrative of Jacob's life and relationship with his twin brother Esau.  There was a great sibling rivalry between Jacob and Esau and it was fueled by their parents favoritism.  Their father, Isaac, favored Esau, but their mother, Rebekah, preferred Jacob.  Jacob was a cunning man and he found a way to trick Esau out of the family blessing and inheritance.  It infuriated Esau so much he vowed to kill Jacob.  Jacob had to run for his life to a foreign land.
            Well, years went by and Jacob grew up and grew wealthy with wives, servants, children, and possessions.  He decided it was time to finally face his brother Esau.  He began the journey home, not knowing if Esau still wanted to kill him.  And that's where we come to the strange story in Genesis chapter 32.  Jacob has sent all his possessions across the Jabbok River and he is all alone on the other side of the stream.
            There is a great element of fear in the story.  There is the fear of what Esau might do.  There is the fear of the darkness of nigh and it is terrifying that a strange “man” attacks Jacob.  A deadly struggle ensues that seriously injures Jacob.  And thenperhaps the most terrifying element of allwe find out the "man" is actually God.
            We know the “man” in this episode is God for several reasons.  First of all, the “man” himself claims Jacob has "fought with God".  Second, Jacob renamed the place “Peniel” at the end of the story (Peniel means “face of God”).  Third, Jacob said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”” (Verse 30)  As strange as it is, the story clearly indicates God—in human formis the man who wrestled with Jacob.
            But it gets even more strange because Jacob wins!  Jacob must have been an incredible wrestler, because the passage plainly says the “man” (who was God) realized He would not win.  That's incredible!  How can a man win a wrestling match with God?
            Well, in a sense, Jacob was a wrestler all his life—the Bible says he came out of his mother’s womb grasping the heel of his twin brother Esau.  His name, Jacob, literally means “heel grabber”.  Still, how can any mortal wrestle with God and win?
            Jacob didn’t actually "win".  He just sort of fought God to a stalemate.  Jacob managed to hold on to the point that God couldn’t get away.  Even when God dislocated Jacob’s hip, Jacob would not let go.  It may be that God realized the only way he could win the match was to kill Jacob or hurt him so grievously he might as well be dead (and God didn’t want to do that).  God also knew the sun was going to rise soon and Jacob would be able to see God’s face in full light.  It has been said that no one can see God’s face a live.  God’s face is so glorious a sinful human being cannot endure the pure, sinless, glorious face of God in its fullness.  Such a sight would overwhelm and consume anyone without the protection of Christ’s atonement.  (Since Christ had not yet atoned for our sin on the cross, Jacob was without protection and unable to look upon God's face in the full light of day.)
            Yet Jacob was determined hang on to God until God blessed him.  He was even willing to risk death to receive God’s blessing.  Time was running out.  Every minute that passed brought the rising sun closer to the horizon; God’s face became more and more visible in the growing light.  There was no more time for God to wrestle.  For Jacob’s own safety, God needed Jacob to let Him go and so God gave Jacob the blessing he wanted.  That’s pretty amazing!

A Lesson for Us
            There is a lesson in this for us.  How badly do you want God's blessing in your life?  How far are you willing to go?  Jacob was willing to risk death for the blessing. How about you?
            We say we want God to bless us. We say we want Jesus to save us and be our Lord. But how far are we willing to go?  Are you willing to pray regularly?  Are you willing to read your Bible everyday?  Are you willing to attend a church with other believers and learn how to live as a Christian?  Are you willing to be held accountable by others on the same spiritual journey (and hold them accountable as well)?  Are you willing to love others and serve as Jesus did?  Are you willing to make sacrifices for your goals as a Christian (sacrificing your time, your pride, your energy, your resources...)?  How far are you willing to go for God's blessings in your life?
            I don’t mean that we must do something to earn God’s blessing or to win salvation. We cannot do anything to earn it. It is given freely by God’s grace.  However, blessings come to those who are determined, not those who could care less.  And the Truth is, becoming a Christian—a follower of Christ—will change you permanently.  Jesus said it is like being “born again.”  Just like Jacob limped for the rest of his life due to his encounter with God, you will be permanently changed if you become a follower of Christ.
            There is another lesson here.  God’s wants to be directly involved in your life. He doesn't stand off at a distance; He get's up close and personal.  I have been learning Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu for over 2 years.  People like to joke that their pastor does Karate, but BJJ is not punching and kicking.  It is more like wrestling than Karate.  I have invited my wife to come try it out she won't do it.  She says it's gross.  I guess she may be right.  Jiu-jitsu is very strenuous and you're soon drenched in sweat, but not just your own sweat; it's everyone else's sweat too.  You see we are rolling around on the mats dripping sweat all over each other.  It's up close and personal work.
            Now think about that.  God wrestled with Jacob all night.  They were rolling around in the dirt together sweating and bleeding all over each other.  God was willing to get Jacob's sweat and blood and maybe even tears all over Him.  You see, God doesn't stand off at a distance.  God wants to be directly and intimately involved in Your life.  Are you willing to wrestle with God?
            As God wrestles with you, He may push you to your limits and test your determination.  All of this helps you grow.  It might hurt and it may even leaving you limping, but God will always keep you safe. Remember, He was willing to let Jacob win in order to save Jacob’s life.  We see an even greater example of God's protective nature in the New Testament.  Jesus shows just how far God will go for our benefit. Jesus (who was God incarnate) sacrificed his own life on the cross for our sake. God was willing to die so we can live.
            There is one last lesson I want to point out today.  No matter what you are wrestling with there is hope.  You don't have to win; you just have to hold on to Jesus long enough for the blessing to come.  So take courage today.  Whatever you are facing, don't give up.  Cling to Jesus.  Don't let go. Just hang on until Jesus give you the blessing.



[i] Paraphrase from Luke 2:9-11

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Come to Me

Introduction
            God reveals Himself to His people through Jesus Christ.  When we look at Jesus, we see God, the Father.  Yet not everyone sees God in Jesus.  Even miracles cannot convince some people.  What truly helps us to see God in Jesus is humility.  When we humble ourselves and admit we are not as wise as we think, we begin to hear the voice of God calling us. 
Do you realize how much you need God?  Have the worries and burdens of this life weighed you down enough to see him yet?  Listen, oh people, for the voice of God to you today.

Matthew 11:28-30
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

An Invitation
            Jesus offers an invitation.  He does not invite just anyone.  In this passage, He invites only a particular kind of people—those who are weary and carry heavy burdens
We are an “inclusive” people and so we imagine Jesus would invite all people.  Jesus wants to save all people, but there are many people who do not want to be saved.  The frustrating Truth is there are many people who do not really believe they need to be saved.
In Jesus’ time, there were whole towns who rejected His ministry.  Jesus cursed the towns of Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum because they saw Jesus perform miracles and yet still refused to turn to God.  It was primarily the cripple, poor, and outcast that saw Jesus as the Savior they desperately needed.  Very few of his early followers were the rich, influential, people of means.  The frustrating Truth is people who feel like they can handle life by themselves rarely come to Jesus.  It is those who are “weary” and carry heavy burdens that recognize their desperate need of a Savior and come to the Lord.

The Weary
            Are you weary this morning?  There are many things that can make us weary.  Sometimes health problems can make you weary.  We saw this in Jesus time; that is why healing stories were so much a part of Jesus’ ministry.  It is frustrating and scary when your body breakdowns.  It reminds you so quickly how fragile life is and that you are not really in control of very much.  We pray for healing, but sickness can be a blessing because it can brings us closer to Jesus.
            Some people are weary because they are too busy.  We live in a world where we must go, go, go!  We try to pack so much into our lives and into our family’s lives that we are run ragged.  We are tired physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  We are stressed by our fear of failing.  We never feel like we have enough time, money, or fulfillment in life.  The only hope is that all this business finally brings a weary person to their knees so they can hear Jesus' voice calling them to surrender it all to Him.
            Some people are weary because the world is such a dark place these days.  We fear our children and grandchildren’s will not know the world we grew up in—the prosperity, the kindness, the freedom, the values, the communities we have come to cherish.  We don’t want our world to fall apart and we don’t want our children to suffer in a dark future we cannot fend off or control.  Some are weary with worry about the future.  Perhaps in our weariness we will turn to Jesus.
            Some are weary because they keep making the same mistakes over and over again.  Like an alcoholic who keeps drinking even though he knows it is destroying him and those he cares about, we keep making the same mistakes again and again—disappointing our friends and family.  At first, we thought we could change on our own, but experience has worn us down to admit we are trapped in our bad behavior.  We are ashamed of our mistakes and tired of our failures.  Praise the Lord!  We are better off than most because Jesus says, “Come to me all you who are weary…"
            What about you?  Are you weary?  Perhaps you are weary for another reason.  There are a thousand ways this world can make you weary.  I could never name them all, but you know your heart.  You know why you are weary.  Rejoice, then, for Jesus invites you to come to him!

The Heavy Laden
            Are you carrying a heavy burden?  There are many heavy burdens we must carry in this life.  It is a heavy burden to be a parent in this world.  Just the typical responsibilities are heavy enough: assuring your kids’ basic needs are provided—food, shelter, clothing, education,  extracurricular activity—sports, band, social life (parents in America today are some of the busiest people on the planet.  We have so many worries for our kids.  We worry about their physical and mental well-being.  We worry about their future (will they be prepared for life and will the world they inherit be worth living in).
            Caring for children is not the only heavy burden.  Being responsibility for any other human being is a heavy burden.  Often children grow up to take on the burden of carrying for their parents (and the parents are burdened because they have become a burden to their children).
            In the business world, we can be responsible for the welfare of employees under our leadership.  We feel the burden of caring for them and enabling them to provide for their families.  We carry an especially heavy weight when we must fire an employee for one reason or another.
            Being a leader in the church can be a heavy burden.  Think about our HR committee.  They must oversee the staff of our church—people they love and consider brothers or sisters in Christ.  Yet they must also relate to our staff as “employees.”
            I think of Andy Andrews, the chairman of our Trustees Committee, who has the responsibility of overseeing our church facilities (and dealing with the dreams and expectations of hundreds of church members who care deeply about this property and the ministries of our church).
            Another heavy burden so many Americans carry is debt.  The average American household has $132,086 of debt—$15,310 of it in credit cards![i]  Debt piles up.  In the beginning, it is only a small payment.  However, as debt rises, it consumes more and more of a family’s income until it can seem impossible to bear.
            Perhaps the heaviest burden to carry is guilt and shame.  There is nothing worse for a person than to bear the guilt and shame of having wronged another person (or worse) having wronged God.  It is a terrible burden to feel unforgiven.
            What about you?  Do you carry heavy burdens?  Rejoice, then, for Jesus invites you to come to him!

The Yoke of Christ
            Jesus said, “My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”  A yoke is a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plow or cart that they are to pull.  It is an image of the Christian life.  It might seem an odd image—the idea that we are like animals wearing a yoke and pulling a cart.  You might think, “Forget that!  Who wants to have a yoke around their neck?”  Well, as you have seen, you already do.  Life is heavy load to pull and we are not free of the weight of it as long as we take breath.  If you are breathing, you have yoke around your neck.  The only choice you have is which yoke you wear and who is pulling with you.
            Jesus said, “My yoke is easy to bear…”  A yoke is made of wood.  An especially good yoke is customized to fit a particular animal.  First the yoke is made to the general size and shape to fit any animal (say an ox).  Then, a yoke can be made more comfortable by a carpenter who carves the lines and curves of the yoke to fit exactly over an individual ox’s neck and shoulders.  In this way, the yoke is now customized for that individual animal and will not fit on any other animal as comfortably as it fits the particular animal for which it was made.
            Remember, Jesus was a carpenter.  It is quite likely that some of his work as a carpenter was to customize yokes for oxen in his day.  I could imagine this saying in our scripture would have made a nice slogan for the sign over his carpenter shop.  Can you imagine it?  "My yoke is easy to bear..."
            When it comes to the yoke of life, Jesus has one that is custom made just for you.  We go through life trying to fit ourselves into all the roles this world tells us we are supposed to be.  We try to be like the people we admire (or that the world tells us we should admire).  We try to keep up with the Joneses, but we our last name is not Jones.  However, Jesus has a life that's custom made just for you.  If you are weary, if the heavy burdens of your yoke is chaffing you, go to Jesus and exchange it for the yoke he made just for you.  It is light and easy to bear.
            There is another thing about a yoke.  It is made for two.  In life, you don’t pull the weight all by yourself.  You pull it with someone else.  Who are you pulling with in this life?  It may be that you've been yoked with the wrong people.  
            Our church secretary's daughter was visiting the church office this week and we were talking about this sermon.  She thought a yoke was just something inside an egg!  When I showed her a picture of the yoke and said how Jesus said we were yoked, she said, “You better like who you are yoked with.  What if you're yoke to someone ugly!” Haha!  That'll preach!
            Some of us are yoked with the wrong things or people.  And the things or people we're yoked with are pulling in the wrong direction or not pulling at all.  That's not good.  You better make sure you're yoked to the right person.
            Some might think the right person to yoked with is your wife or husband.  That's would be better than being yoked to the world, but it's still not the answer.  Your should be on the team with your spouse, but your spouse is just a person and sometimes they fall.  If your primary reliance is on your spouse, they're going to let you down.  Sometimes they don't pull their weight and sometimes they fall--and when they do, they could drag you down with them.  Don't rely on them to do what only Jesus can do.  
            Jesus said, “…the burden I give you is light.”  He should know.  He is pulling it with you.  People will let you down, but Jesus won't.  Jesus never stumbles and falls.  Jesus always pulls his weight.  Jesus can help you pull any load or carry any burden because he's doing it with you and he has the strength to carry anything--even a cross.

Invitation
            “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  I invite you to come to Jesus and find rest.  Go him, take off your burdens and lay them down before Jesus.  Bow your head in prayer right now.  Tell him your troubles.  Give them to him and let them go.  Put on His yoke and go forth in peace.



[i] https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/credit-card-data/average-credit-card-debt-household/

Monday, September 12, 2016

Lessons from the Fire

Isaiah 43:1b-3a

Introduction
            We had a fire last Sunday at Pleasant Grove UMC.  Our church van was parked under the breezeway between our gym and the promise building and it caught on fire (or was set on fire--it's still under investigation).  The van was destroyed and the promise building sustained smoke and water damage and there is no power to the building.  It was a sad loss, but I am very thankful no one was hurt.  It could have been much worse.  I'm very thankful to God who watched over us and I'm thankful to everyone who has helped us work through the aftermath of our fire.
            It's been a hectic week, but I’ve still had time to think about what God would have me say this Sunday—the first Sunday after the fire.  There are some lessons we can glean from the experience I want to share, but before we get to that, hear the Word of God to us this morning from Isaiah 43:1b-3a.

Isaiah 43:1b-3a
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
    I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

The Meaning of the Passage
            These words of Isaiah were given to God's people in Judah, foretelling their future.  They were to face a terrible tragedy.  Their kingdom, their capital city, and the Temple were to be destroyed.  All the people of Judah would be sent away from their homeland into captivity.  Yet God promised to be with them through it all and to bring them back.
            However, this prophecy looks even farther into the future.  It also speaks about our time.  It tells us that God will be with people who follow Jesus faithfully.  Though we face persecutions, trials, and tribulations because of our faith in Jesus, God says, “I am with you.  Don’t be afraid.  I have called you, by name.  I will sustain you through whatever troubles you face for the sake of my Son, Jesus—whether it be a fire, social upheavals, friends that turn their backs on you because of your beliefs, persecutions, suffering, sickness, even death.  None of these can really harm you, because I—the Lord, Your God—am with you.”
            Let me share three lessons we can learn from the fire.

First of all, the fire teaches us the Church is not the building.  It is the people.
            I am as guilty as anyone of saying, “I’m going to the church.”   We all do it.  We talk about the “church” as if it were a building.  But the church is not a building.  The church is the people. 
            Whenever the New Testament talks about the church, it uses the word to refer to the followers of Jesus, not the building.  For instance:
  • Acts 8:3 – “But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church…”  See, it wasn’t a building he was trying to destroy; it was believers who were spread all over the place.
  • Acts 12:5 – “…while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.”  You see, a building can’t pray for someone.  Only people can.  The church was the people.
  • 1 Corinthians 3:9 says, “You are God’s building.”
  • 1 Peter 2:5 says, “And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.”

            So, fire may destroy our van or our building, but it cannot destroy the church, because the church is the people.  We are God’s people—we who believe and follow Christ.  And God says in Isaiah 43:2, “When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”
            I think seeing our beautiful van scorched and ruined, and seeing the Promise Building damaged and temporarily out of service—though painful—can be a helpful reminder that the church is not a building or a van.  The church is the people—you and me.  And if for some terrible reason these buildings were completely gone, we would still be the church.  I think of our ancestors who started this church over 150 years ago.  They had no building.  That is why the church is called Pleasant Grove, because all they had was the shade of a pleasant grove of trees under which to worship.  The church is not a building; it's the people.

The second lesson we learn is about spiritual warfare.
            This fire is a vivid reminder that we are in the midst of a spiritual war. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “…we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
            The fire was very suspicious.  The van had not been driven in two weeks.  Vans don’t just burst into flame all by themselves.  Was it arson or was it just a freak accident?  Investigators don’t have a definitive answer yet.  However, I can tell you—regardless of whether or not a person set the van on fire—it was a spiritual attack by Satan.  
            Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), but I am not afraid of the Devil.  For my God is mightier than the Devil.  My God is the “Holy One of Israel.  My Savior.”  And He has already defeated the Devil!  And yet, this attack reminds us how critical it is to, as Ephesians 6:13 says, “…put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.”
            Friends, don’t be blind.  There is a spiritual war going on all around you.  You can’t see it and Satan doesn’t want you to see it.  He would rather you be consumed by all the distractions of this world—entertainment, football games, food, travel, selfish gain.  You are an easy target when you are distracted.  Let this fire be a stark reminder of the stakes of this spiritual war.  Wake up!  Be vigilant!
            Ephesians 6:14-18 says,“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  And Verse 18 (so critical) says, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
            Prayer is so critical!  It is the most powerful weapon in spiritual warfare.  Prayer helps us be vigilant so we aren't caught off guard by the Enemy.  Prayer puts us in the right frame of mind for the spiritual fight.  Prayer shows us the battle plan so we know what to do and when.  Prayer calls upon all of heaven's support so we don't get overwhelmed by the dark forces all around us.

The third lesson is what all this tells us about the future.
            I think our Youth Minister, Amy Harris, said it best.  Here’s what she told me.  She said she was with her kids last Sunday watching them load our burned up church van on a flatbed truck to haul it away.  She said, “God must be about to do something really big.”
            Church, I believe God is about to do something really big at Pleasant Grove.  A different kind of fire was started last Sunday.  I’m not talking about the one that burned up the van and damaged our building.  No sir.  I’m talking about a revival fire God is kindling in our hearts.  It’s a purifying fire that compels us to turn away from our sins and truly get our hearts right with God.  It consumes all that is unworthy in us until we are wholly committed to our Savior’s Church.  This fire is a burning desire to put Jesus Christ first and foremost in our lives.  It’s a fiery passion to serve Him by loving each other and our community like we never have before.  It’s an eternal fire the Devil and his minions can never put out.
            God is about to do something big at Pleasant Grove.  It’s a fire that can spread throughout our community.  Can you imagine it?  Can you imagine—not just our church—but all churches in our community on fire for God?  Can you imagine Christians who are so committed to Jesus that stand out so much from the crowd that everyone gives glory to our God—even those who don’t yet believe?  Can you imagine people becoming Christians because of your testimony?  Can you imagine marriages being saved, people being freed from addictions, finding true joy and peace and salvation?  
            I can see it; and I see the Devil trembling in fear at the thought  of it.  I believe it is why our Enemy is trying to disrupt and discourage us, but I won’t let him!  Will you?  Join with me in praying that God would fight our Enemy!  Join hands with me!  Let us be united together in our determination to follow Jesus with our whole hearts and discover what He is about to do!

Good Friday Leads to Easter
            I am reminded of another time when a terrible tragedy preceded God doing something really big.  In fact, it was the biggest tragedy ever and the biggest thing God ever did.  On a day we have come to call "Good Friday," humanity nailed the Son of God, Jesus Christ, to the cross. It was the darkest day in human history.  Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead to defeat the Devil forever and free all humanity from the power of sin!  It was the biggest event in all human history.
            If God can take an act as evil as the crucifixion and turn it into something good, I know He can take our fire and turn it into something good.  As Romans 8:28 says, "All things work together for those who love the Lord."  Church, I believe the fire only shows that God is up to something big at Pleasant Grove.  Get ready!  It's time to get on board with God!  Don't get left behind!

Thursday, September 1, 2016

The Green Light

The Truth As Far As I Can Tell…

James 4:7 – So humble yourselves before God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

            “It’s the green light.”  He said. 
            “What do you mean?”  I asked my friend, Ken.  Ken Stephens was an experienced Methodist minister who served a church a few miles down the road from mine.  He was patient, faithful, and wise from years of ‘fighting the good fight’ in the Lord’s Kingdom.
            Ken and I and a number of other pastors in Forsyth, Georgia were planning a community-wide mission event.  Unfortunately, we had experienced some minor setbacks in our plans.  It was nothing major, but enough to make some of us less experienced ministers question if we were doing the right thing.  Was God trying to tell us we were off track?  Were we doing the right thing?
            “It’s the green light.”  Ken repeated.  “When Satan sees the Church working together and doing the will of God, Satan feels threatened.  He doesn’t like it.  So, he tries his best to disrupt and discourage God’s people.  But that’s the green light for the Church.  It tells us we are on the right track.  We are making the Devil nervous.  So we’ve got to press on.  The Devil’s telling us to stop, but God’s giving us the green light to go ahead.”
            I never forgot Ken’s advice.  Whenever I know I am doing the right thing, I don’t let Satan discourage me with his minor disruptions.  Now, I just see these as the green light.  They are confirmation that I am on the right track.  If Satan is fighting us, it is only confirmation that we are on the right track.  So I pray for God to chase the Devil away and I ask other prayer warriors to join with me, knowing if we resist the Devil, he will flee from us (James 4:7). 
            Satan cannot stand against us.  Through Jesus, we have already won the victory.  Of course, I’m no expert and certainly don’t claim to know everything, but that’s the Truth as far as I can tell…

Remember, God loves you and so do I!