Sermon for April 10th (Easter)

Easter is like Opening Day in baseball: everybody has hope.  When Jesus rose from the dead that Easter morning, he gave you hope for a new life.  No matter who you are or what you have done in the past, there is hope for you.  It’s a new season.  What matters now is: what is going to happen in your life from this point forward. 

I listen to a lot of sports radio.  A radio host named Scott Van Pelt talks talks on his show about “One big thing”; it’s what he thinks is the most important or interesting thing going on in Sports that week.  Now guys, when you come home from work, do you ever sit down and tell your wife, “Hey honey.  Could you please tell me every single thought you have about such and such a subject?”  Didn’t think so.  But when it comes to sports radio, I and a lot of guys just like me listen to the same stories talked about again and again in different ways by different broadcasters and somehow enjoy it.  Why?  It’s simple.  I’m a fan.  I’m a sportsfan.

When it comes to faith, there is “One big thing” for you to take away today: it’s called “the forgiveness of sins”.  What is means is this: no matter what you have done, you have hope.  That’s what Easter is all about: the forgiveness of sins and how it can change your life.    

You see, the day Jesus was crucified, nobody on Earth was a fan of Jesus.  They were haters.  They were either betraying him, crucifying him or denying him.  But on Easter Day, these same people they found themselves believing in something they never could have imagined before:  No matter how bad they were before, it was opening day all over again.  They had hope again.  And Jesus turned his haters into his biggest fans. 

When you leave today, I’m hoping for one big thing: that God, through His Holy Spirit, makes you all diehard fans of Jesus Christ.  And not just fans, but followers of this man Jesus.  No matter who you were coming in, I hope that it is opening day for you when you are sent back out. 

What does it mean to be a fan of Jesus?  I started following baseball in 1987, when I was 9 years old.  My dad and I lived in St. Paul, MN, so we followed the Minnesota Twins.   That was the year they won their first World Series—and I’ve been hooked on them ever since.   I can’t explain why I’m a Twins fans exactly—I just am.  It’s a part of my life that I can’t deny.  Being a Christian—being a fan of Jesus—isn’t necessarily something that you are going to be able to explain to your friends.  Jesus said, “You did not choose me—I chose you.”  But when you realize that your sins are forgiven by this man Jesus Christ, that one big thing might just change your life forever.  I hope it does.

But it can be difficult.  I’m not going to lie to you.  Being a fan isn’t always easy.  I may live in Iowa the rest of my life in Iowa, but I’m still going to root for Nebraska every September.  Even when I KNOW that I’m going to get picked on sometimes because of it.  That’s what it’s like to be a Christian.  Sometimes, you are going to have to stick up for Jesus even when everyone else is against you.  Being a fan of Jesus is not for the faint of heart. 

Sometimes, being a Jesus fan is like—well, it’s like being a Chicago Cubs fan.  The Chicago Cubs haven’t seen a World Series victory since they last won one in 1908!  That means that if you are younger than 104 years old, you were not even born the last time the Cubbies won a World Series.  They’ve lost 7 World Series’ since then, but, if you are a Cubs fan, you probably don’t remember many of those because they haven’t been to one since 1945—67 years ago.  To be a Cubs means “no glory”.  Jesus wasn’t a winner in his life either.  He was crucified and became a curse for us the Bible says.  He doesn’t promise his followers prosperity; instead, he says, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.”  To be a fan of Jesus Christ, you must be willing to suffer on account of His name.  To give all that you have not for earthly glory, but for eternal glory. 

               

But being a fan of Jesus isn’t all bad news.  Today, Easter Day, we remember that being  a fan of Jesus Christ is like being a New York Giants fan.  World Champions!  And Jesus was not just crowned champion for a year . . . he was crowned King of King and Lord of Lords for all time—talk about bragging rights!  Cheering on Jesus is like cheering on Kentucky this year in basketball—I mean, they were amazing.  When you face sin, death and the Devil as a Christian, you KNOW who’s gonna win!  Jesus Christ stands outside of the tomb like a prize fighter with his championship belt—victorious! 

But, the truth is, when people first meet Jesus, they’re NOT his fans, they’re his enemies—his opponents!   Jesus’ victory wasn’t just over sin, death and the devil . . . no, the truth is when he rose from the dead he defeated you and me.  God could have sent us all to hell, for what we did.  But then we hear that one big thing: your sins are forgiven.  And no matter how unlikely his victory may look in your life—if you are addicted to drugs, if you are riddled with anxiety or guilt, no matter if you don’t have enough money or time or hope, when you put your trust in Jesus and in His power, he wins the victory for you EVERY SINGLE TIME!

Are you a fan of Jesus Christ?  Yes, it means that you will experience suffering.  Yes, it means that you might even be made fun of.  Yes, it’s not always easy, but as His fan you are cheering on the one and only world champion of the universe! 

It’s opening day!  Today, you have the opportunity to follow Jesus.  To become a real hardcore fan.  He’s chosen you even though you once were His enemy.  And, honestly, it’s the chance of a lifetime.  Because once you start following him, all other allegiances start to fall away—they just can’t compete.  There’s nothing like cheering for a champion!  So get up on your feet people and put your hands together for Him on this day Easter Day!  Jesus Christ is Risen from the dead!  I introduce to you, your Leader, your God and your Savior Jesus Christ.  Hallelujah!

Sermon for April 6th (Good Friday)

We are stopping in the middle of the story tonight.  “It’s the deep breath before the final plunge” JRR Tolkien once said.  Soon, Jesus will say, “It is finished.” And he will breathe His last.  But we will keep on breathing.  We will keep on going.  If we don’t stop now, we’ll miss what it was all about.  What was Jesus doing on that cross?  Why didn’t He come down?  What purpose was he accomplishing?  What was it that Jesus finished?  It wasn’t the story.  We know now that his story continued, so what was it that was “finished” anyway?

                The Greek word telestai, which is translated here “finished”, can also mean “completed” or “accomplished”.  We know the story didn’t end that Friday, so what could Jesus have completed that night?  What was the purpose of all the flogging?  The gratuitous violence against an innocent man?  What did it help to have him killed?  If the resurrection is the great ending, what was accomplished on the cross?

                Jesus didn’t win his victory over death that night, no he lost that fight and gave up his spirit.  Jesus didn’t give us much of an example to follow either, for, though he went to the cross an innocent man, he became a curse for us and was forsaken by His Father.  He who knew no sin became sin.  As Jesus pointed out in the garden, if he had asked, his Father could have sent legions of angels to save him from the cross.  If God, the Father,  already knew he would raise his son from the dead after three days, could he not have done away with the death and just up and forgiven us?

                “It is finished,” Jesus said.  But forgiveness wasn’t accomplished on the cross.  Salvation wasn’t completed.  The story wasn’t finished.  The resurrection had to happen for all of that.  So why did Jesus say it?  What was finished?

                What was finished that night?  You.  You and me and all our personal salvation projects.  In the greatest fit of self-righteousness ever witnessed, God’s chosen people sacrificed their Messiah.  They did all they could and killed him.  They were finished.  The deed was done.  They were caught in the act of the crucifixion.  And so the final betrayal of God was accomplished and completed.  What happened next would be out of their hands. 

                When Jesus said, “It is finished” they story continues, but you don’t.  You end right there.  Right at the cross.  That’s our finish line.  All that is left is to weep alone with Peter or at the side of the cross with Jesus’ mother.  All that is left is to repent with Judas and yet have no hope for forgiveness.  Because, according to the story, we got our way in the end.  We won!  We murdered God and all was complete.  What would happen next would have nothing to do with us and everything to do with God.  What would God do with a cursed, dead and forsaken Jesus?    

                There will come a time for all of us to take our last breath just as Jesus did.  We will end our lives just as he did, under a curse—the curse of the law.  With sin clinging to us taunting us that we haven’t done enough, but there will be nothing left to do.  We will lie in our own tombs unable to will ourselves out no matter how free we thought we were.  Everything will have been accomplished that is possible to be done.  And then, just as with Jesus, we will have to wait and see what God has up his sleeve.  We will have to just wait and, by faith alone, trust in God’s mercy. 

When Jesus says, “It is finished” and breathes his last,we don’t keep going.  We don’t keep breathing.  We are stopped way back there at the foot of the cross.  That was our judgment day, the last day for all humankind, and God judged us unworthy.  Killers.  Betrayers.  Ungodly.  We were out of time before we even began.  When Jesus said that it was finished, so were we.  And our only hope lies in God alone.  Amen.                    

Sermon for April 5th (Maundy Thursday)

In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus Christ gives us all of himself, withholding nothing.  He says, “This is my body, given for you.  This is my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”  When we believe His words, we receive exactly what He says: the forgiveness of sins.  And where there is forgiveness of sins there is life and salvation.

                You might think then that when Christians talk about the Lord’s Supper, we get excited about it and yet, so often, churches fight about who can and who can’t come up for communion and whether we are doing it right or not.  My Cliff’s Notes answer to this is simple: We aren’t doing anything at the Lord’s Supper, it’s God’s promise given to us to forgive our sins.  Martin Luther said, “What is needed is simply a believing heart.”

                So then, why do Christians get so worked up about rules involving communion?  We need look no further than 1 Corinthians chapter 11 for our answer.  One sentence more than any other has people worried about what to do with the Lord’s Supper: “For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.”  Nobody wants to eat and drink judgment on themselves, right, so everyone tries to figure out what they need to do to stop that from happening.  That’s why in some Lutheran church denominations, you are not allowed to take communion unless you are a member in good standing of that church—the pastor is taking the responsibility to say that you will not eat and drink judgment on yourself by judging you worthy to partake.  It’s also the reason why many churches don’t allow children to take communion until they are older. 

                However, this sentence about “discerning the body of Christ” doesn’t stand by itself.  It is part of a much larger discourse.  Tonight, I hope to briefly show you that, as Christians, we have unwittingly done exactly what Saint Paul told us NOT to do.  Our goal in the Lord’s Supper should not be to cause people to doubt their faith, but to open the floodgates so that Jesus Christ can continue giving all He has to everyone who needs forgiveness.

                The passage actually starts several verses earlier in chapter 11 where Saint Paul says, “In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.”  The apostle is saying that there is something wrong when the Corithians meet to worship together.  “In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you.”  He explains that there will be some differences between God’s people but, and here is where the Lord’s Supper comes in, “when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your private suppers.  As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk.  What shall I say to you?  Shall I praise you?  Certainly not in this matter!  For I received from the Lord what I also passed onto you:” and then he goes through the words of institution.

                It appears that Saint Paul was angry with how the Corinthians were celebrating communion.  It was more like a potluck than anything else it seems.  But the informality of the occasion doesn’t seem to be the main issue here, the problem is that some people in the church are eating their fill of bread and drinking a few glasses of wine and leaving nothing for anyone else.  It’s like their own “private dinner” he says.  Now, I like to eat with the best of them.  I have trouble with portion control myself.  That’s why I try to eat at the end of the line when my appetite won’t hurt anyone else’s chances of eating.  The problem with the Corinthian church is that while the Lord’s Supper is supposed to be Jesus giving all of himself and withholding nothing, some people in the church are getting nothing while others are getting stuffed on bread and wine.  In the very next chapter of his letter, Saint Paul says, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”  But this way of celebrating communion has created division within the church, the one body of Christ, instead.

                The passage continues, “So then, whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.”  Saint Paul isn’t starting a new thought here, he is continuing one.  He’s been talking about the problem, and now he her refers to the problem as eating and drinking in “an unworthy manner”.  He then says, “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.  For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.”  Which body of Christ?  The one he’s been talking about the entire time!  The Corinthian church!  The one that has been divided and is being torn apart!   

                Paul continues, “If we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.  So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together.  Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.”  The Lord’s Supper is not about getting full on bread and wine—it’s about being fed with the bread of life, Jesus Christ himself.  That’s what is important.

                Ironically, as a church and as Christians, we have created divisions amongst ourselves rather than discerning the body of Christ especially with regards to the Lord’s Supper.  Setting up divisions about who can and cannot eat within the body of Christ.  We are called to repent of this behavior in every aspect of our lives.  Remember, coming to the Lord’s Supper is meant first and foremost for sinners, for the unworthy, for Christ’s betrayers, for those who need him the most.  The only way we can eat of this bread and drink from this cup in an unworthy manner is to start thinking that somehow we deserve it more than others; thus withholding the forgiveness of sins from those who need it most.  Don’t doubt your faith, believe in God’s good gift.  The Lord’s Supper is still for you just as it is for all believers in Christ.  Amen.  

Sermon for March 25th (Crucifixion and Resurrection)

                We start today at the cross.  Not in the garden.  Not at creation.  Not before the fall.  But with a man hanging, from his hands and feet, by nails hammered into his very bones, until his lungs collapsed under the weight of his own body.  We start here, at the cross, because we need to know why it had to happen.  Why did Jesus had to die.  Why do we have to look at Him?  It’s disturbing.  He’s disgusting to look at.  The prophet Isaiah said, “his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness”.  Jesus looks at us with arms wide open offering forgiveness and we shudder and turn away and say, “Go away Jesus.  Don’t you know there are little kids in the room?” 

                But we have to start at the cross or else we will forget that our story starts and ends here.  We need to know why he was put up there!  Why did Isaiah say, “He had no beauty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”?  We sing songs like “Draw me Close to You” or “I Want Jesus To Walk With Me” when the truth is that nobody wanted to be anywhere near Jesus when he was still alive on the cross.  “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.  Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.”  We loved Jesus when he was healing or casting out demons, but when he was dying for our sins everyone—everyone—abandoned him and turned away from his hideousness.

                We start today at the cross because when we confess our sins each and every week, we need to confess that deep down we HATE this part of the service.  It exposes the truth about all of us.  Jesus Christ had to die on a cross because we didn’t want him.  Jesus Christ had to die because of our sin.  For if any one of us ever actually chose to follow God, if any one of us ever truly surrendered our will freely to God’s way, if any one of us really wanted to receive forgiveness from God rather than earning our place in heaven on our own then Jesus wouldn’t have had to die on that cross.  If you could have been saved any other way—even one of you—there would have been no need for the cross.  If we were really as spiritual as we seem, then Jesus Christ died for nothing.

                We start at the cross today to confess that, yes, he needed to die for me and for you.  He had to suffer for me and for you.  We would have it no other way.  So turn away.  Hide the eyes of the little ones.  The truth isn’t pretty.  Just don’t think that your forgiveness came without a cost.  The cost has nothing to do with your ego, or your Sunday morning, or even your life given up in service to others.  The cost of your salvation was paid with the precious blood of Jesus Christ and with His innocent suffering and death.          

The cross where our Savior suffered gives us a clear picture of our sin and its cost.  We were “caught in the act” as an old professor of mine put it—caught in the act of crucifying the Son of God.  There are no exits or escapes for sinners like us.  When Jesus was lifted up, we were caught red handed—our hands were stained with the blood of Jesus.  We know why Jesus had to die, but there is more to it.

                The prophet Isaiah said, “Surely he took our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” 

                God is holy.  Sinners, like you and me, are not allowed in the congregation of the righteous scripture says.  Why?  Because we are slaves to sin and the wages of sin are death.  We cannot live with God because we deserve only death—we cannot be alive if we are dead?  God is a God of justice and so, when a sin is committed, blood must be spilt to pay for the crime.  This is where the sacrificial system came into play in the Old Testament for the Jews.  When an Israelite sinned, instead of taking their life as payment, God was merciful to them and accepted the blood of a lamb instead.  In this way, God’s sense of justice was satisfied and the sinner’s life was saved. 

                Why did Jesus have to die?  Scripture says that he gave his life as a ransom for many.  We did not have the promise the Israelites had—animal sacrifices wouldn’t work for us.  We all deserved death for our sins, and, according to God’s justice, blood must be spilt.  We had no hope.  But, when the time was right, because God is such a merciful God, He sent us a lamb that would die for our sins.  That lamb was Jesus, the Son of God.

                That’s what the verses from Isaiah are talking about.  Jesus took the pain that we were supposed to take, he bore the suffering we deserved.  Understand this, we deserved the crucifixion, but Jesus was punished in our place.  Those who surrounded Jesus on the cross thought he was dying for his blasphemy or because he had gotten on the wrong side of the religious authorities, but the truth was that he was pierced for our transgressions.  He died because God demanded a sacrifice for sin—Jesus became the sacrifice we should have been.  The peace you have today with God, by faith, came about because of Jesus’ death on the cross. 

                The story began with the cross, but it didn’t end there.  God demanded justice.  God demanded death—the wages of sin.  And that is what the cross gave Him.  The death that we all deserved.  Just as death was brought into the world through the sin of one man, Adam, through the one man, Jesus, sin was paid for once and for all. 

                Why is the death important?  As Christians, we cannot simply lay our sins on Jesus and hope that His suffering can fix everything—it won’t.  Yes, our sins nailed Him to the cross, but don’t forget what happened next.  Your sins didn’t just put Jesus on the cross, your sins died up there with Him.  They are gone.  They are paid for.  They are no longer seen by God, but have been washed clean in the blood of Jesus. 

                I had a little green and white parakeet named Chippy when I was in Elementary school.  He was a great bird.  I also had a cat named Benjamin.  He was a bad cat.  I introduced the two of them often and hoped that they could be friends, but one day when I came home from school, I learned the truth about how friendly cats and birds can be.  Chippy had been mauled by Benjamin and only survived the rest of that evening as I cried and watched him die.  We put him in a little white box and my dad took him away.

                Some time later, I was looking for something in our garage when, lo and behold, I found the little white box with the name, “Chippy” written on it.  But he wasn’t in there.  I remembered how he had died and how it had really been my fault all along.  First, I felt really bad all over again, but then I got really mad at my dad who had just thrown my bird in the bushes behind our house instead of giving him a proper burial!  I guess I thought we’d just keep my dead bird forever, but dad understood death better than I did.  When something dies, it’s gone for good.  You don’t keep going back to take another look.

                So often, when we repent of our sins and stop doing them, even after we have heard our forgiveness and been absolved, we pick the same old sins back up thinking they are still ours.  We mull them over, feel guilty all over again and play the tapes of our mistakes again and again in our head.  We act as if Jesus is still suffering on that cross, but we are wrong.  Those sins died on the cross with Jesus.  Your forgiveness is a done deal.  The story starts at the cross, but ends with a death.  Jesus died for you.  Amen.  

   

Sermon for March 18th (Temptation)

The topic of today’s message is temptation.  The biblical passage I will be using today is from Isaiah chapter 50, “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the words of his servant?  Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God.  But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze.  This is what you shall receive from my hand: you will lie down in torment.” 

                On the screen, you will see a bunch of pictures.  As you watch them, one by one, what do you think of them?  Are they things that you want?  Things that you already have?  Stuff you want more of?  Are they temptations?  Maybe.  Or are they just desires.  Desires are not always temptations.  What is the difference? 

Temptations are something we want, but we aren’t supposed to have, if that makes any sense.   A desire is simply something we want and there is nothing wrong with wanting something.  We want to eat.  We want to sleep.  We want a babies.  Those are just desires.  I would argue that what makes a temptation different than a desire isn’t THAT we want it, but HOW we want to get it.

Psalm 37 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  We can have desires, they are not bad; in fact, like any good Father, God wants to give His children what they want.  But when we stop trusting God to give us things and choose to get them ourselves, that’s when our desires become temptations.

On the TV show, The Biggest Loser, they often have temptation challenges.  Picture it, you’ve got all these obese people on the show who are presented with this huge buffet of the foods they love.  Maybe donuts are their obsession or pizza is their weakness.  Fried chicken, peanut butter cups and enchiladas.  Yummy.  And, usually, the challenge involves a prize of some sort like whoever eats the most calories gets to choose the trainer for both teams or gets a 2 pound advantage at the weigh in.  The show presents this as a food temptation, but the truth is that the food has very little to do with it.

I mean, by this point in the show, the contestants have been away from these foods and have lost a ton of weight and feel great and most of them really don’t want these foods any more.  The real temptation is the power to control the game.  During a temptation challenge, one or two contestants will stuff their face full of whatever and just about throw it up they are so disgusted by doing it—the food isn’t the temptation.  But they are so afraid of being voted off the ranch, that they will do anything to keep others from controlling their fate.  That desire to control is what makes the food the temptation in the end.

The passage from Isaiah explains that, in life, we have two choices: trust in God or trust in yourself.  When you walk through this dark world, you can trust in God to be your light and rely on Him.  Or, you can walk in the light of your own torches with fire you provide for yourself.  I believe that the biggest temptations don’t really have to do with the pictures I showed before; the temptation is to do whatever we want on our own terms.  To get what we want when we want it.  We don’t like to leave our fate in the hands of others or even in God’s hands.  When Adam and Eve were tempted in the garden of Eden, they weren’t tempted by a piece of fruit, they were tempted with the idea that they could be like God—the masters of their own destinies.  That is the temptation that we all face.

I have always struggled with being a workaholic.  And, at least for me, it isn’t a temptation to want to get more stuff by making more money.  It’s a temptation to try and control my life.  Why?  Because of fear.  I think things like:  If I don’t work hard enough at church, if I don’t spend enough time in the office, if I don’t go on enough visits, someone is going to be unhappy with me and then, eventually, I’ll lose my job.  My temptation is to try and control the situation and work so hard that nobody with ever think of criticizing me.  The Devil uses this fear to steal and destroy my life by stealing my trust in God.

The truth is that God is in control of my life just like he is in control of yours.  You can spend your entire life out there in the cornfields working, but you can’t control the weather.  You can be the most loyal employee at your workplace and still be layed off because the CEO took a bad risk.  If we choose to walk through life being guided by the light of our own torches, off the sweat of our own brow, we will lie down in torment God says—we will always be worried that we aren’t doing enough.  That’s the thing about being a workaholic.  The harder I work, the less I feel like I’ve done enough. 

The difference between a temptation and a desire is who you put your trust in: yourself or God.  God has made this world full of beautiful and wonderful things for us.  When you are always trying to get things on your own, on your own time, in your own way, these things can become the most tormenting temptations in your life, but God says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, keep His commandments, trust in His timing, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  Amen.  

Sermon for March 4th (Servant Leadership)

If you’ve followed the NBA at all this year you know the name Jeremy Lin.  The story of Jeremy Lin is awesome.  He didn’t receive any athletic scholarships to play basketball out of high school.  He played college basketball at Harvard University—not exactly a big name school like Duke, Kansas or North Carolina.  Jeremy Lin went undrafted in the NBA draft, but was picked up with an unguaranteed contract by the Golden State Warriors later that year as a point guard.  He was traded from Golden State to the Houston Rockets and then finally landed to the New York Knicks where he was fourth on the depth chart.  Then, one night, since every other point guard on the Knicks was either injured or playing poorly, Lin came in and blew everyone’s mind scoring 25 points, getting 5 rebounds and having seven assists.  His point total in his first five career starts were the most of any player since the 76-77 merger beating names like Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

                But Jeremy Lin is a point guard and, as he has mentioned in interviews, scoring points isn’t really what he is called to do on his team.  His job is to run the offense and find open players to give them easy shots.  A great game for a point guard isn’t getting double digits in scoring as much as it is getting double digits in assists.  Famous point guards are people that serve the ball to others who often get much more glory getting easy layups and dramatic dunks.  Point guards like John Stockton had Karl Malone, Steve Nash has Dirk Novitski and Rajon Rondo has Keven Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.  The best point guards make the people around them look good almost to the detriment of their own fame and fortune.

                Jesus told his disciples to be point guards-not power forwards.  Jesus encouraged his disciples to serve others the ball, not be a ball hog and score bazillions of points to adoring crowds.  The problem is that in sports like in so many places in this world, those who serve get much less recognition than those who are served.  It’s just the way it is.  But Jesus said, “It should not be so with you who follow me.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” 

                The problem is that while we like the idea of being a servant, most people don’t actually like BEING servants or slaves.  No matter what Jesus says, it certainly doesn’t FEEL great.  It’s hard to just work hard while other people get the glory hoping for that day in heaven when you finally get your thanks.  Even the people in our lives who we think are the best servants often aren’t—they are standing on the backs of other people who are never talked about.

                My best example of this is very personal.  I love visiting with people who are grieving, or counseling those who are struggling through issues, or going to the hospital when somebody has been hurt at a moment’s notice.  And I often get thanked for it.  People will say how great I am for taking time from my family to go to Des Moines or for doing a funeral or something like this.  Often, pastors are looked up as being servants of their community and I believe a good pastor must be a servant to his church community.  But, along the way, I realized that I get the glory, but I really don’t deserve it.   The reason that I can go to hospital on a moment’s notice, or show up to a funeral on any day, or stay up late counseling is because my wife, Kristy, is at home with my children.  She cooks when I can’t.  She puts the kids to bed when I’m not there.  She drops everything to serve me so that I can serve the church.  But no matter how many times I say that, people see me out doing things and I get the glory.  But, in God’s eyes, I believe that she is truly getting the glory because she is following Jesus’ example.

All of you have been given gifts to serve in the church.  Some of you are called to be up front—singing in the praise band, reading scripture, leading ministry teams—while others  work behind the scenes in supporting roles such as the media team, altar guild, custodians and circles.  The only way that this works is if both types of people are seeking to serve one another.  Not to be above another person, or to stay out of the limelight, but to support each other so that the kingdom of God is nourished and grown. 

If you have spent your life serving others, have you ever realized that you are considered great in the kingdom of God by none other than Christ himself.  You are the stars of the show whether you want to be or not.  And for those of you who are leaders of the church, you are called not to glory but to servanthood.  Only in this way does our work in the church lead to the glory of God.  Amen. 

                “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”  Why.  Why would he do that? 

                Let’s change sports analogies from basketball to football.  How many of you have heard of Drew Brees?  He’s the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints.  This past season, he broke the single season record for passing yards most recently held by Dan Marino who was probably the most prolific passer in the history of the game.  After the game where he broke the record, what did Brees talk about?  He talked about the importance of his offensive line and how he couldn’t have done it without them.  He said that his glory was really due to his defense which made it possible for him to play so well in every game.  He didn’t just thank his wide receivers and running backs, he credited his award to them for their hard work.   While the media was making Drew Brees look like some kind of a quarterback god, he didn’t use that to his advantage, but he humbled himself and gave the credit to everyone around him.

                In football, the quarterback MUST lead by being a servant.  In a game, quarterbacks, especially pocket passers like Brees, don’t run the ball all that much and they never catch a pass they throw.  They hand the ball off.  They serve the ball in the hands of their receivers.  The best quarterbacks are the greatest servants to the offense when you think about it.  But why do they do it?  We don’t consider them selfless, do we?  No, not really.  Because we know that they are trying to win.  Drew Brees is a servant leader because he wants to be part of something special—he wants to win the Super Bowl.  And he knows that the best way of doing it is to serve the offense in the best way he knows how.

                This doesn’t only happen in sports either.  In the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, JRR Tolkien wrote about how this works in other aspects of life.  In the story, the ringbearer, Frodo, was charged with the task of destroying the One Ring of Power so that Sauron, the epitome of evil, could not have the ring for himself.  If Sauron had the one ring, he would destroy all of Middle Earth.  But while Frodo eventually did destroy the ring, he couldn’t have done what he did without Samwise Gamgee, his trusted friend.  Why did Sam follow his friend through the horrors of the land?  He wasn’t going to win any Super Bowl.  There wasn’t a pile of treasure at the end of the journey to look forward to either.  But Sam knew that there was a reward.  The reward was to be a part of something important—to save the world from falling into the hands of evil.  So he became Frodo’s servant in order that the world might be kept safe for not only himself but for future generations.

                Jesus also gave his life for a purpose—to give you life.  That’s why he was willing to do what he did.  Because God so loved the world.  You are important enough in God’s eyes that Jesus came to die for you.  In order for you or I to follow Jesus into servanthood for others, we also need to understand what we are doing it for.  What is the reward that we are working for?  Jesus tells his disciples one of the rewards in Matthew chapter 19, “Everyone who has left houses, or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”  In other words, following Jesus will change your life and give you a new one.  But there’s more. 

                Why do mothers stay up all night to nurse their children?  Why do Sunday School teachers and our GROW volunteers take the time to shepherd tons of rowdy kids?  Why serve others as Jesus did?  Ask yourself this question: whose life will change when God works through you? 

                Judgment Day is bigger than the Super Bowl.  The battle against evil isn’t just some story in a book.  If you’ve ever wanted to become part of something big, Jesus tells you how to succeed in the kingdom of God.  “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first, must be slave of all.”  

Sermon for March 11th (A Light to the Gentiles)

                Dogs.  Has anyone ever called you a dog?  Think of the connotations.  In today’s world, if a man is called a “dog” it often means that they treat women badly.  If a woman is called a “dog” it means that she is ugly.  In Middle Eastern countries, to be called a “dog” is one of the biggest insults imaginable.  In some translations of today’s gospel, translators have changed the word “dog” into “puppy” or “little dog” to somehow smooth over the words Jesus used.  Don’t do that.  Let the name stick.  There is a reason Jesus called this woman a dog and it’s important that you know it.  Because, in God’s eyes, you are also a dog.

                God chose a particular group of people to be set apart in this world.  He called them by name and blessed them to be a blessing to the people around them.  They were called to be a light to the nations and a city on a hill to glorify God’s name through their actions.  God’s chosen people are the Jews, often called the Israelites in the Bible.  You, however, are not a Jew.  You are not a member of God’s chosen people.

                In God’s eyes, there are only two kinds of people.  Those chosen and those who are not.  Jews and Gentiles.  God’s children and the dogs.  We are the dogs.  We are God’s good creation, but we are not in God’s family by birthright.

                It’s imperative that you know this because, as a dog, you need to know your place.  What is and is not expected of you.  The Jews can talk about their pedigree, their birthright—Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  “The gifts and call of God to the Jews is irrevocable” Saint Paul says in Romans, “Because of the patriarchs” because of who their ancestors were.  Just like some of you here get special treatment in town because of your last name or who your grandpa is or was.  Jews get special treatment in God’s eyes.  You do not.  You are a dog.  Ruff!  As a dog, you must come before God is a different way—through the doggie gate you might say.

                The woman in the gospel lesson knows this and so she fought for her rights as only a dog can.  Jesus said, “First, let the children eat all they want,”  He told her, “For it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”  “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”  Some of you have dogs and you understand what this is talking about very personally.  If your dog hopped up onto the table at dinnertime, you’d yell at them and kick-em out of the room.  But when meat falls onto the floor what do we often say, “Leave it for the dog.”  We eat what’s on the table, the dogs eat what’s on the floor.

                As dogs, we get the leftovers, the trash, the stuff the chosen children of God threw away.  That is all we have a right to.  If we enter the house, it must be through this doggie doorway.  But oh what crumbs we have been left!  When Jesus was betrayed, handed over and crucified, abandoned and left for dead outside the city gates on Golgotha, the trash heap of the town, God’s kingdom was left for the dogs . . . the dogs, like you and me.

                Ironically, God’s Messiah was foretold to bring salvation to the Gentiles, but who could have imagined that it would be in this way.  Isaiah prophesied that the one called to bring back those of Israel would become a light to the Gentiles, that God’s salvation would reach as far as the ends of the Earth.  When Jesus was thrown out by the children of God, the chosen ones, it became a great day to be a dog!  Ruff!  When Jesus was crucified on the trash heap of Jerusalem, he became food for the dogs.  The Jews were meant to be a light for the nations, a city on a hill, Jesus instead became that light.  The crumbs the children left behind and discarded has become our daily bread.

                As a dog, your only hope to enter into God’s presence is by the doggie-gate.  Jesus said, “I am the gate.”  By faith in Jesus Christ alone, you are given access to the kingdom of God.  Not by good deeds or by birthright—by faith alone could you be called a child of God even though you are a dog.

                Some of you have dogs.  They are pets , they you treat them as children.  You dress them up to keep them warm.  Perhaps they sleep in the same bed as you.  You talk to them often and pay enormous expenses to keep them happy and healthy.  Other people might look at you funny for treating your pet in this way, but your dog means a lot to you.  They are like a child in many ways.  However, there are limitations even for the most beloved of pets.  You do not write them into the will, for example.  You do not leave your money to the family dog.  They don’t get a seat at the dinner table at Easter dinner.  And there are times that, if those pets forget who they truly are, there are consequences.  Even for the most beloved of pets. 

Just think of the movie, Lady and the Tramp, Lady was as loved of a dog as there ever was , that is, until a baby came along.  Then, even though she was still loved, the baby was a part of the family in a different way.  And, when push came to shove, Lady was sent out to the dog house while the baby stayed safely inside the house.  Make no doubt about it, even the most beloved dog is still a dog.

We are dogs in God’s kingdom—don’t ever forget it.  We live off the crumbs the children have left us.  We come to God by faith alone in Jesus.  We can’t point to our faithful parents and hope for any special treatment from God.  We can’t look to our denominational background and hope for help there.  Our race or the country that we live in doesn’t matter a darn bit in God’s eyes.  We are the dogs and the doggie gate into God’s kingdom is Jesus.  Nothing more and nothing less.  Without Jesus, we have no hope, we are only dogs.  We must put our hope in Jesus and in Jesus alone.  But what a gift this Jesus is for us dogs.  But Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, the kingdom of heaven has gone to the dogs.  When you put your faith in the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ, it’s a dog’s day in heaven.  Ruff!

Sermon for February 26th (Farmer Sunday)

Jesus used a parable about planting seeds and crop yields to explain what happens to people when they hear the message that salvation comes through Jesus Christ.  If you are not a farmer yourself, you no doubt know a few around here.  What if we took our faith lives as Christians as seriously as farmers take their jobs?  The farmers that I know take a lot of pride in “feeding the world”.  For a Christian, the message of salvation gives life to the world as well—for eternal life.  How might we strive for excellence not just in the cornfield, but in the mission field?

Jesus starts His parable by showing us what we can and cannot control.  There will be some to whom this message comes that do not understand it.  Some people will hear God’s call and not respond at all.  We plant the seed, but only God can give it growth.  We have no power to change this.  This is hard to accept but it’s still the truth.  As true as the fact that, some years, you can do everything right when you are planting and then water floods your field for the rest of the summer.  I don’t know why it happens, but we know that it does happen.  It’s out of our control.

                But sometimes, the seeds do grow.  In an article on Deltafarmpress.com about growing corn a man named John McGillicuddy, said this, “When you lose yield, it will be either in the early development stage when yield is being established or the late development stage when yield is being preserved.”   That’s true for believers as well according to Jesus.  The fruits of faith can easily be hurt in the earliest days of belief.    

                I once asked a professor whether I should go to a nearby mall and tell people about Jesus Christ.  He told me that this would be fine, but that if I wasn’t willing to follow up with them and mentor their faith, I would be setting them up for failure.  Jesus explains that those who are youngest in their faith are the most exciting to watch, but they are also the most vulnerable.  Seeing the faith of a young child or an adult who has just begun to walk with Christ is a joyful experience; but they can easily lose that faith.  Sometimes we can’t do much to affect the harvest, with corn or with faith, but sometimes, we can do a whole lot.  If young believers are supported and persevere in their belief, their faith roots will go deeper, if not, they can easily fall away.  How might you nourish the growth of those new to the faith?

Back to the McGillicuddy article, “Whenever a corn plant goes on the defensive, it starts dumping yield. It could be a nutrition problem, it could be because plants are too crowded — there are many, many reasons. What we’re looking for is the thief that stole our last 20 bushels of yield.”  The question we must ask as Christians is: how is the Devil seeking to destroy lives and diminish God’s crop?  What can we do about that?   

Jesus explains that all believers are tempted to lose faith, not just the young ones.  The highs and lows of life can steal our faith.  We can become focused only on our worries and anxieties or only on the pleasures in life—both can be dangerous.

Farmers are notorious for complaining about it needing to rain and then complaining that it is raining too much and it needs to be dryer.  Why?  Because they know that too much of one or the other is just as bad as none of one or the other.  There has to be a balance.  The same is true about our lives.  If all we experience is happiness, we are just as tempted to fall away from God as when life is full of simply sadness.  We either think that we don’t need a God or we think that God has abandoned us.  This is why a faith community is so important to spiritual growth.  Good Christian friends can help you deal with the storms in life as well as help you gain some perspective when everything is coming up roses.

Finally, at the end of the parable, Jesus said that there are people who hear the word and understand it.  They produce good fruit.  They yield a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 

                In 1933, the average number of  bushels per acre for corn was 33 bushels per acre.  Iowa’s average in 2010 was 183.  Contest winners get up in the 300’s! 

How have Christians changed since 1933?  Are we bearing more fruit as well?  Back then, we expected Christian couples to do everything they could to stay together—now, divorce is as acceptable for Christians as for non-Christians.  We used to drive by horse and sleigh through snowstorms to get to church an hour away; now, we won’t drive 15 minutes in a warm car.  A generation ago, nobody went into the fields on Sunday mornings—it just wasn’t done.  Now, farmers feel badly  if they go to church during harvest. 

Farmers work tirelessly to improve their operations so that they can feed a growing world.  As a Christian, are you prepared to do whatever it takes to bear good fruit for the kingdom of God or will you settle for low yields year after year?  Are you happy with how your faith is yielding fruit in your life?  If not, why not?  The world is starving for Jesus Christ and they are hungry for His message of salvation.  Ask God, the Lord of the harvest, to help you produce the good fruit he created you to yield.  We plant the seeds, and nourish the faith, but only God can give the growth.  Amen.

Sermon for February 19th (Follow Me)

How would you like to drive a vehicle through a war zone?  How would you like to parachute thousands of feet through the air to lead a secret mission behind enemy lines?  How would you like to be responsible for the lives of an entire unit of young men who are counting on you?  How would you like to risk your life to protect the lives of thousands?

                Recently, on the radio, I heard an advertisement about joining the armed forces that sounded a lot like what I just read for you . . and do you know what?  I wanted to go.  Something in that commercial resonated with me.  It sounded dangerous, but it sounded worth it.  That’s the way Jesus’ call should sound to all of us.  Dangerous, but worth it.

It’s about time that you heard the truth.  When Jesus said, “Follow me” it was a call into danger.  It’s a call for you and me to walk into the war zones of this country.  It’s a call to go behind enemy lines and risk our reputations for the sake of God’s honor at work and around our friends. 

Why did 12 guys who were mostly fishermen follow Jesus away from their jobs and everyday lives?  Were they suckered into it?  No.  They knew exactly what they were getting into because Jesus told them what to expect.  It’s written right here in Matthew chapter 10, “Be on your guard,” Jesus told them, “you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues.”  Jesus tells them that they are going to be arrested, betrayed by even their own family members and would, eventually, lose their lives.  “You will be hated by everyone because of me” Jesus said. 

Is that what you were told when you joined the church?  When you became a Christian?  I bet not.  What a shame.  So now God’s army is sitting in congregational pews throughout the world, thinking that this—Sunday mornings—is what the Christian calling is all about.  No danger.  No challenge.  No cross.

Honestly.  Haven’t you ever wondered why Jesus and the disciples were murdered for this—for what we are doing?  Being a Christian today seems like no big deal—it’s just a social club.  If you sleep in late, what would you be missing really?  I’ll tell you the truth: you’re missing a lot, but you’ve got to hear the whole truth to understand why.  This morning, you’ll hear the beginning of what every Christian should have been told a long time ago.  In Jesus’ words it goes like this, “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

Since Kristy and I bought the Fontanelle Observer, I’ve gone to a lot more basketball games than I would have normally.  Here is what I’ve noticed: if there’s a good chance that our teams will lose, more of a crowd will come.  Comfortable wins keep the crowds at home.  If you can believe what I’m about to tell you this morning, it just might change your whole view of faith and of Jesus.  I hope that you’ll never want to stay home and miss church again. 

Here it is: following Jesus is dangerous.  Having faith will force you to become a risk taker.  Some of your family and friends will not like you as much as they used to.  So often, people join a church because they want to be seen as “respectable” in the community.  Here’s the truth: people won’t mind if you “say” that you are a Christian or “look” like a Christian by going to church and stuff.  But if you start ACTING like one—some people will definitely start to hate you. 

There’s more.  Being a Christian isn’t going to give you an easier life.  It’s going to make some things harder.  Sure, everybody suffers in this life, Christian or not.  But Jesus said that being a Christian was going to CREATE some suffering for you.  Let’s stop sugar coating it—Martin Luther said that one of the marks of the church was suffering.  Jesus didn’t fit in, neither should we.  Jesus said that if we didn’t take up our cross and follow him, we weren’t worthy of Him.  That’s the truth.    

At Seminary, one of my professors joked one day about how every church just had to have a mission statement.  He said that the church’s mission statement should be, “Come, die with me.”  I laughed because that statement can be taken in so many different ways.  On the one hand, mainstream religions ARE dying—less people go to church today that 60 years ago.  In addition, some churches are places where people just come for support during tough times—come die with me, I don’t want to feel alone. 

                But, in a very real way, Jesus DID tell His disciples, “Come, die with me.”  Give up your lives, your expectations, your worldly aspirations, your desire for comfortable religion.  Risk everything for your faith and the promise of eternal life.  Come into the war zone between God and the Devil.  Proclaim what you hear in scripture from the lockers at the high school and over facebook.  Don’t worry about hurting your reputation, live your life with dangerous disregard for what others think of you.  Focus on what Jesus thinks of you. 

Here’s the truth: A Christian is someone living dangerously, losing their life in order to gain a different one.  Jesus never promised us a comfortable existence; He promised to lead us in victory over sin, death and the Devil.  “For whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” Jesus said.  Yes, that’s sounds dangerous.  But it’s worth it.  Amen.     

Sermon for February 12th (Get A Life)

(Lightning McQueen #1)

Men in particular, but people in general, don’t like being saved.  We’d rather make it on our own.    We want to be rugged individualists.  We are a proud.  We want to be able to trust ourselves to handle even the most difficult situations.  We think that getting any help would get in the way of living life that way we want.  But there are times when even the most self-reliant of us, need to look outside of ourselves for help. 

(Mr. Restroom toilet paper refiller)

 As that Real Men of Genius commercial points out, we may not want a savior, but when you are stuck in the bathroom with no hope of getting out, even the restroom toilet paper refiller person becomes a hero for you.   As human beings, people like to handle things themselves, but there comes a time in every person’s life when you not only want a Savior, but you need a Savior.  Who is Jesus to you?  A 3^rd wheel or a hero?  The answer to that question will define your life.

                The trouble is that most of us live thinking that we are doing fine on our own.  We don’t want any help.  The theologian Martin Luther said that sin makes people who are blind, think they can see, it makes someone who is deaf believe that they can actually hear, sin makes someone who is lost who believe that they have found their way, when they are actually walking to their death. Sin either leads to pride or despair:.  Either way, we stop truly living the life God intends for us.   What happens when we fail to realize our dreams?  What if our great plans end in disappointment and there is nothing to fall back on?  What happens when you lose all hope?  Or, what happens if you get everything you ever wanted and then realize too late that your priorities were all wrong? 

                Whichever way you go, the wages of sin are death.  But there is hope.  There is a hero for you. Psalm 18: “The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.  The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.  In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help.  He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.  He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.” 

Jesus gives a different kind of hope than the world gives.  A new kind of life.  But it only comes from admitting the truth.  “I cannot live on my own.”  Repeat it with me if you so choose, “I cannot live on my own.”  You can’t be your own hero.  When you have utterly despaired of all other things, when you’ve given up your personal salvation project, you are ready for a hero.  You are ready to really start living.  Then Jesus Christ becomes more than just a friend, or simply a great man of history, but YOUR Savior.  He becomes your life! 

Without a crew chief, McQueen couldn’t race.  Without Mr. restroom toilet paper refiller, you are stuck hopping around a stall.  But with Jesus as your Savior, get ready to step out into a new life.

(2^nd Lightning McQueen clip)

There are some of you who haven’t heard a word I’ve said today.  Why?  Well, like I said before, you are doing just fine on your own, “Thank you very much!”  You aren’t in trouble.  In fact, your dreams are working out perfectly nicely.  You are just getting better and better every day of your life.  I want you to listen to this:

(Mr. Silent Gas Passer)

Some people are so proud that they believe even some of their most disgusting habits are to be admired.  But the prophet Isaiah said that even our most righteous virtues are as filthy rags before God.  Self-sufficiency is great, but how many of us use it as a weapon against God’s mercy saying, “I don’t need your help right now God.  Thanks anyway.”  We use our power and achievement not in service to God, but as an excuse to NOT worship God, “I’ve got too much work to do on Sundays, can’t go to church.”  Working hard, standing on your own too feet, making money—these are virtues both in the eyes of God and in the eyes of this world.  But if they have pushed God out of your life, they don’t make you a hero, they stink up your life as much as Mr. Silent Gas Passer stinks up his house. 

The Devil seeks to steal, lie and destroy.  It is obvious when we are depressed, that our lives are falling apart, but many of you here are sitting with smiles on your faces with your life falling apart.  You just can’t see it.  You have no idea what your life could be like. 

In the movie, The Family Man, a successful president of a huge company is given a glimpse of what his life would have been like if he had chosen love over his career when he had the chance.  To choose family over success.  Love over money.  At the start, he thinks he’s got it all.  He’s rich, powerful and popular with the ladies.  By the end, he has realized that he never knew what meaning his life could really have. 

You see, the Devil wins when we lose all our hope and become depressed—that’s obvious—but he also wins when we begin to hope only in ourselves.  We settle for so much less than what God has in store.  For some of you, YOU are your own worst enemy.  You trust in yourself and NOT in God.  You’re afraid that having Jesus as your Savior would destroy your life.  Saint Paul gives you the another possibility, “Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. “  Following Jesus will give you a life.  Full of adventure, purpose, meaning and love. 

God values power and competence.  It’s just that he wants you to trust in His power and competence more than anyone else’s—more than the power you have.  “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”  That’s what Saint Paul said in the book of Ephesians.  You can trust God to defeat the evil in your life, but only through His power, not your own.  Having a Savior doesn’t mean that God destroys your self-sufficiency.  Jesus Christ gives you the power to really live, to be a hero for others, to stand up against forces you could not hope to defeat on your own.  You cannot be the hero you want to be unless you bow down to God, let Him be YOUR hero, and trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. 

                .  Psalm 28 says it best, “I love you, Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”  The world, your mind, the law, your family, they all say, “Do this,” but it is never done.  You never start living.  Jesus Christ says, “Have faith that God can do it” and everything is done already.  This week, get a life.  Figure out who Jesus is.  With Jesus as your Savior, you can start living the life God has planned for you.  Amen.  

Sermon for February 5th (Anxiety)

Anxiety is the topic of the day.  What does the Bible have to say about anxiety?  Psychologists have found that when a person is put under stress, whatever kind of stress that might be, they have a very simple response in one of two directions.  Fight or flight.  They will either turn and run from the stress in some way or turn and fight.

                When I first started playing football, in 5^th grade, I was being teased one time at practice.  Most of the time, I could take it, but today, it really made me angry.  I was about to throw a punch when I realized that I could get in a whole lot of trouble if I hit another kid so, my fear of consequences won out and I ran away. 

                What do you do when you have a big assignment or a big project?  Do you stand and fight or turn and run?  Some people seek to control every aspect of their lives so that stress cannot affect them.  They are organized to the nth degree and anyone who seeks to change their routine gets their head cut off.  They become anxious when things in their life feel out of control.  Some of you deal with stress by trying to control it. 

But maybe you are just the opposite.   You procrastinate down to the very last minute?  You worry that the big project is going to be too hard for you or that you won’t have enough time to finish I so you never start.  Some people become anxious because they are always trying to find ways to avoid the stress in their lives.  And the more stress they avoid, the more afraid they become that it will all catch up with them. 

                I’m not a psychologist so that’s about as far as I can go trying to explain anxiety.  I’m not a doctor, so I can’t prescribe you pills either.  My call is to share with you what the Bible says about anxiety and how we can deal with this dilemma, as Christians.  Does God have any help for you?  I believe He does. 

To start, here’s the biblical truth:  Anxiety is a sin.  Whoa, you may say, hold on a moment!  How can I say that anxiety is a sin?  Stress is a normal part of life, right?  But anxiety happens either when you are trying to do God’s job for him or when you do not trust God to do His job.  Let me repeat that again: Anxiety happens either when you are trying to do God’s job for Him, or, when you do not trust God to do his job.  Anxiety is NOT how God would have us deal with stress in our lives.  He has commanded us to trust Him and, let’s be honest, most of us don’t. 

How do you normally deal with stress?  TV?  Cookies and ice cream?  By reading books to be better organized or learn how to become more assertive?  We normally look to ourselves to handle it.  I would like to offer you a different suggestion: become more organized by all means.  Bake cookies.  Learn to say no.  All these things are great to do.  But how you deal with stress as a Christian has much less to do with technique and a lot to do with your faith.  God calls us to trust Him to handle our stress.  “In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” 

2 Corinthians 10 says this, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 

You’ve got a trust problem with God.  That’s what causes anxiety.  Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin, but if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”  Who do you trust more to deal with the stress in your life?  You or God?  That’s the key to your freedom. 

When you admit the truth, that you have a trust problem with God, that your anxiety, your worrying, your desire to control, is a sin, you receive complete forgiveness from God.  But even when you are assured of salvation, many people still deal with the after effects of a life lived in fear or of a compulsion to control.

When I was in Junior High, the US invaded Iraq the first time.  I remember coming home and seeing on the TV that we were at war.  We had weapons, they had weapons, and I hadn’t even known it was happening.  I thought I was immune from things like war.

As I have become more familiar with the Bible.  I have begun to realize that there is another war going on everyday that most of us are unaware of.  We’ve heard of the teams, but we don’t give them much thought.  We certainly don’t think that it affects us much.  And yet, WE are the battlefield.  Our hearts and minds and bodies.  As the saying goes, “The greatest lie the Devil ever told was that he didn’t exist.”  Jesus cast out demons and told his followers to do the same to fight against the schemes of the Devil, but a lot of Christians today live their lives believing demons don’t even exist.  We think we are immune.  Scripture says that not only do they exist, but they can oppress Christian believers in order to terrorize us and wreck havoc in our lives. 

Forgiveness makes you right with God for all eternity, but you may still suffer from panic attacks even though you know you shouldn’t.  You may struggle with an overwhelming sense of guilt even though you believe that you are forgiven.  You may know that God is trustworthy, but you are compelled to worry anyway. 

If you are one of the people in this boat, reminding you about how to resist the temptation to worry isn’t enough-you are already a “slave” to these sins and you feel it.  Helping you deal with stress isn’t the issue anymore.  According to Psalm 94, our only hope to fight this kind of anxiety is God himself, “Who will rise up for me against the wicked?  Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?  Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.  When I said, “My foot is lipping, your love, O Lord, supported me.  When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” 

God comforts his people in many ways, I just believe we usually only focus on the comfort of eternal life-forgiveness.  But God’s salvation throughout history has always been considered just as much for the here and now as for eternity.  Not just for the afterlife, but for this life as well. 

I believe we have all been tricked to believe that people must suffer from anxiety.  That it’s normal.  That we just don’t have enough “faith” to be happy.  But that’s not the truth God speaks in scripture.  God has given his church a ministry of healing and deliverance to go along with the assurance of your salvation.  There is no reason God’s children should suffer the attacks of evil spirits and demons anymore.  Jesus Christ called us to do more than just preach the good news, but to heal the sick and cast out demons.  Saint Paul said the gospel came with power!  He said, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you.”  Jesus did more than forgive sin; he freed God’s people from the power of the Devil

I realize that, for some of you, this message might be causing you anxiety.  You want to run away from it or argue with me about it.  Fight or flight.  But there is no reason to fear or fight what God has instituted as a gift for his church.  How can we not do what Jesus has commanded us to do?  You see, I am not a psychologist.  I am not a doctor.  I am a pastor, so all I can truly give you is the truth of scripture and the hope of Jesus Christ.  Who will rise up for you against the evil that oppresses you?  Jesus Christ alone.  And he has called his church to fight this battle in His name. 

      Trust God to deal with your stress, but if you have fallen into the trap of anxiety and now believe you are being oppressed by this sin, please don’t try to fight this battle on your own.  At the name of Jesus Christ, the Devil himself trembles.  There is still hope and help for you in the church of God.    Just ask.

Sermon for January 29th (Parenting)

            There are a lot of books out there about raising children, being a better parent and becoming a happy family.  There's Parenting Magazine, Mothering Magazine and Family Fun to show you how to make your children smarter and how to encourage them to eat all of their vegetables.  If you want to throw a birthday party, you can get on the internet and find all the ideas you could ever need to make an amazing event that will make your two-year-old the envy of the entire playgroup.  But there's always another book, a new technique, more product recalls and a different article telling you how you failed at parenting once again.  Society would make you believe that if you just learned the newest parenting technique your dysfunctional home would become happy.  Your wife would be calm.  Your husband would be engaged and the kids would all be quiet.  The Bible also has something to say about parenting and the family.  Two messages that the world doesn't seem to talk much about: truth and forgiveness.        I want you to look at two sets of values- set A and set B.  First I want to ask you which set characterizes the values of Jesus Christ and his true disciples?  Competence or love?  Power or Communication?  Efficiency or Beauty?  Achievement or Relationships?  Now I want you to ask yourselves which set characterizes the values of a perfect family?  Skills or Support?  Proving oneself or Helping?  Results or Nurturing?  Accomplishment or Feelings?  These sets are from the best-selling book Men are From Mars, Women Are From Venus and set A represents values common among Men, while set B represents the values common among women.  Interesting isn't it?  According to the book, "How Women Help Men Find God" 90% of people will say that Jesus Christ and his true disciples should fit the values of set B - normally considered feminine values.  Even though Jesus was a man with 12 other male disciples--most of them fishermen.  Family values also seem to be accepted as feminine values.  Is it any wonder why faith and family issues are often seen as "women's territory" and men don't feel as capable, or responsible, for dealing with them?  But, if families are to be strong, we need to value not just loving cooperation, but success.  Not just community, but self-sufficiency.  Mothers and Fathers leading the charge together.  And I believe that's exactly what the Bible teaches.

            Do we see Jesus talk a lot about communicating better with our children?  About nurturing them and their self-esteem?  Not really.  In fact, the rest of the Bible really doesn't talk like that either.  The values in set B are important in the Bible, just not MORE important than those in set A.  Remember, God created man and women for partnership and biblical values reflect that often much better than society does when it comes to parenting.

            In the book of Joshua, the Israelite leader, Joshua, made it clear that God's people all had a choice to make for their families: follow other gods or follow the one true God.  He led by example saying, "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." 

            Do you notice how UNlike the normal message to families this is?  When you watch commercials selling a product, do you ever notice that they offer a "moneyback guarantee"?  Magazines encourage us to "try out new ways of discipline to see if they work--we can always go back to other ways.  Joshua, on the other hand, tells the families he leads that they must make a choice.  He tells them, "Now fear the Lord, serve him with all faithfulness.  Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped."  There's no money back guarantee.  It's a choice and Joshua acknowledges that he values each family's self-sufficiency.  He explains, "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve."  The normal message to families is this: You might be missing out of something.  The biblical message is this: You will be missing out on some things to follow God.  Decide whether you can accept that.

            Notice something.  Joshua isn't getting a support group organized to discuss how the Israelites feel about this.  He isn't asking for their opinions or even helping them make their choice.  He respects their competence as adults.  He acknowledges the power they have to make this choice.  And it is an important choice to say the least.  They can choose to worship God or not.  But their choice will affect their families for generations.

            Most people think that life is like driving a car.  Making good choices is like sticking it in drive and coming closer to God.  Making bad choices is putting it in reverse.  And we think that, most of the time, we're in neutral--we just haven't decided yet.  We're Christians, we just don't go to church.  You know--neutral.

            Life is a lot more like a river and you're in a canoe.  You are either going with the flow toward a waterfall--and the rocks below--or you are paddling against the current--there is no neutral in a canoe.  When the rapids of life are rolling, you have to work hard just to stay where you are.  As a family, following Jesus Christ means a life of hard work, paddling like crazy against the currents of temptation and destruction within this society.  Here's the thing for parents to know: you have the paddles, but your family is in the boat.  Will you keep paddling or just go downstream and take your chances with the rocks?  It might not sound motivational, but that's the truth. 

            The church also offers forgiveness.  You may think your family is too far gone.  That you've made far too many mistakes.  That you should just give up and enjoy the ride down the waterfall.  Jesus says, "You have sinned and your family has suffered for it.  But hear this: Your sins are forgiven.  Not by Oprah or your therapist, but by the only one who has the authority to forgive sins: God himself."  Trust in Jesus Christ to lead you and stand by your side.  Trust in Jesus Christ to give you the power to stand up for your faith.  Jesus has chosen you, warts and all, so that you can make a choice for your family--to paddle upstream against the currents of the world. 

            Joshua knew that the only way for a family to follow God is to give parents the choice to lead or to choose not to.  At the end of the day, the households of Israelites couldn't rely on Joshua to be there for the everyday battles.  They had to decide to fight for their faith or not to.  The Bible says that the most important choice parents have to make isn't whether to breastfeed or not, to go to McDonalds or not, to spank or not.  It's this: Are you a household of faith or not.  When you go home today--decide.

            As parents, we have all failed, that's the truth.  Jesus forgives you--that's also the truth.  Now, you have a new opportunity for a different future.  Christian families must be ready to paddle toward Jesus.  To be able to stand up and say for themselves, "I don't care what my parents did.  I'm not simply going to follow my friends.  I'm leading my family to a future that has a future.  As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."