A sermon preached on Sunday, December 20, 2009 at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana by pastor Joe Alain.
Scripture Reading: Luke 3:1-6 (7-14)
Background Scripture: Isaiah 40:3-5
John the Baptist’s ministry was one of removing the clutter so that people could prepare for the coming of the Lord and in that respect his message has a lot to say to us about how we can experience an uncluttered Christmas.
John the Baptist certainly is one of the most colorful and unlikely characters in the story of Jesus. Apart from sermons that deal with Zechariah and Elizabeth, we don’t usually invite the adult John to our Christmas celebrations. He seems too serious, too rugged, to harsh, to forceful with his message of repentance. John was a man who wore a camel hair coat before camel hair coats were cool and he lived on a lean diet of locusts and wild honey (how’s that for your new year’s resolution diet!). John never took a class on how to win friends and influence people and his marketing techniques would be considered all wrong today, but the power of God was upon John and the Word of God was in him. And even though he went into the wilderness of obscurity, he attracted great crowds.
I. CLUTTER
Our lives and hearts are often cluttered.
We can learn a lot from John’s ministry of uncluttering the message of Christmas because the Christmas season is often a very cluttered time. Our calendars are jam packed, the stores are crowded, the traffic is worse than usual, we’re busy gathering up gifts to give and receiving gifts that often end up in our garages or closets. On top of all that, it sure is hard to be good with all of the holiday foods and goodies around. The waistline gets a little cluttered around this time of the year. The truth is, our lives are cluttered but so are our hearts. The heart clutter threatens to crowd Jesus out. What we need in these few days leading up to Christmas day is to see beyond the clutter of living to the hope that was born many years ago in Bethlehem.
The challenge in John’s word in the wilderness came from the prophet Isaiah spoken at the time Israel was in exile in Babylon. Separating God’s people from their home was a wilderness, a barrier that seemed impossible for them to overcome. In their mind, the path back home was just too cluttered, cluttered with broken promises and broken idols. The way back seemed so rough, so insurmountable. The people of God had lost all hope of scaling the spiritual mountains to come back to God. We too sense that hopelessness at times. We look across the spiritual wasteland of broken relationships, broken promises, unfulfilled dreams, and we wonder, “is there any way back? Is there hope for my marriage? Can the clutter be removed so that we can restore what we once had? Can my relationship with my child be restored?” It seems that there is just too much clutter in our hearts, it’s too hard, it’s a barrier that seems impassable.
The promise in Isaiah 40:3-5, where we find the words John quotes, is that comfort will come to God’s people, that in the wilderness a way will be prepared for the Lord, much like the way was prepared for ancient kings to visit the remote parts of their kingdoms. A king would send out a party to go before him. They would prepare the way, even repairing roads if necessary, for the king’s arrival. John is saying that the way to the King of Kings (the Messiah) is being cleared! The ditches are being filled in, the clutter is being removed, the crooked paths are being straightened, and the potholes are being patched. So John’s messages was a message of incredible hope. God would make a way where there seemed to be no way. That way, John came to announce not only to Israel, but to us too. We too who feel hopeless and who have lost courage, who cannot get beyond the brokenness, we too can find the way home.
As we begin to look at this passage, the context is seen in 3:1-2a.
II. CONTEXT (3:1-2a)
Luke, being a careful historian gives us a wealth of information in his Gospel that helps us set forth the historical setting and accuracy of the New Testament. Here, the information dates John’s ministry and gives us information about the time in which he ministered.
Luke first gives us the political situation of the day.
1. Political Context (3:1)
John’s ministry occurred during “The reign of Tiberius Caesar.” Tiberias was the successor of Augustus and the second of the Roman Emperors. As early as A.D. 11 or 12 Augustus had made him his colleague in the imperial power but he did not become sole emperor until A.D. 14. The fifteenth year of his reign would therefore be around A.D. 28-29.
The next three people mentioned along with dates are connected with the political organization of Palestine. The title tetrarch literally means governor of a fourth part, but later on came to mean governor of any part. When Herod the Great who ruled Palestine from 37-4 B.C. (1:5; see Matt. 2) died, his kingdom was divided between three of his sons. Herod was the ruler during the time of Zechariah and Elizabeth and the birth of John.
Luke dates John’s ministry during the time of “Herod tetrarch of Galilee.” Herod Antipas (son of Herod the Great) ruled Galilee and Perea from 4 B.C. to A.D. 39. Jesus’ life was lived in Herod’s reign and mostly in the areas that he controlled.
“His brother Philip” (another son of Herod the Great) was “tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis.” He ruled from 4 B.C. to A.D. 33. Philip built Caesarea Philippi which was named after him.
Luke also dates John’s ministry during the time of “Pontius Pilate . . . governor of Judea.” Herod Archelaus (another son of Herod the Great) ruled over Judea, Samaria, and Edom from 4 B.C. to A.D. 6 but he was such a bad king that the citizens petitioned Rome for his removal. Rome impatient with all of the trouble that was in the area installed Pontius Pilate who ruled from A.D. 25-37.
“Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene.” He ruled in the region northwest of Damascus. We know practically nothing about him.
2. The Religious Context (3:2a)
Next Luke provides the religious context. “During the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas.” Annas was the high priest from A.D. 7-14. The office had been hereditary and for life. When Rome came to power the office became political. From 37 B.C. to A.D. 26 there were no fewer than 28 high priests. Four sons succeeded Annas and Caiaphas (18-36 A.D.) was his son-in-law. Annas though was the power behind the throne (See John 18:13). For all practical purposes, the High Priest was the ruling power in Jerusalem. Along with the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Council, they controlled the daily life of the Jewish people.
Why does Luke spend so much time giving us these historical details? All of Luke’s careful historical analysis points out that The story of Jesus is firmly rooted in history. When some knew theory arises that challenges the historical accuracy of the story of Jesus, and they will continue to do so, always know that you have a reliable text in the Bible that you have. Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:16, NIV, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” See also vv.20-21.
Paul warns believers to not be caught up in what he calls “myths” that “promote controversies rather than God’s work – which is by faith” (1 Tim. 1:4). Instead of following “godless myths,” “train yourself to be godly” (1 Tim. 4:7). There’s another new year resolution. Train yourself to be godly.
III. COMFORT (3:2b)
It is in this context that the Word of God comes to John.
1. The Person: “to John the son of Zechariah”
Luke tells us that the “word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.” John lived an uncluttered life – a life of focus. Luke seems to contrast the powerful political and religious rulers over against the humble man who is the “son of Zechariah.” The word of God comes not to the worldly and powerful, but to the lowly and humble, like John.
2. The Place: “in the desert”
John has been in the wilderness for many years. The last time you see John is in Luke 1:80. Several reasons have been suggested why John was in the desert. (1) Some of suggested that John’s parents, being old, died while he was young. It’s possible the Essenes, a Jewish group living by the Dead Sea, may have taken him in. (2) As a son of a priest, he would have taken up training for the priesthood. Perhaps he left to prepare for His priestly work. It’s obvious that John’s desert experiences are tied with his training. He was there to prepare for his mission. A great work is always preceded by grave (serious) preparation. The desert is symbolic of testing and preparation. All great men and women have been to the school of the desert. God has been preparing John for his ministry.
Before God can use you, He wants to know if you’re willing to serve in obscurity.
3. The Proclamation: “the word of God”
The word used here for “word” is not the “logos” but it is the “Rhema.” This word denotes a particular word or message that is spoken or proclaimed. This speaks to the fact that John’s message was sharply focused, clear, uncluttered. John had a focused message. Point 1 – Repent! Point 2 – Repent! Point 3 – Repent! Each of us seeks meaning in life. Each of us want direction, focus, a word from God for the particular situations that we face in life. That word of God that speaks to the particulars of our lives is what we receive from Him, when we listen and hear. The Word of God speaks to the particulars of our lives.
The word “came to John.” The force of the (language) preposition is that of pressure from above. It came upon John. It inspired him, burdened him, spoke clearly to him, effected him. The “rhema” will do the same for us.
There is much that John has to say concerning how we can experience an uncluttered life and an uncluttered Christmas. So what does it mean to have an uncluttered heart?
The Uncluttered Heart . . .
1. Hears God’s Word
John was able to hear God’s Word. God’s word comes to the uncluttered heart. Is our life cluttered? Do we try to focus on too many things? Do we make wise choices so we are able to focus? Clutter in our lives and hearts keeps us from hearing God’s Word. Determine that in the new year you are going to make a conscious effort to spend some quiet time with God so that you can hear His Word and His voice.
2. Receives God’s Forgiveness
After the Word of God pressed upon John, he went to the area surrounding the Jordan and he preached “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” The NKJV has “remission” which means “forgiveness.” The NLT says it best when it reads that John preached “that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.” John was saying, “get ready, and to show that you are ready, change the direction of your life. Show that you’re making a break with your past and you are going in God’s direction.” John made it clear that the day of obstacles was over. No more excuses could be made. Every obstacle had been demolished between sinful man and a holy God. The highway to heaven had been cleared, John says – get ready!
Forgiveness by its nature is the divine action that unclutters our lives and opens the way for a new kind of life. Forgiveness opens the way to God. Forgiveness is the act of removing the sin, taking it away never to return. Forgiveness is a new start. Repentance, turning to God, prepares our heart for the Lord to come and bring his forgiveness. Daily, we need the clutter removed from our lives.
The uncluttered heart hears God’s word, receives God’s forgiveness, and . . .
3. Embraces God’s Mission
John’s life was changed by the Word of God and in response to that change and in obedience to the Lord, he embraced his task of sharing the “Good News.” Repentance means that we now have a new purpose and a new power to break down the barriers that keep others from coming to the Lord. We too are able to help others see God’s salvation. But to embrace God’s mission is costly for it requires that we be . . .
– Undivided in our loyalty to Christ. John’s loyalty was undivided – it was uncluttered. What about my loyalty to Jesus? If we are to embrace God’s mission, we must live uncluttered lives before God, we must be loyal to Him.
– To embrace God’s mission is costly because it requires that we be undivided in our commitment to breaking down every barrier, every hindrance to the Gospel. Embracing God’s mission means living a changed life. Every response that John gave to the people he shared with who wanted to know, “how shall we live?” was centered on living a new ethical life (see vv.7-14). John was saying, “live a life that shows you have turned to God.” And so as I embrace God’s mission, I commit to embrace a new kind of life. My pride, my prejudices, my unforgiveness, my unloving and hurtful words, all of the clutter must be removed from my heart and life. We must seek to live uncluttered lives so that we can unclutter the pathway for others to journey on. We must in the language of the Msg paraphrase spiritually,
“Make the road smooth and straight!
Every ditch will be filled in,
Every bump smoothed out,
The detours straightened out,
All the ruts paved over.”
Why do all this? We must prepare the way of the Lord. The king is coming, He’s on His way. Are you ready? The clutter has been removed – it’s time to trust Him and for us to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sharing Christmas Joy, Luke 1:18-25, 57-66
A sermon preached on December 13, 2009 at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana by Pastor Joe Alain.
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:18-25, 57-66
The birth of a child brings great joy, it is a joyful event that you want to share with others. But imagine not being able to share your joy? Imagine having been blessed with such good news but you were unable to share your great joy.
Because of unbelief, Zechariah was unable to share his joy in the news that his wife was going to have a son, he would become a father! Zechariah’s privilege of sharing his joy was postponed. Unbelief, fear, doubt, robbed him of the blessing of accepting God’s plan and sharing his good news. Unbelief causes us to miss out on what God is doing in our lives and the blessings of joy that He has for us. On the other hand, trust in Christ and in God’s Word enables us to participate in God’s plans for our life and to share the “Good News” that He’s at work in our world. Faith in Jesus frees us to live a life of purpose, gratitude, and praise.
Jesus and John – Comparison and Contrast
When you look at how Luke unfolds the story of Jesus in these opening chapters, he obviously wants his readers to compare and contrast Jesus and John the Baptist. When you compare the two, we see that both children are announced in advance by the angel Gabriel (1:11, 28). Both births are unnatural or miraculous (Elizabeth is past child-bearing age and Mary is a virgin). And in both cases the angel tells what the name of the child should be (1:13, 31).
But there are also contrasts made between John and Jesus. John was born to an aged woman who was barren, Jesus was born to a young virgin. John was given a name which means “God is gracious,” Jesus was given a name which means “Savior.” John was to prepare the way of the Lord, Jesus was the Lord!
God broke 400 years of silence when the angel Gabriel came to Zechariah and promised that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son (v.13). Zechariah, although a devout believer (v.6) doubted that God would bring this promise to pass. You see his skepticism in verse 18 when he says, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man.” Zechariah is looking at things from the human viewpoint. Zechariah is saying, “from where I am standing, this is impossible, things like this don’t happen.” But from God’s viewpoint, “nothing is impossible” (1:37). And of course, if you noticed Zechariah being a gentleman referred to his wife as “well advanced in years” not an old woman! In that respect, he obviously was a very wise man.
Zechariah and Mary – Evidence Vs Explanation
John Piper reminds us that there is one more contrast, between the announcement of John and Jesus’ birth that is worth noting; that is, how each of them responded to the angel’s message. How did Mary respond to the angel when she first heard the news? Mary said, “How can this be, since I have no husband?” (v.34). Do you see the contrast? Zechariah says, How can I know this – Mary says, How can this be? Zechariah is essentially asking for more evidence, Mary is asking for an explanation. Zechariah says “I cannot be sure;” Mary says “I cannot understand.” There’s a difference between the two responses. God does honor the humble and sincere plea for understanding. It’s not wrong to want evidence for our faith, but Jesus tells us that there is an evil in demanding signs beyond what sincere hearts would require (see Luke 11:29).
It was not that Zechariah “could not” believe, he “would not” believe the good news that Gabriel had brought, although he should have believed considering the fact that Gabriel came straight from God Himself! “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God” (1:19). It’s almost as if Gabriel cannot believe that Zechariah cannot believe. You can almost hear Gabriel saying, “Did you not pray for a child? Your answer is hear.”
Zechariah is experiencing a crisis of faith. Would he believe God or not? He and Elizabeth had prayed for a child, now would he completely trust God to bring it to pass, even if it did not happen as he might have thought it would. When you pray, it is not always the “asking” that takes faith, it is the “receiving.” Why is this? Because God gives us the answer often in a different form than what we would have come up with. They prayed for a child and figured that God would answer them in the usual manner. But God often answers our prayers in a way that stretches and tests our faith. His answers to our prayers come in unlikely ways.
Why does God do that? Why surprise us? For one thing, I think God has a better sense of humor that we do. Zechariah and Elizabeth had to wonder, “you’re kidding, right?” Why surprise us? It’s more than the fact that God does indeed have a sense of humor, who do you think created humor? He does things like give senior saints a baby because he is more interested in making us like Himself for eternity rather than simply satisfying our immediate needs. Remember, his answered prayers are always related to His kingdom purposes. He answers prayer in a way that is always consistent with His purposes and not necessarily ours. God often asks us to simply believe, to trust Him to do the humanly impossible. He wants us to learn to trust Him and live by faith (Heb. 11:1). And the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth reminds us that you never outgrow the need to learn the lessons of living by faith.
From Faithless to Speechless
Because of his unbelief, his stalling for more evidence (v.20), Zechariah would be struck “speechless,” silent, unable to speak, unable to share a word of testimony concerning what God was doing. Think about it. The 400 years of prophetic silence were broken with this revelation to Zechariah (see Mal. 4:4-6), but the good news that the silence was broken would have to wait 9 more months.
Zechariah’s judgement corresponded to his sin. God’s plan and promise was one of great joy (v.14) – you’re going to have a son! But now, because of unbelief, he is unable to share the one thing that means the most to him right now – the incredible news that he is going to have a son, he’s going to be a dad. I think that part of his judgement is that he must watch while others do the rejoicing. Who is doing the praising, the sharing, the rejoicing? It is the neighbors, not Zechariah. He’s missing out on being able to share his joyful good news.
There is a warning to us in this passage, a warning to not demand too much evidence before we will believe God’s promises, because if we do, we might just miss out on God’s blessings. We too need to remember that “With God nothing is impossible” (1:37). God wants us to completely trust Him.
From Speechless to Ceaseless
The judgement would not remain on Zechariah forever. Nine months later, true to God’s promise, Elizabeth brought forth a son (v.57). In Palestine the birth of a boy was an occasion of great joy. When the time of the birth was near at hand, friends and local musicians gathered near the house (v.58). It was customary to name the son after the father (v.59), so the neighbors were amazed when both Elizabeth and Zechariah said that his name will be John (v.61-62). On the supplied writing tablet, Zechariah confirmed Elizabeth’s words when he said, “His name is John” (v.63), which means “Jehovah’s Gift” or “God is gracious.”
Immediately, Zechariah was able to speak, and what did he say? Praise was the first thing that came out of his mouth. His joy that had been bottled up now explodes into praise to God (v.64). Unbelief had kept Zechariah bound up and silent, faith had freed him to praise God. When we believe God’s Word for our lives, we are able to participate fully in God’s plans and to share the “Good News” that He’s at work in our world.
The people were in awe of the events that were taking place (v.65). “What will this child turn out to be?” the neighbors wondered (v.66). The people knew that this miraculous birth was the work of the sovereign God, and that God was up to something special.
Trust in Christ and in God’s Word really does enable us to participate in God’s plans for our life and to share the “Good News” that He’s at work in our world. Do we have preconceived ideas that hinder us from receiving God’s good news? Do we live thinking “this could never happen to me?” Our we open to God’s surprises? Will we believe God for the humanly impossible to occur in our lives? Our family? Our church? Our country? Our world? Faith in Jesus frees us to live a life of purpose, gratitude, and praise. I think you and I have some extraordinary Christmas joy to share this season!
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:18-25, 57-66
The birth of a child brings great joy, it is a joyful event that you want to share with others. But imagine not being able to share your joy? Imagine having been blessed with such good news but you were unable to share your great joy.
Because of unbelief, Zechariah was unable to share his joy in the news that his wife was going to have a son, he would become a father! Zechariah’s privilege of sharing his joy was postponed. Unbelief, fear, doubt, robbed him of the blessing of accepting God’s plan and sharing his good news. Unbelief causes us to miss out on what God is doing in our lives and the blessings of joy that He has for us. On the other hand, trust in Christ and in God’s Word enables us to participate in God’s plans for our life and to share the “Good News” that He’s at work in our world. Faith in Jesus frees us to live a life of purpose, gratitude, and praise.
Jesus and John – Comparison and Contrast
When you look at how Luke unfolds the story of Jesus in these opening chapters, he obviously wants his readers to compare and contrast Jesus and John the Baptist. When you compare the two, we see that both children are announced in advance by the angel Gabriel (1:11, 28). Both births are unnatural or miraculous (Elizabeth is past child-bearing age and Mary is a virgin). And in both cases the angel tells what the name of the child should be (1:13, 31).
But there are also contrasts made between John and Jesus. John was born to an aged woman who was barren, Jesus was born to a young virgin. John was given a name which means “God is gracious,” Jesus was given a name which means “Savior.” John was to prepare the way of the Lord, Jesus was the Lord!
God broke 400 years of silence when the angel Gabriel came to Zechariah and promised that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son (v.13). Zechariah, although a devout believer (v.6) doubted that God would bring this promise to pass. You see his skepticism in verse 18 when he says, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man.” Zechariah is looking at things from the human viewpoint. Zechariah is saying, “from where I am standing, this is impossible, things like this don’t happen.” But from God’s viewpoint, “nothing is impossible” (1:37). And of course, if you noticed Zechariah being a gentleman referred to his wife as “well advanced in years” not an old woman! In that respect, he obviously was a very wise man.
Zechariah and Mary – Evidence Vs Explanation
John Piper reminds us that there is one more contrast, between the announcement of John and Jesus’ birth that is worth noting; that is, how each of them responded to the angel’s message. How did Mary respond to the angel when she first heard the news? Mary said, “How can this be, since I have no husband?” (v.34). Do you see the contrast? Zechariah says, How can I know this – Mary says, How can this be? Zechariah is essentially asking for more evidence, Mary is asking for an explanation. Zechariah says “I cannot be sure;” Mary says “I cannot understand.” There’s a difference between the two responses. God does honor the humble and sincere plea for understanding. It’s not wrong to want evidence for our faith, but Jesus tells us that there is an evil in demanding signs beyond what sincere hearts would require (see Luke 11:29).
It was not that Zechariah “could not” believe, he “would not” believe the good news that Gabriel had brought, although he should have believed considering the fact that Gabriel came straight from God Himself! “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God” (1:19). It’s almost as if Gabriel cannot believe that Zechariah cannot believe. You can almost hear Gabriel saying, “Did you not pray for a child? Your answer is hear.”
Zechariah is experiencing a crisis of faith. Would he believe God or not? He and Elizabeth had prayed for a child, now would he completely trust God to bring it to pass, even if it did not happen as he might have thought it would. When you pray, it is not always the “asking” that takes faith, it is the “receiving.” Why is this? Because God gives us the answer often in a different form than what we would have come up with. They prayed for a child and figured that God would answer them in the usual manner. But God often answers our prayers in a way that stretches and tests our faith. His answers to our prayers come in unlikely ways.
Why does God do that? Why surprise us? For one thing, I think God has a better sense of humor that we do. Zechariah and Elizabeth had to wonder, “you’re kidding, right?” Why surprise us? It’s more than the fact that God does indeed have a sense of humor, who do you think created humor? He does things like give senior saints a baby because he is more interested in making us like Himself for eternity rather than simply satisfying our immediate needs. Remember, his answered prayers are always related to His kingdom purposes. He answers prayer in a way that is always consistent with His purposes and not necessarily ours. God often asks us to simply believe, to trust Him to do the humanly impossible. He wants us to learn to trust Him and live by faith (Heb. 11:1). And the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth reminds us that you never outgrow the need to learn the lessons of living by faith.
From Faithless to Speechless
Because of his unbelief, his stalling for more evidence (v.20), Zechariah would be struck “speechless,” silent, unable to speak, unable to share a word of testimony concerning what God was doing. Think about it. The 400 years of prophetic silence were broken with this revelation to Zechariah (see Mal. 4:4-6), but the good news that the silence was broken would have to wait 9 more months.
Zechariah’s judgement corresponded to his sin. God’s plan and promise was one of great joy (v.14) – you’re going to have a son! But now, because of unbelief, he is unable to share the one thing that means the most to him right now – the incredible news that he is going to have a son, he’s going to be a dad. I think that part of his judgement is that he must watch while others do the rejoicing. Who is doing the praising, the sharing, the rejoicing? It is the neighbors, not Zechariah. He’s missing out on being able to share his joyful good news.
There is a warning to us in this passage, a warning to not demand too much evidence before we will believe God’s promises, because if we do, we might just miss out on God’s blessings. We too need to remember that “With God nothing is impossible” (1:37). God wants us to completely trust Him.
From Speechless to Ceaseless
The judgement would not remain on Zechariah forever. Nine months later, true to God’s promise, Elizabeth brought forth a son (v.57). In Palestine the birth of a boy was an occasion of great joy. When the time of the birth was near at hand, friends and local musicians gathered near the house (v.58). It was customary to name the son after the father (v.59), so the neighbors were amazed when both Elizabeth and Zechariah said that his name will be John (v.61-62). On the supplied writing tablet, Zechariah confirmed Elizabeth’s words when he said, “His name is John” (v.63), which means “Jehovah’s Gift” or “God is gracious.”
Immediately, Zechariah was able to speak, and what did he say? Praise was the first thing that came out of his mouth. His joy that had been bottled up now explodes into praise to God (v.64). Unbelief had kept Zechariah bound up and silent, faith had freed him to praise God. When we believe God’s Word for our lives, we are able to participate fully in God’s plans and to share the “Good News” that He’s at work in our world.
The people were in awe of the events that were taking place (v.65). “What will this child turn out to be?” the neighbors wondered (v.66). The people knew that this miraculous birth was the work of the sovereign God, and that God was up to something special.
Trust in Christ and in God’s Word really does enable us to participate in God’s plans for our life and to share the “Good News” that He’s at work in our world. Do we have preconceived ideas that hinder us from receiving God’s good news? Do we live thinking “this could never happen to me?” Our we open to God’s surprises? Will we believe God for the humanly impossible to occur in our lives? Our family? Our church? Our country? Our world? Faith in Jesus frees us to live a life of purpose, gratitude, and praise. I think you and I have some extraordinary Christmas joy to share this season!
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Serving in the Silence Luke 1:5-17
A sermon preached on December 6, 2009 at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana by Pastor Joe Alain.
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:5-17
Focal Verse: “...But they had no child...” Luke 1:7
Background Passage: Malachi 4:4-6
The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is one of great faith and hope. We find their account recorded in Luke chapter one. Verse 5 provides the setting for the story. The reference to “the days of Herod” reminds us that this was a dark time in the world. Herod had been appointed as King of the Jews by the Roman Senate in 40 B.C. Herod the Great was an evil man (see Matthew 2) and a paranoid tyrant who held on to his throne at all costs, even executing family members he felt were a threat to his power. His paranoia led him to kill one of his ten wives and three of his children! This is the same Herod who had the children two years and younger in Bethlehem put to death.
Lights In The Darkness
In contrast to such a wicked person was a “priest named Zechariah...and his wife...Elizabeth.” They were two shining lights in a dark and crooked world. Zechariah was one of many priests in the days of Christ. From the time of David, in the Old Testament, the priests were divided into 24 courses or divisions, approximately 20,000 priests. All of the priests served during the three great Hebrew festivals: Pentecost, Feast of Tabernacles, and Passover. The remainder of each year each division served two periods of one week each. Zechariah was only one of many in “the division of Abijah.” Abijah was one of the heads of the priestly families (see Neh. 12:17 and 1 Chron. 24:10). Elizabeth, a descendant of Aaron, was also of priestly lineage. Luke 1:6 provides two glimpses into the character of Zechariah and Elizabeth which allowed them to shine in the darkness.
1. Righteous (On how a person is made righteous, see Gal. 2:16; 2 Cor. 5:21)
First, “they were both righteous before God.” To be righteous means to be just, to be in a right relationship with God. God declared them righteous by faith.
2. Obedient
Second, they walked in “all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” They “remembered” God’s law (see Mal. 4:4). The word walk in Scripture has to do with a person’s life, especially their conduct. Zechariah and Elizabeth conducted their life according to God’s Word. They patterned their lives after the divine standard. Biblical righteousness is an inward quality that manifests itself in obedience to God’s word
Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in their character, they were obedient to God’s word in their conduct, and they were steadfast in their confession of faith. They were committed to living out (expressing) their faith. What a testimony of faithfulness! Do we stand righteous before God? Right with God and right in our character? Are we patterning our lives after God’s standard? Do we give consistent and visible expression to our faith?
"But They Had No Child"
3. Childless
Verse 7 provides the first hint of tension in the story, but with it’s revelation we have a theological bombshell dropped which shatters the otherwise perfect world of Zechariah and Elizabeth. “But they had no child.” For a Jewish couple to be childless was thought to be a sign of God’s displeasure. At the very least, it resulted in shame and reproach (Lk. 1:25). To be barren was considered to be a tragedy, personally and socially. Why did they have no child? Elizabeth was barren (lit. sterile) and they were both beyond the age to have children, humanly speaking.
We can be sure they tried to have children for many years. It was probably always on their minds. It was a desire of their hearts. It was their constant prayer request. They tried, they longed for, and they prayed, but all they heard was SILENCE.
Some of you have known that kind of heartbreak. Longing for a child. Praying. Waiting. But only hearing SILENCE. What do you do when God is silent? How do you respond to God’s silence? Zechariah and Elizabeth could have reacted in anger and bitterness. Certainly all their friends had little ones running around. They watched their neighbors kids grow up while they grew old. While their friends counted their kids birthdays, Zechariah and Elizabeth counted wrinkles and saw their dreams of a family fade into time.
What do you do when your dream dies? What do you do when Tragedy strikes? What do you do when you stand on God’s word and nothing happens? Did not God say that he would give us the desires of our heart? What do you do when He does not? You can get angry, bitter, and jealous. You can even give up on God.
“But they had no child.” Insert your situation here. “But he had cancer.” “But they had a divorce.” “But they had big dreams that didn’t come to pass.” Do you know what Zechariah and Elizabeth did? They continued serving God even in the SILENCE.
Nothing had changed except the passage of time. Zechariah and Elizabeth still were steadfast in their devotion to God. Why? They did not let their personal tragedy keep them from loving and serving God. Nothing had changed. They were still right before God. They were still patterning their life after God’s Word. They were still worshipping God! They refused to let God’s SILENCE become a stumbling block.
"But If Not" Faith
Sometimes we inwardly long for a faith that will move mountains. Perhaps we should long for a faith that will keep praying when we can’t see the answer? How about a faith to be content when you have been dealt a hardship? Or a faith to be satisfied when all around you people are getting the things you desire? How about a faith that will hold to God’s word even when years go by? Or a faith to keep serving in the SILENCE? That is faith!
1. Daniel’s Three Friends (Dan. 3:18)
“But if not faith.” That is what three young Hebrew men had. You remember their story from the book of Daniel? Daniel’s three friends were about to be thrown in the fiery furnace. They were given a chance to recant their confession, but this was not an option for these young men of God. They told the king “our God is able to deliver us, but if not, we will still praise God anyway!” That is “but if not faith.”
2. Job (Job 13:15)
Job had that kind of faith. Here was a man who lost his home, his family, and his health. He lost it all. His friends forsook him. Even his wife! After all that he could say, “though He slay me ,yet I will trust in Him!” That is “but if not faith.”
There is a certain “Rose-Colored-Glass” theology today that has left many people disillusioned. The godly do suffer. Christians are not immune from life’s difficulties and heartbreaks. We serve Him in the tragedies and disappointments of life. We serve Him in our suffering, our sickness, and in the SILENCE. Why? Because he is our God! We are inseparably joined to God in Christ! There is a purpose in the silence and the silence won’t last forever.
3. The Heroes of the Faith (Heb. 11:39-40a)
Hebrews 11 is overflowing with people who served in the SILENCE. We often forget that it says about them that they never received their full reward. They died in faith. “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better” (11:39-40a). Some of them died with their prayers unanswered. They served in the SILENCE.
Does it require more faith to trust God and be delivered from the fire then to trust God and go through the fire? All around and in every church there are living flesh and blood epistles that bear the engravings of deeds of great faith and perseverance. The pages of their lives may be tattered but their bindings have been sewn with God’s enabling grace. Some of you have experienced great personal tragedy. You have had every human excuse to give up on God a long time ago but you haven’t. You still keep serving in the SILENCE. Zechariah and Elizabeth were people of great faith. They stuck to it. They learned to serve God in the SILENCE.
Silence Doesn’t Last Forever
Faith knows the SILENCE doesn’t last forever. “While he was serving” (verse 8). Don’t miss what is happening. Zechariah is getting ready to hear from God. What if he had quit? What if he had given up? What if he had said, “God, there is nothing happening.” It was while he was serving that God spoke to him. God broke the SILENCE.
Perhaps our dullness of hearing is due to the fact that we are not in a position where we can hear from God? God speaks in the suffering and the serving. How often do we miss out on hearing God because in our trial we cease serving and worshipping God? It is difficult to steer a car when the engine is not running. Keep your ears open to heaven. The latter rains are coming! Trials are not the time to drop out. They are times to press in even closer to Christ.
One of the highest honors for a priest was to offer incense (Lk. 1: 9). This was done twice a day, when morning and evening sacrifices were made. This represented the prayers of the people. The priest who was to offer the incense was chosen by lot. Since there were probably around 1,000 priests in each division, being chosen to burn incense on this day was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Being selected for this honor would be about as likely as winning the power ball this week! However, when God wants to speak and act he opens doors that no man can shut. Zechariah means “God remembers” and Elizabeth means “God’s oath.” On this day, God was not only remembering Zechariah and Elizabeth, He was remembering His eternal covenant of redemption.
While Zechariah was worshipping and serving, the angel of the Lord (Gabriel, Lk. 1: 19) appeared. Zechariah was understandably afraid. Gabriel announced that they would have a son. Their SILENCE would be broken.
Luke 1: 14-17 emphasizes John the Baptist’s role in God’s redemptive plan. However, there was even a larger purpose at work. God was breaking into the SILENCE of the world and John would be the forerunner who would announce the coming Messiah - Jesus! The fullness of the time had arrived (Gal. 4:4-6).
It is encouraging in our trials to remember that the Lord is working out His eternal purposes. His answered prayers for us are ultimately for His kingdom purposes. The story is always bigger than us. God broke the SILENCE of Zechariah and Elizabeth. But more than this, God broke 400 years of SILENCE. He was about to fulfill the longing of the people for the Messiah!
Zechariah and Elizabeth were willing to be used by God, they learned that God’s “No” is not forever, and they were faithful to the Lord in spite of their circumstance. What about us? Will we continue to serve God no matter what? Will we serve Him in our suffering and in our sickness? Will we serve Him when things are not going the way we thought? Will we serve Him in the SILENCE? That is faith! That is the kind of faith needed today. The kind of faith that will serve in the SILENCE, knowing that the SILENCE will not last forever. What breakthrough could be just ahead to end your SILENCE and bring glory to God? You may never know until you learn to serve in the SILENCE.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:5-17
Focal Verse: “...But they had no child...” Luke 1:7
Background Passage: Malachi 4:4-6
The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is one of great faith and hope. We find their account recorded in Luke chapter one. Verse 5 provides the setting for the story. The reference to “the days of Herod” reminds us that this was a dark time in the world. Herod had been appointed as King of the Jews by the Roman Senate in 40 B.C. Herod the Great was an evil man (see Matthew 2) and a paranoid tyrant who held on to his throne at all costs, even executing family members he felt were a threat to his power. His paranoia led him to kill one of his ten wives and three of his children! This is the same Herod who had the children two years and younger in Bethlehem put to death.
Lights In The Darkness
In contrast to such a wicked person was a “priest named Zechariah...and his wife...Elizabeth.” They were two shining lights in a dark and crooked world. Zechariah was one of many priests in the days of Christ. From the time of David, in the Old Testament, the priests were divided into 24 courses or divisions, approximately 20,000 priests. All of the priests served during the three great Hebrew festivals: Pentecost, Feast of Tabernacles, and Passover. The remainder of each year each division served two periods of one week each. Zechariah was only one of many in “the division of Abijah.” Abijah was one of the heads of the priestly families (see Neh. 12:17 and 1 Chron. 24:10). Elizabeth, a descendant of Aaron, was also of priestly lineage. Luke 1:6 provides two glimpses into the character of Zechariah and Elizabeth which allowed them to shine in the darkness.
1. Righteous (On how a person is made righteous, see Gal. 2:16; 2 Cor. 5:21)
First, “they were both righteous before God.” To be righteous means to be just, to be in a right relationship with God. God declared them righteous by faith.
2. Obedient
Second, they walked in “all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” They “remembered” God’s law (see Mal. 4:4). The word walk in Scripture has to do with a person’s life, especially their conduct. Zechariah and Elizabeth conducted their life according to God’s Word. They patterned their lives after the divine standard. Biblical righteousness is an inward quality that manifests itself in obedience to God’s word
Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in their character, they were obedient to God’s word in their conduct, and they were steadfast in their confession of faith. They were committed to living out (expressing) their faith. What a testimony of faithfulness! Do we stand righteous before God? Right with God and right in our character? Are we patterning our lives after God’s standard? Do we give consistent and visible expression to our faith?
"But They Had No Child"
3. Childless
Verse 7 provides the first hint of tension in the story, but with it’s revelation we have a theological bombshell dropped which shatters the otherwise perfect world of Zechariah and Elizabeth. “But they had no child.” For a Jewish couple to be childless was thought to be a sign of God’s displeasure. At the very least, it resulted in shame and reproach (Lk. 1:25). To be barren was considered to be a tragedy, personally and socially. Why did they have no child? Elizabeth was barren (lit. sterile) and they were both beyond the age to have children, humanly speaking.
We can be sure they tried to have children for many years. It was probably always on their minds. It was a desire of their hearts. It was their constant prayer request. They tried, they longed for, and they prayed, but all they heard was SILENCE.
Some of you have known that kind of heartbreak. Longing for a child. Praying. Waiting. But only hearing SILENCE. What do you do when God is silent? How do you respond to God’s silence? Zechariah and Elizabeth could have reacted in anger and bitterness. Certainly all their friends had little ones running around. They watched their neighbors kids grow up while they grew old. While their friends counted their kids birthdays, Zechariah and Elizabeth counted wrinkles and saw their dreams of a family fade into time.
What do you do when your dream dies? What do you do when Tragedy strikes? What do you do when you stand on God’s word and nothing happens? Did not God say that he would give us the desires of our heart? What do you do when He does not? You can get angry, bitter, and jealous. You can even give up on God.
“But they had no child.” Insert your situation here. “But he had cancer.” “But they had a divorce.” “But they had big dreams that didn’t come to pass.” Do you know what Zechariah and Elizabeth did? They continued serving God even in the SILENCE.
Nothing had changed except the passage of time. Zechariah and Elizabeth still were steadfast in their devotion to God. Why? They did not let their personal tragedy keep them from loving and serving God. Nothing had changed. They were still right before God. They were still patterning their life after God’s Word. They were still worshipping God! They refused to let God’s SILENCE become a stumbling block.
"But If Not" Faith
Sometimes we inwardly long for a faith that will move mountains. Perhaps we should long for a faith that will keep praying when we can’t see the answer? How about a faith to be content when you have been dealt a hardship? Or a faith to be satisfied when all around you people are getting the things you desire? How about a faith that will hold to God’s word even when years go by? Or a faith to keep serving in the SILENCE? That is faith!
1. Daniel’s Three Friends (Dan. 3:18)
“But if not faith.” That is what three young Hebrew men had. You remember their story from the book of Daniel? Daniel’s three friends were about to be thrown in the fiery furnace. They were given a chance to recant their confession, but this was not an option for these young men of God. They told the king “our God is able to deliver us, but if not, we will still praise God anyway!” That is “but if not faith.”
2. Job (Job 13:15)
Job had that kind of faith. Here was a man who lost his home, his family, and his health. He lost it all. His friends forsook him. Even his wife! After all that he could say, “though He slay me ,yet I will trust in Him!” That is “but if not faith.”
There is a certain “Rose-Colored-Glass” theology today that has left many people disillusioned. The godly do suffer. Christians are not immune from life’s difficulties and heartbreaks. We serve Him in the tragedies and disappointments of life. We serve Him in our suffering, our sickness, and in the SILENCE. Why? Because he is our God! We are inseparably joined to God in Christ! There is a purpose in the silence and the silence won’t last forever.
3. The Heroes of the Faith (Heb. 11:39-40a)
Hebrews 11 is overflowing with people who served in the SILENCE. We often forget that it says about them that they never received their full reward. They died in faith. “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better” (11:39-40a). Some of them died with their prayers unanswered. They served in the SILENCE.
Does it require more faith to trust God and be delivered from the fire then to trust God and go through the fire? All around and in every church there are living flesh and blood epistles that bear the engravings of deeds of great faith and perseverance. The pages of their lives may be tattered but their bindings have been sewn with God’s enabling grace. Some of you have experienced great personal tragedy. You have had every human excuse to give up on God a long time ago but you haven’t. You still keep serving in the SILENCE. Zechariah and Elizabeth were people of great faith. They stuck to it. They learned to serve God in the SILENCE.
Silence Doesn’t Last Forever
Faith knows the SILENCE doesn’t last forever. “While he was serving” (verse 8). Don’t miss what is happening. Zechariah is getting ready to hear from God. What if he had quit? What if he had given up? What if he had said, “God, there is nothing happening.” It was while he was serving that God spoke to him. God broke the SILENCE.
Perhaps our dullness of hearing is due to the fact that we are not in a position where we can hear from God? God speaks in the suffering and the serving. How often do we miss out on hearing God because in our trial we cease serving and worshipping God? It is difficult to steer a car when the engine is not running. Keep your ears open to heaven. The latter rains are coming! Trials are not the time to drop out. They are times to press in even closer to Christ.
One of the highest honors for a priest was to offer incense (Lk. 1: 9). This was done twice a day, when morning and evening sacrifices were made. This represented the prayers of the people. The priest who was to offer the incense was chosen by lot. Since there were probably around 1,000 priests in each division, being chosen to burn incense on this day was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Being selected for this honor would be about as likely as winning the power ball this week! However, when God wants to speak and act he opens doors that no man can shut. Zechariah means “God remembers” and Elizabeth means “God’s oath.” On this day, God was not only remembering Zechariah and Elizabeth, He was remembering His eternal covenant of redemption.
While Zechariah was worshipping and serving, the angel of the Lord (Gabriel, Lk. 1: 19) appeared. Zechariah was understandably afraid. Gabriel announced that they would have a son. Their SILENCE would be broken.
Luke 1: 14-17 emphasizes John the Baptist’s role in God’s redemptive plan. However, there was even a larger purpose at work. God was breaking into the SILENCE of the world and John would be the forerunner who would announce the coming Messiah - Jesus! The fullness of the time had arrived (Gal. 4:4-6).
It is encouraging in our trials to remember that the Lord is working out His eternal purposes. His answered prayers for us are ultimately for His kingdom purposes. The story is always bigger than us. God broke the SILENCE of Zechariah and Elizabeth. But more than this, God broke 400 years of SILENCE. He was about to fulfill the longing of the people for the Messiah!
Zechariah and Elizabeth were willing to be used by God, they learned that God’s “No” is not forever, and they were faithful to the Lord in spite of their circumstance. What about us? Will we continue to serve God no matter what? Will we serve Him in our suffering and in our sickness? Will we serve Him when things are not going the way we thought? Will we serve Him in the SILENCE? That is faith! That is the kind of faith needed today. The kind of faith that will serve in the SILENCE, knowing that the SILENCE will not last forever. What breakthrough could be just ahead to end your SILENCE and bring glory to God? You may never know until you learn to serve in the SILENCE.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Sunday, November 29, 2009
"Don't Miss the Party!" Luke 15:25-32
A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, LA on Sunday, November 29, 2009 by Pastor Joe Alain.
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him” (Luke 15:28)
Scripture Reading: Luke 15:25-32
The older brother. On the outside he was everything a father could want in a son. But on the inside he was sour and hollow. Overcome by jealousy. Consumed by anger. Blinded by bitterness. He is the real prodigal son. And yet who would ever have known it? He looked so right. He played by the rules and paid all his dues. He kept his room straight. He kept his nose clean, he was the loyal and dutiful son. While his brother was sowing his wild oats, he stayed home and sowed the crops.
The younger son had broken his father’s heart. He had squandered his inheritance in prodigal (wasteful) living. But he came to his senses (v.17) and he came back home where his father welcomed him with open arms. The father threw a thanksgiving feast, one to remember (v.23).
But the older brother was not all too happy that his little brother was welcomed back by dad with open arms and given a homecoming party, a thanksgiving feast. The older brother meticulously followed his father’s rules. He never ran away from home. He never blatantly asked his father for his share of the future inheritance. He never squandered the family farm on sinful living. By all appearances he was the model son. However, appearances can be deceivingly deadly. The older son never left his father’s house but his heart had.
Remember, the Pharisees (religious rulers) are hearing Jesus tell this story (Lk. 15:1). The older brother, like the religious rulers, is religious but lost, meticulously observant but joyless, outwardly churchgoing but inwardly a hypocrite. The religious people of Jesus’ day, like today, thought that they could make themselves righteous before God. They majored on the external matters of religion but their hearts were cold and indifferent. Jesus said about the Pharisees and Scribes that they “honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matt. 15:8). What a shock it was to them when Jesus said that tax collectors and prostitutes were entering the kingdom (being saved) while they were shutting themselves out (Matt. 21:31).
The real prodigal of the story is the older brother. There is more hope for a prodigal son or daughter who knows that they have sinned and need God’s forgiveness than there is for the self-righteous religious person who has never sensed their sin, guilt, and helpless estate before God (Lk. 15:7; Mk. 2:17; Matt. 9:10-13). You have to know that you’re lost before you can be found – saved! The younger son knew that he was lost, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you” (v.18). Because he repented of his sin, he was restored by the father – he was found. However, his older brother never saw how his heart was filled with anger, bitterness, self-righteousness, pride, and a loveless and legalistic spirit.
Let’s be honest, from a human standpoint, it’s not to difficult for us to understand why the older brother was angry (v.28). We can easily identify with him. “So this is how a son gets recognition in this family! Get drunk and squander all of the family money and you get a party!” The older brother is furious and refuses to participate in the homecoming thanksgiving feast, so he sits outside and pouts and misses the party.
We are told that the day the younger son came home, the older brother had been working out in the fields. When he came home that evening “he heard music and dancing” (v.25). It was obvious that a party was going on and he didn’t know anything about it. He had to ask one of the servants “what was going on” (v.26). This story intimates the distance between the older son and his father. The older son was in the father’s house, but he didn’t know the longing of his father. He didn’t have the father’s heart. The older son was a son but a son from a distance.
You can be a Christian like that. In the Father’s house, having access to Him and all that He has, and yet knowing Him from an impersonal distance. Not really knowing Him, not knowing His longings – His will. Not really knowing His heart. How can this be? Because like the older son our relationship with our Father can be superficial at best or non-existent at worst. In the Father’s house, but not knowing the Father. Serving the Father out of duty rather than delight. Obedient but not joyful. Proper but not pure. Religious but having no relationship.
The younger brother did not deserve the Father’s love. He did not merit a party! What he deserved was punishment for his waywardness. What he deserved was a stern rebuke from his father. He deserved naked shame not a robe; he deserved a whip not a ring; he deserved bread and water not a fatted calf; he deserved probation not restoration.
The younger son did not get one thing that he deserved! And of course that’s the whole point of grace. You do not get what you deserve, but you do get what you need! It appears that both sons spent some time in the hog pen. One in the pen of rebellion – the other in the pen of self-pity. The younger brother has come home, the older brother is still in the far country. He’s bitter and he’s pouting and he’s shouting inside “It’s not fair!”
How inviting are the self-made dungeons of bitterness. The call from the dark caves beckon us daily to enter. The truth is, we have all had enough hurt to be bitter. We have all had enough trials to turn us away from God. We have all had enough disappointments to detour us from walking with God. We have all had enough people to hurt us to become angry and bitter. Bitterness often comes from the various trials that we all experience simply because of our humanity. “Why me Lord?” “Why did my loved one have to die?” “Why my child, Lord?” “What went wrong in my family?” “God, why do you not answer me?” “Lord, do you even care?” “Lord, will things ever be normal again?”
Bitterness often sets in because of our imperfect human relationships. Others let us down, betray our trust. People do not always meet our expectations, we become hurt.
The older son is a prisoner, a prisoner of his mind. Bitterness and broken dreams hold him captive. He has the key but he’s not free. His father pleaded with him to come out of his dungeon and to join the party – but bitterness keeps you from enjoying God’s party of grace. Bitterness says “I have a right to be mad. I am going to just sit here and sulk. I’ll throw my own party – a pity party and the guest list will be me, my and I.”
What is the cure for this curse of bitterness? It has everything to do with what we are celebrating today. In the Lord’s Supper we are celebrating the sweetness of God’s grace demonstrated to us in the cross of Jesus Christ. This is what we celebrate today in the Lord’s Supper. The cross of Christ makes the bitter sweet again! The cross of Christ has the power to redeem us from our self-imposed prisons of sin and bitterness and make us free.
There is an interesting account in Exodus 15:23-25. The people of God have been freed from Egypt but they are not yet in the promised land. They have traveled for three days without finding water (v.22). They eventually came to some water but they could not drink it because it was bitter, this is why the place was called Marah which means bitter (v.23). God gave Moses some unusual instructions, to place a tree branch into the bitter waters. When he did the water became sweet and pleasant (v.25). The cross of Jesus Christ plunged into the pool of sinful humanity makes the bitter sweet.
God’s grace is able to wash away a life of bitterness (“many years,” v.29). The tragedy of bitterness is that bitter people forget what they have. Instead they focus on what they do not have or what they lost. The father reminded the older son that he had everything he’d always wanted. He had his job, his place, his name, his inheritance – he had it all. Bitterness makes you remember things you should forget and forget the things you should remember.
Today, God says remember what you should remember and forget that which you should forget. Today is a day of celebration of God’s grace. It’s a time to remember what God has done in Christ and rejoice. And God says to you, “Don’t Miss the Party! You are invited.” God invites you to bring Him your hurts, your anger, your bitterness, your sins. When you do that, the cross of Christ sweetens the bitter soul. Why continue to drink the waters of bitterness when you can be refreshed today by God’s sweet grace?
God invites you to join the celebration, to experience His grace in a meaningful way today. As you take of the bread and of the cup, remember the cross of Christ, remember the price that was paid, remember God’s amazing grace in your life. If you’ve never experienced God’s saving grace, God invites you to the cross, the cross which transforms our bitter lives into works of amazing grace.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him” (Luke 15:28)
Scripture Reading: Luke 15:25-32
The older brother. On the outside he was everything a father could want in a son. But on the inside he was sour and hollow. Overcome by jealousy. Consumed by anger. Blinded by bitterness. He is the real prodigal son. And yet who would ever have known it? He looked so right. He played by the rules and paid all his dues. He kept his room straight. He kept his nose clean, he was the loyal and dutiful son. While his brother was sowing his wild oats, he stayed home and sowed the crops.
The younger son had broken his father’s heart. He had squandered his inheritance in prodigal (wasteful) living. But he came to his senses (v.17) and he came back home where his father welcomed him with open arms. The father threw a thanksgiving feast, one to remember (v.23).
But the older brother was not all too happy that his little brother was welcomed back by dad with open arms and given a homecoming party, a thanksgiving feast. The older brother meticulously followed his father’s rules. He never ran away from home. He never blatantly asked his father for his share of the future inheritance. He never squandered the family farm on sinful living. By all appearances he was the model son. However, appearances can be deceivingly deadly. The older son never left his father’s house but his heart had.
Remember, the Pharisees (religious rulers) are hearing Jesus tell this story (Lk. 15:1). The older brother, like the religious rulers, is religious but lost, meticulously observant but joyless, outwardly churchgoing but inwardly a hypocrite. The religious people of Jesus’ day, like today, thought that they could make themselves righteous before God. They majored on the external matters of religion but their hearts were cold and indifferent. Jesus said about the Pharisees and Scribes that they “honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matt. 15:8). What a shock it was to them when Jesus said that tax collectors and prostitutes were entering the kingdom (being saved) while they were shutting themselves out (Matt. 21:31).
The real prodigal of the story is the older brother. There is more hope for a prodigal son or daughter who knows that they have sinned and need God’s forgiveness than there is for the self-righteous religious person who has never sensed their sin, guilt, and helpless estate before God (Lk. 15:7; Mk. 2:17; Matt. 9:10-13). You have to know that you’re lost before you can be found – saved! The younger son knew that he was lost, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you” (v.18). Because he repented of his sin, he was restored by the father – he was found. However, his older brother never saw how his heart was filled with anger, bitterness, self-righteousness, pride, and a loveless and legalistic spirit.
Let’s be honest, from a human standpoint, it’s not to difficult for us to understand why the older brother was angry (v.28). We can easily identify with him. “So this is how a son gets recognition in this family! Get drunk and squander all of the family money and you get a party!” The older brother is furious and refuses to participate in the homecoming thanksgiving feast, so he sits outside and pouts and misses the party.
We are told that the day the younger son came home, the older brother had been working out in the fields. When he came home that evening “he heard music and dancing” (v.25). It was obvious that a party was going on and he didn’t know anything about it. He had to ask one of the servants “what was going on” (v.26). This story intimates the distance between the older son and his father. The older son was in the father’s house, but he didn’t know the longing of his father. He didn’t have the father’s heart. The older son was a son but a son from a distance.
You can be a Christian like that. In the Father’s house, having access to Him and all that He has, and yet knowing Him from an impersonal distance. Not really knowing Him, not knowing His longings – His will. Not really knowing His heart. How can this be? Because like the older son our relationship with our Father can be superficial at best or non-existent at worst. In the Father’s house, but not knowing the Father. Serving the Father out of duty rather than delight. Obedient but not joyful. Proper but not pure. Religious but having no relationship.
The younger brother did not deserve the Father’s love. He did not merit a party! What he deserved was punishment for his waywardness. What he deserved was a stern rebuke from his father. He deserved naked shame not a robe; he deserved a whip not a ring; he deserved bread and water not a fatted calf; he deserved probation not restoration.
The younger son did not get one thing that he deserved! And of course that’s the whole point of grace. You do not get what you deserve, but you do get what you need! It appears that both sons spent some time in the hog pen. One in the pen of rebellion – the other in the pen of self-pity. The younger brother has come home, the older brother is still in the far country. He’s bitter and he’s pouting and he’s shouting inside “It’s not fair!”
How inviting are the self-made dungeons of bitterness. The call from the dark caves beckon us daily to enter. The truth is, we have all had enough hurt to be bitter. We have all had enough trials to turn us away from God. We have all had enough disappointments to detour us from walking with God. We have all had enough people to hurt us to become angry and bitter. Bitterness often comes from the various trials that we all experience simply because of our humanity. “Why me Lord?” “Why did my loved one have to die?” “Why my child, Lord?” “What went wrong in my family?” “God, why do you not answer me?” “Lord, do you even care?” “Lord, will things ever be normal again?”
Bitterness often sets in because of our imperfect human relationships. Others let us down, betray our trust. People do not always meet our expectations, we become hurt.
The older son is a prisoner, a prisoner of his mind. Bitterness and broken dreams hold him captive. He has the key but he’s not free. His father pleaded with him to come out of his dungeon and to join the party – but bitterness keeps you from enjoying God’s party of grace. Bitterness says “I have a right to be mad. I am going to just sit here and sulk. I’ll throw my own party – a pity party and the guest list will be me, my and I.”
What is the cure for this curse of bitterness? It has everything to do with what we are celebrating today. In the Lord’s Supper we are celebrating the sweetness of God’s grace demonstrated to us in the cross of Jesus Christ. This is what we celebrate today in the Lord’s Supper. The cross of Christ makes the bitter sweet again! The cross of Christ has the power to redeem us from our self-imposed prisons of sin and bitterness and make us free.
There is an interesting account in Exodus 15:23-25. The people of God have been freed from Egypt but they are not yet in the promised land. They have traveled for three days without finding water (v.22). They eventually came to some water but they could not drink it because it was bitter, this is why the place was called Marah which means bitter (v.23). God gave Moses some unusual instructions, to place a tree branch into the bitter waters. When he did the water became sweet and pleasant (v.25). The cross of Jesus Christ plunged into the pool of sinful humanity makes the bitter sweet.
God’s grace is able to wash away a life of bitterness (“many years,” v.29). The tragedy of bitterness is that bitter people forget what they have. Instead they focus on what they do not have or what they lost. The father reminded the older son that he had everything he’d always wanted. He had his job, his place, his name, his inheritance – he had it all. Bitterness makes you remember things you should forget and forget the things you should remember.
Today, God says remember what you should remember and forget that which you should forget. Today is a day of celebration of God’s grace. It’s a time to remember what God has done in Christ and rejoice. And God says to you, “Don’t Miss the Party! You are invited.” God invites you to bring Him your hurts, your anger, your bitterness, your sins. When you do that, the cross of Christ sweetens the bitter soul. Why continue to drink the waters of bitterness when you can be refreshed today by God’s sweet grace?
God invites you to join the celebration, to experience His grace in a meaningful way today. As you take of the bread and of the cup, remember the cross of Christ, remember the price that was paid, remember God’s amazing grace in your life. If you’ve never experienced God’s saving grace, God invites you to the cross, the cross which transforms our bitter lives into works of amazing grace.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Monday, November 23, 2009
Coming Home Again: A Thanksgiving to Remember Luke 15:11-22
“‘Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found’” (Lk. 15:23b-24)
A Thanksgiving sermon preached November 22, 2009 at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs by Pastor, Joe Alain.
Scripture Reading: Luke 15:11-24
Thanksgiving is a time of celebration and family and creating special memories. Sometimes those memories involve Thanksgiving disasters. Maybe it was your first Thanksgiving turkey and you left the giblets and the neck in the turkey, or maybe it was the time that you almost burned down the house when you drop kicked your bird in the deep fryer, or you may have had an experience like Sharlene’s daughter who decided to host thanksgiving at her house with all her relatives.
Sharlene writes we were just about to start the day with preparing the turkey. My daughter placed the turkey in the oven and accidentally pushed the self clean button, where the oven locks itself while it cleans the oven at blistering temperatures. No one noticed until we checked on the turkey a few hours later. When we did, we found that we could not get the oven open, nothing seemed to work. The men began to bring out their screw drivers and drills in an attempt to salvage the bird. But in the end when we finally did get it out, the oven was destroyed but we had a very clean turkey!
Thanksgiving is a time to make some memories, hopefully not tragic ones. Thanksgiving is a time to remember and a time to come home again, even if for some of us we can only do that in our minds eye. Coming home again is the theme of the parable of the prodigal son (Lk. 15:11-24). But the story might be more appropriately called the parable of the loving father. Here is a deeply moving story of tragedy and triumph, of guilt and God’s wonderful grace, of heartbreak and homecoming, and of brokenness and thankfulness. It’s a story that tells us of a God with open arms, a God who welcomes us back home into His house.
In the story we are told of a man who had two sons (Lk. 15:11). The youngest hit his dad up for the future college savings fund. It wasn’t long before the money was burning a hole in his pocket and he moved off to the big city (Lk. 15:12). You can sense the ingratitude of this young man when he says to his father, “give me” as if he is owed something. It was in the far country that the son wasted his inheritance with “prodigal (wasteful) living.” He was restless. He had no good reason to go. He had a good family, a loving father, and a faith, but he was ready to cast all that aside. Young and impatient, he had to have it now! The father gave him what he wanted but when he got it, it was not what he wanted. Why did the father give this ungrateful son the inheritance and just let him go?
The father knew he could not make an ungrateful and rebellious son stay home when his heart was already gone. The young man’s restless heart led him down a rebellious path. It is true that where your heart is your body will soon follow. He wanted out of his father’s house – no more rules, no more 10:00 p.m. curfews, no more chores, no more responsibilities. Young, arrogant, loaded with cash, but naive, he was confident that he was not going to stumble and fall. Maybe others would falter but he wouldn’t, so he thought. In the far country the beer was flowing, the dice were rolling, and the people in the far country were pretty friendly, they were the kind of friends that attach themselves like leeches to the inexperienced, the naive, the wealthy. I can imagine that they hung on his every word. He was a star in the far country. But it wasn’t long before the wine, women, and songs were all gone. Before he knew it, he had squandered his inheritance. He blew his 401K in a pleasure – crazed blink of an eye in the Vegas of his day.
Where were his friends now? When the money was gone, they deserted him like he had the plague. They didn’t return his phone calls. He had become “Unfriended.” If you did not already know this little tid bit of useless information, New Oxford American’s Dictionary word of the year for 2009 is “Unfriend.” The verb “unfriend” refers to the act of deleting someone from one’s list of acquaintances on Facebook. In his moral and economic collapse this man was unfriended, deleted out of existence. “If one falls down, his friend can help him up. [Solomon tells us] But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecc. 4:10).
On top of his financial collapse and moral failure there was a severe famine in the land (Lk. 15: 14). When it rains it pours. The progression downward had run its full course. What began with a restless heart led to rebellion which brought the young man into ruin. There’s always a price to pay when you go into the far country. He was destitute (Lk. 15:14); Without money, without food, without a home, without any friends. In an act of desperation he joined himself to a citizen of the far country and he found himself in of all unlikely and unJewish places, the pigpen. Trudging along in a hogpen is a vivid picture of sin’s degrading effects (Lk. 15:16). This child of God who is destined for the kingdom is floundering in hog slop.
Proverbs 14:14 reminds us of the awful effects of sin’s sowing: “The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways . . .” When we live independently from God, we get what we can do. It has been said that “sin will take you farther than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay. It will cost you more than you want to pay.” This young man never planned on ending up in the hogpen – no one ever does. Sin cost him everything! He lost his family. He lost his inheritance. He lost his friends. And he lost his own dignity. But then something wonderful happened – it was “Amazing Grace!”
There is nothing quite comparable to the beautiful words that were expressed by the son when the Bible says “he came to himself” (v.17) “He came to his senses” (NIV). How wonderful are these words for these are none other than the words of a man who is coming to terms with life as it can only be lived, in humility and in relationship with the creator God. This young man is right where he needs to be because “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18). These are the words of a man who knows experientially both the brokenness of sin and the healing that comes through repentance. Perhaps the younger son’s greatest flaw was that he was stubborn and hard-headed. Like a horse that is useless until broken, so the rebellious son was recklessly out of control until broken by God.
What did it mean for the son to come to himself? For one thing it meant that he knew he had blown it – he had sinned, “I have sinned.” He knew that he was an ungrateful rebel. He took personal responsibility for his actions. He came to the place that we must all come to – the end of ourselves so that we can come to our selves. A once popular Christian song says “at the end of broken dreams He’s the open door.” Blessing comes to us in our brokenness. Brokeness is fertile soil for the fruit of repentance. There is a powerful warning in this simple story of ruin and redemption. It’s a warning associated with our free will. Because we are truly free, God will let us go into the far country. He will let you squander your days, weeks, and even years in prodigal living. He will let you go to the hogpen. Why? Because God is punishing you? Because He hates you? No, Because God really does love you.
God the Father knows that He cannot make a rebellious son or daughter stay when his or her heart is already gone. God wants us in His kingdom because of love. He wants us to freely love Him with all our heart, mind, and strength. He’s not assembling subjects to populate a celestial prison, He’s establishing a new kind of world, a world populated by those who have been redeemed by love.
It was tough love that the father demonstrated when he released his son. It would take the far country to cure the son of his basic sinful condition – ingratitude. In the far country, far away from the Father and the comforts of home, he realized for the very first time what he had lost. In the depths of brokenness he realized that his father loved him and that life was pretty good after all. Sometimes loss can jog us out of our discontent, our ingratitude. And if it takes the crushing of the far country to cure us of our ingratitude, then the experience of the far country will do us well. The far country changed the son. We know that because when he came home again he came back not as an ungrateful rebel but as a grateful true son. That is true repentance. In his brokenness he experienced redemption and he discovered the incredible gratitude that comes when one is lost and found.
On his way back to the father’s house he rehearsed his acceptance speech, a speech he would never deliver (Lk. 15:18-20). When the son was still a speck on the distant horizon his father saw him. How many sunrises and sunsets played out while the father still looked for his boy to come home? The father never stopped waiting for his son to return. Every day was “maybe today” day. When he finally saw his boy come home he had compassion and ran and hugged his son. No speech here, just tears of joy – “my son was dead and is alive” (Lk. 15:24). What do you do when the lost son returns home? The son didn’t need a lecture, the Holy Spirit had already done a fine job of that. It’s amazing how God’s voice can be heard so clearly far from the Father’s home, in the mire of a hogpen. What he needed to know and what he discovered was that his father still loved him and would welcome him back.
Did the young son deserve to come back? No. It was the grace and mercy of the father that restored the son. The truth is, none of us deserves salvation. None of us deserves the attention that God gives us. What we deserve is punishment for our foolish trips to the far country – judgement – but what we receive is mercy – forgiveness and a fresh new start. God’s grace (unmerited favor) makes it possible for prodigals to come home. Maybe you need that assurance today, the assurance that God loves you just as you are. He does love you just as you are, but He loves you too much to leave you the way that you are. You belong back in the Father’s house.
If it is difficult for people to come to God and be saved it is only difficult because people cannot comprehend and receive God’s love. The difficulty certainly does not lie with God. He is more than willing to save. There are no impossible cases for God. “He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him [Jesus Christ], since He ever lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). As more than one preacher has put it, “Jesus can save from the uttermost to the guttermost.”
When the prodigal son came back home it was “A Thanksgiving to Remember!” There is “joy in heaven over one sinner who repents” (Lk. 15:7). When prodigals come home heaven throws a party. The son who came home was fully restored by his father. He was given a robe, a ring, a new pair of shoes, and a party (Lk. 15:22-23). When you come to Christ God begins to remove the stain of the hogpen. When you come home to God just as you are He won’t leave you just as you came – He cleans you up and gives you a brand new start. God is the God of the second chance. Jesus Christ restores us, He redeems us, He makes us sons and daughters of the kingdom (Jn. 1:12; Gal. 3:26-29). The prodigal son repented (turned away from) his sin; he was redeemed by the father; and as a result there was great rejoicing.
If you have repented of your sin and been redeemed, every day is a cause for rejoicing. Every day is a day of thanksgiving.
“Grattitude . . . goes beyond the “mine” and “thine” and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy.”
– Henri J. M. Nouwen
Every day is a gift from God and an opportunity to live out your life in gratitude to God. Christian service flows from a heart that has been touched by God’s amazing grace. Our life, our service is showing gratitude to the God who loves us and who has saved us.
But perhaps some of you today are like this prodigal son, you are still in the “far country.” Your life is a mess! You made some bad decisions along the way and now the path you have traveled has led you to the hogpen. Maybe you’ve lost your family. You’ve lost your job. You’ve lost your friends. You’ve squandered and you’re mired in debt. You’ve even lost your own dignity. You’re not too far gone. You can come home again! You can come back to the God who welcomes the prodigals back into the father’s house. Your Father waits for you with open arms. You can come home again. Back in the Father’s house there is a feast of salvation awaiting you and “A Thanksgiving To Remember.”
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
A Thanksgiving sermon preached November 22, 2009 at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs by Pastor, Joe Alain.
Scripture Reading: Luke 15:11-24
Thanksgiving is a time of celebration and family and creating special memories. Sometimes those memories involve Thanksgiving disasters. Maybe it was your first Thanksgiving turkey and you left the giblets and the neck in the turkey, or maybe it was the time that you almost burned down the house when you drop kicked your bird in the deep fryer, or you may have had an experience like Sharlene’s daughter who decided to host thanksgiving at her house with all her relatives.
Sharlene writes we were just about to start the day with preparing the turkey. My daughter placed the turkey in the oven and accidentally pushed the self clean button, where the oven locks itself while it cleans the oven at blistering temperatures. No one noticed until we checked on the turkey a few hours later. When we did, we found that we could not get the oven open, nothing seemed to work. The men began to bring out their screw drivers and drills in an attempt to salvage the bird. But in the end when we finally did get it out, the oven was destroyed but we had a very clean turkey!
Thanksgiving is a time to make some memories, hopefully not tragic ones. Thanksgiving is a time to remember and a time to come home again, even if for some of us we can only do that in our minds eye. Coming home again is the theme of the parable of the prodigal son (Lk. 15:11-24). But the story might be more appropriately called the parable of the loving father. Here is a deeply moving story of tragedy and triumph, of guilt and God’s wonderful grace, of heartbreak and homecoming, and of brokenness and thankfulness. It’s a story that tells us of a God with open arms, a God who welcomes us back home into His house.
In the story we are told of a man who had two sons (Lk. 15:11). The youngest hit his dad up for the future college savings fund. It wasn’t long before the money was burning a hole in his pocket and he moved off to the big city (Lk. 15:12). You can sense the ingratitude of this young man when he says to his father, “give me” as if he is owed something. It was in the far country that the son wasted his inheritance with “prodigal (wasteful) living.” He was restless. He had no good reason to go. He had a good family, a loving father, and a faith, but he was ready to cast all that aside. Young and impatient, he had to have it now! The father gave him what he wanted but when he got it, it was not what he wanted. Why did the father give this ungrateful son the inheritance and just let him go?
The father knew he could not make an ungrateful and rebellious son stay home when his heart was already gone. The young man’s restless heart led him down a rebellious path. It is true that where your heart is your body will soon follow. He wanted out of his father’s house – no more rules, no more 10:00 p.m. curfews, no more chores, no more responsibilities. Young, arrogant, loaded with cash, but naive, he was confident that he was not going to stumble and fall. Maybe others would falter but he wouldn’t, so he thought. In the far country the beer was flowing, the dice were rolling, and the people in the far country were pretty friendly, they were the kind of friends that attach themselves like leeches to the inexperienced, the naive, the wealthy. I can imagine that they hung on his every word. He was a star in the far country. But it wasn’t long before the wine, women, and songs were all gone. Before he knew it, he had squandered his inheritance. He blew his 401K in a pleasure – crazed blink of an eye in the Vegas of his day.
Where were his friends now? When the money was gone, they deserted him like he had the plague. They didn’t return his phone calls. He had become “Unfriended.” If you did not already know this little tid bit of useless information, New Oxford American’s Dictionary word of the year for 2009 is “Unfriend.” The verb “unfriend” refers to the act of deleting someone from one’s list of acquaintances on Facebook. In his moral and economic collapse this man was unfriended, deleted out of existence. “If one falls down, his friend can help him up. [Solomon tells us] But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecc. 4:10).
On top of his financial collapse and moral failure there was a severe famine in the land (Lk. 15: 14). When it rains it pours. The progression downward had run its full course. What began with a restless heart led to rebellion which brought the young man into ruin. There’s always a price to pay when you go into the far country. He was destitute (Lk. 15:14); Without money, without food, without a home, without any friends. In an act of desperation he joined himself to a citizen of the far country and he found himself in of all unlikely and unJewish places, the pigpen. Trudging along in a hogpen is a vivid picture of sin’s degrading effects (Lk. 15:16). This child of God who is destined for the kingdom is floundering in hog slop.
Proverbs 14:14 reminds us of the awful effects of sin’s sowing: “The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways . . .” When we live independently from God, we get what we can do. It has been said that “sin will take you farther than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay. It will cost you more than you want to pay.” This young man never planned on ending up in the hogpen – no one ever does. Sin cost him everything! He lost his family. He lost his inheritance. He lost his friends. And he lost his own dignity. But then something wonderful happened – it was “Amazing Grace!”
There is nothing quite comparable to the beautiful words that were expressed by the son when the Bible says “he came to himself” (v.17) “He came to his senses” (NIV). How wonderful are these words for these are none other than the words of a man who is coming to terms with life as it can only be lived, in humility and in relationship with the creator God. This young man is right where he needs to be because “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18). These are the words of a man who knows experientially both the brokenness of sin and the healing that comes through repentance. Perhaps the younger son’s greatest flaw was that he was stubborn and hard-headed. Like a horse that is useless until broken, so the rebellious son was recklessly out of control until broken by God.
What did it mean for the son to come to himself? For one thing it meant that he knew he had blown it – he had sinned, “I have sinned.” He knew that he was an ungrateful rebel. He took personal responsibility for his actions. He came to the place that we must all come to – the end of ourselves so that we can come to our selves. A once popular Christian song says “at the end of broken dreams He’s the open door.” Blessing comes to us in our brokenness. Brokeness is fertile soil for the fruit of repentance. There is a powerful warning in this simple story of ruin and redemption. It’s a warning associated with our free will. Because we are truly free, God will let us go into the far country. He will let you squander your days, weeks, and even years in prodigal living. He will let you go to the hogpen. Why? Because God is punishing you? Because He hates you? No, Because God really does love you.
God the Father knows that He cannot make a rebellious son or daughter stay when his or her heart is already gone. God wants us in His kingdom because of love. He wants us to freely love Him with all our heart, mind, and strength. He’s not assembling subjects to populate a celestial prison, He’s establishing a new kind of world, a world populated by those who have been redeemed by love.
It was tough love that the father demonstrated when he released his son. It would take the far country to cure the son of his basic sinful condition – ingratitude. In the far country, far away from the Father and the comforts of home, he realized for the very first time what he had lost. In the depths of brokenness he realized that his father loved him and that life was pretty good after all. Sometimes loss can jog us out of our discontent, our ingratitude. And if it takes the crushing of the far country to cure us of our ingratitude, then the experience of the far country will do us well. The far country changed the son. We know that because when he came home again he came back not as an ungrateful rebel but as a grateful true son. That is true repentance. In his brokenness he experienced redemption and he discovered the incredible gratitude that comes when one is lost and found.
On his way back to the father’s house he rehearsed his acceptance speech, a speech he would never deliver (Lk. 15:18-20). When the son was still a speck on the distant horizon his father saw him. How many sunrises and sunsets played out while the father still looked for his boy to come home? The father never stopped waiting for his son to return. Every day was “maybe today” day. When he finally saw his boy come home he had compassion and ran and hugged his son. No speech here, just tears of joy – “my son was dead and is alive” (Lk. 15:24). What do you do when the lost son returns home? The son didn’t need a lecture, the Holy Spirit had already done a fine job of that. It’s amazing how God’s voice can be heard so clearly far from the Father’s home, in the mire of a hogpen. What he needed to know and what he discovered was that his father still loved him and would welcome him back.
Did the young son deserve to come back? No. It was the grace and mercy of the father that restored the son. The truth is, none of us deserves salvation. None of us deserves the attention that God gives us. What we deserve is punishment for our foolish trips to the far country – judgement – but what we receive is mercy – forgiveness and a fresh new start. God’s grace (unmerited favor) makes it possible for prodigals to come home. Maybe you need that assurance today, the assurance that God loves you just as you are. He does love you just as you are, but He loves you too much to leave you the way that you are. You belong back in the Father’s house.
If it is difficult for people to come to God and be saved it is only difficult because people cannot comprehend and receive God’s love. The difficulty certainly does not lie with God. He is more than willing to save. There are no impossible cases for God. “He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him [Jesus Christ], since He ever lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). As more than one preacher has put it, “Jesus can save from the uttermost to the guttermost.”
When the prodigal son came back home it was “A Thanksgiving to Remember!” There is “joy in heaven over one sinner who repents” (Lk. 15:7). When prodigals come home heaven throws a party. The son who came home was fully restored by his father. He was given a robe, a ring, a new pair of shoes, and a party (Lk. 15:22-23). When you come to Christ God begins to remove the stain of the hogpen. When you come home to God just as you are He won’t leave you just as you came – He cleans you up and gives you a brand new start. God is the God of the second chance. Jesus Christ restores us, He redeems us, He makes us sons and daughters of the kingdom (Jn. 1:12; Gal. 3:26-29). The prodigal son repented (turned away from) his sin; he was redeemed by the father; and as a result there was great rejoicing.
If you have repented of your sin and been redeemed, every day is a cause for rejoicing. Every day is a day of thanksgiving.
“Grattitude . . . goes beyond the “mine” and “thine” and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy.”
– Henri J. M. Nouwen
Every day is a gift from God and an opportunity to live out your life in gratitude to God. Christian service flows from a heart that has been touched by God’s amazing grace. Our life, our service is showing gratitude to the God who loves us and who has saved us.
But perhaps some of you today are like this prodigal son, you are still in the “far country.” Your life is a mess! You made some bad decisions along the way and now the path you have traveled has led you to the hogpen. Maybe you’ve lost your family. You’ve lost your job. You’ve lost your friends. You’ve squandered and you’re mired in debt. You’ve even lost your own dignity. You’re not too far gone. You can come home again! You can come back to the God who welcomes the prodigals back into the father’s house. Your Father waits for you with open arms. You can come home again. Back in the Father’s house there is a feast of salvation awaiting you and “A Thanksgiving To Remember.”
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Sunday, October 25, 2009
THE DEACON: A CALL TO SERVE 1 Timothy 3:8-13
A message preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana on October 25, 2009 by Pastor Joe Alain.
Scripture Passages: Acts 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 3:8-13
Introduction
The story that surrounds the choosing of the first deacons illustrates how the early church handled two things: (1) growth (Acts 6:1), and (2) conflict (6:1). Acts 6 is the church at her best doing the one thing that seems to be the hardest for us to do – change, adapt, be flexible. The ability to resolve conflict in a healthy way is an important characteristic of a healthy church. The early church recognized that as needs arise, new ministries would need to be raised up to meet the needs. Baptists as well as many other Christians have recognized the continuing need of deacons.
As we begin the process of selecting men to serve at Hebron on our “Deacon Ministry Committee,” it would be good to look at just what the ministry of the deacon actually is. In this way, you and I will be able to prayerfully select men for this important ministry of
the church.
I. THE MINISTRY OF THE DEACON
The word Deacon literally renders the word “servant” from the Greek word, “diakonos.” A deacon is one who renders service to another – he is a minister.
His ministry is one of . . .
1. Serving God’s People
The ministry of a deacon is not so much a position of power and privilege as it is a trust, a responsibility. Above all else, the deacon is to be a minister, a servant. As a servant, the deacon performs many of the same functions as the ministerial staff. The deacons serve alongside the ministerial staff of the church and they are ultimately responsible to the church. Deacons are truly biblical deacons when they serve God’s people.
His ministry is one of . . .
2. Meeting Practical Needs
The first deacons served the widows and others in the church who had needs. Their ministry was both spiritual and administrative as they handled the benevolent needs in the church. This meeting of practical needs extended to taking care of matters that would have taken the apostles away from their main task, that of ministering the word and prayer (6:2, 4). They were to be a help to the apostles. The overwhelming needs in ministry, then and now, make a practical deacon ministry all the more needed.
His ministry is one of . . .
3. Protecting the Unity of the Church
Because godly and wise men were first selected to serve the church body, the early church prospered in unity. The potential rift between the Hebrew-speaking and the Greek-speaking Jews was avoided. Aside from providing for the needy, protecting church harmony is one of the chief duties of a deacon. As a deacon serves in a godly manner, he preserves and promotes unity.
His ministry is one of . . .
4. Reaching Out with the Gospel
The early deacons (e.g., Stephen and Philip) had a heart to see the Gospel extended beyond the bounds of the church into all the world. Deacons who are truly deacons are men who desire to see God’s kingdom grow and flourish. They are missionary-minded men who desire to see others reconciled to God.
I. THE MINISTRY OF THE DEACON
II. THE MAN WHO WOULD BE A DEACON
What kind of men are needed?
1. He Should Be Called
Believers are to “Walk worthy of the calling” (Eph. 4:1). A man who serves as a deacon should sense the call to serve as a deacon. He should have a true desire for the ministry. Men are called to serve as deacons just as men are called to serve as pastors and ministers of music and youth pastors. My suggestion to you as you nominate men is to pray about people that God places on your heart and then approach those people. Ask them to pray about this matter, ask them to consider what God might be doing with them.
2. He Should Be Committed
Faithfulness in service cannot be overstated. A man does not become a deacon in order to become a committed Christian, he is already a committed Christian. He’s faithful in attending worship, Bible study, and involved in the ministries of the church. The men who were selected in the early church were men who immediately rose to the top as outstanding men because they were already serving faithfully.
3. He Should Be Qualified
Aside from the qualifications mentioned in Acts 6:3, the specific qualifications of a deacon are found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
What are the qualifications of a deacon?
(1) Good Reputation (3:8)
The word “reverent” means worthy of respect. He’s respected because he is godly, committed, mature, and wise.
(2) Man of His Word (3:8)
Not “double-tongued” (3:8). He can be trusted, he can keep a matter in confidence. He doesn’t say one thing at church and another outside church. This is crucial to the deacon’s ministry especially since he is often counseling people and dealing with sensitive personal matters.
(3) Does Not Cause Others to Stumble (3:8)
Not “given to much wine” (3:8). “Addicted” NASB. In general his life will not cause others to stumble.
(4) Generous Giver (3:8)
“Not greedy for money” (3:8). He handles his finances in a biblical way. He will be a tither and a supporter of the church.
(5) Solid in God’s Word (3:10)
He must have a good grip on God’s word . “Holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.” This means he has a clear understanding of basic biblical teachings. For example, teachings such as salvation by grace through faith, who Jesus is, teachings about the church, and many others. He is sound in the faith and he knows the faith.
Think of how important this is to preserving godliness and harmony in the church. Many problems have occurred in the church because of spiritual immaturity. Godly people handle their business in a godly way. It’s just that simple. The worse thing a church can do is put a spiritual infant in a place of leadership. The fellowship of many good churches has been destroyed by unspiritual men.
(6) Proven (3:10)
“Tested.” That is, he will be a proven man, a man that shows evidence in his life that he not only knows God but He is walking with God as well. No man should be elected to serve as a deacon if he has established a pattern of unfaithfulness in areas such as church attendance, tithing, sharing his faith, prayer, and Bible study. Instead, he should be proven in these areas.
(7) Blameless (3:10)
“Blameless.” Not perfect but above reproach. To be blameless means that there are no valid accusations being circulated that might indicate or point to problems with his character or conduct.
(8) Faithful and Pure (3:12)
“Husbands of one wife” (3:12). He is faithful to his wife, not a flirt, an adulterer. He is a “one woman” kind of man. His moral integrity is unquestioned.
(9) A Good Father and Spiritual Leader (3:12)
He manages his home well (3:12). He’s a good husband and a good father. He loves his family and desires to set the spiritual example for them. He is a spiritual leader in the home.
(10) The Deacon’s Wife (3:11)
When a man is called to a ministry, his wife is too! Just as a pastor’s wife is in ministry, so a deacon’s wife is as well. A deacon’s wife is to be worthy of respect, she is not to participate in malicious talk (gossip), she is to be temperate and trustworthy.
Conclusion
This is the ministry of the deacon and a picture of what the men who will serve as deacons will look like. The charge to you as the church is the charge found in Acts 6:3, “Now look around among yourselves, brothers, and select . . . men who are well respected and are full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will put them in charge of this business” (Acts 6:3, NLT).
As you prayerfully seek out men to serve as deacons, keep in mind these four things about our deacon selection process:
1. It is not a popularity contest.
2. It is not wise to nominate someone that you know nothing about.
3. You do not have to vote for a certain number and you don’t have to even vote.
4. Vote prayerfully and deliberately. Please turn in your nominations no later than November 1st.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Scripture Passages: Acts 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 3:8-13
Introduction
The story that surrounds the choosing of the first deacons illustrates how the early church handled two things: (1) growth (Acts 6:1), and (2) conflict (6:1). Acts 6 is the church at her best doing the one thing that seems to be the hardest for us to do – change, adapt, be flexible. The ability to resolve conflict in a healthy way is an important characteristic of a healthy church. The early church recognized that as needs arise, new ministries would need to be raised up to meet the needs. Baptists as well as many other Christians have recognized the continuing need of deacons.
As we begin the process of selecting men to serve at Hebron on our “Deacon Ministry Committee,” it would be good to look at just what the ministry of the deacon actually is. In this way, you and I will be able to prayerfully select men for this important ministry of
the church.
I. THE MINISTRY OF THE DEACON
The word Deacon literally renders the word “servant” from the Greek word, “diakonos.” A deacon is one who renders service to another – he is a minister.
His ministry is one of . . .
1. Serving God’s People
The ministry of a deacon is not so much a position of power and privilege as it is a trust, a responsibility. Above all else, the deacon is to be a minister, a servant. As a servant, the deacon performs many of the same functions as the ministerial staff. The deacons serve alongside the ministerial staff of the church and they are ultimately responsible to the church. Deacons are truly biblical deacons when they serve God’s people.
His ministry is one of . . .
2. Meeting Practical Needs
The first deacons served the widows and others in the church who had needs. Their ministry was both spiritual and administrative as they handled the benevolent needs in the church. This meeting of practical needs extended to taking care of matters that would have taken the apostles away from their main task, that of ministering the word and prayer (6:2, 4). They were to be a help to the apostles. The overwhelming needs in ministry, then and now, make a practical deacon ministry all the more needed.
His ministry is one of . . .
3. Protecting the Unity of the Church
Because godly and wise men were first selected to serve the church body, the early church prospered in unity. The potential rift between the Hebrew-speaking and the Greek-speaking Jews was avoided. Aside from providing for the needy, protecting church harmony is one of the chief duties of a deacon. As a deacon serves in a godly manner, he preserves and promotes unity.
His ministry is one of . . .
4. Reaching Out with the Gospel
The early deacons (e.g., Stephen and Philip) had a heart to see the Gospel extended beyond the bounds of the church into all the world. Deacons who are truly deacons are men who desire to see God’s kingdom grow and flourish. They are missionary-minded men who desire to see others reconciled to God.
I. THE MINISTRY OF THE DEACON
II. THE MAN WHO WOULD BE A DEACON
What kind of men are needed?
1. He Should Be Called
Believers are to “Walk worthy of the calling” (Eph. 4:1). A man who serves as a deacon should sense the call to serve as a deacon. He should have a true desire for the ministry. Men are called to serve as deacons just as men are called to serve as pastors and ministers of music and youth pastors. My suggestion to you as you nominate men is to pray about people that God places on your heart and then approach those people. Ask them to pray about this matter, ask them to consider what God might be doing with them.
2. He Should Be Committed
Faithfulness in service cannot be overstated. A man does not become a deacon in order to become a committed Christian, he is already a committed Christian. He’s faithful in attending worship, Bible study, and involved in the ministries of the church. The men who were selected in the early church were men who immediately rose to the top as outstanding men because they were already serving faithfully.
3. He Should Be Qualified
Aside from the qualifications mentioned in Acts 6:3, the specific qualifications of a deacon are found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
What are the qualifications of a deacon?
(1) Good Reputation (3:8)
The word “reverent” means worthy of respect. He’s respected because he is godly, committed, mature, and wise.
(2) Man of His Word (3:8)
Not “double-tongued” (3:8). He can be trusted, he can keep a matter in confidence. He doesn’t say one thing at church and another outside church. This is crucial to the deacon’s ministry especially since he is often counseling people and dealing with sensitive personal matters.
(3) Does Not Cause Others to Stumble (3:8)
Not “given to much wine” (3:8). “Addicted” NASB. In general his life will not cause others to stumble.
(4) Generous Giver (3:8)
“Not greedy for money” (3:8). He handles his finances in a biblical way. He will be a tither and a supporter of the church.
(5) Solid in God’s Word (3:10)
He must have a good grip on God’s word . “Holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.” This means he has a clear understanding of basic biblical teachings. For example, teachings such as salvation by grace through faith, who Jesus is, teachings about the church, and many others. He is sound in the faith and he knows the faith.
Think of how important this is to preserving godliness and harmony in the church. Many problems have occurred in the church because of spiritual immaturity. Godly people handle their business in a godly way. It’s just that simple. The worse thing a church can do is put a spiritual infant in a place of leadership. The fellowship of many good churches has been destroyed by unspiritual men.
(6) Proven (3:10)
“Tested.” That is, he will be a proven man, a man that shows evidence in his life that he not only knows God but He is walking with God as well. No man should be elected to serve as a deacon if he has established a pattern of unfaithfulness in areas such as church attendance, tithing, sharing his faith, prayer, and Bible study. Instead, he should be proven in these areas.
(7) Blameless (3:10)
“Blameless.” Not perfect but above reproach. To be blameless means that there are no valid accusations being circulated that might indicate or point to problems with his character or conduct.
(8) Faithful and Pure (3:12)
“Husbands of one wife” (3:12). He is faithful to his wife, not a flirt, an adulterer. He is a “one woman” kind of man. His moral integrity is unquestioned.
(9) A Good Father and Spiritual Leader (3:12)
He manages his home well (3:12). He’s a good husband and a good father. He loves his family and desires to set the spiritual example for them. He is a spiritual leader in the home.
(10) The Deacon’s Wife (3:11)
When a man is called to a ministry, his wife is too! Just as a pastor’s wife is in ministry, so a deacon’s wife is as well. A deacon’s wife is to be worthy of respect, she is not to participate in malicious talk (gossip), she is to be temperate and trustworthy.
Conclusion
This is the ministry of the deacon and a picture of what the men who will serve as deacons will look like. The charge to you as the church is the charge found in Acts 6:3, “Now look around among yourselves, brothers, and select . . . men who are well respected and are full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will put them in charge of this business” (Acts 6:3, NLT).
As you prayerfully seek out men to serve as deacons, keep in mind these four things about our deacon selection process:
1. It is not a popularity contest.
2. It is not wise to nominate someone that you know nothing about.
3. You do not have to vote for a certain number and you don’t have to even vote.
4. Vote prayerfully and deliberately. Please turn in your nominations no later than November 1st.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Monday, October 12, 2009
CAPTIVATED BY THE CALL 1 Timothy 6:12
A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana, Sunday, October 11, 2009 by Pastor Joe Alain.
Focal Verse:1 Timothy 6:12
“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses”
Review of Our Building Project
I want to take a few moments to give a report of our last business meeting where we discussed our building project. The following comes from my thoughts published in our monthly newsletter, The Vision.
After providing a brief historical overview of our building campaign, Jerry Harris reported that (1) A topographical survey has been completed, (2) Soil boring tests have been performed, (3) Building plans are being finalized, and (4) The committee has met with Livingston Parish officials.
It was reported that “Estimate of Giving” cards have been received totaling – $736,000. Our Building Fund now stands at $248,101.42. The Steering Committee has met with a financial institution representative, and based on our current estimates of giving, we could borrow in the area of two (2) million dollars, approximately two (2) million dollars less than is needed to build our original project. The committee has met with Allen Construction to develop several cost-reducing options, one option came in at 3.5 million and the other at 2.5 million. Conceptual drawings of the two options were shown to the congregation at the recent business meeting.
After much discussion about the various options, their was unanimous support for continuing with our original plans, even if it might take a little longer to see them fulfilled. Several key areas came out of the comments presented at our meeting that we will be pursuing.
1. A renewed emphasis on securing “Estimate of Giving” cards.
Many people were not aware how important the “Estimate of Giving” cards are in securing funds from a financial institution. Because this is essential to our borrowing funds, more information about this needs to be shared with the church. Some people are giving to the building program but have not completed an “Estimate of Giving” card. We will be sending out a letter to the church explaining the importance of the “Estimate of Giving” cards to our campaign and asking for people to prayerfully considering completing one if they have not.
2. Increased communication of the work the project.
I will be asking the Steering Committee to make a brief report (3-5 min.) and offer a prayer for God’s blessing and direction once per month on a Sunday morning. In this way, the project will be kept before the congregation not only as a matter of information but also for prayer. Continued efforts will be made at publishing building program updates in the newsletter, bulletin, and online.
3. Using visuals to communicate our giving status and goals.
We will work on creating some type of visual that will easily communicate to the church each Sunday where we stand in reaching our various financial goals.
Based on where we are now, where do we go from here? What needs to be done? I believe our focus needs to be on our calling as God’s people. We must be Captivated by the Calling that God has placed on our lives! In 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul is reminding young Timothy of who he is. Timothy has been saved and called by God and he has confessed that faith and calling before others. Paul encouraged Timothy to not grow weary, to keep fighting the good fight of faith, to “take hold of the eternal life” to which he was called. God is giving us the same message. Be patient, endure, stay focused, fight the good fight of faith, stay on track, be Captivated By the Call because lives hang in the balance of how we live out our calling.
At this time in the life of the church, there are two things that we need. First, we need . . .
1. Patience
It is easy to become impatient in a project like the one that we are undertaking. One of Satan’s tactics to keep us from seeing our dreams fulfilled is that he gets us to doubt the dreams. One of his greatest allies is our impatience, along with fear, worry, anxiety, second-guessing, and frustration that usually accompany it. Remember, God’s timing usually differs from our expectations. Delay of a dream does not necessarily mean denial, it just means we keep working and waiting on God.
Even though we have been working in earnest for about two years, let me assure you that this really is not that long of a period of time, neither is this uncommon in a project of this scope. When I was in Port Allen it took probably a total of six years to go from dream to fulfillment. I’m not suggesting it will take anywhere near that time; however, I do not want you to get discouraged if we hit a few speed bumps along the way. After all, if it was easy, every church in Livingston Parish would be building new facilities! When you look at the big picture, we are progressing very well. Building plans are almost complete, survey work has been completed, and we have almost a third of our pledged amount in the bank.
Don’t grow weary, trust in the Lord! Patiently waiting has always been the standard operating procedure of God’s people. Abraham and Sarah waited and prayed for years before Isaac, the promised son was born. Hebrews 6:15 says, “And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.” Delayed blessings are a test of our faith. Will we stand firm, will we endure. Our timing is not always God’s timing. He works according to His divine schedule, according to His sovereign will.
Not only is patience needed, but . . .
2. Unity of Purpose which Brings Unity among Believers in the Church. If we take care of building up God’s kingdom by building up the lives of people, God will take care of building up the facilities. Psalm 37:-4-5, 7, says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this . . . Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” The main thing must be the main thing, our delight is to be in the Lord. What is the main thing? What is our purpose? Our purpose is to . . .
(1) Help people encounter the living God! We call that Worship – Providing the opportunity and atmosphere for meaningful worship.
(2) Share Christ!!! We call that Evangelism – Proclaiming the love of Christ so the world might know him as Savior.
(3) Help people to grow so that they can experience God’s best! We call that Discipleship – Teaching, equipping and nurturing persons for spiritual growth.
(4) Give a cup of cold water in His name. We call that Ministry – Meeting the needs of our church, our community, and our world in the name of Jesus.
This is our purpose! When worship, evangelism, discipleship, and ministry forms the main content of our conversation, when this becomes our passion, there will be a spirit of unity in the church because there will be unity of purpose. “When we are Captivated By the Call of God, we will walk in patience and unity of purpose.” So how do I know when I am Captivated By the Call of God? There are at least four (4) indicators in the life of a believer that is Captivated By the Call.
The first indicator of being Captivated By the Call is . . .
1. Desperate Praying
Jacob was desperate when he cried out, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Gen. 32:26). The Psalmist expressed a heart that was desperate for God when he said, “My soul thirsts for the living God . . . my tears have been my food day and night” (Ps. 42:2-3). Desperate praying is praying that says, “Your will be done above all else.” Desperate praying is offering prayers of repentance for unkind words and actions. Prayers of repentance for erecting barriers to the love of God. Prayers of forgiveness for our unloving and backbiting attitudes. Prayers that say “God, do whatever you have to do, but move!” Prayers that go beyond praying for sickness, but prayers that ask God to heal the sin sickness in our lives and in our land. The spiritual problem for most of us is that we are just not desperate enough. Believers who are Captivated By the Call our believers who pray desperate prayers, urgent prayers, heartfelt prayers.
The second indicator of being Captivated By the Call is . . .
2. Greater Faith
Faith is believing and acting upon God’s Word. How do you have greater faith? We need three things: (1) A bigger concept of who God is. We don’t really know God! And because we really do not know God fully, we live in fear and confinement to a small vision. We live as if God is not going to come through. But we have a God that is bigger than any of us could ever even imagine. Scientists estimate that there are 125 billion galaxies in the visible universe! Don’t settle for a small concept of God, He is the King of the Universe!
(2) We need to ask God to increase our faith (Lk. 17:5). (3) We need to act on what God tells us. We need faithfulness to live out the life we already know. Faith grows in proportion to your exercise of faithfulness. Jesus said that if you are faithful in the few things, God will make you ruler over many things (Matt. 25:21). Are you doing what God has told you to do? He’s not going to give you a greater task until you are faithful with the task He’s already given to you.
The third indicator of being Captivated By the Call is . . .
3. Abounding Love
Spoken to a church that was self-seeking and divided, Paul said the greatest virtue is love (1 Cor. 13:13). Jesus said that people will know us by our love for one another (Jn. 13:35). Do we really love one another, or do we just tolerate one another? We can only love others because He first loved us (1 Jn. 4:19). It’s not our beliefs, not our sermons, not our music, not our buildings, not our programs, but our love! And this love is to grow and abound like an overflowing river in our lives (1 Thess. 3:12).
So how do we know if we are abounding in our love? Here are some questions to use as a spiritual evaluation.
1. Do you acknowledge others in your presence? Do others feel acceptance by you? Sometimes the most powerful way to love someone is to make them feel welcomed, like they belong.
2. Do you greet and speak to others?
3. Would others consider you friendly?
4. Are you considerate of others? Do you think about what you say and how you say it?
5. What practical things have you done lately that would show someone that you cared about them? Have you told someone that you loved them? That you appreciate them? Have you made someone feel special?
6. What’s your attitude toward those outside your circle of friends? Do you love the strangers, the foreigners (Deut. 10:19)? Others as yourself (Matt. 22:39)? What about loving the people that God sends to us each week and throughout the year? Do they feel welcomed? Loved? Accepted? A part of us? When we love the strangers among us, we are loving Jesus (See Matt. 25:35-45). We are showing that we are indeed Captivated By the Call!
The fourth indicator of being Captivated By the Call is . . .
4. Dying to Self
John the Baptist said, “He [Jesus] must increase, I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30). Is that happening with me? In the church? To keep your life is to lose it, to lose it is to gain it (Lk. 17:33). Do I really believe that? The seed must die in order to bring forth fruit (Jn. 12:24). Am I daily dying to self so that my life can be fruitful and filled with purpose?
We are to be living sacrifices, totally consumed, on fire with God’s passion (Rom. 12:1-2). Paul said “I am crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20). This means we really believe the words, “It’s not about me.” To die to my self means that my will is His will. My purpose is His purpose. My time is His time. My finances are His finances. My life is His life. I cannot get my feelings hurt because I’m dead. I am not going to be dominated by my sinful nature anymore, I’m dead. I do not have any selfish agendas, crucified people do not have agendas. I do not need the praise of men, I’m dead. I do not live to get my needs met, I’m crucified and dead men have no needs. When I die to my self, I show that I am Captivated By the Call! Then I’m ready to “Fight the good fight of faith . . .”
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Focal Verse:1 Timothy 6:12
“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses”
Review of Our Building Project
I want to take a few moments to give a report of our last business meeting where we discussed our building project. The following comes from my thoughts published in our monthly newsletter, The Vision.
After providing a brief historical overview of our building campaign, Jerry Harris reported that (1) A topographical survey has been completed, (2) Soil boring tests have been performed, (3) Building plans are being finalized, and (4) The committee has met with Livingston Parish officials.
It was reported that “Estimate of Giving” cards have been received totaling – $736,000. Our Building Fund now stands at $248,101.42. The Steering Committee has met with a financial institution representative, and based on our current estimates of giving, we could borrow in the area of two (2) million dollars, approximately two (2) million dollars less than is needed to build our original project. The committee has met with Allen Construction to develop several cost-reducing options, one option came in at 3.5 million and the other at 2.5 million. Conceptual drawings of the two options were shown to the congregation at the recent business meeting.
After much discussion about the various options, their was unanimous support for continuing with our original plans, even if it might take a little longer to see them fulfilled. Several key areas came out of the comments presented at our meeting that we will be pursuing.
1. A renewed emphasis on securing “Estimate of Giving” cards.
Many people were not aware how important the “Estimate of Giving” cards are in securing funds from a financial institution. Because this is essential to our borrowing funds, more information about this needs to be shared with the church. Some people are giving to the building program but have not completed an “Estimate of Giving” card. We will be sending out a letter to the church explaining the importance of the “Estimate of Giving” cards to our campaign and asking for people to prayerfully considering completing one if they have not.
2. Increased communication of the work the project.
I will be asking the Steering Committee to make a brief report (3-5 min.) and offer a prayer for God’s blessing and direction once per month on a Sunday morning. In this way, the project will be kept before the congregation not only as a matter of information but also for prayer. Continued efforts will be made at publishing building program updates in the newsletter, bulletin, and online.
3. Using visuals to communicate our giving status and goals.
We will work on creating some type of visual that will easily communicate to the church each Sunday where we stand in reaching our various financial goals.
Based on where we are now, where do we go from here? What needs to be done? I believe our focus needs to be on our calling as God’s people. We must be Captivated by the Calling that God has placed on our lives! In 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul is reminding young Timothy of who he is. Timothy has been saved and called by God and he has confessed that faith and calling before others. Paul encouraged Timothy to not grow weary, to keep fighting the good fight of faith, to “take hold of the eternal life” to which he was called. God is giving us the same message. Be patient, endure, stay focused, fight the good fight of faith, stay on track, be Captivated By the Call because lives hang in the balance of how we live out our calling.
At this time in the life of the church, there are two things that we need. First, we need . . .
1. Patience
It is easy to become impatient in a project like the one that we are undertaking. One of Satan’s tactics to keep us from seeing our dreams fulfilled is that he gets us to doubt the dreams. One of his greatest allies is our impatience, along with fear, worry, anxiety, second-guessing, and frustration that usually accompany it. Remember, God’s timing usually differs from our expectations. Delay of a dream does not necessarily mean denial, it just means we keep working and waiting on God.
Even though we have been working in earnest for about two years, let me assure you that this really is not that long of a period of time, neither is this uncommon in a project of this scope. When I was in Port Allen it took probably a total of six years to go from dream to fulfillment. I’m not suggesting it will take anywhere near that time; however, I do not want you to get discouraged if we hit a few speed bumps along the way. After all, if it was easy, every church in Livingston Parish would be building new facilities! When you look at the big picture, we are progressing very well. Building plans are almost complete, survey work has been completed, and we have almost a third of our pledged amount in the bank.
Don’t grow weary, trust in the Lord! Patiently waiting has always been the standard operating procedure of God’s people. Abraham and Sarah waited and prayed for years before Isaac, the promised son was born. Hebrews 6:15 says, “And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.” Delayed blessings are a test of our faith. Will we stand firm, will we endure. Our timing is not always God’s timing. He works according to His divine schedule, according to His sovereign will.
Not only is patience needed, but . . .
2. Unity of Purpose which Brings Unity among Believers in the Church. If we take care of building up God’s kingdom by building up the lives of people, God will take care of building up the facilities. Psalm 37:-4-5, 7, says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this . . . Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” The main thing must be the main thing, our delight is to be in the Lord. What is the main thing? What is our purpose? Our purpose is to . . .
(1) Help people encounter the living God! We call that Worship – Providing the opportunity and atmosphere for meaningful worship.
(2) Share Christ!!! We call that Evangelism – Proclaiming the love of Christ so the world might know him as Savior.
(3) Help people to grow so that they can experience God’s best! We call that Discipleship – Teaching, equipping and nurturing persons for spiritual growth.
(4) Give a cup of cold water in His name. We call that Ministry – Meeting the needs of our church, our community, and our world in the name of Jesus.
This is our purpose! When worship, evangelism, discipleship, and ministry forms the main content of our conversation, when this becomes our passion, there will be a spirit of unity in the church because there will be unity of purpose. “When we are Captivated By the Call of God, we will walk in patience and unity of purpose.” So how do I know when I am Captivated By the Call of God? There are at least four (4) indicators in the life of a believer that is Captivated By the Call.
The first indicator of being Captivated By the Call is . . .
1. Desperate Praying
Jacob was desperate when he cried out, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Gen. 32:26). The Psalmist expressed a heart that was desperate for God when he said, “My soul thirsts for the living God . . . my tears have been my food day and night” (Ps. 42:2-3). Desperate praying is praying that says, “Your will be done above all else.” Desperate praying is offering prayers of repentance for unkind words and actions. Prayers of repentance for erecting barriers to the love of God. Prayers of forgiveness for our unloving and backbiting attitudes. Prayers that say “God, do whatever you have to do, but move!” Prayers that go beyond praying for sickness, but prayers that ask God to heal the sin sickness in our lives and in our land. The spiritual problem for most of us is that we are just not desperate enough. Believers who are Captivated By the Call our believers who pray desperate prayers, urgent prayers, heartfelt prayers.
The second indicator of being Captivated By the Call is . . .
2. Greater Faith
Faith is believing and acting upon God’s Word. How do you have greater faith? We need three things: (1) A bigger concept of who God is. We don’t really know God! And because we really do not know God fully, we live in fear and confinement to a small vision. We live as if God is not going to come through. But we have a God that is bigger than any of us could ever even imagine. Scientists estimate that there are 125 billion galaxies in the visible universe! Don’t settle for a small concept of God, He is the King of the Universe!
(2) We need to ask God to increase our faith (Lk. 17:5). (3) We need to act on what God tells us. We need faithfulness to live out the life we already know. Faith grows in proportion to your exercise of faithfulness. Jesus said that if you are faithful in the few things, God will make you ruler over many things (Matt. 25:21). Are you doing what God has told you to do? He’s not going to give you a greater task until you are faithful with the task He’s already given to you.
The third indicator of being Captivated By the Call is . . .
3. Abounding Love
Spoken to a church that was self-seeking and divided, Paul said the greatest virtue is love (1 Cor. 13:13). Jesus said that people will know us by our love for one another (Jn. 13:35). Do we really love one another, or do we just tolerate one another? We can only love others because He first loved us (1 Jn. 4:19). It’s not our beliefs, not our sermons, not our music, not our buildings, not our programs, but our love! And this love is to grow and abound like an overflowing river in our lives (1 Thess. 3:12).
So how do we know if we are abounding in our love? Here are some questions to use as a spiritual evaluation.
1. Do you acknowledge others in your presence? Do others feel acceptance by you? Sometimes the most powerful way to love someone is to make them feel welcomed, like they belong.
2. Do you greet and speak to others?
3. Would others consider you friendly?
4. Are you considerate of others? Do you think about what you say and how you say it?
5. What practical things have you done lately that would show someone that you cared about them? Have you told someone that you loved them? That you appreciate them? Have you made someone feel special?
6. What’s your attitude toward those outside your circle of friends? Do you love the strangers, the foreigners (Deut. 10:19)? Others as yourself (Matt. 22:39)? What about loving the people that God sends to us each week and throughout the year? Do they feel welcomed? Loved? Accepted? A part of us? When we love the strangers among us, we are loving Jesus (See Matt. 25:35-45). We are showing that we are indeed Captivated By the Call!
The fourth indicator of being Captivated By the Call is . . .
4. Dying to Self
John the Baptist said, “He [Jesus] must increase, I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30). Is that happening with me? In the church? To keep your life is to lose it, to lose it is to gain it (Lk. 17:33). Do I really believe that? The seed must die in order to bring forth fruit (Jn. 12:24). Am I daily dying to self so that my life can be fruitful and filled with purpose?
We are to be living sacrifices, totally consumed, on fire with God’s passion (Rom. 12:1-2). Paul said “I am crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20). This means we really believe the words, “It’s not about me.” To die to my self means that my will is His will. My purpose is His purpose. My time is His time. My finances are His finances. My life is His life. I cannot get my feelings hurt because I’m dead. I am not going to be dominated by my sinful nature anymore, I’m dead. I do not have any selfish agendas, crucified people do not have agendas. I do not need the praise of men, I’m dead. I do not live to get my needs met, I’m crucified and dead men have no needs. When I die to my self, I show that I am Captivated By the Call! Then I’m ready to “Fight the good fight of faith . . .”
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Monday, October 5, 2009
KNOWING GOD'S WILL, Proverbs 3:5-6
A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, LA on October 4, 2009 by Pastor Joe Alain.
Series: “Foundations: Lessons On Assurance”
Focal Passage: Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
It’s a question that is never too far from our thoughts, “What is God’s will for my life?” “What does He want me to do?” And “how can I know God’s will?” “Am I going in the right direction?” “Am I making the right decision?” “Does God’s Word have something to say to me?” God has a path for each of us to walk. Likewise, He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He promises to guide us in the right paths of life. That is the promise we are reflecting upon today in Proverbs 3:5-6.
We can have the assurance of God’s guidance in our life when we put our Scripture passage into practice.
1. A Principle (3:5a, 6a) – Trust in the Lord
Taken together, the opening phrases of verse 5 and 6, highlight the absolute necessity of trusting in the Lord. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart . . . In all your ways acknowledge Him.” What does it mean to trust in the Lord with all of our heart and to acknowledge Him in all of our ways?
The word “trust” in the biblical language means “to confide, to place hope and confidence in any one,” the person here being the Lord. Trust is an ongoing action of faith on our part. (This word is an imperfect which means the action is not completed) We are to “trust” in the Lord with “all” our “heart.” The Hebrews thought of the heart in terms of “the seat of intellect; hence, (1) mind, purpose, intention; (2) understanding, knowledge, insight; (3) courage, spirit.” To trust in the Lord with all your heart is to allow God to have confidence in God when it comes to your thoughts and actions, even your passions, but especially as it relates to the way that you make decisions. To trust God with all our heart is to have faith, confidence in His ability to guide us.
God wants us to trust in Him in “All” my “ways,” literally paths. In every way or path of life, God wants me to trust in Him to guide me. For God to guide me I must “acknowledge him” in all of the ways of my life. God restricts His guidance of my life to the areas (the paths) that I am willing to surrender to His guidance.
Are you acknowledging the Lord in “all your ways”? Are you trusting Him with the decisions that you make related to your family? With the way you handle your finances? With your work? Your schooling? Your dating relationships? Your friendships? Your social life? To trust in the Lord with all your heart is to have the mind of Christ who said, “not My will, but Your will be done” (Matt. 26:42). When we acknowledge him in all our ways, we can have the assurance that the Lord will guide us.
1. A Principle – Trust in the Lord. We also have . . ..
2. A Prohibition (3:5b) – Do Not Trust in Yourself
Verse 5 says, “And lean not on your own understanding.” This is the negative side of the instruction that God gives us. Every negative that God gives to us is really a positive if we look at it right. When your parents told you “don’t play in the street” it was a negative that was positive. If the light is red at a busy intersection, stopping (a negative if you’re in a hurry) may save your life, so that’s a positive. So God gives us here a negative. What is it? Do not trust in yourself. Do not lean upon your own understanding. Do not follow your inner compass when it tells you to do something contrary to what God has said for you to do, even if it doesn’t make sense, which it will not sometimes.
Have you ever been lost? At the worst it can be kind of a scary experience, and at best it is frustrating. One time I was lost. Well, not really one time. After driving around awhile, leaning on my own understanding, I finally stopped and asked for directions. After giving me directions, the nice lady said “I couldn’t miss it!” Well, I did. Maybe I didn’t hear her right or maybe she didn’t know either. After driving around some more, I stopped again for directions. This time I finally arrived at my destination. Living is very much like driving through a strange city. We spend a great deal of time wandering around. People are often quick to give you directions. Sometimes they are well-meaning but the directions they give are bad. People might say, “It’s ok to lie and cheat, just don’t get caught. It’s ok to do what you want. Take care of yourself and Forget about God.” But these directions in life won’t help us. They will cause us to continue wandering around – lost!
When we feel that our way is best rather than God’s way, we are leaning on our own understanding. We are trusting too much in ourselves. And when we do that we just end up staying lost in life. Just like me driving around and around thinking “The place I’m looking for is right around the corner,” when I was not even close. So following my understanding apart from God keeps me wandering.
What’s wrong with trusting in our understanding? Why can we not trust fully in ourselves?
(1) For one our heart (even the Christians) is not completely reliable. Jeremiah 17:9, NLT said, “The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” Our heart (the seat of our decision making) is not completely objective. We are still subject to those human passions that want to go against what God wants me to do (see Prov. 14:12). God says “do this by faith,” and our heart tells us it can’t be done, so we go with what we know rather than who we know. Jesus says, take the narrow path of trust in Him, but our heart tells us, “go down the broad path. Everyone else is traveling that way so it must be right. The broad road looks smooth, there is no cross along that road.” If we lean only on our own understanding, we are going to miss out on God’s plan for our lives.
(2) Our Understanding Is Limited.
Proverbs 14:12, NIV says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” We should not place too much faith in ourselves because we don’t always have the whole story. How many times have we thought certain things and acted upon information that was later proved to be only partly true or altogether false? Things are not always what they seem.
1. A Promise, 2. A Prohibition The passage concludes with . . .
3. A Promise (3:6b)
What is the promise that God gives to us when we follow the principle and the prohibition? “and he will make your paths straight” (NIV) or the NKJV, “And He shall direct your paths.” The word “direct” means to make smooth. If we will trust Him, He will guide us in the right path and He will remove the obstacles in the path so that the road will be smooth. The CEV says, “And he will clear the road for you to follow.” The Msg says that “he’s the one who will keep you on track.”
When we try to make something happen the road is rocky and hard. When we trust in Him, He will do the directing, the guiding, and the path will be much smoother. God may lead us down some narrow paths, but they will be far smoother with Him than if we went down a broad path without Him.
Practical Application How does God guide us?
1. Through His Word
Jn. 17:7. God’s guidance is right in front of us, but we too often miss it. In teaching, I always give a review before a test. I will tell them what to expect, but you would be surprised at how many students would miss a question and ask me about it. They had the answer all the time, they just didn’t bother looking it up. We do the same thing with God’s Word. And yet, think of the guidance that is available to us through His Word? God’s word counsels us (Ps. 119:24), and provides light for our path (Ps. 119:105, 130). For God to provide us guidance, we must seek His guidance through His Word.
2. Through His Spirit
God’s Spirit, His very presence lives within every believer (Eph. 1:13-14). God-given desires are one way that the HS works in our life to guide us (Ps. 37:4). What God-given desires do you have? If you are delighting yourself in Him, He will give you the desires of your heart because they will be God-given desires. Philippians 2:13 reminds us of the powerful truth that God is at work in every believer “to will and to act according to His good purpose.” God speaks to us through His Spirit, are we listening?
3. Through Other People
God places people in your life. There is wisdom in godly counsel. See Proverbs 11:14; 12:15; 15:22; 24:6. This is the “fourth and one principle.” In football if it is the fourth down with one yard to go for the first down, sometimes the quarterback will call a time out to get some advice from the coach. When it comes to direction, don’t rush into something without seeking and receiving Godly counsel. God has placed people in your life to help guide you. Godly parents, grandparents, teachers, leaders in church and in the community can greatly help you. God speaks to us through others.
4. Through Our Circumstances
Sometimes God opens doors (Acts 16:6-ff.), sometimes He closes them. I have to admit, this is the area of how God guides me that I do not fully understand or always appreciate, but I know that He guides me through circumstances, things that happen, doors that open and door that close.
As a follower of Jesus, you have a powerful promise that God is going to guide you every step of the way. If you’re a believer, keep on following Him, keep on trusting, He will direct your paths, he will make your path clear, He will keep you on track. If you’ve never established a personal relationship of trust with the Lord, God has made it possible for you to do that today. He is the “way” the truth and the life!
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Series: “Foundations: Lessons On Assurance”
Focal Passage: Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
It’s a question that is never too far from our thoughts, “What is God’s will for my life?” “What does He want me to do?” And “how can I know God’s will?” “Am I going in the right direction?” “Am I making the right decision?” “Does God’s Word have something to say to me?” God has a path for each of us to walk. Likewise, He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He promises to guide us in the right paths of life. That is the promise we are reflecting upon today in Proverbs 3:5-6.
We can have the assurance of God’s guidance in our life when we put our Scripture passage into practice.
1. A Principle (3:5a, 6a) – Trust in the Lord
Taken together, the opening phrases of verse 5 and 6, highlight the absolute necessity of trusting in the Lord. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart . . . In all your ways acknowledge Him.” What does it mean to trust in the Lord with all of our heart and to acknowledge Him in all of our ways?
The word “trust” in the biblical language means “to confide, to place hope and confidence in any one,” the person here being the Lord. Trust is an ongoing action of faith on our part. (This word is an imperfect which means the action is not completed) We are to “trust” in the Lord with “all” our “heart.” The Hebrews thought of the heart in terms of “the seat of intellect; hence, (1) mind, purpose, intention; (2) understanding, knowledge, insight; (3) courage, spirit.” To trust in the Lord with all your heart is to allow God to have confidence in God when it comes to your thoughts and actions, even your passions, but especially as it relates to the way that you make decisions. To trust God with all our heart is to have faith, confidence in His ability to guide us.
God wants us to trust in Him in “All” my “ways,” literally paths. In every way or path of life, God wants me to trust in Him to guide me. For God to guide me I must “acknowledge him” in all of the ways of my life. God restricts His guidance of my life to the areas (the paths) that I am willing to surrender to His guidance.
Are you acknowledging the Lord in “all your ways”? Are you trusting Him with the decisions that you make related to your family? With the way you handle your finances? With your work? Your schooling? Your dating relationships? Your friendships? Your social life? To trust in the Lord with all your heart is to have the mind of Christ who said, “not My will, but Your will be done” (Matt. 26:42). When we acknowledge him in all our ways, we can have the assurance that the Lord will guide us.
1. A Principle – Trust in the Lord. We also have . . ..
2. A Prohibition (3:5b) – Do Not Trust in Yourself
Verse 5 says, “And lean not on your own understanding.” This is the negative side of the instruction that God gives us. Every negative that God gives to us is really a positive if we look at it right. When your parents told you “don’t play in the street” it was a negative that was positive. If the light is red at a busy intersection, stopping (a negative if you’re in a hurry) may save your life, so that’s a positive. So God gives us here a negative. What is it? Do not trust in yourself. Do not lean upon your own understanding. Do not follow your inner compass when it tells you to do something contrary to what God has said for you to do, even if it doesn’t make sense, which it will not sometimes.
Have you ever been lost? At the worst it can be kind of a scary experience, and at best it is frustrating. One time I was lost. Well, not really one time. After driving around awhile, leaning on my own understanding, I finally stopped and asked for directions. After giving me directions, the nice lady said “I couldn’t miss it!” Well, I did. Maybe I didn’t hear her right or maybe she didn’t know either. After driving around some more, I stopped again for directions. This time I finally arrived at my destination. Living is very much like driving through a strange city. We spend a great deal of time wandering around. People are often quick to give you directions. Sometimes they are well-meaning but the directions they give are bad. People might say, “It’s ok to lie and cheat, just don’t get caught. It’s ok to do what you want. Take care of yourself and Forget about God.” But these directions in life won’t help us. They will cause us to continue wandering around – lost!
When we feel that our way is best rather than God’s way, we are leaning on our own understanding. We are trusting too much in ourselves. And when we do that we just end up staying lost in life. Just like me driving around and around thinking “The place I’m looking for is right around the corner,” when I was not even close. So following my understanding apart from God keeps me wandering.
What’s wrong with trusting in our understanding? Why can we not trust fully in ourselves?
(1) For one our heart (even the Christians) is not completely reliable. Jeremiah 17:9, NLT said, “The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” Our heart (the seat of our decision making) is not completely objective. We are still subject to those human passions that want to go against what God wants me to do (see Prov. 14:12). God says “do this by faith,” and our heart tells us it can’t be done, so we go with what we know rather than who we know. Jesus says, take the narrow path of trust in Him, but our heart tells us, “go down the broad path. Everyone else is traveling that way so it must be right. The broad road looks smooth, there is no cross along that road.” If we lean only on our own understanding, we are going to miss out on God’s plan for our lives.
(2) Our Understanding Is Limited.
Proverbs 14:12, NIV says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” We should not place too much faith in ourselves because we don’t always have the whole story. How many times have we thought certain things and acted upon information that was later proved to be only partly true or altogether false? Things are not always what they seem.
1. A Promise, 2. A Prohibition The passage concludes with . . .
3. A Promise (3:6b)
What is the promise that God gives to us when we follow the principle and the prohibition? “and he will make your paths straight” (NIV) or the NKJV, “And He shall direct your paths.” The word “direct” means to make smooth. If we will trust Him, He will guide us in the right path and He will remove the obstacles in the path so that the road will be smooth. The CEV says, “And he will clear the road for you to follow.” The Msg says that “he’s the one who will keep you on track.”
When we try to make something happen the road is rocky and hard. When we trust in Him, He will do the directing, the guiding, and the path will be much smoother. God may lead us down some narrow paths, but they will be far smoother with Him than if we went down a broad path without Him.
Practical Application How does God guide us?
1. Through His Word
Jn. 17:7. God’s guidance is right in front of us, but we too often miss it. In teaching, I always give a review before a test. I will tell them what to expect, but you would be surprised at how many students would miss a question and ask me about it. They had the answer all the time, they just didn’t bother looking it up. We do the same thing with God’s Word. And yet, think of the guidance that is available to us through His Word? God’s word counsels us (Ps. 119:24), and provides light for our path (Ps. 119:105, 130). For God to provide us guidance, we must seek His guidance through His Word.
2. Through His Spirit
God’s Spirit, His very presence lives within every believer (Eph. 1:13-14). God-given desires are one way that the HS works in our life to guide us (Ps. 37:4). What God-given desires do you have? If you are delighting yourself in Him, He will give you the desires of your heart because they will be God-given desires. Philippians 2:13 reminds us of the powerful truth that God is at work in every believer “to will and to act according to His good purpose.” God speaks to us through His Spirit, are we listening?
3. Through Other People
God places people in your life. There is wisdom in godly counsel. See Proverbs 11:14; 12:15; 15:22; 24:6. This is the “fourth and one principle.” In football if it is the fourth down with one yard to go for the first down, sometimes the quarterback will call a time out to get some advice from the coach. When it comes to direction, don’t rush into something without seeking and receiving Godly counsel. God has placed people in your life to help guide you. Godly parents, grandparents, teachers, leaders in church and in the community can greatly help you. God speaks to us through others.
4. Through Our Circumstances
Sometimes God opens doors (Acts 16:6-ff.), sometimes He closes them. I have to admit, this is the area of how God guides me that I do not fully understand or always appreciate, but I know that He guides me through circumstances, things that happen, doors that open and door that close.
As a follower of Jesus, you have a powerful promise that God is going to guide you every step of the way. If you’re a believer, keep on following Him, keep on trusting, He will direct your paths, he will make your path clear, He will keep you on track. If you’ve never established a personal relationship of trust with the Lord, God has made it possible for you to do that today. He is the “way” the truth and the life!
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Can God Really Forgive My Sin? 1 John 1:9
A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs on Sunday, September 27, 2009 by Pastor Joe Alain.
Series: Foundations: Lessons On Assurance
This Week's Assurance: Assurance of Forgiveness
Scripture Verse: 1 John 1:9, NIV
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Christians aren’t perfect just forgiven. Because salvation does not mean that we are perfect, we do sin and we must ask God for forgiveness. But we sometimes have a two-fold problem when it comes to seeking forgiveness. Sometimes we don’t feel as if we have any sin and do not need forgiveness. John speaking to believers in 1 John 1:8 says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” We have a difficult time admitting that we need to be forgiven. The other problem is that we wonder if God can really forgive our sin? We sin and we feel bad because we’ve already talked to God about it, and here we are again.
The truth of our Scripture today is that you and I can have the assurance of forgiveness. Because of what God has done for us in Christ (i.e., His work on the cross), forgiveness for the believer is assured. Let’s read that promise of assurance together. Read 1 Jn 1:9.
Before we look specifically at what this verse says, I want us to examine the need of forgiveness in our lives. Why if God has saved us, forgiven us, do we need forgiveness? Jesus illustrated the need of daily cleansing in our lives when He washed Peter’s feet in the Upper Room. Peter did not want Jesus to wash his feet. When he finally allowed Jesus to wash his feet, He told Jesus, “not just my feet but hands and head as well!” (Jn. 14:9). Jesus in turn said, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean” (Jn. 14:10). What was Jesus trying to say? If you are saved, you have been spiritually bathed, you have been washed. But as you walk in this world, you’re feet are going to get dirty. You don’t need another bath; that is, you don’t get saved every time you sin, but you do need to wash your feet; that is, you need daily cleansing from sin. The reason being that sin by its very nature is an obstacle to our fellowship with God and our experiencing God’s abundant life. Remember, sin doesn’t cause you to lose your relationship with God, but it does hinder your fellowship with God.
You and I can do one of three things with our sin. (1) We can cast if off as unimportant, treat it lightly. Redefine it, which is what the world has done with sin. Several years ago a book came out that was a best seller with the title, Whatever Happened to Sin? That’s a good question. What God calls an abomination, today people call an alternative lifestyle. What God calls iniquity, people call an illness. What God calls wickedness, people call weakness.
Sin has been redefined today. If you are lazy you are “Motivationally Dispossessed.” Dishonest – “Ethically Disoriented.” Serial killer – “Socially Misaligned.” Shoplifter – engaged in “Non-Traditional Shopping.” These would be funny if they were not so serious. While seeming to be caring and compassionate ways of describing people’s behavior, these descriptions make the mistake of failing to confront people with their sin.
(2) A second way of dealing with sin is that we can evade our responsibility, blame someone else for our actions. Or (3) We can confess our sin which is the only way to receive God’s forgiveness.
Let’s look together at God’s wonderful promise of forgiveness.
I. The Condition of Forgiveness (1:9a)
“If we confess our sins” “If” (third class conditional clause) tells us confession is a choice; a decision. Forgiveness is conditioned upon something, that something being we must “confess our sins.” What does it mean to “confess our sins”? To confess is to literally say the same thing as God says. It is naming your sin whether it be a thought or action before God. You agree with Him that it is sin. Confession is owning up to our sin.
Jim Meek citing various contemporary illustrations writes that apologies just aren’t what they used to be. Apologies are deployed as a celebrity bailout, a media strategy, and a legal tactic. People want the results of forgiveness without the confession, the clean slate without any action or true remorse on their part. We want clemency without confession. Three days before Edwin Edwards left office, he pardoned 56 people, a good number were convicted murderers. No confession was required. He pardoned 599 persons from 1992-1996. Clemency in this life may be given without confession; however, God’s divine pardon is experienced when (and only when) we “confess our sins,” when we come clean.
See Psalm 32:1-5. When David acknowledged his sin, God forgave Him and removed his guilt. Confession is uncovering our sins, rather than sweeping the dirt of our lives under the carpet. Truth to know: When we uncover (confess) our sins, God covers them. But when we try to cover our sins, God will uncover them (see Prov. 28:13).
This uncovering, confession of sin is to be an ongoing experience. It is a daily cleansing. “Confess” is a present tense verb and means “to keep on confessing.” You’re feet are going to get dirty in this life and God has made a way for you and I to be cleansed. Confession is a way of life for the believer. As soon as we become aware of a thought or action that is not pleasing to God, there is to be instantaneous confession on our part and instantaneous cleansing on God’s part.
I. The Condition of Forgiveness (1:9a)
II. The Confidence of Forgiveness (1:9b)
“He is faithful and just” Just like every promise we have in Scripture, our assurance of forgiveness is based on the faithfulness of God. We are confident that God will forgive our sins when we confess because we have complete confidence in the faithfulness of God. When we confess our sins we need to claim with confidence that God is faithful and has forgiven us. One man was consulting with his pastor because he was being tormented by guilt over a past sin. The pastor asked him if he had confessed his sin to God. The man said, “yes, I’ve confessed it a hundred times.” The wise pastor said, “that’s 99 times too many. You should have confessed it once and thanked God 99 times for forgiving you.”
God is not only faithful but He is “just.” Wouldn’t God’s justice demand that He not forgive us? If God is just can He really forgive my sin? How can God forgive me, a sinner, and still be just? Because God’s demand for perfect justice has been perfectly met in Jesus. If God forgave people apart from the cross of Jesus, He would be unjust. He would be treating sin lightly. But God does not treat sin lightly. Sin must be punished. It must be paid for if God is to forgive and the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that your sin and mine has been paid for in Jesus Christ.
God does not extend pardons without justice. God maintains His perfect justice because my sins – past, present, and future – have already been judged in Jesus. Have you ever noticed how fire fighters will start burns so that the approaching fire will not go any further? The believer stands on a burned patch of ground called mount calvary. Jesus took our sins. He stood in the path of the fire so that we would not have to be burned. That is why God is able to forgive me and He still be completely just. But apart from Christ there is no forgiveness.
If we meet the conditions, “confess our sins,” we can claim with confidence God’s forgiveness. We too will be able to say as David did. “A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps. 51:17, NLT).
I. The Condition of Forgiveness (1:9a)
II. The Confidence of Forgiveness (1:9b)
III. The Confirmation of Forgiveness (1:9c)
“to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”
When we meet the condition, God fulfills His promise. And what does He do? The two words used here for forgiveness illustrate what happens when God forgives us.
(1) Removal – “Forgive”
Aorist, active, subjunctive, 3, sing. Literally, it means to carry away (See Mic. 7:19). To forgive is to remove the obstacle, the roadblock that stands in the way between you and God.
(2) Renewal – “Purify”
The word means to cleanse and is the act of making the sinner holy so that he or she is able to enjoy fellowship with God once again. God makes us holy by the process of cleansing or washing. Forgiveness is a washing of renewal, of refreshing. We are brought back to life again so that we can enjoy God’s presence and enjoy life.
Testimony: There’s incredible freedom and power in the act of receiving and extending forgiveness. Gail Hall is going to share a testimony about the power and freedom that forgiveness brings in our lives. Forgiveness is life-changing and it allows us to move forward with God.
If you are going to move forward with God, not only must you be forgiven but you must practice forgiveness. Forgiveness does free us to move forward! If you are a believer today, is there a roadblock in your relationship with God? Is there something that you’re holding on to that God wants you to release to Him? What’s in your pathway that only God can clear? Why don’t you confess that sin to God and receive His forgiveness that will restore your fellowship and joy with Him. God really can forgive you and you can move forward.
You might be here today and you’ve never had that once-for-all experience of forgiveness. You don’t know what it’s like to stand with confidence on that burned patch of ground. You’re not sure you have been forgiven, that you are in Christ. Has there been a once-for-all experience of surrender to God? If not, what’s holding you back? You don’t have to wait till you get your life in order. Jesus came because we couldn’t get our lives together. He came for messed up people and He paid it all by the sacrifice of Himself on the cross for your sins. Will you trust in Him today? Will you give your life to Him and be saved? If you will, you too will experience God’s presence and true joy for life. That’s God’s promise!
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Series: Foundations: Lessons On Assurance
This Week's Assurance: Assurance of Forgiveness
Scripture Verse: 1 John 1:9, NIV
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Christians aren’t perfect just forgiven. Because salvation does not mean that we are perfect, we do sin and we must ask God for forgiveness. But we sometimes have a two-fold problem when it comes to seeking forgiveness. Sometimes we don’t feel as if we have any sin and do not need forgiveness. John speaking to believers in 1 John 1:8 says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” We have a difficult time admitting that we need to be forgiven. The other problem is that we wonder if God can really forgive our sin? We sin and we feel bad because we’ve already talked to God about it, and here we are again.
The truth of our Scripture today is that you and I can have the assurance of forgiveness. Because of what God has done for us in Christ (i.e., His work on the cross), forgiveness for the believer is assured. Let’s read that promise of assurance together. Read 1 Jn 1:9.
Before we look specifically at what this verse says, I want us to examine the need of forgiveness in our lives. Why if God has saved us, forgiven us, do we need forgiveness? Jesus illustrated the need of daily cleansing in our lives when He washed Peter’s feet in the Upper Room. Peter did not want Jesus to wash his feet. When he finally allowed Jesus to wash his feet, He told Jesus, “not just my feet but hands and head as well!” (Jn. 14:9). Jesus in turn said, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean” (Jn. 14:10). What was Jesus trying to say? If you are saved, you have been spiritually bathed, you have been washed. But as you walk in this world, you’re feet are going to get dirty. You don’t need another bath; that is, you don’t get saved every time you sin, but you do need to wash your feet; that is, you need daily cleansing from sin. The reason being that sin by its very nature is an obstacle to our fellowship with God and our experiencing God’s abundant life. Remember, sin doesn’t cause you to lose your relationship with God, but it does hinder your fellowship with God.
You and I can do one of three things with our sin. (1) We can cast if off as unimportant, treat it lightly. Redefine it, which is what the world has done with sin. Several years ago a book came out that was a best seller with the title, Whatever Happened to Sin? That’s a good question. What God calls an abomination, today people call an alternative lifestyle. What God calls iniquity, people call an illness. What God calls wickedness, people call weakness.
Sin has been redefined today. If you are lazy you are “Motivationally Dispossessed.” Dishonest – “Ethically Disoriented.” Serial killer – “Socially Misaligned.” Shoplifter – engaged in “Non-Traditional Shopping.” These would be funny if they were not so serious. While seeming to be caring and compassionate ways of describing people’s behavior, these descriptions make the mistake of failing to confront people with their sin.
(2) A second way of dealing with sin is that we can evade our responsibility, blame someone else for our actions. Or (3) We can confess our sin which is the only way to receive God’s forgiveness.
Let’s look together at God’s wonderful promise of forgiveness.
I. The Condition of Forgiveness (1:9a)
“If we confess our sins” “If” (third class conditional clause) tells us confession is a choice; a decision. Forgiveness is conditioned upon something, that something being we must “confess our sins.” What does it mean to “confess our sins”? To confess is to literally say the same thing as God says. It is naming your sin whether it be a thought or action before God. You agree with Him that it is sin. Confession is owning up to our sin.
Jim Meek citing various contemporary illustrations writes that apologies just aren’t what they used to be. Apologies are deployed as a celebrity bailout, a media strategy, and a legal tactic. People want the results of forgiveness without the confession, the clean slate without any action or true remorse on their part. We want clemency without confession. Three days before Edwin Edwards left office, he pardoned 56 people, a good number were convicted murderers. No confession was required. He pardoned 599 persons from 1992-1996. Clemency in this life may be given without confession; however, God’s divine pardon is experienced when (and only when) we “confess our sins,” when we come clean.
See Psalm 32:1-5. When David acknowledged his sin, God forgave Him and removed his guilt. Confession is uncovering our sins, rather than sweeping the dirt of our lives under the carpet. Truth to know: When we uncover (confess) our sins, God covers them. But when we try to cover our sins, God will uncover them (see Prov. 28:13).
This uncovering, confession of sin is to be an ongoing experience. It is a daily cleansing. “Confess” is a present tense verb and means “to keep on confessing.” You’re feet are going to get dirty in this life and God has made a way for you and I to be cleansed. Confession is a way of life for the believer. As soon as we become aware of a thought or action that is not pleasing to God, there is to be instantaneous confession on our part and instantaneous cleansing on God’s part.
I. The Condition of Forgiveness (1:9a)
II. The Confidence of Forgiveness (1:9b)
“He is faithful and just” Just like every promise we have in Scripture, our assurance of forgiveness is based on the faithfulness of God. We are confident that God will forgive our sins when we confess because we have complete confidence in the faithfulness of God. When we confess our sins we need to claim with confidence that God is faithful and has forgiven us. One man was consulting with his pastor because he was being tormented by guilt over a past sin. The pastor asked him if he had confessed his sin to God. The man said, “yes, I’ve confessed it a hundred times.” The wise pastor said, “that’s 99 times too many. You should have confessed it once and thanked God 99 times for forgiving you.”
God is not only faithful but He is “just.” Wouldn’t God’s justice demand that He not forgive us? If God is just can He really forgive my sin? How can God forgive me, a sinner, and still be just? Because God’s demand for perfect justice has been perfectly met in Jesus. If God forgave people apart from the cross of Jesus, He would be unjust. He would be treating sin lightly. But God does not treat sin lightly. Sin must be punished. It must be paid for if God is to forgive and the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that your sin and mine has been paid for in Jesus Christ.
God does not extend pardons without justice. God maintains His perfect justice because my sins – past, present, and future – have already been judged in Jesus. Have you ever noticed how fire fighters will start burns so that the approaching fire will not go any further? The believer stands on a burned patch of ground called mount calvary. Jesus took our sins. He stood in the path of the fire so that we would not have to be burned. That is why God is able to forgive me and He still be completely just. But apart from Christ there is no forgiveness.
If we meet the conditions, “confess our sins,” we can claim with confidence God’s forgiveness. We too will be able to say as David did. “A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps. 51:17, NLT).
I. The Condition of Forgiveness (1:9a)
II. The Confidence of Forgiveness (1:9b)
III. The Confirmation of Forgiveness (1:9c)
“to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”
When we meet the condition, God fulfills His promise. And what does He do? The two words used here for forgiveness illustrate what happens when God forgives us.
(1) Removal – “Forgive”
Aorist, active, subjunctive, 3, sing. Literally, it means to carry away (See Mic. 7:19). To forgive is to remove the obstacle, the roadblock that stands in the way between you and God.
(2) Renewal – “Purify”
The word means to cleanse and is the act of making the sinner holy so that he or she is able to enjoy fellowship with God once again. God makes us holy by the process of cleansing or washing. Forgiveness is a washing of renewal, of refreshing. We are brought back to life again so that we can enjoy God’s presence and enjoy life.
Testimony: There’s incredible freedom and power in the act of receiving and extending forgiveness. Gail Hall is going to share a testimony about the power and freedom that forgiveness brings in our lives. Forgiveness is life-changing and it allows us to move forward with God.
If you are going to move forward with God, not only must you be forgiven but you must practice forgiveness. Forgiveness does free us to move forward! If you are a believer today, is there a roadblock in your relationship with God? Is there something that you’re holding on to that God wants you to release to Him? What’s in your pathway that only God can clear? Why don’t you confess that sin to God and receive His forgiveness that will restore your fellowship and joy with Him. God really can forgive you and you can move forward.
You might be here today and you’ve never had that once-for-all experience of forgiveness. You don’t know what it’s like to stand with confidence on that burned patch of ground. You’re not sure you have been forgiven, that you are in Christ. Has there been a once-for-all experience of surrender to God? If not, what’s holding you back? You don’t have to wait till you get your life in order. Jesus came because we couldn’t get our lives together. He came for messed up people and He paid it all by the sacrifice of Himself on the cross for your sins. Will you trust in Him today? Will you give your life to Him and be saved? If you will, you too will experience God’s presence and true joy for life. That’s God’s promise!
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
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