Discipleship… Redefined… and Grounded

I continue to read Eugene H Peterson’s Christ Plays In Ten Thousand Places and in the chapter entitled ‘Christ Plays in Creation,’  he speaks of being grounded in a  particular place (geographically speaking) and living for God there. (As in the Garden of Eden.)

And then he says this:

“For twenty-five years of Sundays a nuclear scientist sat in my congregation and listened as I preached a thirty-minute sermon. I preached texts of Jesus’ message of forgiveness and salvation, mercy and love, grace and justice. As he left the sanctuary after the benediction, he was always warm in his appreciation: “Thank you pastor-powerful words, great message.” There was hardly a Sunday in which he did not respond positively to the text and its exposition. I never had reason to suppose that he was anything but sincere. But when he returned home-the primary place for him where forgiveness and love and justice could be enacted-he treated his mother-in-law who lived with him with sneers and disdain, acting out years of accumulated grudges. The word of God for this man never got located in his garden, never got placed.”

I was both convicted of my own lack of a “grounded discipleship” at times in my own household and challenged to do a better job, with the Holy Spirit’s help, of helping others being grounded in their own “garden.”

A Poem: A Sunday Morning Walk To Churc

“Sunday is not rest from physical labor: it is the rest of holy leisure, of holy reflection, meant to remind us once again that we have been created to make the world a better place, as Jesus did. It rekindles  in us the joy of liberation from the chains of death. It encourages us in the gratitude that comes with having been emancipated from the limitations and seductions of this world. It reminds us week after week of the responsibility of those who, having been freed themselves, must now go on to free others.”

Joan Chittister, The Liturgical Year: the spiraling adventure of the spiritual life

A Sunday Morning Walk To Church

The alarm rings,

And bleary eyed I rise

To face another day

Work is tomorrow

Saturday fun, is done.

 

The children are a pain,

They fuss and they fume

With multiple cries of selfish pain

Tune me out of the loop.

 

Oh yes, it is Sunday

That day for no work

Just rest,

Which I will do

In front of the tube.

 

Finally there (at church)

Half-grumpy (still hungry)

As we greet those who walk (and drive)

As we do…

 

Two hours (at least) of sitting, standing,

Greeting, drinking (latte’s), going potty, is before us…

The Revelation, A Revolution for which we are present…

Seems distant.

 

Suddenly, a heart burning

Heart warming takes place

Out of nowhere…

What is this?

 

This can’t happen!

It’s church

Where nothing is supposed to happen

 

We go, we listen, we talk, we listen some

We talk some (words, words, words)

Then we go home…

Religious duty done.

 

But not here! Not now!

Why me? Why God?

God…

Jesus…

Father…

Revelation shows up…

A revolution takes place

Within me…

 

Not acid reflux

But soul reflex

 

A reaction to grace

“Our hearts burned within us…”

God showed up.

On Sunday, on the Road

© Jim Kane, 2009

A Quote for Reflection… and Maybe Some Action!

I am currently reading Eugene H Peterson’s book, Christ Plays In Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology.

I have read Peterson for years. I want to be like him in many ways. Long tenured pastorate. Steady ministry. Clear and Biblical thinking. Pastorally rooted.

But I must be myself… yet it does not keep me from learning anew from him and others, such as Gordon MacDonald, John Ortberg, AW Tozer, (and now Joan Chittister via her The Liturgical Year: The Spiraling Adventure of the Spiritual Life).

As a pastor, I am very concerned about depth of faith these days and  it has a bearing on the total condition of our nation and our individual lives these days.

I am hearing it more and more these days in the blogs I read.

Notably Alan Hirsch in a post over a catalyst.com entitled “No Disciples, No Mission” when he writes very pointedly, “if there be no mission there can be no discipleship, and if there is no discipleship there will be no mission. And there can be no missional church if there is no disciple-making church—it’s as simple as that.”

Hirsch also makes this point, “And it does not take a genius to realize that we have all but lost the art of disciple-making in the contemporary Western church. No wonder Dallas Willard calls the systematic non-discipleship of the Western Church “the great omission” in his book by that name.”

Then Pastor Tom Steagald, at The Christian Century’s blog, theology.org writes in a post titled “Salvation by Pastor Alone.” “I should disclose that I recently received a nice “promotion.” In my new pastorate—where I’m thankful to be and thrilled to pitch my tent—I’ve been trying to locate and avoid the traps set for all ministers. Here’s one: even well-meaning congregations often believe they will be saved not just by work, but by the work of the pastor: her preaching and personality, his pastoral care and visitation, the winsomeness and marketing and programming that will change the old First Church from “inglory” into glory.

Which makes Peterson’s point very poignant… and disconcerting…

“Out of the grab bag of celebrity anecdotes, media gurus, fragments of ecstasy, and personal fantasies, far too many of us, with the best intentions in the world, because we have been left to do it “on our own,” assemble spiritual identities and ways of life that are conspicuously prone to addictions, broken relationships, isolation, and violence.”

God help us.

(All italics in direct quotes are mine)

Reframing A Leadership Issue

Stephen Covey calls it a ‘paradigm shift.’ Gil Rendle calls it ‘assumption shifts.’ I call it learning something new or ‘reframing the issue.’ But it is a way in which I sometimes learn: seeing a situation or even a process in a different light.

Our church bought property 18 months ago after a five year period of looking and making offers on other property and buildings (including the one we bought) that was prefaced by two years of study on whether or not to relocate from our current site.

As we have progressed toward a set of plans that will help us in our next round of fundraising, I began to sense the very important need of seeking God’s direction (and the congregation’s involvement) in determining, “What kind of church does God want us to become?”

This question has driven me to prayer and reading more and more about congregational planning and discernment. And, to setting aside time in our monthly Ministry Council meetings for visioning and discernment.

As I have done so, I encountered Gil Rendle’s thoughts about a very key, and truly strategic, issue: The Spiritual Assumptions of Leaders. It is the title of a chapter in his book, Leading Change in the Congregation: Spiritual and Organization Tools for Leaders.

When he wrote, “Are leaders called to lead congregations out of problems and back to strengths? Or is the present state of a congregation not a problem but step toward an open future, the new thing God is doing?” I experienced a paradigm shift/assumption shift/reframing “ah ha!” experience.

Rendle goes on to express the view that when congregational leaders assume that the current situations they face are simply “problems” to be fixed, it has “limited effectiveness” because those who “research and work with congregations” estimate that “50 to 60 percent of the variables affecting congregations are outside the control of congregational leaders.” (Italics mine)

Another “ah ha!” experience…

He then goes on to write about Walter Brueggman’s thoughts about the exile of Ancient Israel in 587 B.C.E. 587 B.C.E. was when as Brueggman is quoted as saying, “Public life in Judah came to an end.” The temple was burned, Jerusalem was sacked, key leaders were taken from Judah, and the exile to Babylonia began.  He (Brueggman) then goes on to use 587 as a metaphor for those periods in a congregation’s life when the old way comes to an end and a new way begins to take shape.

Another “ah ha” moment…

So I have determined to now begin looking at our situation not as a ‘problem to be solved’ (though there will be some of those) but as a question, “What new thing is God doing and calling us to do?”

What is the Assurance of Salvation?

Ephesians 2:8-9

This morning we begin a series that I hope and pray will help each one of us be better established in our faith and relationship with God. I am calling it Bible Jeopardy: We Know The Answer, But What Is The Question? (Overhead)

The reason for this title is that a good question gets us to think. And good thinking helps us find good answers. And good answers provides with a base upon which we can build a good life.

We never stop questioning things or asking questions. Questions are very important in our relationship with God. In fact, they can be the doorway to a greater relationship with God.

For example, Nicodemus, a person who many thought had all the answers, found that questions opened up some new possibilities that he had never before considered. In John 3 he meets with Jesus and in response to a statement he makes as to Jesus’ miracles as evidence “that God is with you,” finds a question coming out of his mouth when Jesus responds from an entirely different direction. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

The question gave Jesus the opportunity to clearly explain what God was up to and John 3:1 – 16 has since been a passage used to explain our questions about salvation and eternal life.

Another reason that I have brought the concept of Jeopardy into play is that I want us to have some fun, in a respectful way, because the Christian faith is a joyful and wonderful faith. We are going to start each week with two to three statements that I am going to ask you to respond to by stating the question. Just like on Jeopardy! So, are you ready? Here we go?

Statement number 1: (Overhead)

I am confident that my sins are forgiven and that I will spend eternity with God in heaven.

Okay, what’s the answer?

(What is assurance of salvation?)

Statement number 2: (Overhead)

I have demonstrated that I trust in Jesus Christ for salvation by telling family and friends what Christ has done for me and by being baptized.

What’s the answer?

(What is assurance of salvation?)

Statement number 3: (Overhead)

My assurance of salvation is based on faith in the promises of God’s word, not my feelings.

What’s the answer?

(What is assurance of salvation?)

The question for today is “What Is Assurance of Salvation?” Or, “How Do We Know That We Are Saved?”

Now why is this an important question? I’m glad you asked! I will tell you in a few moments. But, first I want to briefly recall the Biblical basis of salvation. (Overhead)

In Ephesians 2:8-9 we read, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.”

We are saved; we are forgiven of our sins by grace, God’s grace. Another way of defining grace is “special favor.” Have you ever had a special favor done for you? Some kind of gift or honor that you did not ask for or seek? It made you feel good, didn’t it?

God’s special favor for us is salvation. God made it possible for us to be forgiven of the wrong in our lives. He is one who initiated the plan that sent Jesus to earth to make it possible for us to come back to God.

Paul also notes the gift aspect of salvation in this passage. Salvation is a gift of God. Again, have you ever been given an unexpected gift? Maybe it was money at a time when you least expected it and most needed it. Maybe it was an article of clothing that you needed and value still today. Or maybe it is one of those keepsakes that you treasure because of both the person who gave it to you and the reason for the gift.

God wants us to have salvation. He wants us to live forgiven and free. He does not like to see us living in sin and gloom and doom and despair. He also wants us to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that we are forgiven. How is that possible? How can we be assured of our salvation? (Overhead) God has given us three witnesses of assurance.

First of all we have to base it on the Bible. The Bible contains the truth, the facts, and the reality about salvation. I John 5:11-13 says this, “And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. So whoever has God’s Son has life; whoever does not have his Son does not have life.”

One of the ways that we know that we have experienced salvation is when we ask God for forgiveness and invited Jesus Christ, His son into our lives. When we have done this, and we can recall that we have done this, we can know that we are forgiven of our sins and that we have experienced salvation.

Second, we rely on three witnesses of confirmation. The first witness is the witness of scripture. John 1:12 says, “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”

The Bible is the written record of God’s plans and desire for us. It speaks with God’s authority about our salvation. It confirms, in writing, the assurance of our salvation. In fact, it is a primary way of being assured of our salvation.

The second witness of confirmation is the witness of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:16 we read, “For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God’s children.”

Now as the Bible is an external witness, the Holy Spirit is an internal witness. God sent the Holy Spirit to both confirm both our need for salvation and our assurance of salvation. The presence of the Holy Spirit in our life serves as a reminder of God’s work in it to help us live out our commitment to God as we obey the Holy Spirit. We experience the Holy Spirit’s work as we experience guilt, (true guilt, not false guilt) when we confront with sin in our lives and we also experience joy and relief as we experience forgiveness and assurance.

The third witness of confirmation is the witness of a changed life. In I John 2:6 we read, “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.”

Someone has said, “The only Bible that some people will ever read is your life.” When people read your life, do they see Jesus Christ? That’s a loaded question! But, it is important for the assurance of salvation. Why?

Because the changes that take place in our lives give both the evidence of and the assurance of our salvation. When we are saved, when we are forgiven of our sins, changes in us take place both immediately and over a course of time. There are changes in our attitudes. There are changes in our habits. There are changes in our relationships. There are changes in many, many ways. These changes give evidence of God’s work in our lives. These changes also serve to assure us that our salvation experience was not some emotional high or mere intellectual exercise. Which brings us to the third of three witnesses of assurance.

We base our salvation not on feelings but on the trustworthiness of God and the Bible. Now emotions are a part of life. And some of us are more emotional than others.

When I experienced salvation now nearly 36 years ago, it was an emotional time for me. But, that was because my emotions were deeply moved by God’s action in my life. I experienced some deep emotions as I confessed my sin and asked God to forgive me.

Emotions have been the subject of much debate in the church over the years. Some think that emotions are misleading and should be discounted. Others have embraced emotions to an unhealthy degree and discount careful thought.

I like what Gary Smalley has said about emotions. They are like the lights and gauges on a car’s dashboard. They indicate changes that you need to be aware of. When they move or go on, pay attention to them!

I am also reminded of the story of the third-world believer who pointed out to a friend the tree under which he had been converted. The friend went over to the tree and did not experience salvation like his friend had.

Which should give us pause for reflection about the dynamics of conversion and their affects on the assurance of salvation. A profound conversion experience is more than an emotional moment. To solely rely on emotions for spiritual growth is relying not on the Holy Spirit but on one’s self. And self is not the basis of our salvation. God is the basis of our salvation.

Emotions come and go. Great spiritual experiences come and go. But, what matters is the changes that either begin, continue, or finally take place in our lives in those moments that assure us, through the witness of the Bible and the Holy Spirit that we are assured of God’s salvation!

Now I have given a lot of facts today. And we need facts to help us grow in our faith in and relationship with God. We need the objective record of the Bible to remind us of God’s work on our behalf.

But, there is a story in the Bible that is a wonderful story of both salvation and the assurance of salvation and I believe that we need to hear again it this morning. It is found in Luke 15:11-24.

Question, “When was the son assured of his relationship with his father?” When dad took him home!

How is your relationship with God? Is it what it needs to be? Are you assured that your sins are forgiven? Do you have assurance that you clearly are a child of God?

God is the father in this very important story. He is standing, waiting for you to come home! He looks eagerly for you to come up over the hill where he can get a good look at you and say, “that’s my child! Yesss! He’s/she’s coming home!”

I can think of no greater way to start a new year than to do so with the assurance of God’s salvation in your heart and life. We are going to stand and sing “Just As I Am” a wonderful reminder of how we can come to God – just as we are. Do the right thing this morning and gain assurance of your salvation to start 2002, and the rest of your life, off right. Amen.

What Is Victory over Sin and Temptation?

I Corinthians 10:13

David Durey tells the story of small boy’s father who would occasionally sneak into a neighbor’s orchard and take some of the best fruit. He was always careful, however, to make sure that “the coast was clear.”

One day while the son was tagging along, after carefully looking in every direction, the father crept through the neighbor’s fence. Just as he was reaching for a choice piece of fruit the young son cried out, “Dad! Dad! You forgot to look UP! You forgot to see if God was watching!”

Temptation. It’s everywhere! At home, over at the neighbors, in the workplace, it even shows up at church. We cannot get away from temptation.

Today is our second Sunday in our series Bible Jeopardy: We know the answer, But what is the question: Important things to remember about Christianity. (OVERHEAD 1) The purpose of this series is designed to help you be better established in your faith and confident of your relationship with God.

Last week we looked at assurance of salvation. (OVERHEAD 2) We examined several passages of scripture and were given three ways of assurance that included the three of witnesses of confirmation: the witness of God’s word, the witness of the Holy Spirit, and the witness of a changed life. And our primary Bible passage was Ephesians 2:8-9, the Biblical basis of salvation, (OVERHEAD 3) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Today our topic is closely related to assurance of salvation. It is, well, you tell me, okay? It’s time for Bible jeopardy! Ready! Here we go!

(OVERHEAD 4)

It leads us to sin. What is the answer? What is temptation?

(OVERHEAD 5)

Giving into temptation leads to this. What is the answer? What is sin?

(OVERHEAD 6)

I Corinthians 10:13 says, “When you are tempted, he will show you a way out.”

What is the answer? What is victory over sin and temptation?

Our study today is about victory over sin and temptation. God wants to help us, and can help us resist temptation and overcome sin.

Now there are three important questions that we need to ask, and answer, today in order to understand why and how we can have victory over sin and temptation. (OVERHEAD 7)

Question number 1: What is temptation?

Question number 2: What is sin?

Question number 3: How can we have victory over both?

What is temptation?

Barb and her husband Chuck were youth leaders who had just arrived at a campground for a weekend retreat with a youth group. While Chuck unloaded the van, Barb handed out room assignments. On the bulletin board of the lobby in the main lodge was a poster declaring, “There are no problems, only opportunities.”

One boy came over to her and said, “Uh, Barb, I’ve got a problem.”

Barb pointed to the sign, “Jeff, there are not problems, just opportunities.”

“Well, if that’s the way you want it,” said Jeff, “but there’s a girl in my room.”

Someone has said, “The trouble with opportunity is that it only knocks. Temptation kicks the door in.”

(OVERHEAD What is temptation? Temptation is the surest way to sin. It is the doorway, the pathway, the opening to sin.

And where does it come from? (OVERHEAD 9) Two passages of scripture, James 1:13-14 and 1 John 2:15-16, give us some important information about the source of temptation.

In the James passage we read “temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires which lead to evil actions which leads to death.” What is James saying in this segment?

Now ultimately temptation comes from Satan, However, our own selfish, warped desires also create the desire to do something selfishly wrong and that causes death. What kind of death? Well I think he is speaking of two kinds of death: 1. The ultimate death – spiritual death that will lead to eternal separation in the afterlife. 2. An immediate death. An isolation that is right now!

When we give into temptation and sin, if affects our relationship with ourselves right now, if affects our relationship with others right now, if affects our relationship with God right now. Think about the opening story that I told about the father and the boy. How do you think the father felt when he heard his little boy’s question? How did it affect him? How did it affect his relationship with his son? How did it affect his relationship with God?

Last week I read the story of the prodigal son and I would have us think about the fact that the youngest son’s choice to strike out on his own and give into the temptation to live “the good life” affected his relationships – with himself, his father, and his brother. Giving into temptation has its consequences.

Then the I John 2:15-16 passage gives us some important avenues of temptation that lead to sin. In verse 16 we read, “The world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and the pride in our possessions.” Let’s take a look at what this verse means.

First of all there is the lust for physical pleasure. What’s that? What’s the first thing that comes to mind? Sex. God made us for physical pleasure but we do not have to go very far or look very far to see the availability of all kinds of sexual activities. All of which go against the clear Biblical standard of sexual activity only with the bonds of marriage. That’s one avenue of temptation.

Then there is the lust for everything we see. What’s that called? Materialism. Got to have this, got to have that! Materialism goes to the core of our society. Our economy is based on materialism. What happens when people stop buying things? The economy slows down! People lose their jobs. Factories close.

Then there is advertising. Advertising is not about needs it is about wants. If you want to _________ (fill in the blank) then you need to buy this product. What is the result of all of this? We become obsessed with having to have it all! And we cannot have it all! Jesus said it best, “You cannot serve God and money.” Here is another avenue for temptation.

Finally there is pride in our possessions. I would also add there is pride in our accomplishments. Now by pride, John does not mean an appropriate pleasure and satisfaction, he means an attitude of obsession with possession and status.

In Luke 12:16 – 19 Jesus shared this story, “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. In fact, his barns were full to overflowing. So he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store everything. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, my friend; you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!’

“But God said to him, ‘you fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Now, God has given us talents and abilities and the means to have a meaningful life. But, these talents, abilities, and means are not to be worship or pursued as an end in themselves. That is idolatry! They are to be used to serve God. However, so many people given into this temptation by saying, “Look at what I have done!” And the pride that develops within them causes them to set their abilities on the altar of their heart and leave God off of His rightful place, and out of their lives.

Then there is sin. A young boy was explaining basic Christian Theology to his younger sister: “You see, it was Jesus’ job to die for our sins; it’s our job to sin.”

A Sunday School teacher had just concluded her lesson and wanted to make sure she had made her point. She said, “Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness of sin?” There was a short interval of silence and then, from the back of the room, a small boy spoke up, “Sin,” he said.

What is sin? That is a very good question. We can see it. We can describe it. We certainly experience it. But, how do we define it?

I looked in a Bible dictionary and the definition was quite long. It contained several different quotes from various Bible scholars. But it also contained words like “character,” “action,” “attitudes,” and “conduct.”

Maybe it is good that there is not a common definition of sin because we would probably get hung up on the definition. However, for our benefit here is a working definition: “It is our attitudes and actions which lead us away from God.” (OVERHEAD 10)

Sin is the basic reason our world is in the condition that it is in. Sin, the attitudes of our hearts and the actions of our lives that say, “ME FIRST! ME FIRST!,” has created havoc in the human race from time of Genesis 3.

Anger, resentment, hatred, envy, jealousy, judgmentalism, have all contributed to the war between countries, between groups of people, between families, between individuals, and with God because back in Genesis 3 the first humans decided they wanted to be like God. And since then, hell broke out all over.

At its core sin is basically a self-centered attitude that says, “I want to be God! I want to be first! I want to be at the center of the universe!” And God hates that attitude. It is an attitude that has led throughout human history to all sorts of problems that I have already mentioned.

God hates sin. Have you ever stopped to consider that the anger of the crowd at Jesus’ trial was whipped up by a group of people who did not want the Son of God, Jesus Christ, to be God because they wanted to be God?

John 12:19, the concluding verse of the Triumphal Entry segment says, “Then the Pharisees said to each other, “We’ve lost. Look, the whole world has gone after him!”

But, the Pharisees did not give up that easy did they? No, the found a traitor and in their sinfulness, their pride, their selfishness, their anger, they crucified Jesus Christ! And sin reared its ugly head one more time. But, for the last time! Easter Sunday came and sin lost.

Now we still do battle with sin. And we will continue to do battle with sin for as long as we live. We will never live perfectly sinless lives. However, we do not throw our hands up in frustration and say, “It’s no use!”

God expects us to seek forgiveness when we sin. I John 2:1 “But if you do sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who pleases God completely.” I John 1:9 “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.”

We can have victory over sin and temptation! God does not want us to live defeated and discouraged lives! He wants us to win victorious lives!

So how can we have victory over temptation and sin? Here are some ways. (OVERHEAD 11)

In Philippians 2:12 Paul wrote, “Dearest friends, you were always so careful to follow my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away you must be even more careful to put into action God’s saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.”

Put into action God’s saving work in your lives. Older translations say, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

One of the ways that we begin to have increasing victory over temptation and sin is by putting into action God’s saving work. In other words, obey God; practice what you claim to have experienced. Live it out! The best defense is often a good offense. Read the word! Pray daily! Tell others about Jesus! Worship regularly! Serve God!

Another way we have increasing victory over temptation and sin is by resisting it. That’s hard! I remember the pastor during my teenage years saying, “If sin was not so attractive, we wouldn’t want to do it!” But, scripture is clear! Resist the devil! Cling to what is good! Reject what is evil! In other words, “Hang on to God!”

Finally, be aware of the connection between temptation and sin. Temptation is the direct link to sin. We are first tempted, then we can choose whether or not to sin. Notice I said “choose.” Our main text, I Corinthians 10:13 says “When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.” In other words, just because we are tempted, and we will always face temptation until the day we die, does not mean that we automatically give into the temptation and sin. God will show us the way out. But, we have to choose to take the way out. And sometimes that is, and will be, a very hard thing to do. But it will always be the right thing to do.

I simply want to close with this thought: God wants to forgive us. He wants us to live the right way. He will help us learn to live the right way. He will help us resist temptation and thereby avoid sin. Victory over sin and temptation is possible. But, we have to make a decision, “Do we want it, or not?” The choice is ours. Amen.

What is Prayer?

Matthew 6:5 – 18

In the book, Steps Toward Spiritual Growth, the story is told of a man who was opening an adult bookstore in a small town despite the objections of many people in the community. A group of Christians from a neighboring church decided to gather for an all-night prayer meeting to ask to somehow block the establishment of this store. That evening there was a tremendous thunderstorm in the area. During the storm, lightening struck the adult bookstore building and it burned to the ground.

The owner of the bookstore brought a lawsuit against the church that claimed they were responsible for the fire. The Christians hired an attorney who denied that they had anything to do with it. When the case was brought before the judge, he stated, “No matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear; the bookstore owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not.”

Today we continue our series, “Bible Jeopardy: You know the answer, but what is the question?”

Today our topic is. . . . Well, let’s find out. Ready?

It has been called talking to God.

What is prayer?

It is one of the ways that we develop our own relationship with God.

What is prayer?

It is one of the spiritual habits that we can practice anywhere.

What is prayer?

Our study this morning is on prayer. But, what is prayer? Here is a suggested definition. (OVERHEAD)

Prayer is a means by which we establish, deepen, and sustain our relationship with God.

Prayer is a much-discussed topic and a sometimes-frequent source of discouragement and despair. It also is sometimes the source of great insight as we study the prayers of others, especially children, like the four year old who was heard to pray, “And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.” Keen insight isn’t it?

Early in his earthly ministry Jesus sat down with His disciples and took time to instruct them in several important areas and topics. We read that instruction in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. It has been called, “The Sermon on The Mount” because it took place on a mountainside.

Among those topics addressed was prayer and Jesus’ comments on prayer are found in Matthew 6:5-18. READ THE PASSAGE

There are five sections to this passage on prayer that we need to be aware of: (OVERHEAD)

Verses 5 and 6 – The Correct Attitude of Prayer

Verses 7 and 8 – The Correct Practice of Prayer

Verses 9 – 13 – A suggested pattern of prayer

Verses 14 and 15 – Prayer and Forgiveness

Verses 16 – 18 – Prayer and Fasting

All are important in understanding and practicing prayer. But today, I want to focus on the suggested pattern because it is here that we learn how to establish, deepen, and sustain our relationship with God.

Dale Galloway has given us a wonderful illustration and thought on prayer that we are going to us as a guide through this passage that we now know as the Lord’s Prayer.

Dale calls prayer “the hand that moves the hand of God.” And so, we are going to use our right hand as a guide in understanding how the elements of Jesus’ model prayer help us establish, deepen, and sustain our relationship with God.

Here is a diagram for you to follow: (OVERHEAD)

To establish something means to put it on a firm basis. Prayer is a very important means in establishing our relationship with God and we establish our relationship with God when we tune into God in and through praise as we say “Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored.”

What does it mean to praise God? We say that a lot. We sing it, “Let’s just praise the Lord!” But what does it mean to praise God?

Two important things: First of all praise is thanking God for who He is. Who is God? Words fail us in answering this question. But, we establish our relationship with God as we thank Him for who he is. We must thank Him and acknowledge Him for His holiness, for His purity, for His power, for His majesty, and other aspects of His being. This kind of praise gives God His rightful place in our lives and thus establishes a relationship with Him.

We also praise God when we thank Him for what He has done for us and His mighty acts through history. Once again acknowledging God’s work in our lives and the lives of others in words of praise and thanksgiving create the environment by which we establish our relationship with God.

Psalm 103:1-2 “Praise the Lord, I tell myself; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me.”

But there is more to prayer than saying “Thank you God!” We also establish our relationship with God when we connect with God through cooperation as we say, “May your kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth just as it is in heaven.”

What does it mean to cooperate with God? Well for one thing it means to obey God and do what he tells us to do. We cooperate through obedience.

But, Jesus also tells his audience, and us, to cooperate as we pray for God’s kingdom to come to our lives, homes, schools, workplaces, communities, nation, and world. We establish our relationship with God through cooperation as we realize that we are not here for our own benefit. We are here to cooperate with God in the establishment of His kingdom.

Now the Kingdom of God is not a political group. It is spiritual, not governmental, in nature. God’s kingdom is about the redemption of humankind. It is about bringing people to a right relationship with God.

And prayer is important in that because we are on a mission. Our mission is about people and their souls. It is about helping others find and experience God and His forgiveness and life. So when we pray, we must also pray for God’s plans and purposes to be accomplished. And that also means that we must individually submit to God’s plans and purposes for us.

However, we must not only establish our relationship with God we must also deepen our relationship with God. And we deepen our relationship with God through prayer when we petition, when we ask for and receive God’s provisions for us as we pray, “Give us our food for today.”

Elsewhere in this major segment of scripture, Jesus tells the disciples not to worry about their need for food and clothing because He will provide. But one thing that Jesus is underscoring is, that as we trust and ask God for what we need and believe that He will provide, such faith and trust deepens our relationship with God because we believe that God will provide for our immediate needs.

In Philippians 4:6 Paul has said, “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.” Prayer deepens our relationship with God because it deepens our trust in Him.

A man returned to his car in a parking lot and found a note under the windshield wiper. The note read as follows: “I just smashed into your car. The people who witnessed the collision are watching me. They probably think that I am writing down my name and address. I am not. They are wrong.” There was nothing more written on the note.

Two things about confession stand out to me in this story. First of all, the man admitted the truth about what he done. But, second, he failed to take responsibility for what he did. Confession and forgiveness are both about admitting the truth and additionally about taking responsibility for one’s action.

Another way we deepen our relationship with God is by confession and forgiveness as we pray, “forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.”

Now a case can be made for this aspect of prayer being a primary way of establishing our relationship with God. Through a sincere prayer of repentance we are able to receive forgiveness of our sins and establish our relationship with God.

However, confession also serves to deepen our relationship with God through the years because telling the honest truth about our self and taking responsibility for our actions and thoughts, keeps our hearts and minds open to God. But, there is also another aspect to forgiveness in prayer, “just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.” And there’s the rub. And Jesus does not let it go unnoticed as we read in verses 14 and 15.

For forgiveness to freely flow from God to us, there cannot be anything blocking its path: our own sin and our unwillingness to forgive others. It is not that God won’t forgive our sin; it is that He can’t because He will not force us to forgive. Forgiveness, real forgiveness, is freely given. And when we refuse to forgive others, God is unable to forgive our sins because we are block the flow of forgiveness.

Now, I know, I know that many, many people have trouble forgiving others because of the terribly tragic things that have been done and said to them. Forgiveness seems an impossibility.

I am reminded of the story of Dr. Dave Gyertson. Dave is the President of Taylor University. He grew up in an extremely dysfunction family. In fact, he ended up in the local Free Methodist pastor’s home after his mother threw him out.

This wonderful couple, by the name of Poynter, took Dave in and raised him not just to manhood but Christian manhood. Many years went by and one day Dave came face to face with the reality of forgiving his father who was known to be living in Toronto. (Dave is a native of Canada.)

If I remember correctly, Dave had re-established contact with his dad after many years. But, in the re-establishment of that contact, all the memories came flooding back. Dave Gyertson had to make a choice – forgive and learn to love his father or allow his spirit and his life to be poisoned by unforgiveness. One of the things that Dave said was that he became willing to be willing.

I believe that as Dave Gyertson was willing to forgive his father his relationship with God the Father grew and grew and grew and deepened. I also think that had he not made the decision to forgive that Dave Gyertson would not be where he is today.

Forgiveness for a Christian is not option. It is a requirement. It is also, in some situations, a process because sometimes it takes time.

Finally, we sustain our relationship with God through what Dale Galloway calls the “can-do” step – victory as we pray “and don’t let us yield to temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”

Last week, we studied the wonderful truth and beautiful reality that God can help us live victoriously over temptation and sin! Such victorious living is sustained as we actively ask for and accept, through prayer, God’s help and protection in resisting temptation and delivery from the influence of Satan.

Have you ever stopped to consider that, at the beginning of His earthly ministry in this larger segment of Matthew, and, at the end of his ministry, in the John 14 – 17 passage, that Jesus repeated some things to his disciples?

One thing, perhaps the most remembered thing, is that there will be trouble and persecution. Matthew 5:11 and John 15:21 speak of this reality. “God bless you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers.” “The people of the world will hate you because you belong to me, for they don’t know God who sent me.”

Jesus understood and knew that they would be engaged in a struggle, a battle, which had nothing to do with human issues. They instead had everything to do with spiritual issues.

These troubles and persecutions came because the disciples were following God and the other side did not want that to happen. The same holds true for us. If we are going to follow God, then there will be opposition – direct as we sense and experience evil and indirect through temptation.

What is required of us is prayer that allows us to seek victory over and resistance to temptation as we read in James 4:7-8. “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.” This kind of relationship includes praying for strength and willingness to resist temptation and be led in the right direction.

Prayer is an essential part of our relationship and life with God. It is important for us to develop and maintain a strong prayer life as we seek to establish, deepen, and sustain a strong relationship with God.

A gospel song came to my mind as I prepared this sermon. It speaks directly both to the place of and the necessity for prayer in our relationship with God and why that it is important:

How long has it been since you talked with the Lord and told Him your heart’s hidden secrets? How long since you prayed? How long since you stayed on your knees till the light shone through? How long has it been since your mind felt at ease? How long since your heart knew no burden? Can you call him your friend? How long has it been since you knew that He cared for you?

How long has it been since you knelt by your bed and prayed to the Lord up in heaven? How long since you knew that He’d answer you and would keep you the long night through? How long has it been since you woke with the dawn, and felt that the day’s worth the living? Can you call Him your friend? How long has it been since you knew that He cared for you?

How is your prayer life? How is your relationship with God today? They are very closely connected together. Our prayer life influences the quality and depth of our relationship with the Lord. But, just like every other area of our lives, God is more than willing to help us in our prayer life. All we have to do is ask.

Prayer is important. Prayer is essential to our lives. Prayer is sometimes frustrating and challenging. However, prayer is worth it. Prayer is like the mining equipment that digs out precious stones. It goes through a lot of resistance but when it gets to where it needs to be the riches are unbelievable! May you this day, may we this day, “find the riches,” as Paul put it, “that are in Christ Jesus” as we pray and establish, deepen, and sustain our relationship with Him. Amen.

What Is The Bible?

Psalm 119:105

Just before I moved here a friend of mine took me up in a single engine aircraft that he jointly owned with several other persons. It was a clear and warm August day in 2000 and we flew over downtown Grand Rapids and made several circles around our home in NE Grand Rapids as I took pictures of it from around 5,000 feet high.

Then we headed over our church property and the school where we were meeting at the time and then into NE Kent County when Phil said, “You fly.” So, I took the stick and while I love airplanes and still do after all that has happened, I was scared to death. I was very much aware at that point of what it takes to fly an airplane.

I did not do a very good job of flying. In fact, I did not notice that I was pushing the nose down as I took control of the stick. But, Phil did. He kept saying, “Pull the nose up.”

Phil has flown for many years. He knew by watching the instruments and by his experience and training that the nose of the aircraft was pointed down, not a lot, but just enough to cause the airplane to descend. Phil had a point of reference that I did not and that is why he understood what was happening and I did not.

This morning, we are continuing to study ways of sustaining and establishing our relationship with God. And this morning our topic of study is about a very important way that God has given to us that helps us know how to live the Christian life.

Here are some clues:

1. It has been called the “Word of God.”

What is the Bible?

2. A verse in this book says, “It is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true.”

What is the Bible?

3. Without it I really can’t preach on Sunday morning.

What is the Bible?

Last Sunday, we used our right hand in regard to prayer as follows: (Overhead) Praise, Cooperation, Petition, Forgiveness, and Victory.

And I suggested that prayer: establishes, deepens, and sustains our relationship with God.

Today, we are going to use our left hand to help us understand how to study our Bible because God has given us the Bible to know how to love, follow, trust, and obey God. (Overhead)

Now, before we hear how to study there are two things that are very important about the Bible:

1. The Bible is the central and only true guide to the Christian Faith. Yes, there are books about the Bible and even books about books of the Bible. People who seek to help us understand what the Bible says write many of these books. But, when it comes to the basics of Christianity the Bible stands alone.

2. God wants us to understand the Bible. As I have said before, God has not given us the Bible and then stood back with arms folded and said, “Go ahead and figure it out.” He has given us the Bible to help us live the Christian faith. And He wants us to understand what it says.

One of the neat things about Bible study is when you ask kids to repeat back a Bible story they have heard.

Like the little boy who exclaimed when a pressed tree leaf fell out between the pages of an old Family Bible, “Hey, this must be where Adam and Eve left their clothes!”

Or the following written responses to various statements made in response to questions asked in the classroom:

“Jacob, son of Isaac, stole his brother’s birth mark.” Or “Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the Ten Commandments.”

If we are going to faithfully and wholeheartedly follow God in every area of our lives, then we must do five things with the Bible and David Durey has us use our left hand to help us remember those five things. (Overhead)

Ready?

For us to love, follow, trust, and obey God we must hear, read, study, memorize, and meditate on the Bible.

In Romans 10:17 we read, “Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news – the Good News about Christ.” Listening is another name for hearing. In fact, it is a very good description of hearing because for us to apply the Bible to our lives we must hear what the Bible says.

One of the ways we express our love for someone is by what, listening to him or her, right? And when we are listened to, we feel love and respected, right? Now, I have to confess, that I don’t do this perfectly. I need to work on this. But, when I take the time to listen, good things happen: My relationships with others improve, they feel loved and respected, and I understand the needs and thoughts of another person.

What does it mean to listen? It means, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “to pay attention in order to hear.” I would add, “to pay attention in order to understand.”

For us to understand the Bible, we have to hear what it says. And one of the ways that we can hear what it says is when we model what it says in Luke 8:15, “But the good soil represents, honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s message, cling to it, and steadily produce a huge harvest.”

In other words, we must be open to what the Bible has to say. Our attitude must one of openness and receptivity. If it isn’t then we are not going to hear what God wants us to know.

But, listening to the Bible is one thing, reading it is something else. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” As we read the Bible we must store it like a squirrel stores nuts, so that when we draw upon it, it gives us the strength to live the right way.

Without the Bible, Christianity is foundationless. It is essential to the proclamation of the Christian faith. Without the Bible, our personal relationship with God is also foundationless. It is essential to our relationship with Him because without it, we do not know how to follow Him.

In James 2:22 and 23 we read, “And remember, it is a message to obey, not just listen to. If you don’t obey, you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and don’t obey it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance.”

If we want to have our life appearance improved through the work of God; if we want to have peace with God, if we want to really live well for God, then we must do more than merely hear and read the Bible. We must also study it!

Now the word “study” is a dirty word to some of us here this morning. We don’t like to study. We hate to study. But, the purpose of studying the Bible is not to just collect information, but to allow God to change us, to transform us to become more and more like Jesus.

Other words for “improve” are “advance” and  “develop.” And what is it that needs to be improved, to be advanced, to be developed? It is our character!

And one of the ways we improve, advance, and develop our character is through Bible study. We cooperate with God to become a better, more authentic Christian as we allow God to use the truth of the Bible to change us from within.

Paul’s words to Timothy apply to us, “Work hard so God can approve you. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” Now Paul is not talking about working to earn salvation, he is speaking of work as living out salvation. And a good worker is one who studies.

Now, how do we study the Bible? Good question! In fact here are four good questions for studying the Bible. (Overhead)

1. 1. What does it say? This is observation of the text/passage. We first read to read it, to know what it says.
2. 2. What does it mean? This is interpretation of the text/passage. Now we often skip the first question and go to this question. However, we first must read what it says.

Here is an example. In Matthew 5:29 and 30 we read, “So if your eye –even if it is your good eye- causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to loose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand-even if it is your stronger hand – causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Now what does Jesus say? “If you eye or your hand causes you to sin, cut it off!” Now if we were to take that literally what would that mean? There would be a lot of us blind and unable to walk, right? Does he mean to literally to blind and maim yourself? No! Well then, what does he mean?

We look at the context. He is talking about adultery. And He says that adultery really takes place in the heart and mind before it takes physically takes place. Then he says to gouge and cut yourself in order to save your soul from hell.

What does He mean? Stop doing what you are doing. Don’t let your body be an avenue for adultery, stop looking at and stop holding another person instead of your spouse.

1. Now the next study question is, “How does it fit in with the Bible as a whole?” This is called correlation. Good Bible study does not pick texts/passages out of a hat and fit them together. It ties them in with the larger segments in which they appear. I illustrated that in my example, when I noted that Matthew 5:29 and 30 was a part of a segment about adultery.
2. Finally we ask the hardest question of all, “How do I use it in my life?” This is the application question. Remember the James passage about improving your appearance? This is what the Bible and Bible study is all about. The ultimate purpose of Bible study is to help us apply what is said and meant to our lives.

Now, hearing the Word, reading the Word, and studying the Word is one thing, we need to also hide the word in our hearts and minds. And we hide scripture in our hearts through memorization. (Overhead)

A few weeks ago our topic was victory over sin and temptation and our primary verse was I Corinthians 10:13. In that verse Paul says that God will provide a way of escape from temptation. One of the ways that God provides escape from temptation is through scripture that we memorize. And Jesus illustrated how powerful that can be as we read in Matthew 4 that contains the story of His temptation while in the wilderness.

Three times Satan tempted Jesus in specific ways. And every time Jesus’ response was, “The scriptures say,” “The scriptures say,” “The scriptures say.”

In a couple of churches that I have served, Bible Quizzing, memorizing and quote a book of the Bible, has provided teens with the opportunity to develop a relationship with scripture and that has served many of them well over the years. One of those teens, if I remember correctly, memorized the entire book of Matthew and could quote it word for word!

However, memorization, to be effective, must be linked to our final way of grasping God’s word and that is meditation. Meditation is reflecting on, praying on, and deeply pondering the Bible.

I like to call meditation, “munching” on scripture. We chew it slowly and carefully. We taste it, if you will, and savor it. David Durey suggests that meditation “is seeking to KNOW and OBEY God’s word.”

In Psalm 1 we are given a great word picture of those who meditate on scripture. “They are like,” it says in verse 3, “trees planted along a river bank. . .  Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper.”

Our primary verse for today, Psalm 119:105, was read earlier, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.”

The lamp of that day probably have been an oil lamp and the light would have been just enough for the next few steps. Enough for the feet to be firmly placed one step at a time.

The images of a strong, healthy tree and a clear, not large, lamp are two images I want to leave with us today. (Overhead)

God has given us the Bible to help us move forward in our lives with Him so that we can see which direction to go. The Bible has also been given to us to help us grow deep, to have roots that are not easily shaken when challenges and difficulties come.

How strong are your roots? Better yet, how deep are your roots? One can have strong roots that are shallow. One can also have deep roots that are weak. In what is your life rooted these days? Is the Bible a daily part of your life?

What kind of light are you giving off? Have you allowed God to trim your wick, through prayer and Bible study, so that your light is shining brightly in your corner of the world?

What kind of grip do you have on your Bible? As we listening to it, as we read it, as we study it, as we memorize it, and meditate upon it, it helps us to love, follow, trust, and obey God.

Paul said in Philippians 4:8, “And now dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

This passage is one measurement of Christian maturity. And we can begin to exhibit it as we allow the Bible to get a grip on us. Let it do so. Amen.

What Is Witnessing?

I Peter 3:15-16

One of the abilities we have been given is the ability to express ourselves in a variety of ways. And usually we have learned to express our feelings consistent with what we are trying to say.

For example, when we are excited about something, we usually express it as follows: (express it enthusiastically) “Guess what! I have great news!” However, what if we said it this way, (in a flat monotone voice) “Guess what. I have good news.” We would think something is wrong, right? We would sound like Eyore!

There are a lot of things that get us excite – sports, a date, an accomplishment, but does our Christian faith get us excited? Does it make us shout for joy? Does it make us want to share it with others? Does it make people want to ask us what the joy and hope in our lives is all about?

As we continue our series, Bible Jeopardy, this morning we are going to briefly focus on a much talked about aspect of the Christian life and way. What it is? Let’s find out.

For some people it is the hardest thing to do regarding the Christian faith.

What is witnessing/evangelism/sharing your faith?

In I Peter 3:15 we are asked to give a reason for the hope that you have.

What is witnessing/evangelism/sharing your faith?

It produces more guilt and frustration in a Christian than just about anything else.

What is witnessing/evangelism/sharing your faith?

What is witnessing? What is sharing your faith?

David Durey provides us with what I believe to be an outstanding definition of witnessing. (Overhead)

“It is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.”

Notice that it involves sharing. And it involves sharing the gospel, the good news of Jesus. Not the good news about the church; or a program; or a preacher. It is sharing the good news of the Jesus Christ.

And what is that good news? It is that we can be forgiven; that we can stop looking over our shoulder and wondering if our past will ever catch up with us; that God wants to help us live in the way we were meant to live. That’s the good news we share.

But how do we share? That is where our text comes in. In verse 16 gives us some hints. We do so in a gentle and respectful way with a clear conscience.

I don’t know about you but I resent a hard sale. I resent someone pushing me to make a decision before I am ready.

But that has been the mode of evangelism for many, many years. Now it may work is some cases, but not in the majority. It turns people off and that is contrary to what Peter says in this passage to believers in other places.

How did you come to faith? May be your back was against the wall. But not because the person who God was using at that moment in your life put you there it was because the Holy Spirit put you there. His conviction is much more powerful that our conviction.

I did not come to faith in Christ under a high-pressure sales tactic. I came to Christ, when all at once, the Holy Spirit made it clear what I needed to do and I did it in response to the gentle but clear working of the Holy Spirit. Which brings us back to the definition of witnessing that we are working with.

Witnessing turns into a sales pitch when we leave the Holy Spirit out of it. Yes, it is God who works through His spirit to make clear the condition of our hearts to each one of us. But, when we start to do the work of the Holy Spirit, we get in trouble.

I remember going to a church that I had contacted for a part-time ministry position during my seminary student days. It was a large church and when we got there Susan and I began to feel uncomfortable. In fact, at the end of the sermon the pastor starting walking up and down the aisle and getting right in people’s faces and putting them on the spot.

Well, I introduced myself, very anxiously I would add, after the service and we were invited over to the fellowship hall and chatted with the pastor for a while. After he left the table, Susan and I looked at one another and said, “Is the coast clear? It was and we belted right out of that building and headed straight for the car!” We never looked back and they never called back!

I believe the Holy Spirit respects us. Yes, He moves in us to do the work of God and we know when He does, don’t we?

We struggle. We sweat. We get antsy. We get miserable. I will never forget the night of a service when I was a 9th grader that I was resisting the Holy Spirit. I was miserable. I knew that I had to make some changes and I did not want to. I knew that the language I was beginning to us was wrong. I knew the group that I was hanging out with was starting to pull me in the wrong direction. And no one was standing over me and shouting, “come on sinner! Get up there!”

Finally, I could not stand it anymore. I knew that I needed to let God back into my life. I got up; the prayer time at the altar had already started, and went over to one of men in the church who was praying in the pew and practically dragged him down the center aisle of the church and said, “Pray for me!” And a major turning point in my life took place that night. One that I believed kept me from going down a path that would have been a dead-end.

Now, fast forward with me about 28 years. I am on the phone with one of my High School classmates. He is a pastor in Ohio. We have reconnected for the first time since high school.

He said something to me that stopped me cold. It was something like, “I knew that you would be a minister. It does not surprise me. You were a person of great faith back then and it was very evident.”

I was speechless. It shook me up. All that I “saw” was bumbling adolescent boy who was trying to figure out what I was all about. But, Dave saw something in me that pointed him to God. He too, struggled with following God at that period in his life.

The lesson I took from that conversation is that “talking the talk” is one thing “walking the walk” is something else. St Francis of Assisi once said, “Go preach the gospel. Use words if necessary.”

There is a place and time for talking about what Christ has done for us. Peter makes that clear in our passage. But, are we living it in such a manner that people are seeing a difference in our lives and it makes people want to us ask what that is?

Which leads us to verse 15 of our text. “And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.”

What gets us out of bed ready for another day? Survival, duty, fear? Or is there a joy, a hope, and excitement that motivates to say, “Good morning God and thank you for this day and this life?”

What get us up on this day ready to come here to worship, seek, and hear a good word from the other side? Duty? Routine? Or a joy, an expectation, a hope that says, “Thank you God for your life in mine!”

In a few moments, we are going to remember the basis for the hope that is within us, as we take communion together. And as I think about the events of that night, when Jesus was betrayed and given a death sentence, I think of Peter -bumbling, stumbling Peter.

Peter was brash and arrogant one minute and back pedaling and running away the next. Jesus did not leave Peter alone with the after effects of his betrayal. No, he reached out to him and asked, “How much do you really love me Peter? Then take care of the flock. Take care of the church, take care of the people that is coming to me.”

Pentecost Sunday came and the Holy Spirit possessed Peter and Peter spoke boldly and with confidence about the One who came to forgive and make us right with God so that we could live right with God and others. Peter confidently, in and through the power of the Holy Spirit shared of the hope that was in him. A hope overshadowed his life.

And it is this Peter who wrote many years later, “And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.” Can you explain your Christian hope? Can we, as this expression of the people of God, explain our corporate Christian hope? Can people see it in us? Can we see it in one another?

It is God’s will that not only we as individuals be ready to share of the hope that is within us, but also as this particular people of God as we gather together on Sundays and Wednesday and wherever else we do so.

Finally as we share of this hope that is within us, this gospel of Christ, this good news of Jesus, in and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we leave the results to God. Our role is to “show and tell.” We sow the seed in word and deed but God does the rest and each of us sows differently. But we sow the same seed – the good news.

I conclude with three questions today. The first one is this, “If you were to make one change in your life that really made people notice God at work in your life to the point they because to ask you about God, what would that change be?”

Number two, “If we were to make one change in our congregational life that really made people notice God at work here to the point they starting coming and seeking God, what change would that be?”

Question number three, “Are we ready and willing to make that change with God’s help?” . . . . Amen.

What is Fellowship?

John 13:34,35

(Earlier in the service, I asked the congregation to be ready to respond to the following question when prompted by me during the sermon. (Overhead) If you were looking for a friend and you placed a classified ad either in the paper or on the Internet for one, what would it say?)

“A pastor saw Robert Schuller’s TV program “Hour of Power.” One of the things that impressed him the most during the program was watching everyone turning around to shake hands with and greet other worshippers seated near them. The pastor felt that his church was a bit stuffy and could use a bit of friendliness. So, at Sunday morning worship he announced that next week they would initiate this custom of greeting one another.

At the close of this same worship service one man turned around to the lady behind him and said a cheerful, “Good morning!” She looked back at him with shock at his boldness and said, “I beg your pardon! That friendliness business doesn’t start until next Sunday!”

As we continue to study things that are important to the Christian faith and life, we stop today at something that this humorous story hints at in a rather direct way. What is it?

Someone has called it the glue that holds the church together.

What is fellowship?

It is one of the five purposes that we have embraced in our new by-laws.

What is fellowship?

It is one of the ways we express love and respect for one another.

What is fellowship?

What is fellowship? (Overhead) Here are some suggestions from Dave Durey.

Fellowship means: 1. Truly loving one another. 2. Based on relationships – giving, sharing, and receiving. 3. Requires us to live in unity and harmony. 4. Assists us in mutual edification and spiritual growth.

Now, what does all that mean?

Our text for today, John 13:34 and 35, is Jesus’ speaking to the disciples about the centrality of love as evidence of His presence in their lives and, as He does so, He makes it clear that it is not an option, but a requirement, a command. How is this love nurtured and established? Through fellowship! Through an intentional process and choice that each of us must make to come together and care for one another and others.

The word “fellowship” is translated from the Greek word “koinonia” which means, “sharing in common.” (Overhead) Two questions come to mind that we need to ask and answer if we are to understand and practice this sharing in common which brings us back to our fellowship definition: (Overhead)

1.What are we to share in common?

2. How are we to share in common?

(Seek response)

We are to share in our relationship to Christ and we are to share in love and respect in an active way. That is the basis for our Christian fellowship. But, there is more to it than simply sharing.

It requires us to develop relationships with one another. It means that we take the time to intentionally get to know and understand one another as we give, share, and receive. But, what are some barriers to giving, sharing, and receiving? (Seek response)

These are barriers to fellowship. Fellowship is central to the continuing growth and development of our church, of any church, for that matter and when it is hindered, a church begins to flounder.

Now there is a third question on this overhead that we need to ask and answer. Who are we to share with?

Let’s look at verse 35 of our text, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”  We first of all share it with one another as proof that we are followers of God.

Last week I said that it is often easier to talk the talk than to walk the walk. Here is one area where that’s the case. There is a lot of talk in the church about love and fellowship but when it comes right down to it, it is harder to practice it, for the reasons just mention, right? But, there’s more to it than that.

Our love for one another is said to be proof to the world of our commitment to Christ. We then are also to share this with others outside our own fellowship. Why? Well for one, a very practical reason.

Those who have studied churches over the years and what makes some grow and thrive and others decline and even die have said that one of the common reasons for decline and death is called “koinonitis.” What is it?

It is what happens when the fellowship of the church stays exclusively within the current church body and is not extended to those outside the church body or those who seek to enter the church body. The focus becomes “us” and others are shut off from entering.

Now, for the most part, this is done unintentionally. Although in some cases, it is done on purpose. Conflict, trauma, preoccupation with the “business of the church,” in other words, committees and such, can create the conditions for koinonitis. But, koinonitis can be fatal to a church if there is not something intentionally done to expand the fellowship of the church. And Jesus makes it clear that the witness of fellowship is designed to bring people into the kingdom not keep them out.

So how do we fight against koinonitis? We keep working at creating more points of fellowship and keeping them open in different ways. Ways that I will share shortly.

Last Sunday night at the beginning of the Super Bowl, both teams were introduced. If you watched, the Rams were individually introduced. The Patriots were not. They were introduced as a team. They played like one to, didn’t they?!

They were making a point about who they were. They were the New England Patriots. My point is this: While the Patriots were a collection of individuals each with a different position to play and differing levels of skill and involvement, what was more important was who they were as a team.

Which brings us to the third point of our (Overhead) working definition of fellowship: unity and harmony. As I look out on this congregation, I see unity and harmony. There is unity in that we are, and we should be, working together with the same purpose: helping people find God and the life He has for them.

But, I also see harmony. When I think of harmony, I think of Barbershop quartet music. I think of some of the popular groups – N’ Sync, Backstreet Boys, and others. I think of some of the great gospel groups like the Gaither’s. Harmony deepens and enriches music.

The same holds true for us with regard to fellowship. While we are all working toward the same goal, which is unity, we do so in different ways and different directions, which is harmony. Sound Biblical fellowship, the kind that Jesus speaks of in our main text and this particular segment of John’s gospel, builds on and use both unity and harmony.

Just look at the remaining disciples on the day of Pentecost as stated in Acts 2. They were not all alike. They were different. Each would have his own calling and direction given to them by God through His Holy Spirit. But, their message and mission was the same – the Great Commandment to love and the Great Commission to make disciples. Those two commissions were their source of unity.

But, the fellowship they experienced with Jesus and with one another had an even greater purpose, mutual edification and spiritual growth. The three years they spent with Jesus they also spent with one another. Jesus would eventually leave, the Holy Spirit coming to take His place as He indicates in John 14, but they would still have one another and the time they spent together those three years were part of Christ’s plan to help them grow and mature as His followers.

Fellowship is not just about having fun and good times. Fellowship’s ultimate goal is to help us become more responsible followers of God.

This requires mutual edification. What’s that? Mutual means “common or joint.” Edification means “instruction and improvement.” Mutual edification means “joint improvement” for the purpose of spiritual growth and maturity.

That was Jesus’ goal for the disciples during and after His time with them. The Holy Spirit came to start the next, and final, chapter of that working as He empowered them to live and serve God like never before by filling them as part of God’s “joint improvement” plan, with His Holy Spirit.

Remember your ad for a friend? (Overhead) I would like two volunteers to quickly share their ad. We need friends. We need fellowship. We need to belong. And we do so as we make the intentional choice to fellowship with others in three key ways: (Overhead) 1. Worship celebration. 2. Small groups/class And 3. One-to-one

All three ways are necessary in order to develop a balanced and healthy life of fellowship personally and corporately.

I conclude with this speculative story. There is much speculation concerning what heaven and hell will be like. One contrast of heaven and hell tells of a man who had a dream that he was allowed to see both places. He was first taken to hell.

He was taken to a large room in the middle of which there was a large pot of stew. The stew smelled delicious. But all around this point there were people who were starving and in desperation.

They all held spoons in their hands that had unusually long handles that reached all the way to the pot, but because the spoon handles were longer than their arms, they were unable to return the spoons filled with stew to their mouths. Their suffering was terrible and continuous.

Then the man was taken to heaven. Heaven was identical to hell; the rooms were identical, the pot of stew in the middle of the room was the same, and the spoons were the same. But, the people in this room were well-fed and joyous.

The man was perplexed when first walked into the room. But as he watched the people in this room, he learned the difference. The people had spoons that would not allow them to feed themselves, so they fed each other.

Fellowship is feeding each other as we allow God to feed us. It is a “joint feeding.” It is helping one another experience the joy of not being alone through the good and the bad. It is the relief of helping someone find both their home and their life in Christ and in the church. It is helping people experience a taste of heaven in the midst of what sometimes seems like hell.

Fellowship is the bond that holds the church together and when the bond weakens the results can be tragic. How are our bonds of fellowship at this point in time? What do we need to do to strengthen our bonds of fellowship? Let us resolve to improve our fellowship as we need and must do. Amen.