Jesus Fulfills

John 19:28-30

A free flowing river purifies itself and is alive with life. So also is the Christian who becomes involved with others in sharing the Gospel. That Christian will discover the reason for his or her existence. Being involved in the ministry of a witness is essential to finding the fulfillment we desire as humans. "Our English word witness comes from an Old English word we do no use very much anymore but we used it in Elizabethan times and afterwards. It is the word wit. 'To wit' means 'to know' A 'wit' is 'a knowledgeable person.' So a 'witness' of some who knows something and testifies to it."

In our text today we see three fulfillments that Jesus accomplished in his life.

The first fulfillment we see today is that Jesus fulfills Scripture. In verse 28, the Scriptures read, “After this, Jesus knowing that all things had been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, ‘I am thirsty.’” That seems such a trivial moment in his life. He had been beaten. He had been awake all night. Before his arrest, he was praying in extreme agony. He had carried his cross. He had traveled from one venue for trial to another. Now, he was hanging on a cross dying. Of course he would be thirsty. I don’t know about you, but when I am tired and exhausted, I am often more thirsty then than others. But when I look at my Bible, the cross reference for this verse is back to Psalm 69:21. When Christ takes the sour wine, he is fulfilling the Scriptures. Then verse in John seems to imply that Jesus was maybe aware of this fact. He was aware of who he was. He was aware of what he was there to do. He was aware of his father’s will for him. Jesus in living according to the will of his father fulfilled the Scriptures that pertained to him. The Psalms talk about the Messiah and the fact that soldiers would play games for his garments. Jesus not only fulfills the prophecies directly related to him in scripture but also he fulfills the entire Old Testament sacrificial system. He is the Passover Lamb who protects us from the angel of death, but for us, he is the lamb who removes our guilt of sin. He is the burnt offering that provides protection from sin. He is the sacrifice of the red heifer that cleanses and makes us holy. He is the offering of incense that is a sweet aroma before the throne of God. His blood is the blood that is sprinkled on the mercy seat as Atonement for our sins. He fulfills all that is mentioned for our need for forgiveness. He is that one who crushed the head of the serpent. When Job cried out for one who would mediate between God and man, Christ is that one. When Abraham was promised a seed that would bless the nations, Christ was the one.

For many men, one of the most exciting days of the year is draft day for their favorite sport. If you happen to be a fan of one of the worst teams in the league, you are excited to see who the team will pick. The number one draft pick is always highly anticipated. There have been numerous number one picks that turned out to be a flop. But will the team pick a player who fills a gap in their team? Will they pick a player who will break open the new season ahead or will they pick one of the dubious flops that will soon be a forgotten player? The teams choose based on their needs. Will choose someone who will fulfill those needs?

Do you trust and believe and accept that Christ fulfilled what was required of him? Do you believe that he has fulfilled all that the Scriptures say is required of us? Did Jesus fulfill your need for cleansing from sin? Did Jesus fulfill your need for forgiveness of sin? Did Jesus fulfill your need for reconciliation with your heavenly Father? He is the one we need to be reconciled with. Have you been reconciled?

The second fulfillment we see is that Jesus fulfills the will of God. It is amazing how many words we require for just one greek word. It is finished is just one greek word, but it takes three English words to translate it and it still does not give us the fullest sense and meaning of the word. When Jesus cries out it is finished, he means more than for that moment. He means forever and always and never needing to be done again. But what did he accomplish? What was finished? What was it that he was sent to do? Foremost, he came to fulfill the will of God. What was God’s will for him? To provide redemption and reconciliation for mankind. John 6:40 "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." Jesus came for far more than making our lives better. He came that we might have abundant, glorious life for all eternity. The will of God is that those who behold the Son and believe in Him will have eternal life. The Lord’s desire, the Father’s desire is that we would have eternal life. Then in verse 44 of John 6, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” Notice that both verses end with raise him up on the last day. The hope for us is the resurrection that we will be raised in our bodies to be with Christ for eternity. Verse 44 says that no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him. I know that this wording may bother some of you, and it may sound as if God would so desire that some people would perish eternally. But think about it this way, if you are saved, and you are confident in that you are born again, God desired to draw you to himself. If you are a believer, God came after you. It is God’s will that all men would be drawn to him. John 12:32 Jesus say, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”

The third fulfillment we see is that Jesus fulfills you. Jesus fulfills you. How can he do that? Why would he do that? What does this have to do with the text? And you could be asking many other questions. You might be thinking how will Jesus fulfill me when a loved one is battling cancer? How will Jesus fulfill me when I suffer through so many difficulties in life? How will Jesus fulfill me when I struggle and suffer through everyday of my life? There is a member here who has and continues to go through a tremendous trial in life. One day when I had the opportunity to talk with them told me this about their trial, “I really sense that through this I have grown closer to the Lord.” Wow! That is how Jesus will fulfill you, that through whatever life may bring that he would be the focus and goal of your life. That through all of your trials, all of your suffering that he would be first. When I come to your home and visit with you or you receive a letter from me, or a postcard or a telephone call or a message on your answering machine, I am praying, Lord how can I be used by you to help them live a life that is fulfilling in you? I could give you all kinds of kind and encouraging words but lie to you. I could say all kinds of sweet spiritual stuff but that is all it would be if I am not helping you to be fulfilled by Christ. Some of you may be thinking now pastor, you didn’t say too much other than kind words and then you prayed for us and that was it. Well, maybe you are on the right track and you don’t need guidance because you already have it through Christ. Some of you, I am still praying for you. I am still burdened for you and the way I see your life going right now. Pastor, what does this have to do with Christ dying on the cross? When Christ lived his life and died and fulfilled the Scriptures, he did it so that you could have a fulfilling life in Christ! When Christ died on the cross and finished all that the Father had sent him to do, he completed what was needed so that you might be fulfilled in Christ! When Christ gave his life for us on the cross, he gave it so that we might have his life until our death. When people look at us and see greatness it should be the greatness of Christ in us that they see. When people look at your work and see greatness it should be because of your love for Christ that your work is so great. When you live your life, live it to the fullness of Christ in you.

As we close today.
Do you allow the Scriptures to be your guide to the truth?
Do you allow the Spirit to guide you in living your life?
Do you live a fulfilling life in Christ?

Defining Maturity

Ephesians 4:13-16

In the previous passage we saw positions and gifts that were to be used in order to bring the church to maturity. In this passage we see a definition of maturity. What makes one mature? How can we know if we are mature believers? V. 13 is what is to happen due to the use of the gifts of apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers, and then in v. 14 we see the results of the fulfilling of verse 13.

We are no longer to be children. In what ways are children considered immature compared to an adult? Then we see “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.” Explain this phrase in your own words. What are some examples of the teachings that would cause someone to be defined as tossed here and there? Notice the last two phrases “by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.” What I find interesting and comforting is that if we are seeking the Lord through His Word we will not be led astray. We are led astray by the trickery of men. By deceitful scheming. The Lord will not lead us astray, but he will guide us to truth and maturity.

What is maturity? How would you define Christian maturity? Notice in verse 15 that it says speaking the truth in love. Jesus said I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. He also said that people will know that you are my children by that you love one another. Christ demonstrated a clear stance on truth and proclamation of truth. What we believe is important and crucial to the Christian life. There are those who will tell you that Jesus is your big brother. No He is God and our Savior. There are those who will tell you that all will one day be saved. Well, no only those who profess Christ as Lord and believe he has been raised from the dead. Others will still tell you that there is no need for evangelism because God will save those who he has predetermined to be saved. Well, no, Jesus told us to go and make disciples of all nations. But who Christ is is central. He is the head. He holds us together. We are told in verse 15 to speak the truth in love. How cold is the truth without love? How weak is the truth with too much love? We are to possess both. We speak the truth but in loving and encouraging manner. We speak the truth in hopes that they will come along with us. Truth becomes hard if it is not softened by love; Love becomes soft if it is not strengthened by truth.

Verse 16 continues the thought of verse 15 which is that Christ is the head. Some people will say the pastor is the head of the church. Which the pastor ought to be the leader of the church but only under the headship of Christ. But the pastor under Christ is like the members of the church in that we are all to use our gifts in order for the strengthening and building up of the church. In verse 16 when it says “being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies.” What do you think that means?

As we close some questions to ponder and consider:

Verse 16 says, “according to the proper working of each individual part.” Are you in the proper working of your individual part?

Verse 16 says, “causes the growth of the body for building up of itself in love.” Are you properly working so that the body may be built up?

Verse 16 ends with, “in love.” Are you seeking the spiritual growth of the church first? “In Love,” is very much a part of the spiritual aspect of our nature. Are you seeking to serve in love to your Lord first and then to others?

A quote from John Stott:

The more we share Paul's perspective, the deeper will be our discontent with the ecclesiastical status quo. Some of us are too conservative, too complacent, too ready to acquiesce in the present situation and to resist change. Others are too radical , wanting to dispense with the institution altogether. Instead we need to grasp more clearly the kind of new society God wants his church to be.

Sunday

Today we had a lady who is a former member of New Hope share of her time in Japan. She went to teach English and share the gospel as well. Her testimony clearly described her love for the people and her Lord. She ended with some specific prayer requests.
From her testimony I gathered two important concerns:

1. the Japanese people would come to know the one complete God who embodies justice and grace.
2. the ladies of Japan are often plagued with bouts of severe depression in their 20s. Pray that the Believers would find a way to meet this need and bring the suffering to Christ.
   

Pics for the Weekend

Loving Brothers. It is not very often that we see this,
so we thought we would share.


Our little handsome dude enjoying some beautiful weather.



Last night, I saw the sun setting and starting to produce some nice colors, so Connor and I headed to the river for some pictures. There were too many good ones to share them all. I have enjoyed our new digital camera and playing with all of the different settings. I am sure I will share more of the pictures from last night in the days to come.

Our Unity Based in the Victor

Ephesians 4:7-13

In the first section of Ephesians 4 Paul is making a clear plea for unity of the body of Christ, and he is continuing his instructions on unity here is these verses. These verses however direct us more toward the reason and basis for our unity.

In verse 7 Paul says But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. What is significant about grace? It is undeserved. It is God giving what he had no obligation to give. Why do we not deserve salvation? Because we rebelled against God. We are the ones who rebelled, and we continue to break the covenant. One commentator, Charles Hodge, renders the last half of this verse, “each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.” How much and what we are given is according to Christ and Him alone. And the fact that he gives us gifts is a sure sign of his grace. We were once the enemy and now Christ gives us gifts in order that we might serve him in his mission. Verse 8 is a quotation from Psalm 68, and the idea here is the conqueror giving the spoils to his people.

In verses 9-10 we have an idea that could be debated for many hours. The verses read, “He also descended into the lower parts of the earth.” A regular cross-reference for this verse is in 1 Peter and says that Jesus entered Hades and preached to the captives. As you come to your own conclusion or if you have come to your own conclusion, what would be the point of Christ preaching to those in Hades if they were already there? Would they be allowed to leave and enter heaven? For all salvation came by faith even before Christ. The idea here in my opinion is that the lower parts of the earth would be his incarnation and dwelling on the earth. A reference maybe to his ultimate humiliation on the cross my mentioning the lower parts of the earth. His coming down to a level below his true stature. The idea is that Christ the great Victor entered earth in the realm of humanity in order to deliver man out of our enslavement to sin.

In verses 11-13 we see that Christ is the one who gives us gifts and why we have those gifts. In verse 11 what is significant about each of these listed? They are all positions based on gifts given. They are all gifts given by the spirit. They all have a unique purpose in the process of bringing others to salvation. Is this a thorough or exhaustive list of gifts? No. Because we see in verse 12 that these gifts are for the edifying of the body of Christ. These gifts are for the equipping of the saints. The building up of the body of Christ. What is the work of service God has called us to? Evangelism, the Mission of God. Could possibly even be service to one another, but most importantly, it is living in and fulfilling the will of God for ourselves in this life. To become Christ-like. Verse 13 is a description of what we are to strive for: a mature man, the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Unity based in Christ.

What is the central focus or purpose of the church? To make God known.

Why then are we given gifts? To edify/build up the believers so that God may be made known.

The Triumphs of Christ

Matthew 28:8-15

When we come to the resurrection stories in the gospels we see the hope and joy of the conquest of Christ over death and sin. But we must keep in mind all that Christ was doing and teaching throughout his earthly ministry. Without the teaching of Christ, his death and resurrection would be void of any spiritual significance. Without his teaching, the work of Christ would have no bearing on our lives in everyday living. Without his teaching, our lives in his salvation would be void of any need for holiness and righteousness. Without his teaching, his death and resurrection would merely be a victorious event for the end of our life. It is in his teaching that we see we ourselves must be holy and righteous. It is in his teaching that we see the fact that our being born again must take place and that is made possible through his death. In our text today we see two victories or triumphs of Christ.

First we see that Christ’s resurrection was a bodily resurrection. There are some who would say that Christ’s resurrection was not bodily but spiritual. So, his body never left the tomb but his spirit did. If that is the case, then don’t worry what happens to your body because one day you won’t need it. If the resurrection is not a bodily resurrection then God messed up when he gave us a body. He created and gave us something that will not last nor is capable of being redeemed. If our bodies will not be raised on the day of Christ’s return then God was not capable of redeeming a part of his creation. The rest of creation will be redeemed, why not our bodies? If our bodies will not be raised on the last day, then as some would say, kill the body and free the soul. Your poor soul is trapped in that body that does not matter so get rid of it and free yourself. Well, thankfully, it is a bodily resurrection. Thankfully, God will redeem all of creation including our bodies. Thankfully, there is hope and value in living in this world now. In verse 6, the angel tells the women, He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. His body is gone and no longer in the tomb, but he is up walking around. The angel then invites them to come see where He was lying. I am not hiding anything from you so come see where they put him. The place is empty. The angel tells them to go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead. Go tell them and they will probably come see that he is gone. He is going ahead of you into Galilee. I am telling you where you can find him. He will not be hiding nor am I hiding his body, but this is where you can go and see him because this is where he is going right now. In verse 9 we see that the ladies actually see him and hold him and worship him.

1 Corinthians 15:16-19 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. Because we have hoped in eternal life found in Christ alone and it was a lie. There is nothing to live for and we wasted our lives following a fantasy. Yet because the resurrection is real then we have much to hope for and in. Because the resurrection is real then we know that Christ conquered sin and death. Because he conquered sin and death then we know that we have reason to hope.

Second we see that the Truth of Christ will prevail. In verse 12, we are told that when the elders came together to discuss what to do, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers. Basically, they bribed the soldiers to be quiet about what had happened. They could not compete with the truth so they attempted to silence eye witnesses. Notice that this argument is used today in order to deny the resurrection of Jesus. This is an unfounded attempt to silence Christians and obstruct the truth. The argument is that the disciples of Jesus stole the body of Christ. Now, if that were the truth, the soldiers would have likely been executed for failing to fulfill their duty. Falling asleep on the job is always unacceptable especially for a Roman soldier guarding an important tomb. Also, how can you explain the disciples’ willingness to die for a body that they stole and hid? Yes, there might have been one or two who would be willing to die for a lie, but when most of them either were killed, tortured or sentenced to a labor prison camp that is not possible. How many of you would be willing to die for a lie? Then verse 15 says that this is what happened and that they propagated the lie to the day this book was written.

Those who oppose a movement often propagate lies in order to gain an advantage over the truth. How many times have we heard lies or mistruths from the anti-abortion group and also from the pro-abortion group? How many times in a presidential campaign do you hear lies and mistruths from both major candidates? Do you believe the resurrection as truth and fact? Do you believe that the resurrection has an impact and application to your life today?

· Are you willing to suffer in this life knowing that what you experience today impacts you for eternity?

· Are you willing to work and strive in order for the gospel to be spread to those who are without Christ?

· Are you willing to endure verbal persecution and even lies as you serve the Lord?

Preserve the Unity

Ephesians 4:1-6

Paul has been reminding the church of who they belong to and of who they are. We are chosen in Christ, a member of His body by His grace and His shed blood. We can do no other and be no other. If we are His we will always be His. In our passage today Paul is calling the Ephesians to a unity with one another. He pleads for them to walk in unity, and he reminds them of the roots of unity.

Your Walk
In verse 1 Paul calls himself a prisoner of the Lord, this is a reminder of who he belongs to but also that he himself had been imprisoned for the Lord. He says, “I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” What calling has been given to every believer? We are to walk according to God’s Law/ to follow Christ. We see in the Gospels and Acts that we are all to be a part of the mandate to spread the gospel. We see in Romans that we are to be holy and set apart. Here we see in this passage that we are to be united. Our part of the unity is in how we walk. We are to walk in humility and gentleness. What are ways that you would describe someone who walks in humility and gentleness? Are they divisive? Are they angry? Are they full of negative criticism and words that hinder or put others down? Do they encourage? Do they seek to assist others? Do they seek for their own good or do they seek to bring others up in the faith? We are to walk in patience. What are ways that you would describe someone who is patient? Are they constantly telling people how to do something? Are they someone who allows others to learn and make mistakes? Are they demanding? Are they allowing others to do something their own way or forcing their own agenda? Are they understanding when things do not go as planned? Are they honking their horn in traffic when there is nothing others can do about the situation? Are they assuming the only way to perfection is through their own agenda or ideas? We are to be diligent. What are ways that you would describe someone who is diligent? Would it be someone who is lazy? Would it be someone who tries to throw off as much of their responsibilities to others? Would it be someone who is not paying attention? Or would it be someone who is busy fulfilling their responsibilities and is keeping watch for something else they will need to do? How we walk is essential to preserving unity in the church. If we are walking in arrogance and demanding and laziness then we are being a problem rather than a part of the solution to the problem. If we are demanding people pay attention to us rather than seeking the good of others ahead of ourselves we are not demonstrating unity. If we are demanding something happen now rather than allowing God to work through His chosen means then we are not demonstrating or promoting unity. If we are being lazy or ignoring our responsibilities then we are not demonstrating or promoting unity.

Roots of Unity
Beginning in verse 4 Paul says, there is one body and one spirit. There are many churches throughout the world and especially the United States that have more than one service on a Sunday morning, and the criticism sometimes is that this does not encourage unity in the body. But whether you have one service or many, there is one body. I have heard some say that the emphasis of the New Testament is the local church and that the church universal is not the emphasis. Yet, there is one body. Each local church will have certain qualities and characteristics that will be used by that church in order to fulfill the mission of the church. We are but one piece of a huge body with the same purpose. But what we see here is Paul encouraging this one local church body to be in unity. He tells them, “Hey, there is only one body. There is not any more than one. So get along!” There is one body, but there is also only one Spirit. The one who calls you is one. We may have a God who is three in one, but he is one! Just as in the body there are many members but one body. How can we be one body with so many members? Walk in humility, patience and diligence. When we look at this half of the passage the point of diligence is constantly watching in order to maintain that unity. Our unity comes through the Spirit and there is only one. So our unity is maintained and brought about by only one source. If the Spirit is the source of our unity then our unity must be maintained and concerned with only God’s desires and will. Even our salvation for all of us is about one hope. In Christ our hope is through Him. Our hope is for our eternal salvation. There is only one Lord. There is only one faith. The faith is the same today as it was for the disciples. The faith is the same today as it was for Adam and Eve. That God alone could provide salvation. Whether you believe you had a choice in your salvation or you believe that God initiated, produced your faith, regenerated you by His good pleasure and His irresistible grace drew you to say yes, our faith and salvation is God initiated and by His grace. He is the source of our salvation. He is our salvation. Then Paul says one baptism. There is only one way to identifying your salvation with Christ. There is only one Spirit given to us. The Spirit is our seal and one who empowers us to His service and life. There is only God. There is no other. He alone is our Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer. There is none other who are Ruler of the world, involved in the world and indwells the believers.

· Are you willing to set aside your differences and to seek the work of the church be done?

· Are you willing to submit to the one True God that He might be the one who leads us and guides us?

· Are you willing to be involved in Kingdom work in order that others might be drawn to salvation?

The Brethren

I just finished reading The Brethren by John Grisham. This is actually the first of his that I have read. On one trip to visit family in Las Vegas, we listened to The Client on tape, but that was back in high school.
This was a very good book. Very entertaining and captivating. Grisham truly is one of the best out there now. The book doesn't keep you on the edge of your seat, but it definitely can be hard to put down. Not the best of his, but it was very good.
4 stars. Read it.

Manchester United

I enjoy soccer and try to at least keep up with some standings since I have no access to watching any of the European Leagues. Man Utd. has been one of my favorites to keep up with (although I would watch any European match of football). Currently man Utd. holds a 9 point lead over Chelsea in the EPL.

Looks like a good season. Hopefully in the end, Man Utd. can pull it out and take the league.

Objects of Fear

Mark 16:3-8

It was a Sunday evening during the summer. Church activities were over and because the youth group was small he went with his brother and a friend of his brother’s home. Both of these guys were at least two years older than he. When they got to the home they began talking about what they wanted to do. One said we can play games on the computer, the other two said no. Another said we can watch a movie. The other two said, which movie? They sat and talked about it and the youngest was outvoted to watch a horror movie. These are churchgoing teens. As they began watching the movie everything was fine and it didn’t appear to be that bad, but as the movie progressed it became more and more intense. The movie was over and now the youngest was not ready to go to bed with images from the movie passing through his mind. They went home and got in bed. The youngest lay there in his bed waiting to go to sleep but the images kept coming back. He would almost be asleep and then an image would pass through his mind quickly. He would awaken startled and his heart racing. After a couple of hours of this he finally fell asleep. He woke up safe and sound in his own bed.

This may seem to be a silly story of someone who let a movie get the better of them, but often times, we fear things or people that should not be feared. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at the different resurrection stories in the gospels, and today we will look at Mark 16. Throughout this gospel the words amazed, fear or astonished are used with great frequency. They were astonished at his teachings. They were amazed at his miracles. They feared Christ after seeing his power. Today in our passage we see three objects of fear.

First we see that we fear those who are greater than us. The passage begins with the ladies approaching the tomb and wondering who would roll away this great stone in front of it. These stones were intended to be large and heavy so that as the bodies would rot ad decay and attract animals with the smell, the animals could not roll away the stone. They did not necessarily preserve the bodies in the same manner as the Egyptians with mummification, but they would go and collect the bones and put them in a box after the rest of the body had decayed. So they wanted the animals to stay away and not degrade the body or remove it from its place. So the stones would sometimes weigh over a ton, but they would also lock the stone by placing another smaller stone in a position to hold the larger one in place. These ladies are wondering, how are we going to move this stone? And when they came to the tomb they saw that the stone had been moved. Now I don’t know about you but that would kind of disturb me. It’s only been three days so there is no possibility that they are already moving his bones. So someone is tampering with the body again that is kind of disturbing, but who would it be and why? They entered the tomb and saw a young man in a white robe. The text tells us that they were amazed. He tells them do not be amazed. They were startled and awestricken. The stone was rolled away, so they knew this being either had great strength or great power. He is sitting inside the tomb where Jesus should have been laying dead. This guy is alive and well where their Savior should have been. Jesus is no where to be found within the tomb so this being has done something with him. Wouldn’t you be afraid? It is clear this being, this angel is greater than them.

He was small and shy, but he was usually well-liked. There was one who would terrify him. He was the bully. Because he was smaller, much smaller than the bully he would always be afraid. His friends were great friends until the bully came. Because they were smaller they were also terrified. This small and shy young man would always run when the bully came. Every time he would run to a teacher and tell her to help him, but they would always tell him stand up for yourself or go play somewhere else. He would then try to play somewhere else, but the bully would follow him. Some days were bad days and others the bully would pick on someone else. But one day the small and shy young man stood up to the bully, the bully came to him and demanded his lunch money and he told him No. He said give me your money. And the small and shy boy said no and walked away. When the bully grabbed him by the shirt he said give me your money and punched him in the stomach and the small and shy boy continued to say No. When the bully still could not get his money, he left and never returned.

In our world today, we often fear the gang member, the drug dealer, the terrorist or our boss who could fire us from our job. We fear the criticism or judgments of our friends or even fellow believers, but do we fear the Lord? Do we fear the one who can destroy the soul rather than the one who can destroy the body? Do we fear more the terrorist who could take our life physically than the one who can sentence our souls to eternal damnation and destruction? May we fear the Lord rather than a man.

Second we fear the unknown. How many of you remember sitting in school and the teacher was asking questions and was calling on students to answer? That could often times be one of the most fearful experiences I will ever remember. You are sitting there hoping and praying that the Lord would suddenly shrink you or make you invisible, but your prayer was never answered and often times you would be asked to answer. How many of you have ever sat before a plate of food and stared at it hoping it would turn into something you knew you liked? How many of you have ever had a plate of food sitting before you and you were willing to try it once you knew what it was? How many of you have ever desired to serve your church family by taking a leading role in a ministry but you were afraid because you had never done it before? We fear the unknown. We fear what we cannot control or is outside of our normal expectations. Verses 5 & 6 tell us that the ladies were amazed by the angel, they were in awe of him, but here in verse 8 they were trembling and astonishment had gripped them. This is not awe this is the fear that keeps us from jumping off the platform to go bungee jumping. Or that might be common sense because you just never know when the rubber band is going to snap. This is the same fear you feel when the Cliff Hanger at Six Flags Over Texas reaches the top and pushes out and then settles in before the ten story plunge. There is something here I cannot control and I do not trust it. These ladies came to the tomb to care for Jesus’ body, and when they arrived the tomb was open, an angel was there, the body was gone. What happened? Their world was turned upside down outside of their control. We fear what we do not know or understand. When life takes a sudden turn we fear the unknown. When we move from one city to another, we fear the new and unknown.

Abram received an encounter with God and the Lord told him to go until I show the land I will give to your ancestors. Genesis. That is a bold move. Not only was he leaving the land he had always known, but he did not yet know where he was going to be stopping. Have you ever thought about that? He knew he would be stopping but he did not know where he would be stopping. Are you willing to move until the Lord tells you to stop? Are you willing to allow your world to be completely changed even if the Lord has not told you what will happen in the end? Are you willing to let the Lord turn your life into chaos and then sit there in the midst of the chaos and trust him to right it? Think about Job. Are you willing to be like Job in the midst of pain, suffering, abandonment and ridicule by friends and even a spouse to be faithful to your Lord? To whom or what do you cling and holdfast in the midst of the unknowns of this life?

Third we ought to fear God. We fear those who are greater than us. We fear the unknown but do we truly and honestly fear God? Look at these ladies, they came to the tomb and feared the angel in awe and reverence. Then they saw and heard the Lord was risen and gone. They left in fear and trembling. They were scared. Not that I would have been any different, but do we fear God more than man? Do we fear God more than the unknowns in life? In the midst of the life of this church right now, do we fear God? Do we fear him and honor him and revere him in such a way that we will do what he commands? Will we seek to fulfill the mission he has given us because we fear our Lord? They say that children need to obey their parents because they fear the authority of them. Do we obey our Lord because we fear his authority over us? Do we love him and seek to obey him because he is our God and Savior? There are many of us if not all of us who are concerned about our church and where we are at right now. This reason for concern, but are you concerned with what we are doing and why? Are you more concerned with the fact that we are not growing numerically than our condition spiritually? I agree we need to grow, but we need to grow in fear of our Lord. We should everyday be drawing deeper into him and his likeness. Everyday we should be drawing more dependent upon him.

I love my wife and I love my boys. Right now I learn more from my boys than my wife. Lately, Connor has been very independent and insistent on doing his own thing. Brennan well he has decided that squealing is his preferred choice of speech. Do you know what I have learned in all of this? Discipline is needed towards them, but also in how I respond to it? There are times that the squealing between the boys gets so loud that I have to yell to get their attention, but I don’t have to be angry. There are times with Connor that he needs a firm hand of discipline but there are times he needs a hug, a kiss and some time with his daddy wrestling on the floor. Do we fear our God to point that we are willing to set aside our concerns for the visible out-workings of the church for the more important and much needed spiritual nourishment for our own soul? Sometimes with Connor I need to set aside my concern for his obedience and conformity to my wishes and show him that I love him. Sometimes we need to set aside our concern for the growth numerically of the church and be concerned with our spiritual well-being. We are spiritual body with real spiritual needs that take precedent over anything else.

• Are you willing to set aside time each day and pray over the five items on your red card?
• Are you willing to set aside time each day even five minutes and pray for your own spiritual growth?
• Are you willing to set aside your life so that you may be used of God?
• Are you willing to set aside your pride and commit to a work in the church for the edification and growth of others?

Light and Heat

I just finished reading Light and Heat: A Puritan View of the Pulpit by Dr. R Bruce Bickel. I would give this book 4.5 stars out of 5. This was an excellent book. For me as a pastor, the content was very applicable and spoke to many issues that I face in the ministry personally and as I look at the church I pastor.

A few quotes from the book:

[The Puritans] were firmly convinced that by the faithful preaching of the message of salvation God would call out the elect everywhere-not because of the gifts or methods of the preacher, but by reason of God's sovereign operation. p. 33

[Puritan preachers] reveled in the task to which God had set them apart. This sense of vocation demanded a deep concern for personal piety in order to be faithful to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. . . The weight of the load on them was as great as on any mortal man because of their understanding of who God was and the office He had sovereignly given them. p. 38

The proper motivation for ministry is not expected success or fear of failure, but a love response to what God has done to one personally. . . Motivation was a love response to the mercy and grace of God. p. 75

The Puritan believed and preached that no sinner was ever saved by giving his heart to God, but by God giving His heart to the sinner. Salvation was a majestic display of the grace of God because the Puritans viewed it as a work of God. p. 100

To preach Christ meant to present the person of Christ as well as His finished work of satisfaction. p. 119

If you are a pastor, this is a great book to help consider and think through your responsibilities to your congregation and what you are leading that congregation to live and believe. Doctrine and theology drives what you teach and the ministries of the church.

Get the book and read it.

Two for the Weekend

Distortion of Truth

Genesis 3

The school had received “credible” testimony that an impending danger was coming to their campus. This was not a high school or college or even a middle school but an elementary school. The principal gathered his other administrators to determine how to prepare for this impending danger and stop it from happening. What was the danger? They received a letter from concerned parents that the drug market was beginning to target young children with blue star acid. The ploy was that they were using stickers with Disney characters familiar to young children. They were supposedly lacing the stickers with the acid so that when the sticker was placed on the skin the drug would seep into the individual’s system. The threat was taken seriously and stopped. Or was it? After some research one individual found this to not be a real threat. But the story and threat continues. In fact when we lived in Wake Forest I remember coming across a letter very similar to the one mentioned in this story. The researcher took the letter and began researching stories of this nature in the state of New York. In the state of New York drug enforcement agencies did a statewide survey of all of its drug enforcement units and found that this story was not true. They said that the results found that this threat of drug laced stickers was virtually nonexistent. Why all of the fuss then? Because it is a story that provokes our indignation that someone would threaten young children and deceive them in such a manner. That is the only reason why this distortion of truth exists today. This is a distortion. During the 60s and 70s this was a threat not to children but the stickers were often used without the Disney characters but with blue stars.

In Genesis 3 we see that all sin is or begins with a distortion of truth.

First we see a distortion of God’s Word. In verse 1 the serpent asks, “Has God said that you shall not eat from any tree of the garden?” God did not say they could not eat from any tree of the garden but he did say which tree they may not eat from. The serpent was twisting the truth in order to cause doubt concerning God’s actual words. God said do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now Eve begins to get the answer correct in verse 3 until in her response she adds that they were not allowed to touch it. Did God ever say you cannot touch it? They were allowed to touch the tree, because the Bible does not tell us otherwise. The problem here is that the Word of God is being changed. His Word is being misquoted. It is important to our spiritual health as individuals and the church that we never change His Word. It is important that we seek to follow as His Word proscribes and denies. The Bible tells us to value life and not take it. The Bible tells us to love our neighbors and not to hate them. The Bible tells us to pray to God and not to worry. The Bible tells us to seek first God’s kingdom and not to worry about our needs. Sin enters our lives when we allow the Word of God to be taken and twisted to our needs and whims.

In New Brunswick one summer they experienced a normal high tide that drove in red jellyfish onto the beach. When the tide receded the beach was full of red jellyfish. There were so many of them that you had to watch where you walked or you might end up stepping on them. They simply followed the current and now they lay there dying if the tide does not come in soon and pull them back out to sea.

Many churches and believers have become like those jellyfish. They have followed the fads and currents of the time and have given up on the gospel. They have removed the gospel and allowed other ministries, programs or other people’s teachings to take prominence within the church. Acts 1:8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Then compare that with Matthew 28:19-20 we are to be the witnesses of God with the gospel to the ends of the earth. If we distort and twit the Word of God then we send people to their destruction. If as a believer we live according to a distorted view of God’s Word then we live in destruction to ourselves.

Second we see a distortion of God’s Intended Order. When we look at life, we often wonder what am I here for? Why do I exist? We see our world, and we see the Bible but how do I live in this world which is contrary to God’s desires? Our world is full of people who enjoy certain pleasures in order to be fulfilled. They take their drugs and allow that to give them fulfillment. Others watch TV. Others get on TV to be fulfilled. Some play sports and use steroids in order to get ahead faster. What on earth is going on? Through time God’s order has been distorted. We see in verse 4 that the serpent begins to distort in the mind of Eve God’s intended order. He is also undermining God’s authority by telling Eve that she can be like God. When we desire to be like God apart from displaying his characteristics of righteousness and holiness or be God then we are living contrary to God’s order. We were never intended to be on the same level as God or be like God in his authority in this world. We are not here to be controllers of our world and lives, but we are here to live in submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the complete and total authority of God Himself.

"The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. Therefore, men revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?" - Job 37:23-24
George Muller was a man who trusted the Lord. He was born in 1805 and he is remembered as both an English evangelist and philanthropist. A man of faith and prayer, he established orphanages in Bristol and founded the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad.
He was once asked the secret of his service. It was widely known that God had continually met the needs of the orphanage without his making them known. He estimated that Christ answered 50,000 of his prayers. How did he exist like this?
Muller replied: "There was a day when I died, utterly died." As he spoke, he bent lower and lower until he almost touched the floor, displaying his submission before God. "I died to George Muller, his opinions, his preferences, tastes, and will," he explained. "I died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends. And since then, I have studied only to show myself approved unto God."
Do you revere the Lord? Today in prayer, ask the Lord to take all of you and to use you for His glory.

What do you live for? What is the point and determination of your life? If you are seeking to live apart from God then you are living contrary to God’s order. If you are seeking to live apart from the directions of God’s Word then we are living contrary to God’s intended order. If we as a church are seeking to grow and be fulfilled apart from God’s commands for His church then we are seeking to be the church apart from God’s intended order.

Third we see a distortion of God’s Blessings. In verse 6, we are told that Eve saw that “the tree was desirable to make one wise.” In chapter two we are told that the tree was pleasing to the eye. God’s creation was intended to be pleasing to the eye. It was intended that we see and acknowledge the beauty of that creation of God. But the creation of God was not intended for us to see that it would make us wise. It was not intended to advance beyond the intended position God placed us in. Eve saw that she would be wise like God. Eve saw that this would place her in the same position as God and this was the problem. God desires that we enjoy the blessings that he has given. We should enjoy the blessings of marriage within the order that God has given us. We should enjoy the blessings and benefits of food, but within the order that God has given us. We should enjoy the blessings and benefits of rest that God has given us, but within the order that God has given us.

The blessings of salvation are righteousness and holiness, the removal of guilt, but if we were to pile guilt upon others then we are misusing and distorting the blessings of God. If we are to correctly use the blessings that God has given to us we are to share that freedom and blessing with others by leading them to salvation in order to experience it. If we are to falsely use the blessings of God of salvation then we would be binding them in guilt and false laws of salvation. May we be a blessing to others.

As we consider the loss of the purity of God’s creation and the distortion of God’s Word.

· Repentance- May we repent of the sin in our own lives. Without repentance and seeking to be removed and cleansed from sin we continue to distort the truth of God’s Word. We continue to distort the fact of our need for salvation and that God is righteous and holy.

· Forgiveness- May we seek the forgiveness of others. Until we seek the forgiveness of those that we mistreated we are living outside of the order of God which is to live at peace with all people. We are to love our neighbors as our selves.

· Be a Blessing to Others- May we seek to be a blessing to others in order to lead them to an experience and knowledge of the grace of God.

A Picture & A Website

Here is a picture of Connor throwing a tennis ball. Only 2 1/2 and he has quite an arm.


I have created a free website for the church. It is through AdvancedMinistry.
New Hope Baptist Church.