Sunday, April 22, 2007

April 22 sermon The Problem with Evil

April 22 sermon The problem with evil

Psalm 23

Revelation 21:1-8

32 people shot dead at Virginia Tech last week. A teenager in Wisconsin guns down his principle. A&M students are killed when the bonfire tower collapses. Two students from Columbine High School walk into their school and start shooting. These are just 4 major stories about our kids. This does not take into account daily murders, robberies, road rage, or any of the other things that happen to us. In a world where medical advances are announced daily and life expectancy is stretching like a rubber band;

In a world where the economy has been so strong for so long that it’s calling into question the very idea of any type of economic cycles;

In a world where we have more ways to distract ourselves (Ipods, internet, TV, PlayStations);

In a world where we get up at 5am, get to work (usually doing the same thing we did last week), get home and pull out our home-work, wondering what’s for dinner when you realize little Tommy had a baseball game tonight. You throw on your casual “let’s go out to the ball game” clothes and rush out the door. You get to the park just in time to catch the last inning. You grab snowcones on the way home for the family. Get back to get the kids in bed.

You kiss your spouse on the way to bed and (maybe) tell them you love them. Roll over on your side of the bed with your back to the rest of the world. Finally you fall asleep between 11 and 12 to start the day all over again the next morning.

In that sort of world we easily become insulated from what’s really real (or what really matters). The padding of all this “stuff” muffles the sounds and softens the edges.

What happened in the last week and all the things that happened in the past year, are life. Real life. This is the real thing. There is nothing like the sudden death of the young child to punch a hole in our paper-mache reality. When things like these do happen, it makes us yell out questions.

What is this world coming to? How could something like this happen? Could it have been stopped? God, why do bad things happen to good people? It’s enough to make you want Jesus to come back on his white horse, wipe out all evil in the world, and reign as king.

There are so many questions swirling around in our heads, and so many questions we won’t have answers to; ever. I’ve heard more about this kid with the guns in Virginia. He was quiet. He would blend in on any campus anywhere in America.

Evil can permeate our lives so much it’s not really noticeable. He didn’t talk to anyone. Didn’t have any friends. Just a few years ago when he was in school and the teacher forced him to read, the kids in his class laughed at the way he talked.

Why do humans who have the capacity to do so much good commit such wicked acts? The Apostle Paul says it really well in his letter to the Romans. “I need something more. If the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway.

My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something (and this is important) something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?”

Then Paul in his own unique way answers his own question, “The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.”

Paul says he desires to do good. He wants to follow the way of our Lord. Paul says that his “flesh”, that is not his earthly body but his earthly human self, desires everything opposed to the Spirit. In Galatians he holds up a mirror to us and says “Look at yourselves. See if any of these works of the flesh are in you.”

In a modern translation, they are loveless cheap sex, an accumulation of mental and emotional garbage, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, small-mindedness, the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival, uncontrolled addictions, I could go on (he says).

He goes on to bring in the “fruit test”. Do you know what the fruit test is? When you go to buy peaches or cantelope, you smell the fruit to see if it’s good. That’s kind of what the fruit test is. Paul says we can look at your Spirit and see what fruit you produce. If it’s rotten, we will be able to smell it a mile away.

Paul tells us the fruit of the Spirit is love (love of others and love of yourself), joy (joy to be alive and to serve to risen Lord), peace (peace and reconciliation with others), patience (not jumping to conclusions based on perceptions), kindness, generosity (not just monetary, but also with your time and love), faithfulness (faith and reliance upon Christ), gentleness (excellence in character and demeanor), and self-control. There is no law against these things. God wants you to do these always.

Paul tells us that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap what we sow (Galatians 5-6).

Evil permeates our lives and the world around us. Sometimes it comes in like a flash of lightning shocking us back to reality. Other times though it comes in silently creeping. Have you ever heard of Kudzu?

………Kudzu is a creeping vine brought in from Japan to be a light ground cover and preventer of soil erosion. Unfortunately it really really likes our soil. And it spreads and it creeps. Over trees, over fields, over houses. Snakes like to hide in it waiting to strike. It attempts to kill anything in its path. Sounds kind of like evil right.

It takes over everything in your life. It kills. And all conventional means of trying to get rid of it don’t work very well. Snakes and other creatures like to hide in the cover of darkness it creates so they can strike out.

Evil feeds on ignorance. Nobody knew the Kudzu would take over like this….or more likely they believed they would be able to control it.

The Apostle Paul was the same way. When he died he was know as a gentle affectionate man who unselfishly was in service to his Christian brothers and sisters.

But earlier in his life, when he was known as Saul, he was “breathing threats and murder” against the same group”. Why would Paul have perpetrated such evil in his past? He says he had a “zeal for God; but not according to accurate knowledge.” “He was ignorant.” Many sincere people today do evil acts believing they are doing God’s will, but they are ignorant.

But these school shootings, the road rage, the insults, the twisting of the truth…these are not a misrepresentation of God’s will. Jesus told the religious leaders who were intent on killing him “You are from your father the devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father.”

Satan whispered in the ears of Adam and Eve to eat the apple and disobey God. Satan whispered in King David’s ear to take Bathsheba. Everything was his to own. Cain killed Abel. The Nazis killed the Jews. Saddam Hussein killed his own people. This kid at Virginia Tech. Was this kid deranged and need psychological help? Yes of course.

Could anything have been done differently to stop what happened? Recently I don’t think there is much that could have been done. The school could have gone on lock down, and that was a decision they made not to do. But this kid has had problems for years. It’s unfortunate we as parents have to do this, but we have to toughen up our kids.

This shooter was harassed and made fun of for many years. In the last couple years, I saw kids in Julia’s school and living around us being mean kids. It would not be hard to describe it as evil. I’m sure Shara Backus being Assistant Principle can tell us many horrible, many sad stories in her school.

I’m not saying all these kids are evil. However, mankind has experience a surge of evil in this world because of human imperfection, human ignorance, and also the result of Satan.

If you have not read C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, I highly recommend it. It’s a book of correspondence between a chief demon and a trainee. The trainee, Wormwood, is assigned to a man to urge him, nudge him, to keep him from becoming (or staying) a Christian.

In the beginning of the book, the chief demon is talking about how he almost lost his patient to the other side. Knowing that an argument about Truth (you know, like scripture) would not work for his side, the demon moved the man from reading about God to thinking about lunch, then the bus then traffic; And that God stuff was all gone in just a few moments.

Where does Free Will come into all this? Free Will is our choice. It’s our choice to do good or our choice to do evil. Free Will is our choice to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior or to accept ourselves as our Lord and Savior. Free Will is our choice to love other people as Jesus loves us, or to reject others. That is our freedom.

And it comes into play with God. You see, God gave us the Free Will to make a choice. We can choose him or reject him. God will not drag someone kicking and screaming into heaven. He will always be a perfect gentleman.

But sometimes in His infinite wisdom, when bad things happen to us, he will act. Lee Stroebel describes it this way in his book. Let’s say a hunter comes upon a bear caught in a trap. Suddenly he gets a conscience and decides to let the bear go. He tries to communicate with the bear, he tries to reason with the bear, and he tries to make nice with the bear all to no avail.

Then he starts to shoot the bear full of tranquilizers. The bear, thinking he is being attacked again, starts to fight back. The bear doesn’t understand that what is painful now and what seems like an attack is, in the long run going to help him.

Does that mean God caused the kid to shoot others at Virginia Tech? No. God doesn’t cause trials like that. Will he use what happened to bring people closer to him? Yes he will. It’s times like this your paper mache reality will be shredded and you wonder if God is real and if he cares about the world, about the kids, about you.

You think to yourself, “What am I supposed to do to try and stop this from happening again?” Tragedy happens when good people stay quiet and do nothing. First, like I said before, we need to toughen up our kids. Teach them to not let other kids push them off their mountain. 2nd, remember that Kudzu I talked about before? Do you know what the best environmental solution was to get rid of it?....sheep! Sheep will eat the stuff and take it all the way down to the ground.

Who are we as Christians? “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” We can cut through all the evil in this world to make it a better place. We are here on earth for a reason. The salvation we have is not only salvation from the Hell after death, but also the hell on this earth. When that reality is totally blown away and there is no bedrock foundation to land on, it will be like going over the hill on a rollercoaster and realizing the track is not finished. By ourselves, we will never be able to conquer evil or Satan. But when we walk through the darkest valley, we will fear no evil, for God is with us.

Then, like the John, we will see a new heaven and a new earth. And the holy city coming down from heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And a loud voice cried out “…he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more, morning and crying and pain will be no more.” And Jesus will say, “see I am making all things new. To the thirsty I will give water from the well of life. Those who conquer, those who triumph over evil and resist the temptation, will inherit these things.”

He says, “I will give the Fruit Test. If your fruit is fresh, you will stay and I will be your God. But if your fruit stinks, your place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur.”

I can’t tell you why this kid went shooting at Virginia Tech or why the Columbine shooting happened. It is evil in this world. I can’t tell you why the bonfire tower collapsed or why there was a car roll over on I35 the other day that killed a family. Bad stuff happens in this world.

But we are Christians…we are the sheep of the Shepherd and must do what we can. Last Monday there was a call @ the church. A family was stranded in Midlothian. The father’s mom kicked them out of the house. They had no transportation and the family that was going to pick them up would not be here until Tuesday.

They pulled out the Midlothian phone book and called every church in the book. It wasn’t until they got to Sardis did someone say they would help. This family was even hung up on by another church. What a stain on the name “Christian” when someone who is in desperate need can’t get help.

I went and picked them up and brought them back to the church to eat bar-b-que with the men. Then I took them to the Best Western in Midlothian so they would have a place to stay for the night. Could our church have done more? Maybe, but we are small and there are great needs. Did we do what we are supposed to do? Yes.

I have a friend in Nashville who always gives money to the people pan-handling. When asked about it he said “Sure they might be using it for alcohol or something else besides food and shelter. But I give and let God take care of the rest.”

We can’t help everybody, but we can help those who are presented before us. We can make sure our Fruit is nice and fresh. The love of Jesus can do great things and a helping hand might break a heart of stone to bring out the tender child of God that has desperately wanted to be seen.

In your time this week, don’t look past the outcast and the others. Don’t ignore a silent cry for help. Show love to those you feel are unlovable. At one time in your life, you were unlovable too.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.


Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.


You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.

revelation 21:1-8

The New Heaven and the New Earth

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.

He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’

And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.

Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.’

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

April 15 sermon Proclaiming the Word

April 15 sermon Proclaim the Word
Acts 5:27-32
Psalm 118: 14-29

"An incredible new technology enables the transmission of text on a worldwide basis. It rapidly reduces production and distribution costs and for the first time allows large numbers of people to access text and pictures in their own homes." Can anyone guess what this is referring too?? It refers to the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg in 1450. It transformed education, communication, and evangelism. It has shaped the world as we know it.

The computer revolution and the internet are now changing Christian evangelism in ways we can only imagine. Around the world today, over 1 billion people use the internet. 70% of North America has internet access. What a wonderful tool to use to evangelize the world. What a tool that can be manipulated and used for the wrong purposes.

A recent polled said 30% of teenage girls were sexually harassed on the internet. 90% would not tell their parents for fear of being banned from the internet. 1% of the over 8 billion pages are triple X. What about the rest? Most are corporate websites. There are millions of Christian websites (including church websites). That’s a great thing. Then there are many personal websites.
The company MySpace lets you create a personal website you can call your “virtual home away from home.” My best friend has one. He lists his favorite music and movies as well as links to friend’s websites. I was on there the other day and doing some surfing around MySpace. Unfortunately, I found more than one site where the owner said they were Christian but the pictures on there were not what I would consider Christian material.

April 29th is Internet Evangelism Day. It’s a day that Christian websites are using to recognize the potential of the internet and just how wonderful a tool it is. Although the MySpace pages I saw would not be appropriate for any true Christian to be associated with, those involved in the Internet Evangelism Day are seeking ways to reach more people with all the tools available to them.

So I am wondering, how do YOU proclaim your faith in Jesus Christ? In our scripture from Acts, Peter and some other apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have been filling Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.”

The apostles had miraculously gotten out of jail and were back in the temple preaching about the resurrection of Jesus. The apostles had spread a doctrine different than the one being taught in the temple. This was against Jewish law.
The apostles have therefore disturbed the public peace the high priests worked so hard to establish. Here is where those who are so high and mighty, the religious authority, who will do an evil thing (that is to crucify an innocent man), yet cannot bear to hear of it afterwards, nor have the truth presented back to them. Back in Matthew 27 before Jesus was crucified, the high priest yelled out “this man’s blood will be on us and our children”, but now they don’t want to hear of it.

But Peter stands up and gives one of the shortest and one of the best sermons in scripture. “We must obey God, not man. You crucified Jesus. God raised up Jesus for repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. We saw this and so did the Holy Spirit.” In the face of persecution and in the face of being beaten and killed, the apostles still preached. That is what you and I must do. In the face of persecution… even when those who are against you try to silence you, you must continue to preach.

Here is what Jesus said to those first listeners (and now says to you) in the Sermon on the Mount. “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can the saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.” That is if you stop growing in Christ, if you stop praying, if you stop seeking new Christian knowledge, your effectiveness will disappear. Then he goes on.
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

I heard a story the other day from a man recalling his Boy Scout days. The Scout leader took the boys to an inner room without windows, sat everyone down, and turned the lights off. He said it was pitch black and although it was only a minute in the dark, it felt like an eternity. Then the Scout Master struck a match and lit a single candle in the middle of the room. The boys could then make out all the faces of their friends and could see who was who.

The same is true for Christians and Christianity. You are the light. The world is in darkness, and there are many who will hurl the grenades of insults, lies, insinuations, and manipulations from the darkness outside trying to put your light out. God desires your Christian light to be put on a hill for all to see and for the light to penetrate more of the darkness in other’s hearts.




Unfortunately, to penetrate that darkness, you will have to get closer to those who are lost. Then those grenades will fall upon you faster and harder than ever before. You could stay under the bushel of contentment and tolerance. Your light will start to fade and soon you will be indistinguishable from the surrounding darkness. But that’s not what Christ desires. He says to “let your light shine before others.” Thinking back to the Boy Scout story, we could say, “You are God’s candle.”

So Peter said “We were witnesses to the things that happened to Jesus and when he came back, we saw him.” Why would Jesus show up again to a motley crew of fishermen and other lowly people? Why would he reveal himself to the two travelers on the road to Emmaus? Do you remember that story?

After Jesus was resurrected, he walked along with two men on their way to Emmaus. When they got there, he broke bread and revealed himself to them. Why the fishermen? Why the Emmaus guys? Jesus appeared to them because they were not afraid to share Christ. These apostles justified themselves before the Sanhedrin. “We have done nothing wrong.” Although the Religious Right had told the apostles what to do, they said they must only follow God. Instead of making excuses, they continued to shout out the truth.


How is your light shining? How are you proclaiming Jesus Christ. St. Francis said to “proclaim Jesus Christ and use words if necessary.” When we moved here to Sardis, a friend of ours needed a place to stay for a few weeks. She lived with us. In Nashville during the winter months our church took in homeless men to stay for the night and get out of the cold. Our church bought Christmas for a family in Midlothian.

A friend I used to work with saw a girl with an astrology sign necklace. Knowing full well what she was going to say, he told her “that’s a nice necklace.” She said “Oh thanks, this is my astrology sign. I follow the stars and moon.” To which he said “My God, created the stars and moon and everything in the universe.” That’s one way to get an opening.

What happens at the end of our scripture? The high priests have the apostles beaten. They have no foundation on which to attack the apostles so they beat them and let them go to fight another day. And what do the apostles do? They rejoice in the suffering. Jesus said (and they took it to heart) to “rejoice when you are beaten and battered for my name.” And then vs. 42…every day in the temple and at home they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.


What day must you proclaim Jesus? Only on the days ending in Y. How should you proclaim Jesus? With words and actions and deeds. As the Psalmist sings “Do you hear the shouts and the triumph song in the camp of the saved? The hand of God has turned the tide. The hand of God is raised in victory. I lived and now I am telling the world what God did. This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”

As Christians, we are victorious. As Christians we must share our faith…whether by word, action, deed, or internet. The tools are there for you to use. The fields are ripe. Spirituality is at an all time high. The workers are few. Go and make disciples. Don’t sit on the sideline. It’s 4th and long and the game is on the line. Faith is action, based upon belief, sustained by confidence in God’s Word and his promise to perform it.

Jesus said “I’ll build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” We are not on the defensive, we are on the offensive. I pray your faith leads you to that action. And now it’s time to go.






Psalm 118:14-29
The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.
There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly;
the right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.”
I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.

The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.



Acts 5:27-41
When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. Then he said to them, “Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered.

So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them—in that case you may even be found fighting against God!” They were convinced by him, and when they had called in the apostles, they had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

Saturday, April 07, 2007

April 8th Easter sermon You Are Forgiven

April 8th Easter sermon You Are Forgiven
Luke 24

I have bad news. Every one of us is going to hell. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but I was reading the bible this week getting ready for this service and found in the scriptures proof this is going to happen. Romans 6 says “the wages of sin is death.” Romans 3 says “all have fallen short of the glory of God.”

When the adulterous woman was brought before Jesus, he did not justify her sins. He told the crowd “the one without sin must throw the first stone.” And they all walked away. Even those who considered themselves righteous knew they were sinful.

I hope we can all agree that God is perfect. There is no sin in God or near God. No one who has any sin in them can come near to God. In Isaiah 6, Isaiah was brought before God and instantly realized he would die. But with fire, God cleansed him of his sins.

Paul puts it in perspective for us. “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the Law; rather through the Law we become conscious of our sin.” Our goal is righteousness (whatever that means). Our downfall is the sin in our lives. Following all these rules people set up in the church and in religion doesn’t make us righteous, but only show us our sin.
Sin in ANY amount will distance us from God. “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear,” says Isaiah “But your iniquities (that is, your evil, your mischief, your sin), your iniquities have separated you from God. Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that he will not hear.” The Apostle John tells us that “if we claim to have no sin, the truth is not in us.”

Now that we know we are bad people and we have to become righteous, what do we do? How do we become righteous? What does that mean anyway? Why do we want to do it??

Two criminals were hung on crosses on either side of Jesus. One chastised him saying “save yourself and save us.” But the other spoke up. “You and I are guilty, and we are being punished for what we did. This man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

And Jesus said “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Could we be like that criminal? We come to Jesus, admit we are guilty, and ask for forgiveness, and then we go to heaven. Just before he died, Jesus said “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Jesus talked about forgiveness during his 3 years in ministry. In the Lord’s Prayer he said Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you also. If you do not forgive, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

If we want to be forgiven by God, we must forgive and accept one another. Peter came to Jesus and asked “Lord, how many times must I forgive? Is it 7 times?” Jesus said “you must forgive 70 X 7 times.” And then Jesus told this story… (with a current twist) ”There was a man who owed back taxes of $100,000.

The man begged the IRS for mercy saying he would pay back every cent, he only needed more time. The IRS agent had mercy on him, canceled the entire debt, and let him go. When he left the IRS office, the man found another who owed him $50.

In the scuffle, the man begged for mercy saying he would pay it all back in time, but the 1st refused and sued him for everything he had. Others saw this and went and told the IRS agent. The agent was furious. ‘I forgave your debt because you asked for mercy, yet you did not extend the same grace to another.’ In anger the IRS threw him in jail to be tortured until he paid back every dollar.
And Jesus said “This is how my heavenly Father will treat you unless you forgive others from your heart.” Let me repeat that. This is how my heavenly Father will treat you-unless you forgive others-from your heart.

What is our hope then and how do we become righteous? Our hope is in Jesus Christ. Righteousness (perfection before God) is imputed on us through Jesus Christ when we confess our sins before him and accept him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus died on the cross. He took every sin of ours, past-present-future, on his shoulders.

When Jesus took those sins on himself, God could not look his Son anymore. There on the cross, Jesus looked up and for the first time in his life and he did not see the Father looking back at him, but saw his Father in heaven turn away. And he cries out “Father, why have you forsaken me.”

Jesus died and we die with him, because we have sin in us. But three days later Jesus was resurrected. And that is our hope. Jesus took on our sins. When he was beaten he bled. When he was nailed to the cross, he bled. When they pushed that crown of thorns on his head he bled.




As you kneel at the cross (with that splinter filled wood just inches from your face) and confess the sinfulness that permeates your life, and ask for forgiveness, a single drop of blood falls from his beaten body and lands on your head. It’s his blood that cleanses you and makes you righteous to come before God today, tomorrow, and every day in the future.

Remember how in our scripture the women had gone to the tomb on Easter morning and the angels told them, “He is not here. He has risen.” That’s it. That is the climax of the whole story. HE IS RISEN. If you don’t believe in the resurrection, you don’t believe in Christ.

You cannot be a Christian and you cannot achieve salvation without the resurrection, because if Christ was not raised from the dead, we will not be either.
If we go back to Romans 6, it says the ‘wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.’

If you were baptized into Christ Jesus…that is if you truly accept him as your Lord and Savior and bow down before him to do everything as he did it…you are also baptized in his death. You were buried with him in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, you too will live a new life.

Since we are united with him in his death, we will also be united with him in his resurrection. Because our old selves…that is our old self absorbed, selfish, hateful, bigoted, biased, unloving, uncaring, jealous selves were crucified with him, so our sinful selves will be done away with we will be free from the grasp sin.

Then Paul goes on to tell us that because we are saved, because the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty, we were slaves to sin before, but now we have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, and the benefits we reap lead to holiness and the result is eternal life.

More than once, Jesus said these words… “You are forgiven.” And I say them to you now. If you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior (and everything that means), “You are forgiven.” It is awesome knowing without a doubt Christ has forgiven me of everything I have done in my past and everything I will do in the future.

It is awesome knowing without a doubt, that it doesn’t matter what kind of coffin or grave I’m put in when I die because I won’t be there. It will just be a shell because I will be resurrected just as Christ was resurrected. By his blood he shed on the cross, I am forgiven.

But what about the people around me? My old self has died away and I am a new creation. What kind of forgiveness must I give to those around me? Do I have to forgive the guy who cut me off on my way to town yesterday?

Do I forgive that guy for calling me names and spreading false rumors about me? I must forgive them both. How about Bob…I saw Bob driving down the road last week. I rolled down my window and waved at him. He stared straight at me with the biggest frown on his face and completely ignored me. My presumption is Bob must hate me. Those false rumors must have been told to him too.

The truth is Bob was looking at the really ugly green car in the parking lot across from me. He didn’t see me. It’s amazing how presumptions about people can be so wrong. You are forgiven.

These three little words are the same as those other three words we like to hear. “I love you” because that’s what they mean and that’s what I have to say to every person who has hurt me in the past 34 years. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love your neighbor. I look at Jesus and say “No. I can’t forgive them. I don’t want to be the first to forgive. They should be first.”


And Jesus says “It’s not that way. I was the first to forgive. You don’t have to be.” Love and forgive are synonymous here. If I love I have to forgive. If I forgive, it has to be from my heart. And like my transgressions and grievances before God were cast into the deepest parts of the ocean never to be seen or brought up again, I must do the same to all those who have hurt me in the past.

The manager who was so hard on me and never helped me move up.
The pastor who would not treat me like he should.
The guy who took my accounts and made me lose money.
The women who cut me off in traffic.
And those in my past who are too painful to bring up because they hurt so much.

I have to forgive them all. And I do. It’s not by my power I forgive them, but by the power of Christ that I can say “You Are Forgiven”. These are the hardest words you will ever say if they come from your heart. This church has been here for 100 years.

Christ’s church universal has been in place for 2000 years. For us to last another 2000 years or even another 100 years, we must forgive each other. We must love each other. Christ presented himself as a sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready.
And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice.

But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use to him. Because of this saving act of Jesus Christ we can yell out “Praise God. Thank you Jesus.”

God gives us grace abundantly to make us righteous. Sin didn’t, and doesn’t have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When its sin verses grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death. Because God is putting everything together again through Christ, grace invites us to life; a life that goes on and on and on, world without end. Amen.

You must forgive each other, church. You must accept those who are different from you and those who do things different than you. You must love each other. Take the hymn to heart “they will know we are Christians by our love, by our love. They will know we are Christians by our love.”



That is the sign of a true Christian; one who has been born again into new life. The real Christian says “I forgive you, I love you, I accept you because Christ first accepted me.”

If you don’t know this forgiveness from Christ, I can offer it to you today. If you confess your sins and ask for the life only Christ can give, I can say the words out loud that God will say to your soul, “you are forgiven.” As we sing this last song, if you want to accept this forgiveness God so freely gives, come to the alter rail. Please stand.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

April 1 Sermon Celebration

April 1 Sermon Celebration
Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29
Luke 19:28-40


The other day I watched a show about how the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders train and are picked out. Man that’s some tough standards they set. They shake this way, they shake that way. They jump and smile and do the splits. But if a girl shimmies instead of shakes or jumps instead of splits, she is gone.

And for what?? A job that pays very little, $50 per game in fact. Of course they make $$ from other gigs outside of the stadium, but why in the world would anyone want to be a cheerleader, go through that torture, and only get $500 a season?

They believe in the team. They are excited to be a part of this team. What about the non-paid cheering section. You’ve seen these people. The kids in uniform, the women with pom poms. The grown men who will paint their faces and maybe even their bodies the colors of their favorite team and go to the game to cheer them on whether they are having a winning or losing season. This is devotion at its highest point. I’m waiting to see that kind of devotion from God’s church. I have not seen any men on TV in a worship service with their shirts off and big cross painted across their backs.
Today is the beginning of Holy Week. Many churches will focus not only on the palms, but also on the passion of Christ. Not only on the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, but also on him being sentenced to death. There is so much imagery and so much prophecy being fulfilled it’s just amazing.

Lets look at verse 31 again. Jesus tells the disciples about the colt “if anyone asks you about it, tell them The Lord needs it.” Let’s say he sent Peter and John to get the colt. What would that conversation be like??

Peter says, “You know what’s going to happen, don’t you? When Jesus says someone will ask us about taking the colt, it will definitely happen.” John looks at Peter saying, “your right…and YOU tell them The Lord needs it. I’ll be behind you all the way.” I see a Three Stooges skit acting out, “you do it. No you do it. No you do it.” I bet it was Peter who said it. He was always sticking his foot in his mouth.

Why a colt though? Zechariah 9:9 says “Shout, Daughter Jerusalem. Your King comes to you. Righteous and having salvation. Lowly and riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Prophecy fulfilled. Jesus was not coming to start a war and overthrow the government in Jerusalem. When a King comes in on a donkey, it’s a sign of peace.

The people cry out “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and on earth.” Remember that from Psalm 118, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. The people knew what the donkey meant. They wanted peace also. Peace from conflict. Peace from backbiting. Peace from the hatred that filled their society. A second chance to make a difference in the world.

Jesus came on a donkey into Jerusalem…..this time. Do you know when Jesus comes riding on a horse as the King who seeks to conquer? Revelations 19 starting in verse 11 where John tells us “I saw heaven open up and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.

With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but himself. He is dressed in a robe dripped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

The armies of heaven are following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations….on his robe and on his thigh he has this name written “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”

If Jesus would have stayed away from Jerusalem, he probably would have lived a lot longer. The religious elite would not have seen him as much of a threat out there. It was only when he came into Jerusalem that he was a real danger to the status quo. He was going to upset the apple cart.

The mascots were running around. The cheerleaders were cheering.

WAVING YOUR PALM

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We love you. You’re the best. Keep up the good work.” Then the religious elite come into the picture. “Tell them to stop. They are making fools of themselves and soon the Romans will be upon us.” And Jesus, probably smiling the whole time “I can’t stop them. If they stop, the rocks will cry out.”

Rocks and artifacts are the words of life for archeologists. They want the proof in hand for what they believe. They travel around the world to get proof, as Sir William Ramsay did. This son of an atheist (and an atheist himself) was a wealthy PhD archeologist from Oxford.


He set out to the Holy Land to disprove the bible, specifically the Book of Acts. After 25 years of digging and writing books about his finds, he declared that “Luke in writing Acts was accurate,” and to the shock of his critics he declared himself to now be a Christian.

Praise God that different people can be reached in different ways, and Christ is big enough to be different sizes in a one-size-fits-all world. And so we follow Jesus in faith into Jerusalem.

Jesus’ grand entrance, and what happens afterward means there is hope for us. If you are a true disciple of Christ, you will be persecuted in some way. Either the Devil will work on beating you down, or those who are against God and giving him glory will beat you down. The success of Christ’s mission [Lk 4:18-19] is not dependent upon me. I am called (as Mother Theresa has said) to be; “Faithful, not successful.”

We may be abandoned by the crowds, scorned by leaders, unsuccessful according to this world, and even persecuted, but that would make us more like Christ than if we were accepted by the crowds, praised by leaders, successful according to this world, and living a life of comfort and ease.


Though we may fail by this world’s standard, Christ’s name will be proclaimed. All of creation, all of history faithfully points to him. The longer his claim has stood, the more his evidence is corroborated.

I’m going to tell you the story of Pastor Li De Xian from mainline China in 2002.
April 1 Sermon Celebration
Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29
Luke 19:28-40


The other day I watched a show about how the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders train and are picked out. Man that’s some tough standards they set. They shake this way, they shake that way. They jump and smile and do the splits. But if a girl shimmies instead of shakes or jumps instead of splits, she is gone.

And for what?? A job that pays very little, $50 per game in fact. Of course they make $$ from other gigs outside of the stadium, but why in the world would anyone want to be a cheerleader, go through that torture, and only get $500 a season?

They believe in the team. They are excited to be a part of this team. What about the non-paid cheering section. You’ve seen these people. The kids in uniform, the women with pom poms. The grown men who will paint their faces and maybe even their bodies the colors of their favorite team and go to the game to cheer them on whether they are having a winning or losing season. This is devotion at its highest point. I’m waiting to see that kind of devotion from God’s church. I have not seen any men on TV in a worship service with their shirts off and big cross painted across their backs.
Today is the beginning of Holy Week. Many churches will focus not only on the palms, but also on the passion of Christ. Not only on the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, but also on him being sentenced to death. There is so much imagery and so much prophecy being fulfilled it’s just amazing.

Lets look at verse 31 again. Jesus tells the disciples about the colt “if anyone asks you about it, tell them The Lord needs it.” Let’s say he sent Peter and John to get the colt. What would that conversation be like??

Peter says, “You know what’s going to happen, don’t you? When Jesus says someone will ask us about taking the colt, it will definitely happen.” John looks at Peter saying, “your right…and YOU tell them The Lord needs it. I’ll be behind you all the way.” I see a Three Stooges skit acting out, “you do it. No you do it. No you do it.” I bet it was Peter who said it. He was always sticking his foot in his mouth.

Why a colt though? Zechariah 9:9 says “Shout, Daughter Jerusalem. Your King comes to you. Righteous and having salvation. Lowly and riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Prophecy fulfilled. Jesus was not coming to start a war and overthrow the government in Jerusalem. When a King comes in on a donkey, it’s a sign of peace.

The people cry out “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and on earth.” Remember that from Psalm 118, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. The people knew what the donkey meant. They wanted peace also. Peace from conflict. Peace from backbiting. Peace from the hatred that filled their society. A second chance to make a difference in the world.

Jesus came on a donkey into Jerusalem…..this time. Do you know when Jesus comes riding on a horse as the King who seeks to conquer? Revelations 19 starting in verse 11 where John tells us “I saw heaven open up and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.

With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but himself. He is dressed in a robe dripped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

The armies of heaven are following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations….on his robe and on his thigh he has this name written “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”

If Jesus would have stayed away from Jerusalem, he probably would have lived a lot longer. The religious elite would not have seen him as much of a threat out there. It was only when he came into Jerusalem that he was a real danger to the status quo. He was going to upset the apple cart.

The mascots were running around. The cheerleaders were cheering.

WAVING YOUR PALM

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We love you. You’re the best. Keep up the good work.” Then the religious elite come into the picture. “Tell them to stop. They are making fools of themselves and soon the Romans will be upon us.” And Jesus, probably smiling the whole time “I can’t stop them. If they stop, the rocks will cry out.”

Rocks and artifacts are the words of life for archeologists. They want the proof in hand for what they believe. They travel around the world to get proof, as Sir William Ramsay did. This son of an atheist (and an atheist himself) was a wealthy PhD archeologist from Oxford.


He set out to the Holy Land to disprove the bible, specifically the Book of Acts. After 25 years of digging and writing books about his finds, he declared that “Luke in writing Acts was accurate,” and to the shock of his critics he declared himself to now be a Christian.

Praise God that different people can be reached in different ways, and Christ is big enough to be different sizes in a one-size-fits-all world. And so we follow Jesus in faith into Jerusalem.

Jesus’ grand entrance, and what happens afterward means there is hope for us. If you are a true disciple of Christ, you will be persecuted in some way. Either the Devil will work on beating you down, or those who are against God and giving him glory will beat you down. The success of Christ’s mission [Lk 4:18-19] is not dependent upon me. I am called (as Mother Theresa has said) to be; “Faithful, not successful.”

We may be abandoned by the crowds, scorned by leaders, unsuccessful according to this world, and even persecuted, but that would make us more like Christ than if we were accepted by the crowds, praised by leaders, successful according to this world, and living a life of comfort and ease.


Though we may fail by this world’s standard, Christ’s name will be proclaimed. All of creation, all of history faithfully points to him. The longer his claim has stood, the more his evidence is corroborated.

I’m going to tell you the story of Pastor Li De Xian from mainline China in 2002.
April 1 Sermon Celebration
Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29
Luke 19:28-40


The other day I watched a show about how the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders train and are picked out. Man that’s some tough standards they set. They shake this way, they shake that way. They jump and smile and do the splits. But if a girl shimmies instead of shakes or jumps instead of splits, she is gone.

And for what?? A job that pays very little, $50 per game in fact. Of course they make $$ from other gigs outside of the stadium, but why in the world would anyone want to be a cheerleader, go through that torture, and only get $500 a season?

They believe in the team. They are excited to be a part of this team. What about the non-paid cheering section. You’ve seen these people. The kids in uniform, the women with pom poms. The grown men who will paint their faces and maybe even their bodies the colors of their favorite team and go to the game to cheer them on whether they are having a winning or losing season. This is devotion at its highest point. I’m waiting to see that kind of devotion from God’s church. I have not seen any men on TV in a worship service with their shirts off and big cross painted across their backs.
Today is the beginning of Holy Week. Many churches will focus not only on the palms, but also on the passion of Christ. Not only on the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, but also on him being sentenced to death. There is so much imagery and so much prophecy being fulfilled it’s just amazing.

Lets look at verse 31 again. Jesus tells the disciples about the colt “if anyone asks you about it, tell them The Lord needs it.” Let’s say he sent Peter and John to get the colt. What would that conversation be like??

Peter says, “You know what’s going to happen, don’t you? When Jesus says someone will ask us about taking the colt, it will definitely happen.” John looks at Peter saying, “your right…and YOU tell them The Lord needs it. I’ll be behind you all the way.” I see a Three Stooges skit acting out, “you do it. No you do it. No you do it.” I bet it was Peter who said it. He was always sticking his foot in his mouth.

Why a colt though? Zechariah 9:9 says “Shout, Daughter Jerusalem. Your King comes to you. Righteous and having salvation. Lowly and riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Prophecy fulfilled. Jesus was not coming to start a war and overthrow the government in Jerusalem. When a King comes in on a donkey, it’s a sign of peace.

The people cry out “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and on earth.” Remember that from Psalm 118, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. The people knew what the donkey meant. They wanted peace also. Peace from conflict. Peace from backbiting. Peace from the hatred that filled their society. A second chance to make a difference in the world.

Jesus came on a donkey into Jerusalem…..this time. Do you know when Jesus comes riding on a horse as the King who seeks to conquer? Revelations 19 starting in verse 11 where John tells us “I saw heaven open up and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.

With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but himself. He is dressed in a robe dripped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

The armies of heaven are following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations….on his robe and on his thigh he has this name written “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”

If Jesus would have stayed away from Jerusalem, he probably would have lived a lot longer. The religious elite would not have seen him as much of a threat out there. It was only when he came into Jerusalem that he was a real danger to the status quo. He was going to upset the apple cart.

The mascots were running around. The cheerleaders were cheering.

WAVING YOUR PALM

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We love you. You’re the best. Keep up the good work.” Then the religious elite come into the picture. “Tell them to stop. They are making fools of themselves and soon the Romans will be upon us.” And Jesus, probably smiling the whole time “I can’t stop them. If they stop, the rocks will cry out.”

Rocks and artifacts are the words of life for archeologists. They want the proof in hand for what they believe. They travel around the world to get proof, as Sir William Ramsay did. This son of an atheist (and an atheist himself) was a wealthy PhD archeologist from Oxford.


He set out to the Holy Land to disprove the bible, specifically the Book of Acts. After 25 years of digging and writing books about his finds, he declared that “Luke in writing Acts was accurate,” and to the shock of his critics he declared himself to now be a Christian.

Praise God that different people can be reached in different ways, and Christ is big enough to be different sizes in a one-size-fits-all world. And so we follow Jesus in faith into Jerusalem.

Jesus’ grand entrance, and what happens afterward means there is hope for us. If you are a true disciple of Christ, you will be persecuted in some way. Either the Devil will work on beating you down, or those who are against God and giving him glory will beat you down. The success of Christ’s mission [Lk 4:18-19] is not dependent upon me. I am called (as Mother Theresa has said) to be; “Faithful, not successful.”

We may be abandoned by the crowds, scorned by leaders, unsuccessful according to this world, and even persecuted, but that would make us more like Christ than if we were accepted by the crowds, praised by leaders, successful according to this world, and living a life of comfort and ease.


Though we may fail by this world’s standard, Christ’s name will be proclaimed. All of creation, all of history faithfully points to him. The longer his claim has stood, the more his evidence is corroborated.

I’m going to tell you the story of Pastor Li De Xian from mainline China in 2002.
http://www.jesusfreaks.net/excerpts/JF2_China.pdf


We can stand as affirmed in our faith as Jesus stood, knowing that his purpose is victorious, that love is stronger than fear, and that God’s salvation is greater than man’s sin. Though our lives may appear as failures; our God turns disaster into hope, for (as Paul has promised); “Love never fails [I Cor 13:8].”

It is because of this love Jesus has for us, that he died for all of us. All we have to do is accept him as Lord and Savior of our lives. We go feast in communion at least once a month as a family of Christians together. And we go through the hymnal with the words that say exactly what communion means…

”This is the body and blood of Christ, broken and poured out for the forgiveness of your sins.” With your salvation, continue to be a cheerleader, faithful of Christ, even when it seems to be you can’t find the truth in the rocks. Continue you faith walk and search for evidence of your salvation as we do the same. On Friday night we will be seeing this communion in a new way and I heartily encourage you to come to that service at 7pm.


We can stand as affirmed in our faith as Jesus stood, knowing that his purpose is victorious, that love is stronger than fear, and that God’s salvation is greater than man’s sin. Though our lives may appear as failures; our God turns disaster into hope, for (as Paul has promised); “Love never fails [I Cor 13:8].”

It is because of this love Jesus has for us, that he died for all of us. All we have to do is accept him as Lord and Savior of our lives. We go feast in communion at least once a month as a family of Christians together. And we go through the hymnal with the words that say exactly what communion means…

”This is the body and blood of Christ, broken and poured out for the forgiveness of your sins.” With your salvation, continue to be a cheerleader, faithful of Christ, even when it seems to be you can’t find the truth in the rocks. Continue you faith walk and search for evidence of your salvation as we do the same. On Friday night we will be seeing this communion in a new way and I heartily encourage you to come to that service at 7pm.

We can stand as affirmed in our faith as Jesus stood, knowing that his purpose is victorious, that love is stronger than fear, and that God’s salvation is greater than man’s sin. Though our lives may appear as failures; our God turns disaster into hope, for (as Paul has promised); “Love never fails [I Cor 13:8].”

It is because of this love Jesus has for us, that he died for all of us. All we have to do is accept him as Lord and Savior of our lives. We go feast in communion at least once a month as a family of Christians together. And we go through the hymnal with the words that say exactly what communion means…

”This is the body and blood of Christ, broken and poured out for the forgiveness of your sins.” With your salvation, continue to be a cheerleader, faithful of Christ, even when it seems to be you can’t find the truth in the rocks. Continue you faith walk and search for evidence of your salvation as we do the same. On Friday night we will be seeing this communion in a new way and I heartily encourage you to come to that service at 7pm.