What is idolotry??
As I hinted at in my last posting, I think idolotry is focusing on anything that takes your attention away from God. Those things I listed from Romans 1 can be odolotry.......
greed-the desire for greater wealth, power, attention. gossip - The desire to know something another person does not know and then have that "power" over them. boastful - making yourself better than others. heartless - God is love; without heart you are without God.
Colossians 3:5 has 5 sins we must put to death....fornication, impurity, lust, coveting, and greed. That is four sexual sins and then greed. Was life int he 1st century focused on sex as much as life in the 21st century. Now we can get any kind of fantasy fulfilled 24hrs a day. In the Left Behind books, one of the last books had a character turning on the TV in the middle of the day. There was graphic sex right there. His comment was interesting..."I guess since all the kids are gone, there is no reason for them to be sensored."
I guess if we ask the question "what's best for our kids?" we are on the right path to get "what is most God-like (and therefore not idolotry)". BUt I think our kids have become scapegoats for politicians (and others) to push thru agendas. "we have to raise taxes to pay for better teachers and schools for our children." "We have to clean up the CO2 (that's the air you exhale) so our kids will have a better future." "more green space and less building for our kids for the future." OK...off the soapbox. The better question would be "what would Jesus do" (or any variation there of). Jesus would want us to teach our kids the best we can and the whole time to focus on the Father who created the heavens and earth. Jesus would want us to take care of the environment (because we are called to have dominion over it), but not to the detriment of God's children whom he loves more than anything else.
Do you notice how each one comes back to God?? You are (God's) light to the world - Matt. 5. I think Jesus talks about everyone at least once in the Beatitudes (I like the way The Message puts some of these....
3"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
4"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
5"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.
6"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.
7"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.
8"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
9"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.
10"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.
In vs. 6 he says "you are blessed when you are content with just who you are". MercyMe has a great song called No More, No Less that really hits this on the head.
I'm not trying to hide anything
I wear it on my sleeve
I wear it on my sleeve
I'm not trying to be something I'm not
This is all I've got
This is all I've got
I'm not trying to re-invent the wheel
Just trying to be real
Trying to be real
I'm not trying to say follow me
I'm not the one who leads
I'm not the one who leads
Let me introduce myself to you
This is who I am
No more, no less
I am just a man who understands
Because of You I'm blessed
No more, no less
I'm not trying to prove anything
It's all about the change
It's all about the change
I hope you stare just long enough to see
The heart that's beating here inside of me
Beyond all the things you may think you know
I'm just a kid trying to make it home, that's it
No more, no less
Lord, I want to go home
Nothing more, nothing less
God has a special plan for each of us, but we cannot sit around waiting for it to happen. Your life has a purpose, but your purpose is in God. Are you trying to lead? Are you trying to make it home? Who is your American Idol? Keep your sight on the light of God.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Romans and my new road
I've decided to do a study on Romans. Brandy just walked in and asked if I was writing my sermon. Maybe I am and maybe I'm not. Who knows......
Romans 1-3 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Paul is very systematic in his thought and he makes sure every T is crossed and every i is dotted. In Romans 3:23 he says that "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Jews and Gentiles are alike. No one gets special treatment in the kingdom. The Jews are under the Law but Gentiles are not. But everyone knows about God.
There are 3 ways to know about God.
Romans 1:20 - We can know God by His creation of the world.
Romans 2:14-15 - We can know God by our consciences, our thoughts either condemning us or comending us.
Romans 3:21-22 - We can know God by Jesus Christ, that is, the faith OF Jesus Christ (KJV).
Paul talks about God's wrath in Romans 1. the wrath of God is being revealed against the godless and the wicked. Who are these "godless and wicked" people??
a. vs. 23...they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images makde to look like man and animals. (check out Psalm 106:20, Jeremiah 2:11, Acts 17:29, and the big story in Exodus 32).
Therefore God gave them over to their sinful desires:
b. sexual sin - he spends a lot more time on this one than the others; and it's first. A man lies with a man and woman with a woman.
Vs 28...since they did not bother to know God, God let them do what they wanted, although what they wanted was wrong. They were:
c. wicked
d. evil
e. greedy
f. depravity (badness)
g. envy
h. murderous
i. strife (arguing)
j. deceit
k. malice
l. gossips
m. slanderers (back-biter)
n. insolent
o. God hater
p. arrogant
q.r.s.t.u.v. w. boastful; invent ways of doing evil; disobey their parents; senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
I think if we broke down a. and b. we could have one for every letter of the alphabet. Do any of these look familiar in the people you know? Do you hear arguing, slander, or gossip in your church?
Colossians 3 starting at vs 5 says what you need to do. "put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature...which is idolatry. You must rid yourselves of such things as these." Everything you do that is not God-like is idolatry. You must have no other God (that's in the 10 Commandments). Ephesians 5 says to be "imitators of God and live a life of love just as Christ loved us."
I'll pick this up again in chapter 2 in a couple days. In closing, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...but all are justified by his grace if they accept his grace thru the redeption that is in Jesus Christ. God sent him to be a propitiation (an atoning victim) to declare his righteousness, and thru his blood, the righteousness of all who believe on the faith of Jesus Christ.
Romans 1-3 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Paul is very systematic in his thought and he makes sure every T is crossed and every i is dotted. In Romans 3:23 he says that "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Jews and Gentiles are alike. No one gets special treatment in the kingdom. The Jews are under the Law but Gentiles are not. But everyone knows about God.
There are 3 ways to know about God.
Romans 1:20 - We can know God by His creation of the world.
Romans 2:14-15 - We can know God by our consciences, our thoughts either condemning us or comending us.
Romans 3:21-22 - We can know God by Jesus Christ, that is, the faith OF Jesus Christ (KJV).
Paul talks about God's wrath in Romans 1. the wrath of God is being revealed against the godless and the wicked. Who are these "godless and wicked" people??
a. vs. 23...they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images makde to look like man and animals. (check out Psalm 106:20, Jeremiah 2:11, Acts 17:29, and the big story in Exodus 32).
Therefore God gave them over to their sinful desires:
b. sexual sin - he spends a lot more time on this one than the others; and it's first. A man lies with a man and woman with a woman.
Vs 28...since they did not bother to know God, God let them do what they wanted, although what they wanted was wrong. They were:
c. wicked
d. evil
e. greedy
f. depravity (badness)
g. envy
h. murderous
i. strife (arguing)
j. deceit
k. malice
l. gossips
m. slanderers (back-biter)
n. insolent
o. God hater
p. arrogant
q.r.s.t.u.v. w. boastful; invent ways of doing evil; disobey their parents; senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
I think if we broke down a. and b. we could have one for every letter of the alphabet. Do any of these look familiar in the people you know? Do you hear arguing, slander, or gossip in your church?
Colossians 3 starting at vs 5 says what you need to do. "put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature...which is idolatry. You must rid yourselves of such things as these." Everything you do that is not God-like is idolatry. You must have no other God (that's in the 10 Commandments). Ephesians 5 says to be "imitators of God and live a life of love just as Christ loved us."
I'll pick this up again in chapter 2 in a couple days. In closing, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...but all are justified by his grace if they accept his grace thru the redeption that is in Jesus Christ. God sent him to be a propitiation (an atoning victim) to declare his righteousness, and thru his blood, the righteousness of all who believe on the faith of Jesus Christ.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
May 27th sermon Pentecost
May 27th sermon Pentecost
Acts 2:1-15
Have you ever been moved or had an experience with God? I mean have you ever felt the presence of God in your midst as if he was standing right before you or (as our scripture says today) been filled with the Holy Spirit? If you answered yes, what was it like? Was it the best high you have ever felt or was it the most terrifying experience you have ever been thru? I ask you these questions because I want to know this…….do you have that feeling now?
I mean, this is God’s church, God’s house. And if this is God’s house than He is here in our midst right now, and He has been here every Sunday you have gathered in this church for the past 100 years. It doesn’t matter if Sean is pastor, Rod is pastor, Elmer is pastor, Chip is pastor or anyone else. This is still God’s house and he still rules the roost; if you ask him to be, God is here all the time. If you don’t experience him, that is if you have not felt him around you, maybe you are the one who has moved away from him.
The day of Pentecost came and all the disciples were in one place. A better translation is they were together and were all in agreement. They were all focused on the same thing.
While they were sitting there together, a VIOLENT wind came and shook the whole place. This was not a breeze blowing thru the windows. This was an F5 hurricane wind shaking the entire house as if it would tear the house off the foundation. But they had no time to think about that. Suddenly fire was above them. It breaks up and individually stops above each of them.
The fire descends and surrounds them yet instead of engulfing them in flames, that flicker inside of them becomes the burning flame of the Holy Spirit. As they felt God’s power and spirit fill them, they were overjoyed and called out praises to God. But instead of the words coming out in their native language, they were speaking in languages they had not known before.
A crowd of Jews from many other nations gathered around and heard these Galileans speaking in foreign languages. Some were amazed, but scripture tells us “some made fun of them saying they had too much wine.” Even before the disciples’ ministry started, they were bad mouthed and ridiculed.
Why would they say that? What would possess a group of people to be so mean spirited and hateful to chastise the disciples and discount the truth they preached. But Peter jumped up and defended the rest. All the disciples didn’t need to argue about what was true and what wasn’t. Peter took care of them all.
Here is what he said: These men are not drunk. Just because they don’t look like you but they sound like you, don’t discount the message. They might be young. They might be different. But they are speaking the truth.
Many years ago, God revealed himself to Abraham and told him to leave his country and go to the place God said. And he did. But Abraham did not get the inheritance. God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision and that was how a people were born.
Soon these people became slaves and for hundreds of years Abraham’s descendants were slaves to the nations, but God brought them out of that slavery. God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush and Moses led the people. For 40 years they walked in the wilderness. While Moses was on Mt. Sinai the Israelites rejected Moses and desired to turn back to Egypt.
They didn’t want spiritual growth. Even though they were dying under the old system, that was what they knew and it was familiar. When given a chance, the people will always reject their leader and return to Egypt. We hate change. We hate new things.
So they turned to Aaron and said “We had a little meeting. Make us a God we can see and touch. We don’t like the way Moses looks or what he wears. And besides, Moses’ ideas sounded kind of crazy and he’s not here.” They rejected God and it went down thru the ages. Then King David wanted to build a grand church for God, but it was Solomon his son who built it. But there is a problem here. God is bigger than any church. He does not live in houses built by man. The prophet Isaiah says “Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house can you make for me that is worthy?”
Stephen cuts right to the heart of the issue. He said, “And you continue, so bullheaded! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on your ears! Deliberately ignoring the Holy Spirit, You’re just like your ancestors. Was there ever a preacher that you did not persecute? Your ancestors crucified anyone who talked about the truth. And you’ve kept up the family tradition….traitors and murderers all of you. You had it all spoon fed to you yet you squandered it all.”
Why do we not like the truth? Do you think we would have done better all these years if the message was just watered down so it was easier to swallow? I mean, come on. If we take the bible seriously we have to be different. We have to change. We won’t be like everyone else. We will be counter-cultural. We will have people mock us, yell at us, fight us, lie about us, crucify us. If you’re not being persecuted, you’re not doing what you are supposed to do.
Peter stood up and told the truth. He didn’t have to defend himself. The 12 disciples went and preached just as they were told to do. Because of the truth, because of the message, because of the name of Jesus they were battered and beaten and bruised.
I got an email the other day. It was a hate filled email and I closed it after reading thru about a third of it. It got me to thinking. This person was complaining about how I had said “dog crap” in one of my sermons. It was sad because I didn’t say “dog crap”, but “dog turd”.
The other sad part is how words are taken and how they are heard today in our church and in our society. One lady not too long ago told me a story about how the DS was in our church here and she said “damn” to the DS. Another person came up and said “you can’t say that in church.” Why not? Is it OK to say certain words outside of those doors, but not inside?
Look at Psalm 139 “You know when I sit and when I rise. You know my thoughts from afar. Before a word is on my tongue Lord you know it completely.” I praise God here on Sunday morning when I’m all dressed up, but I also praise God when I get out of the shower completely naked or when I am wearing shorts and T-shirt on the back porch.
Another person was so worried that about an article I wrote about marriage between a man and woman and in the marriage they have sex. Yet, Song of Solomon in the OT gives detailed description of how Solomon and his bride are making love and what her breast and the rest of her body mean to Solomon.
One person wrote in their 8 page letter to the DS that they “don’t think I should preach at Sardis Methodist Church or any other Methodist church.” They got exactly what they wanted. This is my last sermon in a Methodist church. Although I have offers to be ordained in other denominations, I have not heard from God on where he wants me to go.
If you are wondering, there was nothing else. The district completely dropped me because of this church. That was there choice. But I hold to what one preacher prophesied over me just a few weeks ago…”you will soon lead a church many times bigger than this one.”
And so our life goes on. You have a choice to make too. The new pastor comes in a couple weeks. You can tell him the same thing I heard… “we are here to train you.” Or you can seek out God together. If he does act “less than professional” around you, assume he really likes you and is comfortable around you instead of assuming he is doing something wrong. Love him and his wife because they are here to guide you on your journey.
You have a choice. You can fulfill the words in Revelation 3 or you can write your own destiny. Read Revelation 3 when you get home. I pray you will write your own destiny. Everyone stand and we will pray….
Acts 2:1-15
Ac 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
Ac 2:2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
Ac 2:3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
Ac 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Ac 2:5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
Ac 2:6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
Ac 2:7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?
Ac 2:8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?
Ac 2:9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
Ac 2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome
Ac 2:11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
Ac 2:12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
Ac 2:13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.’”
Ac 2:14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.
Ac 2:15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!
Acts 2:1-15
Have you ever been moved or had an experience with God? I mean have you ever felt the presence of God in your midst as if he was standing right before you or (as our scripture says today) been filled with the Holy Spirit? If you answered yes, what was it like? Was it the best high you have ever felt or was it the most terrifying experience you have ever been thru? I ask you these questions because I want to know this…….do you have that feeling now?
I mean, this is God’s church, God’s house. And if this is God’s house than He is here in our midst right now, and He has been here every Sunday you have gathered in this church for the past 100 years. It doesn’t matter if Sean is pastor, Rod is pastor, Elmer is pastor, Chip is pastor or anyone else. This is still God’s house and he still rules the roost; if you ask him to be, God is here all the time. If you don’t experience him, that is if you have not felt him around you, maybe you are the one who has moved away from him.
The day of Pentecost came and all the disciples were in one place. A better translation is they were together and were all in agreement. They were all focused on the same thing.
While they were sitting there together, a VIOLENT wind came and shook the whole place. This was not a breeze blowing thru the windows. This was an F5 hurricane wind shaking the entire house as if it would tear the house off the foundation. But they had no time to think about that. Suddenly fire was above them. It breaks up and individually stops above each of them.
The fire descends and surrounds them yet instead of engulfing them in flames, that flicker inside of them becomes the burning flame of the Holy Spirit. As they felt God’s power and spirit fill them, they were overjoyed and called out praises to God. But instead of the words coming out in their native language, they were speaking in languages they had not known before.
A crowd of Jews from many other nations gathered around and heard these Galileans speaking in foreign languages. Some were amazed, but scripture tells us “some made fun of them saying they had too much wine.” Even before the disciples’ ministry started, they were bad mouthed and ridiculed.
Why would they say that? What would possess a group of people to be so mean spirited and hateful to chastise the disciples and discount the truth they preached. But Peter jumped up and defended the rest. All the disciples didn’t need to argue about what was true and what wasn’t. Peter took care of them all.
Here is what he said: These men are not drunk. Just because they don’t look like you but they sound like you, don’t discount the message. They might be young. They might be different. But they are speaking the truth.
Many years ago, God revealed himself to Abraham and told him to leave his country and go to the place God said. And he did. But Abraham did not get the inheritance. God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision and that was how a people were born.
Soon these people became slaves and for hundreds of years Abraham’s descendants were slaves to the nations, but God brought them out of that slavery. God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush and Moses led the people. For 40 years they walked in the wilderness. While Moses was on Mt. Sinai the Israelites rejected Moses and desired to turn back to Egypt.
They didn’t want spiritual growth. Even though they were dying under the old system, that was what they knew and it was familiar. When given a chance, the people will always reject their leader and return to Egypt. We hate change. We hate new things.
So they turned to Aaron and said “We had a little meeting. Make us a God we can see and touch. We don’t like the way Moses looks or what he wears. And besides, Moses’ ideas sounded kind of crazy and he’s not here.” They rejected God and it went down thru the ages. Then King David wanted to build a grand church for God, but it was Solomon his son who built it. But there is a problem here. God is bigger than any church. He does not live in houses built by man. The prophet Isaiah says “Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house can you make for me that is worthy?”
Stephen cuts right to the heart of the issue. He said, “And you continue, so bullheaded! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on your ears! Deliberately ignoring the Holy Spirit, You’re just like your ancestors. Was there ever a preacher that you did not persecute? Your ancestors crucified anyone who talked about the truth. And you’ve kept up the family tradition….traitors and murderers all of you. You had it all spoon fed to you yet you squandered it all.”
Why do we not like the truth? Do you think we would have done better all these years if the message was just watered down so it was easier to swallow? I mean, come on. If we take the bible seriously we have to be different. We have to change. We won’t be like everyone else. We will be counter-cultural. We will have people mock us, yell at us, fight us, lie about us, crucify us. If you’re not being persecuted, you’re not doing what you are supposed to do.
Peter stood up and told the truth. He didn’t have to defend himself. The 12 disciples went and preached just as they were told to do. Because of the truth, because of the message, because of the name of Jesus they were battered and beaten and bruised.
I got an email the other day. It was a hate filled email and I closed it after reading thru about a third of it. It got me to thinking. This person was complaining about how I had said “dog crap” in one of my sermons. It was sad because I didn’t say “dog crap”, but “dog turd”.
The other sad part is how words are taken and how they are heard today in our church and in our society. One lady not too long ago told me a story about how the DS was in our church here and she said “damn” to the DS. Another person came up and said “you can’t say that in church.” Why not? Is it OK to say certain words outside of those doors, but not inside?
Look at Psalm 139 “You know when I sit and when I rise. You know my thoughts from afar. Before a word is on my tongue Lord you know it completely.” I praise God here on Sunday morning when I’m all dressed up, but I also praise God when I get out of the shower completely naked or when I am wearing shorts and T-shirt on the back porch.
Another person was so worried that about an article I wrote about marriage between a man and woman and in the marriage they have sex. Yet, Song of Solomon in the OT gives detailed description of how Solomon and his bride are making love and what her breast and the rest of her body mean to Solomon.
One person wrote in their 8 page letter to the DS that they “don’t think I should preach at Sardis Methodist Church or any other Methodist church.” They got exactly what they wanted. This is my last sermon in a Methodist church. Although I have offers to be ordained in other denominations, I have not heard from God on where he wants me to go.
If you are wondering, there was nothing else. The district completely dropped me because of this church. That was there choice. But I hold to what one preacher prophesied over me just a few weeks ago…”you will soon lead a church many times bigger than this one.”
And so our life goes on. You have a choice to make too. The new pastor comes in a couple weeks. You can tell him the same thing I heard… “we are here to train you.” Or you can seek out God together. If he does act “less than professional” around you, assume he really likes you and is comfortable around you instead of assuming he is doing something wrong. Love him and his wife because they are here to guide you on your journey.
You have a choice. You can fulfill the words in Revelation 3 or you can write your own destiny. Read Revelation 3 when you get home. I pray you will write your own destiny. Everyone stand and we will pray….
Acts 2:1-15
Ac 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
Ac 2:2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
Ac 2:3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
Ac 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Ac 2:5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
Ac 2:6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
Ac 2:7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?
Ac 2:8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?
Ac 2:9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
Ac 2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome
Ac 2:11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
Ac 2:12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
Ac 2:13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.’”
Ac 2:14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.
Ac 2:15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)