Sermon Connection

Sermon Connection

National Day of Prayer

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)

The following is something I have shared before. Even though this was written 18 years ago, it is still relevant. Moreover, this is my prayer today.

A NATIONAL PRAYER OF REPENTANCE

Joe Wright is the pastor of Central Christian Church in Wichita, KS. On January 23, 1996, He was asked to be the guest chaplain for the Kansas State House in Topeka. He prayed a prayer of repentance that was written by Bob Russell, pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. According to an article in the Kansas City Star from January 24, 1996, his prayer stirred controversy, and one member of the legislative body walked out. Others criticized the prayer.

The controversy didn’t end there. Later that year in the Colorado House, Republican representative Mark Paschall angered lawmakers by using Joe Wright’s prayer as the invocation. Some members there also walked out in protest.

Paul Harvey got a hold of the prayer and read it on his program. He got more requests for copies of it than any other thing he had ever done. Here’s what he prayed:

“Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, “Woe to those who call evil good,” but that’s exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values. We confess that:

We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism.

We have worshipped other gods and called it multi-culturalism.

We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it a choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.

We have abused power and called it political savvy.

We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the airwaves with profanity and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by You, to govern this great state. Grant them Your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of Your

will… Amen

Sermon Connection

A COMPASSION REVOLUTION

All You Need is … Trust!

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. James 2:14-17 (NASB)

Prayer is an essential part of our relationship with God. If we are living by a faith that is alive, it begins with communion with God. Imagine with me for a moment being married to someone with whom you never speak. It would be impossible to know their thoughts or their ways. The same is true with God.

Prayer is communication with God and gives us an opportunity to known Him. It helps as we read His Word and talk with Him daily to understand his ways. As we do, we can have a living faith.

Tomorrow is the National Day of Prayer. There are a couple of opportunities to pray with fellow believers around the county. This is the announcement Wayne Proctor sent yesterday:

“1.  7:45 a.m. at Gates Co. High School, outside around the flagpole. If it is raining, I expect we’ll meet inside in the gym. This is being led by the FCA group, Susan Brown and Kay Barker as sponsors. Being present is a great witness to the students.

2.  12 noon at the Gates Co. Courthouse, meeting in the courtroom. We will be praying for 7 different areas of need and concern, such as government, education, and churches. Please invite your friends and fellow members of community and civic groups.”

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank You for the opportunity to speak with You on a regular basis. It gives me great comfort to know that I can bring all my cares to You. Please help me to hear as You speak to me in Your Word. Having heard, give me the strength to obey.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

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A COMPASSION REVOLUTION

All You Need is … Faith?

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. James 2:14-17 (NASB)

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” I have heard these kinds of quotes all my life and my guess is you have too. These types of “faith statements” are filled with truth that are important to hear. However, not understood in a Biblical context can distort their meaning and actually do harm. Let me explain.

In this “faith statement”, we see several elements: dreams, achievement, faith, vision, hard work, and determination. All of which are important in life especially if one is trying live up to their God given potential. However, the two statements that give me great trouble if they are not understood in a Biblical context are “faith and belief in yourself” and “all things are possible for those who believe”. The premise of this statement is permeated with faith so it would be helpful to understand what faith is.

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 (NASB) that faith is “… is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is absolutely essential in our relationship with God. Moreover, Paul continues by saying in 11:6 that “… without faith it is impossible to please Him …” Faith in its simplest form is trust. When we trust God, no matter what happens, we honor Him. The context of faith in the Bible is always faith in God, trusting God. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:28 (NASB) “… that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

As we look back at the “faith statement”, we begin to realize that understanding this saying without proper context will lead people into a false security thinking belief in … whatever is sufficient. It has never been nor will ever be. In our self-centered world, we make everything about us. As Christians, we understand that it is all about Him! Our faith must be in God! Anything else is a trap.

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord,

Help me to place my faith in You and You alone. No matter what may happen today, I know that You will help me through it to achieve Your purpose. I want my life to be pleasing to You. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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IS OUR FAITH IN VAIN?

The Energized Life

“and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;” 1 Corinthians 15:5-6 (NASB)

Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor was a character that the comedian Tim Allen played on the show “Tool Time” back in the 90’s. He worked for a tool company as a salesman. He eventually got a TV show on which he would demonstrate the tools his company made. An underlying theme of the show was Tim’s obsession with “more power”. He would “beef-up” tools with more power thinking he could get the job done faster. However, as it works out in the different episodes, it would always get him into trouble. This seems to be a great analogy for the Christian life, except in reverse. There are too many professing Christians living with the power of the Holy Spirit!

Dr. Larry Petton makes the following observation:

“One of the curious questions I have always had concerns the people who actually saw Christ after His resurrection. I would love to have been part of that group to see Jesus in His glorified, resurrected body!

But, for some reason, that incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience didn’t seem to make a difference in many of those people. Paul says in I Corinthians 15 that over 500 hundred saw Christ after His resurrection. Jesus told them to go and wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come (Acts 1:8-11). They were to worship and wait for 40 days.

The problem here is……..only 120 were in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came in power. The question I have is: where were the other 380 plus believers who saw the resurrected Christ personally? Those believers had been with Christ to the Cross…….they had experienced His resurrection power……..but they were not partakers of Pentecost!

How many believers today have been to the Cross…….they know Christ as their Risen Savior………..but they have not been endued with the power of the Holy Spirit. They are like the Israelites in the Wilderness —- they were brought OUT of Egypt, but they have not been brought INTO the Promised Land of victory.”

It is so obvious to see the power of the Holy Spirit in the Apostles. Many of them were used to write the New Testament. All of them died as martyrs for the proclamation of the Gospel except for John and he lived his remaining years in exile. However, all lived in the power of the Spirit. The question for today is “Are you living in the power of the Holy Spirit? Are you content just knowing about Jesus or do you have a relationship with Him?

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank You for the forgiveness that comes only through Jesus by way of the cross. Help me to live each day by Your grace trust You for all that I need. Please help me to share with others the glorious message of the Gospel. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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IS OUR FAITH IN VAIN?

Half the Story

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:1-3 (NASB)

I love to travel. It probably started when I was just a kid and my family would go on vacation. We would usually go camping at Oregon Inlet, North Carolina. After encountering a severe nor’easter, we struck camp and finished the camping trip at North Bend Park at Kerr Lake in Virginia. It was always a special time of being with family, making new friends and exploring this beautiful land that God created. Even though fifty years have passed, I still like to travel. I enjoy learning the history of an area or people.

As I travel through the pages of history in the Bible, I am struck by the “salvation history” found throughout the text. This history is seen as God uses Noah to save a remnant of people through the flood or as Moses leads the Israelites to the “Promise Land”. This history climaxes in the person of Jesus Christ. His sacrificial death on the cross is an incredible story of courageous selfless love in action. This is a story worth telling over and over. However, it is only half the story…

D. L. Moody, the great evangelist of the nineteenth century, assigned some ministerial students to conduct evangelistic tent meetings throughout the city of Chicago. The students were to preach nightly sermons as a means of winning souls for Christ and to practice their preaching. Dr. Moody personally showed up one night unannounced at one of the meeting places to hear one of his fledgling young ministers preach the gospel. The young man did quite well expounding on the death of Christ on the cross for the sins of the world. At the close of the service, he announced that everyone should come back the next night when he would “preach on the resurrection of Christ.” After the people left, Moody said, “Young man, many of these people will not be back tomorrow night and consequently have only heard half the gospel!” (Source unknown).

The other half of the story is the resurrection! Without the resurrection, the story even though thrilling, is not worth the telling. God raised Jesus from death and the grave! From this salvation history, an incredible hope springs forth enabling us to live life to the fullest extent.

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank You for the salvation history that shows You at work in every situation. The hope I gain from knowing You gives me the courage to live life with abandon. Help me to live it all the more! Please give me the courage to share with others in a real way this hope that is only found in You! I offer this prayer in matchless name of Jesus, Amen.

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Is Our Faith In Vain?

Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.  1 Corinthians 15:12-14 (NASB)

The question I want to ask you to consider today, “Is our faith in vain?” Since you cannot answer for anyone else, let me rephrase it to ask “Is your faith in vain?” George W. J. Shearer has a great response. Please give it some thought.

“The Date for Easter moves around each year. In the year 2018 (and in 2029) it will land right on April 1st –April Fool’s Day. A lot of us have played April Fool’s jokes on others, or have had these jokes played on us. But what if history’s worst joke turned out to be that we were counting on a salvation that didn’t exist?

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul raises the “Bad News”:

If the dead aren’t raised, then neither is Christ. (v. 16)

If Christ isn’t raised, then we are still in sin. (v. 17)

If we die in sin, then we are lost. (v. 18)

If we are lost, then we are to be pitied. (v. 19)

(In other words, we’d be the victims of history’s cruelest April Fool’s joke!) But, fortunately, he also goes on with the “Good News”:

Christ is raised from the dead. (v. 20)

Our resurrection comes through Him. (v. 21)

We are made alive in Him. (v. 22)

The world is full of religions whose spiritual leaders have all died and are now buried. Only Christianity follows a Messiah who left behind an empty tomb. Our Savior Lives! So, rather than being victims of a terrible joke, we are blessed with a living Lord, who now offers that same resurrection and eternal life to each one of us.

Now, all we have to do is go out and tell the rest of the world…”

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank You for posing the tough questions because sometimes they are too hard to ask. Moreover, thank You for answering them. I suspect every one of us has at one time or another in our life doubted some aspect of the Christian faith. There is certainly no doubt more crucial than the resurrection of Christ from the dead and it must be answered. Thank You for the answer: He’s alive! In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Maundy Thursday

Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:38-39 (NASB)

When Jesus goes to the garden to pray, we see the submission of Jesus to the will of His Father. If it had been me, I would have examined all the angles to find an adequate path to accomplish the mission with the least amount of discomfort. However, the mission for Jesus, and quite frankly the mission for us, is to submit to the will of God no matter what the cost. Jesus knew tis all too well. He was selfless and I am selfish. I must remember that the sun does not revolve around me.

Dr. Tom Long writes the unforgettable story of visiting a small, but impressive Prayer Chapel that featured a life-sized rendering of Jesus with a sign on it from Matthew 11:28-30 which says, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” In a semi-circle facing the painting were twelve chairs each with a name of one of the twelve Apostles on the back of the chair. As Dr. Long looked at the chapel, he noticed that one chair was sat in more than the others. It was the one that bore the name “Judas”. It is hard to understand the infinitely larger wonder of Jesus forgiving those who crucified him if we have never sat in the chair of Judas figuratively speaking.

However, some people never sit in that chair because they go through life like Dennis Lee Curtis an armed robber arrested in 2002. In his wallet, the police found the paper on which was written the following personal code:

I will not kill anyone unless I have to.

I will take only cash and food stamps-no checks.

I will rob only at night and not wear a mask.

I will not rob mini-marts.

If I get chased on foot, I will get away.

If I get chased by a vehicle, I will not put the lives of civilians on the line.

I will rob only 7 months of the year.

Dr. Brian Burrell writes this about Dennis Lee Curtis, “this thief had a sense of morality, but it was flawed. His focus was only on the ways that he was acting honorably, and that kept him from seeing the ways he might have acted even more honorably. Mr. Curtis did not understand that when he stood before the court, he would not be judged by the standards he set for himself but by the laws of the state.”

And more to the point, we all will be judged by the laws of our Creator, God. It will not be enough to think we are good enough. Our standard will not be what others are doing, but the standards God has set. This Easter, read His Word and live by His Standard. Trust that He will give you strength for the journey and when you don’t measure up, forgiveness.

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord,

When I survey the cross of Jesus, I am struck by how I live by my standard of “good enough” and not by Your standard of Holiness. Please forgive me. Thank you for Your selfless gift of sacrifice on the cross. Thank You for the forgiveness that can only come through You. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Render Unto Caesar

They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But He detected their trickery and said to them, “Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Luke 20:21-25 (NASB)

Millions of Americans have been engaged for the last few months in the annual ritual of “rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s”. All of the activity and anxiety will climax today and then subside for the next nine months. Each of us will deal with the stress in different ways. One of the ways is to joke about it. Nicky Gumbel tells us of a man who sent a check to the government for back taxes with a note attached that said: “I felt so guilty for cheating on my taxes I had to send you this check. If I don’t feel any better, I’ll send you the rest.”

This joke that Nicky tells represents, at least in part, the thinking that resides in this ritual. We want to do everything to minimize how much we have to pay. My intention is not to discuss the tax laws or even to share “loop holes” that might be over looked in the code. I am drawn to the symbolism found on April 15th, “the day of reckoning”. Each year we give an accounting to the government as to what we have earned. We follow the tax code so that each of us are using the same standard by which we offer our account. And when we get to the bottom line, we celebrate or lament the outcome. Either way, we have to account for what we have done.

Try what you will, and many try to get around paying taxes, sooner or later we will face a day of reckoning. If this is true about something as simple as paying taxes, why would anyone think the principle of accountability would not be applied on an eternal scale? Jesus reminds us of this when ask about paying taxes. So on this day, April 15th, a day of reckoning, take the time to reflect on the eternal principles set forth in the Bible, God’s Holy Word. The standard by which all people will gave an accounting. Reflect on just one question, “Are you rendering unto God all that is His?”

The coins we use are stamped with the images of our government so it stand to reason that a part of it pays taxes. The Bible says in Genesis 1:27 (NASB), “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” We are created in the image of God, therefore let us live life according to the design of the Creator. Take time to read about His plan for you today.

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank You for the reminder that I will be held accountable for how I live life. Forgive me for living only for myself. Help me to live according to the Golden Rule “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you …” Matthew 7:12 (NASB). In Jesus Name, Amen.

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The Refiners Fire

He will be like a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. Malachi 3:3 (HCSB)

With Easter fast approaching, I my studies are drawn to the passion of Christ. The last week before His crucifixion was an emotional roller coaster. He was never swayed from His purpose, His calling. In our world, it seems as though the emotional experiences that impact our lives greatly determine what and how we live. Most of us do not like being in the middle of conflict, if you will, “the heat of the moment”, but this is where God is where God has chosen to work in our lives. The following story told by Tim Harrison helps to illustrate this.

“The story is told of a group of women that met for Bible study. While studying in the book of Malachi, chapter three, they came across verse three which says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” This verse puzzled the women and they wondered how this statement applied to the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out more about the process of refining silver, and to get back to the group at their next Bible study.

The following week, the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him while at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest, beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith work, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire, where the flames were the hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot, then she thought again about the verse, that “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.”

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the entire time the silver was being refined. The man answered yes, that not only did he have to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on it the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “But how do you know when the silver is fully refined?”

He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy–when I see my image in it.”

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord,

I have for some time now been determined to do things my way. Even when things got worse, I have doubled down to see it through. Please help me to realize that crises in my life are design to destroy the imperfect thoughts, ways, and habits. I desire to be like You. Give me the courage to not just endure the fire, but be refined by it. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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CHRISTIAN CITIZEN

Which Kingdom Do You Serve?

Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. Romans 13:1-2 (HCSB)

In our country, we are taught to have a high threshold of toleration for any and everything. However, in the midst of that teaching, we have forgotten the lessons of history. The flag ceremony I shared yesterday, reminds us from whence we have come and hopefully give us the courage to take a stand on the principles upon which it is built. My fear is that we are slowly forgetting those principles and moreover, the One who gave them.  Our hope, that is to say our future, is built on nothing less that Jesus Christ and His righteousness. If we follow Him, we must expect trials and tribulations along the way. Going along to get along is not an option. The following is a story adapted from a sermon Bob Joyce preached entitled “What’s Your Story” and reminds us of what can happen when we forget.

“A thirty-four-year-old German woman named Anna Rosmus recently told the tragic story of what happened in her hometown in Germany during World War II. Speaking at Carson-Newman College in Tennessee, she told of growing up in Passau, Germany, years after the war. As a teenager, she wrote a school essay about the postcard beauty of her hometown. The town is located near the Austrian border in Bavaria. The essay won her a national award.

The following year, on a similar school project, Anna decided to write about her hometown during World War II. She wanted to write about the stories she had heard about how bravely her town resisted the Nazis, fought against them, and rejected the political machine of Hitler.

What she discovered shocked her and the world. She found in old newspaper clippings that not only did many people in her town sympathize with the Nazis, but they actively worked and collaborated with them. She later found that eight slave labor camps were begun in and around her hometown. The camps were used by the Nazis to work Jewish prisoners to death. Instead of using gas, the Nazis killed thousands by working and starving them. Prisoners were forced to dig their own graves.

Then she learned something even more horrible. As American soldiers were entering her town on May 2, 1945, many of the townspeople were pouring gasoline on defenseless Russian Jews, strapping them to railroad tracks, and setting them on fire.

What were the churches doing during this time? Anna Rosmus stated that the swastika was on daily display in the churches in her town. The churches obeyed and supported the Nazi movement because of the biblical teaching that all authority is given from God and must be obeyed (Romans 13:1-2).

By wrapping itself in the German flag, the church lost its prophetic voice and its soul. It failed to read Revelation 13, which exhorts believers to resist governments which become evil and satanic. Civil religion …. the marriage of church and state …. always makes the church a loser.”

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord,

I love my homeland because I have experienced the freedom to worship and live in a Christian land. Help me always to worship You instead of what You have created. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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