I talk a lot about grace. I believe that grace is really the underpinning of all that we do, all that we believe, all that we are as Christians. Grace really is everything. But where do I get this from? … Continue reading
One the reasons in life, I believe, that we are afraid is that the thing the are afraid of feels bigger than whatever it is that makes us feel secure. Our fear seems bigger than our security. Think about that as you read our passage today from 1 John 1:16-18:
16 So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.
So many things in this passage to understand. First, this important notion that God is love. Scripture paints for us so many pictures of who God is. But the two defining characteristics of who God is, is found here (God is love) and found all through the Bible, God is holy.
God is both. We all fall towards a deeper appreciation of part of God’s character, but for us to fully understand who is, we must understand that He is love, but He is also other and different from us, He is holy.
But notice today what this text says about love and about fear. We are told that there is no fear in perfect love, because perfect love casts out fear. How is that possible? How does perfect love cast out fear?
What this means, to me, is this. Of all the things that you are afraid of, things that aren’t minor things, things that are big things, things that may plague and worry and scare us, God is bigger than them.
God’s love is bigger than them.
God’s love is bigger than whatever may happen to you. God’s love is bigger than whatever mistakes lay in your past, your present, your future. God’s love is bigger than whatever may come.
You don’t have to be afraid. God has seen it all. God knows it all. God is aware of it all. He really is.
And He loves you. Don’t be afraid. You are loved. You are perfectly loved today. God loves you.
And that love is light, and that light drives out fear.
Love is greater than fear. It is. Lived loved, not afraid.
Do not fear today. God loves you. No matter what.
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Several of today’s texts center in on the notion of God choosing someone unlikely to fulfill His task. I was taken by 1 Samuel 16: 6-13:
6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.’ 7But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ 8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ 9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ 10Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these.’ 11Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ 12He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
In this passage, God is leading Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel. Because of Saul’s unfaithfulness, there was a need for a new king. Samuel was being led by the spirit to go and find the next leader. And is led to Bethlehem. Led to Jesse and to his sons.
And now he has to listen to God to discern who would be the one to be king.
But look what God tells him before all this starts – do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
It doesn’t matter how they look, how tall or strong or powerful they are. What matters is this. Where is their heart? Becuase it is is the heart that in the end determines the actions.
If the heart is with God, the actions will be.
God doesn’t judge by what is outside, He judges by what is inside.
Because what is on the inside determines everything. My favorite football players have always been the little guys. The small, fast players, that have no business being out there with they giants. You can measure height and speed and strength. But you can’t measure heart. There are these plays that may not “look” like they will be great.
But you can’t judge the heart.
You may not feel like you can do great things for God. There may be too many things, in your mind, standing in your way. You may not look the part.
That doesn’t matter. Where is your heart? Where is your desire? Where is your dream? If God has called you to it, if God has placed it upon you, you can do it. His approval is the approval that you need.
So today, let’s know that if God has called us, that’s all that matters. It’s a matter of the heart. And let’s be careful how we judge others. Let’s not make the same mistake of looking only at the outside; let’s remember what really counts, the heart.
As your heart goes, so goes your life. If your heart is His, then you can do whatever it is that God is calling you to!
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Today one of the passages that I read is one of my absolute favorites in all the Bible, and it’s one of those that you need to write down, mark in your Bible, and remember. It’s Romans 5: 6-8:
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
In all of our lives, there are moments that we are ashamed of. We’ve all done things that we wish we had not done. We’ve all made major mistakes. We’ve all fallen in some way. We’ve all blown it, somehow, some we.
All of us. It’s part of the human experience. We aren’t proud of it, we don’t glory in it, we don’t like it, but it’s true. It is what it is.
For most of us (probably all of us), we wish that we could undo that moment. Get rid of that mistake. Make it all go away. That moment makes us feel unworthy, makes us feel like we can’t be loved, makes us feel like we have failed in a major way.
This is why I love this passage. Today’s text us that at that moment. At the moment of our worst failure. At that time, it was that exact moment that Jesus died for us. While we were yet the enemies of God, Christ Jesus died for us.
Not because we’d earned it. But for the exact opposite reason.
Because we couldn’t earn it.
It was at that moment. That moment you want to forget. That moment of your worst failure. It was then that God loves you the most. It was then that Jesus Christ laid down His life for you.
The glory of God is that He loves us when we are most unlovable.
That is what God’s grace looks like.
That to me is truly amazing.
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When we think of great people in the Bible, we are all going to have our favorites. Characters that appeal to us, that speak to us, that mean something to us. Moses, Noah, David, Ruth, Ester, Mary, so many names of people that may speak to us.
But one of the names that is one many of our lists is Paul. Paul has a dramatic conversion story, travels the world preaching, and wrote many books that make up the New Testament.
Paul is one of the most important figures in the Bible and in world history. He was the first to take the Gospel into Europe. He started churches across the world. He brought the Good News to Gentiles. Through His love of devotion to Jesus, he literally changed the world. Look at what he says, though, in 1 Corinthians 2: 1-5, is important to him:
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
Yesterday Erin Hicks, our Associate Pastor here at St. Matthew’s shared a quote from John Wesley that this passage reminded me of. Wesley said this -. “If we could once bring all our preachers, itinerant and local, uniformly to and steadily to insist on those two points, ‘Christ dying for us’ and ‘Christ reigning in us,’ we should shake the trembling gates of hell.” That is the truth of the Gospel. Jesus dying for us (and being raised for us) and reigning in us every day, through the power of the Holy Spirit. That is what truly counts, that is what is all about.
And that is what Paul preached over and over again. As he says in this text – I decided to know (or preach) nothing Jesus crucified.
Paul says, I didn’t worry about the mysteries or these lofty words. Jesus. Crucified. Resurrected. Returning. As we as part of our communion liturgy -as we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
And this mystery, it is a knowable mystery. We don’t “understand” it, who can really understand the power of resurrection and the cross. But we can know it. Because it is true. And this truth sets us free.
In other words, all of this is to say what matters most. Not mysteries that none but God truly know. Not opinions, no matter how well thought out. Not preferences or likes or dislikes. Not the worry and fears of this world. Paul didn’t focus on any this.
He focused on Jesus. He loves us. He died for us. He will return for us. That’s the truth of the Gospel.
The folks all around us, their need is not really the answers to all the mysteries of the world. Their need is Jesus. Christ, and Christ alone. That’s our hope, and the hope for the world.
Today, may we know Jesus, and Him crucified. And may we know that nothing compares to that.
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One of my favorite hymns is that old favorite, “Love Lifted Me.” Today’s reading from Psalm 40 made me think of the first verse of that hymn – “I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more; But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.” Listen to what it says today in Psalm 40:
1I waited patiently upon the LORD; *
he stooped to me and heard my cry.
2He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; *
he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.
3He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God; *
many shall see, and stand in awe,
and put their trust in the LORD.
4Happy are they who trust in the LORD! *
they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.
5Great things are they that you have done, O LORD my God!
how great your wonders and your plans for us! *
there is none who can be compared with you.
God heard the Psalmist’s prayers and lifted them up, out of the mire. Just like in the hymn, God lifts us out of the sinking waves. God hears the cry of those that He loves and lifts them out of the thing seeking to take our life.
He places us on sure footing.
He gives us a new song.
And we give Him the praise that He deserves.
Happy are those that turn to God, not to other places for their hope. Because our hope comes from God and from God alone. Not from any other source.
That’s why those that have their hope in God will never be disappointed because only God will not disappoint you. Others will, even those that do not mean to, they will disappoint you at some point. You will even be disappointed with yourself at some point.
But God will not fail you. He will not disappoint you.
But Andy, at this point in my life, I am disappointed in God. Things are not like I want them to be or need them to be.
As hard as it may be (and believe me, it’s really hard for me), wait upon the Lord. He has not forgotten you. He will not forget you. He loves you. He really does. He hears your cry. And He will lift you up from your time of trouble.
And when He does (and this is big), don’t forget. Sing the song of praise that He has given you. Give praise to Him when He saves you. Praise His name when He restores you. Give Him the glory when He places you upon solid ground.
Never forget what He has done. He will save you. He will. Hope in Him. Even when it’s hard. Even when it’s tough. Even when it’s a challenge. Keep believing.
He will not disappoint.
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Today in 1 Corinthians 1:9-13, we see one of my favorite passions of Paul. Paul is huge on the unity of the church. Listen to what he says here, and then we’ll talk about what is happening:
9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. 12 What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ or ‘I belong to Apollos,’ or ‘I belong to Cephas,’ or ‘I belong to Christ.’ 13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
This is the way it worked in Paul’s time. Preachers in churches weren’t sent by the conference nor were they called by the local church. There were wandering itinerant preachers that came to the town and to the church, stayed for a while, and then moved on to the next town and church. And they would have been followed by another preacher in much the same way.
So the same church, over a period of time, would have had several preachers come through and teach. And that’s what has happened here in Corinth. There have been several preachers come through, and the loyalty that the members of the church have towards their “favorite” preacher is one of the many things that is dividing the church.
That is why Paul reminds them, none of the preachers that they know has divided for their sins. They were not baptized in the name of any of these preachers. They were called into salvation by God, not by any human. Now God may have used that human, but that person was not the cause of their salvation.
God is the one calling us into salvation and God is the one that is saving us.
Not any human.
I think for us today, this is an important reminder. We all have our preferences and our favorites. We all have things that impactful to us. We have a preacher that really speaks to us. Or a style of worship that truly touches our heart or a hymn that really impacts us. Or a denomination (or local church) whose theology and structure that we like. And these things are all wonderful. I am the same way.
But the danger is this. When we allow these things to divide us as believers. Just because you or I have something or someone that is the way that we prefer it, doesn’t mean that someone that has a different favorite preacher or style of worship is not our brother or sister in Christ.
Because we aren’t saved by preachers or styles of worship or denominations or anything such as that. We are saved by Jesus.
So, if you are believer, then you are family. We can’t allow these things to divide us. We are one. And the world needs us to be one.
Let us love each other, even when we disagree over these things. Because the love that God has placed in our hearts must be bigger than any of this!
As followers of Christ, let us love!
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One of the constant reminders of our faith, truths about our faith is this. Where is it that our strength comes from? 1 Corinthians 1: 26-31 today tells us exactly where that is:
26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31in order that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’
Paul is speaking here to early believers, that were not powerful or wealthy, or had any status at all. He’s telling them, remember, God will take the weak, so that when they boast, they have to boast in the Lord.
God will take the humble, the small, the insignificant and use them. He will use them, so that when they win the battle, there can be no doubt. The victory is because of the Lord.
I once heard a Rabbi say the reason why God chose the nation of Israel in the Old Testament was because He could not find a more insignificant people. That way, with every battle, He would have to the receive the glory.
Look at what the text says in verse 30 – He (God) is the source of your life in Jesus Christ. In other words, our life, our hope, our everything, they are in Jesus Christ. Jesus is our all in all. If we have Him, we have all that we need. If we do not have Him, we have nothing.
Jesus is our life. With Him, there is peace in the storm, there is sense in the madness, there is purpose, there is life.
Without Him, we could have everything, but in the end, have nothing.
Jesus is life. Really. He is. He is life.
And we know Jesus because God has called us to Himself. He is the source of it all. All that is good, all that is pure, all that is life.
It comes from God. That is where life comes from. It all comes from God. And as long as we remember where our life comes from, we will have the joy that comes from that life.
Today, remember where life comes from!
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Yesterday at St. Matthew’s Erin and I both preached from Luke 4: 1-13, the temptation of Jesus. Each Sunday we preach from the same text, it’s one of the things that we to do help our church be unified through our three services. By the way, you can listen to any of our sermons by visiting the podcast portion of St. Matthew’s website.
Temptation is something that we all struggle with, and I think in reading what happened to Jesus, we can learn a lot about how we can deal with temptation ourselves. Listen to what the text says:
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”
5 Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered him, “It is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’”
9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you,’
11 and
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”
12 Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
As I read this text, there were (at least) four things that jumped out to me about temptation. And maybe this is one of the reasons Jesus was tempted, to show us how to resist it.
First, notice the devil attacks Jesus when He was weak. It says that Jesus had been fasting and was famished. And that is when the devil came at Him. You will face temptation. You will. Know that the devil knows your weakness. He will hit you there. You will face temptation in the spots where you are your weakest. Be aware. Be on guard. Know these places, know these spots. And don’t give temptation a foothold. Don’t play with fire. The devil knows where you are most vulnerable. Be on watch in those areas.
Second, the devil tries to make Jesus doubt. He tells Jesus, if you are the Son of God. Jesus knew who He was. The devil tried to make Him doubt. The devil will make us doubt. He’ll try to make us doubt God’s love. He’ll try to make us doubt our worth. He’ll try to make us doubt God’s truth. He will do all in His power to put those doubts in our minds. Don’t let him. Because you have to remember number three.
Third, the devil lies. If you don’t remember anything else about temptation. Remember this. Temptation is a lie. Temptation is a lie. It always is. It looks good. But it kills us. In the text the devil says that all authority has been given to him to give to whomever he wants. Nope. That’s God’s call, not His. He is lying. Temptation is always a lie. When you hear that voice, tempting you, always know that voice is a lie. If the devil’s lips are moving, they are lying. Temptation promises life and fun and ends in destruction. Temptation is always lie.
And last the devil misuses scripture. In the text, the devil quotes the bible to Jesus. But he is misusing it. Not everyone that quotes the bible is of God. Know your Bible. Remember your context. Be aware of the truth of God’s Word. The devil will try to use the Bible for harm and for destruction. So that means that you have to know the Bible for yourself. Read it. Study it. Pray with it. Make it yours. When you know the Bible, you will better be able to stand against those temptations.
Temptation is coming. We will all face it. Jesus faced it, so will we. And when it comes, may we find the grace to stand against it.
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Today from our readings, we see on of those passages that we all know, that we have probably quoted from or heard sermons about. It’s one of those passages that all of us have at least a vague understanding of. It comes from Philippians 4:6-8:
6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
In this passage, Paul talks to us about that peace that passes all understanding. That peace that guards our hearts and guards our minds.
By the way, I love that concept. A peace that guards. A peace that keeps the worry and the evil away. I don’t know about you, but I need that type of peace in my life. I need a peace that protects and helps me.
Paul says that peace will pass all understanding. That peace will be so amazing, so great, that our minds will not be able to understand. There is a peace that is so amazing, folks will look at us and say, how can they have peace? How, with all that is happening, can they have peace?
How? Because that peace is not natural. It is supernatural. It is a gift from God.
But today, look at how we get that peace. We get that peace in this way. Through everything, with pray and supplication, with thanksgiving, we give our requests to God.
And then that peace comes. That peace comes from turning it over to God. It comes from trusting in God. It comes from truly letting go, giving it to God, placing it in His hands.
This peace that passes understanding is not an act of will. It is a gift from God. It comes only through surrender to God. Laying our life, our fears, our worries, our mistakes, our everything, laying them before Him.
And receiving His grace in return.
Today, we can have that peace. But first we have to give “it” to God. Whatever “it” is. Now, we may go back and pick “it” back up. But when we do, each time, return it to the altar. Give it God. And receive His peace.
He loves you. Really. He does. You can trust. And in that act of trusting, you will receive His peace.
That peace that passes all understanding.
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