God inspired me to preach about a man with faith to accomplish impossible things if he could only imagine them. This man was in exile in a foreign country. He was poor. He was a servant. He was the guy who had to drink the wine before the king so he could prevent the king’s assassination. If the wine was poisoned then he would be the one to die. Nehemiah was called the cupbearer. He was also supposed to provide companionship for the king. He was trusted, but he was dispensable.
Some Jews who had been to Jerusalem gave Nehemiah a bad report. The Jews told him that Jerusalem was devastated from years of war and conquest. Some people would’ve said that it was too bad, but there was nothing that they could do. Nehemiah chooses to pray about rebuilding the destroyed city. The people of Jerusalem were exiled much earlier by the Babylonians. Now, the Persians had conquered the Babylonians. Nehemiah’s answer to his prayer was to ask the king for it all.
Nehemiah 2:1-9 said: “… when wine was brought for King Artaxerxes (agr-tak-SERK-seez), I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."
First, Nehemiah prayed to God of heaven so that he had the faith to ask for the impossible. He asked a Persian King who he served if he could go back to where his ancestors were buried and rebuild. He was pretty brave to ask for his freedom to go, but he went way beyond just asking for him to go.
The story continues: “Then the king… asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph (AY saf), keeper of the king's forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
Nehemiah was willing to think that he could make a difference. Nehemiah was willing to pray. Nehemiah was willing to follow God’s call. The gracious hand of God was lifting up Nehemiah. God’s grace enabled Nehemiah to gain favor with the King to be able to receive the resources and time to rebuild Jerusalem that lay in ruin from many years of conquest. This story is about receiving favor from God.
If we are willing to believe that we can make a difference, pray, and follow God’s call. We will also find favor with God. Nehemiah was trying to rebuild a city. We are trying to strengthen and build our church. We also have to believe that we can make a difference. We have to believe that if we pray that God will answer our prayers and give his favor to our efforts. God will hear our prayers and we will be able to do the impossible. People will come to see how a small church is willing to grow when many people are afraid of the future.
In Nehemiah 2:17-20 says: Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work. There were people who told Nehemiah that it couldn’t be done. Nehemiah answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success.”
Nehemiah prayed for an answer to a distant problem. God’s grace enabled him to have favor with King Artaxersis. He gave all of the glory to God and knew that the God would give them success. I also know that the God of heaven will give New Hope UMC success. The gracious hand of God is upon us. We need to claim that God will allow us to rebuild our church into a place that is full of hope, love, and faith. Our church is also full of desire to improve the lives of our neighbors here on Old Forge Road and around the world. We must pray for our church that its mission and reach will grow.
This church must grow or die. We have decided to grow our church structure. Now, we need to be like Nehemiah. He prayed to God. God’s grace enabled him to accomplished things that were impossible without God being with him. We also need to pray that the ministry of our church will grow as well.
There are a lot of stories about Jesus in the Bible. Many times the people around Jesus are amazed about the knowledge, wisdom, and power demonstrated by Jesus. Jesus taught with authority. It was the authority that came from God, not from man. People were astounded that Jesus taught with confidence and strength that many of the leaders in the church did not have when they taught. Mark 1:21-22 says “They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.”
The next part of the scripture from Mark 1 is dealing with evil spirits. Mark 1:23-28: says “Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
It is unusual to talk about evil spirits in modern society, but Jesus understood the conflict between good and evil. The evil spirits also recognized Jesus and the threat that Jesus was to them. Jesus commanded the evil spirits to be quiet and then Jesus commanded the demons to come out of the demon possessed man.
Evil exists in the world today. We just don’t recognize it. We also have spiritual attacks usually when we are about to be used by God in a powerful way. Satan doesn’t bother with us if we are not a threat to him. If Satan is taking us for granted, there’s nothing that he needs to do.
Sometimes, when we are being attacked it should be considered a sign of encouragement because we are doing something for God which Satan doesn’t like! It is when we are doing the Lord’s work that Satan starts his attack. It is important to know that if we trust in the authority and power of Jesus Christ, we will be safe from all attacks. We must put our trust in the Lord.
In Ghana, I’ve see people who pay for the power of Satan. The power is placed into items called talismans. The talismans are rings, medallions, and sometimes it is a piece of cloth or other items. Names for people who pay for Satan’s power are witches or witch doctors. I’ve also come face to face with people who are demon possessed. In fact, I’ve had to study the scriptures to understand how to heal someone of a demon possession.
On my last trip to Ghana, we distributed food in a church in a village named Diane (Dee ah Knee). We have a lot of history in that village. Our mission team preached in Diani for the first time in 2005. A village elder told us that they had been praying for one year for God to start a church in their village. The elder thought we were God’s answer to their prayers. We saw God work in amazing ways. Two women who were blind received their sight through the power of prayer on that first night. A deaf woman was able to hear in the name of Jesus Christ.
We were back to preach in 2006. One lady who was blind died a few months before our return. The witch doctors told the people that if a Christian prayed for you that you would surely die. We had to explain that the lady had lived a long life – over eighty years, she regained her sight, and when she died she went to heaven. We built a basic church in Diani in 2007.
I preached in the church after the food distribution in October 2008. We also took time to pray for many people who came forward to ask for prayers. Finally, we prayed for all of the children at least once and some of them received several blessings. It was at the point in time when we were exhausted that a man possessed by demons came around to disturb the church service and to ask for prayer. We asked him if he really wanted to be free of the demon. He said yes.
We told the children to leave the church. Anyone who was weak in their faith was also told to leave and to go away from the church. We asked him to remove everything that had evil power. He had talismans around his neck, on his fingers, on his belt, and in his pockets. We asked him to remove every one of them before we could proceed. We asked him if he was willing to let go of the demons. Some people like to sit on the fence. They love the idea of Jesus, but they also love sin and evil. He said yes.
We cast out his demons into the abyss in the name of Jesus Christ. We saw an immediate change in the man. The weight from evil was lifted from him. We asked the man to burn all of the items containing evil. He made a fire and burned all of the trappings of evil. We have to choose whether we will serve God or serve evil. The young demon possessed man gradually turned his body to a place for evil. Gradually, evil had total control over him.
It was hard for me to relate to Mark 1:23-28 before my experiences in Africa. We can translate the experience back to home. There are many things that we hold onto that may be evil. We let small bits of evil to come into our lives. We may worship money, power, pornography, drugs, anger, hate, or our inability to forgive. Just like that man in Diani, our body is a place which we prepare for the Holy Spirit or it is a place where evil can seep into our lives. It is our choice.
Today, we have the choice to be like Nehemiah or the man who had demons. Nehemiah saw a need, prayed to God, answered God’s call, and was able to see the city of Jerusalem rebuilt while it was still in ruins. It takes a choice to decide which path to take in our lives. For us, I believe we will choose to follow the example of Nehemiah who hears about a need, prays to God, answers God’s call, and see’s God use us in amazing ways.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Will We Go Where God Sends Us?
Let us open our ears to hear God’s call in our lives. God never stopped talking to us. We just stopped listening along the way. God is always there for us. Let’s be there for God. There’s times when God wants us to be his messenger.
We have to turn off the radio and TV, stop playing computer games, and stop talking long enough to hear. We have to listen. Listening to God requires the same skills that we learned in kindergarten to hear our teacher. We were supposed to be quiet while the teacher was talking.
We probably didn’t stop talking because we wanted to play with our friends. If we listened to the teacher, it meant that we had to work, clean up our mess, and learn something. If we listen to God, it means that we have to work, clean up our mess, and learn something about God’s grace.
Today’s story is from the book of Jonah. It’s one of those stories that we learn when we are young about a man being swallowed by a great fish after being thrown overboard during a bad storm. Jonah was able and willing to listen to God’s call. The problem with Jonah was that he didn’t want to do the work. Jonah also didn’t want to be God’s messenger to people he didn’t like.
Jonah 1:1-4 says “The word of the LORD came to Jonah… "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.”
Jonah listened to God. God told him where to go. Jonah then went exactly in the other direction. That was pretty human. Nineveh was hated because they had conquered, killed, and destroyed everything that Jonah loved. Nineveh was the enemy. They were evil, corrupt, and hated. There was nothing to love about Nineveh, but God was asking Jonah to go and preach in Nineveh. God was asking Nineveh to repent and turn toward God or be destroyed. Jonah was supposed to be the messenger. Jonah liked the “or be destroyed” part of God’s message, but he didn’t like the part about God loving Nineveh and giving them a second chance. He got on a boat headed as far away from Nineveh as possible. Nineveh is in modern day Iraq in the desert and Jonah was sailing in the ocean. Do we hear God’s voice in our lives and then go in the other direction?
Jonah 3:1-10 says “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you." Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city--a visit required three days. On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be destroyed." The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.”
“When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish." When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
The story of Jonah and Nineveh could be translated into God sending a father who lost two sons in the September 11th attacks. John Vigiano, Sr. is a retired Captain in the New York Fire Department. His sons were John, Jr. and Joseph. John was a fireman. Joseph was a police detective. Both sons died trying to save others that day.
Now, imagine God going to Captain John with a request. God asked Captain John to travel to Pakistan. God wanted Captain John to tell Osama bin Laden’s terrorist camp and the Taliban to repent or be destroyed.
The father of two dead sons may not want to go to the Middle East. He may want revenge. He may want God to destroy those that killed his sons. He may not want to be sent to preach about God’s love, grace, and forgiveness to “his enemy.” He may want to preach about God’s judgment and punishment to those who sin against God and man.
The story is true about Captain John losing his two sons. The interaction with God is just a modern day version of Jonah’s story. It is hard to have forgiveness when the sons you loved were killed in an act of war, but it sounds like Captain John doesn’t harbor hate in his heart.
Jonah did walk for three days across Nineveh. Jonah preached the message that God gave him. The people and the king heard Jonah’s message of repentance and renewal. The people of Nineveh turned away from sin and toward God. That was not the result that Jonah desired. Jonah wanted Nineveh to be destroyed because of all of their past sins. Jonah was angry with God that God was willing to forgive the sinners in Nineveh.
There are times in our lives that we must do what God asks us to do. In Jonah’s case, he had to go serve people that he thought he hated. He told them that God loved them and that they needed to change course and follow God.
I did something similar in 2007 when I felt the need to tell a chief that God loved him and so did I. The chief tried to kill me and my mission team in 2005. I met him for the first time when I told him about God’s love. I also told him that I knew that he had paid people to try to kill me. He didn’t deny it.
I asked the chief if I could pray for him. He declined. Later, I found out that the chief bragged about putting a curse on me that will keep me out of his village in the slums outside of Kumasi. God’s love is more powerful than hate and evil. I plan to go that village again this year when I go back to Ghana. I’ll tell you the rest of that story in another sermon sometime.
God wants us to tell those that “we hate” that God loves them. God wants to realize that his love conquers all. No one deserves God’s grace, but God is a loving God. It is time for us to follow God, too.
I have a good friend who is separated from his wife. They have a teenage son. I also have a cousin who got divorced recently. I have another friend who divorced early in 2008. I was talking with the friend who is starting on the path to divorce. He told that he had wasted twenty years in his marriage. I asked him to think about what caused him to be attracted to his wife when they were dating. I asked him to write down all the good times that they had over those twenty years. I asked him to think about the blessing that came out of their marriage like their son.
The hardest time to be God’s messenger is when the message needs to be given to someone that we think we hate. We need to see that person with the eyes of God again and to be willing to be God’s messenger. We need to tell them that God loves them and so do we. God’s love is more powerful than hate. God’s message of love can conquer all. Let’s go out today and be messengers to share that love with those that don’t deserve it, but are covered by God’s grace.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Spiritual Gifts
There is a time to talk the talk and there’s a time to walk the walk. Today, it is time to walk the walk. Look at your hands. Look at your feet. Those hands are the hands of God. Those feet are the feet of God. God can use our hands and our feet to show the love of Jesus Christ to others. In fact, he can use our entire body. There’s people hurting right here at home in our neighborhood, our county, and our country.
There’s a family that is in pain right down the road. The father is out of work. The mother is disabled. The kids are discouraged. The roof leaks. The walls have mold. They’ve looked for help, but help hasn’t come. The time is now. If we don’t give help and hope, then who will?
I remember when we visited a grandmother and mother in the slums of Kumasi in West Africa. They were in pain. The mother had lost two sons in a house fire. The grandmother had lost two grandsons and her beautiful daughter was burned over most of her body. A man saw us go. We did not see him or talk to him. He told people later that he saw the love of Jesus Christ in our compassion to visit the grieving family. The man was Muslim. He asked to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior the next Sunday. We were willing to walk the walk. The man hugged me later for showing him the love of God. I told him. It’s not me, it is God. What that man saw was the gift of compassion where we were helping the family who were suffering grief from their loss. The man saw God working through us.
We have one of the biggest prayer lists that I’ve ever seen for a church. Last week, we talked about speaking and praying with boldness. There’s power in the spoken word. There’s power in knowing who needs prayers. There’s also a time for action. We are saved by God’s grace. We don’t earn our way into heaven. Salvation is a free gift that Jesus paid for us. We serve God out of gratitude for his grace and love, not out of fear. We need to take action because of God’s love.
James 2:14-16 says: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?”
It is wonderful that our church is looking to grow and expand with new classroom and activity space. I’m so excited about what it will mean to New Hope United Methodist Church. The new construction is vital and will make a big difference to our ministries. I’ve talked to church leaders at Redwood UMC, Rocky Mount UMC, and other churches about bringing mission teams to help us finish out the building after the roof is done. The building campaign is building God’s kingdom behind the church doors.
We also have to build God’s kingdom by walking out the church doors into the world. There’s a song that talks about seeing with the eyes of your heart. We need to have compassion, love, and empathy for others. Jesus has given us powerful tools through the Holy Spirit called spiritual gifts.
The spiritual gifts from God let us do things that we could never accomplish by ourselves. It is important for us to understand the spiritual gifts that God has given us. There are several scriptures that talk about spiritual gifts. We can do a better job if we know the spiritual gifts that God has given to us.
Romans 12:6-8 tells us “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”
There’s people we know that live to be a servant. God has given them the gift to anticipate one’s needs. The gift of serving is the ability to understand the needs of others and serving others unselfishly. Jesus was a strong example of being a servant. The next gift is that of a teacher. A teacher is empowered by the Holy Spirit to explain the mysteries of the gospel. It is their gift to turn the mysteries of the gospel into clear truths. Others have the gift of encouragement. They have just the right words to say at the right time. They can see the rainbow coming out after the storm. Encouragers bring hope and faith with their words and actions. Others have received the gift of being givers. They believe that God has given them resources to give their time and money as much as they can to others. Leaders are able to guide because they are empowered by the Holy Spirit to lead in an amazing way.
The next scripture that comes to mind is 1 Corinthians 12. It says: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy…. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.”
First Corinthians tells us that the Holy Spirit works in us in different ways with different kinds of service, but our work has the same value. It is critical to us to understand and develop the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Let’s discuss the spiritual gifts mentioned in Corinthians so far. The first gift mentioned is wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to translate life experiences into spiritual truth and seeing the application of scripture into everyday life. Knowledge is obtained from faithful study of the Bible and our lives to find the truth. The gift of faith empowers us to hold firm to Jesus in the face of adversity. The gift of faith is more than believing. The gift of faith is being sure that God’s power exists and using that power to serve God. The gifts of healing is the ability and belief that if we pray to God with faith that God will heal with the power of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:12 continues: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.”
It takes times to understand the spiritual gifts that God has given us. It also takes time to discern and to discover those gifts within us. For example, God has enabled me to preach and teach. Those skills aren’t mine. I stuttered as a child. People didn’t want to wait to listen to my words. Now, I am able speak with the power of God working within me. Through my weakness of speech, I am made strong through the power of God working within me. Preaching and Teaching are gifts that God has given me to share God’s word with you. It is a mistake to think that your job and your spiritual gifts are the same. It is possible that a school teacher does not have the spiritual gift of teaching.
There’s a wonderful freedom when we understand our spiritual gifts. There are surveys that we can take to understand our potential gifts. There are classes that we can take to teach us about our spiritual gifts. Friends and family can recognize our gifts many times before we know our own gifts. A big factor is to start looking for our spiritual gifts. We have to go on a personal journey to understand the tools that God has given us to serve him better.
Let’s find a way to help our families that are out of work, out of hope, or out of faith. Now, let’s walk out those church doors and serve God using the spiritual gifts that he has given us. We are more effective and happier if we are using the gifts that God has given us to use. We are able to do so much more because we have God inside of us which enables us to serve in ways we can only imagine today. God has used me when I didn’t know how to “do it.” I just trusted that God would provide the right spiritual gifts and tools for me to do the job. I don’t have the answer of how we can help those families in need. We just need to start on the journey to make a difference in people’s lives today and God will do the rest.
Walter Hughes WalterKHughes@gmail.com
Scriptures: Romans 12:3-13, 1 Corinthians 12:1-31
There’s a family that is in pain right down the road. The father is out of work. The mother is disabled. The kids are discouraged. The roof leaks. The walls have mold. They’ve looked for help, but help hasn’t come. The time is now. If we don’t give help and hope, then who will?
I remember when we visited a grandmother and mother in the slums of Kumasi in West Africa. They were in pain. The mother had lost two sons in a house fire. The grandmother had lost two grandsons and her beautiful daughter was burned over most of her body. A man saw us go. We did not see him or talk to him. He told people later that he saw the love of Jesus Christ in our compassion to visit the grieving family. The man was Muslim. He asked to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior the next Sunday. We were willing to walk the walk. The man hugged me later for showing him the love of God. I told him. It’s not me, it is God. What that man saw was the gift of compassion where we were helping the family who were suffering grief from their loss. The man saw God working through us.
We have one of the biggest prayer lists that I’ve ever seen for a church. Last week, we talked about speaking and praying with boldness. There’s power in the spoken word. There’s power in knowing who needs prayers. There’s also a time for action. We are saved by God’s grace. We don’t earn our way into heaven. Salvation is a free gift that Jesus paid for us. We serve God out of gratitude for his grace and love, not out of fear. We need to take action because of God’s love.
James 2:14-16 says: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?”
It is wonderful that our church is looking to grow and expand with new classroom and activity space. I’m so excited about what it will mean to New Hope United Methodist Church. The new construction is vital and will make a big difference to our ministries. I’ve talked to church leaders at Redwood UMC, Rocky Mount UMC, and other churches about bringing mission teams to help us finish out the building after the roof is done. The building campaign is building God’s kingdom behind the church doors.
We also have to build God’s kingdom by walking out the church doors into the world. There’s a song that talks about seeing with the eyes of your heart. We need to have compassion, love, and empathy for others. Jesus has given us powerful tools through the Holy Spirit called spiritual gifts.
The spiritual gifts from God let us do things that we could never accomplish by ourselves. It is important for us to understand the spiritual gifts that God has given us. There are several scriptures that talk about spiritual gifts. We can do a better job if we know the spiritual gifts that God has given to us.
Romans 12:6-8 tells us “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”
There’s people we know that live to be a servant. God has given them the gift to anticipate one’s needs. The gift of serving is the ability to understand the needs of others and serving others unselfishly. Jesus was a strong example of being a servant. The next gift is that of a teacher. A teacher is empowered by the Holy Spirit to explain the mysteries of the gospel. It is their gift to turn the mysteries of the gospel into clear truths. Others have the gift of encouragement. They have just the right words to say at the right time. They can see the rainbow coming out after the storm. Encouragers bring hope and faith with their words and actions. Others have received the gift of being givers. They believe that God has given them resources to give their time and money as much as they can to others. Leaders are able to guide because they are empowered by the Holy Spirit to lead in an amazing way.
The next scripture that comes to mind is 1 Corinthians 12. It says: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy…. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.”
First Corinthians tells us that the Holy Spirit works in us in different ways with different kinds of service, but our work has the same value. It is critical to us to understand and develop the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Let’s discuss the spiritual gifts mentioned in Corinthians so far. The first gift mentioned is wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to translate life experiences into spiritual truth and seeing the application of scripture into everyday life. Knowledge is obtained from faithful study of the Bible and our lives to find the truth. The gift of faith empowers us to hold firm to Jesus in the face of adversity. The gift of faith is more than believing. The gift of faith is being sure that God’s power exists and using that power to serve God. The gifts of healing is the ability and belief that if we pray to God with faith that God will heal with the power of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:12 continues: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.”
It takes times to understand the spiritual gifts that God has given us. It also takes time to discern and to discover those gifts within us. For example, God has enabled me to preach and teach. Those skills aren’t mine. I stuttered as a child. People didn’t want to wait to listen to my words. Now, I am able speak with the power of God working within me. Through my weakness of speech, I am made strong through the power of God working within me. Preaching and Teaching are gifts that God has given me to share God’s word with you. It is a mistake to think that your job and your spiritual gifts are the same. It is possible that a school teacher does not have the spiritual gift of teaching.
There’s a wonderful freedom when we understand our spiritual gifts. There are surveys that we can take to understand our potential gifts. There are classes that we can take to teach us about our spiritual gifts. Friends and family can recognize our gifts many times before we know our own gifts. A big factor is to start looking for our spiritual gifts. We have to go on a personal journey to understand the tools that God has given us to serve him better.
Let’s find a way to help our families that are out of work, out of hope, or out of faith. Now, let’s walk out those church doors and serve God using the spiritual gifts that he has given us. We are more effective and happier if we are using the gifts that God has given us to use. We are able to do so much more because we have God inside of us which enables us to serve in ways we can only imagine today. God has used me when I didn’t know how to “do it.” I just trusted that God would provide the right spiritual gifts and tools for me to do the job. I don’t have the answer of how we can help those families in need. We just need to start on the journey to make a difference in people’s lives today and God will do the rest.
Walter Hughes WalterKHughes@gmail.com
Scriptures: Romans 12:3-13, 1 Corinthians 12:1-31
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Speak with Boldness
In Ephesians, we learned about the height, depth, width, and breadth of God’s love. We also talked about God’s love is bigger than we can imagine. We need to open our eyes and our heart to God’s love. God is all around us. His love and power are much greater than we can imagine. You believe in God. Now, believe in the vastness and greatness of God’s power to touch our lives in amazing ways. It is time to see a spiritual rebirth in America.
This week, we will discuss the power of the spoken word of God. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. God’s word can conquer all. God’s word is our protection and our strength. If our words are so powerful, why do we misuse those words? Why do we say things we don’t mean? Why do we speak our fears out loud? Why don’t we use the words from scriptures in the Bible, instead?
Proverbs 6:2 warns that “You are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth.” There’s so many times that people say that they are getting sick, getting a headache, getting in a car accident, losing their job, losing a friend, or losing their mind. Others say that they are going to break a leg, break a hip, break their neck, or are becoming forgetful. We also say “we can’t” too much. We say “we can’t” without thinking that God could help us overcome our weaknesses. We also talk about our lazy spouse or children. We talk about being unable to forgive. We tell our kids that they are dumb, mean, stubborn, or hurtful. We also tell family that they we don’t love them anymore in a moment of anger or spite.
Proverbs warns us that once those words come out of our mouths we can’t take them back. Our children wonder if we really think they are lazy or dumb. Our spouse begins to doubt if our love is real. Satan hears your spoken fears and doubts and works to make them become real.
We learn from Proverbs 25:11-12 that “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.” Proverbs is telling us that we need to use our words like they were silver and gold. I am motivated by the spoken word which praises and encourages me to be my best. I’ve always been driven to live up to the expectations expressed in the spoken word. Little ears can hear so much more than we realize. They will overhear praises and rejoice or overhear complaints and stop trying so that they can become the lazy, mean, inconsiderate kid that you described in your spoken word. Those hurtful words last a lifetime. We are snared by the words of our mouth. In fact, we trap even those listening with those words.
We must think before we speak. We must hold our tongue when we are angry, upset, worried, or afraid. It is at times when we are weak that we must open our hearts and our mind and fill up with the written words from the Bible. There’s power in speaking God’s words with our tongue.
Ok. Can we all agree to stop talking junk, stop talking negative, and stop talking like the worst will happen in 2009 and 2010? So far, I’ve been talking about how our spoken words can impact our lives, our family, and our friends in a personal way.
Paul gave us a great model of the spoken word in Philippians 1:3-4. It says “I thank God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” I dream about having people speak those words about me. Do you see the power to transform a person’s life with uplifting, spiritual words like the ones Paul wrote to the people of Philippi?
Now, I’m ready to start speaking with BOLDNESS about God! What does it mean to speak with boldness? The easiest way to find out is to open our Bibles to the book of Acts of the Disciples. We are the modern day disciples. It is appropriate for us to learn from Luke and the disciples of Jesus Christ. Acts 4:29-31 tells us “Now Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
This scripture has a lot of wonderful nuggets. First, it tells us to speak God’s word with great boldness when we are threatened or afraid. Second, it is in the name of Jesus Christ where all the power is found. Third, it tells us that we are filled with the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit enables us to speak the word of God boldly. In addition, it tells us that signs, miracles, and wonders are possible when we speak the word of God with boldness. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His words are a gift for us today to use to serve him.
Acts 18:24-26 says “Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he only knew the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue.” Apollos studied God’s word and he used it. Apollos also didn’t wait to tell about God until he knew everything. In fact, in this story he still needed to learn about baptism with the power of the Holy Spirit. We can speak with boldness by learning a few key scriptures while our knowledge of the Bible grows. My favorite is “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me.”
The Apostle Paul explains that hardships can be an inspiration to others because they know that you were able to survive the hardship with God’s help. In Philippians 1:12-14 he says “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” Paul talks about chains many times in his letters. There’s two kinds of chains. The first chained Paul to the prison wall. The second kind of chain links us to Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 28:1 says “The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” Let’s make the decision today to be as bold as a lion. We can celebrate the signs, miracles, and wonders that happen right here in America when we speak the word of God with boldness. Jesus sent out seventy-two messengers in Luke 10 two by two. They returned with joy to Jesus to give their reports and said “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” Everything is possible for those who love the Lord. Stop speaking negative thoughts and fears. Start speaking with faith and boldness to tell about the unseen before it is visible. Sing praises about God. Give thanks about your family, friends, and blessings. Attack your worry and fear with the word of God.
Experience the fullness of God’s love. Speak about God’s love with boldness and faith because we know that where two or more are gathered in the name of Jesus Christ there God will be also. Amen.
This week, we will discuss the power of the spoken word of God. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. God’s word can conquer all. God’s word is our protection and our strength. If our words are so powerful, why do we misuse those words? Why do we say things we don’t mean? Why do we speak our fears out loud? Why don’t we use the words from scriptures in the Bible, instead?
Proverbs 6:2 warns that “You are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth.” There’s so many times that people say that they are getting sick, getting a headache, getting in a car accident, losing their job, losing a friend, or losing their mind. Others say that they are going to break a leg, break a hip, break their neck, or are becoming forgetful. We also say “we can’t” too much. We say “we can’t” without thinking that God could help us overcome our weaknesses. We also talk about our lazy spouse or children. We talk about being unable to forgive. We tell our kids that they are dumb, mean, stubborn, or hurtful. We also tell family that they we don’t love them anymore in a moment of anger or spite.
Proverbs warns us that once those words come out of our mouths we can’t take them back. Our children wonder if we really think they are lazy or dumb. Our spouse begins to doubt if our love is real. Satan hears your spoken fears and doubts and works to make them become real.
We learn from Proverbs 25:11-12 that “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.” Proverbs is telling us that we need to use our words like they were silver and gold. I am motivated by the spoken word which praises and encourages me to be my best. I’ve always been driven to live up to the expectations expressed in the spoken word. Little ears can hear so much more than we realize. They will overhear praises and rejoice or overhear complaints and stop trying so that they can become the lazy, mean, inconsiderate kid that you described in your spoken word. Those hurtful words last a lifetime. We are snared by the words of our mouth. In fact, we trap even those listening with those words.
We must think before we speak. We must hold our tongue when we are angry, upset, worried, or afraid. It is at times when we are weak that we must open our hearts and our mind and fill up with the written words from the Bible. There’s power in speaking God’s words with our tongue.
Ok. Can we all agree to stop talking junk, stop talking negative, and stop talking like the worst will happen in 2009 and 2010? So far, I’ve been talking about how our spoken words can impact our lives, our family, and our friends in a personal way.
Paul gave us a great model of the spoken word in Philippians 1:3-4. It says “I thank God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” I dream about having people speak those words about me. Do you see the power to transform a person’s life with uplifting, spiritual words like the ones Paul wrote to the people of Philippi?
Now, I’m ready to start speaking with BOLDNESS about God! What does it mean to speak with boldness? The easiest way to find out is to open our Bibles to the book of Acts of the Disciples. We are the modern day disciples. It is appropriate for us to learn from Luke and the disciples of Jesus Christ. Acts 4:29-31 tells us “Now Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
This scripture has a lot of wonderful nuggets. First, it tells us to speak God’s word with great boldness when we are threatened or afraid. Second, it is in the name of Jesus Christ where all the power is found. Third, it tells us that we are filled with the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit enables us to speak the word of God boldly. In addition, it tells us that signs, miracles, and wonders are possible when we speak the word of God with boldness. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His words are a gift for us today to use to serve him.
Acts 18:24-26 says “Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he only knew the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue.” Apollos studied God’s word and he used it. Apollos also didn’t wait to tell about God until he knew everything. In fact, in this story he still needed to learn about baptism with the power of the Holy Spirit. We can speak with boldness by learning a few key scriptures while our knowledge of the Bible grows. My favorite is “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me.”
The Apostle Paul explains that hardships can be an inspiration to others because they know that you were able to survive the hardship with God’s help. In Philippians 1:12-14 he says “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” Paul talks about chains many times in his letters. There’s two kinds of chains. The first chained Paul to the prison wall. The second kind of chain links us to Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 28:1 says “The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” Let’s make the decision today to be as bold as a lion. We can celebrate the signs, miracles, and wonders that happen right here in America when we speak the word of God with boldness. Jesus sent out seventy-two messengers in Luke 10 two by two. They returned with joy to Jesus to give their reports and said “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” Everything is possible for those who love the Lord. Stop speaking negative thoughts and fears. Start speaking with faith and boldness to tell about the unseen before it is visible. Sing praises about God. Give thanks about your family, friends, and blessings. Attack your worry and fear with the word of God.
Experience the fullness of God’s love. Speak about God’s love with boldness and faith because we know that where two or more are gathered in the name of Jesus Christ there God will be also. Amen.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
We Will Follow Jesus
First, we are talking about seeing the light of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 60:1-6 is a story about a city coming out of the darkness. It starts “Arise, shine for your light has come!” Jesus is the light of this world. It talks about darkness covering the earth and its people. There’s such a huge contrast between darkness and the light of Jesus Christ. The darkness overwhelms with fear, lies, and despair. The darkness is so thick that we can’t see anything. The darkness is so complete that you can’t comprehend anything else. Just when hope is gone, Isaiah says to lift up your eyes and see. The advice to lift up your eyes and see is still good advice today. Isaiah was talking about Jerusalem, but he also meant it for us. We just need to lift up our eyes to see Jesus Christ right in front of us. The prophet Isaiah promises us that we shall see and become radiant. Our hearts shall swell with joy. If all this will happen if we turn toward the light of Jesus Christ, then why don’t do it? Why don’t we see? The scripture implies that we are blind to the power of God. We are blind to God’s light. God’s light is there. We just need to open our eyes.
I’ve seen people receive their sight when they looked in faith after we’ve prayed. It was at the moment that they looked with the eyes of faith that they were able to see with their eyes. The blind had to believe that God could heal their blindness. They had to look with their eyes of faith before they could actually see. Some of the blind people received their sight at the moment that they thanked Jesus for their sight BEFORE the blindness was healed by God.
I believe that we must use our eyes of faith to be able to see God’s light. Are we blind to God or do we just not lift up our eyes around us and see God? The result of being able to see with the eyes of faith is for our heart to swell with joy. It doesn’t say that we will have joy. Isaiah says our hearts will SWELL with joy. Have we ever experienced a time in our lives when our hearts swell with joy? I can imagine times in my life that were close to having my heart swell with joy. A few of those times were when Susan agreed to marry me and when our children were born. I’ve had joy when God has used me in a powerful way. I’ve had joy when I’ve felt God’s presence. I’ve felt joy when I felt God’s protection and blessings.
Take a moment and try to imagine what it would feel like to have so much joy that our hearts swell. Our hearts would swell so big that we wouldn’t have room for pain and grief.
Can you imagine being able to have so much joy on this side of heaven? That is what Isaiah is trying to describe. Lift up your eyes and see the promise of our hearts bursting with joy.
Second, we have to open our ears to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mark 1:14-15 says: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” The first point is to open our eyes to see the light of Jesus Christ. The second point is to open our ears to hear the gospel preached by Jesus Christ. We have to look up. Repent means to turn. Repent means we have to stop what we’ve been doing and completely change our ways. We have to turn toward God, look for God, hear God’s message, and finally believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Third, we have to answer God’s call. Mark 1:16-20 says: “And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.
And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.
At this point, we’ve looked toward the light of Jesus Christ. Our eyes are opened to the glory of God. We’ve turned toward God. Our heads are looking up. Our eyes are opening. Our hearts are filling with the joy of God. Our minds are opening to hear the gospel. We are becoming faithful and we believing in God. We are ready to hear the gospel message of Jesus Christ.
The message is very simple that Jesus said to Simon and Andrew. It was “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” This is the opposite of a lot of sermons today. His message was short and sweet.
Fourth, we have to imagine the expanse of God’s love. We can start imagining with Ephesians 3:1-20. “We pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that we may be strengthened in our inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith, as we are being rooted and grounded in love. We pray that we have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that we may be filled with the fullness of God.
Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be the glory and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Rex Brown read this scripture from Ephesians. He used it to describe his experience on a mission trip to Ghana in 2006. The scripture touched me then and it still moves me now. It asks us to pray for the power to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Jesus Christ. We’ve experienced love in our lives, but this scripture indicates that God’s love is so much bigger than what we can imagine. The fullness of God is powerful. We can accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine with the Holy Spirit working within us. This scripture also indicates that God will gives us more than we can even ask for ourselves.
Ephesians describes what will happen to us if we open our eyes and follow God’s call. We will experience joy, God’s fullness, God’s grace, and blessings by turning our hearts toward and serving Him.
I’ve seen people receive their sight when they looked in faith after we’ve prayed. It was at the moment that they looked with the eyes of faith that they were able to see with their eyes. The blind had to believe that God could heal their blindness. They had to look with their eyes of faith before they could actually see. Some of the blind people received their sight at the moment that they thanked Jesus for their sight BEFORE the blindness was healed by God.
I believe that we must use our eyes of faith to be able to see God’s light. Are we blind to God or do we just not lift up our eyes around us and see God? The result of being able to see with the eyes of faith is for our heart to swell with joy. It doesn’t say that we will have joy. Isaiah says our hearts will SWELL with joy. Have we ever experienced a time in our lives when our hearts swell with joy? I can imagine times in my life that were close to having my heart swell with joy. A few of those times were when Susan agreed to marry me and when our children were born. I’ve had joy when God has used me in a powerful way. I’ve had joy when I’ve felt God’s presence. I’ve felt joy when I felt God’s protection and blessings.
Take a moment and try to imagine what it would feel like to have so much joy that our hearts swell. Our hearts would swell so big that we wouldn’t have room for pain and grief.
Can you imagine being able to have so much joy on this side of heaven? That is what Isaiah is trying to describe. Lift up your eyes and see the promise of our hearts bursting with joy.
Second, we have to open our ears to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mark 1:14-15 says: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” The first point is to open our eyes to see the light of Jesus Christ. The second point is to open our ears to hear the gospel preached by Jesus Christ. We have to look up. Repent means to turn. Repent means we have to stop what we’ve been doing and completely change our ways. We have to turn toward God, look for God, hear God’s message, and finally believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Third, we have to answer God’s call. Mark 1:16-20 says: “And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.
And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.
At this point, we’ve looked toward the light of Jesus Christ. Our eyes are opened to the glory of God. We’ve turned toward God. Our heads are looking up. Our eyes are opening. Our hearts are filling with the joy of God. Our minds are opening to hear the gospel. We are becoming faithful and we believing in God. We are ready to hear the gospel message of Jesus Christ.
The message is very simple that Jesus said to Simon and Andrew. It was “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” This is the opposite of a lot of sermons today. His message was short and sweet.
Fourth, we have to imagine the expanse of God’s love. We can start imagining with Ephesians 3:1-20. “We pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that we may be strengthened in our inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith, as we are being rooted and grounded in love. We pray that we have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that we may be filled with the fullness of God.
Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be the glory and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Rex Brown read this scripture from Ephesians. He used it to describe his experience on a mission trip to Ghana in 2006. The scripture touched me then and it still moves me now. It asks us to pray for the power to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Jesus Christ. We’ve experienced love in our lives, but this scripture indicates that God’s love is so much bigger than what we can imagine. The fullness of God is powerful. We can accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine with the Holy Spirit working within us. This scripture also indicates that God will gives us more than we can even ask for ourselves.
Ephesians describes what will happen to us if we open our eyes and follow God’s call. We will experience joy, God’s fullness, God’s grace, and blessings by turning our hearts toward and serving Him.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
The Wise Men
Merry Christmas!
It has been nice having Missy home for Christmas. She is leaving next week to take the bus down to Orlando with the marching band for the Orange Bowl game. I’ve eaten too much turkey and stuffing. I preached a funeral for a woman who got her Christmas wish to go to heaven for Christmas. She was 96 years old! Her name was Ernestine Davis.
I’m touched by the story of the three wise men or magi who saw the Christmas Star and traveled to see the Christ child. The Bible mentions them briefly. Matthew 2:1-12 tells the story of the Visit of the Magi.
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
These few scriptures tell us a lot. The magi studied the scriptures like Isaiah 61 which we will read later. They learned that a messiah would be born who would be the King of the Jews. They did more than just study. They took action. They learned what to expect when Jesus was born. They prepared themselves so that they would be ready to make the journey to see the Christ child. We don’t know who they were, where they came from, and even their religious background.
We don’t have their names. The Bible doesn’t really tell us that there were even three wise men. Tradition places the number at three wise men because three gifts were given to the baby Jesus. They were not Jewish priests and they came from afar. Historians believe that they were from Persia or modern day Iran. Israelites were exiled to Persia as documented in Daniel’s exile story. Scholars were also exiled who would have brought the Hebrew Scriptures with them. We also know that they were men, because women would’ve found the Christ child without having to stop to ask directions from so many people. They probably stopped at every street corner to ask directions which got the attention of the first King Herod.
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'
King Herod was afraid that his reign as ruler was threatened. He was king because of the Roman authority. Jesus was just an infant, but he had God’s authority. Jesus was foretold to be the shepherd of the people of Israel. The quote here is from Micah 5:2. The word ruler indicates someone who will be harsh king, but the term shepherd clarifies that Jesus will be a king of peace and love who looks after his flock.
"Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
King Herod wanted to learn about the Christ child, but it was for a selfish reason. He wanted to preserve his kingdom. King Herod rebuilt the temple built by Solomon. King Herod spent his time building a big, beautiful temple. He hired a lot of priests and lawyers to make sure that people obeyed the Jewish law. King Herod looked good, he smelled good, but his heart was not into worshipping God. King Herod was focused on the things of this world – wealth, power, prestige, big monuments to himself, and a future for his sons to become king after him.
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of frankincense and of myrrh.
The wise men were overjoyed to see the signs of baby Jesus. The wise men actually bowed down and worshipped Jesus. Here’s a key phrase. They opened their treasures and presented Jesus with gifts. We need to open up our treasures and present Jesus with gifts. Are we willing to open up our earthly treasures? Are we willing to worship Jesus instead of following the example of King Herod? King Herod was threatened by a messiah given to us by God. The Christ child is born in Bethlehem. We can choose to look for the signs that show us the way to Jesus Christ or we can put our eyes onto early treasures.
And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”
The final verse is a warning to the wise men to avoid the ways of King Herod. Not only did the wise men listen, but they acted on that warning. Are we going to go back to our old way or are we going to return to God using a new way?
We have to be careful that we worship God in church instead of worshiping the church as a God. King Herod was building physical monuments to God, but he forgot that he was a servant of God first. King Herod did not have a place in his heart for the Christ Child. In fact, he killed an entire generation of baby boys so that he could be assured that the Christ Child was dead.
It has been nice having Missy home for Christmas. She is leaving next week to take the bus down to Orlando with the marching band for the Orange Bowl game. I’ve eaten too much turkey and stuffing. I preached a funeral for a woman who got her Christmas wish to go to heaven for Christmas. She was 96 years old! Her name was Ernestine Davis.
I’m touched by the story of the three wise men or magi who saw the Christmas Star and traveled to see the Christ child. The Bible mentions them briefly. Matthew 2:1-12 tells the story of the Visit of the Magi.
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
These few scriptures tell us a lot. The magi studied the scriptures like Isaiah 61 which we will read later. They learned that a messiah would be born who would be the King of the Jews. They did more than just study. They took action. They learned what to expect when Jesus was born. They prepared themselves so that they would be ready to make the journey to see the Christ child. We don’t know who they were, where they came from, and even their religious background.
We don’t have their names. The Bible doesn’t really tell us that there were even three wise men. Tradition places the number at three wise men because three gifts were given to the baby Jesus. They were not Jewish priests and they came from afar. Historians believe that they were from Persia or modern day Iran. Israelites were exiled to Persia as documented in Daniel’s exile story. Scholars were also exiled who would have brought the Hebrew Scriptures with them. We also know that they were men, because women would’ve found the Christ child without having to stop to ask directions from so many people. They probably stopped at every street corner to ask directions which got the attention of the first King Herod.
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'
King Herod was afraid that his reign as ruler was threatened. He was king because of the Roman authority. Jesus was just an infant, but he had God’s authority. Jesus was foretold to be the shepherd of the people of Israel. The quote here is from Micah 5:2. The word ruler indicates someone who will be harsh king, but the term shepherd clarifies that Jesus will be a king of peace and love who looks after his flock.
"Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
King Herod wanted to learn about the Christ child, but it was for a selfish reason. He wanted to preserve his kingdom. King Herod rebuilt the temple built by Solomon. King Herod spent his time building a big, beautiful temple. He hired a lot of priests and lawyers to make sure that people obeyed the Jewish law. King Herod looked good, he smelled good, but his heart was not into worshipping God. King Herod was focused on the things of this world – wealth, power, prestige, big monuments to himself, and a future for his sons to become king after him.
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of frankincense and of myrrh.
The wise men were overjoyed to see the signs of baby Jesus. The wise men actually bowed down and worshipped Jesus. Here’s a key phrase. They opened their treasures and presented Jesus with gifts. We need to open up our treasures and present Jesus with gifts. Are we willing to open up our earthly treasures? Are we willing to worship Jesus instead of following the example of King Herod? King Herod was threatened by a messiah given to us by God. The Christ child is born in Bethlehem. We can choose to look for the signs that show us the way to Jesus Christ or we can put our eyes onto early treasures.
And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”
The final verse is a warning to the wise men to avoid the ways of King Herod. Not only did the wise men listen, but they acted on that warning. Are we going to go back to our old way or are we going to return to God using a new way?
We have to be careful that we worship God in church instead of worshiping the church as a God. King Herod was building physical monuments to God, but he forgot that he was a servant of God first. King Herod did not have a place in his heart for the Christ Child. In fact, he killed an entire generation of baby boys so that he could be assured that the Christ Child was dead.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Who is Jesus?
Our first scripture is from Isaiah 35:1-10. It describes the change that takes place when Jesus Christ blesses a place and what the place is like without God’s presence in a place.
“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
Who is Jesus? That was the question that John the Baptist wanted to know when he was in prison. Jesus also asked his disciples “Who do you say that I am?” The Bible takes a lot of time to explain, describe, and show who Jesus Christ was, is, and will be.
I think it is useful to start at the beginning with John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
There’s a lot of detail in those few words. First, it tells us that Jesus is the Word. The Word is scripture, our Bible. It also says that Jesus was with God in the beginning. Through Jesus all things were made. It says that without Jesus nothing would be made. Jesus is life. It is so simple. Jesus is life. It also says that Jesus shines in the darkness. There’s two ways to think about darkness. The first, is the darkness that covered the earth because of an absence of the sun, moon, and the stars. The other, is the spiritual darkness that exists because of an absence of the Son of God.
I’ve preached in places that were in spiritual darkness. I’ve preached that Jesus Christ is the light of this world. That his light will shine in the darkness. In fact, I preached under a big tree at night with just a kerosene lantern in a place that was totally dark both physically and spiritually. [Tell the story of preaching in Diani in 2006] Africa is the dark continent because there’s very few lights on after dark.
The light of Jesus Christ is the light of faith, hope, and love. The darkness will never understand faith, hope, love, and peace. The darkness only knows fear, evil, lies, death, and sin. It is important for us this Christmas season to understand who Jesus Christ is to us personally and as a people.
In Matthew 16:15-20 Jesus asked “But what about you? Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." In Mark 8:27-29 , the disciples replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." "But what about you?" Jesus asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
Jesus wanted his disciples to understand who he was. Peter says that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus also explains that Peter’s knowledge requires Peter to know about the Father to understand the Son. Jesus is also explaining that Jesus is the church. Jesus is the body of Christian believers. Later, Jesus also states that you need to know the Son in order to know God the Father.
Ok. So, let’s talk about what we know about Jesus so far:
- Jesus is the Son of God
- Jesus is the Word
- Jesus is the Church
- Jesus is the light of this World.
- Jesus can shine in the darkness
- Jesus is the Creator. He was with God in the beginning
- Jesus is love.
- Jesus is the Son of the Virgin Mary.
- Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi – a pastor
- Jesus was a Teacher
- Jesus was a Preacher
We also know that Jesus brought the love of God to us so that we might be able to grasp the love of God in a personal way. Romans 8:39 says “Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That is just another way to say that Jesus Christ Loves this world. Shouldn’t we be looking for Christ’s love at Christmas time?
The next fact is that Jesus is our salvation. We know that from Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” We just need to believe and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord in our lives. We need to ask in prayer for God to reveal Jesus to us.
First Corinthians 8:6 talks about the relationship between God the father and God the Son: “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” The baptism of Jesus by John Baptist also sheds some light on the Holy Trinity. In Matthew 3:16-17, it says “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
We talk about believing in the Father, and in the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. It is hard to understand that God is the trinity and yet we worship just one God. I think of God the Father as God in Heaven who is all powerful and all knowing. I think of Jesus Christ as my best friend who can pick me up when I’m weak. I think of the Holy Spirit as God’s helper who is within me and making me a better man. God is all powerful and all knowing. God can take whatever form he needs to enable us to know Him better. God uses the trinity to show his love. In fact, the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Christ Jesus himself is the chief cornerstone of our church and our lives. The cornerstone is the one stone that is essential to have a strong building. Jesus is our cornerstone. The Apostle Paul spent a lot of time talking about Jesus Christ, In Ephesians 3:4-13, Paul writes In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Ok, what is Paul talking about in Ephesians? Paul tells us that Jesus helps us to approach God with freedom and confidence. We are better able to understand God because Jesus was flesh and blood like us. Jesus lived like us. Jesus was tempted like us. Jesus was someone that we could understand because God sent Jesus to us to explain the mysteries of God.
Matthew 11: says: After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: " 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Matthew 16:21-23 says: From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
Philippians 2:1-11 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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