Everybody seems to have answers . . .we analyze . . .we explain more than we know . . . but the fact is only One Person sees the whole picture, and He has given us a prayer which we know so well we sometimes pray it and don't hear what we are praying . . . or worse, we sing our ditties and pray our extemporaneous prayers and never come to grips with what Jesus told us:
PRAY THIS WAY!!!
OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN . . .
HALLOWED BE THY NAME!
THY KINGDOM COME !
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN !
We need to pray this together ... in our churches . . . pray it in our homes . . . pray it from our hearts!
Then...it is all right to ask:
GIVE US TODAY WHAT WE NEED TO BE ALL YOU WANT US TO BE !
FORGIVE US OUR SINS AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US !
LEAD US!
dELIVER US FROM EVIL!
What if we all did what Jesus said we shoudl do?
I hear the call to prayer from different, even surprising directions these days . . . before we rush off to save the world in our own puny strength . . . before our civilization slips into hell . . . can we join together and pray the prayer we know by heart until from our hearts we truly pray that prayer?
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Diana and Teresa . . . that week in September
September 7, 1997
Good News! There's Hope!
THE OUTSIDER
Mark 7:24-30 The Syro-Phoenician woman with a daughter
distressed with an unclean spirit.
This has been a week we will remember a long, long time. The
death of the Princess of Wales has caught the attention of many
millions of people around the world. At the outpouring of words that
immediately followed the news of Diana's death, I think I was most
impressed that Mother Teresa of Calcutta had loved Diana, and had
said, among other things, that Diana "was in love with the poor" of
the world. And then Friday afternoon we heard: Mother Teresa was
gone!
Two women, so very different-- one 37, and tall and stately and
beautiful-- one 87, and tiny and wrinkled and, yes, beautiful, too, in
her own wonderful way. One born to great riches, and living in the
glare of the spotlight. One with absolutely nothing of this world's
goods to call her own, under a vow of chastity, poverty, obedience,
and of service to the poor.
[[[Diana Frances Spencer was born on the first of July 1961, just
over 36 years ago and married Charles Philip Arthur George, the Prince
of Wales, in a spectacular wedding in St. Paul's Cathedral on July 29,
1981. Mother Teresa was born, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on the 27th of
August 1910 to Albanian parents in what was then Serbia. She was
called "Mother" but was a nun for 69 years. ]]]
Two women very different-- and yet both of them remembered with
love for one thing: they made the people they met feel valued and
respected. They somehow carried the message: "Whoever you are, you
matter!" And in so far as they carried that message, they were
messengers of truth. This world is starved for genuine love. We need
to hear the message "You are a person of worth! You matter!"
The first message that God wants this world to hear is that same
message: YOU MATTER TO GOD! Before they can really understand
anything else of spiritual worth, they need to know that God cares
about who we are and how we live.
It may not be the first message the church thinks the world
needs. We begin with Lesson Two or Lesson Three. We attack the evils
of our culture, and get wrapped up in boycotts and legislation, and no
doubt there is a place for all of that and much, much more. (After
all, Mother Teresa took every occasion she could to speak out against
abortion. But first she paid her dues; first she saw in every face
she met the image of God-- her base from which she worked was: YOU
MATTER TO GOD!) We tell the world "Change the way you're living, and
God will accept you, and you will be saved!" We say, "Confess your
sins-- and turn to Jesus and be saved!" and of course this is the very
heart of what we are here for-- but first, "Lesson ONE" is the message
the world needs to hear: God cares about you! You matter! You are of
worth to Him!
It seems so simple, perhaps. We've heard it so many times. But
the fact is, there are times when we need to hear this first word
again. But if we, who know our Bibles, and know something of God's
love need this, how much more people who have never met Jesus Christ
need to hear the good news of strong hope-- that God loves them, and
that THEY MATTER TO GOD!
In the gospel lesson today a woman, a foreigner, heard that Jesus
was nearby, in the coastal town of Tyre. This woman was an outsider
so far as the pious Jews were concerned. She had two big strikes
against her, maybe even three. She was a woman in a society where all
the religious leaders were male; she was a Syrophoenecian, a sort of
half-breed foreigner who was despised by the pure orthodox Hebrews.
This woman had a daughter in deep trouble, deep spiritual trouble.
This outsider thought she saw in Jesus that same quality we have
been speaking about-- the love and respect for all people that drew
people to Diana and Mother Teresa. Jesus had actually crossed a
political and religious boundary in entering Tyre, a city in Gentile
territory. It seems as though Jesus was trying to get a little down
time-- a tiny vacation, but it doesn't work and people flood in to
ask for his help.
The Syrophoenecian woman came to where Jesus was trying to rest,
and she watched for a while as people came and went, and saw his
kindness and power and healing compassion. Then she, too, asks for
help with those who are breaking into his time of rest.
Mark doesn't tell us, but Matthew does, that this woman was
noisily bothering the disciples and that they wanted Jesus to send her
away. He doesn't do that however, and I wonder if maybe the
interesting interchange between Jesus and the woman is more for the
disciples (read "us") than it was for the woman.
But this "outsider" saw what we all will see if we will look and
live-- she saw that no one who ever came to Jesus was turned away,
except those who came in hypocrisy to defeat Him. By his own words we
know "The one that comes to me I will in no way (ever) cast out!"
This "outsider" saw that compassion, and dared to ask for help. And
she found that she mattered to God. She got the help she needed.
YOU MATTER TO GOD! That is Good News!
Do you really believe that? You don't have to break down doors
and try to persuade God you are worthy to be loved by him. He loves
you just as you are! He cares about you! He wants to come into your
life and brings HIS HOPE to bear on all that you are and do.
YOUR NEIGHBOR MATTERS TO GOD!
How are you going to tell him/her? Probably imperfectly, if
you're like the rest of us. But it will begin with an attitude.
James has some suggestions in our epistle lesson. He tells us
that we had better stop deciding who is "in" and who is "out." He
says if a person with money starts attending, and we act as though she
matters more than another person who is poor, we are missing the
message: you matter to God.
Don't get me wrong-- rich people need to hear this message, too.
Don't despise your neighbor because he may have more than you do. The
message is the same: you matter to God!
Conclusion:
Not one of us here will ever catch the attention of the entire
world like Diana or Mother Teresa. We won't have the spotlight in
which to tell people that they count, they are important. We probably
can be thankful that we don't.
But we will all have the privilege, first of all, to know that
fact for ourselves. IN JESUS CHRIST WE HAVE A DOOR TO AN ETERNAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD! We matter! We are as important to God as
anyone who ever lived!
And then we have the privilege and the duty to begin where we can
by spreading the word far and near: YOU matter to God! You are NOT an
"outsider" to him! That is the message of our church! Will you help
tell it this week?
Good News! There's Hope!
THE OUTSIDER
Mark 7:24-30 The Syro-Phoenician woman with a daughter
distressed with an unclean spirit.
This has been a week we will remember a long, long time. The
death of the Princess of Wales has caught the attention of many
millions of people around the world. At the outpouring of words that
immediately followed the news of Diana's death, I think I was most
impressed that Mother Teresa of Calcutta had loved Diana, and had
said, among other things, that Diana "was in love with the poor" of
the world. And then Friday afternoon we heard: Mother Teresa was
gone!
Two women, so very different-- one 37, and tall and stately and
beautiful-- one 87, and tiny and wrinkled and, yes, beautiful, too, in
her own wonderful way. One born to great riches, and living in the
glare of the spotlight. One with absolutely nothing of this world's
goods to call her own, under a vow of chastity, poverty, obedience,
and of service to the poor.
[[[Diana Frances Spencer was born on the first of July 1961, just
over 36 years ago and married Charles Philip Arthur George, the Prince
of Wales, in a spectacular wedding in St. Paul's Cathedral on July 29,
1981. Mother Teresa was born, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on the 27th of
August 1910 to Albanian parents in what was then Serbia. She was
called "Mother" but was a nun for 69 years. ]]]
Two women very different-- and yet both of them remembered with
love for one thing: they made the people they met feel valued and
respected. They somehow carried the message: "Whoever you are, you
matter!" And in so far as they carried that message, they were
messengers of truth. This world is starved for genuine love. We need
to hear the message "You are a person of worth! You matter!"
The first message that God wants this world to hear is that same
message: YOU MATTER TO GOD! Before they can really understand
anything else of spiritual worth, they need to know that God cares
about who we are and how we live.
It may not be the first message the church thinks the world
needs. We begin with Lesson Two or Lesson Three. We attack the evils
of our culture, and get wrapped up in boycotts and legislation, and no
doubt there is a place for all of that and much, much more. (After
all, Mother Teresa took every occasion she could to speak out against
abortion. But first she paid her dues; first she saw in every face
she met the image of God-- her base from which she worked was: YOU
MATTER TO GOD!) We tell the world "Change the way you're living, and
God will accept you, and you will be saved!" We say, "Confess your
sins-- and turn to Jesus and be saved!" and of course this is the very
heart of what we are here for-- but first, "Lesson ONE" is the message
the world needs to hear: God cares about you! You matter! You are of
worth to Him!
It seems so simple, perhaps. We've heard it so many times. But
the fact is, there are times when we need to hear this first word
again. But if we, who know our Bibles, and know something of God's
love need this, how much more people who have never met Jesus Christ
need to hear the good news of strong hope-- that God loves them, and
that THEY MATTER TO GOD!
In the gospel lesson today a woman, a foreigner, heard that Jesus
was nearby, in the coastal town of Tyre. This woman was an outsider
so far as the pious Jews were concerned. She had two big strikes
against her, maybe even three. She was a woman in a society where all
the religious leaders were male; she was a Syrophoenecian, a sort of
half-breed foreigner who was despised by the pure orthodox Hebrews.
This woman had a daughter in deep trouble, deep spiritual trouble.
This outsider thought she saw in Jesus that same quality we have
been speaking about-- the love and respect for all people that drew
people to Diana and Mother Teresa. Jesus had actually crossed a
political and religious boundary in entering Tyre, a city in Gentile
territory. It seems as though Jesus was trying to get a little down
time-- a tiny vacation, but it doesn't work and people flood in to
ask for his help.
The Syrophoenecian woman came to where Jesus was trying to rest,
and she watched for a while as people came and went, and saw his
kindness and power and healing compassion. Then she, too, asks for
help with those who are breaking into his time of rest.
Mark doesn't tell us, but Matthew does, that this woman was
noisily bothering the disciples and that they wanted Jesus to send her
away. He doesn't do that however, and I wonder if maybe the
interesting interchange between Jesus and the woman is more for the
disciples (read "us") than it was for the woman.
But this "outsider" saw what we all will see if we will look and
live-- she saw that no one who ever came to Jesus was turned away,
except those who came in hypocrisy to defeat Him. By his own words we
know "The one that comes to me I will in no way (ever) cast out!"
This "outsider" saw that compassion, and dared to ask for help. And
she found that she mattered to God. She got the help she needed.
YOU MATTER TO GOD! That is Good News!
Do you really believe that? You don't have to break down doors
and try to persuade God you are worthy to be loved by him. He loves
you just as you are! He cares about you! He wants to come into your
life and brings HIS HOPE to bear on all that you are and do.
YOUR NEIGHBOR MATTERS TO GOD!
How are you going to tell him/her? Probably imperfectly, if
you're like the rest of us. But it will begin with an attitude.
James has some suggestions in our epistle lesson. He tells us
that we had better stop deciding who is "in" and who is "out." He
says if a person with money starts attending, and we act as though she
matters more than another person who is poor, we are missing the
message: you matter to God.
Don't get me wrong-- rich people need to hear this message, too.
Don't despise your neighbor because he may have more than you do. The
message is the same: you matter to God!
Conclusion:
Not one of us here will ever catch the attention of the entire
world like Diana or Mother Teresa. We won't have the spotlight in
which to tell people that they count, they are important. We probably
can be thankful that we don't.
But we will all have the privilege, first of all, to know that
fact for ourselves. IN JESUS CHRIST WE HAVE A DOOR TO AN ETERNAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD! We matter! We are as important to God as
anyone who ever lived!
And then we have the privilege and the duty to begin where we can
by spreading the word far and near: YOU matter to God! You are NOT an
"outsider" to him! That is the message of our church! Will you help
tell it this week?
Saturday, August 7, 2010
When Smart People answer Simple Questions
Process theology, as it appears to me, is the result of very smart people attempting to answer a question I have heard asked in innocence by much simpler, less well-trained minds:
Is God good?
Yes.
Is God strong?
Yes.
Is God stronger than the devil?
Yes.
Then if God is good and stronger than the devil why doesn’t God just kill the devil and be done with evil?
So we apply logic and human genius and presume to announce that God is . . .
Emerging church, as it appears to me, is the result of very sincere people beginning to see that behind and beyond and above all they have ever known is a God that loves them, and they come to believe they have discovered something so new that they must begin all over building the church from the ground up.
Emerging church…from where?
Who is building the church?
Where has the Builder been for 2,000 years?
Agreeable God! Never, ever says “No!” Grace for the asking, off-hand, even. God of excitement and good times. Who needs to study? Why split hairs over any doctrine? God of the beautiful, young and strong. Worship in cliché and celebration.
A caricature, perhaps, of homogenous worship.
But the challenge to sacrifice, to leave, and follow often is missing.
Old people like me-- who never have known anything but the church and hymns and scripture-- can and do get to thinking that while other Christian groups or understandings of the Way of salvation may stumble through because of grace, it is really WE who know the best. WE understand who God is and what God is REALLY “like.”
What all us sincere people have in common is the danger of “creating God in our image” . . . we know so much it is hard for God Himself to get through our (MY) dullness or ignorance or carnal pride or obscurantism to lead us onwaqrd and upward.
Elijah thought he was the last one left . . . and I sympathize--no, empathize with him in my weaker moments. I wonder what I can do to help my little corner of the church find its way.
Then I fall back into a promise
That if I can and do really believe that God IS
(not God is “like”, or God is “here”. Or God is (anything but God IS!)
..if I can believe God IS-- then I have a great gift! It is FAITH!
The rest of that promise is to take my gift of FAITH and diligently
Begin to SEEK God!
A very wise man and maybe one of the best preachers I ever knew said in a memorable sermon in a church I once pastored:
“I know God! Oh, I know God! He has saved me! He has forgiven my sins! God loves me!
“But sometimes it seems I hardly know Him at al!!”
He was saying that our lives are enriched as we seek God, seek to know Him and let Him know us to the depths of our beings.
I am concerned about many things. I want to do what I can to see God’s kingdom come and God’s will be done on earth. But I am convinced it begins and ends when people seek God diligently. It is so naïve to think thoughts like this, I know. But I’m beyond analyzing and seeking to provide answers. I need to know God. I want God to help me pray the Lord’s Prayer with you and with all who call Jesus “Lord”-- pray it all the way through!
Is God good?
Yes.
Is God strong?
Yes.
Is God stronger than the devil?
Yes.
Then if God is good and stronger than the devil why doesn’t God just kill the devil and be done with evil?
So we apply logic and human genius and presume to announce that God is . . .
Emerging church, as it appears to me, is the result of very sincere people beginning to see that behind and beyond and above all they have ever known is a God that loves them, and they come to believe they have discovered something so new that they must begin all over building the church from the ground up.
Emerging church…from where?
Who is building the church?
Where has the Builder been for 2,000 years?
Agreeable God! Never, ever says “No!” Grace for the asking, off-hand, even. God of excitement and good times. Who needs to study? Why split hairs over any doctrine? God of the beautiful, young and strong. Worship in cliché and celebration.
A caricature, perhaps, of homogenous worship.
But the challenge to sacrifice, to leave, and follow often is missing.
Old people like me-- who never have known anything but the church and hymns and scripture-- can and do get to thinking that while other Christian groups or understandings of the Way of salvation may stumble through because of grace, it is really WE who know the best. WE understand who God is and what God is REALLY “like.”
What all us sincere people have in common is the danger of “creating God in our image” . . . we know so much it is hard for God Himself to get through our (MY) dullness or ignorance or carnal pride or obscurantism to lead us onwaqrd and upward.
Elijah thought he was the last one left . . . and I sympathize--no, empathize with him in my weaker moments. I wonder what I can do to help my little corner of the church find its way.
Then I fall back into a promise
That if I can and do really believe that God IS
(not God is “like”, or God is “here”. Or God is (anything but God IS!)
..if I can believe God IS-- then I have a great gift! It is FAITH!
The rest of that promise is to take my gift of FAITH and diligently
Begin to SEEK God!
A very wise man and maybe one of the best preachers I ever knew said in a memorable sermon in a church I once pastored:
“I know God! Oh, I know God! He has saved me! He has forgiven my sins! God loves me!
“But sometimes it seems I hardly know Him at al!!”
He was saying that our lives are enriched as we seek God, seek to know Him and let Him know us to the depths of our beings.
I am concerned about many things. I want to do what I can to see God’s kingdom come and God’s will be done on earth. But I am convinced it begins and ends when people seek God diligently. It is so naïve to think thoughts like this, I know. But I’m beyond analyzing and seeking to provide answers. I need to know God. I want God to help me pray the Lord’s Prayer with you and with all who call Jesus “Lord”-- pray it all the way through!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
A SERIOUS QUESTION . . .
. . . the following question is one which should not be
avoided. [My problem sometimes is that people think I am exaggerating
when I'm serious, or think I'm serious when I am having fun and
exaggerating. I want absolutely no confusion here: I am as serious as
I know how to be!]
The question is: HOW REAL IS JESUS CHRIST TO YOU? If you, as
parent, role model, leader, have a "get-by" or "mediocre" friendship
with Jesus, and your prayer life is not an increasing push into the
adventure of the mystery of knowing God in Jesus Christ, then it is
likely that those watching you will not be excited about the faith
that you may well hold dear.
We need to talk with Jesus. We need to walk with Jesus, and tell
Him constantly how we are, what we are thinking. And then we need to
put at the top of our intercessory prayer list the people we do not
want to be separated from for all eternity!
avoided. [My problem sometimes is that people think I am exaggerating
when I'm serious, or think I'm serious when I am having fun and
exaggerating. I want absolutely no confusion here: I am as serious as
I know how to be!]
The question is: HOW REAL IS JESUS CHRIST TO YOU? If you, as
parent, role model, leader, have a "get-by" or "mediocre" friendship
with Jesus, and your prayer life is not an increasing push into the
adventure of the mystery of knowing God in Jesus Christ, then it is
likely that those watching you will not be excited about the faith
that you may well hold dear.
We need to talk with Jesus. We need to walk with Jesus, and tell
Him constantly how we are, what we are thinking. And then we need to
put at the top of our intercessory prayer list the people we do not
want to be separated from for all eternity!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The WORD of God ..the Word of God..where God's WORD lives
Colossians 3:16
The WORD of God . . . the Word of God . . . where God's Word Lives . . .
"It has become a family story..."
Ben went to the doctor who lifted his shirt and listened to his heart
with a stethoscope.
"What are you doing?" asked little Ben.
"I'm listening to your heart," was the reply.
"Jesus is in there, " said Ben, matter-of-factly.
"I think I hear Him," said the doctor with a smile.
My young grandson Ben's statement to the doctor: "God is in
there!" comes close to summing up what genuine Christian faith can be:
God in US! … incarnational faith!
Paul says in Colosians: Let the word dwell in you richly!
WHAT IS THE WORD OF GOD ??
The Bible? The Bible is God's WRITTEN Word. It is probably the first thing
that comes to mind, especially for those of us brought up in the
Christian church. We believe that the Bible is God's revealed Word on
salvation. It is a great and good thing to have the words of the
Bible hidden in our hearts. But the Bible is the written Word that tells us of the WORD.
JESUS CHRIST is God's WORD. He is the LIVING Word. John in the
Prologue to his Gospel says, "In the beginning was the WORD!" The
text says "Let the WORD dwell in you!" To have the WORD in us is more
than Bible memorization: the living WORD can come and live within us!
In Ephesians 3:17, a similar passage, instead of saying "Let the Word
dwell in you.." Paul says "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith.."
But with Jesus Christ LIVING-- ALIVE in you and in me... WE the CHURCH-- become THE WORD INCARNATE!
Three great miracles of INCARNATION
-- the Bible, which exists to testify of
the WORD,
and the Church (made up of born-again believers)-- speak to a world that
is hungry for God.
It is our task to abide in Jesus, the WORD, and to let His WORDS
abide in us-- and then we can share in His mission to let the world
come to know God:
We are called to be HOLY; not simply so that we can bask in our
goodness, but so that Christ can indwell us, and speak of His love and
righteousness and grace to a world that wants to know God!
We are given what is necessary for us to live this CHOSEN life:
God's peace; His Word; and His great name-- the name of Jesus!
Into the Privilege of Christ’s Presence in the Sacrament of Communion
As we Invite the Living WORD to abide in us!
The WORD of God . . . the Word of God . . . where God's Word Lives . . .
"It has become a family story..."
Ben went to the doctor who lifted his shirt and listened to his heart
with a stethoscope.
"What are you doing?" asked little Ben.
"I'm listening to your heart," was the reply.
"Jesus is in there, " said Ben, matter-of-factly.
"I think I hear Him," said the doctor with a smile.
My young grandson Ben's statement to the doctor: "God is in
there!" comes close to summing up what genuine Christian faith can be:
God in US! … incarnational faith!
Paul says in Colosians: Let the word dwell in you richly!
WHAT IS THE WORD OF GOD ??
The Bible? The Bible is God's WRITTEN Word. It is probably the first thing
that comes to mind, especially for those of us brought up in the
Christian church. We believe that the Bible is God's revealed Word on
salvation. It is a great and good thing to have the words of the
Bible hidden in our hearts. But the Bible is the written Word that tells us of the WORD.
JESUS CHRIST is God's WORD. He is the LIVING Word. John in the
Prologue to his Gospel says, "In the beginning was the WORD!" The
text says "Let the WORD dwell in you!" To have the WORD in us is more
than Bible memorization: the living WORD can come and live within us!
In Ephesians 3:17, a similar passage, instead of saying "Let the Word
dwell in you.." Paul says "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith.."
But with Jesus Christ LIVING-- ALIVE in you and in me... WE the CHURCH-- become THE WORD INCARNATE!
Three great miracles of INCARNATION
-- the Bible, which exists to testify of
the WORD,
and the Church (made up of born-again believers)-- speak to a world that
is hungry for God.
It is our task to abide in Jesus, the WORD, and to let His WORDS
abide in us-- and then we can share in His mission to let the world
come to know God:
We are called to be HOLY; not simply so that we can bask in our
goodness, but so that Christ can indwell us, and speak of His love and
righteousness and grace to a world that wants to know God!
We are given what is necessary for us to live this CHOSEN life:
God's peace; His Word; and His great name-- the name of Jesus!
Into the Privilege of Christ’s Presence in the Sacrament of Communion
As we Invite the Living WORD to abide in us!
Listening . . .
. . . Sometimes it seems the hardest thing to do to be quiet enough to hear God speak. And it is a mystery how He gets through to us when He answers our prayers. Hebrews 11:6 promises us that God is the Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
. . . The faith to believe God IS is itself a gift. The insight that God is GOOD is also a gift, because the way we look at things often tries to "see God" where WE expect and how WE "know" He should act. That is His business. But the diligence . . . the persistence . . . the listening, that is my part! I'm willing. And if I somehow am not in synch, or not really willing, by an act of will I say
"I am willing to be made willing!"
". . .No holds barred, no qualification-- Lord, I'm listening! I love YOU!
"Yes!"
. . . The faith to believe God IS is itself a gift. The insight that God is GOOD is also a gift, because the way we look at things often tries to "see God" where WE expect and how WE "know" He should act. That is His business. But the diligence . . . the persistence . . . the listening, that is my part! I'm willing. And if I somehow am not in synch, or not really willing, by an act of will I say
"I am willing to be made willing!"
". . .No holds barred, no qualification-- Lord, I'm listening! I love YOU!
"Yes!"
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Romans 7 & 8 "Too simple??"
OBEYING THE HIGHER LAW Romans 7,8Lesson: Romans 7: (12) so then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. ... (14) For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. ... (16) ...I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good. (21) I find then a principle (law) that evil is present with me- the one who wishes to do good. For I joyfully concur with the Law of God in the inner man, (23) but I see A DIFFERENT LAW in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. (25) With my mind (I am) serving the law of God, but ... with my flesh the law of sin. Romans 8:2 ..the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.The Story of Naaman and Elisha It was all going very well indeed. The career was ahead ofschedule- there had been victory after victory, and promotion afterpromotion, and now Naaman had been made Chief of Staff and General ofGenerals. He was on top of his world! Then-- he noticed a few strange sensations in his hands; he sawsome white spots on his wrist. After a few days he went to see thedoctor. He was shocked by the report! The report was: "You are aleper!" This statement, this diagnosis changed all of Naaman's life.It was a death sentence! Sooner or later it would become commonknowledge, and he would be shunned, outcast, and the result wascertain deformity and death! The Bible says, "Naaman was a greatman-- BUT he was a leper!" But what makes this story worth telling is that even though thispagan general had a sure sentence of death, and by all the laws ofnature was doomed to die, HE HEARD A WORD OF HOPE, A MESSAGE ABOUT AHIGHER LAW. This word of HOPE came from the most unlikely place! It camefrom a little slave girl-- a little girl from Israel that had beencaptured in one of Naaman's conquests. The little girl evidentlycared about Naaman, and she said to her mistress-- "I WISH NAAMAN COULD GO TO ISRAEL-- THERE IS A MAN THERE WHOKNOWS GOD-- AND WHO COULD CURE HIM OF HIS LEPROSY!" It wasn't much-- but when you are desperate you don't need muchto send you looking. The little girl told her mistress and themistress told Naaman and Naaman told the King of Aram-- and the kingsaid, "GO FOR IT!" So Naaman, the conqueror of nations, the general of generals,takes a small caravan of valuables and heads for Samaria and the Kingof Israel. When Naaman arrived in Samaria, the capital city of the NorthernKingdom, he wasted no time. He went right to the top! When he gotthrough stating his reason for coming, King Jehoram (wicked Ahab'swicked son) was absolutely beside himself. "I'VE COME TO ISRAEL BECAUSE I'VE HEARD YOU HAVE A CURE FORLEPROSY!" Everyone knew that there is no cure for leprosy, but here stoodthe general of one of Israel's traditional enemies, making animpossible request. Naaman was a fearsome sight to all the neighborsof Aram, and Israel in particular. "AM I GOD?" asked the king to his subjects. "WHO DOES THISRAVING MANIAC LEPER FROM SYRIA THINK I AM? HE IS SIMPLY PICKING AFIGHT WITH US! HE INTENDS TO DESTROY ISRAEL!" Naaman, for his part, was in no mood to fight or argue. Hedidn't think there was much hope, anyway. He simply gave the word andthe caravan wheeled about and turned to go back toward the north andeast. Just about that time a man came running through the crowd. Hisname was Gehazi, and he was the servant of Elisha the Tishbite, aprophet of God. [ Now Elisha was not exactly well-accepted at court. His styleof worship was obsolete, and his idea of direct contact with God wasnot too sophisticated. And Elisha was not always civil to KingJehoram! But somehow Elisha had got word of the king's problem, andso he had sent his servant with a message to the king. ] "SEND THE GENERAL OVER TO ME!" It took the king about ten seconds to decide that sendingGeneral Naaman to the prophet would be a good idea. He didn't knowwhere the prophet lived, but Gehazi was willing to guide him. So theentourage turned and left the palace. When they arrived at the home of the prophet Gehazi went in andfound Elisha. I think Elisha was in the back garden. [Elijah was a rugged man, an outdoorsman, fond of camel skincoats and honey and locusts. But Elisha was a city person, smooth andcivilized, and yet not one bit less fearless or straightforward thanhis illustrious teacher had been. He was not over-awed by the power ofAram's armed might outside his doorway. He did not need to satisfyany personal curiosity.] Elisha sent word by the servant, and never himself spoke a wordto Naaman: "GO AND WASH IN THE JORDAN SEVEN TIMES AND YOUR FLESH SHALL BERESTORED TO YOU AND YOU SHALL BE CLEAN." "There it is! Take it or leave it! You are offered healing- - atthe price of obedience and faith in God! At the price of doing as youare bidden, not as you think you ought to do!" The Bible says, But Naaman was furious and went away and said, "Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage. (5:11-12)"IT'S TOO SIMPLE! IT'S TOO HUMBLING!" The message of finding the higher law is not unique to thisstory. That message is that WHEN WE COME TO THE END OF HUMANRESOURCES, IF WE WILL ACCEPT HIM ON HIS TERMS THERE IS GOD! We may think that we have life pretty much under control-- andyet we discover that we are sinners! Like Naaman, we are undersentence of death! The wages of willful sin is death! We seek help for the symptoms of our sinfulness- the damage itdoes to our lives. We go to church-- we ask for help in many acceptedchannels and we hear things like: (1) Sin is an outdated concept. There really isn't any sin anymore-- it is a combination of our environment and our inheritance. Wehave received a bad deal from our parents. Whatever feels good is allright to do. But somehow we KNOW that we are on a collision course with a justand holy God-- and that we are not prepared. or... (2) We are offered various human therapies which are helpful asfar as they go, but which can not reach to the depths of the real needof our lives, which is freedom from the power and guilt andcondemnation of sin. We are not just people who sin-- we are SINNERS! And THEN-- we hear the simple Gospel message: The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, shed on the Cross ofCalvary, cleanses from all sin! Christ died for the sinner! Or thispassage in Romans 10: (8-11) "the Word is near you, in your mouth andin your heart that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, andif you believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead,you will be saved!" And our "sophisticated" reaction is like the ancient Arameangeneral, the leper named Naaman. "IT IS TOO SIMPLE!" NAAMAN'S STORYDOESN'T END WITH HIM GOING OFF IN A RAGE: His servants prevail on him with common sense: "What can youlose?" He goes to the banks of Jordan-- maybe to the same place Jesuswas baptized, who knows? He looks up on the banks and sees the natives watching. Heknows he will look stupid! But he wades in-- and dips under the water. Nothing! He dips again-- and again Nothing! But seven times down and the seventh time up helooks-- and . . . the white spots are gone! He comes up out of the muddy water and heads, dripping, for hischariot. "Go back to that prophet's house!" he orders the driver.The caravan wheels around again and heads back for Samara. And this time Elisha the Tishbite comes out. Maybe there is evena little smile on his face. "Here is a million dollars!" says the general, Naaman. "I won't take one red cent!" says the prophet. (Evidently he ison salary, like Billy Graham; or else, he hasn't learned how to make abig prophet like the TV prophets.) The general rides away a man who is convinced of the power ofJehovah God!Summary and Application: I suppose that I have read this portion of Romans -speakingabout being bound by lower laws-- and then finding freedom in higherlaws-- a hundred times or more. It is NOT a simple, easy passage. Wethink as we read, "Why do you make it so difficult? Why don't yousimply spell it out in language that we can easily understand?" Two or three things come to mind when I think of 'easilyunderstanding' the Word of God. One is-- that the way of salvation is easily entered, simple tograsp, requiring only the obedience of faith to say, "Jesus is LORD!" But another is-- that we think that because eternal life is afree gift, then it does not require study and application and effort,like any other wonderful truth. We think in arrogance that we knowall that is to be known simply by our native intelligence. And thatsimply is NOT so! Paul speaks of the deep things which the CorinthiansOUGHT to have been grappling with, but they simply were going over andover the same elementary truths of arithmetic, not realizing thedepths of algebra and calculus and wonder that God had for them tounderstand and practice. And finally, along with this lack of willingness to study: Wethink that God should always bend to our way of thinking; we thinkthat we are the measure of understanding. But we must be willing toendeavor to follow God's teaching, and enter into His lessons. This, then, is a difficult passage. It expresses the deepest joyof freedom and life in God found anywhere in the Bible. But itdemands our full attention. We will not plumb its depths in thissermon together, and I hope that you will not solve its meaning thisafternoon and come back with all the answers tonight. But you canbegin, or you can continue-- as I am sure that we all are in somemeasure engaged in this "heart-of-Romans truth." Have you submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Are you evenNOW confessing with your mouth, and by God's grace, believing in yourheart? It is profoundly simple, and simply profound-- but the freedomand power of Romans 8 is for us all! We can obey God's HOLY law, andbe FREE from the "law of sin and death" as we submit to the "law ofthe Spirit of life in Christ Jesus!" Elisha said to Naaman, "Go, wash and be clean!" The Spirit says to you and to me: "Confess, believe, and be freefrom sin and condemnation!"PrayerHymn No. 465 Trust and Obey———————————————————————————————————
Dr. Russell Metcalfe is Pastor Emeritus of the Wollaston Church of the Nazarene. Permission to reprint or publish this material is GRANTED as long as the reprinting or republishing is not-for-profit. You can access more of Dr. Metcalfe's sermons at his scripturally indexed sermon archives web site. Now with MP3 audio sermons and audio bonus material.
http://russellmetcalfesermons.nazarene.nl/sermons.html
Dr. Russell Metcalfe now has a Web Log (blog) at
http://rmetcalfe.blogspot.com/
You can reach Dr. Metcalfe
Dr. Russell Metcalfe is Pastor Emeritus of the Wollaston Church of the Nazarene. Permission to reprint or publish this material is GRANTED as long as the reprinting or republishing is not-for-profit. You can access more of Dr. Metcalfe's sermons at his scripturally indexed sermon archives web site. Now with MP3 audio sermons and audio bonus material.
http://russellmetcalfesermons.nazarene.nl/sermons.html
Dr. Russell Metcalfe now has a Web Log (blog) at
http://rmetcalfe.blogspot.com/
You can reach Dr. Metcalfe
Thursday, July 1, 2010
A Modest Proposal
Given the on-going worship dialogues, I have a modest proposal to keep us old fogies from losing it entirely and attacking the platform with our canes and walkers . . .
The proposal has three parts . . . depending on the churchb size and situation.
For the larger church that has moved into a gymnasium-type setting with moveable seats and cheap projection screens:
After the greetings and offering, dismiss everyone with wrinkles or liver spots to "senior church" in the old auditorium, which probably still has a piano or organ in it which some old fogie can play. Have them take their hymnals with them. They can leave at the same time as the children to "junior church".
For the smaller church the pastor can ask the "senior citizens" to come forward and sit (sit) in the front pews for "pastor's time with the senior citizens". He can turn around and put on a clip-on tie and then have a senior sermon, maybe explaining what all the wires and microphones do and how they can adjust their hearing aids at different parts of the service. He can assure them that the people who stand behind those mikes and slap their thighs and wiggle are NOT Gladys Knight and the Pips, what are they thinking?
For the fortunate church that has "senior talent" a back-up group can be recruited, or a warm-up group or whatever you call it-- of seniors all dressed alike with creases in their pants and oil in what hair they have left-- like the Mille Brothers or the Four Freshmen . . . or even likeGomer Pyle and Goober. That way the older people can get back at the young ones and make them pretend they like it.
I would draw the line at body surfing.
The proposal has three parts . . . depending on the churchb size and situation.
For the larger church that has moved into a gymnasium-type setting with moveable seats and cheap projection screens:
After the greetings and offering, dismiss everyone with wrinkles or liver spots to "senior church" in the old auditorium, which probably still has a piano or organ in it which some old fogie can play. Have them take their hymnals with them. They can leave at the same time as the children to "junior church".
For the smaller church the pastor can ask the "senior citizens" to come forward and sit (sit) in the front pews for "pastor's time with the senior citizens". He can turn around and put on a clip-on tie and then have a senior sermon, maybe explaining what all the wires and microphones do and how they can adjust their hearing aids at different parts of the service. He can assure them that the people who stand behind those mikes and slap their thighs and wiggle are NOT Gladys Knight and the Pips, what are they thinking?
For the fortunate church that has "senior talent" a back-up group can be recruited, or a warm-up group or whatever you call it-- of seniors all dressed alike with creases in their pants and oil in what hair they have left-- like the Mille Brothers or the Four Freshmen . . . or even likeGomer Pyle and Goober. That way the older people can get back at the young ones and make them pretend they like it.
I would draw the line at body surfing.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
How DID the "Early Church" really grow??
"Acts" is a textbook on church growth. The conventional thing is to
say: "We want a church like the early church!" I'm not sure we would
want to face the same ratio of impossibilities.
But one thing is for certain, the growth of the early church was
co-existent with great problems and trouble. There was almost
universal opposition from authority both religious and civil. There
was disagreement and strife and even failure within the ranks of the
believers. And yet our text says that they had great grace and they
had great power! This particular incident came after there was a great
stir that began with the healing of the lame man (Acts 3) and there
are some very significant statements which lead up to our text:
I. (v 12) THE DISCIPLES WERE LOVINGLY INTOLERANT
A. "Intolerance" is not the same as "schism." How can we speak of the
virtues of "intolerance?" Aren't we supposed to see all Christians as
brothers; and aren't we supposed to have a genuinely ecumenical spirit
when we follow Jesus?
Certainly we need more understanding-- more reaching out to all
Christians everywhere. The church of Jesus Christ is bigger than we
may understand or appreciate. We need to get along with other
Christians who may have faults. God knows that we may have a fault or
two, as well!
B. "Intolerance" is aimed only at central issues; and the first issue
of all is: WHO IS JESUS CHRIST? and-- WHO IS JESUS CHRIST TO YOU? We
cannot simply co-exist peacefully with those who deny the deity and
Lordship of Jesus Christ- and expect great grace and power!
C. Jesus will not surrender His authority-- nor will He share the
loyalty of His servants.
[ I watched a feature story on the revival of miracle plays in the
streets of York, England; the man playing Jesus was an Indian
national, and a Buddhist, who affirmed on camera again the theme that
Jesus was good-- he is one way to God among many. But Jesus was NOT
"good, and one way among many to God." Jesus is HOLY, Jesus is God,
and the ONLY way to God, or else Jesus is a liar and fraud. ]
D. We must raise the level of our alertness/awareness to doctrinal
truth. We must be lovingly TOLERANT of disagreement WITHIN the family
of faith. Some may insist on speaking in tongues: we can lovingly
disagree; some may insist "once-in-grace-always-in-grace" and we can
argue within the family; some may even pray to Mary, and we
scripturally disagree. We don't have to agree on all points-- but we
can pray for each other, But there can be NO compromise in the matter
of authority and Lordship: THERE IS NO OTHER NAME! NO OTHER WAY!
II. (v 20) THEY WERE OBEDIENTLY INSISTENT
A. They not only believed (intellectually), but they were determined
to be obedient. Acting on what they believed to be God's truth. The
experience, the reality was there. In "new" churches like our own the
tendency is:
Generation ONE: fervency and reality;
Generation TWO: maintenance and tolerance;
Generation THREE: convenience and simply "fitting Jesus in" wherever
we are not called on to sacrifice.
At whatever cost, we must press into the reality of knowing God in
Christ!
B. What was God's will for these men (Peter and John)?: Long before
they had met Jesus personally. They had heard Him say to them:
1. "Follow ME ... and I will make you ..."
And they had begun to follow; they had found a new way of life: living
by God's LOVE. They had seen Jesus live and die and were convinced
that He had conquered sin and death and hell. They were determined to
FOLLOW JESUS AT ANY COST!
They had also heard Jesus say, before He ascended to heaven:
2. "Tarry ye .. until you are clothed with power ... to witness to
Me"
And they had experienced the birth of the church in it glorious
fellowship and worship.
C. These disciples had been true to their own personal experience.
1. We cannot "share" what we don't have. A faith that doesn't pay its
honest debts ... that doesn't get along with its neighbors ... that
can't keep a civil tongue in its head ... is hardly advertisement for
Jesus and His LIFE.
2. But if Jesus is meeting your needs - and if you are a growing
Christian - then you need to SHARE Him -- and there are people that
NEED what you have found!
III. (v 23) THESE CHRISTIANS KNEW THE VALUE OF SHARING PRAYER REQUESTS
When threatened (they were human! they were frightened! so) they
hurried back to the CHURCH and TOGETHER they prayed through to new
reality, and new infilling and power.
IV. (v 32) THEY WERE UNITEDLY UNSELFISH
A. Their exact METHOD is not what we should copy; but we need to
re-discover their SPIRIT.
B. How may we be UNSELFISH in any practical sense?:
1. God does not demand the UNreasonable. But each of us HAS that which
is valuable to contribute; and it is the greatest pleasure to GIVE!
2. HOSPITALITY; KINDNESS TO EACH OTHER is a grace. In the HOME-- (as
we have already said!) -- THE GREATEST GIFT WE CAN GIVE OUR CHILDREN
IS TO LOVE EACH OTHER. We WILL disagree -- but we can be Christians
in working out and talking out our disagreements.
What has this to do with REVIVAL and the CHURCH? It is so obvious-- we
cannot see it: In the CHURCH -- the greatest tool for power and
witness is to love each other!
Our own children are lost to the church at an amazing rate, and one
wonders if it is not because we have aired our criticisms more than
our love! I am not complaining now about personal problems, but there
is a general truth here: people who find fault and criticize wake up
to realize they have cut their children's faith out from under them!
What is GOOD about our fellowship?
This "love-one-another" power carries through in evangelism, too.
People may come to God because they want different things; but they
STAY with the church because they find LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING AND A
PLACE TO BELONG!
If I really believe that our church (with all its faults) is the best
church I know anything about, how do I express that to those I meet?
As I try to bring people to Jesus, do I tell them how I see Jesus in
YOUR faces? Do I tell them how when I have faced difficult times Jesus
has sustained me because of YOUR love? What do you think might happen
if we were able to communicate what we really believe about Jesus
Christ and His church-- and OUR church in particular?
Conclusion:
(In Wollaston)
We don't have the contagious enthusiasm of a risky, brand-new
situation. (And you are like that, too!) There is something exciting
about a storefront. There is a thrill in having just a few and seeing
that few grow.
But we do have the thrilling reality of a middle-sized church that is
pushing forward in several vital areas, and that wants to mind God in
being a force for revival and renewal in this unique place! (You have
what this world desperately needs!) If we will love one another and
mind God, then Jesus will build His church!
#311 I Love Thy CHURCH, O God!
———————————————————————————————————
say: "We want a church like the early church!" I'm not sure we would
want to face the same ratio of impossibilities.
But one thing is for certain, the growth of the early church was
co-existent with great problems and trouble. There was almost
universal opposition from authority both religious and civil. There
was disagreement and strife and even failure within the ranks of the
believers. And yet our text says that they had great grace and they
had great power! This particular incident came after there was a great
stir that began with the healing of the lame man (Acts 3) and there
are some very significant statements which lead up to our text:
I. (v 12) THE DISCIPLES WERE LOVINGLY INTOLERANT
A. "Intolerance" is not the same as "schism." How can we speak of the
virtues of "intolerance?" Aren't we supposed to see all Christians as
brothers; and aren't we supposed to have a genuinely ecumenical spirit
when we follow Jesus?
Certainly we need more understanding-- more reaching out to all
Christians everywhere. The church of Jesus Christ is bigger than we
may understand or appreciate. We need to get along with other
Christians who may have faults. God knows that we may have a fault or
two, as well!
B. "Intolerance" is aimed only at central issues; and the first issue
of all is: WHO IS JESUS CHRIST? and-- WHO IS JESUS CHRIST TO YOU? We
cannot simply co-exist peacefully with those who deny the deity and
Lordship of Jesus Christ- and expect great grace and power!
C. Jesus will not surrender His authority-- nor will He share the
loyalty of His servants.
[ I watched a feature story on the revival of miracle plays in the
streets of York, England; the man playing Jesus was an Indian
national, and a Buddhist, who affirmed on camera again the theme that
Jesus was good-- he is one way to God among many. But Jesus was NOT
"good, and one way among many to God." Jesus is HOLY, Jesus is God,
and the ONLY way to God, or else Jesus is a liar and fraud. ]
D. We must raise the level of our alertness/awareness to doctrinal
truth. We must be lovingly TOLERANT of disagreement WITHIN the family
of faith. Some may insist on speaking in tongues: we can lovingly
disagree; some may insist "once-in-grace-always-in-grace" and we can
argue within the family; some may even pray to Mary, and we
scripturally disagree. We don't have to agree on all points-- but we
can pray for each other, But there can be NO compromise in the matter
of authority and Lordship: THERE IS NO OTHER NAME! NO OTHER WAY!
II. (v 20) THEY WERE OBEDIENTLY INSISTENT
A. They not only believed (intellectually), but they were determined
to be obedient. Acting on what they believed to be God's truth. The
experience, the reality was there. In "new" churches like our own the
tendency is:
Generation ONE: fervency and reality;
Generation TWO: maintenance and tolerance;
Generation THREE: convenience and simply "fitting Jesus in" wherever
we are not called on to sacrifice.
At whatever cost, we must press into the reality of knowing God in
Christ!
B. What was God's will for these men (Peter and John)?: Long before
they had met Jesus personally. They had heard Him say to them:
1. "Follow ME ... and I will make you ..."
And they had begun to follow; they had found a new way of life: living
by God's LOVE. They had seen Jesus live and die and were convinced
that He had conquered sin and death and hell. They were determined to
FOLLOW JESUS AT ANY COST!
They had also heard Jesus say, before He ascended to heaven:
2. "Tarry ye .. until you are clothed with power ... to witness to
Me"
And they had experienced the birth of the church in it glorious
fellowship and worship.
C. These disciples had been true to their own personal experience.
1. We cannot "share" what we don't have. A faith that doesn't pay its
honest debts ... that doesn't get along with its neighbors ... that
can't keep a civil tongue in its head ... is hardly advertisement for
Jesus and His LIFE.
2. But if Jesus is meeting your needs - and if you are a growing
Christian - then you need to SHARE Him -- and there are people that
NEED what you have found!
III. (v 23) THESE CHRISTIANS KNEW THE VALUE OF SHARING PRAYER REQUESTS
When threatened (they were human! they were frightened! so) they
hurried back to the CHURCH and TOGETHER they prayed through to new
reality, and new infilling and power.
IV. (v 32) THEY WERE UNITEDLY UNSELFISH
A. Their exact METHOD is not what we should copy; but we need to
re-discover their SPIRIT.
B. How may we be UNSELFISH in any practical sense?:
1. God does not demand the UNreasonable. But each of us HAS that which
is valuable to contribute; and it is the greatest pleasure to GIVE!
2. HOSPITALITY; KINDNESS TO EACH OTHER is a grace. In the HOME-- (as
we have already said!) -- THE GREATEST GIFT WE CAN GIVE OUR CHILDREN
IS TO LOVE EACH OTHER. We WILL disagree -- but we can be Christians
in working out and talking out our disagreements.
What has this to do with REVIVAL and the CHURCH? It is so obvious-- we
cannot see it: In the CHURCH -- the greatest tool for power and
witness is to love each other!
Our own children are lost to the church at an amazing rate, and one
wonders if it is not because we have aired our criticisms more than
our love! I am not complaining now about personal problems, but there
is a general truth here: people who find fault and criticize wake up
to realize they have cut their children's faith out from under them!
What is GOOD about our fellowship?
This "love-one-another" power carries through in evangelism, too.
People may come to God because they want different things; but they
STAY with the church because they find LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING AND A
PLACE TO BELONG!
If I really believe that our church (with all its faults) is the best
church I know anything about, how do I express that to those I meet?
As I try to bring people to Jesus, do I tell them how I see Jesus in
YOUR faces? Do I tell them how when I have faced difficult times Jesus
has sustained me because of YOUR love? What do you think might happen
if we were able to communicate what we really believe about Jesus
Christ and His church-- and OUR church in particular?
Conclusion:
(In Wollaston)
We don't have the contagious enthusiasm of a risky, brand-new
situation. (And you are like that, too!) There is something exciting
about a storefront. There is a thrill in having just a few and seeing
that few grow.
But we do have the thrilling reality of a middle-sized church that is
pushing forward in several vital areas, and that wants to mind God in
being a force for revival and renewal in this unique place! (You have
what this world desperately needs!) If we will love one another and
mind God, then Jesus will build His church!
#311 I Love Thy CHURCH, O God!
———————————————————————————————————
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Narrative Preaching
Apologies to my grandson Ben for "taking his name in vain" but if you have 20 minutes this is a narrative sermon that is about finding rest in the storm . . . it may be worth wading through, and it is my gift to you.
http://russellmetcalfesermons.nazarene.nl/AudioSermons/I%20Will%20Give%20You%20Rest.mp3
http://russellmetcalfesermons.nazarene.nl/AudioSermons/I%20Will%20Give%20You%20Rest.mp3
Friday, June 11, 2010
One Act Play-Three Scenes: Angels Calling!!
ANGELS COME TO CALL
A One Act Play in Three Scenes
(From Acts 10 )
I. SCENE ONE: OFFICER'S HOME IN CAESAREA
Time: June 21, 36 A.D.
Place: A beautiful spacious cut stone home in the Roman city ofCaesarea, on the eastern most coast of the Mediterranean; Caesarea isthe Roman provincial capital of what is now Lebanon, Israel and partsof Syria and Jordan.
Cornelius, a Roman centurion, commander of a famous Italian Regiment, is praying. It is 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and his workday is behind him. Perhaps he is in the atrium of his spacious house; he is meditating on all the things he has seen and heard.
Cornelius is a good pagan. He is a true seeker after truth,after God. He is not a Christian, but he cannot help but have heard something about this development in the Jewish community. Cornelius has not been a typical occupational military presence. He is a loyal Roman, but he believes that the best thing Rome can do for the empire is foster true understanding and good will. And as Cornelius has become acquainted with the Jewish scriptures, the revelation of Jehovah, he has been impressed.
This is "a" good religion! He has sponsored the building of synagogues; he has fostered tolerance and kindness to the Jewish people.
This day is much like many other days-- the administrativeduties have been cared for; the new men have been assigned, the men to be retired or sent on leave have been reviewed; letters have been received and sent, and now a little quiet time seeking to communicate with the Great Unknown. Cornelius has had this growing hunger in his heart for God and has not known quite how to express it. And then-- ithappened!
It happened in the inner court of Cornelius' lovely home in Caesarea-- and angel of God suddenly stood before him! The angel spoke his name! "Cornelius!" Cornelius was startled, to say the least. His reaction was the same as yours or mine would be: he was terrified!
But Cornelius was a military man, and his fear did not control hisactions. Cornelius looked the angel right in the eye! And he said tothe angel, "What is on your mind?"
The angel did NOT tell Cornelius about Jesus. He did NOT makeknown the Roman Road or the Four Spiritual Laws. He DID give Cornelius encouragement, and told him the next step to take. The encouragement was the assurance that God in heaven knows what Cornelius is doing on earth.
The next step was a specific assignment to a specific place tosee a specific individual who was staying with a specific person. Hegave enough directions so that Cornelius could send for the help heneeded. Within the hour Cornelius had sent three men on the day-and-a-half journey down the coast to Joppa to find this man calledPeter. And this is how the first scene ends.
II. SCENE TWO: THE HOME OF SIMON, THE TANNER BY THE SEA
Time: The next day, just about high noon. Peter is waiting fordinner to be announced. Place: Simon the tanner's house. It is by the sea. It isn'ttoo hard to find, for the tanning business involves soaking raw animal skins in vats; fermenting ---the fermentable, potent smells-
I know it is silly because churches had not yet been developed,and the Nazarene nap syndrome was still millennia away; but somehow I picture a Sunday afternoon just after church in the house where I live; I've finished preaching and I am temporarily exhausted; the kids are doing their thing- Helen is in the kitchen-- for we always used to have the biggest meal of the week-- and I usually lay down on the couch until it was time to slice the meat or whatever-- and it wasn't too hard to drop off into a quick nap.
Actually in the hot mid-eastern climate a leisurely noonmealtime is pretty much world-wide.
However it happened, the Bible says that while Peter was hungryand waiting for dinner to be served he fell asleep and fell into atrance that was somewhere between dreaming and a visitation from God,or so it seemed.
[ THE 'VISION' - A "sheet" let down from heaven with pork chopsand lobsters and apple pie with ice cream . . . all non-kosherfoods-- ] Then the Spirit spoke clearly to Peter: Men are just about toring the doorbell! Don't be afraid. I'm in this. Peter went down thestairs and met the men at the gate-- and invited them into the house.
What kosher rules were broken I do not know-- I doubt any at this time. A Jew can have non-Jews in his home-- the contamination begins when the Jew goes into the heathen's house and/or eats off defiledvessels.
The men stay overnight with Peter in Simon the tanner's house.
III. SCENE THREE: OFFICER'S HOME IN CAESAREA
Time: June 24 or 25, same year
Scene set same as Scene One, except now there are a score or moreguests eagerly waiting the return of the men Cornelius has sent away.
When Peter came in he first talked briefly about himself, who he was, and how he was (usually) limited! "I have never mixed with Gentiles! But God has been speaking to me! Here I am!"
Then Peter got down to business! He began to tell Cornelius and his household and guests about the Christ who fills all of revelation,and who had transformed his own sinful heart!
As Peter spoke about Jesus things began to click into place. "I had heard about this Man," Cornelius may have said. "But I hadn't known quite how to fit Him in to what the Jewish scriptures say. Now this makes sense!"
The Holy Spirit was illuminating Peter'spreaching.
When Peter, helped along by the Spirit, said, "If you believe in this powerful Name that is above every Name, you will receive forgiveness of sins," Cornelius's heart leapt for joy! In his heart hesaid, "I do believe!"
And the same thing was happening in the others gathered there. God descended in a wonderful way. Peter's sermon was interrupted, but his message came through loud and clear! They had a testimony meeting-- and then they had a baptismal service-- and then they started the First Church of the Nazarene in Caesarea with about 20 charter members!
I know it doesn't have that all down in the King James version.But as Dr. Knight said at Assembly, that is what we preachers are for!(To explain what isn't written down!)
Conclusion/Application
This chapter says two things to me, loud and clear:
Hebrews 11:6 is true: God will meet with those who seek after Him diligently; and YET-- God uses obedient PEOPLE, not angels to tell the Story...
... 1. When our focus is on Cornelius it makes us aware that
(1) "in all nations there are people seeking after God." and
(2) it encourages us that God answers those who seek him.
[Illus: At the last General Assembly one evening the emphasiswas world mission, and there were several people in our owngeneration-- current-- who were raised pagan, but to whom God hasmanifested himself. One of them will speak with us here next Sunday!Janine Van Beek. Another was a man who lived in the rain forests ofSouth America-- to whom God gave the name of a man to seek after in amission situation.]
2. When our focus comes to Peter there are several things this passage teaches me:
(1) I never know my own prejudices; I must be open to the Lord. Then I can also be myself.
(2) When God wants a job done He sends for a man or a woman. Imperfect, faulted, weak, prejudiced-- still God does not give the Gospel message by angels-- at least not usually! God uses redeemed people!
(3) The POWER is in the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus-- in His life within! When Peter said Jesus is alive, and if you believe in His name you will receive forgiveness of sins-- as he spoke the hearers believed and received!
(Curtain Down---Play is Over)
———————————————————————————————————
A One Act Play in Three Scenes
(From Acts 10 )
I. SCENE ONE: OFFICER'S HOME IN CAESAREA
Time: June 21, 36 A.D.
Place: A beautiful spacious cut stone home in the Roman city ofCaesarea, on the eastern most coast of the Mediterranean; Caesarea isthe Roman provincial capital of what is now Lebanon, Israel and partsof Syria and Jordan.
Cornelius, a Roman centurion, commander of a famous Italian Regiment, is praying. It is 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and his workday is behind him. Perhaps he is in the atrium of his spacious house; he is meditating on all the things he has seen and heard.
Cornelius is a good pagan. He is a true seeker after truth,after God. He is not a Christian, but he cannot help but have heard something about this development in the Jewish community. Cornelius has not been a typical occupational military presence. He is a loyal Roman, but he believes that the best thing Rome can do for the empire is foster true understanding and good will. And as Cornelius has become acquainted with the Jewish scriptures, the revelation of Jehovah, he has been impressed.
This is "a" good religion! He has sponsored the building of synagogues; he has fostered tolerance and kindness to the Jewish people.
This day is much like many other days-- the administrativeduties have been cared for; the new men have been assigned, the men to be retired or sent on leave have been reviewed; letters have been received and sent, and now a little quiet time seeking to communicate with the Great Unknown. Cornelius has had this growing hunger in his heart for God and has not known quite how to express it. And then-- ithappened!
It happened in the inner court of Cornelius' lovely home in Caesarea-- and angel of God suddenly stood before him! The angel spoke his name! "Cornelius!" Cornelius was startled, to say the least. His reaction was the same as yours or mine would be: he was terrified!
But Cornelius was a military man, and his fear did not control hisactions. Cornelius looked the angel right in the eye! And he said tothe angel, "What is on your mind?"
The angel did NOT tell Cornelius about Jesus. He did NOT makeknown the Roman Road or the Four Spiritual Laws. He DID give Cornelius encouragement, and told him the next step to take. The encouragement was the assurance that God in heaven knows what Cornelius is doing on earth.
The next step was a specific assignment to a specific place tosee a specific individual who was staying with a specific person. Hegave enough directions so that Cornelius could send for the help heneeded. Within the hour Cornelius had sent three men on the day-and-a-half journey down the coast to Joppa to find this man calledPeter. And this is how the first scene ends.
II. SCENE TWO: THE HOME OF SIMON, THE TANNER BY THE SEA
Time: The next day, just about high noon. Peter is waiting fordinner to be announced. Place: Simon the tanner's house. It is by the sea. It isn'ttoo hard to find, for the tanning business involves soaking raw animal skins in vats; fermenting ---the fermentable, potent smells-
I know it is silly because churches had not yet been developed,and the Nazarene nap syndrome was still millennia away; but somehow I picture a Sunday afternoon just after church in the house where I live; I've finished preaching and I am temporarily exhausted; the kids are doing their thing- Helen is in the kitchen-- for we always used to have the biggest meal of the week-- and I usually lay down on the couch until it was time to slice the meat or whatever-- and it wasn't too hard to drop off into a quick nap.
Actually in the hot mid-eastern climate a leisurely noonmealtime is pretty much world-wide.
However it happened, the Bible says that while Peter was hungryand waiting for dinner to be served he fell asleep and fell into atrance that was somewhere between dreaming and a visitation from God,or so it seemed.
[ THE 'VISION' - A "sheet" let down from heaven with pork chopsand lobsters and apple pie with ice cream . . . all non-kosherfoods-- ] Then the Spirit spoke clearly to Peter: Men are just about toring the doorbell! Don't be afraid. I'm in this. Peter went down thestairs and met the men at the gate-- and invited them into the house.
What kosher rules were broken I do not know-- I doubt any at this time. A Jew can have non-Jews in his home-- the contamination begins when the Jew goes into the heathen's house and/or eats off defiledvessels.
The men stay overnight with Peter in Simon the tanner's house.
III. SCENE THREE: OFFICER'S HOME IN CAESAREA
Time: June 24 or 25, same year
Scene set same as Scene One, except now there are a score or moreguests eagerly waiting the return of the men Cornelius has sent away.
When Peter came in he first talked briefly about himself, who he was, and how he was (usually) limited! "I have never mixed with Gentiles! But God has been speaking to me! Here I am!"
Then Peter got down to business! He began to tell Cornelius and his household and guests about the Christ who fills all of revelation,and who had transformed his own sinful heart!
As Peter spoke about Jesus things began to click into place. "I had heard about this Man," Cornelius may have said. "But I hadn't known quite how to fit Him in to what the Jewish scriptures say. Now this makes sense!"
The Holy Spirit was illuminating Peter'spreaching.
When Peter, helped along by the Spirit, said, "If you believe in this powerful Name that is above every Name, you will receive forgiveness of sins," Cornelius's heart leapt for joy! In his heart hesaid, "I do believe!"
And the same thing was happening in the others gathered there. God descended in a wonderful way. Peter's sermon was interrupted, but his message came through loud and clear! They had a testimony meeting-- and then they had a baptismal service-- and then they started the First Church of the Nazarene in Caesarea with about 20 charter members!
I know it doesn't have that all down in the King James version.But as Dr. Knight said at Assembly, that is what we preachers are for!(To explain what isn't written down!)
Conclusion/Application
This chapter says two things to me, loud and clear:
Hebrews 11:6 is true: God will meet with those who seek after Him diligently; and YET-- God uses obedient PEOPLE, not angels to tell the Story...
... 1. When our focus is on Cornelius it makes us aware that
(1) "in all nations there are people seeking after God." and
(2) it encourages us that God answers those who seek him.
[Illus: At the last General Assembly one evening the emphasiswas world mission, and there were several people in our owngeneration-- current-- who were raised pagan, but to whom God hasmanifested himself. One of them will speak with us here next Sunday!Janine Van Beek. Another was a man who lived in the rain forests ofSouth America-- to whom God gave the name of a man to seek after in amission situation.]
2. When our focus comes to Peter there are several things this passage teaches me:
(1) I never know my own prejudices; I must be open to the Lord. Then I can also be myself.
(2) When God wants a job done He sends for a man or a woman. Imperfect, faulted, weak, prejudiced-- still God does not give the Gospel message by angels-- at least not usually! God uses redeemed people!
(3) The POWER is in the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus-- in His life within! When Peter said Jesus is alive, and if you believe in His name you will receive forgiveness of sins-- as he spoke the hearers believed and received!
(Curtain Down---Play is Over)
———————————————————————————————————
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Proclamation AND Preaching
I love to preach. There are a few choice words that I live by in preaching. I would share with you wordsthat I live by, that to me are part of my sacred assignment as apreacher. But, not too surprising, I have come to the conclusion that these words are not justfor ordained people. Together we all are the church apostolic, calledto know Jesus and to witness to the world of what we know.
HERE ARETHE PRECIOUS WORDS
I. I AM AN AMBASSADOR, NOT A PEDDLER "We do not peddle the word of God for profit" A. Peddlers are honorable, but they (1) are in their work to makea living; and (2) they usually sell gadgets. B. We are ambassadors. We earn our livings in order to support ourtrue work. What we handle is a matter of life and death. We are peoplewho are sent. C. As ambassadors we are honor bound to learn our craft; to knowour calling well; to become experts in the matter of scripturaltruth. We must know the message in order not to garble it.
II. I AM CALLED TO BE REAL, NOT A PLAY-ACTOR "We do not cover our face, as Moses, to hide the fading glory" A. The incident cited: Moses had a crisis time of glory when hisface shone. He was frightening to the people then, but it was anhonorable sort of excitement. After all, he had been with God. When the glory faded, Moses kept the veil on so the peoplewouldn't see his apparent weakness or mere humanity. B. Religious hokus-pocus is a temptation. People think more highlyor less highly of us than we deserve. But we must strive to be honestbefore God! [Not just "be ourselves!" But be ourselves as God is working with us!] It is vital that we share our high moments as well as bevulnerable in our low times. I am not suggesting that people want tohear the details of your hospital experiences; but I am saying that weneed to share the fact that God meets with human beings where theylive.
III. I MUST SPEAK THE TRUTH, NOT PROPAGANDIZE "We do not distort the Word of God" A. Let the Word itself speak. All too often when we apply the wordto a situation we know where we want to end up before we evenstart. We are sure how we want to see the result turn out. That isall very well, so long as we are totally under the authority of theliving Word. B. The Word will speak! The Word of God reflects the Living Word,the Son of God. It has a mind, a life, a will all its own thatsupersedes our limited perspective. But that is the rub; the word will not be used! It must beobeyed! C. The critical factor: AM I LIVING BY THE WORD?
IV. I MUST BE CHRIST-CENTERED, NOT SELF-PROMOTING "We do not preach ourselves, but Christ"
A. This is not to say that God cannot and will not use"characters." Thank God, He loves you the way you are-- and He wantsyou to be yourself! Your sanctified self, that is!
B. It comes down to a matter of LOVE: we seek the glory of Godahead of our own!
Conclusion I have a dream of seeing our church become very effective inreaching people who do not know Jesus as Savior. I believe that wecan have a great new break-through in proclamation. Such a dream would usually be immediately followed up bychallenge to learning and doing. And I believe there is a place forall that.
There are two things that if they happen the dream will come:
1. We must really want to proclaim; must see proclamation as thetotal task of the total church, and as the one single thing that willbring us the most joy. WE MUST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THE CHRIST WE LOVE.
2. We must believe in each other as we catch the vision: loveand encourage and boost one another in every thing that we do. WE MUSTHAVE A BAPTISM OF TRUST AND LOVE AND COMMUNITY. And, so, we do not lose heart.
{{{SCRIPTURE TEXTS2 Corinthians2:17 FOR WE ARE NOT AS MANY, WHICH CORRUPT THE WORD OF GOD: but as ofsincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.3:13 AND NOT AS MOSES, [WHICH] PUT A VAIL OVER HIS FACE, that thechildren of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that whichis abolished:4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, NOT WALKING INCRAFTINESS, NOR HANDLING THE WORD OF GOD DECEITFULLY; but bymanifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man'sconscience in the sight of God.4:5 FOR WE PREACH NOT OURSELVES, BUT CHRIST JESUS THE LORD; andourselves your servants for Jesus' sake)))
HERE ARETHE PRECIOUS WORDS
I. I AM AN AMBASSADOR, NOT A PEDDLER "We do not peddle the word of God for profit" A. Peddlers are honorable, but they (1) are in their work to makea living; and (2) they usually sell gadgets. B. We are ambassadors. We earn our livings in order to support ourtrue work. What we handle is a matter of life and death. We are peoplewho are sent. C. As ambassadors we are honor bound to learn our craft; to knowour calling well; to become experts in the matter of scripturaltruth. We must know the message in order not to garble it.
II. I AM CALLED TO BE REAL, NOT A PLAY-ACTOR "We do not cover our face, as Moses, to hide the fading glory" A. The incident cited: Moses had a crisis time of glory when hisface shone. He was frightening to the people then, but it was anhonorable sort of excitement. After all, he had been with God. When the glory faded, Moses kept the veil on so the peoplewouldn't see his apparent weakness or mere humanity. B. Religious hokus-pocus is a temptation. People think more highlyor less highly of us than we deserve. But we must strive to be honestbefore God! [Not just "be ourselves!" But be ourselves as God is working with us!] It is vital that we share our high moments as well as bevulnerable in our low times. I am not suggesting that people want tohear the details of your hospital experiences; but I am saying that weneed to share the fact that God meets with human beings where theylive.
III. I MUST SPEAK THE TRUTH, NOT PROPAGANDIZE "We do not distort the Word of God" A. Let the Word itself speak. All too often when we apply the wordto a situation we know where we want to end up before we evenstart. We are sure how we want to see the result turn out. That isall very well, so long as we are totally under the authority of theliving Word. B. The Word will speak! The Word of God reflects the Living Word,the Son of God. It has a mind, a life, a will all its own thatsupersedes our limited perspective. But that is the rub; the word will not be used! It must beobeyed! C. The critical factor: AM I LIVING BY THE WORD?
IV. I MUST BE CHRIST-CENTERED, NOT SELF-PROMOTING "We do not preach ourselves, but Christ"
A. This is not to say that God cannot and will not use"characters." Thank God, He loves you the way you are-- and He wantsyou to be yourself! Your sanctified self, that is!
B. It comes down to a matter of LOVE: we seek the glory of Godahead of our own!
Conclusion I have a dream of seeing our church become very effective inreaching people who do not know Jesus as Savior. I believe that wecan have a great new break-through in proclamation. Such a dream would usually be immediately followed up bychallenge to learning and doing. And I believe there is a place forall that.
There are two things that if they happen the dream will come:
1. We must really want to proclaim; must see proclamation as thetotal task of the total church, and as the one single thing that willbring us the most joy. WE MUST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THE CHRIST WE LOVE.
2. We must believe in each other as we catch the vision: loveand encourage and boost one another in every thing that we do. WE MUSTHAVE A BAPTISM OF TRUST AND LOVE AND COMMUNITY. And, so, we do not lose heart.
{{{SCRIPTURE TEXTS2 Corinthians2:17 FOR WE ARE NOT AS MANY, WHICH CORRUPT THE WORD OF GOD: but as ofsincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.3:13 AND NOT AS MOSES, [WHICH] PUT A VAIL OVER HIS FACE, that thechildren of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that whichis abolished:4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, NOT WALKING INCRAFTINESS, NOR HANDLING THE WORD OF GOD DECEITFULLY; but bymanifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man'sconscience in the sight of God.4:5 FOR WE PREACH NOT OURSELVES, BUT CHRIST JESUS THE LORD; andourselves your servants for Jesus' sake)))
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Pendulum swngs . . .
From and old sermon . . .
There was a time when Nazarenes were almost "plain people;" they
had rules and regulations that probably were, in many cases, a little
bit of scripture and a lot of human scruples.
But it seems so much that we have swung way over through
freedom, and I wonder if we have taught our young people and children
to have no fear at all of displeasing God!
We now have people who claim to be serious about their
relationship with God who are impure in their sexual lives; people who
talk about loving Jesus, and yet who buy and sell and copy schoolwork
that is supposed to be their own; people who are Christian who can pad
accounts and steal from employers. . .
There was a time when Nazarenes were almost "plain people;" they
had rules and regulations that probably were, in many cases, a little
bit of scripture and a lot of human scruples.
But it seems so much that we have swung way over through
freedom, and I wonder if we have taught our young people and children
to have no fear at all of displeasing God!
We now have people who claim to be serious about their
relationship with God who are impure in their sexual lives; people who
talk about loving Jesus, and yet who buy and sell and copy schoolwork
that is supposed to be their own; people who are Christian who can pad
accounts and steal from employers. . .
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Test Post for Face Book Purposes
Trying to find out how/why my blogs USED to automatically show up on "Notes" and then quit . . .
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Thoughts from the past . . .
Sometimes we think our credentials can stand in place of our actions. Fr. Dick Rice is a noted counsellor of priests and nuns in the archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis. He was giving a day of recollection to Mother Teresa and some nuns. He said, "Mother, what is, would you say, your most difficult problem?" Immediately, he felt he shouldn't have asked the question.
But Mother Teresa came right back and said, "Professionalism."
Fr. Rice blinked and repeated "Professionalism?"
"Yes," said Mother Teresa. "When I send a sister off to school to become a nurse or a doctor, she returns with her degrees and diplomas, I always have to interrupt her after a while in her work. She has become too intellectual about her work. She has lost the personal touch. So I send her down to the ward where we have people with advanced diseases who are dying. I tell her to just sit with them, empty their bedpans, hold their hand, feed them. Then, after a couple of months I let her go back to her work."
If anyone is a no-nonsense person, it's Mother Teresa. In her reply she showed how important it is not to lose the common touch, no matter how many degrees one has after his or her name.
But Mother Teresa came right back and said, "Professionalism."
Fr. Rice blinked and repeated "Professionalism?"
"Yes," said Mother Teresa. "When I send a sister off to school to become a nurse or a doctor, she returns with her degrees and diplomas, I always have to interrupt her after a while in her work. She has become too intellectual about her work. She has lost the personal touch. So I send her down to the ward where we have people with advanced diseases who are dying. I tell her to just sit with them, empty their bedpans, hold their hand, feed them. Then, after a couple of months I let her go back to her work."
If anyone is a no-nonsense person, it's Mother Teresa. In her reply she showed how important it is not to lose the common touch, no matter how many degrees one has after his or her name.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Glimpses of Eternity
In Jesus Christ, in His image, we begin a relationship that issatisfying here and now, but that extends beyond the known and theseen into the greater realities of forever. We cannot let the precious trinkets and imperfect promises ofthis passing moment overshadow the wealth of what it means to be ajoint-heir with Jesus Christ in inheriting the riches of reality thatwill endure when Donald Trump's billions have vanished like smoke, nomatter how the wisdom of this age undervalues them. We are God'sfamily!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Maybe my "Last Chapel Sermon"
... about "loyalty" and "vision" . . . if you can decipher my spacey speech:
For E.N.C. chapel 4/29/92
DEALING WITH CONFLICT IN LOYALTIES
(( A NEW EXPERIENCE, BEING PAID TO SPEAK IN CHAPEL FROM MY OWNPULPIT, WHICH IS NOT MY OWN PULPIT WHEN THIS IS THE COLLEGE CHAPEL
1) reflections on the history of this church's relationship toENC across the years
2) reflection on the larger relationship of ENC to the church atlarge, and to the Church of the Nazarene in particular))
1. A FOCUS ON OUR LOYALTIES
".. to thine own self be true and it must follow as the nightthe day thou canst not then be false to any man.." Shakespeare'scharacter notwithstanding, this is only partially true. and as Tony Campolo has said in the title of a book outliningseveral damnable heresies-- there is a kernel of truth in mast lies;the title is "Partly Right", by the way
WHEN LOYALTIES CONFLICT, how do we address the tension? who orwhat has to give? William C. Placher in a recent article says
"imagine admissions literature stating something like this:
We groom you to success in your careers. We prepare you for graduate and professional work at the best universities or cocktail conversation at the best country clubs. And also, we will get you thinking about the service of the crucified son of a carpenter who calls his disciples to give up all that they have and pick up their crosses and follow." Then Placher adds with bitter irony: "On second thought, perhaps we'd best leave out that last sentence." So-- am I called to be a millionaire, or called to be a monk?Am I to be socially active, or fundamentalist-defender of the faith?Is there any kind of safe way to go? or better, is there any one rightway?
2. SEEKING THE DEEPEST, HIGHEST LOYALTIES
Kohlberg, Lawrence Kohlberg, (who had some influence in myunderstanding of how I think about 'right and wrong'), saw- still inindividualized understanding- the highest motivation as being"principled" or "post-conventional" motivation. He wrote that he had never observed anyone under 22 years of agethat was really into this high level of loyalty to truth.
I question that-- for the highest understanding of truth isnever abstract, never objective. Robert Coles, also an eminent Harvardteacher, has seen in children nine, ten, eleven years of age aspiritual sensitivity that went beyond their rational understanding ofmoral issues.
We are dealing here with mystery! And I have known many people whose moral understanding may havebeen lacking, but whose commitment to Truth was so thorough and soirrevocable that they lived like Jesus because they lived with Jesusand Jesus lived through them.
There is a better, a higher way of loyalty. It is the personal loyalty to Jesus that transcends all other loyalties. It denies self-sovereignty ("I am NOT God!") and identifies with Christ's body,the Church, (imperfect as it may be, especially after you join it)!
Conclusion: Change is threatening. We live in tension between the joy ofchange and the security of steadfastness. This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek Thy face OJacob!
For E.N.C. chapel 4/29/92
DEALING WITH CONFLICT IN LOYALTIES
(( A NEW EXPERIENCE, BEING PAID TO SPEAK IN CHAPEL FROM MY OWNPULPIT, WHICH IS NOT MY OWN PULPIT WHEN THIS IS THE COLLEGE CHAPEL
1) reflections on the history of this church's relationship toENC across the years
2) reflection on the larger relationship of ENC to the church atlarge, and to the Church of the Nazarene in particular))
1. A FOCUS ON OUR LOYALTIES
".. to thine own self be true and it must follow as the nightthe day thou canst not then be false to any man.." Shakespeare'scharacter notwithstanding, this is only partially true. and as Tony Campolo has said in the title of a book outliningseveral damnable heresies-- there is a kernel of truth in mast lies;the title is "Partly Right", by the way
WHEN LOYALTIES CONFLICT, how do we address the tension? who orwhat has to give? William C. Placher in a recent article says
"imagine admissions literature stating something like this:
We groom you to success in your careers. We prepare you for graduate and professional work at the best universities or cocktail conversation at the best country clubs. And also, we will get you thinking about the service of the crucified son of a carpenter who calls his disciples to give up all that they have and pick up their crosses and follow." Then Placher adds with bitter irony: "On second thought, perhaps we'd best leave out that last sentence." So-- am I called to be a millionaire, or called to be a monk?Am I to be socially active, or fundamentalist-defender of the faith?Is there any kind of safe way to go? or better, is there any one rightway?
2. SEEKING THE DEEPEST, HIGHEST LOYALTIES
Kohlberg, Lawrence Kohlberg, (who had some influence in myunderstanding of how I think about 'right and wrong'), saw- still inindividualized understanding- the highest motivation as being"principled" or "post-conventional" motivation. He wrote that he had never observed anyone under 22 years of agethat was really into this high level of loyalty to truth.
I question that-- for the highest understanding of truth isnever abstract, never objective. Robert Coles, also an eminent Harvardteacher, has seen in children nine, ten, eleven years of age aspiritual sensitivity that went beyond their rational understanding ofmoral issues.
We are dealing here with mystery! And I have known many people whose moral understanding may havebeen lacking, but whose commitment to Truth was so thorough and soirrevocable that they lived like Jesus because they lived with Jesusand Jesus lived through them.
There is a better, a higher way of loyalty. It is the personal loyalty to Jesus that transcends all other loyalties. It denies self-sovereignty ("I am NOT God!") and identifies with Christ's body,the Church, (imperfect as it may be, especially after you join it)!
Conclusion: Change is threatening. We live in tension between the joy ofchange and the security of steadfastness. This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek Thy face OJacob!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
For GOOD FRIDAY
April 17, 1992
IT IS FINISHED
Good Friday Meditation
John 19:30 When Jesus had received
the vinegar, He said, "It is finished!"
and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
A STATEMENT ABOUT CHRIST'S LIFE WORK
The cry from the cross, "It is finished" is the final word in the
Gospel of John. "Into Thy hands I commend My spirit" is a personal
word of faith; this is a statement about what Jesus has done with His
life, and where He had finally ended His earthly ministry.
THE VIEW OF UNBELIEF: IT'S ALL OVER
I suppose there are different ways to hear these words. One
interpretation, I hasten to say 'Not my own!', might say that with
these words Jesus has simply said: "It's all over!"
The agony has ended, but with it also the noble experiment has
failed! 'My disciples are scattered, the high and holy-sounding words
I uttered have proved empty. Love is NOT stronger than hatred; the
people with the biggest army always win.'
But if this had been the true meaning of these words we never
would have heard of Jesus Christ except as a tiny footnote somewhere
in an historian's notebook about some eccentric Jewish revolutionary.
This is the interpretation we must give these words however,
if all that we see is the cross of Christ.
I know it is Good Friday. I know we aren't supposed to celebrate
the Resurrection until Sunday. I praise God that the Cross is God's
victory for us over the power and guilt of sin. But it takes the power
of the Resurrection to unlock the full meaning of these words: "It is
finished!"
John 20:9 expresses how helpless we would be to see the full
meaning of "It is finished" without knowing, as we most certainly
know, that Jesus not only died but rose again from the dead. John 20:9
says:
"For as yet they did not understand the Scripture
that [Jesus] must rise again from the dead."
From our perspective this side of Calvary, this side of the
resurrection, this side of Pentecost and the living Christ inhabiting
His church, we know that Jesus was NOT admitting defeat with his
statement from the cross, IT IS FINISHED!
THE PERSPECTIVE OF FAITH: IT IS COMPLETE
The only way we Christians can understand these words of
completion is in the light of the mighty power of LIFE ETERNAL, the
Resurrection Power that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus.
In His own words in the High Priestly prayer Jesus said: (17:4)
"I glorified Thee on earth, having accomplished the work which Thou
hast given Me to do."
And what DID Jesus come to do?
1. JESUS CAME TO SHOW US THE FATHER.
John 1:1 declared that Jesus is the WORD. In John 14 Jesus
tells the disciples, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the
Father." God is Transcendent, beyond our full
comprehension. Yet forever we know what God is, for God is
like our Lord, like our Friend, Jesus of Galilee.
2. JESUS CAME TO DESTROY THE WORKS OF EVIL.
I John 3:8 says: "The Son of God appeared for this purpose,
that He might destroy the works of the devil." Satan has set
up shop on this planet, and has taken many prisoners. He has
propagated lies about what real power and real wealth and real
satisfaction might be. Jesus has come to set the prisoners of
evil free, and show them His own love, and share with them His
own life!
3. [Here we come to the truth that from our perspective is
central, having to do directly with our salvation:]
JESUS CAME TO BRING LIFE TO YOU AND ME.
John 10:10 I am come that they might have LIFE, and that they
may have it more abundantly. And also John 1:12 He came unto
His own and His own received Him not; but as many as received
Him, to them gave He power to become the children of God, even
as many as believed on His name.
When Jesus said, "It is finished" He was saying that everything
necessary was set in place that we might be God's children, heirs of
God's grace in Christ, joint-heirs with Christ to all the love of
God's family!
"It is finished!" means that we may be:
justified - counted as righteous in Christ
regenerated - new creatures in Christ
adopted - brought into God's family with His Spirit crying
"Abba, Father" within us and
sanctified - or the actual work of making us LIKE Christ begun
within our personality
BEHOLD: THE FINISHED WORK
Perhaps the best news is that this cry of Jesus from the cross
means that THERE IS NO MORE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE YOU AND I CAN
COME TO GOD, to receive this gift of life (this Gift=Jesus Himself!),
and to be received into God's family:
This finished work is ours to receive as the Holy Spirit makes it
available to us by God's grace:
John 1:12 " ...as many as received Him, to them gave He power to
become the children of God, even as many as believed on His
name."
I'M SURE THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE LORD JESUS INTO YOUR HEART
AND LIFE OR YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY. BUT IF, BY CHANCE,
YOU HAVE COME WITH BURDENS OR DOUBTS OR FEARS, FEARS OF LIFE OR FEARS
OF DEATH, LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT WHEN JESUS SAID, FROM THE CROSS: IT
IS FINISHED! HE HAD YOUR ETERNAL SALVATION, AND YOUR PERSONAL
ASSURANCE AT HEART. HE DIED BECAUSE HE LOVES US, AND HE COMPLETED THE
WORK THAT MAKES HIS ETERNAL LIFE OUR OWN!
Prayer:
———————————————————————————————————
Dr. Russell Metcalfe is Pastor Emeritus of the Wollaston Church of the Nazarene. Permission to reprint or publish this material is GRANTED as long as the reprinting or republishing is not-for-profit. You can access more of Dr. Metcalfe's sermons at his scripturally indexed sermon archives web site. Now with MP3 audio sermons and audio bonus material.
IT IS FINISHED
Good Friday Meditation
John 19:30 When Jesus had received
the vinegar, He said, "It is finished!"
and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
A STATEMENT ABOUT CHRIST'S LIFE WORK
The cry from the cross, "It is finished" is the final word in the
Gospel of John. "Into Thy hands I commend My spirit" is a personal
word of faith; this is a statement about what Jesus has done with His
life, and where He had finally ended His earthly ministry.
THE VIEW OF UNBELIEF: IT'S ALL OVER
I suppose there are different ways to hear these words. One
interpretation, I hasten to say 'Not my own!', might say that with
these words Jesus has simply said: "It's all over!"
The agony has ended, but with it also the noble experiment has
failed! 'My disciples are scattered, the high and holy-sounding words
I uttered have proved empty. Love is NOT stronger than hatred; the
people with the biggest army always win.'
But if this had been the true meaning of these words we never
would have heard of Jesus Christ except as a tiny footnote somewhere
in an historian's notebook about some eccentric Jewish revolutionary.
This is the interpretation we must give these words however,
if all that we see is the cross of Christ.
I know it is Good Friday. I know we aren't supposed to celebrate
the Resurrection until Sunday. I praise God that the Cross is God's
victory for us over the power and guilt of sin. But it takes the power
of the Resurrection to unlock the full meaning of these words: "It is
finished!"
John 20:9 expresses how helpless we would be to see the full
meaning of "It is finished" without knowing, as we most certainly
know, that Jesus not only died but rose again from the dead. John 20:9
says:
"For as yet they did not understand the Scripture
that [Jesus] must rise again from the dead."
From our perspective this side of Calvary, this side of the
resurrection, this side of Pentecost and the living Christ inhabiting
His church, we know that Jesus was NOT admitting defeat with his
statement from the cross, IT IS FINISHED!
THE PERSPECTIVE OF FAITH: IT IS COMPLETE
The only way we Christians can understand these words of
completion is in the light of the mighty power of LIFE ETERNAL, the
Resurrection Power that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus.
In His own words in the High Priestly prayer Jesus said: (17:4)
"I glorified Thee on earth, having accomplished the work which Thou
hast given Me to do."
And what DID Jesus come to do?
1. JESUS CAME TO SHOW US THE FATHER.
John 1:1 declared that Jesus is the WORD. In John 14 Jesus
tells the disciples, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the
Father." God is Transcendent, beyond our full
comprehension. Yet forever we know what God is, for God is
like our Lord, like our Friend, Jesus of Galilee.
2. JESUS CAME TO DESTROY THE WORKS OF EVIL.
I John 3:8 says: "The Son of God appeared for this purpose,
that He might destroy the works of the devil." Satan has set
up shop on this planet, and has taken many prisoners. He has
propagated lies about what real power and real wealth and real
satisfaction might be. Jesus has come to set the prisoners of
evil free, and show them His own love, and share with them His
own life!
3. [Here we come to the truth that from our perspective is
central, having to do directly with our salvation:]
JESUS CAME TO BRING LIFE TO YOU AND ME.
John 10:10 I am come that they might have LIFE, and that they
may have it more abundantly. And also John 1:12 He came unto
His own and His own received Him not; but as many as received
Him, to them gave He power to become the children of God, even
as many as believed on His name.
When Jesus said, "It is finished" He was saying that everything
necessary was set in place that we might be God's children, heirs of
God's grace in Christ, joint-heirs with Christ to all the love of
God's family!
"It is finished!" means that we may be:
justified - counted as righteous in Christ
regenerated - new creatures in Christ
adopted - brought into God's family with His Spirit crying
"Abba, Father" within us and
sanctified - or the actual work of making us LIKE Christ begun
within our personality
BEHOLD: THE FINISHED WORK
Perhaps the best news is that this cry of Jesus from the cross
means that THERE IS NO MORE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE YOU AND I CAN
COME TO GOD, to receive this gift of life (this Gift=Jesus Himself!),
and to be received into God's family:
This finished work is ours to receive as the Holy Spirit makes it
available to us by God's grace:
John 1:12 " ...as many as received Him, to them gave He power to
become the children of God, even as many as believed on His
name."
I'M SURE THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE LORD JESUS INTO YOUR HEART
AND LIFE OR YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY. BUT IF, BY CHANCE,
YOU HAVE COME WITH BURDENS OR DOUBTS OR FEARS, FEARS OF LIFE OR FEARS
OF DEATH, LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT WHEN JESUS SAID, FROM THE CROSS: IT
IS FINISHED! HE HAD YOUR ETERNAL SALVATION, AND YOUR PERSONAL
ASSURANCE AT HEART. HE DIED BECAUSE HE LOVES US, AND HE COMPLETED THE
WORK THAT MAKES HIS ETERNAL LIFE OUR OWN!
Prayer:
———————————————————————————————————
Dr. Russell Metcalfe is Pastor Emeritus of the Wollaston Church of the Nazarene. Permission to reprint or publish this material is GRANTED as long as the reprinting or republishing is not-for-profit. You can access more of Dr. Metcalfe's sermons at his scripturally indexed sermon archives web site. Now with MP3 audio sermons and audio bonus material.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Worthwhile--get to Tracy's editorial
IS THIS ALL THERE IS TO LIFE?
Romans 4:1
"What shall we say that Abraham ... has found?"
A. (A story. A true story.) Once upon a time there was a good man.He had a good family. He had good connections. He was living in areasonably comfortable manner. He was abreast of the latest moderntechnology. His life was not in crisis. But deep in his heart therewas the nagging uncertainty, the question he could not put into words: "IS THIS ALL THERE IS TO LIFE?"
B. Then one day this good man became aware that Almighty God wastalking to him. Just how this awareness came about I can not tellyou. [ We're so sophisticated... we "know" God doesn't talk to people... now! Or does He? ] But Abraham heard a call from God that sent himpacking. It was a call of a loving God, calling a seeker to Himself.
C. We usually miss this basic fact in the telling of this greatstory. But God was answering the question that sooner or later we allcome to ask: IS THIS ALL THERE IS TO LIFE?
God was saying, "Well, no,as a matter of fact THIS isn't all there is to life! And if you arewilling and obedient, I will show you what your heart is seeking! Iwant you to "come home" and live your earthly life WITH ME as yourclosest Friend!"
D. In order to find his true home in God's Presence, Abraham hadto LEAVE all false security behind. ("Entering" almost always alsomeans "leaving.") God said, "I want you to LEAVE... your country your people your father's relatives and above all your right to control your own direction!" But never lose sight of the fact that this was (1) a call fromGod (2) inviting Abraham into a one-on-one relationship with Himself!
II. QUESTIONS THIS PASSAGE RAISES:
1) Does God still call people like He did Abraham?
2) How would God get your attention if He wanted to speak to you?
3) How might we respond to a call from God in (2010)1993?
A. Does God still call individual people?
1. My 'message' is "yes:" I am convinced that God is thunderingHis call to a "radical departure" ... all the life stories ofconversion and salvation, from Noah, and Abraham, and the Exodus, andthe prophets are being echoed today in one great call "Save yourselvesfrom this reprobate civilization!" In a society where it is acriminal offense to hand out Bibles in the schools - while it iscommendable to teach perversion and hand out birth control devices;where millions of people use abortion as a means of birth controlafter the fact; where public media does its best to ridicule anythingsupernatural that has to do with God Almighty, while at the same timepromotes the worship of Mother Earth and in the name of Pluralismmakes Jesus Christ sound like a bigot when He declares: "No one comes to the Father but by Me!" ... still in all thisGod calls, "Leave the prison of your self-made gods-- come away from aScripture that YOU edit and cut and pick and choose and stand injudgment over -- leave the bondage of "what so-called sophisticatesmight think," -- and step out on a journey of faith with Me!
2. My personal testimony is "yes:" I know you would expect anevangelical Christian minister to answer in the affirmative. I cananswer that I am certain, convinced, sure, that God spoke to me when Iwas living selfishly and out of fellowship with Him. He spoke to meby both love and fear; by what I might call "Behold the goodness andthe severity of God" (Romans 11:22)
B. How would God call YOU, if He wanted to call you?
1. God speaks through dramatically unspectacular, quiet "meansof grace," through a regular submission to the Word; by an habitualobedience in prayer; by the sacrifice of praise and worship in thecorporate worship of the church.
2. It might just be that God has a quiet but absolutely vitalmessage for you during this next week of revival services. I ask younow if you have re-arranged your schedule even one little bit in orderto give God a chance to communicate with you during this LentenSeason-- and even perhaps through Floyd and Barbara Flemming, who havebeen praying and preparing for their ministry in the Word to us? Itdoesn't make much difference HOW God is calling if you are notlistening, or tuning in on a completely different channel.
[I toyed with the idea of just reading Wesley Tracy's editorialin last week's Herald. It really challenged me. So here it is:]
COME ON HOME[1]
Isn't it time for you to come home? Haven't you had enough of the world's shallow gratifications? Haven't you had enough counterfeit answers to your heart's deep needs? Haven't you leaned your ladder on the wrong wall too long already? Aren't you tired of trying to be a classy sophisticate who knows all about things timely-- progressive education, career enhancement, political correctness, next season's fashions, and the done thing? Are you not tired of having just enough religion to make you uncomfortable at a cocktail reception and yet ill at ease in the presence of the Holy? There is time to come back to simple holy living. A time to come back to self-control, Christian simplicity, and spiritual discipline energized by God's grace. "Now is the time. We have been through it all-- the grasping, the looking, the searching. We have lived as people who try to serve God and mammon, and we know now that it cannot be done.[2] Too many Christians have drifted into letting the world tell them how to dress, what to drive, what songs and entertainment with which to saturate the soul, and just how to put me first at the expense of other people whom nobody puts first. Some who take the name of Christ seem owned by their ambitions, chained to a success formula, enslaved by the hunger for prestige-- diseases they have caught from our sinful culture. They fill up the ranks of the Christian jet set. Visit any important Christian conference and you will see them-- "dressed alike, talking alike, smiling alike, looking over the shoulders of the people to whom they are speaking in order to see who else has come into the room."[3] The world has taught us to reach for the things that matterleast while neglecting the things that matter most. Prayer, Biblestudy, devotion, and obedience have been elbowed to the margins asChristian self-help propaganda taught believers to dress for success,win through intimidation, fulfill themselves, enjoy sex, and loseweight. Richard Baxter's 17th-century description fits today'scosmopolite evangelicals like a glove: When we should study God we study ourselves; when we should mind God, we mind ourselves; when we should love God, we love our carnal selves; when we should trust God, we trust ourselves; when we should honour God, we honour ourselves; and when we should ascribe to God and admire Him, we ascribe to and admire ourselves: and instead of God we would have all men's eyes and dependence on us, and all men's thanks returned to us, and would gladly be the only men on earth extolled and admired by all. And thus naturally we are our own idols.[4] Even spirituality has become something to be utilized. We werecoached to practice the spiritual disciplines in order to achieveself-fulfillment, discover happiness, become fully human, and overcomestress. Such behavior is a lilac-scented blasphemy. The only reasonto practice the spiritual disciplines is because of who God is. Not even Hollywood has "out-glitzed" evangelical religion.Popular Christianity has been polled, charted, televised, and made"user friendly" by the best ad crews in the world. But now we knowthat making Christianity compatible with the loose living andundisciplined conduct of our culture does not work. The popularchurch "has lower standards for membership than those for getting on abus."[5] But we have learned a few lessons, haven't we? "Now we cansee . . . where uncontrolled living goes. We know the misery. We havefelt it."[6] It is time to come home. Time to stop trying to be citizens oftwo countries. It is time to stop trying to blend God's way with ourown wants and lusts. Come home to Christian simplicity, discipline,and holiness of heart and life. The journey is not easy. The worldly culture will try to sweepyou back into its whirlwind of shallow gratifications, its conscience-deadening maze of greeds and lusts, its "cosmetic diversions andplastic pleasures." Resist them in the power of the Spirit. They are vapors offantasy that lead only to emptiness. On the other hand, the holy lifeto which God is calling you is "astonishing in its completeness," asThomas Kelley writes. Of the holy life, he says, Its joys are ravishing, its peace profound, its humility the deepest, its power world-shaking, its love enveloping, its simplicity that of a trusting child ... It is the life and power of Jesus of Nazareth.7
C. Yes, God calls! The last question, is How can we respond? :...
III. WE CAN RESPOND WITH FAITH
A. The other story of the morning is from John 3. Here is anotherwealthy, successful, respected man, a leader in society, who is askinghimself: IS THIS ALL THERE IS TO LIFE? He comes to Jesus by night. He says, nice things to start theconversation, but Jesus almost interrupts him to say: "Unless you areBORN AGAIN you cannot even SEE the kingdom of heaven!" Nicodemus was a sort of "literalist." "How can such a thing be?"
Right at this place Jesus reminded Nicodemus of an Old Testamentstory every Jewish child knew-- and ever Christian child ought toknow, too. You know it, too-- remember the Children of Israel had beendisobedient, and as a judgment an invasion of poisonous snakes began afatal assault on them, left and right. God had Moses fashion a serpentof brass and lift it up on a pole. As many as looked to the serpentrecovered. Those who refused to look died. Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Your journey into life starts with alook! It begins with faith in what I am going to do on the Cross ofCalvary! Faith is trusting ME!"Conclusion:
Our text tells us that Abraham, the father of faith, discoveredsomething. Just what was it that Abraham discovered and passed on toall people of faith?
It is the answer to the question so many have asked through theages: IS THIS ALL THERE IS TO LIFE? Abraham discovered that real LIFE is about walking with God!Getting to know God! And in the text Paul tells us that God stillwants people to walk with Him by faith. God still calls people to come HOME into the growing assurancethat we can live in the will of God, and we can KNOW it!
I'm convinced that if we answer this call, two things arenecessary:
(1) We need to deliberately break the insulation that separatesus from entering into God's Presence, the "Shekinah." God's Presenceis life-giving. We must enter into the Presence and worship, whereverwe are coming from.
(2) We need to break the bondage of self-consciousness beforethe judgment of other human beings. "If I buy into this radicalresponse I will be stepping back into the '30s-- I will be an ignorantsheep---" NOT if it is truly GOD who is calling you to come HOME toHIM!
Footnotes_______________________________
1. Editorial by Wesley Tracy in The Herald of Holiness, March1993, 2,32. WT quotes Roger C. Palms, Enjoying the Closeness of God3. WT quotes Palms, Enjoying, 204. WT quotes Richard Baxter, The Saint's Everlasting Rest5. WT quotes Harry R. Rudin, Christian Century, June 4,19526. Wt quotes Palms, Enjoying 307. WT quotes Thomas Kelly, A Testament of Devotion, 29
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
God speaks to children . . and to child-like . . .
Eighteen years ago one Sunday morning in Wollaston I talked to the children about Samuel and how God spoke to him . . .I was surprised to hear them say God had spoken to them, too . . .we prayed together and I was joined in the Lord's Prayer by the children . . .then I continued the theme in the sermon that day. If you have a few minutes to spend in uselessness before the Lord I am posting both segments of that morning service . . . those "kids" are now pushing 30 . . .but the message spoke to my own soul this morning . . .http://russellmetcalfesermons.nazarene.nl/AudioSermons/Speak%20Your%20Servant%20is%20Listening%20Childrens%20Sermon%201992.mp3..........and.......http://russellmetcalfesermons.nazarene.nl/AudioSermons/Speak%20Your%20Servant%20is%20Listening%201992.mp3
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
IS REVIVAL IN OUR DAY POSSIBLE?
THOUGHTS ON SPIRITUAL AWAKENING IN OUR DAY
What if revival and renewal depends in some way on the witness of the Church? In this Lenten Season I want to be a faithful witness. Christian “witnessing” usually falls into one of two categories: either ACTIVIST, or CONVERSIONIST.
Activists create pressure. They seek to enact law. They form a moral majority or a green peace. They protest. Conversionists seek to evangelize. Nothing wrong with that-- except that all too often this means "Join MY group the way WE say and then circle the wagons and wait for the cavalry." I do not deny that I believe that people need to be born again, and that unless a person is saved he or she is lost.
But there is a third way. Stanley Hauerwas suggests that this "third way" is not in any way a blending of the other two, but a radically different approach to Christian reality! This third way says: EAT IN FRONT OF YOUR ENEMIES! Don't just try to block them in legislature, or persuade them to become a member of your church-- but show them your Shepherd!
Instead of an ACTIVIST APPROACH or a CONVERSIONIST APPROACH, this is A CONFESSIONAL APPROACH to Christian living. . . . saying: "Jesus Christ is MY Shepherd! He is MY Lord and MY Master. I will seek to do everything I do in a way to please Him and reveal Him to the world! I’m thinking here, of course, of the 23rd Psalm that we all know by heart- and that verse that says “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies!”
No for us to say “Nah-nah-nah-nah-nahh!” But to make it clear they’re welcome to join the picnic. It is NOT a table for two! Yes, it IS personal! But there is fellowship around the Shepherd's table. Actually the fellowship is not the primary thing-- even though sometimes it becomes the focus. But the fellowship is incidental to the MEAL.
Personally, I believe the way we observe Holy Communion, and the way we integrate our lives around being part of the Body of Christ, broken for the life of the Church and available to all who are invited by the Host is a key, if not THE key to renewal, revival, and spiritual awakening in our day, dark as it may seem.
-Russell Metcalfe
What if revival and renewal depends in some way on the witness of the Church? In this Lenten Season I want to be a faithful witness. Christian “witnessing” usually falls into one of two categories: either ACTIVIST, or CONVERSIONIST.
Activists create pressure. They seek to enact law. They form a moral majority or a green peace. They protest. Conversionists seek to evangelize. Nothing wrong with that-- except that all too often this means "Join MY group the way WE say and then circle the wagons and wait for the cavalry." I do not deny that I believe that people need to be born again, and that unless a person is saved he or she is lost.
But there is a third way. Stanley Hauerwas suggests that this "third way" is not in any way a blending of the other two, but a radically different approach to Christian reality! This third way says: EAT IN FRONT OF YOUR ENEMIES! Don't just try to block them in legislature, or persuade them to become a member of your church-- but show them your Shepherd!
Instead of an ACTIVIST APPROACH or a CONVERSIONIST APPROACH, this is A CONFESSIONAL APPROACH to Christian living. . . . saying: "Jesus Christ is MY Shepherd! He is MY Lord and MY Master. I will seek to do everything I do in a way to please Him and reveal Him to the world! I’m thinking here, of course, of the 23rd Psalm that we all know by heart- and that verse that says “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies!”
No for us to say “Nah-nah-nah-nah-nahh!” But to make it clear they’re welcome to join the picnic. It is NOT a table for two! Yes, it IS personal! But there is fellowship around the Shepherd's table. Actually the fellowship is not the primary thing-- even though sometimes it becomes the focus. But the fellowship is incidental to the MEAL.
Personally, I believe the way we observe Holy Communion, and the way we integrate our lives around being part of the Body of Christ, broken for the life of the Church and available to all who are invited by the Host is a key, if not THE key to renewal, revival, and spiritual awakening in our day, dark as it may seem.
-Russell Metcalfe
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Build an Ark for Lent
TO BUILD AN ARK
Genesis 9:8-17
Mark 1:9-15
I never, ever, put myself into the Bible story of Noah, even as a
small child. I could never build a model airplane that would fly, let
alone a boat that would float. I could imagine myself as David, or as
Paul and Silas, but never Noah.
But did you ever think that sooner or later every one of us comes
to a Noah-like situation. We see a world that is tuned out on God,
and that seems bent on going to hell. We may not recognize it as such,
but we have to make a Noah-like decision. We think about it. We
ponder, "What can I possibly do?" We think, "I don't want my family
to be lost! I don't want to lose my own soul!"
Then amid all the pondering comes a thought from God: "Start
building an ark!" Well-- maybe not that. But a challenge comes from
the God of Noah. God says, "Did you know that you don't have to live
like the world?" And we face the question, "How much do we really
want to be saved?"
I. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE SAVED?
Water in the story is significant. Christian baptism, among
other things, refers back to this Noah story when eight people in the
world were saved by the very water that destroyed their generation.
To be baptized is to be saved-- right? Well--
Believing in Jesus is absolutely vital. THAT is what it means to
be saved, isn't it? The Bibles tells us (Romans 10:9,10) that to say
from the heart "Jesus is LORD!" and to believe that God has raised him
from the dead is the essence of salvation. But the Bible also teaches
us that "to believe" is more than just a mental assent-- saying the
right things. "To believe" is to hear God make a promise-- and to
respond to that promise!
II. BEING SAVED IS A PROMISE
1. Being saved is a promise GIVEN.
God is a covenant-making God. He makes promises. In the Noah
story he covenanted never to destroy the world again by flood. Then
nearly 2,000 times in the Bible we read about "covenant." We live by
promises. We exist by honor.
God has promised (John 3:16) that "whosoever believes in Jesus
will not perish"
God has promised (I John 1:9) that if we confess our sins he will
forgive them"
God has promised (Luke 11:13) that if we ask the Father will give
us the Holy Spirit
God has promised (John 15:7) if we abide in Jesus, and Jesus'
words abide in us we can ask what we will and it shall be done!
Our Christian life-- salvation depends on promise GIVEN.
2. Being saved is a promise RECEIVED
Every promise in the word is conditional. God's LOVE does not
depend on whether we are good or bad. God loves us when we deserve
nothing. To meet the conditions of a promise is not the same as
deserving what is promised. To pass from death to life is a mystery.
But there must be a WILLINGNESS TO RECEIVE!
To RECEIVE forgiveness there must first be CONFESSION.
To be filled with the Spirit there must first be an ASKING!
But did you know that salvation is more than an "experience" or a
"fact of history?"
3. Being saved is a promise HONORED
Being saved is more than an event-- more than a one-time
happening. Just as a good marriage is much, much more than an
exciting wedding-- but is built on covenant and mutual trust, so our
relationship with God is an on-going PROMISE, a COVENANT!
III. SALVATION IS AN ARK OF SAFETY
Unless we are living differently from the world around us what
assurance to we have, and what witness does the world see that
salvation is worth anything at all?
Is that judging? Is that spiritual elitism?
No-- that is God's still, small voice saying:
"Get busy! Start building an ark! Save your children!
The flood of judgment is coming!"
IV. LENT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK TO HONOR GOD'S COVENANT
Jesus began his ministry proclaiming GOOD NEWS!
He said: "The kingdom is near!" Where Jesus is-- THERE is God's
kingdom!"
BUT JESUS ALSO SAID REPENT! JESUS SAID BELIEVE ME! JESUS SAID
CHANGE THE WAY YOU LIVE! THAT IS WHAT 'REPENT' MEANS! The challenge
of Noah sounds like a great sermon preached on the day of Pentecost.
Peter challenged the good people of his day to avail themselves of
God's covenant-making love. In Acts 2:38:
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all
that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall
call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort,
saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then
they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same
day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Save yourselves from this perverse generation! God help us in OUR
perverse time!! Peter was not preaching self-salvation! But he was
preaching repentance and obedience!
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE SAVED?
IT MEANS BEING DIFFERENT FROM THE WORLD!
IT MEANS BEING FREE FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN!
IT MEANS BEING IN A COVENANT RELATIONSHIP WITH A WONDERFUL SAVIOR!
You can reach Dr. Metcalfe at eflactem@aol
Genesis 9:8-17
Mark 1:9-15
I never, ever, put myself into the Bible story of Noah, even as a
small child. I could never build a model airplane that would fly, let
alone a boat that would float. I could imagine myself as David, or as
Paul and Silas, but never Noah.
But did you ever think that sooner or later every one of us comes
to a Noah-like situation. We see a world that is tuned out on God,
and that seems bent on going to hell. We may not recognize it as such,
but we have to make a Noah-like decision. We think about it. We
ponder, "What can I possibly do?" We think, "I don't want my family
to be lost! I don't want to lose my own soul!"
Then amid all the pondering comes a thought from God: "Start
building an ark!" Well-- maybe not that. But a challenge comes from
the God of Noah. God says, "Did you know that you don't have to live
like the world?" And we face the question, "How much do we really
want to be saved?"
I. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE SAVED?
Water in the story is significant. Christian baptism, among
other things, refers back to this Noah story when eight people in the
world were saved by the very water that destroyed their generation.
To be baptized is to be saved-- right? Well--
Believing in Jesus is absolutely vital. THAT is what it means to
be saved, isn't it? The Bibles tells us (Romans 10:9,10) that to say
from the heart "Jesus is LORD!" and to believe that God has raised him
from the dead is the essence of salvation. But the Bible also teaches
us that "to believe" is more than just a mental assent-- saying the
right things. "To believe" is to hear God make a promise-- and to
respond to that promise!
II. BEING SAVED IS A PROMISE
1. Being saved is a promise GIVEN.
God is a covenant-making God. He makes promises. In the Noah
story he covenanted never to destroy the world again by flood. Then
nearly 2,000 times in the Bible we read about "covenant." We live by
promises. We exist by honor.
God has promised (John 3:16) that "whosoever believes in Jesus
will not perish"
God has promised (I John 1:9) that if we confess our sins he will
forgive them"
God has promised (Luke 11:13) that if we ask the Father will give
us the Holy Spirit
God has promised (John 15:7) if we abide in Jesus, and Jesus'
words abide in us we can ask what we will and it shall be done!
Our Christian life-- salvation depends on promise GIVEN.
2. Being saved is a promise RECEIVED
Every promise in the word is conditional. God's LOVE does not
depend on whether we are good or bad. God loves us when we deserve
nothing. To meet the conditions of a promise is not the same as
deserving what is promised. To pass from death to life is a mystery.
But there must be a WILLINGNESS TO RECEIVE!
To RECEIVE forgiveness there must first be CONFESSION.
To be filled with the Spirit there must first be an ASKING!
But did you know that salvation is more than an "experience" or a
"fact of history?"
3. Being saved is a promise HONORED
Being saved is more than an event-- more than a one-time
happening. Just as a good marriage is much, much more than an
exciting wedding-- but is built on covenant and mutual trust, so our
relationship with God is an on-going PROMISE, a COVENANT!
III. SALVATION IS AN ARK OF SAFETY
Unless we are living differently from the world around us what
assurance to we have, and what witness does the world see that
salvation is worth anything at all?
Is that judging? Is that spiritual elitism?
No-- that is God's still, small voice saying:
"Get busy! Start building an ark! Save your children!
The flood of judgment is coming!"
IV. LENT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK TO HONOR GOD'S COVENANT
Jesus began his ministry proclaiming GOOD NEWS!
He said: "The kingdom is near!" Where Jesus is-- THERE is God's
kingdom!"
BUT JESUS ALSO SAID REPENT! JESUS SAID BELIEVE ME! JESUS SAID
CHANGE THE WAY YOU LIVE! THAT IS WHAT 'REPENT' MEANS! The challenge
of Noah sounds like a great sermon preached on the day of Pentecost.
Peter challenged the good people of his day to avail themselves of
God's covenant-making love. In Acts 2:38:
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all
that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall
call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort,
saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then
they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same
day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Save yourselves from this perverse generation! God help us in OUR
perverse time!! Peter was not preaching self-salvation! But he was
preaching repentance and obedience!
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE SAVED?
IT MEANS BEING DIFFERENT FROM THE WORLD!
IT MEANS BEING FREE FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN!
IT MEANS BEING IN A COVENANT RELATIONSHIP WITH A WONDERFUL SAVIOR!
You can reach Dr. Metcalfe at eflactem@aol
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Intercession as Zero Hour Nears
IN Genesis 19 is a picture of the power of intercession:
Abraham was a major-league intercessor.
He saw his nephew delivered even as he saw God's judgment on the evil citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah
"Will the LORD spare Sodom for 50, 45,40, --down to 10...??"
Perhaps we stand closer to God's wrath than we realize today;
perhaps we are more like Lot than we are like Abraham.
Do see the principle that righteous people are somehow a deterrent to judgment day wrath.
And we see the powerful influence ofone person who has the courage to ask God to spare others!
Abraham was a major-league intercessor.
He saw his nephew delivered even as he saw God's judgment on the evil citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah
"Will the LORD spare Sodom for 50, 45,40, --down to 10...??"
Perhaps we stand closer to God's wrath than we realize today;
perhaps we are more like Lot than we are like Abraham.
Do see the principle that righteous people are somehow a deterrent to judgment day wrath.
And we see the powerful influence ofone person who has the courage to ask God to spare others!
Friday, January 22, 2010
What is the Church's LIFE?
The "bottom line" of who is/is not "a Christian" has to be God's judgment and God's alone. But there are some things that give life to all of us who profess to be members of the Body of Christ. Beyond regional, cultural, even doctrinal matters, what really makes us followers in fact of Jesus Christ? Not that doctrine is unimportant- it certainly is important- but also the fact is that we are saved by Jesus Himself, and not by our great wisdom in grasping facts, truth with a small "t". Jesus Himself is the Truth.
My personal conviction is that the Church will continue to grow and be healthy even if some sincere movements within the churches flame out and popular spokespersons come and go-- for Jesus Himself has promised that He will build the Church, which is His Body. But I believe the Church will flourish precisely as it re-discovers the vitality of traditions that have been discarded because they have been mis-used , misunderstood, and even sadly neglected. The Holy Communion, regularly and reverently observed will vitalize any congregation. The Creed(s) thoughtfully affirmed often, publicly will filter into the souls of young and old alike. The Lord's Prayer, prayed together week by week by whole congregations, has a way of meeting the current needs-- far from "vain repetition" it will foster unity in the Body.
I love the Church!
My personal conviction is that the Church will continue to grow and be healthy even if some sincere movements within the churches flame out and popular spokespersons come and go-- for Jesus Himself has promised that He will build the Church, which is His Body. But I believe the Church will flourish precisely as it re-discovers the vitality of traditions that have been discarded because they have been mis-used , misunderstood, and even sadly neglected. The Holy Communion, regularly and reverently observed will vitalize any congregation. The Creed(s) thoughtfully affirmed often, publicly will filter into the souls of young and old alike. The Lord's Prayer, prayed together week by week by whole congregations, has a way of meeting the current needs-- far from "vain repetition" it will foster unity in the Body.
I love the Church!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Call to Christlikenss (sel.)
Genuine faith must choose betweenthe apparent and the genuine.
Appearances are all-important to phony Christians. Genuine 'walkers-with-God' have as their first concern thereality of staying near Him; and secondarily only 'what it will seemto other people.'Too often we worship the big, the booming, the shiny. God-centered faith is willing to be thought a failure so far ason-looking people may be concerned!
Paul was a man who certainly pleased God. But listen to thesewords he wrote to the Corinthian church (I Co. 4:11): "To this presenthour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and areroughly treated, and are homeless..."
Paul was not a modern-day success story. He didn't have a stretch limo tocarry him from pulpit to pulpit!
. Until we settle it to please God first we will probablycontinue to have troubles with prosperous evil people, and with hypocrites in the church, and with do-nothing professing Christians. But if we make it our business to walk with Jesus we won't stayfrustrated by people for too long! There are greater things in life than what PEOPLE think!
Appearances are all-important to phony Christians. Genuine 'walkers-with-God' have as their first concern thereality of staying near Him; and secondarily only 'what it will seemto other people.'Too often we worship the big, the booming, the shiny. God-centered faith is willing to be thought a failure so far ason-looking people may be concerned!
Paul was a man who certainly pleased God. But listen to thesewords he wrote to the Corinthian church (I Co. 4:11): "To this presenthour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and areroughly treated, and are homeless..."
Paul was not a modern-day success story. He didn't have a stretch limo tocarry him from pulpit to pulpit!
. Until we settle it to please God first we will probablycontinue to have troubles with prosperous evil people, and with hypocrites in the church, and with do-nothing professing Christians. But if we make it our business to walk with Jesus we won't stayfrustrated by people for too long! There are greater things in life than what PEOPLE think!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
A SIMPLE EXERCISE IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH
THE 'T V PUSH-AWAY'
WORKS LIKE THIS---
You are sitting comfortably
before the TV when something comes on ... gets your interest ...
which soon offends your spirit just the slightest.
TURN IT OFF TO
THE GLORY OF GOD!
TURN IT OFF WITH A PRAYER: "Father, I want You
to fill my mind, and not this garbage! Amen."
Ask God for a holy ANGER! Ask the Holy Spirit to show you
your own shortcomings ... how prone we humans are to actually
enjoy the exposure of great sins in others while at the same time
we excuse the sins we consider "small" that we harbor in our own
thought life!
Sins like: harsh judgment of others ... an unloving,
critical spirit ... any kind of double-dealing-- of lying by
implication ... we must shun-- turn away-- reject anything like
this, anything that is not of God's Spirit.
And why should we turn away from evil? (1) Because of other
people's personal convictions? NO (2) because of legalistic
standards? NO (3) Because of fear of what people might say?
NO
We turn away from evil because IF WE TURN AWAY WE SHALL
ENJOY GOOD HEALTH! So many people are not robust, healthy
Christians because they have never been convinced of the need to
HATE SIN as well as to LOVE THE LORD!
WORKS LIKE THIS---
You are sitting comfortably
before the TV when something comes on ... gets your interest ...
which soon offends your spirit just the slightest.
TURN IT OFF TO
THE GLORY OF GOD!
TURN IT OFF WITH A PRAYER: "Father, I want You
to fill my mind, and not this garbage! Amen."
Ask God for a holy ANGER! Ask the Holy Spirit to show you
your own shortcomings ... how prone we humans are to actually
enjoy the exposure of great sins in others while at the same time
we excuse the sins we consider "small" that we harbor in our own
thought life!
Sins like: harsh judgment of others ... an unloving,
critical spirit ... any kind of double-dealing-- of lying by
implication ... we must shun-- turn away-- reject anything like
this, anything that is not of God's Spirit.
And why should we turn away from evil? (1) Because of other
people's personal convictions? NO (2) because of legalistic
standards? NO (3) Because of fear of what people might say?
NO
We turn away from evil because IF WE TURN AWAY WE SHALL
ENJOY GOOD HEALTH! So many people are not robust, healthy
Christians because they have never been convinced of the need to
HATE SIN as well as to LOVE THE LORD!
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