Hello boys and girls!

Has anyone ever told you to get lost or go away? |Has anyone ever told you that they didn’t want you around? How did that make you feel?

There is one person who will never tell us to go away. In fact, he wants all of us to come close to him. His name is Jesus. Let me explain by reading a story to you from Mark 10:2-16.

One day, Jesus and his friends were walking along the beautiful coast of Judea. As they were walking and talking, and discussing the news of the day, other people saw Jesus and wanted to hear what he was saying. Soon there was a very large crowd of people following Jesus. Some of them were sick, and Jesus touched them and made them well. Others had questions they wanted to ask and listened carefully as Jesus answered them.

There was a group of people called “Pharisees,” who were leaders in the temple. They liked to have long discussions and especially enjoyed arguing and trying to trick one another. When the Pharisees heard that Jesus was nearby, they left their work and rushed to join the crowd. They were having a good time asking questions and trying to trick Jesus, but, of course, Jesus knew what they were trying to do, and He gave them perfect answers every time. They could not trick Jesus!

While the Pharisees were having their discussion with Jesus, some mothers joined the crowd. They knew Jesus was a very important man, and they wanted their children to have a chance to see Him. Holding the hands of their children, they pushed through the crowd, trying to get closer.

When Jesus’ friends saw the mothers and children trying to get to the front to see Jesus, they scowled roughly. “Go away! Don’t you know that Jesus is an important man? Can’t you see that he is busy talking with the leaders of the temple? Take your children and go home!” Sad and dejected, the mothers turned to guide their children back the way they had come and away from the crowd.

However, Jesus loved children very much and had a different idea about the situation. He turned to his friends and kindly said, “No, don’t send them away. Let the children come to me.” Jesus’ friends quickly worked to make a path through the crowd so the mothers and children could get up close to Jesus. The mothers were full of joy and excitement as Jesus reached out his arms toward their children!

One by one, He scooped up the younger children into His loving arms, held them close, and prayed a special prayer of blessing. He gave each of the older children a tender hug and also prayed a blessing for them. He spoke gently to the mothers and gave them a smile of approval. After each one had seen Jesus and been blessed, Jesus spoke to his friends, the Pharisees, and the rest of the crowd, saying, “Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God as a child does, will not be able to enter into it.” He was trying to help them all understand that loving God is easy enough for a child to do, and all their long discussions and arguing were unnecessary.

Here’s another story about how much Jesus loves us. It’s a story about a little girl named Susie. One morning Susie’s mother said to her, “Do you want to come with me to Saturday School?”

“What’s that,” said Susie, “I already went to school.”

“Saturday School is a place for children who would be home alone all day on Saturday,” said her mother. “How come?” said Susie. “Because they don’t have a daddy or they don’t have a mommy and there is no one to stay home on Saturday,” said her mother.

“You mean they have to go to school another day because they don’t have a daddy or mommy,” said Susie. “That’s not fair. It’s not their fault. I wouldn’t want to have to do school work on Saturday.”

“We don’t do a lot of school work,” said her mother. “It’s fun. You’ll see. You can help.”

That night after Susie had taken a bath and tidied up her room, her mother came in for a Bible reading and prayers. They sat together on the bed and opened the Bible to a picture of Jesus sitting down talking to children. A little girl was on his knee and others were standing around him. He looked happy and so did the children.

“Did Jesus teach Saturday School?” said Susie. “Well, you know,” said her mother. “He probably did when he lived in Nazareth.”

“Are those children with Jesus because they don’t have a mommy or daddy?” said Susie.

“I don’t know,” said her mother. “But I do know that Jesus wants them to have mommies and daddies, and if they don’t Jesus would give them special attention.”

“Is that why we went to Saturday School today?” said Susie. “To give the children special attention like Jesus.” “Yes,” said her mother, “We were being like Jesus.”

“I like being like Jesus,” said Susie.

All of you are here today because someone loved you enough to bring you here. It doesn’t matter if that person is your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles or even a neighbour or close friend. We are thankful for each and every one of you and for the people who loved you enough to bring you here.

Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes for a moment of prayer. Dear God, we love the children just as Jesus loved them and we are thankful that these children have someone who loves them enough to bring them to Jesus. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Bibliography

• Linda Sue Pochodzay Edwards, “Fruit of the Spirit-Love: Jesus Loves Children.” Retrieved from stories@tscpulpitseries.is.to

• Roland McGregor, “Children’s Sermon for McGregorPage 838 Pentecost 19 (October 7, 2012) Retrieved from childpage@mcgregorpage.org

• “Let the Children Come.” Retrieved from www.sermons4kids.com

At first glance, the passage from Mark 10:2-16 seems a little disjointed. It starts with a discussion about divorce and ends with a discussion about entering God’s kingdom like little children. While they seem to be disconnected, they really are connected. Let me try to explain.

Mark’s Gospel was the first of the four major gospels to be written. In fact, if you compare the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke, you will find that they are very similar. John’s Gospel is different for reasons that I won’t get into this morning. Mark’s Gospel was not intended to be a daily diary of Jesus’ activities. Rather, it was intended to teach us about how we are to live our lives as Christians. In order to do this, Mark often puts two or more stories that are seemingly different side-by-side because of the deeper connection between them.

Such is the case with this morning’s Gospel reading. Jesus is trying to tell us that we are to show concern for the less fortunate in society. In Jesus’ time, women and children were among the least fortunate in society. They had very few rights. In fact, women were seen as the property of their husbands. A man could divorce his wife for seemingly petty reasons such as burning the meat, not keeping the home clean or getting older. All he had to do under the Law of Moses was to write a bill of divorce, give it to the woman and send her on her way. It is no wonder that prostitution is mentioned so many times in the Bible. It was the only way a divorced woman in that society could support herself and her children, especially if she did not have any other male relatives who could support her.

Society is the same today. There are many divorced women who are working to support themselves and their children without the support of their ex-husbands. Marriage is often seen today as nothing more than a social contract, but God sees marriage as a sacrament uniting a man with a woman. Society and some churches are trying to change their interpretation of God’s plan. One only has to look at the current debate within the Anglican Church of Canada regarding performing same-sex marriages to see an example.

While God’s plan is that marriages last until death, God also realizes that divorce is a reality because of our frail, sinful, human nature. That is why Moses allowed divorce, but he made it as difficult as possible. You see, the bill of divorce had to be written. Since many people at that time were illiterate, the process was a long and difficult one. God also realizes that there are situations where divorce is necessary, such as in the case of abuse. While every possible effort should be made to save marriages, we as Christians MUST also work with those who have been hurt by the pain of divorce to show them that God loves them and shares their pain.

Divorce does not just affect the spouses. It also affects their parents, siblings, friends, co-workers and most importantly their children. I know, because the pain of divorce and separation has affected a member of my family. I have seen how the particular situation has affected the children that are involved. All children are vulnerable, but the children of divorce can be even more vulnerable. Marriage was not intended to be ended by man, just like we can’t separate ourselves from the love of God. Our relationship with God is like a marriage, and just like every marriage, it requires work on our part; namely, faith and commitment.

Jesus knew that people suffer in divorce, so it is no accident that Mark follows Jesus’ debate with the Pharisees with Jesus calling the little children to him. We can see Jesus put his arms around the whole human race and condition. He does realize that divorce is sometimes necessary because of our human weakness. To the divorced, as to every person who is hurting, He offers insight, help, healing and forgiveness.

Jesus has a special fondness for the vulnerable members of society. That is why he had the debate with the Pharisees in the first part of this passage from Mark’s Gospel. One of God’s intentions for marriage is protection of the vulnerable-namely, women and children-from divorce caused by any reason. Jesus placed women, children and all vulnerable people on an equal footing with the rest of society. By doing so, he showed them that God’s love and God’s kingdom are for everyone. All we have to do is believe in Jesus and accept him in faith.

 So how do we accept Jesus in faith? We do so by coming to Jesus like a child. Let me explain this by taking you on a short walk down memory lane. Some of you may have heard of a singer/songwriter named Ray Stevens. He is famous for writing and recording comedy songs such as “Bridget the Midget”, “Ahab the Arab”, “The Streak”, “Osama, Yo’ Mama”, and many others. He did record a few serious songs, the most famous of which was “Everything is Beautiful”. That particular song starts with some children who are singing words that tie in nicely with the topic of my homily today. The verse goes something like this:

Jesus loves the little children

all little children of the world

Red and yellow, black and white

They are precious in His sight

Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Children by nature are trusting, naïve at times, and full of curiosity and wonder. They always want to know “Why?” (As those of you who are parents probably remember from your child-rearing days!). They have few worries, if any. They have an enthusiasm for life that we tend to lose as we get older. They have a sense that anything is possible. They trust other people implicitly. They have little if any control over their lives and depend on their parents. In other words, they are humble, just like Jesus teaches us to be humble.

I wish I could say that we as adults are the same way, but we are not. We have been hurt by some of our life experiences. Other experiences have hurt us. We are committed to fending for ourselves. In order to know the love that Christ has for us, we must let go of our control. We must stop protecting ourselves because Christ is our real defense. We must stop trying to provide for ourselves because Christ is our provider. In other words, we must travel the path that leads toward the innocence and trust that a child has.

We must be like children in our service to God. We must trust and obey Him without fail. We must live as children of God SHOULD live. In Jesus’ time, children were seen as nothings until they were old enough to be useful. Jesus appreciated and valued them for who they were and what they brought as children:

1. A simple, unquestioning faith
2. A trusting view of life
3. Disregard for wealth and status
4. Taking pleasure in the smallest things

What is our outlook as Kingdom people on life, possessions, people, those who might be neglected? It should be like a child’s.

I’d like to close my sermon this morning with these words from an email I received a few years ago. They accurately describe how we are to come to God like a child and not keep others from coming to him. The poem is entitled:

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN’T LOOKING

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I learned most of life’s lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, “Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.”

When Christ comes into our lives, we become enthusiastic and God-filled. We can’t sit still. We want to get out and do something about it. We want to reach out to others just like God reached out to us through Jesus. We must not place barriers in the lives of people who desire to come to Christ—-not even the barrier of a broken marriage. We need to bring people to Jesus by being a Christ-like friend, by sharing what it means to follow Jesus, and by carrying thanks to Jesus in prayer. In the scene of children in the arms of a loving Jesus, there is a story to be told, lessons to be learned, a key to unlatch eternal life, and a promise to bring us ultimate happiness—the happiness that is even greater than the happiest marriage on earth.

Bibliography

• Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions” for Sunday, October 4^th, 2009. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

• Unknown, “A Christ in Our Midst”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

• Michael Warden, “Looking to the Father”. Retrieved from www.loi.org.

• Donald Strobe, “Childish or Child-Like”. Retrieved from www.sermons.com/theResultsPage.asp?user_id=31971

• Donald Strobe, “God’s Strange Arithmetic”. Retrieved from www.sermons.com/theResultsPage.asp?user_id=31971

• Michael Milton, “Children in the Arms of a Loving God”. Retrieved from www.sermons.com/theResultsPage.asp?user_id=31971

What do we really need? Our society is based on acquisition of things, especially wealth. We are concerned about what we do not have, especially people who are considered to be “have not”. Jesus is saying that it doesn’t matter how hard we try to get things, we can’t accumulate more than what God can provide for us. If we are called to our heavenly home by God, what good will earthly goods be? After all, we can’t take them with us. What Jesus is saying in Matthew 6:24-34 is that we must put first things first. In other words, we are to seek first the Kingdom of God, and we must do this every day. To seek the Kingdom, we must first seek the King.

We must first seek his righteousness. In other words, we are to be seeking God’s character within us, not God’s control over us. It is our job to serve God and God’s job is to supply us with what we need-not the other way around. God will supply us with what we really need if we put our trust in him. We don’t need everything we want, and we don’t want everything we need. God doesn’t give us everything we need.  

People must see the Kingdom in us as we see the Kingdom of God. That is the real mark of a Christian. When ordinary people begin to talk about their faith in Christ, long-lasting results are achieved. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. We are all called to be a witness for Christ in our lives. It opens the door, even slightly, for God to do something in the life of the person who hears the story. In order for the message to have integrity, it must first be embodied in our lives. In other words, God must be number one in our lives.

The message of the Gospel about the power of Christ to change a human life is by its very nature controversial, because people just naturally resist change and agents of change. Most of us would rather settle for our old familiar second-best lifestyle than venture with Christ into a far more excellent way of life. We simply don’t like for people to make waves.

But whenever the Spirit of Christ is released in a person’s life or let loose on a congregation, things begin to happen. Broken relationships are healed as reconciliation takes the place of alienation. The fruits of the Spirit such as love, peace, patience and kindness begin to emerge. And people catch fire for the Lord! No one can deny that something is going on. The earth may not quake, a sound like a mighty wind might not be heard, tongues of fire may not appear, and people may not speak in strange languages, but it could be described as a “second Pentecost”. And at times like these you can either respond favourably or negatively to Christ, but you will find it hard to ignore him. There is something about the activity of Christ that causes us to choose sides.  

Jesus’ parable of the rich fool is a good example of what he is trying to tell us in today’s Gospel reading. The rich man kept building bigger and bigger barns, and then he died. He was foolish because he spent all of his time preparing for a future that never came. The future is not God’s creation-it is our imagination. We dream about the future, but God creates today. God is not saying that we should not prepare for the future at all. On the contrary, he is telling us to prepare for a future with him by putting our trust and faith in him, and by letting him work through us to do his work in the world.

The main problem in society today is worry about the future. The problem with worrying is that it is easy to do but so hard to lose. It is a power that controls our lives. Worry is a big problem for our society. Advertising only adds to that worry because it tries to convince us that we really need the newest car, computer, dress, suit, etc. This is really about acceptance, but the only acceptance that should matter to Christians is acceptance by God.

Many of the problems we can’t solve instantly can be moved one piece at a time, one day at a time. When worries seem to be overtaking you, let God take over. Trust God to supply your needs and take care of your future. Let faith provide you with a healthy and balanced perspective about life and its demands. Instead of nursing wounds of self-pity, pray for the grace to forgive. Instead of worrying about those for whom we are responsible, ask God to intervene and lift the burden from our shoulders. Instead of thinking creatively about how to bring someone else down, pray creatively how to build them up. We find peace of mind and heart only when we wrap ourselves in something bigger than ourselves. Peace is a by-product of being committed to the Kingdom of God and the resources God gives us for the journey we call life.

We serve only that which we love supremely. We can’t serve both God and man. In other words, a man of the world can’t truly be a religious character. We can be in the world but not of the world only if we trust and serve the Lord. Our existence depends solely on God. We must trust on his wisdom that what he provides for us is truly what we need. We must obey his instructions and submit to whatever he uses to transform our character, whether it is hardship, suffering or ease. When we make a commitment to become increasingly like Christ, God will take responsibility for providing whatever we need.

Grace is the way to glory, holiness the way to happiness. God has conferred the greatest blessings (Life and the body) so he will be willing to confer the lesser blessings of food, clothing, shelter and other necessities. Those who ask receive, and those who seek find, but not always in the way they expect because God answers prayer in his own time and in his own way.  

Man has three basic, insatiable needs:

1. To feel significant
2. To feel secure
3. To be loved

The best way to meet these needs is to make God number one in our lives. Everything we do and say, day by day, is of importance to him. Only as we love God can we love our spouse, children, neighbours, siblings and friends in a complete way. Man is formed for nobler pursuits than the desire to be rich. He lives for eternity. Those who do not know God WILL be anxious about the future, but those who do know him may surely trust him for the supply of their wants. If our minds are directed to both earthly and heavenly things, we become distracted, confused and darkened. We can’t serve both God and man. Trusting and serving God will prevent worldly anxieties.

In order to trust God to provide for our daily needs, we must value ourselves and forget ourselves and focus on God. God does not tell us not to work. In fact, he tells us in the Ten Commandments to work six days and rest on the seventh. Those who do not trust God to provide for their needs will not rest in that seventh day. By not worrying about our needs, we are free to serve him, love him and help our fellow man. We have a power stronger than anxiety-the power of God and prayer. We have a peace that outlasts our anxiety and difficulties-the peace of God, which passes all understanding.

God is committed to the gospel of Jesus and to anyone who makes it their first priority. Other than that, we’re on our own. We’ll have to “Fish or cut bait”. God is not obligated to fund our dreams and projects-only his and the ones planted within us through spiritual gifts and divine calling. To strip Christian faith of its unpredictability and risk in order to turn it into a warm velvet limo ride to a perfect world is to destroy it. Those of you who watch the reality program Fear Factor may be disgusted by some of the stunts, but at some level we all know that getting the rewards of life is dependent on conquering and facing our fears, and that is nowhere more true than in our relationship with Jesus Christ and the kingdom he is intent on bringing to this world. He knows how large our fears are and how puny our faith is. It honours him when we trust him. Nothing about us surprises him or makes him loves us any less. To always be seeking the kingdom is to live near the outer edge of predictability, where needs are always greater than resources. Empty hands are not hard to fill, especially when they are lifted to heaven.  

We must always ask ourselves the question, “Is my life a gift from God, and if so can I trust God to sustain it?” There is no more basic question, and our lives each give an answer. Once the basic needs are met, is there anything more? Life without an appetite for God is flat and stale. Our good deeds must not loom high in our own minds. They are to be hidden from us. With one’s goodness looming before one’s eyes, one soon comes to feel that they deserve the recognition and admiration of the people. Jesus tells us not to seek this transient reward.

This does not mean that we have no interest in what others think of us. Sometimes we need to hear what those around us are saying, even if we find it unpleasant. Profiting from this praise is not the same as counting such praise as the supreme good. Jesus invites us to seek the true and lasting reward, not the transient and perishable one. That reward is the companionship of God himself. As Jesus said, “Seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness”. It is not in satisfying our craving to have more and more that we have abundant life. No, it is in serving God and loving others as we love ourselves that abundant life is gained and lived. Possessions on earth are not for accumulating, they are for distributing in ways that Christ is honoured and our joy in heaven is increased. When we give (especially when we give so generously that we have to sell something to have anything to give), we show that Christ is our treasure and that we love others more than we love our own security and comfort.

This coming Sunday-Oct. 7, 2018-Canadians will celebrate the Canadian Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a time when we pause to celebrate and give thanks to God for everything he has given us, and the best way to give thanks to God is to pray. Giving thanks is one of three types of prayer, the other two being supplication and intercessions (which means speaking to God on behalf of someone else). Regardless of the type of prayer we use, we must remember that prayer is not just for our sakes or needs.

Supplications are petitions for certain definite needs. They are humble requests made because of certain situations which God alone can help. When our supplications are granted, we need to give thanks. When we take our concerns to God, God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit.

In the reading we heard from 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Paul tells us to pray for those in authority. Complaining about people in authority is easy, but God also tells us to pray for them. These prayers should include requests for the peaceable and wise rule and prayers for their salvation. Such prayers acknowledge that all authority is ultimately God’s authority and that God is the ultimate King.

We are also to pray for salvation for lost souls. This puts us at odds with Paul. He argues that although God wants everyone to be saved, that does not mean that God will save everyone. People must either accept the Gospel or reject it. Believers should still pray for everyone, even those who seen unreachable. If we think that some people do not deserve the gift of salvation, then we are not as all-loving as God is. Scripture clearly states that God wants everyone to be saved and know the truth of salvation. There are no exceptions. No one is beyond God’s saving love.

Salvation is available because of the one person who was both man and God and who could represent humanity and reconcile humanity to God. That person is Jesus. Jesus served as a mediator between these two otherwise irreconcilable parties. Jesus is the only way to God.

The cross is the site of the most important transaction in history. Jesus served as a ransom to redeem humanity from slavery. The image is that of a slave market, with human beings as the slaves of sin. The price paid to free them was Jesus’ own death. Jesus substituted his own innocent life for our lives as slaves to sin and dying the death we all deserve and sparing us from the judgment we deserve.

False teachers were probably saying that salvation was restricted to the Jews, prompting Paul to write that Jesus gave himself for the sake of everyone and that God appointed him to teach the Gentiles. Paul’s calling has authority because God gave it to him and because he was faithful to it. Godly obedience makes a Christian’s testimony believable so that unbelievers may hear it and receive it.

We have many gifts from God to be thankful for. These gifts range from the universal offer of the Gospel and salvation to everyone to God’s love for everyone to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for everyone to a church that is for everyone. The last one is hard to believe when you consider that some churches have allowed the world to control their agendas.

The passage from 1 Timothy links God’s grace with our concern for the church’s conduct in a world that lives by non-Christian customs. Churches that appeal to their own kind are the churches that most often grow in numbers. A church that reflects a culture of affluence and success is more likely to be successful. While God can and does bless people with success, we must remember to give thanks to God for that success. We must use that success to show God’s love to the world. One way we can do this is to pray.

Paul’s desire is for us to have compassion for the lost, to understand the depths of their pain and misery, and to come ultimately to God pleading for their salvation. Paul wants us to come to God on behalf of people who have no standing with him. We are to intercede for the lost.

We must not be “carnal Christians.” We must not live to please and serve ourselves instead of pleasing and serving Christ. It’s so easy for us to get caught up in asking God to provide us with what we need or want that we forget to pray for others. We need to ask God to help us be sensitive to the needs of others. We must take advantage of every opportunity to approach God and lay our concerns at his feet.

Things do not happen in this world because we pray. They happen when we pray. We are changed as we discover that the deepest desires of our hearts and the world are changed in some way because of God, the source of light and life, the ground of our being and the lover of our souls. God is the source of all things. If there is matter, God created it. If there is meaning and purpose to life, God determines it. If there is power, God yields it. These are great gifts from God for us, and we need to keep our sights on God’s kingdom and not on the politics of the day.

Because of the gift of Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, we have the power to choose what is right. Our love for Jesus motivates us to live for Jesus, and if we live for Jesus, we are to share our faith by praying for people. God loves doing miracles in the lives of people, especially people who are not believers.

The act of praying can involve lifting hands to heaven. This act is a picture of coming before God with clean hands and a pure heart. How can we lift our hands to God if we are not seeking to relate to everyone we meet-people God loves without distinction? We can’t lift our hands to God if we don’t speak and work for the elimination of things that would destroy us. We must raise our hands without anger or doubt.

One of the greatest gifts from God, and one that we truly need to be thankful for, is the leaders in our church. We must pray that God will give them the wisdom they need to lead us in faith. We must also pray that God will give them the wisdom to administer church affairs according to his will. This includes praying for the decisions they have to make.

At God’s Table, which is one of the greatest gifts God can give us, we learn that we need to show an attitude of gratitude. We don’t need to wait until Thanksgiving to give thanks. We need that deep spirit of influence. It keeps us from having an attitude of selfishness. We need to give thanks for all things because there is always something to be thankful for. We can give thanks to God today and every day, and we can be thankful for the one who loved us so much that he paid the ultimate price for our sins-Jesus.

Bibliography

• Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worth Publishing; 2013)

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.

• Demarest, G.W. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 32: 1,2 Thessalonians/1,2 Timothy/Titus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984)

• MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)

• Bayless Conley, “The Prayer of Intercession.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

• Dr. Tony Evans, “What are Carnal Christians?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Pastor Ken Klaus, “Everybody.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org

• Pastor Bobby Schuller, “Pray for People.” Retrieved from hourofpower@hourofpower.org

• Allan Smith, “Praying for Others.” Retrieved from thought-for-the-day@hub.xc.org

• Rebecca Barlow Jordan, “Mediator.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

• A.K.M. Adam, “Commentary on 1 Timothy 2:1-7.” Retrieved from http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=717

• The Rev. Geoffrey Hoare, “Intercession.” Retrieved from www.day1.org

• Exegesis for 1 Timothy 2:1-7. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

• Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Honour the Emperor.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

• Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Praying for Others.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

1. Billy D. Strayhorn, “Sitting at the Big People Table.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

In 2012 Dr. Michael Youssef, who is the founder and President of Leading the Way Ministries, wrote an article about a Christian Sunday school teacher who was leading a class of boys. After a conversation with one of the boys, the young man prayed and received Christ. That young man was D.L. Moody, who became one of the greatest evangelists of his time.

On one of his trips to England, D.L. Moody preached at a church pastored by another great evangelist named F.B. Meyer. Moody invited him to come to the United States to preach. At one service, a man named J. Wilbur Chapman gave his life to Christ and became a great evangelist. One of the people he led to Christ became his travelling companion. That companion was evangelist Billy Sunday.

After Billy Sunday preached in Charlotte, North Carolina, a group of farmers asked God to do something great for the world, starting in Charlotte. They invited an evangelist by the name of Mordecai Hamm to preach in Charlotte. During one of his services, three young men came forward to receive Christ. Their names were Billy Graham, Grady Wilson and T.W. Wilson. Billy Graham became one of the most respected evangelists of our time, and the Wilson brothers became administrators with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

While we are on earth we will never understand what God is doing through each and every one of us. We will understand this only when we get to heaven. One lone Sunday school teacher impacted generations of Christians by doing God’s work. If that one Sunday school teacher can have such an impact, just think of how our ministries or our gifts can be used by God to impact the world.

In Mark 9:38-50 we read that in their struggle for position, the disciples were upset to find that an exorcist was casting out demons in Jesus’ name, especially since recently they were not able to heal a demon-possessed child. Every mature Christian can be drawn into “turf wars” in the church. Jesus said that anyone who does God’s work in his name is a partner in ministry, not a threat to ministry. There will be no peace in our world until we have peace in our hearts. God loves us all the same. God’s will is for liberty and justice for everyone. We do not have peace in our lives if we try to protect our turf and destroy the weak among us.

In Jesus’ time, salt both preserved and seasoned food. It also came with impurities that could make it useless. Jesus tells us to get rid of the impurity of selfishness and show the purity of self-sacrifice for the benefit of others. Any little thing we do in Christ’s name will be rewarded. Jesus tells us that if there is nothing distinctive about our lives, it is no good for us to be followers of Jesus. There is no use in following him if we don’t make any real contribution to the life of the world, or if there is no redemptive power flowing through our lives and our actions.

So, what does it mean to be a “salty believer?” Let me give you an example. Legend has it that a missionary was swept overboard while traveling on very high and rough seas and was subsequently washed up on a beach at the edge of a remote village. Nearly dead from exposure and lack of food and fresh water, he was found by the people of the village and nursed back to health. He lived among them for twenty years, quietly adapting to their culture and working alongside them. He preached no sermons and made no personal faith claim. Neither did he read scripture to them.

But, when people were sick, he sat with them, sometimes all night. When people were hungry, he fed them. When people were lonely, he gave a listening ear. He taught the ignorant and always took the side of the one who had been wronged.

The day came when some missionaries entered the same village and began talking to the people about a man named Jesus. After listening for a while to their story, the native people began insisting that Jesus had already been living in their village for many years. “Come,” one of them said, “We’ll introduce you to him.” The missionaries were led to a hut where they found their long-lost companion.

All sacrifices we make to serve Jesus are accompanied by hardships, suffering or persecution, so we should not be surprised when these things happen. Believers are purified through suffering and persecution.

Jesus was not commanding self-mutilation when he said that if your tongue, foot, hand or any other body part causes you to sin, cut it off. He was talking about the importance of doing whatever it takes to actively oppose sin. For example, if an addiction to pornography causes you to sin, cancel your Internet service and stop buying adult magazines.

Professing Jesus’ name means living the life that Jesus lived. This means driving out the demons of intolerance, injustice, strife, grudges and poverty, to name just a few. We as Christian disciples are to focus on what we are to do in Jesus’ name and not be quick to criticize others who also follow Christ but who do not belong to our church, church group or denomination. We must not fault people or churches who do things differently than we do. We must assume that what they do is “in His name.” There are many different ways to do things for God, and if someone chooses to do something that is different from the way we do things, we are not to stop them from doing it their way.

We are not to be like the lady who cornered my father in the local post office one day and asked him which church he belonged to. He did not belong to either of the two churches in the community. When he told her which church he belonged to, she replied, “Well! That’s what I was afraid of!” She turned around and walked right out of the post office.

We must not look for labels or titles. We must look for attitudes, actions and spirit. Jesus rejoices when he sees mercy, justice and compassion in our lives, because when he sees them he sees God at work in our world. How we live the life Jesus lived is more important than having the right documents or the right membership cards. Jesus has invited us to join his eternal family. The invitation means that he lives through us so that our words and deeds might be a loving response to his grace.

Jesus’ love knows no limits. His compassion never runs out and it isn’t limited to a select group of people with the right credentials or disposition. There is plenty of his love for everyone. Jesus is the face of the God we can’t see; the God who wants to forgive all sinners, and not just a few; the God who wants to reach out and heal everyone who is sick physically and/or spiritually, not just a select few.

We must be very careful about how the example we set influences other people. Every person is a role model for either good or evil. The best way to show love for the children of God is by loving God and keeping his commandments. Our commitment to Christ affects how we live our lives. Our lives are enhanced when we follow Christ. Our lives will be more effective and have more impact. Christ will give us the strength we need to fight our sinful nature. The burden of our sin runs away at the foot of the cross. The Kingdom of God is a treasure that is worth giving up everything to get.

Bibliography

• Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.

• McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

• Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 26^th Sunday (B).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

• Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “A Powerful Perspective.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org

• King Duncan, “The Ultimate Solution for Sin.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

• King Duncan, “Losing Favor or Losing Flavor?” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

• King Duncan, “About Other Denominations.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

• King Duncan, “Can’t We All Just Get Along?” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

• Brett C. Blair, “Be At Peace with One Another.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

• King Duncan, “Choices.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

• Thomas Peterson, “The Needle’s Eye.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

• Donald Strobe, “Radical Surgery.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

• Exegesis for Mark 9:38-50. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

• Dr. Keith Wagner, “Salty Believers.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

• Pastor Dave Risendal, “Do No Harm.” Retrieved from http://onelittleword.org/?p=7337

• Jude Siciliano, O. P., “First Impressions, 26^th Sunday (B), September 27, 2015.” Retrieved from firstimpressions@lists.opsouth.org 

Hello boys and girls!

How many of you have ever eaten something that didn’t taste very good? What did you do to make the food taste better? Did you put any salt on the food?

Improving the taste of food is one of many uses for salt. Salt is used to keep dyes from washing out so our clothes will always look nice. Salt is also used to make leather, and without it we would not have things such as leather belts. Salt is also used to make plastics, and without salt we would not have toys made out of plastic.

Salt has been important throughout history. In fact, at one time people used to be paid with salt. Because salt has been so important it’s not a surprise that Jesus told us in Mark 9:50 that we are to be like salt to the world. In particular he said, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” What he meant is that we should flavour our world with both our love and Christ’s love. The world needs that love because there is a lot of bitterness and hatred in the world today. He also meant that we should allow him to use us to make the world a better place. If we show Jesus’ love in everything we do, we can do much to reduce bitterness and bring peace to our world.

Let’s bow our heads for a moment of prayer. Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus to flavour the world with his love. Help us to add flavour to our world by letting you use us to make the world a better place. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

Bibliography

1. “A Pinch of Salt.” Retrieved from www.sermons4kids.com/a_pinch_of_salt.print.htm
2. “Pass the Salt, Please.” Retrieved from www.sermons4kids.com/pass_the_salt.htm

“Look!” exclaimed Tyson as he ran into the house. “I found a bird that can’t fly. Can I keep it, Mom? I found this old cage in the garage.”

Tyson’s mother looked closely at the bird. “It’s a sparrow, Tyson,” she said.

“I suppose you can keep it a few days to see if its wing will heal.”

“Okay.” Tyson nodded. “I’ll let it go soon. Do sparrows sing?”

Mom smiled. “Oh, they cheep and twitter,” she replied.

“Well, I’ll put it right next to Biddy’s cage,” Tyson decided. “Biddy has a beautiful song. She can teach the sparrow to sing.”

A few days later, the sparrow’s wing seemed fine. “Good thing,” Tyson told his mother as he took it out to release it. “Instead of this bird learning to sing like a canary, Biddy’s been starting to sound like the sparrow!”

That afternoon, Tyson’s friend Landon called. After hanging up, Tyson went to find his mother. “Can I go to the mall with Landon?” asked Tyson.

Mom frowned. “I don’t think so,” she said. “What would you do there?”

Tyson shrugged. “Oh, just hang around.”

“Why don’t you ask Landon to come over here to play instead?” suggested Mom. “I think that would be a much better idea. I’ve heard reports about kids getting into trouble at the mall recently.”

“But we wouldn’t!” protested Tyson. “Some of the kids sit outside and smoke, and some of them even steal things. But we just want to watch what’s going on. Besides, maybe we can keep some of them from doing those bad things.”

“Just how would you do that?” asked Mom.

Tyson studied his shoes. “Well, ah . . . just by being with them and showing them it’s better not to do that kind of stuff,” he mumbled.

Mom thoughtfully looked at the canary in its cage. “Remember what happened when you put the sparrow and Biddy side by side?” asked Mom. “The same type of thing often happens when so-called good and bad kids spend too much time together. The bad often influences the good rather than the other way around.” Mom shook her head. “Maybe the Lord will want you to spend a lot of time with undisciplined people some day, but I don’t think you’re ready for that yet. But like I said, you may invite Landon over here.”

Life is a journey that offers two roads for us to take-the wide one of the world that leads to sin and death, and the narrow way that leads to eternal life with God. This is clearly shown in Psalm 1. It expresses praise, prophecy, lament and hope. It moves from the way of the righteous to the way of the ungodly and concludes with their final disposition.

In the words of a famous 18th century British preacher, “The righteous carves his name upon the rock, but the wicked writes his remembrance in the wind. The righteous man plows furrows of earth and sows, and has a harvest here, which shall never be fully reaped until he enters the enjoyments of eternity. But as for the wicked, he plows the sea, and though there may seem to be a shining trail behind his keel, yet the waves shall pass over it, and the place that knew him shall know him no more forever.”

This does not mean that we are to completely avoid unbelievers. This doesn’t even mean that we can’t be friends with unbelievers. On the contrary, God’s Word tells us to reach out to unbelievers and show compassion to those who don’t have a relationship with Jesus. Christ set an example by hanging out with outcasts and sinners. We are to be a Christ-like presence by setting ourselves apart so that our presence may be made known.

The word “blessed” means “happy” or “inward joy is theirs”. An exclamation of strong emotion, it results from deep reflection on a subject. The psalmist paints a picture of the gravitational pull of evil. The “counsel of the ungodly” refers to advice that encourages people to live evil lives without concern for righteousness or obedience to God. The ungodly move from counsel to walking on the path to settling into the seat as they embrace an evil way of life.

Heeding the wisdom of the ungodly leads to identification with sinners, which in turn results in being settled and established in the authority of their judgments. This warning is not to stand in the downward spiral. A blessed man is redeemed from this sin-filled world. The right attitude (delight) will lead to the right action (meditation). If we delight with God, we will want to be with Him. If we delight in God’s Law, we will want to meditate on it. That means keeping a disciplined devotional life.

Complete obedience is a choice to follow God regardless of the consequences. It means that we obey God even if our friends choose a different path or when suffering or embarrassment is guaranteed. Our only criteria for making decisions is this: What does God want me to do?

Before we can answer that question, we must take a look at things from God’s viewpoint. We are often caught in the world’s trap of materialism. We put the emphasis on doing: God puts it on being. We put the emphasis on accomplishment: God puts it on character. In God’s eyes, what we are is far more important than what we will ever do. It doesn’t matter if we are the president of a large corporation or a garbage collector. In God’s eyes, being is more important than doing.

Being blessed or prosperous means more than what we have in our wallets, purses or bank accounts. It can also mean growing up, mature, wholeness or completeness, especially when it comes to faith. A blessed person is described in Psalm 1 as a tree that is planted by the rivers of water. These rivers are like irrigation ditches. As a believer meditates on God’s Word he or she will be continually watered by God’s Word. The tree has attributes of strength, stability and endurance. Supplies of grace drawn from the Word of God are what sustain godly people. They put down roots in Scripture and draw strength from it for their lives. Those who are deeply planted in God’s Word may not be wealthy but they will be fruitful in God’s work, which is true prosperity.

To stand in the judgment of God is a desired outcome here, a symbol of divine approval. The phrase “congregation of the righteous” refers to God’s people-those whose faith is reflected by their delight in God’s Word and who live according to it. On the day of judgment, the wicked will not be left standing with those who love God and strive to obey Him; they will be separated and sentenced to eternal punishment. They will have bitter hopelessness. They will be alienated from both God and believers. They will perish.

Psalm 1 promises blessings for those who follow God’s Word. As I said earlier, this isn’t easy to do. The activities and stimuli of the world seldom stop in our busy lives, and we wonder why we’re so tired. God’s Word will give us the strength we need. We will find this strength when we make God the most important priority in our lives and thoughts and tune out the sights and sounds of the world.

Compromise in life is like what happened after a new city hall and fire station were built on one small town. The residents were proud of the new building, especially since it was a long time coming. Shortly after moving in, strange things began to happen. Several doors wouldn’t close completely and a few windows wouldn’t slide open very easily. Cracks began to appear in the walls. Within a few months the front door couldn’t be locked because the foundation had shifted, and the roof began to leak. After some time the building had to be condemned.

The source of the problem was a controversial coal extraction process called “longwall mining” deep in the earth beneath the foundation. Tons of soil, rock and coal had been removed so that the building sat on a foundation that had no support. Because of this man-made erosion, the building began to sink.

So it is with compromise in life. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, one compromise leads to another, which leads to a series of equally damaging compromises in a life that was once stable, strong and reliable. That was the concern of the writer of Psalm 1. He encourages us to resist even the slightest temptation to compromise our convictions.

God wants us to be fruitful. He wants to change our inner lives so much that a godly way of living flows naturally from what God is doing inside of us. God wants us to replace our old way of thinking. The process starts with mental cleansing, and it begins with reading, studying and memorizing Scripture. The Bible is full of powerful ammunition. For example, Jesus quoted Scripture when He was tempted by Satan in the desert. When we come across statements in Scripture that are meaningful to us, we can personalize them by putting ourselves in the pages of the Bible. When we catch ourselves responding negatively or defensively to situations, we should analyze the situation and ask ourselves why we are bothered by the situation.

God knows that we are easily sidetracked. When we eventually come to God’s Word, we will be delighted when we chew on God’s Word and obey it. Only then will we be blessed. We will be connected to a supply line that will never run dry. The world is not our source of strength-God is. He wants to bless us, and He will bless us if we follow Him and believe in Him.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 707)
2. Williams, D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 13: Psalms 1-72 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1986; pp. 24-31)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles: 2005)
4. “Song of the Wild.” Retrieved from keys@lists.keysforkids.org
5. “Delighting in Him.” Retrieved from www.dailydisciples.org
6. Victor Robert Farrell, “The Turkish Delight of Listening Obedience.” Retrieved from crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
7. Steve Arterburn, “Priorities.” Retrieved from www.newlife.com
8. Dr. Harold Sala, “The True Mark of a Person.” Retrieved from info@guidelines.org
9. Joel Osteen, “Whatever You Do Will Prosper.” Retrieved from www.joelosteen.com
10. Charles R. Swindoll, “Compromise and Erosion.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca
11. Charles R. Swindoll, “Distinction.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca
12. “A Matter of Maturity.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

1. John North, “Psalm 1:3.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
2. Craig Wexler, “Psalm 1.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu

What is the one human quality that drives us to success while causing all sorts of problems at the same time? It is ambition. Ambition is one of the driving forces in our lives. It propels us to excel in our jobs. It pushes us to reach our goals. It can give us a reason for living. Ambition is one of the tools that the world uses to measure success.

There is another way to measure success-one that is not of this world-and that is the topic of the Gospel reading from Mark 9:30-37. We sometimes think that we can measure success the way the world does. We mistakenly believe that if God receives glory for what we do, then it should be glorious for us also. We must remember God’s faithful servants from the Bible, and we must remember that their situations were far from easy or glamorous. For example:

• Noah built.
• Abraham moved.
• Moses led.
• Josiah restored.
• Rahab protected.
• David conquered.
• Nehemiah repaired.
• Ruth stayed.
• Jeremiah preached.
• The poor widow gave.
• The Apostles went.
• The early church persevered.

Ordinary people did extraordinary things and even though they may have thought their actions were insignificant at the time, the Lord through his word, has allowed us the opportunity to see the role these good people played in the greatest story ever told.

I read a story a few years ago about a couple of school kids. One had gotten into some trouble and was going to have to walk a few laps at recess and wasn’t taking the news very well. Another student who wasn’t even a close friend stepped in to offer encouragement. She informed her peer that she wouldn’t have to walk alone. She would stay by her side, cheering her on the entire time. When the teacher remarked what a wonderful thing she had just done, the student shrugged and replied, “It’s no big deal. It’s what we’re supposed to do.”

Can you image a world if everyone had the same attitude? Can you imagine a church if everyone had that attitude? It’s those Kingdom-minded thinkers who change the world. Those who forgive, love, go the extra mile, and live righteously, not out of a sense of obligation, not because they’re trying to earn their salvation, not to be seen by others, but because that’s what they’re supposed to do.

The Lord might also call us to do simple, humble acts that show compassion toward other people and which display God’s character. These deeds are not done for personal gain. They are done out of an outflow of God’s love in us and for his glory.

Jesus argued that the way to be successful or get ahead in the spiritual world is to become like a child. In Jesus’ time, children and women were seen as little more than property. Little children were considered useless until they were old enough to help with housework. In other words, they were humble and lowly. The child in this passage represents all of God’s people. The greatest people in God’s kingdom are not the rich and the powerful, but the poor and the helpless; not the ones with the most servants, but those who serve others the most. Jesus argued that if we help those who are humble, lowly, poor, or oppressed we will be successful from a heavenly point of view.

The disciples did not realize this. They were still thinking of success in worldly terms. They were concerned with using earthly ambition to get ahead in heaven. Jesus knew that this was what the disciples were talking about, even though they did not answer his question. You see, Jesus knows everything about us-what we think, what we feel, what our thoughts are, etc. He knew what their problem was and he also had the solution. The disciples tried to hide their discussion, but you can’t hide anything from God.

The disciples could not understand the true meaning of power described by Jesus because they were afraid to ask the right questions. Instead of asking how they could better understand and fulfill Jesus’ mission, their main concern was finding out how each of them could become the greatest. The disciples’ attitude was one that Jesus had to address. We have to do the same. If not, we will end up conspiring with sinners to defeat righteousness. God disciplines his children by speaking the truth to power and offering correction. We and the disciples need to learn that the true heavenly power that Jesus inaugurated is in the form of service to others.

It can be difficult for us to let go of our desire to succeed in earthly ways. It is part of our human nature for us to be in control. We want to be independent. We want to be in control of our lives and our goals, and this includes the desire to succeed. We need to let go and let God control our destiny and successes if we want to be first in his eyes. We need to let go of our desire to get ahead and replace it with a desire to serve others, especially the less fortunate.

A good example of this type of success is Franklin Graham. He is the president of Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian relief organization. He got involved with that organization in the 1970s when he was asked by the organization’s founder, Dr. Bob Pierce, to accompany him on relief missions throughout the world. Franklin Graham rose from humble servant to the organization’s president by following God’s path to success. Along the way he became a born-again Christian. Later, he became an associate evangelist with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and eventually President of the Association when his father, The Rev. Billy Graham, stepped down. Franklin Graham once said that God called him to the ditches of the world and his father to the stadiums of the world.

Billy Graham is another example of God’s definition of success. He humbly answered God’s call as a young man and became one of the world’s greatest evangelists, leading untold thousands to Christ while at the same time running the Association and his team of associates in a humble, moral manner.

If Billy Graham and Franklin Graham are examples of God’s definition of success, there is another member of the Graham family who best represents the lowly and suffering people whom God calls us to serve. In her book “In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart”, Billy Graham’s youngest daughter Ruth shares the story of her struggles with two divorces as well as her children’s problems with drugs, rebelliousness, eating disorders and teenage pregnancy. She also shares how all of them were helped by God’s love as shown by concerned friends and family members who were ready, willing and able to help her and her children.

Jesus constantly challenges us to be a servant, to think of others instead of ourselves. If we feel unhappy and unfulfilled in our lives, perhaps it is time to take a long hard look at our lives. We have to ask ourselves if we are I-centered or others-centered, because our decision will affect our eternal destiny. The child in this Gospel passage represents the new birth or new start necessary for real leadership and real life. The road to happiness is the road of service. The way to greatness is not possible without a servant heart, a servant hand, a humble heart and a humble hand. Jesus himself is a good example of the greatness of service and humility. He came to earth as a servant. He humbled himself to the point of death on a cross, and thereby became highly exalted by God.

Some of us might think that serving someone is beneath us or that somehow the act of serving others diminishes us. On the contrary, those who serve the most are the greatest people on earth—and in heaven. Jesus asks us to embrace those who are in need. We are to show concern for the less fortunate. To welcome a child is to welcome one of low status who might not tell anyone else of the welcome or mention the name of the host to others.

Those who would be first must be last. This is the opposite of our ambitious ways, but we have to admit that Jesus was right. Our ambitions are compulsive, suspicious, obsessive, jealous, resentful and full of revenge. The only ambition that truly gives life is the ambition to serve others. In God’s eyes what is important is not what we have to offer, or what we do not have to offer, but who we are. It means relying on God’s strength instead of our own. As God said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”.

There is an interpretation of Exodus that teaches that Moses not only put the tablets of the law that he received on Mount Sinai into the Ark of the Covenant, but also was commanded by God to add the broken pieces of the first tablets that he broke in anger after seeing the Israelites worshipping a golden calf. The broken and the whole were together in the same ark. Likewise, the broken and the whole are together in the embrace of a loving God. The image of God is upon all of us. If we want to be successful in God’s eyes, we must show the image of a serving, humble God.

Faith is not about a church doctrine or power or privilege. It is about service to others-service to the point of sacrifice. It can be expressed equally through individual actions and experiences as it can be in churchwide attitudes, actions and public declarations. Each and every day we will have the opportunity to show how Christ’s love can bring healing to our hurting world. The only way we can do this clearly is with the greatest humility-just as Jesus did when he set the little child among the disciples.

Bibliography

• Stanley, C.F., The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package.

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package.

• Graham, Franklin: Rebel With a Cause: Finally Comfortable Being Graham (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1995)

• Graham, Billy: Just As I Am (Toronto, ON: Harper Collins Publishers Ltd.; 1997)

• The Rev. Stephen Lewis, “Insignificant Greatness”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

• Graham, Ruth: In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Inc.; 2004)

• Jim Burns, “The Road to Happiness”. Retrieved from Crosswwalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Pastor Bob Coy, “Down is up”. Retrieved from www.activeword.org

• T.M. Moore, “Truth in Everyday Relationships”. Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

• Berni Dymet, ‘The Guillotine”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

• Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 23th Sunday (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

• McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 25; Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc; 1982)

1. MacArthur, J.: MacArthur Study Bible NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.: 2006;2008)
2. Carl L. Schenck, “Ambition”. Retrieved from www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/3075/ambition
3. Alyce M. McKenzie, “Commentary on Mark 9:30-37”. Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching_Print.aspx?commentary_id=393
4. The Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “The Kid from Capernaum”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
5. Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “The Greatest of the Kingdom”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
6. Rabbi Marc Gellman, “The Broken and the Whole: God Knows and Loves Us All”. Retrieved from www.arcamax.com/religionandspirituality/godsquad/s-1198200
7. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Year B, Season After Pentecost, Proper 20 Ordinary 25. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod.org/archives/year-b-season-after-pentecost-proper-20-ordinary-25.html
8. Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package.
9. Jamieson-Fawcett-Brown Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package.
10. Paula Harrington, “The Big Deal”. Retrieved from http://forthright.net/2012/09/12/the-big-deal/

I want to take you (especially those of you who are older) on a trip down memory lane for a minute. Some of you may remember a famous comedian named Flip Wilson. He had a TV show in the 1970s, and on this show he had such famous characters as Geraldine Jones and Brother Leroy. He also had some famous lines, including one that ties in nicely with the reading we heard from the Book of James earlier in today’s service. That line was, “The devil made me do it!” The characters in Flip Wilson’s comedy routines often blamed the devil for leading them into trouble, and they were partially right. The devil can’t make anyone do anything, but he can definitely tempt us and influence our choices.

The devil is part of earthly wisdom, and James contrasts earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom. People’s lives reflect the source of their wisdom. There is “earthly, unspiritual, devilish” wisdom that leads to “envy and selfish ambition” in the individual and “disorder and wickedness of every kind” in society. Against this, there is “wisdom from above” that is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits…” Trouble arrives, he tells us, when we act based on earthly wisdom and not out of faithfulness to God.

The Letter of James was controversial for much of Christian history, largely because its emphasis on doing good works seemed to clash with parts of Paul’s writings that emphasized salvation by faith alone and not by works. This passage can help us understand that faith in God and charity towards our neighbor are inseparable. It is our faithful adherence to the “wisdom from above” that spurs us to act gently, justly, and in ways that will yield “good fruits.”

If we have a right relationship with God, we will be understanding people and show concern for others, and therefore we will demonstrate heavenly wisdom. Heavenly wisdom is shown through Jesus, available through the Holy Spirit, written in the Bible and delivered in a steady flow from God to us. Heavenly wisdom is the foundation for our Christian lives. When we draw close to God, he will draw closer to us in response. If we put ourselves under God’s control, we will be open to God’s grace. This will be the ultimate challenge for proud people.

If we trust in God’s wisdom, we will be seen as meek. This is not to be confused with the world’s definition of meekness, which is cowardice and passivity. Earthly wisdom comes from sin and Satan. Earthly wisdom causes chaos, self-ambition and the playing of the “blame game.” Peace is the opposite of selfish ambition. If we bring peace, we will harvest a rich crop of righteousness.

Selfish desires cause people to make war against each other, even in the church. For example, James talks about murder taking place in the church. How could that happen? One possible reason is that the rich were taking the poor to court and basically stripping them of all they owned. Without food or the necessities of life, the result was death. In addition, how many churches have been divided because of selfish desires? Some of us may remember the division in the United Church of Canada several years ago when the Church’s General Council decided to allow the ordination of homosexual clergy. That decision caused several individual churches to leave that denomination.

Another example is people who leave a church because they don’t like the Order of Service or the music or the minister or something else. We don’t come to church because of the Order of Service or the music or the minister. We come to church to worship with both God and fellow believers.

We show earthly, sin-filled wisdom when we are estranged from God. James tells us that if we try to get what we want through our own efforts instead of asking God, we will end up being frustrated. Worldly pleasures never satisfy us. They provide short-term pleasure and long-term pain. External conflict is often a sign of internal conflict, because if we are not at peace with ourselves, we are not likely to be at peace with others, especially within the church.

One of the deepest problems in our world is the problem of the human heart. If there were no greed, jealousy, anger, covetousness or any other sin, the world would be a much better place. If we truly loved one another and treated each other with respect, the world would also be a much better place. Unfortunately, this will be wishful thinking unless and until we put others first instead of ourselves. This will be wishful thinking unless and until we seek God’s will for our lives

Wisdom is more than understanding something intellectually. Wisdom must be demonstrated in our Christian lifestyle. Wisdom must be pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruit, without hypocrisy or partiality, and show true justice. This type of wisdom comes only from God. James is concerned with our ability to understand the truth of God’s Word and live it by faith. We do these things by submitting to God, denying ourselves, taking up our crosses daily and humbling ourselves before God. When we humble ourselves before God, we grow closer to him, and when we grow closer to him, offering forgiveness becomes easier over time, our faith will increase and our concern for the spiritual conditions of others will expand. Heavenly wisdom is full of sacrificial earthly action. We must use our circle of influence or friends to make a difference for God. After all, wisdom is not what we know but what we sow.

The main way we humble ourselves before God is through prayer. God makes us ask for what we want and need, even though he already knows what we need and want. He makes us ask because he wants to have fellowship with us, and the only way he can have fellowship with us is for us to talk to him through prayer. Those who humble themselves before God and trust him to provide for their needs will receive his grace. That grace will give us the desire and ability to obey God and respond in a way that pleases him.

Prayer is the lifeblood of our relationship with God, but sometimes we have questions about its power and effectiveness. We will find the answers to those questions when we take them to God, study the Bible for answers and talk to a trusted spiritual mentor. Some of these answers will cause us to question the motives behind our prayers.

God is very concerned with those motives. He’s interested in the state of our hearts. We need to check our motives from time to time. James points out that there are two problems in prayer lives-lack of prayer and wrong motives. Believers don’t get what they ask for when they do not ask or when they ask with selfish motives. Some of us have promised God that we will walk closely with him or that we will spend time in his word only to find that we became busy or tired and therefore broke those promises. We became disappointed with life’s circumstances, so we gave up on the promises we made.

Resisting the devil means that we have submitted to God, and that means going to his word as written in the Bible to counteract our earthly thoughts, feelings and wants. If we obey his word, he will draw near to us, and when that happens, wars will cease. We will not be at war with God, so we will not be at war with ourselves or with others. Prejudice, bitterness, anger and hatred will be uprooted at the foot of the cross. We as Christians must not have any of these things in our hearts because we are all sinners in need of a Saviour in spite of our differences.

Bibliography

• Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

• David Jeremiah, “Defeating Temptation.” Retrieved from turningpoint@davidjeremiah.org

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.

• Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)

• Cedar, P.A. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 34: James/1&2 Peter/ Jude (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984)

• MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)

• Dr. Charles Stanley, “Spiritually Satisfied.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Bayless Conley, “The Motive of Faith.” Retrieved from Christianity.comn@crosswalkmail.com

• Pastor Ed Young, “Make the Most of Your Opportunity.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

• Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Coming Back to the Cross.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org

• Stormie Omartian, “Maturing in Prayer.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Dr. Neil Anderson, “Your Position in Christ.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Alex Crain, “Not What You Wanted?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Dr. Charles Stanley, “Does Prayer Make a Difference?” Retrieved from Jesus.org@crosswalkmail.com

• Billy Graham, “What is the World’s Greatest Challenge?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com

• Steve Arterburn, “Fellowship with God.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

Good morning boys and girls! 🙂 It’s been a long time since I’ve seen most of you! How was your summer? Did you do lots of fun stuff?

Did you play lots of sports? How many of you won or were on a team that won? It’s fun to win, isn’t it? Now, who actually lost or was on a team that lost? That wasn’t fun, was it? Everyone likes winning or being first, but no one likes being last or losing.

The disciples felt the same way at times. For example, in Mark 9:30-37, they argued about which one of them would be first in God’s Kingdom. Jesus said that anyone who wants to be first in God’s Kingdom must be last on earth by serving everyone, including the less fortunate.

Do any of you know what an obstacle race is? Well, for those of you who don’t, it’s a race course where at points along the way you have to do things like walk across a log, climb a rope, climb over a wall or run like this through a set of tires.

One day at a church Bible Club party, the teacher announced, “Next we’ll have an obstacle race. Let’s go outside, and I’ll give you the instructions.”

“Cool!” exclaimed Andy. He bolted for the door. “I’m going to win!”

Drew frowned. “Andy always wins,” he muttered. “I never do.”

When everyone was at the starting point, the teacher explained that they all would be following the same course, and they would have to overcome the same obstacles. “At some of them, you’ll find directions that you must follow before you can move on,” the teacher said. Then he blew his whistle, and the kids dashed off.

“I hate crawling,” moaned Drew when he reached a tunnel.

“Me, too,” agreed Tamara. “Guess we’ll be last together.”

“Whoa!” yelled Drew a little later as he slipped off a rail that had to be crossed. “Don’t wait for me. I’m used to being last alone,” he joked.

Drew finally puffed up to the last obstacle–a wall. “Why is everyone just standing here?” he asked when he saw everyone waiting. “What’s the problem?”

Andy frowned and pointed to the directions. “I got here first and have to help everyone over the wall in the opposite order that they got here. You’re the last one, so that means you get to go over the wall first,” he said.

When Andy finally dropped over the wall, all the other kids had already crossed the finish line. He frowned at the teacher. “It’s not fair,” Andy complained. “I was winning, but now I’m last!”

“Hey, Andy, look what I got for coming in first,” said Drew, holding up a trophy. He read aloud the inscription on it. “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” He grinned. “Thanks for helping me win, Andy.”

The teacher smiled. “You did very well, Andy,” he said, pulling another trophy from a box and handing it to Andy. “This is for your great job at the wall.”

After the kids applauded, Andy read out loud the inscription on his trophy. “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Andy looked at the teacher. Then he grinned at Drew. “Thanks for helping me win, too, Drew!”

So you see, boys and girls, by helping the other kids during the obstacle race, Andy was a true winner. Jesus would be very proud of him.

Let us bow our heads and close our eyes for a moment of prayer. Dear God, thank you for reminding us that in your eyes, we are first if we help those who need our help. Open our eyes for chances to help other people and show them the love you have for us. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

Bibliography

1. “No Losers”. Retrieved from keys@lists.cbhministries.org