Sermons From My Heart

When you were children, did you ever play a game called “Follow the Leader”? Well, for those of you who didn’t, or for those of you who have never heard of the game, let me explain. First, you choose a leader. Then you follow him wherever he goes and do whatever he does. You stomp through puddles, climb over fences, or swing from a tree—all to stay in the game because no one wants to be a quitter. We often play follow the leader in our daily lives. There are always leaders in everything we do—in school, in church, or in other activities.

In John 6:56-69, we see that not everyone who heard Jesus’ teachings about the bread of life wanted to follow him. He lost a lot of his followers. In fact, the only people who remained were the twelve disciples.

There is a price to pay when we follow Jesus. He calls us to give up our worldly life with all of its sinful pleasures and follow a life that will lead to even greater pleasures in heaven. For most of us, that is not an easy choice to make. We have grown comfortable in our daily lives. They are like a pair of shoes that we have broken in. They feel so darn good, and the life we are leading feels so darn good. Most of us don’t like change. We get set in our ways. We get stuck in the rut of daily life, and we don’t want to get out.

I’m going to tell you a story about a little girl named Inga. Inga had two older sisters and the two older sisters were in Girl Scouts. Inga watched her sisters go to Girl Scout meetings and she wished she could go and be a part of that real important stuff that they did. She asked her mother if she could go and her mother said, “But, Inga, you’re not old enough to go.”  Inga said, “Well, when will I be old enough to go?” And Inga’s mother said, “Soon.” 

Finally the day came and Inga joined Brownies. She got a little brown skirt jumper and a little brown hat with a little brownie and she got little half socks with a little brownie on it. Her mother even bought her some brown shoes and she dressed up and went to her first meeting and it was just wonderful.

Well, much later when she and her mother and father and sister were coming to church, she asked her mother this question: “I heard about belonging to Jesus. How do I know that I belong to Jesus? We don’t have a uniform like the Brownies. I know I belong to the Brownies because I have a uniform. How do I know that I belong to Jesus?”

Her mother replied, “Well, where do you go on Sunday morning?” Inga said, “I go to Sunday school to learn about Jesus.” 

Her mother continued, “What’s that book in your hand?”  Inga said, “It’s the Bible and the Bible is the stories of Jesus.” 

And her mother said, “How else do you know that you belong to Jesus, Inga? What do we do always before we go to bed?” Inga replied, “We talk to Jesus every night before we go to sleep.” “And Inga, where do we go after Sunday school?” “We go to the big church.”” And what do we do in the big church? We learn about God and we sing about Jesus.” 

Then Inga got this big smile on her face and she said, “I belong to Jesus.” And her mother said, “That’s right.”

The life Jesus calls us to lead is so revolutionary, so different, and yet so rewarding. It offers us eternal life. The disciples, led by Peter, knew that Jesus offers eternal life to everyone who decides to follow him. The disciples, like Inga and her mother, knew that they needed to feed on the eternal spiritual food that Jesus offers, just like we need to eat the spiritual food that Jesus still offers to us today, especially in the form of the bread and wine that we eat and drink during Holy Communion. When we take part in worship, especially when we take part in Holy Communion, we draw closer to God, and we allow him to live in us. Only then will we have the inner conviction and witness of the Holy Spirit that we are children of God.

Bibliography

1. “No Turning Back”. Retrieved from www.sermons4kids.com
2. Roland McGregor, Children’s Sermon for Pentecost 13, 8/26/12. Retrieved from childpage@mcgregorpage.org

UNICEF-the United Nations Children’s Fund-estimates that 353,000 babies are born every day-just over four babies each second. Birth begins a life of 70-100 years and impacts those whose lives overlap with the child’s. Every generation relates most profoundly with those who share their time in history. Jesus is the exception to that statement.

Many people wonder why Jesus didn’t come sooner and why mankind didn’t have the benefit of His birth, death and resurrection immediately after Adam and Eve sinned. The answer is that the time was predicted in the Old Testament, and when it was proper that He should come, that time was complete. The exact period had arrived when all things were ready. It was the time when all prophecies centered in Jesus were fulfilled. It was proper that the world should be brought to see its need of a Saviour, and that a fair and satisfactory opportunity should be given to all men to try other ways of salvation and that they might be prepared to welcome Him.

It was also a time when the world was at peace. There was order under Roman rule. Because of roads built by the Romans, communication between various parts of the Roman Empire was faster and more secure than at any other time in history. The Jews were scattered throughout the Empire. They were familiar with the promises and were looking for a Messiah. They had synagogues where the Gospel could be preached. Thanks to the conquests of Alexander the Great, the same language (Greek) was spoken and understood throughout the Empire.

Figuratively speaking, God’s calendar had a day with a big star on it-then the time was right for Christ to be sent forth into the world. It was the proper time to make God’s plan of salvation known. It was the appropriate time for the people to be freed from the bondage of sin. The fullness of time was the fullness of God’s time to fulfill His promise to Abraham. That fulfillment was Christ’s birth. He accomplished His purpose of providing the way for all of us to become children of God. He came from God to stand beside us as we face evil. He became our brother so He could suffer the punishment we deserve for our sins. Jesus was born under the law so that He could fulfill every claim and demand of the law on our behalf. He fulfilled the moral law in His life and the ceremonial law in His death. Jesus had to be fully God for His sacrifice to be of the infinite worth needed to atone for sin. He also had to be fully human so He could pay the penalty for our sins.

From a human perspective, Jesus’ birth and life on earth were not confined to His own generation. Simeon declared in Luke 2:31 that Jesus appeared “before the face of all peoples.”-old people like Simeon and the very young. Because Jesus is the eternal Son of God, He is alive for every generation following His own.

God, the Creator of the universe, submitted to the rule of others so we could claim His holiness as if it was our own. Talk of being a child of God is common in Christian circles, but how often do we stop and take time to consider what a privilege being a child of God is and what that really means not only to us but to God? When we are heirs because of adoption by God, it means that God is well pleased when we become children of God, exercise our authority and enjoy the fullness of our inheritance.

In New Testament times, some 60 million slaves lived in the Roman Empire. When someone bought a slave, the buyer could either own and use the slave or set the slave free. When God purchases or redeems people through Christ, He does so to set them free. Because we are not natural children of God, we can become sons and daughters only by divine adoption. Because we have been adopted as God’s children, we have the spirit of Jesus-the Holy Spirit, which is in our hearts and reassures us of our relationship with God. He encourages us to speak with love and trust and total openness to God our loving Father, just like a child on his or her father’s lap.

When we receive Christ, His Spirit takes up residence in the core of our being, giving us an internal power that we never had before and transforming our hearts from hateful and rebellion to loving and obedient. Our hearts control our words and actions.  It isn’t easy for us to accept ourselves; to love and be loved, to feel worthwhile to ourselves and others. It is a time of overwhelming grace when we accept the fact that God knows us thoroughly and loves us thoroughly.

When God adopts us, his reaction is similar to that of a little girl named Olivia. Olivia had always liked to hear how her parents loved her from the time they first saw her at the adoption agency. But as she approached her twelfth birthday, the fact that she was adopted didn’t seem so entertaining any more. “I don’t really belong to anybody,” she thought one day as she picked wild berries in a field near her home. “Sure, Mom and Dad took care of me since I was six weeks old, but I’m not a blood relative, so I’m not really a member of their family.”

As Olivia started home, a rather dirty, skinny little dog timidly approached her. “Hi, little guy,” Olivia said gently. “Did someone dump you along the road? Why don’t you come live with me?” It didn’t take much coaxing to get the hungry puppy to follow her home. I wonder if Mom will let me keep him, she thought. Nice word–Mom. I wish it were really true.

Olivia’s mother saw them coming and went out to meet them. “Did you bring company for supper?” she asked, dropping to her knees and stroking the little dog. “I wonder if he has a name? He doesn’t look like he’s got a home.”

“Can I keep him?” Olivia asked eagerly. “We need to find out if he has an owner,” Mom replied. “If not . . . we’ll see.” No owner was found, and Olivia’s parents decided she could keep the dog. She called him Bingo.

“Well,” said Dad one morning, “it looks as if your adopted dog is happy here with you, Olivia.”

“Adopted!” Olivia exclaimed. “Dad, he’s not adopted. He’s my very own dog!”

“Of course he is,” replied Dad, “but he wasn’t always your dog.”

A slow smile crossed Olivia’s face as the truth sank in. That’s right! she thought. Bingo and I really belong together, even if it wasn’t always that way–and Mom and Dad and I belong together, too. Bingo wouldn’t want to be any other place in the world, and neither would I!

“Being adopted isn’t a bad thing, you know,” continued Dad. “In fact, all of us who are Christians are adopted, too. We’re adopted into God’s family.”

Olivia giggled and gave her dad a big hug, “We’re one big, happy family of adoptees–even Bingo,” she said.

For God, adoption matters more than blood. Whatever family race or religion we inherited by blood, our real Parent isn’t finally the one to whom we’re genetically related, but the one who adopts us and makes us heirs to the greatest of estates-the heavenly Kingdom.

Although a human father cannot give his own nature to an adopted child, God can. The Holy Spirit, whom God places within us at the moment of salvation, confirms us as God’s children and stirs us to cry, “Abba, Father!” This term is found only two other times in the New Testament, and means “Dearest Father.” It is the Bible’s greatest argument against legalism.

God’s family includes second-class people, those who are never quite good enough to be members of a church, never included in the social elite, never with enough money to quite fit the mold. Some potential church members might be considered second-class people by church leaders, but God has no second-class children. God’s love reaches down, forgives us and accepts us freely and without reservation.

The bondage of the Law had to precede the telling of the Gospel. It was like the period of development by which children are trained for adulthood. The child is subject to the terms of a will by a loving parent. Eventually the child will be free, but for now the child is restricted by the parent’s rules. The child is no different from a slave.

Through this bondage children learn to trust their parents. Similarly, through the bondage of the Law we learn to trust God. It allows us to pray “Abba, Father” as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane because we know the joy of being not a servant but a child of God. Before we can receive our inheritance from God, we must respond in faith to His promise.

When a person is saved, the law moves to the side and love moves to the centre. The believer is no longer enslaved to the harsh master of sin, but becomes a mature son or daughter of God. This shift in a person’s essence from slave to child with full rights as an heir of God is immediate, although believers often do not understand it until later in their Christian experience.

When we have a relationship with God, things change for the better. We feel different about our time, money and gifts. We realize that they belong to God, and He allows us to be stewards of them. We can experience His love in each situation. That changes everything. How many Christians today have received Christ’s forgiveness but miss out on living in the freedom they have? We don’t have to live under the impression that we have to earn our salvation.

God is our redeemer and liberator. The goal is freedom-not a freewheeling looseness without purpose and direction, but the kind of freedom where we can be what we are created to be, where we can reach the goals from whose glory we have fallen short. There is no reason for us to return to a life of slavery. We can live in the freedom that Christ has brought us-and that is the best gift we can receive at any time in the year.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1628)
2. “Part of the Family.” Retrieved from keys@lists.cbhministries.org
3. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
4. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 78-83)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. John North, “Time with God.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
7. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Galatians 4:4-7.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
8. Dr. Jack Graham, “What Would It Be Like if Jesus Hadn’t Come?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
9. Dr. Harold Sala, “No Second-Class Citizens in His Kingdom.” Retrieved from guidelines@guidelines.org
10. Pastor David McGee, “Our Relationship Changes Everything.” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com
11. “Living in the Freedom Christ has Given You.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
12. Elisabeth Johnson, “Commentary on Galatians 4:4-7.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
13. Dr. David Jeremiah, “A Man for All Ages.” Printed in Turning Points Magazine, Dec. 2017, p. 45
14. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s Living Insights: Galatians/Ephesians (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.: 2015; pp. 89-92)
15. Quinn G. Caldwell, “Real.” Retrieved from www.ucc.org

John 6:35,41-51 is part of the lengthy “bread of life” discourse in which Jesus shows that he is the only way we can satisfy the hunger we have in our souls. Hunger is a powerful motivator. When we are physically hungry, we get something to eat. When we are spiritually hungry, we look for something to satisfy it. Just like there is physical food that can best be described as junk food, there is also spiritual food that can also be described as junk food.

Take, for example, some TV evangelists. Several years ago I heard a comedy routine by the comedian, actor, and musician Steve Martin. He was doing his imitation of an evangelist. At one point he said, “The other day I talked to God, and He promised me that He would not talk to any other TV preachers. So if you hear any of these other TV preachers saying they talked to God, do not send them the $1.50 for their polyester prayer handkerchief!”

We all suffer from soul hunger. We all hunger for something more in life. Some people try to satisfy their spiritual hunger through beauty, power, prestige, sex, drugs, alcohol, or other worldly means. The world’s way is the way to sorrow and despair. You only have to consider what happened to people such as Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker, and John Belushi to see what happens when people try to satisfy spiritual hunger by worldly means. Jim Bakker lost his ministry and was sent to prison, Jimmy Swaggart lost his ministry in disgrace for several years (although it has since rebounded) and the others died from drug and/or alcohol abuse.

On the other hand, Jesus offers to fill us with his love. Only he can save our souls, change our tomorrows, and grant us peace and joy for today. Jesus takes the initiative in our salvation, even if we confess him as our Lord and Saviour. He creates a longing within us. His love and presence and the difficulties he allows to enter into our lives force us to open up to him. Jesus takes the initiative and we choose to cooperate with him. That is the very definition of the Christian life.

God works in us to create spiritual hunger because he loves us and wants us to get to know him and love him in return. He uses the spiritual hunger to convict us of our sin and convince us to turn to him.

There are parallels between the manna God gave to the Israelites in the desert and Jesus. The manna came at night, and Jesus comes into our spiritual darkness. Manna was God’s gift to the Israelites, and Jesus is God’s gift to us. All we have to do is claim it for ourselves, and we will never be spiritually hungry again. The manna from heaven was associated in the minds of the Jews with the giving of divine teaching, and Jesus sees his own teaching as being just as essential as our daily bread.

We need to receive Jesus’ spiritual food on a regular basis, just like the Israelites needed to receive the manna and quail from God every day. Without it, we will always be spiritually hungry. We can’t get enough spiritual food by going to church only at Christmas or Easter or on special occasions such as weddings, funerals, baptisms, or confirmations. Our spiritual hunger can only be satisfied by regularly studying God’s Word and applying it to our lives. This means regular attendance at Sunday worship services.

In order to live with Christ, we have to die to our worldly way of life and take up his life-a life of forgiveness, goodness, trust and service. If we are grounded in Christ’s unconditional love, we are free to lead like Jesus and love and serve others. It will not be easy, but God has drawn us to faith in him, and that faith will sustain us.

Bibliography

1. Stanley, C.F.; The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.; 2009)
2. The Rev. Ken Klaus, “Bread of Life”. Retrieved from www.lhm.org
3. Steve Arterburn, “Soul Hunger”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
4. Online Devotional-Day 167. Retrieved from www.leadlikejesus.com
5. Billy Graham, “How Do I Begin to Give God a Chance?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com/news/billygraham/s-533004-396571
6. Billy Graham, “Who or What is the Holy Spirit?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com/news/billygraham/s-841447-120453
7. Dr. Ed Young, “A Daily Word”Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
8. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 19^th Sunday (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org.
9. Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.
10. John Kenrick, O.P., “Do Not Waver, Hold Fast”. Retrieved from http://torch.op.org/preaching_sermon_item.php?sermon=5697

A few years ago there was program on the Investigation Discovery Channel called “I Almost Got Away with It”. The story of David and Bathsheba would have been a perfect one for that show, especially the part where the prophet Nathan confronted David. David thought that he had committed the perfect crime by having an affair with Bathsheba and covering it up by killing her husband. Unfortunately, he was caught by the one true, perfect, all-seeing and all-knowing God. David forgot that God sees everything that his people do. It reminds me of the line from the Christmas song “Santa Clause Comes to Town” that goes like this:

He sees you when you’re sleeping

He knows when you’re awake

He knows when you’ve been bad or good

So be good for goodness sake.

This passage deals with the ethical and moral failings that have plagued Christians throughout history. Greed and selfishness cause believers to do whatever it takes to get something that they want. Believers and non-believers have to accept the consequences of their actions.

The world has no sympathy for honesty these days. Sure, people give it lip service, and we tell our children to be honest, but if we stop and think about it, many of us would rather have our children be shrewd than honest. We teach them to be suspicious, to protect themselves and to ward off people like the typical used car salesman or politicians.

The story tells us about ourselves and our sinful nature, how we covet what is not ours, and how we often try to cover up our sins. Our sinful nature often causes us to forget who we are and who we are supposed to be. Our sins cause us to discover our true nature, and it is far from what we imagine ourselves to be.

We, like David, are not perfect. We often sin and either try to cover it up or think that our sin will not be discovered. We need to remember that God sees all and knows all-including our sins. God’s Word presents people as they are, not as later writers wish they would have been. To quote Numbers 32:23, “…be sure that your sin will find you out”. Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart’s fall from grace is a good example. He had it all–fame, fortune and a successful ministry—but one moment of indiscretion with a prostitute hurt him. His confession to God even made it into the video for the song “American Dream” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in 1988. It follows the line “Now you think about reaching out, maybe get some help from above”, which is repeated twice. He might have thought that he could get away with it, but he got caught. As another verse of the same song goes:

Reporters crowd around your house

Going through your garbage like a pack of hounds

Speculating what they might find out

It don’t matter now

You’re all washed up

In fact, it was only a few years later, when he got caught with a prostitute again, that he and his ministry were washed up for several years.

Nathan used his story as a case for David to judge. In Nathan’s story, the traveler represents David’s lust, and the lamb is Bathsheba. The story itself represents the commandments David broke-the ones regarding adultery, murder and coveting. It makes the point that no one can misuse God-given authority and power for selfish ends.

Nathan rebuked David, but he did so indirectly through the story he told. Nathan used a story that reminded David of his youth to break through David’s resistance and bring him to a place of true repentance. We do not have to go looking for other people’s faults or sins, but sometimes we can’t ignore them. Like Nathan, we must correct others in love with the hope of restoring them, and an approach bathed in prayer and led by the Spirit will accomplish more than our own self-righteous arguments ever can.

Jesus outlined a good approach to use when correcting sinners in Matthew 18:15-17:

1. Confront the sinner in private. If he/she listens to you, great!
2. If the sinner does not listen to you, go with two or three others and confront him/her. Two or more witnesses will be able to back up what happens.
3. If the sinner refuses to listen to you and the witnesses, bring it before the church.
4. If the sinner refuses to listen to the church, he/she is to be removed from the church.

David “saw the light” when he was confronted with his sins. The enormity of his crimes and the condemnation by Nathan represent conviction by both the earthly judge Nathan and the heavenly judge God. You might be thinking that if it says in the Bible, “Judge not lest ye be judged”, Nathan broke this commandment. You must remember though that Nathan was an agent of God, and God is the one who judges people either directly or through people such as Nathan or other good Christians.

The story of David, Bathsheba and Nathan reflects the battle between our struggle to live the Christian life and the earthly life that constantly tempts us. This conflict reminds us of our constant need for grace and forgiveness. We, like David, are only human. There will be times when we will stumble and fall in our Christian walk. We gain insight into our weaknesses so that we can improve our control over our weaknesses.

The story also reflects a sense of entitlement. Here was David, the boy who became king, who had more opportunity and power than anyone could imagine and had everything he wanted. He had a sense of being entitled to privileges. This sense of entitlement led him to give in to temptation. Unfortunately, the situation still exists today. For example, some experts claim that the 2008 recession was caused by corporate greed-greed that led American banks to make mortgages available to people who could not afford them. The result was the failure of several American banks, and like the old saying goes, “When America sneezes, Canada catches the cold”. American politicians told the banks that what they did was wrong, just like Nathan told David that what he did was wrong.

We must be careful that we do not fall into an attitude of self-indulgence. We must also keep as far away from evil as possible. Evil and sin diminish the respect others have for us, weaken our authority and cause unnecessary headaches.

We need more people like Nathan today-people who are not afraid to tell us what we need to hear. We need more people who will tell us the truth no matter how hard it is to say or hear. Nathan and people like him are motivated to speak the truth because the holiness and beauty of God are offended by the wickedness of sinful people. Sin is the great problem keeping people from the knowledge of God. Even when people shrug their shoulders and say, “Everyone else is doing it”, we must stand firm and say that this is wrong. When sin is public, visible to all and scandalous, those who know this have a duty to speak up and use words of strong condemnation. The word of forgiveness follows quickly when we admit out guilt. God’s forgiveness and abundant mercy are now available through Jesus.

This story is also an example of our hunger. We are hungry for control of our lives. We are hungry for a world that is not controlled by sin and our sinful human natures. We often try to satisfy that hunger with material goods, alcohol, drugs or sex (like David did). The only way that our hunger can truly be satisfied is by the true bread of life-that is, our faith in Jesus. Jesus said in John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If a man eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world”. Just like the 5,000 people were still hungry after Jesus miraculously fed them with the five barley loaves and two fish, we will still be hungry if we try to satisfy our hunger in the way the world wants us to satisfy it.

This story is not about sin as much as it is about forgiveness. When David was confronted with his sin, he repented and was restored by God-even though he still had to accept the consequences of his actions. It is better for us to confess our sins before we are forced to do so by getting caught. When we do, the burden of guilt will not be able to limit our spiritual growth and our worship and prayers will not be hindered.

We have to repent of our sins so we can be restored by God, but we must also be prepared to accept the consequences of our sins. God’s anger toward sin is righteous anger. God will not let sin go unpunished. It is this righteous anger that leads to restoring our relationship with God. God cares about how we live our lives. If we show contempt for God’s law, we will be punished. God does not take our actions lightly, but if we deal with our sin genuinely, openly and immediately, God will lessen the severity of our discipline.

We often try to straighten out our own problems like David did, but Jesus has already straightened our problems for us. He put our sins away. He paid the penalty for our sins on the cross at Calvary. We do not have to do anything more than what Christ has already done for us. All we have to do is accept what he did, repent of our sins, and accept him as our Saviour.

Bibliography

1. Stanley, C.F., “The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB” (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.; 2009)
2. Lectionary Homiletics, Aug.-Sept.., 2012 (St. Paul, MN: Luther Seminary)
3. Lisa Harper, “What is Righteous Anger?” Retrieved from www.christianitytoday.com
4. Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package
5. ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package
6. Mike Benson, “Apologize”. Retrieved from www.forthright.net/kneemail
7. Mike Benson, “Confront”. Retrieved from www.forthright.net/kneemail
8. Les Lamborn, “Collision Course”. Retrieved from noreply@rbc.org
9. T.M. Moore, “The Courage to Condemn”. Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org
10. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 11^th Sunday in Ordinary Time ©”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
11. Dr. Charles F. Stanley, “When We Act Deceptively”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
12. Chafir, K.L. & Ogilvie, L.J., “The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 8:1,2, Samuel” (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1989)
13. Stanley, C.F., “The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version” (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
14. David Zanstra, “Clear Confession”. Retrieved from today@thisistoday.net
15. Charles Swindoll, “The Consequences of Sin”. Retrieved from www.insight.org
16. Harold Sala, “The Steps to Adultery”. Retrieved from www.guidelines.org
17. T.M. Moore, “Truth to Power”. Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org
18. Jim Coleman, “Straightening Your Way”. Retrieved from www.hourofpower.cc
19. Pastor John Barnett, “David’s Lust Led Him to break all of the 10 Commandments”. Retrieved from www.dtbm.org
20. Pastor John Barnett, “David’s Sin, God’s Grace & the Inescapable Consequences of Sin”. Retrieved from www.dtbm.org
21. Randy Kilgore, “Moving Past Sinful Failure”. Retrieved from ww.rbc.org
22. Jim Liebelt, “God Pursues Us When We’ve Sinned”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
23. Amy Erickson, “Commentary on 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15”. Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
24. Bob Deffinbaugh, “David and God (Nathan)”. Retrieved from www.bible.org
25. Lloyd H. Steffen, “On Honesty and Self-deception: ‘You Are the Man’”. Retrieved from www.religion-online.org.
26. Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on 2 Peter (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, Inc.: 2010)
27. Roland McGregor, “Spiritual Hunger”. Retrieved from www.mcgregorpage.org
28. Daniel B. Clendenin, PhD, “Human Desires Divinely Filled: Jesus the Bread of Life”. Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net
29. Rev. David Shearman, “John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Year B-Season after Pentecost-Proper 13 Ordinary 18”. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod.org/archives/year-b-season-after-pentecost-proper-13-ordinary-18.html

“A heart transplant?” Jesse asked with wide eyes. His parents had just explained to him and his younger brother, Marcus, that the doctors had decided Grandpa should have a heart transplant as soon as a donor could be found.

Dad nodded. “It’s amazing what doctors can do these days, but we must remember that it’s a dangerous operation and isn’t always successful. Let’s pray for Grandpa and trust God for the outcome.”

“But wait a minute! What if Grandpa has the heart transplant and then dies anyway?” Marcus asked anxiously. “He wouldn’t go to heaven.”

Everyone turned and looked at Marcus curiously. “Why do you say that?” asked Mom. “Of course Grandpa would go to heaven–he’s a Christian.”

“Yeah. Grandpa loves Jesus,” said Jesse. “He said he trusted Jesus as his Savior when he was just a kid, remember?”

“But my teacher at church says we won’t go to heaven unless we have Jesus in our hearts,” replied Marcus. “So if Grandpa gets a different heart, he won’t be a Christian anymore, will he?”

“Didn’t your teacher explain what she meant by having Jesus in your heart?” asked Dad. Marcus just shrugged. “Well,” said Dad, “think of it like this, Marcus. You have a big place in my heart, but that doesn’t mean you’re actually inside my physical heart.” Dad placed his hand on his chest. “You don’t crawl around in the organ beating inside here. So what do you think it means when I say you’re in my heart?”

“I don’t know. I guess it means you love me a whole lot,” said Marcus.

Dad nodded. “Right. It’s like that when we talk about having Jesus in our hearts. We don’t mean our physical hearts then either. We mean that we know Jesus loves us, and we love Him too. When we trust Him to forgive our sins, we say He comes into our hearts–not into our physical hearts, but into our lives. He’s with us all the time, and we look to Him for help and direction. So no matter what physical heart is inside Grandpa’s body, Grandpa loves Jesus and belongs to Him. Does that make sense?”

Marcus smiled and nodded. “I feel better now.”

Do you have Jesus in your heart? In the Bible, the word “heart” refers to your innermost being–the place where your thoughts, feelings, and desires come from. The Bible says our hearts are sinful, which is why we need Jesus to free us from sin and change the way we think and the things we desire. When we trust in Him, He comes into our hearts–not physically but spiritually. Trust Him to change your heart today.

When Jews prayed, they normally stood upright with hands raised, but Paul’s bowed posture in Ephesians 3:14-21 tells us that this is no ordinary prayer; it is the prayer of someone kneeling, like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Even now, kneeling before someone is considered a way to acknowledge that he or she is greater. Whether people kneel physically or only in their hearts, they should come to the throne of grace with a spirit of submission and humility.

Paul prayed for at least four things:

1. An inward power.
2. An inward presence.
3. An inward perception.
4. An inward provision

Paul was very specific in the petitions in his prayer. The exact number of intercessions is not important. What is important is that we identify the mystery of God in prayer.

Paul saw two elements of human nature:

1. The flesh, which includes all the impulses and activities of our earthly lives.
2. The mind, where our true personality lives. It is the inner self that can be continually renewed and strengthened.

The latter item is the key point of Paul’s theology. A person many be “in Christ” and thus live in the Spirit and in the power of the living God who lives in us. Union of Christ and possession of the Spirit mean the same. They are created and affected by faith. When Christ lives in us, our lives are reoriented. In other words, when the Holy Spirit comes to us, we get a spiritual heart transplant.

God’s love can be known. It can be known because the Cross is the supreme revelation of love. This love is so glorious that it can’t be described. It is best experienced by fellowship with other believers. The more we are united with fellow believers, the more we enter into fellowship with God. Christ’s love is so boundless that the only way to understand it is through the combined experience of all Christians.

Paul used four dimensions to describe the immensity of God’s love:

1. Its breadth reminds us that His arms reach around the globe. On the cross, Jesus’ hands were stretched out for the whole world.
2. Its length reminds us that His love extends from eternity past to eternity future. It existed before the foundation of this world and will exist after this world’s end.
3. Its depth reminds us that His love addresses the deepest needs of the human heart. God loves sinners no matter who they are, what they have done, or where they have been.
4. Its height reaches to the very throne of God. Out of love Jesus came down from heaven and lifts up to His level anyone who chooses to believe, because no one can climb up to His level.

The word “dwell” means more than merely to live in a place. It means to settle down, move in, take up residence and be at home. When God makes His home in the hearts of His people, and the Holy Spirit fills them with His presence, they begin to understand the length, depth, width and breadth of His love.

God’s love can’t be contained, but we can receive it to the full measure of our capacity and to the degree that we yield to it. That is what it means to be filled with the Spirit. We have a relationship with God that is so yielded to Him that He comes to us and lives with us in intimacy and power. Consequently, we can experience in life all things Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would do for believers.

If we are weak, it is not because there is no available power. The power of God that created the universe and raised Jesus from the dead is always available to us through prayer. Spiritual power is a mark of every Christian who submits to the Holy Spirit. It is not reserved for special people. It is available to those who discipline their minds and spirits to study God’s Word, understand it and live by it. Just like Christ grew in Mary until He had to come out, He will live in us until He comes out in our speech, our actions and our decisions. We, like Mary, will deliver Christ into the world.

Paul urges us to think about what it means to represent Christ in the world. When people look at us as Christians, do they see Christ-like qualities? After all, God works through people who know Him and trust Him. God’s ability to perform miracles is not the question. The question is: How do we get the miraculous to happen to us? The answer is that we have to believe in God’s power, which is alive and working in us. When God’s Word is alive in our hearts, we must keep it alive and active in us. We don’t know how He does this in all believers all the time, but without God living through us, it would be impossible to live the Christian life.

If the Holy Spirit lives within us, and if He is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, should we not expect more of ourselves than merely what we’ve known or attempted in the past? We don’t have to worry that we don’t have the tools, skills or experience to do what God asks us to do. God does not call the equipped. He equips the called.

Here are some truths for us to consider today:

1. There is no promise too hard for God to fulfill.
2. There is no prayer too big for God to answer.
3. There is no problem too big for God to solve.
4. There is no disease God cannot heal.
5. There is no heart God cannot mend.
6. There is no relationship God cannot restore.
7. There is no sin God cannot redeem.
8. There is no bondage God cannot break.
9. There is no need God cannot meet.
10. There is no mountain God cannot move.
11. There is no enemy God cannot defeat.
12. There is nothing God cannot do.

A good example of what God can do in our lives can be found in the life of a gentleman named Stuart Hamblen. He had a popular radio show on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1940s. During Billy Graham’s 1949 Los Angeles Crusade, Stuart Hamblen invited Billy Graham on his show as a guest. Stuart Hamblen encouraged his audience to attend the crusade and remarked that he would be there too.

The first night Stuart attended, he was convicted of his sins. Because he could not understand what was going on in his soul, he shook his fist in anger and left. He came back several times and each time he had the same reaction. One night, Billy Graham was awakened in his hotel room by the ringing of the telephone. Stuart Hamblen was on the other end on the line, and he was in tears. He asked to see Billy Graham right away. They talked and prayed, and Stuart Hamblen gave his life to Christ that night, and came forward in the next service during the crusade.

Not long after, Stuart had a conversation with the actor John Wayne. That conversation inspired Stuart to write one of the most famous Gospel songs. Some of the words are:

It is no secret what God can do
What he’s done for others he’ll do for you
With arms wide open, he’ll pardon you
It is no secret what God can do.

Without the Holy Spirit, we can’t live the Christian life. With God in our lives, we can experience Christ’s life in abundance. How does this happen?

1. God’s Spirit makes us alive in Christ.
2. He assures us that we are His children.
3. He guides us into all truth by taking the things of Jesus and making them known to us.
4. He gives us the power to understand and experience the love of God.
5. He works in us to live out God’s purposes for our lives.
6. He expresses the fruit of His live through us.

The great Protestant reformer Martin Luther commented on a professor of his who would follow the same routing every day. He would enter the classroom, hang up his coat, then proceed to take off his hat and bow before every single student in the classroom. Finally, Martin Luther asked him, “What are you doing? Why do you bow before each of us?” The professor replied, “I bow before you in honour of what you might become if you get your life in tune with God!”

What might we become if our lives were consistently in tune with God? What might we become if our lives were set apart, knowing Him, confident, mature, allowing His power to work exceedingly abundant in us? What might we become if we entrust our loved ones to Him, knowing that they will be safer with Him than in our hands? God can bring change in people’s lives, but people have to follow His plans instead of their own.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1643)
2. Hazel W. Marett, “A New Heart.” Retrieved from info@keysforkids.org.
3. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 182-189)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1636-1637)
7. “Success Story: A Community Formed by Remarkable Differences.” Retrieved from Chrsitianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
8. Pete Briscoe, “God’s Working Today Through You.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
9. Christine Caine, “First Things First with Christine.” Retrieved from no-reply@christinecaine.com
10. Dr. Ed Young, “In Tune With God.” Retrieved from ministry@winningwalk.org
11. Bob Christopher, “The Word of the Holy Spirit.” Retrieved from bob@basicgospel.net.
12. T.M. Moore, “Pushing the Limits.” Retrieved from www.ailbe.org
13. Billy Graham, Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham (San Francisco, CA: Harper Collins Worldwide; 1997; pp.145, 147-148)

Good morning boys and girls!

Have you ever been scared? Has there ever been a time when someone told you to do something and you were scared to do what they told you to do?

You know, even people in the Bible were scared from time to time. For example, on at least two occasions the disciples were scared. One time, the disciples returned from a long trip and they were tired. Jesus told them to go with him to a quiet place where they could rest. Unfortunately, the people found out where Jesus and his disciples were, and they went to see them. Jesus had compassion on them, so he taught them.

As the day wore on, the people didn’t have anything to eat. The disciples urged Jesus to send the people away to get something to eat, but Jesus told them to give the people something to eat. The disciples didn’t have enough food, and they didn’t have enough money to buy food. The disciples were scared, but Jesus knew what he was going to do. Andrew found a little boy with a small lunch. Jesus took the lunch, blessed it and gave it to the disciples to give out to the people. Suddenly there was more than enough food-enough to fill twelve baskets with leftovers.

After Jesus dismissed the crowd the disciples got into a boat and started to cross a lake. Before they got to the other side, it became dark and a storm came. The disciples were afraid, and they were scared even more when they saw someone walking on the water and coming toward them. The disciples recognized Jesus when he said, “It is I, don’t be afraid.” Jesus calmed their fears, and they invited him to get into the boat.

All of us have been afraid at one time or another, even adults. Being scared is nothing to be ashamed of. When we invite Jesus into our lives, we don’t have to be afraid, because we aren’t alone.

Let’s close our eyes and pray. Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus to help us, especially when we are scared. Help us to remember that with Jesus we have nothing to fear because he protects us with his love. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

Bibliography

1. “There’s No Fear in Jesus.” Retrieved from http://sermons4kids.com/no_fear_in_jesus.htm

Have you ever had to prepare a meal for a large group of people with little or no advance notice?

When you prepared that meal, did you ever stop to wonder how you would do it, especially if you realized that you did not have enough food and you did not have the time or money to go to the grocery store? If that is the case, perhaps you can sympathize with the disciples in the story of the feeding of the crowd, which is written in John 6:1-21.

Jesus had been teaching the crowd all day, and it was almost time for the evening meal. The disciples wanted Jesus to dismiss the people so they could go and buy food in the neighbouring towns and villages. Jesus had other ideas. He told the disciples to feed the people.

We saw the reactions of two of the disciples to Jesus’ instruction. Philip saw the need for a miracle and calculated the odds. He tried to prove that it could not be done. How many times are we like Philip? How often do we fail to see what God is doing because we are focused on our selfish desires and needs?

Andrew, on the other hand, set out to try to solve the problem, and the solution he found is the key to the first part of this story. He searched for food among the people, but he found only one small boy with a small lunch that seemed inadequate for the task at hand. We have to give credit to Andrew for at least trying to find a solution to the problem.

Barley was a staple part of the diet for the poor. The loaves were small, flat wafers. The fish were the size of sardines. The meal was barely enough for one little boy, let alone sufficient to satisfy the appetite of a grown man. When Jesus accepted the boy’s gift, he blessed it, and in the blessing the small became great. There was suddenly enough bread because Jesus saw the people and wanted them to be fed, just like Jesus saw the fear in his disciples on the sea. He loved the disciples and the crowd and gave both groups the peace of his presence.

This story shows the difference between two types of churches-missional and maintenance. Missional churches welcome all situations and see the potential while acknowledging the challenges these situations create. Maintenance churches focus on creating committees that make decisions and not disciples. Maintenance churches distance themselves from problems because they are too busy having committee meetings. Maintenance churches are filled with tension because the members don’t know what’s going to happen or how to respond. They do just enough to get by. Missional churches look for things to do, even when their members are already doing things. They believe that because God is in what they are doing, God will provide everything that they will need. Maintenance churches are paralyzed by the size and scope of the task before them, but missional churches break the task down into manageable parts. They do not try to do everything all at once because they know they can’t be everything to everyone all of the time. Jesus accepts their limitations and only expects them to work with what they have and with the next people they meet. Which type of church would we prefer to be?

Jesus can take anything we give him, no matter how big or how small, and multiply it to be used to do his work in the world. My own ministry and spiritual life are good examples. God has taken the talents and gifts I have (and have offered to him) and used them to spread the good news and do his work both locally and world-wide through the worship services I lead and the sermons I post on my blog.

All life and all good gifts come from God. Jesus comes to open our hearts and our hands to those around us. We can do that only because he opens our eyes to his own presence as the grace-and-peace-filled “I” in the middle of the storm.

When Jesus sets an impossible task before us, he knows what he is going to do, but he wants us to see how we will react. Will we react in fear, confusion or faith? Jesus tested the disciples. He wanted them to fail so that he might strengthen them. Jesus also tests us for the same reason. Failure gives us strength. We and the disciples should have learned a lesson from this story. We must never gauge the size of a challenge in terms of our capability. God calls us to commit whatever we have, and he will use it for his glory. When we give ourselves into God’s hands, we become instruments in his service. We can then serve many people who are hungry physically and/or spiritually. When we come to the end of our resources, God comes in with his resources. In Jesus, there is more than enough for everyone.

The miracle of giving is that it produces a ministry of giving. Money is a miracle because it increases when we give it away, especially when we give it away to God so he can use it to do his work in our world. Jesus gives us ample resources, but we have to receive them before we can share them with others. This story has to do with faith in Jesus rather than his compassion. It is also about God’s ability to take too little and change it into more than enough.

Jesus intended for his miracle to point people to God. That included his disciples and everyone he met. The people realized that the food they had eaten was a sign from God and that they might believe in Jesus, and they did. They realized he was the long-promised Messiah, but he wasn’t the type of Messiah they were looking for. They were following Jesus for the spectacle, not because of who he was. They were enamoured with his words and what he might do for them. Coming to God on the mountain was a fearful experience, yet it was full of expectation at the same time. Why? Because God was seen at this time in history as a mighty and exalted God.

Because he could work miracles, many people wanted to make Jesus a king. They thought that if he could feed them, he could free them from Roman rule. They wanted an earthly king who would protect them and provide for them. Instead, Jesus was a humble, servant king who would restore their relationship with God. They wanted a Messiah who would provide for their physical needs, but Jesus was the type of Messiah that would provide for their spiritual needs. He wanted their undivided attention, just like he wanted the disciples’ undivided attention.  Jesus got the disciples’ attention thanks to the storm. He wanted them to make him their chief focus even when the storms of life take over. He also wants us to pay attention to him, especially when we face the storms of life.

A colossal testing often follows a colossal success. The real proof of discipleship is how closely a person follows Christ when his/her needs are not met right away and the storms of life are raging. Jesus’ walking on the water is a sign of his power over the living spirit of the sea-a living spirit that is dangerous and unpredictable. By telling his disciples, “It is I; do not be afraid,” Jesus identified himself as the Great I AM. He comes to all of his followers in their storms and reminds them that he is the Great I AM. When Jesus walked on the water and told his disciples not to be afraid, he showed his power to rescue human inadequacy.

The story focuses on how the disciples will respond to the tests Jesus gives them. We are also being tested as we apply this story to our own lives. The test for us is how we will do the work Jesus wants us to do, especially when the task seems impossible. We must not concentrate on what we lack. We must concentrate on what we have. Jesus gives us the resources we need, but if we want to get them, we have to get rid of our earthly habits. We must starve judging and feed on kindness. We must starve indifference and feed on compassion. We must starve isolation and feed on community.

There will come a time when we will face a test that we declare to be impossible. When that happens, we need to take the following steps:

1. Acknowledge our inadequacy and the Lord’s omnipotence.
2. Be certain the challenge before us glorifies the Lord, obeys one of his commands from Scripture, or helps to fulfill a spiritual mandate.
3. Give the challenge back to the Lord as a chance for him to accomplish it on our behalf and receive glory for the victory.
4. Do what we can, supply what we have, put forward our effort, then let God multiply it at his discretion.

The two parts of this story are linked by Jesus’ doing something totally unexpected, and it changes the lives of those around him. This story tells us that there are things in life that will catch us off guard, but nothing will catch God off guard. God sends the storms of life that we face. These storms have been engineered to strengthen us, teach us something and cause us to grow deeper in our faith. God knows what we are dealing with before it happens. He also knows how we are going to get out of the situation. He still allows the trial to happen because it will be for our benefit.  When we face the storms of life, we must remember the words of the hymn, “Will Your Anchor Hold?”

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,

When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?

When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,

Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Stedfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
  Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.

Our job is to involve Jesus in any problems we are facing and to count on his presence and power. Jesus is present and ready to help in any situation of need. All we have to do is come to him in faith.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on John (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2010)
3. Frederikson, R.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 27: John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles, 2005)
5. Os Hillman, “Thinking Outside the Box.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
6. Pastor David McGee, “Trusting God.” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com
7. Anne Graham Lotz, “Receiving His Resources.” Retrieved from angelmin.info@angelministries.org
8. Exegesis for John 6:1-21. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.
9. Jude Siciliano, O,.P., “First Impressions, 17^th Sunday (B).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
10. Pastor Jack Hibbs, “The Storms of Life.” Retrieved from devotion@reallifewithjackhibbs.org
11. Anne Graham Lotz, “Give All that You Have.”  Retrieved from angelmin.info@angelministries.org
12. Tozer, A.W., “The Church: Philip the Calculator.” Retrieved from biblegateway@e.biblegateway.com
13. “On Barbeque Grills & A Boy’s Lunch.” Retrieved from http://www.dancingwiththeword.com/2012/07/on-barbeque-grills-and-boys-lunch.html
14. Sharon L. Blezard, “Blood, Water, and Signs of God.” Retrieved from http://stewardshipoflife.org/2012/07/bread-water-and-signs-of-god.html
15. David Lose, “Bread of Life Sermon Series.” Retrieved from http://www.workingpreacher.org.craft.aspx?post=1504
16. Brian Peterson, “Commentary on John 6:1-21.” Retrieved from http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=350
17. Alyce McKenzie, “Mind the Gap: The Feeding of the 5,000.” Retrieved from http://www.patheos.com
18. Katie Munnick, “All the Water in All the Oceans.” Retrieved from http://presbyterianrecord.ca/2102/07/23/all-the-water-in-all-the-oceans.html
19. The Rev. Sharon Hiers, “More Unexpected Jesus.” Retrieved from http://day1.org/1373-more-unexpected-jesus.print
20. Weekly Evangelectionary for Sunday, July 26, 2015. Retrieved from http://www.evangelismconnectgions.org/weekly-evangelectionary-for-sunday-july-26-2015/

The Gospel reading which we just heard from John 6:1-21 is full of rich imagery.  Although the story of the feeding of the 5,000 appears in all four Gospels, John’s version has a slightly different meaning. In fact, John includes only seven of Jesus’ miracles in his Gospel, and in each miracle the believer is brought closer to God. Each miracle invites us to reflect on what the miracle says about Jesus.

John most likely included this version of the feeding of the 5,000 to provide additional information that was not recorded in the other three Gospels. For the early Christians, this story got to the heart of something they knew was important about Jesus, about who he was, what he was up to, and what he found to be important. John’s recording of this miracle showed the creative power of Christ and set the stage for Jesus’ talk about the “bread of life” in the remaining verses of Chapter 6. The purpose of John’s Gospel is to show that Jesus is the mind of God in human form, so the signs in John’s version of the feeding of the 5,000 are designed to show God at work in the lives of his people.

The feeding of the 5,000 represents both the manna that came from heaven while the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years and faith in Jesus. It is also a sign of the Last Supper. It represents the covenant that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is God’s provision for the world’s salvation.

The barley loaves represented Elisha’s feeding of the 100 people with a small supply of barley loaves as mentioned in 2 Kings 4:42-44. Barley bread was a bread of poor quality that was eaten by poor people. Barley loaves were less nutritious, less tasty and harder to digest than bread made with wheat. The small lunch represents the great things God can do with whatever we bring to him, no matter how big or how small. The 12 baskets of leftovers represent both God’s abundance (which means that there is enough for everyone) and the 12 tribes of Israel. The crowd’s desire to make Jesus an earthly king represents our desire to fit God into our expectations of him instead of fitting ourselves into God’s expectations of us. Jesus walking on the water in the midst of the storm represents God in our midst and God coming to us when we are in trouble.

The Bible uses the word “signs” to speak of miracles because God has a special place for miracles. Jesus used his miracles to point people to God, and it was God’s power that made Jesus’ miracles possible. In other words, Jesus opened the people’s eyes to see and their hearts to believe, but the people in the crowd only saw Jesus as a provider for their earthly needs. They did not see the signs as indications that God would provide for their heavenly needs and their spiritual needs. Jesus wanted the people to live in him and partake of his spiritual food, but the people wanted Jesus to stay with them so they could continue to enjoy the physical food that he offered.

In order to make room for the spiritual food Jesus offers, we must starve our human weaknesses such as judging, indifference and isolation and feed on kindness, compassion, community and generosity. In other words, we must feed on the characteristics of Jesus in order to become more like him. The crowd did not understand what was happening. They got their stomachs full, but their spirits were still hungry. They did not realize that if they accepted the spiritual food Jesus offered, they would never be spiritually hungry again.

The disciples learned firsthand that God is greater than the needs of 5,000 people, and this gave them confidence that they could trust him for their daily needs. Likewise at times the Lord will set a seemingly impossible task before us to test us and see whether we react in fear or faith. That is because He is training us to have faith in Him and trusting Him means looking beyond what we can see and do to what He is able to accomplish, especially when he works through us. We can trust God in the storms of life. Faith is the key to the storehouse of God’s ample supply. When we believe God, we will have rest and peace in our lives. In spite of opposition, Jesus will enable his people to achieve the goals he has set for them-including salvation.

John Wesley, the great Methodist preacher of the 18^th century, once said, “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon Earth”. Can you imagine what would happen if every believer took that advice to heart? No, we are not perfect, but God uses imperfect people to do his perfect work in our world. In fact, he seems to go out of his way to find imperfect people to work through. Just look at Moses, David, and Samson, to name just a few.

Moses was a stutterer who murdered an Egyptian, but God used him to free the Israelites from slavery. David was an ordinary shepherd boy who was used by God to lead the Israelites to greatness and prosperity, in spite of committing adultery and murder. Samson was used to destroy the Philistines in spite of giving in to temptation by having his hair cut. If God can use people like them to do great things, just imagine what he can do through us if we let him. God makes the impossible in our lives possible when we act on His word and trust Him for what only He can do. As the old hymn says, “It is no secret what God can do. What He’s done for others, he’ll do for you”.

Bibliography

1. Stanley, C.F., The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 2009)
2. Exegesis for John 6:1-21. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
3. Lucado, M., The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2010)
4. MacArthur, J., MacArthur Study Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006; 2008)
5. Frederikson, R.L. & Ogilvie, L.J., The Preacher’s Commentary Series: Volume 27: John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.; 1985)
6. Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible Software package.
7. Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible Software package.
8. ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible Software package.
9. Jude Siciliano, “First Impressions, 17^th Sunday (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
10. John North, “Time With God, John 6:6”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
11. John Piper, “The All-Providing King Who Would Not Be King”. Retrieved from www.desiringgod.org
12. John Piper, “Twelve Baskets of Bread and the Walk on Water”. Retrieved from www.desiringgod.org
13. Harold Sala, “The Mother of All Storms”. Retrieved from www.guidelines.org.
14. Anne Graham Lotz, “Give All That You Have”. Retrieved from www.angelministries.org
15. Sharon Jaynes, “Sit Down and Be Quiet”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
16. The Rev. Debra Metzger Shaw, “Living Loaves”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

“Are we almost there?” Noelle asked, eagerly leaning forward from the back seat of the car. “I can’t wait to go swimming!”

“There it is!” Cameron shouted as the car rounded a bend in the drive and the little cottage came into view. Dad parked by the front door, and Noelle and Cameron helped unpack the car. The smaller children played on the swing set in the yard, and Mom swept and dusted inside the cottage.

“I’m starving!” declared Cameron when they finished their work. “Me, too,” said Noelle. “When are we going to eat, Mom?”

“Soon,” Mom replied, getting out some sloppy joe meat, chips and buns. She put the meat in a pan and turned on the burner. Then she plugged in the coffeepot. “How about macaroni and cheese with your sloppy joes?” she suggested as she turned on another burner. Immediately, all the lights went off. “Oh, no!” exclaimed Mom. “I must have blown a fuse.”

Dad got up and went to find the fuse box. “Looks like there are too many things on one of the circuits,” he said when he came back. “We’ll have to turn off a few lights whenever we want to use the stove.”

Soon their lunch was ready, and they sat down to enjoy it together. “This is fun,” said Noelle. “It’s our first real vacation in ages.”

“I know,” said Mom thoughtfully. “That over-loaded fuse reminds me of our family lately. We’ve been so busy getting Dad’s business started and redecorating the house. Then with piano lessons, Little League games, housework, and homework, I think we’ve been overloaded, too. We’ve been so busy that we haven’t had much time to spend together and enjoy each other.”

Dad nodded. “Let’s evaluate our activities during this vacation and see which ones we could cut out of our schedules,” he suggested. Dad turned to Cameron. “How about getting my Bible from the shelf over there, Son? Let’s have family devotions right now–that’s one activity we should always take time for.”

“Right,” said Cameron getting the Bible. “That and my Little League games. But we could skip the piano lessons,” he added with a grin. “And homework.”

Dad chuckled. “I don’t think so,” he said. “We’ll talk about it later.”

How do you handle it when your plans get changed, even for good reasons? Do you feel disappointed or angry? The passage from Mark’s Gospel gives us some ideas about how to handle unexpected changes in plans.

Jesus’ disciples led busy lives. They were tired. They were too busy from ministry with Jesus and the people to even find time to eat. Jesus displayed His concern for practical matters. His disciples had just returned from a ministry trip, so He expected them to “come aside…and rest awhile.” Jesus saw the problems and suggested that they get away and get some rest.

Jesus also recognized, honoured, and tended to His own tiredness. He pulled His disciples away from their labour and striving. We see a Saviour who probes below the surfaces of our busy lives and pinpoints the hunger our culture won’t allow us to name: the hunger for space, reflection, solitude, nourishment, recreation, rest, and sleep.

Jesus was also tired emotionally. He had just lost John the Baptist, his beloved cousin and prophet. We read about his death in Mark 6:14-29. John the Baptist baptized Jesus and spent a lifetime in the wilderness preparing the way for Jesus. To make matters worse, Jesus lost him to murder. This was a terrifying reminder that God’s faithful servants are not immune to violent, senseless deaths. If we want proof, all we have to do is look at what happens to Christians in countries such as North Korea and China. Perhaps Jesus felt that His own death was closer and His own ministry was more ominous. He had many reasons to feel heartbroken and tired emotionally.

Jesus made sure that His disciples took care of themselves both spiritually and physically. He wants His modern disciples to take care of themselves as well. That’s why He created the Sabbath. We are well-advised to heed the words of this prayer:

Slow me down, Lord.

Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind.

Steady my hurried pace.

Give me, amidst the day’s confusion

the calmness of the everlasting hills.

Break the tension of my nerves and muscles

with the soothing music of singing streams

that live in my memory.

Help me to know the magical, restoring power of sleep.

Teach me the art of taking minute vacations…

slowing down to look at a flower,

to chat with a friend,

to read a few lines from a good book.

Remind me

of the fable of the hare and the tortoise;

that the race is not always to the swift;

that there is more to life than measuring its speed.

Let me look up at the branches of the towering oak

and know that…it grew slowly…and well.

Inspire me

to send my own roots down deep…

into the soils of life’s endearing values.

That I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny.

Slow me down, Lord.

How long has it been since we were quiet and still in God’s presence with no agenda other than a desire to sit at His feet? A little solitude can give us an opportunity to reconnect with our spiritual life. It is an important time to rest, pray and renew our spirits.

According to a Greek legend, in ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little boys. The man laughed at Aesop and asked him why he wasted his time in such frivolous activity. Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string and placing it on the ground. Then he said to the man, “Now, answer the riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung bow implies.”

The man looked at it for several minutes but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop explained, “If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually, but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it.”

Rest is essential, especially for ministers. Time alone with God is important. We aren’t built to keep going at full steam without stopping until we fall over. We need breaks once in a while. Unfortunately, to quote the great Scottish poet Robert Burns, the best laid plans often go astray.

Despite His own weariness, Jesus ministered to the needy crowd because He saw them as “sheep not having a shepherd.” This phrase appears repeatedly in the Old Testament; it refers to the fact that the leaders in Israel had abdicated their role as shepherds. Also significant, Jesus’ compassion for the multitudes is expressed by His staying to teach them. We are familiar with verses that say Jesus had compassion and fed people or healed them. We often forget that teaching is also compassion. Jesus saw their need.

Jesus had compassion for the people. He saw them as sheep without a shepherd. In other words, they were leaderless. They were dumb and defenseless. They wanted a spokesperson. They were vulnerable. They were a milling mass that could be turned by a leader, a voice or a protector to the uses of good or evil. Today the masses can also be vulnerable to fickle and volatile movements. If we want proof, all we have to do is look at Donald Trump, especially when he was the President of the United States. People saw his rhetoric and statements on Twitter as gospel. It was his supporters who stormed the United States Capital building in January of 2021 in an attempt to block the certification of Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election.

The Shepherd promised by God arrived and taught the bewildered flock. He was the true Shepherd they lacked. He did not leave them on their own because God did not leave them. Through Jesus they learned about God’s reign. He taught them these things:

1. God loves them and is ready to forgive their sins.
2. Though the world treats them as last, in God’s eyes they are first.
3. God is their true Ruler, and God’s reign is one of justice, peace and love.

Jesus also taught them that, if they accept His teaching and receive the reign of God into their lives, then they must treat others as God treated them: love one another, welcome the stranger, forgive their enemies, care for the needs and welcome the least and forgotten to their table. 

Jesus helped the masses by teaching them, organizing them, speaking for them and feeding them. Many leaders play on people’s emotions in order to gain control. For example, Adolph Hitler had the verbal ability to whip the German people into a frenzy. The people did not ask if what Hitler said was right or wrong. Jesus did not play that game. He did not want to make the people shallow believers whose faith had to be constantly reinforced by emotional jabs. He taught them many things in order to build up their enthusiasm for the foundations of truth that would sustain them.

Jesus saw people as more important than His own plans and need for rest. He saw them not as an interruption but as an opportunity to reveal His loving care and His compassionate power to meet their needs. He saw them as God sees them. Similarly, we must also see people as God sees them and do what we can to meet their physical, spiritual and emotional needs.

Rather than chronicling this part of Jesus’ ministry in Gennesaret in detail, Mark says only that wherever Jesus went, people ran to Him, hoping to be healed and blessed. All those who touched Him in faith were made well. Was Jesus disappointed to think that the people missed the substance of the truth? We don’t know, but we do know that He chose to be known as a servant. Rather than being insulted by the sick who were brought to Him, He was flattered to know that the first purpose of His earthly mission was being accomplished. The sick people had faith and determination. They were freed from their illnesses and they were made whole. Are the people who touch our lives set free and made whole, or do we add to their chains and increase their fragmentation?

If we didn’t know it before, we now know the world’s need for a Shepherd. As we navigate a world where the losses from COVID-19 have been too many to count and where in the wake of the resulting grief and uncertainty many have not been able to make sense of it, there are people who need our Christian hope, help and love. People who are sick want to be healed. People who are hungry want to be fed. There are needs all around us. Sometimes these needs are in our congregations and sometimes they are spread throughout our communities. In both cases our faith communities can play an active role in meeting these needs. God welcomes us into His healing power, grace and peace. When we are filled and renewed, we are sent out to share these gifts within our world. When we are tired from that ministry, we are welcomed again into His healing power, grace and peace, and the pattern continues.

Jesus knows that we often feel tired and overwhelmed when we do His work in our world. He went through it Himself. He gave Himself completely for us. He laid down His own life to meet our needs—first through His years of living, working, teaching, preaching, healing, suffering, dying and rising again. He gave Himself for us so we might live even when we are overburdened, overstretched, over-matched in every way.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 1353-1355)
2. “Teach Strong.” Retrieved from teenlilfeministries@gmail.com
3. “Overloaded.” Retrieved form keys@lists.keysforkids.org
4. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 132-143)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
7. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1363-1366)
8. Richard Innes, “Slow Me Down, Lord.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org
9. Dr. Ed Young, “Your Spirit and Strength Renewed.” Retrieved from ministry@winningwalk.org
10. “Strength from Solitude.” Retrieved from notifications@opperroom.org
11. Anne Graham Lotz, “Jesus Saw the People as God Does.” Retrieved from info@angelministries.org
12. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 16^th Sunday (B).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
13. Richard Innes, “Come Apart and Rest A While.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org
14. The Rev. Janet Hunt, “Seeing With the Eyes of Jesus: Like Sheep Without a Shepherd.” Retrieved from https://dancingwiththeword.com
15. Debie Thomas, “The Gift of Rest.” Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net
16. Dr. Kari Vo, “Balancing Needs.” Retrieved from www.lhm.org

How many of you have ever watched a horror movie or read a horror story? It’s not always a pleasant experience, is it? As strange as it might seem, there are actually some horror stories in the Bible, and one of the most famous of its horror stories is the story of the death of John the Baptist.

John condemned Herod’s marriage to Herodias because it went against the Law of Moses. Herodias was the wife of Herod’s brother Philip, and she divorced Philip in order to marry Herod. Herodias was also Herod’s niece (She was the daughter of Herod’s half-brother Aristobulus). She wanted the intrigue of palace politics and a man whom she could not have lawfully. John’s condemnation upset Herodias so much that she looked for an opportunity to have him killed, and that opportunity came at Herod’s birthday party.

Herodias hated John so much that murder was in her heart. There is an old saying that someone who tries to get even by making others suffer for their sins is interfering in God’s business. Revenge is all-consuming and all hatefulness. Revenge is in the business of hurting others. Revenge is the destructive force in life. Herodias had all of these characteristics and one more-coldness.  She was an example of another old saying: revenge is a dish that is best served cold.

Herodias’ daughter Salome was not an innocent bystander. On the contrary, she had an active part in the plan. Salome’s dance, which some modern commentators labelled as pornographic in nature, pleased her stepfather so much that he made a promise he would later regret. When he promised her anything she wanted, he thought she would ask for material goods, but she didn’t. She fell under the influence of her mother and asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

Herod should have relied on the following advice, which is the same advice we need to rely on when we face temptation:

1. Recognize temptation for what it really is and what it can do to us.
2. Run away from temptation’s seduction and turn to God. Do not walk.
3. Rely on the power of God through the Holy Sprit’s power to give us strength as we ask for his moral courage.

Herod allowed John to speak the truth and protected him, even though John’s words puzzled him (according to some ancient manuscripts). Herod listened to John because John told him the truth, even though it hurt. Herod was surrounded by “yes men” who would tell him anything he wanted to hear, and he got tired of it. Herod wanted to hear the truth.

John spoke the truth about Herod and his wife, but he also spoke the larger truth about repentance in our lives and the even larger truth that he shared as he always pointed to Jesus. The same certainty rings true to us today as we also clear the way and get ourselves out of the way so that others can encounter Jesus.

Herod beheaded John and did not give him a formal trial. This was in violation the Law of Moses. Herod did this because he wanted to save face and not look like a fool in front of his guests. Many of the sins we commit today are done in order to save face. How many lies have we told because we are more concerned with looking good in front of others than we are with pleasing God?

Herod’s story was one of impulse, pride and stubbornness, and the story of our lives is similar. Herod gave his word to his stepdaughter Salome in front of his friends, so he had no choice but to agree to her demands. To do otherwise would have led to a loss of power. Politics overruled principle. Herod was infected with guilt both physically and psychologically. Guilt does that to everyone. Herod had greater concern for his pride and reputation than for truth and integrity. Believers and unbelievers alike can easily allow peer pressure and public opinion to turn them away from doing what they know in their hearts is right.

Herod ordered the execution of John the Baptist even though he wanted to spare his life. He made a foolish promise to his stepdaughter. When Herod heard about Jesus’ work, his guilty conscience made him wonder if John the Baptist rose from the dead. His conscience bothered him. He could not forget the evil he did by having John beheaded.

Herod is an example that speaks to leadership. People in positions of power are subjected to pressures that threaten their security or cause greed, the desire for prestige or the influence of ambitious advisors to take control of their lives and their careers. As a result, the desire to serve truth and the common good can fade. The results can be damaging. Even great leaders who are devoted to the welfare of the people they serve find themselves in conflict with human greed.

John’s life counted for something. He put himself in God’s hands, went where God told him to go, did what God told him to do and said what God told him to say. God was in control of John’s life. John is a good example for us as believers to follow. In the case of Herod, the voice of God cane from the mouth of John. This same voice comes to us today in many forms. It can come in the form of a sermon or a friend. It can even come in the form of beauty in nature. In any event, something or someone awakens our spirit to the fact that there is something more in life. When we realize that there is more to life than our earthly circumstances, we have a choice. If we make the wrong choice, it leads to more bad choices. Instead, we need to listen for the voice of God, decide to make our relationship with God the top priority in our lives, keep our eyes on who we are in Christ and remember that no one can take the place of the inheritance we have in Christ.

In Mark’s Gospel, John’s death was crucial because it was a preview of the death of Jesus. Both men were put to death by secular rulers who did not want to execute their prisoners. Both secular rulers caved in because of pressure from outsiders.

This story also serves as a warning of the dangers involved to those who proclaim God’s word. Mark included this story to encourage us by reminding us that nothing can stand in the way of God’s kingdom. The story also suggests that just as the mission of the disciples followed the death of John the Baptist, the mission of the church must follow Jesus.

Those who do good and right things still won’t be protected from being badly hurt. The story of John the Baptist’s death is meant to shock us out of our complacency. We are called on to confront the evil we see around us. Confrontation is never comfortable, but it is necessary. Those who proclaim the truth of God’s word will certainly face opposition, and John was no exception. John condemned Herod for marrying his brother’s wife, and the condemnation was based on Leviticus 18:16 and Leviticus 20:21. Herod knew that his life was wicked, and John’s was holy. Herod recklessly abused his power and privilege. He took dead aim at every standard of decency and morality. He was not the first ruler who sinned because they took advantage of their God-given power to challenge God himself. Herod still had some characteristics and conscience that were not destroyed by sin.

Some might think that God doesn’t care about them deeply. Just when we feel forsaken, God appears and assures us that we have an eternal inheritance. We might be martyred for our faith. Our martyrdom is a symbol of a deep commitment to Jesus and the truth and value of the Gospel. Martyrs inspire us, lift us up and energize us to the same quality of commitment to Christ and his values that the martyrs had.

John and Jesus are linked to Herod, the man who would play a role in both of their deaths. Herod killed John for telling the truth. In time Herod became involved in Jesus’ death. Herod was ambivalent about both John and Jesus. Neither Herod nor Pilate wanted to kill Jesus, but they were persuaded by crowds. John’s disciples took his body and laid it in a tomb. Joseph of Arimathea did the same for Jesus. Both John and Jesus continued to wield power after their deaths. John’s death haunted Herod, and he thought Jesus was John resurrected. Of course, Jesus was in fact resurrected later on.

John was faithful to his calling-faithful to death. He prepared the way for Jesus, and so should we. John’s life was intended to prepare the way for Jesus and point people to Jesus. The church needs to make these same two roles the centre of its ministry. We as individuals and as the church need to spend our lives preparing the way for Jesus, pointing toward Jesus and drawing people to Jesus.

Herod wasn’t the first person who had a false opinion of who Jesus was. People then and now have different opinions about who Jesus is. Some people in Jesus’ time thought he was a reincarnation of the prophet Elijah. Others saw him as the prophet foretold by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-19. Still others thought of Jesus as someone like the prophets of old-a remarkable holy man and teacher, but nothing more.

Christianity is not about knowing about Jesus. It is about knowing God as represented in Jesus. It is about having a relationship with God through Jesus. Our affirmation and allegiance to the truth of the Gospel is all or nothing regardless of the consequences. We have a choice-be like John or be like Herod. Will we be weak like Herod, easy tempted and easily manipulated, or will we be strong in our moral convictions like John? We are often fascinated by the wealth, power and intrigue of Herod’s court, but the death of John in Herod’s prison is the most significant point of the text. Mark invites us to look closely at success, and then choose significance by following Jesus on his way.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing, 2013)
2. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
3. Macarthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2006)
4. Exegesis for Mark 6:14-29. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
5. “Barriers to Blessings.” Retrieved from www.lectionarysermons.com/jul_16_00.htm
6. The Rev. Dr. Catherine Taylor, “Remembering Faith.” Retrieved from www.day1.org/507-remembering_faith.print
7. Mark G. Vitalis Hoffman, “Commentary on Mark 6:14-29.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.oerg/preaching.aspx?commentary-id=348
8. Rev. James M. Childs, Ph.D., “The Downfall of Giving Into Fear.” Retrieved from www.huffingtonpost.com
9. Preaching Magazine, May/June 2015 (Nashville, TN: Salem Publishing Inc.; pgs. 50-51)