Sermons From My Heart

Colton knelt behind a teacher’s car in the school parking lot. The morning bell had rung, and he knew he would be late, but he didn’t care. Mitch is late so much, he thought, and he won’t tell me why. I’m going to see if I can find out.

As Colton’s eyes searched the playground, he saw what he was looking for. An eighth grader had Mitch by the shoulder and was saying something. He shoved Mitch against the wall and threatened him with his fist. Reluctantly, Mitch finally reached into his pocket, pulled out money, and dropped it in the boy’s outstretched hand. The bigger boy shoved Mitch again and took off running.

“That big bully!” sputtered Colton softly. He pulled a notebook and pen out of his backpack. Following his school’s anti-bullying guidelines, he wrote: Mitch Oates, 6th grader–lunch money stolen, Wed. at 8:15 along parking lot brick wall by an older kid with black hair and dark blue coat. I can identify. Signed, Colton Reynolds, 6th grade.

Mitch was slowly heading toward the school door, and Colton ran to catch up. “Hey, what are you doing here?” asked Mitch in amazement.

“I saw that bully! Why did you give him your money?” demanded Colton. “Why didn’t you tell the principal? Who is that kid anyway?”

“His name is Owen, and he’ll hurt me really bad if I tell anybody,” murmured Mitch.

“Well, you don’t have to tell. I’ll tell,” replied Colton. He took the note he had written and headed to the principal’s office.

“Wait!” called Mitch. “Aren’t you afraid Owen will get you? He’s so mean and scary when he gets mad!”

“Mrs. Prince won’t put up with bullying,” Colton told him. “We’ll tell a bunch of other kids, too. If Mr. Bully knows we won’t keep quiet about it and that everybody is against him, I don’t think I’ll have to worry. And besides, I . . .” Colton hesitated. “Remember the Bible story of David and Goliath?”

“Yeah, I remember the story,” Mitch replied.

“That giant was one big bully, but God helped David fight against him.” Colton grinned as he added, “I’m sure God will take care of me, too.”

1 Samuel 17:1,4-11,19-23,32-49 was David’s moment of truth. He had just infuriated a giant of a man, and if God was not who He claimed to be, David was as good as dead. The plan of redemption for the whole world was at stake, because the Saviour was to come through David’s family line.

Judging by appearances only, David was no champion. But he would rely on the Champion of Israel to deliver him from the enemy. David’s great confidence didn’t come from his ability or his past experiences. It came from the knowledge that the battle was one in which God would be with him. Goliath’s awesome presence and several attacks spread fear through the Israelites camps, but they didn’t scare David.

The Israelites feared losing to Goliath, but they also forgot who called them to enter the Promised Land. They saw God fight for them in many previous battles, but they forgot to trust Him in this one. David’s focus was on God, not Goliath.

When Saul told David that he could not fight Goliath, Saul was not looking into the eyes of faith. Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees. David knew that God was with him, and he saw what God’s presence could accomplish.

Before he gained public prominence as Israel’s champion and king. David learned humility and confidence in the Lord while out in the fields tending sheep, with no one but God watching. Only faithfulness in the small things prepares God’s servants for greater service in His kingdom. David had confidence in his gifts, experiences and abilities. He needed them to face the giants in his life. Likewise, people need to have confidence in their own abilities if they are to face the giants in their lives. These gifts, experiences and abilities come from God.

David was confident for three main reasons. First, he was armed with faith in God’s power. Second, he announced that God would deliver Goliath into his hands, and that God would do to the Philistines what Goliath threatened to do to David’s body. Finally, David announced that everyone would know that there is a God and that the battle was God’s. David fought in the name of God and for the glory of the Lord, whose name and glory would travel to all ends of the earth.

What has God given you? Many people want to be someone else. They want to fight the battles with other peoples’ armour. If we do that, God won’t fight for us. He wants us to be ourselves, with our own unique packages of gifts and talents. We have to be ourselves We have to pursue the dreams God has given us, and not the dreams He has for someone else.

God made his point. Anyone who underestimates what God can do with the ordinary has rocks in his head……….and Goliath quite literally had rocks in his head! When Goliath cursed David, he cursed God Himself. God was bound by His covenant to curse Goliath in return. David knew that the Philistines were in effect challenging God by confronting His people.

Goliath started life as a little baby. Similarly, the giants in our lives start out small and then they get bigger. If we tolerate a giant, it will take over our lives. How do we deal with a giant? We attack it and kill it.

We may never face a giant such as Goliath, but we face giants of another kind in our daily lives- giants such as fear, insecurity, loneliness, and failure. How can we overcome those giants that want to defeat us? These five stones can help us to remember the story of how David defeated the giant he faced, and they help us to know how we can defeat the giants which we face.

The first stone represents COURAGE – David was not afraid to face the enemy. David said, “Don’t worry about a thing,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight this Philistine!” It also takes courage to fight the giants we will face in our lives.

The second stone represents CONFIDENCE – As a shepherd, David often had to protect the sheep from wild animals. This gave him the confidence he needed to face the giant. “The LORD who saved me from the claws of the lion and the bear will save me from this Philistine!” Like David, we can have confidence that God will help us overcome the problems we face each day.

The third stone represents PREPARATION – David didn’t go to face the giant unprepared. He went down to the stream and picked out five smooth stones and put them in his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started out to fight Goliath. It is important for us to do everything possible to be certain we are prepared to face the challenges which we will meet in our daily lives.

The fourth stone represents TRUST – David did not trust in his own ability to slay the giant. When Goliath shouted at David, cursed him, and was ready to kill him, David said, “You come to me with a sword and spear, but I come to you in the name of the LORD God Almighty” When we face problems, we should put our trust in God, not in our own ability.

The fifth stone represents VICTORY – “It is God’s battle, not ours,” David said. That is why David was able to win the victory over the giant with only a stone and sling. When we turn our battles over to God, we will have the victory over the giants in our lives.

If we want to defeat the giants that are keeping us from being the people God wants us to be, all we have to do is follow the same steps David did:

1. Remember how God helped us in the past.
2. Use the tools God has given us.
3. Ignore people who criticize our dreams.
4. Expect God to help us for His glory.

This story, especially David’s challenge to Goliath, has implications for us today. No matter how lonely we may feel at the moment, God has many servants on earth. There are also many servants in heaven. In other words, God has servants everywhere. He doesn’t need any help, although many times He will work through us. He will win every battle. It’s in the little things and in the little places that we prove ourselves capable of doing the big things. When God develops our inner qualities, He is never in a hurry.

David’s decision to stand up to and face Goliath is a good example as we represent and stand up for Christ in the world today. Here are a few things from David’s example that we can put into practice:

1. Be confident in God.
2. Don’t hesitate.
3. Don’t worry about being compared to other people.
4. Don’t question the situation.
5. Use the tools you have and are familiar with.
6. Don’t run away from the fight.
7. Remain humble.
8. Finish strong.

What kind of a difference would it make in the life of the church if more of us had this kind of a firm faith in God’s ability to take care of himself and his own people? It won’t lead to laziness in the church or elsewhere in life. Knowing that everything is in God’s hands doesn’t mean that we can sit back and be idle. It means doing our work on God’s behalf with greater joy, with greater confidence, with a firmer sense that God can and will bless our work.

 When we trust God, we can respond with courage and strength to the forces that threaten to defeat us. Power belongs to God, and our alignment with God’s vision, not with bullies, oppressors, and those who would plan evil. God makes a way when there is no way! God inspires us to be agents in our own destiny. Despite our apparent weaknesses, we can experience newfound courage and strength when we trust God’s loving power. The storms of life won’t stop, bullies will continue to threaten us, and outside factors will put us at risk, but nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 So, the next time you are facing a giant in your life, remember the story of David and Goliath –and five smooth stones.

 Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 379-380)
2. Chafin, K.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 8: 1,2 Samuel (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989; pp. 131-134)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 371-362)
6. Daniel Darling, “When Your Shoes Don’t Fit, Don’t Wear Them.” Retrieved from www.danieldarling.com
7. “The Bully.” Retrieved from newsletter@cbhministries.org
8. “Five Smooth Stones.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com
9. Alan Wright, “The Faith Building Power of God Moments, Parts 1&2.” Retrieved from www.sharingthelight.org
10. Pastor Rick Warren, “Four Steps to Defeating the Giants.” Retrieved from newsletter@connect.purposedriven.com
11. Charles Swindoll, “Inner Qualities.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca
12. “Facing the Giants Today.” Retrieved from www.dailydisciples.org
13. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for 1 Samuel 17:32-49.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
14. Pastor Greg Laurie, “The Only Way to Deal with a Giant.” Retrieved from www.harvest.org
15. Scott Hoezee, “Old Testament Lectionary-1 Samuel 17.” Retrieved from http://cep.calvinseminary.edu/sermon-starters/proper-7b-2/?type=old_testament_lectionary.
16. “Representing God.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

The passage from Acts 20:1-16 was part of a very important and productive time in Paul’s ministry. Some of his most refined theological letters were written during this time period. Verses 4-6 include a list of strong leaders, but they also show the mutual caring of the churches represented by these leaders. The reason Luke listed them is that these men were all delegates from their churches to bring monetary and spiritual help to the distressed church in Jerusalem.

Paul’s abilities as a teacher and encourager were God-given. Everywhere he travelled, he encouraged and exhorted the church to remain strong, to remain committed to the truth, and to spread the Gospel. When he is mentioned in Scripture, Paul is nearly always accompanied by other believers. He wanted, needed and sought out the company of Christian coworkers. To live in a Christian manner is to live in community with one’s brothers and sisters.

The power of Christ was evident through Paul. and this comforted fellow believers. Paul’s lengthy teaching session was interrupted by the accidental death of Eutychus. Paul’s session was long because he was going to leave the next day and probably would not see them anymore. The late hour combined with the length of the session and the heat from candles cause Eutychus to fall asleep and fall out of the window to his death. Paul raised him back to life probably by lying on him and praying like Elijah did with the widow’s son.

Because Christ fulfilled all the Jewish feasts, Paul was under no obligation to keep them, but he was under an obligation to act with integrity toward those whose spiritual understanding was less mature. Paul had a deep love and concern for people. He planned to sail past Ephesus in order to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost. His longing for his friends in Ephesus and his desire to build upon the church there prompted him to change his plans. He asked the elders from the church in Ephesus to meet with him in the nearby port of Mileta. Paul knew the danger the church faced and the sufficiency of the living Christ to meet these dangers.

This passage consists of a series of adaptations to challenges presented by unfortunate circumstances. Paul’s flexibility became the means by which God would advance His agenda. He has a plan and He will continue to see it through. There are four principles from Paul’s experience that we can apply today:

1. Hold all personal plans loosely. We need to expect changes.
2. Don’t waste time crying over a ruined plan.
3. Be prepared to adapt your plan when circumstances change.
4. Never forget that your adaptation was always God’s “Plan A.” When plans fall apart, look for how God might use the situation to advance His plan, and then join Him.

Paul strengthened and encouraged believers. He was careful to explain that his sacrificial love for the Ephesians and other believers was like Jesus’ love for the church. True Christianity is a sacrificial love-a genuine love for other people.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1521)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Ogilvie, L.J. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 28: Acts (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; pp. 284-286)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)
6. Dave Wyrtzen, “The Dream Team.” Retrieved from truthenote@truth-encounter.ccsend.com
7. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary: Acts (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers; 2016; pp. 396-406)

Have you ever tried to get away from the storms of life, only to find that they have followed you? If so, you can understand what happened in Mark 4:35-41. Jesus needed to get away from the crowds. We are tempted to follow the crowd, but we need to carefully consider public opinion and walk away when popular opinion isn’t faithful to God’s word. We need to walk away from the crowd so we can spend time alone with God.

Jesus’ idea to cross over to the other side marked the first time he went into Gentile territory. The disciples took Jesus abruptly and without notice. They might not have been pleased with his plan to include the Gentiles. If so, their attitude reflects that of the prophet Jonah. Christians must be willing to share the Gospel (and themselves) with people who are not like them.

The Sea of Galilee is in the deepest part of the Northern Jordan rift––700 feet below sea level––surrounded by steep cliffs and mountains except in its southern extremities.  Hot air rises and cool air falls, so the cool air in the higher elevations is always wanting to swap places with the warmer air near the water.  This often results in high winds––and waves that can top thirty feet.

On a map of Israel the sea looks like a large lake, but from a small fishing boat it would look enormous, especially in a storm. At least four of Jesus’ disciples are fishermen, have surely survived storms on this sea, and have also surely known fishermen who were lost at sea. They are strong, self-reliant men who would handle moderate danger as a matter of course. The danger on this evening is not moderate, but deadly.

In Mark’s Gospel, the sea represents evil forces that oppose God. It’s also a boundary between the Jews and the Gentiles. Even though the sea threatens to undo them, Jesus wants to cross it because the Good News of the Gospel is never for those on just one side of the sea. The Gospel is for everyone.

The storm was upsetting, and so was the fact that Jesus was asleep during the storm. The disciples wanted Jesus awake and alert. They wanted him to take command of the situation-to get them organized. They were scared that Jesus would abandon them in a crisis. The heart of their fear was the lack of faith. They abandoned God and Jesus-two beings who could control nature.

The real heart of the disciples’ fear was their failure to recognize the true challenges of faith. Faith is not simple. It must involve doubt. It needs strength and courage. It places a sword in our hands.

Storms often bring out our true spiritual condition. Too many of us want faith to be nice and simple and easy. Faith requires hard work. It involves coming out of ourselves to trust and care. If we lose faith, we lose hope and our ability to care. Fear wipes out faith. Discipleship is a life of faith. Faith is a deep, bedrock trust in God’s presence in the world, the church and our lives. When the storms of life occur we come to the truth of just how deep our faith is.

Safety is not an absence of trouble. It is the presence of Jesus. He has command over everything, even though it doesn’t appear that way to us. The fact that he slept through the storm reflects his human nature. The fact that he calmed the storm proved that he was fully God at the same time.

God sent the storm to teach the disciples a lesson on faith, and he often sends trials and problems to teach us lessons. Each of us has a measure of faith that has been given to us by God. He wants us to use it to overcome fear. Fear tells us to expect the worst. Faith tells us that God is in control. Life’s problems are a call for us to put our faith into action. They reveal areas of our lives in which we need to act in faith and not fear. Jesus can calm the crashing sea, and he can calm the daily problems we face. He can take the fury out of any situation that we face.

Jesus came so he could reach out to the social outcast; so he could heal those who were hurting in body, mind and spirit. He cared about little things like the embarrassment of a bride and groom who were running out of wine at their wedding. He cared about big things like ten lepers whose illness had banished them from house and home, family and future. Jesus cares for us today. He reaches out to anyone who finds himself being swamped by the storms of life. That includes people who are not like us.

Jesus told the disciples that they would get to their destination. He did not promise still waters the whole time. The same is true for us. We have been given the promise of “the other side” and we will get there. We will encounter problems along the way, but we will get there-and Jesus will be with us. We have lived through the storms of life such as death, divorce, relationship breakups, shattered dreams, job loss or being spiritually adrift. When the storms of life hit us, do we declare Jesus’ promises are null and void, or do we have a faith that will turn the storm into a great calm? When we trust Jesus, he reveals his presence, compassion and control in every storm of life because he cares for us.

Jesus rebuked the disciples for doubting that he could save them. The rebuke caused them to fear him. They realized that he was more powerful than the sea. Only God has power over seas and storms, including the storms of life. This story reveals both Jesus’ power and Jesus as God’s agent or God incarnate. Jesus did not rebuke the disciples for their lack of faith, and he does not rebuke us for a lack of faith. Our slight faith has not turned Jesus away. Jesus should be the model and subject of believing faith for every Christian.

Sometimes we are like the disciples in this story. We are in the midst of the storms of life, so sometimes we feel that Jesus has abandoned us. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus is with us in the middle of the storm. When life is difficult, we need to remember that our faith prevails over our fears. The real test involves holding onto Jesus’ presence even when he is still and quiet. Jesus is more concerned with teaching us how to trust through the storm that he is calming outward storms. It’s like the story of the footprints in the sand.

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.

“Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.”

The Lord replied: “”My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

There are always storms of life on the horizon. We need to have faith, trust and confidence in Christ that he will calm the storm before it arrives. We need to remember the words of the famous hymn, “Will Your Anchor Hold.”

We have an anchor that keeps the soul

steadfast and sure while the billows roll;

fastened to the Rock which cannot move,

grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love!

God equips us for service in the storms of life. We are guided through the storms by the Bible. It is our compass. If we spend time studying God’s Word, we will find the hope, encouragement and strength we need to face the storms of life.

Bibliography

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

• Exegesis for Mark 4:35-41. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

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

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

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

• Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus, “God, Don’t You Care?” Retrieved from www.lhm.org

• Pastor David McGee, “The Other Side.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

• Pastor Dick Woodward, “A Great Storm, A Great Question and a Great Calm.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Paul Estabrooks, “Freedom from Fear.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• David McCasland, “Christ in the Storm.” Retrieved from noreply@rbc.org

• Michael Youssef, Ph.D.,” Our Compass through the Storm.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org

• Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 12^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

• The Rev. Stephen McKinney-Whitaker, “We of Little Faith.” Retrieved from www.day1.org

When we do God’s work in our world, there is always a chance that we will face opposition, including persecution. How can we handle opposition when it arises? The best way is to follow the example of the apostle Paul, especially the example we find in 2 Corinthians 6:3-13.

Paul’s motives and commission by God were questioned. His motives and his conduct were attacked. What made the situation worse was the knowledge that some people who Paul had led to Christ believed that the accusations were true.

Suffering is typically perceived as negative, perhaps even a punishment from God. Paul saw it as the seal of God’s approval. So, with his authority under attack, Paul lists his hardships as his credentials. He gave insights into the costs of his ministry. He argued that the trials he endured were witnesses to the sincerity of his ministry.

People had different views of Paul and his ministry. Some saw him as a poor, sorrowful, unknown, dying impostor without honour. Others saw him as a spiritually alive, honourable, well-though-of servant of God who enriched people throughout his ministry. He was evaluated by both worldly standards and spiritual standards. Our world has a stereotypical view of Christians. Any believer who engages in a faithful ministry should expect to be rejected and accepted, hated and loved. He or she should expect to enjoy both joy and hardships.

Paul proved himself by being faithful and diligent despite persecution. He did not solely rely on his own strength. He relied on spiritual virtue. Paul has provided an excellent example for us as Christians to follow when we are opposed or persecuted.

Paul lists how he conducted himself during his trials. Weapons on the right hand are offensive, those on the left are defensive. Christians can prepare for any battle by living virtuously and arming themselves with the word of truth and the power of God. The Holy Spirit enables these things.

Ministers are held to a higher standard of conduct that the rest of the population. This is understandable. The misconduct of one minister will bring scorn on the ministry and affect the usefulness and success of other ministers. As the old saying goes, “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch.” Integrity and power for daily life are a result of a heart committed to purity. A clean heart releases God’s authority and power.

Paul lists several positive influences on his ministry, and these same influences are the characteristics of positive Christian ministry today. He lived a pure life. He communicated the knowledge of what was true. He was patient in the face of trials. He was kind to everyone, and he loved everyone. He was under the satisfying influence of the Holy Spirit. In all cases, Paul acted in a manner that commended the ministry and the gospel in all circumstances, regardless of whether the world supported him or opposed him. Similarly, our actions must commend our ministry and the Good News in all circumstances regardless of the support (or lack thereof) of the world.

Paul’s list presents a model of Christlike character amid negative circumstances. The biblical paradoxes can be confusing—strength through weakness, comfort through suffering, life through death, glory through shame. But God is the lord of the paradox too, bringing good out of evil.

If we live the type of life Paul led, Christ can lead us into abundant life despite suffering. The key is to love one another. Love is a commitment. If two people love one another, they are committed to each other. Love is in short supply, and it is in short supply in the church. Many people have left the church because they have forgotten how important it is to be connected with a local faith community. We find love, joy and an outlet for service within the church. Unity and connections within the church are essential to the successful completion of the church’s mission. That mission is our mission as believers-that is, to spread the Good News to a world that is hurting, skeptical, and often hostile.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1608)
2. Chafin, K.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 30: 1,2, Corinthians (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985; pp. 237-240)
3. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
4. Pastor David McGee, “Wrapped in Kindness.” Retrieved form www.crossthebridge.com\
5. Mary Southerland, “Standing Firm in the Storms of Life, Part 1.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
6. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)

Erin glanced out the living room window. She noticed that the young man next door was working on his car. “I can’t believe how much time Steve spends on that car!” she exclaimed to her brother. “He’s waxing it–again!”

Tim shrugged. “He just wants to keep it looking nice,” he said. The kids watched Steve stand back to view his handiwork and then proceed to polish the same spot several times. Tim grinned. “You have to admit that it looks good.”

Several days later, Tim came into the kitchen where Erin was doing homework and Dad was having fun with a new recipe. “Hey, did you hear what happened to Steve’s car?” asked Tim as he plopped down into a chair. “He burned up the engine–forgot to put oil in it.”

Erin raised an eyebrow. “And that wrecked the engine?” she asked.

“Yep,” said Tim. “Right, Dad?” His father nodded. “Steve spent all his time working on the outside of his car–so now it looks nice but won’t run,” added Tim. “He should have paid less attention to the outside and more to the inside.”

Dad nodded, “Good advice for all of us.”

The kids gave him a questioning look. “I don’t have a car,” said Erin. “Tim doesn’t, either.”

Dad smiled. “No, but it’s good advice for handling our lives,” he said. “Think about it, Erin. How much time do you take to make sure you look just right when you’re going somewhere–and Tim, how much time do you spend exercising to develop a strong body? Compare that time with the time you spend on your relationship with Jesus.”

“We go to church and Sunday school all the time, Dad,” protested Erin. “We go to Bible club every week, too.”

“That’s a good start,” said Dad, “but I wonder if we always remember to apply what we learn to our daily lives. Are we as concerned about living for the Lord each day as we are about the way we look?.”

“But it’s not wrong to look good, is it?” asked Erin.

“No,” replied Dad, “but we should remember that the way we look on the outside has to do with our lives here on earth. Our relationship with Jesus has to do with eternity. We should carefully consider how much time we spend on each area.”

How many of you have heard the saying, “big things come in small packages?” What it means is that the greatest things often come from the least significant or most unlikely sources. We see a good example of this in the passage from 1 Samuel. This passage is part of the story of David’s development from the shepherd lad in his father’s house to his place as the shepherd king of Israel. This story gives us a picture of how God relates to individuals and nations in order to achieve His purposes for creation. The message is to pay attention to what lies beneath the surfaces of life and to look beyond the obvious and discover God in the unexpected, humble and non-assuming realities of life.

David grew up at a time when leadership was in great demand. The judges came to power and presided over a weak and wicked country for a time, but then the people pleaded with the prophet Samuel to appoint for them a king. As the leadership of King Saul began to fail, the nation worsened. Yet God was at work, preparing David to be king of Israel.

The selection of Saul was initiated by the people, but the selection of David was a divine initiative. The people’s choice was a terrible king whose life ended in disaster. God’s choice was the ideal king whose life and kingdom reflected a heart for God. It is more important that leaders be appointed by God than appointed by humans.

When each of Jesse’s sons passed by, Samuel thought that each one was the one chosen by God, but God rejected each and every one of them. This reminds us that God looks at people, situations and circumstances differently than humans do. This part of God’s nature is one that we need to remember more often. We are often impressed by the things we can see with our eyes. We live in a world where physical beauty is more important than spiritual depth, where success in business and in church is defined in terms of material wealth, and where charisma is more important than character. As a result, we often choose leaders on the basis of their image rather than their character or their stand on issues.

Our choices and evaluations are often made on a superficial basis. Many of us have a sense of deep inadequacy. We think we’re not good enough or smart enough or faithful enough. We feel that we don’t deserve God’s love or that we can’t do God’s work in the world. The good news is that God can and does have a preference for the unlikely, which includes me and maybe you too.

Many of you probably remember the TV series “All in the Family.” It aired on TV from 1971 to 1979. There were moments of great insight into human behaviour. In one episode, Edith and Archie were attending Edith’s high school class reunion. Edith met an old classmate named Buck who, unlike his high school days, had become overweight. Edith and Buck had a delightful conversation about old times and the things they did together, but Edith didn’t seem to notice Buck’s weight.

Later, when Edith and Archie were talking, she said in her whiny voice, “Archie, ain’t Buck a beautiful person?” Archie looked at her with a disgusted look on his face and said, “You’re a pip, Edith. You know that? You and I look at the same guy and you see a beautiful person and I see a blimp.” Edith got a puzzled look on her face and said, “Yeah, ain’t it too bad?”

The first sermon I ever preached was based on both this passage from 1 Samuel and the parable of the mustard seed. I hope that I am a good example of the message in these two passages. God took me-an ordinary person from Liverpool, Queens County, Nova Scotia, Canada-and has used me to spread the Good News within this Parish, this community, the South Shore, this country and throughout the world through preaching, my blog and my podcast. I serve Him with a heart that is open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

When the Lord describes David in Psalm 89:20, He calls him “David, my servant.” God looks for leaders who put other’s needs above their own, no matter their station in life. Leaders in the secular world want to know how many people are serving them, but leaders in the kingdom of God want to know how many people they are serving.

God reminded Samuel that He bases His decisions on inward character and the caliber of a person’s heart alone. Saul was taller and more handsome than anyone in Israel. He looked like a king. David was less impressive by human standards-and even less so than his brothers-but he possessed the heart of a king. He also had a heart for the true King of Israel, the Lord.

Because God sees the secret intents and motives of every person’s heart, He actually does reward those who keep their hearts pure. God could see David’s heart, and rewarded him even though Samuel assumed that David would be the least likely candidate for royalty. Similarly, Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders of his day. We don’t need the world’s approval. We are already the apple of God’s eye.

What would happen if we looked at people from God’s viewpoint? What if we focused on each person’s heart or spiritual condition instead of a person’s outward appearance? When we are hurt or insulted, we have to stop and look beyond the words and deeds to the heart of those who have hurt us. What is their story? We may never know their story, but we can ask God to give us His eyes and His heart to see them as He does. He knows what is really going on, what is really driving our prayers. When others see us when we are sad, God sees the pain. This doesn’t excuse bad behaviours, but it lets us know we have a God whose forgiveness is based on His understanding of why we did wrong.

His forgiveness is based on the contents of our heart. God likes working with inferior people because they are more likely to understand their success is the result of God’s power rather than their own power. His standards are different and much higher than human standards. True wisdom is seeing things the way God sees them. If we want to change the way we feel about ourselves, we must change our thinking. We have to see ourselves as God sees us. Jesus gave all He had. He gave himself, and that’s what we are worth in God’s eyes.

God could have told Samuel ahead of time what to do and who to anoint, but He didn’t. He led Samuel one step at a time, teaching Samuel to continually trust Him. God teaches us the same lessons today. We have to go the Lord constantly for His wisdom. Only God sees the heart. If we want to be blessed by God, we have to take time once in a while to go before God to have our hearts purified and cleansed. If we don’t, His blessings will no longer flow to us or through us.

God is looking for committed hearts. Does your heart belong fully to Him? If not, commit it to Him today! God’s purpose for our lives comes from His heart of perfect love. We can’t see the great things He has in store for us, but we can trust His plan completely if we surrender to Him today and say, “Not my will, Lord, but Yours be done.”

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: NKJV (Nashville, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 376-377)
2. “Steve’s Car.” Retrieved from newsletter@cbhministries.org
3. Chafin, K.L, & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 8: 1,2 Samuel Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989,; pp. 120-124)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible,: New Kings James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. Stephen Davey, “The Guise of Godliness.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
6. Alan Wright, “The Forgotten Son Who Became King of All (Parts 1 and 2)” Retrieved from www.wharingthelight.org
7. Bayless Conley, “Clean and Committed.” Retrieved from www.answersrbc.org
8. Dawn Aldrich, “Beyond Words.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
9. Tony Robinson, “God’s Surprising Choices.” Retrieved from dailydevotional@ucc.org
10. De. Ed Young, “Looking on the Heart.” Retrieved from ministry@winningwalk.org
11. Richard Niell Donovan,” Exegesis for 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
12. “Feelings of Inferiority.” Retrieved from Oneplace@crosswalkmail.com
13. Dr. Charles Stanley, “What is Your True Purpose?” Retrieved from www.intouch.org
14. Alan Smith, “What Do You See?” Retrieved from thought-for-the-day@hub.xc.org
15. Bruce Epperly, “The Fourth Sunday After Pentecost-June 17, 2018.” Retrieved from www.patheos.com/blogs/livingaholyadventure/2018/06/the-fourth-sunday-after-pentecost
16. “Look Inside.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

The Gospel reading from Mark 4:21-34 is a series of parables about the kingdom of God. Jesus used parables to explain the kingdom because the kingdom is so vast that our limited human minds can’t understand it on our own. Jesus used these parables to explain the kingdom in terms that we, the disciples, and his audience could understand.

The parable of the sower explains how the kingdom can start in the hearts and minds of each and every one of us. Someone-a minister, a parent or another faithful servant of God-plants a tiny seed of faith in each and every one of us. It doesn’t matter how the seed is planted, only that it is planted. Those of you who were farmers or who have planted any type of seed know that it can take a long time for the seed to grow into a strong, vibrant plant. We can water it and fertilize it all we want to, but nothing can speed up the process. It has to grow on its own, and we don’t know how it grows.

Most of us have heard of the legend of Johnny Appleseed. That legend is based on fact. Johnny Appleseed’s real name was John Chapman. He worked in a greenhouse and worked with plants, trees and shrubs. He really loved apple trees and planted them all around his hometown in Massachusetts. He really wanted people to enjoy apples as much as he did, so he traveled all around the United States planting apple trees and giving away apple seeds until he died in 1845. God wants us to be just as passionate about planting seeds of faith as Johnny Appleseed was about planting apple seeds.  

The parable of the mustard seed is a good example of the old saying that “big things come in small packages”. A mustard seed is very small, but it grows into a shrub so large that even birds can make their nests in its branches-a symbol of the seed of faith being offered to everyone, including the Gentiles. The seed of faith is like that. For example, in 2007 I began my preaching ministry. In fact, the very first sermon I ever preached was based on the Parable of the Mustard Seed. To say that I was nervous would be an understatement, but God gave me the strength to get through it. That small act of faith has blossomed into a thriving preaching ministry. A similar seed was also planted in my heart in 2003 when I began my lay ministry. God used my father’s terminal illness and subsequent passing to bring me back to Him and do his work in the world through my ministry.

In order for the seed of faith to be planted and grow in us, we need to hear the word of God. The kingdom of God is hard to understand, so Jesus took time to explain it. The kingdom was hidden from our earthly view, so Jesus used the parable of the lamp to explain that what was kept hidden in the darkness needed to be brought into the light. The kingdom of God has to be brought from the darkness of our limited ability to understand it through teaching from learned ministers, be they lay or ordained. Those who hear the word of God and take it to heart will be richly blessed.  

We, like the disciples, are expected to bear fruit by spreading the seeds of faith-namely, the Good News of salvation-and nurture it as best we can. Then, we have to let God go to work. God will eventually reap the harvest and save those who hear His word. The growth has to take place spontaneously and in the proper environment, and if it does, the kingdom will become even bigger than the bush produced by the mustard seed.

Bibliography

1. “Planting Seeds-Watching Them Grow”. Retrieved from http://www.Sermons4Kids.com
2. Exegesis for Mark 4:21-34. Retrieved from http://www.sermonwriter.com
3. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J., The Preacher’s Commentary Series; Volume 25:Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.; 1982)
4. Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, Inc.; 1994)
5. MacArthur, J.F., Jr. The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible Software package

(Text: 2 Corinthians 5:17)

A few years ago, a story in a national American magazine described a couple who “adopted” two wolves. They discovered the wolves, still young and small, while making a movie about the caribou in Alaska. They took them to their home, raised them, gave them the kindest treatment, and for awhile the wolves behaved just like friendly dogs. Finally, however, the wolves turned on their masters, who barely escaped with their lives, and then fled to join a wild wolf pack. No matter how kind their treatment, the nature of the wolves was such that eventually they were bound to behave like other wolves. The wolf nature could not be educated out of them.

Our sinful nature is the same. It always stays the same. No amount of education, refinement, culture, counseling, psychiatric treatment, self-help courses, New Year’s resolutions or anything else can take away its selfishness and proneness toward sin. All of us have fallen, and our fall is not something in the past. It is something very much present right now. It is personal for each one of us. All of us come to a point when we want that which will be harmful to us. We stop listening to God and let the world tell us what to do! We change our loyalty from the Creator to the world.

Thankfully, there is a solution for us. A renewed Christian acts upon new principles with new ends and in new company. He received God’s version of a heart transplant. He loves God above all things. Redemption of a people who now live for Christ by living for others, affected by the Holy Spirit and the death of Jesus Christ, is the beginning of the new creation that God had planned to come during this evil age.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come”. To be “in Christ” means to be incorporated in him, so that God sees us “in Christ” rather than on our own without Christ. This concept fits very comfortably with being united with and identified with Christ as the second Adam.

Our identity changed completely when we became a follower of Jesus, It changed from sinner to saint. If we stumble from time to time, our identity still does not change. God will still look at us in the same way. He will look at us in heaven-in Christ. God has made us into something new. He has taken off our old life. In Christ we are changed into someone who didn’t exist before. What we receive isn’t the point. What we do as a Christian doesn’t determine who we are-it’s who we are that determines what we do. Understanding our identity in Christ is essential to successfully living the Christian life. No one can constantly behave in a way that’s inconsistent with the way he perceives himself. Becoming a Christian changes a person completely. We are to look at others through caring eyes. We must make it a habit to put the best possible construction on any situation.

We have to retrain our brains to believe and accept that we are a new creation. Christ has given us a new life. The old one is gone, along with any horrible things we have done, said or even thought.

If we don’t surrender to God, we surrender to something else-moods, circumstances, fear, or our own self-concerns. If we do, we will be disillusioned. Surrendering to God will lead to the birth of everything-new soul, new relationships, new perspectives on life, new power to face life’s challenges and a new sense of certainty. Christians are to be judged as servants and ministers of Jesus Christ. The old Law cannot be applied to them. They are to be judged by the new environment into which God has brought them.

The simplest definition of taking up the cross or dying to self is “the submission to the will of God”. It requires submitting our will to God’s purposes and plans. That is the only way to kill our old, sinful nature. We can’t subscribe to a defeated mindset and expect a life of victory. Victorious living demands victorious thinking. In the words of legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi, “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up”.

We, as children of God, are born again from death into life, just like Jesus was raised from death to life. When Jesus comes into our hearts, we accept the gift of righteousness through him. Our spirit was made alive. We were made worthy to partake of every promise and privilege that the Word of God has to offer. This is the treasure of the gospel-the promise from God that the world deserves to hear. It is the saving message of God’s good work in Jesus Christ –the forgiveness by which God overcomes all human divisions and brings in the new creation in Christ.

We are called to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ. When a person is new in Christ, he becomes controlled by Christ’s love. In fact, the person becomes the goodness of God in human form. We are called to reconcile with each other, reconcile ourselves with God and do what we can to reconcile others with God. Picture a mother embracing a grown child who has come back after rejecting her for many years. That’s reconciliation. But their embrace probably depends on removing roadblocks in their relationship.

That’s what Christ does in our relationship with God. Pushing aside the roadblocks of our sin, God reconciles us to himself through faith in his Son. God also gives us the ministry of reconciliation. We are to treat others as God has treated us. This is difficult, and the devil works against us. Reconciliation ministry means working personally and together to bridge interpersonal, family, and social separations.

The new life in Christ begins with the recognition of who we are, and continues with the admission that we are helpless to save ourselves. The final step involves becoming ambassadors of reconciliation. Before a person is reconciled to God through Christ, he lives by the simple law of self-interest. When Jesus captures our hearts, he changes our vision. When we walk in Christ, we seek to walk as he would walk.

Daily we need to repent and admit that we are too willing to resurrect our old ways. Daily we need to be forgiven. Daily we need to return to our baptism and be renewed and reconciled. Daily through the power of the Holy Spirit we renew our commitment to let Christ rule our hearts and lives.

Jesus did not die for our sins so that we would live under condemnation from them. Nor did he die so we would forever be labeled and falsely identified by our sins. He died so we would be set free from our sins and their shame, labels and condemnation.

Some of you might have seen or heard of a TV show called “Extreme Home Makeover”. On this show, a deserving family is taken off to a fancy resort for a week-long vacation; a team of designers and construction workers descends on their small and deteriorating home and transforms it into a mansion like nothing they could ever imagine. The looks on the faces of the family members when they see their new home are priceless. When we accept Christ as our Saviour and walk with him in faith, we also get an extreme makeover. God allows us to become new again. Beyond forgiveness, beyond cleansing, he makes us holy through Jesus Christ.

The new birth experience is exactly what God says it is-a fresh beginning. When we are born again, we not only have our sins forgiven and our guilt removed, but we also receive the Holy Spirit-who comes to dwell in us and live Christ’s life through us. We can never be what we were before, because we have been born into His life-with a new spirit and nature. And because of that, our desires and goals should be conformed to those that God has for us.

Bibliography

• Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Wordsearch Bible software program.

• Commentary on Thessalonians, Corinthians, Galatians and Romans. Part of Wordsearch Bible software program.

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch Bible software program.

1. Selwyn Hughes, “Talking to God All Night”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
2. Robert A. Schuller, “Sinner to Saint”. Retrieved from www.hourofpower.cc
3. Robert H. Schuller, “A New Creation”. Retrieved from www.hourofpower.cc
4. Neil Anderson, “A Matter of Being Someone”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
5. Bill Bright, “The Story of Two Wolves”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
6. Greg Laurie, “Altogether Different”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
7. Luann Prater, “Afraid”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
8. Randy Robinson, “The Necessity of the Cross”. Retrieved from www.loi.org.
9. Raymond Causey, “Think Like a Champ”. Retrieved from www.christianitytoday.com
10. Melissa Taylor, “Once…Always…”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
11. Mike Benson, “Eyes”. Retrieved from www.forthright.net/kneemail
12. Rev. John Rozeboom, “Love Reconciles”. Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net
13. Neil Anderson, “A New Creature”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
14. Everett Vander Horst, “Eternal Gift’. Retrieved from www.backtogod.net
15. Phil ware, “Heartlight Daily Verse”. Retrieved from Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
16. Dr. Creflo A. Dollar, “The First Begotten Son”. Retrieved from www.streamingfaith.org
17. Bishop Mark Hanson, “Days of Timidity are over”. Retrieved from www.day1.org
18. Bishop Mark Hanson, “Our Gospel Must Be Jesus…” Retrieved from www.day1.org
19. Rev. Edward F. Markquart, “Ambassadors for Jesus Christ”. Retrieved from www.sermonsfromseattle.com’
20. Rev. Linda Richard, “Changing Lives through Jesus Christ”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com.
21. King Duncan, “How DO You Know?” Retrieved from www.esermons.com.
22. Maxie Dunnam, “I am Christ’s”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com.
23. King Duncan, “The Seven Year Switch”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com.
24. Dr. Bill Bouknight, “Moving Fences”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com.
25. Vince Gerhardy, “No One is Too Young”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com.
26. Dr. Mickey Anders, “Put Humpty Together Again”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
27. Jim Penner, “Retrain Your Brain”. Retrieved from www.hourofpower.cc
28. Material on 2 Corinthians 5:17 retrieved from Lessonmaker 8 Bible teaching software package

Have you ever done something that made other people wonder if you have lost your mind? If so, you can probably understand what is going on in Mark 3:20-35.

This takes place early in Jesus’ ministry when word of his teachings and miracles is starting to spread. This was a homecoming-Jesus’ homecoming. Our instincts and associations of home and family shape our expectations about how this event will unfold.

Jesus’ earthly family and friends didn’t understand his ministry. They didn’t understand that He was the Son of God. To the people of Nazareth, he was just the son of Mary and Joseph-earthly parents. We are the same. Sometimes we can’t understand Jesus and his ministry. Sometimes it’s hard for us to understand who Jesus is, what he does and why he does what he does. Often we make a rash judgment about Jesus. We need to ask God what his will is for our lives. We need to ask God why he is doing what he is doing in our lives.

At this stage of His ministry, not even Jesus’ own people-His own family-believed He was the Messiah, the Chosen One of God. He also faced opposition from His own disciples, not just from the religious teachers and His political enemies. Still, He never wavered from His mission.

Because the Pharisees did not understand what Jesus was doing, they accused him of being possessed by the devil. They wanted to discredit Jesus in the eyes of the people, but their claim had one big flaw. How could the devil defeat the devil? Jesus challenged the way the religious leaders were calling God’s work the work of the devil. The devil and his angels are of equal strength, so evil can’t defeat evil. A strong man can only be defeated by someone who is stronger. Since good is always stronger than evil, good will always defeat evil. Jesus is the champion of everything that is good, so he will always defeat evil. By labelling His healings and exorcisms as works of the devil, Jesus’ opponents tried to portray His miracles as counterfeit wonders designed to lead people away from God. His miracles commonly led people to praise God rather than blaspheme Him-further proving that Jesus’ kingdom is a heavenly one.

Truth-tellers make us uncomfortable. They disturb our creeds, customs and stubborn particularities. The apostle Paul said not to get weary in doing good deeds. Truth and doing good deeds are not always appreciated. We can’t handle them. Those who challenge the status quo are dangerous. They threaten to upset everything. Jesus was dangerous in the eyes of both the Pharisees and His biological family. We as Christians are in the same situation today. If we challenge the way things are or the way things are done, we may be seen as insane or dangerous, and we may be persecuted.

So what’s going on? How has Jesus’ ministry of preaching and teaching and healing created such controversy and accusation? The answer is actually fairly simple: Jesus is so totally what the religious authorities don’t expect that they have absolutely no idea what to make of him. He doesn’t fit their categories, and what doesn’t fit our categories we typically label abnormal, or deviant, or crazy, or possessed. We assume that what we know, have experienced, and hold to be true is normal, natural, and God-ordained, and that becomes the standard by which we measure — and judge — the thoughts and actions of others. And that’s what going on here.

Jesus’ whole ministry thus far has been about announcing both a new vision of God and a new way of relating to God. And at the heart of that vision and way is the conviction that God is love, that God desires the health and healing of all God’s creation, that God stands both with us and for us, that God is determined to love and redeem us no matter what the cost, and that this God chooses to be accessible to us, to all of us — indeed, to anyone and everyone.

This is why Jesus sets himself against all the powers that would rob humanity and creation of the abundant life God intends — whether those powers be unclean spirits; disease that ravages the mind, body or spirit; illness that isolates and separates those who suffer from community; or whatever. Jesus introduces a new vision of God and a new way to relate to God…and it’s not what any of us religious folk would expect.

Jesus frequently prefaced His parables with either a thought-provoking question or straightforward teaching points in order to frame His stories properly. These were effective ways to help people see their faulty reasoning and their need for a Saviour. If Satan really was behind Jesus’ miracles, then the devil would be defeating himself, which doesn’t make any sense. Jesus defeated Satan because He is more powerful than Satan.

Normally, when there is a champion of any type-sports, politics, etc. – most people will follow the champion. In other words, many people will “jump on the bandwagon”, but there will still be some opponents. There is a similar situation in this passage. By accusing Jesus of using the devil’s power to cast out demons, the Pharisees rejected the work of the Holy Spirit. They willingly rejected Christ as their Saviour because they did not want to give up their power, prestige, authority, etc. Because they chose not to believe, they refused to accept forgiveness for their sins. Refusing to accept the Holy Spirit is the only sin that cannot be forgiven-and not blasphemy as most believers would think.

How many people in our modern world have refused to accept Christ because it would mean giving up an earthly way of life that is more important to them? The list is endless, but it includes the famous and not so famous. It includes people such as actor John Belushi and singers Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse and Michael Jackson-people whose desire for the good things of this earthly life led to their downfall and death from drug and alcohol abuse (even though Whitney Houston was raised in a strong Christian church and with a strong Christian faith).

Jesus’ family wanted to charge him with insanity. The Pharisees wanted to charge Him with working for Satan. Jesus answered these charges with riddles, and they make sense to us. They call on us to consider how Jesus might have to do with how we imagine our world and the ways of God and His creation. What is God calling us to see and hear in Jesus?

Jesus’ earthly family was concerned about his physical and mental health, but Jesus was more concerned about the spiritual health of the people he dealt with. True “family” is not a matter of biological relationship, but of kinship in obedience to God, and that kinship begins when God through his grace adopts us into his family. God wants to have a family, but if we want to join His family, we have to detach ourselves from our old families. In a world where there is so much opposition to the Christian faith, and where our homes and families demand so much of our time, our one priority is to love one another wherever we are, and with every breath of our being.

Jesus defied the norms about who’s in and who’s out. People possessed by demons and those who were maimed or born with a physical limitation or defect were often assumed to be cursed, to be not natural, or to have sinned or to be suffering from the sins of their parents. Jesus forgives and heals all who are in need-no exceptions. If people weren’t sure about this before, Jesus pushed his point unbelievably and quite literally home when he says that anyone and everyone who does the work of God is his true brother and sister and mother. He redefined what constitutes a family at a time when family was everything.

Although Jesus honoured His mother as the law commanded in John 19:26-27, Jesus did not allow even His own flesh and blood to prevent Him from doing the will of God. A closer bond exists between brothers and sisters in the faith than among biological siblings because of their spiritual relationship. This is why Jesus later said that believers who must part ways with their family of origin because of their faith gain a much larger and more closely-knit family. When Christ is the focus of our lives, faith becomes stronger than family.

For Jesus, action in response to the call of God marks what it means to be a member of God’s family. Relationships in God’s family are couched in terms of doing God’s will. At this point in the story, the will of God is not defined. Jesus offers another invitation of hospitality that is about meeting people where they are, accepting anyone who is interested in God’s kingdom and responding to need no matter who is asking or when or how they ask. We have to trust Jesus and the invitation to join him and believe that together we will take part in spreading the Good News of God’s kingdom.

Instead of asking why Jesus got so much flack, we should ask ourselves why we aren’t getting more flack. Why aren’t we pushing the boundaries of what is socially and religiously acceptable In order to reach more folks with the always surprising, often upsetting, unimaginably gracious and ridiculous love of Jesus? If that’s the kind of love we want to offer, we must ask ourselves if we are communicating that message in our words and our deeds loudly and clearly, both in the church and in the community.

Those who accept the Holy Spirit will do the will of God and thereby become part of the new concept of family that Jesus creates. That is, they will become part of the family of God. This is not meant to exclude our biological family unless they refuse to accept the Holy Spirit and therefore refuse to do God’s will. When we allow the Holy Spirit in our lives, nothing can stop us. We have a power that can overcome everything the devil throws in our way-even the opposition of our earthly family. That power is the awesome power of God! When we unite with fellow believers, the power is even greater.

Bibliography

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

• Exegesis for Mark 3:20-35. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

• Max Lucado, “Dealing with Difficult Relations”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Bob Brine, “Team Spirit”. Retrieved from www.christianitytoday.com

• Pastor John Barnett, “All Sins are Forgivable”. Retrieved from www.dtbm.org

1. Pastor John Barnett, “The Unforgivable Sin”. Retrieved from www.dtbm.org
2. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 10^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
3. Mark D. Roberts, “A New Kind of Trinity”. Retrieved from Newsletter@TheHighCalling.org
4. Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible Software package.
5. ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible Software package.
6. MacArthur, J., “MacArthur Study Bible, NASV”. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006;2008)
7. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J., “The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 25: Mark” (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
8. Meda Stamper, “Commentary on Mark 3:20-35”. Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching_print.aspx?commentary_id=1315
9. Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Who Are My Mother and My Brothers?” Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
10. Dr. Mickey Anders, “Was Jesus Out of His Mind?” Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
11. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Proper 5, Ordinary 13. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod.org/archives/year-b-season-after-pentecost-proper-5-ordinary-13.html
12. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: NKJV (Nashville, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 1347-1348)
13. James Boyce, “Commentary on Mark 3:20-35.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2468
14. David Lose, “Pentecost 2B: Offering a Wide Welcome.” Retrieved from www.davidlose.net/2015/06/pentecost-2-b-offering-a-wide-welcome/
15. David Lose, “Out of Our Minds.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=1615
16. The Rev. Dr. William H. Willimon, “Why Jesus? Part 4: Jesus the Home Wrecker.” Retrieved from http://day1.org/2201-why_jesus_part_4_jesus_the_home_wrecker.print
17. The Rev. Dr. Ozzie Smith Jr., “When Jesus Comes Home.” Retrieved from http://day1.org/8212-ozzie_smith_jr_when_jesus_comes_home.print

Sometimes the people who make our laws get a little carried away and pass some very silly laws. Even back in the day when Jesus lived, they had some pretty silly laws. There was a group of religious leaders called the Pharisees who were keepers of the law of Moses and they believed that keeping the law was everything. They also believed that their own understanding and teaching about the law was the only correct teaching. Jesus was quite often opposed by the Pharisees and was accused of breaking the laws of Moses, especially the laws regarding the Sabbath. The passage we heard from Mark’s Gospel tells us about two times that the Pharisees accused Jesus and his followers of violating the Sabbath.

One Sabbath day, Jesus and his disciples were walking through some fields of grain. His disciples were hungry and began to break off some heads of grain to eat. The Pharisees saw it and said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”

Jesus saw the foolishness of the Pharisees’ comparison of breaking off a few heads of grain to eat with harvesting the whole crop. He asked them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests were allowed to eat. He also shared it with his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.”

What started out as a natural and innocent act by Jesus’ disciples led to a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. The disciples were hungry, so they picked some grain, shucked the skins and ate the grain. There was nothing wrong with that…except that they were working on the Sabbath. Reaping, threshing, winnowing and preparing a meal were considered to be work, and these types of work were not allowed to be done on the Sabbath.

Jesus didn’t argue that His disciples broke the letter of the Law. He contested a view of the Sabbath that killed the spirit of the Law. He reaffirmed the principle that the Sabbath was made for man-a day of physical rest and spiritual renewal. He also declared His authority as Lord of the Sabbath.

Jesus’ point was that when a higher law such as the Sabbath conflicts with a lower law such as the Pharisees’ rules, the higher law takes priority. The higher laws of worship in the temple suspended the lower law of Sabbath observance, and the higher law of mercy suspended the lower law as it did when David and his followers ate the consecrated bread in the temple.

Another time, Jesus went into the synagogue and noticed that there was a man who had a deformed hand. Since it was the Sabbath, the Pharisees were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched to see if he would heal the man. If so, they would accuse Jesus of working on the Sabbath.

Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” Then he turned toward his enemies and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil?” The Pharisees refused to answer him.

Jesus looked at them angrily and was saddened at the hardness of their hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held out his hand and Jesus healed him. Immediately the Pharisees left to go and meet with Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.

Jesus reasserted His authority over the Sabbath when He healed the man with the withered hand. Healing was work that could not be performed on the Sabbath unless it was a matter of life and death. Jesus asked the Pharisees if mercy could take precedence over the Sabbath Law. He also asked if it was lawful to save a life or kill someone. If the Pharisees had no mercy for saving life, they would indict themselves as killers on the Sabbath day.

Jesus’ earthly ministry was a transitional time between the religious practices of the Old and New Covenants. In the new era Jesus had ushered in, for example, plucking heads of grain to eat on the Sabbath was not unlawful. Yet in their rejection of Jesus’ teachings, the Pharisees either did not understand or would not accept that many of their established rituals and traditions could no longer coexist with His new way of life.

The laws, as written by the Pharisees, were oppressive. These experts, in a desire to scrupulously observe the Laws of Moses, had devised 613 commandments. The whole Jewish community was, in their view, obliged to keep these laws. Can you see how oppressive this was? How could you keep these laws if you couldn’t read? The overwhelming majority of the people were poor and illiterate. In the view of the religious elite, this did not excuse anyone from observance of each of these 613 laws. So, the literate, presumably the upper class, would have access to the religious regulations, while all the rest would, because of their ignorance, be constantly breaking the laws. The entitled could look down their religious noses at all the “sinners” around them. Jesus saw this exclusion and the distance it seemed to put between God and the people and He confronted it constantly. The passage from Mark’s Gospel shows one of his fundamental teachings; the compassionate interpretation of the Law, “The Sabbath was made for humans, not humans for the Sabbath.”

God created and established the Sabbath as a benefit and blessing to His people. The Pharisees, however, had turned His good deed into a weighty obligation. As the Creator of the Sabbath, Jesus had the authority to determine how it should be best practiced. When we exchange the freedom of the Spirit for the straightjacket of legalism, the rules become more important than the life that the rules were meant to guard. Legalism drains the life out of everyone it touches.

Jesus’ opponents had no interest in the welfare of the man with the withered hand; he was important to them only as a potential means to discredit Jesus for breaking their traditions. The Pharisees wanted to make the Sabbath all about show and self-denial, but Jesus reiterated that the Sabbath was and is a celebration of God’s graciousness and provision-whether gathering grain, feeding the hungry or healing someone on the Sabbath.

Jesus forced the Pharisees to examine their tradition regarding the Sabbath to see if it was consistent with God’s Old Testament Law. When Jesus asked the question in Mark 3:4, He used a device common in the Middle East. He framed the issue in terms of clear-cut extremes. The Pharisees could not answer Jesus’ question without condemning themselves. In their stubbornness, they preferred to keep their mouths closed rather than open their hearts and change their traditions. Such hardened religious pride provoked more of a negative reaction in Jesus than any other sin.

Ironically, Jesus had just asked if it was lawful to save a life or kill on the Sabbath, and now, on the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies plotted to kill Him. While the Pharisees worried that Jesus would damage their religious hold over the people, the Herodians-who supported Rome and Rome’s puppet ruler, Herod-probably worried that Jesus would provoke political opposition and damage their power base. These two factions, who were normally opposed to each other, found common cause-against Jesus.

Jesus became angry, but at the same time His heart broke. Jesus was angered by sin and grieved by unrepentant hearts. The Good News bounced off calloused hearts and minds without the slightest effect. When our hearts are hardened, we can’t see the grace and the gift of the Sabbath. We stop seeing the freedom and healing of another person as important. We become blind to the depth of the truth of who Jesus is and what He is up to in the world. Hardness of heart will always rob us even if we are standing in the presence of God. We are encouraged to yield our cold hearts to the warm healing hands of Jesus before it’s too late.

Society has largely forgotten that the Sabbath was meant for physical rest and spiritual renewal. Most stores are open seven days a week. Young people often skip attending church because of sports and other activities that take place on Sunday. Christians who observe the Sabbath are seen as weird or different-and people who are seen as weird or different are often targets for ridicule or persecution. Even as we honour the day of rest, we need to be flexible. Human need has to take priority over religious prescription. That’s why doctors, nurses, police officers and firefighters work on the Sabbath. Emergencies don’t take a day of rest.

In spite of the rapid pace of life, God still invites us to seek proper rest and holy reflection. That is why Jesus and His disciples went from the grain field to the synagogue. They went from feeding the body to feeding the spirit.

Many churches today refuse to address the issues at hand, or if they do address them, they do very little. They conceal the problems and put on a good face. They are like the Pharisees who refused to do anything to help the man with the withered hand. Many people have fled from people and churches who place doctrines, practices, and institutions above the needs of humanity. Man seems to have been made to serve religion and not vice versa.

God is not into rules. He’s into relationships. When God gives laws, it’s not for the purpose of personal piety. The purpose of the law is to be in right relationships with our neighbours and with God. That’s the purpose of the two Great Commandments-love God and love people. There are many reasons for reaching out to meet the needs of people around us. One reason may be to simply lend a helping hand. Another may be to put our gifts and talents to good use. A valid reason could be that we must take action against the nonchalance and indifference others have towards the needs at hand. Many churches have been sorely convicted when a believer steps out and shakes up the status quo.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1346-1347)
2. “Jesus and the Sabbath.” Retrieved from https://www.sermons4kids.com/jesus_and_the_sabbath_print.htm
3. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 66-71)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. The Rev. Lauren Carlson, “Proper 4(B): The Law of Grace.” Retrieved from http://modernmetanoia.org/2018/50/21/proper-4b-the-law-of-grace/
6. Two Guys and a Bible Newsletter, Aug. 2017. Retrieved from www.twoguysandabible.com
7. “Made for Man.” Retrieved from www.forthright.net
8. Jude Siciliano, OP.,” First Impressions, 2^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
9. “Sabbath-Keeping Stewards.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
10. Pastor Jack Hibbs, “Divine Goodness.” Retrieved from devotion@reallifewithjackhibbs.org
11. Richard Innes, “Communicating Christ.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org
12. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Shaking the Status Quo.” Retrieved from communications@joniandfriends.org
13. Richard Innes, “Rules vs. Relationships.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org
14. The Rev. Duane Steele, “Rest in Holy Time.” Retrieved from http://day1.org/845-rest_in_holy_time.print

What do you do when someone gives you a special gift? Do you carelessly toss it aside in a closet, or do you use it and appreciate it? What would you do if the gift came directly from God? Paul answers this in Romans 3:1-8.

God blessed the Jews by making them the custodians of His special mission, a privilege that had been given to no other nation. That mission included studying, obeying and teaching the truth as expressed in God’s Word. Unfortunately, the Jews did not treat this gift the way God wanted them to, and the same situation exists today. Has any gift been as overlooked by humankind and taken for granted by the church as much as the availability of the Holy Scriptures?

The religious Jews were entrusted with the truth but refused to be changed by it. Paul expected them to accuse him of saying God abandoned them, that they were no longer His chosen people. To answer them, Paul used David’s words. When David committed adultery and had Uriah murdered, God sent the prophet Nathan to confront him. When Nathan accused David of being guilty of sin, David knew it was God speaking through the prophet. Rather than deny the sin and make it seem as though God is a liar, David confessed. David said he did evil in God’s sight-that is, he agreed with God- “That you may be justified in your words and may overcome when you are judged.” Paul wants the Jews to know God is faithful both when He rewards people and when He judges them.

Despite their failings, the Jews were God’s chosen people, the law He gave them was His unique word, and the rite of the covenant was His chosen sign. They all had deep significance even though the Jews had misread them.

Paul expected the Jews’ claim that because their unfaithfulness highlights and magnifies God’s faithfulness, they shouldn’t be judged. People can creative when rationalizing what is clearly sin. The fact that God exposed their sin and condemned it shows His justice in that He has treated everyone alike, even His chosen people. Far from showing Him to be unfaithful, He is seen to be strictly reliable and just. When David wrote Psalm 51, he was concerned that God might be the dispenser of justice and that His integrity would shine through every critical attack.

Paul challenged their views several times during his ministry, often with mixed results. Sometimes they repented, but most of the time they reacted unfavorably to him and his message. This is understandable because when deeply held views are challenged, reactions are often strong.

Paul’s brutal exposure of their sin was to show the guilt of the Jewish race before God and introduce then to the gospel of the Lord Jesus. Everyone must come to Christ. Some of his opponents claimed that the apostles’ teaching on grace amounted to saying, “I’m saved anyway, so I might as well sin. God’s grace will take care of it.” Paul condemned that distortion of grace.

The Jews should have learned a lesson from Genesis 18:25: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” God is just and will exercise justice even when it means judging His chosen people. He does not need the people of Israel to sin to display His righteousness; it is dependent upon nothing outside Himself.

The phrase, “Let us do evil that good may come” means that those who are released by grace may reject the law. But the end does not justify the means when the means are sinful, evil or righteous. When we admit ou helplessness to God, He accomplishes His desires for His glory alone, in us and through us. He will provide what we need, when we need it most. It might not be special to anyone else, but to us it will be unmistakable evidence that we are walking in the Spirit…even if it’s nothing more than a little bookmark.

God has given us the instruction book He wrote and it is our responsibility to read it and obey it. He has given us a Bible and the freedom to read it. What do we do with it? Is it a coffee table book, a drink coaster, a paperweight or a dust collector? Is it a well-used and well-worn guidebook for living a life in Christ? The Bible will keep us from all kinds of trouble, but only if we read, study and apply it. It is the very Word of God.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1546-1547)
2. Briscoe, D.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 29: Romans (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 71-73)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Stephen Davey, “Walking in the Spirit.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
6. Pastor David McGee, “What Time is It?” Retrieved from www.crossthebrigde.com