Sermons From My Heart

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
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12. Rev. John Rozeboom, “Love Reconciles”. Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net
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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
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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.
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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

One of the most famous Bible verses is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world.” Just how great is God’s love and how could we measure it?

Sometimes we use a measuring cup to measure things. If we make some cookies, we would use a measuring cup to make sure that we put in exactly the right amount of flour, sugar, and milk. Is there any way we can use a measuring cup to measure God’s love? In Psalm 23, the Bible says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want….my cup runneth over.” Well, if our cup runs over with God’s love, I don’t think we could use a measuring cup to measure it.

If we were building something, we might use a tape measure to measure the length, width, and height of different things. Can we use a tape measure to measure God’s love? In Psalm 108, the Bible tells us that God’s love is higher than the heavens. If God’s love is higher than the heavens, I don’t think we could use a tape measure to measure it, could we?

We use a watch to measure time. I wonder if we could use a watch to measure how long God’s love will last. In Psalm 103, the Bible tells us that God’s love is from everlasting to everlasting. Wow! If God’s love is from everlasting to everlasting, I don’t think we could measure it with a watch.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” How do you measure a love like that? We can’t measure it — we don’t need to — but we do need to experience it.

My hope for you today is found in Ephesians 3:18-19: “That you may understand how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience it, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.”

Bibliography

 1. “Measuring God’s Love.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com

Trinity Sunday is the one day of the church year when we do something a little different. Instead of talking about Jesus and his miracles, we talk about a concept that isn’t easy to understand let alone preach about. We talk about the Trinity-Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The reading from Isaiah 6:1-8 was chosen for Trinity Sunday because of the curious question it asks: “Who will go for us?” Why was this phrase used? It is because it is a foreshadowing of the Trinity. This passage is the most famous call of a prophet in the Bible. It is regularly offered as one of the readings for Trinity Sunday, apparently due to the thrice-repeated cry of “Holy.” The three cries were made to the three members of the Trinity.

The Trinity is a necessary part of salvation. In John’s Gospel, Jesus talks about having descended from heaven, being the only-begotten Son of the Father (who loves the world and has sent him to save it), and of the Spirit who blows like the wind, bringing new life and new truth. The Trinity tells us who God is, what God does and what God is like. The relationship between the members of the Trinity is part of a crucial way of understanding not only God but His involvement in the world.

God eludes our grasp, so we make God into something we can manipulate. We try to fit God into the confines of reason or locate God in our established institutions, moral codes and household idols. We pay lip-service to God with hearts that are far from God. The Trinity was created in an attempt to describe God. God may be unseen, but He is revealed in Isaiah’s vision. Isaiah said that he saw the Lord. The doctrine of the Trinity is expressed here. We, like Isaiah, confess that God has been seen in Jesus.

The story of salvation in Jesus Christ teaches that we can’t talk about God in only singular terms. There is relationship with God. Three persons in a dynamic relationship that is held together by love. The relationship between God and the world flows out of a relationship of love that exists between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A changed world reveals the gracious God who walks among us in Jesus and is present in and with us through the Holy Spirit. This is the God who wants to draw us into the divine life. We can’t help but continually set out the clear invitation to come and find life. Come and love and worship the Living God-Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to whom be glory in the world and in the church forever.

Isaiah’s vision was one of the most powerful witnesses to an encounter with God’s breaking into human life in a life-changing way. God is always present, moving gently and sometimes dramatically in people’s lives. For Isaiah, being unclean relates to sin, or what people do to hurt others. Isaiah said he was unclean, lost and in desperate need of forgiveness-just like all of us. God heard Isaiah, and Isaiah was forgiven. Isaiah proclaimed God’s promise that those who have seen the Lord and confessed their sins are forgiven and made free. God’s presence doesn’t destroy. It cleanses, liberates and commissions. Jesus was God incarnate. The Holy Spirit is God among us today.

Isaiah’s vision revealed his own sinfulness. He saw himself as a man of unclean lips whose sinfulness disqualified him from joining the seraphim in praise. This experience of God’s majesty in verses 1-4 led to Isaiah’s repentance in verse 5 as well as forgiveness and commissioning for God’s work. Anyone who would tell God’s people to repent must first experience God’s forgiveness.

Isaiah sensed God’s holiness. Sovereignty is the powerful nature of God. Holiness is the moral nature of God. He is pure, complete and whole. Isaiah also saw that God’s holiness is a matter of “doing”. God’s will can’t be known. His purity can’t tolerate sin.

It is for these reasons that our worship must focus on God’s character. We must wait in God’s Holy presence until the Holy Spirit comes. We should expect a glimpse of His glory. Our holiness begins in His glorious presence. It gives us the promise that we are imprinted with His character. God’s loving forgiveness leads to a response of service. That is our pattern as Christians: we love and serve and give in thankful response to what God has given us in Jesus Christ.

So how should we react when we see the Holy character of God? We should feel anguish for our sin. When we see God, our sin is exposed. We can only cry “woe” not for others but for ourselves. Our spiritual sensitivity to sin is dulled because we have lost sight of a holy God. We need to see His holiness, feel the shaking pillars and smell the rising smoke that causes us to cry, “Woe is me, for I am undone.”

If our lips are unclean, so are our hearts. When we see God’s holiness, we are reminded that we are unworthy and deserve judgment. For Isaiah, the term “unclean lips” had another meaning. Whether he had already been pronouncing “woes” upon the people of Israel, or would soon do so, he was called to speak for God. But, upon seeing the holiness of God and catching a glimpse of God’s glory, Isaiah asked, “How can I speak for God without a heart like God?” Every preacher, teacher and witness for the Word of God must ask the same question. If there is sin in our hearts, our lips will betray us.

We are spiritually bankrupt. We may have all the good works in the world in our bank account, but apart from Christ, they’re worthless. It’s like going to the grocery store and trying to pay with Monopoly money. The only solution we have is to trust in the currency we’re given in Christ, who credited our account with an unlimited supply of grace. In Him, we’re no longer bankrupt. We get to experience His riches for eternity.

The live coal from the altar of God reminds us that behind the love that takes our guilt and the forgiveness that atones for our sins is a Cross that extracted a cost-no less than the life of the Son of God. Once we are touched by God’s purifying fire, we can hear God speak with a passionate fire-a passion that is missing from many Christians today. Satan flees before people who are ignited by the fire of God.

All of Israel needed to be shaken by Isaiah’s vision of the Lord. The vision reinforced His sovereignty over all the universe. God promised to preserve a remnant through whom He would come to set up an ultimate reign of peace and justice. Scripture reveals the unfolding story of God’s plan to redeem the world. From the very start, the plan took shape in the lives of people like Abraham, Moses, David and countless others. God looks to people today to live out His plan. Will you let Him use you? You don’t have to be afraid. Our fear decreases as our understanding of God increases. God can do what we can’t do.

Our hearts need to be cleansed so we can represent Him with the words of our lips. This is a continual process. It’s easy to be swayed away and think we are being used by God because of our works of righteousness. It isn’t about us. It is about Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit. We need to ask them to send us. We need to respond to their call and set our eyes on their majesty, awesomeness and purity. We are not worthy to be used but they have made a way to wash us through the blood of Christ so that we can speak for them from a cleansed heart. All we have to say is, “Here I am! Send me.”

As Isaiah carried his message to his people, giving them a vision of hope in a time of judgment, so God today calls the church into action, to be a people with eyes to see, ears to hear, and consciences no longer dulled., moving into the world, like Jesus to touch others, bringing healing to the lost, sight to the blind, life to the dying, that all the world might bow down before the Holy One and then be lifted up to praise the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

So how can we be certain that we have a true call from God? We can’t rest until we step out from the safety of our lives and launch into what we believe God is calling us to do. A good test is to ask if we are gifted for what we believe we are being called to do. God will give us the skills and resources we need. We possess one of three things-time, resources and unique abilities. We can be the people God uses to reach the unreached.

Another test of God’s call is to try doing in a small way what we feel we are being called to do. For example, if someone feels called to be a teacher, he or she can learn a subject well and offer to teach a small class in his or her church. If God has called or led us to do it, He will help us. But we need to do our part too. No matter what skills we may have, we can’t help someone unless we are available.

Over 200 years ago, a humble shoe cobbler named William Carey stood before a group of ministers in London, England. He said to those men, “God has put it on my heart to reach the masses with the Gospel message and take seriously the command of Christ to take the Gospel to the world.” One minister stood up and said, “Young man, sit down. When God chooses to save the pagan, He’ll do it in His own time and in His own way.” That didn’t stop William Carey. He went to India, led countless people to Christ, and sparked the modern missions movement.

All it took was one little shoemaker in England to change the world for Christ. And he did it even though many people, even Christians, were against Him going. That was a bold testimony of faith!

What would our lives look like if we served God with that kind of enthusiasm? Where would we go? What would we do? We need to take a bold step of faith today and tell God, “Wherever…whatever…I’m yours!” Isaiah was told to go into the world. Our own involvement in the world, its people and its transformation can never be separated from our faith in the missionary God we discover in Jesus and through the Spirit.

There is so much that God wants to do in our lives through His word. He wants to change us by renewing our minds. He wants to empower us through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. There’s an aspect of the transformation He wants for us that doesn’t come from renewed minds, or by greater dependence on the Holy Spirit, but only through a personal spiritual encounter with God himself. God might not give us the same kind of vivid experience that Isaiah had, and He will probably meet us through His word and through prayer, or maybe in a meeting, maybe even in a totally unexpected place, but He will reveal Himself to us personally.

For people today to answer the call of God, there must be an awareness and acceptance of the pain and suffering that comes with the call. It is a tough place to live, especially in a world that is engrossed in comforts and pleasures. Why answer God’s call if we don’t have to? We can be saved, live a nice life and wake up in heaven. Why answer God’s call? There is only one reason, one answer, to that question: to have the experience of standing before the throne of God and hearing His voice. We must be willing to step out and be sent. Are you ready? Do you want more? if so, then start praying. Read the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah to learn more about their lives and how God called them. You will never know all God has for you until you let go and ask Him to send you out. That is our great Commission.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 887)
2. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 17: Isaiah 1-39 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1993; pp. 106-116)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. “Use Me.” Retrieved from support@leadlikejesus.com
5. Max Lucado, “God is Able.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
6. “Here am I! Send Me.” Retrieved from www.dailydisciples.org
7. Dr. Jack Graham, “What It Really Means to Surrender Your Life.” Retrieved from www.jackgraham.org
8. Dr. Harold Sala, “Missions.” Retrieved from www.guidelines.org
9. Richard Innes, “The Baffling Call of God.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org
10. Dr. Jack Graham, “The Only Cure for Spiritual Bankruptcy.” Retrieved from www.jackgraham.org
11. “To See Him Face to Face.” Retrieved from www.dailydisciples.org
12. Epiphany Esources, Trinity Sunday (B). Retrieved from info@epihanyesources.com
13. Micah Pearsons, “Isaiah 6:1-8.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu
14. “Choose Somebody Else! Reflections on Isaiah 6:1-8.” Retrieved from http://www.patheos.com/progressive-christian/choose-somebody-else
15. “Disclosing New Worlds, Trinity Year B.” Retrieved from http://disclosingnewworlds.net/trinity-year-b
16. Ron Starenko, “Holy Trinity Sunday.” Retrieved from http://crossings.org/text-study/holy-trinity-sunday-2/
17. Pastor Ed Markquart, “An Awesome Holiness: Isaiah.” Retrieved from http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_c_awesomeholiness.htm

How do you see yourself?

The answer to that question affects our attitudes, actions, responses and reactions to life’s circumstances. If we see ourselves as the helpless victim of Satan and his schemes, we will likely live like his victims and be in bondage to Satan’s lies. If we see ourselves as children of God, we will likely live like children of God. In order to live like a child of God, we need a firm grip on God’s Word. We need to understand who we are as a result of who God is and what he has done. The only way we can gain this understanding is to consider the work of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, also known as the Trinity.

There are many mysteries in the Christian faith, one of which has to do with the nature of God. How can we understand God who is described in the Bible as both the one true God and the God we know as Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Today, Trinity Sunday, is the one Sunday when we consider this important part of the church’s doctrine, instead of considering a teaching or message from Jesus.

Believers are debtors who have to share the Gospel with the world and live righteous lives. They are responsible to live according to the Spirit instead of the flesh. No one can destroy the flesh in this life, but they can destroy the deeds of the flesh. The indwelling of the Spirit gives people the ability to kill the corrupt deeds that once defined them, thereby enabling them to taste a life that won’t perish.

Following the Holy Spirit’s leadership is proof that we are children of God. For believers, conviction of sin and a pattern of repentance are assurance of our salvation. Two effects confirm that someone has been released from fear into sonship: adoption and an ability to call God “Father.” The Spirit of adoption provides release from the spirit of bondage. Slavery to sin leads to fear. The Spirit delivers us from fear and does not take us back to it again.

God does not punish us for our fears. Instead, he redirects our attention to him. He wants us to turn from fear to faith. He wants us to turn away from anything that feeds our fears and focus on him. Paul invites us to imagine a life of courage, the courage of those who have been adopted by God and invited into the full measure of God’s blessing and riches.

Christ and fellow believers sanctify us, but we have to take an active role in battling sinful habits. We are freed from sin’s slavery and are adopted as children of Christ’s family. We do not have to fight this battle alone. The Holy Spirit will show us the way and give us the tools that we will need.

The Christian walk won’t be easy. Following Jesus won’t mean a life that is free from trouble. In fact, it will often lead to more problems and struggles. Some of the most committed Christians have lived some of the most difficult lives. Some of them paid a heavy price. Some of them even died because of their faith. The Bible even tells us to expect problems and to be joyful when we face them. With Christ, we can do that. Without Christ, we will fail.

We can learn from suffering. We must not be angry or bitter. We should look at our suffering as a way to become more intimate with Christ. We should use that time to sense his love and compassion. We should use the time to grow to trust him and grow closer to him.

Every time people pray and call God “Father,” the Holy Spirit does the same thing. That is dual evidence of sonship. Sonship does not rest alone on one’s changing spirit for affirmation. The affirmation of sonship rests on the unchanging testimony of the Holy Spirit. The rewards of sonship are being children and heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. An heir has not yet received his inheritance, but expects to receive it in the future. The biblical idea of an heir implies possession and enjoyment in the future.

We are heirs of God’s kingdom, but that does not mean we will inherit it like we would inherit something when a loved one dies. Our heavenly inheritance means that we are in a privileged position as a result of our place in God’s family. Our hope for growth, meaning and fulfillment as a member of God’s family is based on our understanding of who we are as a member of God’s family. That understanding will greatly determine how we live our lives.

We have certain obligations as a member of God’s family, just like we have obligations in our earthly families. One of the obligations we have as a member of God’s family is to use his gifts to fulfill the Great Commission. One day we will be judged for what we’ve done with what we’ve been given. If we use God’s gifts for God’s purposes, we will be rewarded for this choice.

The Holy Spirit is a gift from God for all of us. It can’t be bought or sold. Because the Spirit is in us and because we have access to the mind of God, we have an obligation to allow the Spirit to do good deeds on our behalf. We will become more like Jesus and share the blessings that are due him. We also gain practical benefits:

1. Everyday leading from God.
2. Fearless intimacy with God.
3. Assurance of belonging to God.
4. A continual reminder of our value before God.

All we have to do is let the Spirit be spiritual within us. When we do, we will start to understand God’s grace.

God is not a distant ruler. He is up close and personal; therefore, our unconditional faith in God the Father is taken seriously. That Spirit bears witness to our faith, and that faith is created when we accept Jesus (also known as God the Son) as our Lord and Saviour. God spared no expense to save us from a life of slavery to sin. God will stop at nothing to make us his own. He pursues us relentlessly until we are completely adopted into his family.

When we die with Christ, we are one with him in his death, but our sufferings are not meaningless. We suffer so that we can share his glory. The path to suffering is the path to glory. We must “mind” the things of the Spirit rather than those of the flesh. We must choose to walk with the Spirit instead of walking with the flesh. This can be hard for us to do when we are not faced with difficulties that challenge us. We can become so comfortable with our lives that we don’t see the need to deepen our spiritual lives. Christ’s grace allows us to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to put to death our earthly, sin-filled lives.

Paul did not outline what the things of the flesh and the Spirit are, but it appears that he was thinking of the presence of the Spirit within the believer. When the believer constantly thinks of the Spirit, it impacts a believer’s thinking. If we think of the Spirit of truth constantly, it will take us exactly where we need to go and help us to reach our maximum potential in life. In Paul’s mind, Jesus’ radical message was that Christ’s love offered belonging and forgiveness, and goodness would flow from our new relationship with God because love creates love, not fear of disobedience. The doing of righteousness is a work of the Holy Spirit. God’s law is realized in the life of a believer through the direct and personal intervention of Christ.

We are proof of Christianity. We are proof that God saves lives and that the Spirit changes them completely. The Spirit lives in us and gives us faith when we don’t have any. We have a choice. We can accept the Spirit and live a new life in Christ, or we can continue living our sin-filled, earthly lives.

The power of sin dwelling within us prevents us from doing what is good and right in spite of our best intentions. The solution to this problem is the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. A mind that is set on our earthly lives separates us from God and his Spirit. If we reject Christ, we condemn ourselves to an eternity in hell. If we accept Christ, we will be with him in heaven for eternity. Where would you prefer to live?

Bibliography

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

• Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on Rome (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2010)

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

• Morris, L.: The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Erdmans; Inter-Varsity Press; 1988)

• Briscoe, D.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 29: Romans (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

• Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2015)

• Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Fear Turned Into Sin.” Retrieved from my devotional@leadingtheway.org

• Stephen Davey, “Evidence From Within.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

• Neil Anderson, “Following our shepherd.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Rick Renner, “Is the Holy Spirit ‘Tugging’ at Your Heart Today?” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

• Exegesis for Romans 8:12-25. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

• Steve Arterburn, “Struggle.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

• Steve Arterburn, “Learning Through Suffering.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

• Pastor Rick Warren, “The Power of Eternal Thinking.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com

• Neil Anderson, “Understand Who You Are.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Neil Anderson, “How We Perceive Ourselves.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Neil Anderson, “A Solid Belief System.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Pastor Dave Risendal, “The Feast of the Holy Trinity.” Retrieved from donotreply@wordpress.com

1. 1. Audrey West, “Commentary on Romans 8:12-17”. Retrieved from http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1343
   2. Elisabeth Johnson, “Commentary on Romans 8:12-17”. Retrieved from http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=321
   3. William Loader, “First Thoughts on Year B Epistle Passages from the Lectionary: Trinity.” Retrieved from http://www.staff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/BEpTrinity.htm