Sermons From My Heart

Have you ever had problems or trials in your lives? We often have times of trial and difficulty in life. Sometimes they are the result of things we have done, and other times they are caused by God. All of us know what it is like to be hurt. It is part of all cultures, and it can only be cured by a powerful potion. In the case of believers, that potion is faith. Christian hope is grounded on the reality of Christ and his resurrection. Christ will protect us from persecution. He will protect our souls while allowing our trials to strengthen our faith. Trials humble us and prove the genuineness of our faith, but we can rejoice in suffering because of our faith.

All of our trials are temporary, because our life on earth is like a snap of our fingers-over in a flash. Our sufferings pale in comparison to the glory we will receive in heaven. We do not have to wait to catch a glimpse of God, because Jesus has told us about God. If we have faith in Jesus, we have faith in God. Faith makes us certain of the realities we can’t see, including God. When all seems hopeless, faith gives us the strength we need to keep going. Faith gives us hope.

God tests our faith so that we can experience his love. God will be with us as we face life’s challenges. We must not let our trials take away our joy. In fact, a good sense of humour can help us cope with life’s challenges. We can receive joy in the midst of our trials because God is with us. The power of God keeps us strong through faith and will continue to do so until the Second Coming. Our faith might be weak, but God is strong. This joy is unspeakable and full of glory because it comes from the Holy Spirit within us. This knowledge comforts us along with the knowledge that our trials are temporary. Our hope is in Christ alone. Hardships can strengthen our faith, and suffering can strengthen our character. Suffering can make us more sensitive to others. All of these refinements cause us to be more like Christ.

No matter how bad things get, we are to keep trusting in God, because God keeps his promises. He promised to be with us always, and he is with us always. We who trust Christ must praise God for keeping his promise of salvation. We must also live out that salvation in our daily lives. Salvation is a gift from God, and he gives believers this gift because of his mercy, grace and sovereignty. The world puts its hope in things that decay but Peter reminds us that our sure, secure hope is in Jesus. This hope allows us to face life’s challenges. Having hope does not mean that we won’t have problems, but it does mean that our sorrow will not last and that joy is central to our hope. Suffering leads to praise, honour and glory.

Peter wrote his first letter at a time when early Christians were being persecuted. The early Jews gave a living testimony to Jesus as the long-promised Messiah. Thousands came to Christ, but the early Jews were under a lot of heat. Christians are still being persecuted today, especially in the developing world. Like the early Jews, they can take hope in the knowledge of Christ’s resurrection. When we are asked why we have hope, we can say that it is because of Christ’s resurrection experience in our lives as we are born again in the Spirit. The rebirth gives us a heavenly inheritance that will never perish, will never be polluted and will always be bright. That living hope is also our shield against the perils of our sin-filled world.

When we face trials, it’s only natural for us to grieve, but we have the best comforter of all-Jesus. He has promised to be our Comforter and Encourager. He will be there so that our faith may be proved genuine. He will be with us so that we can gain praise, honour and glory at the Revelation of Christ. When we turn to Christ, especially in times of trial, we get to know God, we get a new life in Christ and we get a future in heaven.

Bibliography

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

1. Bayless Conley, “Keep Laughing.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
2. Bayless Conley, “Keep Trusting.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
3. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
4. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
5. Cedar, P.A. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 34: James/1&2 Peter/Jude (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984)
6. Bayless Conley, “For Just a Little While.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
7. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Reasons!” Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org
8. Pastor Rick Warren, “Anybody Needs a Fresh Start.” Retrieved from www.purposedriven.com
9. Dr. Keith Wagner, “A Living Hope.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
10. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on James, 1&2 Peter (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2010)

If you knew you were dying, what final words would you say to your loved ones? Final words are important, because they are often the most precious memories our loved ones have of us. They might even contain final instructions or words of wisdom. Death is hard to face because it’s hard to see someone go, especially if they are young. We can comfort the grieving by helping them, listening to them or being there for them, just like Moses was there for the Israelites before he died.

Just before the events in the passage we heard from Deuteronomy occurred, Moses gave his final blessings to the Israelites. He knew he was going to die, and he wanted his final words to be remembered. The deathbed statements of a great person are always of interest to his or her followers. As people get older, they gain a sense of what matters or what is significant. In his last speech, Moses tried to get the Israelites to live right after he died.

He climbed the mountain alone so his ministry could end the same way it began-in God’s presence. He saw the Promised Land-a land he would not enter. Then he died. Moses wasn’t kept from leading the Israelites into the Promised Land because of death by natural causes. It was because of his unfaithfulness to the Lord at Meribah, as described in Numbers 20:12. Moses got to see that his life’s work was not in vain. His faith journey was going to bear fruit. The beauty in his death is not in the physical details but in the fact that he died in God’s presence. The God who called him to lead the Israelites was the same God who called him home.

Not many people have the chance to die a good death, but Moses was given that gift. God oversaw Moses’ death to the point of personally taking care of Moses’ burial. Moses was given a rare and remarkable final tribute in the passage from Deuteronomy. Dying a good death didn’t mean covering over his life or pretending that he was perfect. It meant celebrating his very humanity, leadership, commitment to his community and his intimate relationship with God.

What is important is that he was the one whom God knew face to face, and through God performed such signs and wonders. Moses remains the one through whom God became fully known. Though he appears to be excluded because God didn’t allow him to enter the Promised Land, he is the key to the Israelites’ memory of God’s mighty acts of deliverance, and therefore of their ongoing covenantal relationship with God.

The report of Moses’ death kept Moses from being magnified beyond what a man should be. Meanwhile, the title “servant of the Lord” maintained the Lord’s high esteem of Moses in the eyes of the people. Moses may have begun tenuously-killing a man in Egypt, fleeing in fear, living 40 years in anonymity in the desert, and arguing with God about doing His will-but he arrived at the end of his life in faithfulness, having accomplished the job God gave him to do.

Moses brought the people to the frontier of the Promised Land, but he would not bring them over it. Similarly, the Law of God can’t bring us into the Land of Promise, even when the Law is honoured and obeyed. We stand on the height of effort and view it from afar in all its fair expanse, but if we never get further than “Do this and live,” we can never pass into the blessed life of rest and victory represented by Canaan. The Law must be perfectly obeyed and fulfilled, first by Jesus and then by the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

At the time of his death, the natural process of aging had not taken its toll on Moses; he was still a strong, vital man. These words are striking. Moses did not die because he had “worn out”-he had been given strength and longevity by God so that he might lead the people into the land of Canaan despite his advanced age. Yet as strong as he was at his death, God still restrained him from leading the people to their destination.

Moses was so esteemed by the people that, had they known where God buried him, they might have turned his grave into a shrine. Death makes us think of eternity. It gives us hope and comfort if we believe we will see our loved ones again. Moses was unique, but he was just a man in service to God. God didn’t want anyone to remember him as anything but a man. That’s why the exact location of his grave is a mystery today.

Deuteronomy 34:10-12 is Moses’ epitaph. He was a spiritual pioneer. He was the first to proclaim God’s attributes. He was the first to give love as the incentive for the people to obey God. He was the first to give God’s Law. He was the first to give a plan of education in the family. Moses’ character points to his greatness. He enjoyed a unique relationship with God. God’s knowledge of Moses is stressed. God sought him out and chose him for a particular task.

Until Christ, no one ever lived who was greater than Moses. The statement in verses 10-12 is quite remarkable in the context of the entire Word of God: there was no one else whom the Lord knew face to face. Moses’ greatness has stood the test of time. It was in the formation of the new covenant that at last “a prophet like Moses” appeared again, but He was more than a prophet. Moses was a servant in God’s household, but the coming Prophet was a Son, Jesus Christ.

There are three lessons we can learn from Moses’ life and death. They are the secrets of living a good life that is right in God’s sight:

1. The secret of fulfillment in life is involvement.
2. The secret of reality in life is humility.
3. The secret of happiness in life is perspective.

Moses died. The Israelites mourned for him. Even if a good, long life can be celebrated and eulogized, the end of that life marks a loss. Even though Moses could see into the land where he faithfully lead the Israelites, his time was at an end, and he couldn’t finish all that he may have hoped. The brief mention of his successor Joshua reminds us that God’s spirit is what remains constant amidst human transitions, and that is a good thing for us to remember when someone we love dies. Though Moses is described as unequalled among all the prophets and leaders in Old Testament times, we can imitate Moses in his intimacy with God and be people who similarly seek after God’s face.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 270-271)
2. Maxwell, J.C. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 5: Deuteronomy (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 19897; pp. 324-328)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. Charles R. Swindoll, “Moses: Three Secrets.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca
6. Karla Suomala, “Commentary on Deuteronomy 34:1-12.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
7. Margaret Odell, “Commentary on Deuteronomy 34:1-12.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
8. Sara Koenig, “Commentary on Deuteronomy 34:1-12.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org

A few years ago, Billy Graham answered a letter in his daily newspaper column from someone who was upset that churches and charities don’t pay a cent in taxes. The writer was upset that he had to “pay until it hurts”. In his reply, Dr. Graham said that if all the food banks, homeless shelters, hospitals, community centers, addiction rehabilitation centres and other organizations were forced to close, millions of lives would be hurt. If they did close, governmental agencies would be forced to fill the gap-at enormous cost to taxpayers. He closed his reply with the following words:

“No system is perfect, but I urge you not to turn a blind eye to the good done by the vast number of churches and other organizations who are sincerely seeking to serve others. Christians take seriously Jesus’ command: “Love your neighbour as yourself”.”

When Jesus was asked which Commandment was the most important, it was a loaded question. The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus, but Jesus turned the trap on them. All of the commandments were equal because they were created by God. Jesus used the opportunity to point out that all of the laws that the Pharisees came up with to make certain that the Jews kept the Commandments were not necessary. All of their laws, and all of the Commandments, were summarized by the two Great Commandments that Jesus gave us and the Pharisees: “Love God, and love people”. Both commandments are related and are of equal importance. They are the basics of Christianity.

The employees of nursing homes are a good example of the fact that loving others comes from the knowledge that each person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. They treat the residents with the dignity and respect that the residents deserve. They show their love by doing their jobs to the best of their ability, and by doing so; they show the love they have for the residents. They try to help their neighbours, and by doing so, they are doing what God wants them to do. This love involves denying themselves for the good of others. People don’t care how much we know, until they know how much we care.

But what if loving our neighbour means that we need to listen to the world and be engaged with it? There was a time when neighbours helped each other out by having building bees where neighbours came together to build barns or houses. Other times they came together to help each other with the harvest or to care for sick neighbours or elderly parents. Those are examples of loving people as God loved us. The way God knows that we love him is by how we treat people. Whenever we demonstrate kindness, patience or gentleness, we see the Lord’s love at work through us, especially when the other person has been unkind and doesn’t deserve such pleasant treatment. Our relationships with others demand priority over things that won’t last or won’t matter in a few years. If we love God and love people, we will naturally obey the rest of the Commandments. That’s only natural. After all, the two Great Commandments are an example of the Golden Rule.

It is our faith that God loves us that makes us able to love ourselves and therefore be grateful for the gift of ourselves. This awareness of life as a gift is what we mean by loving God. When we love ourselves, we are grateful to God, and this gratitude sets us free to love other people. When we truly love people, we value them as gifts of God.

Jesus’ teaching isn’t about how we feel about God and neighbour, but what we will do. We are to love God with all our lives, including our work. Doing so restricts our activity to the straight and narrow path that God has created for us to walk on. It is the basis of our obedience to God. It shows that our love for God is number one in our lives. Love for God and love for all of those who are made in his image form the backbone of everything God says to us in his word. In the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 13:10, “Love is the fulfillment of the law”.

Bibliography

• Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV
• Exegesis for Matthew 22:34-46. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

• Matthew Barnett, “Purpose Summed Up”. Retrieved from www.christianity.com/moi/2001/004/july/5.5.html

• Mary Southerland, “And I Love Me”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

• MacArthur, John: MacArthur Study Bible NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers: 2006, 2008)

• The Rev. Dr. Billy Graham, “Why Don’t Churches Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com

• Greg Laurie, “The First and Greatest Commandment”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

• Les Lamborn, “A Lover of God”. Retrieved from www.rbc.org

• Pastor Bob Coy, “Prioritize People”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

• Les Lamborn, “Two Rules to Live By”. Retrieved from www.rbc.org

• Charles F. Stanley, “How Can We Love Like Jesus Commands?” Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

• The Very Rev. Dr. Jane Shaw, “Love and Listening”. Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net
• Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions: 30^th Sunday (A)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
• Timothy Gardner, O.P., “The Third Commandment”. Retrieved from www.torch.op.org/preaching_sermon_item.php?sermon=5648  

When we spread the good news of the Gospel, we can expect to face opposition. The apostle Paul was no exception. He boldly preached the Gospel to the Thessalonians in spite of suffering and mistreatment. First Thessalonians 2:1-8 is a model for all Christians to follow, especially when they are called to spread the Good News of the Gospel. In particular, we are to pay attention to the example Paul set for us. His bold preaching was direct and to the point. He did not use words that would please his audience. He did not resort to manipulation. He did not try to “tickle the ears” of his listeners. He did not try to use his ministry for financial gain. Unlike some preachers. Paul was honest, and honesty is refreshingly simple. No ulterior motives or hidden meanings. No need to manipulate people. No matter how much opposition he encountered, he never took his eyes off of his calling to bring people to Jesus.

If we want to build the Christian community, we must proclaim the Gospel boldly. In the words of Dr. Michael Youssef, who is the president of Leading the Way Ministries, we must “passionately proclaim uncompromising truth.” We must be fearless when we speak out against things such as social injustice, lax morals or the abuse of power within the Christian community.

Paul was entrusted by God to speak not to please man, but to please God. Paul was entrusted with the Gospel, just like God entrusts all of his people with the Gospel. The Gospel has been safeguarded throughout the nations. It is the responsibility of each generation to safeguard the Gospel for generations to come.

Paul and his fellow missionaries could have made demands as apostles. In particular, they could have asked to be paid for their preaching, but they didn’t. Paul made his living as a tentmaker everywhere he went to preach. This supported the claim that the motives of Paul and his colleagues were pure. The love of God speaks to the insecurity and the need that is at the centre of greed and as we focus on God’s gift of grace, and we remember that in Jesus we have been given abundant, eternal life, there becomes less and less we have to have, less and less we want.

The Christian church does have some ministers with large egos who have to put their pictures on all their books, parade their degrees after their names, or have the best parking places and the nicest offices. They are no better than the Pharisees in Jesus’ day. True preachers can’t separate their preaching from their daily lives. They must literally “practice what they preach.” If only all preachers-indeed-if only all Christians-served one another as Paul served his fellow Christians. He served his fellow Christians in the following ways:

1. He served with boldness, truth and honesty, seeking to please God and not men.
2. He served without flattery, covetousness, or seeking glory from men.
3. He served with labour night and day, seeking to be devout, just, and blameless.
4. He served with the gentleness and affection of a nursing mother and the guidance and encouragement of a caring father.

Paul was an effective witness because of what he did. He lived out his faith in his relationship with God. The only way we can be effective witnesses is to live our faith in our relationship with God and with each other.

Those of us who provide spiritual leadership have to provide tender loving care to our flocks. We have to provide the spiritual nourishment that people need just like a mother cherishes and nurses her children.

Those of us who preach the Gospel must have courage. Courage is often associated with bravery, but courage can take many different forms. Courage is related to confidence, but in this case confidence is less about being right than it is about being comfortable. It means remaining non-defensive when we are challenged, to listen respectfully to others recognizing that God may be speaking to us through them. While we must have the courage to share the Gospel, we must also be vulnerable. We must share what we know and how we strive to live what we know and how we have failed and doubted along our Christian journey.

Evangelism must always be focused on leading people to Christ because it is a matter of their spiritual life and death. Evangelism must be done with a sense of urgency. We must not allow our daily routines to distract us from our Christian duty. We must preach the truth boldly without using tricks or manipulation. We must please God regardless of whether or not there is any growth in the number of Christian followers.

 Paul was successful because he, like most good ministers, took the time to cultivate relationships with people. He cared for them by getting involved in their lives. As the old saying goes, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. He shared himself with them by getting involved in their lives.

Paul was bold and direct in his preaching, but he was also a warm and gentle man. That is why he used the image of a nursing mother in 1 Thessalonians 2:7. Paul and his colleagues were eager to give themselves to others just like a mother gives herself to her family-and just like Christ gave himself for us. Paul also got involved emotionally in their lives. He loved the people he met, and he treated them as people of value. When we love others, we must also treat them as people of value instead of a means to an end. When we talk to others, we must talk about our affections, and that includes the gestures of love and kindness such as hugs, handshakes (like those we use when we pass the peace.

We must lead lives that are stirring enough to start a movement for God. We must have a burning desire to change the world. That must be our passion in life. We must serve others with the tender loving care that Jesus showed. We must encourage each other in our spiritual journey. Even when things look dark and dismal in our broken, human world, God will prevail. God will triumph over evil. God is at work in the world, and he will work through people of faith. God can’t be limited. Even God’s enemies are used by God to do his work in the world.

God also works through the church. We are his agents of change. We are entrusted with the Good News of unconditional love, never-ending grace and ultimate peace. This means that there is something for each and every one of us to do. There are things we can do in our everyday lives such as being godly parents or children or community members.

We are to be focused on the mission. The only way we can accomplish this mission is to live our lives with integrity. Living a life of integrity means genuinely caring for the people and churches we serve. We must have a passion to make God look good each and every day.

Dr. Haddon Robinson, who is regarded as one of the leading teachers of the art of preaching, once told the story of a writer for a newspaper in Toronto who undertook an investigation into the ethical practices of auto repair shops in his city. He took a spark‑plug wire off of his engine, making the car run unevenly. He took the car in to different shops and asked them to fix it. Time after time people sold him unnecessary repairs or charged him for repairs that were not done.

Finally, he went to a small garage. A fellow named Fred came out, popped open the hood, and said, “Let me listen to that thing.” After a few seconds, he told the reporter, “I think I know what’s wrong.” He reached down and grabbed the wire, announcing, “Your spark‑plug wire came off.” And he put it back on.

The reporter asked, “What do I owe you?”

“I’m not going to charge you anything,” Fred replied. “I didn’t have to fix anything; I just reattached the wire.”

The writer then told Fred what he was doing and that he had been charged all kinds of money by mechanics looking at that same wire. He asked Fred, “Why didn’t you charge me anything?” Fred said, “Are you sure you want to know? I happen to be a Christian and believe that everything we do should be done to glorify God. I’m not a preacher and I’m not a missionary, but I am a mechanic and so I do it honestly. I do it skillfully and I do it to the glory of God.”

The next day in the newspaper was a headline that read, “Christian Mechanic, Honest to the Glory of God.”

Regardless of what we do for God, we must not tone down his message. Even when our message is challenged, we must not back down. We are to be good shepherds, servant leaders whose job description includes leading others to God. God empowers us as leaders and as followers to build up, to influence and to persuade others. We build and strengthen our community of believers so that we may reach out to serve.

Bibliography

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

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

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

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

• Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2010)

• Dennis Fisher, “Tender Loving Care.” Retrieved from www.rbc.org

• Charles R. Swindoll, “Absolute Honesty.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca

• T.M. Moore, “Look at Me.” Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

• Holly Hearon, “Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org

• Richard Ascough, “Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org

• Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Sermons We See.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

• King Duncan, “A Victory for the Angels.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
• Mary S. Lautensleger, “Leaders Worthy of Imitation.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
• King Duncan, “Living to Please God.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
• Richard Brand, “The Cloak.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
• King Duncan, “What Would Bill Do (New)?” Retrieved from www.esermons.comPreaching Magazine (Nashville, TN: Salem Publishing, July/August 2014, p. 48)

Things were going well for Moses as he led the people out of Egypt. God called him to Mount Horeb to receive the Ten Commandments. While he was there, the people fell away from God by returning to the ways of Egypt by building and worshiping a golden calf under Aaron’s watch. This revealed that the spiritual foundation of the people and the leadership of Aaron had not been grounded enough for the leader to have an extended absence. God’s presence had left the people.

When Moses came back and saw what had happened, he recognized the solution as well. Having God’s presence return was the only way they could proceed and have success. Moses also realized a weakness in his own ability to lead. He wanted God to mentor him. Is the presence of God in our current activities? Are the people we lead mature enough in their faith for us to be off site?

The first part of the passage we heard from Exodus was Moses’ third intercession on behalf of the Israelites. The people had repented, expressed their sorrow and remorse, and divested themselves of the Golden Calf. But God has told them that He won’t go with them because He might consume them with His wrath. God’s holiness can’t abide with sin. Because the Israelites were sinful, God’s holiness would consume them on the way. God would be present with them in an indirect way through an angel.

Moses was, understandably concerned about the future of the people, and his leadership, if God decided not to accompany them into the land of Promise. What would the neighbors think? While he can be thankful that God will fulfill the promise to get them to the land, how would they survive in this new land?

Moses went into his tent and prayed to God, hoping to change His mind. Moses reminded God of the covenant He made with Abraham. Moses also appealed because of his own relationship with God. God relented and told Moses that He would go with the people, and He would give them rest.

God’s presence does give us rest, but at times His presence disturbs us instead. For example, God’s vivid presence once appeared to the prophet Isaiah. It caused Isaiah to tremble and shake and confess. God’s presence does that; it reveals our sinfulness.

As children of God, we have received His unmerited and unending favour. As we get to know Him better through prayer, fasting and studying His word, He extends us even more favour. He promises to grant our requests, and He knows us personally. He always reveals Himself as a God of grace and compassion, and that gives us great comfort when we face life’s trials, and when we sin or make errors in judgment.

The trials of life may give us the impression that God is angry or vindictive on one hand; and unknowing and uncaring on the other. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus came to reveal God as a merciful, gracious, loving Heavenly Father-a Father who loves the world so much that He gave His only begotten son.

When we reflect on God, we better reflect God. We must personally engage with Him. We must go to Him in prayer and interlock our hearts, motivations, ambitions and wills to His revealed will and word. This is where our faith fits together with our actions, and where our lives go from being our own to being His.

Moses preferred to go nowhere with God than anywhere without Him. We must do likewise. We must make God’s presence our passion by being more like a sponge and less like a rock. When we place a rock in the ocean, its surface gets wet. The exterior may change colour, but the interior remains untouched. If we place a sponge in the ocean, it absorbs the water. The ocean penetrates every pore and alters the essence of the sponge.

If we are to be effective in anything we do for the Lord, He must be in the midst of it. Unless His power is seen among us, we will be just another person who has religion. Unless we show His life to others, they will see only good behaviour that is easily counterfeited by moral people.

Moses’ fourth intercession was a request to see God’s glory. All along he was willing to proceed in the promise that God gave him at the burning bush. Something happened since then. The people’s falling into sin, God’s anger against them, and God’s refusal to allow Moses to make atonement brought a whole new situation. Moses felt he needed to know more of what God was like if he was going to continue to lead the Israelites. Moses wanted a deep, personal, intimate connection to God.

Moses saw God’s astounding acts during the Exodus, but now he wanted to see more-God’s glory. God granted this bold request, passing His goodness before Moses and proclaiming His own name-the expression of His character. The Lord speaks of His manner as being gracious and showing compassion, words Paul used in Romans 9:15-18.

We are very dependent on what we can see or perceive. We make judgment calls and assessments through our own eyes. When something impairs our ability to see, we compensate by using other senses, and in those times, most of us spend a lot more time praying for wisdom. We depend on our sight more than we depend on how God sees things. It can’t be about how we see things, but what God sees in us. Like Moses, we know that we have found grace in God’s sight, but are we living to be pleasing in His sight every day with every decision?

Eventually everyone leaves churches where God isn’t obviously present and working. Churches don’t die. God’s voice in them dies, and then the people’s response of adoration goes cold too. Getting people back to church is pointless unless God comes back first in His glory. The church is called to make manifest to the senses the presence of God. The entire world is bathed in Him. God is the water we swim in and we, like fishes, don’t even know we’re in it. The church’s job is to make God’s presence felt so that when we leave this place, we know we’re swimming in water and the water is God’s presence, love and goodness.

Glory can’t be faked. It can’t be manufactured, manipulated, or manifested at will. Only God can bring glory into a church, but when He does, communities get shaken and lives get changed. Jesus’ fame curls up on the shore of human hearts like a wave.

There was a limit to what Moses would see, for no one can look upon the Lord and live. God is Spirit-with no physical features whatsoever-so the use of the terms “my back” and “my face” was a means for humans to understand what cannot be understood otherwise. Moses’ passing view of the Lord’s back was still more than ever had been seen-until Jesus, in whom the transcendent God was revealed in human flesh.

God’s decision to abide with humans is astonishing. The fact that God chooses to be in relationship with human beings makes Him vulnerable to the pain that results when that relationship is betrayed. It also means that authentic communication is made possible, and Moses is the model for us of that divine-human communication.

God isn’t limited, but we are. No one, not even Moses, could know all about God. Even though He has revealed Himself fully in Jesus Christ, there is a sense in which He remains hidden. Similarly, God has hidden some things from us. God is far beyond our ability to understand. What is revealed in the Bible is only a portion of what God is like. We will learn more about Him when we get to heaven, but even then, there will be a lot that we won’t learn. Whenever some fresh insight and meaning comes to us, hopefully we will bow our heads in humility, awe and worship.

At stake, then, is our understanding of God as transcendent, untouchable, and unviewable, versus God’s willingness to intervene on behalf of even the most stiff-necked of folks. The theophany that occurs in this story beautifully bears witness to both. In Jeremiah 23:23, God stated: “Am I a God nearby… and not a God far off?”. In our prayer lives, when do we know that “enough is enough” and one should let go of a prayer? When is it more important to keep pushing?

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 118)
2. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 2: Exodus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987; pp. 338-347)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. Reverend Wayne Palmer, “Looking Upon God.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
6. “In Your Sight.” Retrieved from www.dailydisciples.org
7. Gwen Smith, “The Solution to Restlessness, Part Two.” Retrieved from www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/girlfriends
8. Max Lucado, “Be More Sponge and Less Rock.” Retrieved from BibleGateway@e.BibleGateway.com
9. Bobby Schuller, “Truth, Goodness and Beauty.” Retrieved from www.hourofpower.org
10. Os Hillman, “When His Work Exceeds His Presence.” Retrieved from Christainity.com@crosswalkmail.com
11. Os Hillman, “Unless the Lord Goes with Us.” Retrieved from tgif@marketplaceleaders.org
12. Karla Suomala, “Commentary on Exodus 33:12-23.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
13. Kathryn M. Schifferdecker, “Commentary on Exodus 33:12-32.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
14. Charles Cowherd, “Bible Study, 20th Sunday after Pentecost (A) – October 22, 2017.” Retrieved from www.epsicopaldigitalnetwork.com
15. “Face to Face with God – A Lectionary Reflection for Pentecost 20A (Exodus 33)”. Retrieved from noreply+feedproxy@google.com

How many of you have to take pills every day? I’m certainly no exception. I have to take 4 medications and an iron supplement every day because of health conditions. If I don’t take my pills, my health will eventually get worse. In the same way, if we don’t read our Bible and pray every day, our spiritual health will get worse. In fact, the apostle Paul talks about spiritual health in the passage we heard from Romans.

Paul describes the gospel not as a message or a set of doctrines, but as “the power of God” effecting salvation. This salvation has universal reach, in that it extends to both Jews and Gentiles. The good news of salvation reveals “the righteousness of God,” which is expressed through God’s faithfulness toward humanity, a faithfulness that enables humanity to express faith through God’s faithfulness toward humanity, a faithfulness that itself enables humanity to express faith in Christ.

All that Paul has said to this point in the Letter to the Romans is painfully true: man has earned the condemnation of God. Paul’s first words in verses 21-22 signal the beginning of a new section of his letter-and a new day in the world of faith: before Jesus Christ, the Jews were self-righteous and the Gentiles were unrighteous. Now the righteousness of God is revealed through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe.

 Sin is an overstepping of the divine boundary between good and evil, a failure to meet the divine standard, the intrusion of self-will into the place of divine authority, spiritual anarchy and an insult to the divine veracity. God has installed a warning system called guilt into our souls. We experience it when we do something wrong. Just as pain tells us there is a physical problem that must be dealt with or the body will suffer, guilt tells us something is wrong spiritually and needs to be confronted and cleansed. Guilt is the symptom of the real problem of sin.

In New Testament times, a slave market was a common sight. Slaves were displayed before potential buyers who would examine them and would buy the slave. Those days are long gone, but we are living in a time where similar tactics are used for a variety of reasons. We are familiar with hijackings, kidnappings and hostage-takings, which are often resolved only when innocent people pay huge ransoms to free innocent people. Paul sees humanity as being in a similar situation. Christ is portrayed as the one who, when He came into the place of our bondage and seeing that we were hostages to sin, freely paid our ransom.

The subjects of redemption are sold under sin but are under sentence of death. The purchase price is the blood of Christ who died in their place. The redeemed are never again exposed to sale. Christ paid the price, the Holy Spirit makes deliverance actual in experience. Christ endured the righteous sentence God imposed on humanity. His righteousness is His consistency with His own law and holiness in freely justifying a sinner who believes in Christ.

There’s no question about human sin, guilt, divine judgment and condemnation. There is also evidence of God’s love for sinners and His commitment to their redemption. People who want to be reconciled to God have two choices: live a life that will be so pleasing to God that they will be rewarded by reconciliation, or trust God to give them a chance, even though it is neither earned nor deserved. 

Salvation by grace through faith doesn’t mean that the Law is useless. On the contrary, it is still important. Salvation by grace underscores the true importance of the Law:

1. 1. By providing a payment for the penalty of death, which the Law required for failing to keep it.
   2. By fulfilling the Law’s original purpose, which is to teach us that we can’t obey God’s righteous demands and to drive people to Christ.
   3. By giving believers the capacity to obey the Law.

The righteousness of God is neither an attribute of God, nor the change of character of the believer, but Christ Himself, who fully met every demand of the Law, and who is righteous. No one is outside the scope of God’s righteousness; there is also no distinction among those who are saved-or among those who are lost: all fall short. Divine righteousness excludes all boasting. It eliminates all human pride, prejudice and presumption.

Grace is one of God’s expressions of love for us. It is the gift unsought, unmerited, unlimited that overrules whatever a person has done, no matter the depth of transgression or the darkness of heart. He has made His righteousness available to us, and we don’t even have to obey the Law perfectly to receive it. He has shown this to be the case in His dealings with His people through the Law and the prophets.

 It’s because of God’s grace that there is a gospel to proclaim and a Saviour to praise. He doesn’t get tired of us. Instead, He chooses to deal graciously with us. When we understand grace, we no longer resist and resent God. We long to draw near to Him.

 We won’t find God’s grace until we acknowledge that what we bring to the table is only our sin and guilt. We need God’s grace. What God brings to the table is everything. Our welcome into God’s family is zero because of what we’ve done and 100% because of what God has done for us in Jesus’ death on the cross.

 Because many years passed during which God continued to atone “temporarily” by covering over sin, it might have appeared that God did not take sin seriously. The cross of Christ removed all doubt: The cross is the public declaration that God is righteous in the way He has handled human sin. It is no longer merely covered, but removed!

How do we deal with sin? Some of us deny it, but a better way is through faith in Jesus. He shows us that God loves all of us, regardless of our sins. Christ came to pay the price for our sins. He covers our sins. He is the sunglasses that we wear so that we can see other people through God’s eyes.

How do we show our faith in Jesus? Some people think that going to church once a week is enough to keep sin away and show our faith, but it isn’t. In addition to a weekly dose of Bible study and prayer, we need a daily dose too. We need to read our Bible and pray each day to keep sin away, just like many of us have to take pills every day to keep illness away.

Bibliography

1. 1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1548)2
   2. The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.3
   3. Briscoe, D.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 29: Romans (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 85-94)
   4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
   5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King JamesVersion (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
   6. Pastor Greg Laurie, “The Good in Guilt.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
   7. Pastor Ken Klaus, “What You’ve Got.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
   8. Dr. Charles Stanley, “Justice and Mercy.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
   9. “A Shot in the Arm.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com
   10. Pastor Ed Markquart, “Me and My Shadow.” Retrieved from www.sermonsfromseattle.com
   11. Matt Skinner, “Commentary on Romans 1:16-17; 3:22-28(29-31).” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org

It’s tough to be God, just like it’s tough to be a parent-and God is our heavenly Father. He laid His life on the line for us and rescued us from slavery and death. He saved the Israelites from slavery and death in Egypt. He delivered them, guided them, fed them and gave them water. Despite all He did for them, they were often rebellious, just like we are often rebellious and children are sometimes rebellious. It’s not surprising that God was ready to destroy them.

The longer Moses stayed on the mountain, the more restless the people became. Did they believe that something had happened to Moses? Were they growing tired of his leadership? Without him present to keep reminding them of God’s presence, did doubt begin to overcome them? Was it a struggle with their faith? Had the message not penetrated their hearts? Were they not convinced?

The people were afraid because they thought they had lost their human leader. This exposes what happens when God’s people fall prey to the temptation to confuse human leaders such as parents, bishops, teachers and mentors with God. When that leader disappears, humans can lose sight of God and lose faith in their direction.

Whenever anyone or anything takes the place that God should have in our lives, it is rebellion and sin. The human heart loves anything that can be seen-that which meets and gratifies the senses. We need to remember Moses’ example, especially as it is described in Hebrews 11:27: “By faith…he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible.”

When Moses was experiencing a spiritual peak, the people of God hit rock bottom. Fearful that Moses would not return, and wanting something tangible to follow, they asked for substitute gods that would go before them. Within weeks of experiencing the presence of God at Mount Sinai, they were involved in an orgy of idolatry.

The Israelites were caught up in their own impatience, which led to their folly. Have you ever felt impatient with God? What can you do to make yourself more patient? The idol the Israelites asked for was meant to replace Moses, but they challenged God’s sovereignty as well.

It’s also easy for us to get lost. All we have to do is take our eyes off the Shepherd. Stop going to church. Stop studying God’s Word. Bury ourselves in our jobs. Surround ourselves with people who don’t care about God.

Aaron still had parts of Egypt in him. He did not have a complete conversion from the pagan worship of Egypt to God’s ways. His leadership wasn’t strong enough to stop the rebellion. He encouraged the people to make the golden idol. He tried to justify his actions by saying the idol was a god of Israel.

All of us have experienced something like this in our lives. We’re in a position where people want us to do something that deep down we know isn’t right. The pressure mounts, the demands increase and we reach a place of just wanting to make them happy. We become people pleasers instead of God pleasers.

Aaron got it slightly right and mostly wrong. He knew that it was God, not Moses, who led the people out of Egypt. He proclaimed a festival to God. To give the people something to follow, Aaron made a false image of the true God, which God had forbidden in Exodus 20:1-4.

Our idols are often false things we worship in place of God-things such as money, power, fame, career, self and so on. Idols can be our false images of the true God. They are things that we associate so much with God that we worship them instead of God-the church building, the liturgy, a former minister, the stained glass window behind the altar, a doctrine to which we cling too tightly. This form of idol can be more dangerous to faith than outright idols. No finite image can fully capture the infinite God.

For us as Christians, the Golden Calf has become a Golden Cross. Not just the shiny ones we wear around our necks but the ones that perch atop our churches, adorn our windows and beautify our godly standing in society. We build a substitute leadership on bishops and elders while waiting for Jesus to return. We build a powerful empire lasting a thousand years, and build countless cathedrals. We revel in our own religion so well that we splintered it into a thousand pieces. Our Golden Calf or Cross is wound tightly into the fabric of our religion; in new and better interpretations of our Bibles, in our church leadership which we claim speaks for God, in our local church buildings which witness to our self-absorbed worship habits, in our bland mission statements, in our fund-raising guilt trips, in our evident godliness because we are concerned with social justice, in our insurance policies and our golden parachutes, in our picture-perfect lives and picture-perfect children, etc.

Eventually God forgave Aaron and Israel, but it came at a cost. Even now, when we hear Aaron’s name mentioned, it’s usually about this episode. It’s always a mistake to please people instead of pleasing God. If there’s a situation or scenario that requires us to do one of the other, no matter how difficult it may seem at the time, pleasing God is always the right thing to do. Otherwise, we’ll end up paying a price in the end.

Aaron might have intended a partial obedience-he would give the people what they asked for, and then he would use it to worship God. But by calling it a feast to God, he broke the third commandment. The people’s behavior was not like a picnic. The verb “play” comes from the same root as the name “Isaac,” which refers to laughter, especially in Genesis 21:1-7. Here, it means sexual acts done in the worship of pagan gods. Immorality often accompanies idolatry, even today.

Trying to reconcile idol worship and the worship of God is futile. It can’t be done because God has forbidden idols and graven images. We worship idols today. They are everything from celebrities, star athletes, gold, money or prestige products such as Rolex watches or luxury cars.

The words “corrupted” and “stiff-necked” mean unresponsive and stubborn. God wanted to destroy the people and create a new nation of Moses. Moses appealed to three things:

1. God’s responsibility, asserting that these are “your people.”
2. God’s reputation (the Egyptians would make false conclusions)
3. God’s reliability, citing His solemn oath to Israel’s forefathers.

God couldn’t overlook the insult of the golden calf. Thankfully for the Israelites, Moses knew God’s heart and intervened on behalf of the people. Moses knew God is a god of mercy, forgiveness and grace. When we base our prayers on what God has promised to do, we stand on unshakeable ground.

The stage was set for the defining moment in Moses’ life and career. Should he choose God’s side and become the founder of a new and improved nation, or should he side with the Israelites? Moses asked God to change His mind and not bring disaster on the people. God was angered by the Israelites’ actions, but He responded to their underlying fears without compromising His vision for an alternative society.

The reason for God’s anger was clear to Moses. The people worshipped idols and turned their back on God. Moses made the point that the Israelites were not Moses’ people but God’s people. God led them out of Egypt. Moses did not let God shove His chosen people aside the first time they got into trouble.

God never intended to destroy the Israelites. He was testing Moses to see whether he would learn what it meant to pray for other people. Would Moses stand in the gap, or would he allow God to destroy His people? This was a test for Moses, and he passed it. He prayed. He interceded. That is what we need to be doing as believers. We need to pray for people, and we need to care about people.

God is still looking for intercessors today. Sometimes we will pray for something and we won’t get an answer right away. We think that God is obviously saying no. Maybe God wants us to step up our game. Maybe He wants us to pray a little bit more. Maybe He doesn’t want us to give up so easily.

This passage teaches us two lessons:

1. Doing our own thing leads to trouble.
2. There are expectations that come with the invitation to be the people of God. God expected the Israelites to remain faithful during the time Moses was receiving the Law, but they weren’t faithful.

God can never be bought, but He can relate to us and He can love us more than we would dream possible. This is the God who was revealed not just in part, in the framework of the thinking of primitive humanity in Old Testament times, but who was revealed in all His full splendor and glory through Jesus Christ.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 115-117)
2. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 2: Exodus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 322-328)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. Pastor Bob Coy, “Aaron.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
5. Pastor Greg Laurie, “God is Looking for Intercessors.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
6. Os Hillman, “Beware of Mixture.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
7. Bruce T. Martin, “Golden Cross, Bloody Cross.” Retrieved from Sabbatheology@Crossings.org
8. Jordan Trumble, “Bible Study, 18 Pentecost, Proper 23(A).” Retrieved from www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com
9. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Exodus 32:12-14.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.
10. Pastor Greg Laurie, “Will You Stand in the Gap?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
11. Amy Erickson, “Commentary of Exodus 32:1-14.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
12. Karla Suomala, “Commentary on Exodus 32:1-14.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
13. Rolf Jacobson, “Commentary on Exodus 32:7-14.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org

Philippians 3:4-14 contrasts the Law of Moses (especially its strict observances) with God’s grace. It tells us what we need to do, such as putting old lives behind us and concentrating on our new lives with Christ. Grace and a right relationship with God are more important than strict observance of the Law. God often calls us to give up something that is important to us so we can grow closer to Him in faith. What we give up pales in comparison to what we gain-eternal life.

The Jews in Philippi claimed that certain rites of Judaism were necessary for salvation. Paul used his own accomplishments as a Jew to argue that these claims were false. His union with Christ, like our union with Christ, was possible only because God gave Christ’s righteousness to Paul and to us so that it was reckoned by God as His own. Faith is the dependence on and trust in Jesus Christ for the necessary requirement to enter God’s kingdom. That requirement is the righteousness of Christ, which God gives to every believer.

Those who have confidence in the flesh in any fashion-but especially people who are bound by legalistic beliefs-are unable to rejoice in the Lord. Legalism drains the believer of the joy of the Lord, and with that joy, the power for vital worship and vibrant service is depleted.

If Paul had failed to achieve acceptance with God through all his inherited and earned virtues, then he reasoned that no one could climb up to God on his own merits. In fact, all that Paul had accomplished proved to be stumbling blocks to his acceptance by God. This is often true for those who are bound up in legalism.

The freedom to make choices brings responsibility. All of us have made poor choices at times, and we have had to suffer the consequences of these choices. The good news is that no matter what poor choices we may have made in the past, there is always hope for a better future. God knew that we would make some bad choices, but he loves us so much that He sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins and to provide a way for our relationship with him to be restored.

If we want to become citizens of another country, we must go through a process of naturalization. There are several requirements, including taking an oath of allegiance to our new country. We become citizens of Heaven the moment we are saved. There is no test or process involved, because Jesus already did everything that is necessary. All we have to do is claim His offer in faith. That is not the end of our salvation, but merely the beginning. If we become a citizen of another country but do not vote, pay taxes, work or do anything to make the country better we are poor citizens indeed. A Christian who does nothing for the kingdom of God is a poor citizen of heaven.

Too many of us as Christians have not appropriated this freedom-bringing truth. We keep one foot in the law where “doing” prevails, hoping that our doing will lead to our being righteous. We forget that we do not strive to live in the Spirit to be in the Spirit. It is the reverse. Because we are in the Spirit we live by the Spirit. Because we have received the righteousness of God, we do deeds of righteousness. We do these deeds not to get in right relationship with God, but because we have already been justified by faith. (Pause)

The Christian life is a journey. It is a process of growth in which we “lay hold” of the fullness of that which had been given us. We are Christians; we must now become what we are. We have been saved; now we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Paul understood that he had a lot of room for growth. And if he did, so do we. Too many of us have the attitude that we have finished growing in faith. We should have the same attitude as the great cellist Pablo Casals. A young reporter asked him one day, “You’re 95. The world considers you to be its greatest cellist; and still, at 95, you practice six hours a day. Why?” Pablo Casals replied, “Because I think I’m making progress.”

If we have grown stagnant in our spiritual lives, we need to ask “why?” Are our spiritual lives stunted? Why are we not growing? Why are we stymied in our spiritual progress? What are our barriers to growth? If we are willing to admit that we need to grow, then identify the barriers that are keeping a lid on our spiritual lives, and finally, by God’s grace, deal with those barriers and remove them, we will begin to press on and grow.

Paul uses the terms “count” and “counted” three times in verses 7-9. In this context, it means “to evaluate or consider.” Paul reminds the Philippians that the decision he made 30 years before writing the Letter to the Philippians still has a hold on him-he still considers his previous assets as liabilities. The righteousness of Christ is now the only asset on his balance sheet. It changed him in a way that his own righteousness could never do. Everything that Paul considered so important before his conversion-his ancestry and Judaistic zeal-is now rubbish in comparison to what he possesses in Christ.

The sufferings Paul speaks of are those experiences of the believer who is truly committed to Christ: suffering for the sake of righteousness. Adversity often draws us closer to God in faith. God doesn’t glory in pain or sorrow, but He uses them to teach us about His love and faithfulness. When adversity comes our vulnerability increases and we wonder where God is. We realize that we need God, especially His fellowship and His presence, or we will collapse. God always has something in mind when He allows us to face difficulty. In times of difficulty, God is our immoveable strength. When adversity strikes, the first thing we should do is turn to God. The second step is to offer our commitment to Him that we will remain focused on Him and not on our circumstances.

 Philippians 3:11 is the only place in the New Testament to use the form of the Greek word for “resurrection.” It means “out from the dead ones.” Paul is speaking of the moment when he will stand before the Lord; he does not want to be empty-handed.

Christians who long to finish well will cultivate three things:

1. The discipline of focus-striving for the single goal (the one thing) until its completion, undeterred by obstacles or the taunts of the crowd.
2. The discipline of forgetting-refusing to be paralyzed or rendered complacent by the past.
3. The discipline of following-intensely pursuing the calling of the Christian life until victory has been won.

Paul was not satisfied to rest on his laurels. He had to move forward toward God’s plan, purpose and prize. To apprehend means “to lay hold of, pull down.” In contemporary terms, it refers to a football player who runs someone down from behind and tackles him. This is how Christians should pursue righteousness.

We can’t dwell on past accomplishments. There is always more to learn and do when it comes to our life in Christ. Privileges of birth and achievement mean nothing, as Paul found out. Each of his privileges became a bundle of loss because they were useless.

Knowing Christ means when we repent and accept Christ as our Saviour, we are united with Christ. He does something which we accept by faith. It means knowing Christ’s death and resurrection as present and active forces in our lives. Knowing Christ means knowing the fellowship of His suffering. We are raised to new life in Christ just like He was raised up on the cross. We celebrate the liberating power of His resurrection through praise and thanksgiving. Knowing Christ means being conformed to His death. Christians must die to sin. We must pass through death to life and must yield our lives to a process of letting the old person die so the new person can be born.

We must never forget that salvation, which includes resurrection from the dead, is a gift of God and we dare not presume on divine mercy. What really matters is the prize of the high calling of God. The price of a vital faith is a continuous struggle. We were created by God to grow; we were recreated by Christ to grow and become our whole selves-the new creation we are in Jesus.

When we turn to God, we must set goals that agree with God’s plan for our lives, and that will also enable us to experience God in greater depth. How can we set these goals and move forward with decisiveness? Paul suggests the following steps:

1. Believe and meditate on the promises of God.
2. Have a consuming desire to achieve a precise goal.
3. Have the courage to try, even at the risk of failure.
4. Choose determination.
5. Be persistent.
6. Humble ourselves.Let go of the past.

In the Christian life, it can be a loss to start with or keep the faith when things are going well. Hanging in through good times and tough times, and to be there for the long haul, takes a genuine commitment that is based on a deep belief that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords, and that our lives are in His hands.

What are we unwilling to leave behind for the sake of Christ? Is there anything keeping us from complete obedience? What is keeping us from humbling ourselves in repentance and receiving His forgiveness and the gift of eternal life? Deep down, it might not be wealth, but we know what our idol is. We know it because we are holding onto it so tightly that it can’t escape our grip unless we willingly surrender it to Christ.

As we live and focus on Christ, our eyes should always be gazing ahead to what God has for us next. It’s great to remember how God worked through us in the past, but it’s more important to realize how God wants to work through us today. When we do, we will receive the crown of righteousness on that day when we are gathered before God’s throne.

Bibliography

1. 1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1660-1661)
   2. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 286-298)
   3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
   4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
   5. Richard Inness, “The Race.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org
   6. Bayless Conley, “Not There Yet.” Retrieved from www.answersrbc.org
   7. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Arms Wide Open.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org
   8. Pastor Jack Graham, “Keeping Your Eyes Forward in the New Year.” Retrieved from www.jackgraham.org
   9. Bayless Conley, “The Prize.” Retrieved from www.answersrbc.org
   10. Bayless Conley, “Not There Yet.” Retrieved from www.answersrbc.org
   11. Bayless Conley, “Intimacy with God.” Retrieved from www.answersrbc.org
   12. Pastor Jack Graham, “How to Keep Your Past from Dragging You Down.” Retrieved from www.jackgraham.org
   13. Paul Chappell, “Being Good Citizens.” Retrieved from daily@dailyintheword.org

He was, by all accounts, a successful man. This builder of fine homes in an upscale American suburb was known to all as a creative craftsman, a shrewd businessman, a fair-minded employer, and a generous benefactor. But he was aging now, and before he set out for Florida for the winter, he approached his top superintendent and told him that he was retiring. “I want you to build me a home, the finest home this company has ever built. Spare no expense, use the finest materials, employ the most gifted tradesmen, and build me a masterpiece before I come home next spring.”

The next day, the superintendent set out to build that home, but not exactly to orders. If his boss was retiring, that meant he would be losing his job, so he needed to pad his own savings account, lest he be destitute. He ordered inferior concrete blocks for the foundation, but charged the builder for premium blocks, and he pocketed the difference. Now most of you know that I worked for a local lumber mill several years ago, and I saw some pretty inferior material while I was there, especially lumber!!!

The superintendant hired inexperienced carpenters, plumbers, electricians, roofers and landscapers, but he charged his boss wages that would be paid to master craftsmen, and he put the difference in his own bank account. He installed cheap appliances and lighting, insufficient insulation, inferior carpet, and drafty windows, and he skimmed a tidy sum off the top for himself. In the spring, when the home was finished, it looked spectacular; it was the signature home in the neighborhood, and the only thing that made the superintendent happier than how the project looked was the bottom line in his personal bank account, which had grown by hundreds of thousands of dollars that winter.

When the elderly business owner arrived home from Florida that spring, he toured this home fit for a king, and he was ecstatic. The superintendent handed him the keys and thanked his boss for the privilege of working for him all these years. And then the owner did an unthinkable thing: he said to the superintendent “You have been a trusted friend and a loyal partner in my business for all of these years; you deserve a home like this.” And he handed him the keys.

When you were growing up, did your parents ever have to take anything away from you because you didn’t look after it? If so, you can understand what Jesus is talking about in the parable of the wicked tenants. It is a parable of God’s kingdom on earth. Specifically, God is the landowner, the Jewish leaders and people who reject Jesus or do not care about him are the tenants, the Old Testament prophets are the slaves send by the landowner, and Jesus is the landowner’s son. God gave the kingdom to the Israelites to tend and do his work, but they rejected their duties and turned away from God. In return, he sent the Old Testament prophets to warn them, but the Israelites rejected the prophets, even to the point of hurting or killing them. Finally, God sent his son Jesus to warn them, but he was also rejected and crucified.

The parable of the wicked tenants in Matthew 21:33-46 represents our broken relationship with God, his attempts to repair it, and mankind’s rejection of his attempts. In spite of our continual rejection of him, God never gives up on us. His love for us never diminishes.

Greed is what the parable of the wicked tenants is all about, and greed is everywhere. That’s why the parable is so timely and relevant today; because as that wise homebuilder knew the heart of his superintendant, so Jesus knows the selfish condition of our hearts, and he wants us to change our ways. This parable speaks of anger and hatred against not only God, but against those who oppose him. This can be anyone-nonbelievers, criminals, terrorists, or persecutors.

Exodus 17:1-20 and Matthew 21:33-46 are similar stories. In both cases God has told the people what he wants them to do and how he wants them to live their lives, and in both cases the people rejected him. God has done everything possible to give Israel every advantage. He has established an everlasting covenant with them. He has led them through good times and bad. He has given them the Promised Land as their inheritance. He has even given them the law and prophets to guide them. Were the Israelites grateful to God? No. They accepted everything he offered except for the one thing he asked for in return, and that was to worship him and accept him as their Lord and Saviour. As a consequence, the Jewish leadership, which failed to produce good fruit, was disenfranchised and the vineyard was given to the church, which will produce good fruit. Jesus was not so much foreshadowing the shift of God’s emphasis from Jewish to Gentile realms as he was anticipating the replacement of Israel by the church, which united both Jews and Gentiles.

The same situation exists today. God has sent ministers, priests, preachers and godly evangelists such as Billy Graham to us to urge us to change our ways and accept Christ, but we and our worldly society continue to reject him. As men treat God’s people, they would treat Christ himself the same way, if he was with them. If we are faithful to Christ’s cause, how can we expect a favourable reception from a wicked world? Eventually, God will deal with those who reject him just like he dealt with the leaders of the Jewish people. The kingdom will be open only to those who believe him and are willing to do as he asks. Opposition to Jesus is a wrong response as is an attitude of apathy. Those who harbour such attitudes are in danger of being judged. (Pause)

It is somewhat ironic that the ultimate rejection of Jesus by the Jews led to the foundation of the church-a body of believers who accepted him. It is an example of something that is rejected but that becomes something useful, something that changes history. Another more recent example is Nelson Mandela. For decades he was a prisoner in a South African jail, but he emerged to become the first president of the new South Africa. He was so influential while he was a prisoner that the Apartheid regime held secret meetings with him while he was still in prison. Rebels, young and old, were held with him on Robben Island, and it became a training ground for political leaders. Slowly and painfully South Africa was reformed. A nonracial parliament was elected and chose Nelson Mandela as president. During his inauguration speech on May 10, 1994, he vowed that “never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.” The former prisoner was now president. Once rejected, he was now the cornerstone.

The attitude of the tenants is represented by the Pharisees. They were so concerned about obeying the Ten Commandments that they came up with many rules and regulations governing what the people could and could not do. In time, the Pharisees developed an attitude of being entitled to God’s kingdom even though they disregarded the spirit of God’s law and emphasized the letter of God’s law. They considered themselves to be the only people who were good enough for God’s kingdom. In reality, they rejected him even though they thought they were accepting him.

We have a similar attitude today. Our world is not a playground that God will let us live in. His commandments are a reminder that he has expectations for his chosen people-people who have been chosen not for privilege but for service and witness. When we try to be in charge, it speaks of privilege, our misuse of freedom, or our arrogance. We fall into the trap of thinking we have a right to the many blessings that are part of the world we live in-just like the Israelites thought that they had a right to the blessings God gave them.

If we want to avoid the same fate as the Jewish leaders-if we want to inherit the kingdom-we have to know what God wants us to do with our lives. The only way we can do this is through the spiritual disciplines of prayer, reading the Bible and worship. If we want God to bless our stewardship, we have to live righteously, care about each other and bear witness to our faith. In other words, we have to be fruitful and multiply.

Churches in the Third World are growing while churches in North America are in decline. Why? One possible reason is that people in the Third World are on fire for God and are filled with the Holy Spirit. They have few resources, but much enthusiasm for the Gospel-so much so that they are willing to share with anyone who will listen.

God wants tenants who will produce for him. Do we want to be his tenants? If so, what will we produce? If we produce, we will receive the kingdom of heaven. It can’t be taken by us. It can only be given to us, but we have to earn it first and then share it with others. The only rent God will charge us is our time, our abilities and a portion of our money. We are called to be stewards of our lives, to give of ourselves in the name of the Lord as ministers of Jesus Christ. We are to share ourselves, our time and our possessions as a sign of God’s love. Wherever we spend vast amounts of our time and energy working at a job, caring for a family, helping those in need, making sure that the less fortunate get a fair deal, etc., these are places for us to be conscious of the fact that we are doing work in God’s vineyard, and we will be held responsible for it at the proper time.

The task isn’t ours alone to complete. God has invested care and concern for the work we do in his vineyard, and in the end, God’s ways are what we are trying to accomplish. We must remember that we are only tenants, and the full responsibility for the success of our work is not only ours.

Giving grows out of loving, and loving comes from God. We know love because God first loved us. We have known love and so we love others in return. Giving is our response to God’s love, and our giving makes things happen. In fact, at the time I’m preparing this sermon it will only be a few days until we celebrate the Canadian Thanksgiving-a time to give thanks to God for all he has given us, including the opportunity to bear good fruit for him. We are to be thankful for the portion of worldly things that God has given us, be contented with what we have, and trust God to provide for the future.

Leadership must be about service and about nurturing God’s people. Actions have consequences. Good actions reap good consequences like appreciation, respect, a raise in income, etc. Bad actions reap bad consequences like disrespect, prison, other forms of punishment, or even death. The parable is a statement of God’s concern for his people and a declaration that God’s plan cannot be defeated by man. If we love God, we realize that he knows the best way for us to live. He knows how to keep us from following the ways of the world. He sent his son Jesus to pay for our sins so we could be free from sin and walk in a way worthy of him. Which consequences do we want to reap at the end of our lives?

Bibliography

• MacArthur, John: “MacArthur Study Bible: NASB” (Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, 2006, 2008)

• Exegesis for Matthew 21:33-46. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

1. 1. The Rev. Roy T. Lloyd, ELCA, “Wild Grapes and Productivity”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

• The Rev. Dr. Wiley Stephenson, UMC, “Who’s in Charge Here?” Retrieved from www.day1.org

• Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions: 27^th Sunday (A)” .Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

• Ira Brent Driggers, “Commentary on Gospel (Matthew 21:33-46)” .Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching_print.aspx?commentary_id=145

• The Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “October 2, 2011-Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 22, Year A”. Retrieved from www.episcopalchurch.org/sermons_that_work

1. Fr. John R. Donahue, S.J., “God’s Labour Lost”. Retrieved from www.americanmagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=2501
2. The Rev. Beth Quick, “Lectionary Notes-21^st Sunday after Pentecost”. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/pentecost21anotes.htm
3. The Rev. Beth Quick, “Give and Take-Matthew 21:33-46”. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon10-2-05.htm
4. Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Whose Vineyard Is It Anyway?” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
5. Dr. Mickey Anders, “Wicked Tenants”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
6. Pastor Steve Molin, “Speaking of Us”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
7. The Rev. John Bedingfield, “Stewards of the Planet”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
8. Glen Copple, “What’s wrong with This World?” Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Whats-Wrong-With-This-World?&id=1559975
9. Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package
10. Fr. John Kendrick, O.P., “Working with God”. Retrieved from http://torch.op.org/preaching_sermon_item.php?sermon=5645

The Ten Commandments define the life God wants us to have with him and with each other. Every aspect of our lives is to show that we belong to God. The Ten Commandments are minimum standards for a just society and are the framework for how we are to live our lives. We are to reflect God’s righteousness and justice by obeying God’s Commandments. They are the building blocks for a functioning society. These rules will never be out of date. These rules will never change. These rules will never budge because they are eternally the same.

 The phrase “I am the Lord Your God” is mentioned twelve times in Exodus 20:1-21. It emphasizes his authority and his relationship with his people. They show the love he has for us. God knows that it will be almost impossible for us to perfectly obey these commandments, so he can heal the broken relationship when we break one of the Ten Commandments.

These rules deal with our relationship with God. For example, God is a jealous God. That is why he does not want his people to worship other gods. He loves us so much that he wants the very best for us, and the very best for us is worshipping the one true God. God loves us so much that he wants us to keep his name sacred. That’s why we are told not to take his name in vain. God loves us so much that he wants us to set aside one day a week to worship him. That is why he tells us to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

These rules also deal with our relationships with other people. Honouring our parents means loving them as much as God loves us. God wants us to love one another as much as he loves us. If we do, we will not kill, commit adultery, steal, covet our neighbour’s goods or lie. Our love for God will bring us to our knees because of our need to be loved. If we obey God, it shows our love for him and it is good for us as well.

These rules also deal with our ethics of life. God sees that the issues addressed by the Ten Commandments are wrong because they go against moral laws. God wants us to respect the hazards of sin. Appropriate fear of God makes us reverent, obedient and worshipful so that we will not sin. We will obey the Commandments because our commitment to God gives us an overwhelming desire to obey him. In fact, we are required to obey God when we hear his voice. The Ten Commandments force us to take responsibility for our actions. They are to be part of our response to what Jesus did for us on the cross.

God is a mystery. He has hidden many things from us. These hidden things combined with our sinful human nature to create a gap between us and him. Throughout the Old Testament several of God’s prophets such as Moses tried to close this gap. The only person who has successfully bridged this gap is Jesus. Jesus is the mediator between us and God. God tries to restore our relationship with him through the Ten Commandments and the two Great Commandments. We can’t ignore this relationship. If it is to be an exclusive relationship, God must be our number one priority. The Ten Commandments are the required response of a grateful people.

We are grateful, but we are not perfect. That’s okay, because God sees us through the eyes of love-the same love that caused him to send his son Jesus to pay the price for our sins. God hopes that we will look at others through the same eyes of love. We are not perfect, but God has prepared a place for us with his saints.

Bibliography

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

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

• Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 2: Exodus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987)

1. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.: 2006)
2. Radmacher, E.D.; Allen, R.B. & House, H.W.: Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)
3. Robert L. Allen, “Rules for Living.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
4. King Duncan, “Responsible Living.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
5. King Duncan, “Etched in Stone.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com