Sermons From My Heart

How many of you have ever planted a garden?  If you have, then you know that one of the biggest enemies of a good garden is weeds. Weeds will rob the soil of the nutrients that help your plants to grow and many times they will choke out good plants. What can you do? Well, you could take a hoe and chop down the weeds, but if you do that, you will probably chop down some of the good plants by accident.

Another way to get rid of the weeds is to buy some weed killer. This stuff will really kill the weeds. The biggest problem with weed killer is that it doesn’t know a thistle from a tomato plant. It kills every plant that it touches. Sometimes, it is best just to leave the weeds alone until it is time to harvest the crop. Then you can separate the weeds from the good plants.

One time, Jesus told a story that compared his church to a garden that was infested with weeds. Sometimes there may be people in the church that don’t really belong. They do things that aren’t very loving and they don’t seem to believe what the Bible teaches. They sometimes say hateful things about the other members of the church and try to hurt them. They are like weeds in a garden.

 The parable of the wheat and the darnel answers two questions: How can good and evil coexist in this age? What should we do about it? The key to understanding this parable is to think in pairs: there are two planters, two plants, two plans and two prospects.

The field where the seeds are sown represents the world. The man who sows good seeds is Jesus. The man who sows darnel is Satan. Christians represent good seeds. Darnel represents evil people. The harvest represents the end of the world. The reapers represent the angels.

In Jesus’ day, after a field had been sown with wheat, a mischief-maker might sneak into the field and sow darnel over the original crop. Darnel looked almost identical to wheat, but it had no market value. Only at harvest time, when the crop was fully grown, could the farmer distinguish the true wheat from the worthless darnel.

In its initial stages of growth, darnel closely resembled wheat, and that resemblance made it almost impossible to identify. As the plants matured, the roots of the weeds and the wheat intermingled, making them almost impossible to separate. Any attempt to pull the weeds also pulled the wheat. Separation was necessary because darnel was both bitter and mildly toxic. If it was not removed before milling, darnel ruined the flour. The usual solution was to separate the grains after threshing by spreading them on a flat surface and having people remove the darnel, which was a distinct colour at this stage, by hand.

This is how Satan works. He will plant his seeds among Christians, including in the church. They will talk like Christians and use words that Christians use. When they do something evil, people will say, “I can’t believe that a Christian would do such a thing!” Maybe they were darnel among the wheat. Christians are capable of sinning, but some people are imitations.

The servants and the owner had two different plans for protecting the good seed. The servants wanted to uproot the tares sown by the enemy and dispose of them immediately. But the owner wisely insisted that both be allowed to grow until the harvest. Otherwise, the wheat would be destroyed because it could not be distinguished from the tares.

We will always have darnel among the wheat. We will always have plants that undermine the Word of God. It’s not our job to weed those people out. We don’t see their hearts. Our concern should not be who the hypocrites are, but whether we are hypocrites ourselves. Our job is to take care of ourselves, to take heed and make sure that we are true believers.

Because there are two sowers, evil is in our midst. We are uncomfortable today with the devil and for the most part preachers ignore it in their preaching. The ignored devil sneaks in by back doors through the appeal of the occult, the magical, the falsely supernatural, prophecy conferences, astrology, the New Age movement or other means. The devil doesn’t cease to exist because we say he ceases to exist. On the contrary, he reappears in more grotesque or subtle forms in popular or polite culture.

God allows the righteous and the wicked to live alongside one another, and He has decided not to tell us why. We must conclude that somehow and in some way, it glorifies God to allow this to happen. We must leave these questions with our faith in the character of God.

The situation will change one day, but for now we must remember that not everyone has faith. It’s useless for us to do the sorting. Our standards are lower than God’s perfect standards. Besides, a bad seed or evil person might turn out to be a good seed or a faithful, righteous person. If we do what we think is right by sorting what we think is evil from what we think is good, we might put the good with the evil and vice versa. If we try to rid the church of the weeds in its midst, we might not recognize its true members.

For example, an expert who was evaluating a potential football coach said of him, “He possesses minimal football knowledge. Lacks motivation.” He was talking about Vince Lombardi, who later became the successful football coach quoted for saying, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” Eighteen publishers turned down a story about a seagull written by Richard Bach. His book, entitled “Johnathan Livingston Sea Gull”, was finally published in 1970 and in five years it sold more than 7 million copies in the United States alone. After legendary Fred Astaire’s screen test the director who evaluated him wrote, “Can’t act, slightly bald, can dance a little.” It just proves the old saying, “Ya’ just never know!”

We don’t know why God allows evil in the world, the church and our hearts. The parable doesn’t answer this, but it doesn’t ignore the problem of evil in our midst. It doesn’t even give an easy answer to the questions, “Will evil or good have the last word? Who’s going to win?”

Jesus rejected the idea of pulling up the darnel. He said that it is to be left alone until the harvest (or judgment). The wheat represents Christians and the darnel represents the enemies of Christianity. One day the Lord will send his angels (reapers) to separate the tares from the wheat. The tares will be burned, but the wheat will be gathered into the barn (heaven). Satan will do all he can to destroy Christians, but he will be fully exposed and dealt with at the final judgment.

The future of the darnel (the lawless) and the wheat (the righteous) are described in verses 40-43. The lawless are destined to experience the fires of hell, where they will live in eternal misery. Conversely, the righteous will live in eternal radiance and joy. Their King will also be their Father!

Satan does not sow thorns or briars or brush; he sows darnel, which is impossible to distinguish from genuine wheat until harvest time. In the world today, children of the kingdom are sown in a field where they are saturated, entwined, covered and surrounded by the children of the evil one-and sometimes it is hard to tell them apart. The true sower of the seed of salvation is God himself. Only He has the power to change hearts.

The righteous are those who come to Jesus in faith to be cleansed of their sin and guilt. Jesus will clothe them with His own righteousness. Every good seed that is planted in our hearts comes from God. He prepares the soil of our hearts. He will till it, but we must prepare the soil. We do this by the way we live our lives. We must allow the Word of God to inform, shape and guide all aspects of our being in the world. Part of this process includes sharing what we learn from the Scriptures.

This parable is a story of grace for us. As we consider our own lives and recall the mistakes we have made and the wrongs we have done, most of us are glad that we have had the time to change and work things out. Most of us are also glad that we have had the space to let the wheat grow and bear a rich harvest.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1305-1306)
2. Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982, p. 18)
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. The New Testament Commentary, Vol. 1-Matthew and Mark. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
6. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 16^th Sunday (A).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
7. “Sower.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
8. T.M. Moore, “Love Sows.” Retrieved from www.ailble.org
9. Greg Laurie, “Cheap Imitations.” Retrieved from www.harvest.org
10. Greg Laurie, “What Exactly is a Tare?” Retrieved from www.harvest.org
11. Richard Neill Donovan, “Exegesis for Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
12. Pastor Dick Woodward, “Why Evil?” Retrieved from crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
13. “Weeds in the Garden.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com

How many of you have planted a garden? If you have, you know that there is a lot of work involved such as preparing the soil, pulling weeds and watering the soil. Perhaps the most important task is planting seeds. There are at least two ways to plant the seeds. One is to kneel on the ground and plant the seeds. Another way is to walk along and scatter the seeds, and that’s the example Jesus used in Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23.

Jesus cast his message far and wide to convince people that God loves them and is inviting them into a new way of life. He expects us to cast the same message far and wide. Anyone who is open to this message can receive it. It is something they could not have received on their own. When they receive it, they are blessed because they have heard and seen something that has been hidden from the rest of the world.

The parable of the sower has three main elements: the sower, the seeds and the soils. The sower represents the Lord, the seed represents the Word of God, and the soils represent four categories of hearers, each with a different response to God’s Word.

In Jesus’ day, sowers would drape a bag of seed over their shoulder, and as they walked up and down the often-uncultivated furrows, they would throw handfuls of seed across the ground. Preaching the word of God is like taking God’s seed-the Word of God-and scattering it everywhere.

The wayside soil represents the calloused heart. In Palestine at the time of Jesus, narrow ribbons of grounds divided the fields. These ribbons were rights of way, travelled so frequently that their surfaces were as hard as concrete and the seed could not penetrate the soil.

The stony ground represents the casual heart. The stony ground describes not a field filled with rocks but an area of limestone covered by a thin layer of dirt. The seeds would fall and immediately take root, but because their roots could not go deep enough to draw moisture from the ground, the plants would wither in the heat. In a similar way, some people appear to be converted and seem to experience explosive growth, but soon fall back into their old ways of living. Jesus is not speaking of losing one’s salvation-He says that such people never had salvation to begin with. Instead, they had only a shallow, emotional experience.

The thorny ground represents the crowded heart. This soil has weeds that eventually choke out the seed. The soil has four kinds of weeds: the deceitfulness of riches, the cares of this world, the lust of other things, and the pleasures of this life. The enemy here is not internal but external. The hearts of the third set are divided. Their hearts are crowded. The shallow nature of some people who receive Christ lies in their impulses, compassion, intentions and surroundings. They are easily swayed by the influences of the world. In contrast, those who bear fruit look beyond worldly experiences and move into a rich, deep relationship with Jesus.

The sower knows that the variety of seeds will determine his crop. In the good soil, among responsive people, there is still variation, but there is still a harvest of faith. The good ground represents the converted heart-the person who hears the Word, allows its truth to sink in, and is genuinely saved. Just as there are three levels in not believing the Word of God, there are also three levels of productivity in the hearts of those who believe. Some produce fruit a hundredfold, some produce fruit sixtyfold, and some produce fruit thirtyfold. But Jesus presents no category where a believer produces fruit “zerofold.”

The enemy of the Word in the first soil is the devil, represented by birds who snatch away the seed. The enemy in the second soil is the flesh that can’t handle the heat of the sun. The enemy in the third soil is the world and its system-the pleasures, riches and cares of this life. The proof of genuine salvation is not shown by listening to or emotionally responding to the Word, but by the fruit.

Whoever hears Jesus’ word, labours to understand it and then goes on to bear fruit represents the good ground in the parable. Significantly, Jesus does not commend those who produce thirty times what was sown any less than those who produce a hundredfold. In His time, an excellent yield was tenfold (10 harvested for one sown); these numbers in Matthew indicate that the harvest will far exceed anything any of His listeners had experienced. Those who accept His Word aren’t always successful by the world’s standards.

Jesus often used parables, He used them to hide the truth from believers while making it clear to His disciples. Unfortunately, he didn’t always succeed, as the second half of the reading shows. Jesus’ veiling of the truth from unbelievers was both an act of judgment and an act of mercy. It was judgment because it kept them in the darkness that they loved. It was mercy because they had already rejected the light, so any exposure to more light would only increase their condemnation.

The parable of the sower shows the risk of sowing the seed of the Good News, but it assures us that much of the seed will bear a harvest. The sower is not upset by areas of inadequate soil or areas where the Good News is not accepted wholeheartedly. The sower realized that the good soil will yield a good harvest. The story focuses on the message of the kingdom, and respectively on Jesus and His followers as preachers of the kingdom.

Before we can bear fruit, we have to prepare ourselves to receive the seed of God’s Word, just like a farmer prepares the ground before he plants seeds. We have to admit to ourselves that we are sinners who are living in darkness. Just like a farmer waters the soil, we have to let the Holy Spirit water our souls to receive the Good News and accept Jesus as our Saviour. Only then can Jesus plant His Word in our hearts to bring forth the fruit of righteousness in His time, especially during life’s trials.

God wants us to hear, understand and apply His words and instructions. He doesn’t see us as vaults in which He hides His Word. He sees us as gardens in which His Word can sprout and grow. Receiving the Good News means becoming like Jesus. It means changing our character and outlook. As we spend time with Jesus and get to know Him better, His thoughts will become our thoughts. His purpose will become our purpose. God can’t help but share His love, grace and mercy and will do so recklessly and wastefully, because God alone knows that grace is never exhausted and love is never wasted.

Jesus’ parables revealed the true nature of the responses and decisions of the members of His audience. Those committed to the Kingdom of God would seek and find understanding. Those who were uncommitted—perhaps listening only because of the initial excitement—would reject the teaching as unintelligible.

Those who receive the Word and become true followers of Jesus will undergo times of hardship, times of trial and seasons where they will feel as though God is far from them. There will be times when other people give them a tough time for no reason other than the fact that they are Christians. We and they must remember not to build our lives on approval of other people. We must build our lives on Christ.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1303-1305)
2. Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; p.18)
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. The New Testament Commentary, Vol. 1-Matthew & Mark. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
6. Greg Laurie, “How Do We Bear Spiritual Fruit?” Retrieved from www.harvest.org
7. “The Good Soil.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
8. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 15^th Sunday (A)>” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
9. L.B. Cowman, “Streams in the Desert.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
10. Alfred Edersheim, “Why Did Jesus Teach in Parables?” Retrieved from Jesus.org@crosswalkmail.com
11. Richard Neill Donovan, “Exegesis for Matthew 13:1-9,18-23.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
12. Greg Laurie, “Shallow Roots.” Retrieved from www.harvest.org

Rod loved the smell of the pine forest mingling with the smoke from campfires as he and his dad sat in the outdoor amphitheatre at the national park campground. They were listening to the park ranger talk about wolves. Near the end of his talk, the ranger said, “I’m going to close with a legend that has been passed down for hundreds of years.”

The ranger began, “Many, many years ago, a native American grandfather was talking to his grandson. ‘Inside of me are two wolves’ said the grandfather, ‘and they are having a terrible fight. One wolf is evil—full of hate, lies, anger, greed and jealousy. The other wolf is good—full of peace, love, truth, sharing, kindness, friendship and generosity.’ The grandson nodded, wondering who would win the fight. ‘That same fight,’ the grandfather continued, ‘is going on inside of you.’”

“The grandson looked concerned. ‘But which wolf will win?’ he asked.”

“The wise grandfather replied, ‘The one you feed!’”

How many of you have ever played a game of tug-of-war? If you have, you might be able to understand the conflict Paul is talking about in Romans 7:15-25, because we as Christians are in a spiritual tug-of-war. Our old, sinful nature is not removed when we accept Christ as our Saviour. That old-sinful nature fights against our Christ-filled nature. One part of our nature supports the Old Testament law, but another part rebels against it. One part of us will want to do good deeds, but another part will hinder us from doing good deeds. It is the struggle between knowing what is right and doing what is right. In other words, it is the conflict between good and evil. This might seem to be a hopeless situation, but it isn’t. Because Christ is in us, we will win.

In the “Peanuts” comic strip, Lucy once taught Linus by drawing a heart, half of which was black and the other half white. “There is a battle going on within our hearts,” Lucy preached. Linus thought about what she said and exclaimed, “I think I can feel the fight going in inside of me!”

Our sinful nature is due to the original sin. When Adam and Eve sinned, all of mankind was doomed to death. One sin brought down every human being who would ever be born. As the old saying goes, one bad apple spoiled the whole bunch. From the moment Adan and Eve sinned, we were all born of sin, and death would be our destination. One sin is all it took to separate us from God. When Jesus died for us, His one act of sacrifice on the cross was all it took to restore us back to God. Through one man, death entered; through one Man, life was restored.

The conflict Paul is talking about is a form of spiritual warfare. As we learn to say no to sin and yes to God, we are given a renewed spirit, vigor and understanding. Paul talks about this struggle by talking about his own personal struggle with good versus evil. In his eyes, he failed to do any good and he could not completely comply with God’s law. God’s Old Testament law demanded perfection.

The law does have its good points. It gave us the Ten Commandments, which are helpful, healthful and good. The law does not save us from sin, but it does show us the character of the giver of the law-God. The problem with the law is that it reveals human weakness when compared to the law’s perfect standard. After the law proves how bad we are, it doesn’t make us any better. The law that exposes our weaknesses doesn’t give us the power to overcome them. It only leads to a dead end.

The Pharisees tried to compensate for this by coming up with a list of 612 do’s and don’ts, but they only reinforced the point that we can’t completely obey the law. No set of rules can break the cycle of guilt and failure we feel because of the law. We need outside help, and only Christ can provide that help. God’s law pulls us heavenward, whereas the law of sin pulls us toward hell. Jesus gives us eternal life through him, and escape from the flesh is also through him. Jesus dealt with sin through his death and resurrection.

In Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30, Jesus explains that we do not need to follow man-made rules. Jesus even replaced the Ten Commandments with the two Great Commandments-love God and love people. God’s grace gives us the freedom to enjoy the rights and privileges of being out from the bondage of sin and man-made laws. Everyone is different, and God loves variety because he loves each of us so much that he sent Jesus to die for us on the cross. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we are restored to God.

Our desire to do what’s right rests in us, our flesh. Sin operates through our flesh, that learned independence that encourages us to rebel against God. Sin and our faith collide in our minds. That’s why it’s important for us to renew our minds and take every evil thought to the obedience of Christ. All our desires matter to God. They impact our lives and the lives of others. We can only experience true freedom when God is a part of all opportunities to shape our lives. If we sin, we give the devil an opportunity to run our lives, and the devil brings only misery.

Battling the devil in this spiritual warfare is evidence of God working in our lives. As children of God, we’ve been forgiven of our sins, so Satan must work even harder to get us to fail. We don’t need to worry because we are filled with the Holy Spirit so that we may have victory over sin through salvation in Jesus.

Many of us as Christians want to be set free from this conflict. That will only happen when we get to heaven. The only way we will win it on earth is to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit. We can win much of the battle by realizing that the struggle exists. Sin is still a powerful force, but it no longer controls us unless we let it control us. As we learn to say no to sin and yes to God, we are made free to obey God with renewed vigor and understanding. As we let the Holy Spirit live in us, He will overcome our indwelling sin, the temptation to live in the flesh, and the burden of obeying the law.

Like Paul, we have a constant struggle when it comes to doing the right thing. We know what is right, but when it comes to doing what is right, we often fail, and the harder we try, the more likely we are to fail. The alternative is to give in to sin, but the result is eternal damnation. There is a third alternative-one that was provided by Jesus’ death and resurrection. What is impossible for us to solve on our own has been solved by God’s grace. Jesus has freed us from the damages caused by this inner war. If we genuinely seek to do God’s work in our world, we become better people of faith.

Being open with our struggles puts us on the same level with every other human being alive, which is where we belong. Because of Jesus, our sin will not follow us into eternity. As a sign I’ve often seen in front of a local church reads, “1 cross + 3 nails=4 given.” When we focus on the law, we are constantly reminded that we’ll never be good enough to deserve God’s grace. When we focus on Jesus, we become more like Him.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on Romans (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2010)
3. Pastor Steve Molin, “Conundrum: (n.) A Puzzling Question or a Problem.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
4. Charles R. Swindoll, “Defining Liberty, Part Two.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca
5. Pastor Ed Young, “Decision Effect.” Retrieved from www.edyoung.com
6. Exegesis for Romans 7:15-25. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
7. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2005)
8. Briscoe, D.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 29: Romans (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 145-148)
9. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
10. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1568-1570)
11. Pete Briscoe, “Experiencing Life Today-Feb. 24, 2014.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
12. Dr. Neil Anderson, “The Battle of the Mind.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
13. “Relationship Over Religion.” Retrieved from www.dailydisciples.org
14. Pastor Ed Young, “Decision Effect.” Retrieved from www.edyoung.com
15. “Reaping the Benefits of the Law.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
16. Jennifer Benson Schuldt, “Not Perfect.” Retrieved from www.rbc.org
17. Randy Kilgore, “A Prisoner No More.” Retrieved from www.rbc.org

How many of you have a welcome mat outside of the front door of your house? A welcome mat usually has two purposes. It’s used to encourage people to wipe their shoes off so that they won’t track dirt or mud into your home or business. And, they are placed outside your door as a sign to let people know that they are welcome to come in.

In Matthew 10:40-42, Jesus talks about welcoming people. Generally, Matthew emphasizes the disciples being good hosts, but in this passage, he turns that around. The disciples are the ones being cared for by others. Similarly, as modern-day messengers of God, we need to be gracious guests and accept help from others. Often the most caring people are the ones who are least likely to accept any help for themselves. As Christians, we need to be both care-givers and care-receivers. We need to allow others to use their gifts to help us. Each and every act of mercy contains Christ’s love for the world. It is a love we can share anytime and anywhere with any gesture, no matter the size.

The identification of the littles ones in need of a cup of cold water elevates the least powerful member of the community of disciples (of which all Christians are members today) into a position of equal importance to that of prophets and righteous ones. At the beginning of the commissioning of the disciples, Jesus sent them into the mission field without any means of support and defense-no money, no travel bag, no change of clothes, not even a staff or sandals. They were completely dependent, first on God and then on the hospitality of the communities that received them. Their vulnerability and dependence were the key to the success of the mission.

Similarly, when we are given the same commission, we are sent out without any means of support or defense, except that which is provided by God or the people who receive our message. We are dependent on others. Our vulnerability and dependence is the key to the success of our mission.

Jesus teaches that receiving His messengers or prophets is the same as receiving Him, and that receiving Him is the same as receiving His Father. The One who is sent represents the Sender. The same reward given to the prophet will also be given to the one who receives the prophet.

God is honoured when we do acts in His name. He is honoured when we receive prophets because He is a prophet. He is honoured when we receive a righteous person because He is righteous. He is honoured when we give a drink of water to a disciple because He is a disciple. When we receive a messenger, we receive Christ. God will reward us for everything we do in faith in His name. The simplest deed in discipleship in Christ will be recognized by God. God doesn’t only reward “big” jobs or “important” works. He loves to give and He loves to reward obedience, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to us.

Someone once wrote to Billy Graham and asked if missionaries do any good. The writer said, “Our church has been raising money to help build a health clinic where some of our missionaries work. To be honest, though, do projects like this actually do any good? That country is very poor, and one little clinic isn’t going to change anything.”

Billy Graham replied:

“Yes, a project like this may seem like a drop in a bucket compared with the overwhelming needs of that country. But it won’t be a drop in a bucket for that community! We take so much for granted in our society, but what if your nearest doctor or hospital was 50 miles away, and you had no way to get there? That’s the situation millions face in our world, and the problems can only be solved one step at a time.”

“The clinic your church is helping to support will not only bring physical health to this village, but it will also be a beacon of spiritual hope as it points people to Jesus Christ. God loves the people of this village just as much as He loves you and me, and He yearns for them to come to know Him and love Him just as much as He does you and me.”

We can say, “That’s not my problem!” and shut the needs of others from our minds; or we can say, “I can’t change everything, but I can do something about the pain at my elbow.” For example, two friends were walking on the beach covered by starfish washed ashore by a high tide. The starfish were destined to die soon in the burning sun on the sandy beach. One man began picking up starfish and gently tossing them in the ocean. The friend said, “What are you doing? What difference does it make? You can’t begin to save all of them.” “True,” the other man said, “but it makes a difference to the ones I save.”

It is the same with those we can help. We don’t have all the answers, but as we come to grips with the enormity of the problem, it’s amazing how we begin to see the needs and hear the Holy Spirit say, “Help, here!” or “Do something about this!”. When we do that, we can and do make a difference.

Christ lives in His people. They become His ambassadors. How they are treated is how He is treated. Welcoming His ambassadors is the same as welcoming Him. Jesus equated Himself with God. He also knew that God gave Him authority, and He claimed that authority. Hospitality is a witness to the unconditional love of Christ. That lifts us up and saves all who would be saved. It’s open to everyone.

When we look at the world today, we don’t see much hospitality. Too many of us hide in upper class or gated communities. Too many of us change the channel when we see poor people on television. Too many of us change stations or turn the radio off when we hear stories about poor people. This does not mean that hope is dead. On the contrary, hope survives. It is all around us, especially in this parish. All of our outreach programs are unsung stories of faith at work, not just for the people they serve but for the vehicle of love they provide for us.

The “little ones”-both the poor and those who are new to the faith-are our guests of honour. They might be angels in disguise or even Christ Himself in disguise. We are urged to welcome them as we would welcome Christ. As Christ said when He gave us the two Great Commandments, we are to love God and love people.

How different would our ministry be if we took seriously the understanding that we are Christ’s presence in the world? How different would our ministry be if we remembered that we are treating other believers the way we are treating Christ?

Not all of the rewards we will receive will be positive ones. Can we have positive ones without negative ones and vice versa? Can we have all the blessings of believing without the persecution and suffering? Can we have the resurrection to new life without the suffering and dying to self? Can we have the crown without the cross?

What would happen if we stopped expecting people to come through our church doors on our own initiative and instead took seriously our calling to bring the gospel to them? What would happen if we truly believed that we bear the presence of Christ to every person we encounter, in every home, workplace, or neighbourhood we enter? What would happen if we saw every conversation as an opportunity to speak words of grace, every interaction as an opportunity to show Christ’s love for our neighbours?

Our task is to see Christ in everyone and attend to the Christ in everyone-the stranger, the enemy, the friend, the spouse, our sibling, a politician, even someone who believes differently than we do. Christ is in everyone. When we regard everyone as Christ, then maybe they will see the Christ who is in us.

The simple act of leaving our personal comforts to care for the needs of another demonstrates the love Jesus shared with us when He left the ultimate comfort and joy of heaven to live life here on earth. Serving another person is inconvenient. It takes time, energy, personal resources, and sometimes, personal discomfort. It is so much easier to look away and assume someone else will do it. Jesus invites us to serve Him by caring for the needs of others. Today and every day the invitation remains. How will we respond?

Hospitality is crucial to the gospel message because unless we change our point of view, unless we change the state of our hearts and minds about those that society oppresses, unless we can see others as children of God, then we can’t fulfill our orders to share the Good News of forgiveness and healing, of justice and mercy, of righteousness and hope.

How about in our churches? Do you think that people are always welcome at our church home? Do we speak to those people who are visiting our church that we do not know? If someone comes to our church and they are dressed different from the way we are dressed, do we make sure that they are made to feel welcome?

Jesus said, “He who receives you receives me.” If we turn that around, we will understand that if we do not welcome others into our homes and into our churches, it is the same as if we are refusing to welcome Jesus. We wouldn’t do that, would we?

Well, let’s put the welcome mat out — and let’s be sure that we mean it!

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1299)
2. The New Testament Commentary, Vol. 1: Matthew and Mark. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Ins.; 1982; p.18)
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 James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. “Did Jesus Claim to Be God?” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
7. Billy Graham, “Do Missionaries Do Any Good?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com
8. Dr. Harold Sala, “How Rich Are You?” Retrieved from www.guidelines.org
9. Leslie Snyder, “Uncommon Courtesy.” Retrieved from www.homeword.com
10. Brian P. Stoffregen, “Exegetical Notes: Matthew 10:40-42.” Retrieved from www.crossmark.com
11. Elisabeth Johnson, “Commentary on Matthew 10:40-42.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
12. Stanley Saunders, “Commentary on Matthew 10:40-42.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
13. David Lose, “No Small Gestures.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
14. The Rev. Dr. Dan Leon, “A Crucial Cup of Cold Water.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
15. “Welcome.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com 

I’m going to take you for a walk down memory lane for a couple of minutes. How many of you remember the TV show, “I Love Lucy?” On that show, the main character, Lucy Ricardo, was always getting into mischief. Sometimes it was so bad that her husband said, “Lucy, you’ve got some explaining to do!”

In the passage from Acts 11:1-18, Peter had some explaining to do to the rest of the apostles. They heard the reports about Peter preaching to Cornelius and his family, and they were not happy. The Jews believed that as God’s chosen people they were the only people who could receive the Holy Spirit and the Good News. The idea that the Gentiles could receive the Holy Spirit was extraordinary and contrary to the ideas of the Jews. It is not surprising therefore that Peter would have to do some explaining when he returned to Jerusalem. Instead of debating his accusers, Peter told them the remarkable story of all that had happened. Peter made sure they knew that he went to Caesarea in direct obedience to the Spirit, and that six Jewish believers had accompanied him to the house of Cornelius.

Peter showed that the best way to silence opposition is to make a plain statement of things as they occurred. Opposition most commonly arises from prejudice or false or exaggerated statements. They can best be removed not by arguing but by truthfully telling the facts.

As Peter told the disciples what happened in Caesarea, the Holy Spirit was at work in the minds of the disciples. They loved Peter and believed in him. They gave him a good hearing. Peter and the disciples asked the question, “Who are we that we can withstand God?” They carefully considered the evidence and received the message that the Good News was open to everyone.

This story has implications for us. There is a difference between the Lord being on our agenda and us being on His agenda. God urges us to keep our focus on Him. God is preparing the next step for each of us. God will move us on in our growth. He won’t let us stay where we are. He will gently nudge us and give us the desire to receive what He wants to give us. He will involve us with people who need Him more than they need their next breath.

Once we clearly see God at work, we are wise to join Him or stay out of the way. For example, it never occurred to the early Jewish believers that God might choose to send the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles. Once they saw the truth, they responded correctly by praising God. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for people to have their lives changed and in the process, change the world where they are, and so make the kingdom of God a reality here and now.

Another truth revealed in this passage from Acts is that God gives gifts to others who may or may not believe or practice their faith in the same way that we do. God gives gifts to both unbelievers and believers. God accepts all people even as He has accepted us. It is useless for us to argue with God or contradict God. We can’t win.

This story has implications for the church. Culture clashes are inevitable, especially when churches try to hold on to rules that have nothing to do with the Gospel. There are times when it takes much more strength to let go of these rules than to hang on. There are also clashes with different denominations and their cultures.

What would happen if all the churches agreed, on a given day, to change their names simply to “church?” What if all references to denomination were removed and we were just Christians? And when, people chose which church to attend, they wouldn’t do so by the sign outside. They would do so by the hearts of the people inside. When people were asked what church they attended, their answer wouldn’t be a label but just a location.

The message from this passage holds power for us today. Peter, with the help of the Holy Spirit, entered a space in which he was unfamiliar, in order to become like “the others.” Peter’s experiences are remarkable in and of themselves, but in sharing his story with skeptics in the church, he expanded the horizon of possibilities for his own people. Are there times when our experiences outside of the realm of church need to be shared with those within the church? How might those experiences change the ways that we are called to follow Jesus? How can we be loving toward people who have differing, even contrary, worldviews and ideologies and practices to our own? What does extending love look like when individuals do not want to receive love? We need to remember these three things:

1. There is one Gospel: God accepts all who have faith in Christ.
2. There is one body: In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile.
3. There is one rule: In Christ, love others as God loves you.

Thanks be to God, AMEN

 Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1506)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Ogilvie, L.J. & Ogilvie, L.J. The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol 28: Acts (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; pp. 187-189)
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 Kings James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)

What happens on the day that you realize that you can do something the boss can’t? What happens when someone who works for you suddenly surpasses your ability or status? I’ll tell you what happens-instant conflict and role reversal. In the passage from Genesis 21:8-21, Hagar starts looking down on Sarah, and in turn Sarah becomes abusive to Hagar.

Sarah was probably jealous because of Ishmael, even though she had a hand in Ishmael’s birth. God promised that Abraham and Sarah would have a child despite their old age. Sarah doubted God, so she suggested that Abraham try to make her handmaid Hagar pregnant. Hagar was forced against her will to have sexual relations with Abraham, and bear him a son. Ishmael, who was a teenager when Isaac was born, had to know that Isaac’s birth was nothing but a miracle of God’s grace. Nevertheless, when Isaac became the centre of attention, Ishmael began to scoff at him, and perhaps even his parents.

Sarah saw that there would be a confrontation between Isaac and Ishmael. Ishmael wanted Abraham’s power and authority passed down to him, but God wanted to establish Isaac as the heir. Isaac became the founder of the Jewish nation, and Ishmael became the father of the Arab nation. That inevitable conflict between Isaac and Ishmael was the seed for the confrontation between Arabs and Christians today, especially in the Middle East.

Just because God chose the Jews as His chosen people doesn’t mean that other people can’t receive Christ in faith and receive His grace and care. History is full of stories of Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and people of other religions receiving Christ in faith. God is portrayed as the God of all people, but it is often to hold all other people accountable for how they treated Israel and each other. Yes, God is the God of the Arab nation, and in His own time and in His own way He will punish the Arabs and Muslim extremists for their poor treatment of Christians and Jews.

Sarah’s demand that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away was both very displeasing to Abraham and distressing, because he loved Ishmael. To banish a surrogate mother went against cultural norms as well. The law of Abraham’s day forbade the putting out of a handmaiden’s son if a rightful, natural heir was born. Sarah’s request offended social law, Abraham’s sensibilities and his love for Ishmael. Ultimately, this was such a personal and painful decision for Abraham that the Lord had to tell him to listen to Sarah. Obeying God can be heart-wrenching, but it must be done.

Abraham mourning his loss, Hagar mourning her impending death and bereavement, and Ishmael crying out in anguish combine to present a picture of our world which knows so much about the time to mourn yet often has so few resources to meet tragedy when it comes. Our world needs an experience not unlike Hagar’s experience as told in Genesis 21:19-20. God is there for us when we suffer. He still works through us and the church to accomplish His divine will.

Hagar found her ultimate hope in God when she thought all hope was gone. Hagar discovered that we learn more in our suffering than when things are going well. Sometimes God brings believers to a difficult place in the wilderness to discipline them so they can realize their need for Him. In the desert, people can see themselves as they really are. There they learn that He hears and will never leave or forsake His children.

At some point, all of us will have a tough time doing what we know we should do because of our emotions. We’re going to be torn up inside by our feelings. God has the power to reveal the truth of a situation to us, and when He does, He pushes us past our feelings to accomplish what He wants us to do.

God provided a son to Hagar when she cried for a son in Genesis 16:11. God provided a son for Sarah even though she had doubts. God fulfilled His promises when conditions appeared hopeless. God will fulfill His promises, not matter how difficult our problems are. Even when we don’t know when and how God will act, we must trust that He watches over us

Isolation from human community does not mean isolation from God. God is always with us during the desert times in our lives. God guides us to new communities that will surround us with love and support. Hagar and Ishmael found a new community of support in Egypt. While the pain of separation might never leave us, God never leaves us. He loves us no matter what is happening in our lives.

When all hope seemed lost to Hagar and Ishmael, God was there for them. When Hagar cried out to God, God provided water and made Ishmael a great nation. God made another great nation through Abraham, Sarah and Isaac. In today’s world, we see nation pitted against nation because of the untamed sins of jealousy, pride and selfish ambition. If the world will remember that God loves and cares for everyone even when they fall into sin, the world can become a place where all nations and all people love each other as family.

God sees every human misery, and He knows every painful sob. God hears the cries of the victims, the excluded, the outcasts. When people push God out, He is still there with them. God will be with and provide for the ones that the in-crowd say are not good enough. God works beyond our understandings, fears and doubts. When we exclude and push out others, God is still at work in their lives.

In times of hardship, how do we interact with God? Do we call out to God in our pain, or do we quietly rest in our sorrow alone? The next time we are struggling or we feel as though God may be distant, we should pause and remember Hagar and Ishmael and consider setting aside a few extra minutes to talk to God about what we are going through.

Thanks be to God, AMEN

 Bibliography 

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 31)
2. Briscoe, D.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 1: Genesis (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987; pp.178-180)
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. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 27-29)
6. Pastor Bob Coy, “Push Past.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
7. Jordan Tremble, “Bible Study: 2 Pentecost, Proper 7(A).” Retrieved from www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com
8. “Abraham 3-Hagar and Ishmael in the Desert-I See You.” Retrieved from www.theologicalstew.com
9. Kathryn M. Schifferdecker, “Commentary on Genesis 21:8-21.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.com
10. Daniel B. Clendenin, Ph.D., “Ishmael: God Hears and Sees.” Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net
11. Charles Lane Cowen, “Bible Study, 3^rd Sunday After Pentecost, June 27, 2017.” Retrieved from www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com
12. Nissa Peterson, “Genesis 21:8-21.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu

When I was a child, I had a paper route. Six mornings a week, I delivered newspapers to over a hundred customers before I had breakfast. One of the first sections that my customers looked at was the news, especially the front page. This was in the days before the Internet and email, so the newspaper was one of the main sources of news and information. Some of them also read the sports section to see if their favourite teams won. Many of them, including my own parents, also looked at the comics. That gave them a smile, especially if the news was full of stories of doom and gloom.

Jesus traveled all around the countryside. He went to many different towns and villages, and everywhere he went he saw crowds of people who were lost and helpless. It broke his heart. One day, he turned to his followers and said to them, “There are so many who need help, but there are not enough who are willing to help them. Get on your knees and pray that the Lord will send workers to help them.”

When they had finished praying, Jesus called twelve of his followers to come to him. “Go,” he said, “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” Do you know what else Jesus told his disciples? He said, “As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.'”

Wow! That’s good news, isn’t it? Think about it. “The kingdom of heaven is near.” It isn’t some far off place where we will go at some far-off time. In fact, you might even say, “It’s right here — right now.” Of course, Jesus came to give us eternal life in heaven, but he also came so that we could have life, and have it to the fullest — right now. Now, that’s good news that everyone should hear!

As a “paper boy”, delivering the news was my job. If I didn’t do my job, my customers didn’t get the news-and I usually got an earful! Just as Jesus called the twelve to deliver the good news, he has also called you and me to deliver the good news. If we don’t do our job, someone won’t get the good news today.

Let us bow our heads for a moment of prayer. Father, there is no better news than the good news that you love us and sent your Son so that we might have life and that we might have it abundantly. Help us to faithfully share that good news with others. Amen.

Last Sunday we read Matthew’s version of the Great Commission. Today, we read Matthew’s version of an earlier commission, one where Jesus sent the disciples into the world in pairs to preach, heal, cast out demons and raise the dead. They were not men of rank and office. They were plain men of good sense, fair character, great honesty with favourable opportunities of ascertaining the facts to which they were witness. They were ordinary people who could fulfill the commission. We as ordinary people are also capable of fulfilling the same commission.

The word “compassion” suggests strong emotion and means “to feel deep sympathy.” Christ’s humanity allowed Him to show compassion for sinners in terms of human emotions. He was literally moved to tears over the plight of sinners. He knew their spiritual needs were more desperate than the need for physical healing. The only way to meet that need was to have more workers.

Jesus saw these people as “weary and scattered…sheep without a shepherd” because the religious leaders, who should have been their shepherds, were trying to lead them away from the one true shepherd. Jesus saw people burdened with the rites of religion, the doctrines and teachings of the Pharisees and neglected by people who should have been enlightened teachers.

Jesus knew that the number of people who flocked to His ministry was great. He knew people expected the Messiah and were prepared to receive the Gospel. He also knew that there were few people engaged in teaching the multitudes.

Because Jesus saw the great need of the multitudes, He urged His disciples to pray to the Lord of the Harvest for more labourers. That prayer, which is at the core of the modern mission movement, is still the only hope for the “lost sheep” of each generation. We have a duty to pray for the conversion of the world. The harvest is just as plentiful now as it was in the time of Christ. Millions of people have not heard the gospel, and there are very few people to teach them. Evil runs wild in our world today. Only God can qualify those who go and preach the gospel to the world. We have a duty to pray to God to have pity on the world and send faithful people to tell the world about Jesus.

In the last verses of chapter 9, Jesus urges His disciples to pray for labourers. These verses summarize Jesus’ ministry of compassion. It is a presentation of the compassionate shepherd. It also shows the kingdom happens wherever Jesus is ruling. The kingdom creates a dualism in society, one that often pits Christians against the world and its evils. The kingdom calls us to a decision in the world.

In the first verses of chapter 10, He calls them to become the answer to their prayers as “sent ones.” They would be sent forth to share His presence, power and purpose. The answer to Jesus’ request came after prayer. Prayer conditions us to the will of God. Jesus prayed to God for more workers, and God answered His prayer. Prayer prepares us to share with Him. God often uses us to help answer our own prayers.

The 12 apostles were specifically told to take their message to the Jews and not the Gentiles or Samaritans. The message was for the Jews first. Jesus saw them as sheep without a shepherd. They were God’s chosen people. They spent a long time looking for the Messiah, so it was appropriate that the Gospel should be shared with them first. If the Jews accepted Jesus as their King, the nations would be blessed through them.

Because God had freely given the apostles the resources they would need to perform their ministry, they were not to sell their services and make money for what they did. If they sold their gifts for money, they could have made a fortune. At the same time, they would have obscured the message of Christ’s grace. They could accept support to meet their basic needs. Similarly, we are not to sell the gift of Christ’s grace for money, but those of us who are ordained and preach the Gospel can accept support for our basic needs of food, clothing and shelter.

In the late 19^th century, William Carey felt a call to travel to India as a missionary to share the Good News of Jesus. Fellow ministers scorned him, saying, “Young man, if God wants to save anyone in India, He will do it without your help or mine!” They missed the point of partnership. God does very little on earth without people like us.

Our ministry, like that of the apostles, falls into three categories. We are witnesses for the resurrection. We are teachers. We build on the foundation for the church. If we want to fulfill this ministry, we must be motivated. If we don’t have the motivation, we aren’t going to do anything.

Doing this ministry won’t be easy, just like the disciples’ ministry wasn’t easy. Jesus told the disciples that the world would be hostile to their message. He did not give them false hope. Hostility toward the disciples would not cease until they were martyred. Similarly, we will face various forms of persecution. The world is still hostile to the Good News.

A young person once told Billy Graham that he or she would be going on a mission trip with a church youth group. The group planned on serving a village in a very poor country, helping to put a roof on their church and doing some Bible programs for children. The young person asked Billy Graham for advice.

Billy Graham replied:

“But God not only wants to work through you to help others. He also wants to work in you while you’re serving the people of this village. Be alert to His leading, therefore, asking Him to use this experience to teach you new things about Himself and what He is doing in the world. You may discover, for example, that in spite of their poverty, the people of this village are actually rich in faith and love. Sometimes our wealth and comfortable lifestyle get in the way of a true commitment to Christ.”

“God may also want to open your eyes to the needs of the world. Most people today have very little, compared with what we have; many, in fact, face hunger and disease almost daily. Do we care? Many also do not know Christ, and have never had an opportunity to hear of His love.”

Billy Graham’s message is also a message for us. As we serve others, God will work in us and teach us new things about Him and what He is doing in the world. He will teach us about other Christians through other people.

If we are to serve others, we must serve them as they need to be served and not as we decide to serve them. It is important for us to make faith in Christ an option-making faith a possibility to people. In doing so we respect their freedom while making them aware of their responsibility.

The nourishment Jesus offers us as the Bread of Life provides us with the fuel we need to serve others, and that’s what the life God gives us is about. God has given us the message and commissioned us to take it to the world. He has given us the methods. All He needs is for us to work together and do our share to reach the world for Christ. Will you make a commitment to help spread the Gospel and thereby be a part of what God is doing in the world today? I urge you to get out of your comfort zone. I urge you to care. I urge you to share. I urge you to pray, and I urge you to ask God for the boldness you will need to carry out His orders.

Today, we celebrate not a religious holiday or occasion, but a doctrine-the doctrine of the Trinity. The Trinity is a concept that is not explicitly stated in Scripture, but it is there. The Trinity is a concept that is not easy to describe or understand. In fact, some ministers take Trinity Sunday off!

The Trinity is referred to indirectly in the passage from Matthew 28:16-20. All three members of the Trinity are always with us. They give us their cooperation and support. They help us and protect us. The name of the Father, and of the Son and the Holy Spirit means the combined authority of all manifestations of God. When we are baptized we become the subject to the authority of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Consequently, we receive the remission of our sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The one true God has a personality that is threefold and indicated by relationship as Father and Son. It is indicated by a mode of being as Spirit. It is indicated by the various parts taken by the Godhead in manifestation and in the work of redemption.

Jesus’ resurrection proved that what He taught was correct. He used His ultimate authority when He gave the disciples and us the Great Commission. He showed His ultimate power by promising to be with us forever. When Christ rose from the dead, He created a new community with real change in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One God in action for all ages.

When Jesus states that all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth, He declares His ultimate authority. He is the recipient of God’s authority. His deity is proved. As the Creator (God), He had the original right to all things. As the Redeemer (Son), even more so. The phrase “in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit” is a strong affirmation of Trinitarianism. When He commissioned the disciples, Jesus instituted the three-fold formula prior to the development of the Trinity. It holds Father, Son and Holy Spirit together as three personae by whom God encounters us in His love from all eternity to all eternity. Since all three members of the Trinity are with us all the time, we have the same authority Jesus had. We can bring God’s truth to the world because of His divine authority. His word will prosper if we are faithful to His message.

The Trinity allows us to make sense of the God who loves us enough to send Jesus to die for our sins. God who is God the Son is Christ not dead, but risen God who is God the Holy Spirit is not Jesus gone but Jesus present.

So now that we have the Great Commission, what do we do? First, we must show Christ-like behavior, and that includes being righteous. In the Old Testament times, being righteous meant obeying the Law of Moses perfectly, and that includes obeying the Ten Commandments. The fifth commandment is “Do not murder.” The Jews believed this referred to only the physical act of killing someone. Jesus argued that there is a broader meaning. He argued that words and anger can kill. That is, they show the true heart of a person. Anger and words such as senseless, stupid and shallow and the like violate the spirit of that commandment. If used, they may lead to a more open and dreadful infraction of that law.

For example, thirteen-year-old Marcy had little use for her loud, obnoxious, smelly little brother. “You’re just a jerk!” she yelled again and again. Her ten-year-old brother Mike didn’t exactly like his older sister either. He would often fire back, “You’re really stupid!” their rivalry and toxic words polluted their home. God says it’s wrong to insult, wound, tear down, cut up, threaten or intimidate another person with our words. Hurtful words are hateful words.

Jesus taught that it is more important to have a heart that is right than to conform to the outright act of worship. For example, if a person brought a gift to the altar and remembered that someone had something against him, he was to leave the offering on the altar and go and be reconciled. The worship of God will not be acceptable until we are at peace with anyone we have hurt or offended.

Similarly, Christians are not to bring lawsuits against each other. We are encouraged to come to an agreement before going to court. God will see anyone who does not reconcile with those who have been offended as a violation of the commandment against murder. He will punish them accordingly.

Someone once asked Billy Graham, “If you ask God to forgive you for something you did to someone, does that mean you also have to ask them for forgiveness? I’m a Christian now, but I’m not sure I can do it. I don’t see what difference it would make anyway, except maybe to open old wounds.”

In his reply, Billy Graham wrote the following:

“It’s always important to seek the forgiveness of those we’ve hurt, even if it is hard to do….They might not forgive you, of course; they may reject your attempt or react with renewed anger over what you did, but then it becomes their problem, not yours. You will have done everything you could to let them know you regret what happened, and that you want their forgiveness.”

“Why is it important to seek the forgiveness of those we’ve hurt? For one thing, it could bring about reconciliation. After all, you were the one at fault: you alone are responsible for the hurt that resulted. But that hurt will only be healed if you seek to heal it (and if the other person responds.”

Reconciling with those we have hurt is not easy. One of the barriers is pride. No one likes to admit they were wrong, because it is part of our sinful, human nature. Pride is a sin that needs to be faced, dealt with and confessed to God. If we have offended or hurt anyone, we need to make peace today. We must not put it off. When we reconcile with the people we have hurt, our relationships will be healthier. In Christ, it is never too late for reconciliation. God wants us to live in peace with everyone by sincerely humbling ourselves and finding reconciliation through Him.

It is no secret that sin often leads to health problems. If we refuse to forgive, bitterness creeps into our hearts and plants roots. It can spread to those around us. If it hardens in our hearts, it is next to impossible to remove. Forgiveness depends on us. Reconciliation is the ideal to work towards, but sometimes it is not possible. It depends on both parties. What others do is their choice. What we allow them to do is up to us. We are responsible only for our own actions.

When we ask others to forgive us, we have an opportunity to fulfill the Great Commission. The Great Commission has not changed since the moment Jesus uttered it. Christians are to “go and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey.” They are to accomplish all of this by His power and for His sake, through His Spirit. When followers of Jesus are slow to share their faith, or pour into the lives of others, it is often because they do not really take Jesus at His word when He says, “I am with you always.”

It’s isn’t easy for us to remember that the members of the Trinity are always with us. Sometimes we’re so blinded by disappointment that we can’t see Jesus walking with us throughout heartache and leading us to something better ahead. The Trinity shows us that there is a way for us that leads far beyond disappointment. The Trinity proves that we are in the presence of someone who cares, who leads, who has authority and wisdom.

All three members of the Trinity encourage us to get going. They are with us all of the time, so we have a life that is exciting and full of confidence that the members of the Trinity have done all things perfectly for us. Life with the Trinity is to be lived with their gifts and their blessing. When we read and study Scripture, when we are baptized into faith, when we take part in Holy Communion, it’s like receiving a kiss of grace from the Trinity.

The doctrine of the Trinity is a confession, not a definition. Who can define God? We can only confess our history and personal encounters with God. To confess God apart from Christ is impossible. To confess Christ apart from God the Creator of everything is impossible. To confess God in Christ apart from our experience of both through the Holy Spirit sustaining the church is impossible. All we can do is confess our faith in the one God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1587-1588)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982, p. 18)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Billy Graham, “How Can I Reconcile With my Sister?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com
6. Rick Boxx, “Make Peace Today.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
7. “Hateful Words.” Retrieved from today@thisistoday.net
8. Billy Graham, “Why Do I Need to Ask for Forgiveness?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com
9. Steve Arterburn, “Handling Anger.” Retrieved from www.newlife.com
10. Dr. Harold Sala, “The Biblical Pattern of Reconciliation.” Retrieved from www.guidelines.org
11. The New Testament Commentary, Vol. 1-Matthew and Mark. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
12. Schofield’s Notes. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
13. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2006)
14. Lucado, M: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp; 1348-1351)
15. Christine Caine, “Something Better.” Retrieved from Biblegateway@e.biblegateway.com
16. The Rev. Gregory Seltz, “Living Life in the Power of His Name.” Retrieved from www.lhm.org

Did you know that giving can be exciting? It certainly is! It’s like a competition to out give God. We give and God provides. We sow into our local church and God sows into our lives. God’s blessings are not always financial, but they are always greater than what we expect. A good example of this in 2 Corinthians 8:1-16.

In this passage, Paul introduces the concept of giving under grace instead of under the law. The idea of tithing to support the work of ministry seems legalistic until a person understands it as a grace-a gift God grants His children so they might abound in good works.

Paul reminds the Corinthians about their promise to take up an offering for the church in Jerusalem. The Corinthians made a promise to take up a collection, but they “forgot” about their promise. Grace giving is steadfast. Paul urged the Corinthians to not only start well but to finish with the same enthusiasm.  

Grace giving is sacrificial. Paul uses the example of the Macedonians to motivate the Corinthians to give generously. The Macedonians were in affliction and deep poverty, yet they gave joyfully and liberally. The poor are often more generous than the rich, perhaps because, in relying on God for their daily bread, they learn that whatever is theirs belongs to Him.

Grace giving is spontaneous; it is not done out of obligation or a sense of “oughtness” but as a natural outpouring of God’s love in a person’s heart. Paul reiterates this in 2 Corinthians 8:8, where he tells the Corinthians he is not commanding them to give but rather expecting that the sincerity of their love will prompt them to give freely and beyond their ability, just like the Macedonians had.

Grace giving is selfless. Selflessness undergirds the entirety of the resources God entrusts to His people. For experiencing the joy of giving and a heightened awareness of God’s provision, the best giving is selfless giving.

Grace giving is systematic. Paul commands the Corinthians to abound in this grace, implying a framework in which to grow. Giving can be spontaneous, but throughout the New Testament there are also instances of planned giving by the church and by individuals. A system of giving begins with a commitment to give. Those who wait to begin giving until they can afford to do so will never begin.

Grace giving is spiritual. Paul knew that the Corinthians valued the virtues of faith, speech, knowledge, godly living and love for the apostles. Grace giving should join that list. To Paul, stewardship was a spiritual exercise just as faith is.

Grace giving is sincere, reflecting the believer’s sincere love for God and desire to advance the ministry of His church. God does not need the gifts of the faithful to accomplish His work, but He does generously allow those gifts to be used towards that end.

Grace-giving is more a matter of the heart than of circumstances. The Macedonians were poor, so it would have been logical and understandable for them to concentrate on their own needs. To almost everyone’s surprise they gave a generous offering despite their circumstances. It is like the New Testament story about the widow who only gave two coins to the temple treasury. She gave out of her heart, just like the Macedonians did. Their giving was sacrificial and joyful.

Grace giving shares with others. The purpose of God’s wonderful program of stewardship is that the needs of the body and the needs of the world might be met with equality. The one who has much can share much; the one who has little is able to share that little. But as God’s people share in proportion to what God has entrusted them with, the needs of the whole body are met.

Giving might be fun and exciting, but it isn’t easy. It’s a struggle because the devil doesn’t want us to be blessed. Satan knows that if we live generous lives, God will bless it. God blesses the giver, and He knows we will continue to use His blessings to bless others.

We don’t have to give only money. We can give of ourselves by volunteering or helping a neighbour or helping someone who is in a hospital or a nursing home. The important thing is not what we give or how much we give or how often we give. The important thing is that we give willingly. We are encouraged to make others’ needs our own and help them. By doing so we are imitating Jesus-and that is what He wants us to do as Christians in our world.

When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ our service will be judged not by how much we did but by how much we could have done. In God’s sight, our giving is measured not by how much we have given but by how much we could have given and how much we had left after we made out gifts. The only way we can pass God’s judgment is to remember that everything we are and everything we have comes from God. As the old Thanksgiving hymn goes:

All good gifts around us

Are sent from heaven above.

Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord

For all His love.

Then we must ask Him to help us to be generous, and then use our resources wisely for His glory. Jesus gave away everything He had-even His life. If we all live lives of selflessness and generosity like Jesus did, and if all of us gave something to churches and other ministries, we could feed thousands, share the Gospel to everyone and be a shining beacon of light.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1609-1610)
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. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2006)
4. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)
5. A.W. Tozer, “Pastoral Ministry: How Much Could I Have Done.” Retrieved from Biblegateway@e.biblegateway.com
6. Billy Graham, “How Much Money Does God Want from Us?” Retrieved from www.aarcamax.com
7. Pastor David McGee, “The Giving Gauge.” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com
8. Pastor David McGee, “Keep Growing.” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com
9. Pastor David McGee, “Giving is….” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com