A Father's Love

[The following is the manuscript of my sermon delivered on the 21st of June, 2015.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel, http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

The past few weeks I’ve looked into the matter of service, and specifically in serving God.  In every instance, all the forms of service we’ve looked at are based on one thing: love.  And it all starts with our Father’s love.

This brings us to today, and to our observance of fatherhood, an institution that has drastically decayed in American society for too many years now.  Listen and follow along as I read from the 1st letter the Apostle Paul sent to the church in Corinth, chapter 13 verses 1 through 8, reading from the New Living Translation of our Bible…

1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!

--1 Corinthians 13:1-8 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Lord God, our Father who sits on high, we come before You this Father’s Day in the name of Your Son Jesus and under the power of Your Holy Spirit that we might hear Your message and better understand Your will for us.  Thank You, Father, for always being with us.  In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.


The following appeared in the October 15, 1992 issue of the magazine Bits & Pieces:

There's a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged.  The son ran away, and the father set off to find him.  The father searched for months and months, but to no avail.  Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper.  The ad read: “Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday.  All is forgiven.  I love you.  Your Father.”  On Saturday at noon, 800 Paco’s showed up, all looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.


Haven’t we all looked to our fathers for love and, yes, at times, forgiveness, for understanding and encouragement, for help and strength when we need it most?  We still have a Father willing to do all that for us, and more.  The Apostle John, in the 1st sentence of the 3rd chapter of his first letter to the early Christians, shared this amazing blessing…

1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

--1 John 3:1a (NKJV)

Fathers can be sort of an enigma, a puzzle, can’t they.  Generally, our mothers tend to raise us, to nurture us.  The humor columnist Erma Bombeck once described her father as the one who went off to work each day, who mowed the lawn, who drove the car around to pick everyone else up close to the door when it was raining, the one who took all the pictures but was seldom in any, the one who could open the jar of pickles and who wasn’t afraid to go down into the basement alone.

Fathers are that, but so much more.  Or at least they should be.

In his letter to the Ephesians, chapter 6 verses 1 through 4, the Apostle Paul reiterates God’s command to children, but adds a very important instruction to parents, and especially appropriate for fathers…

1 Children, you belong to the Lord, and you do the right thing when you obey your parents. The first commandment with a promise says, 2 “Obey your father and your mother, 3 and you will have a long and happy life.”

4 Parents, don’t be hard on your children. Raise them properly. Teach them and instruct them about the Lord.

--Ephesians 6:1-4 (CEV)

Did you catch that last part, fathers?  “Teach your children and instruct them about the Lord.”  How do we best teach but by example?  If a picture is worth a thousand words, then an example must be worth a thousand pictures.  But what kind of example should we set?

If we accept that our Bible is our user’s manual for life on this earth, then, Fathers, the first step we should follow can be found in the Book of Joshua, chapter 22, verse 5…

5 “But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

--Joshua 22:5 (NKJV)

The prophet Micah puts it pretty simply, in chapter 6 verse 8 of his book…

8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?

--Micah 6:8 (NKJV)

If we are to be called men of God, we are to seek justice and do what is right.  We are to love mercy and extend it to others.  And we are to walk humbly with God, following His example, keeping His commandments, serving Him with all our heart and soul.  If we do this, we’ll be well on the way to being better fathers.


Now I will grant you that parenthood is not for the faint of heart.  Fatherhood in itself requires a special kind of courage.  But you know, courage has nothing to do with the absence of fear.  In fact, World War I American fighter ace and war hero Eddie Rickenbacker once said, “Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do.  There can be no courage unless you’re scared.”

I’ve always been deathly afraid of snakes.  My father was terrified of them and he passed that irrational fear along to me at a very early age.  I was determine not to repeat that mistake with my own child.

I remember quite well one sunny summer day when I was lying on the ground working beneath my old car.  I heard my daughter, who would have been around 4 or 5 or 6 at the time, chattering away as she approached the car and I could see her little legs and feet when she got near the front bumper.  And then she innocently uttered words that turned my blood cold:  “Daddy?  Is that a snake?”

I froze, the terror welling up inside me – my “fight or flight” instinct kicking into high gear.  I calmed myself enough to pull my head out and glance down where she was pointing, just a few feet from where I lay.  Sure enough, there was a small green garter snake obliviously slithering away.

My heart started beating again and I said, “Yes, Sweetie, that’s a snake”, as I tucked my head back under the car and resumed my work, now trembling from the adrenaline rush and sweating as the fear slowly evaporated.

By Eddie Rickenbacker’s terms, I believe that was a display of courage.  But to be a father as God intended, as He shows us by example, requires a much greater courage than not freaking out over a nearby snake.

Before we started our service, I had our guys in the A/V booth play a little clip from the movie, “Courageous”.  If you haven’t seen that movie, I would highly recommend it – maybe we can show it for a movie night some evening.  In the clip you saw four men, four fathers, promising to live up to the resolution they had each just signed.  I’d like to read that resolution to you now …

I do solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.

I will love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.

I will be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ died for me.

I will bless my children and teach them to love God with all their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.

I will train them to honor authority and live responsibly.

I will confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.

I will pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.

I will work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.

I will forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.

I will learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.

I will seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.

I will courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.

And at the end is another quote from Joshua, chapter 24, verse 15:  "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

I will courageously work with the strength God provides…  That is faith in action – being scared, but trusting in God to provide the strength and encouragement needed to fulfill this resolution or any other task in life.


The role of fathers in modern society has been reduced to nearly absurd levels.  In our lifetime we’ve gone from the wisdom of “Father Knows Best” to the likes of Homer on “The Simpsons”.  In television shows and the movies, fathers are generally a character for the kids to make fun of or an impediment to get around so they can do what they want to do.

More and more children live in fatherless households.  Who sets the example for them?  Who shows them how a man is supposed to live, how a man is supposed to treat a woman, how a man is supposed to take care of his family?  Can we count on television and movies to do a good job of setting the proper example?  Well, we could if all movies were like “Courageous”.  I have one more short clip to show…

[* The last speech at the end of the movie. *]

There was a very key line in there for most of us men here today.  Not only can the ideals espoused by this resolution be applied to our own children, but there is another call to action there:  To love and mentor others who have no father in their lives but who desperately need help and direction.

It all goes back to today’s scripture reading, starting with verses 1 through 3:  If I could speak all languages of earth and angels, if I had the gift of prophecy and understood all of God’s plans and possessed all knowledge, if I gave everything to the poor, even sacrificed my own body, if I could lay claim to all of this but had no love in my heart for others, then it would all be for nothing, I would gain nothing, I would have nothing.

Then verses 4 through 7 definitely describe a true father’s love:  A father’s love is patient and kind.  It is not jealous or possessive or demanding.  It is not boastful or proud or rude or irritable.  It forgets when it is wronged and rejoices when truth and righteousness win out.  A father’s love never gives up, it never loses faith.  It is always hopeful and endures no matter what.  Everything else may fade with time, but a father’s love will last forever.

Our Father in heaven sets the very example of love that Paul described.  This resolution is modeled after that love, our Father’s love.  Any man can join in on this resolution – fathers, grandfathers, never-been-fathers.

Are you willing and courageous?  Who will sign this promise and pledge, before your family and before God?  Who will join this effort to teach our children and instruct them about the Lord?  Who will accept the role and responsibility God has given us?  Who will answer the call to action?  Who will?

So where are you men of courage?  Where are you fathers who fear the Lord?  It’s time to rise up and answer the call that God has issued to us.  And to say, “I will”.  I will.

I will!

Amen.


Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we come before You this Father’s Day to honor You and all our earthly fathers, whether they are with us or not.  We know that You are always with us, Father, and always will be, no matter what.  Please help us remember that, Lord, when we are most in need of a father’s love and understanding.

Father God, we need Your love and forgiveness.  We need Your strength and encouragement.  We need Your understanding and guidance.  We need You to be our Father, always at our side.

Holy Father, You know we all have faults.  Our earthly fathers are and were not perfect.  We that are fathers are not perfect.  Only You, Lord, and Your Son Jesus, are perfect in every way.  Help us to always follow Your example in dealing with our children, our grandchildren, and any others we interact with each day.  And help us understand, Lord, that if we are all Your children, all we who believe in Your Son Jesus, then we are all brothers and sisters.  And in a way, we are all mothers and fathers to those who need one.  Help us men, Lord, be the kind of man You want us to be.  Help us be good fathers, to our children and to those who need a father’s influence in their lives.  Help us be better sons to all those who stand as our fathers.  And help us be better husbands to our wives and to all those who need the help and support a man can give.  Help us accept the full responsibility You have given us, Lord.

Hear us now, please Father, as we pray to You silently in the quiet, seeking Your strength, Your resolve, Your guidance...

Lord let us serve You, and let us lead our households in service to You.  Let us show Your love by loving others.  Let us be the very best fathers, following Your wonderful example.  And let us make every day Father’s Day, not in celebration of ourselves but in worship of You.  This in the holiest name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Can We Surprise Jesus?

[The following is the manuscript of my sermon delivered on the 14th of June, 2015.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel, http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Last week we examined the question of who speaks for Jesus.  We read in the Gospel of John where our Lord listed five witnesses to His authority as the Son of God.  One of those “witnesses” was the mighty works He performed during His short walk on this earth.

Today we’ll ask yet another question as we look at just one example of that particular witness, turning again to an account of the Good News that Jesus brought us.  Listen and follow along as I read from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 8, verses 5 through 13, and again I will be reading from the Contemporary English Version…

5 When Jesus was going into the town of Capernaum, an army officer came up to him and said, 6 “Lord, my servant is at home in such terrible pain that he can’t even move.”

7 “I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied.

8 But the officer said, “Lord, I’m not good enough for you to come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. 9 I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you that in all of Israel I’ve never found anyone with this much faith! 11 Many people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 12 But the ones who should have been in the kingdom will be thrown out into the dark. They will cry and grit their teeth in pain.”

13 Then Jesus said to the officer, “You may go home now. Your faith has made it happen.”

Right then his servant was healed.

--Matthew 8:5-13 (CEV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, once again we come in the name of Your Son Jesus to hear Your word.  Speak through Your servant that we might receive Your message this day.  Touch us with Your Holy Spirit that we might be filled with Your presence.  In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.


Most of you have probably heard of Johann Sebastian Bach.  He was born into a musical family in 1685 and lived until 1750.  Both of his parents had died by the time he was ten years old. But early in his life, young Johann determined he would write music, and not just any music but music for the glory of God.

Being a devout Lutheran, the vast majority of Bach’s works are explicitly Biblical. His works have been described as being “cerebral, spiritual, and gorgeous”.  At the age of 17, Johann became the organist at his church and soon afterwards was given charge of the entire music ministry.

Something Dianne and Mary Ann and the choir can appreciate: during this ministry in Weimar, Germany, Johann wrote a new cantata every month!  And during one three-year period he wrote, conducted, orchestrated, and performed (with his choir and orchestra) a new cantata every week!

At the beginning of every authentic manuscript you can see the letters “J.J.” This stands for Jesu Java [ hey-soo hah-vah ? ], which is Latin for “Jesus help me”.  And at the end you will find the letters “S.D.G.”  This stands for Soli Deo Gloria, which is Latin for “To the glory of the only God”.

Back in his day, no one had any idea what an astonishing influence Johann Sebastian Bach would have on this world.  His legacy lives on some 300 years later. You can hear his music any time you wish still today.  Bach is a reminder that one who gives his life to Jesus and serves Him does not count it a loss.  It’s just as Jesus said in Mark chapter 8 verse 35…

35 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

--Mark 8:35 (NKJV)

Bach lost his life to Jesus.  He gave up what most would consider a “normal” life.  Instead, he devoted just about all of his activity to worshiping our Lord.  And by doing this, he created works of beauty that show us God’s great grace and also provide us with an expressive way of worshiping God too!  Bach was truly a servant of our Lord.


Today’s scripture speaks a good bit about servants.  As I mentioned, it is but one example, one instance, of the many wonderful and mighty works Jesus accomplished during His ministry on earth.  The miracles He performed – impossible for any ordinary man – stand as a clear witness to the Godhead of Jesus.  Yet the actual miracle in this story is mostly downplayed, appearing at the very end of our reading in verse 13: “Right then his servant was healed.”  What is of greater significance in this reading is the role of servants and masters, of superiors and subordinates.

The Roman Centurion, the “army officer” in this passage, certainly understood these roles, as would anyone who ever served in the armed forces.  Look in verse 9 of our reading.  He took orders from those greater in rank than he, and he issued orders to those under his own authority.  Not only that, but those who are given orders are fully expected to carry them out, without exception.  If the superior says, “Do this”, the subordinate better make sure it gets done.  If told to “Go there”, he’d better go.  If the command is to “Come”, he comes.  The subordinate’s role is clear: if a superior issues a command, do it – period.

The centurion also equates a servant’s role to that of the subordinate, and in those days a servant would have been little more than a slave, even if only temporarily while some debt was paid.  Today we tend to think of servants more along the lines of either employees or volunteers – basically as folks who are willing to serve, but just as easily could refuse to obey some contrary command and walk away if they really wanted to.  But even today, those who are really dedicated to serving others will do just about anything it takes to complete their task – even if that means being subservient to those they are trying to help.  I think these people are trying their best to follow the example that Jesus set.

Our Lord put a slightly different spin on superiors and subordinates, when speaking to His disciples about true greatness, as recorded in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 10, verses 44 and 45…

44 “And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

--Mark 10:44-45 (NKJV)

Doesn’t that nicely define the role of a servant – not to put ourselves first?  Jesus knew the role He came to mankind to play, the role His Father God gave Him.  To serve, not to be served.  To give His life for many.

As He was growing up, Jesus studied and became quite familiar with the Old Testament scriptures, including the prophecies of Isaiah, such as in chapter 42 verse 1 of his book…

42 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.”

--Isaiah 42:1 (NKJV)

God, through Isaiah, was describing His Son Jesus as His Elect One that He is sending to mankind as His Servant.  And I love that last part, where God sent Jesus to “bring forth justice to the Gentiles”.  That’s us – the Gentiles.  Jesus came for us, to justify us when we stand before God.

But God wasn’t leaving the Jews, His chosen people, out of this.  Earlier, in Isaiah chapter 41, verses 8 through 10, God revealed this through His prophet…

8 “But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My friend.

9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away:
10 Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’"

--Isaiah 41:8-10 (NKJV)

God is saying that all of the children of Israel are His servants.  But our Father takes it a step further when He includes, “you whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions”.  God includes us in His call to servanthood, to be His servants.  He has chosen us!

How will we respond to that call?


Going back to our scripture reading this morning, the centurion went to Jesus seeking the Lord’s help in healing his servant, bedridden at home in great pain.  Jesus readily agreed to go to the centurion’s house to heal his servant, but the officer stopped Him, and with a comment I bet many of us have said at some point in our lives.

Lord, I’m not good enough for You to come into my home.  I’m not good enough for You to heal me.  I’m not good enough for You to die for me.

And after the centurion shows his understanding of service, Matthew makes an amazing statement.  He says that the explanation the centurion gave surprised Jesus!

Think about that a minute…  If we accept that Jesus is God, and that God is omniscient and knows everything, then how could Jesus be surprised?  Yet here we have Matthew saying that Jesus exhibited what we would most likely consider to be a surprised reaction to the centurion’s depth of understanding, and to the utmost faith in Jesus the officer was showing!  Jesus exclaims this is the greatest display of faith He’s seen yet!

He notes that people will come from everywhere to seek entry into heaven – Jews and Gentiles alike.  But the ones who should be there – those of God’s chosen people, the children of Israel - will not be accepted, because they refuse to believe in Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior.  They won’t accept the call to be servants that God our Father issued.


To end our little story, Jesus told the centurion to go on home, where - because of his faith - he would find his servant all healed.  But I can’t get over how Matthew described Jesus as being surprised at the faith shown by the centurion.  And it makes me wonder…

Can we surprise Jesus?  What would it take?  Does our faith surprise Him, or maybe the depth of our faith?  What better measure of our faith is there than in how we serve the One we proclaim as Lord and Master?  Do we serve willingly, without regard for personal reward, without caring whether we might be considered subservient or even inferior in our role?  Or do we want others to think we are being of service when in actuality we fully expect to get something out of it, whether now or in the near future, whether in money or fame and glory?

Let’s try our best to surprise Jesus by how willingly, how subserviently, how selflessly we serve others, for in doing so we serve Him.  And to God be all glory!  Forever and ever.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Lord God, we know that You can never really be surprised, but Lord we pray that You will take pleasure by our offering to You of our service, of our time, of our love we share with others.  May we have the same strength of faith as the Roman Centurion, trusting in the power of Jesus.

Almighty God, You know how this world seems to sink ever deeper into sin and immorality with each day that passes.  Too many people care only for themselves, seek only to get as much as they can before someone else takes it.  They put themselves first, even above their own family.  Help us, Father, not become like them.  Remind us that Jesus came to us not to be served, but to serve us.  He came and acted as Your Servant.  He is at once our Lord and our Servant.  Help us always follow His example and put others first, because we love them, as You would have us do.

Please hear us now, Father God, as we pray to You silently from our hearts, giving You thanks and seeking Your help in this life...

Lord let us serve You by serving others.  Let us show You our love by loving others.  Let us be more like Jesus: servants in whom Your soul delights.  This in the glorious name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Who Speaks for Jesus?

[The following is the manuscript of my sermon delivered on the 7th of June, 2015.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel, http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

One particular Sabbath, Jesus entered Jerusalem and came upon a man who had suffered an infirmity for 38 years.  Jesus healed the man and told him to take up his bed and walk, which the man did.  The Jews told the man he was breaking the law by carrying a load on the Sabbath, but he answered he was simply doing what Jesus told him to do.  So the Jews took issue with Jesus for ordering the man to break the law.  But Jesus responded He was only doing the work of His Father, as His Father had been doing all along.

The Apostle John tells us this declaration enflamed the Jews and made them all the more determined to put an end to Jesus.  For not only had He broken the Sabbath but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

Listen and follow along to what Jesus offered to the Jews for witnesses of His authority, as recorded by the Apostle John in his Gospel account, chapter 5 verses 31 through 47, from the Contemporary English Version of our Bible…

31 “If I speak for myself, there is no way to prove I am telling the truth. 32 But there is someone else who speaks for Me, and I know what He says is true. 33 You sent messengers to John, and he told them the truth. 34 I don’t depend on what people say about Me, but I tell you these things so that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that gave a lot of light, and you were glad to enjoy his light for a while.

36 “But something more important than John speaks for Me. I mean the things that the Father has given Me to do! All of these speak for Me and prove that the Father sent Me.

37 “The Father who sent Me also speaks for Me, but you have never heard His voice or seen Him face to face. 38 You have not believed His message, because you refused to have faith in the One He sent.

39 “You search the Scriptures, because you think you will find eternal life in them. The Scriptures tell about Me, 40 but you refuse to come to Me for eternal life.

41 “I don’t care about human praise, 42 but I do know that none of you love God. 43 I have come with My Father’s authority, and you have not welcomed Me. But you will welcome people who come on their own. 44 How could you possibly believe? You like to have your friends praise you, and you don’t care about praise that the only God can give! 

45 “Don’t think that I will be the one to accuse you to the Father. You have put your hope in Moses, yet he is the very one who will accuse you. 46 Moses wrote about Me, and if you had believed Moses, you would have believed Me. 47 But if you don’t believe what Moses wrote, how can you believe what I say?”

--John 5:31-47 (CEV)

Let us pray…  Father, my personal prayer is that may all I do and say bring unity to Your Son’s church and not division.  May I be a channel for Your love and peace to flow through to each of Your children.  May I serve as Your voice this and every morning, speaking Your word to Your people.  And may Your Holy Spirit move throughout this room, touching every soul with Your grace.  In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.


Mr. George Sweeting, in his book The No-Guilt Guide for Witnessing, tells of a man by the name of John Currier who was found guilty of murder in 1949 and sentenced to life in prison.  At some point while serving his sentence, John was transferred and then paroled to work on a farm near Nashville, Tennessee.

Nineteen years later, in 1968, John's sentence was terminated, and a letter bearing the good news was sent to him.  But John never saw the letter, nor was he told anything about it.  Life on that farm was hard and held no promise for the future.  Yet John kept doing what he was told even after the farmer for whom he worked had died.

Ten more years went by before a state parole officer learned about John's plight, found him, and told him that his sentence had been terminated.  He was a free man.

Mr. Sweeting concluded this story by asking a rather haunting question: "Would it matter to you if someone sent you an important message - the most important in your life - and year after year that urgent message was never delivered?"


You know me, Family – I like to ask questions, too…

Have we here this morning all heard the Good News about Jesus and the promise of eternal life He offers?  Have we accepted that news and found freedom in Christ?  Have we shared that good news with those who are still enslaved by sin?  Are we doing all we can to make sure the people who so desperately need it receive that most important message?


In today’s scripture, Jesus speaks of many witnesses to His authority, many “voices” that proclaim Him to be Lord, the Christ, the true Son of God.  I count at least five testifiers to His true identity:

First was John the Baptist, who witnessed and testified to the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus when He rose from the waters after being baptized, and the voice from heaven proclaiming Jesus to be the Son of God, of whom the Father was proud.

But a greater proof than John’s testimony are the great feats and miracles Jesus performed during His ministry, the works God gave Him to finish, the very works that He was sent to do.  Could any mere human have performed such miracles, even today?

Of course, God Himself testified to the validity of Jesus’ claim to the divine when He made that statement from heaven, speaking with pride of His Son.  But the Jews did not hear His voice, nor do they even have the true word of God in them.  And what an indictment of the religious leadership that was!

The fourth witness to Jesus’ authority can be found in the very scriptures that the Jews searched through, as do we, too, I pray.  But Jesus claimed the Jews searched the texts looking for salvation and eternal life without seeing the very thing they sought standing right before them!  They looked to their scripture but refused to come to Jesus.

And the fifth witness by my reckoning is that ancient Jewish hero, Moses, who wrote about Jesus so very long ago.  If you’re wondering about that last, let’s look for a moment at just one reference Moses made to Jesus.  Let’s go back to the Garden of Eden, with God rebuking the serpent just after Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord, as Moses recorded in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15…

15 “And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”

--Genesis 3:15 (NKJV)

Now the “S” in “her Seed” and the “H” in “His heel” are both capitalized, which means they refer to a divine being.  In this case, they point to Jesus, the Messiah, the Seed of Eve.


So with all those testimonies Jesus points out, how could anyone not believe?  How could the Jews refuse to accept Jesus on the basis of His miracles alone?  How could people today refuse Him with all we know and all we can see and read?

Well, there are people who simply won’t accept Jesus.  They don’t believe in Him or in the Good News that He brings to this fallen world.  They don’t believe a word of what He or anyone else says, no matter how many testimonies or witnesses they hear.  But maybe they just haven’t heard it from the right person yet.

They are not likely to listen to a preacher, like me, just because I am a preacher and they don’t think me to be objective.  They might not pay any attention to 99 out of a 100 people that try to explain what Jesus means to them.  But that one remaining person may just be someone they will listen to, someone who just happens to touch them in the right way, someone that catches their interest and lights a spark in their soul.  That one person just might be you.


Howard Hendricks, a longtime professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, once said, “In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering.”  That can be quite a frustrating experience, can’t it?  You’re trying to speak, trying to get your message out, but the words just won’t come.  Your brain can pick out the right words, but your mouth refuses to form them.  And you stammer and you stutter as you strain to form a coherent sentence.

On the other side, you are trying really hard to understand.  You’re waiting patiently for the words to flow but instead they dribble out in clumps and wads.  Where is the message?  What is this person trying to tell me?

If both sides of this conversation are patient and really want to communicate, the message will eventually be delivered.  But what if the person you’re trying to reach doesn’t want to hear what you have to say?  What if they just want to get on with their own life and not have to worry about all this Christianity stuff?  What if they’d rather keep enjoying the things they do and the independence they cherish rather than to obey this Jesus person or claim Him to be their Master?  What if they’re just not willing to stand there while we stammer away, trying to form a sentence that will carry the message of salvation?  What can we do?


As the Apostle Paul anticipated his death, he wrote a second letter to his dear friend and protégé Timothy, offering him and us an instruction and an encouragement.  Listen as I read from 2nd Timothy chapter 1, the first part of verse 8 and the last part of verse 12…

8a Don’t be ashamed to speak for our Lord. 

12b I know the one I have faith in, and I am sure that He can guard until the last day what He has trusted me with.

--2 Timothy 1:8a, 12b (CEV)

You see, the neat thing is, it doesn’t matter if we stutter or not when we’re trying to get our message across.  It doesn’t matter if we seem to struggle just giving voice to our testimony about Jesus.  If we are willing to let Him, God will place us on the path of someone who needs Jesus - whether they know it or not, whether they believe it or not.  He will put us on that path because we are the only one that person will listen to.  And it won’t matter what we say, because the Holy Spirit will do the talking.  We just have to be there, at the right place and at the right time – God will do the rest.

In the first part of verse 17 from the 2nd chapter of his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul provides this wonderful assurance…

17 Your faith in the Lord and your service are like a sacrifice offered to Him.

--Philippians 2:17a (CEV)

By our faith in His Son Jesus Christ, when we make an offering to the Lord of our service, He will accept that sacrifice and honor it.  All we have to do is try, to sacrifice some of our time for Jesus, to stand up as a witness to Him and the Good News He brought into this dark and fallen world.

Make the effort.  Make the sacrifice.  And maybe save a soul.

Who speaks for Jesus?  We do.

Amen.


Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, when Your Son Jesus walked this earth, He performed miracles beyond our ability to even comprehend.  He fulfilled prophecies spoken hundreds, even thousands of years before He came to us in human form as a tiny baby, one of us.  These mighty acts should have served as signs to a world that had for so long yearned for a Redeemer, a Messiah, a Christ.  Yet the world did not know Him - the world refused to know Him.

Father, You have blessed us with the faith and wisdom to realize just who Jesus is, and to accept Him as not only our Christ, our Savior, but also as our Lord and Master.  Please help us honor that pledge, Lord, to give our lives to Jesus, to follow His commands, to obey His and Your word.  Because we live in the world, Lord, we struggle to not let its influence control our lives.  The world might not know or respect You, Lord Jesus, but we do.  We want only to serve You while we take breath.

Lord Jesus, You gave us a command to go into the world making disciples, sharing Your Gospel, that best of all possible Good News, with people who may not want to hear it, but who so desperately need to.  Strengthen us, Lord; encourage us to do Your bidding.  Let us be the one person that someone might actually pause and listen to.  And that through us they might come to You.  Help us, please Jesus, to put aside our differences among ourselves so that we can show unity as a church within a world that is increasingly fragmented by conflict and turmoil.  Let us stand as a beacon of hope to those who seek shelter from the storm of life raging around them.

Father God, please listen now as we pause here in the quiet, under the cover of this beautiful building You have blessed us with, as we lift our personal needs and our thanks to You straight from our hearts...

Father God, fill us now with Your love, Your peace, Your strength.  Empower us through Your Holy Spirit to carry out the mission Your Son Jesus gave us.  Soften the hearts of those we encounter that they may hear our testimony.  May we be a witness to Your mercy, Your grace, and Your promise of salvation through Your Son our Lord.

In the blessed name of Jesus we give You thanks, we seek Your forgiveness, we ask for Your help, and we earnestly pray.  Amen.