From a Manger to the Cross

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the Sunday after Christmas day, the 27th of December, 2020, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

I just love the Christmas story as the Apostle Luke wrote it.  The Jews expected their Messiah to come as a conquering hero, but it didn’t happen that way.  Just the opposite; He came as an innocent, vulnerable baby, attended to by cows and sheep and shepherds.  Mary and Joseph couldn’t even find decent lodgings for her to give birth in, and had to seek shelter in a stable.  And there the little Baby Jesus was born and laid in a manger, a feeding trough, the King of all kings.

Sometime later, we don’t know exactly when, a small group of very learned men, following a heavenly sign, traveled a great distance to see this newborn King.  Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Matthew recorded for us in the 2nd chapter of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 12, and I’ll be reading this from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

--Matthew 2:1-12 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for giving us the very best Christmas gift ever!  Thank You for giving us Your own Son, who came humbly to live among us and teach us, and who died so that our sins might be washed away.  Thank You, Father, for loving us this much.  Please help us to better understand exactly what the birth and death of Jesus mean to all of mankind, and what His resurrection means for we who believe and follow Him.  And please, Father, protect us from all of the devil’s evil work in this world.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and purpose in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this day.  May we learn from the humble life Jesus lived and model our own lives after His.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

I may have told this before, and if so, please forgive me, but it doesn't hurt to hear it again.  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. He searched for months 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, 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.

I can’t help but wonder how many people today are looking for forgiveness and love from their Father, their heavenly Father.  We really don’t have to look very far.  We don’t have to go anywhere at any specific time on a given day.  All we have to do is open our hearts to God’s Holy Spirit and say, “Father, forgive me.”

Jesus has already paid the price for our forgiveness, for our eternal life.  We just need to fully accept Him as Lord to accept God’s wonderful gift of forgiveness and love.  What can we do to help people understand that?

It’s hard to imagine any more humble surroundings for the Son of God to be born into this world.  A stable complete with animals and, I’m sure, their smells.  Lowly shepherds, following the directions of an angel, came to visit and see the holy Infant.

And then, according to Matthew, wise men came to see for themselves the King that had been foretold.  They brought expensive gifts, befitting a king.  When they bowed before the Christ child, they did not see the lowliness of it all.  They saw only forgiveness and love.  I believe the Apostle John describes why they could see this in his 1st letter to the early church, in chapter 4 verses 9 and 10…

9 God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. 10 This is real love — not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 

--1 John 4:9-10 (NLT)

Jesus came to us because His Father sent Him, because His Father loves us this much.  He came as one of us so we could relate to Him.  He came humbly, lived humbly, so that we could learn to be humble, too.  And He went to the cross humbly, willingly, to carry out His Father’s plan of salvation for mankind.

A common question is why did Jesus have to suffer so much and die the way He died?  Couldn’t God have accomplished His plan some other less brutal way?  The answer can be found in the words of the author of the letter to the Hebrews, chapter 9 verses 19 through 28…

19 For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool. 20 Then he said, “This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.” 21 And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. 22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

23 That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.

24 For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. 25 And He did not enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. 26 If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, He has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by His own death as a sacrifice. 

27 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, 28 so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him.

--Hebrews 9:19-28 (NLT)

God set the rules in place long ago: only the blood of an innocent, spotless lamb can redeem us of our sin.  Jesus remained humble, innocent, spotless, so that His sacrifice upon that cruel cross would cleanse us in the eyes of God.  One perfect sacrifice for all mankind – once, for all.

And all anyone has to do to benefit from God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice is to accept Jesus as their Lord!  Yet so many refuse to do so, even after hearing the Gospel, the Good News.  Why?  Why, oh God, are they so stubborn?  Why can they not see what we see?

A humble manger served our Lord as His crib when He entered our world.  A humble, rugged cross carried His mortal body to death.  But we all know that was not the end of the story.  Our Lord’s journey from a manger to the cross tells of our forgiveness and redemption.  His resurrection tells of our being raised again once this life is finished, so that we will have eternal life in heaven.  But that’s our story for Easter.

For now, let’s remember how the journey began, there in a manger, in a stable.  Let’s join those wise men who held what we might call the very first Christian worship service.  Let’s follow the example Jesus set by living our lives humbly, in service to our Lord.  And let’s try to get others to listen and grasp just what Jesus did for them, and why He did it.

This is the love of God, the love of Jesus.  And this is the perfect time to share that love.  For Jesus went from a humble manger to the cross just for us, for all of us.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Savior, the one true Son of God, the world’s only hope.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, it is so hard for us to understand why You love us enough that You would send Your only Son to serve as our blood sacrifice so we can be forgiven of our sin.  Thank You, Father, for loving us this much, for so great a gift!  We know there are many people who just don’t believe themselves to be worthy of that love.  And truly, Father, none of us are worthy, which is why Your love is even more remarkable.  Please, Father, help us reach out to those who do not believe.  Help us show them Your love through our humble service.  May they see You in our hearts.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be better, more faithful servants, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, how wonderful it would have been to sit among the shepherds that night when God’s angel suddenly appeared before them, announcing Your birth!  But in spite of that grand proclamation, Your birthplace was so humble.  Indeed, Your entire life on earth was lived humbly, right up to the cross.  Please, Lord, help us learn from Your life.  Help us to follow Your example.  And help us explain to others why You did all this, and how little is truly required of us to benefit from Your sacrifice.  Forgive us, Jesus, when we are too timid, or shy, or afraid to share the Gospel with this non-believing world.  Help us show them Your love in our love and service.  Give us Your heart for loving them.  Let us be Your hands to reach out and help them.  Strengthen us, Jesus, through these very difficult times.  And Lord, please heal those hurts that separate and divide us, even within Your church family.  Help us remain true and obedient no matter what we go through.  May our focus be more on the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Joy to the World!

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the 4th Sunday in Advent, the 20th of December, 2020, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

This morning is the 4th Sunday in Advent.  Today we lit the candle of joy for the joy that Jesus brings to all believers, the joy declared for all the earth if people would only accept the Son of God.  But joy in this world is usually rather short-lived.  It takes so little to rob us of any joy we might feel.  Our joy can be stripped away with a simple careless word or thoughtless deed.  But the joy that comes from truly accepting Jesus, the joy of knowing that our salvation is secured by His blood, can never be taken from us.  This is the message proclaimed to us at Christ’s birth, a message of great joy.

Our scripture reading this morning is very familiar, and one you’ll hear again. But for this reading I chose a version that provides a slightly different, and perhaps more significant, spin on the message given to the world.  Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Luke recorded for us in the 2nd chapter of his Gospel account, verses 8 through 14, and I’ll be reading this from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior — yes, the Messiah, the Lord — has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize Him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others — the armies of heaven — praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,

and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

--Luke 2:8-14 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for sending Your angel to bring us such wonderful news!  You sent Your Son to us, the Messiah, our Savior.  This is our joy - knowing Christ - and it can never be taken from us.  Thank You, Father, for offering us eternal life with You.  Thank You for Your peace and the joy and the assurance of our hope being in You and You alone.  Help us to be more pleasing in Your sight, Father.  And please protect us from all of Satan’s traps and his forces of evil at work in this world.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and purpose in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us for this day.  May we spend this time together rejoicing in our love of You and our salvation.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Did you know that “Joy to the World” was not written as a Christmas carol?  In its original form, it had nothing to do with Christmas.  It wasn’t even written to be a song.

Isaac Watts was one of the great hymn writers in church history, and perhaps nothing shows that better than the fact that he wrote one of his most famous hymns by accident.  In 1719, Watts published a book of poems in which each poem was based on a psalm.  But rather than just translate the original Old Testament texts, he adjusted them to refer more explicitly to the work of Jesus as it had been revealed in the New Testament.

One of those poems was an adaptation of Psalm 98.  Watts interpreted this psalm as a celebration of Jesus’s role as King of both his church and the whole world.  More than a century later, the second half of this poem was slightly adapted and set to music to give us what has become one of the most famous of all Christmas carols: "Joy to the World".  And the rest, as they say, is history.

I would normally read this morning’s passage of Luke’s Gospel from the King James or New King James Versions where it ends with the angels singing, “and on earth peace, goodwill toward men”.  But in the New Living Translation, the angels proclaim “peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased”.

Now we know that God wants peace on this earth.  He created the world to be peaceful and it was, until sin entered in.  He also wants the whole earth to accept His Son as Lord, but He knows too many will never do so.  However those who do accept Jesus will receive everlasting peace, and that is indeed pleasing to God.

And this is the message of great joy that the angel shared so long ago.  He appeared among the most lowly of people, the shepherds, out in the fields with their sheep.  He brought the best news ever given to mankind, there to the most humble.

The angel spoke of great joy to all men.  Some very wise men traveled a great distance to experience this joy first-hand.  But first they had to talk with King Herod, who wanted to eliminate any threat to his rule.  Listen to what the Apostle Matthew recorded in the 2nd chapter of his Gospel account, verses 7 through 11…

7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 

9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

--Matthew 2:7-11 (NKJV)

The wise men first had to get past Herod, who tried to fool them into giving up the location where the Christ Child could be found, and slain.  When they left Herod, they once again saw the star that had guided them to this place, the star that now stood guard over the place where Jesus lay.  Just seeing the star filled them with great joy, and when they finally came into the house and into the presence of Jesus, they fell down and worshiped Him.

And their gifts…  Gold, a gift befitting an earthly king.  Frankincense, incense used frequently in meditation and in praying to God.  Myrrh, an embalming oil used most often for royalty.  Even at His birth, Jesus’ divinity was recognized and His sacrifice and death were foretold.

Now let’s fast forward to a time very close to the cross.  Jesus is in deep prayer with His Father in heaven, praying a little for Himself and a lot for His disciples and for all believers.  Listen to one part of our Lord’s prayer to our Father God, as recorded by the Apostle John in his Gospel account, chapter 17 verse 13…

13 “But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.”

--John 17:13 (NKJV)

God, through His angels, proclaimed peace on earth to those in whom He is pleased, who believe in His Son.  Jesus, while still alive in this world, knowing His time of sacrifice grew near, prayed that we might have His joy!  He knew His sacrifice would finish His business on earth, and thus complete His joy at serving the Father faithfully and fully.  And He wanted for us to be able to partake of that joy as well.  But that joy will only be granted to those who faithfully and fully serve our Lord.

This is how we please God.  And this is how we receive His joy and peace.  Believe in Jesus as the Son of God.  Accept Him as Lord.  Love Him with all our heart and soul and mind.  Love others and help them come to know Jesus, too.  For Jesus came to save us all.

This is the Gospel, the Good News of great joy!  Joy to the world, our Lord has come!  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Savior, the one true Son of God, the Joy of this world.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, Your word inspires us.  Just like when Isaac Watts took the 98th Psalm and made it into a poem praising Your Son, and it became one of our beloved songs to sing as we celebrate Your Son’s birth.  Thank You, Father, for Your word.  Thank You for our bible and all that it contains.  Please help us spend more time in it, learning from it, understanding from the examples it provides what You see as the most important things for us to do with our lives.  Thank You most of all for sending Your Son to offer us salvation.  Help us to show and to share Jesus and His love with those who do not know Him.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave up Your throne in heaven and came to earth, not as a conquering hero but as one of us, as a tiny baby – humble, innocent, vulnerable.  You lived among us, teaching us by Your word and Your example how we should live in service to God.  Please help us to better follow Your example.  Help us to fully understand why You had to suffer and die upon that cruel cross, and just what Your death and resurrection mean to us personally, we who follow Your voice.  Forgive us, Jesus, when our faith falters because of the troubles of these days.  Help us to more faithfully serve You.  Give us Your heart for loving others.  Give us Your eyes for seeing their hearts.  Strengthen us, Jesus, through these very difficult times.  And Lord, please heal those hurts that separate and divide us, even within Your church family.  Help us remain true and obedient no matter what we go through.  May our focus be more on the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Sharing Peace

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the 3rd Sunday in Advent, the 13th of December, 2020, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

This morning, the 3rd Sunday in Advent, we lit the candle of peace, representing the peace of God, peace through God, a peace that surpasses all human understanding.

When Jesus was born, God proclaimed peace for all the earth, and by our biblical account, the night of His birth was indeed quiet and filled with peace.  But it doesn’t require much in-depth study of His ministry, His last three years on this earth, to see that Jesus did not enjoy much peace Himself.  Nonetheless, He did not let His own turmoil keep Him from offering peace to others.  Not even His death stopped Him from sharing peace.

And since His death was foretold at His birth, I’d like to look at an instance when Jesus appeared to His disciples after His execution, burial, and resurrection.  Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle John recorded in chapter 20 of his Gospel account, verses 19 through 23, and I’ll be reading this from the English Standard Version of our Holy Bible…

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

--John 20:19-23 (ESV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for proclaiming peace for the world on the night when Your Son became flesh.  Sadly, mankind is incapable of maintaining peace for very long.  Any peace the world offers is fleeting, temporary, here one minute and gone the next.  But the peace we will know when we finally come to You is a peace of the spirit, a peace in our soul, a peace that will last forever.  Thank You for Your peace, Father.  Please help us share this gift of peace with others.  Help us reach out to them and show them Jesus so that they too may know true peace.  And Father, please protect us from the devil’s tricks and his forces of evil at work in this world.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and purpose in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us for this day.  May Your peace settle upon us and still us while we share this time together.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Duke University did a study on "peace of mind."  The factors they found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability are:  1) the absence of suspicion and resentment.  Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness.  2) Not living in the past.  An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.  3) Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change.  Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.  4) Force yourself to stay involved with the living world.  Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.  5) Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal.  Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune.  6) Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues -- love, humor, compassion and loyalty.  7) Do not expect too much of yourself.  When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable.  8) Find something bigger than yourself to believe in.  Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness.

Did you notice that most of those factors leading to personal peace were things not to do?  Don’t hold a grudge, don’t live in the past, don’t waste time on things you cannot change, don’t isolate yourself from others, don’t indulge in self-pity.  But the last factor is the best, and it’s a thing to do.  Do find something bigger than yourself to believe in.  And family, there is nothing bigger than God.  Believe in His Son Jesus, and enjoy everlasting peace.

Christmas is a time for sharing.  We share gifts and meals and time with our family and loved ones.  And many of us share those things with others, even complete strangers, and especially those with greater needs than our own.

God shared His own Son with us at Christmas.  The Prince of Peace came into our world.  An angel announced that birth and made a proclamation for God.  Listen to how the Apostle Luke described this in the 2nd chapter of his Gospel account, in verses 13 and 14…

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

--Luke 2:13-14 (NKJV)

Not only did God desire that the earth be at peace, but that man enjoy goodwill, kindness, friendliness.  There’s actually two parts there, two pieces, two roles to be played.  Only God can set the world at peace, but it’s up to us to spread goodwill and kindness, to be friendly with one another.

God want us to share the peace He offers.  And that offer comes to us through His Son Jesus.  God tried to make peace with all mankind through Jesus.  Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians in chapter 1, verses 19 and 20 of that letter…

19 for God wanted all of Himself to be in His Son.
20 It was through what His Son did that God cleared a path for everything to come to Him — all things in heaven and on earth — for Christ’s death on the cross has made peace with God for all by His blood.

--Colossians 1:19-20 (TLB)

By His sacrifice upon the cross, Jesus cleared a path so that all things, all people, might easily come to God the Father.  By His blood, Jesus made peace with God for us all.

Peace.  Even those of us blessed with God’s peace in this life too often find that peace interrupted.  All the madness going on in the world around us - the diseases and violence and storms – all this can shatter the peace in our hearts.  But God’s love for us and our love for Jesus will replenish that peace.

And no matter what happens around us, it must not keep us from sharing God’s peace with others.  We need to remember what Jesus said during His Sermon on the Mount, in the Beatitudes.  The Apostle Matthew recorded Jesus’ words in chapter 5 verse 9 of his Gospel account…

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.”

--Matthew 5:9 (NKJV)

Peacemakers – those who make peace with others.  Right now in this old world, we seem to have enough troublemakers.  We need more peacemakers.  We need more people sharing the peace that God gives through Jesus.

And that means we need more people believing in something bigger than themselves.  We need them believing in Jesus.  And we need to help them come to that realization, by showing them how much He has done for us.

As believers, we enjoy God’s peace now, in this life, and will live in endless joy and peace when we join God in paradise.  Let’s share the peace that we have now and our hope for tomorrow with others.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Savior, the one true Son of God, the Prince of Peace.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, Your proclaimed peace to the world on the night Your Son was born as a man.  Through Him and His sacrifice, You open the way to Your home in heaven.  To those who believe, You offer eternal peace.  Thank You, Father, for Your great gift of peace.  Please help us share that peace with all others.  Help us to share Jesus and His love with those who do not know Him.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so… [* pause *]

Lord Jesus, You came to this earth to reconcile us with our Father God, to make peace between Him and us, to offer us His peace.  You came so that we might have a chance of everlasting peace in paradise, but only if we accept You as Lord.  Please help us to truly be Your humble servants, loving others and sharing Your love.  Help us be peacemakers.  Forgive us, Jesus, when we hesitate to step out of our comfort zone and tell someone just what You mean to us, what You have done for us.  Help us to carry Your peace into a world that so needs it right now.  Give us Your heart for loving others, just as You love us.  Strengthen us, Jesus, through these trying times.  And Lord, please heal those hurts that separate and divide us, even within Your church family.  Help us remain faithful and obedient no matter what we go through.  May our focus be more on the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

True Love

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the 2nd Sunday in Advent, the 6th of December, 2020, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

This morning is the 2nd Sunday in Advent and we lit the candle of love, representing the love that God and Jesus have for us, the love we should have for one another.  During our Lord’s walk and ministry on earth, love was a very important and frequently recurring theme.  Jesus told us to love God with all our heart and soul and mind, and to love each other as we love ourselves.  And indeed, the only way we can truly love God is to love others, to love those walking among us.  But what really is love, what did our Christ mean when He talked about love?

Please listen and follow along to what Jesus shared with His disciples and with us, as recorded by the Apostle John in chapter 15 of his Gospel account, verses 9 through 19, and I’ll be reading this from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…

9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved Me. Remain in My love. 10 When you obey My commandments, you remain in My love, just as I obey My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is My commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are My friends, since I have told you everything the Father told Me. 16 You didn’t choose Me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My name. 17 This is My command: Love each other.

18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated Me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you."

--John 15:9-19 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for loving us when we in no way deserve Your love.  There is nothing we could ever do to repay Your love or come close to equaling Your love.  Thank You for so great a love, so great a gift.  Please help us share this gift with all others.  Help us to not only personally realize Your love but also to love others as we love ourselves.  Help us love as Jesus loves.  And Father, please protect us from all the forces of evil at work in this world.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and purpose in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us for this day.  Let us feel Your love, and then go out and share that love with all we encounter.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

During the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, sentenced a soldier to be executed for his crimes.  The order was to be carried out at the ringing of the evening curfew bell.  However, the bell did not sound.  The soldier's fiancé had climbed into the belfry and clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking.  When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands.  Cromwell's heart was touched and he said, "Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice.  Curfew shall not ring tonight!"

True love is sacrificial love, a love that is willing to give all, just as Jesus noted in our scripture reading.  Being of Irish heritage, I’m no big fan of Cromwell, but by all accounts, he was a very religious man.  Perhaps Jesus’ words came to his mind as he saw the young woman’s hands and tears.  He granted the soldier’s pardon because of her sacrifice, her true love.

Love.  We toss that word around rather freely and loosely.  We say, “I love a good home-cooked meal”, or “I love my new car”, or “I love just sitting in my easy chair watching an old movie on TV”.  Too often what we refer to as “loving” are merely things that have no real, eternal value.  We need to put our focus more on the things of heaven while loving our fellow man.  This is, after all, what Jesus commands us to do.

Do you remember the conversation Jesus had with Peter about love?  John recorded it in chapter 21 of his Gospel account.  Three times Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love Me?”.  Each time Peter replies, “Yes, Lord, You know I love You."  And Jesus responds, "Feed My lambs", "Tend My sheep", "Feed My Sheep".

This is how we show Jesus we love Him: by seeing to the needs of others.  And yes, feeding and tending are physical acts that fulfill the needs of the flesh.  But we also have spiritual needs that should be met.  Our spirit also needs to be “fed” and “tended” to.  We can only show Jesus our love by doing what He has commanded us to do, by seeing to both the physical and spiritual needs of others.

One night a Pharisee came to visit our Lord, admitting that Jesus must have been sent by God because no other man could do the things He did.  Jesus liked to make people think, so He replied that one must be born again to see the kingdom of God.  Of course this confused the Pharisee and a lesson from Jesus ensued.  The lesson also contains the most well-known verse in our Bible: John 3:16.

But Jesus left us with so much more in that conversation with the Pharisee Nicodemus, who soon became a faithful believer.  Listen to the words John recorded in chapter 3 of his Gospel account, verses 16 through 21…

16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

--John 3:16-21 (NKJV)

God loved us enough that He sent His own Son, His only begotten Child, with the promise that we can be saved if we only believe in Him.  Jesus didn’t come to condemn us, but to offer us salvation and redemption of our sins.

He brought us the light, the truth, but the world loves darkness and lies.  Those who reject Jesus are already condemned, by their own deeds and words.  They’ve turned down God’s greatest gift of love.

Love.  When Jesus used that word He meant true, sacrificial, unconditional love.  Love that sets no bounds or conditions, no “ifs” or “buts”.  Love that gives of itself, without regard for self.  This is the love that Jesus held for us.  This is the love He expects of us when He commands us to love others as we love ourselves.

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “You can’t take it with you when you die.”  “It” being, of course, any physical thing we might possess at that time.  But I firmly believe there is indeed one “thing” we can take with us, but it isn’t physical.  We can take love with us.

True love is eternal, because it comes from God, it is of God.  As believers, we will carry God’s love with us beyond the grave into the next life in paradise.  Jesus is God’s love in the flesh, and even though He died and was buried, He rose from the grave and walked among us again.  God’s love cannot be destroyed!

This is the love He gave us.  This is the love He wants us to share with the world, so that the world might still be saved.  So let us go and make disciples for our Lord, loving all others just as we love ourselves, as God loves us.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Savior, the one true Son of God, the perfect Love.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, Your love for us is so amazing, so astounding, so undeserved.  You still love us even when we disobey You and turn our backs on You.  Thank You, Father, for loving us enough to give us chance after chance to get things right.  Help us, please Father, to love and serve You and Jesus with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind.  Help us to be better servants to Your people.  Help us be more loving, Father, more trusting, more merciful, and more kindhearted toward everyone we encounter in our daily walk.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave up Your heavenly throne to come to the earth as one of us, to suffer and die at our hands.  You came, just so we might have a chance of eternal life in paradise, but only if we accept You as Lord.  Please help us to truly be Your humble servants, obeying Your commands to love others and make disciples whenever we can.  Forgive us, Jesus, when we are too timid or too fearful of telling someone just what You mean to us, what You have done for us.  Help us to carry out the job You gave us.  Give us Your heart for loving others, just as You loved us all.  Strengthen us, Jesus, through these trying times.  And Lord, please heal those hurts that separate and divide us, even within Your church family.  Help us remain faithful and obedient no matter what we go through.  May our focus be more on the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

What Will It Take?

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the 1st Sunday in Advent, the 29th of November, 2020, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

This morning we lit the Advent candle of hope, representing that our hope, as believers, is in Jesus.  Christ Jesus is our only hope for salvation.  But what of those who do not believe?  What of those who have rejected Jesus, who have refused to accept the Gospel?

They have no hope - they’re hopeless, and many don’t even realize it.  Jesus gives us an excellent example of one such man without hope.  Please listen and follow along to the parable Christ told of a rich man and a poor beggar, as recorded by the Apostle Luke in his Gospel account, chapter 16, verses 19 through 31, and I’ll be reading this from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…

19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’

25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’

30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’

31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

--Luke 16:19-31 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for Your word to instruct us.  Thank You for allowing us to be safe from eternal pain and torment by our faith and belief in Your Son Jesus, our true hope.  Please help us to serve Him and to obey His commands.  Help us love others as we love ourselves and to go into the world making more disciples for Him.  Help us give hope to the hopeless.  And Father, please protect us from all the violence and disease in this world.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and purpose in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us for this day.  Give us the conviction of our faith to convince others of the truth of the Gospel and influence them to believe and serve Jesus.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

When Benjamin Franklin wished to interest the people of Philadelphia in street lighting, he didn't try to persuade them by just talking about it.  He hung a beautiful lantern on a long bracket in front of his home.  He kept the glass highly polished.  Every evening at the approach of dusk, he carefully lit the wick.  People saw the light from a distance and when they walked in its light, found that it helped them to avoid sharp stones on the pavement.  Others placed light at their homes, and soon Philadelphia recognized the need for street lighting.

We should take note of Franklin’s example when it comes to trying to persuade others to accept Jesus as Lord.  As they learn of the peace and joy we have in our life in Christ, they will recognize their need for Him as well.  Our witness through personal testimony may be just what someone else is waiting for.

In what we call the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks about the rewards of this world and the rewards of heaven.  Those who seek only what this world has to offer will not receive the treasures our Father God has in store.

The rich man in our parable serves as a great example of one who sought after and enjoyed the good things this life has to offer.  So insatiable was his appetite for worldly possessions that he ignored the poor beggar at his gate, a man who had nothing but his faith.

Both died, with the beggar joining Abraham in heaven while the rich man who had enjoyed all his reward during his life on earth suffered in anguish in the flames.  The rich man’s cries for relief soon turned to concern for his brothers, that they not follow his path.  Abraham responded that they, like himself, had every chance to heed what the prophets had foretold and to be saved, but it was not enough for them.  Nor would they be persuaded even if someone returned from the dead to warn them.

What will it take for a hopeless non-believer to believe and receive hope?  We’ve already seen the truth of Abraham’s words.  Jesus was raised from the dead and came back to warn us of the consequences of non-belief, and He was witnessed by over 500 people.  Yet so many, then and today, refuse to believe, refuse to accept Him as their personal Savior and Lord.  Even though their only Hope stands before them, they remain hopeless.

Listen to what Paul spoke in the synagogue at Antioch on the Sabbath, as recorded by the Apostle Luke in his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 13, verses 38 through 44…

38 “Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. 39 Everyone who believes in Him is made right in God’s sight — something the law of Moses could never do. 40 Be careful! Don’t let the prophets’ words apply to you. For they said, 

41 ‘Look, you mockers,
be amazed and die!
For I am doing something in your own day,
something you wouldn’t believe
even if someone told you about it.'” 

42 As Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue that day, the people begged them to speak about these things again the next week. 43 Many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, and the two men urged them to continue to rely on the grace of God. 

44 The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord.

--Acts 13:38-44 (NLT)

Paul boldly strode into the Jewish synagogue and openly proclaimed the Gospel of salvation through Jesus and Jesus alone.  Only through Jesus can sins be forgiven.  And while many came to accept Jesus as Lord because of Paul’s preaching, so many more refused to believe, even though they were told.

What will it take for some people?  Sadly, even good people can be persuaded by the wrong influences, can listen to the wrong people.

King Ahab, the 7th king of the northern kingdom of Israel, did evil in the eyes of God.  Along with his wife, Jezebel, he instituted idol worship and put false prophets in places of authority.  In the 1st Book of the Kings, chapter 22, verses 19 through 23, the prophet Micaiah proclaimed to Ahab…

19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ 22 The Lord said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ 23 Therefore look! The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”

--1 Kings 22:19-23 (NKJV)

Some folks have lying spirits in them that we must guard against.  Our job, as assigned by Jesus, is to convince others to accept the Gospel, not to ourselves accept what the world claims is truth.  We must not let the world influence us, but instead must be a positive influence to others so that they can see Jesus in us.  And in this way, we have a chance of giving hope to the hopeless.

So what will it take?  It will take us remaining faithful and true to Jesus.  It will take us loving others and showing them the truth of Jesus.  It will take us showing the hope that is Jesus to those without hope.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Savior, the one true Son of God, our one true hope.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, You sent Your Son Jesus to offer hope for those who would accept Him.  Our hope is not a wish but an expectation, because everything You have ever said has come true.  Thank You, Father, for this great gift of hope, of faith, of Jesus.  Help us, please Father, to honor You by serving Him.  Strengthen us, embolden us to carry out His great commission.  Help us to be good, obedient servants.  And Father, help us be more loving, more trusting, more merciful, and more kindhearted toward all that we encounter in our daily walk.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You clearly warn us about what is in store if we seek only those rewards this world has to offer while ignoring the needs of others.  You caution us to spend this life in service to You, doing as You command us.  Please help us to ignore the influences of the world while being a positive influence to others.  Forgive us, Jesus, when we hesitate to step out of our comfort zone and tell others about what You mean to us, what You’ve done for us.  Help us to go into the world, giving hope to the hopeless.  Give us Your heart for loving others and making disciples.  Strengthen us, Jesus, through these trying times.  And Lord, please heal those hurts that separate and divide us, even within Your church family.  Help us remain faithful and obedient no matter what we go through.  May our focus be more on the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Sharing Our Bounty

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 22nd of November, 2020, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Today is the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day, and I’d like for us to think about what is generally considered the first Thanksgiving, or perhaps the model Thanksgiving.  The colony formed primarily of Pilgrims that landed at Plymouth barely survived their first winter on the new world’s soil.  Had it not been for the help and the sharing of the natives, the colony surely would have perished.  So to celebrate, the Pilgrims held a huge feast and invited their benefactors to attend, giving thanks to God for seeing them through.

The natives shared both food and knowledge with the settlers, giving them what they needed to survive.  How willing are we to share what we have with others, even if it means their survival or failure?  Jesus tells us of a time when our willingness to share with others will be duly taken into account.  Please listen and follow along to what our Lord shared, as recorded in chapter 25 of the Apostle Matthew’s Gospel account, verses 31 through 46, and I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible this morning…

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at His left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me.’

37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show You hospitality? Or naked and give You clothing? 39 When did we ever see You sick or in prison and visit You?’

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!’

41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed Me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give Me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite Me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give Me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit Me.’

44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help You?’

45 “And He will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me.’

46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

--Matthew 25:31-46 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for giving us the knowledge of what is to come so that we can prepare.  Thank You for the promise of eternal life with You if we love and serve Your Son Jesus.  Please help us to be ready in our hearts for His return.  Help us to be good, obedient servants by seeing to both the physical and spiritual needs of others.  And Father, please protect us from all the madness we see in this world.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and purpose in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us for this day.  Give us the proper heart for sharing with others in their need.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

The story is told that one day a beggar by the roadside asked for alms from Alexander the Great as he passed by.  The man was poor and wretched and had no claim upon the ruler, no right even to lift a solicitous hand.  Yet the Emperor threw him several gold coins.  A courtier was astonished at his generosity and commented, "Sir, copper coins would adequately meet a beggar's need.  Why give him gold?"  Alexander responded in royal fashion, "Cooper coins would suit the beggar's need, but gold coins suit Alexander's giving."

Alexander became King at the age of 20 and had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world by the time he was 30.  And he died from malaria just shy of his 33rd birthday.  Yet for a man so young, he showed an astonishingly generously heart.

Can the same be said of us?  What suits our spirit of giving?  Copper coins or gold, pennies or dollars, bologna sandwiches or turkey meals?

Earlier, I alluded to the possibility that what we consider the first American Thanksgiving actually might not have been.  The first recorded thanksgiving took place in Virginia more than 11 years earlier, and it was not a feast.

The winter of 1610 at Jamestown had reduced the group of 409 settlers to 60.  The survivors prayed for help, without knowing when or how it might come.  When help arrived, in the form of a ship filled with food and supplies from England, a prayer meeting was held to give thanks to God.

Regardless of which we consider as the first, giving thanks to God for His many blessings, and for our salvation, is the sole reason for Thanksgiving.  And sharing the bounty of God’s blessings is a great way to thank Him.

Jesus spoke the words in our scripture reading to His disciples just a few days before His arrest, mock trial, and execution.  Throughout His three year ministry, He had been trying to prepare His followers for what was about to occur.  And now Jesus is giving them fair warning of what is yet to come.  They might not understand any of it yet, but once what He has told them comes to pass, they can know that what He has foretold for the future will also come true.  And we can know everything He says is true for the same reason.

Jesus will return someday, in all His divine glory, with all the angels of heaven in attendance.  And like a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats, the Good Shepherd will separate all mankind.  Those who have accepted Him as Lord and carried out His commands will be granted eternal life in paradise.  Those who have refused Him and put their own needs and concerns above those of other folk will be condemned to everlasting torment and pain, separated from our Father God for all eternity.

And what is the determining factor Jesus uses to measure us all?  How we treated our fellow man.  Whether we shared our God-given bounty with others, or kept it all for ourselves.

Now we know that Jesus most often spoke in terms that the people could understand and relate to.  Separating the sheep from the goats, giving food and water to the hungry and thirsty, giving shelter to the stranger.  These all sound like physical activities, seeing to physical needs, but they also have spiritual aspects and can indeed be needs of the spirit alone.

The homeless have need of shelter, especially now with the onset of winter and freezing weather. They have need of food that they can’t easily provide for themselves.  But they also have the need of human compassion, of knowing someone cares, of the human touch.  Can the wealthy person who seems to have everything they could ever want still have needs?  Sure, needs of the spirit.  Some isolate themselves with all their things and need human interaction and caring.  Some have not accept Jesus and so do not have true happiness in this life.  They need our spirit to touch and soften theirs.

We are so blessed in this great land.  The poorest among us would be considered wealthy in many parts of our world.  We are rich in physical things, and rich in spirit.  And it all comes from God.  Jesus expects us to share this great bounty, both at home and abroad.

Now, it’s easy to think that if we give away what we have, we will eventually run out of anything to give and might not even have enough for our own needs.  I believe the Apostle Paul would disagree with that train of thought.

Paul uses his letters to speak to all the churches in what we call Asia Minor, and of course to us as well.  In his 2nd letter to the church in Corinth, he is addressing the churches in Greece regarding his ministry of giving to help fill the needs of the believers in Jerusalem.  Listen to what Paul wrote in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verses 6 through 15…

6 Remember this — a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

9 As the Scriptures say, 

“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” 

10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, He will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of righteousness in you. 

11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving — the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. 

13 As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. 14 And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. 15 Thank God for His gift, too wonderful for words!

--2 Corinthians 9:6-15 (NLT)

Now as we read this, it might be easy to think that Paul was just being greedy, wanting to collect even more money for the believers back in Jerusalem.  Maybe he wanted to look better in their eyes so he pressured the churches there in Macedonia to give more, almost laying a guilt trip on them.  But if we look deep enough, I think we can see genuine love and concern in action.  Sure, Paul cared about the believers in Jerusalem, surrounded as it were by unsympathetic Jews.  But he cared about these Greek believers as well, and about their future both in this life and the next.  Just as God cares about us and ensured that these words would be saved for us to read.

Sharing freely and giving generously to those in need will result in our receiving even more generously from our Father in heaven.  We cannot out-give God!  He will enrich us in every way.  That isn’t to say that what we receive will all be physical.  Of greater value will be the spiritual rewards, the harvest of great righteousness God will bring about within us.

God has richly blessed us so we can be a blessing to others.  And the blessings only increase as we share them with the less fortunate.  Those we help will remember us and the believers among them will give glory to God.  Even while thanking us, they will thank God.

And for this gift, too wonderful for words, we should thank God, too - on Thanksgiving Day and every day.  So let’s be sure to thank our heavenly Father this coming Thursday for all His many blessings in our life.  And let’s share the bounty He gives us with others.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Savior, the one true Son of God.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, You have placed us here in this land of great abundance.  Thank You for the richness of our nation, of its soil and natural resources.  Help us, please Father, to remember that all we have comes from You.  Show us clearly the needs of others so that we can serve You by helping them.  Help us be more willing and quick to share what You have given us with others in their times of need.  And Father, help us be more loving, more trusting, more merciful, and more kindhearted toward all that we encounter in our daily walk.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You have told us what to expect when You return.  You will separate all of mankind, everyone who ever lived, into two groups: those who faithfully served You in this life and those who refused to serve.  Please help us to be counted among the sheep.  Forgive us, Jesus, when we hesitate to see to the needs of others.  Help us to share all the rich bounty that our Father God has given us.  Forgive us when we fail to quickly respond to situations You show us where we can make a difference.  Help us be more like You, give us Your heart for loving and helping others.  Strengthen us, Jesus, through these dark times.  And Lord, please heal those hurts that separate and divide us, even within Your church family.  Help us remain faithful and obedient no matter what we go through.  May our focus be more on the needs of others rather than our own wants and desires.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Who's To Judge?

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 15th of November, 2020, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service, also streamed live, due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

It’s only been a couple of weeks now since we witnessed an interesting aspect of our republic’s government processes in action.  I’m talking about the vetting and approval procedures for the replacement of a Supreme Court justice who had recently passed.  Of course, it was very political in nature, with one side saying it shouldn’t be done until after the elections and the other pushing it through to make sure their chosen judge was approved.

So now we have a new justice, a new judge sitting on the highest court in our land.  But any judge or justice that man appoints or elects can only pass judgment on the things of man.  That includes the laws that we enact, or apple pies and livestock at the county fair.

So really… who’s to judge?  Who among us is truly fit and worthy to judge other people?  And of the greatest importance, who is capable of judging the things of God?  I believe the beloved Apostle John has the best answer to these questions.  Please listen and follow along as I read from chapter 8 of John’s Gospel account, verses 2 through 11, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. 

7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 

11 She said, “No one, Lord.” 

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

--John 8:2-11 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for another opportunity to come together to worship You and to meditate upon Your word.  Thank You, Father, for making sure that what Your Son Jesus told us is preserved for our study in our Bible.  Please help us spend more time reading Your word.  And help us to better understand and learn from what we read.  And Father, please protect us from all the madness we see throughout the world lately.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and purpose in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us for this day.  Give us a better understanding in just how we should live our daily lives so that when our time of judgment comes, You will view us as more righteous in Your eyes.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Just before the death of actor W. C. Fields, a friend visited Fields' hospital room and was surprised to find him thumbing through a Bible.  Asked what he was doing with a Bible, Fields replied, "I'm looking for loopholes."

Some of us may be too young to remember W. C. Fields, but he was a bit of a scallywag back in the day.  An acknowledged atheist, Fields usually portrayed a heavy drinker and womanizer in movies back then, and later became a heavy drinker in real life.

Even though he didn’t believe in God, it isn’t too surprising that he would be looking for an escape clause as his end neared and his mortality set in.  After all, someone as rooted in the world as was Fields would be well aware that the laws of man have plenty of wiggle room in them, where one might avoid the harshest punishments.

But Family, when it comes to the laws and things of God, there are no loopholes, no easy outs, no get out of jail free cards.  God will judge everyone, with righteousness and with justice, staying true to everything He has said.  All will be judged, but not all will be condemned.  The escape clause for condemnation is to believe in Jesus as the Son of God and accept Him as Lord and Master, knowing that only through Him can we be redeemed.  This is what Fields and so many others refused to do.

The Pharisees and their scribes were always trying to catch Jesus in some theological mistake, constantly laying traps for Him based on the laws God handed down through Moses.  This time they brought a woman into the temple and set her down in the middle of the crowd that Jesus had been teaching.  They claimed that she was caught in the very act of adultery.

And you know, I can’t help but wonder how they caught her in the act, unless her husband happened to walk in at a most inopportune time.  I also wonder why they didn’t bring along the other guilty party.

At any rate, they noted that Moses had instructed in the law that this crime must be punished by stoning her, and that meant to her death.  Jesus pretty much ignored them, letting them stew for a bit, giving time for the full weight of their words and intended action to sink in to all present.  You’ve got to love that bit about writing in the sand, as if that doodling was more important than their concern over the woman.

But after continued prodding from the Pharisees, Jesus finally stood up and put the challenge to them.  We all know the words; we may have said them ourselves at some time, in one version or another.  “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”  Whoever has never sinned is worthy to sit in judgment over this woman for her sin and can punish her.  One by one the people turned away and left, for none were without sin.  Jesus asked, “Who’s to judge?”, and no one could answer.

Who’s to judge?  If we study our Bible a little, we can see that there is actually a grave danger for us in judging.  Even if we ignore, for a moment, Jesus’ admonishment that we should be sinless before we condemn someone else’s sin, we can find other warnings in our Bible.  Perhaps the most well-known again came from Jesus Himself.  Listen to what the Apostle Matthew recorded in chapter 7 of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 5…

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."

--Matthew 7:1-5 (NKJV)

And there’s the danger, plain and simple.  If we judge someone else, we will also be judged using the same yardstick.  If we condemn someone for being a liar or a thief or a hypocrite, our own actions and words and deeds will be laid out before us.  Jesus also warns us that before we even think about judging someone else, we should judge our own actions, examine our own motives, clean out our own eyes, as Jesus said.  We can’t clearly see the splinter of sin in another person’s life if we have a plank blocking our vision.

Too many times we accuse someone of doing the same things we’re guilty of ourselves.  It’s not so much what they are doing, as it is our hatreds and biases and prejudices at work.  We need to get rid of our own sin before looking for sin in others.  Like Jesus told the woman, we must go and sin no more.

Who’s to judge?  Well, really, none of us.  We’re not worthy, and we’re certainly not sinless.  Jesus, when He walked this earth, was and still is the only person who knew no sin, who was truly without sin, yet even He said He would not condemn the woman for her sin.  So who’s to judge?

Listen to what John was shown when Jesus revealed the things to come, as recorded by John in the Book of Revelation, chapter 20, verses 11 through 15…

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

--Revelation 20:11-15 (NKJV)

God will judge us all.  Everyone who has ever drawn breath will stand before the great white throne and face our God, the Creator of the universe and all therein.  No one will escape judgment for each of us has a book wherein our every word and deed and action is recorded, even those words only thought and not uttered, and those deeds and actions undone.  There will be no loopholes.

All will be judged but not all will be condemned, for those whose name is written in the Book of Life will be spared and saved.  To be included in that great book requires only that we believe in Jesus and obey His commands.  Those who refused Jesus in this life will suffer the second death: eternal separation from God and everlasting punishment and suffering.

It’s just human nature to sit in judgement.  And sometimes we’re called upon to do just that, to judge a contest or a game or even other people.  Our newest Supreme Court Justice joined the other eight to judge how our laws and actions hold up against our country’s Constitution.  Judges throughout our land hold sway in courtrooms deciding the validity of criminal and civil cases, apportioning out punishments when deemed appropriate, as based on the laws of man.

But ultimately, we will all stand in the grandest courtroom of all and face the truly Supreme Judge, who is God, the Author of creation.  If our name is found written within the Book of Life, then Jesus will stand at our side and say, “Father, this one is mine.”  If not, then we will have been condemned by our own refusal to accept Jesus as Lord.

Let’s make sure we’re listed in that book.  Believe in Jesus and obey Him.  Love one another and teach them about Him.  Treat everyone with the same love, respect, and honor that we want for ourselves.  And while we will still be judged, we will be spared eternal damnation.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Savior, the one true Son of God.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for the promise of judging everyone with righteousness rather than capriciously.  We know we will face You some day, Father, and You will open the book of our life and remind us of everything we have ever done and said, and everything we have left undone and went without saying when we should have.  This will not be pleasant, Father, but because we believe in Your Son Jesus as our Lord, we also know our name is written in His Book of Life so we will be spared the second death of eternal torment and separation from You.  Help us, please Father, to remain true to You and faithful no matter what we face.  Show us how to better serve You.  And Father, help us be more loving, more trusting, more merciful, and more kindhearted toward all that we encounter in our daily walk.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You caution us not to sit in judgment of others, knowing that we will someday be judged in the same manner.  Even You refused to condemn the woman of her sins, but You did tell her to not continue sinning.  Please help us to turn from our sin also, and to never go back to it.  Forgive us, Jesus, for being weak and unable to resist temptation.  And forgive us when we fail to follow Your command to love others.  Help us be more like You; to be more loving, more caring, more responsive to the needs of others.  Strengthen us, Jesus, through these dark times.  And Lord, please heal those divisions between us, that separate us, even within Your church family.  Help us remain faithful and obedient no matter what we go through.  May our focus be more on the needs of others rather than our own wants and desires.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.