Speak Peace

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 27th of February, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  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.]

Have you ever heard of someone “waging a war of words”?  That seems a little odd, doesn’t it - going to war with words as the weapons.  How effective can that be?  After all, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”.

But actually, words do hurt.  They can cut deeply.  Back in 1839, English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton coined the phrase, "The pen is mightier than the sword", hinting that the written word is more effective than violent acts for getting a point across.  I think it also indicates just how powerful our words can be.

So just as we need to keep a close check on our use of weapons of violence, we also need to rein in our words, so that we don’t go off and do irreparable harm.  The Apostle James, the brother of Jesus, had a lot to say along these lines.  Please listen and follow along to the wise words that James left for us in chapter 3 of his letter to the early church, and I’ll be reading this from the New Revised Standard Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4 Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8 but no one can tame the tongue — a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.

--James 3 (NRSV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for imparting Your wisdom upon the men and women who penned the words in our Bible.  Words are powerful tools, and those wielded by these authors provide us with the instructions we need to get through this life and be seen as righteous in Your eyes.  Please help us understand what has been saved for us by James and the rest.  Help us follow what they tell us, and help us resist the urge to use our words as weapons of hate rather than blankets of love.  Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who do his bidding.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, 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.  Show us how to choose our words carefully so as not to hurt others.  Teach us how to speak peace.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Aesop, the ancient storyteller, tells us that once upon a time, a donkey found a lion's skin.  He tried it on, strutted around, and frightened many animals.  Soon a fox came along, and the donkey tried to scare him, too.  But the fox, hearing the donkey's voice, said, "If you want to terrify me, you'll have to disguise your bray."  Aesop's moral to this story is that clothes may disguise a fool, but his words will give him away.

That reminds me of something Mark Twain was credited with saying:  “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”  There’ve been times when I was around someone who went on and on about a subject that I happened to know much about, where it quickly became obvious they knew little of what they spoke.  They were just trying to impress everyone, but really only showed themselves to be a braying donkey.

And then there was philosopher Will Durant who once noted that, "Talk is cheap because the supply always exceeds the demand.  One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say."

But sometimes we’re not very clever, are we.  Sometimes we just can’t keep our mouth shut.  I think that’s one of the most difficult temptations we face on a daily basis.  When someone says something we disagree with or that stings us a bit, our first thought is to throw out a snappy comeback.  When we’re hurt, we too often tend to lash out and hurt others, much like a wounded animal.  We don’t stop to think; we just react.  We throw words out like darts and arrows.

James says that this kind of “wisdom” is earthly, devilish, not from above.  Because spiritual wisdom, from our Father above, is first pure, and then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.  Being willing to yield reinforces what Durant pointed out, that saying nothing might very well be the best response.

James chose his words well and put them to very effective use in the examples he gave of just how powerful our words can be.  Of course he referred to our mouths and tongues in these examples, for they are the physical means by which we utter our words aloud.  Just a small bit in the mouth of a horse can make that mighty beast go where we want it to go.  And the same with a small rudder attached to a huge ship.  In this case, the size of the tool doesn’t matter – only how it is employed.

That’s the way it is with our tongue.  Though small, it can have a great effect on ourselves and others, working for good or for evil.  Just as one tiny spark can set an entire forest on fire, one small word, uttered at the wrong time or with the wrong intent, can cause great harm.  And once spoken, our words cannot be brought back without consequence, just like a bell cannot be un-rung, nor toothpaste put back in the tube.  But if we do choose our words carefully, prayerfully, they can do great good.  They can give comfort and make peace.

In verse 18 of our scripture reading, James says that, “a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.”  This verse could also be read as, "a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."  So when we speak words of peace, we sow a harvest of righteousness for ourselves and for those we speak to.  And as with any planting, we may not experience the harvest immediately, but it will come.

James had a little more to say about how we use our words.  Back in the 1st chapter of this letter, he warns us that…

26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.

--James 1:26 (NRSV)

The Living Bible version puts it a little more bluntly:  “Anyone who says he is a Christian but doesn’t control his sharp tongue is just fooling himself, and his religion isn’t worth much.”  Remember that part about leading a horse?  If we don’t properly control the bridle, we can’t control the horse.  James says if we are not able or not willing to control our tongues, to control what we say, then we’re just fooling ourselves thinking we’re truly being Christian.

Let’s face it… if we lose control of the words coming out of our mouth and let forth with a stream of hurtful invective, are we really showing much love?  Isn’t that what Jesus commands, that we love one another?  Isn’t the Golden Rule founded on love, treating someone the way we would want them to treat us?  

When the Apostle Paul was trying to address some issues with the church in Corinth, he gave them a choice, so to speak.  Hear what Paul wrote in his 1st letter to the Corinthians, in chapter 4, verse 21…

21 What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?

--1 Corinthians 4:21 (NKJV)

I know which of those options I’d prefer.

A little later on in that letter, in chapter 16 verse 14, Paul reminds the Corinthians and us to…

14 Let all that you do be done with love.

--1 Corinthians 16:14 (NKJV)

Let all that you do be done with love, and that includes choosing the words we say.  Speaking is an action, and we should put some thought into it before we even open our mouth.

Is what I am about to say constructive or destructive?  Will it build the listener up, or knock them down a bit?  Would it be better for me to just count to 10 and say nothing?  More importantly, would Jesus approve of what I am about to say?  Would it be said with love?

This is where a short little prayer might come in handy:  Lord, give me the right words.  Help me to speak words of peace and not of war.  May my words offer healing and comfort, not hurt or shame.  Help me bridle my tongue, Lord Jesus, that I may only speak peace.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You yet again for giving us the precious gift of Your thoughts, wisdom, and guidance that are contained within the pages of our Bible.  Thank You for inspiring the men and women who penned these invaluable words.  Thank You for speaking the right and righteous words into their hearts.  Father, too often we don’t take the time to read and study Your word.  Sometimes the busyness of life prevents us, but sometimes we just find other things to do that we think are more important or fun.   Forgive us those times, Father.  Forgive us for ignoring Your guidance, for not paying full heed to Your word.  But please love us still, Father, and help us remain strong, faithful, and true until the end.

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

Lord Jesus, for You, it’s all about love.  You made it clear so many times that we are to love one another, and that we are to show Your love in all we do.  Too often, though, Lord, we just seem incapable of loving others, especially when it comes to telling them what we think.  We don’t take the time to consider what we are about to say, so that we can speak words of healing and not hurt.  Please, Lord, help us speak peace.  Help us show love in all we do.  Forgive us, Jesus, when we let our emotions get the best of us.  Help us control our tongue so we can control our words.  And Jesus, please strengthen us through these very difficult times.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and 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.

To Live Again

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 20th of February, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  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.]

Family, what if we’re wrong?  What if everything we’ve been taught, everything we believe in regarding God and His kingdom, is all just a fabrication, a myth?  What if Jesus really was just a man, a normal human like you and I?  What if we’re wrong and the doubters and non-believers are right?  What if at the end of our life we just die, and then there’s nothing else: no heaven, no hell?

Have you ever had doubts, or asked yourself those questions?  I bet most if not all of us have at some time asked something like, “Why would a loving God let that happen?”, when the obvious answer could simply be, “Because there is no God.”

I wonder if the Apostle Paul was ever asked questions like these, or encountered people who pondered over these possibilities.  Paul himself seemed absolutely certain of the basis of his theology, as indicated by all he wrote in his letters and from what the Apostle Luke recorded in his Book of the Acts of the Apostles.  But he must have come across some in his travels and teachings who had deep, heartfelt doubts, for he gives us a very good answer to all these concerns.

Please listen and follow along to the words the Apostle Paul left us in chapter 15 of his 1st letter to the Corinthians, verses 1 through 20, and I’ll be reading from the English Standard Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you — unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

--1 Corinthians 15:1-20 (ESV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for raising Your Son Jesus from the dead, giving Him new life.  By this we believe in the resurrection of the body and know that we too will be raised to new life.  Please help us maintain this belief even in the face of those who doubt and who question our belief.  And help us tell others all about Jesus and why we believe.  Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who do his bidding.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, 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.  Renew our spirit.  Breathe new life into our hearts and into our will to serve.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Columnist Erma Bombeck once wrote, “Seize the moment!  Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.”

And comedian Flip Wilson is quoted as having said, “If I had my whole life to live over again, I don't think I'd have the strength.”

Don’t pass up the chance for dessert!  There’s a lot of truth in what Ms. Bombeck wrote.  We don’t know when our ship will sink, when we’ll breathe our last in this life, so we shouldn’t pass up the chance to serve our Lord when an opportunity arises.  And go ahead and grab that dessert, too.  Because it does seem to take a lot of strength just to get through each day, and a good dessert might strengthen us a little.

What Flip said reminds me of that old saw, “Getting old ain’t for sissies.”  These bodies aren’t made to last forever.  They break down over time, and the older we get, the tougher it becomes to do anything.

But family, we have been promised a new body once this life is over; a body that will not break down or give out on us.  We will live again, forever.  Until that day, let’s do all we can to serve our Lord, and grab an extra dessert every now and then.

Did you notice in our scripture reading how Paul answered our query, “What if we’re wrong?”  In particular, he is addressing the question of the resurrection of Jesus, and I think we need to understand why this even came up.  There was nothing in their Greek background that would lead the Corinthian people, these Gentile converts, to believe in the resurrection of the dead.  They did believe in the immortality of the soul, that the soul never dies, but not in the resurrection of the body.

Paul is arguing that if the resurrection of the dead is not possible, then Jesus was not resurrected.  And if Jesus was not resurrected, then everything they have been told about Him might also be a lie.  If it’s a lie, then our belief is in vain, pointless, a waste of time and effort.  In fact, if this one point were not true, then Paul and the other believers were misrepresenting God by saying it happened.

But, Paul continues, it is true, it did happen, and there are over 500 people who witnessed the risen Jesus and can attest to it.  And not only that, Jesus was only the firstfruits of those to be raised from the dead.  For in Christ, we have hope not only in this life, but in the next as well.

Of course, Jesus was not the first person to be raised from the dead.  He Himself brought a few back to life.  The Apostle Luke tells of a time when Jesus came upon the funeral procession for a widow’s son.  He took pity on the woman and brought the son back to life.  And the Apostles Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell of the synagogue ruler’s daughter who had died but was given life again by the word and touch of Jesus.

But there is another resurrection we are perhaps more familiar with.  The event was saved for us by the Apostle John, in chapter 11 of his Gospel account, where he recorded this in verses 21 through 27 and 38 through 44…

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 I knew that You always hear Me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

--John 11:21-27, 38-44 (ESV)

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.”  This is the promise to us all, to all who believe.  This is what Paul alluded to when he spoke of Jesus being the firstfruits, who died and are given life again.  But this new life will be eternal.  We will never die again.

So let me ask once more, what if we are wrong?  What if our belief is wrong?  What if there is no heaven or hell?  Have we wasted all this time and thrown away chances for great pleasures in this life, all for nothing?

No, I don’t think so, for studies show that believers are usually the happiest, most content of all people.  So if we are wrong, we really haven’t lost anything.  But on the other hand, if the non-believers are wrong, they will pay the ultimate price for their pleasure in this life: an eternity of damnation, suffering, and pain.

Like Paul said, though, if we trust in Christ only for what He can do for us in this life, we are to be pitied most of all.  Fortunately, we know better.  Our hope is in the Lord, and the promise that through His sacrifice and our belief, we will be allowed to live again and never die, this time in paradise.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for bodily raising Jesus from the dead, so that others could see and witness to His resurrection.  Thank You for the promise that we too will be brought forth in new bodies to live again.  Thank You for giving us the faith to believe in Jesus as Your Son and to follow Him.  But Father, sometimes we encounter people who don’t believe.  Sometimes they ridicule us or try to make life more difficult for us.  We worry about them and their eternal life, but we also worry about ourselves and getting through this life.  Forgive us, Father, when we hesitate to try to help them.  Help us approach them with love and tell them of Jesus.  Give us the words to say.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true until that time You call us to live again.

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

Lord Jesus, You brought people back to life again, and by Your own resurrection we know that we too will be given new life.  We believe in You and all that is written about You in our Bible.  And for this, we will live again and will never die.  Please, Lord, help us get through the days we have left here on earth.  Forgive us, Jesus, when we falter and stumble, when we are too timid or afraid to do as You command us.  Help us be good servants while we still live this life.  And Jesus, please strengthen us through these troubling times.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and 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.

Called As Disciples

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 13th of February, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  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.]

Viewing our Christian calendar, we see we’ve left the Christmas season and are now approaching Lent and Easter, all in a matter of three or four months.  From a Biblical standpoint, this covers the time from the birth of Jesus to just before His death on the cross – a period of around 33 years.  The last few weeks, we’ve been looking at the beginning stages of Jesus’ ministry.  Today we’re going to examine a moment in His early ministry that I feel is very important for us to grasp.  

We are probably more familiar with the Apostle Matthew’s account of Jesus calling His first disciples by simply saying, “Follow Me”.  But I’d like to look at how the Apostle Luke described the event, for I feel there are three critical points to understand and remember.  So please listen and follow along to what Luke reported in chapter 5 of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 11, and I’ll be reading this from the English Standard Version of our Holy Bible…

1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on Him to hear the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and He saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, He asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

--Luke 5:1-11 (ESV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for filling Jesus with the great power of Your Holy Spirit so that He could perform miraculous signs.  These were needed to show a doubting people that He was truly sent by You.  Please help us believe even though we have not seen those signs and wonders with our own eyes, but depend upon the witness of those early followers.  And help us share our belief, our witness, with others.  Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who do his bidding.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, 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 Your Spirit guide us to better discipleship.  And if there is someone we can help today, please point them to us, or us to them.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Theologian and philosopher Søren Kierkegaard is quoted as saying, "I went into church and sat on the velvet pew.  I watched as the sun came shining through the stained glass windows.  The minister, dressed in a velvet robe, opened the golden gilded Bible, marked it with a silk bookmark and said, 'If any man will be my disciple,’ said Jesus, ‘let him deny himself, take up his cross, sell what he has, give it to the poor, and follow me.'"

From where we stand here at Pilgrim, we may say that Kierkegaard speaks of the hypocrisy of some organized religions – holding riches unto themselves while preaching about personal sacrifice.  I think that too often we let religion get in the way of serving our Lord.  The best Biblical example we have of this comes from the Pharisees, who took great pride in dressing up in all their priestly finery, sitting at places of honor, being recognized everywhere they would go.

But this is not an example we should follow.  Jesus never enjoyed great opulence, and neither should we.  Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell everything he had and give it to the poor.  It wasn’t that Jesus was against wealth, but the love of wealth, the overwhelming desire for things.

Like Jesus, we should focus less on the things of this world, and more on the things of heaven.  Following Jesus involves true sacrifice, not lip service.

Now, I mentioned that there were three points in Luke’s account we need to grasp, but first I’d like to focus just a little more on discipleship.  By the end of His ministry, Jesus had hundreds of followers.  But His closest disciples bore an additional responsibility.

Please listen as I read from the 6th chapter of Luke’s Gospel account, verses 12 through 19…

12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; 15 Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; 16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.

17 And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, 18 as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

--Luke 6:12-19 (NKJV)

A few pertinent points here are that Jesus prayed all night, possibly for guidance from His Father God.  And then He called His twelve closest followers to Himself as His apostles – those sent out by God.  We also see that Luke singled out Judas Iscariot as a traitor, the one who would betray Jesus.

And then we are told that the power within Jesus, the power of God’s Holy Spirit, the healing power, could be felt by all present that day, and all were healed.  This healing power was one way, one tool, Jesus used to call His followers.

Family, we may not have witnessed these mighty acts in person, nor physically felt that healing power, but we have none the less been chosen to follow Jesus.  We have been called as disciples.  And more than that, we have been called to Him as apostles, for He has sent us out to do His work.

You know the passage – you’ve heard me read it many times, you heard it just a little while ago in our responsive reading.  From chapter 28 of the Apostle Matthew’s Gospel account, verses 18 through 20…

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Amen.

--Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)

This isn’t a request, it’s a direct order.  We are to make disciples of all people.  And we’re to do this not by sitting here in this beautiful building waiting for them to come to us.  We are to go – go to them, go out to them where they are.  In other words, we are to put our faith into action, calling others to discipleship.

So getting back to our scripture reading, we can see that Luke’s version of Jesus calling Simon, Andrew, John, and James to discipleship is a little different from how Matthew recorded it.  But sometimes the differences in our Gospel accounts make them even more interesting.

In this case, I found three points that were very telling, and important for us to grasp.  The first comes in verse 8 when Peter acknowledges himself to be a sinful man.  Many think they cannot serve or even follow Jesus because of their sin.  But we are all sinful.  And Jesus came for sinners, that we might be saved.  Jesus washes us of our sin so we can be used by Him.

The next point comes in verse 10 and answers the concern of sin when Jesus responded, “Do not be afraid”.  We don’t need to be afraid, neither of our sin preventing us from serving Him, nor of being able to do the job He gives us.  From now on we will be catching men, we’ll be fishers of men, and God’s Holy Spirit will give us what we need to do the job.  Oh, and as Matthew quoted, Jesus will be with us, right there beside us the whole time, until the very end.

And the final point comes in verse 11.  These men, these newly called disciples, left everything and followed Jesus.  They walked away from their homes, their families, their professions – they left everything behind to follow Jesus.

In my little story at the start, the preacher read that Jesus said that His disciples must deny themselves, take up their cross, sell what they have and give it to the poor, and follow Him.  Now I don’t think that Jesus wants any of us to go around naked, hungry, or penniless, but He does want us to give up our hunger for things.  He wants us to deny ourselves those earthly pleasures.  He wants us to leave the world and all its glitter behind as we follow Him.  And then He wants us to be apostles, to go out and help even more people become disciples, help them become followers, so that they, too, can be saved.

Just as were Peter and Andrew, James and John, and all the rest, we are called as disciples.  Let’s live up to our calling.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master whom we follow.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for giving us the faith to believe in Your Son Jesus and to accept Him as our Lord.  Thank You for sending Him to offer us salvation by Your loving grace, by the cleansing of His precious blood.  Thank You, Father, for showing us mercy.  But Father, sometimes we fail to do as Jesus commands.  Sometimes we are not very good apostles.  We are too timid, too shy, too fearful of being ridiculed, too scared of saying the wrong thing.  Forgive us, Father, when we let anything hold us back from doing as Jesus commands us.  Help us be more obedient.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to the very end.

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

Lord Jesus, You gave everything for us, and You expect us to show the same attitude and behavior toward others.  You want us to crave serving You by being a good servant, and not to crave the things this world might offer.  Please, Lord, help us be better servants, truer disciples, fervent apostles.  Forgive us, Jesus, when we let fear stand in our way from doing as You command.  Help us carry out our mission of bringing more followers to You.  And Jesus, please strengthen us through these troubling times.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and 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.

Scripture Fulfilled

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 6th of February, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  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.]

You could probably tell by our responsive reading this morning that I am a little behind in my calendar.  The week we had to cancel services due to the snow and ice threw my schedule off a bit.

Our reading told the story of the wise men from the east who followed a star to visit the Christ child.  Thursday, January the 6th, was the Epiphany, when we celebrate the Messiah being revealed to the Gentiles by this visit of the Magi.  And then, January 9th, the first Sunday after Epiphany, marked our observance of Jesus being baptized by John in the River Jordan.  Immediately after His baptism, Jesus was led by God’s Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Today’s reading relates the events that came next, when Jesus reveals Himself to be the fulfillment of Messianic scripture.  Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Luke recorded for us in verses 14 through 21 of chapter 4 of his Gospel account, and I’ll be reading this from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…

14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about Him spread quickly through the whole region. 15 He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

16 When He came to the village of Nazareth, His boyhood home, He went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

for He has anointed Me to bring Good News to the poor.

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released,

that the blind will see,

that the oppressed will be set free,

19     and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at Him intently. 21 Then He began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

--Luke 4:14-21 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for filling Jesus with the power of Your Holy Spirit so He could carry out the work You assigned Him.  And thank You for sending Your Spirit to us, to live within us and be our constant Companion and guide, and to give us the power to serve You, too.  Please help us take full advantage of this great gift.  Help us use Your Spirit’s power to help others as Jesus did, and so fulfill the prophecy Jesus gave when He said that we could do even greater things than He.  And please, Father, protect us from all the traps and schemes the devil employs to trick us into disobedience.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, 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 truly know and recognize Jesus as Your Son and our Lord, and may we share that truth with others.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Biblical prophecy provides some of the greatest encouragement and hope available to us today.  Just as the Old Testament is saturated with prophecies concerning Christ's first advent, so both testaments are filled with references to the second coming of Christ.  One scholar has estimated that there are 1,845 references to Christ's second coming in the Old Testament, where 17 books give it prominence.  In the 260 chapters of the New Testament, there are 318 references to the second advent of Christ - an amazing one out of every 30 verses.  23 of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event.  For every prophecy in the Bible concerning Christ's first advent, there are eight which look forward to His second!

In our responsive reading about the visit of the wise men, we saw prophecy fulfilled.  Herod’s own advisers mentioned what had been spoken by the prophets.  And the wise men themselves were following prophecy as they followed the star.

As believers, we know that all of those prophecies in scripture predicting the first coming of the Christ were fulfilled.  They came to pass in the birth and life of Jesus.  Isn’t it reasonable, then, to say that the chances of those scriptural prophecies concerning His second coming will also be fulfilled?  And if we follow that scholar’s estimate, maybe we could say that the chances are eight times greater.

By just looking at the numbers, we can see that our Bible, both Old and New Testaments, places greater emphasis on Jesus’ return than on His birth and His short ministry on earth.  Yes, He came to teach us the truth of God’s kingdom.  Yes, He came to die for us, so that our sin can be washed away by His blood.  But He came quietly, with very little notice.  He came innocently, vulnerably, as a little babe.

Yet when He returns, He will come in all His glory and all the world will see Him, as the truth is fully revealed.  He will set the world aright, and judge us all, both good and bad.  When Jesus comes again, God’s great plan will be fulfilled.

Not everyone, though, wants us to understand this.  Not everyone wants us to hear the truth of the Good News of salvation through Christ Jesus.  There are governments and powers, even preachers in pulpits, that would try to keep the true and truthful Gospel from their people.

Jesus warned us about them.  Please listen as I read from the 12th chapter of Luke’s Gospel account, verses 1 through 3…

1 Meanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and stepping on each other. Jesus turned first to His disciples and warned them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees — their hypocrisy. 2 The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. 3 Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!"

--Luke 12:1-3 (NLT)

The revelation Jesus spoke of has been occurring since even before His time on the cross.  First by His signs and miracles, the mighty works He performed.  Then the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy, even on the cross.  Mostly, by His resurrection in the body, witnessed by hundreds.  And let’s not forget all that He revealed to John as to what is yet to come.  After all this, though, so many people refuse to believe.  When Jesus does return, they will be horribly shocked, for the truth, His true self, will be revealed and shown to all.

When will that day come?  We don’t know; we’re not supposed to know.  Here’s what Jesus tells us, from chapter 17 or Luke’s Gospel account, verses 20 through 30…

20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

22 Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. 24 For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.”

--Luke 17:20-30 (NKJV)

Life goes on.  Days pass one after another.  We eat, we drink, we marry, just as in the days of Noah before the waters washed the earth clean.  We buy and sell, we plant and build, just as they did in Sodom before it rained fire and brimstone and destroyed them all.

And so it will be when the Son of Man - the Son of God – returns.  Everyone will be going about their daily business when the trumpet sounds and the heavens open to reveal Jesus in all His glory.  For believers, this will be a great blessing.  For the non-believers, the refusers, it will be the worst day they could ever imagine, for they will suddenly realize just how wrong they were.  And on that day, more scripture will be fulfilled.

Like I said, we don’t know when this will happen.  And really, all we can do to prepare for that day is to be sure we are doing what Jesus told us to do.  We’ve got to keep believing, continue obeying His word, do as He commanded to love one another and make more disciples, help save more of the lost.  And when Jesus returns, He’ll take us home to live with Him in God’s great heaven for ever and ever.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, who is coming back for us… someday soon.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for devising such a great plan to allow us to be reconciled to You and reunited with You.  And it all required that Your Son Jesus fulfill what was foretold by Your prophets.  Thank You, Father, for showing us such great mercy.  But Father, sometimes the pressures of this life occupy all our thoughts and we don’t make enough time for You.  Sometimes we forget what the scriptures tell us.  Forgive us, Father, when we fail to obey and serve You.  Please help us patiently and faithfully await Your Son’s return.  Help us remain strong in this cold and dark world in which we live.

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

Lord Jesus, You knew what You would face when You came to this world as one of us.  All our aches and pains, our needs and requirements, our joys and our sorrows, You shared it all.  All but our sin, that is.  You came and remained sinless, just so that You could take our sin to Yourself and set us free.  Please, Lord, help us remember Your great sacrifice.  Forgive us, Jesus, when we don't spend as much time in our Bibles as we should so that we can better understand the scripture and how You did fulfill and will continue to fulfill what it promises.  Help us not only see the truth, but share it with others so that they too might be saved.  And Jesus, please strengthen us through these harsh and scary times.  Heal those hurts that separate and divide us.  Help us remain true and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and 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.