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.

After the Elections

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 8th 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.]

The elections are over now and all the votes have been cast.  While some races are yet to be fully determined, our individual impact on the election is done with.  The only thing we, as individuals, can do now is look to the future.

Some are excited about what lies ahead, and some are very worried.  We, as Christians, must put all our faith in God, so that we have no need to worry.  God is ultimately in charge, not man.  And the Apostle Paul tells us that no one can be in authority over us unless they have been appointed by God; not elected by man - appointed by God.

Please listen and follow along as I read from chapter 13 of Paul’s letter to the Romans, verses 1 through 10, and I’ll be reading this from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil works. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from him, 4 for he is the servant of God for your good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is the servant of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him who practices evil. 5 So it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for the sake of conscience.

6 For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are God’s servants, devoting themselves to this very thing. 7 Render to all what is due them: taxes to whom taxes are due, respect to whom respect is due, fear to whom fear is due, and honor to whom honor is due.

8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not give false testimony, You shall not covet,” and if there are any other commandments, are summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love works no evil to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

--Romans 13:1-10 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for keeping control over Your creation.  We recognize and acknowledge Your authority over all things.  Thank You, Father, for giving us human leaders.  Please help us to honor You by obeying them.  Help us place all our trust in You while trusting them to serve the purpose for which You appointed them.  And Father, please protect us from all the madness that seems to have engulfed the 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 a clearer understanding in just how You control Your creation, greater insight into how things must happen before Your Son Jesus returns to set the world right.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Do you remember the old wooden Indians that used to be placed in front of cigar stores and general stores?  Well, in 1883 in Allentown, New Jersey, a wooden Indian was placed on the ballot for Justice of the Peace.  The candidate was registered under the fictitious name of Abner Robbins.  When the ballots were counted, Abner won over incumbent Sam Davis by 7 votes.  A similar thing happened in 1938.  The name "Boston Curtis" appeared on the ballot for Republican Committeeman from Wilton, Washington.  Actually, Boston Curtis was a mule.  The town's mayor sponsored the animal to demonstrate that people know very little about the candidates.  He proved his point.  The mule won!

Some things just never change.  Many of our politicians today seem to be made of wood, or at least their heads are wooden.  And all of them seem to be as stubborn as mules, refusing to work together for the good of all the nation.  But sadly, too many people see some of these political leaders as being their saviors, hanging on to their every word, following everything they say, doing everything they’re told to do.

As Christians, we know who our Savior is.  We should be following only Him, obeying Him, studying every word He said that is recorded in our Bible.  And if we did, then we’d know not to worry, because Jesus told us not to worry.  Everything in this life is short term and temporary, including the politicians’ times in office.  Let’s expend our energies on serving Jesus, rather than worrying about what the president might do.

Family, it’s important that we pay attention to what Paul wrote in his letters because in them he shares with us the insights that Jesus gave to him.  Jesus struck Paul blind on that dusty road to Damascus, taking away his physical sight so that He could give Paul clearer spiritual vision.  When his sight was restored, Paul said it was like scales had been removed from his eyes.  And I think he meant his spiritual eyes as well as his physical ones.  For Jesus showed Paul the truth as well as the light.  And Paul shared that truth with the early church and with us through his letters.

So when Paul says that there is no authority granted to any human individual except from God, as appointed by God, then we know for certain that this came from Jesus.  And if no person can exercise authority over us except as appointed by God, then to resist that authority would be, in effect, resisting God.  God will not take too kindly to that.  So we should pay our taxes, be respectful, act honorably… even if other folks don’t.

One thing we must keep in mind, though, is that those we elect are not our true rulers.  Just as the children of Israel demanded a king and were given Saul, we demand leaders of our own kind, and are given what we deserve or need at that time.  God is the ultimate and sovereign King, as proclaimed by the descendants of Korah in Psalm 47, verses 6 through 8…

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;

sing praises to our King, sing praises!

7 For God is the King over all the earth.

Praise him with a psalm.

8 God reigns above the nations,

sitting on his holy throne.

--Psalm 47:6-8 (NLT)

God is the King over all the earth, including the US!  He reigns above all nations, over all of us.  Our president may lead our nation, and may arguably be the most powerful person on earth, but only by God’s authority and under God’s ultimate rule.

And some day God will exert that final authority by sending His Son back to earth to set everything right.  I’m pretty sure King David spoke of the time when Jesus returns when he wrote these words in verses 27 and 28 of his 22nd Psalm…

27 All the ends of the world

will remember and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

will worship before You.

28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,

and He rules among the nations.

--Psalm 22:27-28 (MEV)

When Jesus comes back, riding in on the clouds for all to see, the entire world will know just who the true King is.  For many, it will be too late.  They will have sealed their fate by serving themselves and their own agendas rather than serving God.  And their numbers will even include kings and presidents who refused to seek God’s counsel, who failed to follow Jesus’ command.  For no one will escape God’s judgment.

Notice, though, that Paul includes a way for us to be judged as righteous when that day comes.  All we have to do is love our neighbor as ourselves.  God said it, Jesus commands it.  Love one another.  Treat each other with the same love, respect, and honor that we want for ourselves.

Love works no evil, but instead fulfills God’s law.  God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to offer us eternal life in paradise.  He sent Jesus not to condemn the world but to save it!

And when He said for us to love our neighbor, He meant our Republican neighbor and our Democrat neighbor.  He meant our black neighbor, our Asian neighbor, our Muslim neighbor and our atheist neighbor.  He included our homeless neighbor, our immigrant neighbor, our neighbor addicted to drugs.  He also meant the people we don’t get along with, the people we disagree with, the people we’re mad at.

God loves everyone, not just the people that are like us, so to honor Him we must love everyone, too.  And in so doing, we will fulfill His law.

The elections are over now; let’s put hatred aside.  Love all others: it’s the right thing to do.  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 Your word to guide us and instruct us.  Our Bible contains everything we need to live righteously in Your eyes until that day when Jesus returns to call us home and set the world right.  Thank You for the promise of that blessed day.  Help us, please Father, to follow the examples of good living that You provided for us.  Help us love all others as Jesus loves.  Show us how we can best serve You and Jesus.  And Father, help us be more loving, more trusting, more merciful, and more kindhearted toward all others 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 Paul so much special insight into Your truth that the depth of his knowledge amazed even the men who walked with You for three years.  And then Paul shared that insight with all of us today through his letters to the early church.  Please help us spend more time reading our Bibles and studying those letters and all the stories You told.  Forgive us, Jesus, for putting other things ahead of this in our lives, for sometimes getting our priorities out of whack.  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.

Of Hypocrites and Saints

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on All Saints Day, Sunday morning the 1st 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.]

Today is known in the Christian church as All Saints Day, when we celebrate and commemorate the lives of saints of the past.  We could spend hours listing all the Biblical saints, most of whom were martyred for their belief.  And I think each of us could come up with a few names of folks we’ve known and loved that we consider saints.  Because really, any true believer and follower of Jesus can be called a saint.

Of course, anyone can call themselves a saint, but sitting in a church on Sunday mornings doesn’t make a person a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes them a car.  God knows what is in our heart and where our belief and faith actually lie.  So what about those people who say they believe, who claim they serve God, but in their heart of hearts do not follow Jesus?  Jesus called them hypocrites right to their faces, and warns us how to avoid their fate.

Please listen and follow along as I read from the 23rd chapter of the Apostle Matthew’s Gospel account, verses 1 through 13, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 They love the places of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in."

--Matthew 23:1-13 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for choosing us and giving us faith to believe in Jesus as Your Son and our Lord.  You sent Him to us, as one of us, to offer us salvation, to forgive us of our sins so we could be seen as clean in Your eyes.  Thank You, Father, for so great a gift.  Please help us to honor the sacrifice Jesus made for us by living our lives in service to Him.  And Father, please protect us from all the disease and craziness that’s going on in the world right now.  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 clearer insight into what You would have us do with our lives.  Help us be saints, and not be seen as hypocrites.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Francois Fenelon was the court preacher for King Louis the 14th of France in the 17th century.  One Sunday when the king and his attendants arrived at the chapel for the regular service, no one else was there but the preacher.  King Louis demanded, "What does this mean?"  Fenelon replied, "I had published that you would not come to church today, in order that your Majesty might see who serves God in truth and who merely flatters the king."

And then there was this rather pompous-looking deacon trying to impress upon a class of boys the importance of living the Christian life.  "Why do people call me a Christian?", the man asked.  After a moment's pause, one youngster said, "Maybe it's because they don't know you."

Who serves God in truth?  I’m sure the pompous deacon thought he did, although the child may have possessed clearer insight into the heart of the man.

And King Louis’ preacher was bold in his little experiment.  Apparently he discovered, to Louis’ consternation, that his entire congregation was only interested in being in church when their earthly king was in attendance.  I guess they weren’t as concerned about their true King, the King above all kings.

Hypocrites!  That’s what Jesus called the scribes and Pharisees.  And I’m sure that’s what He would have called King Louis’ court congregation.  Hypocrites!  Saying one thing but doing another.  Acting like something they’re not.  Shutting off the kingdom of heaven to other people.

I may have mentioned this before, but the origin of the word “hypocrite” comes from the ancient Greek word for “actor”.  What is an actor, after all, but a person who pretends to be someone or something that they’re not.  They may be doing it solely for our entertainment, and may sometimes start to believe it themselves, but they’re just pretending to be someone or something other than their true self.  Remember that Greek was a common language in Jesus’ day and geographic area, with the New Testament having been written in Greek.  So Jesus would have been quite familiar with the word hypocrite and its application.

The scribes and Pharisees claimed to be doing God’s work, yet we know they weren’t.  They gave the people strict interpretations of the Law of Moses to follow, that they themselves failed to observe.  They laid heavy burdens on the people, both spiritual and financial, that they wouldn’t even try to shoulder.  They wanted to be seen as pious and important, not to glorify God but to their own glory.  They said one thing and did another.  Jesus told the people something we sometimes say ourselves.  He told them to do as the Pharisees said, not as they did, when it comes to obeying God.

Hypocrites!  Neither will they be granted entry into heaven, but by their teachings and actions, they keep others out of heaven as well.  And that is one of the greatest problems with hypocrites: they can cause other people to innocently do wrong just by following and believing in them.

But that’s about the hypocrites.  There is a flip side to that coin and this is All Saints Day so let’s look at the saints, those who believe in and follow Jesus, those who come to Him.

The Apostle John, while in exile on the prison island of Patmos, was spiritually taken on a grand tour where Jesus revealed what lies in our future.  John took these visions of what must happen and recorded them in a book as he was instructed to do.  Let me read to you part of what John saw, from the book of Revelation, chapter 7, verses 9 through 17…

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,

Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,

Be to our God forever and ever.

Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”

14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”

So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

--Revelation 7:9-17 (NKJV)

I mentioned that on All Saints Day we remember the saints of the past.  Well, what John witnessed were the saints that are yet to come.  These are the believers that will come out of the great tribulation with their faith intact.  A multitude so large than no one can count them, from all nations and peoples and tongues.  And all standing before the throne of God worshiping Him and serving Him and singing praises to our Lord.

So many saints, and just from the tribulation, not even counting all those who went before, all the saints of the past.  From this we should take strength and encouragement.  This should help us keep our faith and service vibrant and alive.  The author of the letter to the Hebrews heartens us when he wrote in chapter 12 verses 1 through 3…

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

--Hebrews 12:1-3 (NKJV)

Family, we are spiritually surrounded by so great a cloud of saints, of witnesses for Jesus.  All these saints – past, present, and future – are cheering us on in our race through this life.  All of this can steel us for the battles that lie ahead.

It won’t be easy, neither physically nor spiritually.  Jesus knew it wouldn’t be easy; that’s why He told us to take up our own cross, to bear this burden.  But consider all the pain and hostility He endured.  We mustn’t let ourselves become weary or discouraged, nor let our spirits or faith weaken.

Jesus once said we’re either for Him or against Him.  So are we going to be saints, or hypocrites?  Jesus used the scribes and Pharisees as bad examples to show us how not to live.  And He uses the saints as good examples to show how we should live.  Let’s make sure that if Jesus ever uses us as an example, He can instruct someone to do as we say and as we do.

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 yet again for this wonderful Bible You’ve given us!  In it we can read of our past and our future, of the things that have happened and what will happen, what must happen before Your Son returns.  Thank You for the lessons and examples it contains.  Help us, please Father, to spend more time in our Bibles and to understand the messages You have for us there.  Show us more of Your will for our daily life and for encouragement to get through each day.  And Father, help us be more loving, more trusting, more merciful, and more kindhearted toward others 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, in Your own life, You exemplified how we should live.  And in addition to that, You gave us both bad and good examples of how others lived for us to use as models and patterns.  It is so important for us to choose the right models to follow.  Please help us remain faithful and true in service to You so that we will be counted among the saints and not be seen as hypocrites.  Forgive us, Jesus, for not always being good examples ourselves, for not always doing as we say.  Forgive us when we let all the current madness of the world cause us to act and speak in ways we shouldn’t.  Help us be more like You in our Father’s eyes.  Help us 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 face.  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.

Church Leaders

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 25th of October, 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.]

We will be electing our church officers in a little over a month, those who will serve on our governing body for the next term, representing all of us, all the church family.  We call these officers Elders and Deacons and our church Constitution lays out how they are to serve in those positions.  This is quite common in the modern church, but the early church had a slightly different view.

Hopefully we’re all familiar with how the Apostle Paul started churches during his missionary trips throughout the known world at the time.  At each church, Paul would appoint leaders, looking into a person’s heart to see how they would best serve the church.  One of those leaders was his young protégé Timothy.  As Timothy was about to take over one of those early churches as the pastor, or head of the church, Paul gave him some instructions on what to look for in those who would be leaders in that church family.

Please listen and follow along as I read from the 3rd chapter of Paul’s 1st letter to Timothy, verses 1 through 13, and I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position.” 2 So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. 3 He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. 4 He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. 5 For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?

6 A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. 7 Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.

8 In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money. 9 They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience. 10 Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons.

11 In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.

12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well. 13 Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.

--1 Timothy 3:1-13 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for giving us snapshots of the life of the early church so that we can try to model ourselves after them.  Through Paul’s letters and the Apostle Luke’s Book of the Acts of the Apostles, we can see how the early church functioned, and flourished.  We can also see how, in all things, they sought guidance from You.  Thank You, Father, for showing us what is important in Your eyes.  Please help us to follow the example of the early church so that we might better serve our Lord Jesus.  And Father, please protect us from all the disease and craziness that’s going on in the world right now.  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 clearer insight into Your will for our lives.  Help us accept Your guidance through Your Holy Spirit and the leaders You appoint over us.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

A 1994 article in Bits & Pieces magazine quoted Dwight D. Eisenhower as having said:   

"In order to be a leader a man must have followers. And to have followers, a man must have their confidence. Hence the supreme quality of a leader is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, on a football field, in an army, or in an office. If a man's associates find him guilty of phoniness, if they find that he lacks forthright integrity, he will fail. His teachings and actions must square with each other. The first great need, therefore, is integrity and high purpose."

The first great need for a leader is integrity and high purpose.  President Eisenhower pretty well summed up what Paul described.  Paul acknowledged that a church leader must be well respected by others and have integrity.  And as for a high purpose, what higher purpose could there be than to serve our Lord Jesus by serving His people in His church.  So in effect, I think President Eisenhower took Paul’s qualifications for church leaders and applied them to any leader in general.  I also believe we would do well to follow that example.

We are rapidly coming up on the time when we decide those persons who will stand as our representative leaders of this church family.  And even sooner, we will elect those who will represent us at most levels of civil government.  We should hold all candidates – both church and civil - to the same level of scrutiny and maturity that Paul describes.  The first great need is integrity and high purpose.

As Paul notes, being a church leader is an honorable position.  But it is more than just an honor – it is a responsibility.  Like any institution or organization, a church can be led to success and to do great things, or it can be led to failure and destruction.  And the leadership plays a huge role in which way the church will go.  That is why it is so important for us to listen closely to the guidance Paul gives.

One thing we need to understand, though, is that the qualifications that Paul provides us are all marks of spiritual leadership.  One who would serve as a leader in the church should have a certain level of spiritual maturity.  And they should be expected to grow in that maturity while in their role as church leader.

The qualifications Paul gives can be considered targets, to a degree, goals that we should all strive for, but especially our leaders.  Listen to what Paul told Timothy, and us, a little earlier in this 1st letter, in verses 5 through 7 of the 1st chapter…

5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. 6 But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions. 7 They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently.

--1 Timothy 1:5-7 (NLT)

That part about spending our time in meaningless discussions sounds too much like some of our committee meetings, doesn’t it.  But Paul’s desired goal in all this is that all believers – all believers, not just our leaders – should be filled with love, a love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and true, genuine faith.  By this we see that our leaders should lead with love, acting on faith, expecting no personal gain of any kind.

Now, when we consider all that Paul went through and all he accomplished, it’s easy to see him as a great leader of the early church, one above reproach and having attained great spiritual maturity.  But Paul might humbly beg to differ.  In his letter to the Philippians, chapter 3 verses 12 through 15, Paul acknowledges that not even he has attained perfection…

12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not yet achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. 

15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.

--Philippians 3:12-15 (NLT)

All of us must press on as we strive toward greater spiritual maturity, but this is especially true for those who would lead us.  As leaders, we must press on to be above reproach, to be faithful to our families, to exercise good self-control, to live wisely and have a good reputation in our community.  We must have integrity and serve a higher purpose.

From what Paul tells us and as further noted by President Eisenhower, we can see that a leader must lead.  Arguably the best way to lead is by example.  So a church leader should set a good example for others in the church family to follow.  A leader must be present to lead, must be seen leading, or else the example is lost.

You know, we're all different.  We come from diverse backgrounds, with our own opinions on how things should be done.  So we're going to argue at times, debate the issues, hopefully with gentleness and love.  But once a decision is made, those in the position of leadership must speak and act in one voice.  If the leadership appears to be splintered, the church family will fracture.

Right now Satan is trying his best to do just that, to splinter the church, the body of Christ Jesus left here on earth, and in so doing destroy Christ.  And family, he’s doing a bang-up job of it!  This new disease that has paralyzed the entire world is his latest tool.  The mask issue alone is driving a wedge between us, even within the church body.  According to those who monitor such things, the greatest fear we have right now is of each other!

We certainly can’t look to our nation’s leaders for guidance.  As is readily evident in the current election cycle, our leaders seem intent on further splitting us apart rather than uniting us.

So who do we look toward for leadership?  Christ Jesus, our Lord.  We can look to His life for an example of how to live ours.  We can look to how He led His followers for how those in a position of authority over us should lead.

And we can look to the church to take a more active leadership role in the community.  The church must provide a beacon, must be a light for the people to follow out of the darkness and chaos.  It must stand united in love and in service to Christ Jesus.  It’s leaders must look back to the early church and follow the lead that Jesus and Paul set.  It’s time to return to our roots.

We’re about to elect leaders, for our church government and for man’s government.  Let’s strive to follow Paul’s guidance in these elections.  And let’s seek God’s guidance in all our personal decisions.

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 giving us leaders.  No one can serve in a position of authority over us unless appointed by you.  Help us to accept their authority and to pray for them.  Thank You for giving us the example of the early church to use as a foundation for our church.  Help us, please Father, to be more like those early believers, and help our leaders to lead by their example, with integrity and in service to You.  And Father, help us be more loving, more trusting, more merciful, and more kindhearted toward others 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, it is so important for us to choose people of great integrity to serve as our leaders.  Please give us those who will have our best interests at heart, who will serve You by serving us.  Give us true, God-fearing leaders and not those who just give lip service to our Father.  Forgive us, Jesus, for not respecting those who have been placed in positions of authority over us.  Forgive us when we let the troubles of the world control our thoughts and our actions rather than coming to You for leadership and guidance.  Help our leaders to pattern their lives after the example You set, to be more like You so that we have good examples to follow.  Help us to be more loving, Lord.  Help us to love one another as You love us, to see one another as You see us.  Give us Your heart for loving others.  Strengthen us, Jesus, through these dark times.  And Lord, please heal the divisions between us, that creep in and separate us, even within Your church family.  Help us remain faithful and obedient through the storms raging around us, concerned more with the needs of others than with our own wants and desires.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Prepare Ye the Way

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 18th of October, 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.]

As we read the Gospel accounts in our New Testament, we can see two times so far when Jesus has come on the scene, with His arrival being clearly announced.  The first was at His birth, with the announcement from an angel to the nearby shepherds.  And the second was just before He began His ministry, proclaimed to the multitudes who came to the River Jordan to be baptized by John.  Both were foretold long ago by the prophets, speaking for God to the children of Israel.  And both carried a tremendous impact on the fate of mankind.

Let’s look at that second instance for a moment, right before Jesus came to the Jordan to be baptized along with the multitudes and the sinners.  Please listen and follow along as I read from chapter 3 of the Apostle Luke’s Gospel account, verses 1 through 18, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord;

Make His paths straight.

5 Every valley shall be filled

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough ways smooth;

6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”

7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”

11 He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”

12 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”

14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?”

So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

18 And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.

--Luke 3:1-18 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for giving us such a clear explanation of what we should do to repent of our sins and to bear good fruit.  Through John’s exhortations to a few individuals, we can see examples of how we must live so as to be righteous in Your sight.  Thank You, Father, for making sure all of this is saved for us in our Bible.  Please help us to heed these examples and the words in our scripture, especially as they pertain to our Lord Jesus and our fate throughout eternity.  And Father, please protect us from all the effects of the coronavirus and all the troubles of the world around us.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind 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 words and the courage to proclaim to all the world the return of Your Son Jesus to the earth.  Show us Your will for our lives through Your Holy Spirit and may He guide us through each day.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with this story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives:   

“On May 19th, 1780 the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand.  Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, ‘The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not.  If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment.  If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty.  Therefore, I wish that candles be brought.’  Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful until Christ returns.  Instead of fearing the dark, we are to be lights as we watch and wait.”

As I’ve mentioned more than once before, we don’t know when Jesus will return to call His church home but we must be ready for when He does.  Jesus Himself says to be watchful.  He tells us to do as our Master commands right up to that time, so that we’re sure to always be doing right, and to be righteous in God’s eyes.

As we asked of Jesus in our church reading earlier, let us live our lives as if His coming is but a second away.  And let us be a light unto the world – a world that is cowering in darkness.

Our scripture reading tells the story of John, a kinsman of Jesus, whom we call the Baptist, because that is what he is mostly known for: baptizing the masses.  He is also known as the voice crying out in the wilderness, as the great prophet Isaiah foretold.  And we could also call him an announcer, for John openly proclaimed our Lord’s first appearance upon the stage of life, as Jesus began His ministry on earth.

But Jesus was around 30 years old at that time, and as I mentioned, it was an angel that announced His birth, His first coming into our world.  Listen to how Luke recorded this wonderful event, in the 2nd chapter of his Gospel account, verses 8 through 14…

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

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 2:8-14 (NKJV)

We’re all pretty familiar with that – we hear it or read it every Christmas.  But I bring it up here because it represents fulfillment of prophecy, the first time the absolute embodiment and incarnation of God set foot on the earth, the first time our Lord Jesus became as one of us.  This was our Lord’s first coming into our world.  John announced the coming of Jesus into His ministry, and His purpose for coming to us.

Now, Isaiah was not alone in foretelling of one who would prepare for the Lord's coming.  Hear what God said through the prophet Malachi in the 1st verse of the 3rd chapter of his book of prophecy…

1 “Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

--Malachi 3:1 (NKJV)

God said He was sending His messenger to prepare the way of His coming.  And when He comes, the promised Messiah will suddenly come to His temple.  God did indeed come to earth in the person of Jesus, and as an adult came into the temple preaching repentance, with John the Baptist preparing the way.  Someday Jesus will return and come into His temple, His new temple.  Who will prepare the way then?

Through Malachi, God said our Lord is coming, in whom we delight.  We who believe in Jesus as the Son of God do indeed delight in Him as our Savior.  But God offers even more than salvation to those who would accept Jesus as Lord.  He also provides healing – spiritual healing - to those who had once accepted Jesus but have since strayed from the straight and narrow way.

Hear what God tells us through Isaiah, in chapter 57 and verse 15 of his prophecy…

15 For thus says the High and Lofty One
Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

--Isaiah 57:15 (NKJV)

But that healing requires repentance, a turning from our sinful ways back to a contrite and humble spirit.  John the Baptist prepared the way of Jesus coming into His ministry by calling the people to repentance, preaching to them to humble themselves before God.  He warned that the Kingdom of God was at hand.  And family, so it is again.

Isaiah and Malachi foretold of John's role in God's plan hundreds of years before the Baptist was even born.  Everything that the angel and these men and others spoke of regarding the coming of Jesus holds true for His return!  Jesus is coming again, He will return, and if we read our Bibles closely, it seems the time of His next arrival is getting closer and closer.

But now the job falls to us.  We must be the voices crying out in the wilderness, calling mankind to repent and to accept Jesus as Lord.  We must prepare the way of our Lord's second coming, making straight the crooked ways in the deserts of our times.

The Baptist has given us a good roadmap to follow in how to live our own lives and how to instruct others.  Share what we have with others in their time of need.  Be fair and just in our dealings with others, not trying to take advantage of them for our own gain.  Don’t intimidate anyone, or falsely accuse someone else of wrongdoing.  Be content with what we have, and not envious with what someone else might possess.  Bear good fruit, lest we be cut down and thrown into the fire.

For Jesus is coming, with His winnowing fan in His hand, ready to separate the chafe from the wheat.  He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn.  But the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.

Eternity is a very long time.  If we accept our Bible as truth, there are two ways we can spend eternity: either rejoicing in the presence of God in heaven, or burning with unquenchable fire.  Jesus is coming again, and when He does we’ll no longer have a choice.  Prepare ye the way of our Lord, and help others make the right choice, too.

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 giving us the means to prepare for what is to come.  In our Bible, we read words of encouragement as we face tough times.  We are shown how to live and how to interact with others so that we will be righteous in Your eyes.  Thank You for this guidance.  Help us, please Father, to be ever vigilant as we await our Lord’s return.  Help us as we encourage others to turn from their disobedient ways and to accept Jesus as Lord.  And Father, help us be more loving, more trusting, more merciful, and more kindhearted toward others 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 who had never sinned came to John to be baptized.  You and John both warned the people that they must repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.  Well, Lord, from what we can see in our world today, God’s kingdom is rapidly approaching.  Forgive us, Jesus, for those times we have failed to do as You command us to make disciples from among the peoples.  Forgive us when doubts creep in and all that is going on in the world around us causes our faith and our love to falter.  Help us, please Jesus, to not be timid or fearful to tell others about You and what You have done for us.  Help us to love others enough to want to lead them to You and everlasting life.  Help us to love one another as You love us, to see one another as You see us.  Give us Your heart for loving others.  Strengthen us, Jesus, through these dark times.  And Lord, please heal the divisions between us, that creep in and separate us, even within Your church family.  Help us remain faithful and obedient through the storms raging around us, concerned more with the needs of others than with our own wants and desires.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Many Are Invited

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 11th of October, 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.]

During His short ministry on earth, Jesus very often spent time talking to the religious leaders of the day: the chief priests and elders of the Synagogues, the Pharisees and Sadducees and scribes.  And by “talking” I mean He usually ended up rebuking them or lecturing to them.  Fortunately for us, the Gospel writers recorded these discussions so that we can benefit from knowing not to follow the bad examples set by these leaders.

Our reading this morning holds one such lesson, where Jesus draws a word picture for those chief priests and elders, painting a scenario they should be able to see and understand.  Please listen and follow along as I read from chapter 22 of the Apostle Matthew’s Gospel account, verses 1 through 14, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

--Matthew 22:1-14 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for sending Your own Son Jesus into this world to invite us to spend eternity with You in paradise.  All we have to do is accept the invitation, accept Jesus as our Lord, and we will be changed into a new creation befitting Your presence.  Thank You, Father, for Your great love and mercy.  Please help us to remain faithful and true, and to not stain or spoil our wedding attire.  And Father, please protect us from all the effects of the coronavirus and all the troubles of the world around us.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind 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.  Make us mindful of the invitation we have received from You, and of the importance of the change in us that attendance requires.  Show us Your will through Your Holy Spirit and may He guide us through this life.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Christian author C. S. Lewis once said:

“When the author walks onto the stage, the play is over.  God is going to invade, all right; but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else comes crashing in?  This time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature.  It will be too late then to choose your side.  That will not be the time for choosing; It will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not.  Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side."

We don’t know when Jesus will return to call His church home and to set the world right, so we must be ready at all times.  We must be prepared since it could come at any moment, even while we’re sitting here today.  Because when He does come, when the Author of Creation comes riding in on the clouds, it will be too late to say, “OK, I’m with You now, Jesus”.  By that point, whether we realize it or not, we’ll have already chosen which side we’re own: the side of righteousness and Jesus, or the side of evil and Satan.

Just as we noted in our church reading a little while ago, we have a fundamental choice.  Jesus said we’re either for Him or against Him.  Choose wisely now, serve Jesus now, and enjoy irresistible love for all eternity.

Our scripture reading comes right after what we looked at two weeks ago, when Jesus cleared the Temple of the moneychangers and had His authority questioned by the chief priests and elders.  He told them parables about the two sons and which had actually done the will of the father, and about what the vineyard owner would do to the evil vinedressers who killed his son.  In the parable this morning, He continues warning them about the consequences of their refusal to accept the Son of God as their Lord.

In this story there is to be a wedding, with a sumptuous feast to follow.  The king sent out invitations and then followed up by sending his servants to call on all the invitees.  But no one really wanted to go, so they mistreated and even killed the servants, just like in the previous parable.  This time, though, the king sent out his army to destroy all those evil people and their lands.

Then he extended an invitation to the wedding and feast to anyone and everyone his servants could find.  At first, the invitation to a glorious party had been given to a select few, but since they all refused, it was extended to many.

And so it is for the grand party that will be eternity in paradise, in heaven.  Jesus came first to the Jews, God’s chosen people, and they rejected Him.  So the invitation has been given to all of us, Jew and Gentile alike.  All are invited, all may attend.  And of course, to accept the invitation, we need merely accept God’s Son Jesus as our Lord and Master.

But note that there is one other requirement in addition to accepting the invitation.  As we saw a few weeks ago, we need to be changed before we will be allowed entrance into heaven.  We need to be wearing the proper attire, the new creation that the Apostle Paul spoke of.  We need to be changed spiritually before we can be changed physically when Jesus returns.  And that change occurs only when we truly, with all our heart and soul, accept Jesus as Lord, doing as He tells us to do.  For many will be given the invitation, but few in comparison will truly accept it.

So just what is involved in accepting the invitation?  What is required on our part?  Jesus tells us that all we have to do to be saved is to believe in Him as the Son of God.  Truly, fully believe.  If we do believe in Him, we will accept Him as our only Lord.  And if we accept Him as our Lord and Master, we will do what He says.

Paul gives us some very simple guidelines in his letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, verses 4 through 9, when he says…

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

--Philippians 4:4-9 (NKJV)

Rejoice in the Lord and trust in Him in all things.  Pray humbly, giving Him thanks and asking for His help.  Be gentle and loving in our dealings with others.  Give honor to anything that is true and just and pure and lovely and good and virtuous, and act only on those things.

And all of this can be wrapped up in what Jesus commands us: to love one another.  Truly, unconditionally love one another, just as Jesus loves us.

The invitation is still being extended and will be right up until the moment Jesus returns.  It's up to us to accept it.  Throughout the New Testament, Jesus extends invitations to come, follow Him; come, be with Him; come, accept Him.  From the day after His baptism all the way through His revelation to the Apostle John, we are invited to come.

Come to the wedding and the grand feast to follow.  Come to the cross, where our dear Savior died.  Come to the tomb, and see it empty.  Come, and be with Jesus forever in paradise.

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 inviting us all to the wedding of Your Son and the great feast to follow.  Thank You for offering up Your Son as a blood sacrifice for us, to wash us clean of our sin so that we might spend eternity with You.  Help us, please Father, to be worthy of Your love.  Help us to be properly attired when we come into Your presence, to be changed by Your Holy Spirit within because of our true acceptance of Jesus as Lord.  And Father, help us be more loving, more trusting, more merciful, and more kindhearted toward others 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 given us example after example of how we should pattern our lives if we truly accept You as our Master.  More to the point, You have shown us how not to live through the parables You spoke and the rebuking of the religious leaders of Your day.  Forgive us, Jesus, for those times when we fail to do as You command, when we fail to love as You love.  Forgive us when doubts creep in and the impact of worldly events cause our love to falter.  Help us, please, to love one another as You love us, to see one another as You see us.  Give us Your heart for loving others.  Strengthen us, Jesus, through these dark times.  And Lord, please heal the divisions between us, that creep in and separate us, even within Your church family.  Help us remain faithful and obedient through the storms raging around us, concerned more with the needs of others than with our own wants and desires.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.