Believe In Him

 

[For Sunday, January 30th, 2022, we enjoyed our traditional 5th Sunday service at Pilgrim Reformed Church when we sang our favorite hymns.  But before the singing, we held the following short devotional - "Believe In Him".  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 5th Sunday of the month, when traditionally we enjoy a sing-along service of our favorite hymns.  And today is no exception.  But first I’d like to share a little scripture with you, scripture about belief, about believing in something that may seem unbelievable.  

Please listen and follow along as I read from the Apostle John’s Gospel account, chapter 10 verses 22 through 42, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible...

22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.”

31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” 39 Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.

40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. 41 Then many came to Him and said, “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.” 42 And many believed in Him there.

--John 10:22-42 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, we are here to worship You.  May the words and songs from our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.  Amen.

We’ve all heard of or read about things that are just hard to believe, haven’t we?  Things that just seem unbelievable.  Robert Ripley built a franchise based on the unbelievable.  Maybe you’ve visited one of his “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” exhibits.  Sometimes our brains can be tricked by our senses into believing something may be true, and sometimes what we’re sensing is just too far-fetched to be believable.

Many of the Jews in Jesus’ day were in that position.  They saw the signs and works He performed, yet they simply could not believe He was the Son of God, sent as their Messiah, our Savior.  And many today still cannot believe, Jews and Gentiles.  Even after all that has been written by eyewitnesses about what He did, they still cannot believe in Him, or accept Him as Lord.

There is one group who may truly believe that Jesus is just who He said He is, but it’s the Gospel message they can’t believe.  Have you ever been talking to someone about Jesus and they end up saying they just can’t believe in Him?  And the reason they give for this disbelief is something to the effect, “I can’t believe anyone could ever love me that much.”

Well, as we who do believe know, Jesus is not just anyone.  God loves us so much that He sent His only Son into the world that we might be saved from eternal damnation just by believing in Him.  And Jesus loves us so much that He came, knowing full well how it would all play out, and He allowed Himself to be sacrificed, so His blood could wash us clean of our sin.  Yes, Jesus loves us.  Of that we can rest assured.

One last point on belief…  When the risen Jesus appeared before the disciples, still in the flesh, His hands and side scarred from the execution, Thomas had trouble believing that this was truly Jesus again.  When he finally did believe, “Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”  (John 20:29 (NKJV))

We may not have seen Jesus with our eyes, we may not have witnessed His many miracles, but we believe.  We believe because we know He loves us.  We believe because we have felt His hand on our lives.  We believe because He has healed us, maybe not in body but in spirit.  We believe, and so we are saved.

Believe in Him, and live again.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for sending Your Son to save us.  Thank You for shining Your light into the darkness of this world, the darkness of our sin.  Please, Father, help us make our belief effective by obeying Your word and by doing as Jesus commands us.  Help us put our belief in action in our service to others.  And give us the strength and courage to share Your word with everyone we meet.  All this we pray in the blessed name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Chosen to Serve

 

[Our service of Sunday, January 16th, 2022, was canceled due to the snow and icy conditions.  The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 23rd of January, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Today's service also included the ordination of two Deacons and the installation of church officers.  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.]

In my invocation, I read where Jesus said that He came to serve, not to be served.  He also said that if we want to be among the greatest, we must be as a servant to all others.

This morning we ordained two people to the service of our Lord and then installed them and two others to the service of our church.  But Jesus didn’t mean just church leaders when He told us to be servants; He meant all of us.

The practice of ordaining and installing church leaders and servants had its start in the early church, not too long after Jesus returned home to heaven.  Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Luke recorded for us in verses 1 through 8 of chapter 6 of his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, and I’ll be reading this from the New Revised Standard Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. 2 And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, 4 while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” 5 What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

7 The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

--Acts 6:1-8 (NRSV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for the example of service the early church gives us.  Thank You for showing us, through our Bible scriptures, needs within our community that we can fill, such as feeding the hungry, providing drink and clothing and shelter for the needy, nurturing those who would come to know Jesus as Lord.  Please help us be good servants, and to be humble in our service.  And please, Father, protect us from all of Satan’s tricks and schemes.  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 serve You by our service to others.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

In his book Celebration of Discipline, in the chapter titled “The Discipline of Service”, theologian Richard Foster distinguishes between self-righteous service and true service.  In it he writes:

Self-righteous service comes through human effort.  True service comes from a relationship with the divine Other deep inside.

Self-righteous service is impressed with the "big deal".  True service finds it almost impossible to distinguish the small from the large service.

Self-righteous service requires external rewards.  True service rests contented in hiddenness.

Self-righteous service is highly concerned about results.  True service is free of the need to calculate results.

Self-righteous service picks and chooses whom to serve.  True service is indiscriminate in its ministry.

Self-righteous service is affected by moods and whims.  True service ministers simply and faithfully because there is a need.

Self-righteous service is temporary.  True service is a life-style.

Self-righteous service is without sensitivity. It insists on meeting the need even when to do so would be destructive.  True service can withhold the service as freely as perform it.

Self-righteous service fractures community.  True service, on the other hand, builds community.

I think we all have a good feel for what it means to be self-righteous, but you may find the dictionary definition to be interesting.  To be self-righteous is to be confident of one's own righteousness, especially when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behavior of others.  I imagine we’re all a little guilty of that at one time or another.  Maybe we’ve sometime gotten up on our high horse and pointed our finger at others, accusing them of the same thing we ourselves have done?

Self-righteous service is smug, moralistic, and mostly self-serving.  It’s helping out in the soup line or with Meals-On-Wheels once a year - or once every four years - so we can get our name and photo in the papers or on TV.

True service, though, the kind of service God expects of us, is self-less.  It is giving, even when it hurts to give.  It is putting others ahead of self.  It is given freely, without expectations of payback or reward.  It is love, and the sharing of the love of Jesus.

From our scripture reading this morning, we should be able to see that our office of Deacon came from the early church’s decision to send certain of the disciples out into the community to see to the needs of the community.  And God blessed the church and these early Deacons for their efforts, for we see that the number of followers and believers increased and that Stephen performed great wonders and works among the people.

So, when we are told to be servants, who is it we are supposed to serve?  The implication that we’ve seen so far is that we serve other people, those whose needs are great.  But let’s go back a little and look at the time shortly after His baptism when Jesus is being tempted by Satan in the wilderness.  Please listen as I read from the 4th chapter of the Apostle Matthew’s Gospel account, verses 8 through 10…

8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

--Matthew 4:8-10 (NKJV)

“You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.”  If we are to only serve God, what about those needy people?  And how does this reconcile with what we earlier read about self-righteous versus true service?

Let me read something to you that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome, from chapter 16, verses 17 through 19 of his letter to the Romans…

17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent concerning evil.

--Romans 16:17-19 (NKJV)

Now Paul is talking about what is going on in that church in Rome, and how there are some causing division and discord within the family.  Since they are serving their own bellies, as Paul puts it, deceiving the hearts of the less informed with smooth words and flattering speech, I think we can say their service is self-righteous.  And they are not serving our Lord Jesus.  Paul uses this example to educate us, so that we might be wise in what is good, and innocent concerning what is evil.

So that is two examples of our Bible scripture directing us to serve our Lord God, and our Lord Jesus who is God.  True service, not the self-righteous variety.

But family, here’s the kicker.  When we serve other people, when we see to the needs of those less fortunate, of those more helpless, then we are indeed serving God.  For this is His commandment, to love others as we love ourselves, as Jesus loves us.  We serve God by following His command, by loving others.  And when we truly love others, we will exercise that love through our service to them.  Jesus came to serve rather than to be served, and He served God the Father by loving us more than even His own mortal life.

Family, we have chosen a few people from among ourselves to serve our church family.  But let’s not forget that we have all been chosen, by our Lord Jesus, to serve our community as well.  Let’s all be good servants.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, who gave His all for us.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your own Son to serve us by redeeming our sin.  Through Him and the examples of the early church, You show us what true service is.  Thank You, Father, for Your instruction and examples.  But Father, sometimes we serve for the wrong reasons.  Sometimes we become more concerned about being served that about serving.  Forgive us those times, Father, and remind us of why Jesus came to us.  Please help us show Your love to others through our love and service.  Help us be better, truer servants, to You and to our fellow man.

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, when You gave us the command to love others as You love us, this was to show us how to serve.  We serve You by serving others, and we serve them through our love.  Please, Lord, help us be more loving, more forgiving, so that we can be better servants.  Forgive us, Jesus, when we fail to love and serve because of all the strains of life.  Help us remember all You went through just for us, and how You never stopped loving, never stopped serving others.  And Jesus, please strengthen us through these very difficult times.  Heal those hurts that separate and divide us, in our communities and even within Your church family.  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.

I Resolve

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the first Sunday after Epiphany, the 9th of January, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Today's service also included the observance of Holy Communion.  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.]

2021 was sort of a strange year.  It opened with a ray of hope, the sun shining through dark clouds.  2020 and the year of the pandemic was behind us and we seemed on the brink of normalcy.

And then the Delta variant started wreaking havoc, and more mask and vaccine mandates went into effect.  Our people became even more divided as the masked and the unmasked went at each other, as the vaccine supporters faced off against the vaccine opponents, with each side accusing the other of doing more harm than good.  We were judging each other more than ever before.  What began with so much promise ended with a whimper and a new threat: the Omicron variant.

The thing is, we have been warned of all of this in our Bibles.  We have been told that as the end of the age nears, nation with rise up against nation, family against family, brother against brother.  And like most wars, we start out with verbal jabbing, with one side accusing the other of some misdeed or wrongful behavior.  So we end up judging each other, even though in the same Bible that gave us this warning, our Lord Jesus tells us to “Judge not, that you be not judged.”

The Apostle Paul often emphasized this critical message from Jesus.  Please listen and follow along to what Paul wrote in the 14th chapter of his letter to the church in Rome, and I’ll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. 2 Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. 3 Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

5 Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. 6 Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.

7 We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,

and every tongue shall give praise to God.”

12 So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

13 Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. 19 Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat; 21 it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. 22 The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. 23 But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

--Romans 14 (NRSV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for giving us a new year, another year to live for Jesus.  Thank You for giving us new life, another chance to get things right.  Please help us to keep this “newness” in our spirit by truly following Jesus and serving only Him.  And please, Father, protect us from all of Satan’s evil work in this world.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and purpose in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Stop us when we begin to judge another because of what they do or say, reminding us that we too will be judged just as critically as we judge others.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

In his book, Christian Theology in Plain Language, Bruce Shelley states:

Our lives are fields that primarily contain weeds. We cannot produce strawberries. We can mow the weeds, but that effort alone will never produce acceptable fruit. If we really want that fruit we will have to go deeper. We must plow up the whole field and start again with new plants.

I think the beauty of this little homily is that it is speaking directly to each of us as individuals.  It isn’t talking about someone else, blaming the other guy for his failings, judging others while leaving me blameless and clean.  No, it is pointing its finger directly at me!  My life is a field of weeds.  The only way I can ever make anything of it is to dig it all up and start over again.

And that is exactly what we do when we truly accept Jesus as our Lord and obey His voice.  We’re given a fresh start, a new life, a chance to begin all over again.  But we have to be very careful not to let the weeds come up again.  We need to watch ourselves and do as Jesus says.  For some day we will be judged, all of us, and not by our peers, but by the Creator of all there is and ever was, by the Almighty God.

In a nutshell, this is what Paul is telling us.  We shouldn’t pass judgment on one another.  It’s not our job, it’s above our pay scale.  We are all – each and every one of us – accountable to God, our ultimate Judge.  So we need to resolve to stop judging others.  We need to stop putting stumbling blocks or any other hindrances in their way.  We need to stop causing them injury and harm by our words or actions or even our thoughts.

Paul gives an example of eating meat or drinking wine around someone who in their own heart finds that to be wrong or hurtful.  He warns that this could cause that person to stumble, perhaps upsetting the work of God in that person, even causing the ruin of one for whom Christ died, as Paul puts it.

Let me give you a little more timely example, and one that I am terribly guilty of myself.  When I am around someone who thinks mask wearing is essential to our health and safety as a people, then I should be willing to wear a mask in their presence.  Otherwise, I may be guilty of upsetting the work of God in that person, of causing the ruin of one for whom Christ died.

Family, we may think that there is little we can do to make this world better.  We don’t have the answers to life’s many problems.  We don’t even seem to have full control of our own lives any more, much less how someone else may fare.

With all the warnings and all the mandates, with vaccines and tests available, people are still getting sick from COVID-19 and its variants, even those who are vaccinated and wear masks.  If the experts are struggling to find the silver bullet, what chance do I have?  I’m just one person, and a rather simple person at that.

Again I’d like to turn to what Paul has already told us, this time to his 1st letter to the Corinthians, chapter 1 verse 26 through chapter 2 verse 5…

1:26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

2:1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

--1 Corinthians 1:26-2:5 (NSRV)

Our faith should not rest on human knowledge or wisdom, but on the power of God.  God’s power is clearly demonstrated throughout our Bible.  His strength is shown in that His words, recorded so long ago, warn us of what is happening today.  Our faith must rest solely on God’s power, and God’s word.

Let us resolve to trust in the Lord, who created the heavens and the earth.  And let us resolve not to upset His great work by placing a stumbling block in the path of another.  Let’s keep the weeds out of our fields.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the one true Son of God.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for all the information You have provided us in our Bible.  In Your word, we can see what is going on around us, and through its writers, You instruct us on how to react.  Thank You, Father, for the warnings and instruction You give.  But Father, sometimes we fail to follow Your instruction.  Sometimes we simply can’t help ourselves and we do things that cause harm and hurt.  We just can’t seem to stop judging others when we really need to pay more attention to our own lives.  Please help us be more obedient to Your word.  Help us be better servants, to You and to our fellow man.

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

Lord Jesus, You died to free us of our sins.  And then You were given new life so that we too could enjoy new life.  You dug up our fields so that we could produce good fruit.  Please, Lord, help us keep the weeds out.  May we do as our Father wills us.  Help us resolve to stop putting stumbling blocks in the way of other people.  Forgive us, Jesus, when we judge others while ignoring our own flaws.  Forgive us when we can’t release our hatreds and pride, our anger and greed, our distrust for those not like us.  Help us let go of our worldly thoughts so that people can see Your love through our love and service.  And Jesus, please strengthen us through these very difficult times.  Heal those hurts that separate and divide us, even within Your church family.  Help us remain true and obedient no matter what we go through.  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.

Holiday Visitors

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the first Sunday after Christmas, the 26th of December, 2021, 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.]

Valentine’s Day may be the time for lovers, but I think Christmas is the time for love.  For it is the celebration of when God showed His great love for us by sending His Son into the world to offer us redemption of our sins.  And it is the holiday when, if we are fortunate and blessed enough, we gather our loved ones close around us, sharing in the warmth of love as we share in the giving of gifts.

Yes, we are most likely to receive holiday visitors during the Christmas season.  Now, we don’t know for sure when this occurred, but at this time of year we also celebrate some visitors that Jesus received.  And they, too, shared some wonderful, and expensive, gifts.

Please listen and follow along as I read of a time after the birth of Jesus but while He was just a small child, less than two years old.  This comes from the 2nd chapter of the Gospel account of the Apostle Matthew, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

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

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

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

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

Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

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

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

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

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,

Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children,

Refusing to be comforted,

Because they are no more.”

19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

--Matthew 2 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for sending Your Messiah, our Christ, into the world to save us.  Rather than riding in like a conquering hero, He came to us as a small baby one quiet night, with only Your angels and nearby shepherds giving witness of His birth.  Thank You, Father, for sharing the greatest gift of love with us poor sinners.  Thank You for sending visitors to the young Jesus, who shared their expensive gifts with Him to show us how to share our own wealth.  And thank You for protecting the Christ child from great harm before the proper time.  Please help us remember the real meaning of this season, this time for love.  While we celebrate the birth of our Savior, help us to not forget the sacrifice He made to free us from the chains of sin.  And help us to do as You will and not just what we might be willing to do.  Please keep us strong in our faith and of one mind and one purpose in our service to Christ Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  And Father, please shield us from all the tricks and schemes of Satan.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  Speak to us of the greatest gift ever given, the gift of love, the gift of Your Son.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

In late September of 1864, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest was leading his troops north from Decatur, Alabama, toward Nashville.  But to make it to Nashville, Forrest would have to defeat the Union army at Athens, Alabama.  When the Union commander, Colonel Wallace Campbell, refused to surrender, Forrest asked for a personal meeting, and took Campbell on an inspection of his troops.  But each time they left a detachment, the Confederate soldiers simply packed up and moved to another position, artillery and all.  Forrest and Campbell would then arrive at the new encampment and continue to tally up the impressive number of Confederate soldiers and weaponry.  By the time they returned to the fort, Campbell was convinced he couldn't win and surrendered unconditionally!

General Forrest took Colonel Campbell on a little tour through the countryside.  And during this tour, Campbell was a “guest” of Forrest.

Seeing as they were in Alabama and Campbell was probably from somewhere up north, I think it safe to say he was a “visitor” to the area, even if his forces were encamped there in Athens.  He very likely was not familiar enough with the surroundings to know if Forrest was taking the “long way” around, giving his own troops time to move everything to a new location.  The end result was that Campbell perceived the forces opposing his own to be far greater in both numbers and arms, so he surrendered immediately upon return to his fort.

It just goes to show that sometimes you can deceive a visitor.  But then again, sometimes you can't.

Matthew was a tax collector.  Apparently he wasn’t one of the bad tax collectors, who would charge his neighbors more than the actual tax due and pocket the rest.  We would consider him to be more like a toll booth operator, collecting from travelers for using the roads.  Jesus walked up to his collection table one day and said, “Follow Me”, and Matthew did just that.

Matthew was also a Jew, by birth and by early training and belief, although now he believed in and followed Jesus.  So for this reason, Matthew’s primary audience, the main people he was writing for, were the Jews.  He wanted to prove to them that Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah, sent from God to save them.  So he often quoted Scripture, what we would call Old Testament Scripture, and specifically those passages that predict the coming of the Messiah.  And then he would show how Jesus fulfilled those prophecies.  We can see this four times in our scripture reading this morning.

If we pay attention to what Matthew saved for us, and research his references, we can see that Jesus is the Christ.  Of that point there should be no question.

But this isn’t so much about fulfilled prophecy as it is about holiday visitors.  You may have had some of those this year.  I did.  My daughter and son-in-law spent two weeks with me over the holidays – one at Thanksgiving and one at Christmas.

Jesus had some holiday visitors, too, although it wasn’t really celebrated as a holiday just yet, and He was pretty young when they came.  Wise men came from the far east, following a star that had appeared in their sky, following prophecies of old.  They came to Jerusalem asking the whereabouts of the one just born who would be king of the Jews.

Well, that didn’t sit too well with the current king of the Jews, King Herod, so he set a plot in motion.  His own priests and scribes said that Bethlehem was the place to find this future Ruler.  So Herod sent the visitors on their way to Bethlehem, telling them to let him know when they find the child, all along intending to have the infant killed.

But these wise men were visitors who could not be deceived, because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod.  Just as Joseph was warned to take his family and flee to Egypt, to escape before Herod could launch his plan.

Now, in a way, Herod was also a visitor to the young Jesus - a visitor of death.  He tried to deceive the wise men into giving up the location of the One born to be King of kings, but instead, he himself was deceived.  But when his plan failed, thanks to God's intervention, he ordered the slaughter of all males in Bethlehem and the surrounding area two years old and younger.  He visited death on the village.  Joseph, Mary, and the Christ child barely escaped.

Like I said, we don’t know exactly when the wise men visited the Christ child, although we celebrate that visit along with Christmastime.  Fact is, in all likelihood, Jesus was probably born in late September rather than on December 25th.

But the exact timing of either event doesn’t really matter, does it?  All that matters is that they happened and that we remember them, we celebrate them each year in late December.  We remind ourselves during this holiday of the time when God visited the world in the person of Jesus, bringing His wonderful gift of love.  Chapter 2 of the Apostle Luke’s Gospel account tells the story in verses 8 through 18…

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!”

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

--Luke 2:8-18 (NKJV)

Family, God is good.  For unto us a Child was born.  Unto us a Son was given.  And His name is called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  We know Him simply as Jesus, our favorite, most precious holiday visitor.  One who came to visit, and stayed.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, again we thank You for the gift of love given in Your Son Jesus.  The Child Jesus received gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh, but He brought us a gift of far greater value – the gift of redemption and everlasting life.  Thank You, Father, for giving us Your love.  Thank You for having mercy upon us poor sinners.  And thank You, too, for allowing us to share love with all our visitors this holiday season.  Sometimes though, Father, we get too caught up in all the rush of this busy time.  Sometimes the commercialism distracts us from the true meaning of Christmas, the real reason for the season.  Please forgive us, dear Father, when the world view of the holidays overshadows the birth of Your Son and the promise of salvation He brought us, the redemption He bought for us, paid by His own precious blood.  Please help us remember His great sacrifice even as we celebrate His birth.  Remind us of this beautiful holiday visitor who came to stay in our hearts.  Encourage us and strengthen us as we strive to carry out the task Jesus gave us.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service to You and Jesus.  And please help us stay true to You during these times of turmoil and pain.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You were a visitor to our world so long ago and for a short 33 years, but yet You remain in our hearts, those of us who follow You.  You came and brought us the gift of God’s love, the best gift we could ever receive.  Thank You, Jesus, for coming to us, for giving Your all for us, for loving us.  Lord, we ask You to help us remember the true meaning of Christmas and God’s gift to the world.  And help us remember the sacrifice You made on our behalf even as we celebrate Your birth.  Help us stay true to You and faithful no matter what trial we may face.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love to all we encounter in our daily walk.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Joy in Heaven

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the fourth Sunday in Advent, the 19th of December, 2021, 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, those little moments of joy we experience are blessings from our Father God.  In this life, they are too often short-lived, quickly replaced by the next hardship or disappointment the world hands us.  Joy is usually accompanied by smiles and laughter, by shouts of joy, even tears of joy.  We celebrate joy with the sounds and spirit of rejoicing, one of our many words which has its root in the word “joy”.  We feel joy when something exceptionally good or satisfying happens, either to us or to someone we care deeply about.  Sometimes that feeling lasts only a second, or the warm glow can remain for days.  Yet even if it passes in the blink of an eye, that joyful, joy-filled, moment can make our daily tribulations just a little more bearable.

We certainly know and recognize joy when we feel it.  But have you ever wondered if joy – this wonderful gift from God - is reserved solely for us mortals?  How about the angels and saints in heaven?  Can they experience joy like we do?

Please listen and follow along as I read two parables Jesus used to rebuke the Pharisees and scribes and to tell us about the joy in heaven when a sinner repents.  This comes from the Gospel account of the Apostle Luke, chapter 15, verses 1 through 10, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Jesus to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

--Luke 15:1-10 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for blessing us with feelings of joy and joyful events in this life.  This is yet another example of You giving us so much more than just what we need, so that we may not only survive but also take pleasure in this life.  Thank You, Father, for Your many blessings.  Please help us turn from our disobedient ways, to repent so that all of Your heaven can rejoice.  Help us carry out the mission our Lord Jesus assigned us.  And help us to do as You will and not just what we might feel like doing at any given time.  Please keep us strong in our faith and of one mind and one purpose in our service to Christ Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  And Father, please shield us from all the tricks and schemes the devil plays.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  May we hear the joyful sounds of Your heavenly host rejoicing.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

I may have used this piece before, but I love it and it certainly bears repeating.  George Bernard Shaw was once quoted as saying, "This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one: the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap, and being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."

I fear many people in our current age fit that last description all too well.  They’re selfish little clods of ailments and grievances, complaining all the time that the rest of the world is not giving them the happiness they deserve.  For them, nothing matters but the drama they can stir up, for if there is no drama in their life, they must not be living.  They are miserable, leading miserable little lives, and making everyone around them miserable, too.

If they would just devote themselves to serving a higher purpose, they would have no need of drama.  And if they would give of themselves wholeheartedly, leaving everything on the field (as the sports saying goes), they would have no time for drama, nor the energy to complain.  And then they could take greater enjoyment from those moments of pure happiness and pleasure our Father blesses us with from time to time.

Family, there is true joy to be gained in serving a mighty purpose, and only pain and sorrow in being a selfish clump of grievance and complaint.

I think Jesus might have described most of the Pharisees and scribes as “feverish selfish little clods of ailments and grievances”.  Seems like all they did was complain.  In our scripture reading, they’re complaining because some tax collectors and other sinners joined Jesus for a meal so they could hear Him speak, could learn more of the truth from Him.

Now we know, from some of the words our Lord spoke, that Jesus came to this earth to offer redemption to sinners such as these, such as you and I.  He even said as much, noting that the righteous have no need of a Savior, for they are already saved.  Only sinners need a way to salvation, just as only the sick have need of medical care.

So Jesus tries to answer the Pharisees in simple language that they should be able to grasp.  When we’ve lost something, something precious to us, don’t we take great delight when it is found?  These sinners were lost, they had strayed from God’s path of righteousness.  By their repentance and acceptance of Jesus as the Christ, sent from God, they are found.  And when they are found, all heaven rejoices with great joy.

Jesus says there is joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner who repents.  Of course, this isn’t the first time He talked about joy, nor about that joy being only celebrated in heaven.  Earlier in His ministry, during what the Apostle Luke called His Sermon on the Plane, Jesus told us to be joyful even when something happens to us that we would not normally associate with feeling joy over.  In chapter 6 of Luke’s Gospel account, verses 22 and 23, in what we call the Beatitudes, Jesus tells us…

22 "Blessed are you when men hate you,

And when they exclude you,

And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,

For the Son of Man’s sake.

23 "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!

For indeed your reward is great in heaven,

For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets."

--Luke 6:22-23 (NKJV)

So we’re supposed to be joyful when other people hate us, when they won’t include us in their social groups, when they verbally abuse us and call us all kinds of nasty names in public?

Well…  yes.  Yes, be joyful, if they are treating us like this because we are doing something for Jesus, for His name’s sake.  Be joyful because we are being treated just like the prophets were treated, those who spoke for God.  Rejoice and leap for joy, for great will be our reward in heaven.  And rejoice along with all heaven if our action helps even one lost sinner be found and returned to Jesus.

There’s one other time… well, there’s many, but I’d like to read of just one more time when Jesus mentioned joy.  I shared this with you a couple weeks ago, but it bears repeating today as we dwell on joy, and especially on the joy that God gives.  This comes from the Gospel account of the Apostle John, chapter 15, verses 9 through 11, where Jesus says…

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

--John 15:9-11 (NKJV)

To live in Jesus’ love, we must obey His commandments.  We must turn from our sinful, disobedient ways.  We must love others in the same way that Jesus loves us: sacrificially, unconditionally.  We must go out and tell other people all about Jesus and the great things He has done, so that they too might come to believe and be saved.  And then Jesus’ love and His joy will remain in us, and our joy will be full.

I opened our service this morning by reading from the beautiful words of Isaiah who said, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation”.  We who have accepted Jesus as our Lord have received redemption, the cleansing of our sins, and are saved.  Rejoice and be joyful!  Repent and be obedient!  And help others come to Jesus.  For there is joy throughout all heaven when one lost sheep is returned to the fold.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Joy to you.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You most of all for sending Your own Son into this world to offer us salvation and eternal life.  The mere thought of this wonderful, undeserved gift brings us great joy.  Thank You, Father, for blessing us so often and in so many ways.  And thank You, too, for allowing us to share in the joy that is heaven, the glory of rejoicing along with the heavenly host.  Sometimes though, Father, we just get too overwhelmed with all the drama and tragedy in the world around us and our joy escapes us.  Sometimes we fail to rejoice in just knowing what awaits us when this life is over, instead letting sadness and misery pull us down.  Please forgive us those times, dear Father.  Please help us feel the joy You have blessed us with.  Remind us that a great reward awaits us when we remain in the love and joy of Your Son Jesus.  Encourage us and strengthen us as we strive to carry out the work He assigned us.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service to You and Jesus.  And please help us stay true to You during these times of turmoil and pain.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You want us to know and feel joy, if not from the moments of pleasure we receive in this life, then in the knowledge and the promise of our eternal life with You.  For through You and You alone may we be granted everlasting life in paradise.  Thank You, Jesus, for loving us so much You were willing to give up Your own mortal life for us that we might be washed clean of our sins by Your blood.  Thank you for taking our sin upon Yourself.  Lord, we ask You to help us find a moment of joy in each day.  Help us remain in Your love that our joy may be full.  Help us stay true to You and faithful no matter what trial we may face.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love to all we encounter in our daily walk.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Where Is Our Peace?

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the third Sunday in Advent, the 12th of December, 2021, 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, this morning our choir sang the beautiful anthem, “Peace, Peace”, and you joined in with “Silent Night, Holy Night”.  Peace on earth, a quiet night…  That’s how we envision the night our Savior Jesus was born into the world as a mortal babe, born like one of us, born of flesh and blood.  Quiet, and peaceful.

But where is our peace?  How many of our nights can be described as quiet and peaceful?  Gunshots and sirens too often punctuate the silence.  Loud vehicles, radios, or people shouting at each other wake us from our slumbers.  The daylight hours are even worse.  And our round-the-clock newscasts seem little more than announcements of the latest spurts of violence throughout the world.  Where is our peace?

Please listen and follow along to what Jesus said about peace as recorded for us by the Apostle Matthew in chapter 24, verses 1 through 13 of his Gospel account, and I’ll be reading this from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, epidemics, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

--Matthew 24:1-13 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for Your promise of redemption and eternal life through Your Son Jesus.  As the end draws near, peace will be hard to find.  Thank You, Father, for standing by us and staying with us through troublesome times.  Please help us endure to the very end.  Help us stay true to our calling no matter what each day brings.  And help us to do as You will and not just what we are comfortable doing.  Please keep us strong in our faith and of one mind and one purpose in our service to Christ Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  And Father, please shield us from all of Satan’s tricks and schemes.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  Give us the inner peace that can come only from You, the peace that will help us survive these angry times.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

It has been reported that Duke University once did a study on "peace of mind."  Some factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability, that add to our peace of mind, include: 

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

I hope you can see that more than a few of those points can be traced back to our unwillingness to forgive others of their wrongs or perceived slights.  Nursing a grudge, living in the past, wasting time and energy fighting conditions we can’t change, withdrawing into a world of our own, having little personal pity parties, not loving others as Jesus loves us, as Jesus commands us.

All of those, along with expecting too much of ourselves, can absolutely destroy our peace of mind.  And sadly, peace of mind is about the only peace we can expect these days.  So let’s be quick to forgive, and quicker still to love.

When Jesus came to us the first time, He came quietly, with very few noticing His birth.  Had it not been for the angel’s announcement, even the nearby shepherds watching over their sheep would have missed the event.  The silence of that night was broken only by the heavenly host, as the Apostle Luke tells us in chapter 2 of his Gospel account, where in verses 13 and 14 we read…

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

14 “Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

--Luke 2:13-14 (NKJV)

“And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”  That sure didn’t last very long, did it.  The peace and goodwill of that holy night quickly faded.

We know very little about Jesus as a youth, which is understandable since the Gospel writers didn’t know Him until He was an adult and into His ministry.  As an adult, Jesus soon became the target of the plots and schemes of the Jewish religious leaders, even to the point of their planning how to have Him killed.  So Jesus knew what it was like to suffer trials and endure hardships.  And in chapter 16 of the Apostle John’s Gospel account, verses 32 and 33, Jesus warns us of what we face…

32 “But the time is coming — indeed it’s here now — when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving Me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with Me. 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

--John 16:32-33 (NLT)

Jesus said, “I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.”  We are never alone because our Father God is always with us.  But what do we have to look forward to here on earth?  Jesus says many trials and sorrows.

In our earlier scripture reading from Matthew’s Gospel account, Jesus talks about the end times and the horrible events that will occur then.  And to me, the most frightening thing He says is that all of these are only the beginning of sorrows.  After everything He just said, there’s even more to come - more trials, more sorrows.  Where is our peace?

I could not find the source of the statement, but it’s been said that safety consists not in the absence of danger, but in the presence of God.  I believe the same certainly applies to peace.

Our peace can come from the last part of what I just read from John, where Jesus says, “take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  Our world, this mortal life, may be falling apart all around us, but Jesus has already conquered and transcended the world.  He has fought the battle and won.  And it was all done for us.

So take heart, and be at peace.  This is what Jesus wants, that we can find an inner peace that will allow us to shut out the noise and chaos of the world around us.  In chapter 14 verse 27 of John’s Gospel account, Jesus leaves us with these beautiful words of reassurance…

27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

--John 14:27 (NKJV)

The world’s peace is transient, short-lived, usually filled with deceit and broken promises.  Even if there is peace on one front, disorder and conflict and hardships abound on other sides.  True, lasting peace in the world is only a dream, an unfulfilled wish.  But the peace that Jesus offers, that only He can give, is true and lasting, for it is an inner peace that settles the storms raging within us.

Again I could not trace the source, but it was said that the peace that Jesus gives is not the absence of trouble, but is rather the confidence that He is there with you always.  He is with us always.

Looking a little further in John’s Gospel account, in chapter 20, verse 21, we read…

21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

--John 20:21 (NKJV)

The word “apostle” comes from the Greek word meaning “one who is sent out”.  Biblically, it is one who is sent out by God, or for God.  God the Father sent Jesus His Son out into the world to offer us salvation.  God the Son Jesus sends us out into the world to make new disciples, teaching them all about Him and what He did, and helping them to salvation.

And what does He give us to equip us for that task?  Peace.  Peace - not as the world gives peace, but a peace that surpasses all understanding, the peace that comes from the presence of God and in knowing that He is with us always.

Where is our peace?  It’s right here, in our hearts, placed there by Jesus, who will never forsake us.

Peace on earth and goodwill to men may be a pipe dream, but the peace of God is real.  It may surpass our understanding, but if we dwell on that peace, if we abide in the love of Jesus, then all the turmoil around us will subside, the drama will fade.

Trust in the Lord, accept His peace, and endure to the end.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Peace to you.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You first and foremost for sending Your own Son into this world to offer us salvation and eternal life.  By this act, Father, You showed how much You love us, how much You want us to be able to live with You for all eternity.  Thank You, Father, for so great a love.  And thank You, too, for blessing us with Your peace, the peace knowing You are always with us.  Sometimes though, Father, the trials and troubles of this world chip away at our peace until there is none left, and fear takes its place.  Sometimes the events happening around us crush any love we may have to give.  Please forgive us those times when our faith and conviction falter, when we rail away at the storm rather than facing it with the courage You’ve given us.  Please help us feel You peace in our hearts.  Remind us that You will never leave us or forsake us.  Encourage us and strengthen us as we strive to carry out the work Your Son left for us.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service to You and Jesus.  And please help us remain strong and true during these trouble-filled times we now live in.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You came to us in obedience of our Father’s command.  You came to offer us redemption and salvation from our sin.  And when we accept You as Lord, You give us peace - a true and lasting peace, not the short-lived peace the world can offer.  Thank You, Jesus, for loving us.  Thank you for giving us peace, for helping us through the tough times, for always being with us.  Lord, we ask You to help us truly know and feel Your peace even as the world sinks into chaos all around us.  Help us endure to the end of the age.  Help us stay true to You and faithful no matter what trial we may face.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love to all we encounter in our daily walk.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Show Some Love

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the second Sunday in Advent, the 5th of December, 2021, 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.]

Today we celebrate love.  We lit the pink Advent candle to remind us of the love God has for us, the love that He brought into this cold, dark world when He sent His own Son Jesus to offer us salvation, the love of Jesus who allowed Himself to be sacrificed so that His blood could atone for our sin.  And we pray that its tiny flame will set ablaze a love in our own hearts for all others, during this holiday season and every day that follows.

Today it’s all about love, and the command Jesus gave us to show some love, to everyone.  So I’d like to share with you a passage from our Bible that is all about love.  You’ll often hear this during a wedding ceremony, as it offers great advice to a couple as they begin their new life as one.  It also offers great advice to we who are one in God.

Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Paul wrote in chapter 13 of his 1st letter to the church in Corinth, and I’ll be reading this from the Contemporary English Version of our Holy Bible…

1 What if I could speak all languages

of humans and of angels?

If I did not love others,

I would be nothing more

than a noisy gong

or a clanging cymbal.

2 What if I could prophesy

and understand all secrets

and all knowledge?

And what if I had faith

that moved mountains?

I would be nothing,

unless I loved others.

3 What if I gave away all

that I owned

and let myself

be burned alive so that I could brag?

I would gain nothing,

unless I loved others.

4 Love is kind and patient,

never jealous, boastful,

proud, or 5 rude.

Love isn’t selfish

or quick tempered.

It doesn’t keep a record

of wrongs that others do.

6 Love rejoices in the truth,

but not in evil.

7 Love is always supportive,

loyal, hopeful,

and trusting.

8 Love never fails!

Everyone who prophesies

will stop,

and unknown languages

will no longer

be spoken.

All that we know

will be forgotten.

9 We don’t know everything,

and our prophecies

are not complete.

10 But what is perfect

will someday appear,

and what isn’t perfect

will then disappear.

11 When we were children,

we thought and reasoned

as children do.

But when we grew up,

we quit our childish ways.

12 Now all we can see of God

is like a cloudy picture

in a mirror.

Later we will see him

face to face.

We don’t know everything,

but then we will,

just as God completely

understands us.

13 For now there are faith,

hope, and love.

But of these three,

the greatest is love.

--1 Corinthians 13 (CEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for showing so much love to Your creation that You would offer us poor sinners eternal life with You in heaven if we would only accept Your Son Jesus as our Lord.  You love us so much that You sent Jesus into the world to take the punishment we deserved, to sacrifice Himself so that we might be washed clean when we stand before You at the last.  Thank You, Father, for a love we can never earn on our own, nor ever repay.  Please help us show our love to others in return.  Help us follow Jesus’ order to love others – all others - even as we love ourselves.  And help us to do as You will and not just what we are comfortable doing.  Please keep us strong in our faith and of one purpose in our service to Christ Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  And Father, please shield us from all of Satan’s plots and schemes.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  May Your love warm our hearts and may we show Your love to everyone around us.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

Long ago, in medieval times, a certain monk announced that he would be preaching next Sunday evening on "The Love of God."  As the shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows, the congregation gathered.  In the darkness of the altar, the monk lighted a candle and carried it to the crucifix.  First of all, he illumined the crown of thorns, next, the two wounded hands, then the marks of the spear wound.  In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the chancel.  There was nothing else to say.

Our Bible speaks volumes about love.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

What more is there to say?  What greater love could be shown an underserving people?

If you ever hear anyone say, “God doesn’t love me!”, or “God could never love me.”, remind them of the crown of thorns, the nail-scarred hands, the spear-pierced side.  Jesus took our punishment and bore our sins just so we could be seen as clean when we stand before God.  God sent His own Son to suffer and die on our behalf, and watched it all happen.  Yes, God loves us all.

When we accept Christ Jesus as our Lord, we put on His name as our title: Christian.  And by doing so, if we are indeed sincere, we agree to obey the simple command Jesus gave us: to love others as we love ourselves, and to make more disciples for Him, telling them all about Him and what He has done.

If we examine that command, we will see that the second part is really just an extension of the first part.  To tell others all about Jesus and what He has done, for them and for us, leading them into discipleship of Jesus, is to help them along the path of salvation and eternal life, offering them a share in the same inheritance we have been promised.  And if we truly love others as we love ourselves, we will want them to be saved, just as we are saved, just as we want all our loved ones to be saved.

This too, is what God wants.  He wants all to be saved.  He sent Jesus into the world that the world might be saved, the entire world!  To do our part, all we need to do is show some love.

Let’s be clear about this.  When Jesus told us to love others, it wasn’t a request.  He didn’t say, “Hey, you know, if you work at loving other folks, it would make Me so happy.  Why don’t you give it a try?  OK?”  No, He commanded us to love.  He made it a commandment.  Listen to what Jesus said as recorded by the Apostle Mark in the 12th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 30 and 31…

30 "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

--Mark 12:30-31 (NKJV)

And again, as recorded by the beloved Apostle John in the 15th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 9 through 12, Jesus said this…

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

--John 15:9-12 (NKJV)

“This is My commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you.”  How much did Jesus love us?  Look at the crown of thorns upon His brow.  Look at those beautiful, healing hands pierced by nails.  Look at His side where they stabbed Him with a spear.  We have been spared the vision of His back, shredded by the flogging He endured before being hung on the cross to suffer and die.

Jesus loved us enough that He did not want even one of us to suffer eternal damnation, everlasting punishment, separation from God for all eternity.  And that is exactly how much He commands us to love others.  He orders us to care enough not to want even one person to not be saved.  He orders us to show our love of them by telling them about Jesus and helping them to salvation.

By loving others, we show our love to Jesus, and we show His love to them.  By feeding the hungry, by giving drink to the thirsty, by clothing the naked, by giving aid to the sick and visiting those in prison, we show them the love of Jesus, just as He showed when He walked this earth.

Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude.  Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered; it doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do.  Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.  Love never fails!

Family, the greatest thing about love is that the more of it you give away, the more you receive in return.  Let’s make an extra special effort this holiday season to show some love.  After all, Christmas is a time of love, and a time for love.  But let’s not stop there.  Let’s keep the love flowing, into the new year, and on for every day we walk this earth.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Show some love.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for a love so great that You hold for us, that You do not want us to be separated from You for all eternity.  We have rebelled against You and disobeyed You almost from the very moment You created us, yet You never stopped loving us.  And then, when the time was right, You sent Your own Son to offer us salvation.  Thank You, Father, for so great an undeserved love.  Jesus commands us to love others, but sometimes, Father, that is just tough to do.  Some people are difficult to love.  Some are downright unlovable.  Please forgive us when we struggle to love other folk in a way that reflects how Jesus loved us.  Please help us be more loving.  Remind us of all Jesus has done for us.  Encourage us and strengthen us as we strive to carry out the work Your Son left for us.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service to You and Jesus.  And please help us remain strong and true during these trouble-filled times we now live in.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You came to this earth bringing the Good News of salvation.  You came in obedience to Your Father God.  You came out of love.  Thank You, Jesus, for coming in our behalf, for taking our punishment, even onto the cross.  Thank you for taking our sins upon Yourself and leaving them in the empty tomb.  Lord, we ask You to help us do as You command us and love all others as we love ourselves, as You loved us.  Help us to love even the unlovable, so that all might be saved.  Help us stay true to You and faithful no matter what may come next in this life.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love to all we encounter in our daily walk.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.