"In Those Days"
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Sunday, December 3, 2006

Introduction: A couple of weeks ago Tami and the kids were in Target, when a woman came up to them and told her how adorable our kids were. She then handed Tami a card that said Kids TV! on it, and invited her to bring the kids to a screen test in Beverly Hills. So that Sunday we took the kids, and after their screen test they met a talent counselor, who asked us some questions and told us she would be calling us if the kids were in her top 20. Well, 2 days later we got the phone call telling us they were chosen, and asked us if we could come to Santa Monica on Saturday to meet their main talent coordinator. We said we could, and put it in our schedule.

As we talked to the kids, they were very excited, very hopeful about being able to be on television. But we reminded the kids we didn’t know what this meant, and that we would take it one step at a time./ On that Saturday we showed up and were ushered into a room where they gave us a presentation of how they helped kids move into doing background shoots, get training, meet agents, and possibly be able to move into doing speaking roles. Our hope went up……..until the kicker. To get all of this we would have to pay a membership fee of ONLY……$1400.00!!!

Our hope for getting the kids on TV was dashed. And yet, after we thought about it for a while, we realized that this isn’t where we wanted our hope to be anyway.

I. Hope Is… (Psalm 118:24; 2 Peter 3:9; Isaiah 40:31; Genesis 1:10; Jeremiah 33:16)

Last week Mary Uht took some time to ask people to finish the statement “Hope

is…”, and it was interesting to see what people think that hope is.

a. What people had to say- This is what some of the people had to say: “Hope is….something within you; like seeing the glass as half full.

“….for the future; for peace and harmony in the world.”

“Hope is beautiful.” “Hope is success.”

“Hope is ….trust; if you don’t hope, you can’t trust anything.”

“Hope is….an answer.” “Hope is ….necessary.”

“Hope is…finding out there is a medical treatment for your disease.”

“Hope is….what makes life worth living.”

Some people understand hope, but many people don’t really have an understanding of what hope is, especially the hope of the Bible. As we are starting our advent season today, we start with HOPE. And in the next few minutes, I want us to be able to have a good sense of what God wants us to understand about hope; especially the hope that Christmas brings to us.

b. Pictures of hope- I want to show you some pictures and scriptures, and

have you help me brainstorm what these pictures and scriptures have to say about hope. PICTURE 1- Sunrise (Hope of a new day); Psalm 118:24- “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”/ Hope is understanding that every day is a new day to make a difference with our lives, and in the lives of others. It doesn’t matter what has happened in the past, today is a NEW DAY!

PICTURE 2- Clock (Hope of a better time); 2 Peter 3:9a- “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness…”/ When we hope on the Lord to intervene in our lives, to answer our prayers, we often expect it to happen quickly. Hope is understanding that God will work His will and way in our lives; and He will do it in His timing!

PICTURE 3- Ocean (Hope is powerful and expansive); Isaiah 40:31- “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength…”/ There are many things in life that can tear us down and make us feel weak. But in the Lord, when we hope on Him, we can know that His power is at work in us, and that “all things are possible to those who trust the Lord.”

PICTURE 4- Mountains (Hope stands tall and strong); Genesis 1:10- “God called the dry ground ‘land,’ and the gathered waters he called ‘seas.’ And God saw that it was good.”/ Hope is knowing that God is above all, and beyond all, and over all, and that God can lift us up and do good things in our lives, even through the bad.

PICTURE 5- Baby Jesus (The hope of new life; Jesus’ birth); Jeremiah 33:16- “In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.”/

II. In Those Days- (Jeremiah 33:14-16)

a. Fulfill my promise- As we look at the main text of the morning,

Jeremiah 33:14-16, we see the passage starts off with God reminding us that He will fulfill His promise. And what God says that He will do, God will do. It is not like your promises, or my promises. Because if we think about it, we realize that we have all broken promises. Maybe we told our children we would do something with them, or for them, and then something came up that we couldn’t control, and we couldn’t fulfill our promise. Maybe you told a friend you would be there for them, but when they really needed you, you couldn’t be there for them.

However, if God says He will fulfill His promise, we know that our hope in this happening/ is sound. We can know that it will happen as God says that it will happen. And what is the promise?

b. A righteous branch- The promise is seen in Jeremiah 33:15- “In those

days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land.” This is a promise of the Messiah to come. This is a promise that was fulfilled in the coming of God in the flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ. This is a promise that when He came, He would bring justice and righteousness to the land. Now the problem was that when Jesus came, the people thought the justice would be Jesus overthrowing the Romans and setting the Jews into power. The Jews would then be the ones who would bestow justice and would be in the right. But the justice and righteousness that Jesus brought would be how we, as followers of Christ, would treat others justly, and how we, as Jesus followers, we seek to act rightly.

c. Will be saved- But ultimately it would be seen in Jesus’ saving His

people; all those who believed in His name. As we are told in John 1:12- “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.”/

EXAMPLE- There is a story of how 4 blind men happened onto an elephant. The first blind men touched the elephant’s leg and reported that it was a pillar. The second blind man touched the elephant’s tummy and said that it was a wall. The third blind man touched the elephant’s ear and said that it was a piece of cloth. The fourth blind man touched the tail and said that it was a piece of rope. And all of them ran into a hot argument about what they had run into.

They did not see the truth because none of them had the whole truth. Those who are saved are the ones who come upon the truth, hear it, and believe. In Christ, we have the whole truth. Christ gives us hope, because we have truth itself before us.

And so we see that the hope comes in trusting in God, whose promise is sure. The hope comes from seeing the promise come true in Jesus Christ. The hope is experienced when we believe in Jesus, and live in the justice and righteousness that Christ sets forth for us. The hope is known in re-living time and time again, the birth of Jesus Christ, which secures for us all that God has promised to come true.

Conclusion: Every Advent season, we have the wonderful opportunity to live “in those days.” We live in the days of God choosing to take on flesh, and live among us. We live in the days when we can remember from of old how God has shown His love to us; the love of presence. We live in the days when we can truly receive hope, because our hope comes from God Himself. And so as you live in these days, from now until Christmas, I pray that you would not let the world around you/ overwhelm you/ with the secularism of Christmas. I pray that you would hope for what Christmas truly brings: joy, love, peace, and God’s presence in your life. Amen.

"A Faithful Witness"
Revelation 1:4b-8
Sunday, November 26, 2006

Introduction: There is a new show on Fox television called “Justice.” Justice is a legal drama that revolves around the world of high-profile celebrity attorneys in a Los Angeles law firm, who will go to any lengths to free their rich and powerful clients. In every trial, they have the same expert witness who gives testimony that supports their position. Because this witness is deemed an “expert” witness, the jury usually gives more weight to what he has to say. His testimony is able to help them to win/ swaying the jury over to believe the truth they are setting forth.

This morning is Christ the King Sunday. It is a day to remember who Christ is, and what He has done for us. It is a day to remember how we are called by Christ to be witnesses for Him. So let us take some time to talk about what it means to be a witness, and how we can faithful witnesses for Christ, by seeing how Christ is a faithful witness.

I. Christ as a faithful witness- (Revelation 1:5; Isaiah 9:6)

a. Christ’s qualifications- One of the first important things about a

witness is their qualification. That is why an expert witness will bring more credibility and weight to their testimony than your average witness. So, if we can understand who Jesus is, and what He brings to the witness stand, then it will help to give us confirmation that He is a trustworthy and reliable witness.

In Revelation, chapter 1, verse 5, the disciple John, who is the author of this book, gives us some insight into who Jesus is. He is the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Now this isn’t Jesus’ only titles; to see more of His titles you can search the Bible. He has many other titles such as: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, which are seen in Isaiah 9:6. Also in the New Testament we know Him as the Son of Man, and the Messiah. But here in Revelation 1:5 John simply uses “firstborn of the dead, and ruler of the kings.”

1. Firstborn of the dead. The Greek word used here is prototokos./

As first born, Jesus is the first to be raised from the dead and be resurrected to heaven. Of course it refers to Jesus’ resurrection. Through resurrection Jesus gained victory over death, which all who believe in Him may share. But also, being the first born entitles one to the inheritance of the Father’s honor and power. This also is shared with us who believe, by Jesus. So as the firstborn, all glory and honor and power are given to Christ and belong to Christ.

2. Ruler of the kings. But Christ is said to also be the “ruler of the

kings.” It was always understood by the Jewish scholars that this title was a description of the coming Messiah. And so this title on Jesus is referring to Him as the Messiah. The Messiah, being “the One who saves His people from their sins.” This John also points out at the end of Revelation, chapter 1, verse 5.

So Jesus is the one who is over all and able to save all. This is quite the qualification to have as a witness. And this is what Jesus brings to the witness stand.

b. How He witnesses- We know now that Jesus is a reliable and

trustworthy witness. Let us next look at how Jesus witnesses. And what Jesus witnesses to is the TRUTH OF GOD. Jesus came to this earth to help us see the truth. That is why Jesus said in John 14:6- “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Now I know that in our world today, people have trouble with this way of thinking; that there is only one way to heaven, and that it is through Jesus. But I think that it is because people don’t want to give their lives over to Jesus. So they try to argue away this truth. But Jesus doesn’t let us argue it away. Jesus stands firm in His witness, all the way to the cross where He dies to secure this truth.

Jesus was a very clear witness. His message was not complex. It was a message that eternal life and abundant life are found through Him. In John 10:9 he said: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved…”/ Jesus used this language as He was teaching about Himself being the Good Shepherd. This is a profound statement, because of how a shepherd protected his sheep. In the winter time, the shepherd would have to take his sheep some distance to find grass for his sheep. Often times they had to spend the night before they could return home. So he would put his sheep in a cave, and the shepherd would sleep in front of the cave, literally being the gate. No one could enter unless the shepherd allowed them to.

Jesus was a faithful witness not just with His words, but with His life and actions!

II. Our call to be a faithful witness- (Revelation 1:6)

Have a demonstration; three witnesses to describe what they see in the Far Side comic strip (see comic strip at top of sermon). Give them a pencil and paper and have them answer 4 questions.
Question 1- What is the comic strip about? (Man lost on a small island); Question 2- How many people were there? (2); Question 3- What kind of shoes was the man wearing? (high heels); Question 4- Which hand was the wand in? (left)

Thank volunteers.

What made them good witnesses? They were able to remember clearly what they saw. They were able to confidently and clearly answer the questions.

Jesus gives us this call, as He says to the disciples, and us, in Acts 1:8- “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…”

To be a witness for Jesus we need to understand that we have this call, and we can have the confidence to know that the Holy Spirit is upon us and within us helping us to remember and say what we need to say.

III. To what are we a witness?- (Revelation 1:7-8)

But lastly, if we understand that Jesus was a witness, and that we are given the call to be witnesses, then to what are we a witness?

a. Witness to Christ as Savior and Lord- First we are witness to the

truth that Jesus is “Savior” and “Lord.” And yet, you might wonder how can we be witnesses to this, if we haven’t seen it with our eyes? That is a good question. Usually, a witness is someone who has seen something. You then can testify to what you have seen. So if we didn’t live when Jesus lived, and didn’t see Jesus alive, then how can we witness to anything about Jesus?

The truth is, that we can be a witness to what we have read and what we have experienced. Let me first start with what we have read. We have the Bible./ It has been shown in many ways that the Bible is true and authentic. There are far more copies of the original writings of the Bible than many other well known writings to which the authenticity is not doubted. And the Bible fits together amazingly well, not contradicting itself in any way, even though it has over 40 different authors, from 3 different continents, over 1500 years, and written in 3 different languages.

We have read the Bible, and if we know the Bible well, then we know the claims that Jesus has made, and that have been made about Him. It is clear that Jesus indirectly claimed that He was God in the flesh (He said things like: “My Father and I are one,” and “if you have seen Me, then you have seen My Father.”) Also, Jesus never denied that He was the Christ when others stated that truth. And even more, there is much proof that Jesus was not only killed on the cross, but that He was not in the tomb after 3 days, even though the Roman soldiers were pro-tecting the tomb. So we see that there is much important information of which we are to be witnesses.

b. Witness to the change in our lives- And yet, the most profound way

that we can be witnesses, is to be a witness in regards to how Jesus has changed our lives. It is difficult for people to argue against what we ourselves have experienced.

EXAMPLE- When I was in elementary school, my parents took the family to church. In fact, I remember starting catechism classes. But for some reason, I’m not exactly sure why, we stopped going to church. I didn’t go to church again until I was in high school. And before I went to church, I had fallen into some unhealthy practices. Because of who I was hanging around, my language got bad and I started to party. Then I went out one day with an old friend, and he invited me to church. Through that invitation, and my going to church every week, and his praying for me, I eventually gave my life over to Christ. Without Christ, I am convinced that I would have fallen into trouble, and would not be where I am today. I know that because of Christ, my life is so much better. I am a better husband, father, and overall person. I know that because of Christ, I actually make a difference with my life!!

Now some of you may not have had any dramatic changes, but you still are a witness. I have talked to many of you, and I know your stories. Without Christ I know that you would be living a different kind of life. Many of you, because of Christ are more loving, or more giving, or more kind hearted. Many of you have helped others in ways you never would have, because Christ is in your heart. Many of you are truly making a positive difference with your life because of Christ. These are the stories that we are to share; these are the stories that we are to be witnesses to.

Conclusion: Why did only one cleansed leper return to thank Jesus? The following are nine suggested reasons why the nine did not return: One waited to see if the cure was real./ One waited to see if it would last./ One said he would see Jesus later. One decided that he had never had leprosy. One said he would have gotten well anyway.One gave the glory to the priests. One said, "O, well, Jesus didn't really do anything."/ One said, "Any rabbi could have done it."/ One said, "I was already much improved."

(Charles L. Brown, Content The Newsletter, June, 1990, p. 3.) The leper who acknowledged Jesus’ healing, and went on to live for Jesus, he was a faithful witness. I pray that you and I would recognize those opportunities to be a faithful witness, and share Jesus with others, especially this Christmas season where people try to take Jesus out of Christmas. Seek to be a faithful witness. Now and forever. Amen.

"The Joy of Giving"
Deuteronomy 26:1-15
Sunday, November 19, 2006

Introduction: Example- “Lost on an Island;” There is a story of 2 men who got shipwrecked on an island. One of the men starts to scream, ‘We’re going to die! We’re going to die! There’s no water, no food, we’re going to die!” Then he stops as he realizes the other man is so calm. “How can you be so calm?” he asks. The second man responds: “We’re not going to die. I make $100,000.00, and I go to church.” The first man doesn’t understand the point of his statement, so the second man continues: “You see, I give 10% of my $100,000.00 to the church. My pastor will find me.”

Leon Lederman, who won the Nobel prize for physics in 1988 once said: “Physics is not a religion. If it were, we’d have a much easier time raising money.”

Leon Lederman has probably never had to raise funds for a church budget. The truth is, every year we come to the time when the budget has to be reviewed for the next year. And during this review process, the church has to ask the questions: Where do we stand financially? Where do we think we will be for next year? What does God want us to do as His church? Can we afford to raise our budget to do what we feel we are called to do?/ So often we look at budget time in a very negative way. It is the time when the church talks about money more. We see Stewardship time as a time when the church asks for more money. And yet, as we look at our passage this morning, we see God telling us, as He told the Israelites many years ago, that we need to focus not on the asking, but on our desire for giving; THERE IS JOY FOUND IN LEARNING HOW TO GIVE!

I. The Challenge of Giving- (Malachi 3:8-10)

We are called to give. In fact, the Bible tells us that we are called to give 10% of all that we

make. This is called a tithe. But there are challenges which can make if difficult to give.

a. Debt- We live in a time when there is great consumer debt in our

nation. A few years ago it was reported that the consumer debt exceeded the trillion-dollar mark. The bankruptcy rate was the highest in the history./ In this time of persuasive advertising and easy credit, families have found that 2 incomes have become a necessity to live. Even with 2 incomes though, many families are still stretched to the limit financially, so much so, that it is difficult to find any money left to give to the church. There is something wrong with this picture when families can’t even survive with 2 incomes. It is not just that things cost more. It is that people don’t take the time to budget and live within their means! We don’t see that we are worshipping the god of consumerism when we regularly find ourselves in debt.

b. Generational shift- We are also facing a shift in generational thinking.

The generation that lived through the Great Depression understood about saving and not overspending. They appreciated what they had, and understood the importance of not only coming to church, but giving back to God generously for all that he had blessed them with.

The thinking of today by the Baby Boomers and Generation X (as they are called) is that if I do give, I give AFTER I pay my bills and do the things I want to do. After I spend my money on what I think I need and want, if there is any money left over, then I’ll give some to the church. OR, giving to the church is like going to a concert or a movie. I’ll give my $10.00 to go. In his book “The Secret Kingdom,” Pat Robertson says it like this: “According to the dictionary, the original definition of tithe was 1/10 of the annual produce of one’s land or one’s annual income. According to the Bible, that is merely the starting place of giving to the Lord. In Malachi 3:8-10, it refers to ‘tithes and offerings.’ One might say, then, that there is no offering until the tithe has been paid; the tithe is the expected minimum amount.” (Inspirational Study Bible, ed. Max Lucado, p. 222)

c. Financial training- A third challenge in our giving to the church is

that many people struggle with their finances because they have never had the opportunity to receive good training in how to manage their money. Think about it, there are many things that we go to school to learn. It is important to get good education and training in whatever career or job you are going to pursue. If you don’t have the right training, it will be difficult to do a good job. And yet, so many people are expected to manage their money without any training.

Consequently, too many people fail to understand the concept of establishing a budget and living within that budget. Many people fail to understand the importance of balancing their checkbook so they have an idea of where they stand financially. Many people fail to understand the Biblical perspective on what God calls us to do with our money. If you need help in this area, or know someone who does, please talk to me so that we can look into starting some kind of training and education for those who could really benefit in financial management.

d. Planning for the future- Because of the way laws are right now, unless

we do some good future planning with our money, we will one day surrender more of our income through estate taxes than we have probably totally given to the church in our lifetime. If you have a tax consultant (or someone who does your taxes), you can set-up an endowment fund that not only benefits the church, but allows you to still pass on a good portion of your etate to your loved ones, all the while keeping it away from the IRS. There are Estate Planning seminars conducted all the time. If you are interested, it is not difficult to find out about one.

II. The Joy of Giving- (Deuteronomy 26:1-15)

In the passage in Deuteronomy 26:1-15, we see the Lord bringing regulations to

the Israelites concerning 2 important rituals: the presentation of first-fruits, AND the tithe of the third year. These 2 rituals of giving were being threatened as the Israelites had entered the promised land and were being influenced by the Canaanites.

a. First-fruits- Twice it is mentioned to the Israelites (in verses 2 and 10)

that they are to give of their first-fruits, not of their left-overs. “You shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you…” AND “So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, that you, O Lord, have given me.”/ These are 2 important points here that are good for us to learn as well.

1. It is important for us to make note that what is to be given here is the first of all the fruit. When we make up a budget, or seek to set aside money for what we are to give and the bills we are to pay, we shold look at the total amount of money we have received (ALL OF THE FRUIT) and set aside first and foremost what is to be given to God’s work. Going back to Pat Robertson’s book “The Secret Kingdom,” he gives us an example of a friend of his that not only lives up to this call, but exceeds it. Robertson says this: “This is a true example of a New Jersey florist who has been blessed by following the exercise of giving the first-fruits to God. This florist at times gave up to 90% of his annual income to the service of God. This florist says that his prosperity simply mounted. He was not able to outgive the Lord!” The goal is not to give to be prosperous, but to give out of the first-fruits of what we have, not what is leftover. In fact, I believe that many people are struggling with their finances because they don’t give 10% of their money to God!!

But what is true is that God promises to give to us abundantly. This will not necessarily be giving us more money, but the rewards that we receive will be great. And, God will make sure we have enough to take care of our needs. When we give of our first-fruits, we are to give with the understanding that what we have is a gift to us from the Lord. In both verses the Israelites acknowledged that it was the Lord who gave them the land.

Let us not forget to give God the glory for what we have. Let us not forsake the Lord thinking that what we have, what we have achieved, what we posses, is ours. Rather, it is the Lord’s, and the Lord has given it to us to watch over and to manage.

b. Good things from the Lord- Illus. “Poverty Perspective,” 1001 Hum. Illus., p. 368.

In Hollywood, there is an exclusive school attended by children of movie stars, producers, and directors. One day the students were asked to right about the subject of poverty. One little girl stated her writing like this: “Once there was a poor little girl. Her father was poor, her mother was poor, her governess was poor, her chauffeur was poor, and her butler was poor. In fact, everybody in the house was very, very poor.”

The perspective of being rich and being poor comes from what we have experienced in our lives. There are some who have truly been poor, having to seek to find food to eat and money to pay the bills. There are others who have lived a life of riches, not having to worry about anything. As Deuteronomy 26:11 says- “Then you, together with the Levites, and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with tall the bounty that the Lord you r God has given to you and to your house.”

In other words, celebrate all that God has given you. But how often do we do this? How often are we satisfied with what we have, and say, ‘Thank you God for what I have. Thank you that you have lovingly given me all that I have, and all that I am. I am never poor because I have you in my life.’

The Israelites celebrated what they had been given by having a party. We have had 2 great parties of celebration since I’ve been here: our 70^th anniversary party in 2000, and our 75^th anniversary party last September of 2006!! But we need to continually find ways to celebrate before the Lord both as children of God and as a church that says “Thank you” to the Lord for all that we have received.

c. Giving to others- We receive joy in our giving by understanding that

we are called to give first to God, second by celebrating the fact that all we have is a gift from God, and third by giving to others in need.

ILLUS. “Cold Hands,” Internet, Chicken Soup for the Soul. There is a short story, by Joyce Andresen, who talks about cleaning out her 6-year-olds winter coat one day. In each of the pockets she found a pair of mittens. Thinking that one pair wasn’t enough to keep her hands warm, Joyce asked her daughter why she was carrying these 2 pair of mittens. Her daughter replied: “I’ve been doing that for a long time. You see, some kids come to school without mittens and if I carry another pair, I can share the mittens with them. Then their hands won’t get cold!”

One of the greatest feelings you can ever have is to give of yourself to someone else who has a need. God told the Israelites to do this in Deuteronomy 26:13- “Then you shall say before the Lord, ‘I have removed the sacred portion from the house, and I have given it to the Levites, the resident aliens, the orphans, and the widows, in accordance with Your entire commandment…’”

What this verse is telling us is that to show that the command of the Lord was fulfilled, a person had to go to the Priest and state that their tithe had been given for the purpose of helping the needy. While we are not required in any way to come to the church and make this confession, we are called by God to give to those who are needy, who are orphans, who are out of work, and so on…

In the poem “Lessons You’ve Learned,” Marlene Gerba says this:

For every petal you pluck from a daisy, you’re granted one measure of love.

For every rainbow you find with two ends, I wish you two stars from above.

For every tear you brush from a cheek, I promise you kindness will follow.

Wherever you walk, under rainbows or stars, over daisies, or down lonely hollows.

For every child you play with and talk to, I grant you one heart full of laughter.

For every smile you place on a face, I promise you peace ever after.

If you think “I” am giving you priceless gifts, look close at yourself and your deeds.

The gifts you earned were the lessons you learned while answering other folks’ needs.

When we give to others freely, we learn of the joy that is received.

Conclusion: EX.- A few years ago, when my dad was still alive, our family had come home from visiting my dad in Hemet. Tiffany woke up and was grumpy, and I was trying to give her some love; but she didn’t want to have anything to do with me; she only wanted her mommy. Then Tyler comes over, and touches my heart in only a way that a child can: He gives me a hug and says, ‘Daddy, I’ll be your joy!’

God says to us; come to me, I’ll be your joy. Discover how when you give, you experience joy. Discover how when you acknowledge God as the giver of all things, you experience joy. Discover how when you care for the needy, you experience joy. The secret of the Kingdom is that there really is joy in giving! Amen.

“A Question of Priorities"
Mark 9:30-37
Sunday, November 12, 2006

Introduction: A group of friends went deer hunting. They separated into pairs and went separate ways. That night, one hunter returned alone, staggering under an eight-point buck. The other hunters asked, “Where’s Harry?” The lone hunter replied: “Harry fainted a couple of miles up the trail.” The others couldn’t believe it. “You mean you left him lying there and carried the deer back instead?” The man answered: “It was a tough call, but I figured no one was going to steal Harry!”/ PRIORITIES. One of the secrets to success in life is to have your priorities in order.

In the late 1980’s and early 90’s, Chris Spielman was an awesome linebacker for the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills. Football was his passion…or so everyone thought. But in 1994, Chris Spielman gladly gave up football when his wife, Stefanie, was diagnosed with cancer. He moved into his wife’s hospital room and waited on her hand and foot. He only ate when she ate; only slept when she slept. When Stefanie lost her hair to chemotherapy, Chris shaved his head. He became the primary caretaker for their two children. Today, Stefanie is in reimission and feeling good. And Christ has no regrets about giving up his career. As he says: “This is my family. This is my responsibility. This is my duty. This is my priority.”

I. Seeking the Best- (Mark 9:3-37)

a. Wanting to be first- In our passage this morning we read how Jesus

and the disciples traveled to Capernaum. When they were settled in, Jesus asked them: “What were you arguing about on the road?” Suddenly it got very quiet. Why? Because the disciples were embarrassed; embarrassed that they had been arguing about who was the greatest. The were arguing over who was number 1. All of a sudden what seemed like an okay discussion, didn’t seem okay anymore now that Jesus was confronting them about it. Suddenly, they saw it for what it really was; sinful, petty pride. No wonder they were embarrassed. No wonder they didn’t want to tell Jesus what they were arguing about.

Jesus called the 12 and said to them: “’If anyone wants to be first, he shall be the servant of all.’ And taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, ‘Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me doe not receive Me but Him who sent Me.’” (Mark 9:36-37)

If you are like many people in our society today, you have a strong desire to succeed in what you do in your life; whether it be in your career, your family, or your faith. Never before have we had a generation to whom success is so important. We want to be at the top of the pyramid. We want to be number one.

In one sense, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be successful. Personal ambition can be a gift that God bestows upon us to cause us to be our best. If you were to have surgery, you would want one of the best surgeons to operate on you. If you go to a restaurant, you want a chef who is one of the best. If you have your car worked on, you mechanic who is one of the best. As someone once said: “Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.” Striving to be number one can be healthy, as long as we are able to put it into perspective. We need to understand that winning isn’t everything, neither is it the only thing. In fact, if it is not put into proper perspective, it can cost us our soul.

Going back to Jesus and the disciples, we see that Jesus didn’t scold the disciples for wanting to be number one. What He tried to do was to help them put this desire into the proper perspective.

b. The drive to succeed- An anonymous writer said it like this: “Imagine

life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them; work, family, health, friends, and faith. Here you are trying to keep all five balls in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls…are made of glass. If you drop one of them, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same.”/ That is some powerful imagery. Work is a rubber ball, all the other balls (the other important things of life) are made of glass. If you neglect these other life concerns in your quest to be number 1, your life will not really be a success. As Mark 9:35 says, “If anyone want to be first, he shall be the servant of all.” Having an attitude of servant-hood is very important to not let our drive to succeed overwhelm the important aspects of our lives.

Example- A few years ago, Tom Block resigned as the chief executive officer of H&R Block. H&R Block is a 1.7 Billion dollar tax-preparation and financial-services firm. Tom left behind his prestigious job to become a teacher at St. Francis Xavier middle school in Kansas City, Missouri. His annual salary suddenly dropped to less than $15,000 a year; about 3-percent of his old salary!! But Block knew his hectic schedule as CEO had been interfering with his top priority; his wife and their 2 sons. Block says of this decision: “The hardest part was telling my father,” (referring to H&R Block chairman Henry Block, who co-founded the company in 1955) “but I didn’t want to look back on my life and say, ‘Gee, you had an opportunity to play a bigger role in your children’s lives and didn’t take it.’”

Tom Block knew which ball was made of rubber and which one was made of glass. Along this same line, there was an article in Reader’s Digest years ago about a young woman named Elsa. Elsa and her husband had an argument one morning. She doesn’t remember what the argument was about, but she does remember how in the middle of the argument her husband began to leave for work. But Elsa spoke up, saying: “How can you just go off like that? We haven’t settled a thing!” At this her husband Steve did what few men would do. He turned around and went to the phone, called in to work, and cancelled all his morning meetings. Steve was in essence saying to Elsa that their relationship was more important than business meetings. You can imagine how much this meant to Elsa to discover that she had married a man who would sacrifice work to improve their relationship.

II. Overcoming the Pressure- (Matthew 6:33)

a. What to fall back on? There is tremendous pressure on us all to

succeed, and if we don’t watch it, we can lose some things that are precious to us along the way. Are we prepared to deal with the curves life throws at us? If we are too concerned with success and being the best at everything, then we will not be.

EXAMPLE- There is a pastor who tells of one of his congregation members who came in one day needing to talk. “Pastor, I feel so empty—so dried up inside—I’m scared,” the man said with his voice quivering. Then he continued: “Pastor, I have just come from the doctor’s office—and he told me that I have only six months to live! After I left his office I realized that I have no spiritual resources, no inner strength to cope with this. There is nothing to fall back on, to lean against. Many people would be surprised to hear me say this, for I have made lots of money, and people think I am a success, not only at making money, but at being a strong and powerful person.” Finally, he said: “You know I’m poor in the things that count the most. I see it now; I’ve put my faith in the wrong things, and the truth is I am destitute spiritually. I could pick up the phone and call any bank in Houston and borrow any amount of money to do whatever I wanted to but just giving them my name. Pastor, do you understand? But I guess there are some things you can’t buy.”

As Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33- “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be given to you as well.” There are some things you can’t buy, some things you can’t earn. Those are the glass balls.

b. Motivation- In our scripture passage this morning it is interesting to

see how Jesus put a child in the midst of the disciples as a means of helping the disciples adjust their priorities. Children often remind us that our priorities are out of whack. And love for our children can help us motivate ourselves to get our lives back into proper focus.

Illustration- “Daughter Needs Kidney Transplant,” People Magazine.

There was an article in People magazine not too long ago where a man regained his focus thanks to his love for his daughter. Randy and Genie Leamer found out that their 18-month old daughter had severe kidney disease. No matter what the doctors tried for the little girl, she kept getting worse. By the age of 5 Meagan desperately needed a kidney transplant. Both her parents were a match, but Genie’s family had a history of kidney problems and high blood pressure. So it fell on Randy to give the kidney. The problem was that Randy weighed 300 pounds, and the doctors didn’t think his body could survive the surgery at this weight. So he had to lose over 100 pounds. Though he had not been properly motivated to do this, now he had motivation. So he began to exercise and eat a low fat diet. Friends at work cheered him on, and even brought their old clothes for Randy when his clothes became too big. Within 8 months Randy was down to 194 pounds. Meagan’s surgery was performed on December 12, 1997. Both Randy and Meagan fully recovered after the surgery!/ Because of his love for his daughter, Randy Leamer took a needed action that may in the long run have given him a longer life as well. It is amazing to see how the love we have for our children can help us to regain the focus in life. Children are energetic, loving, forgiving, caring, and genuine. These are just a few of the qualities that should be priorities in our lives.

We could seek to make excuses, but in the end they are just excuses. For example, people all the time have excuses for not coming to church to worship God and grow in their faith. But what if we took these excuses and applied them to eating? The list might look like this: 1. I was forced to eat as a child./ 2. People who eat all the time are hypocrites; they aren't really hungry./ 3. There are so many different kinds of food, I can't decide what to eat./ 4. I used to eat, but I got bored and stopped./ 5. I only eat on special occasions, like Christmas and Easter./ 6. None of my friends will eat with me./ 7. I'll start eating when I get older./ 8. I don't really have time to eat./ 9. I don't believe that eating does anybody any good. It's just a crutch./ 10. Restaurants and grocery stores are only after your money.

It sounds pretty silly when we put it like this. Just like the disciples knew they sounded silly by trying to determine who was the greatest.

Conclusion: All of us are under pressure to succeed in life. All of us want to be the best we could be. There is pressure to succeed in being a good parent; pressure to succeed in finding a career; pressure to succeed in just living out this day. There is nothing wrong with seeking to be the best, as long as we seek to be the best in what is important: family, health, friendships, and faith. These we do not want to drop; in these we do not want to be second best.

Last week we talked about what to treasure. This week we talked about setting good priorities. Having the right understanding of both is very important in life. To have the right understanding we need to seek God. So I encourage you today to not make excuses for what you should be doing, and for the priorities you should have in your life. Make a list of those things that fall into these 4 important categories: family, health, friendships, and faith, and set goals to make each one a priority. Only then can we be walking the path Jesus has for us. Amen.