"Blessed Are the Lord's People"
Genesis 15:1-6
3/4/07; Second Sunday of Lent

Introduction:

Why is it that some people can find it in themselves to believe in God, and others can’t? Even more, why is it that some people can believe in God taking on human form, in Jesus Christ, and die on the cross for us, but others can’t? Why is it so hard for some to believe in a God who is personal?

Well, the answer for those who don’t believe differ:

1. For some, it is because they need proof of God’s existence, and God’s

willingness to interact with us.

2. For others, it is because they see the pain and suffering in the world and

can’t believe that if a God existed, then this God would allow this pain and suffering.

3. Still for others, it is because they believe that believing in God is a crutch

for those who are too weak to make it on their own.

4. For others it is because they believe that believing in one god is too narrow.

5. And still, for others, it is because of the hypocrisy of the lives of those who

call themselves Christians.

There are many things that keep people from believing, or make it difficult to

believe. During Lent, we especially talk about the importance of faith and deepening our faith. But for some of you, it is difficult to deal with this issue of the cost of faith; of really making a total commitment.

Jesus, Himself, told us that He was God in the flesh, and that He came to die on the cross to save us from our sins, and that all who believed in Him, all who called on His name, would be saved and have eternal life. This morning I want to look at how we can accept this, and walk forward in it. I want to talk about how we, by believing, become those who are blessed by God.

I. Being Confident- (Psalm 27)

a. Searching- “Amy Tracy,” Focus on the Family Magazine, March, 1998.

There is a woman named Amy Tracy who tells her story of searching in the March, 1998 “Focus on the Family” magazine. Her search is for peace and for answers. She has difficulty believing in God, and so she searches for answers in every place except God. She searched for them in feminist politics, in the gay and lesbian community, in the National Organization of Women (N.O.W.). But in all her searching, she could not find peace; she could not find the answers she was looking for.

In her work with NOW, she often encountered Christians who had hostile behavior, especially outside of the abortion clinics. One day she was at an abortion clinic, following 2 pro-life men, trying to catch them in the act of violating a court injunction. As she was following these men, one of them turned to her and her friend and began to talk to them about Jesus and His love for them. Amy talks about how this man’s words started to melt away the angry countenance of the friend she was with. Before the conversation went too far, she pulled her friend away. This was the beginning of her finding God. This was the planting of a seed.

In August, 1995, she wrote this in her journal: “I seem to be on a course I cannot get off. The feelings are as powerful as ever…If I choose Jesus, I will lose everything. What if I’m mistaken? What if this craving for God and this emptiness is not satisfied? Where will it leave me? The next Sunday she decided to go to church, and she realized that the pastor’s message was about the gospel, the love of Jesus. This was the very thing her soul craved./ In September, 1995, she accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior. By doing this she lost her career at the N.O.W. organization, she lost her love relationship, she lost friends, and she lost the respect of those who knew her best.

In her words she says: “The forgiveness and love that come in a relationship with Jesus Christ are to me the most awesome benefits of Christianity. It’s all about the love of Jesus. And it’s worth the cost.”

b. Confidence- People are looking for answers in this world. People are

looking for peace in their lives. The problem is that too many people are looking in the wrong places. Like Amy Tracy, they are looking to every place but to God. And the truth is, we will never have confidence in our lives without God. Every little bump in the road causes people to withdraw more and more from living their lives as they were meant to live.

I see it all the time. People who look lost and confused; frustrated and defeated. Feelings of hopelessness and despair abound in our world. I want to tell you that we can overcome these feelings; we can overcome this confusion. We can be confident. But we must seek the Lord.

In Psalm 27, we are told in verses 1-3, “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? ² When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. ³ Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”

And then the psalmist’s closing words of the psalm tell us how this confidence can be ours. (verses 11-14): “Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” It is about learning and following the ways of the Lord. It is about seeking to live out the goodness of the Lord. It is about waiting on the Lord, knowing that the Lord is there and will do His will in His time.

II. Following a Pattern- (Philippians 3:17; Genesis 15:6)

a. An experience- In the movie “Contact,” Jodie Foster plays a scientist;

a doctor of astronomy. Her lifelong goal is to search out life in space. Her belief, that she gets from her father, is “that if there isn’t other life, then the universe is sure a waste of a lot of space.” One night while she is listening for sounds in space, she hears what seems to be a signal. This signal is recorded, and in time she and others are able to decipher a message. In fact, the message is really a blueprint to build a machine that will send someone into space to visit these aliens. The machine is built, and Jodie Foster is chosen to go.

As the pod is dropped into the launcher, a wormhole opens up and sends her into space. She is delivered onto what looks like to her an island, and what appears to be her father, who has been dead for many years, appears to her and tells her that she is not dreaming, but he has this appearance so that she would not be frightened. He in fact is an alien, and this encounter is just the first of many steps that will happen in terms of contacting people on earth.

She returns to earth as the pod drops through the launching pad and into the water. However, a short time later, she is told that she never went anywhere. She watches a video of the pod dropping straight down into the water in a matter of seconds, and yet she was gone in her mind for about 18 hours….An investigation is started, and she is brought to a government interrogation. Here at the interrogation she tells what happened: (play movie clip) Jodie Foster: “I believe the machine opened

up a wormhole; a tunnel through which the fabric of space.

I traveled through this wormhole to encounter aliens. The alien

appeared in the form of my father to make me comfortable

and accepting. Although it took 18 hours, the time appeared to

pass instantaneously here on earth.”

NSA Advisor: “Isn’t it true that these wormholes are merely theoretical? That there is no direct evidence that they exist?”

Jodie Foster: “There is no direct evidence. No”

NSA Advisor: “Why would these aliens send you back without any proof?”

Jodie Foster: “That’s how it has been done for billions of years with

other civilizations.”

NSA Advisor: “Couldn’t it be in fact a phenomenon known as self-

reinforcing delusion to make you believe that all this is true?”

Jodie Foster: “You think I’m delusional?”

NSA Advisor: “I think you are having a delusional experience. Doctor, are

you familiar with Occum’s Razor?”

Jodie Foster: “Yes. All things being equal, the simplest one is true.”

NSA Advisor: “Isn’t it possible that this was all a dream? There is no

evidence. No artifacts. Are we just to take this all on faith?”

Jodie Foster: “Is it possible it didn’t happen? Yes. (The crowd stirs.) As

a scientist I must concede that….”

NSA Advisor: “You admit that there is no evidence that this actually happened? That if you were in our place you would have the same skepticism?”

Jodie Foster: “I had an experience. Everything that I am tells me it was real. Something wonderful happened that has changed me. A vision that tells us something greater is there; telling us that we are not alone, and that we are special…I wish that everyone for even one moment could experience what I have experienced.”

What a wonderful description of faith and conversion. “Something wonderful has happened that has changed me. Something greater is there that tells us we are special.” When someone believes in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, there is this wonderful experience. BUT, it can’t stay just an experience. And because of that, we must follow an example, a pattern to move us forward in our faith.

b. Following an example- In Philippians 3:17, the apostle Paul tells us,

“Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.” As we seek to live out our faith, we don’t know how to do it at first. So to grow in our faith, we must watch others around us who are further along in their faith journey. As we watch these other Christians, we will see a pattern of life that God calls us to live.

For example, the life of Abraham is a good example. Genesis 15:6 tells us, “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Before he was known as Abraham, he was Abram. And the telling statement of Abraham’s life is this verse in Genesis. Abraham believed God time and time again. And because of his belief, he was able to act. The belief came first, then the actions. This is the pattern we are to follow.

When Abraham was called to leave his people and go on a journey for God, he believed first, and because he believed he took his wife and possessions and left. Later God told Abraham he would be the father of many nations, Abraham believed. But after some time when he and Sarah didn’t have any children, he began to doubt. But God came and affirmed the promise. Abraham believed again, and they had Isaac.

Faith preceded action, but action must follow to deepen our faith!

Conclusion: When I say the word “blessed,” you might have very different thoughts. To one person their children are their blessing. To another, their money is their blessing. Still another might think that good health is a blessing. Depending on what we want in life, the blessing will look different for each desire. But if you want peace; if you want hope; if you want meaning and purpose; if you want answers, then God is the blessing. The Lent season is about deepening our relationship with God so that we might live in a way that God will bless. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” God knows what will bless our lives and what will not. Seek God, and God will bless you. Believe in the Lord, as Abraham did, and through your faith God will guide you. Let us follow this pattern this Lent season, and know that the Lord’s people are blessed. Amen.

"My Refuge and My Fortress"
First Sunday of Lent- 2/25/07
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

Introduction: Illustration: (Internet, sermonillustrations.com)- The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves. On the night of a boy's thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and the tribe. But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods and he was terrified! Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all night long.

Maybe in life you feel like this young brave; all alone in the midst of a dense forest. But the good news is that if we let God be our refuge and our fortress, then we will never be alone; our heavenly Father is there watching over us. This morning as we start our Lenten Sundays (the 40 days that leads up to Easter), I want to talk about a promise God makes to us, how it is important to commit ourselves to God, and how this promise plays out.

I. The Promise- (Psalm 91:9-10)

a. We call, God saves- The Bible says that whoever calls on the name of

the Lord, will be saved. This is a promise from the Lord. And so as we understand this promise, we can understand that God is always there to watch over us and to be with us. As we just read in Psalm 91:9-10, “Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.” The psalmist reminds us that we can have divine protection; protection from the creator of the universe Himself. We live in a world that can bring difficult challenges. Maybe you don’t always know how to deal with these challenges. I want you to understand this morning that you don’t have to do this alone. God is there for us, calling to us to come to Him. God is making a promise that if we come to Him, He will provide a sanctuary.

EX. In 1976 there was a movie that came out called “Logan’s Run.” This movie was set in the 23rd century, where the people are survivors of a holocaust. They now live within a domed city that is sealed off from the outside world. In the domed city, men and women live in a society where you can only live until you are 30-years old (due to population control and limited resources). So when they reach age 30, they have two choices: They can either take part in a extermination ceremony called "Carousel" where they are promised of being reborn (but the reality is that they aren’t) or they can go on the run and escape to outside the domed city. For those who run there is a mysterious place called Sanctuary where they can receive help.

When we seek God out as our place of “sanctuary,” we receive God’s help! Listen for moment to this song by Matt Papa, called “You Are Good.” The words are in the bulletin outline.

b. Song: You Are Good, by Matt Papa- You are the One, who holds the universe, and I’m standing here amazed, that you the maker of all things good, you, the author of all things true, yeah you would die upon a tree, you were made blind so all could see.

Chorus: We lift our voices, your grace (spirit) has come.

You are good and your love is everlasting,

You are good and your love is everlasting.

You are the mystery, the hope that we have,

And I can’t believe it’s true.

That you took on the world of sin,

You were dead and rose again

That I should be your dwelling place, your dwelling place.

(Chorus)

II. The Commitment- (Psalm 91:1-2)

a. Abide in God- God is good, in that He reaches out to us with a

promise of being our refuge and our fortress. And yet, we have to understand that we must make God our place of habitation; our dwelling place. This means that we have to live in communion with God. It isn’t enough to ask Jesus to be our Savior, and to be our Lord.

A little over 15 years ago I said two words that changed my life forever. The words were: “I do,” and I said them to Tami at our wedding. As we were driving away from the church, I’m not sure that I felt married. But whether I felt it or not, the reality was that I was married. And ever since that day I have been working on understanding what it means to be married and being committed in my marriage.

There are days when we don’t feel close to God, and we don’t feel like God is close to us; we don’t feel like we are in communion with God. But our relationship with God is not about feelings, just like my relationship with Tami is not just about feelings. Even though there might be times when I don’t feel close to Tami, that doesn’t make me “not married.”

That is why we need to regularly call on God. That is why we need to seek God out to be our place of refuge, and to be our fortress. For our sakes, we need to make that effort to stay committed. Listen to this song titled “Worth Everything,” by the group Pocket Full of Rocks. The words again are in the bulletin outline.

b. Song: “Worth Everything,” by Pocket Full of Rocks

I took a look inside my heart, I tried to find a part
Is there anything, I could give the King
Maybe there's something I've said,
Maybe there's something I've done
Oh, just anything to make me
one of the ones He loves.

In desperation I stepped back,
to see just what I had
And to my dismay all I saw
Was a pile of filthy rags.
What was I to say, what was I to do
Now that I stand here
with nothing I could give to You.
But I hear Your voice call out my name
And I listen close and I can hear You say:

Chorus: “You were worth everything, you were loved by the King
You were worth everything,
No there's nothing you could bring.
You were worth it all the time, I loved you all the while
Hear the angels sing.”

You stood on the edge of nothing
And looked down and saw everything
And before you spoke a word, the Father knew how it would be.

To give every man a Savior, the ultimate sacrifice
The giving of what was most dear,
the giving of His own son's life.
And he saw that hill and he saw that tree
Oh and he saw the cross, it would one day be your own.
And I hear His voice call out Your name,
If you listen close You can hear Him say:
(Chorus)

III. The Result- (Psalm 91:11-16; Romans 8:38-39)

a. Our love- It isn’t about earning God’s love. We might feel like we

don’t bring much to God./ But even those we consider to be the greatest of people, don’t have much to bring to God. The truth is, we all have something wonderful to bring to God, and this something is equal between all people. What we have to bring to God is our love. This is the only thing we really have to bring to God, and the only thing that God desires from us. That is why Psalm 91:14, speaking words from God, says, “Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.”

If you ever feel like you don’t deserve God’s love, all you have to do is read the Bible. The Bible is really God’s love letter to us. The Bible tells us that we were created in God’s image for the purpose of sharing our love with God. The Bible tells us that we are God’s children; and what parent doesn’t want their child’s love? The Bible tells us that we are loved by God. The Bible tells us of the many ways God has shown His love for us. Listen to Psalm 91:11- “For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” Now when you think of angels, you might think of them as great and glorious beings. But the truth is they are part of God’s creation just as we are. And angels are commanded by God to care for and watch over us.

Above our love, however, it really is about understanding God’s love. Listen to this wonderful song by Michael W. Smith, “I Am Love.” The words again are in the bulletin outline.

b. God’s love- (song by Michael W. Smith- “I Am Love”)

I am not passers by, I am not a white lie, I am not have to die, I am love, I am love.
I am not feeling sad, I am not deep in fact, I am not quickly mad, I am love, I am love.

Chorus: You can try to hide, You can try to run, but you'll never run far enough.
This is my flesh, this is my blood, And I am love.
You can fly up high, You can dig down deep, You can flee to the west, You can

flee to the east. But you can’t escape what I’ve done, cause I am love.

I am not standing by, I am not letting go,
I am not leaving you, I am love, I am love.

(Chorus)

My blood fell like rain, I did not bleed in vain,
But from my veins, I am love.

Romans 8:38-39 tells us, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Conclusion: God desires to watch over us and keep us safe. Does that mean we will not fall into trouble? Well, much of that depends on us. Are you seeking refuge in God? If so, then that trouble will come less often. And yet, even the trouble that does come will be dealt with by God. I encourage you, as we enter the season of Lent, which is a season for making a greater commitment to God, that you find ways to seek God out more deeply, and let God be your fortress and your refuge. As you do this, you will notice all the more God’s presence and power in your life. Amen.

"Impacting Our Community"
Luke 7:34; 1 Corinthians 3:5-9

Sunday, February 18, 2007

(taken from “Seismic Shifts” by Kevin G. Harney)

Introduction: Did you know that there are camps in communist countries that help young people maintain their atheistic worldview? These people are passionate about not wanting to be corrupted by the teachings of Christianity. These people have an undeniable love and concern for others around them to adopt this view as well. And these people usually target young people, because they know that the minds of the young are the most vulnerable to being swayed.

Now I would say that an atheistic belief is misguided. Many people who are atheistic, are also humanistic, meaning that they are concerned with the dignity and worth of human beings and what they are capable of achieving. But the truth is, those who are humanistic should be open to Christianity, because Jesus cares about the dignity and worth of human beings as well.

This morning, as we finish our “Seismic Shifts” series, I want to talk about making the shift from “us to them,” a shift away from the “one size fits all” strategy, and the shift from being afraid to talk about Jesus, to understanding how to tell people about Jesus.

I. From Us to Them- (Matthew 9:12, 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)

The first shift is from “us to them.” Now when we use the word “Us,” it is

referring to those who are in the church; those who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and are a part of a church. So then, the “them” would be those who don’t know Jesus and/or are not in a church. But the problem is, when we have this “us and them” mentality, then we tend to isolate ourselves from those who we consider in the “them” category.

a. Love that risks- There are many who will not set foot in a church

building. The very idea of going to church puts some people off. This does not mean that people are against Jesus or Christianity. They might just be against the formal church structure, but not Jesus. In fact, a week and a half ago I was at a Pastor’s Conference, and one of the seminars was titled: “They like Jesus, but not the church.” In this seminar, the teacher of the seminar had gone out to colleges to ask people about Jesus and the church.

While the people liked Jesus’ loving and giving and sacrifice, they didn’t have a positive view of the Church. Here are some comments they made about the church:

I believe in Jesus and his teaching as inspirational, but the church has corrupted his teachings.
Church confines people minds, keeping them from other forms of spiritual expression.
Church rearranges things that don’t go along with their beliefs.
The church is made up of close- minded individuals.
The Church tells you what you should believe.
I haven’t met very many true Christians.

I think what Jesus did to connect with people, was ground breaking. Jesus said in Matthew 9:12- “...‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.’” In saying this, Jesus was talking about His ministry strategy. Jesus’ ministry strategy included going to the synagogue to talk to the people, but He also went into the towns, and villages, and people’s homes. WHY? Because this is where the people were who needed Jesus’ message and ministry. Love compelled Jesus to cross every boundary to reach out to those who were lost and wandering far from God.

b. From “you come” to “we go”- Here I am holding a stone. I want to also

pass out a stone for each of you to take home from church today. What does a stone have to do with what I am talking about?/ Keeping our focus off ourselves and on those outside of the church is hard; it is like trying to roll a large stone up a hill. So maybe this stone will be a reminder of God’s call to us to do this.

Talking about Jesus is hard. I know that I say all the time we need to tell others about Jesus, but the truth is that for most people it is difficult to do. Right? For most people it is difficult. Why is it that we struggle with fulfilling the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, which says, “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’"? One reason it is hard, is because we get caught up in our daily life and forget to do it. Another reason is that like the subject of politics, religion can cause dissension. A third reason is because many people don’t know enough to answer people’s questions.

I have to be honest with you, when I was a youth minister, it was much easier to talk to youth about Jesus. They usually were open to the discussion, and didn’t get argumentative about it. But adults are more closed-minded. Adults know that if they start believing in Jesus, then they will have to change the way they live their lives. They also have become set in their way of thinking. It is much harder to talk to adults about Jesus!

And yet, the message from Jesus is clear; we are to go out and make disciples. We are called to share His love on the highways and byways of the world. In the book of Acts, chapter 1, one of the last things that Jesus said to the disciples is found in verse 8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." We are called to go where the people are, just like Jesus!

The apostle Paul tells us to be in the world, but not of the world. We have to find ways to be around people who don’t know Jesus. Otherwise, it is impossible to live out the Great Commission. We can’t share Jesus with people who already know Jesus. So what are the places around you where you can be involved and get to know non-believers? I encourage you to keep your eyes open for these opportunities. But one note of caution: don’t build a relationship with a person for the sole purpose of trying to “save them.” If this is the case, people will just feel used. We need to build genuine friendships, and in time, there will be the opportunity to share Jesus with them by sharing what Jesus means to us.

II. One Size Doesn’t Fit All- (John 3:16; Romans 3:23, 6:23, 10:17;

John 14:6, 1:12; 1 Peter 3:15)

a. Do it with style- You women might not know about “the chair,” but it

is a place where all married men find themselves. [SET OUT A CHAIR ON THE ALTAR] “The chair” is right outside the dressing room of every department store. The chair is the place where we men hear the questions: “How does this look on me? Do you think this is the right size? And, does this make my hips look too big?” Giving the right response to these questions is essential for a healthy relationship. The right response is “grace filled honesty.” I talked a couple weeks ago about the importance of being honest, and yet being loving in our honesty.

In regards to people, we need to speak the truth, and that is that “one size does not fit all.” There is no one way to share Jesus with others. The Bible gives models are many ways to do it.

EX. When I was in college, shortly after becoming a Christian, I learned about the “4 Spiritual Laws.” [SHOW THEM THE BOOKLET] This was a little booklet designed for people to share Jesus with others. What you would do is sit down with someone, and then go through the booklet with them. It went like this: Law #1- God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life. Law #2- Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God’s love and plan for his life. Law #3- Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin. Through him you can know and experience God’s love and plan for your life. Law #4- We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives. For verses that go along with these laws you can see the verses in the outline under point II).

Now in and of itself, the 4 Spiritual Laws are not bad. The problem with it is that it limits how we can talk to people about Jesus, and created a formal atmosphere of presentation. In his book “Becoming A Contagious Christian,” author Mark Mittelberg helps us to understand that we should be sharing Jesus in our own style. For some it will come through normal conversation and sharing what Jesus means to us. For others it might be a discussion on religion. Still others it might be finding ways to show Jesus’ love through service. THE POINT IS, THERE IS NO ONE WAY TO SHARE JESUS WITH PEOPLE!

b. Faith comes by hearing- In the book of Romans, 10:17, the apostle

Paul says: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing them message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” And Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:15- “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” There are many ways to share Jesus with others: taking them to a Christian concert; bringing them to church; serving others. But in every way, there will come a wonderful moment when we tell the story of Jesus and how through believing in Jesus we will be saved and given life in heaven with God.

It might come when someone asks us: Do you really believe this Jesus stuff? OR, Why do you care about my life so much? This is our opportunity to share; to give them the faith they are seeking for by speaking words about Jesus to them.

EX. When I was in college I had a girlfriend named Patty. She wasn’t a Christian, and I was. Usually speaking, I don’t believe that we should date non-Christians because non-Christians usually pull Christians away from their faith rather than Christians pulling non-Christians towards faith. But in this case, I didn’t listen to my own advice. During our time together, which only lasted 3 months, there were many times she asked me questions about my faith. I did my best to share answers with her. She even decided to start going to church with me. Then one day it happened, she asked me what she needed to do to become a Christian. I shared with her that all she needed to do was to pray for forgiveness for her sins, and ask Jesus to be the Savior and Lord of her life. She did it!! While the relationship didn’t last, her salvation will.

Ask yourself this question: How did you come to believe? Was it through a friend? Was it through a church service? Was it through just reading on your own. People come to faith in different ways. …………………The key to any relationship we have with a non-Christian is to pray for them. Prayer is the key to any revival. Prayer is also the key to anyone becoming a Christian. When we pray for others, we will be amazed at the opportunities we have to share Jesus, and to share how Jesus makes a difference in our lives. When we pray, it will provide openings that we could never imagine would come about.

III. I CAN Talk About Jesus- (1 Corinthians 3:5-9; Matthew 19:13-15)

a. It’s a journey- STORY: There is a story of a woman named Margaret,

who every day at the same time, would go to the medicine cabinet, take out some castor oil, go to the kitchen to get a tablespoon, and then set out for her Yorkshire Terrier named Patches. At the sound of the drawer opening, Patches would run and hide under the bed. Why? Because Patches knew what was coming; the Castor oil. You see, Margaret wanted her dog to have strong teeth, a beautiful coat, and a long life. She believed a spoonful of Castor oil every day would help this to happen. So as an act of love she would feed the castor oil to her dog every day. Once she would get a hold of Patches, with all of her strength, she would have to force the castor oil down. One day, in the middle of the battle, Patches knocked the castor oil out of her hand, and it spilled on the floor. Margaret let go of Patches to go get some paper towels to clean up the mess. When she turned around from the counter, she was astounded to see Patches licking up the castor oil off the floor. She realized that Patches actually liked the castor oil. It was the manner in which it had been fed that wasn’t liked!

This is true of how we tell people about Jesus. The message is wonderful: God loves us and came to earth to die for us so that our sins could be forgiven and so that we could spend eternity in heaven with God. How could anyone argue with this message? The problem is not in the message, but in how it is being administered. Maybe you have seen someone standing on the street corner with a sign that reads: “Repent, the end is near.” And they are yelling out at people. Or maybe you have heard people shouting out: “Turn or burn,” OR “Get right or get left.” Most of the time these people just turn people away from the Lord.

In most cases, people don’t come to faith by random contact with a Christian. The truth is, most people come to faith after a long journey. This is true, because the statistics show that what people believe by age 13, is what they will believe the rest of their lives. And so if someone isn’t a Christian by age 13, the process of them coming to believe takes a long time.

And so we read about this process in 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.” This passage is wonderful, because it reminds us that we are called to be a part of the journey, but it is God who will cause a person to move to that place of belief; it is not on us to convince them!

b. It’s about people- [TAKE OUT MY SOCIAL SECURITY CARD

AND DRIVERS LICENSE] Here I have two cards that identify me; my Social Security Card (say my number) , and my Drivers License (say number). In many ways, we have become depersonalized because of the numbers we are given. INTO THIS DEPERSONALIZED WORLD, JESUS WANTS TO SPEAK A MESSAGE OF LOVE. And just like Jesus, we need to love each person individually!

It only takes a quick survey of Jesus’ life to learn how much he cared about human beings. In the gospel of Matthew we read that “little children were brought o Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.” (Matthew 19:13-15)

Jesus loved everyone. Jesus loved lepers, social outcasts, blind men, people who were crippled, and even those who were demon possessed. Jesus spent time, not with the religious leaders of his day, but with sinners. Let me say that again: JESUS SPENT TIME, NOT WITH THE RELIGIOUS OF HIS DAY, BUT WITH SINNERS!! But even with this in mind, Jesus didn’t look at people as sinners, He looked at them as people lost in their sin, needing to be freed.

We are not to look at people as projects, but as people in need of friends and in need of love. If we are treating people as a project, then we should step away from that relationship, because we will end up doing more harm than good. However, when we walk with people on their spiritual journey because the love of God overflows in our hearts, and because we see them through the eyes of Jesus, then this is powerful.

Conclusion: In the movie Patch Adams, played by Robin Williams, we encounter a man/ a doctor, who is struggling against the norms of his profession. The doctors around him exercise the care of their patients without any emotional attachment; without letting their hearts engage with their patients. But Patch Adams is different. He refers to patients by their names, not their illnesses, he encourages laughter, and he even allows his heart to be broken for those who are hurting. Which kind of a doctor would you want, one who is superficial and disconnected, or one who cares about you? Jesus extends His care, His love, His presence to a hurting world. Jesus knows us by name, not by our sin. May we seek to make the shift to care about those in the world who don’t know Jesus, and seek to know them and love them. Amen.

"Opening the Floodgates"
(taken from "Seismic Shifts" by Kevin G. Harney)
1 Timothy 6:17-19
Sunday, February 11, 2007

Introduction: For those of you who have kids, you know what I’m talking about when I say that kids can believe that monsters live under their bed. I remember when I was a kid/ there was a time when I believed this to be true. There is something dark and mysterious about underneath the bed, that can scare any kid. Or if it isn’t under the bed, then it is in the closet. I’m not sure why kids believe in monsters, but so many of them do. And these monsters can steal their joy.

As I got bigger, I left these childish fears behind. I knew that there weren’t monsters under my bed. But there is another monster who wants to steal your joy, and this monster is real. Jesus warns us when He says in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

The monster that I am talking about here is the desire for riches. The apostle Paul warned us this way in 1 Timothy 6:10- “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pieced themselves with many griefs.” God wants to fill our hearts with riches that beyond compare; riches that will truly satisfy; riches that will bring us joy and contentment. So this morning I want to talk about 3 shifts we need to make so that we can have these true riches: The shift “from Mine to God’s;” “from Hamsters to Sharers;” and “from Fleeting wealth to True wealth.”

I. From Mine to God’s- (James 1:17; Matthew 6:24; Malachi 3:10)

One of the fun parts of my job on Sunday morning is the Children’s sermon.

I enjoy it because I can be creative and have fun with my teaching. But I enjoy it even more because it is my opportunity to interact with the children of our church. I love how our children feel comfortable in our church. I love how they come up to me during greeting time to say “hello” and give me a hug. And I love the challenge of trying to teach biblical truths in language they can understand. And I think you know that one way to connect with the children is through giving away candy! While parents tell their kids not to take candy from strangers, we see that they have no problem taking it from their pastor! This is a fun way to share.

a. It all belongs to God- God wants us to share all that we have. When we

have an attitude of sharing, we can live with freedom and joy. But to be able to be in this place, we have to understand that all that we have belongs to God. James tells us in 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights.” All we have, every gift, each moment, every ability, is given to us by God. So, if we understand this thinking, we understand that nothing we have belongs to us. It is God’s, and He gives it to us to manage.

If we can let this truth sink in, then we can make the shift from “mine to God’s.” Now this is counter-cultural, because we are taught that we own things. But ownership can really mess us up. When we think we own something, then we think it is ours to control and do with as we please. But if we are managing something, then we understand that we have to use it as the owner desires. It changes our thinking and our posture.

Instead of a posture of having our hands clenched (which is a posture of holding onto something tightly, we have a posture of living with open hands. And even more, our open hands need to be turned upward to heaven, giving all things back to God. This posture helps us to battle against the temptation to fall in love with things. As Jesus warns us in Matthew 6:24- “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

b. What is a tithe?- This also leads us to tithing. Tithing is giving away 10

percent of our money. For most people, giving away 10 percent of their income to God seems unthinkable. They might love the Lord, and be thankful for what they have, but feel that 10 percent is too much to give away. Especially because we live in a world with such high financial demands. Especially living in a world where there are so many nice things to buy. Especially living in a world that is so unstable. You might think that God is being a bit unreasonable demanding this from you.

I am thankful that I was able to work up to this. When I first moved out, I was living on $600 a month. Therefore I only had to give $60 a month. Even though it was a large part of my total sum, the figure of $60 didn’t seem so high. Then as I worked my way up into higher salaries, I was able to work on continuing to give that 10 percent. As we are told in Malachi, “The tithe is God’s.” This isn’t a question or an option, it is a statement: “The tithe is God’s.”

The other side of this is that we don’t trust God that things will be all right after we give the 10 percent. We wonder how we will live. Will we have enough to pay our bills and do the things we want? Will God really help me to live on what I have left after I give the 10 percent?

And the answer is “YES.” God is faithful and will answer the call. I have seen this in my own life, and I have seen this in the lives of so many others. When we make the seismic shift to giving in this way, it really opens the door to a new level of joy and blessing. We feel the joy of giving to our church, and seeing our giving make a difference in the Kingdom of God. And we feel the joy of not being tied down by our money and possessions that keep up from enjoying what we have been given.

Now for some of you this kind of jump is major. The statistics show that the average in giving is somewhere between 1 to 2 percent. So to move from 2 percent to 10 percent is a great jump. One way to make this shift is to increase your percentage each month. This month you give 2 percent; next month 3 percent; and so on until you move to 10 percent. And to do this you might have to give up some wants so that you can help meet God’s needs. As the end of Malachi 3:10 says- “…put me to the test, says the Lord…see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.”

II. From Hamsters to Sharers- (2 Corinthians 9:7; Mark 12:41-44)

a. The hamster spirit- Now the next shift might sound funny: from

Hamsters to Sharers. But the truth is, we live in a hamster-like world. Meaning, there is something innate in the human spirit that makes us want to hoard far more than we need. If left unchecked, most of us will spend a good deal of our lives accumulating as much as we can. Hamsters have an interesting characteristic; they have an elastic facial skin that can stretch over an inch away from their bodies without discomfort. Because of this, they like to store great amounts of food in their cheeks. We can do this in our homes; store great amounts of things. If you doubt me, just look around your house and see all that stuff that you have accumulated over the years.

If we want to move past this money monster that is in our lives, we have to learn to identify the hamster spirit that rules our culture, and fight against it. We have to admit that we are prone to hoarding more than we really need. And to do this we need to learn to be more generous.

Generosity is an important shift that needs to be made. When we become generous, we begin to have a shift of view. What I mean by this is that we begin to look for ways to share what we have, instead of hoarding.

One of the greatest examples of generosity in human history is God’s sending His only Son as a gift to pay the price for our sins and to set us free. Jesus, God in the flesh, modeled generosity on a level far greater than we could ever imagine or understand. He left the glory of heaven, the glory of being God, and took upon Him human flesh. Why? For the purpose of giving to us His love, presence, glory, and sacrifice.

b. A cheerful giver- So we are called not only to be givers; not only to be

generous givers; but to be CHEERFUL generous givers. Now an oxymoron is a phrase where 2 or more of the words don’t seem to fit together. Being asked to be a cheerful giver to some might sound like an oxymoron. How can we be cheerful when we give away the things that we have? How are generosity and cheer linked? But the truth is, they are amazingly linked. We are told in 2 Cor. 9:7- “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly, or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” The Bible itself tells us that these 2 words are linked to each other.

EX. There is a story of a little boy who sat on the floor of the church nursery with a red rubber ball in each arm and 3 Nerf balls clenched on the floor between his knees. He was trying to protect all five from the other children in the nursery; trying to make sure that no one took them from him. The problem was that he could not hold all five at once, and the ball nearest to his feet was particularly vulnerable of being stolen. So whenever any of the kids came close to get a ball, he would snarl at them. This went on for about 5 minutes. And the whole time the other children were circling him trying to decide how they could get the balls away from him. BUT, the truth of this scenario is that the boy had all the balls he wanted, yet he could not enjoy them; he was having no fun at all! His selfishness created an environment that kept everyone from having any fun.

This is the perfect example of the hamster spirit; the hoarding we like to do. It may not be as obvious as this little boy, but we hoard, and in our hoarding keep ourselves from having fun. Our tendency to selfishness does not bring us joy or cheer.

Unless you are a juggler, or playing pool, you don’t need more than one ball. And half a ball is even better. Why half a ball? Because half a ball means that we are sharing with someone else. And when we are sharing, we will have more fun.

Sometimes we can be tricked into thinking that only those who have a lot can share and be generous. But the truth is, to be generous you don’t have to have a large bank account, you just have to have a large heart. As we are reminded by Jesus in Mark 12:41-44, “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

III. From Fleeting wealth to True wealth- (Matthew 22:37-39; 1 Corinthians 13:13; Matthew 25:40)

a. An eternal perspective- There is a story about a man named

Harold. Harold was at the end of his life. He had had a full, rich life. But now he was at the end of this life, in a Hospice bed in his home. Everyone new it was just a matter of days; maybe even a matter of hours. His pastor came to visit him and pray for him. Then Harold asked the pastor to help him out of his bed to go to the front window. It was only a few feet away, but for Harold it took quite a struggle to get there. As Harold looked out the window he looked over at his silver Lexus SUV parked in his driveway. Then with a sigh of relief he whispered: “Thank you, I just had to see it one more time.”

I tell this story, but none of us would believe it to be true. No one in their dying hours wants to look at their car one last time. Dying people don’t ask: “How much do I have in my bank account?” They don’t say: “I wish I would have gotten one more raise.” NO. In the last moments of life, people are concerned with where they stand with God, and being with those closest to them.

God knows what matters most in this life and in eternity is just that: God and people. That is why when Jesus told us the 2 great commandments, he said in Matthew 22:37-39, “Love the Lord your god with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Everything will pass away except love. In

1 Corinthians 13:13 the apostle Paul tells us just this: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

The third shift we must make to defeat the money monster is adopting an eternal perspective of riches. In the movie Dead Poets Society, there is a scene in which a new teacher at a private prep school helps a group of students see the world from a new vantage point. He invites them to walk to the front of the class, step us on his chair, and fro there, stand on top of his desk. (Now you need to understand that the school has strict rules against anti-establishment behavior). So at first, none of the students come forward. But then one boy does it, and then another, until they all are lined up to get this new perspective.

What if I were to invite you to stand on the pew for a different perspective? Would you do it? Even if you don’t, just the thought of it might help you to have a different perspective. (Have congregation stand for a moment)

GOD INVITES US TO CLIMB UP ON HIS HEAVENLY THRONE

AND LOOK OVER THE CLUTTER AND LIES THE WORLD HAS PILED IN FRONT OF US. FROM THIS NEW VANTAGE POINT

WE CAN SEE THINGS IN A WAY THAT TELLS US WHAT HAS ETERNAL VALUE, AND WHAT IS WORTH INVESTING OUR

TIME, ENERGY, AND MONEY IN.

b. Fleeting wealth- Going back to the verse from the introduction,

Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Being wealthy is not what makes one rich. Listen to these quotes from famous rich men:

Henry Ford- “I was happier when I was doing a mechanic’s job.”

John D. Rockefeller- “I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness.”

Andrew Carnegie- “Millionaires seldom smile.”

The conclusion is that more wealth does not equal greater satisfaction.

Gregg Easterbrook wrote a book called “Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse.” In this book he explores the sad reality that even though our pursuit of material things often leads to getting the possessions we always dreamed we wanted, once we have them, we are less satisfied and happy.

So let me tell you of 5 investment secrets that will help you to be more satisfied, and more happy, and having true riches. Secret #1- A heart in love with God. Loving God is the cornerstone of all investments, because in God our perspective of what we need changes, and we are led to invest in the things that make an eternal difference. Secret #2- Helping others grow closer to God. When we help others to grow closer to God, we know that we are helping people to be in a position to make decisions that will bring joy and fulfillment to their lives. Secret #3- Caring for the poor and forgotten. God has a special place in His heart for the poor, the outcasts, and the forgotten. God wants us to as well. That is why Jesus told us in Matthew 25:40- “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Secret #4- Being a consistent giver. Make the commitment to give regularly; now, and for the rest of your life. This giving to God and God’s Kingdom will bring great dividends. Secret #5- Share the good news of Jesus. Nothing is more valuable than the human soul. To share Jesus with someone else can lead to their eternal salvation. How great is that?

Conclusion- What I am talking about today is the shift from seeking money and possessions, to seeking that which has eternal value. The money we have really doesn’t make a difference if all we do is spend it on ourselves. In the end, when we are face to face with Jesus, and He asks us what we did with what He gave us, what will you say? Will you say you used it for yourself and your family, or will you say that you used it to make a REAL difference in this world and the world to come? I know for me, even though I can’t always see the blessings I receive when I give to God, I know that what I have is not mine, it’s God’s; I know that I need to share, not hoard; and I know that true wealth is found in being generous with what God has given me. Let us make this commitment to slay the money dragon! Amen.