"The Same Mind"
Philippians 2:5-11
April 1, 2007; Sixth Sunday of Lent

Introduction: “Live Science” internet article. Feb 14, 2006 Forget about opposites attracting. We like people who look like us, because they tend to have personalities similar to our own. And, a new study suggests, the longer we are with someone, the more similarities in appearance grow. Researchers set out to investigate why couples often tend to resemble one another. They asked 11 male and 11 female participants to judge the age, attractiveness and personality traits of 160 real-life married couples. Photographs of husbands and wives were viewed separately, so the participants didn't know who was married to whom. The test participants rated men and woman who were actual couples as looking alike and having similar personalities. Also, the longer the couples had been together, the greater the perceived similarities. (By Ker Than)

Studies show that married couples who have been together a long time begin to look more alike, think more alike, and act more alike. This morning, I want to talk about how we can, and need to, become more LIKE Christ. In part, this takes time. The longer we follow Christ, the more we will be like Christ. But it can start right away as well.

I. Not Equal- (Philippians 2:5-6; 1 Peter 1:16; Romans 3:23)

a. Like God- In Genesis 1, as the Bible describes God creating all things,

including people, there is a wonderful verse, verse 27 which says: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” We are created in the “image of God.” This is a wonderful truth.

We can be like God in many ways. We have the capacity to love, to forgive, and to show compassion. We have the capacity to be in relationship. We have intelligence and reason and can “know” many things. We are called to oversee all of creation; to be lord over it. But probably the greatest way we are like God is that we have the ability to create and be creative.

I wonder what it was like for God to create. It must have been great fun to think about what He would put on this earth. All the different kinds of trees and plants. The clouds that bring rain. The mountains and the land. The sea and the other bodies of water. Just making some water fresh, and other water salty!

And then he got to the more complex life. He began to make the animals. Think about all the different kinds of animals there are, and how these animals all fit into a structure that works together….. But he wasn’t done yet.

God then saved His best for last; man and woman… Man and woman were to be in relationship with each other, but they were to be in relationship with God as well. And man and woman were given the great privilege and responsibility of being able to create more life. TO CREATE LIFE. I have to tell you, that when Tyler and Tiffany were born, it was two of the most incredible moments of my life. Tami and I had created life that was in our image.

b. Unlike God- But just as we are created in the image of God, we are

not exactly like God. There is indeed quite a difference between us and God. In more theological terms it is: transcendent and immanent. Immanent are those qualities that we have that are like God; as I said before qualities like loving, kind, fair, and so on… Transcendent qualities are those qualities where God transcends (goes beyond) anything we could be. These qualities include loving unconditionally, being omnipotent (all-powerful), being omniscient (all-knowing), and being omnipresent (all-present).

It is pretty evident that God is above and beyond us. In fact, we have trouble even being able to conceive our thoughts in a manner similar to God.

These Sunday School funnies remind us how we can be short sighted:
The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, "My Mommy looked back once, while she was driving," he announced triumphantly, "and she turned into a telephone pole!"
A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan, in which a man was beaten, robbed and left for dead. She described the situation in vivid detail so her students would catch the drama. Then, she asked the class, "If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?" A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, "I think I'd throw up."
A Sunday school teacher said to her children, " We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a higher power. Can anybody tell me what it is?" One child blurted out, "Aces!"

But another way that we are not like God, is our sin. We are told in the Bible that we are to seek to be holy like our God is holy. But we are also told that we have “all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” And yet, we can try and have the same mind of Christ, which leads us to seek to enhance those qualities we have that are in the image of God. This attitude, this same mindset, leads us to our second point of being a servant.

II. Being A Servant- (Philippians 2:7-8)

a. Doing His will- Example- In a Peanuts comic strip, Linus is eating a

peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and in the middle of a bite, he says to Lucy: “Hands are fascinating things! I like my hands…I think I have nice hands…my hands seem to have a lot of character…these are hands which may someday accomplish great things…these are hands which may someday do marvelous works! They may build mighty bridges or heal the sick, or hit homeruns, or write soul-stirring novels! THESE ARE HANDS WHICH MAY SOMEDAY CHANGE THE COURSE OF DESTINY!!”

Lucy comes over and looks closely at Linus’ hands, and then says: “They’ve got jelly on them.” (The Gospel According to Peanuts, p.36)

In Ecclesiastes 2:11, this verse says- “Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was in vain and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” We can easily feel this way, because all too often, we are not seeking to fulfill what God created us to do and be, but we go off chasing our own dreams.

The first thing we have to understand, is that to be a servant, we have to

desire to do God’s will. This is important, because, since God created the world, and created you and me, we will really only be happy, and bear fruit, if we are doing the will of God in our lives; if we are serving God.
To do this we have to create a habit of listening to God; and God speaks to people who listen. God uses people who desire to be used. God blesses people who have the attitude of a servant. That is why the apostle Paul said in Philippians 2:7, in regards to Christ, “But (He) made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…” Christ Himself knew that this was what was important; to be a servant.

So, if you want to be truly useful in life, you need to be useful for God. If you

want to do something significant with your life, if you want to be chosen by God, then you need to seek to listen to God, and seek to follow God’s plan. You probably need to stop thinking that you have all the answers, and realize that so often we feel like so much of life is in vain because we are chasing after the wrong things. We are trying to satisfy ourselves with things that won’t satisfy. We need to gain a new perspective on life and believe that God can come to us and speak to us and choose us and use us. Being a servant isn’t a negative thing; it frees us to truly live.

b. Four steps to being a servant- Example- “Four Steps to Your Dream,”

Illus. Unl., p. 26, #2. Just like there is a cost to be a top notch athlete like Jesse Owens, there is a cost in being a servant. Philippians 2:8 says- “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death…” For Christ, the cost was His death. For us, it is determination, dedication, discipline, and attitude.

1. Determination- In anything in life, if we don’t have determination,

then we will get frustrated and decide to quit. Why? Because determination is the act of deciding firmly to do something. Without determination, we will not apply ourselves and not gain the second quality, which is dedication.

2. Dedication- Dedication is being committed to something. It doesn’t

matter if it is easy or hard, you are committed to doing it for the long haul. In fact, when things get hard, those who are determined work even harder. Then there is discipline…

3. Discipline- Discipline is training in a way that molds and perfects

an individual for a particular task. If we want to be the best servant of Jesus, then we have to be disciplined in the things of God. We have to be disciplined in prayer (talking & listening to God) and we have to be disciplined in living our lives in a way that honors God. Discipline is what will help us in being a servant.

4. Attitude- But there is one more thing, and that is our attitude. The

attitude we are called to have is humility. This whole passage in Philippians 2 shows us the humility that Christ had; “(He) did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” Now this is talking about the Son of God, God in the flesh, who knew the importance of humility. If Christ could have the attitude of humility so as to become a servant, shouldn’t you and I?

You probably know someone who when they talk, it is out of arrogance and boastfulness, and their words are as empty as a clanging cymbal. Or you probably know someone who might seem generous, but it is all an act to make others think more highly of them. Without the attitude of humility, we make ourselves nothing, and we will accomplish nothing important for God!

III. Lifted Up- (Numbers 21:1-9; Philippians 2:9-11; 1 Peter 5:6)

In the Old Testament, there is the story of how while the Israelites were

wandering in the wilderness, being prepared by God for the promised land, some of the people got bit by venomous snakes and died. When the people cried out to God, God provided a way for them to be saved. Numbers 21:8-9 tells us- “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.’ So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.”

This passage was a way to teach the people to look to God for life. And it prepared the people for Jesus’ coming and how Jesus would be “lifted up.”

a. On the cross- And so we see that first of all, as a servant, Christ is to

be “lifted up” onto the cross. This lifting up of Christ is a divine necessity, meaning that God planned all along to save us from our sins by having Christ crucified on the cross. By doing this, not only does Christ pay for our sin, but He becomes sin on our behalf so that death and sin no longer rule over us.

b. To the Father- But after His death, Christ had to be “lifted up” to the

right hand of the Father where all things were put in subjection under Christ’s feet.

As Philippians 2:9 says, “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.” From an earthly standpoint, Jesus suffered the ultimate humiliation by dying the death of a common criminal. However, when seen through the eyes of faith, this humiliation becomes the throne of glory and a life-giving act.

In Matthew 21, as Jesus entered Jerusalem, and people shouted “Hosanna! Hosanna!”, Jesus knew that this was to be short lived. Jesus knew that His destiny was not to be put on an earthly throne, but that soon He would be killed on a cross. And yet, Jesus also knew the extent of His mission, and that He would be raised from the dead. As the Apostles Creed tells us- “He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.” Being lifted up to the Father was part of His reward for being a servant.

c. Lifting up Christ- And this is where our path, as servant, crosses

Jesus’ path as servant. It is now our privilege and responsibility as the Church, and as a people of God, to “lift up” Christ in our lives. When we “believe” in Jesus, it is a verb, which suggests throwing oneself onto Christ. We are called through faith and trust to abandon ourselves to Christ. This is the role of a servant, to abandon oneself to their master. As we received the spiritual life we so desperately needed, we, in serving others for Christ, lead them to receive Christ as their master.

As we exercise this faith and trust, we get a taste of true life. This true life is experienced here on earth, but even more fully when we get to heaven. In humbling ourselves, we allow God to use us, but also bless us. 1 Peter 5:6 says- “Humble yourselves, therefore under God’s might hand, that He may lift you up in due time.” When we are proud we will be in opposition to God; we will fight against God; we will judge God. When we humble ourselves, God is all the more willing to bring us blessings and comfort and joy.

Isn’t this true with us and our children? When they are demanding of us, the last thing we want to see, is for them get their own selfish ways. But when they are humble and loving and giving, we want to lavish blessings upon them!

Conclusion: In the comedy show “Everyone Loves Raymond,” there is a scene where he starts to tell some friends about this experience that he and his wife had. But he realizes that as he starts the story, he won’t be able to finish it, because usually when the story gets told, he tells part, and his wife tells part. But since she isn’t there, he doesn’t know the parts of the story she usually tells. It is almost like they have one mind, and apart they struggle .

The goal of Lent season, and Palm Sunday, is to recognize that Jesus is to be both our Savior (the one who saves us from our sin), and Lord (the one who directs our path). The goal of Lent season if for us to seek to develop the same mind as Christ, so that we might think and act more like Christ. Let us continue our journey to this end, this day, and every day God gives us on this earth. Amen.

"Springing Forth"
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Isaiah 43:16-21; Fifth Sunday of Lent

Introduction: You are probably familiar with Winnie the Pooh. One of the characters of Winnie the Pooh is Tigger. Tigger is an exhuberant, fun loving, tiger. And at least once in every episode, Tigger sings this song: “The wonderful thing about tiggers, Is tiggers are wonderful things! Their tops are made out of rubber; Their bottoms are made out of springs! They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy, Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! But the most wonderful thing about tiggers is I'm the only one! I’m…..the only one!”

Now Tigger adds fun and excitement to the show, because Tigger is always trying to have fun; Tigger always tries to pep everyone up. Tigger looks on the positive side of things, especially when things are looking down.

This morning, I want us to be more like Tigger, and understand that things can spring forth for the good when we trust in God. And Lent challenges us all the time to trust all the more. So as we look at our passage in Isaiah, I want you to keep this idea of the positive, of springing forth, in your head.

I. Don’t Remember the Former Things- (Isaiah 43:16-18; Philippians 4:12)

a. Don’t remember- One man saw his friend looking a little down, and

so he said: "Say, you look depressed. What are you thinking about?" "My future," was the quick answer." What makes it look so hopeless?""My past."

Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe once said: “Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ You do not move ahead by constantly looking in a rear view mirror. The past is a rudder to guide you, not an anchor to drag you. We must learn from the past but not live in the past.

You must learn from the past, but not live in the past. These are good words.

The reason they are good words, is because whether our past is good or bad, dwelling on the past will not help us. If things were good in the past, then we are probably wanting the present to be as good as the past was. This keeps us from experiencing the good of the present that will be different than it was in the past. For example, let’s say in the past you had an active, fun life, with lots of friends. You got to do many things you wanted to do. But in the present, you have kids, or grandkids, and things have changed. If you dwell on this past, that had different responsibilities, then you won’t enjoy the wonderful present God has given you. You will be constantly comparing it to something that doesn’t exist anymore.

On the other hand, if the past was bad, and you dwell on it, then you will have trouble in your present, because you can’t free your mind from what happened. By dwelling on the past, it drags you down. It will consistently bring back to you pain and heartache, fear and anger, lostness and confusion. As Isaiah 43:18 says, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.”

The past is …to hold us firm in the present, and guide us into the future. The past cannot hold too much weight in our lives, because it will keep us from fully experiencing the present. EXAMPLE- As I coach Tyler in baseball, there are times when I think about how just a few years ago I was enjoying playing slow pitch softball. But then Tami got pregnant with Tiffany, and we moved back to California, and we took the job here at Community Pres. Things got busy with 2 kids and a new job, and I didn’t (and still don’t) have the time to play. Well, I suppose I do have the time to play, but it would be at the sacrifice of my time with Tami and the kids. So by dwelling on the past, I keep myself from enjoying the present time I have of teaching Tyler and Tiffany how to play baseball.

b. Getting past the past- So an important question is: How do I get past

the past? The past is a strong draw on our minds. We like to think about how things were good in the past. And usually, they are better in our remembering than they actually were at the time!! And unfortunately, we like to let our past haunt us as well. We seem to be so willing to let current experiences dredge up the hurt, confusion, and struggles of our past. So let’s look at 4 ways to help us get past the past. This is not an exhaustive list, but if practiced, it will benefit us greatly.

One helpful way to “get past the past” is to learn how to set boundaries. Boundaries help us to say “yes” to that which is healthy, and helpful, and productive, and to say “no” to that which will bring us down or cause us harm. Setting boundaries doesn’t mean doing less and less. It means to know what to allow into our lives, and what to keep out. As Ethel Barrymore said: “You must learn day by day, year by year, to broaden your horizon. The more things you love, the more you are interested in, the more you enjoy...the more you have left when anything happens.” Setting boundaries is about cultivating interests and friends that will help us to become who God created us to be in the present.

A second helpful practice is meditation. The meditation I am talking about is the practice of being in God’s presence and listening to God’s voice. Often our problem is that we listen to the voice of our past. If we can learn how to feel God’s presence and hear God’s voice, instead of the voice of the past, then we will be in a better place to let God work in and through us in healthy and fruitful ways.

A third helpful step is to accept the present. What this means is that you receive who you are now, and what you have now, and rejoice in it. Now if there are struggles in your life, then you make a plan how you can, with God’s help, get past them. As Paul says in Philippians 4:12- “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” You cannot move on in your life if you can’t accept where you are right now.

And last, you need to learn from the past. Isaiah 43:16-17 tells us- “This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick.”

In these verses, Isaiah is reminding the people of what God did for them in the past; God saved them from the Egyptians by giving them a path through the Red Sea, and by extinguishing the Egyptian army. If God has done that in the past, God will do that in the present and the future as well.

II. A New Thing Springs Forth- (Isaiah 43:19)

a. New things- If we can get past the uncomfortable feeling of change, we

can see that change is actually a good and exciting thing of life. Think about if there was never any new life. People died, but babies were never born. Human existence would be short lived. OR, Think about how if babies were born, but people never died. We would have a terrible population problem!

PASS OUT A BABY TO EACH SIDE OF THE CONGREGATION, AND ONE FOR JAMIE AND THE CHOIR. As they pass around the babies say:

“There is something wonderful about babies. A baby is cute and cuddly. A baby is very loveable. A baby is there to be taken care of, which reminds us that we need to be taken care of. A baby can’t do things on its own, and must be helped. This reminds us that we need to be helped. A baby is the reminder that there is new life.” As Isaiah 43:19 says- “I am about to do a new thing…”

If God did not do new things, then life and the world as we know it would be terribly stagnant. A couple months ago I used an illustration with the Jordan river, the sea of Galilee, and the Dead Sea. As I thought about our topic for this morning, I realized that this illustration fits very well into what I wanted us to understand, so I’m going to use it again….

Illustration- The Sea of Galilee is a fresh and pure body of water. If you open your eyes under water, you can see for quite a distance. It is filled with much life. Fresh water flows into it from the Jordan river, and then the water flows out. But the Dead Sea is different. The Jordan river flows into it as well, but there is no outlet for the water to flow on. Consequently, it is filled with minerals. If it touches your eyes it will burn them. There is a terrible smell to the water, and if you lie in it, the water is so thick that you will float on top of it. Here you have a contrast between one body of water that receives and gives away, and is alive, while the other only takes, but doesn’t give away and is dead.

b. How to perceive the new things- This is the difference between letting

change happen in our lives, and not accepting the change that happens. When we don’t accept the changes in life, then we will not grow, we will not move forward, we will be stagnant, and in many ways DEAD. In Isaiah 43:19, God asks- “…now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”

God is calling out to us to perceive all that He wants to do in your life,

and in my life, and in our church. God is telling us to recognize and receive what He is springing forth into our lives. And so we have to understand how to perceive these things that are of God.

Example- My son Tyler was very observant as a child. When he was 14 months old, right before Christmas, we put him down for a nap one day. While he was asleep, we decorated the house for Christmas. I remember that when Tyler woke up, Tami brought him into the living room. Tyler looked around, and could tell that things were different; that something had been changed. He then proceded to go around the room and point at all the things that were different!!

We need to be more observant in life. When you are reading your Bible, to be observant means that there will be times God will reveal something to you. As you think about applying what you read, you will bring the change God wants. If you are in prayer, and something comes upon your heart, maybe God is directing you to pray for someone or something, and through your prayers God will bring about change. As you are listening to a sermon, God may impress upon you an action He is calling you or the church to take. You need to act upon that.

Do you not perceive the change that I am springing forth? God asks us.

We need to give the answer “yes” to God. But to give this answer we need to understand that God uses “ALL” of His people to bring forth change. Be aware that God is a God of change, and we are His change agents.

III. I Give- (Isaiah 43:16-21)

a. Saying “no”- Deal or No Deal is a popular show these days on NBC.

The way the show works is that there are 25 cases. In each case there is a number ranging from .01 to a million dollars. The contestant eliminates cases, and based on the amounts of money remaining in the cases after each round, a banker offers a figure of money to try and keep the contestant from getting too much of the money. So if the contestant can keep the higher cases of money ($500,000, $750,000, and $1,000,000) in play, then the offer will go higher and higher. Last Sunday I was watching the show, a man had received an offer of $218,000 to walk away. He turned down the offer. From there he proceded to choose cases that had large amounts in them, and his offers went down (all the way to $77,000). This was still a lot of money, but he turned it down as he still had the $500,000 case in play. He continued to choose cases, finding the lower amounts, and his offer went back up to about $147,000. All he had left was the $10 case, the $100 case, and the $500,000 case. He chose to go on, and he chose the $500,000 case! This left him with basically nothing. I stopped watching after that. I couldn’t believe that he didn’t take the offer.

There are so many people in life that I feel choose to live in this same way. It seems that there are many things that are given to them, but they choose to risk it all and in the end don’t have much left. They don’t understand what has been given to them, and so they “say no” to seek after what they feel is a greater prize.

b. Saying “yes”- You see, part of the problem is that when we think of

gifts, we think of physical objects. I have a house, a car, a television, and so on. I see these as gifts from God. I am thankful for them. And yet, are they really gifts from God? Does God care if I have a car? Does God care if I have a television? Now, I can use them to benefit the way I live my life. I use my car to help others, and to give others rides, and to get to my meetings and to do ministry. But it isn’t necessarily a gift from God.

I think more of the gifts God brings to me, is my life, my salvation, my wife, my kids, my faith. God also brings the gifts of forgiveness, and restoration. God gives me the gift of prayer and meditation. God gives me the gift of a church and the family of God, which loves me and supports me. These are the gifts of God. This is what we should be saying “yes” to. These are the greater prizes we should be seeking.

But God also gifts the gift of guidance and forging the way for us. As we are told in Isaiah 43:19- “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert….for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people…” God is there to guide us. He will make a way in the wilderness for us. As we move forward, as we seek to recognize the changes that are to be made, God will prepare the way before us.

Unfortunately, all too often we make our own way, and then try and call it God’s. We seek out things of the world, and try to say they are God’s. God is not concerned with our possessions, God is concerned with the state of our heart. Are we seeking God more and more, are we loving God more and more, are we caring for the sick, the oppressed, the lost, and the outcast? This is what God calls us to.

Conclusion: Easter is just 2 weeks away. Easter; the day in which Christ was raised from the dead so that all who believe in Him might have eternal life. Easter did not happen so that we could seek things. Easter happened so that we might seek God. Easter happened so that God could be alive again in your heart and my heart.

God wants to do a new thing. God wants to spring forth in your life and my life. I pray that this season of Lent and Easter, you would perceive this new thing that God wants to do in you. What do you need to stop seeking, so that you will seek after God? Where do you need to focus your life, so that God can guide you in His ways? What change needs to be made? Accept that God loves change. Let this change happen in the present, so that your future can be all that God has for you. Amen.

"Stubborn Like A Mule?"
Psalm 32:1-11
Sunday, 3/18/07; Fourth Sunday of Lent

Introduction: Illus. In 1937 the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright built a house for industrialist Hibbard Johnson. One rainy evening Johnson was entertaining distinguished guests for dinner when the roof began to leak. The water seeped through directly above Johnson himself, dripping steadily onto his head. Very upset, he called Wright in Phoenix, Arizona. "Frank," he said, "you built this beautiful house for me and we enjoy it very much. But I have told you the roof leaks, and right now I am with some friends and distinguished guests and it is leaking right on top of my head." It was silent for a moment, and then Wright replied: "Well, Hibbard, why don't you move your chair?"

Have you ever known anyone that was really stubborn? Maybe you are really stubborn. The dictionary says that stubbornness is: “to carry on in an unyielding or persistent manner.” Meaning, that when I think something or I am going to do something, I will be persistent in carrying it out. Even if someone else offers an alternate solution or thought, I will stick with my way.

Unfortunately, we can be this way with God as well. So this morning I want to talk about how we need to get over our stubbornness, and submit to God.

I. Are you like a mule?- (Psalm 32:8-9)

a. The mule- Now a mule is a hybrid animal that is the result of crossing

a female horse with a male donkey. The positive characteristics of the mule is that it possesses the sobriety, patience, endurance and sure-footedness of the donkey, and the vigour, strength and courage of the horse. Many find mules preferable to horses because mules show less impatience under the pressure of heavy weights.

Mules are not really stubborn. This idea comes from the fact that they will not put themselves in danger. A horse can be worked until it drops, but not so with a mule. The "stubborn" streak is just the mule’s way of telling humans that things are not right. Mules are very intelligent and they know when things are not right.

So, because the mule can at times think for itself, and resist the owner, then it is seen as stubborn. The stubbornness is not giving in to the will of the owner. In these times a mule is seen as unruly and ungovernable. The mule will not give in because the mule is seeking to protect itself.

So, if we think about people with this same regard, we see that we have a mind of ourselves. God gave us intelligence and reason. God gave us the ability to make decisions apart from Him. And in our stubbornness, we choose to make decisions on our own. We might think that we are being like the mule, making these decisions for our well being, but much of the time they are not good decisions.

Consequently, we are led into sin; we bring trouble to ourselves. And yet, because of our pride, we cannot let go and let God direct us. We are indeed stubborn, thinking that we know the right way. We are indeed stubborn in that we can’t acknowledge that God’s ways are greater than our ways.

Last week I came across an explanation of “How to be stubborn.” You might find it amusing:

· The first step to being stubborn is to stick with your feelings. (Example: You want to go to the movies but everyone else wants to go bowling, keep firm by letting them know that you won’t go bowling because you don't want to.);

· Next you must stick with your feelings or your mind unless the people around you take extreme measures to try and please you. (Example: They say they will pay for your bowling.);

· Finally when you do get your way, act like it was the right thing for them to do. Being stubborn means that your ways are right, and better than other people.

b. The bit and bridle- So what is to be done when a mule is stubborn?

How can you work with a mule when it is stubborn? First, that is why you have a bit and a bridle. The bit and the bridle are what help the mule to know where you want him to go. The bit helps you to direct the mule, and through the bit the mule learns from you. The bit helps you to be the one “in charge” over the mule.

But second, you need to help the mule overcome his fear. Again, like I said before, the mule becomes stubborn to protect himself from harm. If the mule senses danger, or that it will be harmful to his health, he will resist. Most often, if you help the mule to see that what you are asking him to do is not harmful and not dangerous, then chances are the mule will stop resisting.

This is very true for you and me. We resist because we feel that we know what is best for us. We resist because we are concerned that what God has for us isn’t what we really want or need. And so, because we believe we are so intune with our own needs, we will listen to ourselves before anyone else.

Illus. Like I said last week, I am helping to coach Tyler’s baseball team. This is the fourth year I have helped coach. And in the process I try to teach Tyler how to do things correctly. But it is easy for kids to get into bad habits. For example, sometimes Tyler drops his arm too low when he throws, which causes him to push the ball. That not only makes it difficult to throw the ball, but it isn’t healthy for his arm. So I will correct him and tell him to raise his arm higher. But he fights me on it. Maybe because when he first makes the correction, he doesn’t throw the ball as straight. Or, maybe it is because he just doesn’t believe me that he is doing it wrong.

Until we realize we have this stubbornness in us, we will not be willing to move past it, and seek God more readily.

II. The Steadfastness of the Lord- (Psalm 32:10-11; Luke 15:3-7; Genesis 3:9)

a. A God who pursues- But in the midst of our stubbornness, we have a

God who pursues us. God pursues us with undying love. God will not give up on us, nor will God leave us to our own sinful ways. We were created by God, and loved by God, and God does not want us to stray away. If we do, God will seek us out. As we see in the story of “the Lost Sheep,” in Luke 15:3-7, “Then Jesus told them this parable: ^‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.’”

It is like the book “The Runaway Bunny,” by Margaret Wise Brown:

Once there was a little bunny who wanted to run away. So he said to his mother, “I am running away.” “If you run away,” said his mother, “I will run after you. For you are my little bunny.” “If you run after me,” said the little bunny, “I will become a fish in a trout stream and I will swim away from you.”

“If you become a fish in a trout stream,” said his mother, “I will become a fisherman and I will fish for you.” “If you become a fisherman,” said the little bunny, “I will become a rock on the mountain high above you.”

“If you become a rock on the mountain high above me,” said his mother, “I will be a mountain climber, and I will climb to where you are.”

And on and on the story goes, with the little bunny thinking up different ways to try and get away, and the mother showing how she would continually pursue.

God has shown this kind of pursuing love throughout all of history, starting in the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve would daily meet with God. But then one day Eve was deceived by Satan into eating from “the tree of knowledge of good and evil,” and then she gave the fruit to Adam to eat. Once they had eaten, they knew they were naked, and so they hid from God. But the Bible tells us in Genesis 3:9- “But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” God doesn’t find them at first, and so He calls out to them; He seeks after them. As Psalm 32:11 says- “…but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.” Whose love is steadfast? God’s love for us.

b. A relentless God- Throughout the Old Testament we see this to be

true. Like the “Little Bunny,” the people of Israel stray away from God, and God continually seeks after them. God is relentless in this. So many times God could just have given up on Israel, but He doesn’t, because He is a relentless God.

For example, in the Old Testament books of 1 and 2 Kings, we see kings who are faithful to God and the covenant He has set up, and kings that are not. When kings are not, then Israel moves away from God. This moving away does not dissuade God’s love towards His people in any way. God has made a covenant with His people, and God will not turn from that covenant. God lets Israel reap the punishment for her sin, but when Israel turns back, God is there to forgive, love, and restore her again.

Ex. A more contemporary example is that of C. S. Lewis. Lewis is known as the foremost defender of the Christian faith in this century. His books, The Problem of Pain and Miracles, established his reputation as a great Christian apologist. He also wrote Mere Christianity, as well as The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce. What most people don’t know about Lewis is that he was an atheist in his early years and did not come to have a faith in Jesus until he was 32 years old. Listen to a letter he wrote when he was just 18 years old:

“You ask me my religious views: you know, I think I believe in no religion. There is absolutely no proof for any of them, and from a philosophical standpoint Christianity is not even the best. All religions, that is, all mythologies, to give them their proper name, are merely man’s own invention . . .

Thus religion, that is to say mythology, grew up. Often, too, great men were regarded as gods after their death — such as Hercules or Odin: thus after the death of a Hebrew philosopher Yeshua (whose name we have corrupted into Jesus), he became regarded as a god, a cult sprang up, which was afterwards connected with the ancient Hebrew Yahweh-worship, and so Christianity came into being — one mythology among many." [From The Letters of C.S. Lewis by W.H. Lewis] But when Lewis was 32, he had begun to accept that there was a God. Yet, he couldn’t give himself over to the idea that there was a personal God. One night Lewis spent an evening discussing mythology and Christianity with some intellectual friends who were Christians, one of whom was the writer, J.R.R. Tolkien. They challenged him as he had never been challenged before to think critically about Jesus. After the meeting broke up, Lewis could not go to sleep. He continued to wrestle with the concept of Jesus as God in the flesh. By 3:00am he had decided to accept Jesus as his Savior. Twelve days later he wrote these words to Tolkien: "I have passed on from believing in God to definitely believing in Christ — in Christianity." As C. S. Lewis talks about his conversion, he says that he came into the kingdom “kicking and screaming.” He talks about how he felt that God was relentlessly seeking him, never giving up on him!

III. The Result of Seeking God- (Psalm 32:1-5, 11)

a. Confession- Yet, having said all of that, I believe the real meat of this

psalm is in the first few verses. The verses challenge us about humbling ourselves before God, removing our stubbornness, and confessing our sins.

EX. My kids love a new show on Nickelodeon called Zoey 101. Zoey is a middle-schooler at an academy in Malibu. One day in class one of her teache’rs talks about the importance of releasing their secrets. So she has them write down their secret, they attached them to a helium-filled balloon, and release them into the sky, thus helping the kids to release these secrets from their psyche. A problem arises when Zoey’s balloon gets stuck on a tree, someone from the school finds it, and tries to blackmail her. If she doesn’t do what she is told, her secret will be revealed to all. Zoey’s friends find out, and they all begin to share their secrets in front of everyone. This gives Zoey the courage to tell her secret, and in the end it IS very freeing.

This show I believe was teaching kids what this passage is teaching us. As Psalm 32:3 says, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away…” When we don’t confess our sins regularly, when we keep them hidden inside, it will have a negative affect on our mind and our body. It is very unhealthy. So God has set it up so that we can and should confess our sins to Jesus, and receive cleansing.

But God would also have us find someone that we can trust, and confess our sins to them as well. When we confess our sins to someone else, it is not for the purpose of receiving forgiveness, that only comes from Jesus, but it is for the purpose of releasing our burden. When another person hears our sin, and we see they still love us afterward, it is very freeing and empowering.

b. Protection- This psalm is a wonderful scripture which tells us the way

that God can justify people who are sinners. It tells us of how God protects us from our sin. The climax of the psalm is actually at the beginning of the psalm: “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.”

This psalm was written by King David. It was written after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba, and after he had had Bathsheba’s husband Uriah put in the front lines of the war so he would die (ultimately committing murder). David is then confronted by the prophet Nathan, and David is convicted of his sins and repents. This psalm is the result of these events, and the reminder that God really never gives up on us.

Psalm 32:1-4 (have 2 people alternate readings from within the congregation).

The Hebrews called this an “Asher” psalm. The word Asher means “Happy” or “Blessed.” How can we not be happy, how can we not feel blessed, when we know that God brings us back to Him whenever we go astray, and that He brings us back by not counting our sins against us?! As the great hymn “Rock of Ages” says:

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood, from Thy wounded side which flowed;

Be of sin the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt and power.”

And then David closes this wonderful psalm with these words in verse 11- “Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing all you who are upright in heart!”

Conclusion: How can David say that we are righteous? How can we be upright in heart? This is the message of Lent…..that God forgives us. It was true for David. It is even more true for us, because we know that Christ died on the cross. And we know that when we believe in Jesus, our sins are forgiven. It is just like what Jesus did for the thief hanging on the cross next to Him. The thief asked for forgiveness, and Jesus responded with these words: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” RIGHTEOUS. UPRIGHT. That is the status the thief had after he repented. That is the status you and I have. “Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing all you who are upright in heart!” Amen.

"Another Chance"
Luke 13:1-8
Third Sunday of Lent, 3/11/07

Introduction: This year I am again coaching my son Tyler’s baseball team. I am not the manager, just the coach. But the manager has me do many things. One of the things that I do is pitch batting practice. When I was a youth I was a pitcher in baseball. And because I wasn’t big, I didn’t throw the ball too fast, so I had to learn how to have good control. Because of this, I am able to throw strikes to the kids most of the time. In the course of pitching to the kids, some of them do a very good job hitting. But then there are some who struggle to hit the ball. The more they struggle, the more frustrated they get, and the more frustrated that they get, the more they struggle. SO, I try to pitch the ball a little slower, or to an area where they can hit it more easily. WHY WOULD I DO THIS? Because I want them to have a CHANCE to hit the ball. I want them to learn to do well and gain confidence.

As I was thinking about the sermon topic this morning, “Another Chance,” I was thinking that if I feel this way about the kids hitting the ball, how does God feel about you and me? I mean, God wants us to do well and to have confidence. So in those times when we struggle, when we fail, when we fall, God is there to help give us success; to help us “connect with the ball” so that we will believe we can do it.

I. The Galileans- (Luke 13:1-3; John 9:1-3)

a. Sin and suffering- We have three stories here in our passage this

morning. The first story has as its main characters Pilate, some Galileans, and some Jews. Pilate had decided that Jerusalem needed a new and improved water supply. This was a good decision. But he decided he was going to fund it with Temple monies. This was not a good thing to the Jews, and so they were up in arms over this. The Jews came to protest, and there were some Galileans there as well. Pilate instructed some of the soldiers to mingle with the Jews wearing cloaks over their heads. With the soldiers mingled in, they were to wait for a command and then disperse the crowd. However, the soldiers dealt with the mob with greater violence than they were instructed, and many people were killed.

Obviously, the killing of the Jews and Galileans was a terrible action. And in this passage Jesus is asked if they suffered in this way because they were greater sinners. You see, many people connected sin with suffering. They believed that if you suffered greatly, it was because you had great sin in your life. For example, in the New Testament, in the gospel of John, chapter 9:1-3, it says, “As Jesus went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’”/ The disciples believed that this man was blind because of sin from either his parents, or from himself.

Now there is a sense that our sin causes suffering. It is not uncommon for us to bring suffering to ourselves because of our sinful choices. Maybe someone tells you a secret, and then you break that confidence. The person who told you that secret gets mad at you, and it negatively affects your relationship with that person. This suffering was caused by a sinful action.

But what is going on here is not because of sinful action. People are protesting what they believe is injustice, and the soldiers take it upon themselves to kill the people. The suffering comes about because of the sinful actions of the soldiers, not of those who were killed.

b. Repentance and forgiveness- And yet, don’t we have a sense of this

kind of thinking still today? We too believe that bad things happen to bad, sinful people. I know that I have heard on many occasions someone see a bad thing happen to someone. And this someone is a person who is not a good person. And the response is: “Well, that person deserved that.” In other words, that person, because of their sin, deserved to have suffering come upon them.

But, thankfully, God doesn’t think this way. What I mean by that, is while there is judgment, there is also forgiveness. Our God, the God of the Bible, the God who created all things, is a God of second chances. This is a good thing, because you and I are not perfect. You and I mess up all the time. But God provides second chances for us.

If God were to condemn this bad person, then God would have to condemn us as well. While we might not do things as bad as others, we have to admit that we aren’t perfect. We do things all the time that are hurtful to others. Maybe I am selfish, and don’t help Tami out around the house or with the kids like I should. I make Tami’s life more difficult. Or maybe I choose not to call someone back because I am tired, but that person would have really been blessed by my call…. The bad that we do isn’t as obvious, but it is real.

So Jesus tells those who asked him about the Galileans about the importance of repentance. If they didn’t repent, then they too would be led to put themselves in a dangerous place. If they didn’t repent, they too would have the same angry spirit. If they didn’t repent, they too would be led to take revenge and would perish. They needed to repent of their sinful feelings and attitudes, so that they could live right.

II. The tower of Siloam- (Luke 13:4-5; John 9:7; Psalm 32:1-3)

a. The eighteen- Jesus then goes on to tell a story about 18 men who died

when a tower fell on them. This incident that Jesus mentions is really an unknown incident. Historians don’t have much information about it other than Jesus’ mention of it here. But what is important is the fact that the tower of Siloam fell, and in its falling 18 men were killed.

Jesus brings up this story to re-emphasize the point of sin and suffering. Jesus asks the question: “Do you think they were more guilty than all others living in Jerusalem?” In other words, did they die because they had greater sin? Was it fate for them to be in that place to be crushed by the tower because their sin was so great? Jesus doesn’t answer this question directly, but the implication is clear; they did not die because they had greater sin.

Going back to the gospel of John, 9:7- “Jesus told the blind man, ‘Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam’…. So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”/ By healing the blind man, Jesus shows that those who have faith in Jesus can be saved of their afflictions, but even more, will not have their sin held against them. The blind man is no longer blind. The blind man is now able to physically see. But the blind man is also able to spiritually see. He can see the power that God has over all things.

Other versions of Luke 13:4 use the word debtor instead of guilt. Because we have sin in our lives, we become debtors to God. And because all have sin, all are debtors. And Jesus doesn’t make a distinction about the amount of sin. There is not the categories of some sin and more sin. It is just the category of sinner. And all fall into this category. In Jesus Christ, we have one who can overcome all of our sin. In Jesus Christ we have one who removes our guilt. In Jesus Christ we have one who takes us from being a debtor, to having our debt paid.

b. Repentance and forgiveness-

Story: There is a story of a Dutchman who came to South Africa to work. One night he was told about God, and told about the need for repentance, and told about the forgiveness of sin that comes from repenting of our sin. This man felt that God laid His hand on him and convicted him of his sin. He did indeed repent and ask for forgiveness. The next morning he went to a beautiful home of another Dutchman and said to him, "Do you recognize that old watch?" "Why, yes," answered the other. "Those are my initials; that is my watch. I lost it eight years ago. How did you get it, and how long have you had it?" "I stole it," was the reply. "What made you bring it back now?" "I was converted last night," was the answer, "and I have brought it back first thing this morning…. If you had been up, I would have brought it last night."

Jesus is talking about repentance. And the repentance that He is talking

about is both a once-for-all event, but also something that shapes our day to day living. In other words, it is a once-for-all event, in that when we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, and admit that we are sinners, we are forgiven by Jesus and cleansed of our sin. We can know that we will have access to heaven when we die.

But, it is also something that shapes our day-to-day living. Since we continually sin, we need to continually repent of our sin. And this understanding of God’s forgiveness should lead us to bring about resolution to those whom we sin against. Like the Dutchman who returned the watch, we may need to say “I’m sorry” to someone we have hurt. Or we may need to make amends to someone we have wronged. If we don’t learn to live in this kind of repentance, we will perish by not having the kind of life that Jesus has created for us. As Psalm 32:1-3, “Blessed is he whose trans-gressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.”

III. The Fig Tree- (Luke 13:6-9)

a. The parable- Then Jesus decides to tell a story; a story about a fig

tree. There is a fig tree planted in a vineyard. The owner of the vineyard goes to check on the fig tree to see if there is any fruit on it. But when he gets to the tree, he notices that the tree has no fruit….So the owner seeks out the man who cares for the vineyard to tell him about his frustration: “For 3 years I have come here, and for 3 years there has been no fruit on this tree. It is taking up space. Let us cut it down so that we may plant something else that will be fruitful.”

But the caretaker asks the owner for another year. He wants to care for it a little more. He wants to fertilize it and work the soil around it. So the owner agrees to this arrangement, and gives the caretaker another chance.

1. Work the soil- The caretaker wants to first work the soil. He believes that

by preparing the soil, the tree will have a better chance. The truth is, without good soil, a tree cannot produce. This is true for you and me. If we don’t have good soil (which Jesus likened to our hearts), then we will not be able to produce. So we must make sure that we are letting God soften our hearts to care for others around us.

2. Fertilize- Second, the caretaker wants to fertilize. Fertilizer helps to put

nutrients into the soil that will make the soil more able to nourish plants and trees. For us, fertilizer is the word of God and Christian fellowship. When we are reading the Bible and when we are around other Christians, we will be more likely to live in a way that will bless others around us, and help others understand the need to believe in and follow God.

3. Extra care- Last, the caretaker wanted to give the tree extra care.

Sometimes extra attention can help provide the right conditions for growth. Maybe there are insects that are affecting the tree. Or maybe the tree isn’t getting enough water. That extra attention can make the difference. This is true in our own lives. It is good to have someone in our life that is making sure that we are doing the things we need to do to grow. It is important to have someone checking up on us and loving us so that we might be all that God has created us to be.

b. God’s slowness to punish- NEWS STORY (FROM WAYODD.COM), “Man fakes kidnapping.” In an attempt to keep his wife from finding

out that he damaged her new car, a San Rafael, California man allegedly faked his own kidnapping. Jorge Alberto Mejia told police that he was held by two kidnappers at gunpoint at a San Rafael bar Saturday. Mejia, 35, said the kidnappers ordered him to drive to Santa Rosa, California and in the midst of the drive he purposely crashed the car into a wall to escape. However, during interrogation Mejia admitted to investigators he cooked up the story and there was no such kidnapping.

OR HOW ABOUT THIS STORY- A local woman is seeking financial help

from Abington Town Hall to pay her dentist's bill after she broke a tooth on a Tootsie Roll she took from a candy jar in the town clerk's office. The incident took place last month when Joanne Harding went to the town clerk's office in Abington Town Hall to get a license for her dog. Harding, who now wants the town to help pay her $4,000-$5,000 dental bill, told the Patriot Ledger of Quincy, "I took the candy, so it's partially my fault."/ Sometimes we don’t like to admit our mistakes. Other times we want to avoid punishment. The good news is that God is actually slow to punish. That is one of the big messages from the parable of the fig tree. This does not mean that God does not approve of what sinners do. It means that to the end, God is merciful.

This is a parable of second chance. A fig-tree usually takes 3 years to come to maturity and bear fruit. If it is not bearing fruit by this time it is not likely to bear fruit at all. But this tree was given another chance. Jesus wants us to know that He gives us chance after chance. If we struggle, if we stumble, if we fail, if we stray, there is still another chance.

Going back to my son’s baseball team. Last Saturday we had our first game. We played one of the better teams in the league. Up till this game we had only practiced. We had practiced a lot. The team played well and we were leading in the fifth inning 1-0. But in the fifth we made 2 errors and gave up 4 runs. In the end we lost 4-2…. In sports, just because you lose you don’t give up on the team. You encourage them, and remind them what they need to do better next time.

Conclusion: I have counseled many people who grew up in homes where they didn’t get second chances. If they made a mistake, they were punished greatly for it. Consequently, they struggled in their life to have confidence, and it kept them from really being fully productive in their life. I want to tell you this morning, that God gives us another chance. That is what the doctrine of repentance and forgiveness are all about. God sent His Son to take on human flesh, and to die so that we might have another chance. So I want to encourage you in 2 ways: first, know that when you fail, when you sin, when you feel like you don’t measure up, God is there to forgive you and lead you on forward. But second, God gives us the means to bear fruit if we would let ourselves be nourished, encouraged, and cared for by those around us. Let us make the commitment to receive this second chance today, and bring glory to God by repenting, and then seeking to glorify Him. Amen.