“How Do You Appear?”

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Fourth Sunday of Lent: 3/2/08

Introduction: You are probably familiar with the Winnie the Pooh series. There are 2 characters I want to talk about for a moment. The characters are Tigger and Eeyore. Tigger is a tiger who is full of energy. Tigger is outgoing, cheerful, and confident in himself. He is always bouncing around. He is playful. On the other hand, you have Eeyore. Eeyore is a donkey. Eeyore always walks around with his head hanging down. He always seems to be depressed. He has a negative view of everything.

As we continue in the Lenten season, I want to talk about how we appear. Do we appear as a Tigger, or an Eeyore? Now in one sense this can be misleading, because we can be depressed inside, and yet appear cheerful on the outside. If someone asks you, “How are you doing?” you usually don’t tell them the truth, you fib a little, and say you are “fine.” We put on a façade of how we want people to see us. We usually don’t want our true self to be seen. But we can only fool people for so long, because in time, how we truly feel inside will come out on the outside.

The other side of this is how God sees us.

I. How we try to appear- (Romans 12:1-2)

a. The pressure we feel- First, let’s talk about how we try to appear.

We are a generation that is so concerned with our appearance, that we are constantly buying weight loss books, or how to look good books. Most people are very concerned with how they appear.

In 2008, Fitness magazine did a poll about what drastic steps women would be willing to do to hit their “ideal” weight. Nearly a quarter (23%) would spend a week in jail; 23% would shave their head; 22% would wear a bikini on TV; and 21% would trade 10 years of life. Most of these women polled, (85%), would rather have an extra toe than 50 extra pounds. Why is this? Because we want to have a good appearance, and we are a society that preaches you have to be thin to look good.

On top of that, the clothes we wear are important also. Last week I came across a quote which says: “The clothes we wear are the first image we offer. Sloppy or flashy clothing, the wrong colors or the wrong combination can project a negative image to the outside world. I’ve noticed that people treat me differently depending on how I dress.”

This quote reminds us that people judge us more positively if we dress well, and if we are not overweight. EX. I know that when I dress up, and wear a tie, I am looked at differently than when I am dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Sometimes when I make a hospital visit and I am wearing a tie, people have looked at me at times like I’m a doctor. What this teaches us is that our appearance is important for acceptance, and sometimes even for love. Because of this, we stress out about putting forth an image that is good, regardless of how we feel inside. (We’ll talk more later about how what we feel inside about ourselves affects our outer appearance).

So we need to ask ourselves: “Why is it so important to appear like I am doing well? Why do I care so much about what others think?” These are interesting questions, because most of the people we try to impress, are people we don’t even know that well. And is it really that important to have others approve of us solely on how we look and how we dress?

b. Overcoming the pressure- In doing this, we are really trying to

conform to a prescribed agenda by society. We are allowing the world to tell us how we need to look, and how we need to dress. It is easy to get caught up in this. But the Bible warns us against this in Romans 12:1-2, ^"1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. ²Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

We need to understand that it really is a changing of perspective, a “renewing of our mind” in how we think, that will help us to move past this desire to be accepted by others. We have to get to that place where we stop believing what the media is trying to portray to us about appearance.

ARTICLE: “Are Size Zero Models Too Thin for the Catwalk,” by Karen Kay

As top Uruguayan model Luisel Ramos floated down the catwalk last month to rapturous applause from fashion mavens and front-row celebrities, she thought she’d reached a new career high. The already skinny 22-year-old had been informed by her model agency that she could "make it big" if she lost a significant amount of weight. So, for three months she ate nothing but salads and greens and drank only Diet Coke in an attempt to reach the elusive ‘size zero’, so coveted by the fashion world today. Minutes after stepping off the catwalk, after complaining she felt unwell, Luisel dropped dead from heart failure. The ultimate fashion victim.

Today, as London Fashion Week kicks off, the size zero model debate has reached epic proportions. The question on everyone’s lips is not what the new skirt length will be for the coming season, but what the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the model wearing it will be. This is calculated by taking your weight in kilograms and dividing it by your height in meters squared. A BMI of 18.5 or below is classed as underweight by the World Health Organization. Sparked by a ban at the recent Madrid catwalk shows, on girls with a BMI below 18, the Mayor of Milan is calling for a similar ban at the upcoming shows in his country. Letizia Moratti is urging the fashion industry to change its stance on using "sick-looking" models, and asks the movers and shakers within it to promote a healthier body image to young Italian women. It’s a move that one might have thought would be welcomed in the UK, following recent reports that anorexia and eating disorders among British women have reached shocking levels, with one in 100 women suffering from them.

Maybe this new philosophy in the modeling world will start to translate to the rest of society. Maybe we will see the world starting to realize that you don’t have to be a certain “weight” to appear beautiful. Maybe we will start to realize that the outer appearance is not all that we should be concerned with. Maybe we will realize that we have been created for more than just our looks. Maybe we will be able to have a greater perspective about what is important in life.

II. How God sees us- (Psalm 139:14; 1 Samuel 16:1-13)

a. God does not look at the outer appearance- There is only one you,

and there is only one me. We have to understand that we are a creation of God. As Psalm 139:14 reminds us: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” We are a wonderful work of God. And we have to understand that this goes beyond our appearance.

God has created you just as he wanted you. Do you believe that? If you don’t believe that, it is because you are comparing yourself to something that is not real. Maybe you are comparing yourself to others who are thought to be better looking. Or maybe you are comparing yourself to others who are thought to be more talented. Or maybe you are comparing yourself to others who seem to have more.

Our lesson this morning from the book of 1 Samuel is a good lesson. In this text, we see that God is calling Samuel to go and choose a new king. So Samuel goes to Bethlehem, in order to choose this king. Jesse and his sons were invited to the gathering, where Samuel was sacrificing a heifer so that God would be with them. As Samuel begins to look at Jesse’s sons, he is impressed by their appearance.

Let’s again read 1 Samuel 16:6-10 to see what takes place:

“When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD.’ ⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’ ⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, ‘The LORD has not chosen this one either.’ ⁹ Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, ‘Nor has the LORD chosen this one.’ ¹⁰ Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, ‘The LORD has not chosen these.’”

Up to this point, Samuel has thought that each of Jesse’s son had the appearance of a king. But God was teaching Samuel that a good king is not to be based on his appearance. As we are told in verse 7, God is more concerned about a person’s heart. I hope that this surprises you as it surprised Samuel. God is not concerned with our outer appearance. Now this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep ourselves in good health. We need to take care of our bodies and look the best that we can. But it does mean that we should not do this to the detriment of our heart and our faith.

So ultimately, David is brought before Samuel. David is a sheep herder; David is rough looking (probably from being outside all the time); David is young. David does not look like a king. But God’s message to Samuel is clear: “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.”

b. How we feel inside affects our outer appearance- This passage

should speak loudly to you and me. What we should gather from this is that what is in our heart is what God is most concerned with. What God is telling us, is that when our faith is right, and our heart is right, then we will be who God is calling us to be.

But people don’t believe this. Too often people try to change the way they look. Maybe they get a nose job; or maybe they get botox; or maybe they get breast implants; or maybe they get a chin implant; or maybe they get a facelift. I could go on and on. Doctors make a lot of money on people’s insecurity. Why? Because we are too caught up with looking a certain way.

If we were as concerned about our inner beauty as our outer beauty, then we wouldn’t have problems. I say this, because if we can have the right inner beauty, then our outer beauty will take care of itself. That is because how we feel on the inside will affect how we look on the outside. Often times we fail to take care of our appearance, because we are feeling negative and don’t think it will do any good. I love the saying: “The best thing you can do to improve your appearance is SMILEJ.”

Think back to Tigger and Eeyore. When you watch the show, Tigger makes you laugh, and smile, and have fun. Eeyore, however, brings you down, and saps your joy./ I don’t care how cute a donkey Eeyore could be, his negativity would cause him to not look so cute. And this is true for you and me. It is not fun to be around someone who is negative. Negative people will bring you down. Negative people will sap your strength. Negative people will keep you from dreaming.

1 Samuel 16:13 says: “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power…” Here we see David being anointed with oil and set apart to be king. There was joyous celebration, and the Holy Spirit came upon David. When we accept our calling from God, God will anoint us with the Holy Spirit. But if we are negative, we will not be in a place to access this power.

What we feel on the inside affects our appearance and our productivity.

Initially, we may be drawn to people who are good looking and dress well, but if they are people who are hurtful, or snobbish, or negative, then it doesn’t take long to decide that I don’t want to be around them. Their inner ugliness causes them to be seen as no longer being beautiful. It is then that we start to understand that what is going on with our heart is what is most important.

As the saying goes: “If your heart is cold, my fire cannot warm it.”

Conclusion: Our world is messed up in many ways, but one of the biggest is the way that people are judged. We shouldn’t be judging people to start with, but we do, and more often than not, it is based on the way we look. Consequently, we are more concerned with our outer appearance, than our inner appearance. We are more concerned with outer beauty, than with inner beauty. And this leads so many people to become superficial and self-centered.

There is no joy in a world that is superficial and self-centered. This is not how God created us to be, and this is not what God cares about. God gave us our body to love, and bless, and worship, and to help others. God didn’t give us this body so that we could be analyzed and criticized ostracized.

How is your heart? Is it cold, or loving? Is it faithful, or faithless? Is it committed to the Lord? If so, then you are the most beautiful person in the world to God. As Galatians 1:10 tells us, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” If your heart is right, you will please God. And if you are trying to please God, then everything else will fall into place. Amen.

"Water From A Rock"

Third Sunday of Lent; 2/24/08

Exodus 17:1-7; Romans 5:1-11

Introduction: I don’t know if you’ve thought much about the basics of what you need, but at the core is really our need for food, water, shelter, companionship, and love. There are many other things we think we need in life. But most of what we have in our lives we can do without. But we cannot do without food. We can’t do without water. Without shelter, we will probably subject ourselves to sickness. And God created us to be in relationship; and so we need to have companionship and love in our lives.

As I talk about relationship, I am talking about primarily our relationship with God, and secondarily our relationship with each other. And yet so often in our world, people are excluding themselves from one or both of these relationships. Why is that? It’s usually because we get to that place where we don’t think that we need God in our lives; we don’t think that we need people in our lives.

This morning, I want to look at why we truly need God.

I. In Difficult Circumstances- (Exodus 17:1-7)

a. Why do you quarrel? ILLUS. One of the wonderful Disney

animated movies is “Beauty and the Beast.” The movie is about a girl, named Belle, who is dissatisfied with life in a small provincial French town. She is beautiful, and has many suitors, but is not interested in any of them. One day her father goes into the forest, and takes a wrong turn, causing him to become prisoner of the one they call “The Beast.” The Beast is a prince who was placed under a spell because he could not love. The one way he could break the spell was to learn to love another and earn her love in return before the last petal from his enchanted rose fell, which would bloom until his twenty-first birthday. But who could ever learn to love a beast, especially now that he looks so hideous?

Belle finds out about her father being a prisoner, and goes to save him. She meets the beast, and attempts to free her father. The Beast will allow her father’s release only if Belle remains in the castle forever. They both agree, and her father goes free. In the beginning Belle views him as nothing more than a monster, and The Beast views her as difficult and stubborn. But the two soon taste the bitter-sweetness of finding you can change, and learning you were wrong to judge people so quickly.

I mention this story, because when people saw The Beast, they thought he looked so mean. And because of this, he acted so mean. But the truth is, we often look good on the outside, but have a mean-ness inside of us. WE ALL HAVE A DARK SIDE TO US! If pushed the wrong way, if taken to our limit, we can behave in a beastly manner.

This is what we see happening in Exodus 17. The people have been traveling around the wilderness for some time. They get to the point where they don’t have any water. This is serious, since you need water to survive. So they begin to quarrel with Moses. Here they have a man, Moses, who has been their leader, and through the Lord, provided everything they need. But whenever there is a problem, Moses gets blamed.

Here we read in Exodus 17:2-3, “So they quarreled with Moses and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ Moses replied, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?’ ³ But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?’” Here Moses sees the dark side of the people.

b. Why do you test the Lord? Along with their quarreling, they are

also putting God to the test. Moses calls them on this. Again, he says: “Why do you put the Lord to the test?” Moses says this to them, because up to this point, God has provided for them in meaningful and powerful ways. Let’s make a list of these ways:

1. God sent Moses to stand up to the Pharaoh for the release of the Israelites.

2. When Pharaoh didn’t relent, God sent, through Moses, plagues to cause Pharaoh to understand that his position was not a strong one. Pharaoh still did not relent, until his son was killed by the plague of death. In his despair, he agreed to let the Israelites go free.

3. God guided the Israelites with a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.

4. When it seemed they were trapped at the Red Sea, and Pharaoh and his army were coming up behind them, God, through Moses, parted the Red Sea, and they crossed over safely.

5. At Marah, the water there was bitter, and they could not drink it. The Lord had Moses through in a piece of wood, and by throwing it in, the water became sweet.

6. When they needed food to eat, God provided Manna, or the bread of heaven, to fall from the sky.

So we see that time and time again God provided for His people. And yet when they had no water, instead of trusting that God would again provide, they quarreled with Moses and with God. They showed a lack of faith and thankfulness. They are in essence challenging God to again show them that He is real. And along with that, they are accusing Moses and God of bringing them out of Egypt for the purpose of murdering them: (Hear again verse 3)- “But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

c. Is the Lord among us? The truth is, they were questioning

whether or not God was real. As they stated in verse 7: “.. ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’” Either they weren’t sure if God’s presence was ever with them, or they were beginning to doubt it now. Maybe some of them were doubting whether this God of Moses was real at all. And if He was real, did He have the power to save them.

It is kind of like the saying, “What have you done for me lately.”

Moses, to them, was looking like an imposter; maybe a trickster. Maybe everything that he had done up to this point was trickery. Where was this land of milk and honey that they were supposed to be going to? Up to this point, they had been chased, drunk bitter water, and eaten manna day after day after day. If God were really as present and powerful as Moses said He was, then why weren’t they getting more? These so called miracles weren’t really making their lives any better. They were suffering more now than they had back in Egypt. At least in Egypt they had houses, and food, and jobs.

The good news, is that God understands our denseness. God knows we can miss or overlook the signs. God knows we have a short memory. That is why He gave the Israelites so many signs, and why He gives us so many. That is why the signs are so diverse. Because when the signs come in different forms, we might begin to understand.

So Moses strikes a rock with his staff, and water pours forth./ But God decides to bring another challenge to them, so that God could show His presence in another way. If we were to read further in Exodus 17, we would see that in verse 8 the Israelites come upon another challenge. They are attacked by the Amalekites. In one sense, you could see this as a product of their being in the desert and being vulnerable. But if you think about the circumstances, I believe this is God giving them an opportunity to unify together, and see that they have a purpose. It also will help them to trust God and Moses again. So Moses has Joshua gather some strong men together, and they go out and fight Amalek and his people. Up on the hill they see Moses with his staff, and whenever his staff is raised, the Israelites are victorious. As Moses’ arms get tired, Aaron and Hur help him keep his arms up. In the end, the Israelites defeat the Amalekites. This becomes another sign of God’s presence.

II. Access to the Grace of God- (Romans 3:24-26, 5:1-11; Psalm 32:1-4)

When we come to this question “Is God really with us,” we see that this is

answered in the New Testament in a way that is very real. The question is answered with God coming in the flesh, and dwelling among us. But even more, it is answered by Jesus, the Son of God, going to the cross to die for our sins.

a. Justified by faith- Because of Jesus’ death, the apostle Paul tells us

in Romans 5 that we are justified by the faith we place in Jesus Christ. Going back in the book of Romans, 3:24-26, we read: “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

The word “justified” means to be declared righteous. This is God’s merciful act to all those who put their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is more than having our sins forgiven. It is even more than having our sins removed and forgotten. It is having God look at us as being right and pure again.

Imagine a courtroom….the judge comes out, sits down, and then looks at you. He then asks you: “Chris, have you loved Me with all your heart?” Knowing that there are times when I haven’t, I answer: “No, your honor.” Then he asks: “Chris, Have you loved others as you have loved yourself?” Knowing that I am prone to be selfish, I answer: “No, your honor.” Finally, he asks: “Chris, do you believe you are a sinner and that Jesus Christ died for your sins?” I stand up a little straighter, as I am able to answer: “Yes, your honor.” He pounds the gavel and states: “Then your penalty has been paid by Jesus Christ on the cross and you are pardoned. Because Christ is righteous, and you believe in Christ, I now declare you legally righteous.” (from Growing Deep in the Christian Life, by Chuck Swindoll, p.239)

Being justified is receiving pardon from our sins, AND the righteousness of Christ.

b. Peace with God- Paul goes on to say that along with being

justified, we have peace with God. There is nothing that can disturb our peace with God, or with another person, than that of being in conflict with them. We probably have all had a situation (or maybe even more than one), where we have done something wrong against another. Because of this, the relationship is not right. Maybe they aren’t talking to you. They don’t return your phone calls or your e-mails. And in these times, it is difficult to have peace in your life.

The sin that is in our lives can do this to us all the time. In our sin, we feel guilt. That guilt weighs on us, and causes us to not feel close to God. As Psalm 32:1-4 tells us: “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

² Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. ³ When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. ⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.” This weight can actually create a kind of fog around our heart. This fog disorients our life. It makes it hard to see the road we are supposed to travel on.

And when we are in this fog, we don’t have peace with God, and therefore we don’t have peace in our lives. And this lack of peace is not ours alone. Look around in the world, how many hearts do you see that are lacking peace? Maybe it is because they have been dishonest, or unfaithful, or overly selfish.

But if and when we understand that as we are justified by our faith, and made right with God again, we then can have peace restored in our relationship with God. This peace comes from understanding that we have access to the grace of God. The grace of God of course is the truth that God has given us His unmerited favor. It is what God does for humankind, which we do not deserve, which we cannot earn, and which we will never be able to repay.

Think about Humpty Dumpty for a moment; you remember the rhyme:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men,

couldn’t put humpty together again.

I came across a poem that used this idea, that shows God’s grace. It goes like this:

Jesus Christ came to our wall, Jesus Christ died for our fall.

So that regardless of death and in spite of sin,

Through grace, He might put us together again.

c. God’s love poured out- Even though the question that the

Israelites brought up to Moses (“Is the Lord among us or not?), even though that question is not brought up here in Romans 5, we see that Paul answers this question by telling us that God’s love is poured out to us.

If God were not among us, He would not have come in the flesh. If God were not among us, He would not have died for us. If God were not among us, He would not have justified us, or given us access to His grace, or given us the hope we have. God has done all this to show us the full extent of His love.

THERE IS A STORY of a young woman who is in her eighth month of pregnancy. She comes to her mother’s house one day, plops down on the couch, and says: “I don’t think I can do this.” Her mother, in her wisdom, grabs a photo album, and sits down by her daughter. The mother begins to show her daughter pictures of herself; pictures of when she first crawled; pictures of her at her birthday parties; her first day of school; and on and on they look at the pictures. As the daughter looks at these pictures, she begins to think of having her own child; the joy, the laughter, the love. And in this understanding, she is given a new resolve to finish the task.

Jesus, Himself went through this struggle. It was in the garden of Gethsemane. He knew that He was going to be crucified. He didn’t know if He could do it. He cried out to His Father to take this cup from Him. I wonder if God showed Jesus a picture album; showed Him pictures of how everyone would be lost without Jesus doing this. Maybe the Father showed Jesus the kind of life everyone could have if Jesus did finish the task and go to the cross. And in this understanding, Jesus was given new resolve to finish the task. Finish the task of showing God’s love!

That is why Paul wanted us to understand that when we go through struggle, the Lord is still with us. As Paul says in Romans 5:3-5, “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” God saves us from the wrath of sin, but in the midst of the turmoil of life, the Lord is with us then as well; with us to bring us greater character and love.

Conclusion: When is it that you doubt God? Let’s be honest, we all have our moments. For some, these moments may be fleeting. For others, these moments may last weeks or months. But like the Israelites, we doubt that God is with us. We may even doubt that God cares. We may think that God has abandoned us, or that maybe God wants us to suffer.

But none of this is true. And the way to overcome this, is to understand that Jesus came so that He might demonstrate to us His presence, His power, and His love. As Paul says: “For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” Even when we were lost in our sin, God still died for so that we might be made right with God. This shows that God is forever concerned about us, and the Lord is indeed with us. May we seek to show God our appreciation and trust as we continue our journey this Lenten season. Amen.

"I Will Bless You"

Second Sunday of Lent; 2/17/08

Genesis 12:1-4a; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

Introduction: Have you ever had to make a tough decision? Maybe it was a decision to get married, or not; maybe it was a decision to a take a new job, or not; maybe it was a decision to move, or not; maybe it was a decision to end a relationship. There are many situations that come up in life which cause us to have to make tough decisions. The best criteria to use in making this decision, is to seek the Lord.

But what if it is the Lord that is calling you to make this tough decision? What if God’s call on your life is that tough decision? This morning, we see in our Genesis text that Abram is given a call from God. This call is a tough decision, because Abram is being asked by God to leave his country, and his family, and go on a journey. But Abram doesn’t know where this journey will ultimately take him. For Abram to make this tough decision, he is going to have to really trust God.

I. The Call- (Genesis 12:1)

Let us read the call again in Genesis 12:1- “Now the Lord said to

Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.’” We see that there are 3 parts to this call: the call to go; the call to go from the country where Abram lived, and the call to go where God would show Abram. In essence, it was a blind call. Abram would not know where he was going until, and when, God showed him.

a. Go- There is a trust test that you have probably seen, where you have to

stand with your back to a person, and then you are to fall backwards, trusting that they will catch you. The other day I was doing this with my daughter, and she had trouble letting herself go, believing that I would catch her. My own daughter doubted whether or not I would catch her! For many people, it is difficult to just trust and fall backwards. You have to really believe in the person who is catching you.

So if this is the case, how much more would it take for Abram to trust God in what he was being called to do. In essence, when God says, “go,” it was something God expected Abram to do right away. The call isn’t in six months, but now. The call demands action on Abram’s part. God wasn’t saying to Abram: “I have an idea I want to run by you. Think about this for a while and let me know if you want to do it.” NO, God was not giving Abram the option to think on it. God wanted Abram to make an immediate decision of obedience, and follow.

As God calls Abram, so God calls you and me. We have to be listening to this call. But when we hear it, because it is from God, it is not something that should be kicked around, but something we need to move forward in right away.

b. From your country- So Abram was being called to “go.” But where was

he to go? They had an idea of the direction (later in Genesis 12 we are told they are heading to the land of Canaan), but there is not a distinct destination. Abram is just told to leave his country. I’m sure that God had a destination in mind, but at the time God believed it was better for Abram not to know.

So Abram was to leave his country. Why? Because God was going to establish a people for himself, with Abram as the father of the nation. I believe that God saw in Abram someone who was not happy with the world the way it was. Abram was a person who had great faith. Abram was one who would give his life in service to God. Now we know from reading the book of Genesis that Abram left a lot to be desired in his actions. But it was this faith that God saw in Abram that led God to choose Abram. And so God chose Abram to be the one to establish the place where God’s people would reside.

Can you step out in faith like Abram? Can you leave something comfortable and secure to do God’s will? God doesn’t always ask us to do this, but there are definite times in our lives, when we are called to step out of our comfort zone for the sake of fulfilling what God desires to do in and through us.

c. I will show you- The call is finished with the words “that I will show you.”

With these words God is telling Abram that he isn’t leaving him out to dry. God does have a plan; God does have a destination. When the time is right, God will reveal to Abram all that he needs to know.

EX. If you are like me, you have learned a few tricks in your day. It is fun to do the trick for your friends, and if you do it well, they are amazed. But when they find out how the trick is done, they lose interest in the trick. The other day I was watching a television show about the secrets of magicians revealed. It focused on a street magician. First, they would show the magician doing the trick in front of a crowd. The crowd would be amazed. Then, away from the crowd, they would show how the magic trick was pulled off.

It was interesting, for me, how once I knew how the trick was done, it lost its enjoyment. There is a sense of not knowing, that helps bring excitement and wonder to our lives and our journey. For God to reveal all the details to us, too soon, can affect our enjoyment of life. It could also cause us to feel fear or anxiety, which also could derail us from our journey. Like Abram, we need to be willing to move forward, without knowing exactly where we are going, accepting that God knows the ultimate destination, and God has a plan!

II. The Blessing- (Genesis 12:1-4a)

Along with the call, God gives a promise to Abram that he will be blessed.

The Hebrew word is “barak,” and means “to do or give something of value to another. God "blesses" us by providing for our needs and we in turn "bless" God by giving him of ourselves as his servants.” In this case, however, God isn’t blessing Abram with something he needs, but with something the people need.

a. A great nation- First, the blessing will be that God will make for,

and through, Abram a great nation. Because of Abram’s role, Abram will be blessed to be the father of this great nation. While Abram will be leaving his family, and his people, God will create a new people for Abram of which Abram will be the head. If you think of it in terms of gardening, Abram is being cut off of a wild olive branch, to become the root of a good olive tree.

But there was a burden for Abram, in that this nation was to come from him, and at age 75 he and his wife didn’t have any kids. How was God going to make a great nation from him? This was the second step of Abram trusting in God’s plan. The first was to leave his country. The second was to trust that God would provide for him an heir.

But let’s ask ourselves an important question here: WHAT MAKES A NATION GREAT? God said that He would make for Abram a great nation. But what makes a nation great? Many people? Great wealth? Lots of land? The fact that they are powerful? Throughout history, often times the great nations are seen as those who are the most powerful and have great wealth. Their goal has always been to dominate those around them and to seize more land…. But this is not what God is talking about here. For God, what makes a nation great is the presence of faith and trust in God, and a caring heart for those around them. For God, a great nation is one that cares for its people, and governs in fairness and good judgment.

As God looked at the world of Abram, He did not see any nations that were great. And since God promised to Noah that He would not destroy the world again by flood, God decided to set up a new nation that would be great as people who sought after and followed God as their Lord and King.

If we were to make it applicable to us, we would need to ask the question: WHAT MAKES A CHURCH GREAT? And a similar answer would come: a great church is one where there is great faith and trust in God, and a caring heart for those around them. I believe if and when we follow God’s call, God will bless us in this way.

b. Make your name known- The second way that God was to bless

Abram was to make his name known. Now there are a lot of ways to make your name known: President George Bush, Ghengis Khan, Jack the Ripper, Mohammed Ali, Mother Theresa, are all names that are well known. But they are known for different things. Some are known for doing terrible or illegal acts. Others are known for their prominence or place in society. And still others are known for their deeds.

God was going to make Abram’s name known, but for the purpose of being a blessing. This is an important qualification. God isn’t making Abram’s name known so that he can be popular, or gain wealth, or to control others. God is making his name known for the important purpose of blessing the lives of other people.

Sometimes when you are well known, you can have more opportunity to make an impact. EX. In 2002, ex-President Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." Just in the last two and a half decades, he has traveled around the globe monitoring elections, promoting human rights, and providing health care and food to the world's poor. Because of his being an ex-president, he has a name that is known, and that allows him to bless others.

As Abram lives his life, God will bless others through him, so that they will want to be like Abram and bless others in a similar way.

Illus. Have a pitcher of water. Pour water from one pitcher to the other. As I do this talk about how the water in the first pitcher is the blessings God has poured into us (often times through the lives of others). We are then to let these blessings pour out from us so that others will be blessed! The people we can best do this with is those to whom we are well known.

III. How is blessing received?- (James 2:14-18; Matt. 7:21; Rom. 4:1-5, 13-17)

a. Works vs. faith- There is an age old battle that argues between the

virtue of faith, and that of works. Many will say that faith is most important, because that is by what we are saved. But others will say that works is more important, because that is where the difference is made. In fact, this argument comes up in the New Testament, in the book of James, chapter 2:14-18, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. ¹⁸But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”

We see here the argument that if you have faith, but it doesn’t manifest itself into action, then your faith is dead. It is your works that shows the faith you have. While this is true to an extent, we cannot forget that true faith will always manifest itself in action. That is why Jesus says in Matthew 7:21- “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Thinking that you have faith is not what gets you into heaven. If someone really has faith, then their faith will manifest itself into action; into doing the will of God. Just because someone says they have faith doesn’t mean that they really do! Faith is more than saying the words. It is like my saying to Tyler or Tiffany that I love them, but I never go to anything they do. My words are empty and meaningless.

b. Abram is righteous by faith. In Romans 4 we are told by the

apostle Paul that Abram, who becomes known as Abraham, has great faith. This faith is seen in his works; he left his family and country, and he was obedient to God. But it isn’t his works that make him great; it isn’t his works that make him righteous. IT IS HIS FAITH. As Romans 4:2-3 says, “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. ³ What does Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

As Paul says, it isn’t about anything that Abraham has done, because that would give him reason to boast in himself, and give him an excuse to not trust God. On the contrary, he cannot boast about his faith, but through his faith he will be inclined to boast about God.

To show this all the more, we turn to Romans 4:13, “It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.” The promise came to Abraham in faith, not by his works. His works were a by-product of his faith. And because of his faith, he trusted that God would give him an heir; which God did.

And then this promise is extended, as we see in Romans 4:16, “Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.” We, by faith, are Abraham’s offspring, and as his offspring, we receive the promise of blessing as well!

This promise is the promise of God. As God has promised Abraham a blessing, so we too have this promise of blessing coming to us. And because this promise is received through faith, all who have faith in God will receive this blessing. And as God blesses us, we are called to pass it on and bless others. Our blessing will not be the same as Abraham. But our blessing will be a result of hearing God’s call to us, and by faith living it out. In this faith, we will be blessed to be a blessing.

Conclusion: One of the great challenges of life is to know what God is calling you to do. But if you search your heart and mind, you know that time and time again there are things you feel led to do. Maybe it is being a big brother or sister, maybe it is serving on a counseling hotline, maybe it is helping at a food shelter. Whatever it is, it is there in your heart and mind. God has put the call there. You just need to search inside yourself and let God bring it to the forefront.

Abram was asked to give up a lot to follow God. That is part of the challenge of this world. We accumulate so much. We desire to own and possess. It is hard to give up what we desire. And when we hold on to these, we will not be able to follow God fully and serve God as He calls. One of the aspects of Lent, is giving up so that we can follow God. I challenge you this morning to think what it is you need to give up, so that you can obey God’s call to “go” to that place He will show you. Amen.

"It Is Not Good To Be Alone"

First Sunday of Lent- 2/10/08

Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-19

Introduction: Relationships. Marriage. Partnership. These are all words that remind us of how we were created. Even before God created people, we need to understand that God was a partnership; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That is why when you read Genesis, chapter 1, you see that God is referred to in plural terms : Genesis 1:26- “Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…” God is in relationship with Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And when we were created, we were created in God’s likeness, in God’s image, to be in relationship with others.

This morning, as we start the Lenten season, I want to talk about how it is not good to be alone. And let me tell you that even though we often think of partnership as “being married,” I want us to understand it more as the need we have to allow others to be a part of our lives. And yet, when sin entered the world, it destroyed a part of this ability to be in relationship with others.

I. The Fall- (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7)

a. The command- As we come to this part of the book of Genesis, we

see that God has created all things on the earth. He has created the earth itself, the water, the sky, the dry land, trees and plants that bear fruit, birds and animals, the fish in the sea. And even before Eve exists, God comes and gives Adam a command. Let’s hear it again… Genesis 2:16-17, “And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”/ The command is clear, do not eat from the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Now before we analyze this command, let’s first notice that God has given Adam so much; God has provided Adam with everything he could possibly want or need. God has given Adam command over all things. Adam is free to eat from all the trees of the garden, except one. ISN’T IT INTERESTING, that in life, we have so much that we can participate in, and experience, but we tend to want to try out those things that are forbidden? There is something about being told you can’t do something, that makes you want to do it all the more.

God, up to this point, is seen as the caregiver, creator, and benefactor. The only thing that Adam lacks is a partner. And if we were to read the end of chapter 2, we see that God gives Adam a partner. This partner comes from Adam himself; flesh of his flesh. She is to share all things with Adam, and this partner, Eve, is to have the same limitation: do not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

b. The reason for the command- And yet we look at this command,

and wonder: Why would God even put the tree there in the first place?” I mean, the command wouldn’t even need to be given, if the tree didn’t exist. Why would God put something so dangerous in a place that was so accessible? Because God did say that if Adam ate from the tree, he would surely die. Does this mean that it was a poisonous tree? One bite and you would fall down dead? Looking back, we know that is not the case, but did Adam know what God meant?

And if this tree was the tree of “knowledge of good and evil,” why would God want to hold back knowledge from His creation? If we are made in the image of God, why didn’t God want us to have all the knowledge He has? These are good questions, and we will see in a moment they are the kinds of questions the serpent himself uses against Eve.

Question 1: Why would God put the tree there in the first place? To me, this is the most basic of questions. As I said before, without this tree, there is no danger and there is no temptation to do wrong. But by putting the tree there, and giving the command, God is letting Adam know that God has authority over man. God is not only the creator and provider, He is also the ruler and lawgiver. God knows that people need to have rules and laws and governing. And while Adam and Eve were to care for all things on the earth, to be the authority on the earth, God was their authority. God was the one to whom they would turn for help and guidance.

You see, at first there were only 2, but soon there would be more and more people. If the chain of command wasn’t established right away, it would easily be forgotten. On top of that, the more people that exist, the more complicated life gets. Adam and Eve needed to learn how to follow rules, so that they could pass that ability and understanding on to their children, and others after them.

Question 2: What kind of death? Since we have the ability to look back on the event, we can see that God wasn’t talking about immediate physical death. What God was talking about, was death from his innocence. To eat of the tree would mean that Adam would know about evil. But even more, it did mean physical death. Again, not immediately, but the ultimate consequence would be physical death, because in the garden, there was also the tree of life. To eat of this tree was to have life. But once sin came into the world, God didn’t want His people to live forever in sin, and so that is why God ultimately banned people from the garden of Eden, so that they wouldn’t have access to the tree of life.

Question 3: Why didn’t God want us to have this knowledge? Let me answer this by way of an illustration. ILLUS. As a parent, one of my jobs is to help my children understand about life. But there are some things I don’t want them to be exposed to. Even though these things exist in the world (rape, incest, murder, torture, etc…), I don’t want my kids to be exposed to it. And yet, at some point, they will find out about most, if not all of this. So it is my job to help them know and understand. But there is a right time for this. And yet, if we had the choice, we would prefer that these things didn’t exist, and that our children wouldn’t have to know about them. GOD DIDN’T WANT US TO KNOW ABOUT EVIL. EVEN THOUGH SATAN EXISTED, AND THROUGH SATAN EVIL EXISTED, God wanted Adam and Eve to be shielded from it.

c. The command broken- I’m not sure if this is true, but I

wonder if Adam and Eve would have disobeyed God’s command without some help? We think it would have happened, because we are always breaking the rules. But what about pre-sin? Would they be prone to disobey before sin existed? Well, the question is a moot point, because they had help.

We see this help in Genesis, chapter 3. The serpent comes along and wants to help Eve disobey God. But he doesn’t just come out and say to Eve: “Eve, why don’t you just eat of the fruit and disobey God?” That would be too easy for Eve to notice the evil intentions of the serpent. So he does it more deceptively. Verse one starts out by telling us that the serpent was more crafty than any other.

The whole point of the serpent’s plan was to confuse Eve, and cause her to doubt. The serpent starts out: “Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?” He probably said it with a tone of amazement and harsh critique of God, because it causes Eve to start out with a confused answer. But he also uses the phrase “any tree.” This, of course is contrary to what God said, because it wasn’t “any” tree, but only the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve responds: “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, ³ but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'” You see, she adds to God’s command. God simply said not to eat of it. Eve adds that they couldn’t even touch it; which makes God sound even more harsh!

With Eve seeming a little confused, the serpent goes in for the kill: “You will

not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. ⁵ "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The serpent attacks God for being so limiting. In essence the serpent is saying: “You won’t die. God is just telling you this because He doesn’t want you to really be like Him, knowing good and evil. God is being selfish and unloving.”

And with this Eve eats of the fruit, and so does Adam, and sin comes into the world.

II. Restored in Christ- (Romans 5:12-19)

a. Sin came into the world- In this chapter, we see that sin comes into

the world through Adam. And because of this, death came to the world as well, just as God said it would. This of course was all because of Adam’s disobedience. God had set Himself up as the authority of all people, but Adam disobeyed this authority.

It is interesting to see that Adam is a counterpart, or type of Christ. As Adam is the father of all people, we will see that Christ is the head of the church. Adam is actually the only Old Testament character who is explicitly called a ‘type’ of Christ in the New Testament. This is because Christ will ultimately replace who Adam was to be for all people; the archetype of humanity. Because of his sin, Adam was not able to fulfill his calling of living out the full humanity that God designed. So Christ lives out this new humanity.

So, unfortunately, we share in the sin and death that was brought into the world by Adam. And because of this sin, there was need for more law. Thus we see the apostle Paul, talking here in Romans 5, about Moses, and the law of Moses. Sin came first, then the law. The law was to help govern us in right and wrong, since now we have knowledge of both good and evil.

And yet, this can be a little silly. Here are some laws you might not be aware of: Alabama…….• It is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle.
• It is illegal to impersonate a person of the clergy.

Alaska……• Kangaroos are not allowed in barber shops at any time.

• While it is legal to shoot bears, waking a sleeping bear for the

purpose of taking a photograph is prohibited.

Arizona….• Glendale: Cars may not be driven in reverse.

California….• Downey: It is illegal to wash your car in the street. (Passed 1995).

• In Los Angeles courts it is illegal to cry on the witness stand.

b. The free gift- But Paul goes on to talk about a free gift that we can

receive. Romans 5:15 tells us, “But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the free gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!” So we are subject to death because of the sin of Adam, but we receive grace from God. This grace is a gift that comes to us by Jesus Christ.

Now notice that it doesn’t say that the free gift is for all, but for the many. The trespass of Adam affects everyone of all humanity and for all time; but not the gift of Christ. We will talk in a minute what will determine who gets the gift and who doesn’t.

Paul denotes to us that what we received from Adam, was condemnation; judgment. What we receive from Christ is justification, or the reversal of judgment. Christ brings to us righteousness and life. So while our sin makes us unrighteous, Christ is able to impart to us His righteousness. This means that in Christ, when God the Father looks at us, we are seen as righteous. We are made right with God.

EX. Reality television is becoming more and more popular. And with these reality shows, shows that help people change their appearance are popular; shows like “The Biggest Loser,” and “Extreme Makeover.” In these shows, people have a major transformation of their appearance. And while having your physical appearance improve can be nice, what Paul is talking about here in Romans 5 is an improving of the inner appearance. Through Christ, we move from sinful to righteous.

c. Sin overcome- Paul then says in Romans 5:18, “Consequently, just

as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.” In Christ, our sin is overcome, and thus we move from death to life. And just like the act of eating the fruit wasn’t an immediate act of death, so the act of receiving this gift of Christ is not immediate eternal life, but will be experienced fully when we physically die. This gift can be experienced now, by receiving the righteousness of Christ, but will be experienced fully when we go to heaven.

Also, this justification brings us into a right relationship with God, through Christ. We are no longer separated from God, and alone. We have access to the Father, through the Son. We have a relationship and partnership with God.

A couple of months ago, I received a series of verses (shaped like a bell) that describes this wonderful new relationship. Let me list for you the change it makes in our lives because we have had our sin overcome by Christ. I won’t mention all the scripture passages that go with who we are in Christ, but if you want to know, I can give you a copy of this later.

THE BELL- I KNOW WHO I AM. I am God's child (John 1:12) I am Christ's friend (John 15:15) I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17) I am bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20) I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1) I am a personal witness of Christ (Acts 1:8) I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt.5:13-14) I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27) I am free forever from condemnation (Rom. 8: 1-2) I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil.3:20) I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31-34) I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor.5:17-21) I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18) I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm (Ephesians 2:6) I cannot be separated from the love of God(Rom.8:35-39) I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 C or.1:21-22) I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8: 28). I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16) I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13) I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5) I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10) I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). I have been justified (Romans 5:1) I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10). I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected (Phil 1: 5) I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col. 1:14). I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5) I belong to God. Do you know who you are!?

When we believe that Christ died for our sins (the dying of Christ of course is the culmination of Lent, on Easter Day), then we are part of “the many” who receive this free gift of grace. And part of this gift is that we can again be in relationship with others. Because of our sin, we so often are in conflict and at odds with others; we have trouble knowing how to be in relationship. With Christ in our lives, we learn how to love others, and forgive others, and overcome the conflict.

Conclusion: Adam wasn’t able to be obedient. And because of this, sin was passed on to all. It wasn’t until Christ came, and showed perfect obedience, which led to His dying on the cross, that we were made right again. Every day is a battle with your sinful nature. Those who have received Christ into their lives, can have victory in this battle. Those who haven’t received Christ, will fight a losing battle.

God did not create us to be alone. It is not good to be alone. God created us to be in relationship with others. But we won’t be able to do this well without the power and victory of Christ. Through Christ we can again have a wonderful relationship with God, and a wonderful relationship with other people. Through Christ, we can go through life with the joy that relationships bring. So I encourage you to use this Lenten season, to renew your relationship with God, through Christ, and let God bless your relationships. Amen.