“The Blueprint: God’s Plan”
Learning from Life Series
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Jeremiah, 29:11-13; Ephesians 2:8-10

Introduction: In the movie Pinocchio, Geppetto is a toy maker who has just made a little wooden puppet called Pinocchio, whom he loves dearly, so much so that he calls Pinocchio his ("Little Wooden Puppet"). One night before he goes to bed he sees a star, and decides to wish upon this star that Pinocchio would become a real boy. As Geppetto sleeps, the Blue Fairy arrives and grants the wish, partially; Pinocchio has come to life, but he must prove himself worthy before becoming a real boy. The rest of the movie is about Pinocchio constantly getting in trouble as he tries to learn and understand how to live in this crazy, mixed up world.
This movie has some similarities to our life. God has created us and has a plan for our lives. But we struggle every day to learn how to live in this crazy, mixed up world. Today we begin a new sermon series, “Learning from Life.” In this series I want to start by looking at how God has a blueprint for life. If we are to live this life to the full, we need to first understand God’s general blueprint for life, and then his specific blueprint for you and me!

I. The Designer-
A couple of weeks ago my family and I were at California Adventure, at
Disneyland…In the California Adventure Park is the new Concept Development building. This building is only open to Season ticket holders, and what it allows you to do is to see the proposed changes of the “new” California Adventure. Ever since California Adventure opened, they have struggled to attract people the way Disneyland has. This is largely because they didn’t make it as kid friendly, and as “Disney” oriented as Disneyland was.
So, they have now decided to revamp the park in hopes that this will lead to it being more attractive. To do this, there is a process. They first start with the design. There are many who brainstorm ideas together until they come up with the ideas that will be put into creation. Once these ideas are decided upon, they then are drawn out on a blueprint to see what the new rides will look like. After this idea is drawn successfully and approved, the drawing then becomes built to miniature scale. These miniature scale rides are what are housed in the Concept Development building, and this is what the season ticket holders get to see (along with a video).
As we think about our world, and our lives, let us think for a moment about God as “Designer.” At some point in God’s existence, there was the thinking of creating a world. These thoughts then became more specific ideas, and a design was drawn up (I’m not sure if it was a literal drawing, but definitely a drawing in the mind of God).
As we think about our world, it is so incredibly complex. God had to work out all the details before He began to create it all. He had to design how the stars would exist, and what their purpose would be. He had to design the sun, and its place for life to exist. He had to design the planets, and how Earth would be different so that it could sustain life. He had to design how our energy needs would be provided. And in all of this, He gave us the ability to learn and be able to utilize the many aspects of our planet to meet our needs as well.
We talk about God as the Creator, but before He was the Creator, He was the designer. This is important, because the design is what allows what is created to function as it should. As the Designer, we remember that God isn’t just the One who built the world, who put the world together, but also the One who thought it up and had the wisdom to know how everything would fit together. This includes you and me!

II. The Creator- (Genesis 1:1-31; Job 38:4-11; Jeremiah 29:11-13; Psalm 139:13-16; Ephesians 2:8-10)
1. Creation of the world- We know God to be the creator of the world.
This is well known. All you have to do is go to Genesis 1, and read about God creating the world. But what you might not realize is the immensity of this work, and yet the personalness of it.
To get an idea of the immensity of it, listen to God’s words to Job in chapter 38. At this point of the story, Job has questioned God about many things. God wants Job to understand the difference between Job and God. Listen to verses 4-11:
“Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone- 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? 8 "Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, 9 when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, 10 when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, 11 when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt'?” In this passage we hear about a little of what ordering the world is all about: marking off dimensions; laying the conrnerstone; keeping the waters from bursting forth; fixing the limits… but it is also personal, because God cares enough to create this world for us, and to make it special and just right. And then it is personal because He chooses to create people.
2. Creation of people- In Genesis, chapter 1, God spends much of the
time creating trees, and plants, and sky, and water, and then animals. But ultimately we are told that this is for His last creation; people. God creates man and woman; in the image of God He creates them. People are the ONLY part of creation that is like God.
So, why does God create people? First and foremost so that we could be in relationship with God. I know that the most important aspect of having children is the relationship I have with them. More than anything else, I love to relate to them, and be with them, and love them, and have them love me. I believe this is true of our existence with God. But secondly, we are to bring worship and honor to God. God is not a god who creates and then disappears. God wants us to have a spiritual connection with Him, and this happens when we worship God.
3. God’s call to people- But there is a third aspect to our being created,
and that is that God has given us a call; a purpose. We discover this in our scripture passages for the morning. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a plan, and a purpose for us. A plan that is hopeful and successful. The psalmist reminds us that God knows this plan well, as we are told in Psalm 139:13-16, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
And Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God created us to do “good works.” These works are God’s will for our lives; a fulfillment of the blueprint that God drew up before the beginning of time.

III. The Enactor- (John 10:27, 13:34-35; Matthew 6:34; Acts 20:35)
This last week I got a wonderful e-mail from my mom; a link to “The Five
Secrets” movie, by John Izzo. In this 6 minute movie, it talks about what people say are the five secrets to being happy in life. I believe these five secrets help us to enact the blueprint that God has for our lives. The five secrets are as follows:
1. Be true to yourself- The first secret is to “Be True to Yourself.” We
should be constantly asking ourselves: Is this the life I want to be living? To answer this question, we have to know who we are and what really matters. There is an inner voice inside of us telling us what we want. This inner voice is the voice of God. Jesus tells us in John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” To hear God’s voice we have to be disciplined and have the courage to act when we hear the voice. To do this, we also have to stop caring about what others think, and we need to pursue the dreams that God gives to us.
2. Leave No Regrets- The second secret is to “Leave No Regrets.” It
seems that what we fear most as we age, is not death, or failure, but rather to come to the end of our life feeling that we never truly lived. The saddest words ever spoken at the end of life are “I wish I had…” One of the truths John Izzo learned from talking to 235 wise people, is that almost no one regretted risks they took that did not work out, and most said they wished they had risked more. Izzo says: “One of the keys to moving towards what we want instead of what we fear is to focus on the best possible result and not the worst. Are you going for what you truly want in your life or acting with fear?” Once we become true to ourselves, by discovering who God created us to be, we then need to take the risks to make it happen.
3. Become Love- “Become Love” is the third secret. Not surprisingly, the
greatest source of happiness for people and the largest place of regret had to do with people. What was discovered is that those who made people a priority in their lives, and who developed deep personal relationships, found true happiness. One way to focus on relationships is to get intentional goals for our personal relationships just like we do in our careers. Yet Izzo says that the most interesting thing he uncovered was that being a loving person, the choice to give love, is even more important in determining happiness than getting it. Jesus said it this way in John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
When we choose to be a loving person we find a deep sense of meaning in life.
4. Live the Moment- The fourth secret was to “Live the Moment.” Life
goes by so fast, and it is important to enjoy each moment. So we need to live in the present, to fully enjoy whatever experience we are having (and not to wish we were somewhere else), and to live with gratitude focusing on what we are grateful for rather than what we don’t have. Jesus spoke profoundly of this when He said in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” In saying this, Jesus was telling us to focus on the present, on what God has for us to know and do today.
Most people realize that they have no power over the past and little power over the future. And yet they end up saying: ‘I will be happy when or I will be happy if”; if we are going to ever be happy, if we are going to ever understand God’s blueprint for our lives, we have to learn to be happy NOW! Focus on enjoying our lives instead of judging it or comparing it to others.
5. Give More Than You Take- The fifth and final secret is to “Give
More Than You Take.” Izzo found time and time again people saying that what gave their life the greatest meaning was being of service and knowing that they made things better. When we discover that we make things better just because we are here, it gives us a great source of meaning. But in those times that we give, we can see that what gives life significant meaning is what we give, not what we take. The truth is that we have little control over what we get, but we have much control over what we can give. In Acts 20:35, Paul is speaking to the leaders of the Ephesian church, and he says to them: “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Are you focused on giving or getting each day?

Conclusion: God did not make this world haphazardly. God gave specific thought to what He would make, and then drew up a blueprint for it. He then created the world for His people, and then created His people; you and me. As we discover what God has for us, the secrets to this life, we also have to understand that it is not enough to know the secrets, we must live them. Many of us know what is important, but it is not enough to know, we have to put these things into practice.
As we enter life, we don’t know anything. But God has created us to learn as we live. God is more concerned that we are learning, than whether or not we know it all. And as we learn, we need to start putting it into practice. Life teaches us much along the way. This is how God designed it. Let us seek to live our best for God, trying to know what God calls us to do as we hear His voice, and make the most of each day. Let us live out God’s plan for our lives this day, and every day. Amen.

“Generous Giving”
Stewardship; 10/26/08
1 Chronicles 29:10-18

Introduction: Last Sunday we celebrated Pastor's Appreciation Day. Tami and I want to say thank you for your generosity! Your cards, gift cards, and gifts really touched us, and we are grateful for your love and appreciation of us. I can imagine that those of you who organized putting this all together had a lot of fun gathering together the gifts. And knowing you, I'm sure you had as much fun giving them away. Tyler's birthday was last Monday, and Tami and I had a great time buying the gifts and giving them to him. There is a wonderful joy giving away gifts to those you love.
As we are entering into our Stewardship campaign, with the theme: “Multiplying Our Faith,” I want us to approach this theme with this same idea of fun and generosity. I want us to understand how being generous to God can be a joyous experience, and make a profound impact on not only those who receive it, but on us as well.

I. Giving to A Cause-
a. Denny Kukich- [from 'Renewed & Ready,' Written by
Beverly Brass, as told to her by Denny Kukich of Wood Dale ,Illinois.]
There is a wonderful story in a magazine called ‘Renewed and Ready,’ of a man named Denny Kukich, who had a profound experience of learning the joy of giving. He was on a plane, getting ready for the long flight he was to take, when he wondered to himself: 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap.' But before he did that he decided to look around to see if there might be an opportunity to share Jesus with someone. Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding him. He said to himself: 'This is more like it! OK, Lord, which one will it be? Who needs to hear about you?’ He started a conversation with the soldier seated nearest to him:. 'Where are you headed?' The soldier answered: 'Chicago --to Great Lakes Base. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Iraq.' After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. He thought about how it would be several hours before they reached Chicago, and decided a lunch would help pass the time. As he reached for his wallet, he overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. The soldier responded: 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to Chicago.' They both agreed on this. As Denny looked around at the other soldiers he noticed that none were buying lunch. While he was hungry, he realized that he could not bring himself to eat in front of them. He then walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill and said….. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.'
The flight attendant grabbed his arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes filled with tears as she thanked me, saying: 'My son was a soldier in Iraq. It's almost like you are doing it for him.' Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated.
As he returned to his seat. She asked, 'Which do you like best--beef or chicken?' 'Chicken,' he replied, not sure why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. 'This is your thanks.' He now felt guilty—because he had a dinner and the soldiers had only a sack lunch. But wanting to acknowledge her generosity, he took it and ate. After finishing eating, he went again to the back of the plane, to go to the rest room. A man stopped him and told him: 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed Denny twenty-five dollars.
Not long after this, he saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle. When he got to Denny’s row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, 'I want to shake your hand.' Quickly unfastening his seatbelt he stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice the captain said, 'I was a soldier and I was a pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' At this point applause was heard from all of the passengers.
A little later he decided to walk to the front of the plane so he could stretch his legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of him reached out his hand to shake Denny’s. Denny was given another twenty-five dollars by this man. When the plane landed in Chicago, he gathered his belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped him, and put something in his shirt pocket. When he looked at what it was he found another twenty-five dollars!
Upon entering the terminal, he saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. He walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars, and then said: 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'
As they walked away he realized that these ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As Denny walked to his car, he whispered a prayer for their safe return, and then thought to himself: ‘These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little.’
b. Motivation- Denny Kukich found that in giving a little, it became a
lot. Not just the lunches; but that initial giving turned into 75 more dollars. And isn’t it true that when there is a good cause, people give generously. For example, people believe that who becomes the next president of the United States is important. And because of this millions and millions of dollars have been given to Obama and McCain!!
There are many causes in the world: World Vision, Compassion International, the Red Cross. In our own backyard is the Presbyterian Disaster Fund, as well as One Great Hour of Sharing (that goes to hunger needs), and the Pentecost Offering (which helps with children at risk). I could go on and on, because there are so many causes to give to. With limited funds, how are we to decide what to give our money to, and what causes to say no to?
For some it is easy, they don’t give to any cause. But I don’t think that is the answer. I do believe that God wants us to be generous givers. In fact, if you were to analyze the New Testament, you would see that Jesus talks often about giving generously. And in regards to the little amount of money we have, that isn’t really a problem with God either, because like we saw with the money of Denny Kukich turning into more, so God will multiply the money we give.
As I said before, our Stewardship theme for 2009 is: Multiplying Our Faith. And what this theme is about is for us to understand that we are not called to try and take care of all of the needs on our own, we are called to generously give what we can, and then watch as God multiplies our giving to fulfill His purposes!
It is normal for us to give to those things that we are passionate about. It is natural, and fun to give in a way that we know makes a difference. So, in this second part of the sermon I want us to understand God’s cause, so that as we have an under-standing, we will then be more passionate, and more motivated to give generously.

II. Understanding God’s Cause- (1 Chronicles 29:10-18; Mark 6:30-44)
a. David’s understanding- To gain a sense of understanding, let us
turn to our scripture passage for the morning, 1 Chronicles 29, and learn from David’s example. In this passage David reflects on some important truths that until we take to heart, we will struggle with our finances, and our giving. And because of this, we will allow our money to control us.
1. All is God’s- In 1 Chronicles 29, David gains a strong sense that everything that he has, and everything that Israel has, has come from God. David starts in verses 10 & 11 by praising the Lord before all of the people: "Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. 11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor…” And then we get into why David is praising God, as he continues in verse 11, “for everything in heaven and earth is yours.” Here David makes a general statement that everything in heaven AND on earth is God’s. Why? Because God is the creator of all things. Without God creating it, it wouldn’t exist, and without God giving it to us we wouldn’t have it. Then we see David start to list some specifics:
“Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom…Wealth and honor come from you…you are the ruler of all things…” David acknowledges that any wealth we have is from God, and any honor that comes from this wealth is from God. This understanding is important, because when we think that what we have is ours, we seek to control it and use it for our gain and honor. But when we understand that it is God’s, and God has given us care of it, then we realize God has a purpose for this wealth.
God’s purpose, His cause, is to display His greatness and His splendor, and this cannot be done by our being selfish with what we have.
2. Offering to God freely- We then see David acknowledge that what he has, what Israel has, should be given generously. In fact, he states this in a way that shows it is an honor for the giver. 1 Chronicles 29:14-18, 14 "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15 We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 18 O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.”
There are some important and telling statements in these verses: “We have given only what comes from your hand.” “All this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple.” “You test the heart and are pleased with integrity.” “All these things have I given willingly.” “Keep their hearts loyal to You.” These statements from David show an understanding that it is a great honor to give to God, and through giving, we will have integrity and stay loyal to God.
b. How understanding changes us- And so as we begin to understand
that through giving generously we have a different understanding of what our money and possessions mean, and what God can do with them. We understand that they are not just for our personal gain or enjoyment, but for the work of the Lord, for the building of the Kingdom, for bringing glory to God!
But we are changed in another way when we see what God does with what we give: In the gospel of Mark, we read: 6:30-44, “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." 32So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. 35By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late. 36Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." 37But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" 38"How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five—and two fish." 39Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42They all ate and were satisfied, 43and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.”
How would you have felt if you were the boy who gave the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish to the disciples? What would you think when you saw how giving everything you had, even though it seemed so small, took care of such a great need? I think it would make you want to give all the more! How exciting to know that by giving even a little, you can be a part of something as great as building the Kingdom of God!
EX. In the book “Wild Goose Chase,” author Mark Batterson, the author of “Chase the Lion,” talks about how his wife and he, when they got married, committed to each other that they would never NOT tithe. At this time he was working for a parachurch ministry that was just making it financially. One day he felt God prompting him to make a gift to another parachurch ministry. It was more than he felt like he had to give; it would have to come from his money he needed to pay some of his bills. But he decided to be faithful to God, and he wrote a $550 check. He describes the writing of this check to be both painful and joyful at the same time. He then sealed the envelope and walked to the post office to mail it. After mailing the check, he walked inside to get his mail. Inside his post office box he found a check for $10,000!!!
Not Mark Batterson states that on the one hand, he believes this check to be an answer to his faithfulness. But he also acknowledges that God doesn’t always answer so quickly. But God will bless us when we give generously, even though it might seem like we don’t have anything to give. And God will multiply what we give, and will multiply our faith in the giving.

Conclusion: If you were to analyze what percentage you give to the church and to God’s work, what percentage would that be? Without any pride involved, my wife and I give roughly 10.7% of our money to the church and to God’s ministries. It is interesting how in just the last month, I have had several people ask me how we live on my salary; insinuating that they don’t understand how it can be done. Not only do we live on my salary, we are able to live with our salary minus 10.7%! This is because God multiplies our giving. He multiplies it on the side of how far it goes to do His work. And He multiplies what we have left, so that our family has all that we need. It is so much fun to give generously for God, because I know that by our giving we get to see the advancement of God’s Kingdom, and we get to bless people in the process. I encourage you, as we enter our Stewardship campaign, to see how you might be able to give beyond what you are giving now; to give generously to God’s work here at Community Presbyterian Church. I fully believe that if we accept this challenge, God will give us enough to make our budget and more! Let us receive the honor of being generous givers for God, this day and every day. Amen.

“Mary- The Favored One”
Luke 1:26-38; 10/19/08
Series: Heroes of the New Testament

Introduction: There is nothing like being someone’s favorite. I don’t know if you have ever had this experience, but if you’ve been married, then this should be true. I know that I have been chosen by Tami to be her husband. I am her favorite in that respect! This hopefully is true for you and your good friends as well. We take the time to choose our friends. They are important to us; favored by us, and hopefully we are favored by them. There is nothing like calling someone on the phone, or seeing someone, and having their face light up because they are so glad to hear from you, or see you! This is what it is to be favored. To be favored is to have a special place in someone’s life. This morning, as we conclude our series, “Heroes of the New Testament,” we will be looking at the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was one who was favored by God, for she was the one who was chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus! Let’s look at what makes her a hero.

I. Do not be afraid- (Luke 1:26-33)

a. Finding favor-
1. Mary: In the passage we just read, Luke 1:26-38, we see an
angel of the Lord coming to Mary. And the angel speaks to Mary, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Now, what was Mary’s reaction? What would your reaction be?/ Exactly, she was a little afraid. We know this because the angel then said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Now I don’t know if you noticed, but the angel expressed a wonderful thought to Mary. In fact, the angel expressed this thought twice to Mary; in verse 28, and in verse 30. And the thought is this, that Mary is favored with God.
Can you imagine having an angel tell you this; that you have found favor with God? In verse 28 the angel says: “Greetings, favored one…” And then in verse 30: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” This is an extraordinary statement. To find favor with God is not easy to do. It is interesting to note that the same Greek word for favor (charis) is also translated as grace. And I’m sure you remember that, “grace is a gift given to us that we do not deserve.” So for Mary to find favor with God meant that God was giving her a gift that she did not earn or deserve. God chose Mary to give a special gift to. And this gift is that Mary has been chosen to be the mother of the savior of the world. I’m not sure if she looked at this as a gift at first, but through this gift she will become a hero.
But Mary wasn’t thinking in terms of being a hero. I’m sure that Mary’s first concern was that she was being asked to be in charge of a great responsibility. To be a mother in general is a great task, but to be the mother of the savior of the world is an even greater responsibility. A second concern that Mary had was that she was a virgin, not yet married. How was she to conceive a child? Both of these issues would bring fear to one’s mind. But the angel was prepared for this, first in the greeting, and then in his second response. You see, the greeting deals with this issue of fear by letting Mary know that “the Lord is with her.” Later in the passage we will see the angel explain even further how this will be!
2. Us: So let’s step away from the text for a moment and ask
this question: How would you respond if you were told that you had found favor with God? Because the truth is, when we seek God, when we commit ourselves to God, when we desire to live for God, when we attempt to follow the will of God, we will find favor with God!! How will we find favor? In the same way Mary found favor, by God’s presence being with us and God’s power working for us!! Did you catch that? I DON’T THINK YOU DID, SO LET ME SAY IT AGAIN…we find favor with God when we seek Him and commit to Him, and by this we have God’s presence with us and God’s power working for us!!
b. Letting God reign- So it is really about letting God reign in your life.
This is what we see Mary doing./ This is the first aspect of her being a hero. She gives us the example of letting God reign. But it didn’t come to her right away, just as it doesn’t come to us right away. The angel of the Lord is trying to explain all this to Mary, and she is trying to take it all in. She is going to bear a son; his name will be Jesus; he will be great; he will be called the Son of the Most High; he will be given the throne of David; he will reign over the house of Jacob; there will be no end to his kingdom.
I’M GOING TO BE HIS MOTHER!
You can imagine Mary saying: “Whoa! Stop. Slow down. I can’t take all this in.” And Mary does say this, but she says it basically by putting up an objection when she says in verse 34: “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” Which takes us and Mary back to the angel’s introduction, and the thought that God is with her, God has found favor with her, God is giving her a special gift and a special opportunity.
But isn’t it true that all too often we want to just hang back. We might think to ourselves: “Thanks God for the thought, thanks for the confidence you have in me (even though I don’t have it in myself). Thanks for the offer God, but I don’t really want this responsibility. This is too great for me./ And that is exactly true. It is too great for any of us alone. Without God’s presence and power in our lives, without us letting God reign in our lives like God reigns over His kingdom, then none of what God calls us to do will happen!
And so, up to this point we don’t see Mary fully receiving this; accepting this gift. She is confused and afraid at the greeting, and even more perplexed and concerned at the thought of having to be the mother of One who has such a list of great characteristics. She isn’t ready to be a hero in this way.

II. Overshadowed by God- (Luke 1:34-38)
a. The Holy Spirit’s work- So we see that out of all of our heroes, Mary
is the most reluctant. She was not a leader to begin with, she is just a young girl, engaged to be married, and live out the simple life she had planned. Mary is in this dilemma, being asked to do something that is causing her concern and fear. What could the angel say, what could God do that would bring peace to this situation?
Well, the angel says to her in verse 35- “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God.”
Does this make it any better? Does this make it any easier to accept? It does if you understand who the Holy Spirit is, and what the Holy Spirit can do. Often times we get confused about who the Holy Spirit is. We might think that the Holy Spirit is just the spirit of God without any real power. Or we might think that the Holy Spirit is passive. Or we might think that the Holy Spirit is uninvolved in personal matters. Or we might not understand what the role of the Holy Spirit is; why the Spirit of God is here.
Like Mary, we too at times get confused about the Holy Spirit. We can forget that the Spirit of God is active in our lives to help us in times of confusion and fear. We forget that the Holy Spirit is here to live in us, and work in and through us. The Holy Spirit brings God’s gifts to us, and helps us to utilize these gifts for God!
So let’s break down this verse to see what the angel is really telling Mary.
First, the angel lets Mary know that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God will come upon her. Meaning that Mary is not being asked to do this alone, but will have God’s help. Second, the Holy Spirit will overshadow her. This is to let Mary know that the baby that she will carry will be placed in her womb by the power of God, and because of this, the baby will be holy. But the “overshadowing” is that the Spirit will be there to guide Mary, and help Mary walk through this. Third, Mary is not alone in this wonderful journey of serving God in another way. The angel says to her in verse 36: “And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.”
Why did the angel say this to Mary? It is to show Mary that God is doing great works in and through those who believe and follow. Elizabeth, who was thought to be barren, is pregnant! Not only is Mary receiving a miracle, but Elizabeth is as well. And they will be able to walk together in their pregnancies, and walk together in being mothers…. God usually doesn’t call us to carry out His will by ourselves, but gives us others to walk with us!

b. Nothing is impossible- “Two Rabbits and Two Foxes,” Amusing Grace, p. 173, #587
“There is a story of 2 rabbits who were being chased by a pair of foxes.
They ran down a hill and into a drain trying to escape. But the foxes
were too fast and ran to the ends of the drain. The drain opening was
too small for the foxes to enter, but the rabbits found themselves
trapped. The first rabbit asked the second rabbit: ‘What do we do now?’
To which the second rabbit said: ‘Stay here until we outnumber them!’”
That is some positive thinking. And this is the kind of thinking that the Holy Spirit is leading Mary to have. That is why the Holy Spirit reminds Mary that “nothing will be impossible with God.” What God is doing here for Mary is to show Mary the love of God by reaching out to her; the joy of God by blessing her; the hope of God by showing her the future God has for the world. And the grace of God by giving this gift, this opportunity to her.
Grace is something we are to just receive. We shouldn’t try to explain it, understand it, or pay for it. For example, let’s say that you were invited to a dinner at some friend’s house. When you arrive you see beautiful decorations and a wonderful meal on the table. Do you reach into your wallet, pull out a twenty- dollar bill, and say: “I can see that this cost you a lot to make this evening so nice. Here is $20.00 to help pay for it?” NO. That would be an insult to your friend and host. You simply receive this wonderful, gracious gift. This is what we see Mary finally doing in verse 38 when she says: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
At this point we can see that Mary is receiving the words from the Holy Spirit. She realizes that nothing is impossible with God. She understands the importance of submitting to God. She has obediently accepted God’s call and God’s gracious gift knowing that it is God’s will for her life. She might not understand that she will play the role of hero, but she is willing to accept this opportunity of service.

III. Sticking by Jesus- (Judges 6:12; John 19:25-27)
a. Insecurity- There are times in our lives when we are feeling a little
insecure; when we need a little extra love. There are times when we feel alone or afraid, or when we are struggling to believe in ourselves. There are times when we doubt that God could ever do anything in and through our lives. IN THESE TIMES, LIKE MARY, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT GOD IS THERE.
This isn’t new to our time and generation. And it isn’t just you and me that might feel this. Even those who we look to be as great people can feel insecurity. In the Old Testament, in the book of Judges, we read in 6:12- “When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said: ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’”
Here we have a mighty warrior, Gideon, who needed reassuring. Sometimes, just because we are human, we need some reassurance. It is hard to feel confident, and to venture out to do God’s work, when you are insecure.
Example- Many people have low self-esteem. And if you were to draw what they felt, it might be a picture of a person who is bowed over; a weary traveler. They would be holding over their shoulder a mile-long chain, and attached to this chain are many pieces of metal. Each piece of metal is inscribed with the details of past humiliations, failures, embarrassments, and rejections. This weary traveler could let go of this chain, and be free from this heavy burden, which immobilizes and exhausts him, but he chooses to hang on; he chooses to struggle to take each step as he pulls this baggage along. Paralyzed by the weight, he plods along, feeling like there is no other choice; this baggage has become a part of who he is! (taken from …The Tardy Oxcart, by Chuck Swindoll, p. 510). Insecurity comes from not believing in yourself because of your past. In this, you keep from believing that God would do something wonderful in your life or through your life in the future. Your past keeps you from realizing how God is present.
Even though Mary accepted this call on her life, she still has insecurities. And yet, what helped her to constantly move forward in her call was that she time and time again realized that the Lord was her. However, it took a visit from an angel. But not only did the angel Gabriel deliver the message to her, he was visibly present with her, and by his presence, brought the presence of God to her. And while most of us will not have a visit from an angel in visible form, God’s angels are with us, and God’s presence is with us. We need to believe this. With this faith, we have great peace. With this knowledge, we can rise above our insecurities.
b. The Lord is there- The Lord provided His presence in Mary’s life in
so many ways. By the angel coming to her. By her being the mother of Jesus. By sending the shepherds and wise men to worship Jesus. By protecting her and her family from King Herod when he wanted to kill Jesus.
And all through this, Mary stuck by Jesus. Not only because He was her son, but because she knew that He was the savior of the world, and was her Lord. I’m sure that this was an interesting dynamic for Mary. For all of her life, there was an aspect of her being Jesus’ mother. She cared for Him when He was young. Nurtured Him; loved Him; supported Him; raised Him. But then He grew up, and ventured out to fulfill His mission of being the Savior. Mary had to learn how to support Him in a whole new way.
EX. “The Passion of Christ.” There is a scene in the movie the Passion of Christ, near the end when Jesus is trying to carry His cross to Golgatha. As He is walking down the road, off to the side, you see his mother, Mary, following. This is a powerful scene, because as his mother, you can see the pain in her eyes as she watches her son being abused in this way; and as she thinks of her son being led to his death.
SO WHY IS SHE THERE? WHY WOULD SHE TAKE IN THIS SCENE THAT IS CAUSING HER SO MUCH PAIN? It is because He is not just her son; HE IS HER LORD AND HER SAVIOR. She is supporting Him in what He is doing for her and for the world!
EX. Last Sunday we had a very small turnout for church. I have to admit that this can be a little discouraging, because the goal is for us to reach this community, and to have this church be a force for God! When there is a low number of people coming to worship, it doesn’t feel like we are a force. But then on Monday morning God reminded me of how He is at work in many ways. I was in my office writing my sermon, when I heard clapping in the chapel. I knew that Liliana was having her prayer meeting. Intrigued, I decided to go in to see what was happening. And there was a group of 12 Hispanics, praying together, and clapping to the Lord! You could feel the presence and power of God right there!
God is here with us. And like Mary, we have to support Him by our actions, by our excitement, by our commitment, by our service!
And yet, even in the midst of Jesus hanging on the cross, we see Him showing Mary that God is with her. Listen to John 19:25-27, “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” Jesus showed Mary that God still cared for her and for her well being, and that even in His death He would not leave her alone.

Conclusion: God knew Mary. And because God knew that Mary loved Him, she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus. Mary was a hero because she accepted this call. Mary was a hero because she believed that “nothing is impossible for God.” Mary was a hero because she let the Holy Spirit fill her, and bless her. Mary was a hero because she stood by Jesus until the end.
Do you love God? How will you show it? In this way you will be a hero. But you can also be a hero for God by believing in the call that God gives to you here at the church, and beyond the church, and by believing that nothing is impossible for God, and by sticking by Jesus until the end. Let us follow Mary’s lead. Let us be heroes for God! Amen.

“Barnabas- a Giver”
Acts 13:1-3, 14:1-7
Heroes of the New Testament Series- 10/12/08

Introduction: What is the biggest gift you have ever given? If you would count it as a gift, for me it was the wedding ring I gave to my wife. But that is nothing compared to what Barnabas did. This week in our “Heroes of the New Testament” series, we look at the life of Barnabas. Now Barnabas is probably the least known of the “heroes” I am looking at, so it will be interesting to learn more about him. And one of the amazing aspects of Barnabas is the gift that he gave. We read about it in Acts 4:36-37, “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.” Could you imagine selling a field, and giving all of that money to the church? It is not uncommon. Both this year and last year we have received gifts from members who have died and given generously from their estate. But it is a little different while you are still alive. Let’s look at why Barnabas did this, and some other aspects that made Barnabas a hero.

I. Barnabas- a Giver- (Acts 4:32-37)
a. The spirit of giving- After the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy
Spirit comes and fills God’s people, there is a boldness from them to talk about the love of Jesus. But something more happens, and that is the followers of Jesus start to live out this love; I mean, really live it out. There is a change in their thinking and behavior. Listen to Acts 4:32-35, “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.” Here we see that the believer’s were “one in heart and mind.” This oneness is carried out into action by selling their possessions and sharing the resources with each other. Because of this, “there were no needy persons among them.”
This is a remarkable statement. Much of the problems in the world comes from the greed that we let control us. It starts with the concept of ownership, and continues with the desire to control what we have, and the fear of us not having enough. Because of this, we let our money and our possessions control us, instead of our controlling them. Barnabas was one who gave over to God his desire to control what he owned, and he became a giver himself.
b. The Ultimate Gift- There is a wonderful movie, that I highly
recommend you watch if you have not already, and it is called “The Ultimate Gift.” This movie is about a young man named Jason Stevens, the spoiled grandson of a deceased billionaire who shows up at the reading of the will expecting that he will get a lot of money left to him by his grandfather. These expectations are put off while he is led through several tasks designed to make him a better person. Along the way, he meets and befriends a young girl named Emily who is dying of cancer. Through these tasks, and his relationship with Emily, he learns about 12 different gifts…1. Gift of work; 2. Gift of money; 3. Gift of friends; 4. Gift of learning; 5. Gift of problems; 6. Gift of family; 7. Gift of laughter; 8. Gift of dreams; 9. Gift of giving; 10. Gift of gratitude; 11. Gift of a day; and 12. Gift of love. [show clip]
These are wonderful gifts that we all need to learn. For a reminder of these gifts, you can find them listed in the outline. There is so much that God has for us to learn in life, but the ultimate gift is the gift of love, and the gift of love is best given when we give of ourselves to others. This is what Jesus did, and this is what Barnabas understood that as a follower of Christ he needed to do.

II. Barnabas- a Leader- (Acts 9:26-28, 11:26, 15:36-40; 2 Timothy 4:11)
But Barnabas was more than a giver, he was a leader as well.
a. Leading through encouragement- Acts 9:26-28, “When he came to
Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.” It is understandable that the disciples were afraid of Saul; he was the one who persecuted and killed Christians, he was the one who was a Pharisee and had great power, he was the one who was on his way to Damascus to continue this behavior. Barnabas was the one who was able to get the disciples to accept Saul’s conversion as real.
Remember before I talked about Barnabas’ nickname being “son of encouragement.” This support Barnabas gave to Saul must have been very encouraging for him. Barnabas not only helped the disciples to believe in Saul’s conversion and call, but this action by Barnabas also gave Saul the ability to believe in himself as well. Because of this, we see Saul feeling the freedom to start his ministry, and we see him speaking boldly about Jesus. What a wonderful example Saul became because of Barnabas!
This was great leadership by Barnabas. Barnabas saw the need to step in and help the disciples to recognize God’s call on another. Barnabas led the disciples by helping them to understand that God can call even outsiders into the ministry.
We also see Barnabas’ leadership in his teaching and the trust he was given by the other leaders. In Acts 11:26 we see Barnabas teaching a large number of people in Antioch. And when there was a famine, it was Barnabas, along with Saul who was sent to provide a gift for the people. He was entrusted to carry this gift!
b. Leading through reconciliation- But another profound example
that Barnabas gives us about leadership, is how he and Saul, who became known as Paul, had a disagreement. This disagreement caused them to separate ways, and be at odds with each other! This was a major problem for the Christian church, because two of the more significant leaders were having problems with each other. This conflict could have caused great problems for the growth and future of the church.
We read about this in Acts 15:36-40, “Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.’ 37Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.” Did you notice the words used? There was a “sharp disagreement.” Paul wanted nothing to do with John Mark because he had disserted them in Pamphylia. Paul was having trouble forgiving John Mark for this act. Because Barnabas supported John Mark, they chose to separate from each other!
It is not good to see Christians in conflict with each other, much less Christian leaders. But conflict can and will happen. Later we see a change in perspective by Paul. 2 Timothy 4:11 says: “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” Paul saw that he had misjudged John Mark, and that he later became helpful to Paul in ministry. This leads us to believe that Paul and Barnabas could have had a reconciling, and they definitely respected each other.
In the midst of this conflict, we see that Barnabas shows great leadership by his being willing to stand up for what he believed was right, by giving John Mark another chance. We should learn from this, and understand that when we give people second chances, God can use that to help them do great things for God!

III. Barnabas- a Prophet- (Acts 13:1, 14:1-7)
Thirdly, we see that Barnabas was a hero by being a prophet.
a. What is a prophet?- In the Old Testament another name for a
prophet was “seer.” They would receive a message from God about the future, and speak this message to the people. But it wasn’t just about the future, it was about speaking the truth of God. A true prophet of God was one who would be able to speak God’s truth in a way that would convict God’s people, and lead them to change; lead them to follow God more faithfully.
Some of the more well known prophets in the Old Testament were Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The prophecy could come from God giving the prophets the words through His imparting this knowledge to them, or through a dream. But another way that God brought forth His prophecy was when King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, and no one could interpret it. So the king summoned Daniel to interpret it for him. God gave Daniel the ability to interpret this dream, and the dream was a prophetic word from God.
In the New Testament, the prophets were fewer, because much of what God needed His people to know came from Jesus’ presence here on the earth, or by the voice of an angel to one of God’s people. Acts 13:1 tells us: “In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.” Barnabas is listed here as a prophet of God.
b. How is Barnabas a prophet?- In the New Testament it was
different. Prophets were wandering preachers who had given their lives over to listening to the Lord, and to the word of God and then taking that word to the people wherever the Lord led them. Ministers, who were also called teachers, were men whose duty it was to stay in the church and instruct converts in the faith.
It is quite evident that Barnabas was one who was set apart to be a prophet; to travel and proclaim God’s word to the people. We see this especially happening in Acts 14:1, “At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.”
And yet, the prophet’s job was not easy, because leading people to Jesus meant that they were leading them out of some other teaching. This was not always well received, as we see in Acts 14:2-6a, where the Jews who did not believe poisoned the minds of many people, and divided the people in Iconium. Ultimately, they were so angry with Barnabas and Paul that they were going to stone them. But Barnabas and Paul found this out and were able to escape unharmed!
As a prophet, we see Barnabas committed to speaking the truth about God to all who would listen. Like Paul, who we talked about last week, we see Barnabas traveling to many places to make God’s work and word known to all.
This example should lead us to understand that we can at times speak a truth of God to others in a prophetic way. This truth may not always be well received, but it will plant a seed that God can bring to fruition!

Conclusion: Barnabas was a hero, because he was committed to God. We see this commitment in the ways he gave of his money and time. We see this in the ways that he encouraged and uplifted others. We see this in the ways that he led the church. We see this in the ways he was willing to speak the truth of God, even in the midst of adversity. You and I can be a hero like Barnabas. We can all be generous givers, both here in the church, and to others around us. As the saying goes: “See a need, meet a need.” We can all be encouragers. We can all help the church follow the calling God has for her. And we can all speak God’s truth. I hope you have gotten to know Barnabas a little better, and learned some important lessons as well. Amen.