No More Sermons

[1]

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

“The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.  This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt.  They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.  “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord.  “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.  And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord.  “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” 

Jeremiah 31:31-34^(NLT)

At my age I’m a lot closer to my last sermon than my first one.  I’ve often said (mostly after conducting a funeral) that the way I’d prefer to go out doesn’t involve a hospital room, tubes and waiting for the inevitable.  As much as I value the wonderful work of all our healing and palliative care professionals, such as Hospice, I don’t want to be a client.  Rather I would love to have it be on a Sunday, God having allowed and strengthened me to preach the best sermon of my life; sometime during my afternoon siesta I suddenly awaken and find myself in the splendor of heaven!  But of course, the most important part of that scenario is not a sermon; the best part is seeing Jesus!

Jeremiah gave us a peek at the end of the preaching profession; there will come a time when all the preaching is over.  When the New Covenant is finally put into its perfect fulfillment there will be no need for sermonizing; God will write every part of his will and way on our hearts, meaning love will have been completed.  There will be no need for teaching or preaching, because we will live it as God first intended for humans to act when he placed Adam and Eve in the garden.

God will forgive all our past wickedness and never bring it up again.  We will live in perfect relationship to God.  As John the beloved apostle wrote:

Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.  1 John 3:2^(NLT)

For You Today

None of us is perfect; we all sin through error or, at times, willful disobedience.  Nevertheless, our task is to press-on for the prize of that high calling in Jesus Christ[2] – to be perfected in love.  Today is a good day to move forward in that project!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

---

[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

[2] Philippians 3:14

Ears to Hear; Heart to Obey

[1]

Monday, September 4, 2017

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis.  This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars:

“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead.  Wake up!  Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead.  I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God.  Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly.  Repent and turn to me again.  If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.  “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil.  They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.  All who are victorious will be clothed in white.  I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.  “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.  Revelation 3:1-6^(NLT)

If there is one passage in Scripture that is scary beyond belief, for me it is this one.  I’m not referring to the glorious white clothing of the struggling saints.  I’m not thinking of a name written indelibly in the Book of Life.  I’m staring at a false reputation.

The church at Sardis had a reputation that they were alive, serving God with every bit of their strength, but their reputation was for the past; they had long since ceased to deserve the title servant; theirs was a false reputation.

The church in the 21^st century might take a hard look at this.  Nearly 90% of America's churches are either plateaued or declining in membership.  You cannot decline without somehow decaying, and, eventually deceasing! 

Our text tells us that Christianity in the church and the individual Christian can die.  The programs and services can be staffed and performed, but without life.  The blower in the furnace is on, but the fire has long since been extinguished!  Someone has said that if the Holy Spirit left most churches today, she wouldn't be missed. 

As a pastor and student of Scripture, one who is charged with leading others to know Christ, I have had the privilege to spend much time immersed in the things of God.  On the other side of that coin lies the responsibility I face to not only discharge that duty, but to be faithfully persistent in that work, always, as Paul said[2], pressing forward towards the target of Christ as my character. 

This is why I’m bothered whenever I hear this part of John’s Revelation message to Sardis, about a false reputation.  Pastors are really subject to this enigma of trying to remain humble while people in churches, with best intentions, lift you to a place that sets your ego up for a fall.  In the churches I’ve served people have always been very kind to shower me with loving comments about doing a great job, or wonderful sermon, pastor, or some other nugget of praise I store up in my basket of warm memories.   

Now, I know Russell, and that man can live for weeks on a simple compliment.  The problem is addiction; one can become so joined to praise, deserved or not, that it becomes your reason for breathing.  And when that happens, you do things to bring praise…more praise…instant praise…higher praise.  And then you begin to believe your press reports, and that’s when the self-opinion poll in which you imagine you’re the greatest asset God ever had becomes your reputation…and it’s firmly-entrenched in your thinking.  You have become a legend in your own mind!

That’s what scares me about this passage, and, frankly, I’m glad it does.  I’m glad I worry about living a life of basking in a reputation of well-done, when deep down I know you’re only done (well or poorly), when He calls you home.  This is what keeps me pushing – pressing every day to that mark of the high calling in Jesus Christ.

For You Today

John said anyone can hear with ears ; the real test is whether we will understand and obey with our hearts…and feet!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

---

[1] Title Image: Pixabay.com here and here

[2] Philippians 3:14

Really?

[1]

Thursday, August 24, 2017

We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth.  And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong.   In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.  But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.  And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire.  It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body.  It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.  People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue.  It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.  Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.  And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth.  Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!  Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?  Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs?  No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.  James 3:3-12^(NLT)

It’s not a problem, really; it’s just that rose tree in my backyard doesn’t really know whether it wants to be a rose tree that produces big pink blossoms…or a rose tree that produces little white blossoms.  Really?  Fickle, that tree!

It’s also like that in the human family – we have a hard time making up our minds about all sorts of things.  When Mrs. Preacher and I go to a store there is less than a 5% chance that the decorative pillow we just bought will actually live at our house.  (I save ALL receipts!).  To be fair, the closet in my study is also a disaster; I just can’t make up my mind how to file and arrange all that stuff…so it all gets pulled out often in search of a better system!

Now those kinds of human eccentricities are small potatoes compared to what James is holding up for us to examine.  According to the apostle the human tongue speaking out of both sides of its mouth may be the biggest problem with which the Christian family struggles.

Consider his illustrations:

Small bits for horses’ mouths, Small rudders for Big Ships, and a Small Spark starts a Big Fire –these small items wield huge influence.  But they are insignificant compared to the tongue which, unloosed and undisciplined can produce a lifetime of wickedness.

Then James gives a final illustration salvo – fresh water doesn’t come from bitter sources.  The conclusion is devastating when you apply it to a human life.  The tongue’s medium is words, communication. 

·       If there is untruth coming out, you know the heart lives in a lie.

·       If there is bitter condemnation flowing behind another’s back, you understand the slander came from the darkness of envy hidden within.

·       If the speech is without humility, how can there be a heart willing to forgive?

·       And on, and on, and on…a wildfire of heartache!

Nobody likes to be judged unfairly, but someone who professes to be a Christian, one who is pressing on as Paul wrote, for the high calling of Christ Jesus[2] to become Christ-centered, having the very mind of Christ…if you are hot-after becoming Christ-like, there must not be doublespeak, evil-speaking, or any other kind of foul thing proceeding from your mouth. 

Remember how Paul counseled the Philippian believers:

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Philippians 4:8^(NLT)

For You Today

When you think on honorable, pure and lovely things your speaking will also follow the same path; no sewer water from your clean spring!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

---

[1] Title Image: Courtesy  Russell Brownworth (own work)

[2] Philippians 3:14

The Last Great Race on Earth

[1]   

Thursday, March 19, 2015

 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:14 (NLT)

There was a story in yesterday’s New York Times about the Iditarod, that 1,000-mile dogsled “mush” across Alaska; it is billed as The Last Great Race on Earth[2] because of the challenging and often brutal weather conditions.  It is not an adventure for the faint of heart!

And neither is following Jesus Christ if you seriously intend to finish the race.

In writing to the church at Philippi the apostle Paul used the imagery of running the race as a metaphor for the life in Christ.  Unlike most “races” where there is only one winner, the course for believers is a lifetime event where all who believe may “win”.  It is somewhat like the Iditarod in that respect; many start but not all finish.  Some drop out when the mushing gets dicey!  And that is sad for the church and the Kingdom of God.

Did you notice how Paul detailed his goal?  First and pre-eminently Paul wanted to press on to reach the end of the race….  For Paul that meant planting churches, encouraging the churches he’d started, and giving his life’s wisdom and purpose into the lives of young church leaders like Timothy, so they would be equipped to carry on the work.

As a young pastor I had some “Pauls” in my life.  One of them was a member of my first church after seminary.  Pat was a retired minister with knowledge of God and a passion for people – particularly young pastors. 

He also had a great sense of humor. 

Whenever I preached what he and I both knew was a “less than Sermon-on-the-Mount” kind of sermon, my dear friend would come alongside me, place his hand on my shoulder, and whisper out of the side of his mouth, “something stinks in here”.  Pat could help me be a little less serious about myself, which always helped me be in better focus and balance as a person and as a preacher. 

When I preached Pat’s funeral we carried him around the little lake to the church graveyard, and when we were all in place there was one flash of lightning and a crack of thunder, followed by the worst “frog-strangling” downpour we’d seen in five years.  I knew as we ran for cover Pat didn’t want any more “stinkers” – especially over his tombstone. 

Still makes me smile.

And that is part of this Iditarod of a Christ-follower’s race.  It’s much longer than a thousand miles; this race reaches from cradle to grave, through time and space, all the way to eternity.

For each of us it is literally the last great race on earth.

And we need all the “Pats” who will come alongside us in the long, icy, hard trails across our pilgrim pathway. 

For You Today

Maybe you’ve got a “Pat” in your life.  That’s great!

Now, isn’t it time for you to be a “Pat” in somebody else’s life?

---

[1] Title Image: By Frank Kovalchek from USA, via Wikimedia Commons

[2] ^©New York Times, Enduring the Iditarod as Equals Katie Orlinsky, March 13, 2015

Holy Mixtures - part 4

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.  In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!     Colossians 3:9-11 (NRSV)

Focus – that’s what’s missing in blurred pictures.  In Paul’s writings he sometimes gives “shopping lists” of things to do (or not do).  Too often people tend to dwell on the list, while the reason (focus) for doing or not doing something is blurred or obliterated altogether.  It’s similar to what happens when very young siblings quarrel.  After an hour of ear-splitting whining, Mom or Dad finally yells “ENOUGH” Tell your sister you’re sorry.  Well, you KNOW little Johnny is going to say the words…but does he know why?  Does he actually mean it when he says “sorry”?  The parent wanted to restore the relationship between brother and sister – Johnny and Susie still want to punch each others’ lights out!  Not much focus there! 

In today’s text Paul commands, Do not lie to one another.  But without the focus on “why you must not lie,” it’s always tempting to still live as close to the lie as you can, while never really crossing the line.  In the case of encouraging the Colossian churches to tell the truth, Paul’s reason is that they have traded the old ways of sin and death for the prize of a renewed life.  When you’re being re-shaped into the image of God (Who IS Truth), lying distorts and corrupts the finished product.  That’s going backwards, not pressing on for the high calling which is in Christ Jesus. ^{(Philippians 3:14)}

There is always danger in extremes where human beings are concerned.  A loss of focus can wind up in the extreme of “legalism” where the list of do’s and don’ts is everything.  But it can also wind up on the other end of extreme “liberty” where the list means nothing “as long as your heart is “right”.  Keeping focus on Biblical prohibitions and commands does not mean memorizing a list of 626 things you can’t do, so you can do whatever else you want.  It also doesn’t mean scrapping the list in the name of liberty.

So where does “focus” lead?

Focus on following Christ always leads back to the reality that we are being renewed in the image of God.  Paul set the focus for us in Colossians 3:2 by pointing above, keeping our eyes on heavenly targets.

And what does that have to do with holy mixtures, diversity?

One of the reasons God keeps bringing “holy mixtures” (people who think and live so differently) into your life, is so you will see the extremes and be forced to remember your life is hid with Christ in the Heavenly Father. 

That legalist who wants you to follow the lists, as well as that libertarian who tells you the lists are nonsense, you’re free to live your way….both are necessary.  They help you focus on Christ who lived the perfect way.  There’s your real target!

Today…for you

Does it get confusing, trying to figure out how to live the Christian life?  You’re not alone!

Should you carry the lists around?  (After all, God gave those lists….starting with a good “top ten”).

Should you forget about the lists and just be a good person?  (After all, Christ died to set you free…that must mean free from the lists too!).

Or should you learn to accept that the tension between legalism and liberty, that the holy mixtures of rules-keepers and rules-ignorers are there in your life for a reason?

That reason is renewal. 

Renewal is what drives you to focus on Christ who is all in all, the author and finisher of your faith. 

That’s worth the struggle!