Sermon: Sent Out Mark 6:6-13

Pizza Dough

Sharon my wife is gone this weekend to the pastor's wives retreat. So for the last three years the boys and I have a pizza night while mom is away. The goal is simple buy all the ingredients necessary for a great pizza, pepperoni, Italian sausage, bell pepper, jalapeno peppers, mushrooms, black olives, pizza sauce, lots of cheese and pizza dough. The last few years we have bought the already formed pizza dough or boboli bread. But this year we went with the real deal pizza dough. Now pizza dough being worked by the professionals looks so easy. They toss it in the air, it thin and beautiful. Our experience was somewhat different, I would stretch the dough and it would come right back. It was a sight to see the three of us working this dough for the first time. It wasn't working, I tore hole and tried to patch them. When I finally worked the dough to cover the pizza pan , it was super thin and the thick around the edges. The boy's pizza had similar fates. Overall it was great, in the end it all worked out. But I have a lot to learn about pizza dough.

What does all this have to do with the message this morning? I didn't understand pizza dough until I experienced pizza dough. We need to experience thing before we can fully understand them. The disciples been with Jesus a short time, they had seen him work miracles, heal people and preach the good news. Jesus had decided it was time for the disciples to experience kingdom work. Now Jesus is going to allow them to put into practice what they have learned. It is time for them to experience what Christ is doing first hand. Jesus knows the disciples must learn to be dependent on God. So he gathers them together.

Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them." They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. (Mark 6:6-13 NIV)

Jesus tells them they have authority, even though it will be God working through them. He tells them not to take anything with them, anything other than the clothes on their back and the sandals on their feet. They are simply allowed a 'walking stick' as an additional item. He tells them when they enter a town to stay at the first house they are welcomed at. They are to preach the gospel. If the people reject the message they are to leave and not look back.

Dependence

The first thought that comes to mind after reading this passage is the word dependence. Jesus is going to teach the disciple dependence on God. It interesting to me that Jesus seems to recognizes the disciples are not ready for the deeper understanding of being depended upon God in the spiritual, but has them focus on the material. They are not to take anything with them. They are to be totally dependent on God to provide for their most basic needs.

No food, no bag to carry anything, no money in their pockets. We all need food and the disciples are not to carry any with them, nor are they to have a backup plan to buy any. See so many of us say we trust God, but we have a backup plan in case he doesn't come through. So we carry a few 'provisions' for that just in case. If that runs out we'll have a little cash on hand. We do this just in case God is busy and forgets about us.

Dependence on God is a difficult thing for us in America. We are taught to be 'independent', not to rely on anyone. It's hard for us as we get older to accept the help from others. We take pride of our independence. Yet here we see Jesus teaching the disciples to be dependent. It is a lesson Jesus wants us to learn as well. To learn we can trust God to provide. Not to worry so much about having, when we should be worried about sharing.

See Jesus sent the disciples out for one purpose and that is to share. The disciple's primary focus wasn't to be on food or lodgings but on sharing their faith with others.

Sharing

Jesus sent out the twelve to share their faith. They were to be dependent on God to provide for their basic needs, but they were not responsible for people accepting or rejecting the gospel. The disciples were to live among the people and share their faith. That was their responsibility. They were not responsible for the people accepting or rejecting the gospel message. Many of us look at sharing our faith as a burden, because we fear rejection. We think they are rejecting us personally. But Jesus tells the disciples to shake the dust off their feet and move on. He's telling them to shrug it off, he telling them it's not their responsibility.

It's not that Jesus doesn't care about these people; the Bible says God wants all people to be saved. But we are given freewill and with freewill comes the ability to accept or reject the gospel message. Our job is to share, to be dependent on God and to share.

The other thing about sharing is the disciples were to live their dependence on God in front of others first. The disciples were to 'illustrate' the gospel in order to earn the right to 'articulate' the gospel. People are watching us; people want to see if we live what we preach. In other words we must show Christ's love in us, before we can share Christ love with others.

This isn't easy, living the Christian life is hard. I believe that is why Jesus sent the disciples out two by two. We need to support one another, to pray for one another, to be there for one another. The Christian faith was never meant to be lived out alone. It is meant to be lived out in community. You cannot do it by yourself, you need others around you.

But one thing is perfectly clear 'being a witness in not an option'. I often hear believers talk as if witnessing was an option part of the Christian life—like adding a six disk changer to the order of a new car. We are a witness first, it is what we experienced. The disciples where declaring what they had seen Jesus do, they were declaring what they experienced, they were witnesses first. A true encounter with Christ is life changing, you are not the same. You are changed forever; you are a witness to that change.

Lastly

The disciple went out and preached people should repent. This word has almost become a dirty word in churches. A simple definition of repentance is feeling regret, a changing of the mind, or turning from sin to God. We are to live our lives to encourage people to repent of the sin in their lives. We are to show people a better way to live. We are to stand against sin.

In today's world standing against sin is considered being judgmental and for the most part they are right. That is because we have lost our creditably with the world around us. We no longer live our faith, you can't tell a Christian from the rest of the world. We act just like everyone else, but expect people to do as we say and not as we do.

We have the greatest message in the world; we are to live out our faith in front of others. We are to be a witness of the change Christ has made in our lives. We encourage people to turn to Christ, to repent of the sin in their lives and turn to the only one who can save them. God hates sin because it destroys lives; it robs us of joy and peace. It separates from a relationship with Him. That is why God sent his only son into the world, that through him we would have eternal life, an eternal relationship with God.

Jesus sent out the disciples out into the world around them. They were to be dependent on God for everything; they were to live out their faith in front of others. They were to live out this faith in community, supporting each other and by doing so they encouraged people to repent. The last verse says this, "They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them". God used the disciple to change people lives forever. What we do now in our lives and in this generation, will echo in the halls of eternity.

-ps

Sermon: Faith of Timothy

"I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News" Php_2:20-22

Paul wrote this glowing report about a young man who had become like a son to Paul. Timothy had been Paul's traveling companion on the second and third missionary journeys, and Paul had left him in Ephesus to help the church there. Paul had learned his lesson with John-Mark and the relationship with Timothy was very different. Timothy probably became a Christian after Paul's first missionary visit to Lystra. By Paul's second visit, Timothy had grown into a respected disciple of Jesus. He did not hesitate to join Paul and Silas on their journey. Paul wrote two letters to Timothy and he wrote the letters from a Roman prison while he awaiting his death. 2 Timothy has a very somber mood, Paul was first imprisoned was in a house this time he was probably confined to a cold dungeon. Emperor Nero had begun a major persecution in A.D. 64, it was all part of his plan to blame the Christians for the divesting Rome fires. Christians were persecuted across the empire. These words we read were most likely Paul's last words. So Paul is looking to pass the torch, and Timothy is the one. What set Timothy apart? What was different about Timothy? In one verse in 2 Timothy, Paul gives us a clue to why Timothy was above the rest, why Timothy was who he was. Paul says this in 2 Timothy 1:5

I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

(2 Timothy 1:5)

Paul is remembering Timothy's faith, his sincere faith. Timothy had traveled extensively with Paul. They had traveled, suffered, cried, and laughed together. They shared the intense joy of seeing people respond to the Good News and the agonies of seeing the gospel rejected and distorted. How did Timothy do it? John Mark left Paul and would take years to right the relationship. Paul was accused of being 'overbearing', 'uncompromising'. He never slowed down, he tirelessly worked to bring the people the gospel. Yet Timothy was able to grow and learn from Paul. He was able to build and important relationship with the Apostle. I think the key is found in the second part of the verse, it simply reads…as Paul reflects on the sincere faith of Timothy….

'which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice'

Timothy learned faith from his mother, his mother learned from her mother. The sincere faith was passed down to him. It wasn't something he was born with it was learned. Timothy was surrounded by this faith. He saw it in action; he witnessed faith being played out in front of him. Not only did Timothy get to see faith lived out in front of him, his grandmother and mother took the time to insure he knew and understood the scripture. They understood to live faithfully would require a firm foundation. Timothy would learn faith flowed from knowing and being grounded in scripture.

Today is mother's day, a day when we stop and thank the mothers in our lives. It should be a when we honor and cherish the gift we have in mothers. It is a time to remember the time they have invested in you and me. Where would we be without mothers, who loved us when no one else would? Mothers pick us up and encouraged us when life got us down; Mothers who clean our wounds and carried our hurts with us.

As I think about my own mother, I realize I would not be here without her constant support. All through my life my mother is the constant; she has always been there for me. Through the years our relationship has grown deeper. To this day she is an incredible influence in my life. Through the years she has taught me about faith, about prayer and about service. You can see how she 'lives' the scriptures out in her life. She is amazing!

She has taught me so much about prayer, because when she prays things happen. Let me share a story with you. I was in the Air Force stationed in England preparing to return back to the United States. I had orders to Minot North Dakota, in fact I had dates for my household goods to be picked up, I was leaving within a month. My mother tells me in a conversation I'm coming to California because she is praying for it. I tell it's impossible, the movers are coming, I'm heading to North Dakota. I remember how confident she was, she told me the church was praying for it and it was going to happen. Within a few days of talking to my mother the flight chief calls me into his office. As I enter his office he has this big grin on his face, which of course made me nervous. He says to me, "I don't know who you know, but you have been diverted to Vandenberg AFB, California. I remember standing there hearing my mother's voice in my head.

What was the result of me coming to California? While stationed at Vandenberg my mother would develop a deep relationship with my new wife, Sharon. It was at

Vandenberg I was deployed to the first Gulf war, which would push my back towards Christ. While deployed, Sharon was pregnant with our first child. For those six months Sharon was exposed to the gospel played out through my mother. She loved Sharon as her own daughter and through her, Sharon would begin seeking Christ on her own.

When I returned home, Sharon wasn't the same, I wasn't the same and we went to church together and never turned back. We have dedicated our lives to Christ and it all had its start with a mother praying for her child. A mother praying for an opportunity to share her faith with her new daughter-in-law, praying for an opportunity to have an influence on her head strong son. It is because of my mother I stand before you today.

Paul closes his thoughts with this, "I am persuaded, now lives in you also'. Paul knew about Timothy's faith because he had seen it. He had seen Timothy live out the faith he had learned. He stuck with Paul through the good time and through the hard times, until the very end. He knew this faith was learned, he knew his faith was passed down.

This morning I want to challenge the mothers, I want to encourage you today. You are the greatest influence in your child's life. Live your faith, let your children see your faith played out in front of them. Let them know the love of Christ, by seeing it displayed through you. Grandmothers, live your faith in front of your grandchildren. Let them see how much you love them, through Christ.

Timothy was able to live for Christ, because he first learned it from his grandmother and mother. He was able to be used by God to reach people for Christ, because of their faith. This morning we honor mother everywhere, we thank them for their love and continued sacrifice.

Sermon “Isn’t this the Carpenter”

Mark 6:1-5

Jesus has just left the area where he healed the demon possessed man, the women and raised the daughter from her death bed. He had performed these incredible miracles of faith. Now he finds himself home, the place where he grew up. The place he worked with father Joseph as the carpenter's son. I'm sure they had heard the stories and even seen him grown up.

Now he is a man and he has started his ministry, his life work, he is fulfilling his calling. He arrives with his disciples and he begins to teach and to perform miracles. The people are amazed! "What wisdom! And he does miracles"

Then there is a voice that rises above the crowd, a voice that everyone could hear a voice of "reason", a voice of doubt. "Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't he the son of Joseph? Isn't this Mary's son? Aren't his brothers and sisters here? Who does he think he is, he is no different from me and you! He has the nerve to come in here to lecture us! He is one of us, he isn't above us…he has no authority here! The people now where offended!

Like a fast poison the hearts of the crowd change, this voice has managed to silence the crowd and has hardened the hearts of all who heard. Jesus now was unable to perform any more miracles, except just a few simple healings. The town he had grown up in had rejected him.

Hometown

Jesus was rejected by the people who knew him or thought they knew him. He was rejected by preconceived ideas. They had already made up their mind about who he was. He was a common laborer.

Looking at this story we can say it is a story about the lack of faith. The people didn't have faith in Jesus and his message. In fact their lack of faith hampered what Jesus was trying to do, to change people lives. The people lacked faith. Have you ever thought you can keep Jesus from working in your life because you lack faith?

The thought that if we lack faith in Jesus and what Jesus can do, who Jesus is, we keep him from working in our lives, we don't believe in miracles, so miracles don't happen. How about changing our church, how about changing Rocklin, how about changing the people in our family? If we doubt Jesus, we can stop his work in us. How many blessings have we missed because we didn't believe?

If we believe Jesus can do a mighty work in this church, he will do a mighty work! If we believe Jesus can transform the city of Rocklin, through this little church, he will change the city. If we believe we can raise $10,000 dollars to send out four missionaries to Czech Republic, He will do it. It's all in believing and having faith in the faithfulness of God. Jesus said if we have the faith of a mustard seed, we can move mountains. If we put our faith in Jesus he can accomplish anything, "with man it is impossible, with God all things are possible". We serve a big God who can do incredible works, if we believe. It's all about faith.

Rejection

Jesus was rejected by the people closest to him. He was rejected by his hometown, his brothers and sisters rejected him. They thought he was 'out of his mind" and tried to convince him to stop. So if Jesus was rejected by those closest to him what can we expect? Many of our closest friends and family are going to reject you for your faith. Jesus said, "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.
From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.

They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
(Luke 12:51-53)

Our family members and close friends know our warts; they know where we came from. Some are going to have difficulty getting pass that, so all we can do is live our live consistently in front of them. Let them see you putting your faith into practice in front of them. Be the first one there when life has its turns, show them the love of Christ and be ready to share.

Missed Opportunities

The main point for me is simply missed opportunities. How many times do we miss something because we have preconceived ideas, we have thought about something in our minds, we have heard something and we simply don't see it. We opened with a video of a man playing a violin in a subway station…here is the rest of the story.

Joshua Bell emerged from the Metro and positioned himself against a wall beside a trash basket. By most measures, he was nondescript—a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money and began to play.

For the next 45 minutes, in the D.C. Metro on January 12, 2007, Bell played Mozart and Schubert as over 1,000 people streamed by, most hardly taking notice. If they had paid attention, they might have recognized the young man for the world-renowned violinist he is. They also might have noted the violin he played—a rare Stradivarius worth over $3 million. It was all part of a project arranged by The Washington Post—"an experiment in context, perception, and priorities—as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste. In a banal setting, at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?"

Just three days earlier, Joshua Bell sold out Boston Symphony Hall, with ordinary seats going for $100. In the subway, Bell garnered about $32 from the 27 people who stopped long enough to give a donation.

How many times have we missed Jesus working in our lives because we were too busy? How many times have we simply missed Jesus trying to teach us something from service or through someone else because we didn't think the opportunity meant anything? In America we live our lives at break neck speeds. We feel ashamed if we stop or slow down. If we don't seem to be 'busy'.

People this morning I give you permission to stop, to slow down. Take time to look around! Stop and

spend time with your family! Stop and turn off the T.V., turn down the radio and just listen to God. Pray! And read your Bibles in the quiet somewhere, seek to know Christ. Rearrange your lives and stop to listen! Some of you are saying right now I can't Steve, I got to do what I'm doing. Here is what I will say to you, if it is important to you, you will find a way. If it means something to you, you'll find a way.

When that new T.V. show comes on, the one everyone is talking about, you find a way to watch it. People arrange their entire schedule, but they find a way. If you want to go see a concert, or watch a game you find a way. If you want that new car, you find a way. Why then when it comes to church, or reading our Bibles and praying we don't have time?

But what I fear the most is we simple don't see God working in and around our lives because we don't recognize him.

Cary Grant a famous Hollywood actor once told how he was walking along a street and met a fellow whose eyes locked onto him with excitement. The man said, "Wait a minute, you're ... you're--I know who you are; don't tell me--uh, Rock Hud--No, you're ..." Grant thought he'd help him, so he finished the man's sentence: "Cary Grant." And the fellow said, "No, that's not it! You're ..." There was Cary Grant indentifying himself with his own name, but the fellow had someone else in mind.

John says of Jesus, "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him" (John 1:10 NIV). And even when Jesus identified who he was--the Son of God--the response was not a welcome recognition, but rather the Crucifixion.

This morning make it a priority in your life to know Christ.

-ps

The Good of the Many

"For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many" 1 Corinthians

As I sit here thinking about this verse in the context of what Paul is writing, I'm amazed by his humility. Paul is so focused on one thing and one thing only. He wants people to know Christ. Paul is so changed by his conversion and his calling he is unwilling to think any other way. He does everything he can to bring glory to Christ. Everything he works for, he eats, everything is done to the glory of God. Looking at this and being totally honest with myself, I don't see that in me. I try but I know I am selfish on so many levels, it shames me. At this point I can do two things. I can blame the culture around me or I can accept responsibility of my own actions and do something about it.

How do we break the cycle of selfish behavior? The problem with most of us is we have an 'I' problem. I am so focused on myself (I), that I cannot see the obvious. I put myself, my desires, my wants, my comforts, my will ahead of others. I do this with a smile on my face and in the most polite way possible, but it's all about me. So what I have to do is move my focus onto something else. Paul tells to 'fix your eyes on Jesus'. As Christians we only need to look to Christ. Through the Holy Spirit and through prayer we can start to learn to think of others before ourselves. As we look to Christ we take our focus off of our own desires and as we pray for others we put this into practice.

Saying and doing are two different things I know this. So here is what I want you to do. I want you to think about Christ and what he has done on the cross. Think about why he suffered and died. Think about the fact Christ died for you to take away your sin through the shedding of his own blood. Think about the fact he rose again from the grave and through him now, you have eternal life. Now think about someone you know a family member, co-worker, or neighbor and pray for them. Pray God will use you to help them know Christ. Pray that they will have a deeper walk with Christ. Keep praying and when you feel like there isn't anyone else, think about what Christ did again. Do this anytime of the day. Turn off the radio in your car on your commute and do this little exercise.

Here is what you will notice. Your focus on life will move from self to others. God will change you through worship and prayer for others. This is what Paul was always doing, reflecting on the sacrifice of Christ and praying for others. He did this not for himself, but for the good of the many.

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As For Me

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:14-15

Joshua is finished; God has used him to conquer Israel. The people have divided up the land and have settled into their lives and homes. Joshua gives one last sermon, one last talk to the people. To keep this land he is saying, to have peace finally make a choice. You can choose to follow the Lord with all your heart or you can choose not to. You can serve God or you can serve the idols in your life. You are going to serve someone, either yourself or God.

Some people believe we don't have choices when it comes to God. You will either follow him or not, you don't choose. But I disagree and here is one of the passage I see in the Bible which state I do have a choice. I can choose to serve God or not. There isn't anything 'irresistible' here, you choose. Why is the choice important, because of depth, depth in love, depth in relationship with God. He gives a choice for the sake of knowing him much deeper than having no choice at all. He understood by giving us this choice we could reject him, but we could also surrender all to him. By choosing to love him we give of ourselves freely, we have the opportunity to grow in him in ways freedom can only allow.

Joshua made a choice, 'But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua declares whom he will serve. He recites the past in which God saved them from the bondage of slavery, God guided them through the wilderness and delivered the promise land. Joshua had seen all of this with his own eyes. For him it was simple, because he had seen God working from the beginning.

How about your life, take an inventory and write down where God has delivered and guided you, saved you from bondage, from wondering, gave you purpose and direction. From that choose to give him your whole heart, trust him with all you have. He will give you the promise land of peace and contentment. If you never trusted God, start today. If you're still in slavery to something, or someone, pray for delivery and trust in God to lead you. If you're still in the wilderness of life trust God to guide you out. If your home living in peace have contentment with where you are, remembering where God has delivered you from.

As for me and my household, we choose to follow the Lord.

-ps

Sermon: How Will They Hear?

Tuesday night I was awakened with a longing inside. I could feel this God pressing on my heart, an intense feeling. I woke up thinking about the people of the world who don't know Christ. I started to think why do I have so much and the rest of the world so little? I was reading about how rice has reached $1000 a ton and the Asian markets panicked, because governments are buying less rice because of cost and this caused other to buy more thinking there might not be enough to feed their people. The UN declared 2008 the year of the potato, because other staple crops are becoming too expensive, because there isn't enough to feed everyone and the potato can be grown anywhere. So there I was thinking here I am overweight, trying to lose weight and most of the world is facing food storage. A billion people are starving right now.

For me, for the first time in my life I'm afraid. How long will God allow this to continue? How long until God intervenes? Jesus said no one knows when the end will come; it will be a complete surprise. In fact he used the story of Noah as a back drop and how the people where 'eating, drinking and being given into marriage', up until the doors closed. People watched the ark being built in the desert, they watched the animals load up two by two and they just continued like nothing was happening. Then the rain came and it was over.

Jesus said something at the end of that chapter which is Luke 17, "where there is a body the vultures will gather." In the end we will know it was coming, there will be signs. I don't know about you, but I'm concerned. How much more time do we have? Which made me think about Paul and his concern for the Jewish people, which he voices this concern in Romans 10.

Here what he had to say, "for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:13-15)

Questions Questions
First Paul makes the point that all people who call upon the Lord will be saved. In this chapter he is thinking about the Jewish people, but makes the point 'everyone' can be saved, anyone can call upon the Lord.

Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord can be saved, but then he follows up with some serious questions. How, then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?

Paul is concerned the people who can know God will never have a chance because no one has told them. Paul is concerned that there is no one who can share. Paul is concerned for his people. I am concerned, I am concerned for the people of the world, I am concerned for the people of this community, I am concerned for my family. How will they know Christ, who is going to tell them? Who is sending out people, where is the sense of urgency, why are we sitting here! People need to hear about Christ! They need to know Jesus!

What if they don't hear? What if no one tells them? First of all they miss out on knowing a loving God. They will never experience the forgiveness of sin; they will face a God, who by His very nature is perfect and holy. Sin cannot be in his presence, sin cannot co-exist with God. The people who don't know Christ will be lost to their sin and they face being expelled from God's kingdom.

For it is through Christ we have the forgiveness of sin. The Bible say, "Jesus, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)

Jesus, "I am the way the truth and the light, no one come to the father but through me."

There is no other way into heaven but through Christ, it is through the shedding of Christ blood do we have forgiveness of our sins. It is through Christ we can stand before a righteous God. When we stand before God he will see only the righteousness of Christ. Paul says in this same chapter, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10)

But how will they know Christ if they haven't heard? We have a job to do, we need to share Christ. I'm so burden by this, what are we going to do? Our job as a church is to bring the 'good news' of Christ to the world. We are to train people to share Christ; we are to send people out into the world. We are to go into our communities, and our families. To preach this message, the message of Jesus.

Feet

Paul finishes the line of questions by saying, ""How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" How beautiful is the one who bring this message to you, how beautiful is the one who is willing to share. How beautiful is the church who equips its people to go and share. How beautiful are the feet that carries the person who has this message and wants to share it.

We all can do this; we all can share Christ with others. We as a church are to equip and send out people. Last Sunday before the "After the Chase" concert. Sonia Burnell was here. She is a missionary, who is always looking for someone to go with her overseas. Every time we meet she always ask me if we have anyone who wants to go on a mission trip. I looked around and saw Joshua and mentioned Joshua might. I called him over and introduced them and Sonia asked Josh if he would be willing to go on a trip. Josh started to state all the reason why he couldn't go. Sonia looked at him and said, "if you can think of something more important than, reaching 50 people for Christ, you tell me and I try and help you get'. Josh stood there and just looked at her, unable to respond.

By Tuesday, Josh tells me he wants to go on a mission trip and he has recruited JJ his good friend to go with him. So Joshua and JJ have volunteered to go to the Czech this October for two weeks. So we as a church will have the opportunity to send and support two of our own on a mission trip.

As excited about sending out our own to a foreign country, we have people right here who don't know Christ. You and I can bring the message to them, blessed are the feet of those who bring the good news, we have the good news. We have the message of Jesus. I can't help but to think of the people in the video at the beginning"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!", who were hurting and so unsure in this world. People who need to know Jesus, people who are hurting, people without hope. We have the message of hope, we have the good news…Go and share it.

-ps

Persistent Prayer

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied. Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. Luke 18:35-42 TNIV

I love the scriptures because of stories like this one. You can feel the situation; you can see the story unfold before your very eyes. Here you have a blind man who is begging and he realizes Jesus is passing by and yells out to Jesus. The people around him tell him to be quiet, which makes him yell all the more until Jesus answers him. In life how many times have we wanted to do something and the people around us silence us. We are afraid because of what others will say about us. This becomes especially true in church. We are afraid of upsetting the balance or looking silly. How many times has God passed us by because we were afraid to act? God moves in the lives of the people of the church. No one is more important than the other; the spirits leading come from all directions. But the blind man isn't going to let this opportunity pass him by…the tell him to be quiet, he yells louder.

By crying out to Jesus, he receives his sight. By his 'persistence' he was heard. Here is what I really gather from this story. We yell God hears us, but waits. He wait to see what it means to you, he waits to if you're serious. He waits…. Sitting and waiting isn't something a majority of us are use to, in 'our way world'. Nathan Strong of After the Chase wrote this song called 'We Wait'. After seeing them Sunday, this song has grabbed me on several levels, look at the lyrics:

God of the broken
God of the suffering
God of the people who cry out for help and wait
God of the empty
God of the lonely
God of the hungry we cry out to You and wait and need

And we wait, and we wait
And we wait to hear Your voice
To feel Your touch, to know Your love
To know You're here with us

God of the dreamless God of the desperate
God of the worn out we cry out to You
God of the fearful
God of the weary
God of the tortured we cry out to You and wait and need

Where are You – I don't know
Where are You – Where You are
Where are You – But I need to see
Where are You – Your face tonight
We are broken – I am so
We are suffering – Broken suffering
We are worn out – Worn out
We are weary – Where are You
We are fearful – I need You
We are hungry – I need Your touch
We are desperate – I need Your
We are empty - Love
Where are You
Where are You
Where are You
Where are You – I need You now

The blind man was there, he had sat there long enough to want a change. He was worn out and hurting. He needed Jesus more than anyone who was walking with him at the very moment and no one was going to drown him out. So where are you? Have you reached the point where you need Christ and no one will silence you in your persistence? God longs for you to reach that point, to truly mean your prayer. To truly want him with all of your heart, not part of it, but all of it.

-ps

Longing

How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.(Psalms 84:1-2)

This morning reading as Joshua establishing himself, Jesus healing the leapers and only one came back to thank him and he was a foreigner. Jesus also talked about the kingdom of God, and how we will long to see him again. But until then people will carry on in their lives, eating and drinking and being given to marriage. He said it would be like the days of Noah, no one knew what was going on until the doors closed. When the doors closed on the ark is was too late for everyone else outside. Jesus said it will happen quickly and suddenly, and no one knows when. But at the end of his talk Luke 17:31, Jesus said, "where there is a dead body, vultures gather." What is he saying? I started thinking again about Noah, here he is building a big boat in the desert, and it had to be a sight to see. People could watch and laugh at this crazy old man as he and his family built this monstrosity. I mean he claimed to hear and talk to God himself. The animals all gathered two by two, and walked into the ark and the people had to see that also and it didn't convince them. The signs where all there and the people didn't listen.

Here we are in a world that is rapidly changing; I mean I have an uneasy feeling about the future of our country and the world at large. Here I sit in my home on a lap top, warm and overweight, while a majority of the world is starving or fighting just to make it. How long will the suffering of the billions continue until God makes a move? He puts in our hearts a longing for his dwelling place; he longs to put an end to the suffering of the masses. How long will he watch and listen, before like a father hearing his child cry for help, jumps to assist.

Many in the world are crying out for God to intervene, and we long to be in the dwelling place of the Lord. But when God does intervene, when God does invade our world, it will be finished. There will be no more chances, as C.S. Lewis says, "you can't stand up when your legs have stopped working". Lewis also said "when God does invade you will either experience absolute joy or absolute horror depending whose side you're on." There will be no more choice, no more freedom to choose. Are we seeing the vultures gather? I don't know but things are looking different, times are changing and I truly fear for the future. I have three boys and I wonder about the life they will have to live.

My soul longs for the day to enter the courts of the Lord, for the day when God himself wipes away the tears from our eyes. But until then I have to tell others about Christ, we have to share him with a world that is truly suffering. We the church hold the key, he is more wonderful than anything of this world. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Bright Morning Star, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, he is Jesus. He is the key to all the issues we face; he is our only true hope.

My heart and flesh cry out for the living God!

-ps

Forgiveness

"If a brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.
Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying 'I repent,' you must forgive them."

Jesus has a ways with words. I read this verse and I have to stop dead in my tracks and think about what he is saying, because the first part of this verse is easy, "If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them." I got that down as a human being, I can tell someone else where they messed up. But the rest of this verse causes a lump in my throat and if I watch my right foot, it almost does a little stomp and twist thing. I mean really I don't mind forgiving someone once, but every time? Isn't there a saying that goes something like, "sting me once shame on you, sting me twice shame on me'. Jesus is saying here sting me and repent, I am to forgive that person. Now I know someone is reading this and saying, "Jesus is saying the person has to truly mean it or the deal is off". I would ask this person, "how do you know the person truly means it and how would you determine it?" I don't think we can unless we have a lie detector lying around.

But there is one word here that really hits me; it's the word 'must'. "You must forgive them", what if you don't want to forgive them or maybe they have done something so terrible they don't deserve to be forgiven? Is Jesus saying I have to forgive them? I have a sister whom I love but we have had a broken relationship our whole lives. For reasons unknown she has chosen to punish our entire family by her absence. I have to say she has hurt me on levels that no one has. I find myself mad at the way she treats our mother, refusing to let her see her two grandkids. I have had my mother wake me up crying in the phone, lamenting her loss. This raises in me a real need to protect my mother, but there is nothing I can do. Despite this I am to forgive her. Jesus says I must forgive her and I have to pray I would. I pray for her and her family and I know someday I will face her again. I like to think in my heart I have already forgiven her, she is my sister. But in reality I will not know until she is standing in front of me again.

Here is what I do know from experience. Not to forgive is cancerous; it rots you from the inside out. You cannot harbor bitterness and love in your heart; you must choose which one you want to keep. The one you choose to keep will determine your relationships with everyone around you. Most of all you cannot have bitterness and God in the same place. So when Jesus says you must forgive, you must if you want him in your life. You must if you want to love; you must if you want to live. I know people who have bitterness in their heart, long ago someone wronged them and they have never forgiven. It reflects in their action towards others, it shows itself when they don't get their way. They walk around and are never truly satisfied with anything.

So read this verse again and let it sink in deep and if you have someone you need to forgive, forgive them. You will be amazed at the result.

-ps

Sermon What are you Afraid of?

In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus has just finished preaching to the people, it was late in the day when him and the disciples got into the boat on the Sea of Galilee, which to us is really a large lake. The Sea of Galilee is 680 feet below sea level and surrounded by hills. As the wind comes over the hills is picks up speed and power as it hits the lake. This causes unexpected and violent storms, these storms were also famous for their sudden appearances.

So this group of boats begins their journey across the lake when a furious squall suddenly appears. The waves beat against the boat; the waves start to fill boat with water. In the mist of the storm with the disciples truly fearing for their lives, Jesus is in the back of the boat asleep on a cushion. In the middle of the storm the disciples had wake Jesus up…because he was asleep.

Jesus wakes up and immediately turns to the waves and yells, “Quiet! Be Still!” The wind dies down and the water become calm right before their eyes. Jesus turns to his disciples and says, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

The disciples are terrified and ask each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Life Happens Fast

We cannot control the future; we never know what is going to happen next. Life comes at us at time faster than we can take it in. Someone is diagnosed with cancer, the phone rings and you’re notified of a death in the family. One ring and your life changed forever. The big event always seem to come one after another, ‘when it rains, it pours’ is the saying we often us.

But what about the small things, a sick child, an overdue bill, you’re tired and life doesn’t want to stop. Your job is demanding, you’re boss is relentless and your spouse wants your attention, the dog needs a bath, the van has a strange noise coming from the engine…I could go on and on but it doesn’t stop.

At time in our lives we can feel like the disciples in the boat. Storms suddenly appear and we are fearful. Our first reaction is denial, why is this happening to me. What did I do wrong? This followed turning towards God, but with the wrong attitude. We blame God or we wonder aloud, “Lord do you care or are you just asleep?”

Ever feel like God was asleep? I mean here are the disciples about to drown and Jesus is asleep in the back of the boat. He is comfortable laying there on his cushion. How many of has been in this position wondering, Lord, don’t you care if we drown?”

Jesus in the Mist of the Storm
All of this makes me look at Jesus a little closer. He is in the boat and the water has to be getting him wet, the boat has to be rocking back and forth. Either he is so exhausted that he could not do anything else, or he is just totally at peace with the situation. He didn’t get excited, he wasn’t afraid, he wasn’t wringing his hands, he was a sleep.

I know in my own life when I am worried about something the first thing to go is the ability to sleep peacefully. I’ll be up early trying to figure out what I am going to do. And if I’m afraid for my life, I’m really going to be awake, not Jesus, he is asleep.

So if Jesus wasn’t afraid, if Jesus wasn’t worried, if Jesus was at peace and asleep in the storm. I can’t help but to think about the question Jesus asked his disciples, “What are you afraid of? Do you still have no faith?” Jesus wasn’t going to let the disciples drown; he wasn’t going to let the boat sink. He let the boat take a little water, but Jesus wasn’t going to let the boat sink.

In our own lives storms are going to come. It might even look as if we are going to drown. But Jesus isn’t going to let you drown in your situation. You might face the impossible, but in the end Jesus is going to be faithful. We need to put our trust in his hands and not our own.

Jesus Clam the Storm

Looking at the story, when the disciples were so afraid, Jesus woke up and calmed the wind and sea. Until everything was completely clam. In the middle of the storm, Jesus brought peace. By trusting Christ he will give us the peace. The demonstration of controlling the weather is followed in chapter 5, by Jesus healing a demon possessed man and healing a woman who suffered an illness, to finely raising a little girl from the dead. Jesus is showing us he has complete control over every aspect of our lives; there is nothing he can’t control. He even has power over life and death.

So the question becomes “what are you afraid of?” “Do you still have no faith?” Do you put your faith in yourself first when bad thing happen, when the storm takes you by surprise…or do you trust Christ. Storms are going to happen or for most of us storms have happened. By putting our faith in Christ, he alone can give us peace and clam us no matter the situation.

Let me close with an illustration
When Dick Peterson's wife, Elizabeth, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, he knew many challenges awaited his family. What he didn't know was just how many lessons he would learn along the way about love and service in the name of Christ. He writes:
The intruder invaded Elizabeth's body, and by extension, mine. Her disease became my disease and made demands on our relationship we were ill-prepared to manage. As she moved from cane to walker to electric scooter and finally to a powered wheelchair, then lost use of her right hand, I had to adjust my life to fit her needs.

Uninvited and unwelcome, this disease now forces us into a kind of sick reality game, leaving no choice but to follow the rules even as they change and become more restrictive …
Every family divvies up chores, fairly or not so fairly. The MS dictates ours, but we do have the choice to let it tear us apart or use it to strengthen our marriage as we face the adversity together. This reaches deeper than deciding who does what. It reaches to feelings, emotions, and attitudes about what we do, what's done to us, and who we are to ourselves and each other …
We both pray for healing. With our families and our church, we agonize before God for a return to the day when Elizabeth can offer an open handshake instead of a permanently clenched fist, or take a flight of stairs without thought.

But if we only grieve the loss, we miss the gain. Even as the MS steals abilities from Elizabeth's life, a healing grows almost undetected inside. When we talk about this, Elizabeth wonders aloud, "Did it really take this to teach me that my soul is more important to God than my body?"
And I ask, "Is this what Jesus meant when he taught his disciples to serve? When he washed their feet, did he look 2,000 years into the future and see me washing my wife's clothes and helping her onto her shower seat to bathe? Did it really take this to teach me compassion?" …
God's healing can be sneaky. We pray that Elizabeth will resume her old life; he wants her to assume a new life. We long for change on the outside; he desires change on the inside. We pray for what we want; he answers with what he knows we need …

[God] has made me question whom it is I love. When I pray for healing, is it for Elizabeth? Or is it because her healing would make life so much easier for me? I challenge, "Aren't you the God who heals? I love her and I want her well." But in the back of my mind I know I also want her healed for me.

The exposure shames me. God commands me to love God with all that's within me, with all my heart, soul, and mind, and to love my neighbor—my wife—as I would myself.
Loving what I want for myself isn't even on the list. God has given me an impossible command, but he has given me the power to obey it.

The intruder still resides in our home, still presents us with new challenges each day, and still teaches us forceful lessons on submission, dependence, service, and a love that endures all things and never fails—even when I fail.

Strange as it may seem, that intruder is beginning to look more and more like a guest.
Only Jesus in the middle of the storm can work a miracle only Jesus can give us peace when we face difficult times. Only Jesus has the power to take tragedy and turn it into good. But we can only experience Him if we know him.

What are you afraid of? Do you still have no faith?