Throughout September, our sermons will focus on the New Testament book called James. This very practical letter speaks clearly into our world and into our lives. In James 1:16-27, Pastor David helps us find how personal holiness and social holiness are part of our responsibility as believers in Christ. Click below to hear this sermon!
Perfect Power
The other night, Tara and I were flipping channels on the TV, and we came across the show “Ask the Pastor” on TCT. Have you ever watched that show? It features a panel of pastors who field questions about the Bible and Christian faith that viewers send in by phone or email. Sometimes I like watching a few minutes to see what kinds of questions people are asking.
One question really caught my attention. The show’s host read an email, which asked, “Where is the third heaven located?” One pastor then spoke up and said that “the third heaven” refers to the place where God lives, the place of God’s full presence. He went on to explain that the third heaven is higher than the air we breathe and the stratosphere of the earth, which presumably are the first two heavens.
Friends, here is the truth: Above our planet’s atmosphere is a whole lot of outer space.
The only biblical passage this question could be referencing is 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, in which Paul describes his own spiritual experience of being “caught up to the third heaven” fourteen years before writing this letter. During that time, he was in the presence of God in paradise – surely an amazing experience!
But why does he even mention that experience? Take a few moments to read chapter 11 and this first part of chapter 12. The whole point is not to emphasize the greatness of Paul’s spiritual experience, but to reveal how Paul had to deal with his “thorn in the flesh” in order to keep him humble. Three times Paul asked the Lord to remove this malady (perhaps poor eyesight, malaria, migraines, insomnia – nobody knows). And God’s response to Paul?
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9a, NIV)
Brothers and sisters, God’s glory is amazing, to be sure. On this side of eternity, though, our lives are sometimes full of hardship and suffering. No matter what happens, remember that Jesus Christ loves you and that his power is made complete by guiding us through our difficult times so that we might become more like him. Let us praise God for how he is Lord of our lives in tangible ways; try not to get hung up on questions such as “Where is the third heaven?”
But remember also that I’m always open to discussing any questions you have about life, faith, the Bible, math, or anything else – and remember that I am praying for you!
–Pastor David
The Mystery of the Gospel
John 6 concludes its grand sweep of events and teachings with a real downer: Jesus loses the crowds that have been following him since the feeding of the five thousand. Apparently the message Jesus was proclaiming was too difficult for them to understand, approve, or agree with. Could we be in the same position today? Click below to hear Pastor David’s message on the path of discipleship from John 6:56-71.
A Chapter of Ascents
In the past few weeks, our sermons have been studying John 6, particularly the passages where Jesus refers to himself as the “bread of life.” Take a few moments to read that chapter straight through. And now allow me to map out the chapter for you, so we can see how the whole chapter fits together:
- Jesus feeds the 5000 (verses 1-15): Jesus has high popularity; he performs a miraculous sign; people suggest he might be “the Prophet”; they try to force him to become king; Jesus retreats to a mountain by himself.
- Jesus walks on the water (verses 16-24): the disciples are in mortal danger; Jesus performs a miraculous sign; the crowd searches for Jesus.
- Jesus as the bread of life (verses 25-59): the crowd finds Jesus and looks for another miraculous sign; Jesus claims to be from heaven, to have seen God the Father, and to give true food and drink through his flesh and blood.
- Jesus loses the crowd (verses 60-71): the crowd/disciples turn away; Jesus has low popularity; Jesus promises to ascend to heaven (after his death and resurrection); Peter suggests he is “the Holy One of God”; Jesus is left alone with his Twelve disciples, one of whom will become a traitor.
In the span of one chapter, Jesus moves from high popularity to low popularity, which is a descent of sorts. But he constantly ascends: he goes to a mountain to be alone; he explains how he came from heaven and is going to heaven; he is lifted up and praised by Peter’s declaration of faith. The crowd wants to accelerate Jesus’s ascent to political power by making him king; instead, Jesus shows that his ascending path (as the King of kings) involves his abandonment and death. And Jesus’s ascent is not done alone: the disciples do not recognize him when he comes walking on the water, but by the end of the chapter they have come to know his true identity and remain faithful to him (for now) while everyone else has left him.
Of course, the story of the Bible includes the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, so now we know that he remains in heaven, sitting at the right hand of God the Father (1 Peter 3:21-22). The story of Jesus’s ascent is complete – except for his ascent into first place in the lives of those who believe in him.
Has Jesus moved into the highest point of your life? Is your relationship with him of primary importance to you? Are your actions, decisions, and thoughts guided by the King of kings and Lord of lords? What needs to happen to move Jesus just a little higher in your life? How can we as the church help with that growth in discipleship? Let’s talk.
–Pastor David
You Want Me to Eat What?!
Just after feeding the 5000 in miraculous fashion, Jesus said some pretty bizarre things about what his followers should eat and drink: his body and blood. What in the world was Jesus talking about? Here’s a hint: he was not referring to the Lord’s Supper, as many Christians assume. Click below to hear Pastor David’s sermon on John 6:51-59.
The Olympics and Spiritual Life
By now, our fast-paced culture has moved on from the London Olympics and is gearing up for a presidential election that will take months to resolve. But today I encourage you to think back on the Olympics for a moment. Did you watch any of the events? Did you take note of how various athletes responded to winning, losing, succeeding, or failing?
When we put athletes on display at the Olympics, we give ourselves an opportunity to see the most raw of human emotions in these categories. For some athletes, the sheer joy of winning a gold medal – especially when such a victory was a surprise – brought smiles to our faces. For many, simply competing in a certain event was enough of an honor to provide us with a positive experience as observers. And for a few, the cold reality of not qualifying, not finishing, or not placing high enough evoked feelings of frustration and disappointment – at least in the athletes, if not in us.
I was impressed by how many athletes, in their post-competition interviews, gave thanks and praise to God for helping them to compete. Usually, this acknowledgement of God’s help came in good times (such as medal-winning performances) or at least respectable times (such as simply finishing an event). However, I rarely saw an athlete mention his or her faith in God when a frustrating or disappointing result came about.
This speaks to something in our human condition: it’s easy to be faith-filled and thankful to God when the sky is blue and things are going our way. It’s harder to remember our faith when things are not so good.
Why, then, do we spend most of our prayer time in supplication, asking God to bring about something good (such as healing, restoration, a job, etc.) in someone’s life? Why do we spend so little time, in our personal devotional lives and in our collective church life, giving God thanks and praise for who he is and what he has done?
I believe that’s because people generally rely on their emotions to gauge their spiritual lives. When you’ve won a gold medal (in the Olympics or, figuratively speaking, in real life), your emotions point you toward thankfulness. When a tragic or disappointing result happens in the race, your emotions direct you to ask God for healing or a second chance.
What if our spiritual lives were to be God-centered rather than emotion-centered? What if our relationship with Christ were so central to our daily lives that the events of each day could be understood in light of that relationship? The gold medal would still be worth celebrating, and the tragedy or disappointment would still be worth uplifting in prayer.
But the constancy of our relationship with Christ would remind us that the most important thing in our lives is that relationship. Win or lose, success or failure – the real race still lies ahead of us.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV)
–Pastor David
Bread From Heaven
In John 6:35-51, Jesus makes a bold claim: that he is the living bread that has come down from heaven. Our Christian faith gives us hope for heaven, but what does that have to do with the real world and our lives today? And how does Jesus’s claim – that those who eat of this living bread will live forever and not die – tie into our everyday lives? Click below to hear Pastor David’s sermon on this subject.
The Bread of Life
This month, we will be focusing on Jesus’s words in John 6, specifically as they relate to the Lord’s Supper which we will share at the end of the month. Pastor David’s sermon this week focused on John 6:24-35, where Jesus proclaims, “I am the Bread of Life.” What does this mean? And how does Jesus satisfy our every desire? Click below to hear Pastor David’s message on this subject.
360 Revolution
Pastor Jerry preached today on the topic of the “360 Revolution” – a technique for evangelism that focuses on prayer. Three passages of scripture form the basis of this message: Mark 5:1-20, Luke 15:1-32, and Mark 2:1-12. Listen to this message – and take Pastor Jerry’s challenge seriously!
Our Spiritual Giftedness
Last Sunday, twenty-one adults (including two teenagers) gathered in our fellowship hall to learn about, discuss, and discover their spiritual giftedness. This was the culmination of a sermon series on that topic, and my pastor’s heart was very glad by the strong turnout and even stronger discussion we had at this “Spiritual Gifts Workshop.” I’d like to share a few thoughts with you about the general make-up of our congregation. (As a reminder, if you were not able to attend the workshop, please see me sometime, and we can work on discovering your spiritual gifts together!)
Our survey identified two kinds of spiritual gifts: “working gifts,” which are gifts that we are currently using in active ministry, and “waiting gifts,” which are gifts that may need more development – or the right opportunity – before we put them into use as well.
Among the 21 people at the workshop, our top three “working gifts” were service, giving, and faith. Service has to do with tending to practical needs that help build up the body of Christ. Giving involves supporting the Lord’s work through generous and joyful contributions of material goods – financial and otherwise. Faith is a gift which allows us to see what God wants and to be certain that he will accomplish it in response to prayer.
Does that sound like the Mt. Haley congregation you know? It does to me! I believe we are, indeed, very strong in these three areas. The next question, then, is this: “So what?” How do we put these gifts to work as a congregation? Our frequent love offerings for various ministry groups is a start; our support of different local Christian ministries each quarter is another good thing. Let’s be thinking about how we can continue to develop our strengths as a congregation, even as we do the same individually.
On the other side of the coin, our three strongest “waiting gifts” – again, among the 21 people present at the workshop – are discernment, encouragement, and hospitality. Discernment means the ability to distinguish between truth and error, especially when it comes to matters of faith. Encouragement is the gift that enables us to motivate others to live practical Christian lives. Hospitality has to do with welcoming and graciously serving guests or strangers.
Many individuals in our congregation are “waiting” to put these gifts into action. How can we be more actively discerning, encouraging, and hospitable in our church and in our local community? What would it look like if we were to grow in discipleship and outreach, intentionally paying attention to a development of these three “waiting gifts”? Let’s discuss these things together as we serve in the kingdom of God in this particular place, at this particular time.
–Pastor David