March
5
2012
Mark 9:42-50
Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.
We all have parts of our lives that need to be trimmed back because they do more harm than good. This process can also be called discipleship. It is crucial that we also watch out for those areas that lead to sin or are actually sins. We should never think we are beyond temptation and sin. The holy life involves total commitment and reliance upon the grace of God in Christ. It means that we need to be constantly before God in dependence upon His help through this life.
This also involves growing together with other people. One of the diseases of our Western culture is that we think we can be Christians all by ourselves and that we don’t need to “go to church” (whatever that phrase means, which I am not sure). We don’t go to church; we are church. If we fail to grow together, we fail to grow as individuals. We need to expand our idea of church.
The way of the cross means that we fall down before Christ is submission, humility, and dependence. We rise to new life, filled with the Presence of the Holy God, empowered to love as He loves us.
If you would like to listen to a sermon on this topic, go here.
March
5
2012
Mark 8:27-9:1
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Jesus came to the point in His ministry that He needed to make certain His disciples were with Him because He was soon to go to the cross. The disciples were slow to realize who He was. Had they realized yet who He was? What does it mean to call Jesus “the Christ”? Jewish longing for the Messiah arose after the glory days of David and the fall of Israel and Judah. Some looked for a political messiah who would free the Jews from foreign domination. Others looked for a supernatural messiah whom God would to bring about His purposes. Few understood the significance of a suffering messiah.
The way of the cross mean suffering for Jesus but victory for us. Jesus invites us to follow in His footsteps to the cross. The disciples had left everything to follow Jesus. They had hopes of a glorious kingdom. But they did not realize that the way to glory meant facing the cross of commitment. The Gospel is not one of convenience but one of investment.
Jesus outlines a threefold requirement for those of us who would follow after him. He requires that we (1) deny ourselves (2) take up our cross and (3) follow him. These three summarize the purest Gospel.
We may think that the cross is heavy to bear. Sometimes we talk of carrying our heavy cross. “I have a heavy cross to bear.” Remove your cross and take up Jesus’ cross, for He says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The glorified Christ is the crucified Christ. Before resurrection must come crucifixion.
If you would like to listen to a sermon on this topic, go here.
February
18
2012
Romans 12:1-2
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
We are all products of our past, our choices, and our current settings in life. We all will view life through a certain lens. This is often called a “worldview.” It is important to realize what molds our worldviews. Most people do not think about these influences very often.
Sometimes those influences have been very positive. For example, the type of family we grew up in will influence how we raise our own families. Other times those influences have been negative. Scars and hurts from the past will create fear in our minds and cause us to avoid certain activities. For example, if we were badly embarrassed at some point, we may be reluctant to stand before a crowd or to share our testimony with other people.
The patterns of life that we set over time are the first place we go to when in a crisis. There is a lot about modern life that the Bible does not talk about. How do we confront a rapidly changing world when the Bible was written to ancient people far removed from our current situations? The way we can do this is by developing a “biblical worldview.” This view of life can become saturated with the wisdom contained in the Bible. The Holy Spirit will remind us of the things we have studied. So when we face a situation that is not talked about in the Bible, our pattern for life has been set and we have a resource form which to draw. We will be better equipped to deal with our current ethical problems.
If you would like to listen to a sermon on this topic, go here.
February
6
2012
Phil 2:1-11
“Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”
The root problem of many relational issues is pride. Pride is when we think more of ourselves than we ought. We live in a self-centered world. It is all around us. I was interested in watching the various commercials for the Super Bowl. I wanted to see how self-focused they were. Many of them were all about satisfying selfish desires, lust, self-fulfillment.
Paul offers the Philippians a way through their own selfishness by giving them the example of Christ Jesus. Because of our relationship with Christ, the way we live ought to be different from our old lives and the type of lifestyles we see all around us. V 1 is the first part of a conditional sentence. If the first part is true, then the second part, v 2, ought to be the result. If Christ has made a difference in our lives, we ought to live out this change in our relationships with others. This will necessitate making choices. Sometimes these choices will be more difficult, especially if we have set patterns for our lives. Since we are different from the inside out, and since the Holy Spirit is growing within us the love of Christ, then our relationships ought to show this. The bond between two Spirit-filled believers is stronger than the quarks that hold the atom together (I may have that wrong, but you get the idea).
The key to all this is what Jesus has done for us. He became one with us, suffering like us, struggling through the disappointments of life, being tempted like us, and even experiencing a painful death. He did all this 1) to show His love, 2) and so that through His obedience we might experience freedom from the power of sin. As a result of His obedience unto death, He is now highly exalted. This great passage from Philippians gives us great hope in our relationships now. We have first the source of power to love (we call this grace), and second, the example of how to love (we call this the obedience of faith).
February
6
2012
1 Corinthians 2:6-16
“But we have the mind of Christ.”
The world is full of foolishness. I think the smarter we get, the dumber we get—because we have forgotten our creator. This is especially seen in the rejection of God’s prevenient grace through the work of the Holy Spirit on the consciences of people. They reject the light God is shining in this world. They ignore the signposts that show a better way of life, for everyone, for the poor, the minority, the unborn, the abused, the addicted—really, just all of us. As Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
Paul encourages the Corinthians to seek a better way. This ways is marked by learning, growth, and discernment. It involves letting our minds take on the form of Christ’s mind. We can only do this in obedience to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us understand and live out better God’s will for us. The Spirit will point the way to Christ. First, for those who are unsaved, the Spirit points to the need to seek forgiveness and put our trust in Christ. Second, for those who are saved, the Spirit helps us live out our faith through obedience to the commands of Christ. Galatians 5:25 says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” The word for “keep in step” is a military term which implies following a leader or commander in march formation. For us to be truly spiritual we must march in step with the Holy Spirit and let Him control our lives.
If you would like to listen to a sermon on this topic, go here.
January
31
2012
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).
We were created to love one another. To be remade into the image and likeness of Christ involves first and foremost the fundamental change of our character, from being self-focused or world-focused to becoming God-focused. This is a change we cannot make on our own. We can try to love, but eventually the disease of the fallen world around us will creep in. We need God’s help through His indwelling Spirit within us, guiding us and helping us to think of God as first and then how we can love others.
There are a lot of things that get in the way of love. I reflect on how many people have poor models of love and do not know what unconditional love looks like. It is not always easy to love people, especially when they hurt us. This hurt can be so deep that we do not even know it is there. It just shows up in how we respond to others, sometimes in anger and other times in indifference.
To begin to walk as Jesus walked (that is to live like He lived), we need first to seek God’s forgiveness. Seeking is always an action, so we must then respond with commitment to love. The way God will help us with this is to remind us, give us prompts, change our character over time, and give us an attitude of forgiveness and acceptance. Love is an action word, so we can’t just sit idly by and be passive. These changes do not happen over night. Each day we need to commit to love. The more we do this, the more it will become a habit and pattern for our lives.
If you would like to listen to a sermon on this topic, go here.
January
22
2012
Isaiah 35:1-8
8 And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
10 and those the LORD has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
One of the biggest challenges and most significant choice we can make in life is the road we will take. I don’t know if most people think of life as a road or journey, but in many ways, that is a useful analogy. Along the road are junctures, decisions that we need to make about the direction we will go. The major decisions are obvious and highly important, such as where a person may live or the type of house one will buy or rent, what kind of job a person tries to get (this is not always an option), and especially who one will marry (if one does marry), and others. Many of decisions are quite minor, at least on the surface. But these smaller decisions begin to add up and show a general direction for our lives. We may not think hanging out with a certain person or dating a certain person is a big deal (and I have heard that argument from young people). But that “minor” decision will begin to add up with others and set patterns for our lives.
Isaiah looked forward to a day when God would provide a new road for His people to walk. It is described as the way of holiness. It is a journey that is full of peace, happiness, fulfillment, purity, love, joy, and many other positive experiences. It does have its challenges. However, if you ask two people at the end of their lives who took two different roads, one the way of holiness and the other the ways self, pride, sin, who had a better journey, I bet that the one who walked with God will have had a much better trip. There is definite benefit to walking with the Lord in this life. As the old hymn goes, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” May our paths be guided by the Holy Spirit who will give us a wonderful life in this world full of pain, questions, and sorrow.
If you would like to listen to a sermon on this topic, go here.
January
12
2012
Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
A lot of things take our energy. This is especially true when you have children. I often find my attention and energy drawn to so many areas of my life: family, ministry, academics, needs around the home, and even pets (especially with our new golden retriever puppy, Sami). It is hard to maintain focus with many of life’s challenges. I wonder if this is true for many others as well. I have to confess that I fill my life with activities because of many ideas that float through my mind and the different projects I get myself into.
Most people want their lives to have some meaning. They look to various things, people, events, and ideas to provide this meaning. Generally, what consumes a person’s time is often where that meaning is found. Some people put most of their energy into their jobs. Working is their passion. Others like to watch athletic games on TV. Football is their passion. Others invest all their time in their families. If you follow a person for a week, you could probably tell what his or her passions are.
Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, who had a significant influence on John Wesley, said, “I have but one passion; it is He, He only.” Paul the Apostle shifted his passions from trying to please God to living for God. He realized that he needed to put his passions aside, to crucify the old man, and to be made new, letting Christ reign supreme. When we see life through the filter of Christ, our passions will be changed. We will find new meaning in the many things that occupy our time and energy. We will live for Christ, not for self.
You can find a sermon on this passage and topic at http://www.buhlnaz.org/sermons.
December
31
2011
New Years Day is always a good time to reflect on the past and consider the future. The past and the future ought to impact our present.
Philippians 1:12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
If we are going to spend our energy and time on certain activities, we ought to make sure that these activities are worthwhile. There are many things that distract us from this path. There is a series of books about giving certain items to animals. We got a Christmas gift to add to our collection called If you Give a Dog a Donut. These stories go from one activity to another until by the end of the story, the critter is far from where it started. We are like that a lot. We get distracted along the journey and find ourselves far from where we started. We intend to do one thing but end up doing another. It is hard to stick with our goals. Several things can help us with this:
1) Remind ourselves of our goals; keep them before us. Find ways to remind ourselves of our goals. Some organizations do this by posting the purpose or vision statement of the organization.
2) Have others in our lives who will hold us accountable. Because we are easily distracted and forgetful, being part of a community that helps us keep to our goals can be a great asset.
3) Make small but steady stead in reaching our goals.
4) Ask God to guide and bless our decisions. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.”
June
26
2011
I enjoy a good adventure story or movie—something about the adrenalin rush that comes with the suspense in the story line. Without realizing it, we pick characters in the story with whom we identify. Hopefully, our hero is the good guy. Often there is a prize that drives the plot of the story, such as the love of a fair maiden, finding a lost person or civilization, freedom from oppression, or even some type of wealth.
Treasure is a prize that also drives much of our lives today, even if that treasure is not gold and silver buried in a sunken pirate ship. Treasure is anything that has value to us. Our career goals can be a form of treasure. Perhaps our possessions, homes, cars, or even families can be what is of value to us.
Paul the Apostle wrote, “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Paul gives several helpful insights in this verse that provide a strong foundation in our ever-shifting world.
First, he mentions a “treasure.” What is this treasure? If we study the surrounding passage, we find back in verse 6 that the treasure is “the glory of God in the face of Christ.” As Paul says earlier in 3:18, our goal in this life is to be transformed into Christ’s likeness, from one degree of glory to the next, through the help of the Holy Spirit. That is a big thought! The treasure we possess is the whole goal of life: that we might live purely, love deeply, and serve unconditionally in the same way the perfect human, Jesus, did.
Who among us can reach that goal? We fall far short of it so often. Our love towards our loved ones and surely towards our enemies is no where close to the way Jesus loved people. We give in to temptations whereas Jesus overcame every temptation he faced. Paul expresses our experience in his second point: we live in jars of clay. He is speaking especially here of our weak, physical condition. There is truth in the cliché, “I’m only human.” Why does God give us this awesome goal of being Christ-like yet put us in this imperfect world, full of sickness and temptations? Why is not the world perfect, with no sin and no disease? Answering that question will open the way for us to find peace no matter what our physical circumstances may be like.
Paul knew firsthand what suffering is all about. He had often gone without food, been imprisoned, shipwrecked, and even beaten to the point of death. He saw his physical existence wasting away, his stamina deteriorate, and his flesh become weak. Yet, he realized that this imperfect existence is the arena in which we live out the perfect gospel. He writes later in this passage, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (4:16).
For Paul, there is a big difference between living by our own resources and living by the help of God. Living without God eventually leads to defeat and despair, when our clay jars crack and perhaps even shatter and crumble into a pile of brokenness. Our pots may be more cracked than we are willing to admit.
The reason we live in this kind of situation is expressed as a purpose clause: in order that the power to transform our lives can be clearly seen to be from God and not from our own efforts. If we could make our lives better by our own efforts alone, who needs God? The truth is, and experience has proven over and over again, that we need a power source outside of ourselves. There is an innate drive within every human for finding meaning to life and looking beyond our mundane everyday existence. This drive has pushed humanity to look to the stars and to explore the depth of the seas.
The most important things in life are the invisible ones. If you are like me, we like to hold on to the things that we have. We have worked hard for them. In today’s economy, earthly treasures do not come without some effort. We must focus our lives on the invisible, spiritual qualities deeply planted within each of us, not the temporary things of this world. As cracked pots, we do not hold water very well. The good news is that the very presence of the glorious creator can abide in us. No matter how deep the valley or dark the trail, we do not have to walk it alone. The priceless treasure offers us a source for hope that can never be exhausted.