Sermon Video: The Children Praise Jesus as King - Matthew 21:14-16

And now, the rest of the story.  We know about the Triumphal Entry, and the clearing of the Temple that take place soon after, but don't forget about the healing of the blind and the lame accompanied by the joyous shouts of children that followed.

On the day of his triumph, Jesus took the time to heal those who came to him in faith.  While the common people celebrated him as a savior, the religious leaders of the day scorned him as a threat.  While adults looked at miracles and scoffed, children showered Jesus in praises.

Sermon Video: Receive God like a child - Mark 10:13-16

 In the familiar episode where Jesus rebukes his disciples for trying to prevent parents from presenting their children to him to be blessed, Jesus offers one lesson by his action/attitude, and another by his words. By being indignant with his disciples and allowing the children to receive a blessing, Jesus warns us against the all too familiar folly of presuming to know the will of God (and acting, wrong, accordingly). By comparing entrance into the Kingdom of God to the something to be received 'like a little child', Jesus also warns against things such as pride, self-reliance, and closed mindedness. The attitude of children is the path toward acceptance of salvation by grace through faith because children have (1) a low position (humility), (2) accept authority (obedience), (3) open hears/minds, and (4) a willingness to belief beyond what their own senses tell them. For reasons such as these, Jesus holds the attitude/mindset of childen up as something to be emulated, not scorned.

Children need mentors, parents need to be vigilant

 I am a firm believer in the merits of 40 Assets Model (The Developmental Assets Framework).  Long story short, this model predicts that the more positive assets a child has growing up, the more likely that child will be to avoid negative behavior and outcomes.  For example: A child with 34 of the 40 assets will be less likely to experiment with drugs or drop out of school than a child with 7.  Statistical likelihood is not determinism, some children with a high score may still struggle, and some with low scores will succeed in spite of them.  However, by and large, when we can, as parents and as a community, it is more than worth our investment of time and money to help ensure that as many children as possible are given the chance to develop more assets.  What is an asset?  Parental involvement, positive peer influence, high expectations, safety, caring neighbors, other adult relationships, youth programs, religious community, etc.

Looking back on my childhood, I had ample parental involvement, high expectations, a group of friends that were a positive (if nerdy) influence, and all sorts of other assets.  I was truly blessed with an abundance of assets during my formative years.  Two of these in particular are connected to the purpose of this post: religious community and other adult relationships.  My family attended church services at Galilee Baptist Church on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday evening.  We went to Sunday School, I was involved in Junior Church, VBS, 5 Day Clubs, Christian camps, and later youth group.  There was no lack of God-centered influences in my life.  As you can imagine, I would highly recommend to parents that they involve their children (and it makes a big difference to the kids if their parents are involved as well, not just dropping them off) in church activities.  Multiple activities, regularly.  It is an investment that will pay tremendous dividends later on.  

That being said, it is unfortunate that we need to add a warning: Parents make sure that the church you involve your kids with is taking Child Abuse prevention seriously.  Make sure they follow the state guidelines, and more than that, that they have no tolerance for situations that have the potential for abuse.  "Nobody ever thought that X would be a child molester" has been said over and over.  Parents need to make sure they know that their kids are not being put into situations where their child is alone with a potential abuser.  And since abusers are, by their nature, difficult to spot, that warning needs to apply across the board.  It is easier, logistically, to assume that our kids are safe, that it won't happen here, but we're be foolish to do so.  From the perspective of a church pastor, I would never allow anyone to work with children that I have even the barest hint of worry about, but that's not enough.  We have rules and procedures in place for a reason.  

This need for rules and multiple people keeping an eye on things was brought once more into focus at the multi-site church, Menlo Church, led by Pastor John Ortberg.  After great success (by all accounts) at the church, Ortberg's tenure ended in resignation because he failed to be proactive about a potentially dangerous situation involving children and a youth worker (in this case his son).  {John Ortberg and the Pitfalls of Pastoral Discernment - by Daniel Harrell, editor, Christianity Today}  Once again, one person's judgment is not sufficient, abuse (potential or actual) is not an area in which church leaders should be making their own judgment.

The second area that I was blessed with abundant assets as a youth was that of 'other adult relationships'; in my case that meant coaches.  From elementary school on, I played three sports a year, and a couple of my coaches transcended the coach-player relationship to become a mentor, and as I grew older, even a friend.  Two stand out, both of whom were teachers at Saranac: Don Videtich, who had the misfortune of coaching me in basketball for several years, and Cindy Sanford, who stepped out of her comfort zone to coach cross-country.  To be a kids' sports coach is a tremendous opportunity to affect young people with positive values of teamwork, dedication, and sportsmanship.  It is also a chance for adults to model proper behavior to kids, to show an interest in kids who might otherwise slip through the cracks.  

Unfortunately, we need to remember the exact same precautionary warnings about coaches too.  The idea that prompted this post was an article from ESPN about a female Texas Tech women's basketball coach being fired after allegations of horrendous abuse heaped on her players {Texas Tech fires Marlene Stollings after report alleging abusive program}.  Sadly, we're no longer shocked that an institution like a college has to wait for a report to take action, that no oversight was in place to stop the alleged actions up front.  What happened at Texas Tech is also a reminder that we can't let stereotypes dull our vigilance as parents (and community members in general).  Even if the vast majority of abusers are male, that doesn't mean we can ignore ideas of safety if the coach is a woman.  Even if young children are more vulnerable, that doesn't mean we can assume that teens or young adults can 'take care of themselves'.  The pressure on kids to conform, to 'not rock the boat', and the fear of embarrassment should they speak up, is terribly real, don't put the onus on them to report abuse.

So, where does that leave us?  We know that kids absolutely need mentors beyond their own family, that the influence of religious organizations and adult mentors like teachers and coaches can have a huge positive impact for the rest of your kids life.  Allowing the potential negatives to convince us to 'bubble wrap' our kids isn't the answer, vigilance is.  We, and as the father of a precious little girl just starting kindergarten, I do mean we, need to have our eyes and ears open, and not just for our own kid's safety, for every kid.  How can we best do this?  By being involved along with our kid, volunteer to help out, both those religious and sporting programs could use the extra help.

Does God even want state-mandated prayer?

Calls for a return of required prayer in the nation's public schools are common on social media and letters written to the editors of local newspapers.  Some who I would count as valued colleagues and friends are echoing this call.  As the theory goes, this is a key to turning around the American culture and bringing back a golden age of Christendom where America's status as a Christian Nation was unchallenged {A return to a supposed past Golden Age is a common trope in history, one rarely based in reality; a different topic for another time}.  Setting aside the question of whether or not state-mandated prayer in schools would benefit the culture (An assumption made in the argument, but how would one know if it is true: crime rates?  teen pregnancy? drug use?  Would prayer be expected to lower such things by 10%? 50%  With a complex system like a nation/culture, we cannot single out one factor for much of anything because of interconnected cause/effect.), or the Church itself (Was the Church healthier during periods when the population was required {on pain of various penalties} to pay nominal homage to God?  When everyone living in the land was assumed to be a Christian by simple right of birth regardless of any evidence of the Holy Spirit?  Was that marriage of Church/State a healthier Church?), even if we assume that both the nation and the Church would benefit, that there wouldn't be any unintended negative consequences to either, there still remains a fundamental question that is not being sufficiently considered: Does God want state-mandated prayer?
How can we know the mind of God?  A pertinent question, and one that has a simple answer: we can't, unless God chooses to reveal his mind to us, primarily through his revealed Word.  What then does the Word of God say on the subject?  How has God responded in the past to the worship/prayers/sacrifices of those whose hearts are not invested in the act (in other words, unwilling or indifferent participants)?  For rest assured, if prayer was mandated in the schools, there would be millions, likely a majority, of children and teachers who are not enthusiastic supporters of the particular prayer being offered {Certainly not for Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, agnostic, or atheists, as well as those Christians who would disagree with the particular form and/or verbiage of the prayer being offered.}  A sampling of relevant texts of Scripture follows:

Proverbs 28:9 New International Version (NIV)
If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.

Isaiah 1:13-18 New International Version (NIV)
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
    Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
    I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
    I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!
16 Wash and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
    stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
    Defend the oppressed.[a]
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
    plead the case of the widow.
18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.

Amos 5:21-23 New International Version (NIV)
21 “I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
    your assemblies are a stench to me.
22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
    I will have no regard for them.
23 Away with the noise of your songs!
    I will not listen to the music of your harps.

Malachi 1:6-10 New International Version (NIV)
Breaking Covenant Through Blemished Sacrifices
6 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.
“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’
7 “By offering defiled food on my altar.
“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’
“By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. 8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.
9 “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the Lord Almighty.
10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.

Luke 18:9-14 New International Version (NIV)
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

These are not all of the texts of Scripture that reference insincere or tainted prayer/worship/sacrifices, but they will suffice to show the point: God does not desire, nor accept, from even his own people (or at the least, those claiming to be his people) prayer, worship, or sacrifices that do not come from a humble obedient heart.  If then, these unacceptable efforts were not helpful to the people of Israel, nor to the Church, because they were not genuine, how would they be acceptable to God coming from people of other faiths, or no faith, when compelled by the power/authority of the state?  What about those prayers would be pleasing to God?  Is it not as likely, if not more likely, that such disingenuous rote and compulsory prayer would anger God rather than please him?  Is false prayer better than no prayer at all?  The warnings of the Jewish prophets appear to say 'no'.

Two other factors to consider: (1) Any prayer designed by the government for use in public schools would by its very nature, in keeping with the 1st Amendment, be entirely devoid of specific reference to God.  It could not be a prayer to anything other than a generic god, for generic blessings, and generic guidance/help.  It could not mention Jesus, nor reference the Gospel's call for salvation by grace through faith.  It would, by necessity, be a bland prayer.  Would such a prayer be instructive to young people (what exactly would it teach them about the nature of God?) or pleasing to the God whose name and deeds that we do in fact know?  Even if the government were to somehow avoid violating the 1st Amendment while still including reference to Jesus, it would not differentiate the Jesus of the true Apostolic Church from the Jesus spoken of by the Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons (both of whom speak highly of Jesus, but a Jesus whose nature and work is very different).  How could a prayer be constructed under the limitations that exist (Nobody is advocating for a repeal of the 1st Amendment, so we must consider this call for prayer in schools within that parameter) that would be properly honoring to God?  (2) If a conservative/evangelical inspired government (the only one likely to pursue this course and the background of those calling for a return of prayer to schools) were to impose school prayer, what is to stop a future liberal/secular inspired government from taking that same prayer and making it explicitly multi-faith (for example: replacing "God" with Allah, or Jesus with Buddha, or stating that all names/approaches to God are equally valid.  'O God, whose faces are many, though all people call equally to you...')?  What started out as a 'win' for Christendom could quickly become an exercise in blasphemy that Christian children would be required to participate in.  If then, that prospect causes anxiety, should not we, as Americans, not wish to put that same anxiety upon fellow citizens who happen to be Muslim, Hindu, Buddhists, etc?  Even though I am 100% convinced that there is only one God, and that he has made himself known as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that does not mean I would welcome a return to the policies of past eras where people of other, or no, faith were compelled to acknowledge a God whom they do not believe in.  As a Baptist, I naturally look with trepidation upon any government compelling people in the realm of religion, our ancestors in the faith didn't enjoy being on the wrong end of that, and if we ourselves would object, we cannot advocate imposing the same thing upon others {"Do unto others..."}
The same objections to mandated prayer in school apply to mandated Bible classes in school.  As a former English teacher, I can see the value in teaching the Bible as literature (however, this viewpoint would also treat other religious texts like the Qu'ran in the same way; as literature for students to be made aware of as part of a well-rounded education), and the value in history classes of learning about the role of world religions in human history (a huge factor to be sure, to ignore it is to do a dis-service to history), but NOT the value of having public schools attempt to teach Christian theology.  The reasons are the same as above: (1) Any teaching would have to be generic, and thus liable to offend various Christian sects who vary on one point or another from the mainstream (i.e. Baptists being more/less on their own about baptism, any class on the basic of Christian theology would teach the majority viewpoint), (2) and any class set up to be acceptable to conservatives/evangelicals when they are in power could then be switched to one whose curriculum is approved by a liberal/secular government?  Once again, what started as a 'win' for Christendom could quickly turn into the means to advance what the traditional/apostolic Church considers to be heresy.  If the success of an idea depends upon 'our side' remaining in power, and would subsequently become anathema to us if 'our side' were to lose power, then perhaps that idea is best left on the shelf.

From a strategic standpoint, it seems to me that both prayer and Bible classes in the public schools are a bad idea for the Church, even if they are a 'win' for Christendom (a dubious claim at best).  Others will disagree and see these tools as a means for advancing the cause of the Gospel in the face of an increasingly secular society.  They will contend that the potential benefits outweigh the risks.  We can agree to disagree, as Americans we have that right.  The far more important question that is not being given enough consideration is this: Would God be pleased by these efforts, indifferent to them, or angered by them?  If the examples of Scripture are any indication, and since they are the revealed Word of God, and God does not change, they must indeed be instructive for us concerning the mind of God, the most likely response from God is anger, followed by indifference, leaving pleased as the least likely.  Perhaps there is a Bible-based counter-argument in favor of compulsory prayer and Bible education, given the antipathy shown in the Bible itself to fake prayer/worship/sacrifices, it would have to be extremely compelling.

Sermon Video: Our Obligation to family and in the workplace - Colossians 3:18-4:1

Having written concerning our obligations to the God who made us and redeemed us, Paul also expresses our obligations within our family structures (wives, husbands, children, parents) and within society as a whole focusing on the slave/master relationship (not of course equivalent to employee/employer, but with principles that can be applied to that modern relationship).  In each case, Paul emphasizes that how we act and interact in our relationships is a form of submission to the will of God, thus if we obey the Word of God in these areas we will do what is fitting/pleasing to the Lord.  There is also an emphasis on the need to be upright in our relationships at all times, not just when it is noticeable, knowing that God will later judge our actions.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Divorce a non-Christian spouse? 1 Corinthians 7:12-16

As Paul continues to answer questions from the church in Corinth regarding sex and marriage, a new wrinkle in the long-established teaching from the Scriptures about divorce is addressed: Should a believer divorce his/her non-Christian spouse?  This is not a question answered by Jesus in the Gospels where he taught against divorce with a very limited exception, but now that the Gospel has gone out beyond the Jewish community to include many formerly pagan gentiles, there are a number of new believers whose spouse has not accepted the Gospel.  In his next letter to Corinth, Paul will warn against entering into are marriage with an unbeliever lest you be "unequally yoked", but what should a Christian do about an already existing marriage?

The answer from Paul is unequivocal, if possible, the marriage should be preserved.  If the faith of the one who has become a Christian, whether it be husband or wife, is to be the cause of a split/divorce, it should not come from the Christian him/herself.  It may be that the non-believers wants to leave, that their rejection of God's work in their spouse is forceful enough to split the marriage, but that is the choice of the non-believers.  The Christian should stay, if possible, but why?  Paul outlines two important potential benefits of staying: the godly influence upon both the non-believing spouse, and the godly influence upon the children.  For the sake of the soul of the non-believing spouse, and for the sake of the religious upbringing of the children, remaining in the marriage is to be the default for Christians.  The hope, in the end, is that both spouse and children will also come to know the grace of God that is in Christ Jesus.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Spiritually Uneven Marriages - Malachi 2:10-12

The prophet Malachi warns the people of Israel against the practice of marrying outside of the Covenant people, not for any racial reason, but because it brings into the nation those who worship other gods, and foster disunity within marriages and in parenting.  The same warning applies to the Church, as made plain by Paul's warning about being "unequally yoked" to the church at Corinth.  It is a dangerous choice for a Christian to marry a non-Christian, or for a committed disciple of Jesus Christ to marry a spouse for whom faith is not a priority.
What then do we say to those already in a spiritually uneven marriage?  Pray, continue to pray.  Be faithful, be patient, be kind, make sure that your devotion to God does not waiver, and make sure that your children are brought up in the knowledge of the Lord.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Faith like a child - Luke 18:15-17

In this passage, Jesus uses a minor incident in which his disciples attempt to keep parents who are bringing their children for Jesus to bless from bothering him, a decision that he reverses when he welcomes the children, as yet another teachable moment.  As he welcomes the children, Jesus declares that the kingdom of God actually belongs to those are are somehow like these little children.  On top of that, Jesus completes the analogy by saying metaphorically that no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they do so, "like a little child".  So, what is it about children, in general, that makes their attitudes or mentality ideal for entrance into the kingdom of God?  There are several possible answers, and because the text doesn't spell it out explicitly our answers are not dogmatic, but among them are these three child-like attributes: (1) children are dependent, not independent.  They aren't trying to earn things on their own but are content to receive what they need from others.  The pride of the Pharisee in the previous passage kept him far from God despite his massive efforts, while the humility of the wretched tax collector convinced him to rely upon God's mercy, which he found. (2) Children are trusting, not cynical.  The cynicism that we all experience, usually beginning in our teen years, is a learned response due to the lies and betrayals that we experience in life.  Trust, however, is crucial to our acceptance of what God has done for us, we must rely upon his promises, in that sense, children have the advantage for they have not yet learned to doubt the truth.  (3)  Children are enthusiastic, not apathetic.  Lastly, we need to have hope, we need to believe in order to enter the kingdom of God, if we have none we won't even seek redemption.  For children, as the saying goes, "hope springs eternal", they believe in the possibility of good things (Santa Claus being a prime example of this innocent hope) when adults instead see every potential problem.
We must enter the kingdom of God, "like a little child", and once we have done so, it is important for us not to lose those qualities, even if life conspires to beat them out of us, we can always return to our roots, returning to Jesus with the trust, enthusiasm, and dependence of a child.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: "Train a child" - Proverbs 22:6

In light of the impending birth of our first child, I decided to utilize the text of Proverbs 22:6 to talk about parenting as it relates to Christian families and the Church.  The Bible does not contain extensive discussion of parenting techniques or theories, instead focusing on the need for children to obey their parents and allowing the narratives of those whose lives play out in the Bible to teach us.  This proverb, like all proverbs, is not a promise or guarantee, but rather a pearl of wisdom that shows us the proper way to live.  Children need training, that much is obvious, in an ideal situation it will be done by both mom and dad, working together in harmony with the help of grandparents, other relatives, neighbors, teachers, and the church.  That this is the ideal situation is beyond doubt, but many families are working with far less than the ideal.  The task, however, remains, children need to be taught.  The Church can be a tremendous asset to broken families, and even intact ones, to reinforce and support their efforts to raise moral children of character who honor and love God.  This is one of the fundamental tasks of the Church, and a sacred duty of its people.
The phrase, "in the way he should go" could be translated literally from the Hebrew as, "according to his way", it reminds us that children are unique creations of God, each one with talents and interests that ought to be encouraged.  Educators have realized that children learn in a variety of ways and have adjusted their techniques accordingly, parents could use this same advice, especially when dealing with multiple children who need to be treated fairly, not equally, because they are not the same.  Thus parents need to be flexible when training their children, but that isn't the same thing as leaving the decision making up to them.  Children live in the moment, parents must look toward the future.
Beyond efforts to teach children, whether it be skills, academics, or morality, is the important truth that the most effective thing we can do to teach the next generation to love God is to show them that we do.  When we model our faith, with sincerity and devoid of hypocrisy, it has a far greater impact than mere words, when we live out our faith every day, our children will see its value in us and be far more likely to embrace faith for themselves.  This is a task for parents, and one that the church can also help with by providing positive role models of adults living by faith.  The more relationships a child has with an adult that exemplifies faith, hope, and love, the better.
Lastly, the proverb ends with a word of hope for worried parents.  We know that some kids will wander away from their upbringing in the Church.  We know that some will not embrace faith as we do, but the best possible thing for every parent and every child is to instill the love of God within them while they are young.  No matter what happens later in life, if we have done our duty for them in the beginning, we can have hope that its impact upon them will remain.

To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video