Sermon Video: Jesus receives a 'beautiful thing' and a betrayal - Mark 14:1-11

In one episode, Mark puts together Mary's sacrifice of adoration, a 'beautiful thing' in Jesus' words and the inexplicable betrayal of Jesus. Two followers, both witnesses of Jesus' miracles and hearers of his teachings, yet two opposing responses, one of love the other of hate.

Which leads us to this question: What beautiful thing can I do for Jesus? What cost am I willing to pay to serve my savior and king?

Sermon Video: The Greatest Commandments - Mark 12:28-34

We love top ten lists. Enjoy debating the merits of which team, movie, song, etc. is better than another. The rabbis had identified 613 laws in the Law of Moses, so it was natural to wonder which rose to the top, which were the most important.

In addressing the issue, Jesus gives a non-controversial answer, citing the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) that loving God with everything is the most important commandment. And then he ADDS a 2nd commandment as part of his answer, linking it to the first, 'Love your neighbor as yourself." Why? Because we can't claim to love God in the abstract if we don't love the human beings in our lives. Devotion to God means loving those also created in his image. Thus the two great themes of God's Word sit together, loving God, and loving each other.

Sermon Video: Stand firm if you're doing the Lord's work - 1 Corinthians 15:58

As the culmination of his message about the triumph of Jesus over sin and death, and the future resurrection that awaits all those who believe in him, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to stand firm and serve.  If we are IN Christ, we're standing in the right place and must continue to do so, for were else would any of us go, and why?  While there, we need to serve.  The Church fulfills its mission when volunteers take it upon themselves to move forward the cause of the Gospel.  As important as our clergy are in leading the Church, the laity are the ones who impact the community the most.  In addition, Paul promises us that our labor for the Lord will never be in vain.  Whether or not we see results, those who serve from the heart will be rewarded in heaven and receive the transformation of their character here and now.

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Sermon Video: Sacrifices Worthy of God - Malachi 1:6-14

Following up on his explanation as to how God has loved his people, Malachi examines the way in which God's people have shown love, devotion, and honor to God in return, and the results are not good.  The priests in Israel had been offering animals for sacrifices with significant defects, in violation of the Law of Moses.  The implications of this violation are very serious, not only is it a sign of great disrespect for God, it will also result in sacrifices which are not accepted by God, causing a rift to develop between God and his people.
Now that Christ has fulfilled the sacrificial system, the equivalent of Malachi's warning for the Church age is the ongoing need for God's people to show respect and gratitude to God by giving God acceptable offerings of love, worship, prayer, and service, offerings that reflect our best not our leftovers.

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Out of Control: The unspoken cost of over-scheduled children

The most recent issue of Time magazine featured a cover story, "How Kid Sports Turned Pro" which highlights many of the financial dangers to families of the traveling sports teams for children, some younger than ten, which can cost a family tens of thousands of dollars a year in the pursuit of the dream of raising a professional athlete or simply netting a college scholarship.  In addition to this financial burden, the article emphasizes the serious potential for emotional and physical injury to these children (from the frantic schedules, high pressure performances, and too specialized exercise).

All of these things, and more, should be warning signs to parents of the danger of over-scheduling the lives of their children, and of raising a narcissist by teaching that child that the world revolves around him/her, and yet there was one area of danger that the article failed to address: the elevation of these athletic pursuits above devotion to God.   It should come as no surprise that the weekend tournaments that families travel, often half-way across the country to attend, necessitate that the family will not be attending church on Sunday.  As a pastor, I've seen this trend increase over the years, as families feel pressured to choose the hobby/sport that their child loves (or at least the parent thinks they love it) over spending time as a family in the house of God at worship.

Going to church isn't the priority it once was and our society (and countless individuals and families) have lost an intangible asset as a result.  In a world where human connections are more tenuous and rare, our spiritual connection to God and each other looms ever more crucial.  Will my child someday participate in a sport that holds games/tournaments on Sunday morning?  No, she will not, and not just because I'm a pastor and my absence would be noticed; because my wife and I recognize that our time spent as a family in the house of the Lord is an invest in our family and an example to our daughter of how highly we value God.



** This is not an indictment of parents who must work on Sunday to provide for their family, such things are unavoidable for some, nor does it concern those who miss church to take a family vacation or attend a family event.  My concern is with those for whom church is such a low priority that attendance a "we're not doing anything else" option instead of being the high priority that our devotion to God ought to demand of us.**

Sermon Video: A Jealous God? - James 4:4-6

James, like John and Paul, warns of the danger of "friendship with the world".  The question, of course, is what does this mean?  Instead of reading into the text our own beliefs about the subject (which would be the error of interpretation called eisegesis), we need to allow the text to speak for itself, seeking out the original meaning of the author and the original understanding of the audience/reader (the correct mode of interpretation, exegesis).  Therefore, any definition of "the world" which relies  upon modern concepts like an anti-technology explanation or one concerning democracy or capitalism, is certainly an anachronism that would have been unintelligible to both James and his readers.  This same concept is important in all areas of Biblical interpretation.  In order to honor God's word and show it respect, we need to seek the plain meaning of the text first.  Once we have ascertained what the text meant then, we can seek to understand how we ought to apply the text now.
So, what is "the world"?  In the context of James, the world is everything which is opposed to God, all that carry someone away from God.  James gives plenty of example of the types of behavior that we need to avoid, beginning in chapter two, and when we combine that contextual understanding with an overall sense of what Scripture as a whole requires of us, it becomes clear that "loving the world" equals disobedience to the commands of God.
We, as followers of Jesus Christ, cannot afford to be dual-minded, we cannot serve to masters, the choice before us is simple: Love God or love the world.

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Sermon Video: Rehoboam, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - 2 Chronicles 11-12

Is being a follower of Jesus Christ a sprint or a marathon?  In the case of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon and new king of Judah, his reign started exceedingly poorly.  His pride cost him the allegiance of the northern ten tribes, a situation he intends to remedy by going to war against his rebellious subjects.  At this point, God sends a prophet to deter Rehoboam from making war against his own kindred, and Rehoboam listens.  Over the years that follow, Rehoboam has both times of faithfulness to God and times of wandering away from the LORD.  He makes some wise decisions, and some foolish ones.  With such a mixed life of ups and downs, what is the final verdict for Rehoboam?  “He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD.” (2 Chronicles 12:14)  He never fully committed himself to following God.  When times were tough, he was willing to rely upon God, but when things improved, his devotion wavered.  In the end, his lukewarm obedience to God was just not good enough. 

            How many Christians treat their faith the same way?  When we need God, we’re full of devotion, when we start to think that we don’t, or when faith starts to cost us something (i.e. service to others), the appeal fades away and so do we.  That isn’t good enough.  Either God is God of our lives, either we serve him fully, or we’re just kidding ourselves.  Rehoboam never got past seeing God as an expediency, he never decided to devote himself to God, don’t make the same mistake.

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Sermon Video: "worthy of the gospel of Christ" Philippians 1:27-30

What would your life look like if you lived one that was "worthy of the gospel of Christ"?  How can we, as believers, live up to God's expectations?  The answer begins simply with an imitation of Christ; be like him.
What will stop us from living as we should?  Most people might assume that persecution, like the imprisonment faced by Paul, would be our chief foe, but in reality, it is prosperity that is leading to empty churches in Europe and America.  The poor haven't walked away from God, they know they need him, and the rich have never been likely believers, but the middle class were once devoted to God until the lure of becoming like the rich swallowed up our time for God (and our families).
We need to return to full devotion to God, and we need to be prepared for persecution if it comes.  Being on fire for God often will result in troubles coming our way, but Paul reminds us that to suffer for the sake of the Gospel is truly a blessing and a sign from God.

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Sermon Video: Mary's Anointing of Jesus - John 12:1-8

As the time of Jesus' passion in Jerusalem nears, he visits friends in nearby Bethany: Lazarus, Martha, and Mary.  In the previous chapter, Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, now he and his sisters hold a dinner in Jesus' honor.  During the dinner Mary takes it upon herself to show her gratitude and love for Jesus by pouring a very expensive perfume on his feet and wiping them with her hair.  This culturally risky decision is looked upon with derision by Jesus' disciples, but he chooses instead to praise Mary for her devotion.  Why?
The answer lies not in a practical consideration of her actions; the perfume was indeed very expensive and this action can hardly be called anything but extravagant.  Instead, Mary is commended for her willingness to go beyond the ordinary in order to worship Jesus.  Her financial sacrifice and her risk of public shame (for letting her hair down in public) have brought comfort to Jesus and "prepared" him for his upcoming burial. 
What value is this story to us?  Mary's example teaches us to allow ourselves to worship God from the heart, boldly pushing past cultural pressures to embrace the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  Whether that means a Catholic Mass, a Pentecostal shout of "Hallelujah” or something in between is up to you.  Those who would follow Jesus must not only live a life of service to others, but also raise up their hearts in praise regardless of the form it takes.  If Mary had listened to the voice of caution, or had worried about the cost, the opportunity to kiss the feet of the Son of God, her Messiah, would have been lost.  Don't miss your chance to follow her example and worship God with all your heart.


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