sermon video: The supporting cast at Advent: The Magi - Matthew 2:1-2,9-12

 

We all know about the central characters in the story of Christmas, but what about those "cast" by God in a supporting role?  This 5-part series starts with the Magi, they're familiar enough to us, but what's the heart of their story?

Sermon Video: All Kinds of Prayers- Ephesians 6:18-23

To close his letter to the church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul encourages them to bring, "all kinds of prayers and requests" to God.  With that in mind, as followers of Jesus we have a host of things to pray about and for in our conversations with God.  These include those who share the Gospel (i.e. pastors, missionaries, evangelists, apologists) as well as the concerns that are near and dear to our hearts, including our family and ourselves.

In the end, pray and keep on praying.

A reflection on the life of Pope Francis

 

{Disclaimer: While I am a lifelong Baptist, and an ordained minister of that denomination, my wife of nearly 24 years, Nicole, is a practicing Roman Catholic, I have attended Saturday afternoon Mass with her about a thousand times by now.  This offers me an outsiders insight into that tradition.}

History judges some people more leniently than their contemporaries and others more harshly, in time we have perspective on their contributions and their failings.  That being the case, it is far too early to understand what the impact will be upon future generations of Catholics, or upon the worldwide Church, of the life and pontificate of Francis.  The question for today is much simpler: What impression did his choices and priorities make upon me?  Undoubtedly others will have a different view, this is simply mine.

I won't spend any time on our theological differences, as a Baptist minister I will have them with any Catholic priest, let alone a pope, those are obvious enough to anyone familiar with the Reformation.  Instead, let me offer this as a measuring stick: How did Pope Francis reflect the heart of the Gospel?

If you're like me, your initial thought when hearing, "The heart of the Gospel," is to jump right to salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  When we think of the "heart" as the center or essence of something, that's a definition straight from the hand of the Apostle Paul, one that would be recognized and approved of in any generation of the Church.  Among many other places, this essence of the Gospel is professed in Ephesians 2:8-9.

There is an additional aspect to the "heart" of the Gospel that interests me in connection with Pope Francis, and that is its emotional quality.  How should the message of the Gospel make us feel, and how should the commandment that Jesus has given his followers to share that message to all direct our lives?  It is absolutely necessary that we retain and proclaim the apostolic understanding of salvation in/through Jesus Christ, but we also need to be a people whose attitudes, words, and deeds reflect that we were all once lost sinners saved by God's grace.

This is where the life of Pope Francis speaks to me the most.  Throughout his life as a priest, bishop, and eventually his elevation to being pope, it was evident to those who knew him that Jorge Mario Bergoglio cared deeply for the poor, the disenfranchised, the downtrodden, and forgotten.  He had a heart for those who needed help the most.  Whatever else he managed to accomplish in life, this passion reflected one of the qualities of Christ-likeness.  As we all know, Jesus famously embraced the prostitutes, tax collectors, and "sinners" of his day, much to the chagrin of his critics who despised them.  Jesus made this outreach to the downtrodden a centerpiece of his proclamation of the Kingdom of God.  In the community that Jesus was establishing, all would be welcome who came to him in faith, even lepers, Samaritans, and a woman caught in adultery.  

If your life is remembered for nothing else, would it not be a life worth celebrating if we could say that you were inspired by Jesus to love the unloved?

History will in time put Pope Francis' life in perspective, in this moment at least, it seems clear enough to me what was important about it.  Everyone who chooses the servant's path of imitating Jesus' love for those in need deserves to be honored, and so I offer up my own appreciation for how committed Pope Francis was to seeing the value in each person.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #30 - John 17:16 & 18:36

 

John 17:16  New International Version

They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

John 18:36  New International Version

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

Admittedly, it has been a while since I've posted something in my self-imposed series of 62 scripture passages that refute "Christian" Nationalism.  The last post prior to this one was in January, and those of you who read my blog will understand what I've been writing about since them: The First Fruits of Zion.  To compare the two issues (Nationalism vs. the Hebrew Roots Movement, i.e. FFOZ) is a study in contrasts.  "Christian" Nationalism is a big idea with a long history that poses an existential threat to not only America but Europe as well, whereas the HRM is a much more niche idea that most people are unaware of, and one that despite the grandiose vision of its leaders is very unlikely to affect world history.  On another level, "Christian" Nationalism is more nebulous, its influences and harms in the local church and in our denominations more difficult to pin down as it floats on the jetsam with a host of other dangerous political ideas and movements.  In contrast, the HRM {FFOZ being one example}, when one does encounter it as we have here in Venango County, barges into local congregations, pulls individuals out of fellowship, and causes acute local harm.  All that is a long-winded explanation why I needed to prioritize writing about the dangers of FFOZ (an ongoing process as I continue preparing my seminar for this Fall) when its dangerous activity is front-and-center in our Christian community.  So what brought the idea of "Christian" Nationalism back into focus, at least for now?  The urgency come from a new effort being put forth to legitimize and defend this ideology, primarily in Reformed Baptist circles (not my pond, but adjacent to the one I swim in, and I know it well enough).

The effort in question: The Statement on Christian Nationalism and the Gospel is a very populist/libertarian (they don't mesh well, I know) and isolationist political essay wrapped in the notion that this is the true vision of Jesus Christ for not only his Church, but every nation on the planet as well in this age.

The contradiction between Jesus' words in John's Gospel and the statement linked above could not be more stark.  The authors of the statement envision Jesus Christ reigning and ruling over this world, here and now, when he made no such claim.  In essence, they believe they can establish at least a version of the kingdom that Jesus promised that he would establish when he returns, but of course Jesus did not encourage, let alone command, his followers to be about this task.

If you take the time to read the statement, a number of eye-opening claims may stand out to you.  When I read it, two of the inherent problems of this philosophy, regarding which "Christian" Nationalism does NOT have any moral answers came to the forefront: (1) What about the non-Christians living in the nations that follow this vision?  They will either become second-class citizens who are forced to live against their beliefs, and/or be expelled from the land.  While the authors thankfully denounce ethnic homogeneity, they implicitly are endorsing national religious uniformity.  History has such an example in Spain after the Reconquista where both Muslims and Jews were given the "choice" between fleeing as refugees and converting.  Let me save you the suspense, it was a brutal process that gave the Inquisition a chance to shine.  You may be saying, "Where in the statement is this?"  It isn't, but that is the inevitable conclusion when you state that the civil government should enforce the Ten Commandments (the one on the Sabbath is awkward given that Christians worship on the Lord's Day, that is Sunday).  The key one here is the taking of the Lord's name in vain, i.e. blasphemy.

WE AFFIRM that the Christian Nationalist project entails national recognition of essential Christian Orthodoxy (Article II) as a Christian consensus under Jesus Christ, the supreme Lord and King of all creation, and the establishment of the general equity of the second table of the Ten Commandments (laws 5-10) as the foundational law of the nation, with warnings informing citizens of the consequences of blaspheming the One, True, and Living God often resulting in second table violations, namely, the harming of our neighbors’ lives and property.

WE DENY that laws against public blasphemy coerce conversion or hinder religious liberty in private.

Once non-Christians in America (or Europe, this movement is more advanced there in Russia and Hungary) are muzzled with blasphemy laws {i.e. the 1st Amendment is neutered}, the second moral quandary of "Christian" Nationalism will rear its ugly head: (2) The government will be in the business of defining orthodoxy within Christianity and punishing those who run afoul of that judgment.  Throughout the statement there are references to promoting and defending historic Christian orthodoxy, and while I have great confidence that we can come to a working definition of such for ecumenical purposes within the Church {that is freely chosen associations}, as a Baptist (in the historic sense) I have zero confidence in having that definition interpreted and enforced by a politician or judge.

So, first the blasphemy laws will silence or expel the non-Christians, then they will come for the not-sufficiently orthodox people who claim to be Christians {Again, the government would be making these judgment calls through arrests and trials of those who violate the law against blasphemy}.

Can this really be what Jesus wanted his Church to become?  Is this in any way a part of the Kingdom of God that he proclaimed would be marked by love and self-sacrificial servanthood?  

Lastly, and this should not be missed when you read the statement: the authors admit they're not willing to prioritize democracy or the republic.  They think that "Christian" Nationalism will work just fine under dictators {See: Putin and the wanna-be dictator Viktor Orban}.

WE DENY that the separation of authority between the Church and the State means there must be a separation of God and the state. We further deny that there can ever be a separation between religion and state., as everyone possesses views about ultimate reality, purpose, and cause, which inform their morality and preferred policies. We deny the idea that a nation’s laws do not impose morality and religion.

Read the statement, and read John 17:16 and 18:36, the disconnect is powerful.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #29: John 13:14-15

 

John 13:14-15  New International Version

14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

For those of you who haven't watched Disney's 1992 Aladdin cartoon, which Robin Williams' voice acting elevates far beyond its otherwise pedestrian level, let me inform you how the evil vizier Jafar is outsmarted by the 'street rat' Aladdin in their final confrontation.  Jafar is consumed by a lust for power, simply supplanting the sultan turns out to be insufficient for him, so he commands the genie to make him the world's most powerful sorcerer.  Aladdin, hopelessly outmatched now in terms of power because he doesn't currently control the genie, makes a snide comment that ensnares Jafar, "The genie has more power than you'll ever have...Face it Jafar, you're still just second best."  Jafar then turns to the genie to say, "Slave, I make my third wish.  I wish to be an all-powerful genie."  The genie reluctantly complies fearing the worst, and only too late does Jafar recognize that he has fallen into a trap, for while a genie is indeed powerful, it is also shackled to a lamp and at the whim of a master.

This lesson in the danger of seeking power, and how that pursuit can corrupt those that embark upon the journey, is a lesson for humanity as a whole, one we've never seemed to learn.  At a much more intellectual level, Lord Acton (1834-1902), writing against the proposed doctrinal stance of his Roman Catholic Church known as Papal Infallibility said, "power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely."

One of the reasons why 'Christian' Nationalism cannot be the answer to whichever question the Church is facing is simple: It is the path of power in this world, not service.  We didn't need Lord Acton, or Jafar, to teach us this lesson, Jesus himself proclaimed that his followers were to be those accepting humble service, not seeking lordship over others.  

How will disciples of Jesus Christ change the world?  Not by bending others to our will, but by bending our knees to serve them.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #27: Luke 22:24-27

 

Luke 22:24-27     New International Version

24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

Six months before he won the World Heavyweight boxing champion title, Cassius Clay, soon to be known as Muhammad Ali, released an album of poetic verse (a generation before this type of thing would evolve to become rap and hip hop).  The album, was entitled I am the Greatest.  Ali co-wrote the lyrics with comedy writer Gary Belkin, it sold 500,000 copies and was nominated for a Grammy.  In 1977, NBC aired a cartoon entitled, I Am the Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali that featured the boxer as a global adventurer with a tag-along niece and nephew; it was cancelled after 13 episodes.  When you try to think of ego run amok, any number of politicians, athletes, actors, and billionaires may come to mind, the list of famous people with a reputation for self-absorption is sadly long and diverse, but few of them could compete with the persona that Muhammad Ali portrayed to the world during his boxing career.

Here's the thing, setting aside a few mega-church pastors whose popularity and private jets might convince the unwary to think otherwise, the path to effective and God-honoring leadership in the Church of Jesus Christ has always been, and will always be, through humble service.  Have there been those in positions of power within the Church, like Cardinal Richelieu (made famous by Dumas' portrayal of him in The Three Musketeers), for whom Church 'service' was a means-to-an-end, a path to self-aggrandizement?  Of course there have been, we'd be shocked if a Church made up of people, some redeemed but still flawed, and others only pretending to be true believers, didn't have within its ranks any number of scoundrels.  But, and this is key, every such person seeking their own benefit and not the will of God, everyone covered in pride, has been working AGAINST what Jesus created his Church to be.

Which brings us once again to 'Christian' Nationalism.  This movement is predicated on the belief that there is only one solution, only one possible path, to cure whatever malady 'Christian' Nationalism decides to wage war upon (sometimes literally), and that one path, or worse yet one and only one leader, just happens to be themselves.  Power must be gained, it must be acquired, even through unethical or illegal means, because they alone can bring about the Golden Age that God must bless them with if/when power is fully in their hands to order society to their liking.  This egotism run amok neither respects the ways in which power has corrupted the Church in the past, nor does it consider in humility that God is at work all over the world, in every generation, and not just this generation in this land.

The greatest?  'Christian' Nationalism may be willing to hoist someone onto everyone else's shoulders confident that he/she must be a savior, but this cannot be an extension of the Church, or even a partnership of convenience, for it ignores one of the fundamental defining characteristics of the Church: humility and service. 

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #26: Luke 18:9-14

Luke 18:9-14     New International Version

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.”

You're probably wondering right away, how on earth is he getting from the Chicken Dance to the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector?  Stay with me, there's a method to the madness.

The Chicken Dance performed at weddings is a glaring example of how idiosyncratic culture can be.  The things people wear, say, and do at weddings, and the celebrations afterwards, vary greatly depending on where on the planet and when in history we look.  Future generations may look on in horror at the prominence of the Chicken Dance at American weddings and see it not as a whimsical bit of nonsense, but a sign of some deeper disturbance that confirms what they think of our culture from their point-of-view.  Personally, I'm not a fan, evidently others love the silliness of this dance.  In the end, there probably isn't anyone who thinks of the Chicken Dance as a moral imperative either way, but much of our cultural heritage, the things we hold near and dear to our hearts as THE way they must be done, are just as morally neutral as the Chicken Dance.

The Pharisees that Jesus contends with so often in the Gospels had elevated their own cultural expression, based on Mosaic Law, but still just their own viewpoint as to exactly how that Law should be interpreted and applied, and made it normative for everyone, period.  In other words, the Pharisees were so convinced that they were right, about everything, that they scorned the way that fellow Jews worshiped God as something between insufficient and outright sacrilegious.  They were far too sure of themselves, and it showed.  It takes confidence like that to be militant, to hold that you know exactly what the government, society, or your religion needs and nobody else has a piece of the truth, nobody else can be trusted, they must all be opposed and crushed if they disagree with you.

Here is where 'Christian' Nationalism comes in.  It has decided that one particular expression of the Church, from one time and place, should dominate not only all other current expressions of the Church, but the entirety of society as well.  It is only our own pride and ignorance that would allow us to think that Anglo-Saxon Protestant Christianity as expressed in America {that's a pretty specific sliver both globally and historically} deserves total power in society over both other variations of orthodox Christianity currently alive America and also over those following other religions, or none at all.  If you think that 'Christian' Nationalism can equally embrace all facets of the Church and America today, you don't know how power in this world works, sharing is not in its nature.

Do I think that I'm following God correctly according to the scriptures and the wisdom of Church history?  Of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't be an American Baptist I'd be something else.  But I am far from being prideful enough to think that there is no possibility that I'm wrong on some aspects of the way that my faith is interpreted from the scriptures and expressed in the life that I'm living.  My brothers and sisters in Christ here in America that follow different traditions have things to teach me, not to mention the majority of the Church that isn't American, Protestant, White, or Western.

'Christian' Nationalism doesn't exist without certainty of its own superiority to everything else.  Unfortunately, much of that certainty is based upon a particular cultural expression, not timeless truth, and it fails to reckon with God's work not only throughout history, but throughout the world today. 

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #12: Matthew 16:21-23

 

Matthew 16:21-23     New International Version

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Why the picture of Shaq throwing down a dunk?  What's this got to do with 'Christian' Nationalism?  The average Joe off the street, probably at least a foot shorter and a hundred pounds lighter, has a better chance of blocking Shaq's dunk attempt, let's say a 0.0001% chance, than 'Christian' Nationalists do of having either their goals and especially their tactics, in alignment with God's Will.

Afterall, it is not God that must conform to our will, but we that must conform to his.  That being said, Jesus repeatedly declared what his purpose for his followers was: to constitute a Church (the Body of Christ), what its goal would be, to make disciples in every nation, and how they must conduct themselves to do this, through sacrifice and a servant's heart while utilizing the Fruit of the Spirit.  

What Jesus did not declare is that his followers would hold dominion over others, would subjugate the unwilling at the point of the sword, would gain and hold power by any means necessary, and would turn a blind eye to evil among them in the name of pragmatism in the process.  Not one of these goals or methods is acceptable to the will of God, and yet, throughout Church History we have seen them embraced, first on a grand scale with the Crusades {adding the blasphemous cry of, "God wills it!" to the folly of it}, then on a national one with the Spanish Inquisition, and sprinkled throughout were torture, imprisonment, and burnings at the stake.  All in the name of God, all supposedly to help God 'win' here on earth.  Tragic, foolish, unnecessary, and ultimately evil.

The current movement of 'Christian' Nationalism may be, thus far, less violent than the defenders of Christendom in the past.  And even though the trend is toward encouraging and accepting more coercion, less democracy, and violence, with some supposed 'prophets' even calling for a new American Civil War, 'Christian' Nationalism does not need its own Timothy McVeigh to prove that this path is fraught with peril.  One need only look to the Word of God to see if this is what God called his Church to do or how he commanded them to do it.

It is popular to declare the need to, "Take back America for God", but making the claim does not answer the questions: Is this God's will?  How do you know this is what God wants?  Even if this is God's will, would he sanction going about it like this?

 

Sermon Video: Peter's Folly - "Even if all fall away, I will not" Mark 14:27-31

"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread" sums up the episode that occurs as Jesus and his disciples walk to the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus warns them that they will "all fall away", but Peter responds to this not with contemplation but defiance.  When Jesus assures him that this very night he will indeed disown Jesus, Peter foolish digs in and insists otherwise.  Why?  Some combination of pride and stubbornness, with perhaps misplaced zeal added in, leads Peter down a fool's path.  Seeing him begin, the other 10 follow by also insisting against Jesus' prediction that they will remain steadfast.

For the Church today, this offers a reminder that pride and stubbornness are not the traits God is looking for from his people.  Neither is 'rugged individualism' (i.e. the philosophy of Ayn Rand or Rush Limbaugh) the path to discipleship.  The Church requires servants working together to further the Kingdom of God, more Clark Kent, less Superman.  Like Lewis and Clark on the way to the Pacific, we'd be wise to seek a guide and companionship.

Sermon Video: "Hosanna!" - Mark 11:1-11

 As Jesus' journey to the Cross reaches Jerusalem, on the Sunday before Passover begins, Jesus chooses to ride the last two miles into the city, on a donkey. Why? His humble entrance fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah (9:9), contrasting with the vainglory of kings among men. Additionally, Jesus control over the details of his entrance (knowing where the colt will be, what his disciples need to say) demonstrate that his upcoming Passion is a choice, he is a willing participant, not a victim.

The people shout "Hosanna!", a Hebrew imperative meaning "Save us!" that can be turned around in a moment of joy to mean, "Savior!" Truly, Jesus has come to Jerusalem to become the Savior, not just of the children of Abraham, but of humanity: past, present, and future. The Savior of the World. Hosanna, indeed.

Sermon Video: By the grace of God I am what I am - 1 Corinthians 15:8-11

Having already detailed the many witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul offers his own experience last of all.  Paul does this for a very important reason, he was 'one abnormally born' in the Holy Spirit because he was called by God's grace when he was in the midst of persecution the Church.  God's grace reached out to Paul in a dramatic way, turning his life of violence into a life of self-sacrifice and dedication to the Gospel.  The thing is, everyone alive today is a recipient of God's grace, every breath we take is an example of God's grace falling upon the righteous and unrighteous alike {Jesus makes this point in the Gospels when referring to the beneficial rain falling for the both the just and unjust}.  We are all what we are because of God's grace.  As John Bradford said, "There but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford."  None of us deserve God's grace, both our sinful human nature and our broken human civilization (nurture) would doom us all to lives that are 'violent, brutish, and short' if not for the grace of God.  Like Paul, we too are dependent upon God's grace, and we too must respond to that grace with self-sacrificial service on behalf of the cause of the Gospel...The next time you see a Lost sinner, let this phrase be in your heart, "There but for the grace of God, go I", and then show God's love to that person.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Immanuel, "God with us" - Matthew 1:22-23

The entrance of the Christ child into God's redemptive story is an amazing true story. The Son of God, the rightful king, born in a humble setting. Jesus' story begins, purposefully, with humility. And yet, within the humble setting lies an awesome truth, the child of the Virgin is the very Son of God, literally he is Immanuel, "God with us". Why? Simple, only God himself could save us. The entrance into the human story by God is incredible, but God is just getting warmed up, stay tuned until Easter to see how God temporarily left the stage, only to return in triumph. Christmas is sublime, but Easter is a sequel that surpasses it.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Humbling ourselves for the sake of the Gospel - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Are we responsible for presenting the Gospel to the Lost in ways that mesh with their cultural and intellectual/emotional state?  The Apostle Paul thought so.  He was willing to humble himself to reach as many of the Lost as possible.  Figuring out how to do this may be difficult in practice, but the principle is firmly grounded, we ought to be "all things to all people so that by all possible means I (we) might save some."

To watch the video, click on the link below:

White Nationalism and White Supremacy are an abomination to the Church

With the horror of at least 49 people killed by multiple gunmen at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, we are confronted with the danger to civil society of Nationalism and Supremacy movements, both within a given society and in the geo-political sphere between nations.  And while both Nationalism and racial/ethnic/religious Supremacy movements have at times been ascendant around the globe throughout human history, with horrific results, it remains imperative that the Church purge itself of any such sympathies, rejecting them utterly.
Why is any form of Nationalism or Supremacy an anathema to the Church?  Simply put, they are 100% incompatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The only way for humanity to approach God is through humility.  If we cannot let go of the delusion that we can please God on our own, we will never accept that Jesus Christ died on our behalf, that he accomplished what we never could, and that our only hope is to accept his finished work on our behalf by faith through grace.  We can only approach God by abandoning any pretext that there is anything about ourselves worthy of God.  Not our ethnicity, not our nationality, not our gender, not our sexual orientation, not our skills or talents, not our job, not our riches, not our power or fame.  Nothing about us impresses God, for we are all alike lost sinners in need of God's grace.  There is no room for pride at the foot of the Cross.  There is no room for considering one type of person better, or worse, than another.  If we resist the call to bow our knee before God, we will remain apart from the saving grace offered by God.
How then can one person, or type of person, be better than others before God?  We may not look exactly alike, and we may see many things differently, but standing before God there is absolutely no difference; we are all equally hopeless in the face of God's perfect holiness.
What hope then do we have, if nothing of ourselves pleases God?  We can indeed be saved, not by anything that we are, or have done, but only when we have been clothed with Christ and transformed by the Holy Spirit.  This will not result in a spirit of superiority, but a servant's heart filled with gratitude and dedication to helping others find the grace we have received from God.
Murder is a direct insult to God who gives life, a horrendous crime whatever the motive.  To kill in the name of national or ethnic superiority is an even great abomination, for it also insults the willing sacrifice of Jesus and his call to share the Gospel with all nations.  Nationalism and/or Supremacy has no place in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it must have no place among those who follow him, for those who embrace and advocate such ideas are not misguided, they remain apart from God's saving grace and transforming power; they are evil.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Galatians 3:26-28 (NIV)
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:11-14 (NIV)
11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Sermon Video: The Child of Bethlehem - Luke 2:1-7

A journey to Bethlehem by Mary and Joseph culminates in a humble birth for the Messiah in a manger, beginning a life of service and self-sacrifice.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: God's Chosen People: Bound together in love - Colossians 3:11-14

Having already told the people of the church at Colossae of the need to "put to death" their earthly nature with all of its vices, now Paul advocates for the virtues that the people of God must embrace as they disavow vice: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  As a precursor to this list, Paul reminds the church that "here", that is, in Christ, all of the distinctions and categories by which people divide themselves into subgroups no longer apply, for "Christ is all, and is in all."
In addition to the need to develop and employ the virtues listed by Paul, a significant challenge, but one God's people can achieve through the Spirit, we are also told of the need to pursue these virtues while at the same time forgiving each other when we fail.  Lastly, and most importantly, is the need to "put on" love over all of these efforts, binding them together and leading to harmony.

*As a bonus, this sermon begins with an illustration about brotherly love drawn from the experience of the 9 members of the Fellowship in Tolkien's LOTR.*

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Remain where you are? 1 Corinthians 7:17-24

As a Christian, should you stay where and what you are, assuming it is God's will, or should you seek to change the life you're living to go along with the spiritual change God is working out in each of us?  While acknowledging that every situation is unique, in general Christians are called to be useful to the kingdom of God, where they are now, regardless if change is coming in the future.  God called us to salvation, where and what we were, no matter our background or abilities, teaching us that God saw value in us then, ensuring that we can be useful to God's kingdom right away.  How do I know this?  It took me twelve years to get to the place that I thought God's will was leading me when I graduated from Cornerstone University, through numerous setbacks and much heartache (for my wife Nicole as well), but God had a use for me, even then, teaching alternative education and then after a long wait, being the pastor of the small rural church, the First Baptist of Palo.  In the end, God brought us to Franklin, PA, not at all what I had expected, but clearly the right place for us.

What is God's exact will for your life?  Don't ask me, other than the answer that is the same for us all, making you Christ-like, I don't know.  But I do know this, God wants you to be useful to his kingdom, to serve, here and now.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Paul tries to make peace with his critics - Acts 21:15-26

Having returned to Jerusalem, the Apostle Paul finds renewed controversy there as false rumors being spread about him have antagonized the Jewish Christian community against his work among the Gentiles.  In response, James encourages Paul to make a public demonstration of his own ongoing personal commitment to the Law of Moses by sponsoring the completion of the Nazarite vows of several of his fellow Jewish Christians.  Despite having done nothing wrong, Paul accepts this advice and takes on the sponsorship expense in order to foster peace within the Church.  In the end, it will be a futile attempt, as fresh lies against Paul will result in his arrest, but the willingness of Paul to act as a peacemaker is an example of the humility required of a servant of the kingdom, and of the sacrifices that may prove necessary to preserve unity within the Church.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: What do you have that you did not receive? - 1 Corinthians 4:6-13

What is the source of human pride if not ignorance?  All pride is built upon a false premise, that we have earned what we have.  In reality, what we have, we have received from God.  This is a truth that ought to be apparent in the way that the people of God live, for would know the kindness of God better than those saved by grace?

In an effort to bring the people of the church of Corinth to their senses, Paul utilizes biting sarcasm to compare their feeling of self-assurance to his own experience of the harsh reality of being persecuted for the sake of the Gospel.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Who knows what tomorrow may bring? - James 4:13-17

We all make plans for the future, some of us more wisely than others, some with more efforts than others, but we all make plans, we have to.  We live moment by moment, the future will always be unknown to all of humanity, we may think we know what tomorrow will bring, but in the end it may be far better, or far worse, than we anticipate; and, in the end, we may not be there to see it.  How then do we plan, how do we live know when the future is so uncertain?  The answer is simple.  We recognize and acknowledge that God knows the future, that God deserves our gratitude as our Creator, and our allegiance as our Lord, and we live our lives humbly in service to the kingdom of God.  When we live now as we ought, our plans for the future will likewise reflect the purpose of God in this world: the development of the fruit of the Spirit in our own lives, and the spread of the Gospel's message of God's love and reconciling forgiveness awaiting our repentance.  What we cannot allow ourselves to do is live in pride, cultivating a facade of independence, for this is a dead-end, our only hope for meaning and purpose in life is to acknowledge God's rule over it.

To watch the video, click on the link below: