Sermon Video: Jesus: Fulfilling God's promises to the Jews, showing mercy to the Gentiles - Romans 15:7-13

In his conclusion to the section that began in chapter 14 about the need for Christians to accept each other, Paul offers us a telling analogy: "just as Christ accepted you."  This prompts Paul to a brief explanation as to how Jesus both fulfilled the promises to Abraham, and brought God's mercy to the Gentiles.  Thus our task becomes clear, to be bearers of hope, by overflowing with hope and peace, to both Jew and Gentile alike.

Jesus, Jim Harbaugh, and the fallacy that, "Only the guilty take a plea."

 

Before I begin, I'm aware that terms like Innocent, Guilty, and Victim ring fairly hollow when thrown around between the NCAA who makes billions off of college athletes, the Big Ten which makes hundreds of millions, and the coaches who are making tens of millions.  That being said, perhaps this crazy saga of the University of Michigan cheating scandal and its coach Jim Harbaugh can open our eyes just a little to how these issues play out when a high school dropout is charged with a crime, doesn't have the money to make bail, and has to rely upon a public defender.  

Jim Harbaugh, Michigan drop court case and accept Big Ten punishment for sign-stealing scandal - Yahoo Sports, by Dan Wetzel and Ross Dellenger

For those of you who aren't aware, the University of Michigan yesterday dropped its effort to sue the Big Ten over the suspension of coach Harbaugh after having called it "insulting" and "unethical" in previous public statement.  They shouted that their guy was a victim and this whole thing a conspiracy of a witch hunt, and then they did the equivalent of taking a plea and accepting the lighter punishment that was on the table.  I don't really care why they made that choice, whether or not they had evidence that this would only get worse as long as the light was shining on the case, or even whether or not Jim Harbaugh knew about the scheme in the first place.  The point is, they had public opinion, Michigan politicians, and high priced lawyers on their side, and they still folded.  That ought to be instructive to us.

What you think about the criminal justice system and those charged with crimes probably isn't true.

At least not fully, there's more going on most of the time, certainly more than the politicians and pundits shouting about the issue are willing to tell you.

There are a lot of people who find themselves in the middle between "fully innocent" and "completely guilty."  When the choice they face is between decades in jail of a judge or jury convicts them and a plea that will only cost a few years, it is inevitable that a significant portion of them will plead guilty, even if they're not guilty.

Fixing the criminal justice system is a massive undertaking, on some level it will always have these flaws, and while it is entirely noble to fight injustice and push for honest reform, I'm also concerned with the larger issues of power, justice, mercy, and forgiveness.  Why?  Because Jesus was.

One day Jesus was confronted by the ugly truth of a criminal justice system that was clearly corrupt.  He was asked to choose between the authorities and a perpetrator.  His critics thought they could use whichever side he picked as fodder to discredit him.  They were wrong.  They were wrong because Jesus saw clearly that the whole situation was impure, that their was guilt to be found on both sides, and so he chose a new path.  The following account from the Gospel of John illustrates Jesus' solution:

John 8:3-11  The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Jesus chose a better way forward, a way that contained both love and repentance from sin.  A way that actually fulfilled that line we say without really knowing what it means to do it, "Hate the sin, love the sinner."  I don't have a snappy plan for how we can apply this lesson to the criminal justice system in America, but I hope that the next time I interact with someone who has a criminal record, or just a more difficult past or present set of circumstances than my own, I act more like Jesus toward him/her than like the Pharisees.

Sermon Video: Building up God's people, including the doubters - Jude 17-23

Given the need that the Church has to be on its guard against false teachers and divisive people, what ought we to do about those who have doubts?  Doubt (and with it: fear, anxiety, etc.) is NOT a cause for excluding people from the fellowship of God's people.  Rather than judge those who doubt, Jude tells us to show them mercy.  In addition, those who are in danger of judgment should be "snatched from the fire", and even those who are in mired in darkness likewise should receive mercy from the people of God.  The reasons and the cure for doubt/anxiety/fear are a larger topic, the attitude of reaching out a helping hand to others is a simple principle to build upon.  {Also, this topic is yet another reason why 'church' is not a solo operation, why we need to be a part of God's people, both giving and receiving help in times of need}.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: The Fall of Jericho - Joshua 5:13-6:27

The story of the fall of Jericho being fairly familiar to many Christians, the text itself from the book of Joshua contains two moments that often are overlooked: (1) The encounter that Joshua has with the "commander of the army of the LORD" in which he is told that God is on "neither" side in the upcoming battle, and the destruction of the "devoted" things in Jericho, which included all living things, people included.
The response to Joshua's question, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" is an important reminder that God is not on our side, rather we have been called to conform to his will.  God cannot be on the side of any particular human being, or group of people, for God is entirely holy, righteous, and just, and no human endeavor can make such a claim.  The focus of God's redemptive story in history is to call humanity back to communion with God, to his will, his mind, his perspective.
The destruction of the people of Jericho is a difficult and disturbing one to consider, but necessary just the same.  Until we understand the absolute right of God to judge the living and the dead, and until we comprehend just how pervasive and vile sin (rebellion against God) truly is, we will fall short of understanding how/why God can pour out wrath on various segments of humanity.  In the end, we must face the reality of the judgment of God, soberly without glee, for it is a tragedy whenever someone created in the image of God is lost, if we are to truly understand grace and mercy.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: The Problem with breaking some of God's Law - James 2:8-13

In order to impress upon his readers the seriousness of their willingness to show favoritism (and thus discriminate), James connects this misdeed to the "royal law" of Leviticus 19:18, "Love your neighbor as yourself".  Jesus taught that this was the second most important commandment, now James adds to the weight given to this commandment by pointing out that breaking one of God's laws is akin to breaking all of them.  Why?  Because breaking the Law of God is not simply a trespass against the Law, it is also an act of rebellion against God.  The Law of God reflects the nature of God, and tells us the will of our Creator, to ignore it is to reject God's authority over us.
In light of the gravity of breaking the Law of God, which all of humanity is guilty of, as a people who have been forgiven by God for our sins, it is incumbent upon us to live our lives now with mercy toward everyone, knowing that one day we will all give an account before God for the use to which we put the grace that he bestowed upon us.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." - Luke 18:9-14

If the actions of two individuals are outwardly identical, or at least nearly so, how would you or I differentiate between the two if we suspected that one was valid and the other was not?  We'd try to look deeper, we'd try to get behind the facade to see the thoughts, emotions, and attitudes that are prompting the actions.  When it comes to God, the same action may be acceptable and pleasing to him from one person and entirely unacceptable from another because God knows the heart of the matter and sees through all our masks.  In the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Jesus uses an example of two men praying at the same time at the Temple to illustrate the principal that outward appearances are not what impresses God.  The Pharisee, with his spotless reputation and over powering self-confidence, prays thanking God for how awesome he is (not how awesome God is), and expounding upon how well he is keeping even the minutia of the Law.  The tax collector, by contrast, offers but one thought, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."  Because he is self-aware, knowing the depths of his own sin, the tax collector offers nothing in his own defense, nor does he attempt to speak of his good qualities, he simply acknowledges his woeful state before God and prays for atonement to be made on his behalf.
Two men, both praying at the Temple, one of whom is in the process of becoming right with God, the other of which is drifting further and further away.  Pride is the key factor in the downfall of the Pharisee, trust in himself has replaced dependence upon God, and along with that pride has come prejudice toward everyone else who seems beneath him.  Such dedication and effort to fulfill the Law, by the Pharisee, and all of it a waste, for the grace of God is far from him.  The tax collector, pitiful though he is, and with a history full of sin, has found the grace of God, for he sought it as a drowning man grasping for a life preserver.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Why we can never allow "them" to be singled out.

After World War II, Pastor Martin Niemoller, who was imprisoned by the Nazis in 1937 and eventually confined at Dachau concentration camp, wrote about the failure of the German people, including himself, to speak up in defense of the "others".  His poignant words offer us a stark warning about letting society, whether that is the government or anyone else, label some people as "other" to be segregated, regulated, or otherwise cataloged.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Christians ought to be the first to raise their voices in protest when a minority group, whether they are citizens or not, are singled out for persecution.  In the political presidential primary currently underway in America, some candidates have proposed rounded up all members of a certain ethnic group to be expelled from the country, one has even floated the idea of a national database for one religious group so that the government can track them.  It should matter to you, not at all, as a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, that the ethnic group in question are Hispanics and the religious group being targeted are Muslims.  If you see them, whoever they are, as not equally deserving of rights and liberties as you are, you will one day regret your folly, even if this nation never persecutes "them" anywhere near as much as Niemoller's did, for you will have to answer for that attitude before Almighty God.  We are Christian by grace, not of our own worthiness, and we are American citizens because in God's kindness we were born (or able to move to) this great nation.  To treat either as something earned to lord over others is a sin of pride and a sin of lacking compassion.

There will be no national round-up of millions, and there will be no national database to track religion, we won't allow it, we will speak out, we have to, for our Savior has taught us compassion and mercy.

Sermon Video: "because of his mercy" - Titus 3:4-7

Following his description of the wretched state of humanity apart from God in verse three, Paul highlights the dramatic turn in human history when the kindness and love (lit. philanthropy in the Gk.) of God appeared.  Instead of wrath, justifiable, especially from our Creator, God sent his grace, in the person of Jesus Christ, propelled by his kindness and love.  Why?  Because certain individual people deserved to be helped?  No, because of his mercy.  It had to be mercy.  It needed to be because God's holiness and justice were at an impasse with God's kindness and love.  Mankind could not be reconciled to God, as is, because of our rampant sinfulness and rebellion, nor could we obtain enough righteousness of our own to ever make up for the guilty verdict outstanding against us; mercy was the only option.  The mercy of God was not found in ignoring the consequences of sin, but instead in redirecting the cost of sin from those who were guilty and deserved no mercy, but received it anyway, to the one who was guiltless yet willingly died without mercy to provide it for us.  The cross and resurrection made the mercy of God possible, enabling his love and kindness to triumph, and opening the door for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to not only wash us in rebirth, but continue to cleanse an renew us as we await the promise of the children of God, a reunion in heaven with our Father, our Savior.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: "Who is my neighbor?" - Luke 10:29-37

As the conversation between Jesus and the expert in the Law continues, the lawyer and Jesus have agreed that the heart and soul of the Law is loving God with everything and loving our neighbor as ourselves.  At this point, the original question, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” has been answered in that what is required by the Law has been clearly summed up.  The next part of the conversation should be a discussion of how we reconcile the Law’s demand with humanity’s failure to fully keep it, i.e. a discussion of repentance and forgiveness, of mercy and grace.  The lawyer, however, in an effort to justify himself turns the discussion in a new direction by asking Jesus, “and who is my neighbor?”  The lawyer’s question is focusing on the object of the Law, who it applies to, in the hopes that a narrow definition will make it easier to keep.  As Jesus typically does, he doesn’t answer the question he is asked but instead chooses to focus upon the subject of the Law, that is, us, by explaining what it means to be a good neighbor.

                The Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most commented upon sections of the Bible, it has fascinated Christians down through the centuries with its powerful message.  In the story, the unnamed man who is robbed, beaten, and left for dead while journeying from Jerusalem to Jericho is only treated as a neighbor by one of the three people who pass by that way.  The first two that come along, both of whom are professional servants of God and thus in theory ideal representatives of the requirements of the Law to love your neighbor, yet they both walk by without even stopping to assess the situation.  Both of these men of God commit sins of omission by not helping a fellow human being in distress.  The lawyer who asked the question of Jesus about defining the term neighbor was hoping that the definition would end up being, “only people like us, our fellow Jews are your neighbors”.  Even by that narrow definition, the priest and Levite are in violation of the Law.  The broad definition of neighbor advocated by Jesus, everyone you meet is your neighbor, is embodied by the Samaritan who comes along next, takes pity on the wounded man, and goes far beyond the minimum to take care of his needs. 

                The twist of the story is of course that a hated Samaritan is the good guy and two respected religious leaders are the bad guys, that alone is a powerful enough message about prejudice and judging people based on outward appearances, but the parable also teaches us to not put limits on who we consider to be our neighbors.  The demand from God that we love our neighbors as ourselves has no boundary, there is no “us” and “them”.  Anytime that people start dividing the world up into groups of “us” and “them”, the process begins which allows racism, sexism, indifference, callousness, greed, and hatred to grow.  Why?  Because when we look at another human being as a “them” we allow ourselves to begin to minimize their suffering and treat it as somehow less than our own.  How was Hitler able to murder millions of innocent Jews, Gypsies, and other “undesirables”?  He had millions of willing men and women throughout Europe that also believed that those lives were less valuable, because it was “them” and not “us”, unspeakable horrors were unleashed. 

                What is the call of God for his people?  To love all, and treat all equally, to see everyone as your neighbor and imitate the love of God by loving them in turn.  The conversation between Jesus and the lawyer ends when the lawyer is forced to concede that the one who acted as a neighbor to the man in distress was “the one who had mercy on him”, it does not matter who he was, his actions spoke for him.  In response Jesus said, “Go and do likewise”.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video

Sermon Video: Joseph and the angel - Matthew 1:18-21

Infidelity is a brutal emotional and spiritual wrecking ball, it destroys families and ruins lives.  Joseph, a young man pledged to be married to a local village girl named Mary was hit with the realization that his intended bride had been unfaithful before their marriage could even be consummated.  Mary didn't offer an excuse or explanation, but her guilt was all too obvious, she was pregnant.  God sent Mary an angel to let her know what was about to happen, but he did something interesting with Joseph, he allowed Joseph to react to this shocking news according to his own character before the angel came to explain the situation.  By doing so, God gave Joseph a chance to show that he was indeed a righteous man.
Joseph decided to divorce Mary quietly rather than demand public justice.  He chose to have mercy upon her, even though her apparent sin was against him, rather than taking his anger out on her to salve his pride.  It was an act of restraint that is an example to us all, Joseph may have had the right to humiliate Mary, but he didn't have the heart to do it.  Joseph couldnt' allow himself to be part of a lie by going through with the marriage, but he also didn't have a vindictive or self-righteous impulse.
After his decision, God sent an angel to let Joseph know what was really going on.  The child was from the Holy Spirit!  God had helped barren women before, it's one of the major themes of the Old Testament, but always through their husband.  Now, God has created life apart from the natural process.  Thus the child born to Mary will be part of David's royal line, if Joseph is willing to marry her, but not of David's fallen ancestry.  To top it off, the angel tells Joseph that the child's name will be Jesus, "because he will save his people from their sins".  Save them from their sins!  Not even the great Law-giver, Moses, had been able to overcome sin, the whole generation he led died in the desert before entering into the Promised Land.  And yet, this child, born of the Holy Spirit, will accomplish so much more than any who had before.

To watch the video, click on the link below:
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To Judge or not to Judge, that is the question.

Please don't judge me for borrowing Shakespeare's phraseology from Hamlet, that would make the rest of this post difficult to read.  The text that I'm going to be preaching this Sunday is Luke 6:37-42; it begins with the phrase, "Do not judge".  In the passage Jesus is warning us that the same way in which we judge, condemn, and/or forgive others will be the measure with which we ourselves are evaluated by God.  That certainly is consistent with the teaching back in vs. 31 "do to others as you would have them do to you".  Later in the passage Jesus explains that if we are trying to help others by pointing out to them the flaws in their own character (clearly something that needs to be done in humility) we must first remove the flaws in our own if we have any hope of seeing clearly.
As I write the sermon, I can't help but think about all of the judgments that I need to make each week to do my job.  As a committee member for Mustard Seed Missions, we evaluate need/resources each week as new people are brought to our attention.  How do we decide who we help and who we do not?  As the pastor of this church I need to evaluate calls for assistance that we get every week, how do I decide who to help and who to not, and to what extent?  I certainly also have to watch over this flock, to keep an eye out for troublesome behavior in this congregation and try to stamp it out for the benefit of the whole.  Along those same lines, I need to be on the look-out for false doctrines and harmful ideas lest they take root amongst us and do harm to God's people.
It seems as if my job requires me to be a judge over a great many things and people, yet Jesus' words have to apply to me just like everyone else.  In the end it all comes down to attitudes and the intentions behind our actions.  Do I have the best interest of others and the needs of the community to heart?  Are my decisions self-sacrificial or self-aggrandizing?  The same questions apply to us all in the myriad of decisions (judgements) we must make each day as spouses, parents, consumers, voters, and members of the organizations we belong to.  To remove ourselves from the equation (to not judge at all) would simply hand the decision over to those who have selfish goals in mind.  To sit in judgment gleefully would be an affront to God and the speedy road to our own destruction.
Do you and I have to judge things in life?  Of course, but we have no reason to be judgmental.  Do we have to condemn evil and work towards its destruction?  Certainly, but we have no reason to not hope for sinners to repent.  Do we have forgive others?  That is the most crucial question of all; if we fail to forgive, what hope have we when our own mistakes are brought into the light of day?  Forgive, be merciful, and remember the embrace of your Heavenly Father when you finally returned home.

Sermon Video: "Be merciful" - Luke 6:32-36

As Luke's version of the Sermon on the Mount continues, Jesus further explains the command to "love your enemies" and "do to others" that proceeded this passage by raising the bar of ethical conduct far beyond a simple return of love for love and good for good.  As followers of Jesus, we must love those who do not love us, do good to those who have done no good thing for us, and give to those from whom we expect nothing in return.  Why the drastic moral upgrade beyond basic human tribal behavior?  Because our Heavenly Father has demonstrated that same level of love through his mercy to the world, us in particular.  As we take up our own cross to follow Jesus, we imitate the mercy of Christ and accept the risk that our efforts will be spurned or taken advantage of; the reward is great, to be known, here and now as a child of God.

To watch the video, click on the link below:
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Sermon Video - "Love your enemies" Luke 6:27-30

As Jesus continues to confound the wisdom of man with the mercy of God, he offers one of the most difficult commands to those who would follow him.  "Love your enemies" isn't simply a slogan meant to be tossed aside, but rather a transformation of thinking that tells us to see the Lost the way God sees them; as wayward children who need to come home.  When we begin to act in love, God can work on our hearts and minds to transform them.  The first step is realizing that God did the same thing for you that he is asking of us, "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  God isn't asking you to do something that he hasn't already done, and he isn't asking you to do it without the grace that he will give you.  In the end, we must imitate Christ and love those who show no prospect of loving us back; when we do, we'll sow the seed of the Gospel in fertile soil.  If we don't, we've failed to live up to the grace which God has given to us.

To watch the video, click on the link below:
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More Grace?

An interesting question was raised at last night's Bible study (Hebrew 11).  We were talking about how all of the saints of the Old Covenant had lived by faith, as we do today, and that our faith is a response to the grace of God.  If God did not offer us grace, we would not be able to respond in faith {What would we respond to without God's offer of forgiveness?}.  The question was asked, if some people don't respond, why doesn't God just give them more grace until they do?  The question gets to the heart of the relationship between a holy omnipotent God and his fallen freewill creation.
How much grace is enough?  Do we have the right to ask God for more grace? {Grace being an undeserved gift, it seems rather cheeky of us to ask God for more, but when those who refuse God's call are our own relatives or friends our desperation is certainly understandable}
I'm not a full T.U.L.I.P. Calvinist (you can look it up if you want) because I don't believe in Irresistible Grace (or Limited Atonement).  When reading the Bible I see a lot of people to whom God holds out his hands in hope only to see them refuse to accept him.  As God says of his chosen people in Isaiah, "All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people" (Isaiah 65:2a).  Time and time again the Lord pleads with his people to repent and return to him.  He sends them prophets to warn them, he shows them miracles as proof, he tries tough love by judging their sins; often to no avail.  It seems clear that God wants everyone to repent and be saved but it blocked by our willful rebellion which refuses to admit our own wrongs or seek help from above.
In the end, God will decide who receives one chance at salvation, and who receives many.  It is not for me to say that anyone is beyond redemption or that it is too late for anyone on this side of the grave.  I simply know that God wants us to receive Jesus Christ, to be cleansed of our sins, and to once again have fellowship with our heavenly father.  Peter wrote about God's patience (he would certainly know having needed it on many occasions), "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (II Peter 3:9).
Any Bible study that leads us to contemplate the depth of God's love and mercy is time well spent.

Sermon Video: Christmas with Mercy and without Fear - Luke 1:49-50,68-75

Long before our favorite Christmas carols were written Mary and Zechariah spoke words of poetry to commemorate the wonders that God was doing with the birth of John and Jesus.  In their words we learn that God, whose mercy had sustained his covenant people in the past, is now extending that mercy through the advent of his son.  The birth of Immanuel will allow men to approach God without fear because his holiness will fulfill our obligations before the holy God who created us.

To watch the video, click on the link below:
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