Sermon Video: Creation is God's Temple - Genesis 1:3-25

The Creation narrative in Genesis 1 accomplishes two primary things, both for ancient Israel and for the Church today, it tells us who is responsible for everything, and why what was made was made.  The who is simple, the answer is God, nobody else is involved in the Creation account.  The why has a two-fold answer: (1) to be God's temple: his kingdom, abode, and resting place, and (2) to foster the relationship between God and man.  The second task is accomplished thanks to the wonder and awe associated with what God has made, a variety with purpose and beauty that causes us to ask, "Who was it that made it thus?"

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #13: Matthew 16:25

Matthew 16:25     New International Version

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

In 1519, Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortes, facing attempts by some from his expedition to abandon their mission and sail back to Cuba, ordered his entire fleet to be scuttled {The popular story is that the ships were burned, but given how costly they were, Cortes would have only put holes in the ships, making sailing them impossible in the short-term so they could be salvaged at least for the wood later on}.  Having eliminated the possibility of retreat, Cortes then led his men onward in the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

An illustration from a conquest carried out, at least on paper, in the name of Christ is not something one would normally use when writing against 'Christian' Nationalism since that's the attitude we need to avoid, but the well known actions of Cortes, in an unjust cause, still serve as a reminder of how differently people act when they have passed the Point of No Return.

Every single legitimate follower of Jesus Christ throughout history was past the Point of No Return from the moment he/she became committed to Jesus until death.  What does this mean?  This world is not our home, this life is not ours to do with as we please.  We are here on a mission from God, called to serve a purpose, we cannot do that and try to live for wealth, power, or fame in this world too.  

'Christian' Nationalists certainly have a sense of purpose and mission, that's not the problem, the problem is that they've turned the focus of our calling as Christians toward this world and not the next, toward the physical and not the spiritual.  Toward power and control here and now, not the service and sacrifice that Jesus demands of us.  In the end, they're still trying to save their lives (and/or country) here rather than give them over to the Gospel.

As the Steven Curtis Chapman song, Burn the Ships, inspired by Cortes' bold move says,

"Burn the ships we're here to stay

There's no way we could go back

Now that we've come this far by faith

Burn the ships we've passed the point of no return

Our life is here so let the ships burn and burn"

Sermon Video: A world without life after death - 1 Corinthians 15:29-32

What would be different about our world if we knew that there was no life after death? Considering that most people both now and throughout history have some sort of belief in an afterlife, the changes would not be small. The Apostle Paul outlines three of them, (1) we would lose our connection to our ancestors, (2) any rationale for self-sacrifice {much less worth dying for}, and (3) any hope for final Justice. In the end, without a resurrection the most likely human response is, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." Hedonism and hopelessness are a toxic combination. Thankfully, Paul's thought is only a hypothetical, for the resurrection of the dead IS a reality, there will be a Judgment Day, and we have every reason to Hope beyond this life when we are in Christ.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Why are we free? Galatians 5:13-14

The vast majority of the bitter and often prolonged disagreements within American culture involve the answer to a fundamental question: Why are we free?  Not, how did we become free, but what is the purpose of our freedom?  To what end, what goal, what meaning are we to put our freedom to use?  While the American culture and political realm remain starkly divided on issue after issue regarding the answer to this question, Christian Americans ought to have no such hesitation in answering it clearly, emphatically, and with unity.  We know why we were set free, not from the grasp of a tyrant or oppressive political system, but from sin and death itself.  We were freed by the blood of Jesus Christ, which paid a ransom for our redemption, purified us from our ungodliness, and brought us into a lasting relationship with the Spirit and our Heavenly Father.  This is a freedom that is pure and true, one that cannot be taken away, and one that comes with an all-encompassing obligation.  You see, Christian Americans were set free that they might serve.  It may seem like a paradox to say that we are free to serve, and yet, in imitation of our Lord Jesus, that is exactly what we have been called to do.  What or whom do we serve?  One another, in humility and love.  In the Kingdom of Heaven, as Jesus said, the first shall be last, and the last shall be first, the servant of all shall be the greatest.  We, as Christians, who happen also to be blessed to be Americans, know exactly why we are free, it is up to us to live that way.

To listen to the short sermon on this topic from Galatians 5:13-14 that was given at this year's Franklin's 4th of July celebration's Worship in the Park, click on the link below:

The Purpose of Freedom: Galatians 5:13-14

Sermon Video: Our Prayer - Live a Life worthy of the Lord, Colossians 1:9-11

Having already expressed his thanks to God for the good report of the faith, hope, and love evident at the church of Colossae, Paul goes on to share that because he has already heard of God's work among them, he has not stopped praying for them.  As they are people already saved from spiritual death by Christ, for what does Paul pray on their behalf?  That they might live lives worthy of the Lord.  I don't know about you, but that sounds like a monumental task.  And yet, it is within the ability of every disciple of Jesus Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and as a matter of fact, expected of us.  What characterizes a Christian who pleases the Lord?  Paul lists four things: (1) Bearing fruit through every kind of good work, (2) growing in the knowledge of God, (3) being strengthened by God's power, and (4) having an attitude of gratitude {explained in vs. 12-14}.  We, as God's people, called to repentance by the Holy Spirit, CAN accomplish this by God's power; we can, and we must.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video - "Who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" Luke 12:13-21

In this passage, Jesus uses the occasion of an inheritance dispute that is brought to him to instead give a warning about the perils of greed which he illustrates with a parable about a rich man with an abundant harvest who in his prosperity fails to consider his obligations to God.  The words of Jesus are a direct attack on the notion that the accumulation of things can somehow have anything to do with the purpose and meaning of life, "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."  Wealth is a fickle purpose in life, dependent upon factors beyond our control and liable to be taken away as quickly as it may come, far better to devout oneself to being "rich toward God", a purpose with lasting implications and eternal rewards.  With death as the inevitable end to life, and everything we accumulate destined to be left behind for others to claim, only a fool would chase after wealth and neglect God.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

What are we all in such a hurry for?

On our way back to Pennsylvania from Michigan yesterday, after visiting both sides of our family for Christmas, Nicole and I passed 50 cars and 3 semis that had crashed or slid off of the road into the ditch.  The roads we certainly slippery, and some of the people may have ended up wrecked through no fault of their own, but there we plenty of people still trying to go 70 m.p.h. regardless of the road conditions.  That sort of casual refusal to acknowledge the laws of physics makes me wonder where they were heading in such a hurry.  The trip normally takes us 6 hours, but it took 9 1/2 this time.  I could have shaved an hour, maybe more off of the time by putting my car and our lives at greater risk, but why?
This may on the surface just seem like an observation about driving in snow and ice, but I think it touches something deeper about the modern world.  The world that we live in exists in a perpetual state of hurrying.  Tomorrow isn't quick enough, we need it done today; later today isn't soon enough, we need it now.  We have next day delivery, fast food, instant communications, and yet the anxiety that exists with all this speed about things taking too long only seems to get worse.
What is the end purpose of all of our striving?  For what lofty goal have we given up the joys of a quiet afternoon spent outdoors among God's wondrous creation alone or with our loved ones? 
As it always does, the Word of God offers us wisdom when we have gone astray, as Jesus told his disciples, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?...So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' of 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."
(Matthew 6:27, 31-34)
Amazingly, the phone hasn't rang while I was typing these thoughts, but one e-mail has popped into my inbox, I've got a lot of work left to do today; no time left to waste on trying to think too much. 
Slow down, where are you hurrying off to anyway?  Seek God first, enjoy your family, live life as God intended for you with both purpose and joy.

"All Christianity concentrates on the man at the crossroads" G.K. Chesteron

In his book, Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton explains the difference between Eastern philosophy/religion and Western philosophy/Christianity by focusing on fatalism versus free will.  To those who believe in pantheism ("all is God") or panentheism ("all is in God"), "existence is a science or a plan, which must end up a certain way." (p. 128)  After all, without separation between God and man, what use is there in trying to change anything, what hope is there in reform?  Thus the Buddhist ends up denying existence and seeking to extinguish it rather than trying to change it.  Christianity (and by with it Western philosophy) views life differently, "to a Christian existence is a story, which may end up in any way."  Thus the focus upon the crossroads, it matters a great deal which road a man takes in life because God has created man to have life and being of his own, to be able to choose to not do what God wants, and to be able to choose to love God.  Without freewill, and you can't have freewill without a transcendent (separate) God, what's the purpose of anyone's life?
This may seem like an area of interest only to philosophy or comparative religion students, but in reality, our attitudes about our place in this world and our relation to God have profound effects upon how seriously we take our personal responsibility for the choices we make.  With every horrific act of violence reported on TV due to the latest shooting or suicide bombing, people want more and more to believe that evil is something abnormal in the human brain.  It is only the "crazy" people who do such things we tell ourselves as we search for what went wrong in someone's life to turn them into such a madman.  Evil is choice, the vast majority of evil in our world is the result of the mundane choices to choose evil or good on the part of ordinary people.
Christianity offers an alternative road.  Jesus stands at the crossroad, holding up a sign that says, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)  Will people pass him by, laughing at the guy who hasn't realized yet that life is meaningless?  Will they stop, look to Jesus, and allow him to lead them down a new path?  It makes all the difference in the world which path we take.  You see, "all of Christianity concentrates on the man at the crossroads."

Sermon Video, "to win the prize" Philippians 3:10-14

Having just told the church at Philippi that his past life of self-righteousness is meaningless and his current state of self-sacrifice in the service of the Gospel is not a loss, Paul now explains to them that he has not yet reached the perfect state of Christ-likeness that he, and all of us, must strive for.
That the Apostle Paul admits to be less than perfect is welcome news to those of us who struggle to live up to the high standard of the conduct of Jesus Christ.  Not only does it allow us to be honest about our shortcomings, it keeps us from being judgmental toward others because none of us are, or can be, perfect until God finishes that process of transformation beyond the grave.
So what do we do now?  If we can't be perfect, does it matter if we try to be better?  Paul's answer is an emphatic, "Press on!"  We must strive and struggle toward that lofty goal of Christ-likeness, it doesn't matter that we can't get there because God has called us to be soldiers for the Cross, we too must take up spiritual arms and stand against evil, we too must stand with the weak, the outcasts, because we will then be standing where our saviour stood, with the people, that he might save the people.

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

Sermon Video: "to live is Christ, to die is gain" - Philippians 1:19-26

How can anyone live without fearing death?  What purpose or meaning to life can make even the worst misfortune bearable?  For Paul, the answer he shares with the church of Philippi from his own experience begins with the support his feels from their prayers on his behalf and the Spirit of Jesus.  Even while in prison, Paul knows that his life's work is worth the cost and that the outcome of his upcoming trial is in God's hands.  What's the secret to fulfillment?  Service to God through helping others.  What is the secret to confidence in the face of death?  Trust in the faithfulness of God. 
In the end, Paul was willing to continue striving for the sake of Gospel, if it is God's will.  Likewise, Paul was willing to meet his Creator and lay down his burden.
A life lived by faith in Christ, yet cut short for whatever reason, is worth living.
A life lived in vain self-service, no matter how long, is in the end meaningless.

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