Sermon Video: Ashamed of Jesus? - Mark 8:38

 Can you demonstrate that you're not ashamed of Jesus by sharing a meme on social media or putting a bumper sticker on your car?  No, the hard truth of the matter is that allegiance to Jesus Christ needs to go much, much deeper.  If we are unashamed of Jesus and his teachings we not only repeat them (without changing them) but LIVE them.  We begin to think, feel, talk, and act like Jesus, to imitate him.  Unfortunately, for millions of self-professed Christians, the only difference between their lives and those of their unbelieving neighbors or friends are surface issues.  Wearing the 'team colors' so to speak, but not denying materialism, embracing sexual purity, or living a life of self-sacrificial service to others.  Ashamed of Jesus?  It isn't your Facebook feed that answers that question, but the life you're living.

Time-bound particulars or Timeless principles? David's sin with Bathsheba

When considering the interpretation and application of a passage of Scripture, it is necessary to evaluate it regarding whether it is an example of time-bound particulars or timeless principles.  An example debated within the Bible itself as recorded in the book of Acts is whether or not new Gentile Christians ought to obey the commands in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) regarding circumcision.  In the end, first Paul, and then the Jerusalem council agree that while the command of circumcision is normative for the descendants of Abraham (Jews) for all time, the time-bound particulars of it do not apply in the same way to Gentile converts operating under the New Covenant.  While the principle of being a sacred people, called by God to be holy, still applies to the Church (and its new initiation rite, baptism), the expression of that principle given to God for Israel did not apply to the Church.
Consider the case of David's lustful adultery with Bathsheba which is recorded in 2 Samuel 11.  On the one hand, the time-bound particulars of the situation might seem vastly different than any modern situational equivalent: David was a Jew (Law of Moses), living in ancient Israel, where he was a king, and his society still tolerated (wrongly) polygamy.  Where is the connection to your average Christian married man of Gentile background (Law of Grace), living in modern America, where he is an average citizen of no real power/wealth?  And yet, one need not find superficial connections between David's circumstances and those of a modern married Christian man because the timeless principles upon which David's actions are judged are not bound by his circumstances.  When David saw Bathsheba, lusted after her, sought her ought, had sex with her, and then conspired to have her husband killed so that he could keep her for himself, he violated the 6th and 7th commandments, "You shall not murder", "You shall not commit adultery", as well as the 10th, "You shall not covet your neighbor's...wife" {Exodus 20: 13,14,17 the numbering of the commandments varies by tradition}  If a modern married Christian man were to meet a woman, lust after her, have sex with her, and then conspire to have his own wife and her husband killed so they could be together, he too would be violating these same commandments.  While David was King of Israel, his actions were the same as thousands of other men (and women) who have befouled the sacred marital bed by allowing lust to lead to adultery.  While the circumstances surrounding a modern day affair (far too polite a word for actions that both anger God and tear families apart) bear little resemblance to David's palace intrigue, one need not struggle to apply the moral lesson given by the prophet Nathan to David when he rebuked him, "Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes?" (1 Samuel 12:9)  Times may have changed, but lust is still lust, marital infidelity is still marital infidelity, and conspiracy to rid oneself of a rival is still murder. 
In the end, there are certain passages of Scripture, commands and rituals, which either no longer apply in the New Covenant to the Church, or no longer apply in a modern world with free democratic citizens; at least not in the same way that they applied to our ancestors in the faith.  On these occasions we must seek out the timeless principles upon which these passages rest and then consider how to apply those principles to our situation; a more difficult task.  However, this may not be necessary as often as we think, for human nature has not changed in the past few thousand years, God's nature, in particular his justice, holiness, and righteousness, have never changed.  The people of the Bible were people just like us, facing the same temptations and trials (even if in different packaging), and needing, just as we do, the grace of God to overcome them.

Sermon Video: The False Hope of Legalistic Asceticism, Colossians 2:16-23

{Due to a technical glitch, this week's original sermon video was not recorded, this video is the audio from Sunday combined with the PowerPoint slides from the sermon; sorry for any inconvenience}...

What is the path to greater piety and devotion to God?  One attempted answer to this question that has been active throughout Church history has been the related methods of legalism and asceticism.  Legalism seeks to impose rules, as if becoming closer to God were a simple matter of following them, while asceticism seeks to deny biological impulses and needs (such as food, drink, sex), as if being biological they are somehow inherently unholy and opposed to the things of the spirit.  Church history has featured hermits and monks attempting to be holy along these paths, as much as their efforts were self-centered, and self-powered, they were doomed to failure.

Paul addresses this issue at the church at Colossae, where a mixture of Mosaic legalism and Greek philosophical asceticism had combined to tempt the believers there away from their trust in the all-sufficiency of Christ, a danger that Paul warns strongly against, reassuring them that the path of legalistic asceticism is doomed to failure because it has lost its connection with Christ, and thus the power of God, the only true source of spiritual growth.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Why do people get married? - 1 Corinthians 7:36-40

Why do people get married?  While the reasons abound, the Apostle Paul, in finishing the section of his letter to the Church in Corinth that focuses upon sex and marriage, touches upon four of the more common ones: honor, passion, compulsion, and happiness.  The text itself focuses upon issues relating to the decision to marry or not to marry from a 1st century cultural perspective, but the idea of why people choose to get married (and widows/widowers to remarry or not) is certainly relevant for any cultural setting.

In the end, the will of God allows freedom for Christians to decide if they want to be married, and when, within the framework of the Law of God as outlined in his Word.  Within that framework: one man, one wife, for life, it is not a moral issue for a disciple of Jesus Christ to marry or not.  Some will prefer to continue living in celibate singleness, some will decide that after losing one spouse to death that they do not want to remarry, but some will choose to enter into the holy bond of marriage, emphasizing some combination of honor, passion, or the pursuit of happiness in their minds (but hopefully not compulsion).  God wants his people to be happy, as our heavenly Father, God knows that true and lasting happiness is only found in union with him, not rebellion against him.  The Christian worldview thus emphasizes the primacy of obedience to the Law of God, placing issues of love, happiness, rights, or freedoms behind conformity to the dictates of God's righteousness, holiness, and justice (and not just relating to marriage, in all parts of our lives).  Within the framework of marriage (and sexual purity) ordained by God, there is room for us to consider what our honor, passion, and happiness is asking of us.  {FYI, the point in question: to marry or not, is illustrated in the sermon by my retelling of my own proposal of marriage to my beautiful wife Nicole, in October of the year 2000.}

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Marriage and Temptation - 1 Corinthians 7:3-7

In 1 Corinthians 7:3-7, the Apostle Paul delves into a topic that most people would rather not talk about, or at least would be embarrassed discussing in public: sex within marriage.  While most people know that the Bible forbids sex outside of marriage in both the Old Testament and the New, the Word of God at the same time encourages sex within marriage as a blessing from God.  Far from elevating celibacy as holier than marital sex, Paul commends regular sexual activity between husbands and wives as the natural God-honoring consequence of their union as "one flesh".  To deny this within a marriage may lead to frustration, temptation, and eventually sexual immorality.  The hallmark of this passage of Scripture is the idea of a mutually beneficial sexual relationship within marriage.  The idea of dominance or selfishness is nowhere to be found, rather a servant's heart of putting your spouse's needs first is emphasized, which ought to result in both the husband and the wife being respected within the marriage.  Why does God care about what happens sexually in a marriage?  What kind of loving Father would not concern himself with such an important facet of the foundation institution of society?

To watch the video, click on the link below:

When a church fails to protect the innocent...

Tennessee pastor apologizes for 'sexual incident' with teen - Article on CNN

Having read this story, plus much of the linked material, including the teen's own account of what happened, it seems certain that there is ample blame to go around beginning with the church in Texas which failed to have adequate procedures in place to prevent an adult from being alone with a child/teen, failed to report the incident to the police, failed to protect the victim by giving the youth pastor a "going away" celebration, and reportedly even sought to rehire him years later...There is also blame for the Memphis church who, although reportedly made aware of Andy Savage's past before hiring him, made the mistake of equating God's forgiveness (available to all those who sincerely seek it in Christ), with the ability of a minister to continue in the ministry having committed such a sin (and in this case, crime too).  Such a breach of trust cannot simply be forgiven and then moved on from. * Note, as of 1/12/18, Andy Savage has been placed on leave by Hightpoint Church pending an investigation. *
And while it is true that God can utilize former drug dealers, murderers, etc. once the Holy Spirit has transformed them, by sharing how God changed their wicked hearts, saying that someone would make a good inspirational speaker because they have been redeemed, is not the same thing as saying that he/she would make a good pastor.  This job is a sacred trust, one that requires safeguards, one that abhors cover-ups, and one that must put the sheep before the shepherds, the congregation before the church.
As pastors, we live in a glass house, and while we cannot expect to be perfect, we cannot allow ourselves to become immoral, for one serious breach of trust (whether financially, sexually, or otherwise) can, and likely should, end a career.

What should you do?

1. Make sure that your church has policies in place to ensure the safety of children and others, and that they're following them.
2. Reject the temptation to downplay and hush up allegations (at a church, school, or other organization), insisting that anything that may be a crime be reported to the police immediately.
3. Pray for your pastor and church staff, they like you are but forgiven sinners who need to say no to temptations.

Sermon Video: Christianity and Sex - 1 Corinthians 7:1-2

As an introduction to the next seven sermons from 1 Corinthians 7 that focus upon the topics of marriage, sex, and celibacy, this message looks at the nature of sex in relation to the creation of humanity by God as male in female with the inherent capacity and need for sexual fulfillment.  The Church has struggled with this issue in its history, from promoting the false piety of celibacy above marriage, to allowing lax standards in relation to sexual immorality, but despite that failure, the function and purpose of sex remains ordained by God within marriage, a blessing of joy and union for those who embrace the Law of God reflected in our nature.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit - 1 Corinthians 6:14-20

Why does God care about what people do with "their own body"?  As our creator, God has the right to judge those to whom he has given life itself, but for the people of God, for those who by faith have become disciples of Jesus, the reason for God's concern is even deeper.  One of the benefits of being born again in faith is union with Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  This union means that sexual immorality (for example) on the part of the people of God ought to be inconceivable, for it would be uniting the unholy (immorality) with the holy (the person whom Christ has redeemed).  Likewise, with the presence of the Holy Spirit within each believer, God's people have become the temple of God, thus bringing immorality (sexual or otherwise) into that temple is to profane it.  Lastly, if those warning are not sufficient, Paul reminds the people of the church at Corinth that there is no such thing as "their own body", for all those who are in Christ have been purchased by God, a debt that can never be repaid.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: The Growth of Sin - 1 Corinthians 5:6-8

As part of his ongoing warning to the church at Corinth to expel one of their own who has been living in sexual immorality, Paul further states his case by warning the church that sin, like a cancer, will spread if not removed.  To make his point, Paul uses the analogy of yeast within dough, making a connection to the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and thus a connection to Jesus as the Passover Lamb, and to the symbolic purity connected with the removal of yeast from Jewish homes for the Feast.
Ongoing sin within a church is a very dangerous thing.  The presence of sin may be unrecognized, or the particular sin may be tolerated by the people, either way, it is a sign of trouble within the community.  Sin will spread, it does not remain in its place, but will grow within the life of the one who is enslaved by it, and it will grow within a community of believers.  Our response, then, to sin must be both serious and at times drastic.  If one among us refuses to repent, and remains in rebellion against God, that individual must be removed from the church's fellowship until repentance has occurred.
Sexual immorality is a particularly dangerous sin for Christians.  Men or women, young or old, we must not allow temptation/opportunities to sin in this area to remain in our lives, it is far wiser to act preemptively to remove an external temptation (such as pornography, or a person one is sexually stimulated by that is not one's spouse) and thus allow our hearts a chance to overcome temptation than it is to try to remain steadfast in the face of continuing temptation.  Far too many Christians have allowed themselves to take small steps down the road of sexual immorality, only to continue on that path and eventually destroy their career/family/faith.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Sexual Immorality among God's people - 1 Corinthians 5:1-5

There are few issues more frequently discussed or arousing more passionate responses than those relating to sex and sexuality.  Both the Old Covenant given under Moses, and the New Covenant initiated by Jesus, contain significant portions dedicated to defining the proper boundaries of sexual expression.  In both cases, that definition relegates such expression to that within the marriage of one man and one woman.
In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul expresses his dismay that the people of that church have failed to live up to that standard in that they have not disciplined a member who has married his former step-mother.  In addition to pronouncing judgment on that individual, Paul also commands the church to publicly expel the offending member in the hope that "tough love" will be the necessary prompt to cause repentance.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

God loves you too much to ignore your sexuality.

People want to do what they want, when they want to do it, and how they want to do it.  People don't like being told what they can and cannot do.  This isn't a mystery, its obvious, a commonality of us all.  Our feelings about sex and sexuality are no different.  In order to fulfill humanity's desire to be autonomous, to make our own rules, elements of society have always sought to ignore the clear consequences of sexual activity outside of marriage, whether it be heterosexual or homosexual, the desire to be autonomous and reject limitations remains the same.
Sexuality has significant consequences for individuals and society that we ignore at our peril.  It can be a force for good when contained within a loving marriage, an expression of fidelity and love, but it can also be a powerful destructive force when it exceeds that boundary, resulting in STD's, divorce, rape, abortions, and all manner of non-marital sexuality, including homosexual expressions.  Sexual expression has to have limits, no society can function without them.  Biology ought to be one obvious restraint on human autonomy, after all, it takes a man and a woman to reproduce, but even this fact of nature comes under assault when people seeking autonomy are willing to ignore nature and embrace homosexual and transgender perspectives.
God isn't interested in ruining fun, God doesn't want to quash happiness or love, but God, as our Heavenly Father and our Creator, is not going to sit by and let human beings pursue dead-end paths that are only self-destructive, he loves you too much.  God, in the created order, has set limits upon our expressions of sexuality.
All sexual expressions outside of the marriage of one man and one woman are sin, not because I say so, but because the Word of God declares it to be so, thus the cheating husband is as equally ignoring God as the person seeking a lesbian sexual relationship.  All sin is an affront against God, if the Church has failed to make clear its opposition to ALL forms of sexual sin, especially our own, that is our failure.  If Christians have seemed more interested in opposing homosexuality than in helping the people of the Church overcome adultery, that is also our failure.  We, the Church, have failed in this arena, far too often.  Holiness begins at home, the people of the Church have failed to live sexually pure lives, for this we need to repent and return to being what God has called us to be.  As a people redeemed by God, we cannot pretend that sin, of any kind, is ok.  It won't be popular to say so, and we shouldn't expect those who don't believe in God to be happy to hear it, but God loves you too much to ignore your sexuality, and as imitators of Jesus Christ, so does his Church.

My words are primarily for myself, my family, my church, and beyond that, the greater Christian community.  If they spur the people of God toward self-examination, and greater efforts at holiness (by God's grace) they will have achieved their purpose.  If my words speak to the Lost, to those without God, let them hear me clearly: God loves you, his Son died to set you free, God wants you to come home to him, whatever your past, whatever your present, God can and will forgive you if you put your faith in him.  When you do believe, join a local church, it is the place where the people who were lost, but now are found, gather together to celebrate God's mercy and grace, and to share his love.

Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

Genesis 2:24 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."

Mark 10:8b-9 "So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Matthew 5:28 "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.  The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.  For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.  Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit."

Sermon Video: Athaliah chooses power over children - 2 Chronicles 22

How does someone who values human life, from conception until natural death, understand the thinking of someone who is convinced that abortion is an “act of love”?  In a new book called Pro, Katha Pollitt asserts that abortion is a social good for women, men, and children.  Where can we begin to unravel the thought process that leads to such a conclusion?

                In 2 Chronicles 22, the reign of Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, only lasts a year before he is killed alongside Ahab’s son Joram by the agent of God’s wrath against Israel’s wickedness, Jehu.  The kingdom of Judah has plummeted from its moral high-point under Jehoshaphat with the murderous reign of his son Jehoram and grandson Ahaziah.  Now, in the wake of Ahaziah’s death, his mother Athaliah (Ahab’s daughter) decides to take over the throne for herself and proceeds to attempt to wipe out any remaining descendants of David that had survived Jehoram’s killing of his six brothers and other relatives.  Even though God preserved Ahaziah for the sake of the line of David, it now appears that Athaliah will finish the job.  How can a woman turn against her own children and grandchildren and choose to murder them for the sake of power?  The darkness of the heart of mankind is a truly frightening thing when it destroys the natural bonds of love and protection that we expect from a parent and turns them instead into the total disregard for human life that Athaliah shows here.

                At this point in the story, modern man’s willingness to treat human life as expendable seems to be in keeping with our history, unfortunately.  When the children are about to be murdered, however, one of their aunts, Jehosheba, decides to risk her own life to act as she hides the year old Joash from Athaliah’s henchmen.  From that point on, Jehosheba and her husband Jehoida, a priest of the temple, hide the child for the next six years from Athaliah.  Where do they keep the only surviving heir of the line of David safe?  Within the temple of the LORD. 

                How do we as Christians respond to the threat against the innocent posed by abortion and euthanasia?  The political process cannot be our primary response, as it may never bear fruit and doesn’t help those vulnerable today.  We must commit ourselves, as a Church, to supporting the young pregnant girl, the exhausted parents of the special needs child, and the family wracked by end-of-life issues, we must offer concrete support to anyone we know in such a situation, and also support the organizations that are helping within our communities (such as ABC Life Center, here in Franklin) with our money, time, and prayer.

                We cannot understand how anyone could think of life as something to be discarded when inconvenient, but human history is full of examples of people doing just that.  We can, and must, do our utmost to protect the weak from those who, like Athaliah and Katha Pollitt, have decided that some lives don’t really matter.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video

A vote in favor of monogamy

Who is it that understands the value of sex?  Is it the man or woman, committed in the bonds of marriage to only each other, or is it the modern sex addict, indulging anywhere with anyone or anything?
In his book, Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton explains the simple reason why the murmurs against monogamy from a hundred years ago had no appeal to him, "I could never mix in the common murmur of that rising generation against monogamy, because no restriction on sex seemed so odd and unexpected as sex itself...Keeping to one woman is a small price for so much as seeing one woman.  To complain that I could only be married once was like complaining that I had only been born once  It was incommensurate with the terrible excitement of which one is talking.  It showed, not an exaggerated sensibility to sex, but a curious insensibility to it." (p. 48)
There is no way that Chesterton could have envisioned the wholesale swallowing up of modern culture to sexuality, but his observation that it is the monogamist that truly understands and values sex is all the more true in our culture which so very much devalues it.  What value is there in something that is not worth holding on to?  How can anyone say that a one night stand has any real meaning or purpose when the very name of the person with whom such intimacy has been shared is quickly forgotten?
There may be some who are reading this who think that I just don't understand the pleasure to be had in having sex with many women.  They're right, I don't understand it, nor do I want that type of "knowledge".  What I do know is the absolute value of the sexuality expressed between a husband and his wife.  I don't need to experience any lesser imitations to know the treasure that I already have in being bound by sacred oath to my wife.  I value sex far too highly to ever desecrate this gift by sharing it with another.  I only have two parents, they are amazing, what need have I for more?  I only have one nation, America is my home, what need have I for another?  I only have one faith, Jesus Christ is my salvation, what need have I to be saved by any other?  I only have one wife, what could possibly be gained by desiring sex with any other?
All such bargains that promise joy and pleasure beyond that which we have a right are hollow lies.  Those who partake of them will only learn, to their regret, when it is too late.
Sex is a Siren's Song in America.  It promises a veritable buffet of pleasure, only to dash us upon the rocks of venereal disease, unwanted pregnancies, broken hearts, exploitation, and violence.  Men, do yourself a tremendous service, find one woman, marry her, and learn what the real value of sex is.

Sex and Marriage?

The role of sexuality in the life of those who follow God is a horribly misunderstood topic.  We've twisted it around and screwed it up to no end.  That being said, such a knot cannot be unraveled all at once, let me simply pull on one strand a bit and try to help...

What's the purpose of sex?  To those who engage in sex outside of the covenant of marriage, it is an act of pleasure that often tries to be the glue holding a relationship together.  It is an act of hope that is far too often placed in the wrong person.  It becomes damaged by bad experiences and ends up being something it was never intended to be.  Sex should not be a bargaining chip, nor a tool for getting one's way, it should not be bought or sold, nor should be be withheld or forced.  We, as a society, have morphed sex almost beyond recognition.

Sex within a marriage is an entirely different thing.  It is not the glue holding the relationship together, nor is it simply for pleasure.  The bond that holds the marriage together is honor, integrity, and a promise made in love before God, family, and friends.  Now, sex is pleasurable in a marriage, it is intended to be, but it also so much more.  It is a celebration of the union that exists between two people, of the molding of two separate lives into one, of the submission of two independent wills into one common goal of being a mutually beneficially partnership.

  If all of that sounds a little too idealistic to you, good, it should be.  God created the institution of marriage, and made sexuality as a part of it, for a very good reason.  We're not complete when we're alone.  We all feel it, we all know that the joys and sorrows of this life should be shared with another who is designed to compliment you.  A marriage works best when strengths and weaknesses are balanced out by the spouse, when needs and dreams are worked at together and not in competition.

Is sex a good thing?  Absolutely, all of God's creation was good in the beginning.  Has it been wrecked by sinful man?  Without a doubt, but we can begin to reclaim sex by supporting marriage.  Those who find themselves in the midst of divorce or failed relationships can begin again; you can reclaim your honor and integrity by saving your most intimate feelings for someone who is willing to publicly commit to you.  It may be idealistic, but it's also the truth.

Sermon Video: Joseph in Potiphar's house - Genesis 39

How would you react to being sold into slavery by your own brothers?  Would your faith by ruined by their betrayal?  For Joseph, his time spent as Potiphar's slave proved that his faith was still strong the indeed the LORD was still with him.  When he began to have success, and was placed in charge of the household by Potiphar, Joseph was confronted by a new challenge; the sexual advances of Potiphar's wife.  Rather than believe sin's lie of sex-without-consequences, Joseph refuses to dishoner himself and sin against God.  Despite her repeated enticements, he stand firm.  In the end, Joseph's honor is rewarded with a prison sentence, so is the LORD still with him??  Once again, in prison, Joseph proves worthy of God's favor by keeping his faith in spite of the dark road he has been forced to walk down

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