Sermon Video: God credits Abram's faith as righteousness - Genesis 15:1-6

Does faith exclude anxiety and fear?  As it turns out, it does not.  Abraham, the "father of faith" had them.  Abram's promise from God of a son and heir was a LONG time in the fulfilling.  Abram's expressed his frustration with this to God, and rather than getting angry, God offered him reassurance that his promise still stood.  It is Abram's acceptance of this promise, after expressing his anxiety/fear, that God credited to him as righteousness.

Sermon Video: Abram and Lot go their own ways - Genesis 13

After his failure to trust God while sojourning in Egypt, how will Abram react the next time he needs to live by faith in God's promises?  Genesis 13 offers the answer, in it Abram passes the test with flying colors.  When a conflict arises between his shepherds and those of Lot over the available grazing land, Abram offers Lot the first choice of the land so they can part in peace.  This incredibly generous offer from Abram highlights his faith in God, as the chapter unfolds God speaks to Abram reiterating his promises and once more proclaiming that the future of this land belongs to his offspring.

* Apologies that I stepped out of the frame a bit this time, I was trying to tighten up the zoom a bit, but I guess I don't stand still enough for that to work.

Sermon Video: Abram fails to live by faith - Genesis 12:10-20

Abraham and Sarah are heroes of the faith, but their lives had challenges just like our own, and they failed to meet some of them with faith.  When famine caused them to seek refuge in Egypt, Abram was willing to put his wife at risk in order to avoid danger that he feared.  This form of, "Let us do evil that good may result," is wholly unacceptable for God's people.  Our call is to do what is morally upright, circumstances don't change that.

Sermon Video: After the Flood - Genesis 8

 

The literary structure of the Flood narrative in Genesis draws the reader to 8:1 where we read, "But God remembered Noah." Just as the first half of the story highlighted God's provision for Noah, his family, and the animals during the coming and executing of his wrath, the second half highlights God's provision for them during the time of the waning of the effects of God's wrath. Through it all God cares for his people, for the righteous, and through it all Noah demonstrates tremendous patience and trust.

Sermon Video: God's plan: A Flood and a Covenant, Genesis 6:14-22

God shares his plan with Noah, giving him instructions on how to survive the Flood that is coming and entrusting him with the care of the animals that are also to be spared.  In that process, God promises to Noah that he will establish a covenant with him, further deepening their already existing relationship.

In the end, Noah did what God commanded.  The narrative never tells us what Noah thought about any of this, we simply learn that he obeyed.

Sermon Video: Jesus leads the way to the Cross - Mark 10:32-34

 For the third and final time, Jesus tells his disciples that death awaits him in Jerusalem.  This time, however, Jesus is leading them there when he says it.  Demonstrating tremendous trust in the will of the Father, Jesus leads the way despite knowing in detail what is coming.  Even though he knows that none of his disciples will be able to stand with him during his Passion, Jesus continues to lessen their anxiety and fear by explaining once again what is about to happen.  Lasly, he ends his prediction with the reminder that death will not be the last word; that three days later he WILL rise again.  As we face uncertain futures, we too know that death is not the end, that the Father holds us safely in his hands, and we too seek to build up the faith and trust in God that will enable us to lead the way, following in Jesus' footsteps.

Sermon Video: "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" - Mark 9:14-29

 Is faith all or nothing?  Is there room for hesitancy, fear, or doubt?  Faith isn't like a light switch, all on or all off, but a continuim, it can grow and it can be weakened.  As Jesus helps a father whose son health need is too difficult for his own disciples to overcome, he also confronts the issue of wavering faith.  Jesus does not condemn the man who admits that his faith is weak, he helps him.  As Christians, and as a Church, we need to do likewise: admit our own weaknesses and help those in need.

Sermon Video: Trust God, hold Man responsible - Mark 6:7-13

 Jesus sends out his 12 disciples in teams of two with a message of repentance and the power to cast out impure spirits and heal the sick. While we might wonder if the disciples are ready for such responsibility, the bigger surprise is that Jesus forbids them to take any supplies with them for the journey. Why? Not because God wants to reward poor planning or laziness, and not because God's servants should suffer from physical deprivation (as some sort of spiritual discipline), because they shouldn't. Rather it is an object lesson for the disciples, and for us, that when God promises to do something he will be faithful and fulfill it. In addition, the passage offers a stark warning to those who fail to heed the call to repent: the disciples are to symbolically 'disown' the town/village by shaking the dust of their sandals off as they leave. God is always trustworthy, our fellow man (including ourselves) needs to be held to account.

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Sermon Video: "Don't be afraid, just believe." - Mark 5:21-43

 On the way to heal Jairus' sick daughter, Jesus is interrupted by a desperate woman who has suffered from a painful malady for twelve years. This woman only touches Jesus cloak, but is still healed. Stopping, Jesus seeks out the woman, and when she falls trembling at his feet, he does not scold her for her impudence, but says to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." Meanwhile, Jairus' daughter has died, prompting Jesus' bold words, "Don't be afraid, just believe." How can this be? Faith is not meant to be irrational or absurd, so how can Jesus say such a thing? Simple. In the last 24 hours Jesus has demonstrated lordship over Nature (calming the storm) and the spiritual realm (driving out the Legion of demons), now he will demonstrate his lordship over Death as well. God is the giver of Life, all life, God can bring life back to the dead as well. Jesus then proves that faith placed in God's promises (Word) are well placed, as he precedes to bring the young girl back to life.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Jesus calms the storm - Mark 4:35-41

 In an episode that reveals his true power to his disciples, Jesus calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee with a word. Lessons for us? Whether the storms we in life be literal or metaphorical, God is in control. The will of God is not altered by tragedy, the love of God is not lessened by dangers, and God will finish what he has begun in us (our transformation into Christ-likeness). God has not made the storms disappear for his people, and while he may intervene to spare some, the true power of God is in overcoming the 'storms'. Get in the boat with Jesus, let him worry about the storm.

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Sermon Video: Real Love - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Christians are supposed to be known for their love, love for each other, and love for even their enemies.  This, of itself, is beyond our capacity, but when viewed through the Apostle Paul's explanation in 1 Corinthians as to what constitutes real, genuine love, it would seem to make a difficult situation hopeless.  Thankfully, God has given his Spirit to his people, has empowered them to live like Jesus here in this world, because he has called us to embrace all 14 of the aspects of love that Paul highlighted (and perhaps others as well, it is not an exhaustive list, although it certainly is comprehensive).  What must our love be?  Patient and kind.  What must it be free of? Envy, boasting, pride, any willingness to dishonor others, selfishness, anger, and record keeping of the wrongs of others.  Give up yet?  In addition, love must rejoice in truth while rejecting the lure of utilizing evil (even thinking, 'that good may result', a false lie).  Love must always protect, trust, hope, and persevere. 
This is not a question of focus, willpower, or determination.  We cannot accomplish this on our own, not even close.  Once again, we must depend upon the transforming power of the Spirit of God, must embrace our role in the community of believers (for help, guidance, and support; mutually so), and must move forward, toward Christ-likeness, in faith because we all need real love.

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Sermon Video: Be Strong and Courageous - Joshua 1

** Note, we are utilizing new sound equipment for recording the sermons; hopefully you will notice considerable improvement.**

As Joshua prepares to take over the leadership role of Israel following the death of Moses, the LORD encourages Joshua with specific and powerful promises that he will be with Joshua as he was with Moses and that "I will never leave you nor forsake you."  In light of his word, the LORD tells Joshua to "Be strong and courageous" as he leads the people across the Jordan into the land that God has promised to give to the people of Israel.  The encouragement to be strong and courageous is repeated three times in the chapter, and the emphasis that God will give the land to Israel is repeated five times. 

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Being a Habitually Accurate person

Much was said in 2016 of the accuracy of the statements made by various American politicians and their surrogates, most of it not complimentary.  We, as a society, struggle with the desire to put Power above Truth, and the willingness to bend, or invent, "facts" in order to win.  These tactics, win or lose, come at a cost; those who utilize them pay by earning a reputation as a person who cannot be trusted, except when acting in their own self-interest.
The Church, and the people of God, must not allow themselves to be swayed by this siren's song of power to taint their trustworthiness with exaggerations, half-truths, bendable "facts", and outright lies.  Whatever is at stake, to "win" by such methods is to certainly lose.
Compare the current atmosphere's emphasis on finding things that are "true for me" with the timeless desire for Truth in the Word of God.  In F.F. Bruce's 1943 classic, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?, Bruce writes the following after citing dozens of examples of historical accuracy by Luke in his Gospel and in Acts.

"Now, all these evidences of accuracy are not accidental.  A man whose accuracy can be demonstrated in matters where we are able to test it is likely to be accurate even where the means for testing him are not available.  Accuracy is a habit of mind, and we know from happy (or unhappy) experience that some people are habitually accurate just as others can be depended upon to be inaccurate.  Luke's record entitles him to be regarded as a writer of habitual accuracy."

These words bear weight in the ongoing apologetic effort to defend the trustworthiness of the Bible, but they also remind us of something important: that character (or the lack thereof) matters.
Are you accurate and reliable?  Do the things you say on social media, and the things you "like" and share also value Truth over Power?  If we are inaccurate in the small things, why will others trust us when we claim to speak the Truth about the important things?
The people of God cannot afford to sacrifice their love of the Truth in the pursuit of political power, and must certainly not sacrifice our reputation as Truth-speakers about eternity for any purpose in the here and now.  Speak the Truth, our Father loves the Truth, its that other guy that spends so much time crafting lies.

Sermon Video: Hezekiah's Revival, Part 4 (of 4) - 2 Chronicles 32

The final chapter in the Chronicles' recounting of the reign of Hezekiah takes place after the reform and revival movement he helped bring about has finished its work.  The timing suggests two conclusions: #1 God thwarted the evil purposes of Sennacherib until his people had finished their repentance and had renewed their relationship with him.  #2 Doing the right thing didn't make Hezekiah and the people immune to tribulation, instead, it enabled them to stand firm when tribulation came (In keeping with the lesson of Job).
How did Hezekiah and the people respond to this challenge to the very existence of their nation?  They first took all the preparations that were in their power to accomplish, then they declared their trust that God would do what only God can do, and lastly when Sennacherib mocked the power of God, they responded with prayer to the Almighty.
How did God respond?  He delivered his people, in fulfillment of his Word and by way of demonstrating his love and compassion for them.  In the end, Hezekiah and the people of Judah persevered, maintaining their allegiance to God in a time of peril.  Overall, Hezekiah demonstrates what can be accomplished by a devout person of God through hard work, prayer, and faith.

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Sermon Video: Faith like a child - Luke 18:15-17

In this passage, Jesus uses a minor incident in which his disciples attempt to keep parents who are bringing their children for Jesus to bless from bothering him, a decision that he reverses when he welcomes the children, as yet another teachable moment.  As he welcomes the children, Jesus declares that the kingdom of God actually belongs to those are are somehow like these little children.  On top of that, Jesus completes the analogy by saying metaphorically that no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they do so, "like a little child".  So, what is it about children, in general, that makes their attitudes or mentality ideal for entrance into the kingdom of God?  There are several possible answers, and because the text doesn't spell it out explicitly our answers are not dogmatic, but among them are these three child-like attributes: (1) children are dependent, not independent.  They aren't trying to earn things on their own but are content to receive what they need from others.  The pride of the Pharisee in the previous passage kept him far from God despite his massive efforts, while the humility of the wretched tax collector convinced him to rely upon God's mercy, which he found. (2) Children are trusting, not cynical.  The cynicism that we all experience, usually beginning in our teen years, is a learned response due to the lies and betrayals that we experience in life.  Trust, however, is crucial to our acceptance of what God has done for us, we must rely upon his promises, in that sense, children have the advantage for they have not yet learned to doubt the truth.  (3)  Children are enthusiastic, not apathetic.  Lastly, we need to have hope, we need to believe in order to enter the kingdom of God, if we have none we won't even seek redemption.  For children, as the saying goes, "hope springs eternal", they believe in the possibility of good things (Santa Claus being a prime example of this innocent hope) when adults instead see every potential problem.
We must enter the kingdom of God, "like a little child", and once we have done so, it is important for us not to lose those qualities, even if life conspires to beat them out of us, we can always return to our roots, returning to Jesus with the trust, enthusiasm, and dependence of a child.

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Sermon Video: What, me worry? - Luke 12:22-34

In this passage, Jesus offers some of the most practical, yet difficult, advice you will ever hear when he says, "do not worry about your life".  Worrying is exceedingly detrimental to our health and well-being, and we'd all love to worry less, but the problem is that we don't know how to make this happen; worry, anxiety, and fear seem to strong for us.
Jesus offers multiple reasons why his followers ought not to worry, even about the necessities of life like food and clothing, beginning with the reason that "life is more than food, and the body more than clothes."  Even if the bulk of our time and resources are devoted to the act of living, that is not the purpose of life.  We were created to be more than just alive.  In addition, Jesus offers the example of the ravens, who without effort are provided for by God, and the lilies who make for themselves a flower more beautiful than human hands could make.  Both of these forms of life are the result of our Creator's joy in the creative process, and neither are beneath his notice.  If God cares for such as these, surely he cares for you whom he values far more as a human being created in his likeness.
The reasons from Jesus for us to not worry continue with his assertion that worrying doesn't accomplish anything positive, but is itself evidence of faith that is lacking.  If we trusted God more, we would worry about our lives far less.  In the end, the perspective of knowing that God is in control, we certainly are not, and that God's care and concern for us extends from the basics of life all the way up to our hopes and dreams, is the key to keep worry at bay.  We already trust God with our souls, having chosen to live by faith, we just need to keep going and trust God with a far smaller thing, our tomorrow.

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Sermon Video - "The battle is not yours, but God's" 2 Chronicles 20

                After barely escaping his disastrous alliance with Ahab, King Jehoshaphat returns to Jerusalem where he faces rebuke from God’s prophet.  Jehoshaphat proves his character by taking the criticism, and returning to the work he should have been doing, the administration of justice and support of God’s Law for his people.  In the midst of this renewed effort to be the type of king the people of God need, calamity strikes without warning: Jehoshaphat is informed of a league of three kingdoms to the east that have joined to invade Judah, and they’re already on this side of the Jordan River.

                In the midst of a crisis that could end his kingdom and destroy his people if not thwarted, Jehoshaphat turns not to his palace to meet with his generals, but to the temple to lead the assembled people of God in prayer.  With the invading army only a day away, Jehoshaphat prays before the people, recalling God’s seat upon the throne of heaven, his promise to Abraham, and ending by recalling that his ancestors had shown mercy to the Edomites who are now amongst those invading Judah, which leads to a call for God to show justice.

                The response to Jehoshaphat’s powerful prayer is impressive: God speaks through a Levite in attendance at this assembly in the temple courtyard to assure his people that they need not be afraid even of an approaching army, for “the battle is not yours, but God’s”.  This is the key truth for Jehoshaphat and for us today.  The true battle between Good and Evil was never ours to win or lose, it was always the responsibility of God, and the outcome of victory was never in doubt.  The champion of the cause of right is the Lamb of God, who is indeed worthy.

                The battle is God’s, but his people still need to put on their armor and take the field.  Jehoshaphat leads the army out of Jerusalem with a choir of men in front praising God, “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.”  As the people praise, God throws the enemy army into confusion and they turn upon each other and destroy themselves.  What was the key to victory?  The power of God fulfilling his Word.  And how was that power accessed?  By the fervent prayer of his people, gathered together, and their subsequent steps of obedience in faithful trust. 

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 Sermon Video

Sermon Video: Those whom the LORD strengthens, 2 Chronicles 16

To start well is great, to finish strong is good too, but can we remain solid throughout our lives?  King Asa of Judah, great-grandson of David, started out as king with an amazing amount of piety, zeal, and faith.  He not only rid his people of the plague of idolatry, but he also led them to victory over an invading army by relying upon the LORD, and followed that up by leading his people in a rededication ceremony to the Covenant of Moses.  Fifteen years later, Asa, a man who chose peace over war when his foe was weak, is once again confronted by the prospect of war.  Baasha, the new king of the kindred of Judah to the north, Israel, has occupied a hill along the road leading up to Jerusalem, and fortified it.

                How will Asa respond?  Up until this point he has chosen to live by faith, but when this particular trial comes Asa responds out of fear.  Instead of relying upon the LORD, as he has successfully done previously with spectacular success, Asa attempts a desperate and underhanded ploy.  King Asa convinces the ally of Baasha of Israel, Ben-Hadad of Aram, to betray him and instead of helping Baasha attack Judah, Ben-Hadad invades Israel.  The betrayal of Israel was purchased with the gold and silver of not only Asa’s palace treasury, but the treasury of the temple of the LORD as well.  In the end, Asa succeeds in defending his kingdom, Baasha if forced to withdraw from building his fort when his northern villages are captured by Ben-Hadad, but at a steep cost.  Asa sacrificed his own integrity by outsourcing the sin of another and bears some of the responsibility for the deaths of his kindred attack by the army he paid to invade them.

                God, in order to explain to Asa his displeasure, sends him a prophet.  The prophet tells Asa that his lack of faith has not only cost him a chance at lasting peace, but also robbed God of the opportunity to destroy Ben-Hadad’s army along with the invading army of Baasha.  If Asa had continued to trust in God, a far greater and lasting victory would have been achieved, and without the moral stain of Asa’s chosen path.  Instead, the kingdom of Aram to the north will continue to plague not only Israel, but eventually Judah as well.

                Asa could have stood firm, he could have become one of the greatest kings of God’s people, if only he had continued to trust God.  God is ready to help those who seek him, he told Asa, “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”  It isn’t enough to trust in God, we need to continue in that trust from beginning to end, through thick and thin.  When Asa died, he was honored by his people as a man who had served God with all his heart, he deserved that honor, but he could have been much more, if only he had continued to trust in the LORD.

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Sermon Video: "Don't be afraid; just believe" - LUke 8:40-56

Following the trip back across the Sea of Galilee, Jesus is mobbed by an enthusiastic crowd eager to get close to him.  In that crowd are two people who both have a desperate need for the healing power of the Son of God.  Jairus is a father whose twelve year old daughter is dying, while he garners Jesus’ attention, a woman who had suffered for twelve years from feminine bleeding (thus making her “unclean” in the eyes of the Law) does something to demonstrate her faith in Jesus; she reaches out and touches the tassel of his cloak. 

            At this point, with Jairus anxious that Jesus will not arrive in time, and the crowd already slowing him down, Jesus stops to confront the woman who has just been healed by touching him.  Instead of condemning her for her presumption of touching him, Jesus turns to this woman who has held on to her faith in spite of twelve years of suffering and says, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go in peace.”  What an amazing testament to God’s willingness to forgive anyone who approaches him in faith.

            Meanwhile, Jairus receives word that his daughter has died while waiting for Jesus to arrive.  What was just a heart-warming scene of prayer being answered has turned into a crushing scene of irony.  Jesus may be the Son of God, but he is still only one man, the crowd and the woman who touched him slowed Jesus down; he’s too late.  Rather than allow human limitations to thwart Jairus’ faith, Jesus continues on to his house and then tells him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”  At this point, his own experience would have told Jairus that the situation is hopeless, but Jesus is asking him to trust in the promises of the same God who gives life to all.  Jesus then proceeds to return life to Jairus’ daughter as a further demonstration of who he is, and just as importantly, of the power of faith to overcome our own limitations.

            What insurmountable obstacles, what desperate situations, are you facing?  The answer is always to do our part, remember that both those helped by Jesus were willing to come to him, and then trust God to do his part.

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Sermon Video: "Where is your faith?", Luke 8:22-25

Today is a good day, things are fine, but there’s no guarantee it will end that way.  Life is like that, one moment you’re floating across a calm sea on a sunny day, the next you’re being battered by the winds and the waves and just hoping to live to see tomorrow.  For the disciples, that scenario literally played out as they went across the Sea of Galilee with Jesus as their boat was in danger of being swamped by a sudden storm.  The disciples, certain that death was imminent, awaken Jesus who rebukes the wind and the waves and saves their lives. 

As the storm subsides, Jesus asks them, “Where is your faith?”  Most preachers or commentators would then talk about how the disciples needed to have more faith, needed to ignore the danger and trust God.  While that is true, it doesn’t answer the difficult questions about our doubts and fears, nor does it tell us what to do while we wait for God to calm our particular storm, or what we should do if God chooses to let us endure through our trial, even if it costs us our life.

We know that God is capable of calming any storm, Jesus’ power over nature is only a glimpse at what God can do, but we also know that God chooses, from our perspective at least, to intervene only a minority of the time.  The explanation that we’ve been given for this discrepancy by Paul’s words in Romans 8:28-29 may partially explain some of the difficulties that we go through in life, (that they’re part of refining our character and helping us become Christ-like) but still leaves us with many unanswered questions.  Ultimately, the only answer that we can obtain in this life is the answer that God gave to Job, in essence, you’re not capable of understanding the answer to your question, you need to trust me.

What is the purpose of faith?  It isn’t to get my own way and protect me from all harm, nor is it to keep us from having to go through hardships and suffering.  The purpose of faith is to allow us to continue to trust in the love of God through the dark times so that we can hold on to the hope that God has promised those who love him.

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