It's a small world after all

We had visiting missionaries here to talk about there work this past week at First Baptist: Dave and Joyce Briley who since 1975 have been working through Wycliffe Bible Translators with the Bauzi people of Papua, Indonesia to translate the Bible into their native tongue.  When Dave and Joyce arrived to work with the Bauzi,(who live in a dozen or so villages spread out over a large section of jungle, perhaps 2,000 people in all) they had no way of even asking the question, "what's the name of this?".  They had to learn the language from scratch, one word at a time, eventually figuring out enough of it to begin the laborious process of translating the Bible.  There was just one catch, the Bauzi language was unwritten.  So, Dave and Joyce first had to create a phonetic alphabet for the Bauzi, 6 vowels and 9 consonants, as it turned out, and then teach some of the native Bauzi to read and write.  After that came the process of trying to understand this language well enough to translate directly from the original Greek and Hebrew of the Bible while making the finished product sound authentic in the ears of the people.  Is it any wonder that it took them over 30 years to translate the New Testament?  If it were not for their single-minded dedication, the Bauzi people would not be in possession this day of God's Word.
This scene has been, and is being, repeated all over the corners of the world where there are still peoples without access to the Bible in their own native tongue (their "heart" language to those working in translations).  Thankfully, the day is coming soon when the task will be completed and each and every language spoken on Earth will have access to the story of God's redemptive love through Christ Jesus.
While my wife and I were eating dinner with the Briley's after church, I asked if they had by any chance run across one of my favorite authors, Jared Diamond, who I knew had spent considerable time in Papua and New Guinea looking for rare birds.  As it happens, Jared had come to them in the past looking for locals to help him find some birds (I asked them to get his autograph should he stop by again).  Jared Diamond is the author of, "Guns, Germs, and Steel", a fascinating book on why Western Europeans came to dominate the globe and not peoples of some other land.  The answer given by Diamond, one of resources and inherent advantages in the geography, animals, and foodstuffs, instead of the implied or outright racism of past analysis of the subject, was a refreshing contribution to anthropology and history.  Needless to say, as a history geek, I'm a fan.  To top it off, I was taking a walk with a local man named Abe today, (he stops by from time to time to chew the fat) and the subject of Native Americans came up (he has Indian ancestry), so of course I recommended he read Jared Diamond's book.  It is a small world after all.

Sermon Video: "defending and confirming the gospel" Philippians 1:7

As the opening to Paul's letter to the church in Philippi continues, he tells the church that his feelings of joy regarding their success is the proper response.  Paul feels not only the pride of seeing a church he founded doing well, but also the sense of partnership that comes from knowing that he and they share in the same grace of God.  All those who participate in the body of Christ through faith share in the same brotherhood, whether they be part of a local church body or missionaries on a foreign field like Paul.  It is this equal partnership that provides the support and vitality that both churches and mission efforts require to survive long-term.  For Paul it didn't matter if his message was received with the joy of the people of Philippi, or the violence that he found on many occasions, the mission was paramount, people needed to hear the message of the Gospel.

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

Paradise is Lost and it isn't coming back on its own

My wife and I spent the afternoon hiking in Oil Creek State Park, enjoying God's wondrous creation and spending some quality time alone.  It was just the sort of thing I need to recharge my batteries and begin another week of ministry.  As we drove home from the park I switched on ESPN radio only to hear the President talking about some bombing.  Moments later the news of the Boston Marathon bombing confirmed once again that evil has no bounds, nor does it understand pity or mercy.  Once again Mankind's inhumanity was on display, the peaceful woods and babbling streams were forgotten, replaced by an act of terror.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this senseless violence and to their families.
As my wife and I talked about today's act of terrorism, I commented that this sort of thing is never going to go away.  Even if 99.99% of the world is convinced that such acts are cowardly and evil it only takes the 0.01% to kill.  There's no going back to the days we thought of as innocent.  But were they really; was the Cold War more civil than the chaos we see on display now, has humanity ever set aside war to choose peace?
Last night I was watching the Vikings on The History Channel.  For the people of Medieval England, the terror lay across the sea, with the unknown barbarian peoples.  No villager, ignorant of what lay more than a day's walk from where he grew up could feel confident that a marauding horde was not on its way.  In a sense, terror lay outside of the known, it was the unknown that caused fear.
In our world today there are no longer any barbarian peoples, the edges of the maps have all been filled in.  We can no longer blame the inhumanity on display each day on "them".  Terrorism isn't simply international, it is also domestic.  The words of William Golding continue to ring true from The Lord of the Flies, "the beast is us".
And so I begin another week of striving to mend what others have broken, a week of helping the weak and powerless, a week of bringing hope through forgiveness.  If I did not have confidence that Christ would one day rectify this world's evils, that a final judgment will indeed come, how could I continue trying to do my small part against the "reckless hate" (to steal a line from Theoden in Two Towers) that no longer hides beyond the edges of the map?  But we do have hope, we do have faith, this world is not all there is, God will bring judgment upon those who do such evil, in this world or the next.

Sermon Video: "He who has begun a good work in you" Philippians 1:1-6

As the beginning of Paul's letter to the church at Philippi, this opening passage reflects the optimism and hope that Paul felt toward this church, the first in Europe.  Paul expresses to them that he is confident that the work of redemption that God had begun in them collectively would indeed be continued until its completion.  Paul had ample reason to be confident as he had himself seen the power and faithfulness of God in his own life and was well aware of God's Covenant faithfulness to his people Israel throughout their history.  Therefore Paul could share his confidence with the church at Philippi knowing that his trust in God would not be misplaced, the work of God would indeed continue as the message of grace and peace through faith in Christ planted seeds that sprout to this day.

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

Sermon Video, "Stop doubting and believe' - John 20:24-29

A week after the resurrection, Jesus appears to Thomas, the last disciple to see the risen Christ with his own eyes.  Previously, Thomas had refused to believe on the word of the other disciples, he wanted to see and touch the wounds of Jesus for himself.  How would God respond to this doubt?  In the past, God had shown patient with doubters, including Sarah, Moses, Gideon, Esther, and Zechariah, still including them in his plan to bless his people, but what of Thomas?  Instead of punishing Thomas, Jesus offers him eyewitness proof to which Thomas responds, "My Lord and my God".
Do we need to see Jesus to believe, is a miracle the only thing that can prove God to us?  Actually, Jesus tells the disciples that those who believe without seeing will be more "blessed" because their faith is greater than those who must see first before they believe.  We have ample proof of the Gospel all around us, the wonders of God are daily in contrast with the evil of mankind, but a group of people who chosen a different path.  These followers of Jesus, by their willingness to sacrifice for others and be servants, are more clear proof than any miracle.  We have indeed seen Jesus when we see those who have been transformed by their belief in him.  Now, stop doubting and believe.

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