"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1. If you read through Hebrews 11, you will find that the entire chapter is about faith, and that it goes into what's been called the Hall of Fame of faith, describing people famous for their faith. Looking through the chapter, however, I see four people that seem like odd choices. They are Sarah, Samson, Barak, and Jephthah. Consider-Sarah laughed at God's plan, Barak relied on a woman, Deborah, to fight his battles, Jephthah sacrificed his daughter-for no real reason, I might add-and Samson broke his Nazarite vow on all three counts-he touched the dead, he drank, and he got a haircut. How on Earth-or more accurately, how in Heaven-did these four get on this list? To answer this question, we must first ask another: what is faith?
To answer this question, we should look at some of the other heroes of the faith mentioned in Hebrews 11. Let's look at Moses. In Numbers 12:7, Moses is described as faithful in all God's house. This perhaps becomes more credible once you discover that in this passage God was yelling at Aaron and Miriam for complaining about Moses. But wait, didn't God yell at Moses for a lack of faith, way back in the burning bush scene? Well, sort of. Moses was yelled at for a lack of faith, but not in God-in himself. considering that Moses gets a rather lengthy mention in Hebrews 11, I would say that faith in oneself is not what is referred to there.
In Nehemiah 9:7-8, God is described as having chosen Abraham to be father to his people. It states of God that "You found his heart faithful before You," and describes that as a reason why God made a covenant with him. Consider Romans 4:1-5. In describing Abraham, it states that he trusted God. It goes on to describe that as faith.
Looking back at Hebrews 11, we see verse 13:"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." They had faith in God far greater than their faith in themselves. That is the faith that all of the people on this list share. This is the faith that we need.
Commitment
"I am committed to the church. I'm not committed to you."
"But what's the difference?"
These are the last two lines to the play "Commitment." In the play, one character leaves a church after arguing about the color of the carpet. While it seems far-fetched to leave a church over the color of the carpet, schisms and church splits have erupted over such small things. One church I've heard of lost a third of its members over the removal of the Organ. Is this the way that a church should behave? More importantly, is this the way God wants the Church to act?
Philippians 2:1-5 says "Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." Paul states in this passage that we should be united in the Church. He asks us to be of the same mindset as Christ-selfless, loving, cooperative. If we were all like this, I doubt that we would have even half the problems in the Church that we do now.
1 Corinthians 12:12 states that "as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ." we have been called to be one body. How do we do that? We come together-Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant. We become one Church-Christ's church. We stand united against the sins of the world. We need to pray for unity. Until we do so, we cannot fully reach the lost.
"But what's the difference?"
These are the last two lines to the play "Commitment." In the play, one character leaves a church after arguing about the color of the carpet. While it seems far-fetched to leave a church over the color of the carpet, schisms and church splits have erupted over such small things. One church I've heard of lost a third of its members over the removal of the Organ. Is this the way that a church should behave? More importantly, is this the way God wants the Church to act?
Philippians 2:1-5 says "Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." Paul states in this passage that we should be united in the Church. He asks us to be of the same mindset as Christ-selfless, loving, cooperative. If we were all like this, I doubt that we would have even half the problems in the Church that we do now.
1 Corinthians 12:12 states that "as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ." we have been called to be one body. How do we do that? We come together-Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant. We become one Church-Christ's church. We stand united against the sins of the world. We need to pray for unity. Until we do so, we cannot fully reach the lost.
The Holy Spirit
"We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets."
This is a portion of the Nicene Creed, and has been used as a statement of faith since the Sixth century, when the Phrase "and the Son" was added. But what does it mean? And is it true?
The Nicene Creed Claims 3 things about the Holy Spirit: first, that He is God; Second, that He comes from God; third, that He is the source of prophecies. Let's look at these claims, shall we?
First let's look at the question, is the Holy Spirit God? To answer this, we can look to scripture. 2 Corinthians 3:18 states "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." Now, as the Lord is God (According to Deuteronomy 6:4, as well as the rest of the Bible),
we can state that the Holy Spirit Is God.
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets."
This is a portion of the Nicene Creed, and has been used as a statement of faith since the Sixth century, when the Phrase "and the Son" was added. But what does it mean? And is it true?
The Nicene Creed Claims 3 things about the Holy Spirit: first, that He is God; Second, that He comes from God; third, that He is the source of prophecies. Let's look at these claims, shall we?
First let's look at the question, is the Holy Spirit God? To answer this, we can look to scripture. 2 Corinthians 3:18 states "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." Now, as the Lord is God (According to Deuteronomy 6:4, as well as the rest of the Bible),
we can state that the Holy Spirit Is God.
Next, we look at the claim that He comes from God, or "proceeds from the Father and the Son," as the Creed puts it. This is a bit harder to prove, as there are almost no scriptures to back it up. However, in John 14:26 Jesus says "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." In other words, God sends the Holy Spirit, or "He proceeds from the Father." As for the Son, Jesus states that He sends the Counselor from the Father in John 15:26.
Now, what about that last claim, "He has spoken through the Prophets?" Well, If we can assume that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, which seems an easy connection to make, we can see dozens of evidences that he speaks through the prophets. Each of the prophets in the "prophecy" books of the Old Testament say something along the lines of "Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon me, and he told me to say: 'This is what the LORD says.' " (Ezekiel 11:5) In Revelation 1:10 John states that he was "in the Spirit" when he was given his revelation. Given these facts, it seems safe to say that the Holy Spirit "has spoken through the Prophets," as the Nicene Creed states.
There is one more thing about the Holy Spirit that I want to mention, and that is the fact that He works in us. It is through Him that we can be saved. It is through Him that we are given courage to preach the gospel. It is through Him that I could write this sermon. It is through Him that are you can live a changed life. And so, I challenge you to let Him.
Our God
Water You turned into wine
Opened the eyes of the blind
There’s no one like You
None like You
Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like You
None like You
Opened the eyes of the blind
There’s no one like You
None like You
Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like You
None like You
Our God is greater
Our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer
Awesome in power
Our God
Our God
And if our God is for us
Then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us
Then what could stand against
Our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer
Awesome in power
Our God
Our God
And if our God is for us
Then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us
Then what could stand against
These are the lyrics to the song "Our God," by Chris Tomlin. there is a lot in this song to unpack.
Verse one describes several miracles done by Jesus. It begins with his first miracle, turning water into wine. It then shows one of his most impressive miracles: making the blind to see. these miracles are Jesus' credentials, if you will: they prove that Jesus is God. The verse goes on to proclaim that there is nobody like Jesus. Verse two continues with this last theme, stating that He Shines in the darkness, and that through his power, our lives are made new. It then repeats the proclamation it made in the first verse.
The chorus of this song explains the character of God, revealing him to be superior in power and might. it also states that God is a healer, as was stated in the second verse.
The bridge proclaims that God is for us, and then states that because of that, we are unstoppable when we work in him.
The Power of (God's) Love
In Death, In Life, I'm Confident and Covered by
the Power of Your great Love...
The Above is half of the bridge of the song "One Thing Remains." One of the main themes of this song is that God's love is powerful. But how can we know that? Can we know that love is powerful, and if so, is God's love? I believe so.
In all the world, there is perhaps no subject that is more talked about than love. Possibly religion defeats it in this respect, but I personally doubt that anything else does. There are at least ten movies, twenty-seven songs, and one computer game called love. In addition, at least eighty percent of the rest of media is based on love. I would consider that to be pretty powerful.
Unfortunately, there is no one verse in the Bible that says "God's Love is Powerful." As a result, we will have to go through this the hard way. John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Romans 8:38-39 states Paul's belief "that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." These verses show the power of God's love, to break through any obstacle and to redeem Mankind.
In addition, there is the evidence in human lives. It would take a lot of power to convince somebody to leave their home, give up all modern technology, and risk their life to tell a group of people something that many of them probably couldn't care less about, but there are many people out there who do just that because of God's love; They're called missionaries. Every one of us is called to let God's love change us, and to live out His love in our lives. That is my challenge to you.
the Power of Your great Love...
The Above is half of the bridge of the song "One Thing Remains." One of the main themes of this song is that God's love is powerful. But how can we know that? Can we know that love is powerful, and if so, is God's love? I believe so.
In all the world, there is perhaps no subject that is more talked about than love. Possibly religion defeats it in this respect, but I personally doubt that anything else does. There are at least ten movies, twenty-seven songs, and one computer game called love. In addition, at least eighty percent of the rest of media is based on love. I would consider that to be pretty powerful.
Unfortunately, there is no one verse in the Bible that says "God's Love is Powerful." As a result, we will have to go through this the hard way. John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Romans 8:38-39 states Paul's belief "that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." These verses show the power of God's love, to break through any obstacle and to redeem Mankind.
In addition, there is the evidence in human lives. It would take a lot of power to convince somebody to leave their home, give up all modern technology, and risk their life to tell a group of people something that many of them probably couldn't care less about, but there are many people out there who do just that because of God's love; They're called missionaries. Every one of us is called to let God's love change us, and to live out His love in our lives. That is my challenge to you.
Materialism-take 2
Everybody has heard of materialism. Even if you can't give a dictionary definition, you still have heard of it. But what is materialism? What is its significance? Is it wrong, and if it is, why?
Let's start with the first question. According to the dictionary, materialism is a preoccupation with or stress upon material rather than intellectual or spiritual things-in other words, greed. But what does it mean? In essence it is a focus on things instead of ideas. Of course some people have their own definitions. Andrei Platonov for example, said that "Happiness will come from materialism, not from meaning," while according to Doug Horton, "Materialism is the only form of distraction from true bliss."However, I think that Adam Sedgewick described it best, when he said that "A cold atheistical materialism is the tendency of the so-called material philosophy of the present day." Materialism is the tendency of today's philosophy.
A book I once read stated that "if people bought only what they needed, world trade would collapse." World trade is only one small example of the influence of materialism in this world. It is because of materialism that we can travel around the world in a week-without it, we would have far less reason to make faster and faster vehicles. Of course, without the materialistic mindset, there would not be such things as Foie gras or Caviar, for which geese and fish would be thankful. Materialism is why capitalism works and socialism does not--because people are greedy, they try to get more and more. Of course, it is, according to many, the reason why there is such a divide between the rich and the poor.
Materialism is so ingrained into our lives that our culture itself is shaped by it. "The Game of Life," for example, is about having the most money at the end of the game. So is Monopoly, although at the end of that all losers have nothing. Even Risk is materialistic--your goal is to own the world. Game shows, too, are shaped by materialism--in even their names (Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Greed). Materialism is so powerful that there's a song called "Material Girl." None of this is inherently bad, unless materialism itself is. Is it?
Proverbs 15:27 says that "Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live." In Mark 8:36, Jesus asks, "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" In Luke 11:39, He names it together with wickedness. Paul lists greed as something to avoid in 1 Corinthians 5. Much of the teaching in the Bible is about greed and money. All of it seems to put Materialism firmly in the category of "bad stuff." So what should we do about greed? My suggestion: follow the teaching found in Hebrews 13:5: "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Unfortunately, the issue is not quite that simple. If you take what I've said so far at face value, you could easily come to the conclusion that all material things are evil and should be avoided. this viewpoint is called Asceticism, and is just as dangerous in its own way as materialism. The fact is that just because materialism is not perfection incarnate does not mean that its opposite, asceticism, is. The idea that it was the true ideal originated with ancient Greek Philosophers, and not the Bible. In 1 Timothy 4:4 Paul says that "everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,"which is hard , if not impossible, to work with asceticism. The problem with asceticism--the reason that God does not call us to shun materialism by clinging to it--is that it can easily lead to pride. In George MacDonald's "The Wise Woman," there are two main characters, a princess and a shepherdess. Both are told that they are Somebody, and told it constantly; as a result, both gain serious character flaws. However, it is not the princess who suffers from pride, but the shepherdess. As often seems to happen, the high road-God's plan--is the middle ground.
Given all these facts, my challenge to you is simple: learn to pray the prayer of Proverbs 30:8-"give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread"-in spirit and in truth. If you can do that, neither materialism nor asceticism will have any power over you.
Let's start with the first question. According to the dictionary, materialism is a preoccupation with or stress upon material rather than intellectual or spiritual things-in other words, greed. But what does it mean? In essence it is a focus on things instead of ideas. Of course some people have their own definitions. Andrei Platonov for example, said that "Happiness will come from materialism, not from meaning," while according to Doug Horton, "Materialism is the only form of distraction from true bliss."However, I think that Adam Sedgewick described it best, when he said that "A cold atheistical materialism is the tendency of the so-called material philosophy of the present day." Materialism is the tendency of today's philosophy.
A book I once read stated that "if people bought only what they needed, world trade would collapse." World trade is only one small example of the influence of materialism in this world. It is because of materialism that we can travel around the world in a week-without it, we would have far less reason to make faster and faster vehicles. Of course, without the materialistic mindset, there would not be such things as Foie gras or Caviar, for which geese and fish would be thankful. Materialism is why capitalism works and socialism does not--because people are greedy, they try to get more and more. Of course, it is, according to many, the reason why there is such a divide between the rich and the poor.
Materialism is so ingrained into our lives that our culture itself is shaped by it. "The Game of Life," for example, is about having the most money at the end of the game. So is Monopoly, although at the end of that all losers have nothing. Even Risk is materialistic--your goal is to own the world. Game shows, too, are shaped by materialism--in even their names (Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Greed). Materialism is so powerful that there's a song called "Material Girl." None of this is inherently bad, unless materialism itself is. Is it?
Proverbs 15:27 says that "Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live." In Mark 8:36, Jesus asks, "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" In Luke 11:39, He names it together with wickedness. Paul lists greed as something to avoid in 1 Corinthians 5. Much of the teaching in the Bible is about greed and money. All of it seems to put Materialism firmly in the category of "bad stuff." So what should we do about greed? My suggestion: follow the teaching found in Hebrews 13:5: "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Unfortunately, the issue is not quite that simple. If you take what I've said so far at face value, you could easily come to the conclusion that all material things are evil and should be avoided. this viewpoint is called Asceticism, and is just as dangerous in its own way as materialism. The fact is that just because materialism is not perfection incarnate does not mean that its opposite, asceticism, is. The idea that it was the true ideal originated with ancient Greek Philosophers, and not the Bible. In 1 Timothy 4:4 Paul says that "everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,"which is hard , if not impossible, to work with asceticism. The problem with asceticism--the reason that God does not call us to shun materialism by clinging to it--is that it can easily lead to pride. In George MacDonald's "The Wise Woman," there are two main characters, a princess and a shepherdess. Both are told that they are Somebody, and told it constantly; as a result, both gain serious character flaws. However, it is not the princess who suffers from pride, but the shepherdess. As often seems to happen, the high road-God's plan--is the middle ground.
Given all these facts, my challenge to you is simple: learn to pray the prayer of Proverbs 30:8-"give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread"-in spirit and in truth. If you can do that, neither materialism nor asceticism will have any power over you.
War and Peace
War. Some Christians believe that war is inherently evil, and that any true Christian must remain a pacifist. I disagree. In this sermon, I will attempt to give the major points of the pacifist argument and my own. Keep in mind while I do so, however, that these are both interpretations of scripture, and not the definitive word.
The first logical argument for pacifism is, of course Exodus 20:13, "Thou Shalt Not Kill." If one of the Ten Commandments forbids killing, then what counterargument could there be? However, there is some argument over what the original Hebrew for this Commandment means. Some people say it means Kill, others say it means Murder. One source I read claims that the word actually means "kill in the way an animal would," meaning letting your passions drive you to kill, or lying in wait to kill. This last claim gives other uses of the same original Hebrew word (among them Hosea 6:9, Judges 20:4, 1 Kings 20:19, and Job 24:14). I believe it is the most accurate.
Moving on to the New Testament. In Matthew 5:39 Jesus says "But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." However, in chapter 21 of the same book, He drives money-lenders out of the temple--a story mentioned in all four gospels. According to John, he had a whip. His words and his actions seem a bit opposed here. Now, assuming that Jesus was not schizophrenic (a basic assumption to Christianity, so I'll take it as a given), the only explanation I can come up with is that Matthew 5:39 is not a blanket ban on violence, as it is usually read to be. Looking at the verses around Matthew 5:39, I see that Matthew 5:38 refers to an Old Testament law that in essence bars mercy from the legal system. Taken in this context, verse 39 is an encouragement to mercy and to grace, rather than a prohibition on war.
Ok, those are the two biggest arguments for the Doves, I think it's the Hawks' turn now. Look at Matthew 5:21-22. This is the passage where Jesus talks about the sixth commandment (thou shalt not kill). He says, among other things, "Anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgement." This goes back to the earlier point that passion is the main problem-killing is merely the effect of the real sin of anger.
In addition to this point, I'd like to point out the books of Joshua and Judges. These two books alone cover at least a third of the passages on war in the bible. Now look at Joshua 1:9. It says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." God is telling Joshua that He will be with him in battle. In the book of Judges, there are various verses that state that the spirit of the LORD came upon various judges (6:34, 11:29, and 13:25). If God blesses warriors to make them better warriors, can war be purely evil?
Of course, war is not necessarily good either. Much of the dark ages was characterized by "land grab" wars within Europe, when the European Monarchs weren't allied in trying to take Jerusalem. The crusades were no better--they were merely whitewashed by the "It's the Holy Land" argument. However, I believe that there were wars that had Godly motives behind them-World War Two, for example.
Even if a war is a good thing, there are people for whom it is evil. We have been given the task of obeying God in all we do. If God calls you to a war, then you are to enlist. If He calls you to avoid a war, then you are not to enter it. If He does not guide you, then you have already been given your answer. As with everything else else in the world, the answer is "Thy Will Be Done."
The first logical argument for pacifism is, of course Exodus 20:13, "Thou Shalt Not Kill." If one of the Ten Commandments forbids killing, then what counterargument could there be? However, there is some argument over what the original Hebrew for this Commandment means. Some people say it means Kill, others say it means Murder. One source I read claims that the word actually means "kill in the way an animal would," meaning letting your passions drive you to kill, or lying in wait to kill. This last claim gives other uses of the same original Hebrew word (among them Hosea 6:9, Judges 20:4, 1 Kings 20:19, and Job 24:14). I believe it is the most accurate.
Moving on to the New Testament. In Matthew 5:39 Jesus says "But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." However, in chapter 21 of the same book, He drives money-lenders out of the temple--a story mentioned in all four gospels. According to John, he had a whip. His words and his actions seem a bit opposed here. Now, assuming that Jesus was not schizophrenic (a basic assumption to Christianity, so I'll take it as a given), the only explanation I can come up with is that Matthew 5:39 is not a blanket ban on violence, as it is usually read to be. Looking at the verses around Matthew 5:39, I see that Matthew 5:38 refers to an Old Testament law that in essence bars mercy from the legal system. Taken in this context, verse 39 is an encouragement to mercy and to grace, rather than a prohibition on war.
Ok, those are the two biggest arguments for the Doves, I think it's the Hawks' turn now. Look at Matthew 5:21-22. This is the passage where Jesus talks about the sixth commandment (thou shalt not kill). He says, among other things, "Anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgement." This goes back to the earlier point that passion is the main problem-killing is merely the effect of the real sin of anger.
In addition to this point, I'd like to point out the books of Joshua and Judges. These two books alone cover at least a third of the passages on war in the bible. Now look at Joshua 1:9. It says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." God is telling Joshua that He will be with him in battle. In the book of Judges, there are various verses that state that the spirit of the LORD came upon various judges (6:34, 11:29, and 13:25). If God blesses warriors to make them better warriors, can war be purely evil?
Of course, war is not necessarily good either. Much of the dark ages was characterized by "land grab" wars within Europe, when the European Monarchs weren't allied in trying to take Jerusalem. The crusades were no better--they were merely whitewashed by the "It's the Holy Land" argument. However, I believe that there were wars that had Godly motives behind them-World War Two, for example.
Even if a war is a good thing, there are people for whom it is evil. We have been given the task of obeying God in all we do. If God calls you to a war, then you are to enlist. If He calls you to avoid a war, then you are not to enter it. If He does not guide you, then you have already been given your answer. As with everything else else in the world, the answer is "Thy Will Be Done."
Creation
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
Before the Land was raised,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
Before the Moon and Sun;
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
Before the Earth was formed,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
The Creator Was.
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
Before the beasts did roam,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
Ere birds first flew the skies;
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
Before the birth of Man,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
The Creator Was.
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
He made the dark and light,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
He sent the breath of life;
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
The lands and seas He formed,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
The Creator Was.
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
He caused the land to grow,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
He filled the skies and seas;
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
The beasts of land He made,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
The Creator Was.
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
From dust He made a Man,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
He Breathed it into life;
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
A paradise He made,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
The Creator Was.
Before the Land was raised,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
Before the Moon and Sun;
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
Before the Earth was formed,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
The Creator Was.
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
Before the beasts did roam,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
Ere birds first flew the skies;
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
Before the birth of Man,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
The Creator Was.
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
He made the dark and light,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
He sent the breath of life;
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
The lands and seas He formed,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
The Creator Was.
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
He caused the land to grow,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
He filled the skies and seas;
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
The beasts of land He made,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
The Creator Was.
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
From dust He made a Man,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
He Breathed it into life;
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
A paradise He made,
Long Ago, Long Long Ago,
The Creator Was.
Consider The Lilies
Trust in the lord with all your heart. Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. I am the way.
It's hard to accept, isn't it?
Dependence is a challenge to most people, and has been since before the fall. Yes, before--the sin of Adam and Eve was an act of rebellion, and as such, of independence. The word "Independent" has become a word of strong praise in this country, because of an incident involving two men named George--one a king of England, and the other a Virginian aristocrat. Our country was founded on independence, and so dependence does not come easily. But this cannot be merely the fault of the US; Independence is a common theme in most capitalist states, at the very least.
"And? What's so wrong about Independence, after all? Surely it's better to lead your own life than to follow somebody else. After all, we were given free will by God." As it stands, I believe that this argument is absolutely right. The problem with independence from Man is that it leads, in people's minds, to independence from God. Good luck with that.
Dependence, according to the dictionary, is reliance, or trust. The Bible has a lot to say about trusting God. At the beginning of this sermon I quoted Proverbs 3:5, Luke 9:23, and John 14:6. These are only three of many verses on the subject. The book of Job can be described as a story of dependence on God. The history of Israeli and Judaean monarchy (also known as the books of First Samuel through Second Chronicles) show the ways that dependence on God can help a country, as well as the ways that its lack can hurt it. Psalm 23 is an astonishing example of trust in God. The Bible also gives promises to those who trust God; for example, Isaiah 26:3 says to God "You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You." Psalm 9:10 states that "you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you." In Matthew 6:28-30 Jesus asks "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" There are many more such examples, but all have one theme in common: Trust God, and He will bless you. It may be hard, It may be near impossible, but it is worth any cost.
It's hard to accept, isn't it?
Dependence is a challenge to most people, and has been since before the fall. Yes, before--the sin of Adam and Eve was an act of rebellion, and as such, of independence. The word "Independent" has become a word of strong praise in this country, because of an incident involving two men named George--one a king of England, and the other a Virginian aristocrat. Our country was founded on independence, and so dependence does not come easily. But this cannot be merely the fault of the US; Independence is a common theme in most capitalist states, at the very least.
"And? What's so wrong about Independence, after all? Surely it's better to lead your own life than to follow somebody else. After all, we were given free will by God." As it stands, I believe that this argument is absolutely right. The problem with independence from Man is that it leads, in people's minds, to independence from God. Good luck with that.
Dependence, according to the dictionary, is reliance, or trust. The Bible has a lot to say about trusting God. At the beginning of this sermon I quoted Proverbs 3:5, Luke 9:23, and John 14:6. These are only three of many verses on the subject. The book of Job can be described as a story of dependence on God. The history of Israeli and Judaean monarchy (also known as the books of First Samuel through Second Chronicles) show the ways that dependence on God can help a country, as well as the ways that its lack can hurt it. Psalm 23 is an astonishing example of trust in God. The Bible also gives promises to those who trust God; for example, Isaiah 26:3 says to God "You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You." Psalm 9:10 states that "you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you." In Matthew 6:28-30 Jesus asks "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" There are many more such examples, but all have one theme in common: Trust God, and He will bless you. It may be hard, It may be near impossible, but it is worth any cost.
Materialism
Everybody has heard of materialism. Such-and-such a person was just called a materialist, instead of the simpler "greedy". But what is materialism? What is its significance? Is it wrong, and if it is, why?
Let's start with the easiest question. According to the dictionary, materialism is a preoccupation with or stress upon material rather than intellectual or spiritual things. But what does it mean? In essence it is a focus on things instead of ideas. Of course some people have their own definitions. Andrei Platonov for example, said that "Happiness will come from materialism, not from meaning," while according to Doug Horton, "Materialism is the only form of distraction from true bliss."However, I think that Adam Sedgewick described it best, when he said that "A cold atheistical materialism is the tendency of the so-called material philosophy of the present day." Materialism is the tendency of today's philosophy.
A book I once read stated that "if people bought only what they needed, world trade would collapse." World trade is only one small example of the influence of materialism in this world. It is because of materialism that we can travel around the world in a week-without it, we would have far less reason to make faster and faster vehicles. Of course, without the materialistic mindset, there would not be such things as Foie gras or Caviar, for which geese and fish would be thankful. Materialism is why Capitalism works and Socialism does not-because people are greedy, they try to get more and more. Of course, it is also why there is such a divide between the rich and the poor.
Materialism is so ingrained into our lives that our culture itself is shaped by it. The Game of Life, for example, is about having the most money at the end of the game. So is Monopoly, although at the end of that all losers have nothing. Even Risk is materialistic-your goal is to own the world. Game shows, too, are shaped by materialism-even their names(Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Greed). Materialism is so powerful that there's a song called "Material Girl." None of this is inherently bad, unless materialism itself is. Is it?
Proverbs 15:27 says that "Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live." In Mark 8:36, Jesus asks, "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" In Luke 11:39, He names it together with wickedness. Paul lists greed as something to avoid in 1 Corinthians 5. Much of the teaching in the Bible is about greed and money. All of it seems to put Materialism firmly in the category of "bad stuff." so what should we do about greed? My suggestion: follow the teaching found in Hebrews 13:5: "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
You reap what you sow
Why should I follow the Lord? What good will come of it for me? These are good questions, and they deserve answers.
I'd like to ask you to consider a Fairy Tale for a moment. Consider Beauty and the Beast. In the original story, Beauty was the youngest child of a merchant, and had at least two older sisters. Beauty's sisters try to ruin all the good in her life, going so far as to fake sorrow to force her to break a promise. In the end, though, all their schemes come to naught; Beauty lives happily ever after, and her sisters are turned into statues until they repent of their evil ways.
What on earth does this have to do with the questions I asked? This simple fact: you reap what you sow.
Psalm 37:1-3 says, "Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness." The evil will be cut down, but the good will feed on God's faithfulness. The Lord promises to curse those who hate Him to the third and fourth generation, but also to show love to those who love Him to the thousandth. (Exodus 20:5-6)
This principle of sowing and reaping can be found in countless places, inside the Bible and out of it. There are, at a guess, hundreds of fairy tales that reflect this principle, as well as millions of other stories. The movie "Miracle" shows this principle as well, as the hockey team that is willing to go all-out wins the Olympics. How many testimonies have you heard that, if stripped to their essentials, would not include the phrase, "I followed God more closely, and my life got better?" This last point is the core of the principle of sowing and reaping.
In closing, I would like to present you with a challenge; Trust in the LORD, and do good. I promise your life will be better.
My Story
Christianity and the Church were part of my life from the day I was born. For the first ten years or so of my life, my family were active members of a Lutheran Church. I accepted Christ into my life by the time I was nine. But despite all of that, I had little idea what that all meant.
After we left the church to which we had been going (I just learned why, and it is too long to go into now), we started searching for another one, and found New Day. I hated it. It was so free! There was no system! How could I survive it? Such as these were not my thoughts, but they were certainly my feelings. I feared disorder and chaos, and this was what I saw at New Day. I much preferred to have my life micromanaged, thank you very much.
Fortunately for my faith, we stayed at New Day, and I joined the dance team, and learned that it's possible to worship God by dancing, of all things. Shocking, I know, but the Bible does say so(In Psalm 149:3, among other places). I also started going to the youth group, where I learned to hear God's voice and to soak.
A few years ago, I went to a youth conference. There, as at New Day, I experienced a strong dose of culture shock. Fortunately, I was able to deal with it this time, and I went back to the conference twice. All three times, I learned more about my Lord.
After we left the church to which we had been going (I just learned why, and it is too long to go into now), we started searching for another one, and found New Day. I hated it. It was so free! There was no system! How could I survive it? Such as these were not my thoughts, but they were certainly my feelings. I feared disorder and chaos, and this was what I saw at New Day. I much preferred to have my life micromanaged, thank you very much.
Fortunately for my faith, we stayed at New Day, and I joined the dance team, and learned that it's possible to worship God by dancing, of all things. Shocking, I know, but the Bible does say so(In Psalm 149:3, among other places). I also started going to the youth group, where I learned to hear God's voice and to soak.
A few years ago, I went to a youth conference. There, as at New Day, I experienced a strong dose of culture shock. Fortunately, I was able to deal with it this time, and I went back to the conference twice. All three times, I learned more about my Lord.
At about this time, I started copying King David-spontaneous dancing in church.(He does so in 2 Samuel 6:14, while the Ark of the Covenant is being brought to the temple-a pretty good reason, no?) This probably took more courage than anything I had ever done before.
All in all, my walk with God has been one that drew me closer to Him. It has had some struggles, but what worthwhile thing doesn't?
All in all, my walk with God has been one that drew me closer to Him. It has had some struggles, but what worthwhile thing doesn't?
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