September 25, 2017 · 12:24 pm

Don’t be Surprised!

Peninsula Community Church

Don’t be Surprised!

September 24, 2017

1 Peter 4:12-16 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

Peter writes this passage to those who had been dispersed from Jerusalem. In those days, one of the ways the Roman government dealt with Christians was to disperse them throughout the known world. As a result Jewish Christians lost everything. They had to move to a new home. They had to take on new jobs. They had to make new friends. That is why Peter deals with this issue of suffering to the extent that he does. Listen to his words. Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes to test you as if something strange were happening to you.

If you are like me, when I first read this I wanted to respond. Wait a minute Peter! What are you saying? What are you asking? Are you kidding me? Have you lost your mind, Peter? Don’t you know what I am going through? Are you serious, don’t be surprised? At first glance, this word seems to be so contrary to our life experiences and expectations. It seems like an insane proposition, but it comes from a heart that understands pain and understands the trials we face. How many times are we set back and sent reeling at news we receive or by the actions taken by those around us? It is not uncommon even for the best of Christians to falter when they receive bad news or confront trials that seem to destroy them emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

There are several reasons why we face trials. Through Peter’s writings we are reminded that we are in a war. There is a battle for our souls. In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter states that we are to Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. What is Peter saying? We need is to have a right perspective about the problems we face. We are in a battle against an enemy that wishes to take us out and our mindsets make all of the difference.

In our passage, Peter uses the words “fiery trials.” This was not a mistake as the culture and political environment of his day caused the Romans to brutally assault the Christians. History tells us that a fire broke out in Circus Maximus in Rome in AD 64. Nero the ruler of Rome, accused the Christians of starting the fire. As a result, he rose up against the Christians. He followed through with this false accusation and made an example of the Christians. He burned them at the stake and he used all kinds of torture and brutality against them. Just as the Christians in Peter’s day, we all face trials and issues in our life. None of us are being burned at the stake but it feels that way at times, doesn’t it.

Not only do we face trials because we have an enemy, but we also face fiery trials because sin is alive and well on planet earth. Can you imagine what life would be like if there was no more sin in this world? Imagine how different things would be? Everyone would be kind, considerate, and loving. Everyone would be patient. People would never do hurtful things or say things that cause pain. There would be no more pain or sickness due to a person’s actions that are contrary to God’s will. A life without sin would be wonderful but that is not the case nor is it the reality in the world we live. We are all impacted by the power of sin that causes trials in our life.

Thirdly, we face fiery trials because of our own issues and decisions. The fact is, there are times when we make poor decisions that cause trials in our life. The worst decision we can make is to try and live life without God. Too often, we choose to follow our own whims rather than the teachings of Christ. Our decisions always have consequences. For that reason, we need to have our decisions aligned with God’s word and aligned with His will and His purposes. This comes from a relationship with Him.

The fact is most of us know why trials come but the key to navigating the trials of our life is to know how to respond when trials come. First of all, as we have already stated, we should not be surprised by the trials we face. What you are going through is not a surprise to God and does not need to be a surprise to us either. The truth, however, is that is easier said than done, so that is why Peter outlines other responses we need to have as we face trials.

The second response he suggests is that we are to entrust our souls to the faithful Creator. In 1 Peter 4:19, Peter says Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. As we look a the word “entrust” it is noteworthy that this is the same word Jesus used in Luke 23:46 when He cried out on the cross, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit! And having said this, he breathed his last breath. This is the same word Peter used to express how Jesus handled his own personal suffering. Listen to this. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly (1 Peter 2:23). Through His example, we learn how to suffer without retaliation, even when being treated unjustly. We entrust the justice of our cause, and we entrust our souls to a faithful creator who loves us and desires the best for us. In so doing, we focus on God and not the trial.

Our third response to the trials we face is that we should not be ashamed. If we are honest, this is one of the greatest battles we face. Somehow, when we face trials our first inclination is to believe that we have failed and too often that comes with shame and ridicule. Through shame our inner most being is attacked and our identity is tarnished. Once again Jesus is our example. In 1 Peter 2:4, Peter describes the Christian life as coming to him, a living stone rejected by men… We have come to a rejected Christ. He was despised, hated, slandered, spit on, mocked, stripped naked, and nailed to a cross. 1 Peter 2:21 says, To this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

What did Jesus do? What should we do? Hebrews 12:2 says, For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, despising the shame. Listen to that, He despised the shame. Jesus looked to the joy that was over the horizon, and he entrusted his soul to a faithful Creator. He looked shame in the eye, and said, “Shame, I despise you. I despise you so much I will not give you a place in my soul. Jesus would not give his protractors the satisfaction of being stopped from suffering and dying for His people. We too can deny shame its place in our hearts and not give the enemy of our souls the satisfaction of wounding our hearts through the guilt of shame.

This leads us to our fourth response which is to respond with joy. In verse 13, we see that we are to rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. Jesus said it. Luke said it, Paul said, and James said it. Joy was a pervasive teaching in the early church even though they faced great suffering and unimaginable trials in their life. What these authors were saying is that the best response to suffering is joy. To understand this, we need to be clear that joy does not come from the suffering, it comes from acknowledging God and recognizing that He will take care of us as we entrust our souls to Him.

The fifth and final response is that we need is live a life that overflows in good deeds. This is best applicable when our joy overflows into good deeds to those who do not deserve it. In verse 19 we find that Peter exhorts us to Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. Too often when we face trials we want to get even. We want justice even if it is false justice. But that is not what we are called to do. We are to live a life that overflows in good deeds, especially when we are going through trials. This is a testimony to the world around us, especially those who despitefully use us. These folks will question why you are experiencing their mistreatment and you are not retaliating. They will question why you are not walking in self-pity, miserableness, and a mopey attitude. They will question why you are rejoicing and you are returning good for evil (1 Peter 3:9). In our trials we must respond with good works that honor God.

The result of responding in these ways is that in the end we glorify God even in our pain. Peter stated, Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. When you suffer and you are not surprised, you trust God, you do not allow shame to rule your heart, you are filled with joy, you overflow in good deeds, the result is that you show that your treasure is not in this world but is in God. The result is that you show that He is glorious and His name endures forever.  And perhaps, by God’s mercy, 1 Peter 2:12 will come true. So that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. All of this works together to show the world that your treasure is not in this world but in the all-glorious God.

So whatever form your fiery trial takes, God calls us not to be surprised, but to entrust our souls to him, to despise the shame, to rejoice, and to overflow with good deeds. The one thing we know is that we might be surprised but God is never surprised. He already knows the outcome. So the fiery ordeal that is coming upon you to test you is not strange. It is necessary. It is God’s refining judgment so that your faith may bring praise and glory and honor to His name.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

September 18, 2017 · 12:35 pm

The Blessing of Memories 

Peninsula Community Church

The Blessing of Memories 

September 17, 2017

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

This morning I want to look at the subject of memories. The fact is we all have them. Some memories are good and there are some memories we wish we could forget. There are memories that are buried and these memories seem to come racing from the depths of our mind when something similar happens in our life. It could be a good memory that brings us joy or a bad memory that causes our heart to ache. Either way we have been created with the power of remembering.

This week was the anniversary of 9/11. There is no doubt that if I were to ask you where you were and what you were doing on Tuesday Morning, September 11, 2001 you would be able bring to your memory the exact spot your were, and what you were doing, with great detail. This tragedy and assault against our nation was one of those events that will be forever etched in our memory. For Michelle and I, 9/11 was personal in the fact that we were living on Long Island. We had family living in the city, at that time. We had several friends and members of our church who worked in and around the World Trade Centers. We also had several fire fighters and police officers in our church that responded to the call for help. For days, we were glued to the tv and our phones getting updates and communicating with those at ground zero. We will never forget that season of our life. You see the thing about memories is that they are forever etched upon the pages of our history.

The Bible is not silent on this topic of memories. In fact, on several occasions God called His people to set up memorials so they would remember their past and thus remember His goodness and protection over them. I will mention a couple of the these.

One such memorial was erected in Ebenezer. Listen to the words of 1 Samuel 7:10-13. As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the LORD thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the LORD has helped us.” So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The purpose of the memorial in Ebenezer was to help the Israelites remember the goodness and the help of God in their lives. This memorial was to serve as a tangible reminder to the Israelites of God’s protection and power. Every time the Israelites would gaze upon the stone, they would be reminded of the goodness of God and the protection of God.

Another memorial set up by the Israelites was when they crossed over the Jordan River into the promised land (Joshua 4). Joshua instructed them to take twelve stones from the land of captivity and place them in the river. From the river, they were to take twelve stones and place them in the Promised Land. Why? Joshua instructs the people that when their children ask what these stones mean, they were to remind them of the victory, protection, and gifts of God during their days in the wilderness. They were to tell the story of how God brought them into the Promised Land.

We all have memorials established in our lives. It might be a specific date. It might be a specific event. Regardless of the memorial it serves to remind us of what God has done for us and in us. In one of my older Bibles, I have entered dates of specific events in my life. These dates and events serve to remind me of the goodness and graciousness of God in my life. As we review the purpose of memorials, we find there are four primary purposes for memorials.

First, memorials serve to remind us of the blessings of God. For those at the Jordan River, it was a reminder that God had kept them and protected them through forty years of aimless wandering. God’s protection was so strong that the shoes and clothes they wore did not wear out. Think about that. They were in the desert for forty years. They walked through the desert across rocks and stones and yet their clothes did not wear out. By way of this memorial, they were reminded of the goodness, greatness, and provision of God.

Secondly, memorials move us to personal renewal. We remember what God has done and we are moved to honor God with our lives and all that we are. We are moved emotionally which moves us to affect change in ourselves. There are times in my life that I need encouragement and God reminds me of the times when He has been faithful, and He has been present in my life. In being reminded of the past victories in Christ, I am motivated to keep the faith and to grow deeper in Christ.

Third, memorials remind us of a time where our old defeats have been rolled away. Memorials serve as a way to remind us that our past defeats do not have to impact our present life.  These memories remind us of the victories won and the ground that has been taken from the enemy of our soul. When the twelve stones, taken from the Jordan river, were placed in the promised land, they became a reminder that the defeats of the past did not have to be the reality of the present. The past was behind them and while it shaped them it did not have to define them.

Think about the children of Israel in the wilderness. They failed big time. They failed to trust God. They mumbled and they complained. They rejected God. They worshipped idols. And yet God brought them to the Promised Land. Yes, we were defeated! Yes, we were sinners! Yes, we had failed big time, but not any more! Now we can live free, and we can be whole as a passionate follower of Christ.

A fourth purpose of memorials is to keep our focus on a better day and a time yet to come. You see, He is not just a God of the past and the present, He is also a God of the future. For that reason, we can commit our past, present, and future to Him. When you read the story of Israel living in the promised land you find that things changed when they crossed the Jordan River. They were given the land but they had to fight for it. They had to focus their attention on God. They were no longer provided manna from heaven. Their faith was maturing and their trust level in God was at an all time high. They were looking to the future of living in the Promised Land. They stopped looking back and began to look forward.

This morning there is one last memorial we must consider. It is the cross. As we review the story of the cross, we pause to remember what God has done in and through us. Think about it for a moment. Because of the gift of Christ upon the cross, there is no sin beyond the power of God to forgive. There is no mistake that cannot be corrected at the foot of the cross. As we look back, we see the protection and guidance of God in our life. We also understand that at the cross we find an opportunity for renewal and a fresh start. It is here at the foot of the cross that we can bring our failures, our insecurities, and dreams and lay them at the altar.

We also see the cross as a time to roll away old defeats. When we remember the cross, we are reminder that what I use be does not define who I am now. Yes I was a sinner, but now I am saved by His grace. I was a drug addict or alcoholic, but now I am clean and sober. I was rejected and confused, but now I am accepted in Christ. I was filled with fear, but now I am trusting in Christ the solid rock. I was looking for love in all of the wrong places, but now I know I am loved by Him.

And finally, as we remember the cross, we are reminded that no matter what is happening in our life things are not over yet. There is a better day to come. There is more to life than what we are experiencing right now. We are growing in grace. We are growing in knowledge. We are saved, but one day we will experience ultimate salvation when we pass from this life to the next. We receive healing now, but one day we will be healed completely and totally. We receive precious blessings now, but one day that blessing will be ours forever.

So, today, we gather around the Lord’s table to celebrate the greatest memorial of all time. We have been set free and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. The cross stands as memorial of this event, and today we take the elements of communion to remind us of all that has been done on our behalf.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , ,

September 12, 2017 · 1:46 pm

The Power of Blessing

Peninsula Community Church 

The Power of Blessing

September 10, 2017

Numbers 6:22-26 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

I love this passage. It reminds me that we are blessed by our Heavenly Father. Today, we are here to pray a prayer of blessing for our children, their teachers, and those who impact their life. Before we do that, it behooves us to understand how blessed we are through God’s grace. The truth is, we can only bless others when we recognize how blessed we are as people of God.

In this passage, we understand just a bit about that blessing. Time does not allow us to give the time to this that it truly requires. So our focus will be on this passage as it shows us the blessing of God to Israel and subsequently to us as His people. What we find here is that Moses was commanded by God to have Aaron speak a blessing over the people. Culturally and historically these words were not just spoken but were lived out and manifested in their lives. In Moses’ day, a word of blessing was worth so much more than we can imagine. It was in fact worth more than land or money in many cases. These were not empty words but were also prophetic words. So let us take a moment and look at the words spoken by Aaron as directed by Moses through the inspiration of God.

First, Aaron was to proclaim “The Lord bless you and keep you.” As we have noted already, we are a blessed people. We have been given so much that we would be unwise to ignore or fail to acknowledge that truth. Here is a fact that you can take to the bank. God, wants to bless you. He wants to give you good and gracious gifts, and in fact, He already has given great gifts (James 1:17, 2 Peter 1:3-4). The problem, too often, is that we squander the gifts we have been given. It is sad that we have squandered so many of the blessings that God has bestowed upon us.

One reason for this is that we have pushed God out of the picture and have tried to live life on our own. But the fact is He, God, is the source of our blessings. He is the originator, the giver, and the keeper of our blessing. The word, to bless. literally means “to kneel in order to serve.” We see this manifested in Jesus when on the night of the last supper, He took a towel and washed the disciples’ feet (John 13:4-5). The blessing of God is in fact the goodness of God in action, by which a supply of His grace pours down to us from His good favor (Romans 3:24, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Ephesians 1:7, 2:8). Just think of the fact that He sent His son to give us eternal life (John 3:16). The result of His blessing is that we are preserved, protected, and kept for His purposes.

Secondly, Aaron proclaims “the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.” In the first part of the blessing we find that He will bless us and will keep us. It is here that we see the manifestation of the favor and grace of God. We are blessed because we get to experience the grace of God. We are blessed to know that through forgiveness and His gift of grace that we do not always get what we deserve. What a blessing?

Listen to the words of Moses and his personal encounter with God. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:6-7). He is a gracious God. He is a patient God. We are blessed by His grace.

Thirdly, Aaron proclaims “the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” The end result of God’s blessing is that it brings peace. Peace is that inner strength that comes in the midst of a storm. Peace is that settledness that comes as a result of a trust in one who is able to keep us, show us His grace, and empower us with peace. Through the blessing of God we get to experience His protection, His grace, and His peace. Wow! But as His people, we are not to just receive these blessings, we are to share this hope and life with others. We are truly blessed, but we are called to share this blessing with others. The great Winston Churchill once said “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”

With that in mind let me give you a couple of ways that we can bless others today. John Trent and the late Gary Smalley have studied this idea of blessing and have produced five common means by which we can bless others. Let me share these with you. First, the blessing requires appropriate meaningful touch. In the Old Testament, before a word was spoken, there was the laying on of hands. There was a hug or other meaningful touch. We say meaningful because some are raised today as I was. The only touch received is one that is done in anger. It is a slap, a push, or an act of abuse, and is certainly not an encouraging touch. Meaningful touch is powerful in that it conveys in non-verbal ways that we love and affirm others. Meaningful touch in fact prepares others for our words.

Research affirms the many benefits of touch. Several studies conducted indicate the improvements in sleep and digestion among infants who are massaged regularly. Healthy touch releases endorphins such as the bonding hormone oxytocin and can calm the aggressive behavior of adolescents. Holding hands or giving and receiving hugs on a regular basis can lower blood pressure and calm a racing heartbeat. “Touch is without a doubt one of the most, if not the most powerful means of communication we have available to us as human beings” says James Smith, professional Christian counselor. “We may speak, express ourselves through words, tone and the volume of our voice, or body language, however nothing comes close to touch.”

Second, we have the spoken message or word. Words are important and what we communicate through our words is critical. Biblically, through the spoken word a child was not left to “fill in the blanks.” They did not have to wonder whether they were valuable to a parent or grandparent. The goal of the spoken word has always been to place unconditional love and acceptance into the heart of a child or loved one. By the way, it is never too late to do this for our children, no matter how old they are.

You see, life and death are in our words. we can build up or we can destroy in a matter of minutes (Deuteronomy 30:14-19; Proverbs 15:4, 18:21). There is power and death in our tongue. We can give life or death through our words. So, choose your words wisely. How many stories have you heard of people who have given up and have lived with brokenness because of the words spoken into their lives? It is not by chance that the Bible tells us that Jesus became the Word (John 1:1, 14). He is the living embodiment of the Word that was spoken and revealed to us. He attached value to His word by making it personal.

Third, we attach high value to others. The word “blessing,” itself, carries the idea that the person you are blessing is of incredible worth and value, even if they are an imperfect person. In short, you are helping others get the picture that you see things in their life that make them special, useful, and of great value. By our words and our actions we are adding value to the people we encounter.

There is so much in society that beats us down. There is so much that seeks to destroy our value. Our personal value is being threatened by a media that sets a standard of what one’s value should look like. Too often today our value is based on our Facebook posts, Twitter accounts, Snap Chat, and other media outlets. Our value is weakened through comparison and trying to achieve what others think we should be. If we do not give value, our children, our families, and our friends will get their value somewhere and it may not be the value we admire, necessarily.

Fourth, we show that each child or person has a special future. With our touch, with our words that attach high value, come a response in a child or loved one’s heart that can be nothing short of transformational. The light that is illuminated in their heart and mind about how God has made them, can do more than we think to help them to live out a God-honoring future. That is why Jeremiah’s words have so much meaning as he reminds us of the future we have. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Fifth and finally, we establish a genuine commitment. Blessing a child in particular does not mean we never discipline or point out areas growth needed. But children “know at an incredibly deep level if they have their parents blessing. They will do almost anything to get that blessing and attention even if it is negative. But, they will know if that parent, grandparent, or other loved one really sees high value in them, even in the tough times. Genuine commitment is an unconditional commitment to an imperfect person that says as long as I have breath, I will be there to seek to build these five elements of the blessing into your life and life-story.

So how are you doing? Are you blessed? Are you being a blessing?

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,

September 4, 2017 · 12:41 pm

Persistent Prayer

Peninsula Community Church

Persistent Prayer 

September 3, 2017

Luke 18:1-8 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Let me begin by asking you a couple of questions. Have you been praying for something that you desperately need to have an answer? Have you become a bit discouraged by the lack of answers? Let me ask you another question. Do you believe God to be sovereign? Can God do whatever He wants? If God is sovereign and He can do what He wants, then why do we pray? If we pray, then how much do we have to pray? Why does it seem sometimes that we have to bother or pester God to get Him to answer our prayers?

As we consider the theology of prayer, we must first come to the conclusion that we must be people of prayer. We pray because it builds faith. We pray because it keeps us focused on Christ. We pray because within us is the power of Christ, and through prayer that power is released into the circumstances and events of our lives. And then, from our passage, today, Jesus reminds us that we are to pray and not lose heart. It is here that we find that prayer and hope are intricately connected.

It is noteworthy that He says that they ought to pray. This speaks to me that the disciples did not always do that. Just like the disciples, we often fail to be persistent and committed to prayer. Here is a fact. To fail to pray is to set ourselves up to lose heart and be discouraged. The enemy of our souls loves to get us to shorten our prayers, delay our prayers, or even omit our prayers altogether. He knows that if he can deceive us into a lack of prayer, we will be more subjected to hopelessness and discouragement. In our lack of prayer, we get our focus off of Jesus. In our lack of prayer, we focus on the problem and not Jesus.

There was much in Jesus’ day to cause one to lose heart. The Romans were brutal to the people around them. They had economic problems. They had sin problems. But as in their day, there is much for us to lose heart over as well. There is the flooding in Texas and Louisiana. There is violence on the streets. There is an all out effort to destroy the fabric of who we are as a nation. Marriages are failing. Children are rebelling. People are filled with anxiousness. People are sick. Friends die. So many are losing heart.

This idea of losing heart is nothing new. In 2 Corinthians chapter three and four, Paul reminds us that where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17) and for that reason we should not lose heart (2 Corinthians 4:1). Paul recognizes that resident within us is the power of God. Through prayer His power is released to reach people and bring hope (Ephesians 3:20-21). In 2 Corinthians 4:16 we find that because the grace of God is being extended to us, we do not have to lose heart. Through prayer we see and experience the impact of this upon our life. Through prayer, we release the Spirit of the Lord in our life, and by grace we recognize our need for pray.

To illustrate the power of prayer, and in this case persistent prayer, Jesus shares a parable, a story or word picture that helps us understand a Biblical truth. In this parable, we see there are three key characters. The first is the persistent widow. Notice there is no mention of her social standard or her spiritual condition. What we know is that she was a widow, she had a need, and she was persistent in bringing her need to the judge. Historically, we know that widows in Jesus’ day did not fair well. When a woman was widowed and there was no one in her husband’s family to marry her, she was not cared for and she had to fend for herself.

That brings us to the second character in this story. The widow went to this judge to arbitrate her case. The judge she addressed was described as a godless man. He had no fear of God nor did he reverence God in his decisions. Secondly, this judge did not respect men. He was not only an ungodly man, he was one that did not get along with others. Historically, it has been documented that many judges in that day were known to give favors to those who would give a wink and would pass a few bucks under the table. He made decisions based on one’s status and what he could gain. He was always worried about his status. He was concerned more about what was in it for him than what was best for the people.

The widow had a need and she presented her need to the judge. She was persistent in her request for help. She would not leave him alone. She would not give up or let go in presenting her need. He finally, in desperation, surrendered to her request. In so doing, it is noteworthy to see the verbiage he used. The judge states that he relented so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming. This literally meant that he was afraid that she would give him a black eye. He was not worried about her harming him physically, but that his credibility in the community would be impacted (even though he had done that to himself). Because of her persistence he came to her aide.

It is at this point in the story, that Jesus turns a corner and brings us to a third character in the parable. Jesus expresses the idea that if an ungodly, unjust, and unfriendly judge would come to the aid of a persistent woman, how much more will a God who loves His children do for them, especially when they are persistent in their prayers.

Notice in this passage, Jesus states that He will answer speedily. This seems to be a contradiction of terms in the sense that we are to be persistent and yet He answers speedily. Here is the point, we are to be persistent and recognize the work of God in our life. We continue to pray even though we do not see the answer immediately. But, He does answer us immediately. I say yes He does. Sometimes He says yes. Sometimes He says no. Sometimes He says wait because He has something better for you and/or there is something for you to learn about life.

Here is the lesson for us today. First, we must not give up on prayer. Be persistent. Do not give up. Continue to focus on God and His ability to bring an answer to our questions and to our need. As noted before, there is a tendency to hurry, shorten, be careless, or even omit our prayer. In so doing, our lives get out of focus and we can begin to lose heart and become discouraged.

Secondly, we endure things not durable through prayer. Through prayer we remain focused on God’s ability. Through prayer we are expressing our faith in God who can bring about His will and His purpose in our life. Peter added to this discussion when he made the following observation. The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers (1 Peter 4:7).

Third, through prayer we build hope because we focus on the one who is able. Our trust level is increased and our trust in Jesus brings us hope. Notice what Job had to say about hope. Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face (Job 13:15). Do you remember Job? In a very short period of time, Job lost everything. He lost his source of income. He lost his business as they were attacked by an enemy force. A fire fell from heaven that destroyed his livestock. And then a storm blew through and he lost his family to a strong wind when their home was destroyed. With all of this, He was able to keep his focus on God. Here is Job’s point. Though I lose my life, I will have hope and I will continue to bring my needs to Him. I will not give up. I will press on and I will keep focused on God.

So here is where the rubber meets the road. What are you confronting? What is weighing you down? Where do you need an intervention of God’s grace? How are  you doing? Are you discouraged? Is your faith failing? I would suggest that you turn to the one who is able to build hope and faith in us today. Press in. Be persistent. In due time God will answer you. He will make a way. By the way remember the story of Job.

Here is the end of the story. In Job 42 we find that the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before (v 10).  And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys (v. 12). And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations. And Job died, an old man, and full of days (v. 16-17). He could have given in and he could have lost hope, but He stayed focused on God no matter how bad things had gotten.

Today, I encourage you to stay focused and trust that God will answer and He will provide. If we pray, we will be able to live life to the fullest so that when we are no longer here it can be said of us, he/she died an old man/woman and full of days. Let us pray

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,

August 28, 2017 · 10:20 am

The Glory of Knowing God

Peninsula Community Church 

The Glory of Knowing God

August 27, 2017

Philippians 3:8-11 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Last week we closed the message with the concept that the best way to overcome the influence of the thief’s schemes is for us to know God. Today, I would like to go back to that thought. In so doing, we will review the words of Paul in Philippians 3:8-11. Paul reminds us that his greatest aspiration in life was to know God.

Can you imagine the Apostle Paul asking for such a request? Here is a man by all accounts that was a master servant (Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1). The one thing we know about Paul is that he was deliberate about serving Christ’s purposes. He had dedicated his life to the service of Christ. From several perspectives, Paul was the last person anyone would think might have such aspirations. After all, Paul is the one who had been to the third heaven (2  Corinthians 12:2-4). Paul had been taught by some of the finest scholars of his day (Acts 22:3). His heritage was indisputable and his pedigree was nothing to scoff at. It was this same Paul who had a personal encounter with Christ that radically changed his life (Acts 9:9). And yet, Paul wanted to know Him more.

As we review this passage, we find there are three key things expressed. First, Paul begins by stating that he counted everything as loss when compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. Paul is expressing that all of the earthly praiseworthy accolades cannot compare to a personal knowledge of Christ. He is saying that if the accolades and pedigree he possessed were to be put on one scale and his desire to know Christ were put on the other, his desire to know Christ would always outweigh whatever accolades and successes he might have had. Paul is saying here that his resume and his pedigree do not define him.

Now please don’t misunderstand me. God uses our education, our connections, and family to accomplish the work of the kingdom but those things must never cast a shadow over knowing Christ personally. You see God always looks at the heart of man. Remember David? He was anointed king by Samuel. David’s father was looking to his sons who had the credentials, the size, and the looks, but they were not qualified in the eyes of God. What God was looking for is someone who had a relationship with Him. You see David knew God! He had learned to trust God in all of his ways. In the end, David was chosen for his heart and not his outward resume.

With that said, Paul identifies two ways in which he wanted to know Christ. First, Paul wanted to know Jesus through His resurrection. What an awesome view of life. When we view life through the resurrection power of Christ, we determine there is nothing beyond His ability to accomplish. When we know Him in His resurrection power, we know His power and we know His ability. Think about it. Jesus was dead. He was not half dead or three quarters dead like in the movie Princess Bride. He was dead. As one who interacts with EMS personnel, the most challenging task today is to revive someone who has suffered a cardiac arrest. In the EMS world, you have about 4-6 minutes to provide medical care before the person begins to lose brain function. After 8 minutes death is most likely. Jesus was dead for three days. From Friday night to Sunday Morning he lay in a grave. He took no breath for three days, but on the third day He rose.

Paul wanted to know this resurrection power of Christ. For Paul and for us the resurrection power of Christ reminds us that there is nothing impossible with God. If a dead Savior can be risen in victory, whatever we face can be turned around for His glory. The enemy thought he had Christ. He thought he had won, but can you imagine the sounds coming from the little hill side in Jerusalem when the stone was rolled away. Jesus rose to give us power over sin and death. That is how Paul wanted to know Christ. Paul wanted to know His power.

Listen to the words of Paul in Romans 8:9-11 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Paul wanted to know the resurrection power because he recognized that power brings life. So, do you know His resurrection power?

Secondly, Paul stated that he wanted to know Christ in His suffering. To be honest, this is where one I struggle. I don’t want to know Him through His suffering. I have enough of my own and that is too painful. The problem is that much of our theology today would avoid such a discussion. To listen to much of the theology being espoused today you might think we were to never have a bad day. We are never to have any problems and if we do, it is because somehow we are a failure and sinful. Contrary to this, nothing could be further from the truth. So what was Paul saying. Through suffering Jesus demonstrated humility, extended love, gave grace, and spoke with words of wisdom. That is the kind of man Paul wanted to be. He wanted to model for the world an attitude of Jesus.

Paul also knew another perspective of knowing Jesus’ suffering. Paul knew that in our difficult times we grow more and we experience the faith of God more than at other times in our life. It is in times of struggle that we get to know Him and His saving grace. It is in times of struggle that we either turn to Christ or we push Him away. If we are honest, it is in our struggles that we find the grace of God. It is in our struggles that we find faith in God. It is in our struggles that we find a future in God. By knowing Christ in both His resurrection and suffering we come to know the totality of who He is and who He is begins to define who we are.

So on a practical level, how do we come to know Christ? First and foremost we get to know Christ by knowing the Word. After all the Word is an active living force according to Hebrews 4:12-13. To know the Word is to know Jesus because the Word and Jesus are one. Through Jesus the Word became flesh (John 1:1,14). So to know Jesus we must get the Word of God in us. We read, meditate, and apply the Word to our hearts so that it begins to form and shape who we will be and how we will act. The purpose of the Word was and is to bring instruction, direction, warning, and hope according to 2 Timothy 3:16-17. It is the Word that speaks to us in amazing ways. The Word brings death to sin and life to hearts. Additionally, if you read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life, you find that Jesus was a mirror of the Father. To know Jesus is to know the Father (John 5:19, 6:38, 8:28, 10:30). What He did was a reflection of the Father’s will. What He said was a reflection of the Father’s heart. Know the Word and you will know Jesus.

Secondly, we pray. Why is prayer important? Prayer is important because it aligns our will with God’s will. In prayer we surrender ourselves, our will, and our ways to God. In prayer, we hear the voice of God as He speaks to our hearts. Greg Laurie stated “Prayer is our connection to heaven and heaven’s connection to us. That is why you should always keep the lines open.” If we take the model prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, we find is a testimony of who the Father is. Through this prayer we find that He is to be hallowed, reverenced, and honored. We also find that Jesus invites us to invite the kingdom of God in our current situation.

Thirdly, we worship God. Too many times we confuse worship as an activity relegated to a one hour time slot on Sunday, but the reality is worship should be a way of life. In worship, as we begin to proclaim the greatness of God, we experience something in our hearts. As we confess to God change happens. The very definition of worship is to ascribe worth to something. What we worship we give value. When we ascribe worth to God, we are drawn into a deeper relationship because we will value that relationship and we will value that person.

Finally, we come to know God by joining our hearts and minds together. That is why the word tells us not to forsake the coming together (Hebrews 10:25). That is why bible studies, Sunday school, and book clubs are so important. In these events we come together and we hear what God is doing. We watch each other grow. We navigate the difficulties of life together. It is not by chance that the Book of Acts reminds new believers to continue to gather together (Acts 2:42). It is in fellowship that we grow but the reality is we grow more than relationally, we grow in our knowledge of God because we understand God more when are in communion with one another.

So the question for us today is, do you what to know Christ more? You can! Read the Word, worship him, pray, and join together and your understanding of God will increase.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , ,

August 21, 2017 · 9:28 am

Abundant Life Versus a Stolen Life

Peninsula Community Church

Abundant Life Versus a Stolen Life

August 20, 2017

John 10:7-10  So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

I love the Star Wars series. It is the ever existing battle between good and evil. The Star Wars saga serves as an illustrative review of what life is really like. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden there has been an ongoing battle between good and evil. In our society today, we see this played out in ways that we have not seen since the 1960’s. The Bible is clear about this sort of thing as Jesus proclaimed that there would be wars and rumors of war in this life, especially as Jesus’ return gets closer (Matthew 24:6). When you read the stories of Genesis, we find that just one generation after Adam and Eve sinned we have the epic battle of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4). Cain out of rage and an untempered jealously kills his brother.

So much of what we are experiencing today on the pages of the news and flashed across our TV screens is a result of man trying to live without God. The clashes at Charlottesville and other locations are just a microcosm of the heart of many in America today. Hatred and anger rule the day rather than love and Godward thinking. In so many areas of society, it seems that sin rules rather the positive moral affects of Christ’s life. Jesus, I believe, foresaw such a day and for that reason he wrote the text we have before us.

In this text, Jesus gives us a vivid comparison of life with Christ and one where we fall prey to the power of the enemy. In Christ, we have abundant life but the enemy’s primary task and goal has been and will continue to be to steal, kill, and destroy that abundant life. It has been said that Jesus never promised a long life, what He promises is a full life. Many have lived but have not had life. Jesus promises us that we can live and have life at the same time.

Let us look at the thief for a moment. First of all by virtue of the fact that he is a thief he has no legal right to what he is taking. We need to understand that today. The thief in our life does not have any legal rights to what Jesus has given us. He can only take those things by deception and by what we allow him to steal from us.

There is also something else about the thief that bears mentioning here. The thief never knocks at the door. He comes in the dark of the night to steal what is legally ours. It was said the thief in the old days would burrow underneath the walls of the tents or sheep pens. Their desire was to take in secret without the other party knowing what had happened. You see the enemy never stands face to face with us but uses others and all sorts of circumstances to impact what he wants to accomplish. Have you ever felt blindsided by someone who was close to you? Have you ever experienced rejection and you were not even sure where that rejection was coming from? Most likely this was the enemy of our souls coming in the cloak of darkness to deceive and destroy.

In this passage, we find three key tactics used by the enemy. One characteristic is that the thief steals. And one of the key things he steals is our joy and peace. To accomplish this he creates anxiousness within us. He gets us to look at the negative around us rather than being focused on the good that is happening. Now before you think I am not a realist, I am not advocating a head in the sand approach to life, I am simply saying that the enemy can steal our joy by causing us to focus on the worse case, on our fears, on our anxieties, and on our failures. The enemy loves to take territory in our life that he has no legal right to. Let me tell you today as passionately as I can, “the enemy has no legal right to your joy or your peace. It is found in Jesus and Jesus alone.

Secondly, the enemy loves to kill any hope we have in what God has called us to do and who Jesus says we are. I believe he does this in two ways. See if you agree. First, the enemy gets us to focus so much of the past that we cannot live with joy and peace in the present. We constantly look back at our failures and our mistakes. We repeat these thoughts over and over again. We do so so much that we can talk ourselves into believing that there is no hope and that nothing will change. The second problem here is that if the enemy cannot get us to live in the past then he will cause us focus on the future so much that we will begin to live in fear and anxiety. We will be anxious about the future and what will come. We will begin to be so worried that we can never enjoy the moment. The goal of the enemy is to steal our ability to live in the present where we celebrate the greatness of God even if the world is falling apart around us.

The third tool the enemy uses is that he loves to destroy relationships. He loves to use little things said or done to cause there to be unforgiveness and unrest. We see it all of the time. The enemy knows that if he can destroy our relationships then he can begin to destroy our effectiveness. He can punish us by using our families and friends to wound and hurt us. Why is this? It is because at our core we are relational. Relationship issues often cause us the greatest pain of all and it is relationship issues that are often the hardest to overcome. In the creation, God created man to have a relationship with him. That is why God came in the cool of the day to fellowship with man (Genesis 3:8-13). Through man’s fall that fellowship was broken.

It is not a mistake that Paul reminds us that we are to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). What are his schemes? He causes us to believe that we are a failure and that no good can come from our life. He begins to get us to ignore the problem and pretend it does not exist. He gets us to think that the grass is greener on the other side. He gets us to think that we do not need God. He gets us to focus on the one negative problem in our life so that we forget there is a whole world before us.

While all of this is true, there is an answer. The answer is to know God and in knowing God you will be less likely to fall for the schemes of the enemy. Jesus reminds us here that we do not have to live in the grasp of the enemy’s devices. We can have an abundant life because it is a gift of God. The choice for us is to choose how we will live. Will we live defeated or will we walk in the victory that is ours? The enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy but Christ came to give us abundant life.

Jesus is the shepherd of the sheep. As the shepherd He is the door. As the door, He provides us with safety, abundance, and plenty. But here is an amazing thought. Jesus came not only to preserve us but to impart life. Jesus came to give us amazing powerful life. It is a life that is full of the presence of God. If we allow Him to, He will protect us from the advance of the thief. This does not mean that we will not face difficulty but we will be protected from the onslaught of the enemy. We will become more aware of the tactics the enemy uses against us.

Secondly, the more we know the shepherd, the more we will hear His voice, and the more we hear His voice, the more will have the ability to avoid the power of the thief to control our life. To know His voice, we must know Him. Listen to John 10:3-4. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 

The secret to standing against the enemy’s schemes has been and will continue to be knowing Christ. This is not to know about Him. This is not the ability to quote all of the fancy stories and Scripture found in the Bible but it is to know Him personally. It is to have a personal relationship with Him that is built through prayer, the word, and worship. If we do not know God, we will be more susceptible to the enemy’s tactics and schemes of defeat. I encourage you today to saturate yourselves in the word of God. Be steadfast in your prayer time. Focus on worship and honor God in all you do. You will be amazed. And you will begin to hear and understand His voice better.

You see Christ came to give us an abundant life. The abundant life that John 10:10 speaks of is not necessarily a long life, though it may be, but it certainly is a full one. Medical science seeks to add years to your lives, but only Jesus can add life to your years. So what do you choose today? Do you choose a life filled with deception, fear, and broken relationships, or do you choose life?

What has the enemy stolen from you? When the church was broken into a few months ago, the police took an inventory of what was stolen. They took fingerprints which were used to identify the culprits. They did that and they were caught. So let me ask you? Where are the fingerprints of the thief upon your life? Today is the day to catch the thief and put him in his place. Today is the day to take back that which was stolen. Take back your joy and peace. Take back your ability to live in the present. Take back those relationships destroyed by the thief. It may not be easy. It may take some time. But know that God is at work on your behalf. Get to know Him, I mean really know Him and you might be amazed at what He will do.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,

August 14, 2017 · 1:32 pm

Inside Out and Right Side Up

Peninsula Community Church

Inside Out and Right Side Up

August 13, 2017

Luke 11:37-41 While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner.  And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you. “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.” 

I began my formal ministry in 1979. Immediately following Bible College, I moved to New York where I began to minister in a number of different ways to a number of different communities. One of the things I remember about my earlier days of ministry is that there were times where I learned more about what not to do in ministry than what to do from those who were around me. Now granted, those that surrounded me were not evil people, they just lived out of the distortions in their life. It was these distortions that directly impacted the way they did ministry. After a couple of years of ministry, I realized that some of those to whom I was connected loved themselves more than they loved God. They loved the notoriety of being a pastor more than they did the glory of God. They tended to use people for their gain, but did little to personally assist in the growth of individuals.

As I read this passage, I began to identify with what Jesus was confronting here. It is noteworthy that throughout Jesus’ ministry, He showed such grace and mercy to the sinner and the struggling believer. He did, however, reserve His harshest criticism for the Pharisees and the spiritual leaders of His day. At one point, Jesus described them as tombs that were painted white on the outside but were empty on the inside (Matthew 23:27). The idea presented by Jesus is that outwardly they appeared to have it all together, but inwardly they were empty. Because of the emptiness experienced by the Pharisees, they tended to focus more of their attention on their outward appearance than on their inward depth. Spiritually they were wide but not deep. Today, we will look at the attitudes exhibited by the Pharisees and then make an application of this truth.

First of all, we find that the Pharisees were empty on the inside so they flexed their spiritual muscle on the outside. Listen to Jesus’ words here. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it (Luke 11:44). And then in Luke 11:46 Jesus had this to say. “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers (Luke 11:46). Here is the bulk of the problem for the Pharisees. They burdened people with rules, laws, and requirements that they themselves were unable to obey or follow. I have often said that when our hearts are not right with God it is easier to make a law than it is to allow God to transform our hearts. Jesus is and has always been more about the transformation of the heart than He is about obeying man’s religious rules. The Pharisees missed this as they thought they could legislate morality but from my experience you cannot legislate morality. And for that matter you cannot legislate immorality. Legislation does not make right wrong nor does it make the wrong right. For Jesus, it was more about relationship than it was the law. Now unless you misunderstand, there are biblical, godly principles that we are called to obey but when applied correctly they are not burdensome but in reality they are very freeing and they move us to a place of growth and depth.

Jesus had the Pharisee’s number. He uncovered the fact that they not only forced others to obey these mandates but they did little to help others to obey. Those to whom Jesus referred to as lawyers, loved to weigh people down with laws and regulations. They were well educated, well trained people but they loved to place great burdens on others. The problem is that they imposed laws on others but were not willing to lift a finger to help carry the burden they forced on others. This is juxtaposed to Jesus’ desire for us to help each other, encourage each other, and push each other to do our best.

These actions were a result of their emptiness and dryness inside. Their emphasis was on the outward man and not the inward. As you know, I love football. To me there are two types of players. There are the ones who are puffed up and brag about how great they are and then there are the guys who go out on the field and prove they have the ability they say they do. That brings us to our second point.

The second characteristic related here is that instead of grace they functioned from a perspective of legalism and idolatry to the rules. “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others (Luke 11:42). They thought the rules applied to everyone else but not themselves. They felt they were above the law. They expected everyone else to tow the line. They expected everyone else to follow the rules. And yet, they bent the rules when it favored them. It could be said they worshipped the rules of God more than they worshipped the God of the rules. When this occurs, it creates a disconnect between what is true and what is false.

Notice here that they were good at giving gifts. They were dutiful and followed through with outward spiritual disciplines but they missed what was important. They attended church. They sang in the choir. They even taught a class but they missed the mark by failing to exhibit justice and love. These can be summed up in one word, grace. They lacked grace. They were well educated on the rules but missed the mark of loving others and showing others the amazing grace they had been given. Outwardly, they were obedient and rigidly held to the rules of the day, but inwardly they were empty and lacked spiritual depth. Here is a truth for us. Following the rules is great but to do so without grace and love leaves us cold and indifferent.

The third characteristic is that the Pharisees were all about control which was centered in a spirit of pride. They wanted the best seats in the house. They wanted to be recognized in the town. They would enter a room with great fanfare and pomp and circumstance. You knew they were in the room because they made sure you knew they were there. Once again listen to Jesus’ words. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces (Luke 11:43). The Pharisees were the type that would arrive late and would make a fuss coming into the building so that you would know they were there. They were the type that would continually remind you how important they were. Again this action was a means for them to cover up the emptiness within them.

The fourth characteristic of the pharisee, and this for me is the saddest one of all, is that they stripped people of the joy of knowing God. Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering (Luke 11:52). Because they burdened people with the law, they failed to minister with grace, and they exhibited a spirit of pride that stripped people of the joy of knowing God. The fact is they gave what they had, a lifeless, empty lifestyle. They stood in the way of others knowing the truth by virtue of their attitudes and actions toward others. Rather than seeking a knowledge of God by way of a personal relationship, they rejected that for an attitude of performance and outward visibility.

As we close this today, I am keenly aware that there two ways we can apply this passage to our life. First of all, we can look at this study and do an evaluation and then come to the conclusion that we often act as the Pharisees did. We want others to tow the line but we give ourselves grace and compromise on the very rules we set in place. We judge and condemn others while crying out for grace in our life. We are good at knowing the rules and we make sure that everyone else follows them when we fall short in accomplishing that ourselves. One way to illustrate this how do you respond when someone asks you about your Christian walk. Do you list your good deeds or do you list the good deeds of a heavenly father that loves us more than we will ever know or understand this side of heaven? Are we more concerned about following the rules, or receiving God’s grace which actually assists us in obeying the rules? Are you more concerned about how others follow the rules or do we come along side of others to help them grow in the knowledge of God.

The second way we can make application of this passage is to recognize that we often live under Pharisaical influences. We are subjected to the judgment and criticalness of one who knows the rules and expects everyone else to obey while they themselves fail to do so. They hold us to a different accounting than they are willing to hold themselves. The result is that we can become discouraged and weakened in our spiritual state. We are hindered by the words of others. But the truth is we don’t have to be. We can recognize that God’s grace is there for us and we do not have to be subjected to the emptiness of others. The fact is we must show the grace of God of those who show so little grace to us.

Here is the deal there is grace at the foot of the cross. There is grace to overcome the Pharisaical attitudes we express. There is grace to overcome the power exerted over us to obey the rules at the cost of a depth in Christ. In Matthew West’s song “Grace Wins Every Time” reminds that grace wins in every situation. We receive grace and we give grace.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , ,

August 7, 2017 · 11:15 am

The Power of Prayer

Peninsula Community Church

The Power of Prayer

August 6, 2017

Mark 9:29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

If we were to poll the group gathered here today, I am sure that we would find that everyone one of us have an issue or problem that is exerting its influence upon our life. Too often, these issues are exert their influence which causes us to doubt our connection to God as a believer. It also move us to a place where we fail to recognize the power of God in our life, or at least we question His power. As we consider these issues, today, we will review one of the great principles of Jesus’ ministry. This principle is the power of prayer. It is a principle that can change us from having an ineffective and fruitless life to one where we live in the fulness of what God has done and is doing in us.

To understand this principle, we begin with the premise that there is power through prayer. Throughout Scripture there is a consistent and ongoing reference to the power of prayer. In the Bible there are illustrations of the power of prayer. There are stories of God’s intervention through prayer. There are statements made by Jesus and other writers that encourage us toward a lifestyle of prayer. The passage before us is one such reference. Here we find that Jesus makes a powerful proclamation of truth. He states “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” Personally, I am grateful that Mark thought enough of this story to include it in his narrative of Jesus’ life. The result is that we are the benefactors of the truth expressed here. The result is that we come to an understanding that prayer has an impact on our lives.

Let me relate the story to you. The parents of a boy had a son who had a spirit attached to him. In those days many illnesses and diseases were defined as demonic or spiritual attachments. They did not know how to define it any other way. His condition was one that made him mute and at times caused him to be thrown to the ground where he would grind his teeth, foam at the mouth, and become very rigid. The symptoms experienced seem to describe some kind seizure activity. Regardless of the problem, this issue was pressing on the parents and it caused grief to the young boy. The parents had become tired of the activity and they wanted something to change. They wanted to get past this obstacle. They wanted their son to be free and they wanted to be free from the torment they realized as a result of his condition.

Because Jesus was busy teaching and ministering to others, the parents brought the child to the disciples in hopes they could bring some relief. The disciples did what they knew to do but were ineffective. They tried to cast out the spirit but were not able to do so. This was a frustrating moment for the mother, for the child, and for the disciples. What they wanted to do did not happen. They were frustrated that nothing changed. Nothing was different.

The only one in the story not frustrated was Jesus. In His review of the situation He ascertained that the problem lay in the fact that the disciples had tried to exert spiritual power without being connected to the source. For that reason, Jesus stated that the resolution to this kind of problem could only come by prayer. You see they faced a problem that was bigger than they were and it was a problem bigger than they could manage. It was a problem that devastated the family. They needed an answer and prayer was the one tool that was most effective in bringing needed results.

The fact is, in life, we are all confronted with problems that are bigger than us. We feel devastated and we fill powerless to accomplish much or overcome the difficulties we face. Let me bring this closer to home. We all have family members we want to see be better or do better. We all have issues that seem so large that it is almost impossible to overcome them. We all have fears and anxieties that loom large in life. These issues control us and neuter our ability to make progress in life. For example, here in Sussex County, as in many parts of our nation, we are facing a drug epidemic that is effecting everyone in some way. Recently, I met with some folks in regard to the drug epidemic and the overwhelming sense was that there was not much that could be done immediately. In their mind the problem is out of control without a solution. But I am convinced that through prayer even the drug epidemic can be dealt with. There is power through prayer.

Through prayer we can confront the problems we face. No matter what the problem is, there is hope. There is power available to us. We can overcome. One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is the story of David and Goliath. In 1 Samuel 17, we find that the nation of Israel was neutralized in their power and were back on their heels. They were filled with fear and anxiety. Why? They had a giant that stood before them. Day after day Goliath, the giant, mocked them and ridiculed them. He did all of this without throwing a spear or actually attacking them in any way. He simply hurled insults and lies their way.

For forty days, all he did was throw out accusations and demeaning words at them. The children of Israel succumbed to these words which resulted in them standing powerless before the giant. They were intimated and were frozen in their tracks. You see the army of Israel and Saul were to be the protectors of Israel. Instead they stood cowering in the shadow of the giant. He had power over them and they gave him this power. He neutralized their ability to answer his attacks.

While they stood cowering in fear, a young boy shows up. David had no outward sign of being able to take on the giant. He had no armor. He had no professional training as a soldier. But he had something that no one else had. He had a connection with God that was missing in the army’s life and for that matter in the king’s life. This was no ordinary boy. He had a confidence in God’s ability to overcome whatever was thrown his way. He had an experience that far exceeded any training or education the army had.

What made the difference? Day after day David communed with God. He prayed to God. He worshipped God. He had a connection with God like no other in his day. How do we know this? We find that David had overtaken a bear. He had destroyed a lion that had gone after his flock. We see this through the Psalms that David penned. He proclaimed the greatness of God. He proclaimed the need to have a connection with God. The Psalms give insight into the heart of David. David was a worshipper of God and he was a man of prayer.

We should know that the army of Saul were not bad people. They were good at what they did. The disciples were not bad people either. The problem is that they missed a critical part of the mission to which they had been called. They needed to communicate to the one who was truly in charge and who had the power to bring the victory they needed.

The difference was found in their ability to pray and focus on God. Through prayer David lived in a reality that caused him to focus on a source bigger than himself and his problem. It allowed him to recognize the character of God. When we focus on a source bigger than ourselves, it allows us to see God for who He is. We will see Him as the one who is able to destroy every giant we face. Whether we face a spirit that demoralizes us or a giant that intimidates us, through prayer these issues are neutralized.

Listen to the words of David. “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand” (1 Samuel 17:45-47). Powerful words from a man who had encountered a powerful God.

Through prayer we invite the presence of God into our lives. We can have Him in our heart but not allow Him to direct our life. Too often we try to live without God and then wonder why things are so messed up. The fact is we need God to be intricately involved in every aspect of our lives. Through prayer we are focused on inviting Him to do that in our lives. By having His presence in our lives, we are conditioned to hear the voice of truth rather than the lies the enemy tries to promote.

So what are your giants today? Is it anxiety? Is it fear? Is it intimidation? Is it family issues? You name it, we all have giants that want to intimidate us and destroy us if at all possible. We all have giants in our life that desire to minimize our impact for God. What is your giant? I can tell you that if you will focus on God in prayer that your giant will be diminished.

As we close take a moment and listen to a song by Casting Crowns entitled the “Voice of Truth.” Listen to words and recognize today that the giants in your life can and will fall when we hear the voice of truth and commit ourselves to focusing on God’s will and plan for our  life.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

July 24, 2017 · 10:16 am

Don’t Give Up!

Peninsula Community Church

July 19, 2017

Don’t Give Up!

Galatians 6:7-10 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

A number of years ago thieves broke into a posh clothing store in the heart of London, England. When the police arrived and subsequently the store owner, they could not find anything missing from the store. The cash was still in the drawer. Nothing seemed to be missing off of the racks or shelves and the storage room seemed to be intact. The police filed their report and the store owner went back home. It was not until the store opened and customers began to shop that they realized the crime that had been committed. The thieves had switched the price tags on most of the products in the store. Very expensive items were now priced at a very low price and those items that were not very expensive were now over priced.

The enemy of our souls has done a good job at switching the price tags in our life. It started in the Garden of Eden at the beginning of time. Since then, his goal has been to switch the price tags and to get us to go after what is not important. We have begun to add value to that which has no value and we have devalued that which is most important. The enemy in the beginning used doubt to get Adam and Eve to reevaluate what was important and what was worthy of value. He switched the price tags and cheapened that which was valuable. He did this by deceiving both Adam and Eve to give into temptation which caused sin to permeate our human nature from that point forward. In 2 Corinthians 11:3 Paul noted But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

That is why here in this passage Paul warns the church at Galatia not to be deceived. Paul warns them and he warns us about being deceived into believing what we do does not matter. The word deceived in this context means “to be led astray” or “to take a wrong path.” This is certainly what occurred in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were lead astray by the temptations that were exacted by satan. Paul did not want the church at Galatia to switch the price tags and go after those things that have a false value attached to them. The problem for us in our depraved state of mind is that it is easier to be deceived than we believe.

Scripture deals with the idea of deceitfulness in many ways. Listen to a couple of these verses. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise (1 Corinthians 3:18). Paul also states Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 5:6). Let no one deceive you in any way (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

John also engaged in this conversation when he made the following comments. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous (1 John 3:7). Even in the Old Testament Moses dealt with the issue of deception. He warned the Children of Israel to take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them (Deuteronomy 11:16). Guarding one’s heart is critical as sin will take advantage of a deceitful heart. Listen to Paul in Romans 7:11. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.

If the Bible develops a such a consistent view and ongoing discussion about deceitfulness then it behooves us to take notice. It is for this reason Paul deals with this topic here in Galatians. His desire is that the church at Galatia would not be deceived about the importance of what they sow in life. He wanted them to know that what they invest in is what they will receive in return. He knew they would reap what they sow.

Paul recognized that in this area of sowing we can do one of two things. First, we can sow to the flesh but that brings corruption and destruction. Paul noted that when we sow to the flesh, we reap the flesh. Here is the problem. We sow to the flesh and we reap the flesh and then we sow more to the flesh which leads to reaping more flesh. It is a vicious cycle of sin and destruction. The problem is that we keep sowing the same thing expecting different results. Sometimes we don’t recognize the futility of this until it is too late. The flesh represents that which is sinful and is outside the boundaries that have been established by God Himself. We could spend a great deal of time here discussing this but let us leave it at sowing to the flesh does not add value to our life. It is a means for satan to switch the price tags in our life and to devalue what is important.

The second thing is that we can sow to the Spirit which brings eternal life. To sow in the Spirit causes us to sow more of the Spirit. When we sow to the Spirit we reap spiritual benefits. When we sow righteousness, we will reap righteousness which ends in eternal life. That is the ultimate and most prosperous benefit of sowing seeds to the Spirit. We gain eternal life not just in some distant future but also in the here and now. Because we sow to righteousness, we reap righteousness and we have the privilege of living a full abundant life in Christ.

We must understand that there is a war going on for our souls. The enemy loves to deceive us into thinking that what we do does not matter. He will switch the price tags and make us believe that when we sow to the flesh, we will not suffer any negative benefits. That is a lie because when we live out of a carnal nature we receive the reward of doing that. It is broken lives, lost hope, and sorrow. But sowing in the Spirit brings righteousness and life to us.

It is for that reason, Paul challenges the church at Galatia, do not be weary in doing what is right because at the right time you will reap the benefits of doing good. One of my favorite sayings, when a person seeks my counsel on what to do under difficult situations, is to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. That to me is not some trite saying but one that requires us to do right even though it might cost us and we might get weary in the process of doing what is right. In essence, do not be weary in doing what is right and do not be deceived into doing what is wrong because it is easier.

You see we can become weary in doing the right thing because we do not see immediate results. Paul recognizes a couple of things here. First, reaping the rewards of sowing does not happen overnight. Paul knows the reaping process takes time and he does not want us to get tired and weary in the process. Secondly, we can become discouraged and tired when we do not see the benefits of doing the right thing. We can come to a place where we want to give up. We want to throw in the towel. We begin to believe there is no use in continuing to do the right thing.

Paul in this passage challenged the church at Galatia not to give up or to lose heart. Paul recognized how powerful a tool discouragement can be. We can be discouraged when we do not see fruit in our labors. We can become frustrated at a lack of movement in the right direction. We can be frustrated with our kids who seem to be doing their own thing. We can be frustrated when we have shared Christ with a particular individual and they never come to faith. There is so much that can discourage and frustrate us. But what Paul is saying is do the right thing, do good to others, be patient and you will see the fruit of your labors come to pass.

Too often we give up too soon. We throw in the towel! We fall short and we give into the pressures of life. We begin to believe the lie. In the movie “Facing the Giants” there is a scene where coach Grant Taylor challenges one of his star players, Brock, to step up and lead the team. He challenges him to do the death crawl with one of the players on his back! Coach Grant cheers him and challenges him not to give up. Because of this Brock thinks he can make it to the 50 yard line but ends up in the end zone.

God’s call today is don’t give up! You might be weary! You might be tired! But don’t give up. The answer is on its way and you will receive the fruit of righteousness. Do not be weary in well doing! Like Coach Grant, God is cheering us on! He is for us! If He is for us who can be against us. Press on and don’t give up.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,

July 17, 2017 · 10:15 am

The Cure for Pride

Peninsula Community Church

The Cure for Pride

July 16, 2017

Galatians 6:1-5 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.

Last week, we dealt with the issue of pride and how pride causes us to push God out of our lives and brings us to believe we do not need God. Today, we will explore the cure for pride. First, restoring others to a right standing in Christ helps one deal with pride. In this passage Paul uses an example of someone who has fallen into sin and that sin has been openly revealed. There is no discussion of the specifics. The sin could have been an act of adultery. It could have been an act of stealing. It could have been one caught in a lie. While we may not know the specific sin or even the specific person, we do know that Paul encourages believers in Christ to respond in a way that is different from what we might be inclined to do. He encourages the spiritually mature to restore the sinner to their right place in Christ with gentleness.

I do not know about you but this can run so counter to what I really want to do. When someone is caught in a sin my human flesh wants them to get what is coming to them. My flesh wants to judge, criticize, and condemn their actions. My flesh wants to reject them and push them away so that I am not tainted by their sin or influenced to commit a similar sin or worse yet a greater sin in terms of its consequences.

But notice something in this passage. Paul suggests that it is those who are spiritual that should restore the sinner with a sprit of gentleness. Too often, we love gotcha moments. We love to hear when others get caught in sin because it makes us feel better. That was not God’s plan or purpose in this thing called Christian community and life. This passage reminds me of the opportunity Jesus had to model this for us. He encountered a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. As we read in John 8:1-11, the religious leaders of the day had brought an adulterous woman into the city square. She had been caught in the act of adultery and the religious law of the day required that she be stoned to death.

Think about this picture. The religious leaders had gathered around her with stones in hand. They were ready to punish her for her sin and exact the penal code upon her. From a legal standpoint they had every right to do that. But in the midst of this, Jesus showed up. He assessed the scene and in so doing He found that those who were gathered around this woman were just as guilty of sin as she was. In that moment, Jesus made a profound statement. He stated that those who where without sin should cast the first stone. He stood nose to nose with her accusers and challenged them with their own spiritual condition. If there was anyone without sin, they had His permission to throw the first stone. Sadly, all of these leaders silently slid into the crowd and disappeared under the weight of their own guilt.

Now lest we think that Jesus did not deal with her sin and that He was somehow soft on sin, look at what Jesus did. He approached her to ask where her accusers were and if there was anyone left to condemn her. Of course, no one was left as they had sin which they needed to be deal with. In that moment, Jesus modeled for us what we need to do. He ministered gentleness and He gave her grace. Rather than get on the band wagon of judgment and guilt, He set her free. He lovingly cared for her. He never condemned her but He never justified her sin either. He walked in truth and grace.

You see the religious leaders were more about the law than they were grace. They wanted to punish others while ignoring their own sinful hearts. This is the highest mark of pride possible. Remember that Jesus reminded us to get the log out of our eye before we try to remove the speck in someone else’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5). That was the problem with the religious leaders that day and that was Paul’s point here.

In our passage, Paul uses the word “restore.” The word means to make things right. It was used in Jesus’ day of repairing one’s fishing nets. The idea was when the fishing nets had holes in them, much of the catch would get away. This would negatively impact their life as fishermen. To repair another’s nets meant they were looking to help make others as effective as possible. Sin is a breakdown in the machinery of life. It has to be repaired. In other words, if you find someone that is broken down do what you need to do to help restore that person back to a good working order. Ultimately it is Christ’s responsibility to forgive and restore but we can be a tool to assist in pointing the person in the right direction. Yes we are to admonish, rebuke, and warn each other about attitudes and plans which are wrong but we do so with grace and love. Then we point them to the one who is able to restore and renew them. Helping others keeps us humble.

The second cure for pride is bearing one another’s burdens. The truth is we all deal with issues in life. Sometimes it is easy to bear another’s burdens when they are sick, have financial issues, or have relational issues. But it becomes more impossible to bear one’s burdens when it comes to sin. Rather than bearing one’s burdens, we tend to load up the sinner with guilt and regret. We cast stones rather than gently restoring and or helping to heal the heart of the sinner. Listen to the words of Jesus in Luke 11:46. “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. And then Paul had this to say in Acts 16:10-11. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

In our passage today notice that in bearing the burdens of one another we are in fact fulfilling the law of Christ. What is the law of Christ? Remember when Jesus was asked what law was most important? He gave an answer that befuddled the Christian leaders who posed the question in the first place. He stated in essence that no one law is greater than another but that the law could be summed up by two commandments: love God, love others. That is the law of Christ. If we love God with all of our hearts and we love others as we love ourselves, we cannot go wrong.

In essence, the law of Moses was powerless to change our hearts so we could freely obey God’s law. When Christ summons us to obey the law of love, He offers us Himself to slay the dragon of pride, change our hearts, empower us by His spirit, and to fulfill His law in us. The law was powerless but through Christ we can do anything, including bearing the burdens of others so that they are restored in Christ and they are healed of their sin.

Thirdly, to remove pride we must have a proper perspective of who we are. Paul recognized that we are susceptible to pride and we can begin to believe that we are more than we are. We can puff ourselves us with a spiritual slap on the back when we are just as guilty of sin as the one we are encountering. The Bible is replete with warnings about pride and warnings about the potential to fall into the same sin that we judge in others. For that reason Jesus warns us not to judge others because we will be judged by the same judgement we exact on others (Matthew 7:1-2). Jesus knew that the enemy of our souls loves for prideful judgement to be the hallmark of our life. In contrast, Jesus showed us that we are to respond to others with a spirit of grace and love. For that reason, Paul issues this warning, those who are spiritual must guard themselves from the legalism of law and ignoring their own sin.

This idea of restoring another who had been caught in a sin was brought home to me when Michelle and I attended a conference at Gateway church in Dallas Texas. At the conference was Mark Driscoll. Mark had been a pastor for several years. His church had grown to several thousand and he had touched many lives. That all came crashing down when he revealed that he had been guilty of plagiarism, bullying his staff and coworkers, and fits of anger. While he had not been guilty of moral failure per se he acknowledged that his actions were as much a sin as anything else. There were two responses to his resignation.

One part of the body of Christ wrote excoriating letters. His family faced death threats and people confronted his children on the streets. It was a difficult time for him and his family. His children lived in fear and they were forced to move to a new state to start over. But there was also a second response. At the conference, Pastor Robert Morris brought Mark up before the 1500 plus pastors and leaders attending the conference. It was here that Mark admitted the error of his ways and expressed his desire for healing and restoration. Rather than being excoriated the body stood and prayed for him. They did not ignore the accusations but there were more concerned about the person than casting stones. The result was the beginning of healing in his heart and in the heart of his family. Because of the ministry of gentleness and healing, he has been restored and his family has been healed.

Pride causes us to condemn. Pride causes us to ignore other’s needs. But when we follow Paul’s advice healing comes and people are restored. Remember, we are in the restoration business. We are more of a hospital as a church where we restore the wounded and less a day care where we simply maintain. When we restore others in gentleness we change lives. That is God’s plan.

Today there are two types of people who will receive this message. You are either the condemned or the condemner. In being condemned we fall short of Gd’s plan. We are burdened by the guilt of sin and feel that there is no hope. We have had those around us who have and continue to throw stones at us rather than lovingly restore us. On the other side of the there are those who stand with stones in their hands ready to condemn and destroy. The good news is there is grace for both. God sent His son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17). May we receive His grace and love today.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized