July 18, 2016 · 7:04 am

Living Faithful in a Messed Up World

Peninsula Community Church

Living Faithful in a Messed Up World

July 17, 2016 

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?”

Good morning! I would like to begin this message with a question. How many find that in light of the news and problems in our country, our community, and the personal issues you might face that there are times where you struggle to keep the faith and to live victoriously. As we listen to the news it seems that all we hear is negative. We struggle to know who to believe and who we can trust. We are also faced with so much corruption in government and around us that it baffles the mind. And then we get news that a loved has died and or they have received a serious medical diagnosis. Then flashed across the screen is the killing of more than 80 people celebrating the French Independence. The result is that we walk in fear, doubt, and insecurity rather than in faith.

 

As we look at the passage before us we find that Jesus, as He does so often, uses a story or parable to teach a spiritual truth. This time He speaks about a persistent widow who comes to an ungodly and unloving judge to present her case to him. She had been abused and had been treated unjustly by someone in her life. She was not a “happy camper” as life had cast a cruel blow on her. Her problem was that she had an adversary against her. How many of you feel you have an adversary or adversaries in your life? Bad news, health problems, lost trust have assaulted us until we feel helpless and all we can do is cry out for help. We have a tendency to search for help and do anything for help even it is the wrong thing.

In this case the only one she could call on was this judge who was ungodly and did not respect men. When she approached the judge she was persistent in her request for help. As a result, the judge finally gave in and honored her request to give her justice. The purpose of this story is that Jesus is making a comparison between the ungodly and non compassionate judge and a loving, compassionate God. His point was to show us that if an ungodly man can show that much grace and compassion to one that is persistent how much more will God love us and show us compassion. A second lesson being taught is that Jesus is encouraging us to be persistent. Don’t give up so easily. Don’t lose your faith as it is the basis of all we do.

It is noteworthy that at the end of the parable Jesus proposed a critical question. He questions whether or not He will find anyone faithful when He returns. Sadly, faithful people who really trust God and live for Christ day in and day out are hard to find these days. Jesus is questioning is whether or not His children will be found committed and dedicated to the cause of Christ? This is not just a rhetorical question but is one based on His discussion with the disciples in Luke 17. In Luke 17, Jesus details the mindset of the end times generation. Jesus compares the coming of the Lord to the time of Noah’s day. They were eating, drinking, and enjoying life for all of the wrong reasons with all of the wrong motives. They did not care about God and they did not care about the future. They were living hedonistic lives where it did not matter what they did as long as the flesh was being satisfied. There was no faith in God. Just as in the day of Noah, the greatest question of our time, is not conservatism versus liberalism or Democrat versus republican. It is whether men can live without God and that question, it now appears, will be answered in our own time.

Just this week I received word that a pastor I respected was ask to step down from the ministry he led. He had been the founding pastor and had seen the church grow to several thousand. In his farewell address, he noted that he had come to the place in his journey that he had begun to trust alcohol as a source of strength more than he trusted God. He had in essence become an alcoholic. I am not saying that alcohol itself is wrong but it can begin to control one’s life and make one numb to life and faith, if we do not keep it in the proper perspective. Why would Jesus be so concerned about our faith? You see what we put our faith in is what we begin to focus on. What we begin to focus on begins control us. You see this pastor began to trust the alcohol more than he trusted God. Rather than trusting God we begin to trust others, new philosophies, and things to help us.

It is noteworthy that Jesus deals with the proposed question he asked before He ever asks the question. I have been told that a good lawyer will never ask a question he does not already know the answer. Jesus was a master at teaching us. While he asked the question about faithfulness, at the end of the passage He ultimately gives the answer on how to live faithful in the first verse. Jesus begins the passage with this. “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” Two things will help us remain faithful. Prayer and keeping one’s heart focused on God.

First, let us realize that to avoid faithlessness we must always pray. We must have a committed prayer life. Just as the woman who was persistent with the ungodly judge and unloving judge we should be persistent with God. This does not mean that God answers prayer just because we bug Him to death but He answers because He loves us and knows what is best for us. This is the very point that Jesus is making. If an ungodly and unloving person can do the right thing how much more can a good gracious God do.

Throughout scripture we are encouraged to pray without ceasing. In Romans 12:12 Paul tells us to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. In Ephesians 6:16-20 he tells us that in all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Then again in Colossians 4:2 Paul challenges us to Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. How do we overcome in a faithless world? We do so by continuing to pray. You see by praying we turn our focus on God and His ability to answer our prayers to see us through every situation.

Secondly, Jesus encourages us not to lose heart. I loved Ronald Reagan as president. He was a master at the one liners that spoke volumes. One such line was “Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid.” You see the enemy’s desire is to intimidate and cause us to walk in fear. By walking in fear our effectiveness is diminished and our faith is shaken. The idea of losing heart is not a new topic. 2 Corinthians 4:1 says therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 states that we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 2 Thessalonians 3:13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. To lose heart is to lose faith so to avoid losing faith we should not lose heart. That may sound circular but it is true.

So how do we avoid losing heart. Look at these three things in these passages. My ministry is from God, so I don’t have to be discouraged when I feel fruitless and ineffective. Secondly, even though my physical man is dying, my heart is growing in faith and so I do not have to be discouraged no matter what comes. And finally no matter what I am called to, I am challenged to not grow weary but to stay focused on God’s calling in my life.

As we close, let me suggest a few things we can do to remain faithful. First, find some good news. While it may seem that there is nothing but bad news, that is rarely the case. Look for positive stories to lift your spirits. Sometimes we have to turn off the negative chatter. Let me ask how much time do you spend watching the news or reading negative stories about things going on in our world. Let me be clear here, I am not suggesting that we isolate or stick our head in the sand, I am saying however that we sometimes are discouraged by the overdose of negative news. Instead, I would suggest that we fill ourselves with that which is positive and good.

Second, read the Good News. Our faith is a story of hope even in the midst of dark times. Spend some time reading Bible passages about hope and resurrection. Or read through one of the gospels to be reminded of how Jesus brings hope in our struggles. The Bible is replete with stories of the impossible. These stories are great faith builders.

Third, give thanks for what you have. In the midst of difficult times, there are still things for which we can be thankful. Take a few minutes to consider all the wonderful ways God has blessed you. No matter what is going on in your life there is much to be grateful for and celebrate.

Fourth, serve someone. While we may not be able to do much about world issues like disease or terrorism, there are problems in your community where you can be part of a solution. Find places in your community to serve people in need. Seek and you will find. You will find those who need help and you can be the difference.

Fifth, don’t forget that God is still in control. He is still the king and He is still Lord. Regardless of what is going on around us He is still in control.

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

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , ,

July 11, 2016 · 10:00 am

Jesus is the Door

Peninsula Community Church

Jesus is the Door

July 10, 2016

John 10:7-18 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 am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.

Today, we will look at the last of our doors. In doing so we find that Jesus Himself is the door to faith and salvation. The one truth that must be realized more than any other is that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. That is not very politically correct in today’s environment, but it is true. One of the great lies that is being propagated in this society is that all roads lead to heaven. Others believe that if they only have more things in the plus column than they do in the negative column, they will make it to heaven. Still others simply deny that Christ exists and that there is no God. But each of these beliefs are false and are predicated on a lie whose goal is to diminish the grace and power of God. The result is a life lived without hope and no vision for a greater day.

As believers, we must know that accepting Christ is the only way to receive eternal life and freedom from past sins committed by us. Here is a fact that needs to be made. If, and that is a huge if, we never committed a sin in our life, we would still need to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. Through the Scriptures we find that Christ paid the ultimate price and He is the only one that can bring us life, hope, and security. When we consider this, it is noteworthy that many religions have leaders who have made great philosophical statements, but only Christ has died and has risen to bring us eternal abundant life. You see there is a huge difference between a great, encouraging philosophical statement and the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind. Jesus did not just die, He rose again to provide us the power to overcome sin.

As we understand these truths we are empowered to live for Christ in a new dimension. First, we find that Jesus is the door. He is not a door. He is the door. He is the one and only entrance way into salvation. If you have been a student of the word or have read through the New Testament you will know that Jesus often used the common place to illustrate Biblical truth. To fully understand the illustration before us we must understand the role and work of the shepherd in Biblical days. You see, sheep pens or folds were common fixtures along the country side around Jerusalem. Sheep pens were usually ruggedly built to hold the sheep. While most were different sizes, different shapes, and were built from different kinds of material; there was one thing that was common to all sheep pens. There was no door. The shepherd was in fact the door. It was his job to protect the sheep. He protected them from what might enter the fold and he kept the sheep from escaping or wandering off as they were so prone to do. It is for that reason that Jesus made the statement that no one could come into the fold without crossing through him. To come into the pen another way would make one a thief. There would be no other reason to come into the pen in any other way unless they wanted to rob the shepherd or steal the sheep.

Jesus communicated through this passage that there have been leaders who have tried to bring people in a different way but in so doing Jesus classified them as robbers and thieves. They have tried to circumvent the purpose of God and have tried to do things there own way. Too often there is desire by some to add to or take away from the Scripture to make it palpable but that causes one to rob and steal the truth of the gospel from others. They rob followers of Christ and those who need eternal life of the very existence of life and hope. They deceive through lies and half-truths.

It is my belief and I believe that it is borne out through Scripture that many of the issues we face today is a direct result of trying to reach God by a means that was never intended. We have tried to do things our own way and thus we have left God out of the equation. We give Him an honorable mention but He is not the center and the focus of our lives. People have been robbed of the truth. We have been left empty and have been robbed of the truth that we need to do what is right. That is why an angry black man can shoot and kill five policemen and wound another seven in Dallas, Texas. That is why a lone gunman can go into a gay bar and kill fifty people including himself. Because we have diminished Christ and have denied His existence, we are living with the morality that is birthed by such thinking which says there is no God and there is no moral high ground.

The second concept presented through this passage is that we are apart of the sheep fold. Know this, if you are a believer then you are in the fold with Christ. Through this passage we have an assurance that we have eternal life. While the thief comes to rob and destroy, Christ came to give us life. He came to give us abundant life. We do not just get by but we live with all of the life we have been given. One work of the thief is marginalize us and make us struggle with our position as a Christian. For that reason many struggle to know whether are they are in or if they are out. They walk with guilt, fear, doubt, and disbelief rather than with wholeness and freedom. The result is that they have become marginalized and weakened. The tendency therefore is that so much energy is exerted and too much time is spent trying to get what we already have.

A secondary result of this thinking is that we spend an inordinate amount of time focusing on our getting in and making sure that we are in and less time on getting others into the fold. Let me let you in on a secret that I hope changes your life and your focus. If you have accepted Christ, you are in. You don’t have to worry about being in or out. You are secure in Christ as you have been bought with a price. We do not need to settle for less than what God has given us. We have been given the riches of heaven and not the squalor and we have been commissioned to share that wealth with those around us.

You are secure in Christ. Listen to the words of Jesus and look at the chain of security we have in Christ. Those whom the Father chose for Himself, He gave to the Son. For those who belong to the Son, He also laid down His life. Those for whom He laid down His life, He also called to Himself. Those whom He called, heard His voice and followed Him. To those who followed Him, He gave eternal life. Those to whom He gave eternal life cannot be taken from His hand. That is the hope and promise of our life within the fold. So don’t worry and begin living as a passionate follower of Christ.

There is a third concept presented through this passage. Jesus makes an incredible statement: there are more sheep who are to be brought into the fold. They are not there yet but they will be coming because He has already chosen them and has ordained that they should be in Christ. Specifically, Jesus is referring to the Gentiles who have not accepted the call to enter through the door. But this can be applied to those within our sphere of influence and with those we encounter on a daily basis. Jesus had a vision of a larger sheep pen with a whole lot more sheep.

For us personally, we must come to terms with the inward focus that can haunt the local church. The church as a whole has developed a self-centered and inward focused life. As I have noted before we tend to spend a lot of time trying to secure our place in the sheep fold when we are already a member. The result is that we have become ingrown and indifferent to the world. We in essence don’t have a desire to see others come to Christ. Even if we do have the desire, we don’t act on it and we fail to bear witness to the greatness of God. Or, we believe that it is someone else’s job. But the truth is God has always given us new life and has awakened us from the slumbers of ingrown, self-satisfied, this fold-and-no-more attitudes.

I would like to issue a challenge to you. What if we turned our attention to the those around us for the next three months? What if we sought to share Christ with someone every day? What if we make the choice to bring others into the sheep fold? What if we took as much time trying to get others into the kingdom as we do trying to secure a place we already have? What a difference this would make. The sheep fold would be expanded and the kingdom of God would rejoice for those coming to Christ.

As we close today I would suggest that there are some who are struggling to understand their position in christ. They are continuing to struggle with knowing they are in or if they are out. Be assured, if you have accepted Christ you are in. Secondly, I would like to throw the gauntlet down. How many will focus their attention over the next few months on sharing Christ with others and leading others to the Door of faith? You will be amazed at what God will do.

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

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

July 5, 2016 · 4:36 pm

Door of Opportunity

Peninsula Community Church

Door of Opportunity

July 3, 2016

Colossians 4:1-6 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Over the last few weeks we have looked at three different doors found in Scripture. We have examined the door of hope, the door of faith, and the door of invitation. Each of these doors teach us something about the grandeur of God’s grace and His love for His people. By examining the door of hope we found that our sorrows, our disappointments, and our troubles can all be turned into a door of hope. We also found that God uses our difficult experiences and the victory that comes from Christ as a means to reach others with a message of hope and comfort. Secondly, we looked at the door of faith and found that true faith is based on truth and reality and is not a rejection of either. And then last week we looked at the door of invitation and that Christ is at the door of our heart seeking an entrance way into our hearts because He wants to live with us and not just visit.

Today, I would like to look at a third door and that is the door of opportunity. As we look over the landscape of our current society and the condition of our world, we could be discouraged and we could sense that things are hopeless. If that is your reaction to where our society has fallen, your feelings might be justified because when we look at our world we find that sin and immorality is running amok. Right is wrong and wrong is right. Look at the issues that confront us today: Isis, mass shootings, extreme liberalism, financial crisis, broken homes, an ever growing drug culture, the destruction of the moral fiber of our nation, the acceptance of all kinds of sexual perversion, and so on. As we deal with these issues, we need to know that the problem is not guns. The problem is not gay and lesbians. The problem is not drugs. We have lost our moral footing and it seems we are on a slippery slope headed to destruction.

But, while things may seem bleak and hopeless let me remind you that the Valley of Achor; the valley of sorrow, disappointment, and trouble can be turned into a door of hope. God wants to transform us and He wants to use us to transform our society. The fact of the matter is that God is providing ample opportunity for us to share the message of grace and hope to a world that is hurting, fearful, and discouraged. There is also a door of faith that allows us to step into the unknown and the dark places of our lives. We are also reminded that Christ is standing at the door of our heart and is seeking access into our inner most being. Do we have a long way to go? Yes! But there is hope!

Why do I believe there is hope? First of all we find that Jesus is the Word made flesh. A couple of weeks ago Clayton and I had a conversation about how the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us. While this is a passage that can be easily quoted, it is harder to grasp the concept in its fullest sense. The Word, the King, the God of all creation became flesh and dwelt among us. He did not come to dwell outside of our lives as some disconnected energy or force but He came to dwell in us. Here is the point. As believers we know that the Word became flesh and therefore we know that He lives in us and has the power to bring change. And because Christ is in us we become Christ in the flesh to those we encounter. In other words, Christ is wrapped up in our personalities. He is manifested through our lives. The Word became flesh, He dwelled among and now He lives in us so that we can touch the world.

Just a couple of days ago my sister-in-law made bacon wrapped corn on the grilled. She wrapped the corn with bacon and then replaced the husk and then grilled it. When we ate the corn we found that the corn had the flavor of bacon. We carry with us the flavor of Christ with us wherever we go. We exude His odor and flavor as we live out life.

The second Scripture reminds us that if He is lifted up, He will draw all men to Himself (John 12:32). Notice that it is He who is lifted up. It is not our church. It is not our doctrine. It is not our personality. Jesus said that if He were lifted up, He would draw all men to Himself. So here is the question? Where do you see Christ being lifted up in your life? Where is He being manifested as the Lord of your life? Where is He living through you? If these things are evident in you God will provide a door of opportunity for you to share love with others. He will draw people to you because He is being lifted up. By lifting up Christ you will find that Jesus will draw all men to Himself. Remember what Jesus said. He stated that we are the light of the world and that light can not be hidden (Matthew 5:14). We are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). We can effect society for good or bad. Paul also reminded us that we are ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are His representatives in this world. We have been called to go into all of the world and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15-18). Note that we do not make ourselves salt, or light, or ambassadors. We are already salt and light, and we are ambassadors because of Christ living is us.

Imagine if we grasped these two primary doctrinal ideas. If He has come into the world and has invaded our hearts and our lives and if He is lifted up, He will draw all men unto Himself. What else could we ask for. Our job is made easier as it takes the pressure off of us. We manifest His presence in our life and we lift Him up and He does the rest.

How is this accomplished? I would submit to you that Paul gives us an outline of how this is done. First, it begins and ends with prayer. Paul prayed that God would open a door of opportunity to share Christ with others. His prayer was for himself but it was others focused in that He wanted be an effective minister of the Gospel. Let me ask you a question. How often do you ask God to open a door of opportunity to share your faith with others? How often do you ask God to lead you to those who need God? I can tell you from personal experience that if you seek God and ask God to open doors, He will.

Let me share with you a personal illustration on how this works. It is not some story of grandeur but it is one that illustrates the power of prayer. Almost every morning I pray that God would open a door of opportunity for me to share my faith with others. I did that on Wednesday morning. When I woke up I found that the sump pump in the basement had a leak. I examined the problem and went up to Ace to get the part. I quickly grabbed the part that I thought I needed and made my way to the cashier. In doing so, I passed one of the employees that I knew. I greeted him but his answer was less than a joyous one. He seemed to be discouraged. He was with a customer so I could not talk with him. When I arrived home, I found that I had picked up the wrong part and had to go back to Ace to return it. When I went to the cashier I found that the cashier was none other than the person I had encountered easier and sensed that something was up. So I asked him again, “how are you?” I noted that he did not sound very good before. He turned to me and thanked me for asking and noted that his wife had a lump on her neck that has raised some concern because she has battled cancer before. I told him that we would be praying for him and asked if there was anything I could do for him. I noted that we believed in the power of prayer and the fact that God is able to do an amazing work. I also noted that we would mention his request to our congregation. He thanked me and stated that he felt better already. You see I lifted Christ and invited Christ to do His work in this young man.

Secondly, we need to walk in wisdom toward those that are outsiders. The point here is that we must meet people where they are and we must focus on answering the questions they are asking. Too often we try to answer questions that people are not asking. We have done a disservice to God and His kingdom by showing a lack of wisdom toward those who do not know Christ. We must also understand that those we encounter are not the enemy to be destroyed or hated but they are a creation of God who needs Christ. You see, sometimes, we expect others to live as believers when they have not accepted Christ. And then, we also try and slam the Bible down their throats rather than building relationships.

Thirdly, we make the best use of our time by watching for opportunities to share the love of Christ. Paul is saying is that we should not waste the opportunities that are presented to us. I love one of the themes of the VBS. The kids participating in VBS are encouraged to look for ways they see God blessing. I would encourage you to watch for God opportunities to share Christ with others and then step through those doors as they are opened to you. If you are sensitive to the work of God in your life, He will open doors. When we are faithful to obedience in this regard, He is faithful to open doors.

Fourth, let your speech be gracious. Notice two things here. Our speech is to be seasoned with salt. Salt is a preservative but it also adds to the taste of food. But too much salt turns one off. If we read Scripture we know that we do not need to become salt, we are already salt. I had a friend that when he would sit to eat, he would automatically reach for the salt and add it to his food. He would never check the saltiness of the food he would simply add the salt and then he would readily admit that he had added too much. Why do we need to have the right seasoning? It is so that we know how to answer those with whom we encounter.

In the final analysis, if we ask God for open doors, He will do so. When that happens we must go through the doors with grace, wisdom and through obedience. And then we will find that God will do a great work in and through us.

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

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,

June 27, 2016 · 9:34 am

The Door of Invitation

Peninsula Community Church

Door of Invitation

June 26, 2016

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

In the past few weeks we have looked at the door of hope and the door faith. We found that through Christ the door of sorrow, disappointment, and trouble can be turned into a door of hope. The fact is there is nothing beyond the power of God to bring change. The door of faith taught us what faith is and what faith is not. Through that teaching we learned how we can step forward by faith into the things God has called us.

As I was preparing for this message, the memories of my childhood came rushing to the forefront. First of all, I remember when I grew up our doors were always open. This was in part because we needed circulation in our home as we had no air conditioning. But it was also a means by which we welcomed people into our home. In fact family and friends did not even have to knock they would just shout out to us as they came through the door. We felt safe and we felt that no one would harm us. That has certainly changed in our lifetime. I would guess that most of us never leave our doors open. Today, we are more guarded about who comes into our homes. Most of us have locks and dead bolts on our doors and many of us have an alarm system to protect us from unwanted guests.

I can also remember a day when the fuller brush man, the encyclopedia salesman, and the vacuum salesman would go door to door to push their wares. Today that has also changed. When the door bell rings how many of us answer the door with joy, especially when we look outside  and see an uninvited guest. The result is that we have become guarded, fearful, and isolated. In many cases instead of being welcoming we have instead shut people out of lives. Unfortunately we have done this to Jesus as well. We have become guarded, fearful, and isolated in our Christian experience.

It is interesting that Jesus, when writing to the church of Laodicean, wrote that He was standing at the door and knocking. The church of Laodicean was one of the seven churches of Asia Minor to whom Jesus was writing to encourage and warn them of their spiritual condition. Jesus knew their spiritual condition intimately and He was warning them, they needed to change. We see this in the fact that Jesus pulls no punches in His analysis of this church as He calls them a lukewarm church.

He does this because the Laodicean Church had everything that it needed but it had left God out of the equation. They were trying to do good things but without the One who could make it happen. They had a false sense of who they were. They were going through the motions of Christianity without the power source. They were Christian in name but were not accomplishing much for God. They professed Christ but they trusted their abilities and their riches more than they trusted the one who died for their sin. They had therefore been neutralized in their effectiveness for Christ.

This was such an egregious act that Jesus makes an amazing statement in regard to their lukewarmness. He states that He would rather that they would be hot or cold. He is warning them about towing the line in the middle. He defines this as being lukewarm. He was saying  to them that they not try to play both sides of the fence. He was saying do not be half in and half out. By being lukewarm their effectiveness as believers had been diminished because lukewarm things serve no purpose. Cold water protects and preserves food while hot water is used to cook and prepare food. Lukewarm water does neither. It is ineffective to accomplish anything of value. It is interesting that this illustration of lukewarmness here is not a matter of being a Christian or not. It is a matter of being a believer that is fully committed and dedicated to the cause of Christ.

When we read through the Bible, we find that this idea of choosing is not a new theme of Scripture. Throughout the Bible we find references to believers choosing who and how they will serve the One true God. In the Old Testament, Joshua challenged the children of Israel. In Joshua 24:14-15, in one of his final messages to the nation, Joshua encouraged them to choose who they would serve. His challenge was simple. Choose God or choose Baal but choose one or the other and don’t ride the fence. He was saying, you cannot have it both ways. You cannot claim to serve God and then serve the devil at the same time. The result will be a fruitless life that is filled with a dissatisfaction with God and others.

Jesus also reminds us of this need to choose in Matthew 6:24. He stated that “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The Laodicean Church had become comfortable with their riches and their abilities when in fact they were wretched, blind, and spiritually poor. They had in fact deceived themselves into believing that they were ok with God. With the Laodicean Church Jesus had a response that might surprise us. He stated that the result of being lukewarm is that He would spit them out of His mouth. He is saying to them their spiritual condition is not tolerable and it is unacceptable.

As Jesus does so often, however, while He reprimands the church about their spiritual condition, He offers a way of renewal and He offers hope. First, Jesus says to buy from Him gold that is refined by fire so that they might be rich in what really matters. Gold represents that which is eternal and that which lasts. Riches will be lost. Success will fail. What we have stored away will become rusted and rotted. For that reason Jesus made this statement about this matter. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21). Their treasure was in themselves and not in the riches of Christ and who He was.

Secondly, Jesus paints a picture of Him standing at the door and knocking. He stands at the door of your heart because He wants to abide with you and not just visit. Before we look at this let me clear up a couple of misinterpretations or misunderstandings of this passage. Too often this verse is interpreted as if Jesus is knocking on the door of the sinner’s heart but that is not who Jesus is concerned with here. He is knocking on the door of the lukewarm believer who is settling for a wishy washy and uncommitted way of life.

Secondly, it has been suggested by some of America’s great pastors that Jesus was not just passively standing at the door but rather He was pounding on the door with a sense of urgency.  He meant business with the church. He loved them enough that He was willing to get serious about their condition and He was unwilling to settle for anything but their best. Jesus was standing at the door of the believers heart to usher in a new day. His desire was to come in and abide with them. In John 15 we are reminded that if we abide in Him, He will abide in us. He in fact desires to live in relationship with us. He desires to reside with us and not just visit us. This is important as we tend to treat visitors differently than we do people who reside with us.

Listen to this statement by Pastor John Piper. Christ did not die to redeem a bride who would keep him on the porch while she watched television in the den. His will for the church is that we open the door, all the doors of our life. He wants to join you in the dining room, spread a meal out for you, and eat with you and talk with you. The opposite of lukewarmness is the fervor you experience when you enjoy a candlelit dinner with Jesus Christ in the innermost room of your heart. And when Jesus Christ, the source of all God’s creation, is dining with you in your heart, then you have all the gold, all the garments, and all the medicine in the world. You have healing and the result is that you are an overcomer through Christ.

Finally, we witness, through this action of Jesus, that no matter how you have lived your life He is standing at the door of your heart and He wants to come in and dine with you. We are reminded that there is nothing that you can do to get Christ to stop loving you. You cannot get Christ to hate you. He loves you and He desires a personal relationship with you.

So how do you buy gold when you’re broke and spiritually drained? We do so by praying, and trusting the promise: ‘I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.’ When He dwells in the innermost room of our affections, He brings us the power to conquer selfishness and live for others.”

So what do we do with this message. We invite Christ to reside in our hearts and not just visit with us. We open the door to our hearts and invite Him in to live with us. Perhaps your relationship with Christ has become stale and so it seems that Christ is distanced from you. Perhaps you have never opened your heart to Christ. Regardless of where you are today if you will open the door of your heart, He will come in and He will dine with you. He will spread a table of riches and nourishment that cannot be gotten by any other means.

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

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , ,

June 13, 2016 · 10:24 am

The Door of Faith

Peninsula Community Church

The Door of Faith

June 12, 2016 

Acts 14:27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

Good morning! Last week we began a series on four Biblical doors that are critical to our walk in Christ and our ministry to the world around us. I want to continue looking at these doors this morning. Last week we looked at the door of hope. We were encouraged by the fact that our valley of trouble, discouragement, and sorrow can be turned into an opportunity of hope (Hosea 2:15). We also realized that God does not waste anything in our lives. In fact, our sorrow and our trouble can actually be used by God for our good and the good of others (2 Corinthians 1:3-6).

Today, I would like to look at the second of these doors. It is the door of faith. Just as much as hope is an important part of our life so is faith. We are reminded in Hebrews 11:6 that without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. This is an incredible concept. Faith is the basis for all that we do. Faith is the requirement to accept Christ but it is also a requirement to live our life to its fullest. Faith is the mechanism by which we please and honor God with our lives.

Before we look at this passage, specifically, let us take a moment and understand what Biblical  faith is. We begin with Hebrews where the writer states Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible (Hebrews 12:1-2). Faith at its core is a belief in and an assurance in the creator of the universe. It is a belief that there is more to life than what is visible to us now. It is a belief in One who not only created the heavens and the earth but also created us in His image. That is a powerful truth but one that can be hard to grasp. Though it might be hard it is necessary as it is the very essence of our faith. In this passage we find that faith is the substance or assurance of the things hoped for. It is what our hope is made of as it is the conviction about things not seen. It is a conviction that God will do what He said He would.

While faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen we must also see that Biblical faith does not reject or deny reality. You see true faith is never based on a false premise or idea. In fact, I would suggest that real faith is a recognition of truth and one’s reality. Once we know truth and what is real, then faith calls us to trust God in spite of the reality we are experiencing. By basing our faith on truth we are less likely to be discouraged by the event or the reality of the situation we face. Let me illustrate this. If I have a headache, I cannot deny the fact I have a headache. Denying the headache does nothing to heal it.

To exercise my faith, I must first admit the truth that I do indeed have a headache. When I recognize I have a headache I can take something for it and I can pray and trust God for the headache to go away. I lived this out a couple of weeks ago. I woke up with an incredible headache across my forehead that ran down to my lower neck. I could hardly think straight as a result. I took Advil. I tried to sleep but nothing helped. Because of the reality of the headache I continued to ask God to remove the pain. You see my faith did not deny the pain but rather it moved me to pray and trust God to take care of it. And He did.

There are also times when we must take a step of faith without knowing what the future holds. In some cases there is no evidence of what God is going to do or even what the outcome will be but we trust God, trust His will, and His purpose for our life anyway. We step out in faith with the knowledge we have and let God take care of the rest.

Finally, we must understand that faith is not an opportunity to do or get whatever we want. I love what Max Lucado had to say about this. He stated that “faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right.” That is so true. Our wants and desires must be submitted to God who is faithful and is ready to fill us with His power and grace. Sometimes we falsely believe that faith allows me to desire anything and that He somehow has to submit to my demands. That is not faith. A number of years ago we were looking to buy a house. We were told by someone that we should find the house we wanted, then stand in front of the house and demand that God would give us the house. To them anything else would be a lack of faith. But that is not faith, faith is an understanding of truth and a reaction to God’s grace and to His will.

Let us now turn to the passage before us today. One of the greatest steps of faith to be made is to receive Christ as our Savior. In terms of faith, it is a two-fold process. It takes faith to receive Christ and it tales faith to share Christ with others. To be honest it is in the sharing of our faith that our faith is often tested the most. Paul is communicating that a door of faith has been opened to the Gentiles. This was no easy task but faith had been given to them which resulted in a door of receptivity being opened.

To understand this we need to understand the history of the Jews and Gentiles at this time. First of all the Gentiles and Jews were not friends. In fact, they were antagonistic to each other. It was a bit of an interesting phenomena. The Jews did not want to share the gospel with the Gentiles and the Gentiles certainly did not want to hear the Jew’s gospel. This was in part because the Jews were making it so hard for the Gentiles to come to Christ as they were adding all of these extra steps to the process. For example, the Jews wanted them to be circumcised but the Gentiles rejected that and in the process they rejected Christ as well. But God had a different plan for the Gentiles. He was about to open the door of faith to them that would allow them to accept Christ. God used two men in particular to change the course of history for the Gentiles. This is one of those monumental times in the history of the church. The actions of these two men now echo thorough the hallways of history. And as a result we are sitting here today as believers in Christ because of these men’s response to God.

Cornelius and Peter were ordained of God and started a revolution. They revolted against the norms of the day and were obedient to God’s calling upon them. In Acts 10 we have their story. As we read the story, we find that Cornelius, a converted Gentile, was in prayer and God gave Him a vision of one who could come and bridge the gap between the Gentile system of belief and the Jewish believer’s system of belief. By virtue of a vision received by Cornelius he went to find Peter and invited Peter to share the message of Christ. The amazing thing is that at the same time Peter had a vision as well. He had a vision of a blanket being let down from the sky containing all of the foods that were forbidden to be eaten by the Jews. What Jesus was saying is that Peter was to move outside his comfort zone. He was to go to those who were not like him.

One of the great hindrances to finding an open door of faith is that we do not share Christ because it does not fit into our comfortableness. Peter was called to move outside his comfort zone to share Christ with those to whom he was called. He had to give up his religious traditions in order to bridge the gap between the Jews and the Gentiles. Notice he did not compromise the message he simply modified the approach. In so doing, the Gentiles came to know Christ and the Jews and the Gentiles were united together by faith.

A second point here is that they also had to move outside of the way it had always been done. You see the Jews wanted the Gentiles to come to Christ through Judaism and not through the work of Christ. Jesus recognized this when He stated that “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 (John 10:7-13). Note here that Jesus said that He is the door. He is the avenue by which we come to Christ and it is the same avenue that those around us will come to Christ as well. He is the door. He is the way to heaven. Any other method of salvation is an open door for the thief to come to rob, steal, kill, and destroy. Coming to faith by any other door will cause there to be a false sense of hope and a false sense of one’s future.

So in the final analysis we find that a door of faith was opened for the Gentiles so that they could be born into the family of God. With that said let me make a couple of final observations in this regard. First of all the door of faith was opened by Christ alone. It was not Christ and something else as in the case of circumcision. It was Christ. So it is for us today. Salvation comes from Christ alone. We don’t work for it we simply receive it.

Secondly, the Gentiles were reached right where they were. They did not have to change to receive Christ. They did not have to become Jews as Christ accepted them just as they were. And because Christ received them where they were, He imparted to them the fulness of God by way of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Christ saved them and filled them with all that He was.

Thirdly and finally, Cornelius and Peter were found faithful and as a result there was an echo of faith extended through the centuries to where it has touched us here in this little town of Selbyville. In the moment they were faithful they acted on the calling of God and they became bridge builders between not just the Jew and Gentile but between the lost and Christ. That is our call today. We can pray for an open door of faith for us as well. We can pray that we too can share our faith those around us. We will see them go through the door of faith and enter into a relationship with Christ. Then will receive all that God has to offer.

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

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

June 6, 2016 · 9:38 am

Comforted to Comfort

Peninsula Community Church

June 5, 2016

Comforted to Comfort 

As I was preparing this message I was drawn to the doors that are represented through the Bible. In fact studying this I came across four doors that I believe are critical to our growth and our understanding of the love of God for us. These four doors also represent the ministry we have to those around us. I trust that you find them as interesting and powerful as I do.

The four doors that I am speaking of are represented by the door of hope, the door of faith, the door of opportunity, and the door of invitation. Over the next couple of weeks we will take a look at these doors and how they apply to our life. Before we do that, let me make a couple of brief observations about doors as a whole. First of all, doors are designed for privacy. For the most part doors keep some things in and other things out. In so doing doors provide an opportunity for protection and safety. Doors often define who we are and our status. In our home we all have those doors that no one outside the family will go through. And finally, doors represent a future for us because we never venture into our future unless we go through the doors presented to us.

With that said lets us look at the first door which is the door of hope. In Hosea 2:15 we find these words. And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. On a first read of this passage this may not seem like much but we must understand that the term or word for Achor means trouble or sorrow. So what is Hosea communicating? He is saying that the Valley of Achor or the valley of trouble and sorrow will become a door of hope. In other words, our sorrows and the trouble we experience can be the very thing that God uses to bring hope and life to us and subsequently to others.

Perhaps the best way to understand this is to go back to the original story that Hosea is basing his comments on. After the Children of Israel had crossed over into the Promise Land they had to confront the city of Jericho. Before they battled Jericho they had been given specific instructions on how to do battle with the first city they encountered. This came by way of prayer and by seeking God’s will as to what they were to do. As we know, they obeyed God’s commands and the walls of Jericho came down just as God had promised. They were obedient and God was faithful to protect and to do battle on their behalf.

Now lets fast forward to a few weeks later where we find Israel facing yet another city (Joshua 7). They now had to encounter the city of Ai which was another stronghold they needed to defeat. But as we read the story we find there are a couple of issues. First, during the battle with Jericho we find them seeking God and seeking His will about the battle. But at Ai there is no record of them praying or seeking God before they went into battle. It appears they were relying on their past exploits to get them to where they wanted to be. Instead of seeking God they just moved a head into battle. They were in fact prideful and lived like they did not need God. And as a result they lost big time. They were routed out of the city and many of their soldiers were killed.

Secondly, we find that not only did they not pray and listen for God’s will but one of their members were defiant and disobedient to God’s plan. God had commanded that during the battle of Jericho they were not to take any spoils of war. They were to depend on God for His provision and His protection. But they disobeyed. One member of their community disobeyed God big time. The man was Achan and he took from Jericho a fine garment and some of the gold and silver. This may not seem like much today but it was a matter of specific disobedience to God’s command. And God could not allow disobedience to reign in them.

Rather than trust God they began to trust their own ingenuity and their own abilities. The result of Achan’s disobedience and him taking of the spoils of war was that he and his family were stoned to death. This was a difficult time for Israel. Because of the sorrow and difficulty faced by Israel they named the place where Achan was stoned the Valley of Achor. As we noted before the name Achor means sorrow, disappointment, and trouble. Achor was an appropriate name because of the sorrow, the disappointment, and the trouble they were experiencing. They lost the battle at Ai, they lost loved ones, and now one of their own had to be killed because of disobedience. They were in sorrow! They were in trouble! The Bible defines this emotional moments as their hearts being melted and becoming as water (Joshua 7:5). What a illustration? They were destroyed emotionally. It was from this place of pain and hurt that Hosea proclaimed though they are experiencing deep pain and hurt God would transform the valley of Achor into a door of hope. The very trial they experienced would be used to deliver them.

But how does this apply to us? First of all my guess is we have all had a Valley of Achor experience. We have all faced disappointment and discouragement. We have been filled with sorrow because of the events of our life. We have experienced lost hope. We have all experienced our hearts feeling like they have melted and we have beed weakened by the pressures of life. But there is a promise of hope and life. God has promised that He will make our Valley of Achor a door of hope.

Perhaps you are going through a deep valley at this moment in your life. As a Christian, you might question God’s concern for you while you are walking through your personal valley of sorrow. Adoniram Judson, a great missionary to Burma, was in prison because of his faith. In prison he was taunted by his Burmese captors. They continued to ask him again and again, “How does your future look to you now?” Their desire was to further his discouragement and to use his sorrow against him. That is exactly what the enemy does to us. The enemy attempts to take our sorrow and use it against us. But in Judson’s case he had a strong faith in God and the Word of God. His response was this.“My future is as bright as the promise of God.” Judson depended on God and He trusted God to keep His promises. That is what he focused his future on.

While we might take a journey through the valley of sorrow we do not have to fear nor do we have to take up residence in the Valley of Achor. Why is that? It is because God is with us. He, Jesus came to give us life and to heal our brokenness. He came to give us a door of hope. Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah 61:1-4. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—  to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. To fully understand this passage we must know that in Isaiah’s day everyone knew when you were in sorrow and in trouble. How? you would put on sack cloth or burlap. You would smear ashes around your face and you would mope around town as if you were on your death bed.

I do not know about you but I am blessed by these words. My brokenness, my sorrow can be healed by God. No matter what I go through God can heal the brokenness and the sorrow I experience. Instead of ashes, we are given a beautiful headdress. We have been given the oil of gladness instead of mourning. Instead of a faint spirit we have given a garment of praise. The result is that we are called oaks of righteousness. This means we are strong and we can endure the trials of life. Here’s the deal through Christ we overcome.

But there is another aspect that bears our discussion in terms of the door of hope. It is that our sorrow and the difficulties we face are never wasted. What we think is our worse moment, God turns it around for our good. Listen to the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

What is the plan of God? It is to encourage us and to deliver us so we can be a blessing to others. Carter Conlon the pastor of Times Square Church in Manhattan stated that “One of the reasons we will have tribulation in this world is because it is often the only way people around us will ever know that God is real. You and I will have to walk through the same fire, the same flood, the same difficult days as everybody else. However, the difference is that we have an inner source of strength that will carry us through and give us a song of praise.” What he is saying here is that in our tribulation we become real before those we encounter. By being real and allowing God to be real through us we have an opportunity to speak into others lives.

Let me let you in on a secret. One of the greatest tools for evangelism you will ever have is your testimony. We have all experienced God’s grace and His work in our life. You may not be a theologian but you have a testimony. You may not know the Roman Road but you know what God has done in you. You may not know the Scripture, but you know the promises that God has fulfilled in you. People want to know that we are real and that we serve a real God. We help them see that by sharing the sorrow we have experienced. We do so by letting God shine through us so that others see God and know His grace to us. You see you suffer so that others will see that you are real and that God is real as well.

This is not some mixed up plan from a diabolical God but it is a tool that He uses to bring life and to open doors of faith, opportunity and invitation to others. It glorifies God. Notice in the passage in Isaiah that read earlier. The Bible says that He gives us the oil of gladness, the beautiful headdress, and the garment of praise so that He will be praised and honored. That is our goal. That is our purpose to honor God and to let Him be honored through us.

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

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,

May 31, 2016 · 10:05 am

Freedom Received and Freedom Given

Peninsula Community Church

Freedom Received and Freedom Given

May 27, 2016

Galatians 5:1,13 – For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day. For many, it is a day to barbecue and head to the beach. It is a time for families and friends to enjoy time together. It is also a time to relax and enjoy some down time. But the reality is that while it is a weekend to enjoy it is also a to pause to remember those who have given their lives so we could have the freedom we experience today. Unfortunately, too many have forgotten the purpose and value of Memorial Day.

On Memorial Day we are reminded that so many of our men and women in the armed forces have died fighting for our freedom. As we look down the halls of history we are reminded that our freedom as a nation was not cheap. In fact, it was priceless. Our freedom has come at the expense of the blood of young men and women who chose to give themselves to gain our freedom. Listen to these numbers. During the revolution war, 4500 people gave there life to acquire our initial freedom as a nation. The Civil War was the bloodiest campaign on American soil. 498,000 Northern soldiers were killed and 133,000 soldiers from the South died. That is a total of 631,000 men killed. In World War One, 116,000 American soldiers died and in World War Two that number increased to 407,000 American soldiers who died on our behalf. In the Korean conflict there were nearly 40,000 who gave their life for our freedom. The Korean conflict was followed by the Vietnam conflict where 58,000 died. Then most recently we have seen the Middle Eastern conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq which together have claimed more than 7000 lives. In total more than 1.2 million Americans have died to gain and keep the freedom we enjoy in this country. Let me put this into perspective. In our day, this would include every man, woman and child who live in Delaware, Somerset county, Dorchester county, Wicomico County, and Worcester County.

So today as Americans, Memorial Day is more than a picnic or family gathering, it is an opportunity to remember those brave soldiers who have sacrificed their lives defending our country and our freedom. Jesus understood this great feat when He stated that “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for friends” (John 15:13). These men and women who loved this country and loved the freedom we possess laid down their life for us. Our freedom through the years has run crimson red with the blood of those who gave themselves sacrificially. This does not even include those who were maimed and who suffered the mental diminishment that comes from battle. The fact is these men sacrificed so we could live free.

I am so glad to be an American and live in the freedom that is ours but there is another freedom that I would like to talk about today. We find this freedom referenced in our passage. It is here that we discover that as believers we have a great freedom provided for us. This freedom was paid by the blood of one man, Jesus Christ. Many gave themselves so we could have national freedom, but He gave Himself so we could have personal spiritual freedom.

Paul states that it was for freedom that Christ has set us free. If you want to know the will of God, it is here. God wants us to be free. It is His will. It is His desire that we live free from the power of sin and from the past which tends to bind us and control our future. He wants us to live free from the emotional bondage that dictates our present circumstances and future experiences. Pauls is saying you are free so live as freemen.

In preparing for this study, I was reminded about a conversation I had with a pastor who had faithfully served God behind the iron curtain. Right after the wall, in the Soviet Union, had fallen I had the privilege of getting to know this pastor. As I was talking to him about this new found freedom he made an interesting observation. He stated that the people of the Soviet Union had lived under the thumb of communism for so long they did not know how to live in freedom. He went on to say that they had to be taught in many cases what that meant. He even gave me an illustration to explain what he was trying to communicate. He stated that a baker in his town use to have the government tell him what time he was to open and close, because he was subsidized by the government. The problem is after the wall fell, he continued to close at odd times. He would have a line of people with plenty of bread left over and he would just close because he decided it was time to close. He was so used to being controlled by the government that he did not know how to live without their control. That is why the Scripture tells us that we have been given freedom so we must live as free men.

This brings me to a second idea presented in our text. In our freedom we cannot be yoked with slavery again. Paul gives us a clear and unqualified command here. Stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. He desires uncompromising, unrelenting and indomitable freedom. It is for this that He died. It is for this that He rose. You see the problem is that too often we so easily want to go back to what is comfortable and easy rather than what is right. The problem is that too often we fall back on the things that cause us to be yoked again to slavery. Freedom is not easy and it is not cheap. We must fight for it whatever the cost.

There is a second idea to be considered here. The problem is that too often we are set free but we become constrained by legalism. We are saved to freedom but we begin to live in bondage to the rules and regulations more than to the person of Christ. It is noteworthy that there are some who purport to be free but they still live under the thumb of legalism similar to the Russians who had been freed from Communism but still lived as if communism still reigend. Legalism is understood as the act and art of adding to what Christ has done for us. The fact is there is a tendency for all of us to have a bit of legalism in us. To understand this we must look at what controls us? Is it legalism or is it our freedom in Christ? Do we live as free men or do we live like Russian citizens?

One of the things Paul is communicating is that our freedom is always being tested and it is always under attack. The enemy does not want us to live in freedom, in fact it is the opposite, he wants us to be yoked and hindered in our walk. He does not have to stop us he just has to get us to compromise. We see this from a national prospective today. The enemy has lulled us into allowing our freedoms as a nation to be eroded one step at a time. We are on a slippery slope of sin and compromise. Step by step we have seen our freedom eroded and sin being elevated to a position of acceptability and as being natural.

We are also reminded that Jesus did not come to replace our chains with more chains. He came to set us free. We must remember that we do not lose our free will when we choose to follow Christ. We are urged to lay aside our wills in exchange for His. We do this not because He is a mean God that simply wants to control us, but because He knows what is best for us. When we choose to follow Jesus we are presented with a life full of freedom, but we must choose to live it. It’s up to us to refuse to become re-enslaved by the Law, by rules, and by sin. Jesus came to bring love and freedom. Let us not trade these precious gifts in for duty and slavery. As a nation, we have been given freedom as a precious gift. We must be so careful that we protect that freedom and do all we can to keep our freedom safe.

The third idea presented here is that we are not to use our freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. What is Paul saying? Paul is saying that while we are free in Christ we must never use our freedom in a way that allows the flesh to have authority over us. Notice what is happening in our nation today. We are using our freedom that was paid for by the blood of men and women who freely served to allow sin to reign. That is Paul’s warning here!

Who would have ever thought that we would be discussing or debating the issues that we are discussing today. Many of those who gave themselves for us are rolling over in their graves to know that the freedom they fought for is being abused. Who would have ever thought that we would be discussing the right of men to use the women’s restroom and vice versus just because one identifies as a man or a woman and not as God has created them. In our walk before the Lord, we must never use our freedom to allow the flesh to reign in us. Here is the problem that must be addressed. Our freedom never gives us permission to allow sin to reign in us or for us to do anything we want without boundaries. Your freedom is not license to sin. Freedom means taking responsibility and doing what is right. That is so lacking in our nation today.

Finally, in these passages Paul instructs us to love and serve others. We are to walk in freedom. Through love we are to serve others. There is a distinct link between the work of Christ in our life and the work of love that we are to give those around us. Too often we forget all that God has done for us. Too often we forget the freedom we have. In so doing we hold others to a higher accountability than we ourselves want to hold. Here is amazing fact, freedom allows me to love. Freedom makes love possible for me. Too often we attempt to walk in freedom but we put others in bondage because of our own condemnation and judgmental attitudes. Without spiritual freedom we are constrained by what makes us look good and not by the power of God. This applies to our church family, our personal family, and the community in which we live. Our service to others must be motivated by love.

So what do we do? First, we must realize that freedom not used is freedom abused. We are seeing our freedoms being eroded and I question whether or not it is because we have taken our freedom for granted. This applies to us as a citizen of the United States but it also applies to those who are passionate followers of Christ. We must never take our freedom for granted.

Secondly, we must realize that freedom abused is not freedom at all. We live as free men or we are not free at all. True freedom is not a right to allow us too see how much we can get away with but rather it is the opposite. True freedom gives us the strength and wisdom to follow after God’s heart and His will.

Thirdly, we must act with purpose. The question we must ask is do we settle or do we act with a purpose. Do we value our freedom? Do we do “the right things” for Jesus because you have to or because you want to. Ask yourself, why you are doing the “Christian things” that you do? Is it out of love or is it out of obligation? Love must always rule over obligation.

Fourth and finally, we need to celebrate our freedom by being a people that lives in appreciation of what we have been given. We must live with thankful hearts and gracious hearts. By having thankful and gracious hearts we will never take the freedom we have for granted. Nor will take those around is for granted either. Remember it is for freedom that we are free.

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

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , ,

May 23, 2016 · 11:28 am

What is Righteousness?

Peninsula Community Church

What is Righteousness?

May 22, 2016

Today we will look at the question of what is righteousness? To do so we will look at the one of the great fathers of our faith, Abraham. The Bible tells us that Abraham receive righteousness not by working for it but as an act of faith when he believed and acted on God’s word. Look at this pasta with me.

Romans 4:22-25 – That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

As we begin, let me ask you a question this morning? How good are you? How righteous is your righteousness? Are you holy? If so, how holy are you? If righteous, then what makes you righteous? Is it your works or your actions? When it comes to sin, how many sins do you have to commit to be no longer righteous? Is it one, or two, or three? Does the level of the sin or the kind of sin we commit make a difference in whether or not we are righteous?

These might be questions you have asked or at least have considered at some point in time. In fact, I would suggest that one of the big issues we face as Christians is the question of how good is good enough. In attempting to deal with this question, there is a tendency to strive and work hard at being good as if our works make us righteous. I know the struggle as I have attempted to be good enough to please God and gain His favor. There is a problem however when I attempt to be good by my own works and by my own efforts. You see, I can believe that if I act right, do right, and keep all of the rules, I will be accepted by God but the problem is that too often I strive to become something I already am. I am not righteous by my works, I am righteous because of the work of Christ in me.

The question of righteousness and good works is not just an issue in the church but it also an issue in the communities we live. Many around us believe that if they are only good enough they will be accepted by God. They believe that if somehow, at the end of their life, that if they have more checkmarks in their good deeds column and less in their bad deeds column they will end up in heaven. They do not realize what is needed is a relationship with Christ to enter Heaven. Sometimes, we are at fault here in that we do not intend to but we put church attendance above a relationship with Christ. We present a gospel that says if you only go to church or if you do the right things then you will be good enough. But the question has to be asked, how many times do you have to go to church to be righteous? Once a month, twice a month, or every Sunday. What if I miss a Sunday? Does that mean that I am no longer good enough?

In its purest form, the word righteousness means being presentable or good enough to please. It means to be in right standing and and to do the right thing. As believers in Christ, righteousness is not just about doing right or wrong, it is about our position in Christ and what Christ has done for us. You see, we are presentable and good through the work of Christ. Am I perfect? No! But I am growing in grace and in the knowledge of God. The problem too often is that apart from the work of Christ we struggle to do right and be right, but God considers us to be righteous and holy because of His work on the cross and our corresponding faith in Him. It is not what we do that makes us righteous. We are righteous because He has made us that way through salvation.

To understand righteousness let me make a couple of observations about what the Bible has to say about self-righteousness. First of all, we have to know that our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6.) The problem with filthy rags is that there is not much to be done with them other than to throw them out or burn them. Here is the point that is being made; no matter how good our acts or actions might be they cannot be compared to the work of grace in our hearts. The problem is that when we compare our righteousness to the righteousness of Christ we all fall short. But that is the very reason why we have to see ourselves righteous in His eyes. We are all sinners, the only difference is that we have been given the gift of righteousness so that we can live in freedom from sin and the power of sin over us.

Secondly, the Bible tells us that none are righteous. Listen to Romans 3:10-12. “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” When we are left to our own devices the tendency is to live life by our own measure of righteousness. When left to our vices we have a huge inclination toward sin because we are motivated by the carnal nature that is alive and well in us. Apart from God it is impossible to live godly and righteous lives. Without the drawing of the Holy Spirit we cannot possibly be righteous.

Thirdly, we must understand that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We all sin and we have all sinned, past tense. There is no-one that is perfect but that does not mean that we do not live righteously. We have all come short of manifesting God’s presence in our life. We may not commit one of the big sins of life but we do sin when we respond to people with a bad attitude or heart that is motivated by anything but God’s word. When it comes to those in our community we cannot approach them with pride but with a humility that bows before our God who has graciously saved us and redeemed us. Except for the grace of God, we would be right where they are spiritually.

Even though we fall short, and fail so often, the Bible reminds us that If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. We are also reminded that we can say we have no sin but that makes us a liar. Here is the beauty of this passage. While we might sin, he does not cast us off but rather He accepts us through the work of the cross. The community around us needs this message. No sin, no wrong keeps us from Christ’s grace and His love and the best way to share this is is by way of our personal testimony.

With that said let us now look at the Biblical description of Godly Righteousness. First, Godly righteousness is an act of faith. We find that Abraham’s faith was the channel by which righteousness came to him. He acted on what God commanded by faith and then righteousness was imparted or given to him by faith. His righteousness was not based on his works but on his faith. While circumcision was important to Abraham, his righteousness was imparted to him before he was circumcised. This is important because it was not the act of circumcision that made Abraham righteous, it was his faith in God. In Romans 4, listen to what Paul said. For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.

Secondly, Godly righteousness is a gift of God. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17). While death came as a result of one man’s transgression grace and righteousness came through the gift of God. Just as His grace is a gift so is His righteousness. We don’t deserve it but He makes us righteous because He loves us and because of who He is. Our acts do not make us righteous we are righteous because of the gift of God. Listen again to Paul’s words.

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: – Romans 4:1-6. Righteousness is a free gift from God.

Thirdly, Godly righteousness is a guide to keep the law. He gives righteousness so we can live free and holy. The teaching of righteousness in the book of Romans served to give a blow to the Jewish the way of thinking. They were living under the false pretense that by living right they were made right. The key here is the order of things. We do not do acts of righteousness to be righteousness but rather we do acts of righteousness because we are righteous. There is a difference. When we do things to become righteous we begin to live a lifestyle oriented toward works and pleasing others. The result is that we find ourselves striving for results and doing things solely so that we will look good. With that said we must understand that while the law does not make us righteous, we do need to follow the law and its commands. Otherwise, we end up doing whatever we choose rather than basing our life in the truth of the gospel.

So what is the application of this? First, we need to accept God’s gift of righteousness. Just as we received God’s gift of grace we must also accept the gift of righteousness. Don’t strive to be righteous. Rest in the work that has already been done on our behalf. Secondly, we must grasp the fact that we are already righteous as believers. We do not work for righteousness, it is a free gift. Because it is a gift we stand righteous because of Christ. Therefore, we don’t work for righteousness we are already righteous through the work of Christ in us.

Thirdly, we must obey and follow God’s commands. To show our love and respect for God’s work in our life we obey and follow God’s commands. We do so because we are righteous and not the other away around. You see we live righteously because we are righteous. This means that we go to the Lord with those areas in our life where we are falling short and failing to keep His commands. He forgives and we are renewed in holiness and righteousness.

Finally, we need to share the power of righteousness with those around us. Remember people can never be good enough they simply need to receive the righteousness of God and His gift of grace. We do that by accepting Christ as our Savior.

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

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as

May 16, 2016 · 3:34 pm

What Is Grace?

Peninsula Community Church

What Is Grace? 

May 15, 2016

This morning I would like to look at the subject of what is grace. We talk about grace. We sing about grace. We read about grace but what is grace really. Let’s read this passage together.

Ephesians 2:4-10 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

What a powerful scripture. As we begin I ask that you notice a couple of things about this passage. First, God who is rich in mercy did not give us what we deserve. You see we deserved death. Because of our sin we deserved the penalty that was laid upon the back of Christ. Instead of the penalty of death, through mercy we received life. Secondly, notice that Paul says that we are saved by grace. Through mercy we did not receive what we deserved and through grace we received what we did not deserve. But notice a third thing in this passage, it takes faith to believe that Christ has given us eternal life. This acceptance is not because we deserve it but it is just the opposite. We did not deserve it but because of Christ’s love for us He has saved us. That is Paul’s message to us.

To fully understand grace let us look at three distinctive qualities found in grace. First of all grace is unmerited. Paul stated that “It is by grace that we are saved and not by our works.” I heard Robert Morris, senior pastor of Gateway church, tell the story of a pastor who was questioned about what grace is. After the pastor thought for some time he described grace like being in a row boat. He described the boat itself as grace and the river as being life. He described the Christian life as placing the oars into one’s hands and then rowing like crazy against the current of life. If successful and if he maintained his strength he believed he would make it to the end and he would receive his reward. But here is the problem. Being fully dependent on the one doing the rowing is tiring, exasperating, and not very joyous. The pastor’s idea was that if he was good enough and strong enough he would make it to the end but that is so far from the truth. And that is certainly not grace. We cannot work for grace and we cannot work to maintain grace.

The second observation about grace is that it is undeserved. Look at what Paul had to say in Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus… We must understand that our sin disqualified us for redemption because our sin had separated us from a holy God. But because of God’s grace the very thing we did not deserve God gave us. We deserved death but God gave us life. He gave us life regardless of what we have done. The grace of God is not measured by our sin but by His gift of love.

The third aspect of grace is that it is unearned. Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. Please note this, there is a big difference between free and earned. If it is free then it is not earned and if it is earned then it cannot be free. It is either or but it cannot be both. Can you imagine getting a birthday gift and the person giving you the gift saying here is my gift but I need $89.52? That is not grace.

To understand grace we need to understand the meaning of the Greek word for “grace.” The word is CHARIS. Before CHARIS was used by the Christian community the word originally was used by the Greek culture. The word represented a superior who gave a gift to one that is inferior. We would assume that there were two people involved but in the Greek culture there were often three people involved. The first person was the one providing the gift. The second person is the one receiving the gift. The third person was the broker. The role of the broker was to survey the needs of the community and then approach those with the ability to give to satisfy the need. The gift giver would be asked to donate or provide for the need. But here is the amazing thing. While the broker would connect the patron and the client together, it was the broker who paid for the gift. Imagine with me for a moment as we apply this spiritually. God was the one with a great gift of grace to give. But grace was beyond our ability to pay. So Christ brought us together with God and as the third party Christ paid the price with His life. He connected us to God through grace and He paid the price. That is unearned grace.

So what is grace? Grace is the dimension of divine activity that enables God to confront human indifference and rebellion with an inexhaustible capacity to forgive and to bless. Grace is the divine activity of God enabling humankind with an inexhaustible capacity to forgive and bless. How powerful is that? His love and forgiveness is tireless and beyond measure. This means that there is no sin or wrong that is too big to be covered by God’s grace. That is grace.

While we see what grace is let me give you a couple of things that grace is not. First of all grace does not negate the law. The law was given to show us sin and to bring Godly conviction when we disobey God’s purpose or plan. The problem with the law is that we can be deceived into believing that we are followers of Christ by keeping the rules. We are deceived into believing that a good relationship with Christ is based on what we do or what we do not do. The result is that we feel that by keeping the rules we are accepted and loved by God. Grace however speaks to who I am and not what I do. Through grace the law is actually fulfilled and here is why. It is much easier to follow the rules when we are in a relationship where we are given love unconditionally. Through grace we know that we are accepted by Christ and I am more about being than doing. I keep the law because I am righteous and I am whole, not because I have to, that I want to be accepted by God, or that I want to be loved more by Him.

This brings me to the second the concept. Grace is not a license to do whatever we want to do. The argument against a grace teaching often centers on the idea that there is an emphasis on giving people a license to sin or do whatever they want. Paul addressed this in Romans 5:19-21-6:4. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Many of the Romans believed that because of grace they were free to do whatever they wanted to do. The word here for “increased” speaks of sin growing larger and being more expansive with the passing of time. This describes the growing nature of unrestrained sin. So Paul is not saying that we should sin more so that grace is expanded but rather true grace frees us from sin. Because of the Roman view on grace Paul continues in Romans 6 by asking if we should continue in sin so that grace would abound. While grace covers sin and produces righteousness in us we do not sin more so that grace is revealed more. That is circular thinking and is an error. Here is the fact. Grace covers sin but more sin does not increase the value of grace. No! Grace is a free gift of God so what we do or don’t do never impacts grace. Grace is grace because it is a free gift.

John Piper made this observation about sin and grace. No matter how deep in the power of sin we have sunk, God’s grace is deeper still. No matter how deep into the power of sin we have sunk in the rebelliousness of our lives, Christ’s grace abounded all the more in order that righteousness, rather than sin and life, rather than death, might have the final word.

Grace does not remove our responsibility. We must receive the gift of grace. The action we are to take is to receive God’s gift. God is offering a free gift that has been paid in full by Christ’s death and resurrection. While it is free we must receive the gift that He is giving. And then we must apply the work of grace into our life. We can try to obey all of the law and keep all of the rules so we feel accepted or we can receive His grace which covers all of sin and removes the guilt of striving to be loved and accepted. How freeing grace is? How freeing it is to know His love?

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

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

May 9, 2016 · 7:41 am

Moses’ Mom: A Story of Faith and Courage

Peninsula Community Church

May 8, 2016

Moses’ Mom: A Story of Faith and Courage

Exodus 2:1-4 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.

Today is Mothers Day! What a great day to celebrate all that mothers do and who they are as a person. In preparing for this message I looked at a number of mothers in the Bible but I was especially moved by the story of Moses’ mom. We will see that she was a mother who had great faith and trust in God’s plan for her life and the life of her son. We will also see that her faith was tested and her trust in God was certainly stretched.

The story of Moses is a compelling story of a mother’s love, her trust in God, and her faith in God’s story being written for her and for her son. She trusted and loved God in the midst of some very difficult situations. She did this against all odds. She lived in a time where Pharaoh, the leader of Egypt, had made an edict that all boys born to Hebrew families were to be killed. His motivation was out of fear that the children of Israel were growing so fast that if Egypt were to go to war they might side with the enemies of Egypt.

To understand this we must go back about 350 years or so before the story before us today was written. If you remember, Joseph had been sold into slavery which led his family to move to Egypt. This eventually led the children of Israel into captivity to the Egyptians. For thirty plus years Israel and Egypt had a great relationship. But once Joseph had died and a new Pharaoh was raised to power the cordial relationship soon turned to one that was antagonistic. Listen to what Moses wrote about this. Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens (Exodus 1:8-11).

The more time that past Pharaoh began to put his thumb on them more and more. But the reality is that while they were under the thumb of Pharaoh they were still in the hand of God and God had a greater plan for them. For 300 plus years Israel suffered the suppressive demonic strangulation by the Egyptians. Their plight was so rough they began to cry out for a deliverer. They wanted, they needed a deliverer that could stand against the power of Pharaoh. While things seem bleak, God was at work and He was orchestrating and He was writing Israel’s story.

This is where we pick up our story for today. We find that Moses is born to two loving parents who knew God and served God graciously and magnificently. Little did they know that this little boy would be a great leader. But the odds were against him. With that said let me make a few observations about this story and let me make a few key points that will help us when the world seems to be against us as well.

First of all Moses’ mom was specifically chosen for the task of raising Moses. God purposely placed Moses into her hands. He saw something in her that qualified her for the task. He saw her faith and her trust in God. It is noteworthy that she did not know the story that God was writing. She did not know that he was to be the leader of Israel. She did not know that he would be the deliverer of her people. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that he would be the one that God was going to use in such powerful ways.

This morning I want you to know something very special. You have been chosen as the mother of your children. God saw something in you that qualified you for this great task. You may not always feel it nor will you always believe it but it is true. You have been called to nurture, protect, and disciple those who have been given to you. You are called to be a mother and your children have been chosen by God to be your children.

Secondly, Moses’ mom chose life over her child being killed. Moses’ mom was definitely pro-life. She could have chosen to take the child and have him killed at birth. This would have been the easy thing to do but she chose life. Rather than follow the law of man she followed the law of God. She knew that He would protect them. She knew that He had a plan. Some of you here today against great odds have chosen life and that is honorable. For some, the events leading up to the birth of your child may not have been the best but you chose life and that is commendable and it is to be honored.

Let me make a side note here. I am aware that some have made the decision to abort a child but God wants you to know that there is grace and forgiveness at the cross. There is hope for you and it begins by forgiving yourself as God has forgiven you. Too often we allow the guilt of a past decision to rule our lives in the present.

Thirdly, in this story her name is omitted. It is interesting that God chose not to reveal her name here. Sometimes we feel that we have lost our identity but God never forgets us because He calls us by name. Let me ask you “Do you ever feel that you are not recognized for what you do as a mom?” “Do you ever feel that you are just a shadow in your home?” “Do you feel under appreciated?” “Do you feel that you have lost your identity as a person?”

I do not know if this ever happened to you but as my kids got older I was no longer Bob Odom but I was Kate and Joshua’s dad. I lost my identity. But let me remind you that though you feel that you have lost your identity, God knows you and God knows you by name. The fact is she had a name and it was Jochebed. The name Jochebed means “Jehovah is glorious.” She lived up to her name as she was one who trusted Jehovah no matter what the circumstances of life might bring or what the leaders of Egypt required. She trusted in God because He was God.

Fourthly, Moses’ mom had a courageous faith. Even under difficult odds she walked in faith. She trusted God. After all the edict to have the new born males killed had been pronounced before she became pregnant with Moses. When Moses was born rather than have him killed she hid him until he was over three months old. Can you imagine the fear and the stress she experienced every day? I am sure that she would worry everyday that the door of her home would be opened and in would walk the Egyptian police to arrest her and to kill her son. Even with her fear she still trusted God. Her faith in God was stronger than the fear of the edict that had been made.

Finally, she put her faith into action. This is most vividly seen in the steps that she took. After hiding Moses for three months, she took a basket and place insulation around it so it would be protected from the water and from the effects of the river. She placed Moses into the basket and then she walked to the Nile were she placed the basket in the bulrushes. I am sure that she had tears flowing down her face as she pushed the little ark into the water.

This was an amazing step of faith in that the river itself was a source of death. There were crocodiles and other animals in or near the water that could easily destroy him. Even today National Geographic has reported that 200 plus people are killed every year in the Nile by crocodiles alone. Not only did she worry about the crocodiles but this was also a place where the women of Egypt would come to bathe. This in itself was a threat to Moses because if the wrong person came to the water’s edge she could have had Moses killed.

It is noteworthy that the word used here for the basket is in essence the same word used for Noah’s ark. It was a place of safety and protection. When she pushed the ark into the water I believe that her faith was revealed more in what she did not do than in what she did. Notice something in this story. When she approached the water she placed the basket into the water and pushed it into the river. As I have read this story one thing stands out to me. No where in the story do I see that she tied a rope to the basket. She released the ark with her son inside to God.

This leads me to the final point I would like to make. When we walk in God’s faith and love there is a time where we have to let go and let God control the outcome of our children’s lives. She did not tie a rope to the basket because she trusted God to protect him and keep him safe. Here is the issue for us, too often as our kids grow we want to hold onto the them and try to control the outcome of their life. But as we all know there is a point that we have to push the ark into the water and let go. In letting go, we are saying that we trust God fully and completely. This does not mean that we don’t worry. Even Jochebed worried and was concerned. We see that she had her daughter stand by the river to watch over Moses. But, nonetheless she released Moses into God’s hand.

The problem too often is that we have a snapshot of our children at a certain age and that picture is them as little children. We struggle to let go because we still envision them as kids who need our guidance and our decision making prowess. In this process sometimes we try to control only what God can control. I love what Michelle says, “Control is an allusion.” And yet we live our life being controlled and trying to control others. Our faith in God is measured best when we let go of things that we cannot control anyway.

We need to know that our children will make mistakes. Too often their mistakes come as they test the boundaries that we have set for them all of their life. They test the waters because they want to make the truths they were raised with their truths. Sometimes we will find that our kids will try to do the right thing but they will do it the wrong way. They will fail but that does not mean that we are failures as parents. That is a lie from the enemy.

Finally and this is most important. God loves your children more than you ever will. This is where trust comes in. We must surrender our children to the God who loves them more than we ever could. That is what Jochebed did. She trusted God. She loved God and she loved Moses. But she had resigned in her heart that God loved Moses more than she ever could. That is why she could push the ark into the water and let go. That is faith. That is courage.

How about you this morning? Do you have enough faith to let go? Do you have enough trust in God to give your children to God? It is not easy but it is right. We can still pray for them. We can still intercede on their behalf but we still need to let go.

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

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,