Life on the edge

Peninsula Community Church

November 30, 2014

Why Be Thankful

Luke 17:11-19 – On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

As we look at this story, it is important to look at some of the key points found in the text. The first key point that we find is that the story occurred in between the two regions of Samaria and Galilee. The roads in this area were often packed with beggars, those who were sick, those with severe illnesses such blindness and debilitating physical issues, as well as robbers and thieves. In Jesus day, it was a popular road for travel so it made it a great place for those who were in need to sell their wares and beg for money.

The second key point of this story is that there were ten lepers. We do not know how long they had been lepers, but in Jesus’ day lepers were outcasts. They were forced into isolation or leper colonies by both society and the religious leaders. It was a common practice orchestrated by the religious leaders to pronounce a leper to be dead even though they still had life in them. In some ways this was understandable because little was known about the disease at that time. Those who contracted leprosy would see their muscles and nerves being effected which caused skin scaling and deterioration. The person with leprosy would often injure themselves to the degree that they would lose toes and fingers because they had little or no feeling in their extremities. Since the healing process was slowed down by the disease, they would often have open sores and lesions on their bodies.

It is noteworthy that the ten lepers recognized Jesus right away and began to call out for Him to have mercy on them. We only know the nationality of the one the leper but if the others were Jews it is interesting that the pain of their disease brought them together when their heritage and social standing separated them. You see the Samaritans and the Jews were not friendly toward each other. In fact, they despised one another with a better hatred.

The third key point is that Jesus sent them to the priests for confirmation of the healing. While they were outcasts, notice what Jesus did. It is kind of interesting. Jesus never laid his hands on them. He never prayed for them. He simply commanded them to go see the priests. Now, this may seem to be a strange command but in that day the priest was the only one who had the authority to make the pronouncement that a leper had been healed.

The fourth key point is that they were healed only as they obeyed Jesus to go to the priests. In their obedience, God healed them. It was not until they turned to go to the priest that they were healed. You see their actions spoke of their faith and as a result of their faith, they were cleansed. As we will see here a moment, while the outward sign of their leprosy was gone it appears that the inward man was untouched and unchanged.

The fifth key point of this passage is that of the ten lepers who were cleansed, only one returned to give Jesus thanks for what had occurred. We don’t know why this was so, but he was the only one. It is interesting to note as well that the one that returned was a Samaritan. According to the societal norms of that day, he had two strikes against him. For one, he was a leper and secondly, he was a Samaritan. And yet, He chose to be thankful and express that thanks to Christ.

When he returned to give thanks, Jesus makes a proclamation. Jesus proclaimed “Your faith has made you well.” The word used here in comparison to the word used for the nine who were cleansed meant that he was healed not only physically but he was healed mentally and emotionally. The Greek word SOZA, which is often used for our English word “salvation”, means complete and whole. So it appears that he was not just healed of his physical issues but also from the internal scars and mental depression caused by the disease of leprosy and the rejection he faced from society.

We have read the story but what lessons do we gain from this as it relates to thanksgiving. Well let me list three for you. First, by having a thankful heart we are reminded of God’s gift of grace. Too often, we get to the place where we feel we do not have much to thank God for, but when we remember His grace we are reminded of just how much we do have to be thankful for. You see, it is my opinion that Jesus did not have to heal these lepers but He did.

For whatever reason, He chose to touch these lepers. You see the lepers were helpless to change their plight. They had no control over their destiny because they had been ostracized and were considered to be dead by the religious community. But God, who was rich in grace chose to speak life to them. They did not deserve it by society’s norms but God does not measure man’s worthiness by the norms established by society or by the culture of the day. For most in that day, it would have been easy to condemn and judge the lepers, but Jesus did not. Jesus looked upon them with compassion and mercy and He healed them.

So let me ask you, where have you seen the grace of God in your life? It is there even though it is not always evident. We can and should therefore offer great thanksgiving for what God has done even when we did not deserve it. You are saved by His grace. You are guided by His grace. You are given great gifts and benefits by His grace. We have so much to be thankful for. Have you expressed that thanks to the Father who gives good gifts from above?

Second, by having a thankful heart we do not take things for granted. It is amazing that only one of the ten lepers returned to give thanks for their healing. Now it is possible that in their excitement that the other nine forgot about giving thanks personally. It is possible that they had been sick for so long that all they thought about was getting to the priest to be proclaimed clean. No matter the reason, they did not return to say thanks. The problem is that when we fail to be grateful, we can become selfish and self absorbed. Too often, we forget the blessings of God and take what God and what others have done us for granted. Let me ask you, have you ever blessed someone with a gift or shown them great grace only to find that they failed to ever give you thanks. Now certainly, we don’t do things to receive thanks, but we have all experienced that time in our life where we were hurt by one’s ungratefulness.

But, when we have a grateful heart, we will be focused on the greatness and kindness of God because we are reminded of what He has created for us and what He has provided for us. In the passage before us, Jesus spoke the word and they were healed. They all had something to be grateful for but only one expressed that thanksgiving to Christ. While the others may have intended to do so or may have been grateful in their hearts, they did not voice their thanks. The one leper who returned thanked God exuberantly. He lifted his thanks with a loud voice and a bended knee. Needless to say he was excited and grateful for his healing.

Third, by being thankful we experience healing, strength, and transformation. There is something amazing about having a grateful heart. A grateful heart is a glad heart and it brings healing not just to our body but to our spirit as well. Gratitude heals, energizes, and transforms lives. The opposite can occur as well. In Romans 1:21 we see this illustrated. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Because of a thankless heart, they became futile  and their thinking became muddled. It is noteworthy that scientific studies have concluded that those who have a grateful heart are more optimistic and feel better about their lives than those who are not grateful. Those with a grateful heart tend to exercise more and tend to have fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on their aggravations and those who are discontented with life.

Look at the one leper who returned to give thanks! Jesus proclaimed he was healed. As noted before, the word used here is “SOZA.” It means to be made complete or totally healed. This leper was completely healed physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. When we proclaim our thankfulness, we too are healed, energized and transformed. We will never be the same and that is worth the price of a grateful heart.

I will close with this. Michelle sent me a quote the other day. It said “what if we woke up tomorrow with only the things we were to give thanks for today?” If this were true what would you possess tomorrow? Could you live with what is left? May we be a grateful people who live out of a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving!

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

Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Peninsula Community Church

Ephesians – For the Glory

November 23, 2014

Ephesians 3:19-20 – Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen

Today, we come to the close of chapter 3 and before us is a powerful scripture that proclaims the greatness of God. Once again, Paul declares the power of God and the benefits that are ours in Christ. In this closing verse, Paul notes two factual realities about God. Paul defines God’s work as Him being able to do amazing things. Secondly, Paul defines God’s purpose as bringing about His glory to the Church and to Christ.

So let’s dive into this verse. Paul defines the purpose of God’s by stating that He is able to do far more abundantly than we can ask or think. This word “able” shows us that God is empowered to accomplish what He said He would. The fact is there is nothing impossible with God (Matthew 19:26). Remember the story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18. We find Sarah struggling with the prophetic word that she would bear a son at her old age. In fact, it seemed so far fetched that she could not control her laughter at this proposition. The angel of the Lord retorted with a question and a reaffirmation of the prophecy that one year from that date she and Abraham would have a child. The angel proclaimed, “Is there anything too hard for God?” It took less than one year to affirm this proclamation but it happened just as the angel of the Lord said it would. So nothing is impossible.

God is able to do above and beyond what we ask or think. Can you wrap your mind around that? God is able to do more than we can ask Him for and in fact He is able to do more than we can even think about. Let me ask you, “How big is your imagination?” “How big is the need you have?” Let me let you in on a little secret, God is bigger than anything we may need or ask for. Sarah’s longing for a son was satisfied miraculously one year later. She thought she was beyond the time she could be pregnant but that did not matter to God.

Here is another aspect of this passage we need to see. Paul says that God is not only able to do but He does so more abundantly. This is probably not the kind of phraseology we would use on a normal basis. We would not say “that restaurant gave us more abundantly food.” We would say things like “ginormous.” Or, we were stuffed. But in Biblical days, the phrase “more abundantly” Mann means surpassing, beyond measure, exceedingly, overwhelming, more than enough, and over and above. In other words, whatever you might be able think of or conjure up, God can do more than that, and then more than that, and then more than that, and then more than that.

What does this mean to us? It means we can pray big prayers. Because God is able to do abundantly above what we are able to ask or think, we can ask God for ginormous things. How big are your prayers? How big is your God? I often ask this question “How big is God?’ and the reply is “He is big enough.” Perhaps we would be better served by replying that “He is superabundantly more than enough.” This also means that we can believe God for great things. This means that we can dream big things for God. Do you believe great things? Do you trust God to bring about His purpose in you? Do you believe God will do what He said He would do?

Finally, this means that when we have prayed big prayers and have believed God for great things, we leave the results to God. If we truly believe and trust God to do more in us than we can ask or think, we must then leave the results to Him. Why? Because He will do more than we can ever imagine. If we don’t leave the results to God, we have a tendency to try and work things out for ourselves as illustrated by Abraham and Sarah using Hagar to fulfill the prophetic word which was never God’s will to begin with. They thought they would help God out because Sarah was too old. Never under estimate the power of God.

As I was preparing this message I remembered one of the sermons we heard while we were at the conference a few weeks ago. Pastor Robert Morris preached an amazing message about the greatness of God. One of the things he stated was that God does not need us but He chooses to use us in His mission. What is our role in all of this? We ask and we dream. We believe. We do our part. Then we trust God to do the rest.

A second thing that he stated was that our part is never supernatural. We do human things as inspired by the Holy Spirit and God supernaturally intervenes and works out His will. Let me illustrate this in two ways. The scripture does not say this but it is implied that Abraham and Sarah had to have sexual intercourse for Isaac to be born. How do I know this? Nowhere do we see that Isaac was born by way of an immaculate conception. That was reserved for Christ and Christ alone.

As second way to illustrate this is to say that I am believing God for a financial miracle and abundant blessing for PCC. We have been running short each month on our finances and we have some huge expenses ahead of us as the winter approaches. So, I am believing God for a miracle. I am believing that some who have never tithed will begin to do so. I am believing that some who have given minimally will begin to give extravagantly. I am believing that those who have been faithful to give will be so blessed that they will be able to give even more.

How will this miracle come about? It will come about when we understand the principle of tithing and giving to God. In giving to God, my part is not supernatural. I simply give of my first fruits. In other words, the first check I write is my tithe check. That tithe check becomes a simple act of faith. There is nothing supernatural about that. It is very natural. I then bring that tithe into the storehouse. I deposit my tithe into one of the honor boxes in the back. Out of that action, God is able to multiple and grow my finances and the finances of the church. Think about it for a moment, if each of us were to give as God commands in His word, we would have more than enough to accomplish all that God has called us to.

In this regard, I thought about the loaves and the fishes in Matthew 14:13-21. One young boy gave up his loaves and fishes which was not supernatural at all. Notice too the disciples did not have a supernatural intervention by Christ, at first. They obeyed God albeit with reluctance and doubt on their part. Christ said to distribute the bread and the fish. The disciples obeyed. This was a very human thing, but there was nothing supernatural about it. But as they were being obedient, God began to multiple. Notice that the fish were not multiplied while laying in the baskets. Too often, we want the miracle without being obedient but it doesn’t work that way. The loaves and fishes were only multiplied after the disciples were obedient to Christ’s command to give.

In the second part of this verse we find the purpose of the work of God is to glorify the church and to glorify Christ. The word used here for glory is an awesome word. It is the word “DOXA” in the Greek. In the Old Testament, DOXA was used primarily of the brightness or radiance of God’s presence. In the truest sense of the word, it means a manifestation of God’s true nature, presence, or likeness. You see the desire of God more than anything is to be manifested in our lives. His desire is for the radiance and brightness of God to be seen in us and to be worked out in us.

In Exodus 33, Moses cried out to God to see His glory or His DOXA. It is interesting to note that God said “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” So God hid Moses in the rock and what Moses saw was God’s back.

Now in Exodus 34, listen to the rest of the story. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.  What God revealed was His character and not His might. What is the lesson for us? It is this, God wants to reveal His character through us so that all that He is will be revealed in us and to others around us.

Think about this. We all know that God is every where present all the time. Can we agree on that? But just because God is every where present does not mean He is being revealed all of the time.  And yet that is God’s exact desire. To use my financial illustration for a moment. The reason I challenge you to give is that it honors God and the result is that you will see the glory of God revealed in your life. How much would the church of Jesus be glorified when we have more than enough finances to meet our monthly expenses and then be able to provide for missionaries in a way that honors God? How would it glorify God if we had the funds to reach those who are hooked on drugs and alcohol in our community? To do that we could then fulfill the rest of Paul’s prayer. The church, big C, and Christ will be glorified throughout all generations. What God has done will live forever as a testimony to His power. How awesome is that?

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

Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Peninsula Community Church

November 16, 2014

Ephesians – How Great A Love

Ephesians 3:14-19 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

This week we will pick up where we left off last week. In that message, we discovered that this prayer is one that can be prayed when we do not know what else to pray. Not that would be the only case for its usage but we have a powerful example of a prayer that is to be emulated. We began last week by discussing the fact that we can pray for others that their inner man would be strengthened by the Holy Spirit so that God would find a place to dwell in them and in us.

So now let us move to the second part of this prayer Paul prays that they will be rooted and grounded in love. The first point here is that we are to be rooted in love. Pastor Morris said during the conference we attended that too we often we pay attention so much to the fruit but what we need is to deal with the root. The reason we need to deal with the root is that the kind of soil we are planted in will determine the kind of plant we will be and the kind of fruit we will produce. Why does this matter? It matters because we must understand there are three purposes for roots. First, roots provide nourishment to the plant as the roots absorb water and minerals from the soil where the roots are planted. If the soil is bad the tree will be unsustainable and will produce unhealthy fruit. Secondly, roots provide support and stability. Roots anchor the plant in the soil so that the plant is not easily blown over or destroyed by the winds, rains, or animals. And lastly, roots store water and nutrients for the future. I did not realize this until I prepared this message. The root structure not only provides nourishment but the roots also store nutrients for a future time.

Let us take a moment and apply this to our lives. First, if we want to be healthy and to bear good fruit, we must be planted in the soil of Christ’s love. If we are planted in the soil of anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, hatred, and so forth that is the kind of fruit we will bear. But, if we are planted in the soil of love we will bear healthy fruit that bears fruit in others lives as well. The fruit that is borne will be multiplied beyond what is conceivable in our lives.

Secondly, roots provide support and stability from what may come our way. It could be a storm, a wind, an outside influence that seeks to destroy. We will remain strong. No matter what comes will not be able to destroy us. Paul in Romans makes this incredible proclamation. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35, 37). When we are planted in Christ’s love, there is nothing that separate us from His love. When we are planted in the soil of Christ’s love we will have great stability and security for there is nothing that can destroy us.

Thirdly, roots store water and nutrients for the future. When we are rooted in love we will be continually feeding off of the soil. The roots store up nutrients for the days of drought or lack of rain. I love what David said in Psalm 119:11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. You see, the roots do not just work as a conduit but they are storing up the word for those days we feel we are in a drought. When we store the nutrients of God’s word in our hearts we are able to make it into the future with strength and hope. Once again listen to the words of  David in Psalms 1:3-4. David proclaims that the believer is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Jeremiah adds to this discussion in Jeremiah 17:5-8. While Jeremiah uses the word “trust” we can only trust what we love. Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. 

Not only are we to be rooted in love but we are also to be grounded in love. The foundation of our understanding must be grounded in love. True love brings true stability. We are to be grounded in love which is Christ. When we are grounded in God’s love, we become unshakable and unmovable like that tree planted by the streams of water.

Have you ever known someone that seems to be all over the place emotionally? One day they are up and then they are down. One day they are on fire for God and then they are cold as ice. One day they are ready to storm the gates of hell and the next they are cowering in fear and shame. Perhaps, the problem is that they are not grounded in Christ’s love because when we are grounded and rooted in love our life will be more stable and secure.

You see when you experience Christ’s awesome love, we can trust Him. We are assured that He will not leave us. We are assured that all He does, is for our good. He is willing to open the banks of His riches to touch our life and to meet every need we have in the way He chooses.

Third, Paul prays that they would have strength to comprehend the love of God that surpasses knowledge. The two words used here are interested. The word strengthen used here is defined as “to be fully able.” The second word “comprehend” is defined as “to know or to understand.” It has also been defined as “to eagerly seize or lay hold of.” So what does that mean? Paul is praying that they would be fully able to know and understand the love of God. He is praying that they will have the capacity to know God’s love.

In the second phrase Paul prays that their understanding of love would surpass knowledge. The fact is the love of God is to be understood intellectually but intellectual love falls short of a full understanding. True love must be experienced. The only way to truly know His love is to experience His love. It seems to me that when we fully comprehend the love of God, we will not be able to contain it. We will be effected emotionally, mentally, and physically. What we find on the cross is that Christ demonstrated His love to us by giving Himself wholeheartedly for all of mankind. He left heaven to come to earth to live as a man. He was tempted as a man. He was rejected as a man. He was deceived. He was cursed. He was lied to. All for the purpose of demonstrating His love toward us. Romans 5:8 reminds us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That is the ultimate demonstration of His love.

True love is a demonstrated love. It is a love that is felt, touched, received. It is a love that responds with love, nurturing, and kindness. As a married man, I must not love my wife intellectually but I must also demonstrate that love to her. Can you imagine our relationship if I never greeted her. I never kissed her. I never helped to provide for her. She would not feel loved even though intellectually I have a knowledge of that love. She can have a knowledge of my love but it is enhanced by my demonstration of that love.

And finally, Paul prays that they would be filled with the fullness of God. This fullness of God is the completeness of God in us. This is an interesting proposition since we were filled with all that God has for us and filled us with Himself when we came to know Christ. In John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  And in John 1:16  For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

The problem is that we leak and use up what God has given us. We can become broken cisterns that struggle to maintain a spiritually healthy life. But God is calling us to be filled. Later in Ephesians Paul says that we are to be filled with the spirit. The idea expressed here is that we are to be filled but we are to continue to be filled with the spirit. Just this week we had to add water to our pond. Why? The water was leaking out and it was evaporating. We must be filled over and over again. In Ephesians 5:18, Paul challenges us to be filled with the Spirit. The verbiage here in the Greek is to be filled and keep on being filled. The verb filled carries the idea of something that has begun must be continued.

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

Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Peninsula Community Church

November 9, 2014

Ephesians – The Inner Man

Ephesians 3:14-19 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

One of the struggles we often face as believers is to understand what or how we should pray. I have this discussion with folks so often. They question how to pray, when to pray, and when should pray. The blessing for us is that the Bible is filled with examples of how we ought to pray. Paul in particular gives us several examples of how we should pray. Before us today is one such example.

One of the greatest things we can do in our prayers is to focus on others. Paul does that in this passage. In the prayer before us, Paul prays one of the most powerful prayers in the Bible. It is a prayer that should be emulated on a regular basis. This prayer is for others in our life. It is a prayer that we can pray when we do not know what else to pray. It is a powerful prayer of restoration and revival. As I say that let me say that this is not to be considered some secret formula that works in every case, for every person. Nor is it the specific verbiage that make this prayer so powerful. It is the focus and intent of the prayer. It is the focus on God and an understanding of His grandeur.

If this prayer is to be emulated, then let us take a look at the dynamics of the prayer. Paul begins the prayer with phraseology that is not new to Paul’s writings. He clarifies from the beginning that this prayer will be answered through the riches of Christ’s glory. This is both a reason to pray and the assurance that our prayer will be answered.

For a moment, let us look at this idea of riches in Ephesians. In Ephesians 1:7 Paul states that our salvation comes according to the riches of His grace. In Ephesians 1:17-18 we find that our future hope is founded in the riches of His glorious inheritance. It is a guarantee you can take to the bank. In Ephesians 2:18 we find the immeasurable richness of His grace in kindness. In Ephesians 3:8 Paul understands that the preaching of the mystery of the Gospel is rich.

Here in Ephesians 3:14, Paul  reminds us that we grow and mature in Christ because we have the bank of heaven at our disposal. This is not a bank of money but of answered prayers and the vastness of God’s love and grace that is distributed to all of mankind. You see our task is to pray prayers of faith that focus on the power of God to bring results. It is not our specific prayer as much it is the heart of faith that calls out to a loving God that wants to answer prayer for us more than we want to pray prayers. We pray in faith and leave the rest to God. Too often we are trying to control the outcome of our prayers but that is not faith. That is not trust in a God that knows best.

So what does Paul pray for? First, Paul prays for them to be strengthened through the spirit in their inner being so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. Would you notice there are two aspects of this strengthening. There is the aspect of being strengthened through the Spirit in our inner being and there is the aspect of making room for Christ to dwell in us.

Why does Paul pray for the inner man to be strengthened? Paul does so because the inner man is where our emotions and reasoning are deposited. The word used here for strengthen is an interesting word in that it means to “become strong.” Specifically, in the Greek, it denotes growth in childhood, especially from the standpoint of mental independence. You see what God is strengthening is the mental processes and reactions we use in life. He knows that if the inner man of reasoning, faith, and right thinking is strengthened, then the rest of what we do will fall in line with God’s will and His work.

Paul affirms this in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. He says So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Think about what that means to us. The truth is we can be filled with anxiety, fear, and discouragement. We can be weighed down by thoughts that destroy rather than build up. Our bodies can be literally wasting away but our inner man can continue to be renewed day by day. You see the world can be falling apart around us but we can survive when our inner man is good. As my inner man is restored and strengthened, I have found that I can endure so much more. Here is another aspect to this. When we are strengthened in our inner man, we have the power to resist the devil more so than with our flesh. More than just positive thinking. More than guilting ourselves into change. Here is what Paul is praying. I am praying that their inner being will be strengthened so that you will be an overcomer.

Think about it for a moment. If you trying to diet from the flesh, you will not make it. The smells and desires for food will overcome you. But, let your inner man be strengthened and let your heart be focused on good eating habits, you will survive. We would try to wake him in the morning and it was so difficult. An army of soldiers could come marching through his room and he would not stir. He wanted to wait to the last minute to get up. But an amazing thing took place. One Saturday morning he was scheduled to go to an amusement park with his girlfriend and her family. They were to leave at 5:00AM. At 4:00AM I heard a noise downstairs which I went to investigate. I found my son dressed, his back pack ready, and sitting at the table eating cereal. What changed? His heart was in it. His inner man had been moved and effected by his love for this girl. How much more will we do for God when we set our affections on the things of God and we see our inner man being strengthened?

Paul now transitions to help us understand why this is necessary and why it is important. The purpose of being strengthened is to be a dwelling place for Christ. For Christ to dwell in us means that He is no longer a visitor. He is no longer one that has to be invited in, He has come to reside or dwell in us. When we accept Christ, we are filled with Christ. He comes to live within us. He is with us in our private time when no one else is watching. He is with us when we transact business with others. He is with us when want to gossip and talk about others. It is interesting to note that the Greek word used here for dwell represents a completed act and not a progressive act. The work is already accomplished. To often though, we live like Christ never entered our lives. We push Him away rather than drawing closer. We try to hide Him when we are around people that may not accept Christ. We turn to other solutions for life’s problems rather than depending on the one that is in us.

A number of years ago we were invited to a family member’s home for the weekend. We were a guest in their home but we did not feel like a guest. In fact it was a very awkward time. When it came time to eat dinner, the main reason we were there, we were placed in the kitchen with our children and Michelle’s grandmother while the rest of the family was in the dining room. We could hear the laughter and the clinking of silverware. We hear the drone of cover station that we were not privy to. We felt isolated and not welcomed. You see one of the problems was that they had invited their daughters boy friend over who was Jewish. They had a fear that we would say or do something that would offend him. Too often we invite Christ in into our lives but we do not give him a seat at the table. We are afraid that he will interrupt our lives but when we are built up in our inner man we will not be afraid of what Christ may do or what He may do through us.

In the second part of this prayer Paul prays that they will be rooted and grounded in love. We are to be rooted in love. The purpose of roots are to provide nourishment and they are to provide support. When we are rooted in love, we will receive the nourishment of love but we will also give it out. The roots receive the nutrients from the soil in which they are planted. If the soil is bad the tree will not be sustained.

This idea of being rooted in love reminds me of Psalms 1:3-4. David proclaims that the believer is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. This means that our nourishment through Christ is His love. God does not just love, He is love. He demonstrated that love by sending His son to earth. We demonstrate our love for God by being rooted in Christ which is His love.

We are also to be grounded in love. This a construction term. The foundation of our understanding must be grounded in love. This is not so much an emotional grounding as it is the stability of living in God’s love. True love brings true stability. What are we to be grounded in? We are to be grounded in love. Our foundation must be Christ. When we are grounded in God’s love, we become unshakable and unmovable like that tree planted by the streams of water.

Have you ever known someone that seems to be all over the place emotionally? One day they are up and then they are down. One day they are on fire for God and then they are cold as ice. One day they are ready to storm the gates of hell and the next they are cowering in fear and shame. Perhaps, the problem is that they are not grounded in Christ’s love because when we are grounded and rooted in love our life will be more stable and secure.

Third, Paul prays that they would be able to comprehend the expanse of God’s love. For those who were here on Sunday evening heard Louie Giglio tell us how great our God is and yet how He loves and cares for each of us. Paul says something fairly amazing here. He says that this understanding of love must surpass knowledge. We need to experience His love. Paul’s desire was that they would have the strength to comprehend the breadth, height, and depth of God’s love. And His love is unfathomable in one sense. The only way to truly know His love is to experience His love. It seems to me that when we fully comprehend the love of God, we will not be able to contain it. We will be effected emotionally, mentally, and physically.

And finally, Paul prays that they would be filled with the fullness of God. This fullness of God is the completeness of God in us. This is an interesting proposition since we were filled with all that God has for us and filled us with Himself when we came to know Christ. The problem is that we leak and use up what God has given us. We can become broken cisterns that struggle to maintain a spiritually healthy life. But God is calling us to be filled. Later in Ephesians Paul says that we are to be filled with the spirit. The idea expressed here is that we are to be filled but we are to continue to be filled with the spirit. Just this week we had to add water to our pond. Why? The water was leaking out and it was evaporating. We must be filled over and over again.

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

Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Peninsula Community Church

November 2, 2014

Ephesians – The Stewardship of God’s Grace

Ephesians 3:1-13 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

As we read this verse, one of the first things that hits us is this idea of the stewardship of God’s grace. This call to stewardship was a critical calling for Paul. It is also a critical calling for us as well. We have been given the stewardship of grace. We are saved by grace and we must minister the gospel by grace.

One of the things that is missing in so many churches to today is an attitude of grace. God is a forgiving God who releases us from our past sin and recklessness. We must be reminded that the context through which we share the gospel is always grace. Grace is how it is received and it is how we are to disperse the gospel to those around us. Through grace we are reminded that we have been redeemed from a life destined for failure. Through grace we have been redeemed from the power of sin.

We read earlier in Ephesians 2:8 that it is by grace that we have been saved. By grace we have been given the gospel. By grace we must preach it and live it. The gospel is a message of grace, therefore the church must be a place of grace. It must be a place that allows for people to fail, but also to be there to lift them up and continue to disciple them as long as it takes. When we are a place of grace, we will encourage all to come to the cross.

Pastor Robert Morris, the senior pastor at Gateway Church in Dallas, related a story about a young lady who decided to attend a large church in the Dallas/Fort Worth area one Sunday. She had rushed to get to the service. She had rushed to get her kids into the children’s program that morning. But when she arrived at the doors to the sanctuary, she found them closed with an usher standing guard. As she tried to enter the sanctuary, the usher told her that she could not enter the sanctuary because the service had already started. She replied “but sir I have been running around trying to get my kids in the children’s program.” The usher replied “no you are not allowed in.” And then as she appealed to him one more time the usher became very rough and told her that if she did not stop, she would be asked to leave the building. Let me ask you where is the grace? Where is God’s love in all of that?

Phillip Yancey in His book “What’s so Amazing About Grace?” tells the story of a prostitute who had come to a friend of Phillip Yancey. She was in a wretched state. She was homeless. She was sick and unable to buy food for her two year old daughter. Through her sobs she told him that she was renting out her daughter to men that were interested in having sex with her. She made more renting out her daughter for an hour than she could on her own for a whole night. After talking with her, his friend said to her, “Have you ever thought of going to church for help. Her answer shocked him. “Church!” she cried. “Why would I ever go there? I already feel terrible about myself. They would just make me feel worse.”

He then poses the question What does the world learn about God by watching His followers on earth? Do they see God as a mean, uncontrollable, judging God or do they see a holy God who is full of grace and forgiveness? What would someone learn about God from your life? Are you honest in your business dealings? Do you require others to do what you are not willing to do yourself? Do you profess to be a Christian and yet live as a pagan or one who has no knowledge of God? What would people think if they found you to be a Christian? Would they be surprised? When we live and minister in grace, we recognize that we have been given a precious gift and we must steward that gift with purity and reverence.

This brings us to the second point in this passage. This stewardship is not to a select a few but to the multitudes. When we are good stewards of the ministry of God, we cannot be selective about who hears because the gospel is not selective. It is for whosoever. Paul states that the gospel is shrouded in mystery but that we have been given the stewardship and the calling to make the mystery known to those who are at a distance from God. You see, it is the proclamation of the gospel to those who have not heard; and the proclamation to those who may have heard but have a distorted view of God’s purpose and plan for their life, that we are called to. That is grace. The gospel is for those who in human terms do not deserve it or may even want it. The Gospel is to be directed to those who are lost or outside the knowledge of Christ. We have a message of hope and life that must be spread to those who do not know the gospel.

But there is a third idea in this passage as well. This stewardship has the power and authority to minister a redemptive message to the powers that are at work in our culture and in our communities. The Gospel of grace not only impacts humanity but it impacts the spiritual forces around us. Think about this for a moment. This may be foreign to you but think about it. What happens in our society is either God-driven or it is not God-driven which means that there are forces at work against God’s plan. These forces want to keep people in bondage to emotions, desires, and ways of living that in fact destroy them more than give them life.

As believers who recognize that we have an incredible gift of grace, we can begin to change the tide of evil in our world by how we live, by our prayers, and by our testimony. We live as the redeemed of the Lord. We pray with the power and authority that has been given to us as believers in Christ. We share our testimony because we are made overcomes by the words of our testimony as it is a reminder of the grace of God at work in us. The goal of the gospel is redemption and transformation and not just information. Think about that for a moment? We have been called for redemptive transformative works in our communities.

With that in mind, let me ask you, what are some of the powers and strongholds at work in our community? How many would say drugs are a force to be contended with? How many would say divorce and the brokenness of families is a prevalent enemy that destroys the wholeness that God intended? How about the voice of entitlement and laziness in our land? What about pride and arrogance? Have these strongholds and powers invaded our land? So what do we do about these strongholds?

First, we must realize that greater is He that is in us than He that is the world. We as the church have the power to thwart the enemy and not be thwarted by the enemy. Remember what Jesus said to Peter. He stated that “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” We have the keys, it is the redemptive power of Christ to change lives.”

I don’t know about you but I am tired of drugs taking the lives of people in our community. I am tired of families being destroyed by alcoholism, divorce, anger, and selfishness. What about you? So many of the issues in society are considered to be “diseases” but a disease excuses and medicates our actions rather than calling for us to respond to bad choices and sinful ways. The issues noted above are strongholds that the enemy establishes in us so that we are prevented from living as we have been created. Let’s say for a moment that these are diseases. If that is so, then God sent Christ to be the healer of every disease and He has been given power over every stronghold that has been raised up.

We have a choice this morning. We can get angry and throw up the white flag or we can be called into action to battle the enemy that seeks to rob, steal kill, and destroy. Listen to the words of John 10:10. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. We need to choose to build strong marriages. We need choose to assist those who have become addicted to drugs and alcohol. We need choose to minister to those who are wayward. We need to choose to allow God to heal the brokenness in our own lives so we can touch others with our healing and not our brokenness. We need to be aggressive in sharing our faith with those who do not know Christ. We must be proactive and not reactive? Are you with me?

For an audio of this message go to http://www.pccministry.org

Copyright © All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Peninsula Community Church

Ephesians – Being Built Together for a Dwelling Place for God

October 26, 2014

Ephesians 2:19-22 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

As most of you know, Michelle and I had the privilege of being at a pastor’s conference in Dallas Texas this past week. During the week, we received great teaching and encouragement from some of the nation’s top pastors and leaders. This morning, I must admit to you that we are in overflow mode which means that throughout the next few weeks I am sure that you will hear many of the truths we were presented in my messages and in our conversations.

This morning we pick up with our series in Ephesians. As we review the passage before us this morning, we find that we belong to Christ and we are connected with others. It is noteworthy that Paul begins this section with the idea that we are no longer strangers or aliens but that we are fellow citizens. He also notes that we are no ordinary citizen, we are citizens of the household of God. We are connected and we belong to God and with those who are believers in Christ.

From the beginning of created time, there has been a innate desire for man to belong and to be apart of the group. Even for the greatest of all introverts there is still a desire to connect and belong. In the world today, there are many who have a desire to connect to others. They want to feel connected. They want to feel they are a part of something. If is for that reason gangs and false religions seem to gain so many followers. They present a platform where people can feel connected and welcomed as a part of the group. They are accepted by those in the group. But too often, this feeling of acceptance is exchanged for a price that is exacted against the members.

As believers, we have had the dream of connecting fulfilled. We are now a part of the body of Christ. We are connected with one another. We are a part of something bigger than we are.We can belong and be a part a great family. And yet there are many who do not feel connected. They feel they are disenfranchised and rejected. They feel condemned and judged by their sin rather than the church being a place of grace and love. This should not be a result of our actions.

Secondly, we are built together on the unmovable, unshaken foundation of the apostles and prophets. You see we are not just connected, but we are built on something that is solid and secure. This foundation assures us that we remain connected. This foundation is one that focuses on the biblical teaching of hope and life. It is the life of Christ. We need to recognize and be sure to understand here that the foundation is not the apostles and prophets. That would be foolish. We do not build on a man’s idea of God but we build on Christ. Paul later helps us see that the foundation being discussed here is that of the apostles teaching that point to Christ. He notes, in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, that there is no other foundation to be laid but that one which is laid in Jesus Christ. He is the foundation.

Listen to Paul’s words. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. You see, what one builds on determines what one becomes. What one builds on will determine how one lives their life.

Thirdly, we are identified with the cornerstone which aligns us to His word and His ways. The cornerstone was the principle stone placed at the corner of the edifice. The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, the most solid and the most carefully constructed of any in the edifice. The cornerstone in essence held everything together. The cornerstone also helped to align the rest of the building. The cornerstone is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. It is an important stone since all of the other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. As a body of believers, we are built on the foundation of Christ and we are aligned by the cornerstone of His word and His example. Both of these are focused on the work of Christ in us.

Notice too what David said in Psalm 118:22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. You see what the world rejects as the answer, has become the answer for all mankind, but He is the connecting factor when it comes to believers. For those without Christ, they attempt to reject Christ as an answer to their problems. They try to align themselves with false ideas and social concepts that they believe that will guide their lives. But we must remember that Christ is the only cornerstone.

You see all of this occurs because we have been joined together for a purpose. We are made to be a place where the Spirit dwells. You see the main purpose for coming together as a body is that we are a dwelling place for God’s presence. The purpose of the Old Testament temple was two-fold. It brought honor to God and provided a place for God’s presence to dwell.

This is in reality what God wants to do in our earthy temple as well. Too often we invite God over when we need him, but when He is no longer needed, we ask him to leave or at least we live like he has no place in our life. How sad is that. But God wants to dwell in us. He wants to dwell in our church. He wants to be an active part of our lives.

This passage reminds me of the prophecy in Ezekiel 37. The prophecy takes place in the valley of the dry bones. The bones were disconnected and strewn about, therefore, they had no purpose. They were without life and they could not accomplish anything. But the Bible says the prophet commanded them to come together. The Bible says there was a rattling taking place and the bones began to be reunited and joined together.

One of the interesting things here for me is that the bones came together as they should be and not as disconnected madness. The ankle bone was connected to the leg bones and the leg bones were connected to the knee, and so on, and so on. The point is they came together as they were intended. It was not God’s will that they be disconnected because in this state they were useless. After that the bones were united the realization came that they still did not have life. You see we can be in the same room with other believers. We can go to church but we can still miss out on life because God has not breathed his life into us. This life represents the Spirit of God. In Ezekiel, the prophet prayed and the breathe of God was breathed into the lifeless form and it lived.

God wants us to be a dwelling place for His Spirit. He wants to dwell with us. Someone has posed the question? If the Holy Spirit left the church, would anyone notice? If our doors were to close would we even be missed in the community? If He we were to abandon us, (and I am not suggesting He will or could) would we know it or would we continue to live as we have without any knowledge that Christ has departed. Remember the story of Samson? He was a strong man. His strengthen was a result of his commitment to God’s way.  But when he compromised, and shared with Delilah the secret to his success, he lost his power. The saddest part of the story is that he arose and went out as he always had and did not even know the spirit of God had departed from him. He was no longer empowered by God.

The question that is raised then is how do we maintain the presence of God in our lives? First, we must be a people of prayer. Prayer changes things but it also changes people. Be a people of the word. We hide the word of God within our hearts so that we do not sin against Him. Be a people of worship. Worship invites God’s presence. Be a people who are resolved to keep a short list of wrongs. Be a people who will practice the presence of God in their lives, by living like He is in you. Be a people who understand what they have been called to do for God and for others. Be people who live out grace and mercy.

We must also realize that by being joined together, we are to take the Spirit into every part of our lives. We are to effect our community for Christ. We are to effect our sphere of influence by carrying with us the Holy Spirit. When this occurs we are positioned for people to see Christ in us. We are able to present Christ through our words and by the way we act.

When the Spirit is dwelling in us, we will treat people differently. When the Spirit is dwelling in us we will live with a greater level of integrity, even in the little things. When the Spirit is dwelling in us, we will be sensitive to the needs of others. When the Spirit is dwelling in us, we will be burdened for the lost.

Is the Spirit dwelling in you or is He a guest that comes and goes?

For an Audio Version of this message go to www.pccministry.org

Copyright © All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

Peninsula Community Church

October 12, 2014

Ephesians – Reconciled to Reconcile

Ephesians 2:13-22 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

I am sure that you would agree this morning that we have all experienced a time in our lives where we were at odds with someone. In the process, we felt distant and alone. Quite often there was no known reason for the hostility, other than it existed and that is all you knew. Sometimes there is that hostility that comes as one feels they have been wronged, hurt, or abused. Regardless of the reason, this feeling of hostility can have great negative results. The Jews and Gentiles had just such a hostility between them. It is hard to pinpoint the exact cause of the hostility, although many reasons could be given. It appears that most of the issues were religious in nature.

Paul begins this section with the amazing words, “but now in Christ Jesus.” This phrase provides a transition between what was, what is, and what could be. As we witnessed earlier, Paul paints a desperate picture of mankind without Christ that is contrasted by the life committed to Christ. While Paul in verse 11-13 paints a desperate picture of one without Christ, he transitions here to paint the masterpiece of one who accepts Christ as their personal Savior and the effect it has on our relationship with other members of the body of Christ.

One of the keys here is that Paul opens the window into God’s heart to see that God is not a respecter of persons. He does not pick and choose who will be with Him and who will not. He is open for all to come to Christ. In fact, in fulfillment of the promise to Abraham (Genesis 12), for those who have accepted Christ, God has united our hearts together as one body. Jew and Gentile. Male and female. Slave and free. The boundaries that separated man from God and God from man have been destroyed by the work of Christ.

Let us look at the words of Paul together. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. What Paul is saying is that in our sin we were once distant from God and from one another without any way to approach God or others. In this is evidenced the great question of the centuries. How does a sinful man approach a holy God? The issue at hand is how does one approach God, because in doing so they were to be consumed by God’s holiness. That was the penalty of approaching God because sinful man could not face a holy God without a negative effective (Exodus 33:20). But in Christ the gap between sinful man and the holiness of God was bridged once and for all. What man could not do, Christ did by tearing down the wall of separation by His sacrifice upon the cross.

In our journey with Christ, we can feel distant and disconnected from God. This is a difficult place. It is perhaps one of the most lonely places to be. Think back to one of your first dates. How did you feel? Your palms were sweaty. Your heart rate was up. And then she or he slipped his hand into yours and you fell in love. How awesome was that moment? There is another moment that is just as exciting. It is that moment that we realize that we are loved by a heavenly Father and He wants to draw near to us. Paul notes that those who were once a far off have now been brought near to Christ.

You see the separation between God and man and thus between man and man began in the Garden of Eden when man fell (Genesis 3:8-11). Prior to man’s disobedience Adam and Eve would walk with God on a daily basis. They had a unique fellowship with God, but all of that changed the day man fell into sin. Notice that when God showed up for His daily stroll with man, man could not be found. He was cowering in fear and guilt because the relationship he had with God had changed. It is critical to note that nothing with God changed, but man’s attitude and his heart changed.

With Paul’s words it strikes me that there is no one that is too far from God or any relationship that is beyond the touch of God. Such spatial language of near and far was not uncommon in the Old Testament. It reminds me of Sesame Street where the children watching the show would learn spatial depth by the character on the show proclaiming the two comparisons: “Near,” “Far.” Here in this passage, Paul paints a picture of the one who is far from Christ, but now has the privilege and the right to draw near to God. Through the death of Christ, who took on man’s sin on man’s behalf, man now has entrance into the ways of God. Man, once regulated to a distant relationship, is now brought near to God in this new relationship.

Paul gives us two reasons for this being worked out for us. First, Paul states that this occurs in Christ. This represents our personal union with Christ. Christ became the bridge that would span the chasm between a holy God and sinful man. The second aspect is that this work is accomplished through the blood of Christ or the cross. It is through the cross that the door has been opened for us to enter into a personal relationship with Christ. Without this personal relationship, we cannot experience the reduction of hostility and separation against mankind. We cannot be close to God without coming to God through Christ.

Through this act, several important things took place. First, the partition that separated man was removed. It is interesting to note that in the previous verses that one of the reasons given for the division between the Jew and the Gentile was the ordinance of circumcision. In Christ, the need for the ceremonial law was removed. What was removed was the impediments the law brought, in that the law was great about pointing out one’s sin, but had little power to deal with the sin. Rather than relying on a man focused act, we now focus on Christ’s work which has the power to save and change lives. This today remains a problem. We often look to outside sources to remove sin from our lives, but it is only through the work of the cross that true freedom comes.

The second aspect here is that the work of Christ on the cross has made it possible that mankind can be reconciled. The Jew and the Gentile were simply representative groups. You see in Paul’s day the division was not just between the Jew and the Gentile but between the rich and the poor. It was between the those who had much and those who had little. It was gender related. It was against those who were in places of authority and those who were servants. It was recognized between the slave and the freeman.

You see the body of Christ is where Christ’s work of reconciliation is best witnessed. God has called us into a reconciling relationship with other believers to assist the nonbeliever to come to a reconciled relationship. John Piper has stated that “We must be a reconciling people because we are a reconciled people.” It is for this reason that God has given us the ministry of reconciliation. We are to help others come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The story is told of a missionary that was officiating a communion service in a remote section of Africa. Sitting at the table next to the missionary was tribal chief of the people called Ngeon. He was known as Manly Heart. The chief shared with the missionary that he remembered a day before they met Christ that the warriors of Ngeon would send their fighters to bloody their spears with the blood of the neighboring tribes, the Sanga and the Timbuka. They would return with a trail of blood behind them, their villages were burned and they raped the women. But the chief said all of that is different because sitting to his left were the elders of the church from among the Sanga and the Timbuka tribes. Tribes once thirsting for one another’s blood were now one in the blood of Christ. How awesome is that. That is a testimony to the reconciling work of God. It is a testimony of what is available to us all in Christ.

For an audio version of this message go to PCCministry.org.

Copyright © Robert W. Odom All Rights Reserved

For an audio version of this message go to PCCministry.org.

Copyright © Robert W. Odom All Rights Reserved

Peninsula Community Church

Ephesians – Don’t Forget

October 5, 2014

Ephesians 2:11-22 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

As we grow in Christ one of the challenges we face is that we can easily forget where we have come from spiritually. This is always a challenge for us in that it is so easy to become stagnate in our growth because we forget where we have come from. We can become spoiled because we forget all that has been accomplished on our behalf. To forget where we have come from is to forget the blessings of God which He has bestowed upon us. To forget where we have come from is to void the testimony of God in our lives that He uses in the present. To not remember is to forget that we were darkened by sin but through Christ we have been made alive and have been filled with His life and light.

To remember is an interesting concept. It can be challenging for some of us as we can be held captive by the past memories of those who have failed us or wounded us. We are also reminded of our personal failures which seem so hard to overcome. In the first case, we develop a mindset of mistrust where we struggle to trust anyone, especially those that remind us of the person who has hurt us. In the second, we succumb to the lie that we are failures and that we will never succeed because that is just the way things are.

As we look back, we must reach a balance. If we stay focused on the past, we will be unable to move beyond the failures and reminders of where we have been. We will stagnate and become fruitless because we do not have a forward looking perspective. And yet on the other hand, we must look back long enough to remember our life without Christ so that we have a healthy view of where we have been, where we are, and where we are headed. A healthy view of where we are, will be a way to remember that where we have been is not where we are. Where we are, now, is not where we will end up. We are growing and changing daily. We glory in the testimony of God’s work in us and yet we find that we are yearning for continued change and growth.

To help the church at Ephesus to remember where they had been Paul paints a desperate picture of their life without Christ. He was reminding them of the state of their spiritual condition and their life before Christ came to restore them. He reminds them that they were rejected by the Jews. He reminds them that they were separated from Christ. They were alienated from the commonwealth of Israel. They were strangers to the covenants of promise. They had no hope. They were without God. This sounds like a terrific place to be in life. The message here is one that sounds desperate and it is.

To fully understand the words of Paul, we need to also understand the atmosphere that was evidenced during this period of history. There was no love loss between the Jews and the Gentiles. To say they despised one another would be an under statement. While the Gentiles had their issues, the Jews made it difficult for the Gentiles to come to Christ. The Jews ostracized the Gentiles from their way of life. The Gentiles were only allowed to worship the God of the Jews from a distance. In fact, in the temple, the Jewish leaders had erected signs which stated that if the Gentile was to enter specific areas of the temple, they could face death.

The Jews of that day had developed a prideful, arrogant attitude toward those outside the faith. They had taken the calling of God to a misguided place where they began to misrepresent the calling of God on their lives. They saw themselves as the elite of God. You see they were effective at bringing up the name of Abraham but they forgot that the promise Abraham had been given. In Genesis 12, God promises Abraham that he will be a blessing through the nations.  God promises that… in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. How quickly we can forget the purpose of God in our lives.

Look at the place the Gentiles found themselves. They were lost and dead in sin. They were rejected by the religious leaders of the day. They were rejected by those who had the answer. Once again, Paul could have placed a period here but he did not. But rather than putting a period here and closing the book, he makes a transition that changes everything. He transitions this passage much like he does in the earlier verses we studied. He uses this defining transitional phrase “But now in Christ.” From there, Paul masterfully shows the reader what one looks like when they have been impacted by the work of  Christ.

We will continue this next week but before we close I want to discuss something I think that is critical for us. One of the things that came from my study and preparation for this message was that we often erect barriers that make it hard for others to come to Christ. Some of these are the same problems faced by those in the New Testament. One of the first things we find is that the Jews were often heavy on the law but light on grace. The Jews were more interested in the sign of the circumcision than what the circumcision represented. They rejected those who had not been circumcised. But when Christ came, He replaced the requirement of circumcision with Himself. You see what Jesus is after is not the foreskin but the heart. The Jewish leaders were masters at forcing others to obey the law when they themselves could not follow their own law.

Now let me give a counterpoint to this as well. We can also come to the place where we are heavy on grace but light on truth. We find ourselves compromising the truth of the gospel in order to minister to others. In our church in New York, we had a young man that was heavy on grace but overlooked sin in his life. He was one that minimized sin in his life to a fault. We found  out that his wife had been a man at one time but had a sex change operation to become a woman. You see rather than deal with the truth he overemphasized grace without dealing with the sin with his heart and the heart of his wife. They needed grace but not apart from the Gospel of Christ.

With that said, the Jews set boundaries that kept the Gentiles separated and therefore disconnected from God. If we are not careful we can be in the position to reject those who are not like us, who do not  look like us, or who do not have the same social or hereditary background. You see all are welcome at the feet of Jesus but too often we act and live as if we are the only ones called to his feet. The one who had the sex change operation still has a place at the feet of Jesus. This may blow us away but it is true because God came to save those who are lost regardless of who they are.

One of the ministries I admire is Brooklyn Tabernacle. I have had the privilege of meeting Pastor Cymbala and also attending the services at Brooklyn Tabernacle. Over and over again they have shared testimonies of God’s miraculous power to bring healing to the heart of those who were in bondage. They have seen gays and lesbians come to Christ. They have witnessed drug addicts coming to a saving grace with Christ. The lost have been found.

The problem with the Jews is that they were spiritually isolated. They did not associate with those outside their sphere of influence. Do you know any one that is unsaved? Do you have a relationship with those who do not know Christ? Where is your sphere of influence? One of the reasons I have decided to be a part of the SCEMS as a chaplain is that it opens the door for me to associate with those who do not have a relationship with Christ. Recently, I was introduced as the chaplain before a group of about 50 EMTs. During a question and answer period, one of the medics asked how personable I would be. You see the resources of help they have available to them serve them from afar. They do not understand what they go through. I was able to answer the question in a way that I did not understand until that moment. My answer was that is why I ride on the trucks a couple times a month. I listen to the broadcasts on the website. I will be taking the first responders class. Why? I want to know what they experience so that I can be better at pointing them to Christ and effectively ministering to their needs.

Copyright © Robert W. Odom All Rights Reserved

For audio version go to http://www.pccministry.org

Peninsula Community Church

Ephesians – “We Are His Workmanship!”

September 28, 2014

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We continue this morning to move through the Book of Ephesians as we learn more about our identity in Christ. So far, we have discovered the precious gifts God has given us through Christ. We have eternal life. We have an inheritance. We have great power through Christ. We have a new identity. We have discovered what was once a void in our lives is now filled with Christ. How awesome is that?

I love people who are craftsmen in their field of expertise. Michelle’s dad is one of those craftsmen. I have watched as he has remodeled a home that once stood empty and worthy of being destroyed. Rich would work his magic and remodel the house to make it livable again. I am also amazed at those who can take a blank canvas and produce a magnificent painting. A relative cheap canvas is now worth so much more because of the craftsman’s touch. But there is no greater canvas than the canvas of our lives where God is writing His story and weaving His will into our lives.

In the passage before us, we discover more about our identity. Today, we discover that we are His workmanship which literally means “a thing of His making.” We are His handiwork. The order of the Greek words here is critical. In the Greek, the word says “His workmanship we are.” We are His masterpiece, a creation of His own doing. It is God’s work in us and God’s work through us that reveals His workmanship.

David recognized the workmanship of God when he penned the following words. Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (Psalm 100:3). Notice again in Psalm 139:13-16 that David states, For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Jeremiah understood this idea of being created and formed in His mother’s womb for a reason. He knew that his gifts and talents were given to him before he was born. This is evidenced in Jeremiah’s words in Jeremiah 1:4. Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. What is being said here. God knew Jeremiah before he was born. He knew what was to become of him. He was formed and fashioned for a purpose.

The idea of workmanship suggests that there is a craftsman. God is the craftsman and you are the result of His creation. Regardless of how you feel about yourself, no matter your current circumstances, no matter what kind of mistakes you have made, no matter what family you are from; you are God’s creation. You were designed by a perfect master craftsman. You are an original. You are a masterpiece. You are the image and likeness of God the Creator. There is no one like you.

Stop and think about this for a moment, we have been crafted and designed by the greatest craftsman of all time. He formed you and shaped you. We must therefore come to an understanding of who we are in God. Too often, we struggle with self-esteem and self-worth issues. We strive to be what someone else desires for us to be and we are miserable and fruitless. Or, we have either been directly or subtly taught that we will never amount to anything, we are not worth anything, and we will never be fully acceptable. We believed we were flawed beyond repair. This in essence is a form of bondage and will severely limit our work and service for God.

A second problem revealed to us is that as God’s creation, we have been marred by sin. The creation of God has become defective because of the fall of man. That is why Paul emphasizes the emptiness of a life without Christ in Ephesians 2:1-3. But God has restored man to his rightful place and to his rightful purpose. The point Paul is making is that while you were lost and you were marred by sin, while you were empty and void; God rescued you because you are His workmanship.

You see in so many ways when we were saved we were in essence repurposed, recreated, and restored to God’s original intent. Not long ago, we had the opportunity to tour Linda Esham’s son’s car restoration center in Bridgeville. In his garage, he had several cars at all levels of the restoration process. Some cars had been stripped down to the frame. Others were at the end of the process and looked awesome. At one point they had been a broken down heap of parts and rust, but Brian had a vision for what they could be. As a master craftsman, he knew what had to be removed and replaced. He knew the areas that had to be welded and changed to restore the car to its original design and purpose.

The same is true of the workmanship of Christ, he knows us and has a vision for of what could be. God’s desire is to repurpose us, and redirect us toward His calling and His will. How do we know this? We know this from Paul’s writings in Ephesians 4:20-24 and Colossians 3:5-10 But that is not the way you learned Christ! — assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Earlier we learned that we are saved by grace and not by works. This is absolutely true but as a creation of God we have also been created for good works. Think about this if you will. Before you were born, God had a plan for your life. He knew what family you would be born into. He knew what your hobbies would be. He knew what would give you the most joy. He knew how your experiences and friendships would form who you are. He knew what gifts and talents you would possess. He knew which gifts and talents you would develop through life.

God has given us all of the gifts he has given us so that we will be effective ambassadors for Christ. He has called us to serve Him and to operate out of the gifts and talents he has given us. Note that we are not to do these things apart from God but with God. The beauty of the body of Christ is that we are most effective when we are doing what we have been created to do in Christ and when we join with others who know what they have been created to do.

Believers who catch a glimpse of the Lord’s love for them—His plans for their lives, and His desire to be with them, will find confidence and inner assurance that can’t be matched. Your self-esteem must be based on His opinion, not your analysis or someone else’s. Remember, it’s what God thinks that truly matters.

Paul also notes that our good works should be a way of life for us. As we close today, we must recognize that God calls us to use our gifts and talents according to his purpose and his will. The greatest testament to God we can have is using our gifts and our lives to glorify God. Paul says that we are to walk in these things. This word walk in the Hebrew language is significant. It speaks of our manner of life, e.g. how we live. This paragraph begins with man walking in trespasses and sin but ends with man walking in the will of God. Man was lost without hope but God came and now he is living from a different perspective. He has a different way of life. The contrast is complete. It is a contrast between two lifestyles: evil and good. It is a contrast between two masters: God and the devil. What could have effected such a change? It was that God made us a new creation. But God by grace brought the change.

Copyright © 2014 Robert W. Odom All Rights Reserved