Life on the edge

Sermon on the Mount

“Your Kingdom Come. Your Will Be Done”

May 29, 2011

Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’ day there was a mistaken understanding about Messiah’s mission. The Jews of Jesus’ day believed that the Messiah would come to overthrow the Roman Empire and that He would establish His earthly Kingdom by force. But the true mission of Christ was to establish a spiritual kingdom and not an earthly Kingdom. He came that men might establish His Kingdom in their hearts and not their politics.

When we look at the Kingdom we see that the Kingdomof Godis here and now and it is yet to come. John the Baptist proclaimed “Repent for theKingdom ofGod is at hand” (Matt 3:2) as an introduction of Jesus to the world. When Jesus began His ministry in Matthew 4:17, He proclaimed this truth as well “Repent for theKingdom ofGod is at hand.” Christ came to establish His kingdom among His people in the present but He is also preparing a place for us that is beyond this present reality.

The term “Kingdom” signifies the ‘being,’ ‘nature,’ and ‘state’ of the king. And secondly, the term signifies that “the dignity of the king is expressed in the territory ruled by Him.” In essence, the Kingdomof Godis expressed through God’s authority, rule and Lordship being manifested not only in us but through us as well. As His people, we are an expression of His authority, rule and Lordship in our lives.

The term “God’s will” signifies the revelation of His purposes and His plans in our lives. In prayer, we surrender our will and our purposes to His will and His purposes so that we might gain His understanding and guidance.

When we pray “Your Kingdom Come, Your will be done” we are praying for His authority, rule and Lordship to be established in every area of our lives: We are praying for His kingdom and His will to be established in:

• In me– Thekingdom ofGod and the will of God must first be established in me. When we pray we are asking that God will be revealed to me and then be worked out through me so that theKingdom ofGod becomes an active part of our lives. His authority, rule and Lordship must be manifested in me.
• In my actions – When the Kingdom of God and the Will of God are worked out in me then my actions will begin to reflect Kingdom mindedness. My actions as a believer will be like an ambassador or representative of God’s Kingdom. We see this expressed in Paul’s writings of 1 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through is.” As ambassadors, we are his representatives. Therefore, His authority, rule and Lordship must be revealed in all I do.
• In my circumstances – There is a revelation here that we are praying that God would not only reveal Himself in us and in our actions but that His kingdom and will would also be revealed in our circumstances. In essence, we are praying for God’s Kingdom and His will to come to the circumstances of our lives. His authority, rule and Lordship must be revealed in every situation of my life.
• In my sphere of influence – We pray also that God’s will and His Kingdom be expressed through our sphere of influence so that people see Christ in us. His authority, rule and Lordship must impact all of those that I encounter in life.

In this regard, Dallas Willard said this about the Kingdomof God. We are thinking of the places we spend our lives: of homes, playgrounds, city streets, workplaces, schools, and so forth. These are the places we have in mind, and they are where we are asking for the kingdom, God’s rule, to come and be in effect. We know our weaknesses, our limitations, our habits, and we know how tiny our power of conscious choice is. We are therefore asking that, by means beyond our knowledge and the scope of our will, we will be assisted to act within the flow of God’s actions.

The fact is; God’s kingdom is not a place, but rather a relationship. It exists wherever people enthrone Jesus as lord of their lives. (J. I Packer in Growing Disciples)

It is important to notice that it is His will and His Kingdom that must be established and not our own. This calls for us to surrender our will and understanding of issues to Him and to recognize that He is in total control and that He knows what is best for us in every circumstance.

How do we apply this? We pray for God’s will, His authority, His will and His Lordship to be revealed in every area of our lives. We do not compartmentalize our lives but we allow His entrance into every part of who we are and what we do. Our Christianity is not something that we put on and take off but we wear it daily.

Sermon on the Mount – Hallowed Be Your Name

What’s in a name?

 

Text: Matthew 6:9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

 

While the phrase “Our Father in Heaven” speaks of our access to the Father. The phrase “Hallowed be your name” speaks to the focus of our worship. The question is who or what do we worship? The fact is we will all worship something or someone. Bob Dylan’s song “You Gotta Serve Somebody, fits appropriately here:

You may be an ambassador to England or France,
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance,
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world,
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

You might be a rock ‘n’ roll addict prancing on the stage,
You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage,
You may be a business man or some high degree thief,
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

In the phrase “hallowed be your name” there are two key words: “hallowed” and “Name.”

Name – hink of who that person is. We think of their attributes as a person. For example, when I mention the following names what do you think of:

1. Kennedy family
   
2. Donald Trump
   
3. Arnold Schwarzeneggar
   
4. Harold Camping
   

 

A person’s name represents:

1. Identity – who a person is.
   
2. Relationship – how are they connected to one another? Are they a relative, a friend or an acquaintance
   
3. Authority – what power do they hold?
   

 

The word hallowed speaks to us about worship as it is a term that means to consecrate or set apart. We worship God and God alone. In essence when we pray “Hallowed be your name” we are asking God to help us see Him as pure and holy and then to show to others His purity and holiness in the world around us. In other words we are declaring that God is Holy and worthy of worship. It is for this reason that we do not come to God just to have our prayers answered but to identify with Him and to allow Him to be manifested in our lives.

Four ways to hallow His Name:

1. To believe in Him – In Numbers 20:12 we have these words. And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” God is accusing Moses of not trusting God when he struck the rock to bring forth water. As a result, he faced the consequence of not seeing the promise land. When we treat God as holy we trust Him at His word.
   
2. By not fearing what men fear but by fearing God – “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. (Isaiah 8:12-13) Fear of man will be paralyze us and force us to worry about what others think to the detriment of accomplishing anything for God. Secondly, we must be worried about what the world is worried about because we know who holds our future in the palm of his hand. Colossians 3:23-24 –
   Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
   
3. We keep His commandments – “So you shall keep my commandments and do them: I am the LORD. And you shall not profane my holy name, that I may be sanctified among the people of Israel. I am the LORD who sanctifies you… (Leviticus 22:31-32). John 14:15 “If you love me keep my commandments.” I John 2:4 – Whoever says “I know Him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in Him.” And then in 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
   
4. We glorify God –
   Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said, ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.'” And Aaron held his peace.
   (Leviticus 10:3). We are not just Christians on Sunday morning but where ever we go we must bring Christ into the situation. We bring Him onto our jobs, the school we attend, the people we meet and so on.
   

 

Therefore, when we pray Hallowed be your name we are recognizing that God can be believed in. He is to be feared. We are to keep His commandments and we are to glorify His name in all we do. When we understand this we realize that true prayer is coming to the Father to submit to His will.

When we worship we become like the god you worship, even if you don’t realize that you are worshipping. So, when we pray “hallowed be your name” we are asking for God to be revealed in our lives and that we will become a bit more like the Father.

Have you fully dedicated your life to worshipping Him? If not you can do that right now.

Peninsula Community Church

Sermon on the Mount – The Lord’s Prayer

May 15, 2011

 

Mat 6:9-15 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 

In the Sermon on the Mount while Christ pointed out the error of the Pharisees He also used the opportunity to teach truth to those which were sitting at His feet. In verses 5-8, Jesus details what prayer is not suppose to be.

1. It is not about our public presence and the desire to get the approval of men.
   
2. It is not about the phraseology or the number of words used.
   

Jesus counters this by teaching them the simplicity of prayer and in essence the power of prayer.

What is prayer? It is having a conversation with God. It is communication. It is best learned by doing. It does not have to be complicated but it must be honest and must be directed to God.

Keys to effective Prayer

1. “Our Father in Heaven” – Relationship = access. – Through this we understand that our access to God is based on the relationship we have in God (not with God). He is our father and we are his children.
   
2. “Hallowed be your name” – Recognition of who God is and what is identified through His name. We recognize who God is and we desire to draw near Him.
   
3. “Your kingdom come, your will be done…” We understand that the Kingdom is now and it is yet to come and I can know God’s will for me as it relates to that kingdom.
   
4. “Give us this day our daily bread” – Day-to-day dependence. We recognize God as our sustenance and the sustainer of life.
   
5. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” – By this we live a life of forgiveness.
   
6. “And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil” – Testimony of obedient Faith.
   

In the phrase “Our Father” we understand that how we address someone shows our relationship with that person. When we speak with someone we use names to identify who that person is and to distinguish them from everyone else. This is why the Lord’s Prayer begins with the phrase “our father in heaven…” We call people by their name such as Bill, Father, uncle, friend, etc.

At Chris’s graduation on several occasions the speakers stated that the relationship between the professors and the graduates had now changed. Instead of calling each other Mr. Pitera or Mr. Odom they could now relate as Bob and Chris.

The phrase “Our Father in Heaven speaks to us about our access to the Father. Access to the Father can be thwarted when the image of father is distorted:

The problem with this phrase is that can be interpreted as God being distant and disconnected and not being very concerned about us. But in reality the opposite is seen here in this passage. God is not far away but He is very near and is deeply concerned about our every need.

This idea of father can be distorted by the memory of our earthly father. If our father was mean and demanding; we can impose that kind of thinking upon our heavenly father. If we believe our earthly father is uncaring and unapproachably then we can begin to consider God the father as distant and unapproachable. If we believe our father to be condemning and judgmental then we can also believe that our father in heaven is condemning and judgmental. The opposite can be true as well. If our father gave us anything we wanted and never said no we can envision God the Father as a genie or Santa Clause and whatever we ask for he will give it to us even if it is not for our good. Therefore, we must be sure that our view of God is correct and is not distorted.

This is like our children who come to us only when they want something. Our son Joshua had not called us in some time. When he did I asked why he had not called and his response was that he had not needed anything. We laugh at this but we often treat God the same way. We only go to him when we need something rather than taking time to fellowship and communicate on a regular basis.

The fact is that God the father is not only God the creator but He is also God the redeemer. Think about this for a moment. The God of all creation desires to have a personal relationship with you as His created child. His desire is to see you redeemed and set free from the power of the world’s domination over you. He desires to give you access into His presence.

This is best illustrated by the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) who asked his dad for his inheritance. The son left and began to spend all that he had until he was left with nothing. He ended up in the lowest place possible when he began to feed the pigs and began to eat their food because he could not afford to buy his own food. One day he realized that even the slaves in his father’s house had it better off than he did so he decided he would go home and ask to be his dad’s slave.

But when he arrived home his reception was more than he ever dreamed. The son hoped to have access as a slave and not a son. But the father welcomed Him as a son and not a slave. You see the father had been waiting for him. The father threw him a party because his son had returned home. His was restored to his position as son and he was reestablished in his relationship to his father by the symbolic act of the father giving him the family ring and placing a robe on his shoulder. This is critical because what the son had done was a slap in the father’s face but rather than rejecting the son, the father received him as a son.

This is a picture of God’s desire for us. When we turn our backs on the Father, when we come to our senses he welcomes us, restores us and reestablishes His relationship with us. He could have rejected the son but he chose to receive as His son.

So too as we enter into prayer we enter into His presence as an accepted son or daughter of the creator of all the universe. We therefore must come boldly before the throne. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews has to say about this:

Hebrews 4:14 -16 – Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

The reality is that God is the father and He desires for us to come into His presence regardless of what we might have done. We all have days when we come to the place of prayer where we feel we have messed things up so badly but Jesus says I want you to have confident faith when you come. We must recognize that we are not just coming to a king but our daddy.

In essence, Jesus begins this prayer in this way – There is a relationship that you have been given. Because He created you, the father cares about and your needs, just on those terms alone. But your greatest need is to know what it means to be born into His family, and to know the Father Redeemer through His son Jesus Christ. When you have that intimate relationship, then you can come before the throne of grace however fumbling or failing you feel, whatever plight you face and know there is access into His presence.

When we sin, sin causes a break in fellowship. The break is not on God’s part but on ours as we refuse to enter His presence out of fear, guilt, shame and a mindset that He will refuse us access.

So here is the bottom line God the father gives you access to Him no matter what you have done. When you realize the error of your way and you return to Him, He will receive you not as a slave but as a son.

Peninsula Community Church

May 8, 2011

Mother’s Day

Call Her Blessed: God’s Grace at Work

 

Text – Proverbs 31:10, 30-31. –An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

In Proverbs 31:1 we see that Proverbs 31 was written by King Lemuel who was actual King Solomon. He had been taught my his mother was thought to be Bathsheba. We will discuss more about this in a moment.

While this chapter of Proverbs contains many qualities and characteristics of a successful woman my desire is to focus on a just three of these qualities. The defining qualities of the Proverbs 31 woman can be summed in these three ideas:

• Strength or security (Prov. 31:25) – the Proverbs 31 woman is secure in who she is and what she has been called to do. This means that she is no coward. She does not compare herself with others. She does not walk in shame and regret because of past failures but holds her head high because of God’s work in her. One of the tools used by the enemy of our souls is to cause us to walk in condemnation, shame and regret. But in Romans 8:1 Paul reminds us that “there is now no condemnation to those who walk after the spirit and not after the flesh.” This is critical because one who walks after the spirit will allow God to assist them to walk in forgiveness and wholeness. Isaiah 40:31 highlights this when Isaiah proclaimed that those who “wait on the Lord shall renew their strength and that they would mount up with wings as eagles.”
  
• Dignity – her adornment is the inner beauty of who she is in Christ. The woman’s greatest beauty is found not in her outward appearance but in who she is as a person. The fact is one can have all of the outward beauty possible and still not find their satisfaction in Christ.
  
• It is important to note that because of her strength and dignity she is able to face the uncertain future with confidence because she above all else serves God.
  
• These first two qualities are held in contrast to the qualities of Proverbs 31:31 where Solomon states that charm is deceitful and beauty is vain. What Solomon is referring to is the inner beauty that comes from loving God and serving him. Today in America 13 billion dollars is spent on for plastic surgery and 7 billion dollars on cosmetics and beauty enhancers; that is an average of $100 per month per woman. And, yet so many are never happy with themselves. The key is to have an inner beauty that comes out of a relationship with God.
  
• The third quality here is that she will have a balanced fear of the Lord as opposed to charm which can be a sham and beauty that is empty. This is not the first time that Solomon emphasized the necessity of fearing God. He also concluded the Book of Ecclesiastes with these words: “The end of the matter, all has been heard, Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man.” The fear represented here must be not understood as cowering in fear but a healthy respect for God and a right understanding of who He is. In essence, the one who fears the Lord recognizes that all that they are comes from God and that they have been created for a purpose and that they must seek to fulfill that purpose in Christ.
  

 

What can we take away from this passage?

In reading this passage the potential for becoming discouraged is rather high but rather than being an unreachable goal Proverbs 31 outlines the grace and power of God to overcome any failure. For me there are three important aspects to this passage that must be considered:

First, this passage outlines a template for godly women to aspire to but it is not a legalistic set of rules that if one fails in anyone of these they would be considered a failure as a wife, a mother or for that matter a woman. This is a goal to reach. All of us are on a journey where we will have both successes and failures. We may not have arrived but we are growing each day and becoming more like Christ. While God is perfecting us, we have yet to be made perfect.

Secondly, this passage is a reminder that it is God that enables us to become the person He wants us to be. Paul reminds us of this in Philippians 2:12-13. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. I recognize that there are some that feel they have failed in their role as mother and wife but there is more than enough grace in Christ to cover every failure and sin.

Thirdly, we see the power of God’s grace in this passage. Most commentators believe that the woman that had taught King Lemuel was none other than Bathsheba. The term Lemuel was another name that Solomon went by. Think for a moment of the work that God has done in Bathsheba’s life. She had sinned by having an affair with David who conspired to have her husband killed. Then their son died as a baby. Think for a moment what emotions she must have expressed during this time: anger, regret, feelings of failure, despair and insecurity. She should have been a failure but God had done something within her that changed her forever. And thus she could encourage her son to find a wife whose heart was after God.

Peninsula Community Church

Sermon on the Mount – Secret Acts Bring Open Reward

May 1, 2011

 

Matthew 6:1-8 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

 

Jesus begins this passage with the word “Beware.” In the KJV the word used here is “take heed.” The actual word here means to “hold the mind on a matter,” take pains, take heed. Jesus is saying here to set your mind on what true and honorable righteousness is.

 

In verse 1 Jesus warns those of His day about practicing their righteousness before others for the purpose of being seen or recognized. The result of this action is that Jesus will not reward them for they have already received their reward by virtue of the fact that others give them praise.

 

As we read these passages, Matthew 6:1-18, we see a common theme. “Do not do your righteous acts before men as what you do in secret will be rewarded in the open.”

 

In the next few verses Jesus addresses three areas of religious activity that can lead to hypocritical motivations and of seeking another’s praise.

1. Giving of alms – Matthew 6:1-4
   
2. Prayer – Matthew 6:5-15
   
3. Fasting – Matthew 6:16-18
   

 

Jesus relates how the hypocrites carry out their spiritual duties and functions and He instructs the believer on how to achieve honor and reward from God.

1. What is the hypocrite’s attitude? Hypocrisy carries the idea of wearing a mask. It is a pretender or an actor. While the word was usually used to define an actor it was later used to define one who deceives himself or others and sometimes they deceive both at the same time. In Jesus’ time, the term hypocrisy had become associated with an outward piety that masked an inward corruption.
   
   1. Jesus addresses the motivation of why the hypocrites do what they do. Their motivation is to receive another’s praise.
      
   2. The motivation of their actions is a result of the inward mindsets and heart issues that are contrary to God’s will and His purpose.
      
      1. Inward emptiness – Though outwardly they appear to have everything together inwardly they are empty and dead.
         
      2. Pride & arrogance
         
      3. Lack of spiritual depth. They have to pretend to be something they are not.
         
      4. I have seen this worked out in several ways: One of those ways is when people want positions of power they do things so others will see them and witness their amazing ability.
         
2. The Believers attitude on the other hand:
   
   1. The passionate follower of Christ does things for praise of God as He is the audience of one.
      
   2. The passionate follower of Christ does not care who gets the credit. Jesus made repeatedly and unmistakable distinctions between our face to the world and our person before God (Dallas Willard in Divine Conspiracy).
      
   3. In essence, passionate followers of Christ have been so transformed by their daily walk with God that good deeds naturally flow from their character. They automatically because of what they are pervasively and internally.
      
   4. What is being professed is that God desires us to have an audience of one which extends to all that we do and not just to deeds of devotion or charity. The Apostle Paul charges us to do all of our work whatever the situation with enthusiasm as for the Lord and not for men knowing that he is the one who rewards you and whom you serve.” And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3:17). How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? (John 5:44)
      
3. The reward for each:
   
   1. Hypocrites:
      
      1. Gets an immediate reward.
         
      2. Gets praise from men – The hypocrites want to be praised of men and that is exactly what they get – men’s praise but the praise of men can be shallow and short-lived.
         
   2. Believers:
      
      1. Their rewards come later.
         
      2. God rewards each according to his works
         
4. Two things should be noted in this passage:
   
   1. The teaching here is not a call to hide our good deeds but rather it addresses the intent and the motivation for our good deeds. There is nothing inherently wrong with one’s deeds being known. The issue is that we are not seen doing good deeds but we are doing good deeds to be seen. When we do things for promised recognition as a motive instead of doing what should be done for its own sake we are preempting God’s role and will in our life.
      
   2. Our intent is determined by what we want and expect from our action. When we do good deeds to be seen of human beings we are looking for something that comes from human beings. God responds to our expectations accordingly. When we want human approval and esteem and do what we do for the sake of it, God courteously stands aside because, by our wish, it does not concern him. On the other hand if we live unto to God alone he responds to our expectations.
      
5. The ongoing theme of this passage is that what is done in secret will be rewarded in the open.
   

 

 

 

 

Easter Sunday

April 24, 2011

He Is Risen – Everything Changed

 

Luke 24:1-12 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

Today, we have come together to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. But as we do that we must not get lost in the celebration of the Holiday as much as we pause to remember the event that makes Easter, Easter. If we are not careful, we will become enthralled with the activities and details of the holiday and forget that the reason we celebrate is because Christ has risen and for no other reason.

I am by no means suggesting that Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies, new clothes, Easter bonnets and a great meal are not ok; it is simply that we must keep everything in perspective. This is a problem for most holidays we celebrate. Take for example the Fourth of July. Too many today celebrate with fireworks, cookouts and friends but fail to remember the very reason why we are celebrating. We celebrate on the Fourth of July to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence which secured our freedom from a hostile England.

We celebrate today because Christ’s death on the cross secured our freedom from sin and His resurrection guaranteed that we would have power over sin, death and the grave.

Let us take a look at the Resurrection story this morning. On Friday afternoon Jesus breathed His last breath of air. In Luke 23:50, Joseph of Arimathia a member of the council, a good and righteous man and one who had not consented to their decision and action; because he was looking for the Kingdom of God took Jesus’ body to be buried.

The Women came along to see where His body was to be laid so that they could return after the Sabbath to anoint His body with burial oils. They returned home to prepare the oils and spices because once the Sabbath started they would not be allowed to kind of work according to Jewish Sabbatical law.

As the sun rose the women were off to prepare the body of Jesus for burial. You see that the Sabbath was over at the first light of dawn. When they arrived at the tomb of Jesus they show something that they did not expect. They found the tomb empty.

What they found were two men who proclaimed the words that would reshape all of history and future events. “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here for He is risen.” Suddenly, they remembered the words of Jesus and they ran to tell the disciples. But the disciples rejected the story and considered the words “idle tales and they did not believe them.”

As we review the facts of this story one thing becomes very evident. No one expected for Christ to rise from the dead. Joseph had wrapped Jesus in a burial cloth and the women were preparing the oils and spices for His burial.

The disciples well they were at home. Because of the events of the past week they were afraid, they were confused and they were filled with disbelief. And, when the women had brought the word that Jesus was alive their word was rejected. The disciples did not believe the report of the women.

The disciples did not recognize that the power of God was able to conquer death and the grave.1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. This gives us hope because there are times when I have fallen short and have failed to understand the truth of God’s word.

Let me ask you, how would you have acted knowing that Jesus was going to rise again? Would you have gone to the grave site and waited with anticipation? Any time I am waiting for something I keep checking until I receive that item or the event occurs.

Notice that Peter finally gets up and runs to the tomb. He looks into the tomb but he marvels at the fact the tomb was empty. It still had not registered that Jesus had fulfilled the words that He had promised.

Once Peter and the disciples realized what had happened they knew that because Jesus arose everything changed.

1. Everything that Jesus had said about Himself was true.
2. Everything He had said about God was true.
3. Everything Jesus had said about personal
   prayer to God was true.
4. What Jesus had promised about Him dying for the payment of sin was true.
5. The revelation of Him as the Lamb of God and the Son of God was evident.

The resurrection of Christ symbolizes victory over sin and death. Believers can enjoy transformed lives and reconciled relationships with God in and through Christ the risen Lord (1 John 3:1-10). The followers of Christ are guaranteed to enjoy eternal life as the result of the victory of Christ over death (1 John 3:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:12, 20, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

The resurrection of Christ reassures us that God has power and authority over His creation. Not even death can limit His power. He can bring to life that which is dead. “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54) so “in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22, also see 1 John 4:9).

Christ’s resurrection also demonstrates God’s power over sin. The final outcome of sin is death. When God raised Jesus from the dead He conquered our greatest enemy. God altered the forces of nature along with the ultimate effects of sin. The Creator of Life created life once again.
 
This also means that believers have hope for their own resurrection after they die. Because Jesus lives we can also live again. Paul told the Corinthians that Jesus is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” 1 Corinthians 15:20. Christians look forward to following Jesus into eternity with God.

What does this all mean? It means that there is no sin or no event that is beyond God’s ability to transform because of the cross and the power of the resurrection.

As we anticipate our final reward, we can experience life with Jesus right now. Christ’s resurrection assured the possibility that people can have a real relationship with a living person. Jesus is not the dead hero of our faith. He is our living Friend and Guide. We can walk each day in communion with a living Savior.

To comprehend the impact of this story we must move ahead to Acts 2 where Peter stood before the people to proclaim that Jesus was alive.

In Acts 2:38-39 Peter proclaimed
“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

We repent and receive the truth of God’s promise that to all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Acts 2:21)

The Triumphal Entry Of Christ

April 17,2011

 

Theme: The Triumphal Entry of Christ teaches us about worship.

Luke 19:29-42 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.'” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near–already on the way down the Mount of Olives–the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

Background into the story: To understand this story we must look at the story itself. Below you will find some of the critical parts to this story:

1. They came to celebrate Passover – The triumphal entry into Jerusalem took place during the Passover season which meant the city of Jerusalem was filled with people from around the world. Because of the festivities around this week the crowd was ready to celebrate so it would not have taken much for them to get worked up. Some have estimated that the population in Jerusalem during this season had swelled to over 3 million.
   
2. They came to see Jesus and Lazarus – In John 12, we see that many of those who had come had heard the news about Lazarus and were ready to meet this man called Jesus. Lazarus had been dead for three days and Jesus raised Him.
   
3. Why a donkey? The donkey was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. We see the prophetic word “Behold your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey” being fulfilled in this moment.
   
4. Why a Triumph Parade? The scene of the multitude throwing palm branches was not an uncommon event. In fact,
   when a Roman general was victorious in battle they would receive an official “triumph” parade upon his return to Rome. To receive such a parade he would have had to have slain at least 5000 of the enemy. Anything less than that would have been just an ovation. History also tells us that the king when entering a city would ride on a horse when going into battle and he would ride a donkey when he came in peace. So you see the Prince of Peace was coming into the city.
   
5. Why the palms? The palms were symbols of victory and rejoicing. It was not uncommon for the streets to be strewn with flowers and tree branches to celebrate royalty and victorious generals.
   
6. Sounds of Praise – “Blessed is he who comes in the name of Jehovah…” As they were signing this psalm they were looking to Jesus as God’s Anointed One, the Messiah, the Deliverer, the One who was to come.
   

 

In this event there was both great insight and great misunderstanding for the Jew.

The great insight was that Jesus was really the King who came in the Name of the Lord. He was Messiah, the Son of David, the long-awaited ruler of Israel, the fulfillment of all of God’s promises.

The great misunderstanding was that the people of Israel thought Messiah would enter Jerusalem and by his mighty works, take his throne and make Israel free from Rome. But they had a limited vision of His purpose. He was here not to save Israel from Rome but He was here to save the world from sin.

 

In this story we have some key lessons on authentic worship and conversely the false kind of worship that God never intended.

The triumphal enter teaches us that we should be good stewards of what we have been given. You never know how God is going use what you have. Luke 19:29-34
When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.'” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.”

1. Jesus called the disciples to go into the town and when they arrived they were to find a colt tied up. They were to tell the owner that Jesus had need of it and that he was to release it into their care. The lesson here is that God owns it all. One of the important facts about worship is that God owns everything and we are simply stewards of what He has given us. The problem is that we argue and debate about the 10% when God actually owns it all. It is all his. In other words 100% of what you have is His, He has loaned it to you.
   
   1. Your possessions
      
   2. Your money
      
   3. Your profession or job
      
   4. Your family
      
   5. Your health
      
   6. Your ministry
      
2. God has created us all with talents, gifts, abilities and experiences. God does not waste anything. In particular I want you to think about your experiences. How has God used the experiences of your life to change others; change you? Don’t minimize the experiences of your life as God can turn them for His good. Moses lost it all and ended up on the back side of the desert but this was all God’s plan because he was training, developing and nurturing Moses’ leadership skills that He would use in Egypt.
   
3. What do you have that God can use today? What gifts are you holding back? What area of your life is refusing to allow God to have access to?
   
   1. Talents
      
   2. Gifts
      
   3. Abilities
      
   4. Wisdom
      
   5. Experiences
      

 

The triumphal entry teaches that Godly worship is not what we do when are alone Worship is living a lifestyle of worship at all times. Luke 19:35-38
And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near–already on the way down the Mount of Olives–the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

1. Flash forward one week – When we flash forward by one week we see this same crowd rejecting Christ. You see they were crowd oriented rather God focused. The problem with palm branches is that they don’t live very long. The problem with palm Sunday is that the excitement of the crowd soon faded and when Good Friday came around the same voices that sounded Hosanna were now shouting crucify Him. Their love for Christ was shallow and based entirely on the exciting things that He could do for them.
   
2. Worship is not what takes place on Sunday but it is what happens on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
   It is what happens in our homes, on the job, on the highway, with our friends and when no one else is around.
   
3. We tend to segment our worship where we think that we have a spiritual life and we have a secular life. If that is your view I beg to differ because we are spiritual beings that have been filled with God’s grace and power. We are to be the church wherever we go. You see we don’t go to church; we bring church in with us. Did you know that this building is not the church? It is the place however that the church meets.
   
4. How’s our worship life? Are we living a life of worship and praise or does our lifestyle reject Christ? Are you caught up in the crowd? It is easy to get caught up in the crowd and fail to make a personal commitment. You see we can run with the crowd but be left empty and unchanged by God. If there is no transformation then are you really connected to Him? Do you worship only when it is convenient – If we are not careful we will worship God only when it is convenient. How easy is it for you to reject God? If we are not careful one moment we will be worshipping and the next we will be rejecting Christ. Too many people live throughout the week like atheists and agnostics. Do you see God in the mundane things of life? If we only see Him in the excitement, we may miss him in the mundane and daily functions of life. When we do this we often lose faith and hope because we don’t see Him moving. Do you allow public opinion to change the message you hear or the work you do for Christ? It did not change Christ’s work or view of Himself. Christ did not allow the crowds to determine His obedience.
   
5. We don’t worship, we are worship. We are living sacrifices. We should seek to glorify God in every thing that we do. Jesus in John 4:24 calls us to worship in sprit and in truth.
   

 

The Triumphal entry teaches us that Godly worship will cause the cynics and the critics to come out in mass. Luke 19:39-42 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. The Pharisees called for the disciples to be silent. “Teacher rebuke your disciples.” They judged what they did not understand. They criticize what they others to get above them. Whenever there is a healthy move of God or worship that honors Him there will be cynics. They will argue that you should: Not be so committed; Not be so expressive; Not be so Christian. The fact is that God will be praised. He will be praised by people or creation will scream out worship. Are you the cynic? We can become pharisaical.

Triumphal worship teaches us that God calls for real authentic worshippers but the world around us is seeing a disconnect between what we say and what we do. Real worship causes us to see people in a new light. This new light is not judgmental but draws us to compassion. In this passage we see Jesus praying for the city of Jerusalem. You see worship is not about Sunday it is about reaching others for Christ. The tendency is for us to preach one thing and do another. Then we tend to be prideful, condescending, and fake.

What are the implications of this passage:

1. We must think of worship as encompassing all of life.
2. We must not confuse “forms of worship” with the essence of worship.
3. We must value content far more than style.
4. We must allow the Bible to inform, guide, and saturate our worship.
5. We must look to Jesus who died for our false and vain worship.

Sermon on the Mount

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

 

Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

 

Jesus asserts that a passionate follower of Christ must not only love their neighbor but they must also love those who are considered to be their enemies. What Jesus was saying is that we should love those that we find difficult and hard to love. The fact is that all of us will most likely have someone in our life that we will find it hard to love.

 

In the case of the Pharisees, they held a narrow view of who their neighbor might be and a narrow view concerning whom their love was to be shown as commanded by God in Leviticus 19:18. “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.”

 

In Luke 10:27, Christ poses a question to a lawyer who was most likely a Pharisee. Jesus asked him to define “what is written in the law?” The lawyer responded by saying “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus congratulated the lawyer for a correct answer. Then the lawyer in trying to justify himself asked the question of “Who is my neighbor?” You see this is an important question that must be resolved in our hearts. Jesus response was what we know now as the parable of the Good Samaritan. In essence Jesus was saying that anyone we come in contact with is my neighbor.

 

In the passage before us in Matthew 5 and Luke 6, Jesus says that we are not only to love our friends but we are to also to love our enemies. To understand this passage we must define who our enemies might be.

 

Who is our enemy?

1. V44 – Those who persecute us. The scripture says “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” These people are those who oppose you or intentionally try to hurt you. The word “persecute carries with it the idea “to pursue with harmful intentions.” It might include hostility like Christ Himself experienced.
   
2. V45B – Those who oppose you in less dramatic ways – These are the ones who resist your will. This might include the rebellious child or the cantankerous neighbor or the uncaring, non-listening, ill-tempered husband or wife. These can be the daily annoyances of our lives.
   
3. V46-47 – The enemy can be anyone who doesn’t love us. It may be hard to believe but there are people out there that do not love you. We all have them.
   

 

The idea expressed by this passage is that we don’t stop loving because the person does things to offend us, dishonor us, hurt our feelings, disappoint us, frustrate us, threaten us or even kill us. But He says to love them and to keep on loving them.

 

How do we express love to our enemies? Jesus says that we are to “love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you.” The result is that we will act like and be conformed to Christ’s image.

1. We bless them – V47. “If you greet only your brethren.” When you think of the person who is slandering you, and saying untrue and nasty things about you, find ways to work blessing into your thoughts. Speak a blessing out loud. When you are with friends, instead of complaining about your unjust treatment, go out of your way (actively) to speak well of your enemies. Why? To shame them? No — though it will. But to find it in your own heart to love them.
   
2. We do good to them. We find ways to practically meet their needs – V45. When you find a way you can do something good for one of your worst enemies, do it. Not to shame him, but because you are trying to find it in your own evil heart to love him for Jesus’ sake.
   
   1. Proverbs 25:21-22 – If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.
      
   2. Romans 12:19-21 – Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
      
3. We pray for them – V44 – Praying for one of your enemies is one of the deepest forms of love, because it means that you have to really want that something god happen to them. This goes beyond just wanting good things to being in the presence of God who knows our thoughts and the intent of our heart. When you’re praying, you probably pray for your family and your pastor, and your friends and family. Why don’t you begin to pray and intercede for your enemies? Actively. Start to ask God to help them. Ask God to heal the hurts in their lives that are some of the motivators of their evil actions. Ask God to bless them and show mercy to them. Why? To shame them? No, in order to find it in your heart to love them.
   

 

And if you’ll do good when you find opportunities, and bless when you think of them, and pray and intercede earnestly before the Lord, you’ll find that God will begin to put love in your heart toward your enemies. This will be actual love and at times it will sometimes bring loving emotions, too.

 

Why is this important?

It is amazing what happens when we honestly begin to pray and seek God on the other person’s behalf. Praying for others does the following:

1. We show by example what Christ has done for us. We characterize what Christ does for us. He prayed for His enemies on the cross when He prayed forgive them for they don’t know what they do.
   
2. We begin to see the other person as God sees them.
   
3. We allow God to begin to change the way we think about the other person.
   

 

Where does this kind of love come from?

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 we see that Paul explains the nature of love. He states that Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

 

In 1 Corinthians 14:1, Paul challenges the church to “Pursue Love” which in essence means to pursue God because God is love. As we know God we will know His love. You see we are powerless to accomplish these things apart from a work of the Holy Spirit.

 

What Paul in essence does is destroys the legalist act of trying to do these things. The fact it is love that does these things and it is only as we are consumed by God’s love can we accomplish these things.

 

1 John 4:16 – God is love and by pursing love we are in reality pursuing God’s love. Therefore any act of graciousness is actually a result of dwelling in and recognizing how powerful God’s love is.

 

Bertrand Russell a well known British philosopher noted that “The Christian principle, ‘Love your enemy’ is good… There is nothing to be said against it except that it is too difficult for most of us to practice sincerely.”

 

The Pharisees problem is that they were trying to keep the law rather than become the kind of person whose deeds are naturally conforming to the law of God. This kind of love is at the core of what we are or can become in fellowship, not something we do. Then the deeds of love, including loving our enemies, are what that agape love does in us and what we do as the new person we become.

So how do you do it? I don’t think we wait for emotions of love. Rather we start with actions of love, and emotions may follow later. We start doing what Jesus taught right here:

So “what does love have to do with it?” The answer is everything,,,,

 

Peninsula Community Church

Sermon on the Mount

April 3, 2011

Get Mad or Get Even?

 

Matthew 5:38-42 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

 

As I was preparing for this message, I was reminded of the sign in front of a church that read “An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.” This was a quote from Gandhi who was a proponent of world peace. What is meant here is that if we react to the negative stimulus in our lives without control we will injure others in the process. This is the truth in many ways.

 

Once again the Pharisees determined that they would take the law into their own hands. If anyone did anything to them they felt justified in revenging the action with equal force. In essence they had misinterpreted God’s purpose behind the proclamation that they were to repay a sum of money equal to the value of the item taken or damaged. The Pharisees exaggerated the purpose of the scripture as dictated by God. They were quick to use the scripture to attack others and to retaliate for what others do.

 

What was proposed in the original law given by God was the law of equivalency which was an attempt to limit the extent of a punishment and to discourage cruelty. In the courts the judge would measure the penalty against the crime committed. In other words the punishment had to fit the crime. In other words if someone broke your arm you could not break both arms of the other person. However, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” as interpreted by the Pharisees promoted revenge, retaliation, and hatred.

 

Rather than respond from a position of love and grace the problem that here is that the Pharisees believed that whatever was done to them that they had the right to retaliate with equal power and aggression. So if you cut me off on the road, I could not rest until I cut you off regardless of the reason you might have done that. If you didn’t say hello to me, then I would ignore you. The problem here is that rather than settle issues the issue is not dealt with and often escalates the issues. This pharisaical teaching would mean that if I felt that someone had said or done something to damage my name or reputation, I must damage his name or reputation an equal amount. How do I know when it is equal? Revenge is so diabolical. This pharisaical teaching was just 180 degrees from the spirit and intent of both tables of the law of love. Love means self-sacrifice and self-denial. They taught the exact reverse of the law of love.

 

While the passage does not promote revenge, retaliation, or hatred the passage does not promote passivity either. Jesus promoted a reaction that is measured and controlled. In fact, the scripture promotes healthy reaction and purposeful assertiveness. This passage is often misinterpreted as that the church needs to be passive and non-assertive in the events of life. This passage is not a call to be a door mat but rather to properly respond to the issues at hand.

 

Three ways to deal with injury and hurt:

• Aggression – retaliation – fight and manipulation. Respond in such a way that would destroy the other person or set one up for a win/lose situation. The goal is to win at any cost.
  
• Assertiveness – face the issues.
  
• Passivity – no action – flight. One would rather run that deal with the issues at hand.
  

 

How to be assertive:

    The natural response to injury is to be either aggressive or to be passive in our approach but God calls to be assertive. When we are personally injured our world does not suddenly become our injury. In other words we understand who has propagated the injury and that it is only them and not the whole world.

• Stand up for one’s personal rights in a way that honors others and shows forth Christ love.
  
• Express thoughts, feelings and ideas in direct, honest and appropriate ways without violating other’s rights. This is not about winning but it is about solving problems.
  
• Christian assertiveness involves respect not deference. Because we respect one another we are willing to deal with the issues at hand.
  
• Christian assertiveness accepts one’s limitations and one’s worth as a child of God.
  

 

One of the issues that keep us from a biblical view of assertiveness is shame. Shame-based people cannot assert themselves because they feel inferior and lower than others. In conflict some fight sinfully but this can be forgiven but for one that fights with shame must be healed before they can fight according to God’s plan and purpose.

 

The tale of the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s feud. What began as a feud over the ownership of a hog, ended with 12 family members dead and several bounty hunters who wanted to cash in on the history of the family.

 

Let me close with this passage: Psalm 37 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

 

Sermon on the Mount – Keeping Your Word

March 27, 2011

Matthew 5:33-37 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Once again, we find Jesus focusing on another area where the Pharisees presented an outward appearance of righteousness but inwardly they were misled and misguided. Jesus confronts the fact that the Pharisees were using oaths to present themselves as holy or above others. One of the reasons Jesus was countering this is that the Pharisees of the day had a way of swearing that was an attempt to impress others with their sincerity and reliability in order to gain favor and acceptance. The problem here is that they attempted to add weight to the promises they made. It became a competition of sorts of who could swear on the greatest of things.

• Heaven
• The throne of God
• The earth
• One’s head

The greater problem is that in many cases the Pharisees had no intention of following through with their commitment. They were focused on the oath and not the action that was to follow. But Jesus counters with the thought that our word ought to be our bond. When we make a commitment, we must seek to fulfill that commitment because our word should matter.

 What does your word mean? Do you keep your commitments and promises? An article in The Business Journal makes the following statement that is applicable to this discussion. “Keeping your word never goes out of style.” And if the business community recognizes the value of this truth how much more should we as believers keep our word. 

The author of the article continues by saying that “Meeting commitments, exceeding expectations and customer satisfaction are all 21^st century ways to say that keeping your word is not out of style. Unfortunately, I am very concerned, and more and more convinced, that we have raised a whole generation of businesspeople who believe that failing to meet a commitment is acceptable. Perhaps even a way of life. Perhaps even a business strategy.” (Bill Brooks, The Business Journal March 13, 2000)

The great philosopher Woody Allen may have been right when he said that “success is simply showing up.” Lots of people don’t show up at all – and if they do their ethics, honesty and commitment simply don’t.

Making false promises tends to be:

1. Manipulative – We attempt to get others to do what we want by making promises we cannot keep or ever intended to keep. It becomes an issue of what I say and not what I do. It has been said of certain politicians that they often discuss topics and speak to what they would do when in fact they do very little to bring change. When one is manipulative they will say or do anything to get you to do what they want.
2. Self-centered – We often make promises because we want to get someone off of our back or we want them to believe that we are more than we really are. Making oaths can be a self-centered exhibition of pride. But rather than swearing let your word be your bond.
3. Disrespectful of others – By not keeping our promises or commitments we are in essence “dissing” or disrespecting others but God has called us to love others.

 Most common promises:

1. I promise I will do it tomorrow. How many times have we heard of a politician promising to do something if they are re-elected? My question is that, if you are in office, why don’t you do that now.
2. I promise I will never tell anyone.
3. I will call you. Or, I will pray for you.
4. I will never do that again.
5. I promise I will always love you.