Life on the edge

Peninsula Community Church

VBS Closing

July 17, 2011

 Jesus had a family … we do too!

• “For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37
• Mary was chosen to be Jesus’ mother.

What is most amazing in this story is that Mary, a virgin conceived a child. This highlights the fact that with God nothing is impossible. He is able to do anything. You see He does natural miracles, speeds up nature and at times He does the supernatural.

1. Natural – Let’s just consider the body. The body is an amazing creation. David said that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Did you know that the body recreates itself every six month? And did you know that modern research has found that the brain can actually rewire itself even if it has been damaged. So this body which has been created by God can reform and reshape itself. In the natural process God can use doctors and medicine to be a part of this natural process.
2. Speed up the process. God can also speed up the process of healing and change so that what might take six weeks actually only takes a couple of weeks.
3. Or God can supernaturally do miracles that cannot be explained any other way but by supernatural intervention. This was the case with Mary and the birth of Jesus. This was nothing less than a supernatural visitation from God. God took the seed of God and the egg of Mary and united them together to form the God/man.
4. What issues are you facing in your life right now that seems impossible? Whatever that may be to God it is not impossible.

Jesus has a name… we do too!

• “I have called you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1
• As a believer we have been given a new name

When Jesus calls us to be His children He gives a us a new name. A name is important because it is the thing that identifies us. So, in essence, God is changing our identity when we come to know Him. When you receive Him into your heart, He no longer sees you as you were before Christ but now He sees you in a whole new light.

 Jesus had a home… we do too!

• “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.” John 14:2
• He has prepared a place for us in eternity.

 In John 14 Jesus tells us that He was to go away so that He could be building us a home. One day whether by death or by rapture we will get to go to our new home. The idea here is that this earth is not our real dwelling place but God has prepared a place for us in heaven where we might live Him forever.

 Jesus went to church… we do too!

• “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1

 Jesus knew the joy of being in church for it is church that we learn to serve as we coexist with others. In the venue of church we learn how to live out our Christianity in ways that can only happen when we fellowship and rub shoulders together.

 Jesus served others… we do too!

• “Serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13

 As believers we are not be seat warmers but we are to be active in serving Him. This is not so that we can get Him to love us more but we do so because we love Him and have a desire to honor Him with our talents and gifts.

Sermon on the Mount

Where Do You Bank?

July 10, 2011

Matthew 6:19-24 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

The verses in this passage are interconnected. These passages teach us about what our priorities in life might be and what our focus in life might be. We begin here today looking at the thought of where is our treasure? Next week, we will look at Christ’s command of being anxious for nothing and the effects of worry upon our lives.

Jesus in this passage before us today makes the following statements:

1. Do not lay up for yourself treasures on earth…
   
2. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven
   
3. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…
   
4. Values resonate from within…
   
5. No one can serve two masters…
   

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures one earth … but in heaven.

• This is not about being rich or poor; it is about one’s attitude, focus and values.
  

Too often we make any discussion about finances into one about being rich or poor but in reality it is a matter of stewardship and trust with our finances. You can be poor or you can be rich and still have an unhealthy attitude toward finances and one’s possessions.

You see one’s attitude, focus and values will direct how one lives their life. I could tell you many stories about people that I have encountered who were poor financially but were rich in eternal riches because of their heart for eternal things. Their perspective was one of eternity and recognizing that this is not their home. I have also witnessed those who had wealth beyond anyone’s imagination and who were miserable and discontent.

The idea expressed through this passage is that where your focus and values steer and guide your decisions in life. Is your focus on accumulating earthly wealth or is it in making deposits in heaven? He who lays up treasures on earth spends his life filled with worry and concern and despair (cf Mt 6:25f). He who lays up treasures in heaven spends his life filled with and anticipating joy.

There is a popular saying that goes something like this: “We’ve Only One Life ~ It Soon Will Be Past ~ Only What’s Done For Christ Will Last. How true this is.

Where your treasure is; there your heart will be…

• The heart is the seat of all emotion but our emotions can be deceptive and misleading.
  
• We choose to serve God and invest in the things that have eternal value.
  

It is difficult to trust our heart as it is above all deceitful (Jer. 17:9). Trusting our heart alone is not enough we must make the decision to follow after Christ with our whole hearts. Your emotions follow your treasure. When we chose to do the right thing our emotions will follow. We are living in an emotionally driven society. So much of what is done is to solicit an emotion. But God’s helps us understand that emotion alone will not get us to where we need to be. People say trust your heart. In essence what that are saying has some validity to it but the heart can deceive and distract us from God’s perfect will.

The eye is the lamp of the body…

• What are the thoughts and attitudes that direct or misdirect you?
  
• What ideas and concepts about your possessions need to change?
  

No man can serve two masters…

• Too often we are duplicitous in our thinking; we battle the pull of the world’s ideologies and God’s truth.
  
• To be effective we must focus on God’s plan and His will.
  
• To do so is to learn to trust Him to provide all that we need.
  

The story of the rich man in the New Testament relates this issue to us. The rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked Him about what good deed must be accomplished to inherit eternal life. Jesus stated that he should obey the commandments. Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Matt. 19:16-22). Please note that Jesus is not calling us to go and sell everything but he is referring to the rich young ruler’s heart that he was unwilling to let go of Hi possessions.

The more sacrificial you are on earth, the greater will be your enjoyment of heaven. Therefore, since Jesus loves us and summons us to maximize our eternal joy in heaven, he demands radical freedom from the love of money and radical generosity, especially to the poor. The value of a gift is not measured by its size but by its sacrifice. The reason for this is that the sacrifice is a greater measure of one’s heart.

The love of money is the root of all evil… It is not evil but it is the root or foundation of all evil. Look at the mess that our country is in… Almost every problem is moral as it is founded in greed and selfishness. It has often been said that

Are you despairing or rejoicing? Are you making regular deposits in heaven or are all your deposits here on earth?

Points to ponder:

Where is your focus? What are your priorities? What do you value? What you focus on, you will support. What you treasure will guide your heart to action. Do you value wealth, success, fame, and fortune?

1. What is most important to you?
   
2. What do you stand for? What is the principle of your life?
   
3. What are the things that you are willing to pay the price for?
   
4. Do these things line up with God’s desires?
   

Are you a giver or a taker? Giving people are the happiest people on earth. Do you find yourself on the receiving end of things or are you on the giving end. Too many in life are in the taking mode where as God calls us to be in the giving mode. We are living in an entitlement age where we believe that we do not have to work for anything or pay our dues so to speak.

A true giver is one who gives without any expectation of anything in return. We give freely because it is the way that God would have us do that.

It is more blessed to give that receive.

An unconditional giver is someone who gives from the heart because they want to, not because they have to, or because they feel obligated to do so. Whatever you sow (meaning whatever you plant, disseminates, scatter, disperse, or put out), you will also reap (meaning you will also receive, gain, harvest, accumulate, or get back). —Galatians 6:7

For every action (meaning for everything you do, every act, effort, or transaction), there will always be an equal or even opposite reaction (meaning there will be consequences and/or repercussions). —Isaac Newton’s Law of Motion.

A right attitude of giving releases an avalanche of mercy, missions and financial means.

Peninsula Community Church

June 27, 2011

Sermon on the Mount – Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

This last phrase brings us to the conclusion of our series within a series. In this part of the Lord’s Prayer Jesus reminds us that we are to pray that God will not us to be lead into temptation.

 Lead us not into temptation:

 The first point we need to make about temptation is that being tempted is not a sin. We must understand that temptation in itself is not sin because we are all tempted. Even Jesus himself was tempted after He fasted for 40 days. Therefore temptation is nothing more than a suggestion to sin.

Temptation becomes a sin when it is acted upon. The act of temptation places us at the juncture or crossroads between right and wrong; good or evil. Our choices in that moment will define and shape who we are. Sin and temptation is a lot like dieting. When I try to do the right thing and begin to lose a few pounds my senses are aroused.  First of all when I and dieting I can smell what the family two doors down is having for dinner.

I have shared before the process of sin that occurs when we are tempted and we act on that temptation. We see this in the story of Adam/Eve, Achan and David.

• We see – This is the temptation. We see something we think is good and our senses call out for that thing. It is at this juncture that we must reject and turn from the temptation. If we do not resist, the desire will grow. What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:1-3).
•  We covet – Our senses are stirred and the desire grows and becomes a scream in our hearts to act upon the temptation. It is here that we often meditate on the temptation. We know we are at this point when we begin to rationalize the temptation by communicating false ideas to ourselves: What if I were never caught? What if no one ever knew? I would not hurt anyone but myself. It is at this stage we need to do a Joseph and run from the temptation to give in (Gen. 39).
• We take – we act upon the temptation and the temptation becomes a sin and now holds us in its grip. If not dealt with we will be drawn back into sin again which can lead to developing a stronghold or an addiction.
• We hide – We know we are in deep when we cover our tracks and cover up the sin in hopes that no one will know.
• We suffer the consequences – The result of sin is that there are always consequences to our actions.

Or, we can be tempted; resist the temptation with God’s strength; and we can become a stronger individual. It is like growing spiritual muscle. As we resist we become stronger at resisting the temptation.

We must become aware of our weaknesses and the temptations of our life and then establish boundaries to protect ourselves. The concern is a temptation left unchecked will most often leads to sin which leads to an addiction of some sort. When an area of our life tends to be an area of temptation we must draw boundaries and lines in the sand to avoid crossing over the line. There are many addictions:

• Food
• Complaining/grumbling
• Shop-a-holic
• Hoarding
• Pornography/sexual perversion
• Poor stewardship
• Drugs/alcohol

Let us look at what the Scripture says about one of the greatest gateways to temptation and sin; our eyes. I hone in on this particular area because we are so driven visually and from a sensory mode. It is therefore necessary to set a guard to protect us from falling into sin.

• Psalms 101:3 I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.
• Psalms 119:37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
• Job 31:1 I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?
• Jesus even stated that if your right eye sins pluck it out. He was serious about dealing with the issues that lead to sin. This statement followed the statement “If a man looks upon a woman with lustful intentions he has committed adultery with her.”

 Deliver us from evil or as some commentaries suggest from the veil one:

Temptation cannot be overcome without the power of God being revealed.

We must understand that sin is pleasurable for a season. It can be enjoyed but that enjoyment only lasts for a season. Hebrews 11:24-26 – By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

Helps to overcome temptation and bring deliverance:

• Prayer – Matthew 26:41 and Mark 14:38 –Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
• Fellowship/Accountability
• The Word– even Jesus was tempted but He knew the Word and how to use the Word to overcome the temptation.
  1. Psalms 119:9-11 – How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.
  2. Psalms 119:10 – With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
  3. Psalms 119:11 – I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
  4. Read it, memorize it and let it take root in your heart.

When we call upon God, we ask that He will deliver us so we are asking for freedom from the results of the temptation. The promise of the Lord is that He will not put on us anything we cannot bear. 1Corinthians 10:13  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Application: While temptation is not a sin we must draw boundary lines in the sand to prevent the entrapments of sin.

Peninsula Community Church

June 12, 2011

Sermon on the Mount – Forgive Us Our Debts

Text: And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

It should be noted that this phrase should not be detached from the phrase before it. Jesus says that we should pray that God would provide our daily bread but we should also pray that our sins be forgiven.

It appears that from a precursory reading of this passage that what Christ is saying is that if we don’t forgive others we will not be forgiven. But if that is the truth then it diminishes the work of the cross in our lives, because while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. What Jesus is communicating is that we must have the same attitude as Christ in that we are willing to forgive all who have offended us or wounded us.

Forgiveness is a major theme throughout the ministry of Jesus. The passage in Matthew 6:14-15 is a continuation of Matthew 6:12. It is as if Jesus finishes the prayer and then has an addendum to the prayer. He states, 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.

Jesus does not imply that His forgiveness is conditional but God’s forgiveness is founded in His grace. The basis of this request is that we can extend forgiveness to others in the same way that God extends forgiveness to us.

There is nothing that God does not forgive nor is there anything beyond his ability to reconcile in our lives. What is being said here is that the same power that God uses to forgive us can be manifested in us to forgive others.

One of the lessons learned from this passage is that to truly forgive we must attempt to see things from another’s point of view by having mercy on others. The idea of forgiveness here is the idea that one must have mercy on others as God has had mercy on us. The idea of mercy is a weak concept in our language. It relates more to having pity on another rather than just “giving someone a break” as we would interpret mercy.

An unwillingness to forgive is often based in pride that will not let us free the other person from the wrongs committed. To fully forgive, we must deal with the pride resident in all of us. As a result pride keeps us from forgiving others and from forgiving ourselves. When pride is resident, we are slow to forgive.

This is the reason that pride is such an issue for us in regards to forgiveness. When pride is resident we fail to recognize the grace and mercy God has bestowed upon us by His work on the cross.

To acknowledge ones’ need for forgiveness is to renounce the human demand to control one’s own life and fate. By confessing our sins we give up control.

The problem with not forgiving others is that we allow them to control our thinking, our attitudes and our actions. The problem with not forgiving others is that a lack of forgiveness causes the other person to have power over us and in essence control us. They control our thinking, they control our attitude and they control our actions because we allow them to take charge over us.

True forgiveness:

• Is not a feeling.
  
• Is not forgetting.
  
• Is not excusing or justifying.
  
• Is a decision.
  

Forgiveness is not a feeling. It is an act of the will. True forgiveness is a series of decisions that we will call on God to change our hearts and to refuse to not talk about what someone has done against us.

Forgiveness is not forgetting. The old adage of “Forgive and forget” is a misnomer because the reality is that while we can forgive we do not necessarily forget what one have done to us or against us. When God says that He forgets our sins what is meant by this is that He no longer holds that sin or wrong against us. Forgetting is a passive process while forgiveness is an active choice of the will.

Forgiveness is not excusing or justifying. By excusing the wrong means that the real issues are not dealt with and that they will tend to be repeated.

Forgiveness is a decision. To forgive means that we release the other person from the liability to suffer punishment or penalty. The Greek word Aphiemi is translated to let go, release or remit. When someone hurts us we have one of two choices. We can forgive them or we can continue to collect on the debt of the wrong or the sin committed. We extract payments from others in many different ways:

1. Withholding forgiveness
   
2. Dwelling on the wrong
   
3. Being cold and aloof
   
4. Giving up on the relationship
   
5. Inflicting emotional pain
   
6. Gossiping
   
7. Lashing back
   
8. Seeking revenge
   

We can’t do this alone. To fully understand forgiveness we must recognize that we cannot do it alone. It is impossible to truly forgive others in your own strength. Without the cleansing and healing power of Christ at work in us we will not be able to forgive others in the way God intended. The only way to walk in forgiveness is to recognize that you are powerless to forgive anyone in your own strength and that you need Christ to come and change your heart.

Application: We must forgive others by recognizing God’s mercy and grace in our life.

 Peninsula Community Church

June 5, 2011

Sermon on the Mount – The Lord’s Prayer

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

Text – Matthew 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 our text today, we see that God is instructing the disciples to pray for their daily bread. The term daily means day-to-day or immediate. In other words, we are to pray for God to provide what we need for this moment in time because if we pray this each day and trust God to provide, He will provide for each day’s journey.

By praying “Give us our daily bread” we are asking for what is necessary for the present as we trust God for the future.

Notice that “Give us this day” is a small part of the prayer and yet we spend such an inordinate amount of time praying for our needs.

In this passage there are several truths that we can learn:

1. The first of these is that God has the ability to sustain us on a daily basis. The Psalmist understood this principle when he wrote “Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you.” (Psalm 55:22). Too often we attempt to carry our burdens without giving them to Him because we are filled with pride or we feel that God cannot be bothered.
   

    

2. We must be fully dependent on Him for our needs. Jeremiah 17:5-8 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.” Please note the results of the one that trusts in God:
   

    

   1. “He will be like the tree planted by water and he sends his roots out” to get the sustenance they need. This speaks of us doing our part by seeking after God for the things we need. We must be rooted in the truth of Gospel.
      
   2. “He does not fear when the heat comes.”
      
   3. “He is not anxious in the year of drought for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
      
   4. This truth means that we trust God not when we have needs but when everything is going well as well.
      

    

3. Instead of anxiety we can rest in God’s ability to provide. Do not worry about tomorrow for today has enough worry of its own. Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. The problem with is that we often worry about things that never come to pass or we take things into our own hands and end up stepping outside God’s will.
   

    

4. This provision is a symbol of God’s eternal grace. In the Old Testament we find that God provided for the Children of Israel by providing manna and quail for them. The fact is they did not deserve it because all they did was complain about the conditions of the wilderness, the leadership of Moses and the lack of faith they exhibited towards God. It is also interesting to note that when he provided the manna they were instructed to only take what they needed for that day as the rest would be moldy and would go to waste. Once again God was developing in them the ability to fully trust God in every circumstance, a trait they would certainly need as they entered the promise land. We could also make the observation of how easy it was for the children of Israel to revert to old ways and old habits. They were a complaining people and it was easy for them to go back to the old ways of dealing with issues.
   

1. The manna was given in spite of the fact that they were complaining and being critical. God sent the manna
   
2. God raining down manna from heaven at night and quail in the morning was assign of God’s provision and that He had not forgotten them. (Exodus 16)
   
3. And that it was God that was bringing them out of Egypt and the desert.
   

1. This passage shows us that He is interested in the little things in our lives. Jesus reminded the disciples that he was concerned about the number of hairs on our head. And he is concerned about whether or the birds of the air have nests to rest. There are times when we do not believe that we should be praying for the little things but God is just as concerned about those things as He is the big things.
   

Application: God provides all we need when we need it. And, He knows what we have needed of before we ask. His plan is for us to ask so that we will rely upon Him and not our own strength and ability. What is happening in your life? What is that you need?

• A job
  
• Restored relationships
  
• Finances
  
• Health
  
• Spiritual Growth
  

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.