Cure for the Common Christmas: Batteries Not Included

Going from Thanksgiving to Christmas
Well, it’s official! We are now making the turn from Thanksgiving into the Christmas season. How about one more story about Thanksgiving before we leave it entirely:
It was eight days before Thanksgiving. A young Sunday School Teacher named Michelle decided to ask her preschoolers about the upcoming holiday. She thought it would be effective to have the class playfully correct some wrong ideas about Thanksgiving. "Now let me see. Thanksgiving… That's the day when we think about all the stuff we have. And how we want more things than anybody else has. And how we don't care about anybody but ourselves. And-"
"No!" the kids started to yell. "No-o-o!" Then one little guy called out, "That's not Thanksgiving, Miss Michelle, that's Christmas!" (Rubel Shelly, Nashville, Tennessee)

Cure for the Common Christmas
Over these next four weeks together, as we move towards Christmas Day, we will be looking at a series that I have called, “Cure for a Common Christmas.” The last thing that Christmas should be is common, but unfortunately it often is. I want to identify some of the reasons for that, look to the Bible, and have some fun along the way.
Batteries not included
I have called today’s message: “Batteries not included.” You know how frustrating it is when you buy the perfect gift for your son or daughter, they open it on Christmas Day and are so excited about it. They take it out of the box to use it or play with it right away but, there are no batteries, no power. What a downer.
Some of you say, “That’s how I feel all Christmas season. In fact, I feel that way more and more as the season goes along, that I have no batteries. I have no energy, no power. Let’s take a closer look today.

Matthew 1:18-25 (NKJV) 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

The gospel writer Luke tells us of the conversation between Mary and the angel sent from God.

Luke 1:35 (NKJV) 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

There are two words in this verse, found at the top of your outlines, I would like to emphasize: power and overshadow. These two words are key for us to understand.
Notice the association of the word ‘power’ with the Holy Spirit. Throughout scripture the Holy Spirit is associated with power and especially the power of God.

Before there were Christmas trees, or Christmas cookies, or presents, or stockings hung by the chimney with care… Long before Santa Clause or the Christmas rush… Even before the Wise Men, the shepherds or the manger… was power – the power of God and the Holy Spirit. That’s the beginning of Christmas.

The word there is the Greek word ‘dunamis’, from which we get our word ‘dynamite.’ John 1:1-9 tells us that Jesus came as light into darkness. There was a power shortage, and Jesus came to supply the power – to get the lights back on.

An unbroken power connection.
You know when the power is on but you’re not getting any, you check to see if there has been a break in the connection, in the wire? Not only did the most amazing power of all initiate Christmas, I’m going to show you in a minute that there is an unbroken power connection from that power of God at Christmas to right here, right now.

When the angel came to Mary, she lived in a time of spiritual darkness and was entering into some pretty difficult circumstances. But, the Spirit of God overshadowed these things. Does the Holy Spirit overshadow your Christmas season… or does the busyness of the season overshadow things of the Spirit of God? (This is perhaps the most important question to ask this Christmas season.)

Frustrated shopper lashes out
A woman was doing her last-minute Christmas shopping at a crowded mall. She was tired of fighting the crowds. She was tired of standing in lines. She was tired of fighting her way down long aisles looking for a gift that had sold out days before. Her arms were full of bulky packages when an elevator door opened. It was full. The occupants of the elevator grudgingly tightened ranks to allow a small space for her and her load. As the doors closed, she blurted out, "Whoever is responsible for this whole Christmas thing ought to be arrested, strung up, and shot!"
A few others nodded theirs heads or grunted in agreement.
Then, from somewhere in the back of the elevator, came a single voice that said: "Don't worry. They already crucified him." (Homiletics (November/December 2006), Volume 18; submitted by Van Morris, Mount Washington, Kentucky)

An unbroken power connection:
We could spend hours on this connection and it would be a whole lot of fun. (For me at least.) I’ve given you many scriptures, though not all, for your own further study.
· The Holy Spirit overshadows Mary. Jesus is born. (Luke 1:35)
· The Holy Spirit descends at Jesus’ baptism. (Matthew 3:16)
· Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness. (Luke 4:1)
· Jesus returns in the power of the Spirit. (Luke 4:14)
· Jesus’ ministry purpose is revealed: to baptize in the Holy Spirit. (John the Baptist’s testimony) (John 1:33)
· Jesus reads from Isaiah to initiate His ministry, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…”
· Jesus’ miracles are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
· Jesus said to His disciples, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” (Also write in there Matthew 5:14 “…you are the light of the world…”)
· Jesus’ followers demonstrate power.
· The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is available to dwell in you.
· The promise of the Holy Spirit is for all generations.

Jesus did not just come to bring light by the power of the Holy Spirity into a thirty-three year span two thousand years ago. He came to bring that power to today.

Christmas is not just a historic fact. It is also a on-going spiritual reality. The lasting impact of the Nativity is the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower lives today.

PLUG IN
So, the outlet is ‘hot’. We just have to plug in.

1. Be filled.

The Bible says, “Be filled with the Holy Spirit”. Jesus said if you ask for the Holy Spirit you will receive Him, no ‘ifs’, ‘ands’ or ‘buts’. There is no question. Those who were already believing disciples prayed and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

2. Stay focused on spiritual things.

There is a constant, on-going battle to keep you focused off of the Spirit – especially at Christmas time. You’ve got to find ways to stay focused on spiritual things. If you don’t believe me, try this:

Check the focus with a fast
Pick a day, any day, between now and Christmas. Choose not to eat during that one day. The Bible calls that a ‘fast’. (I don’t know why, because the day will go by very slow.) Throughout that day your body will tell you repeatedly, “Focus on the physical… eat!” You will see how determined your body is to keep the focus. But say to your body throughout that day, “Nope, today it is not about you. I will direct my focus on the spiritual.” Be sure and spend time reading the Bible on that day. It will be a very memorable day of your Christmas season.

I’m serious. Even better, get a friend, or spouse, or your small group to pick a day together. Don’t let the spiritual be overshadowed.

3. Keep it fresh.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a one time event, but continuous and on-going. The scripture in Ephesians 5:18 is in the present, passive, imperative not the past tense as a completed action. It means, “Be filling with the spirit” … continuously present.

Couple attends church to recharge phone battery
A young man and woman from South America entered a Catholic church in Milan, Italy each day for about a month and sat before a statue of the Madonna (Mary holding Baby Jesus). The priests assumed they were just like any other devoted Catholics, coming for prayer. Day after day they came, sat for an hour or so, and left. One day the cleaning man noticed an unusual electrical cord leading from the plug used to provide electricity to light up the statue. Upon further examination, it turned out the young couple had been coming to church to charge up their cell phone battery. When asked about it, the parish priest said he didn’t mind at all. ("Couple Hooked on Madonna," Yahoo News, 7-15-02)

You know, that’s not a bad idea at all. This Christmas why not plug in? Why not charge up? Why not use this opportunity to refresh your batteries?

4. Let it flow to others.

Use it or lose it
This was written by Rich McClean of Oakley, California:
“As a general contractor, I frequently visit The Home Depot. Actually, it has become one of my mission fields. I like to help people load their merchandise. Recently I was there and was on my way to my van when I noticed a guy who realized he had left his lights on. He turned them off, expecting a dead battery. I jumped in my car and thought of helping him. Then I thought, No. It had been a bad day. I didn't sleep well the night before and was running behind schedule.
I prayed, Lord, I don't need this right now. You know that I usually would help, but, God, not today! Let someone else do it. Yes, I know I have a set of jumper cables right behind my seat, but not today! I slipped the key in the ignition, gave it a turn and…UUH…mm, UUH…mm, click, click, click. I looked down to see my light switch was on. Guess whose battery was dead now.”

This illustrates an important, biblical understanding: The power that comes, from unbroken connection, to you today is to flow through you to others. It is not just for you. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, imparted by the power of the Holy Spirit, go to individuals for the good of others.

1 Corinthians 12:7 (NKJV) 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

1 Corinthians 14:12 (NKJV) 12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.

1 Peter 4:10 (NKJV) 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit and supernatural power so that you can be His power to touch a dark world.

Conclusion
Don’t become a casualty this Christmas. Plug into the power of the Holy Spirit and don’t let other things overshadow His presence in your life.

Generosity part 2

We are concluding or series today on “Why Can’t We Just Get Along?” We will finish a message we didn’t quite finish last time on generosity. As I do I realize I’m speaking to some very generous people.
Fall Fun Fest
On October 31 this church hosted a party for the neighbor kids called the ‘Fall Fun Fest’. We asked you to give candy and goodies for us to give away. I walked into the back room behind the offices a day or two before the party and I couldn’t believe the piles of candy and games and toys that you gave. You are very generous.
The night of the party came, many of you served in game booths, cooking food, setting up and cleaning up and we were able to bless hundreds of kids from this neighborhood. We gave away a bunch of stuff – even a couple of bikes.
Last Sunday a man who helped at the Fall Fun Fest came up to Pastor Tom and asked how much the church spent on the party. In addition to the donated candy we spent hundreds of dollars to put it on. He said, “I’ve never seen so many kids so happy. Is it okay if I pay the churches expenses?” I don’t have to tell you Pastor Tom’s response.
Review
There’s still lots more we can do. Let’s read this passage of scripture again:
*** Scripture Reading: ***
SLIDE
# Isaiah 32:5-8 (NKJV) 5 The foolish person will no longer be called generous, Nor the miser said to be bountiful; 6 For the foolish person will speak foolishness, And his heart will work iniquity: To practice ungodliness, To utter error against the Lord, To keep the hungry unsatisfied, And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. 7 Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans To destroy the poor with lying words, Even when the needy speaks justice. 8 But a generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand.
SLIDE
# Here’s a quick review of some observations we made about generosity:
We are most like God when we give.
God is a giver, and a generous giver. We are never more like God and participate in the divine nature than when we give.
GETTING TO GIVE
SLIDE
# All that I have is a gift. It is from God. And I get it for the purpose of giving. I get so that I might give. I get to give.
1. The Secret of Abundance.
The foolish person will no longer be called generous, nor the miser said to be bountiful; Isaiah 32:5 NKJV
SLIDE
# We talked about the Secret of Abundance. The secret is this: abundance or affluence is not measured by what you have but by what overflows out of your life. We talked about this at great lengths last week.
· Real bounty is not in what you have, but in how you use it.
We refer to two classifications of people: the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. That is meaningless in God’s economy. We should rightly change those classifications to these meaningful distinctives: the ‘gives’ and the ‘give-nots’.
We discussed last time that generosity is not a money issue but a heart issue, and God is after your heart. Your generosity tells you a great deal about your heart.
A serious heart condition
Just last week a friend of mine was surprised at how out of shape he was becoming. He couldn’t do the things he used to do without getting exhausted. So, he made an appointment for a routine check-up to see how out of shape he was. They put him on the treadmill, and he flunked the treadmill test. That resulted in other tests that revealed he needs a triple or a quadruple bypass surgery on his heart. His symptoms revealed not just a lifestyle or diet issue but that his heart was in trouble. It’s a good thing that it was caught in time.
If I keep everything for myself and find it difficult to give generously to others, that is a symptom of a serious heart issue. How’s your heart?
*** Video clip: Nooma ***
Now let’s take a look at the last portion of our outline. We are going to focus on verses seven and eight, especially verse eight.
(Need this slide changed from verse 8 only.)

SLIDE # *** Scripture Reading: ***
Isaiah 32:7-8 (NKJV) 7 Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans To destroy the poor with lying words, Even when the needy speaks justice. 8 But a generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand.
Here’s really where it becomes fun. Notice the word ‘But’ which begins verse eight. ‘But.’ That is a very important word here. ‘But.’ Say it with me – “BUT”. (I bet you never thought you’d say that in church.)
That word indicates a contrast. It is a transition of opposition. In other words, two things are being compared and contrasted here that are opposites of each other. They are on extreme ends of the scale. The day is bright but the night is dark. I am smart but you ain’t. I like winning but I hate losing. You get the idea.
So what is being contrasted here? It is the evil person and the generous person. They are opposites. According to these verses, the evil person is interested in wicked plans. He or she plots ways to destroy the poor; he uses lying words and ignores justice – all for personal gain. On the exact other side of those things stands the generous person.
BUT, they have one thing in common. They are both schemers: “the schemes of the schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans … 8 But a generous man devises generous things…”
2.
SLIDE
# The Art of Scheming .
A generous man devises generous things Isaiah 32:8 NKJV
SLIDE
# In order to talk about generosity we have to talk about scheming. Have you ever deviously planned how to get back at someone? Then you can deviously plan ways to give back to someone. Have you ever plotted a practical joke to mess with someone? Of course you have. Use that same creative and devious mind to plot ways to bless others, not mess with others.
· Generosity takes planning (devious thinking).
It is not just going to happen. It makes no sense to lay down at the end of the day, look back and say, “Well, I guess I wasn’t generous today. Shucks!” It makes perfect sense to get up at the beginning of a day and say, “How can I be generous today? I’m going to make sure to be generous today.” Devise plans. Only make sure they are plans of generosity.
Nabal and Abigail (1 Samuel 25)
Speaking of contrasts, plotting and generosity, there is a great study in 1 Samuel 25:
SLIDE
# 1 Samuel 25:2-3 (NKJV) 2 Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.
The contrast
We immediately see the contrast of the two in the third verse: she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil.
This reminds me of a story, I know I’ve told it before, of a husband and wife having an argument when the husband said, “Why would God make someone so pretty so dumb?” His wife immediately answered, “That’s simple. He made me pretty so that you would marry me. He made me dumb so that I would marry you.”
This guy didn’t just marry over his head, but out of his league. I can identify with him on this point because I married way over my head.
Keep in mind that the name Nabal means ‘fool.’ He acts true to his name by his lack of generosity. On the other hand, the name Abigail means ‘my Father is joy.’ Her joy and intimacy with the Father is seen in her generosity.
The story
Messengers came from an unknown guy who was in trouble with the law by the name of David (later to become King David) asking for some generosity. It was a feast day (like our Thanksgiving). David’s men didn’t have anything. Nabal had plenty.
SLIDE
# 1 Samuel 25:10-11 (NKJV) 10 Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. 11 Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?”
Notice the attitude of a fool: What’s mine is mine. “Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat and just give it to someone undeserving?” He would have been wise to share. He wouldn’t share anything at all, yet verse 36 says that he feasted like a king and drank so much that he became drunk.
Also notice the ingratitude of a fool. David and his men had actually been protecting Nabal’s shepherds. They were largely responsible for his riches. (They also could have taken whatever they wanted by force.)
We see this when one of the shepherds comes to report to Abigail:
SLIDE
# 1 Samuel 25:15-18 (NKJV) 15 But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied them, when we were in the fields. 16 They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him.” 18 Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys.
Abigail devised a plan of generosity. It countered the evil of Nabal. She pulled together what she could and took it out to David and his men herself. She gave it humbly, with a right heart. She was glad to give what she could to David because she knew that David was going to be king oneday, as God had said.
When Nabal found out that David’s men were coming against him and Abigail rode out and gave him some stuff, scripture says, “his heart died within him, and he became like a stone.” His heart became in the physical what it already was in the spiritual: hard and cold. Many Bible commentaries suggest that may mean that he had a stroke and became paralyzed. He died ten days later. What a tragic end.
We live in a Nabal world. It is a foolish world. It tries to hold onto riches and wealth, producing hearts of stone and empty, tragic deaths.
But we can be Abigails. Whatever I can do, whatever I have, whatever I can put my hand to, I can plan to use in generous ways. It may take some scheming and some devious planning, but I will do whatever it takes. Whatever you have, give with joy.
A modern day ‘widow’s mite’
In June of 2006, Warren Buffet, the world's second-richest man at the time, announced that he would donate 85 percent of his $44 billion fortune to five charitable foundations.[i] If my math is correct, 85 percent of $44 billion dollars is $37.4 billion dollars. That’s quite generous. It means he is leaving for himself only a measly, a paltry 15%, or 6.6 billion dollars to live on. How will he do it?
You do understand, don’t you, that a billion is one thousand millions? $6.6 billion dollars is one million dollars, six thousand and six hundred times. That’s generous. But it is generous by the world’s standards.
Consider instead Thomas Cannon. In 2005, Thomas Cannon died of colon cancer in a hospital in Richmond, Virginia. He was 79 years old.
When Thomas was 3-years-old, his father died. Once Thomas' mother remarried, the family of six lived in a three-room wooden shack without running water or electricity.
As an adult, Thomas went to work with the postal service. He never made more than $25,000 a year. Upon retirement, he and his wife lived in poverty. Yet over the course of 33 years, Thomas gave away more than $156,000. His gifts were mainly in the form of $1,000 checks given to people he read about in the newspaper who were going through hard times or who especially exemplified courage or kindness. A youth worker in a low-income apartment complex, a volunteer faithfully serving at an elementary school, a Vietnamese couple wanting to return home to visit, and a teenager abandoned as an infant were some of the recipients of Thomas' benevolence.
Sandra Waugaman wrote a biography of Cannon’s life. She makes this comment, "Not many people would consider living in a house in a poor neighborhood without central heat, air conditioning, or a telephone, and working overtime so that they could save money to give away.”[ii]
That is generosity of biblical proportions.
3.
SLIDE
# The Principle of Rebound.
By generosity he shall stand Isaiah 32:8 NKJV
SLIDE
# Like it or not, scripture is very clear that generosity has a rebound effect.
· Generosity will always be rewarded.
Some people get upset when you talk about this. They say we shouldn’t be generous to get something in return, even if it is heavenly rewards. I’m sorry if it offends you, but God will not be out-generoused. Your generosity will always be rewarded in some way.
The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself. Proverbs 11:25 NKJV
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given. Proverbs 19:17 NKJV
He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor. Proverbs 22:9 NKJV
And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42 NKJV
Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 NKJV
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NKJV
Conclusion
Now let’s finish the story of Nabal and Abigail. David heard of Nabal’s death. He remembered Abigail because of her generosity and her wonderful heart. So David sent some messengers to her:
SLIDE
# 1 Samuel 25:40-42 (NKJV) 40 When the servants of David had come to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her saying, “David sent us to you, to ask you to become his wife.” 41 Then she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, “Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” 42 So Abigail rose in haste and rode on a donkey, attended by five of her maidens; and she followed the messengers of David, and became his wife.
This time she saddled up a donkey again. She carried not bread, wine, sheep or grain, but herself. She gave herself to David. He became king and she was his bride.
This is the gospel message. Jesus came to earth, being fully God, to give the most generous gift of all. He died in my place. Now He waits. What am I going to do? If I give myself, like Abigail, the scripture says that He will reign as King of Kings and I will be His bride.
[i] Associated Press, "How Do You Spend $1.5 Billion a Year?" cbsnews.com (6-27-06)
[ii] “Thomas Cannon had Little Money to Give," Omaha Sunday World Herald (July, 2005), p. 13A; Margaret Edds, "Cannon's Canon," HamptonRoads.com (7-24-05)

Generosity

Through this series we have looked at a number of issues dealing with relationships. We have talked about competition, judging others and with trust. Very applicable topics made necessary only by the fact that God has seen fit to put other people on my planet. If it weren’t for the fact that He is God I would think it rather rude for Him to have done it.
But He is God and He said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” He has populated this planet and then said that the way serve Him and keep His commandments will in large part be determined by the way in which we treat these other people.
There are other people on the planet, you know. You may have already heard the news that at or around 7:46 A.M. on Tuesday, October 17, 2006, the 300 millionth American citizen was born. It seems that our country is growing by about 2.8 million per year.
That means we have 300 million opportunities, without even leaving this country, to honor God in the way we treat people. There are opportunities all around you.
Generosity
Today we are going to talk about generosity. It wouldn’t even be possible to show real generosity if it weren’t for those 300 million people.
We recognize that God is generous. Scripture says that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.“(James 1:17) “For God so loved that He gave His only begotten Son.” (John 3:16) We rely upon God’s generosity in our prayers.
A child’s prayer
A young mother in our congregation was telling me about the prayers of her son. He is pre-school age and has some interesting prayers. This particular day the whole family went to a Thai restaurant and the kids had their first taste of Thai food. Her son loved the sticky rice and soy sauce. He just couldn’t get enough of it.
So, that night as they were saying their prayers together, her little boy ended his prayer by saying, “And, God, would you please make it rain soy sauce?” This little boy knows that God is a generous God. (But I don’t know if raining soy sauce is really such a good idea.)
We are most like God when we give.
We can’t make it rain soy sauce, but we can join in on this God-character and God-activity of giving.
Chuck Swindoll tells the story of a soldier walking through a small German village during World War II, and he noticed a young boy with his face pressed up against the bakery window. He was obviously very hungry and had no way to pay for the delicious bread inside so he just looked and caught the smells from outside.
Without hesitation the soldier walked past the boy into the bakery. He bought a big loaf of fresh bread, walked outside and handed it to the boy. The little boy grabbed the gift and held it close to his chest. As the soldier walked off, feeling good about what he had done, he felt a tug on his pants leg. He turned and there was the boy, with tears of gratitude running down his face. The boy looked up at the soldier and said, through his tears, “Mister, are you God?”
All in the family
God is in the business of generosity, and it is a family business. He invites you and me to take part in this aspect of His character. In fact, the word ‘generous’ is an interesting one. It means: of noble birth. It comes from the same word that Genesis, gentleman, generation, genealogy, and genetics all come from. When you are a part of God’s family it is literally in your genes.
Myths of generosity
Here are some common myths about generosity:
· You have to be wealthy to be generous. This isn’t true. In fact, wealth is often times the greatest impediment to generosity.
According to Time Magazine (12-09-02): Percentage of personal income in U.S. that went to charitable giving during the Great Depression: 2.9. Percentage of income that goes to charitable giving today: 2.5. We gave more when we had less.
Study after study show that more giving is done by those with lower incomes than those in the higher income brackets.
· Generosity is a money issue. No. Generosity is a heart issue. It is a ‘noble birth’ issue. It is a character issue. In fact, generosity involves more than just money. It involves being generous with your time; being generous with your praise; being generous with your forgiveness; being generous with your kindness; etc.
· Generosity is optional. We think of generosity like the air conditioning option on a car. I can get along without it but if I can get a good enough deal it would be nice to throw it in. -- If I’m taken care of and comfortable and have some left over, then I’ll be generous. If not, it’s no big deal. Who’s really going to know?”
Genetics aren’t optional.
GETTING TO GIVE
Like all good dads, my dad does what he can to torment me. I’m a grown man now and I’m pastor of a church, but he still tries to torment me. He’s a dad. That’s what dad’s do.
He’s retired now, so he likes to rub it in that he doesn’t have to go to work anymore. When I see him on a Saturday night he often says to me, “Hey, you have to work tomorrow!” But I always correct him, “No. I don’t have to work tomorrow. I get to work tomorrow.” It has kind of become a little tradition for us.
Do you have to give or do you get to give? There is a huge difference.
You get to give, literally. In other words, you don’t have to give you get to give. Also, what you get (from God) is for the primary purpose of giving. So, you get to give.
Let’s see this in a passage of scripture from Isaiah the prophet:
*** Scripture Reading: ***
Isaiah 32:5-8 (NKJV) 5 The foolish person will no longer be called generous, Nor the miser said to be bountiful; 6 For the foolish person will speak foolishness, And his heart will work iniquity: To practice ungodliness, To utter error against the Lord, To keep the hungry unsatisfied, And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. 7 Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans To destroy the poor with lying words, Even when the needy speaks justice. 8 But a generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand.
1. The Secret of Abundance.
The foolish person will no longer be called generous, nor the miser said to be bountiful; Isaiah 32:5 NKJV
What does this verse mean? It means basically that we have a wrong definition of generosity, bounty and abundance. We have it all wrong. We have missed the most important part.
Let’s say that you have a bunch of money. You came up with the right idea at the right time and you made it work. You capitalized on the market. You wooed investors. You hired the right people, fired the right people and your company is bringing in money hand over fist. You have been frugal and your bank account is bulging. We would say that you really are bountiful—that you have an abundance. Wrong!
You have missed the most important step of bounty or abundance. You are not generous but are a fool. You are not bountiful, but a miser.
The Secret of Abundance is this:
· Real ‘bounty’ is not in what you have, but in how you use it. (the ‘overflow’)
Did you know that the word abundance means literally, “to overflow”? It is made up of two Latin words that mean, “To move in waves out or away from.” The picture is of a river overflowing its banks. The essence of abundance is NOT how much is within the banks. That is irrelevant. Abundance is measured by what flows over the banks.
Nile River
The Nile River is often regarded as the longest river on Earth. Each year the river goes through seasons of change that result in regular overflowing of its banks into the surrounding region. As a result the Nile Delta, the land in and around the Nile tributaries, is the most fertile land in all of Africa.
The fool says, “I’ll dig a deeper canal so that the water doesn’t overflow.” The miser says, “I’ll build bigger banks along the side so I keep all this to myself.” In so doing you don’t create a greater abundance, but less abundance.
If we miss this point we miss everything.
I’m afraid that we don’t have to merely adjust the way we think about abundance and generosity but we have to flip it on its head. We have to invert our ideas about what we have and what it’s for.
Seed for the Sower
I heard a story once about a missionary who went to a poor village to minister and he soon discovered that there was a serious food shortage. There was very little to eat and the people of the village were becoming thin and emaciated. He wanted to help with the situation but had no idea what to do.
One day he went into a hut he had never been in before and was shocked when he saw that it was full of grain, the very thing they needed to bake some food and lessen their discomfort. He rushed to an elder of the village to tell him of the discovery and ask why they didn’t eat the grain. “Oh no,” replied the elder. “We must not eat that grain. That grain is seed for next year’s harvest. If we eat the seed then all hope is lost.”
What if the things that I have in my life aren’t for my own consumption? I think what God gives us – our treasures, our talents, our time – are seeds. We wonder why they don’t satisfy. We’re sitting in the corner of our little hut crunching away on our mouth full of seeds thinking, “This new boat, car, vacation, house, thing is nice but it just doesn’t satisfy. I’m still hungry.” The whole time God is saying, “Of course those don’t satisfy. Those are seeds for planting. That is not for your consumption.”
What if the number one purpose for all that you have isn’t for you to keep, but for you to give away? What if we have it entirely backwards? I think that we do.
2 Corinthians 9:10-11 (NKJV) 10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
God provides seed for the sower. (Underline ‘seed for the sower’.) Seed must be given away, put in the ground and die before it has its real purpose. What ‘seeds’ has God given you? Is it finances? Just by being an American you are among the world’s wealthiest inhabitants. Is it strength or an ability that you have been given? Is it time that can be shared with someone in need? Your seeds may not seem like much, like mustard seeds perhaps. But plant them and watch what happens!
Now look at verse eleven. Why are you enriched in everything? It is for all liberality (Underline that phrase) or generosity. You have so that you can give, not so that you can keep. Giving is not optional or secondary. It is primarily why you have what you have.
The root of conflict
Let’s look at another often quoted verse:
James 4:1-3 (NKJV) 1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
You’ll often hear this verse quoted, “You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss.” What is missing is the most important part, “that you may spend it on your pleasures.” That’s what amiss. Conflicts come and prayers are not answered for this reason: We fail in generosity.
The reason for working
One more verse:
Ephesians 4:28 (NKJV) 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
Look at this. Paul says that those who are stealing shouldn’t just stop stealing, but should go to work. Why should he work? Clearly, to take care of his own needs. NO. Most importantly so that he will have something to give. Paul takes it full circle from taking to giving. The hands that had been taking from others are the very hands that should work at something good and be the hands used to give to others.
It isn’t working this way
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed or not, but money has not bought happiness. Let me show you a couple of charts. The first chart (CHART 1) shows the result of surveys done with college students over the last 40 years. Two questions were asked students upon entering college. The first, “Is it very important or essential to develop a meaningful philosophy of life?” In the late 1960’s, more than 80 % said yes. The other question asked was, “Is it very important or essential to be very well off financially?” Only 44% said that was important.
Move ahead to the 2000’s and you see a shift in the importance of those two issues among those entering college. Now it is nearly reversed. Over 70% said it was very important or essential to be very well off financially, while only 40% felt that developing a meaningful philosophy of life is very important or essential. This is a dramatic shift. What has been the result?
The second chart (CHART 2) shows that, in fact, personal income from 1957 to 1998 doubled, from $9,000 per year to over $20,000. In that same period of time the percentage of people who reported that they were very happy didn’t increase at all. In fact, it decreased slightly. It’s not working this way.
Having more does not result in greater happiness. There has to be another answer.
Berry picking
When I was a young boy I was sentenced to berry picking. As far as I was concerned, it was cruel and inhumane treatment – probably against the Geneva Convention.
The first day my brothers and I rode the bus to the berry field was a dark day indeed. We had to get up early, we were cold and it was backbreaking work. We decided at lunchtime that we should just walk home. It was miles away. I remember walking for hours and then, before we got home, the bus went by. We would have gotten home sooner if we would have stayed and taken the bus home.
That was just day one. We had to go back day after day. We decided not to walk home anymore but we were terrible berry pickers. And then it hit me: I love strawberries! They taste even better out in the field because they have just a little bit of dirt on them. So I developed my own rhythm: one for the carrier, two for me, and three or four to throw at my brothers. We had great berry fights—lobbing them from across the field or running up and smashing berries in each others’ hair. The job wasn’t so bad after all.
I never made too much money picking strawberries. I remember one time I was so proud of my personal best: 39 carriers. I told my friend Doug Jordan and that day he had picked only an average amount for him: 66 carriers.
I may have picked as many as anyone else out there, but I learned that you don’t get credit for the ones you consume or for the ones that you throw at others.
You don’t get credit for what you consume for yourself or what use against others. What you have doesn’t belong to you. The way to feel the greatest sense of personal fulfillment is to get all you can and give up all you can.
· Generosity is a practice .
It is not just something we think about but it is also something we do. It results in action. We will look at this in more detail next time.

Trusting Others

Introduction
I want to talk about trust today. Some people really struggle with trust issues.

Old Faithful
Our family was driving on a cross-country trip a number of years ago. Our travels took us by the Grand Tetons, through Yellowstone National Park. I had never seen Old Faithful, so even though it was getting a little late and we had a ways to go until getting to our hotel that evening, I was excited to watch the Old Faithful geyser erupt.

So we parked the car, followed the signs and walked over to an area of benches looking out onto a pretty unimpressive landscape. There was just some rough terrain and what appeared to be the geyser. So we sat down and just waited for a while. It didn’t take long until my wife got a little anxious. She wanted to get to the hotel before it got too late, so she said, “Let’s just go.” “No” I answered, “I want to see it erupt.” Then she said, “What if it doesn’t erupt?” At which point I looked at her and said, “It’s ‘Old Faithful’. Of course it’s going to erupt!” Of course, after waiting just a little while longer Old Faithful did what you can trust it to do, it erupted.
If you can’t trust Old Faithful, who can you trust?

Relationships are defined by trust.

Relationships are ultimately defined not by quality time, or by quantity time, but by the quality of trust. The greater the trust the deeper the relationship.

Trust is not automatic.

We are not told to show unconditional trust toward other people. Do a study of the ‘one anothers’ of scripture. We are told to love one another, submit to one another, be kind one to another, pray for one anther, encourage one another, forgive one another, etc. without regard to the other person. Love them no matter what. Be kind to them no matter what. But, we are never told to ‘trust one another’. It is not unconditional and it is not automatic.

Here’s another way to look at it. We refer to someone as ‘trustworthy’, but we don’t say that someone is ‘loveworthy’. We don’t say that someone is ‘prayerworthy’. We don’t say that someone is ‘kindworthy’.

Since trust is not automatic, it means that it can be earned, lost, preserved and restored.
· trust can be earned
Show me that I can trust you.
· trust can be lost
It can be a single act of betrayal or many, many small things that lead to the lost of trust. A house can be demolished with a bulldozer or can be destroyed from years of neglect.
· trust can be guarded
It is easier to guard and preserve what you have rather than try to regain it after it’s lost. I am convinced that many people don’t understand how valuable trust is, or else they would guard it much more carefully.
· trust can be restored
This is the good news. It is hard work and takes a strong commitment, but it can be restored again.

Be trusting. Be trustworthy.

Being part of community, like the Body of Christ, requires relationship. Deep relationship depends entirely upon trust. And trust is not automatic. We have a two-fold goal then: Be trusting, and Be trustworthy.

EARNING TRUST

In writing to the Corinthians, Paul appeals to them to trust him.

2 Corinthians 7:2-7 (NKJV) 2 Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation. 5 For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. 6 Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.
“Open your hearts to us” means literally, ‘let us in.’

1. Don’t demand it.

If anyone could have demanded trust, it was the Paul. He was recognized as the Apostle to the Gentiles. He had seen the risen Lord. He was trained as an orthodox rabbi. And, on top of all of that, the Corinthian church owed him their very existence. The church began as a result of Paul’s first missionary journey into the region.

But Paul does not demand their trust, he appeals to them. He asks them to ‘open their hearts to him’, literally: make a place, make room for us.

Here’s the thing about trust: the more you demand it the more you lose it.

“Trust me…”
I was in a conversation with a construction contractor because I had been having repeated problems and unfulfilled promises with his crew. I began to notice that he continually used the phrase ‘trust me.’ “Trust me, I want these things corrected.” “Trust me, I don’t like this either.” “Trust me, that is not how I do business.” The problem was I didn’t trust him and every time he said, “Trust me” I trusted him even less.

If you have to demand trust you won’t get it, and you probably don’t deserve it.

2. Give it time.

Paul was very patient in building trust with the Corinthians and in waiting for their response. Here’s what happened:

The patience of Paul
Paul ministered in Corinth during his second missionary journey and establishes the church there. After a while, things in the church got a little out of control so Apollos, a strong leader and teacher, goes from Ephesus to Corinth. The problems were so bad that Apollos came back to Ephesus. Paul tried to get him to go back to Corinth later, but Apollos refused. Then members of the church there came to tell Paul that things had gotten even worse. (I heard of a well-known pastor recently preaching a series through the book of Corinthians and he called the series, “Christians Gone Wild.”)

So Paul writes some pretty strong words to the church there and sends Titus to see how they will respond to his writing. Then he waits. Paul eventually gets run out of Ephesus so he goes to Troas, making the long trip towards Corinth. He says that in Troas he had a great opportunity for ministry but had no rest in his spirit because he Titus wasn’t there to tell him how the Corinthians were doing. (2 Cor. 2:12-13) So he left there on his way to Corinth and met up with Titus in Macedonia. There he hears good news: they had received his correction and were responding favorably. It was worth the wait.

The patience of Gamaliel
I marveled this last week in our Life Journal readings about the patience of Gamaliel. Gamaliel was one of those Jewish leaders in Acts 5, trying to decide what to do with the apostles and their new teachings. He said they didn’t have to do anything. If it wasn’t real it would fizzle and die over time. If it really was of God, time would bear that out.

In order to trust you I need to see your character. Character is shown over time.

3. Let your actions do the talking.

Don’t tell me I can trust you. Show me. Paul let his actions do the talking.

· “We have wronged no one”
This means that we did harm to no one. Literally, “we were unjust to no one.” We can harm people unjustly in a number of ways: gossip harms their reputation; insensitivity harms their emotions; causing division harms community; anger harms peace; and violence harms the body.
· “We have corrupted no one”
Paul was also able to say that no one was led astray by his bad example. Paul was authentic. He lived out his faith. He practiced what he preached. How is your example?

· “We have cheated no one”
In other words, “We never once benefited from someone else’s loss. We never took advantage of anyone else.” … We never sold a car that we knew had defects… We never kept more money then we were due on our income taxes… We never called in sick when we weren’t really sick… We never lied or stole.

Can you make this statement, “I have wronged no one; I have corrupted no one; I have cheated no one”? What if Paul could not make this statement? Then he had no business asking them to trust him. The same is true of you. It begins with forgiveness.

Forgiveness and trust
Did you know that you can forgive someone without trusting them? Remember: forgiveness is required, trust is not.

Let’s say that you come to see me in my office. I have to excuse myself for a minute, I come back and we say our goodbyes. Later I notice that a ten dollar bill is missing from my desk. I mention it to you and you confess that you took it. You feel very bad; ask for my forgiveness and I forgive you immediately.

The next time you’re in my office I step out to get you a glass of water. Later I notice again that another ten dollars is missing. When I confront you again you admit that you really needed the money but you know it was wrong. You ask for my forgiveness and I forgive you. The next time you are in my office I am not going to leave you alone with any valuables. Forgiveness is given immediately. Trust must be earned back.

4. Be vulnerable.

Trust involves risk and vulnerability. It is unavoidable. When someone trusts you they let you get closer and give you the chance to hurt them.

Captain Kirk always did this cool thing when he wanted to get another ship to trust him. He would lower his shields. With the shields lowered they were more vulnerable, but the other ship knew they could be trusted.

If you want someone to trust you, you have to trust them first. You be vulnerable first. In chapter 6, before Paul asked the Corinthians to open their hearts to him, he said this:

2 Corinthians 6:11-13 (NKJV) 11 O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. 13 Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open.
If you want someone to open up to you, open up to them first.

The essence of trust
The essence of trust is this: I will receive harm myself rather than let it come to you.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, Navy Seal
There were four men, elite Navy Seals, providing security along with Iraqi forces in Ramadi, Iraq, west of Baghdad. The rooftop position had only one doorway. That’s where Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor stood while the other four were inside the shelter. A hand grenade was launched by insurgent forces and hit Petty Officer Monsoor in the chest. It bounced inside the hideout and landed on the floor. The others in the bunker said that Monsoor never took his eyes off the grenade. His only movement was directly to the floor and on top of the live grenade. He gave his life and the others were saved.

He was standing by the door. He was standing by the door! Do you get it? When that grenade bounced in he was the only one with a real shot at making it out. He could have ducked and run. He took harm rather than having harm come to others. Is that someone that you could trust?

Standing by the door
Some of you are standing by the door today. You are standing by the door of your marriage and it’s not looking good. There is a ticking bomb ready to explode. What are you going to do? Are you in or are you out? Is it self-preservation or self-sacrifice for you? This is where trust has its day. What will it be?

Some of you are standing by the door of this church. You don’t want to venture in too much or let others get too close because you may get hurt. You’re watching for any sign of danger so you can be ready to bolt. What is it for you? Are you in or are you out?

Maybe someone here today is standing at the door with the Lord. His love for you has hit you on the heart and so now what do you do? Are you in? You have to die to yourself, you know. Make a move.

5. Trust God first.

I said that we were not told to trust anyone else unconditionally. Well, that’s not entirely true. There is One who we can trust unconditionally.

Proverbs 3:5 (NKJV) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

God is ultimately trustworthy. When we were in danger from sin and death, God came to earth, in the form of a man, Jesus, to throw Himself on our grenade. You and I were huddled in a cramped enclosure when sin lobbed a grenade called death into our hideout. Without giving it a second thought, Jesus through Himself, through His crucifixion, onto death so that we could live. Now, is He worthy of our trust?? Yes!

The key for all other trust relationships
Trusting God becomes the key for all other trust relationships. Especially once you have been hurt, it is hard to trust.

She looked me right in the eye and asked me, “But if I let him earn back trust and restore trust over time, how do I know that I won’t get hurt again? Do I have any guarantee?”
I cannot offer you a guarantee that if you open up to trusting others they will not hurt you. I can’t do that. But I can guarantee you this: You can trust God.

The question is: Can you trust God that no matter how bad you’re hurt He can heal; He can comfort; He can restore and He will even use it for your good? I can trust others when I put my trust in God first.

Conclusion
Are you trusting? Are you trustworthy?

Judging Others

Judging Others
A drunken man got on the bus late one night, staggered up the aisle, and sat next to a woman who was clutching a Bible. She looked the wayward drunk up and down and said, "I've got news for you, mister. You're going straight to hell!" The man jumped up out of his seat and shouted, "Oh, man, I'm on the wrong bus again!"

Seven parables of the kingdom
In Matthew 13, Jesus shares seven parables of the Kingdom of Heaven. (The phrase ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ used eight times in this chapter, more than any other chapter in scripture. Parables: Sower, Wheat and Tares, Mustard Seed, Leaven, Hidden Treasure, Pearl of Great Price, and Dragnet.)

The word ‘parable’ means literally, “to cast or place alongside” or “to compare.” When Dalene and I were at the coast recently we came across an unusually large jellyfish washed up on the sand. I had my camera with me so I was able to get a picture of it. But I realized that with a picture of the jellyfish by itself there is no way to get an accurate perspective of its size. So I had Dalene put her foot in the picture next to the jellyfish. Then you can tell how big it is.
A parable is a illustrative story laid beside another truth to give greater perspective. Jesus gives seven different parables here, each one given a different perspective on the kingdom of heaven. Some of these parables support and complement one another. Others show an entirely different characteristic of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Let me say one other thing before we go on. There are a lot of people that have some insightful, revealing or amazing thing to say about the Kingdom of Heaven, but there is no one who knows this topic like Jesus. What He has to say isn’t, like all the rest, speculation or interpretation. It’s the real deal.

A REAL DILEMMA

The parable we will be looking at is the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares.

Matthew 13:24-30 (NKJV) 24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

Matthew 13:36-43 (NKJV) 36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37 He answered and said to them: [cast and credits] “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Tares
A tare, as used in this story, is what is know as the bearded darnel. It is plentiful in the region of Israel and current-day Palestine. In its earliest stages it looks identical to wheat, until time for the head to form and fruit to be shown. Only then can it be distinguished. Not only is it unfruitful, but it is actually poisonous. If parts of the darnel make it into the harvest it can cause serious illness. The servants were understandably concerned.

1. REMEMBER: It’s not your field.
The servants in the story notice something that seems to almost shock them at some point, “Hey! There are tares in this wheat field! How did that happen?!” Didn’t you only plant good seed? How did these evil things appear?

That question in the real world goes something like this, “How did evil get in the world? God, did you put it there?” Does that sound familiar?

Notice the answer: An enemy did this. There was only good seed planted in this world but an enemy brought the evil. When did he do it? While men slept (v.25). So the field was established and planted with nothing but good seed. The care and protection of this wonderful field was then given over to the care of men who were careless and allowed an enemy to bring all the evil. Again, sound familiar?

No matter how bad you think things are in the field, it’s not your field. The servants wisely went back to the owner, because the field didn’t belong to them. They had a real dilemma on their hands.

• They don’t belong to you.

If you know of someone that you would like to rip up by the roots because you have judged them as poisonous and evil, let me remind you that they don’t belong to you.

Romans 14:4 (NKJV) 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

James 4:11-12 (NKJV) 11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

• You don’t belong to you.

You don’t even have the right to judge yourself, because you belong to God.

1 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NKJV) 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.

• It’s not time.

Not only that but, this is key, it isn’t time for judgment yet. A time will come, but not now.

1 Corinthians 4:5 (NKJV) 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

2. RESTRAIN. You’ll do more harm than good.

The servants recognize the seriousness of the situation and they have a good solution, it is a logical solution, “Let’s go into the field and judge between the tares and the wheat and just rip them up right now.

Good intentions gone bad
These are good servants. They want to help. They want to do something about the problem that they are noticing in the field. They are zealous for a pure field of wheat. But notice what the Master, the Son of Man, tells his servants, “No.” (‘No’ in the Greek means ‘no’ by the way.) Don’t do it. Don’t lay your hand on a single tare. That is not the assignment I have for you. I know you want to help, but you will hurt the situation.

First of all, you damage my wheat, which is so precious to me. I am not willing that one single wheat plant be pulled up. While pulling up tares you may accidentally uproot some wheat nearby, or you may even misidentify the two and pull up wheat thinking it is a tare. Judging like will have destructive consequences.

• Don’t develop a critical spirit.

Not only that but it will develop in you a critical spirit. I don’t want you going through my wheat field (which is the world) always looking at people with a critical eye, “Are you a wheat or are you a tare? I’m not sure but I think you’re a tare. Just to make sure I better pluck you up.” If you’re not plucking up the tares you don’t even have to worry about it.

3. RELAX. Trust God’s judgment.

Then the Master tells the servants, “I’ll take care of it when the time is right. There will be a judgment. Not a single tare will make it into the wheat harvest, I can guarantee that.” Do you trust in His final judgment?

Abraham said, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Gen. 18:25) Yes!

I think people that are highly judgmental and accusatory don’t really trust God’s judgment. They are either afraid that God won’t catch someone or that He is taking to long. Either way is an indictment on God’s judgment.

In Deuteronomy 32:25, Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30 we are told, “‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” Hebrews 10 adds, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God.”

• Care for the tares.

Now this is what will really challenge you. Okay, the servants say, we won’t pull them out. We won’t judge other people. They will grow up right along with the wheat. Now what? Now you have to water and tend and care for the wheat. Wait a minute! With the tares growing right alongside the wheat, that means we have to care for them, too!

Jesus said to love your enemies. Real servants care for the tares.

A real life example
I was driving home from Portland this last week, listening to the developments in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. As all of you know, ten young Amish girls, ranging in age from 6 to 13, were taken hostage and shot by a 32 year old milk truck driver. Five of the girls died, one is not expected to live, and four are hospitalized.

There is a group from Topeka, Kansas known as the Westboro Baptist Church (though they are not a part of any known Baptist affiliation). There are about 70 members of this wild cult who believe that they alone are ‘wheat’ and everyone else is a ‘tare’. They are ripping people up by the roots. For years now they have been protesting at funeral sites – Aids victims, soldiers killed in Iraq, even Mr. Rogers – and have held vulgar signs of hate. This group was planning to protest with very personal and hurtful accusations against the young girls that were killed and their community, claiming God gave them what they deserve. These are 'tare-pullers'.

A radio talk show host heard of this and offered a deal: one hour of air time in exchange for leaving these funerals alone. They agreed to spread their hate on the radio.

Now, let me bring the sharp contrast.

In the meantime, without fanfare or publicity, the Amish community has been quietly dealing with the loss in the only way they know how. They have forgiven the gunman and his family, who live in that area. They have communicated complete forgiveness and even compassion to the man’s widow and children. They family was invited to attend the funerals. The Amish community has begun collecting from their community financial support for the families of the girls and for the family of the gunman!

4. REFOCUS. Be the wheat!

What if we stop looking with critical and judgmental eyes at others and leave them up to God? Your job isn’t as judge, you are to be the wheat. You grow. You bear fruit, don’t worry about the ones on the right of you or on the left of you. Be a son or daughter of the kingdom.

Do you have a critical spirit? Is there an individual or a group of people that you have judged? What is God saying to you through this parable?

Competition

Competition
We are beginning a new series of messages today entitled, “Can’t We All Just Get Along?” In many ways, this seems to be easier said than done.

We are not alone
Think about the journey that God has put us on. We begin at birth, pass through life on this earth and end up at death. In and of itself, that wouldn’t really be that difficult. But then He says, “Oh, one other thing. I’m going to throw a bunch of other people into the mix. You’ll have to get around them.” That adds an incredible degree of difficulty to the task. It changes everything drastically. In good and bad ways.

I wouldn’t do hurtful or selfish things if there were no other people around. I wouldn’t lie if there were no one to lie to. I wouldn’t steal if there were no one to steal from. I wouldn’t lust, I wouldn’t kill, I wouldn’t envy, I wouldn’t be jealous, I wouldn’t argue. Like Adam said, “The woman, who You gave me…” Things would be a whole lot easier without all these other people on the planet.

But, of course, that’s the deal. We do have to navigate our way through life with a whole bunch of other people navigating their way through life. Getting along with others is what it is all about. You cannot fulfill the commandments of God without dealing with other people in the process.

A walk through the church
During the week, I have occasion to walk around in this church all the time. I can get from the Children’s Wing to my office in about a minute, no sweat. But between services on a Sunday morning, that same walk can take me a half an hour. Sometimes going five feet can take me a half an hour. Because people have been added to the mix. It changes everything. And, you know what? I enjoy the walk much more on Sundays than during the week.

THREE PART PLAN FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Your spiritual life must consider other people into the mix. That adds challenge and it also adds joy. Consider this three part plan for spiritual growth:

· Weekend Service.
Consistently attend a weekend service and stay connected to the larger group. Stay in step with where we’re going.

· Small Group.
Find a place, or places, that fit for you. We have small groups that involve interacting with Sunday’s message, going deeper in a particular topic of interest, serving in the church or outside the church, or enjoying a common interest. You can even start your own small group.

· Life Journal.
You also need time alone with God throughout your week. The Life Journal is a great way for you to do that.

KEEPING SCORE

Today we are going to talk about COMPETITION, and how it affects relationships along our journey. I love the scripture reading for today because it reminds us that disciples of Jesus are real people, just like us.

Mark 9:33-35 (NKJV) 33 Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

I think this is very interesting and would have loved to have been there to listen in on the disciples’ conversation. Because I have been a part of these same types of conversations many, many times. These were guys talking about how great they think they are.

Peter might have made his case: “I’m the one who spoke up and said, ‘You are the Christ.’ Remember, Jesus said I heard directly from God.” Then the other disciples may have said, “Yeah, and then He said to you, ‘Get behind Me, Satan!’

James and John may have said, “What about His great nickname for us: Sons of Thurnder.” And they others said, “Come on, you know that’s because your dad is a loudmouth!”

Matthew made his case next: “I’m the one who left a high-paying job to follow Jesus. I’ll be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” But then he would hear, “It may have been high-paying, but you were a hated tax collector. It couldn’t be you.”

One by one the cases would have been made and then shot down. Do you know who would have probably had the strongest case of all? It was the one who could say, “He lets me carry the money bag and take care of all the finances. Obviously He trusts me the most.” It was Judas Iscariot who could have brought the strongest case.

What’s your case? Do you have reason to believe that you’re just a little more spiritual than someone else? Do you have any sense of spiritual pride or arrogance? Remember Judas.

Women are competitive too
And let’s get something straight. You women may sit there thinking, “Yes. Men are so competitive. Why are they like that?” Women are just as competitive, or even more. Maybe not when it comes to achievement or accomplishment, but women are often more competitive than men when it comes to relationships. You can’t kid me.

So, what’s wrong with competition?

1. Competition threatens community.
Notice that, when Jesus asked them what they were disputing about on the road, it says, “But they all kept silent.” Why? Because they knew it wasn’t a good, healthy conversation. Where were all the claims of greatness now?
They were hoping that He hadn’t noticed; that He didn’t know it was going on. But He did. If you think that He doesn’t notice the disputes and divisions that you are having with other people, you’re wrong too. He knows.

· Competition is defined by opposition.
Without opposition, there is no competition.

· Community is defined by cooperation.
Community, on the other hand, is defined by cooperation. It is different people, doing their best at what they do, not to oppose someone else but to cooperate with them.

2. Competition is contagious.
It spreads like a disease. When introduced into a body where there should be cooperation, competition can quickly shut things down.
What’s going on?
Competition is a sure sign of insecurity. When we are insecure about ourselves we have to prove that we are better than someone else.
What had happened just before this incident in scripture was this: A man brought his sick son to the disciples and they could not heal him. They tried. They should have been able to, but they couldn’t. Jesus came onto the scene, found that they had failed and He healed the sick boy.
Have you ever noticed how your own insecurities fuel your need to be better than someone else? Then you have to show yourself and others that you are? That is destructive competition at work. When you see it in yourself you can stop it.

· There is no place for competition in the church.
The Church is a Body. Competition has no place within a church or among churches.
You or I have no position of privilege over anyone else.

Galatians 2:6 (NKJV) 6 But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me.
And we are not to show no privilege to anyone else.

James 2:9 (NKJV) 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

· There is no place for competition in marriage.
Scripture says that in marriage husband and wife are ‘one flesh’. One of the most common problems within marriage is competition. It eats it alive.
How is there competition within a marriage? It’s when we begin to keep score. “I do more in this marriage than you do.” “I contribute more to this marriage than she does.” “I sacrifice more in this marriage than he does.” “I suffer more…” “I deserve better…” This is how competition sneaks into marriage to destroy it. Don’t let it happen.

Marriage is not 50/50
One of the most destructive myths ever is that ‘Marriage is 50/50’, because it’s not. If anyone ever told you that, they lied. If marriage is 50/50, than it causes us to keep score. “I think I’m at 76 and he’s only at 24.” Stop keeping score.
Marriage is 100% no matter what. That’s what real marriage is.

3. Competition has a cure.
Jesus knew the disciple’s problem and He also knew their solution. If you are struggling with competitiveness in relationships with others, His words are for you today.

· The cure to competition is serving.
The solution is to serve. How different would my life be if I could stop trying to come out on top and start serving others? It would be huge! How much less anxiety would I have if I stop worrying about who is dressed prettier than me, or who is making more money than me and just serve people. There is real freedom and health for your relationships.

Don't Quit

Introduction
I think I may need to introduce myself. My name is Jim Holm, and I am the Senior Pastor here at New Hope. As some of you know my wife, Dalene, and I have been on a vacation for almost two weeks celebrating our 25th anniversary. It was the longest vacation we have taken in years. We went on a cruise, our first ever, and cruised around Hawaii. We had a great time.

What day is it?
It is hard to get back into the swing of things once you’ve been on a long vacation. Today is Sunday, right? I’ve lost track. Just before leaving on vacation I was sitting in the office break area with nine-year-old Julia, one of Pastor Jason’s wonderful daughters, and a couple other people. As we were talking someone asked what day it was and I replied, “It’s Thursday.” “No,” Julia said, “It’s Friday.” I thought about it again and I was sure it was Thursday so I said, “No, today is Thursday.” She still didn’t believe me so she said equally confidently, “It’s Friday.” I looked right at her and I said, “Julia, today is Thursday.” She got this concerned look on her face and said, “Oh, no. Jennifer told me it was Friday. I have my Friday underwear on.”

Final sermon in series, “Chatting with God”
So, last I checked today, today is Sunday. It is also the close of a series where, over the summer, we have been exploring the topic of prayer. We called it “Chatting with God: A return to simple prayer.” I feel that prayer is one of those things that we tend to complicate. Prayer is chatting with God.

Context of scripture reading
In Luke chapter 11, Luke the beloved physician and traveling partner of Paul the Apostle, tells us about a particular day in the life of Jesus and His disciples. As the story opens Jesus is doing something that He often did – He was praying. In Luke’s gospel, he mentions a number of specific references to times when Jesus was praying.

Luke 3:21 Jesus prays at His baptism, heaven is opened, the Spirit descends in the form of a dove and God’s voice is heard from heaven.

Luke 6:12 Jesus prayed all night before selecting His disciples.

Luke 9:18 Jesus was praying before asking His disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” and receiving Peter’s great confession of faith, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

Luke 9:28 Jesus took Peter, John and James up a mountain to pray where they say Jesus transfigured before their eyes.

Luke 22:41 Jesus prayed with great agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.
And here, in Luke chapter 11, when the disciples see Jesus praying they ask him a reasonable request, “Why don’t you teach us to pray like You do? John taught his disciples how to pray.” They think that what they need is information. They need they need to know the right words to use and steps to follow. Jesus knows that what they need more is inspiration.

They ask,“Teach us to pray.” The prayer itself is simple: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

And then watch what happens. Jesus becomes more of a prayer-coach than a prayer-instructor.

Scripture Reading:
Luke 11:5-10 (NKJV) 5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. [read together from here] 9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Here is the message: Don’t Quit! Prayer will sometimes be difficult, untimely and inconvenient. You’ll be tempted to quit and go home, I know! No matter what, don’t quit!
There are two reasons for prayerlessness today.
· Those who never start.
· Those who quit. They start off praying for something but then give up.

I would imagine that the more common issue of the two among those that I am addressing today is the latter: starting strong and then giving up too soon. I’m not a teacher this morning, I am a coach. I’m a prayer-coach. And I am telling you today, “Don’t Quit!” You will be tempted to quit. Keep on praying no matter what. Don’t Quit!


PRAYER COACHING
I am your prayer-coach today. Like Coach Chiapuzio. When I was in college I did a college practicum as an assistant high school football coach for the freshman team. Coach Chapuzio, or Coach Chip as everyone called him, was the head coach. I’m guessing he started coaching when they still had leather helmets. They say old football coaches never die… and Coach Chip was evidence of that fact.

During practice on a beautiful day in the late summer or early fall we were having a scrimmage of the offense against the defense, so there was a lot of contact and hitting going on. Our nose tackle was particularly tough and just keep tossing guys aside and getting to the ball. He was causing all kinds of problems for our offensive line. After one play, the screaming didn’t stop after the play stopped. It was our nose tackle. He was holding his arm and was in excruciating pain. None of us knew what to do. I was thinking we should stop practice and call an ambulance. Before I could do anything Coach Chip walked calmly up to the guy, grabbed his arm and gave it a good yank! The guy immediately felt better. He had just dislocated his shoulder. Practice resumed.

Some of you may be hurting and ready to give up on prayer. Let me give you a good yank today.
1. Don’t Quit! It’s not too late.

In this story Jesus tells of a man going to ask for something at midnight! The time is significant. It would have been very easy for this man to reason to himself, “I just can’t go now, it’s too late.” Jesus is saying that it is never too late to pray.

You may be sitting here today thinking, “I just can’t go to God in prayer now. It has been so long since I have spent time in prayer. I just don’t think I can face Him.” You can! Don’t quit because it is not too late. He will receive you right now, at this late moment in your life, at this late time in whatever circumstance you’re in, no matter how dark it is.

· Persistent prayer overcomes guilt and shame.

Did the man in the story feel guilty over waking up his sleeping friend? Certainly. Did he feel a little bit of shame? I’m sure of it. But he persisted anyway. Prayer can do that, it can overcome guilt and shame.

Do you know that God does not want you to feel guilty about your prayer life? Notice that the disciples saw Jesus’ prayer life and they were drawn to it. They wanted the benefits that they saw Jesus had from prayer. Nowhere in scripture does Jesus say to His disciples, “You guys are a disgrace! You really should pray more. You’re missing your prayer quota! You are losers!” Pray from desire, not guilt.

Don’t quit! Get back in the game! It’s not too late for you.

2. Don’t Quit! You can do it!

In this story Jesus is giving us permission to be persistent. Because you can do it. Even though the man in the story faced some challenges and opposition along the way, he ended up with what he was looking for. You can do it, too. Just don’t quit. Jesus believes in your ability in prayer, and so do I.

Luke Belloti
There was a controversial call on the U of O game last weekend that involved an on-side kick. Much has been made of the call, but the fact remains that the kick itself was perfectly done under very tough circumstances. The kicker is a junior at the University of Oregon and is not the first string kicker or even the second string kicker. He is only a third string kicker. He wasn’t recruited or drafted but what was called a ‘walk on’. He is a very unlikely hero. He is also Coach Mike Belloti’s son.

Imagine being Luke Belloti and reading this is in the paper: “Belloti’s role in the victory made his dad proud. “He’s the best guy for that type of kick on the football team,” coach Mike Belloti said. “Obviously I’m very pleased for him. First of all because he’s my son, and secondly because it gave our team a chance to win.”

When you pray, your Father is very proud. First of all because you are His son, or daughter. Also because of the tremendous power brought to the Kingdom of God through prayer.

· Persistent prayer shows great faith.

Why did the man in the story stay around outside his friend’s house at midnight even after he was told ‘no’? He must’ve believed it would make a difference. In spite of immediate appearances he believed he would get what he was asking for. Otherwise he wouldn’t have been persistent.

Why aren’t we persistent in prayer? Because we don’t really think it will do any good. At the first sign of difficulty we pack up and demonstrate a very weak faith.

· Persistent prayer is spirit and flesh.

Is prayer physical or spiritual? The answer, of course, is ‘yes’. Prayer is both. It is a blending. We blend the physical world and the spiritual world when we pray. And it’s not easy.
In the garden

When Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, He asked His disciples to pray with Him. Repeatedly they fell asleep on the job. Jesus understood. He said, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”

At a couch
Years ago, before I entered full-time ministry, I decided to pray through my lunch hour. I was fasting, so I decided to run home from the office and spend some time in prayer instead of eating.

I got home, went over to kneel at our couch and began to pray. When I woke up, I had two minutes to get back to work. I ran into the bathroom, looked in the mirror and there was a tweed fabric pattern in the middle of my forehead. I rubbed and rubbed but it wouldn’t come off. I had no choice but to get back to work with my ‘prayer mark’ on my head. Luckily, no one saw me.

Jesus understands, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Don’t quit!

3. Don’t Quit! There is much to gain.

The motivator that Jesus uses in these verses – this is His idea and not mine – is not fear or guilt or intimidation. He says, “I don’t want you to quit because I don’t want you to miss out on all that is to be gained in prayer.

· Persistent prayer has great rewards.

What can be gained in prayer?

“Ask” : practical requests, resources
“Ask and you shall receive.”

“Seek” : wisdom or direction
“Seek and you shall find.”

“Knock” : opportunities
“Knock and it will be opened to you.”

What is ‘it’? What will be opened to you? ‘It’ is just what you need. The right door will be opened to you, not all doors. You will find the wisdom or direction you need when you need it. You shall receive God’s best for you.

The key is persistent prayer, so Don’t Quit!

Conclusion
Prepare your heart to spend some time in prayer with God as you listen to this song.
*** Special Song: ‘I Get On My Knees’ (Melissa Koenig) ***
Will you join me? On your knees or up here at the altar. And then, Don’t Quit!

Peace Through Prayer in Perilous Times

Introduction
I just returned from my third trip to Brazil and I want to thank many of you for praying for me. It is incredible how well things go when people pray.

A common need
Each time that I go to Brazil, or some other foreign country, I am amazed at the people that I see there. Not because of how different we are from one another but because of the many similarities that we share. We have much more in common that we have differences. We speak a different language, we eat different kinds of food and we may have different experiences but other than that we are all basically the same. The deep needs of our hearts – our drives and fears and hopes – are all basically the same.
I preached in a church service in one of the churches and after the service a little girl named Sara came shyly up to me. She was about 8 or 9 years old. She gave me a little note with a picture of the stage and the drum set that she had drawn during the church service. It also said, “Sara. I love you. Love, Sara.” I felt just like I was home because I get those kinds of notes around here all the time. That is one of the best perks about being a pastor.
No matter where you live one of the greatest needs of the human heart is for peace. Peace is needed, not primarily in Brazil or in the United States or not even primarily in the Middle East. Peace is needed most desperately within the human heart.
Since God created us don’t you think that He is aware of this great need? He is. And He has given us the tool – we have the technology – to have peace in our everyday lives. It is available but often goes unused.

Using what we have
I was at the hospital early one morning to pray for two people who were going in to surgery. Pastor Ron was also there. I noticed something I never noticed before. Pastor Ron had a cell phone on his belt. I talked with him later that day and asked him, "Pastor Ron, would you give me your cell phone number so I can get a hold of you?" "Sure, you can have the number, but it won't do you any good since I never turn it on."
He had all the technology but certainly wasn’t using it to its fullest capability.
Most of us are this way with prayer. God has given us the most powerful and useful spiritual technology for life. Most of us wear it on our belt but we don't have it on. Or, if we are, we are not using it to the fullest -- not using all the functions.
Prayer is the key to achieving daily peace in our lives, but most of us don’t use it that way. Let me show you today the connection between prayer and peace.

What is prayer?
If I were to ask you, “What is prayer?” what would your answer be? I would get a number of different answers. Some people think of prayer in only this way: Prayer is asking God for things. Others seem to think that prayer is telling God what to do. Some see prayer as just a routine to fulfill. When I was a kid we prayed every day before dinner and bedtime but we said those prayers so fast that I didn’t even know what we were saying until I got curious and said them in slow motion. Still others, I’m sure, think of prayer as having no real benefit.
But prayer, more than anything else, is the key to real peace in perilous times. How does prayer brings peace? Here’s how:

Prayer makes me aware of God’s presence.
Prayer is the primary way to be aware of God's presence.

Elisha's prayer for his servant
Now, here's a bad day.
The king of Syria had sent a great army - with chariots, horses, soldiers, the wholworks - against the prophet Elisha. They came at night. (You can't sneak up on a prophet, by the way.) Imagine this: The servant of Elisha got up early in the morning, got the coffee on and went out on the front porch to get the paper. As he bent over, he thought he had noticed something different. Was it real or a dream? He straightened up slowly and looked around. He suddenly came awake and saw this great army completely surrounded their house. There was no way out of this hopeless situation.
He went running into the house screaming for Elisha.

*** Scripture Reading: ***
2 Kings 6:16-17 (NKJV) 16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Elisha’s prayer didn’t bring the presence of God. Those chariots of fire were already there before the prayer, but prayer made Elisha’s servant aware of the nearness of God’s presence. What we need more than anything else is a confidence in God’s presence. The immediate circumstances didn’t change. The enemy army was still there surrounding the house. But suddenly it wasn’t so distressing anymore. There was peace in the midst of an otherwise desperate situation.

Prayer - Presence - Peace

Let me read you a couple more verses from scripture:
Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV) 10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Isaiah 41:13 (NKJV) 13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’
Psalm 23:4 (NKJV) 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

God’s presence brings real peace.
This is the only way to real peace. Many people try other means. They try to take a detour to peace without God. It won’t work. You can’t go around it.

A TIME OF PERIL
In John 14, Jesus was speaking with His disciples only hours before He would be arrested and then led off to be crucified. It would be, without a doubt, the most perilous time in their lives. They had already experienced some trouble. Jesus knew that. There was even more trouble to come. Jesus knew what they were about to face.

Jesus knows your troubles
Jesus knows that troubles that you have faced in your life. For some of you there have been grave troubles indeed. There have been some things that you haven’t shared with anyone else because you don’t think that anyone else would understand. But Jesus knows and Jesus understands. He also knows the troubles that you will face in the future. There is no trouble that He cannot bring peace into.

*** Scripture Reading: ***
John 14:1 (NKJV) 1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

It’s up to you
Jesus said in this perilous time, “Let not your heart be troubled.” This is a great need and, apparently, something over which I have control. Jesus would not have said, “Let not your heart be troubled” if they had no choice in the matter. If a troubled heart – a heart that is tossed around like a storm at sea – is inevitable then it would be cruel for Jesus to say, “Don’t let that happen.” You can let your heart be troubled or let not your heart be troubled. It is up to you. Do not think that you have to accept a troubled heart because you don’t. Even in perilous times – especially in perilous times – I need to hear these words, “Let not your heart be troubled.”

1. Jesus didn’t say, “Let not your mind be confused.”
Notice that Jesus did NOT say, “Let not your mind be confused.” This will happen in perilous times, there’s nothing you can do about it. This was going to happen with the disciples. When Jesus was arrested they were terribly confused. “What’s going on here? Isn’t He God? How could He let this happen?”
The same things go through my mind in perilous times. “Why is this happening to me? What are you doing, God? Can’t you stop this? I don’t get it.”

A family with questions
I was over at a the house of a family from our church whose son is dying of cancer. He is four years old. He has undergone years of surgeries and treatment and medicines. There is nothing more they can do for him now and the doctors say he has only weeks or months to live.
They had this question, “Why?” They hadn’t been able to answer that question and neither could I. I don’t know why. Troubling times are beyond my understanding. If my peace is tied into my understanding then I am toast.
Your mind cannot bring peace. Only your heart can bring peace. (Prov 3:5-6, Phil 4:6-7)

2. Jesus didn’t say, “Let not your life have any troubles.”
Jesus also did not say, “Let not your life have any troubles.” You can’t control that, either. Troubles will come. You can count on it. No matter how hard you try to keep your life trouble-free, they will come.
When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Peter thought that he could keep it from happening. He took a sword and started swinging. Jesus told him to put it down. There was nothing that they could do about it. There’s nothing you can do about it, either. How much guilt and regret do we deal with about things that were going to happen anyway?
Your strength cannot bring peace. Only your heart can.
I wonder if Peter faced guilt and regret. I’ll bet he did. I bet in those days between Jesus’ arrest and resurrection that Peter thought many times, “It’s all my fault. I should’ve protected Him. I shouldn’t have let Him go to Jerusalem. I should’ve fought harder. I should have kept swinging that sword.” He dealt with guilt and regret like us.
Guilt says, “If only I were a better person than bad things would happen to me. God doesn’t really like me.”
Regret says, “If I wouldn’t have done that bad thing then this wouldn’t be happening. I’m being punished.”

· Rid yourself of guilt and regret.

Like spiritual vultures, guilt and regret feed on people in times of trouble. Don’t let them pick you apart.
Your mind will be confused in times of trouble. It is beyond your control. Your life will have troubles no matter what you do. It is also beyond your control. What can you do?

3. The key to peace: “Believe also in Me.”
Jesus said, “You believe in God…” – the same God who created everything and holds the whole universe together – “…believe also in Me.” In the same way, believe in Me, the guy who knows you, is standing right beside you and has been with you every day.

· The God out there is also right here.
He is a God who is near, is present and Who understands what you’re going through. That is the secret of peace and it comes through prayer – simply spending time with God. Knowing that the disciples could face the most perilous time, and so can we.

Conclusion
The last chapters of Ezekiel paint a wonderful picture. It is the New Jerusalem, a place where there will only be peace all the time. It is described in great detail and then the last words of that prophetic book are these: “…and the name of the city from that day shall be: ‘The Lord is there.’” (Jehovah Tsidkenu) That’s the only way for real peace.

*** Special Song: ‘A Living Prayer’ (Jessica Chambers) ***
In this world I walk alone / With no place to call my homeBut there’s one who holds my hand / The rugged road through barren landsThe way is dark the road is steep / But He's become my eyes to seeThe strength to climb my griefs to bear / The Savior lives inside me thereIn You're love I find release / A haven from my unbeliefTake my life and let me be / A living prayer my God to Thee(Take my life and let me be / a living prayer my God to Thee)In these trials of life I find / Another voice inside my mindHe comforts me and bids me live / Inside the love the Father gives