Life Transformation

I have some thoughts I’d like to put down in black and white so I don’t forget them later. That’s what this blog post is about today, nothing less, nothing more – so please forgive me if it’s raw, incomplete and somewhat random.
The other day, I was talking with someone about ministry – specifically youth ministry, and they made a comment to me that has me stewing a bit. We were talking about former students who are engaged in the church and seem to be walking with Jesus and former students who, as far as we know, aren’t. The person I was talking with said, “Well, I’m sure you’ve had some disappointments…” My first response was to say, “yes” – but something stopped me. Something about that statement has been bugging me the past few days. Let me share why:
As Christians, when we introduce someone to Jesus, what are we introducing them to?
Are we introducing them to a quick-fix for all their life’s problems?
Are we introducing them to a new “system” of life that requires they delete their old system for this new “upgraded” one?
Or, are we introducing them to an opportunity to find redemption from sin and inviting them to go on a journey in a relationship with Jesus Christ that begins with and results in total life transformation?
Honestly, I am finding that a lot of “believers” want the first two options to be the norm for people. The reality I am discovering as a pastor is that, it’s not.
Established believers often want for a new believer to immediately exhibit the character of Christ and see it lived out in everyday life from their vantage point, in their timing, and by their definition. Let me give you a simple example: We have a meth addict in our church – this lady has been plagued by substance abuse and addiction since her early teens – she is now in her late forties and recently came to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Her ability to move past drug addiction has and will continue to be a great battle for her, one that I may never see completely won in my ministry or lifetime. Could God deliver her from her addiction in an instant, and allow her to display the character of Christ in her everyday life right from the get-go? Absolutely. Does He always choose to do that? Absolutely not. Drug addiction is an easy one to see that reality in…but isn’t it true in every other person in most areas of life? Who determines how life transformation takes place, at what rate, and in whose timing?
I think Christians struggle with this concept of transformation. If we were to draw a line graph of a person’s life once they meet Jesus, we’d want for it to be a linear line that is on a constant uphill swing. No dips. No valleys. Certainly no U-turns allowed. No curves. No twists - just uphill all the way into eternity. In fact, I used to get frustrated with teens in youth ministry whose walk with Jesus resembled a Disneyland roller-coaster ride. However, as I get older, I’m starting to rethink my views on this “linear” growth process.
Pick a Bible person…almost any from Adam to Peter and you will find very few who displayed this growth pattern in their journey with God. I see the “greats of the faith” in scripture being broken many, many times – not just once, but over and over again in order for God’s transforming power and grace to work in them and break the chains of sin’s grip. Imagine if Jesus had cut off Peter when he made a major “U-turn” and denied Him the first, second or third of three times? Where would the church be if the disciples who “deserted him and fled” (Mark 14:50) weren’t given the opportunity to be restored and the work of life-transformation be allowed to continue in their individual lives? David is rebuked by Nathan in 2nd Samuel and told, “You are the man.” David is then restored by these beautiful words of life, “The Lord has taken away your sin.” David’s walk with God was not linear – it was full of valleys, shadows, twists, turns, and peaks. What makes me think I’m (or anyone else for that matter) any different?
I guess this is what God is teaching me:
1. Life transformation is often a long, grueling process. “In Christ, we are a new creation” – this is no doubt true, but sometimes the new creation part takes a while to see – especially when the bondage and temptation to sin continually causes people to trip and fall.
2. Jesus didn’t abandon anyone – even those who “deserted him and fled” or the one who publicly denied Him. I doubt that all the disciples returned – some may have run forever, I don’t know. Jesus welcomes the ones who return with open arms, even Peter. Jesus died on the cross next to two other criminals. One turned to Him for salvation, the other denied Him to the grave, but the option to turn to Christ for salvation was available even to that last breath. God, help me never to give up on those You sent Your Son to die for!
3. Even at my best, I’m a wretch saved by the grace of God. I cannot transform myself into the man God wants me to be, it’s His work and it is being accomplished within me as I yield to Him. There have been points on my journey where I haven’t wanted Him to change me and He has respected my choice and I’ve reaped the consequences of that. What I know is this: others around me can’t force me to do what only Christ can do. I will be changed as I yield to the work of the Spirit. When I am continually broken before Him, He can work – when I live like a rebel, God respects my choice to not abide in Him.
4. I’m looking at those around me, especially those who have recently come to know Jesus for the first time, and I am recognizing that I need to be patient – Christ is. I need to be willing to be betrayed – Christ is. I need to be willing to be denied – Christ is. I need to be willing to be abandoned – Christ is. I need to be willing to offer grace – Christ is. I need to love – Christ does. I need to offer mercy…do I need to continue this vein of thought?
Am I off base here? If so, someone please tell me. I cannot save someone, Jesus can. I cannot transform someone, Jesus can. Discipleship is a process, one that I myself am engaged in, and I can invite others to join me, and learn and grow along the journey. Will there be “disappointments?” Certainly – but I will not allow being disappointed to derail me, devour me, or send me flying into a finger-pointing, judgmental mode that ultimately shuts off grace. God is not finished yet – not with me, and not with anyone else. After all, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 1 Peter 3:9

Image used under the guidelines of www.heartlight.org.

Endure

As we approach Hebrews, 12, I want you to know that I really love this chapter, and so we are going to spend a couple of weeks on it. This morning, we are going to look at the first 13 verses this morning, and then next week we will finish the remaining 15 verses. So, with that, will you turn in your Bibles with me this morning to Hebrews 12 and we will read verse 1-13.

The word cloud used in this passage emphasizes a large, multitude. Another word would be “throng” – we saw some of those who make up this cloud in chapter 11. The last verse of chapter 11 reminded us how impressive this body of the faithful is. The picture painted for us is one of these faithful champions cheering on Christians who are now running the race of faith. It would be like Mark Allen, 6-time Iron Man Champion running next to Ryan Cash in the Spring Dash cheering him on, saying,“go Ryan! You can do it!" It should inspire us to know that we have these greats who have gone before us “witnessing” what we are doing. They are not spectators, but those who have completed the same race we are running in Christ. They have stood on the victor’s stand and received their eternal reward. Their lives, their stories and their examples should shout to us, “By God’s grace, you can run! By God’s grace, you can make it! By God’s grace, you can have life to the full in Christ!”

In light of their testimony we run – in light of their examples, we endure. How do we do it, though? The writer of Hebrews gives us the first of two exhortations in Hebrews 12. Remember at the root of exhortation is encouragement. It will require obedience and change on our part – but it’s not a negative - the results of our obedience to these exhortations will yield positive results.

So, this first exhortation is, “Let us throw off everything that hinders…” Again, the picture here is of a runner. Have you ever seen what runners wear? Not much. Thin shorts, thin lightweight tank top, lightweight shoes. Have you ever seen a well-trained runner? Through diet, exercise and training, they have trimmed off excess body weight – there’s less to carry – less resistance. They jettison anything that will get in the way of them being able to run freely. How much more then should you and I jettison our entangling sin? All sin needs to be put aside. Picture a runner with his feet caught in vines – picture a runner whose shorts have fallen down around his feet. He trips and falls – sin does the same to us in the race of faith. I should have titled the sermon, “Don’t Run with Your Pants Down” – but that may not have been a good idea. What did the old guy sing on American Idol? "Lookin’ like a fool with your pants on the ground?” Anyway…
When we have thrown aside our sin, thrown aside our distractions, we are able to run with perseverance the race marked out for us – just like this cloud of witnesses ran their races. Isn’t it awesome to know that God has marked out our course? It has been marked out clearly for us through Jesus Christ. Jesus, too, has run this race and has given us the ability to reach the finish line. The superiority of His nature, the superiority of His sacrifice, the superiority of His Priesthood all give us the ability to “finish strong.” That is why these Hebrew believers, and now us, are being told to “fix our eyes on Jesus.” Why? He is the author of our faith – He is the perfecter of our faith. Jesus Christ Himself is the “something better” we have that those who have gone before us didn’t have. To focus on the finish line is to focus on Christ. Abraham and Moses kept their eyes of faith focused on the eternal but invisible goal – you and I need to keep our eyes on Jesus. Jesus became the author and perfecter of our faith through His suffering. Verse 2 says, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” The joy in part is being seated at His rightful position with the Father, but it is also in bringing God’s sons and daughters across the finish line into God’s presence. For that reason, He endured the cross. He endured pain, endured shame and death. This is the only place in the New Testament where we are told that Jesus endured the cross. The conclusion of Christ’s endurance was to be seated at God’s right hand. He now eternally resides in the presence of God, through His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection, He has the ability to bring us eternally into God’s presence as well. We fix our eyes on Jesus, because He is the One that grace is available through. He has endured. He makes it possible for believers to have a successful completion to our race. Since Christ has endured and overcome, we, through Him can be victorious. We look to Him for our strength. We look to Him for our supply so that we do not grow weary and lose heart. With His help, we can make the finish line.
Beginning in verse four, the author begins to talk about discipline. He talks about the struggle with sin – but our struggle with sin, doesn’t compare to what Christ went through to conquer sin and death. The Hebrew Christians haven’t yet faced a martyr’s death – but they are in danger – danger of becoming discouraged. So the author reminds them with an exhortation from Proverbs 3:11-12. The original readers, and now us are being reminded that we are sons and daughters of God. God, as our Father, has the right to discipline us, so that we can endure to the end. Warren Wiersbe says, “Chastening [or discipline] is the evidence of the Father’s love. Satan wants us to believe the difficulties of this life are proof that God does not love us, but just the opposite is true. Sometimes God’s chastening is seen in His rebukes from the Word or from circumstances.” Gareth Cockerill says, “The preacher [the author of Hebrews] urges his hearers to endure the sufferings they face as formative discipline because of their status as sons.” All of us have had a father, an earthly father of some sort, and if he was good father, he had to discipline us. I did not have an earthly father who disciplined me – and let me tell you, now that I am a father, I understand and appreciate the difficulties my mom had to go through as single parent, but I understand a lot of what I missed in that critical relationship. If a child is left to himself, he will grow up selfish. My sons receive discipline from me, and one day, I hope they see that this not only proves that I love them, but it proves my diligence to them as their father. God’s discipline is proof that we are indeed His children. Our heavenly Father wants us to learn to revere Him, to obey Him, and be submissive to His will. We endure recognizing that God is instructing us and correcting us. That is the root concept of the Greek word that is translated as “discipline” – instruction and correction. Sports teams have coaches for a reason. Even individual athletes, like the ice skaters skating at the Arena the past week, have coaches – people who instruct, correct, train – people who discipline the athlete and hold them accountable so that they can do their best when the time comes. So we endure whatever suffering, whatever difficult circumstances we face, recognizing it as a form of discipline. We endure as sons and daughters of the Father. When we respond appropriately to God’s discipline, we experience His faithfulness, His grace, His mercy and we find rest in Him.
Discipline is not always pleasant – it is not pleasant either for the father or the children. How many times as a parent have we said or thought, “this hurts me more than it hurts you.” How many of us heard that as children? The Father does not enjoy disciplining His children, but the benefits are evidence of His love. And from that discipline comes a “harvest of righteousness and peace.” The KJV says it produces the “peaceable fruit of righteousness.” Willful rebellion ends, and the child enters a loving relationship with the Father. Discipline also encourages us to “exercise” spiritually. We can have self-discipline through the practice of Bible study, prayer and Christian fellowship. All of this leads to joy in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
The example of Christ and the certainty of God’s love for us should be an encouragement for us to endure the difficulties we face in this “race.” This morning, if you are here and you are in a difficult place - experiencing difficult life circumstances, facing difficult trials, may you experience the assurance and joy of the Father’s love for you. If you have committed your life to Him through Jesus Christ, you are His son – you are His daughter. Endure! Endure with confidence that God is going to produce in and through you a harvest of righteousness and peace.

Tips for New Vonage and VoIP Customers

This is obviously not going to be a theological post in any sense of the word. However, it may prove useful for people who are signing up for Vonage or any other VoIP type phone service.

Our church just switched all of our phone service to Vonage. By doing this, we will save over $700 per year. The signup process with Vonage was simple - we were able to "port" our current number to the Vonage account and add a dedicated fax line, which was something we have never had before. Vonage's customer service is some of the best I have ever experienced - a quality in corporations that is becoming sadly rare. I received my "V-Portal" in the mail, and the clear, easy instructions had my voice line up and running in no time. The fax line, however, was a different story.

The fax machine I use is an HP OfficeJet 7780 - it has been a great printer/copier/scanner for a small office like our church's. We have had it for three years, and have never used the fax capability. With Vonage, we can. I followed the instructions to hook up the fax machine, only to find that when I plugged the phone line from the fax machine into the V-Portal, my fax machine displayed a message telling me my phone was off the hook. So...to the online forums I went. I discovered many common issues, especially with all-in-one printers such as the HP 7780. For many of these machines to work with VoIP, you need to suspend certain features like, "auto correction" and you need to change the "baud rate" to 9600, which is the slowest rate setting. So, I changed these items, and still had the same message - "phone off hook" flashing on the screen. So, I called Vonage customer service.

Again, I was pleasantly surprised with the willingness of the Vonage customer service rep to actually HELP me, and not just read from a script making fake apologies for my technology woes. He actually pulled up the manual for my printer (something that I don't believe HP's Customer Service has even done), and went to work to help me solve the problem. So...what was the solution?

It's really quite simple, and the Vonage rep discovered it within 5 minutes. I was using all 4-pin phone cords for my phones. I didn't even know there were different types of phone cords to begin with. What I needed for VoIP to work correctly were 2-pin phone cords. Apparently VoIP lines require less voltage, and when multiple 4-pin cords are plugged int he V-Portal, it thinks the phone is off the hook. So, I began to scrounge around the office, grabbing every phone cord in sight, and within a couple of minutes found enough 2-pin phone cords to do the job. I switched out the cords, the Vonage rep sent me a test fax and now I am in business. So, here's a list of tips if you are about to make the switch to VoIP (and I highly recommend Vonage simply because of their customer service):

1. Read the instructions that come with your VoIP equipment.
2. Find enough 2-pin phone cords to cover each line you have - both voice and data. I discovered the 2-pin cords in a couple of old modem boxes that I had stuffed in my desk. Most newer phones come with 4-pin cords. If you cannot locate 2-pin cords in your home or office, check out: http://www.cordsforphones.com/ and they will have what you need.
3. Set the baud rate on your fax machine to 9600, turn off "auto correction" and if possible, set it to auto answer after the fewest number of rings possible.
4. Plug in and enjoy saving money with VoIP!
5. If you choose Vonage, it is much easier to sign up over the phone than it is on the web - this was something that came at the suggestion of my Vonage sales representative. So, to sign up over the phone, just call 1-800-486-6037.

I hope this post helps anyone who is discovering the many features that come with VoIP service! Our church is going to enjoy the savings and the added features.

The Power of Faith, Hebrews 11

Well, we have arrived in Hebrews 11 today. This is probably one of the most well known chapters in the book of Hebrews, because contained within it, we find what has been called the “Hall of Faith.” I have to admit though, that when I talk to people about matters of faith, confusion often reigns. In the dictionary, if you look up the word faith, you will find several meanings for the word. Nine to be exact (I’m inclined to believe that when a word can mean nine different things, people are bound to be confused by it) – nine meanings, at least in the dictionary I was using for my research. The second definition given for the word faith is probably the most commonly known and used – it says, “belief that is not based on proof.” But then, down at definition number 8 the dictionary has this definition: “the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.” I explored a little further beyond the dictionary, and found what Encyclopedia Brittanica says about faith. This is from the 2008 edition. It reads, “inner attitude, conviction, or trust relating man to a supreme God or ultimate salvation. In religious traditions stressing divine grace, it is the inner certainty or attitude of love granted by God himself. In Christian theology, faith is the divinely inspired human response to God's historical revelation through Jesus Christ and, consequently, is of crucial significance.” That’s pretty good stuff.
Faith, as it is discussed in scripture, is a different kind of faith altogether than the kind of faith we have when we step on an airplane or in our cars, or when we make a commitment to someone in “good faith.” By the way, my wife’s plane was late, the battery died on my car yesterday and I’ve had many people make promises to me over the years that have been broken. And I know that even I’ve broken a few. It’s much deeper, and much more important than just blind trust or emotionally driven hope. It’s also much more powerful, and much more concrete. You see the Dictionary does a pretty good job when it says, “the trust in God and His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures…” The encyclopedia does pretty good when it uses words like, “inner certainty.” Here in Hebrews we have read that faith is being “sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” The author of Hebrews talks about faith over and over again in the last three chapters of this great book. What we have here in Hebrews 11 is a description of faith. It’s different than a mere definition of the word, we see here what faith looks like in action. We see what faith does and how it works. Warren Wiersbe says, and those of you who have Facebook may have seen this quote on my page this week. He says, “True Bible faith is not blind optimism or a manufactured “hope-so” feeling. Neither is it an intellectual assent to a doctrine. It is certainly not believing in spite of evidence! That would be [mere] superstition.” Many people, even week-to-week church goers often have this “hope-so” sense when it comes to faith in God. We often put God’s faithfulness on the same level as human faithfulness, and have this attitude of, “God, I sure hope you don’t let me down.” As if He could and as if His job is to do everything you want. We also often go way over to the intellectual side, and try to figure God out on that level. We put as much faith in Him as we have understanding of Him. That too is a mistake. I have to tell you that I do not believe that Abraham’s faith was rooted in superstition or intellect when he walked up the mountain willing to sacrifice his own son, Isaac. I do not believe that any of the men and women mentioned in this chapter who were commended for their faith had a faith that was rooted in superstition, human emotion or human intellect. It goes way beyond that.
Let me tell you what biblical faith is: A person with biblical faith has a confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences. Let me say that again, “True Bible faith requires confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences.” When God speaks, we listen. “We trust His Word to us and act on it no matter what the circumstances are or what the consequences may be.” Sometimes we don’t understand the circumstances we are facing when we are living in obedience to God. Furthermore, we may face consequences to our obedience to God - but true faith obeys in spite of those uncertainties and fears, because what we are certain of is that God’s way is the best way. We have a certainty that God by nature will not fail – His promises are true and He is completely reliable.
To an unsaved person this is completely illogical. However, when we understand that faith is only as good as the object of our faith, then we can begin to see the importance of faith in God. Faith in God is certain and sure because God is certain and sure. Since God is certain and sure, His Word to us is certain and sure. The object of our faith is unshakeable, God is unshakeable, and so our faith in Him can be certain and sure. Dennis De Haan, long-time editor for Radio Bible Class once said, “He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." The Bible makes no attempt to prove God's existence. It assumes it.

Yet three paths are open to the earnest seeker who wants to know if there is a God. The first is nature. Paul wrote, "His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead" (Romans 1:20).

The second path is conscience [which we talked about last week in Hebrews 10], a God-given inner compass that points us to God's standards of right and wrong (2:14-15).

The most convincing path [of faith] is that of putting truth to the test. Those who desire to please God and are willing to obey Him will find that their faith is based in reality, for God rewards "those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Assurance always follows faith.

[He goes on to say] God is too big to be proven. It has been said that a god who could be proven would not be worth proving. But when we trust Jesus as our Savior, His Spirit gives us the assurance that our faith is well-founded. —Dennis J. De Haan” He still often contributes and edits for Our Daily Bread even though he has been retired for quite some time.
Faith means living with the assumption that God’s promises are true, they are real – and believing that His power is at work in the present. It involves recognizing that He is the Living God, active and present in our lives and active, present and at work in the universe.
Verse 4-40 gives us a demonstration of active faith in those who have gone before us. It’s almost a summary of the Old Testament. From Abel to Joshua and beyond, we see the demonstration of faith at work in the lives of each of these individuals. People mocked these men and women when they stepped out in faith, but God used them for His purpose and glory. Abel worshipped in faith, Enoch walked in faith, Noah worked in faith, the patriarchs listed in verses 8-22 waited in faith. Waiting in faith…that is probably one of the hardest. Abraham and Sarah are promised a son, but they wait 25 years for that promise to be fulfilled. God made a covenant promise with Abraham he believed and obeyed God even when he didn’t know when or how God would live up to His end of the agreement. Moses…could have settled for a life of ease in the palace, but chose to identify with God’s people and obey God’s call…in faith. Joshua’s first act of faith was to trust God and cross the Jordan river and thus the city of Jericho was defeated. Rahab the prostitute...experienced God’s redemption because of her faith and obedience. Verses 32-40 talk about many other faith heroes each one unique in their personalities, their circumstances, everything – but each ultimately willing to listen to God and be obedient to His will. None of them were perfect, and many of them did not do a perfect job. Not all experienced a miracle of deliverance – some were tortured, some were martyred, some never got to see what they had hoped for come to fruition. Many simply were delivered from their difficult circumstances, yet God ultimately honored and rewarded their faith. Again, Warren Wiersbe says, “It takes more faith to endure than it does to escape.” What did the world think of these men and women? They did not value them – they tortured them, persecuted them, mocked them, killed them. God’s view of these individuals, however, is completely different – this passage says, “the world was not worthy of them.” Faith gives us the ability to seek God’s will over man’s praise regardless of the outcome. Faith looks ahead to the hope we have in the second coming of Jesus Christ, where the greatest reward is found. The people named in this chapter had “God’s witness to their faith that one day they would be rewarded.”
In spite of our circumstances, we should today give thanks for what we have to look forward to in Christ. We should give thanks to those who have gone before us – they saw some of the blessings of God from a distance, but we get to enjoy many blessings today through Jesus Christ and the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit. Hebrews 11 gives us a strong reminder, “without faith it is impossible to please God.” We grow in faith as we engage in God’s Word, listen to Him in prayer and worship. I want to close with yet another Wiersbe quote. He says, “Faith is possible to all kinds of believers in all kinds of situations. It is not a luxury for a few “elite” saints. It is a necessity for all of God’s people.” May the Lord increase our faith this morning!

Ash Wednesday Thoughts

The Church tradition I grew up in did not observe many "traditional" seasons or occasions on the Church Calendar such as Advent or Lent. In fact, I don't recall ever really knowing much about these events, other than obviously recognizing the culmination of them in the celebrations of Christmas and Easter. As I grow older, I am finding that there is value in some of the disciplines of the liturgical Church. I agree with many "objectors" who say "we should take seriously our walk with Christ all year long", but I also know that some reminders on how to do that throughout the year are also appropriate. So what is the significance of Ash Wednesday and what can we learn from it?

Ash Wednesday begins the 40 day season of Lent, leading up to Easter. In a traditional Ash Wednesday service, a priest would impose ashes in the shape of a cross on your forehead as a symbol of repentance, and he would say something like, "Remember (O man) that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The frailty of mankind is wrapped up in that statement. We are fragile, sinful creatures, and the only hope we have to overcome sin is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. For the believer, Ash Wednesday is the beginning of a journey that culminates in celebrating the resurrection of our Savior.

Do you need to have ashes drawn across your forehead today to understand this? Probably not. Would it hurt you during this time of year to be reminded of the significance of Christ's journey to the cross on your behalf? Nope. Today would be a great day to begin a journey of reflection toward the cross, and be reminded of what the Gospel of Mark says in chapter 8:34-35, "He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it."

The Law of Love

The Law of Love - sermon excerpts.

James 2:1-13

In Song of Songs 8:7 we read, “Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.”

I want to start off by saying that “God created all humanity in His image; all are equal in His sight.” We could learn a lot from the kids Sunday school song that said, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.” I think we’ve convinced ourselves over the years, “Jesus loves the little children, but I don’t have to lift a finger for anyone...because Jesus loves them – isn’t that great – good job Jesus.” Unfortunately, “in our worldly perspective, we see the rich and the poor, the black and the white, the good looking and the not-so-good looking, the educated and the illiterate.” In this second chapter, James sees favoritism as a critical problem in the Christian community of his day – I don’t see it being any less of a problem in ours. James struggled with the preferential treatment of the rich at the expense of the poor. Ultimately what James sees is that favoritism among God’s people is a violation of God’s command to love our neighbor.

James brought up the concept of being “doers of the Word” at the end of chapter one, and now he is putting that instruction to the test by sending two visitors to church. A rich man and a poor man. Being a doer of the Word will be seen in how these two men are treated. Warren Wiersbe says, “The way we behave toward people indicates what we really believe about God!” We could easily extend James’ illustration beyond rich and poor:

Basically – take whatever group of people or person offends you, whatever types of people you don’t like, whatever kinds of people who have views that you completely disagree with, and send them to church on Sunday morning. James is basically saying, "What are you going to about it? How are you going to treat them?

Much like the culture of our day, the Jewish people valued position and esteem, and competed against each other for praise. Jesus over and over again – especially in His parables and the beattitudes addressed this problem directly. It is engrained in our culture that you need to work your way up the ladder – whether it be the corporate ladder, the academic ladder, the popularity ladder – which ever ladder you are climbing – you do whatever it takes to get to the top, even if that means knocking people down in the process. James is pointing out that this type of behavior has no place among the community of faith.

Jesus through His ministry life and example proves over and over again that He is not impressed with social status. The widow who gave all she had was greater in the eyes of Jesus than the Pharisee who made a large donation. Since Jesus looked at the heart of a man – He saw and sees the potential in even the “vilest offender.” Just look at His disciples – In Simon Peter, Jesus saw a Rock. In Matthew – the tax collector, He saw a faithful disciple. Jesus spoke to the woman at the well – He saw in her a potential instrument for reaping a great harvest.

You and I tend to judge people based solely on their past rather than looking at the potential of their future. Even worse, we judge and make assumptions based solely on appearance. Jesus was accused of being a “friend of sinners” – an accusation that He never refuted.

Jesus was despised and rejected – essentially He was the poor man – rejected by self-righteous individuals. I wonder if we had seen Jesus while He was ministering on earth, if there would have been anything physically or materially attractive about Him? Yet "He is the very Glory of God revealed to us in human skin." How can you and I practice the Deity of Christ in our human relationships? By seeing everyone through the eyes of Jesus. “It is Christ who is the link between us and others – He is the link of love.”

Much of what James is teaching us to do in the first part of this chapter parallels what Jesus teaches in Matthew 7 in the Sermon on the Mount. Do not judge...work on removing your own faults before you spend time pointing out the faults in everyone else...don’t despise what is sacred in order to obtain position with the world...and then Jesus in Matthew 7, and now James in this section summarize the law by saying that it basically boils down to how you treat your fellow man.

James' teaching in these 13 verses can summarized in verse 8 – “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing right.” He goes so far as to say in verse 10 that if we stumble on this single point, we are guilty of breaking the law in its entirety. Wow. Is it really that important to love?

The parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 is spurred by a single question from an “expert in the law.” The question that spurs this parable is when the expert in the law asks, “And who is my neighbor?” The “expert” in the law asked the wrong question. When we know who our neighbor is...then conversely, we know who our neighbor ISN’T – when we know who our neighbor ISN’T – we can point out those we really don’t need to love. We can pick favorites. James says, “If you really keep the royal law found in scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing right.” You see, we don’t go around asking – who is my neighbor – who can I choose to show love to – who deserves it – we are to be a neighbor to everyone.

In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis wrote,

“Do not waste your time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less.”

I want you to know that I don’t believe this is easy. Many of us have been taught really well how to hate – we wouldn’t necessarily use that word – but that’s really what it boils down to. We have been taught: embrace this kind of person, stay away from this kind of person – love these kinds of people, and don’t bother with these types of people. Help these kinds of people, and well...these people, well they don’t really need your help. We have been taught to be “discerning.” We like to use that word in place of being “judgemental.” James says, “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” The Message Bible for this passage says, “Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free. For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.” Does that describe how you live? Or do you struggle with playing favorites? This morning, I want to encourage you to contemplate God’s love for you – selfless, unconditional, complete. He loves people whether they respond to Him or not. Jesus did not go to the cross, looking over His shoulder walking up the hill of Calvary saying, “Okay people...I’m only gonna do this if you reciprocate. I’m only willing to go through this if...I’m not going to do this, unless...He just went. Completely selfless, hung between two real criminals taking on the punishment that you and I deserved – willing to go there whether we responded or not.

I have to close with another quote from C. S. Lewis. He said, “On the whole, God’s love for us is a much safer subject to think about than our love for Him.” Why? Because our love for our Lord is seen – it is directly fleshed out in how we love others. “The way we behave toward people indicates what we really believe about God.”

Today if you need to set aside some bitterness, some hatred, a judgmental attitude - or if you need to take another step toward extending forgiveness to someone who has wronged you in some way, can I just invite you to allow yourself to be swallowed up in the love of Christ? Bitterness, hatred, jeers and accusations from judgmental people were all things that He experienced as He walked the road to Calvary’s cross for you. I’m certainly glad this morning that He didn’t play favorites.

Sanctify Them - Message Excerpts

John 17:15-19

We are created for relationship – First, for a relationship with God, and second relationships with one another. I want to emphasize to you today that that order is the natural order of things – we are created first and foremost for a relationship with God, and then for relationships with one another. We cannot have truly fulfilling interpersonal relationships with one another until our relationship with God is right. I cannot be the man, husband, father I’ve been designed to be, until I am completely yielded to God in every area of my life. You cannot be a completely whole, healthy person until your relationship with God is restored. The only way for that restoration – that reconciliation to take place is in a relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s a fact that you cannot escape in this life or in eternity, plain and simple.

Jesus prays to the Father, “Sanctify them.”

The word that is used here for sanctify in the Greek is “hagiazo” which is related to the word “hagios” – which means holy. Jesus is essentially saying – “make them holy.” Let me read you a quick story: “Sarah is a confused and frustrated Christian. On her way home after church one Sunday she turned to her husband and said, “One of these days that preacher is going to say something about [sanctification] that I’ll understand. Will you be sure and wake me when he does? She is confused because she doesn’t understand what it means to be sanctified and why she needs to be. She’s frustrated because she’s been told she needs it. So how is she supposed to find it when she doesn’t know what IT is?” When we think of the word sanctify or holy, our minds automatically go to the words, “perfect” or “pure.” We think of the “Holy Bible.” or a “Holy God.” However, over and over in scripture – you and I are commanded to be holy – to be sanctified. The words holy and sanctify are very interchangeable. They mean, “to be set apart.” When we talk about holiness, one of the things we see is that God has “called us out of the world - we have been set apart for His glory and purpose.” He hasn’t taken us out of the world to protect us – He has set us aside for His glory and His purpose. I have used this example before, but I am going to do it again. If I take this screw-driver, and I use it for anything other than driving screws – it is no longer set apart for the purpose it was created for. I may be able to use it as a hammer, but I am using it improperly – I may be able to use it as a pry-bar, but that’s not what it’s set apart in my tool-box to be used for. It’s a screw-driver. Only when I use it for the purpose it was created for is it “sanctified.” The purpose that you and I are created for is laid out as clear as a bell in scripture: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Whenever you and I live for any other purpose than to bring glory to God with the way we live our lives, we settle for less than God’s best for us – we choose not to be set apart for the purpose we were created for.

For those of you who are long time-time Nazarenes or brand new to the concepts of holiness theology, let me tell you what holiness is not. If you hear anything today, please hear this: “Holiness is not a personal achievement of personal piety. “It is being healed to more fully love God and others, especially the marginalized and those lost in the shadows.” Holiness is God’s work. Jesus did not pray that we would sanctify ourselves – because we can’t.

In college, we used to sing a song that I loved called, “Teach Me to Live.” The words to the chorus are, “Teach me to live what you say, make me a child who’ll obey, holy in all that I do, may I bring glory to you.” One of the verses said, “My life is all yours to take as you will, I’ll be the glove for your hand to fill...” Just as a glove, submits yields itself to the hand, you and I need to surrender ourselves completely to Jesus Christ. In his book, The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis breaks people up into two groups. The first group are those who say to God, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” The second group are those to whom God eventually has to say, “Not My will, but thine be done. You wanted to have it your way; all right, you can have it – forever.” It is easy to give God stuff, but much harder to give Him ourselves. In order for us to be sanctified – in order for you and I to live in true community with God and one another, we have to surrender our self-indulgence, our self-sufficiency and our self-will and give everything wholeheartedly to Jesus Christ.

. As we grow in communion with God through Jesus Christ, we continually offer ourselves to God. The sanctified life is never static. There is continual growth as we continually allow God to lead our lives in every area. There is continual cleansing as we learn to walk with Jesus in obedience. We do not receive the “once for all” cleansing through Christ’s work and then go on our merry way relying solely on ourselves like we did when we were stuck in our sinfulness. We daily rely on the blood of Christ to cleanse us of our sin and sinful habits.

Holiness – being set apart, is about being connected to Christ in an ongoing, daily, obedient walk of submission. It is walking where He leads. It is relying on Christ for cleansing. Holiness and sanctification simply means Christlikeness. Christlikeness is not reserved for a select few older saints or ministers. It is for every believer – holiness is for ordinary, everyday people.

Living for the purpose we were created for, being sanctified, means turning away from what we weren’t created for. Another word for this is repentance. When we are born again, our sins are forgiven and all things become new. The bridges of our past are burned. We begin to walk on a new path – following Christ. Total consecration to God means not going back to what we had in our sinfulness. I don’t know if you have ever seen the show Extreme Home Makeover, when a family’s home is completely rebuilt, totally transformed, nothing like what it once was. I’ve watched that show a few times, and I’ve never once seen a family go, “This is nice, but could we get our old house back?” The overwhelming joy of complete and total transformation is evident as they explore every new room in the house. It should be the same for us in our relationship with Christ. When we ask Jesus to come in and forgive us of our sins, when we repent – when we turn away from our old ways and turn toward Jesus – let’s not go back!