PastorTim

YOU’RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!

Perhaps you haven’t sunk to this level of communication yet, but I have been found guilty of talking to electronic devices even when it is not proper. For example, it happens when I bump the side of my Blackberry and this nice but very insistent voice says, “Say a command”. Now the nice lady who lives inside my phone/everything else is just trying to find out who I want to call and all I have to do is simple. Just say the name or number, I mean she’s just doing her job. Problem is I didn’t mean to push the button, so I find myself saying in a loud and sometimes rude tone, “Just forget it!” and then I turn her off! I know none of you would speak that way to the little people who live in your phones! I have been found guilty of speaking to the GPS device in my car. Whenever I veer ever so slightly from the path it has picked for me to travel this determined little lady with an English accent who lives inside my H.P. I-Paq announces to me, to anyone riding with me, and to the world, “Route Recalculation!” it’s the same as saying, “you big dummy can’t you follow simple directions?” Don’t tell me I don’t know where I’m going! Hey there little lady on my dashboard, I was driving long before you were even a microchip! YOU’RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!

She’s usually right though, but that’s not the point, we just don’t like to be told what to do, or told we are wrong and when that happens, we’ll snap back even to the point of talking to lifeless electronic devices. I sure hope the OnsStar lady isn’t listening into me when I drive, she’ll think I’m crazy.  Incidentally she’s the only one I get along with! Anyway, back to the subject of getting our own way. I thought of this very thing this week as we again revisited the story of the cross of Christ.

Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah written some 700 years before Jesus was born. “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yeti we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Did you hear that phrase, “each one of us has turned to his own way”? God sure does know us doesn’t he? He should, he made us! And being our creator he knows we like to get what we want. Problem is, that’s not always what’s best. But rather than leave us where we think we need to be, he makes a way that we can get to where we ought to be. Through Christ sacrificial death on the cross, we can be brought into a right relationship with God our creator. If there were another way, he would have done it. But Jesus himself in the Garden of Gethsemane confirms there is no other way to redeem mankind but through the cross. “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” This verse not only points to the Lords surrender and obedience to the will of His father, but to the fact, there is not other way. I know that upsets a lot of people when I say there is only one way to God and that being through a right personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In fact I have been called intolerant for saying it, but I’m not really. You see it’s not intolerance if it is TRUE! Jesus said “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Pretty clear isn’t it? But still many want to try approaching God their own way.

 Now I am ware that a lot of people say a lot of things about who Jesus is…… “Muhammad described Jesus as a virgin born, miracle working Messiah, who would return in the last days to establish peace throughout the world.” But he also taught not to call the Messiah more than a man and that he could not die for sin. The Message of the Prophets: Mohammad and the Messiah p.1317, Christian Science teaches Jesus was a human and “Christ” a divine idea. SH. 473:1516, Jehovah Witness teaches Jesus is Michael the Arch Angel, God’s first great creation and the brother of Satan.  The Truth Shall Make You Free p.49, Mormons teach Jesus is one God in a pantheon of Gods. “As man is God once was; As God is man may become.”  The Articles of Faith p.430, Spirituals teach Jesus is an advanced medium. Spiritual Telegraph No. 37, Dan Brown teaches that Jesus was married to the goddess Mary Magdalene and had offspring from her. He teaches the New Testament documents are a cover-up and conspiracy to hide this information. The DaVinci Code, The Jesus Seminar – a group of liberal “scholars” say the Jesus of the New Testament is a myth developed by the disciples after the fact to perpetuate their movement.   Time, April 8, 1996.” But who do you say this Jesus is? Who do you say this one Isaiah described as taking your place on the cross is really all about? Jesus himself asked the question in Mark’s gospel, “Who do you say that I am?”  That’s a question you can’t argue with. That’s a reality you can’t yell at and dismiss. You’ve got to answer…. And you will!

THE LOOK THAT PUT PETER UNDER CONVICTION…..

            I suppose the night was not unlike any other if it weren’t for the shouts of soldiers and the clamor of armor and swords startling the sleeping disciples awake. As the tried to rally themselves completely unprepared for the sight of their beloved master being escorted away by the temple guards into the night. Frightened and afraid Peter found himself following at a safe distance and watching as the Lord was taken hastily into the palace of the High Priest. Listen to the account from Luke’s Gospel “ Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.  And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.”  What an amazing moment! Now as we enter Easter week I would like for us to grasp in these verses is that moment frozen in time when Jesus eyes met Peters.

         Notice that when Jesus looked at Peter, Peter was having fellowship with the world. It’s awfully hard friend to bring Glory to God when we find ourselves involved to closely with things that are not pleasing to the Lord. This doesn’t mean we can’t even speak to those who don’t go to church, but it does mean that we need to watch what influences the way we live. God is looking for his children to live holy lives in an unholy world. What in our lives shapes the way we think and live the most? Is it God’s word and your involvement in the church or is it the social climate of the day?  Secondly notice that when Jesus looked at Peter, Peter was denying he even knew who Jesus was.. Three times in fact Peter vividly denied he knew Jesus. Now Peter was guilty of denying verbally, but many today are guilty of denying they know Jesus simply by their actions. We deny him when it doesn’t benefit us at the time. We deny him when we think people might make fun of us. We deny him when it’s just not popular to be identified with Jesus. I remember just after the tragedy of September the 11^th 2001 how nobody was ashamed to be seen praying or going to church, but that enthusiasm faded as quickly as it began. So it is with us when we find ourselves denying we know Jesus. Thirdly notice with me that when Jesus looked at Peter, Peter was found standing in the shadows. A lot of former followers of Christ are today standing in the shadows warming their hands by the fire of the enemy. They are warming their hands by the fire of excuse. You know I can’t think of one excuse good enough to justify not serving the Lord. Many are warming their hands by the fire of compromise. Not guilty of saying there is no God, but simply trying mix Christianity with other belief systems of the world. Folks that just won’t work! One more thing I notice before I move on and that is that many are warming their spiritual hands by the fire of procrastination. They are simply close enough to feel a little something but not willing to get close enough for the Lord to make a real difference in their lives. Lastly, when Jesus looked at Peter, Peter was doing the very thing that he told Jesus he wouldn’t do! Ever been guilty? Lord if you’ll answer this prayer for me, I promise I’ll serve you and do whatever you want me to do. Peter assured the Lord no matter what anyone else would do that he would fight to the death for him. And yet when the moment came, he was found where he shouldn’t be, saying what he shouldn’t say, thinking what he shouldn’t think, and doing what he said he’d never do. Let me allow Peter himself to say a word here. In 2 Peter 3:17

He says to us “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.” What words of warning and encouragement form the lips of the very man who knew from experience what it was like to fail, to be forgiven and restored, and then used by God to live, preach, and die for his faith.

            So allow me in closing ask you this question, when Jesus looks at you today where does he see you? Are you where you should be? Are you saying what you should be saying and thinking what you should be thinking? Are you doing what you should be doing?  In this whole account I don’t find that Jesus uttered a word to Peter, he didn’t have to. You see it wasn’t from where Jesus was looking that made the difference. But it was where Peter was when Jesus caught his glance that broke Peter’s heart. Where does Jesus see you right now?

Pics from "Bow The Knee" our Easter musical at Plymouth Heights

 

 

 

 

NO, NOT THE HELP BUTTON….

In my own personal opinion, I know just enough about a computer to be certified “Dangerous”. I could probably very easily find an eighth grader in my congregation that is eons ahead of me in basic computer literacy. I know how to start a computer up, shut it down and a few things in between. I have heard said that most people only utilize 10% of their computers potential, me 2 to 3% tops! So it may come as no surprise to hear me relate the agony of being stumped from time to time in the middle of an application only to be faced with the option of using the HELP option. With pride I say that only a handful of times, two to three to be more exact, have I succumbed to the temptation. Why? Because I figured out the problem? No! Because it suddenly dawned on me what I was doing wrong? No! Because there was nothing wrong with me but it was the computers fault? Are you kidding me? Because I knew that if I pushed the trusty help button I was going to have to read a little, or a lot and have to think. Maybe it’s a little impatience with a dash of pride tossed in to make it interesting. For whatever reason I just won’t do it. Perhaps it’s the guy in me. You know, the one who won’t ask directions regardless of how lost he is in a strange city. Or the guy in me that won’t admit he brought the wrong tool to the job and will work longer and harder with what he’s got to save going back to the workshop for the right tool. Now I know that no one reading this is ever guilty of an order of impatience with a side of pride in their life but you may be surprised to find there have been a few in days gone by who wrestled with said issues.

Take for example Abram who tried to begin a family his way instead of God’s even though he had been promised a child.  Perhaps we could look at Moses who killed an Egyptian and tried to fix things his way without asking God for help. The purposes of God often develop slowly because His grand designs are never hurried. The great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was noted for his poise and quiet manner. At times, however, even he suffered moments of frustration and irritability. One day a friend saw him feverishly pacing the floor like a caged lion. "What's the trouble, Mr. brooks?" he asked. "The trouble is that I'm in a hurry, but God isn't!" Haven't we felt the same way many times? Some of the greatest missionaries of history devotedly spread the seed of God's Word and yet had to wait long periods before seeing the fruit of their efforts. William Carey, for example, labored 7 years before the first Hindu convert was brought to Christ in Burma, and Adoniram Judson toiled 7 years before his faithful preaching was rewarded. In western Africa, it was 14 years before one convert was received into the Christian church. In New Zealand, it took 9 years; and in Tahiti, it was 16 years before the first harvest of souls began. Thomas a Kempis described that kind of patience in these words: "He deserves not the name of patient who is only willing to suffer as much as he thinks proper, and for whom he pleases. The truly patient man asks (nothing) from whom he suffers, (whether) his superior, his equal, or his inferior...But from whomever, or how much, or how often wrong is done to him, he accepts it all as from the hand of God, and counts it gain!" 

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "run with patience" the race set before us. George Matheson wrote, "We commonly associate patience with lying down. We think of it as the angel that guards the couch of the invalid. Yet there is a patience that I believe to be harder -- the patience that can run. To lie down in the time of grief, to be quiet under the stroke of adverse fortune, implies a great strength; but I know of something that implies a strength greater still: it is the power to work under stress; to have a great weight at your heart and still run; to have a deep anguish in your spirit and still perform the daily tasks. It is a Christ-like thing! The hardest thing is that most of us are called to exercise our patience, not in the sickbed but in the street." To wait is hard; to do it with "good courage" is harder! When we exercise patience we learn. We learn lessons that otherwise we would never know. When we exercise patience we grow. We grow in our faith in ways that we would never experience in any other setting. Maybe that’s what James was trying to teach us in his letter when he wrote, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” Double minded man? He’s not talking about me is he? A person who talks, even preaches about trusting God, about waiting on God and still won’t even take the time to wait long enough to read the instructions from a computer prompt? The word’s “let patience have her perfect work” are the most challenging. What could I learn, how could I grow if I was will to allow patience to have her way in my heart and life? What about you, need to push the HELP button?

Prayer.... the ultimate help button!!!!!