Philippians 4:1-7

Philippians 4:1-7 

English Standard Version 

 

  I have very little patience for those that don't encourage women to be leaders in the church.  There are certainly passages in Scripture that can lead one to conclude that way, but when I think of the entire witness of Scripture, it seems to elevate the position of women and their witness throughout the life of the church.  

  Here, Paul is affirming the women who worked side by side with him in proclaiming the Gospel.  If Paul was working side by side with women proclaiming the Gospel, then shouldn't we be willing to work side by side with women proclaiming the Gospel?  

  Paul then goes on to tell us not to be anxious about anything.  Easy for Paul to say, right?  He didn't live in the midst of a pandemic, worrying if someone near him might cough up a load of coronavirus!  Paul just had people actively trying to kill him through stoning.  To be anxious for nothing requires massive amounts of trust in God, and the ability to look beyond this life and into the eternal life that God has in store for us.  In doing so, through consistent prayer, we discover the peace of God, a peace that transcends all the reasons for anxiety and reminds us that we are held safely in the hand of God for all of time.  These concepts are all linked and interdependent -- we so often want to race to the peace without committing to prayer or practicing trust!  

  God is good, and God cares for you -- commit yourself to God anew, and through a lifetime of faithfulness, we will discover God's care for us, and in so doing, the peace of God will wash us clean and claim us, little by little, into the realm of eternity.

Philippians 3:17-21

Philippians 3:17-21

English Standard Version 

  I think we can all agree that doughnuts are wonderful things, and that bacon should be eaten at every possible opportunity.  There is nothing quite like a grilled cheeseburger, and ice cream is in a category of its own.  

  Good food is a gift.  Scripture paints a picture of heaven as a sumptuous feast, and enjoying God's creation is often done through a rich meal.

  But our relationship with food can be a dangerous thing.  That appetite can transform from a way we enjoy God's creation to something that controls us.  If a good meal doesn't point beyond itself to the One who created the food, if you leave a good meal obsessed with finding the next good meal, to the point that all you're doing is searching for a feeling of satisfaction that can be obtained only through food, then a meal can be an idol.  Not just a meal -- anything.  Anything that doesn't point beyond itself and only leaves you craving more to the point where you're no longer in control becomes an addiction that is an endless cycle.  

  And when you're in a cycle, what you need is someone with the capability to escape it to step in below you and hold you up.  You need a rescuer.

  This is what Jesus does -- Jesus transforms our lowly bodies, our sinful selves, into something glorious, and Christ does this by stepping into our sin, into our addictions, into our vicious cycles that lead to destruction, and taking that destruction upon himself.  He is destroyed so that we might have solid footing upon which to stand, giving us the confidence to claim our citizenship in heaven and to look beyond our addictions, beyond our sin -- so that we can watch out for each other, and remind one another of the dangers of addiction and of the hope that we have, even in its grip, that there is someone strong enough to save.

Philippians 3:12-16

Philippians 3:12-16 

English Standard Version 

  Press on.

  It's so much easier to get caught up in what lies behind.

  Press on.

  When the voices in your head of reminding you of mistakes you have made.

  Press on.

  When the shadows that you thought you left behind sneak up behind and try to make you think you're not enough.

  Press on.

  When your doubts and fears threaten to overtake every other voice in your heart.

  Press on.

  When life seems to overwhelm and you think you'll never make it.

  Press on.

  Press on, brothers and sisters, keeping in mind that you have been saved by Jesus Christ, called to eternal life, and covered with grace that can never be taken away from you.  So press on, holding true to what has been given to you, straining forward in the firm and certain hope of obtaining what has been promised to you.  Do not be discouraged -- press on.

Philippians 3:1-11

Philippians 3:1-11 

English Standard Version 

  Changing careers was hard for me.  I'd spent 6.5 years in the ministry, building up skills and a reputation that I had built my identity around.  Leaving that behind to start over, in many ways, felt like taking a number of giant steps backward.  I have the opportunity to continue to pursue ministry, which I'm immensely grateful for, but there are still plenty of times where I wonder if I made the right decision.

  Paul had trained to be a Pharisee since he was a child.  It was in his blood to be a Pharisee, and he was really good at it, traveling around to persecute Christians out of zeal for the church.  

  But when he was called by Christ, he was willing to leave everything behind, because the vision he had of a life in Christ was so compelling that everything else paled in comparison to it.  His new identity was so thoroughly defined by who Christ is and what Christ did for him that Paul didn't need anything else -- that was enough.  He was willing to follow Christ anywhere because his future was so settled in his mind that nothing could shake that.

  The good news for us is that we don't need to change everything to follow Christ.  We have to re-order our loves, to recognize that our identity in Christ should re-define everything we do and everything we are.  When Christ calls us, Christ often sends us right back into the world from which we are called, but Christ sends us transformed -- confident in the love and grace of God, and certain of our identity in Christ, we go as a people willing to extend unconditional love, offering grace to a world in need of light.  

Philippians 2:19-30

Philippians 2:19-30

English Standard Version 

  What do you think of when you think of the first century church?

  It's easy to think of Paul, visiting these communities and encouraging them in the faith, although it seems easier to think of him in house imprisonment in Rome, dashing off letters around the known world.  

  What's easy to forget is the sense that this was an interconnected web, fragile in its youth, of believers trying to figure out how to be Christians, a new concept in a dangerous time.  They cared for each other, genuinely grateful for the ministry afforded them, always searching for their next step, trying to claim a new identity believing something no community had believed before Jesus Christ came to earth.

  They seem like they got a lot of things wrong, which is understandable, given that they were figuring it out on the fly.  They were a mix of Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, all thrown together, sharing a common faith in Jesus Christ.

  We are their legacy.  May we not treat this lightly, but endeavor to live together in such a way that we honor the work they did trying to be a community of faith.  May we care not only for one another but also for the other communities of faith in our midst, as well as the leaders of all churches, all ministry figures -- may we hold them in our prayers.  There are so many public stories of the downfall of ministry leaders -- may we be in prayer for all leaders, that they may not give in to temptation and, in doing so, bring negative press to the church.  May we lead with humility, follow with love, and extend grace to one another, as we join in the communion of saints in every time and place.

Sermon for July 26, 2020 on Mark 2

Here's today's sermon (and no, I don't know why this ended up sideways!).  The text is from Mark 2.

Philippians 2:12-18

Philippians 2:12-18 

English Standard Version 

  Some might read verse 12, working out your salvation with fear and trembling, as putting the responsibility on the believer to solve the problem of salvation.  Instead, think of it like this -- your salvation has been achieved by Jesus Christ two thousand years ago, and it's your responsibility to discover, ever day, what the implications of that are.  To do so properly, we have to approach God with great humility, because God has a far larger vision of what life should like than we often do.  Our eyes are often narrowly focused on getting through the next step, while God sees the broader vision of the entire church working together, weaving the Gospel strands through an intricate dance among Christians around the world.  When we approach God with humility, recognizing the holiness and breadth of God, we have a chance to catch a larger vision of God's greater work, and pray for the ability to see our role in that.  

  So may we indeed hold fast to the word of life, that we may rejoice together in what God is doing, in you and in me and in the whole world, gathering people to God through the love and grace of Jesus Christ!!

Philippians 2:1-11

Philippians 2:1-11

English Standard Version 

  As a child, I never fully appreciated the sacrifices a parent makes for their child.  I don't think it's possible, and that's probably for the best.  Sitting at dinner listening to a child throw a tantrum, guilt probably isn't a healthy thing to heap into the mix.  Being a child is tough enough in this world -- kids need to know (and hear!) that their parents love and support them.  (Personally, I think they need to also hear the word 'No' enough times to cement that not everything goes their way, but that's another topic for another day.)

  Now that I'm a parent, I have a much richer appreciation for what it takes to raise a child.  There are so many things you do that you wouldn't naturally do, but because it's for your child, you just do it.  You clean up messes and listen to tantrums and tolerate 3 am wake-up calls because it's for the good of the child.  I likely didn't give a second thought to the things I asked of my parents when I was a child, but now that I'm on the other side, the landscape looks very different.

  In a similar fashion, I don't think we'll fully understand what Jesus gave up until we get to heaven.  Once there, we'll bask in the light of God's love and glory and probably won't be able to imagine voluntarily giving it up, even for a second.

  But Jesus did.  

  Why? 

  Jesus gave it up because he loves you and wants you to experience the fullness of God's glory.  Jesus left behind the grandeur of heaven and was willing to suffer the worst death in the history of humanity (because he had the entirety of human sin piled on him in his death) and endure the depths of hell in order to restore you to right standing before God.  And he didn't even lay a guilt trip on you -- he gives it as a free gift!!

  While we'll never fully grasp how much Jesus sacrificed, I think it's good to make time to try and wrap our minds around the love of God for us.  It helps restore to us the joy of our salvation.  I've been praying for that a lot lately -- in the cynical world in which we live, where so much seems to be going wrong and there are ample reasons to complain, it's hard to be joyful (can I get an Amen?).  But we have from God a free gift of eternal salvation that is given to us as a free gift.  That is a reason for great joy!  So let us spend some time contemplating that, so that our joy in Christ may increase, transforming us from the inside out.

Books of the Bible in Five Minutes: 1 Samuel

Philippians 1:27-30

Philippians 1:27-30 

English Standard Version 

  Interesting note here for the 21st century Christian church -- living your life in a manner worthy of the Gospel, Paul tells us, involves striving side-by-side with other Christians.  In doing so, uniting against our opponents we are demonstrating our salvation.  Even in our suffering, we are pointing to the triumphant victory of Christ over sin and death.

  So how can you unite yourself with your fellow believers in this time and place?  We absolutely start in prayer, but it doesn't end there.  Many churches recommend that you have a list of people that do not know Christ that you are actively praying for.  I think it's also wise to make a list of people who do know Christ that are having challenges in their life, be it health or relational or financial.  We struggle with all sorts of different things, and they test our faith in different ways.  I guarantee you can make a difference in the life of a fellow Christian today by reaching out and reminding them that they do not strive alone.

Philippians 1:19-26

Philippians 1:19-26

English Standard Version 

  Paul fascinates me.  Here you have someone who prepared to be a Pharisee for his entire life.  He was aligned on that path until God intervened in a rather dramatic way, redirecting the entirety of Paul's life to the extent that he wanted to die, so deep was his desire to be fully united with Christ.  And yet, Paul knew that his mission was to remain alive and continue to serve the church.  His desires were subordinated to his mission.

  That's the mark of a mature Christian -- someone willing to subdue their appetites to the mission God has set before them.  Most of the things we desire most in life are about us.  Christianity calls us to consider the needs of those around us and put them ahead of our own desires.  If I desire to work so hard that I earn a billion dollars so that I can buy the Cincinnati Reds, Christ calls me to think about how the money I earn can be used to serve others first, but the Reds second.  If I desire fame so that people will know who I am and respect me, Christ calls me to use whatever platform I may have to proclaim the Gospel so others will know who Christ is.  Whatever our heart desires, Christ calls us to think about how we can serve others first, for in doing so, we imitate the love of Christ and find ourselves more closely aligned with the mission of God, and actually draw nearer to Christ, the object of our ultimate desires.

  As Augustine says, our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God.

Philippians 1:12-18

Philippians 1:12-18 

English Standard Version 

  When you have a big picture goal, setbacks are viewed differently, because you're always looking through a lens towards the big picture, and any setback can be framed in light of the larger journey.  

  For example, if your only goal is to get through today, then anything bad that happens today will be devastating.  However, if your goal is to get through the week, then you have six other chances to succeed.  A one day setback is small.  If your goal is to get through the year, then one day out of 365 is very minor.  

  What if your goal is to live forever with Jesus Christ, and that Christ, through his atoning death on the cross, has secured that goal already on your behalf, even though you could not do it on your own?  Then small setbacks, or even large setbacks, would seem minor, knowing that you exist on the plane of eternity and will dwell forever in a place of eternal light and joy, without the presence of sin.

  Paul has mastered that mindset.  He is in jail, but he has alighted on the possibility to proclaim the Gospel to the imperial guard and spread the Gospel in the prison.  Because he sees the end goal with such clarity, he is able to endure any challenge.

  Friends, you and I will endure challenges.  If not today or this week, then this year or decade.  I can assure you of that.  (Never, ever forget that bad things that happen are not a sign of the absence of God's love or a judgment upon you.  Bad things happen because bad things happen.  God still loves you and abides with you in the midst of them.)  Keep your eyes fixed upon the larger goal of life with Christ, and look for opportunities in the midst of challenges.  How you treat one another in the midst of suffering is an opportunity to proclaim the love of Christ.  Remembering that our earthly suffering is but a blink of an eye over the scale of our existence can help us endure, can help us proclaim Christ in the midst of life, and can help us find deep-seated joy that nothing can take from us.

1 Samuel 17:24-26

1 Samuel 17:24-26 

English Standard Version 

   What's your goal?  We're all motivated by different things.  Some people want renown, others strive for money, some want respect or peace, others seek honor.  The Westminster Confession tells us that the chief end is to glorify God and enjoy God forever.  Sin has corrupted that, but it's still there, deep within us, and we often recognize it, trying to clear a path to that goal, seeking to get all the clutter out of the way.

  In this passage, Goliath has appeared before the Israelites, threatening to enslave them if no one can defeat him.  The Israelites are afraid, and no one will go fight Goliath, even with the promise of riches and a wife and freedom.

  David, though, sees a man who defies the armies of the living God.  David is furious that a man will disrespect God, and that's what sends him into the fight.  He's got a different motivation.  This is why we call David a man after God's own heart.  David gets a lot of things wrong, but he seeks God.  

  Look at your schedule for the coming day.  Where in it will you seek God?  How will you seek God throughout the day?  Do you have time set aside to honor and praise God, to reset your priorities and examine your heart?  Find some time for that.  Pray about how to serve God in the midst of everything going on today.  May that be our goal.

Philippians 1:3-11

Philippians 1:3-11 

English Standard Version 

  Paul's firm grasp on hope is admirable.  He doesn't halfway commit to hope -- he is certain of God's desire and ability to finish the work that has been started.  God started a good work in you, and it will be finished -- in God's time, not necessarily yours!  And Paul (or God) doesn't promise that it'll always be a simple, straightforward path to reach completion -- but the good work will be completed!

  Also, notice the things Paul wishes for the people.  It's not related to material things -- these are fine and good, but will ultimately fade and cannot provide the eternal comfort that we desire in the depths of our hearts.  Paul wishes for abounding love to go along with knowledge and discernment to do the right thing, all of this shaping us for the day of Christ.  There is always one eye fixed forward on the end goal, with the other eye tracking the world around us so that we might know how best to live to prepare ourselves for it.

  This day, I pray that God might remind you of the certainty of your justification, and that God might open your eyes to take in both the certainty of the Gospel hope and whatever the next step of faith for you is, be it in service or devotion or fellowship.

Genesis 1:1-2

Genesis 1:1-2

English Standard Version 

  The Living Bible describes the earth as a shapeless, chaotic mass (which is kind of how I feel some days).  Eugene Peterson's The Message calls is 'a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness.'  In summary, God didn't have a lot to work with.

  One of the foundation beliefs that we have as Christians is that God created out of nothing (ex nihilo is the $2 phrase).  This matters because it means that before creation, there was nothing but God.  What God created is utterly separate from God, so creation itself isn't God.  It also gives us a picture of what hell is -- if hell is ultimate separation from God, then a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, a shapeless & chaotic mass is probably what hell is like.  

  But God was there.  And there was potential in the nothingness because God was there, and in God, there is possibility.  Over the bleakest existence, God is hovering, ready to act, ready to create.

  And so we come to today, with a virus racing around our conflicted world, and we know that God is here, hovering over whatever bleakness exists in our life, walking with us in the darkness, no matter how soupy it may feel.  God speaks life into the inky blackness, and the light overcomes the bottomless emptiness.  We may stare into the face of tomorrow and wonder if there is any hope, but God is always creating anew, giving birth to hope and light in the face of darkness and despair.  

  Do not lose hope, friends!!!!  The same God who was there in the beginning is active now, and that same God will be active after the end, and it is God's intent to bring you along into eternity.  No matter how firmly closed the door to tomorrow may feel, no matter how shapeless and chaotic today may seem, God is at work creating something wonderful, something beautiful, and calling us to endure to the end, that we may celebrate with God, even though we must first pass through the inky blackness of death to reach the life everlasting.

1 John 3:16-18

1 John 3:16-18

English Standard Version (ESV) 

  If you put an egg in boiling water, the egg changes only after it's in the water, right?  Eggs can't boil themselves -- it's impossible.  No matter how hard an egg thinks or wants to boil, it just can't do it.  And even then, once it's boiled, you only know it's hard-boiled when it cracks, right?

  In the same way, people can't think our way to salvation.  We can't earn it, either.  But being saved by grace through faith changes us from the inside out.  It transforms us through the work of the Holy Spirit.  The process of sanctification, by which the Holy Spirit molds us into disciples, is a lifelong long process, to be completed only upon death.  But in our lives, we reveal what God is doing in our lives in our responses to the world and how we interact with one another.  These are, in many ways, the cracks that show what God is doing on the inside.  When another comes to us in need, it's not a chance to earn our salvation, but it's where we demonstrate that we have been saved without deserving it, and we then have a chance to serve someone else, whether or not they deserve it.  Our job is not to be gatekeepers of grace, but rather proclaimers of God's mercy and love, in our words and deeds.  1 John warns us not to love just in word, but also to let our deeds reveal our love.  

1 Timothy 1:12-17

1 Timothy 1:12-17 

English Standard Version (ESV) 

  Have you ever made something overflow?  If you're filling a bucket, water fills every possible place until eventually there is no more, and then water flows over the brim and spills everywhere.  

  Paul is telling Timothy that this is exactly how grace works.  God's grace gets into your life and fills every part of life, eventually overflowing in faith and love and spilling into the world around us.  But God fills us first, encouraging and equipping us so that we go into the world filled with the awareness that we have been saved by grace through faith, not because we deserve it, but because God is love and grace.

  Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners.  His love fills us, every part of us, even the parts where we hide our deepest secrets and greatest shames -- grace reaches there, and once grace has completely covered us, it overflows into our relationships and our work and our play.  Let grace fill you, and see where it leads you, that we may be transformed as examples to the world.

A Sermon for July 12, 2020 -- Romans 15

John 6:60-69

John 6:60-69

English Standard Version (ESV) 

  Imagine how you would feel if you showed up at the grocery store, put all your items in a basket, and then when you went to check out, someone told you just to walk out, that it was all taken care of.  You'd be confused, right?  You'd likely insist on paying, because that's how things were done.  Even if the store manager insisted you could leave without paying, would you?  It'd feel like stealing, right?  

  So Jesus is talking about how he is the bread of life just before this passage, and many are struggling to understand just what he means.  Many want to hear the words of Jesus and figure out how to earn a way into a place of grace.  We're used to figuring out what we need to do to earn the passing grade.  But Jesus confronts us and tells us that our flesh is no help at all -- only the Spirit can truly give life.  Eternal life is a gift.

  Disciples are leaving Jesus over this teaching.  It just doesn't make sense, so they're walking away, back to what they know, back to what is comfortable.

  This is why we read Scripture, all of it.  We're confronted by it at times, and we have to wrestle with it.  If we leave and go back to what is comfortable, we might miss out on the critical next step of faith in our lives.  Everyone has a next step.  Peter identifies here that the next step is to lean in to Jesus, no matter how challenging his teaching may be.  He tells Jesus that Jesus alone has the words of eternal life, and so they're not going anywhere, no matter how hard it may be.

  What do you think your next step may be?  Is Jesus challenging you in some way?  Are you afraid of what might come next, intimidated by how God may be calling you?  Lean in.  Don't shrink back to what is comfortable just because it's easier.  God is always calling us forward, challenging us to leave behind what is comfortable.  We have no need to fear, because the Spirit has given us eternal life.  You are saved from sin, and you are saved for grace.  May the peace of God call us deeper into eternal life, that we may love and serve the world around us.

Matthew 8:28-34

Matthew 8:28-34

English Standard Version (ESV) 

  There are many reasons I think the Bible is true.  Sometimes, though, I think the Bible is true because who could make this up?  Imagine overhearing someone tell their friend about this --

  "Hey, did you hear about the pigs?"

  "What pigs?"

  "The pigs that Jesus sent the demons into.  Did you hear what happened to them?"

  "What demons?"

  "You know, the demons that possessed those two guys in the tombs that scared everyone away?"

  "Oh, yeah, the crazy guys.  What happened?"

  "So Jesus sent the demons into a flock of pigs who ran into the ocean and drowned."

  "Riiiiiiight."

  "And then everyone told Jesus to go away."

  It's bizarre, right?  Especially the part where they tell him to go away.  Can you imagine the scene there when they discovered that Jesus was the actual Son of God?

  

  "Hey, remember that time we asked God to leave?  Not so great on our part, was it?"

  I'm sure the people had their reasons.  They recognized the ways that Jesus was changing things, challenging their assumptions and their comfort levels, exposing the way the enemy was at work and demonstrating the awesome power of God.  It's not easy for us to deal with that today, and we know that Jesus rose from the dead and conquered sin and death!  We shrink back and politely ask Jesus to leave the dark corners of our life alone, only we often do it privately.  We hold onto things that rightly belong to God.  St. Augustine prayed for 'conversion, but not yet', because he wanted to experience things first, thinking that to follow Christ is to miss out. 

  What Christ teaches us is that we only gain through a life of discipleship.  Faithfulness is sweet when we truly grasp it, for we recognize that while we sacrifice some things and are confronted, it's only because God wants to re-order our loves so that they are properly established and the things our hearts were made for, love of God and neighbor, are first.  Christ chisels away not to inflict pain, but to create beauty.  What we fear is loss is truly gain, as we are prepared for the eternal glory that awaits.  

Mark 6:45-52

Mark 6:45-52

English Standard Version (ESV) 

  I'll be honest... some days lately, I feel like it's the middle of the night and I'm making painful headway with the wind in my face.  Is it just me?  I don't know what to make of the coronavirus... I hear stats from every corner of the world, most of them overwhelming, with indicators that I don't understand pointing in different directions.  To make it even more challenging, different people point at the same indicators and tell me that they mean different things.  Some say it means I shouldn't be worried, while others tell me that it means the end is near.  I wear a mask and generally avoid going out in public, as I have for four months, but it's hard to even know who to look to as an authority.  I don't know how to make decisions about travel and school and work.  I default to the option that involves the least public exposure, but feel like I'm just guessing.  I wonder when the wind will shift, will the sailing will become easier, when the dawn will break and I'll be able to better understand the landscape around me.  The older I get, the better I understand the disciples -- they were seeing the miracles that Jesus did, but often failing to grasp exactly what it meant and how it impacted their present and their future.  When they saw Jesus gliding by on the surface of the sea, they assumed it was a ghost, because who else can walk on water, conquering the elements with ease and grace?

  This story is a reminder that when you are out in the middle of the water in the middle of the night with the wind in your face, Jesus comes to you, even though it may seem unlikely, and gets in the boat, and offers a simple message:  It is I.  Do not be afraid.  

  Now, the story goes on to tell us that the disciples didn't understand about the miraculous feeding that Jesus had just accomplished.  Like them, I don't understand many things, but I know in my heart of hearts that Jesus comes to us in confusing and anxious times and reminds us that we are never alone.  I forget this at times, thinking I have to do everything on my own, but Jesus is here, and the boat will reach the distant shore, no matter how intimidating the waves and how much my hand trembles on the tiller.  The wind may threaten to obscure any voice, but I don't need to figure out how to call Jesus into the boat -- he comes to us.  This is the Gospel -- when we are afraid, God comes to us in Jesus Christ and conquers our deepest fear.  Though we feel unworthy, in Christ we are made worthy and receive honor.  

  I wish this meant that the coronavirus would be gone tomorrow and I could go back to worrying about things that really matter, like who's going to play right field regularly for the Cincinnati Reds.  Alas, there seems to still be wind in that storm.  But may we all remember that we do not sail these turbulent waters alone, and in the darkest hours of the night, we have no need to fear, for Emmanuel, God with us, comes near and abides with us.

  

Psalm 70

Psalm 70 

English Standard Version (ESV) 

  We all know that life can be difficult at times.  If not, 2020 has reinforced this with ruthless relentlessness.  Life is hard  There is suffering.  No matter who, you'll encounter struggles at some point.  

  The key to much of this is how we react in the midst of suffering.  Do we fold?  Do we fight on?  Do we muddle forward?  No matter what, the Psalms teach us how to turn to God in the midst of pain and suffering.  When life is hard and seems straight uphill, we can turn to God and cry out -- even when we don't know what the solution to our problems is, we can cry out to God for help.  The Psalms teach us how to pray in the midst of suffering and trials, so that our default language, no matter what, will be to turn to God.

Daniel 6:25-28

Daniel 6:25-28 

English Standard Version (ESV) 

  Remember what happened here -- Daniel prayed, was caught praying, and was thrown into the lions' den.  Not exactly revolutionary activities, but his simple commitment to faithfulness led to the king issuing a decree for all people to 'tremble and fear before the God of Daniel'.  God's ability to deliver and rescue were proclaimed throughout the kingdom because of Daniel's acts of prayer in the midst of chaotic times.

  Friends, we never know what God might do through our acts of faith, no matter how small they may be.  Daniel may have known that his time in prayer would have consequences, but did he realize they would extend far beyond himself?  Likewise, we're never completely sure of the consequences of our actions, and I doubt that we recognize that God is able to do mighty works that extend far beyond our reach through our faithfulness.  

  So may we be faithful in small and simple ways, spending time in prayer, and entrusting to God the spreading of the Gospel, for God can do far more than we can ask or imagine!

Sermon for July 5, 2020 on Romans 12:1-2

Daniel 6:19-24

Daniel 6:19-24 

English Standard Version (ESV)

  What do you believe that God might be able to do?

  Here, the king is overjoyed that the man he threw into a den of lions and left him there all night wasn't eaten by these lions.  My first though is that perhaps he needs better lions...  My second question is how often does he utilize this den of lions?  Does he keep them around just in case?  Who does this?  Anyway...  he goes to the lions' den with hope, which is an interesting contrast with the women who go to the tomb on that first Easter morning.

  Think about it -- they have gathered spices and are going to anoint the body.  Despite Jesus' proclamations that he would die and rise again, no one believed that his visit to the tomb was just a sojourn -- they'd watched him die, and that was the end.  They didn't show up at the tomb and shout questions into it to see if Jesus would answer.

  But the king in Daniel's story showed up at the den expecting for Daniel to be alive!  He didn't tiptoe around the tomb, wondering if there was some small chance that he might have survived.  There was anguish, but he shouts a question into the den with the expectation that there might be an answer.  The king had likely seen countless people enter this den, but none had survived yet, but there was something clearly possible through Daniel's God...

  God can do amazing things.  Even though they may not make sense to us, God is at work.  God has not and will not abandon us.  Sometimes, we're at the point in the story where we are getting thrown into the den of lions, and we can't see the end and we wonder where God is at.  Just because we don't have the whole story in front of us, this doesn't mean that God doesn't still do miracles, that God isn't still at work.  God loves you and cares for you and is at work in your life, transforming you, sanctifying you, loving you, providing for you.

  What do you believe that God might be able to do?

Books of the Bible in Five Minutes: Ruth

The book of Ruth, only 4 chapter long, is a quick read.  Occurring during the time of the Judges, it's a story of faithfulness and devotion that can be helpful to us today.

Daniel 6:16-18

Daniel 6:16-18 

English Standard Version (ESV)

  I'll say upfront that I love the Bible.  I love the way it tells the story, weaving it through countless other smaller stories, each of which points to the one grand story.  The Bible teaches us about ourselves, about God and God's Kingdom.  It reveals things to us about humanity that we know to be true in the depths of our souls.  It reminds us about things that we all long for in the depths of our souls, longings that are evidence that we are created to inhabit a world beyond this one.

  In this story, the king is thought to be the most powerful person in it.  Who is more powerful than the king?  And yet does this power  bring him peace?  Does it bring ease?  No -- all of his money and all of his power cannot bring an easy night's sleep, while a man he has thrown into a den of lions will rest easy because the power of God is with him.  

  We see it written across the headlines of newspapers time and time again -- money, fame, and power do not bring the ease we would think it does.  Worldly riches are not often associated with peace.   There are greater riches, beyond what money can buy, that can secure true peace.  Only God can grant this peace, but if we spend our lives striving for the worldly kind, we can easily miss the riches and peace God wants to offer us.  

  So let be careful how we dream.  Money and fame can be very useful tools in the hands of those who are wise enough to see them for what they are and surround themselves with people who will hold them accountable.  Let us ensure we are setting our hopes on the riches that God  alone can give, recognizing all other kinds as merely tools to be used to spread the Good News of God's true wealth.

Daniel 6:10-15

Daniel 6:10-15 

English Standard Version (ESV) 

  I never thought that vaccines would be controversial, but here we are.  Think about a vaccine -- it's a momentary pain that is paid to receive a much greater benefit -- the pain you accept is far, far greater than the pain you are avoiding.  With an effective vaccine, you receive far more than you give -- this is why we're all so eager for a COVID-19 vaccine.  Millions would line up for it, despite the temporary pain of the needed, because they know that the immunity from COVID-19 is well worth the cost of temporary pain.

  

  When you believe in God, truly believe in God, you are placing your allegiance in the most powerful being in the universe.  To believe in God is always to receive far more than you give, for if the most we can give is our lives while we receive eternity.  Daniel knows the rules and understands the punishment, but he is wholly committed to God, and he understands that what he is doing may cost him his life, but what does he care if he has already received more than that?  

  

  I won't presume that this was easy for Daniel.  We read that his prayers are thanksgivings, just as he had done previously.  If so, his faith is certainly stronger than mine -- I'd be praying for God to perhaps transport me back to a friendlier kingdom!  But Daniel's confidence in God was strong enough to know that God would sustain him, even through death.  There was nothing the King could do that could threaten his relationship with God.

  I don't know what threatens you today.  The pandemic certainly looms outside all of our doors.  There are economic and societal and political concerns.  Each of us worries a little differently.  What I do know is that we can have confidence in God to sustain us through each of these challenges, for even death is not an end for us, but rather a new beginning, a transformation, in which God is still on the throne and we still belong to God.