Sermon for Sept 29 -- Heaven as a Place of Worship

Psalm 84:1-2

Psalm 84:1-2 

English Standard Version 

  We feed our bodies all sorts of things that mimic natural foods.  We've made chemicals and flavors that mirror what the real world produces, but they don't provide the same nutritional value that the authentic food does, so we keep eating and eating, always hungry, never full.  Our bodies long for the real thing.

  In the same way, our hearts and souls long to be with God.  We're made for full communion with God, and until we dwell in the fullness of heaven, we'll remain restless, searching for God.  May we make the time every day, every week, to give our souls glimpses of worship, times of communion, that we may grow closer to God and let our hearts and flesh sing for joy.

How Dave & Busters Points to the Gospel

1 Samuel 10:17-24

1 Samuel 10:17-24

English Standard Version 

  This is a huge moment in the life of the people of Israel.  They have turned from having God as their king and opted for a human king.  God has Samuel remind the people of all that God has done for them, but that's old news to the people.  They're looking around at present circumstances, and the God who delivered them out of the bonds of slavery hasn't done anything dramatic enough recently, so they're looking to move along to something more secure.  It's wild to think about it -- the God who can carve a mountain with his mere words wasn't enough for the people, so they wanted a human instead to give them comfort.  

  So God grants them their wish, and then when it's time for Saul to be presented as king, where is Saul?

  He's hiding among the baggage.  The people have to go ask God where he is, and then they dig him out. When Samuel says that there is no one else like Saul, perhaps there is a bit of irony in his voice, but the people don't see it as a warning -- they merely shout, 'Long live the king.'  And so the madness of crowds continues...

  

 When you look to measure success in the world, how do you count it?  How do you take stock of your life, of what you have done, and what you have still to do?  

  There's countless ways to do this, and we all tend to measure ourselves against others.  

  When the people chose Saul, they opted to define success by having a leader who gave the people the appearance of having everything held together.  

  May we not judge so superficially, and may we strive for something deeper.  May we opt for a life well-lived before God, a life that seeks to glorify God and serve others, and may we define success by how well we pursue God and love one another.

Tides of War, New York, and other books

   I've read too many war books this year.  

  I started out the year by finishing Ian Toll's excellent trilogy on the war in the Pacific.  Later on, I read Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts, describing Berlin just before WWII.  Lately, I've read biography on Genghis Khan, Erik Larson's excellent new book around the events at Fort Sumter that led to active hostilities in the Civil War, and I just concluded Steven Pressfield's Tides of War, a bit of historical fiction around the Peloponnesian War.  Too much violence, I think, so I picked up Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea, the true story of the whaleship Essex that inspired Moby Dick.  Having read (and not enjoyed) Moby Dick, perhaps I'm simply looking for a more enjoyable read around ships and whales.  I may have completely turned Caleb off from ever reading Moby Dick by the way I described it to him, but I consider that a favor to the next generation.  I've never read a book that I considered in such desperate need of an editor.  

  Pressfield's Tides of War is a glimpse into an ancient war, at a time when Athens and Sparta were at war with one another.  It's told looking backwards, through the eyes of a soldier who fought endlessly for both sides, caught up as one individual in the midst of an ever-churning war.  That's the one thing I take away from all these books -- the human cost of war is tragic.  So many lives are thrown into the grinder, and I can't help but think on each man lost.  Each one had hopes and dreams, a family and a past, but his future was lost in the face of the war machine.  It opens my eyes to be grateful for those in the modern day who serve our country and put themselves in danger.  How do we properly thank them for their willingness to serve, to risk, to set aside their hopes and dreams to protect those of others?  

  I've clearly slacked in keeping up with the book reviews.  On Friday night, I finished my 33rd book of the year.  Edward Rutherford's New York was one that I recently enjoyed, as it tells the story of the great city through the story of one family, from generation to generation.  We see how the various social movements, as well as wars, impact the city and the people inside of it.  It's very well done.

  As was David McCullough's Path Between the Seas, the telling of the building of the Panama Canal.  I had no idea the French had tried earlier to build it.  It seems wild to have set off with as little data as they did, but they believed that if they threw enough people at it, eventually they would conquer.  The French underestimated the jungle! The personalities of some of the characters involved made the tale come alive, and the sheer audacity of the effort is well captured in this book.

1 Samuel 9:1-2

1 Samuel 9:1-2 

English Standard Version 

  So, what qualifies Saul to be king?

  He's really handsome.

  Also... very tall.

  Looking for any more substance?  Move right along.  

  The people wanted a king that would look like a king.  They wanted someone who might intimidate other kings, who would give the people credibility when they were comparing kings with people from other countries.  They hadn't had a king before, so they wanted someone who would provide no doubt that he was king-type material.

  They got someone who looked very much like a king.  No one would doubt that he qualified in a contest of who could be king based on body structure.

  In the modern world, may we learn this lesson well, and pursue following people of character and integrity, regardless of what they look like.  May we seek out Godly people who follow the Lord and treat others the way they ought to be treated.  May we value a person's actions and words above all else.

Sermon for September 22, 2024

This sermon, the third in a series on Heaven, is based in Isaiah and Revelation and describes heaven as a place of joy.

1 Samuel 8:19-22

1 Samuel 8:19-22 

English Standard Version 

  I thought it would be interesting to study the life of Saul, Israel's first King in the Old Testament.  The people have decided that they want a king so they can be like every other nation.  What's interesting is that the prophet Samuel then spends 9 verses telling them all the bad things that a King will do.  Samuel tells them that a king will tax their land and take their sons to war and that they will do all this extra work for the king.  The people, however, want a king.  God tells Samuel that the people are rejecting God, not Samuel.  For all these years, God had been the king of the people, but they wanted something easier to wrap their minds around, so they rejected God and opted for a regular king.  

  Ultimately, God gives them what they want.

  Which should be a warning to all of us -- may we be very, very careful about what we wish for, because we just might get it, and may we listen wisely when people offer us words of warning, for they are often looking out for our best interests, even if we may not realize it.

How the Check Engine Light Points to the Gospel

Psalm 150

Psalm 150 

English Standard Version 

  Do you ever hear the hype around a new restaurant or a new show and convince yourself that you need to try it?  Sometimes, the buzz wears off quickly, and before you make time to get there, the hype has faded.  Other times, that hype is sustained, and you go and discover something incredible, and you wonder why you took so long to try it for yourself.

  When I read the Psalms, I am often left wondering if I spend enough time praising God.  I make plenty of time to lift up my concerns to God, and I often have plenty of questions for God.

  But do I simply praise God for who God is?  Do I allow my whole self to praise God?  Do I get caught up in the creation-wide song that the rocks and trees are singing?  Or am I so inward-focused that I'm missing the opportunity to praise God with everything that I am?

Jonah 4:4-11

Jonah 4:4-11 

English Standard Version

  I like being comfortable.  It's nice.  Do I let myself get uncomfortable enough when I think about the sufferings of others?  Or do I keep that far enough away so that it doesn't impinge upon my comfort?

  When Jesus tells us that we should love others just as we love ourselves, it's a bit of an impossible command.  Can we really love others with the same focus and passion that we save for ourselves?  We treat ourselves when we can... can we treat others with the same excitement?

  Here, Jonah resents God's deliverance of the people of Nineveh.  He sets up camp outside of town, and God sends a plant for some shade.  When God sends a worm to devour the plant and Jonah loses his shade, he is furious, far more furious than he ever was at the thought of the people of Nineveh perishing.  He greatly favored his own comfort above the safety of others.

  So what do we do with this story?  In many ways, it's a wake up call for us.  Are we open to considering how much energy and resources we spend on ourselves, and how we might give up some of that comfort to serve others?  Do we recognize the suffering of others?  Do we love them enough?  Do we love ourselves too much?

Jonah 3:10-4:3

Jonah 3:10-4:3 

English Standard Version 

  How committed are you to your enemies that if God were to deliver them, would you be amazed at what God has done or upset that your enemies were delivered?  

  Jonah makes it clear what side of the fence he is on.  

  How do you pray for your enemies?  

Jonah 3:6-9

Jonah 3:6-9 

English Standard Version 

  I've watched enough Mel Brooks movies that whenever I read about a king, I can't help but think about the portrayal in The History of the World.  In summary, it's good to be the king.  Kings take liberties and have privileges.  Kings are rarely restrained.  Kings live at a different level than regular people.

  So what an incredible act here by the king in Nineveh.  He takes off his robe and sits in ashes, praying for God's mercy on behalf of his people.  He knows that it is not a guaranty of deliverance, but he hopes that if all people, including himself, repent from evil ways and violence, then perhaps God may relent.  

  The king could've ordered everyone else to repent.  Instead, he joined them in the midst of it.

  May we never grow too proud to resist humbling ourselves and acknowledging our wrongdoing.  May we be wise in looking for the fault within ourselves more eagerly than trying to find the fault in others.  May we be willing to repent and invite others to join us in this.  We don't control God, but it is wise to humble ourselves before God.

Jonah 3:4-5

Jonah 3:4-5 

English Standard Version 

  Jonah had a story to tell.  Imagine if Jonah had sat down and told his life story, revealing the journey he went on to get to Nineveh and the amazing ways God intervened in his life to bring him to that place.  It would've been a very compelling story.  I imagine the people of Nineveh would've been amazed.

  But they didn't hear that story.  They didn't hear about all that God had done in Jonah's life.  They received a simple sermon, but that was enough.  The Holy Spirit did an amazing thing, and that was enough.

  See, it doesn't depend on us.  We feel so unworthy much of the time, or we're nervous that we'll say or do the wrong thing.  Jonah shows us here that there doesn't need to be perfection.  God needed Jonah to show up and be a vessel for the message of repentance, and God did the rest.

  In the same way, God needs you to show up in times and places, and God will use you in the lives of people around you.

Psalm 98:4-9

Psalm 98:4-9 

English Standard Version 

  Plenty of movies have been made personifying animals.  Charlotte's Web and The Secret Life of Pets show us animals with personalities of their own.  

  What the Psalms reveal is that all of creation is made to worship God.  When we worship God, we aren't starting something unique -- we're joining a chorus comprised not only of the animals but also of nature itself.  Even the trees and the seas and the hills and the valleys lift up their voices to praise God.  When we praise God, we are aligning ourselves with the world around us, all of which is using the only language it has -- that of praise.

Jonah 3:1-3

Jonah 3:1-3

English Standard Version 

  Jonah didn't ask a lot of questions the second time that God told him to go to Nineveh.  He had learned his lesson well.  God didn't take the chance to remind Jonah, either.  I would've definitely said something along the lines of 'Seriously, Jonah.  To Nineveh.  Or else we'll do something worse than the fish...'

  Sometimes, God says no to us.  Sometimes, God needs us to learn a lesson.  But I believe that God continues to call us -- sometimes to the original plan, sometimes to a new one.  Hopefully, we learn from the times that God says no, and we are willing to follow God, having a richer sense of faith based on our prior experiences.  May we recognize that much of life is a learning opportunity, even the hardships, and that the character we gain along the way is a chance to share our struggles and experiences with others and point to God's glory throughout.

Jonah 2:10

Jonah 2:10 

English Standard Version 

  I read a quote once that said with enough information, all actions make sense.  

  Without context, this would be viewed as terrible.  

  Viewed as what Jonah had been through, this was great news -- he was saved from a terrible experience and suddenly had hope for what the next step of his life looked like.  

  When we see friends of loved ones going through something, let us remember that context matters.  So often, we don't know what else is going on in a person's life.  We react to their actions, but there's often so much else going on in the background.  May we learn to ask wise questions, and to listen patiently, that we may hear the full story.  Our lives are interwoven with one another, so the more we learn, the better we are able to serve one another.

Jonah 2:5-9

Jonah 2:5-9 

English Standard Version 

  When I golf, it's really frustrating to lose balls that are just off the fairway.  It seems like I ought to be able to find them, because I saw right about where they landed, but they disappeared right in plain sight.  Other golf balls, well... I hit them and immediately give up hope of ever finding them.  They're very, very lost.

  In the parable of the lost sheep, it never says how lost the sheep is.  It could've been just off the trail, but I somehow doubt it.  I get the impression that this was a sheep that was very lost, perhaps wandering the wrong way on the wrong trail for a long time, far from home.

  But it doesn't say how lost the sheep was because it doesn't matter.  The good shepherd goes to find it, no matter what.

  In the same way, God is teaching us through Jonah that there is no such place that is too far from God, no situation that is too far gone.  We can all be redeemed.

Jonah 2:1-4

Jonah 2:1-4 

English Standard Version 

  Have you ever driven through an area with bad cell phone service?  Even in the midst of it, you likely keep dialing, right?  You know there's a signal around there somewhere, so you don't give up, even though you doubt that your call will go through.  You keep dialing and dialing and dialing, and eventually it connects.

  That's what I think of when I read Jonah's prayer.  Jonah is in the midst of distress, in a fish sent by God to swallow him in the depths, but God still hears Jonah's cry.  Jonah keeps praying, despite his challenging circumstances.  It would be easy to think that God wouldn't hear Jonah, but Jonah still prays.  He's in despair, and the logical thing to do is pray, so he prays.  And Jonah's prayer is heard, just as our prayers are heard, even in the midst of our distress, even in challenging circumstances.  The waves and billows pass over us, and it feels as though we are driven from God's sight, and yet we can have hope because God hears our prayers, even in distress.

Psalm 23

Psalm 23 

English Standard Version 

  Do you ever go to the grocery store, buy a bunch of things, and then realize when you get home that you didn't buy anything for dinner?  I do this all the time, and it's so frustrating -- I was in the midst of so many great options, but missed the obvious reason for going to the store.

  When I read the 23rd Psalm, I often get hung up on the first verse. When the Lord is our Shepherd, we don't want for anything.  We find complete satisfaction in God.  That's the picture of what heaven will be like, and it's available to us now, but so often, we're putting so many other things in the cart that we completely miss that God will supply our needs.  

  Granted, sometimes we need to let God make us lie down in pastures.  We need to allow God to lead us to still waters.  We're often so busy trying to achieve these on our own that we miss what God wants to do for us.  

Jonah 1:17

Jonah 1:17 

English Standard Version 

  Ever think that things cannot get worse?  

  The first chapter of Jonah has gone as poorly as possible for Jonah.  He ran directly away from God's call, and then the boat was caught up in a storm that was sent for him.  Resigned to perishing in the storm, instead Jonah offers himself up as a sacrifice and is cast overboard.  Thinking this is likely the end, Jonah has surely given up by now... and instead he gets swallowed up by a giant fish.  

  If you're Jonah, each step is surely one more away from hope, right?

  God id still at work here.  God hasn't given up on Jonah.  God hasn't given up on God's people.  It's hard to believe, and surely from Jonah's perspective, you'd think this would be the end of the story... but God is only getting started.

  May we have the courage to believe the same when we see things going sideways in our own lives. 

Jonah 1:14-16

Jonah 1:14-16 

English Standard Version 

  Jonah's most effective evangelism may be the fact that the very sailors who throw Jonah overboard then immediately turn around and offer a sacrifice to God and make promises.  Jonah is able to convince them of God's power through sheer ineptitude.  It's not how one draws it up, but it seems to work here in the beginning of the story -- the sailors learn through Jonah as an example of what not to do, but still, God is able to use Jonah. 

  Jonah is certainly not an example we want to follow.  Jonah fails, time and time again, but the Word of the Lord will not be denied.  It reaches through Jonah's failure and touches the hearts of those interacting with Jonah.  It's a reminder to us all of God's ability to use any effort, no matter how small, to demonstrate the love and power of God.

Psalm 99:1-5

Psalm 99:1-5 

English Standard Version 

  God is pure holiness, and dwells completely separate from humanity.  

  It's easy to forget this -- we make God so common and end up forgetting how majestic God is.  It reminds me a little of the display of the crown jewels in the Tower of London.  They're so valuable and more heavily guarded than any other display that I can remember, and there is a moving floor so that the crowd doesn't clog things up by lingering near certain exhibits.  It's very clear from the moment that you draw near that you're viewing something valuable.  No one wanders in by mistake and doesn't realize that there is something special about what you are about to see.  

  In the same way, God sits in God's throne, and should be praised as holy and perfect, completely other than we are.  It is only through pure grace that God chooses to reveal himself to us.  We are to exalt God, and to fail to do so is pure folly.  May we choose to worship each and every day.