Guardrails - Do Not Murder

1. No Other Gods.

2. Do Not Have Idols

3. Do not misuse God’s name.

4. Rest on the Sabbath.

5. Honor your Father and Mother.

6. Do not Murder.

7. Do not Commit Adultery.

8. Do Not Steal.

9. Do Not Lie.

10. Do Not Covet.

Today, we look at the sixth commandment, “Do not Murder.”

I think we would all agree.  If you break this commandment, your life will crash and spin out of control! Traditionally, this commandment has been understood as “Thou shalt not kill.” But the first thing we need to understand is that:

DO NOT MURDER DOES NOT MEAN DO NOT KILL

Suppose we understand that this commandment means that Killing other people is a sin. In that case, we immediately run into problems because God demands the death penalty and instructs the Israelites to go to war against other nations.

People are always killed in war, so what does this commandment mean?

In the original Hebrew language, murder involves personal motive and intent. God is not sinning against his command. God is saying, “If you have a problem with somebody, do not take their life!”

My wife was explaining the 10 Commandments to her Kindergarten class.  After discussing what it means to Honor your Father and Mother, she asked, “Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?” 

One of the kids answered, “Thou shalt not murder.”

When I would get into a fight in elementary school or middle school, the first thing I would say was, “I am going to kill you!”. I never meant it. I wasn’t really going to kill them. It was an expression to strike fear into their mind to give my scrawny, Steve Urkel body the upper hand. So, of all the commandments, I have not broken this one. Yet, even if I had, God is a forgiving and redeeming God. 

The New Testament describes a man who often ordered the death and persecution of followers of Jesus – yet his life was changed, and he became a follower of Jesus.  His name was Saul. After he became a follower of Jesus, it was changed to Paul, and Paul wrote most of the letters in the New Testament. God can change anybody and give them hope and a purpose. Why is it important to God that we do not murder anyone?  Every person who is born is going to die. Some may die of cancer and disease; some may die of old age. Some may die tragically, and some babies will never be born but will die in miscarriage.

So why are our lives so valuable to God that we do not murder people?

GOD’S GREATEST CREATION IS THE HUMAN BODY. IS IT YOURS?

It may not be politically correct to make this statement, but here it is: 

Human beings are the very BEST of God's creations.  The human being is the BEST God could create!  

Genesis 1:26-28 (NLT2) 

26  Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like ourselves. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” 27  So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28  Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” 

God created human beings in His image to be like Him.  Nothing else in all of creation was designed in his image. Nothing. We stare into the galaxies and marvel at the pictures received from NASAS Telescopes that reveal striking images of comets, stars, planets, and other Galaxies…

Yet – there is nothing as awe-inspiring as you. God created you and every other person in his image. So, the next time you want to be amazed, look deeply into the eyes of your spouse, child, or yourself in a mirror.  

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT2) 

For we are God’s masterpiece…

The beauty of nature, the ocean depths, and the deepest parts of the galaxy pale in comparison to the majestic beauty of people.  The person beside you is a masterpiece. Wouldn’t it be amazing if, like visitors to the Grand Canyon, we lined up outside one another’s house and stared, applauded, and snapped pictures appreciating one another…oh…that sounds a little like stalking…But you get the point.  

We ought to stand in AWE and WONDER at the beauty of one another.  It is not only because of our bodies, brain, and soul's complexity–but because God has stamped HUMANS with His image! God’s most incredible creation is the Human Body – but is it yours?

Do you value human life the way God values human life?

I remember the first time Kristy and I had a 3-D Ultrasound of our firstborn, Sofie.  We could see her face, her eyes, her mouth.  We could see her heartbeat. Looking at the ultrasound video reminded me that we were catching a peek at what God saw with every person who has ever been born.

Psalm 139:15-16 (NLT2) 

15  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16  You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

God values life so much that every human being is stamped with the image of God, and God is devoted to watching and forming us in the womb. Not only does God see that moment – but he sees every day of our lives played out before a single one of them has passed.

God highly values you.

And poetically, even the tears you have cried matter to God.

The Psalmist writes:

Psalm 56:8 (NLT2) 

8  You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. 

Dad came home from work one evening to find his 5-year-old daughter broken and crying because her goldfish (Goldie) had died. Dad offered her a new goldfish, but that didn’t work.

Desperate to bring an end to her tears, he said:

I tell you what, we’ll have a funeral for Goldie.  We’ll invite all the kids from the neighborhood. We will have ice cream, cake, lemonade, balloons, jumpy houses, and water slides…all your friends and kids in the neighborhood can come to our house to play. Then we will put Goldie into a box and bury him in the backyard."

This idea of the Celebration of Life did the trick. Instantly, she was her happy, smiling self. Then, inside the tank, Goldie began to move. A few seconds later, he was swimming!  Goldie was alive! Seeing the Party plans come to a screeching halt, his innocent, wide-eyed daughter looked up at her daddy and whispered, 

Daddy, LET’S KILL IT.

Many people today value life ONLY if life doesn’t stand in the way of what they want. 

If life looks like it will ruin their “party,” then it’s time to eliminate the problem – the LIFE! It is estimated that 65 million babies have been aborted since 1973.  Almost one million babies are murdered…often because they are in the way of a “party.”

In 2019, USA Today reported that 1% of abortions were rape-related, and ½ percent were incest related. I am grateful to bold women who chose to have their baby even though initially they felt the baby was “too soon.” I am also grateful for the number of women who had an abortion and now counsel and help other young women to prevent more abortions. I am grateful for a God who forgives, redeems, and loves unconditionally. We must cherish and value life the way God values life.  

This is why we support Coastline Women's Center here in Myrtle Beach. Coastline Women’s Center educates, supports, and empowers women facing unplanned pregnancies with compassionate and professional medical care. If you think you may be pregnant or considering abortion, their staff have been in your shoes.  They are there to help you. If you really value life – and are interested in becoming a volunteer at Coastline, jump online and submit a volunteer application.

Let’s be a church known for what we are FOR not for what we are against. If you say you are pro-life, show it. Be pro-life. Don’t grab a picket sign. 

Volunteer to babysit for parents in our church. Become a Foster Family for kids who need placement. Currently, there are 3,800 children in foster care in South Carolina.

If you are unable to foster and adopt, if you are unable to get involved with Coastline, then show you are pro-life and care for the shivering man and woman on the corner. Buy them lunch. Listen to their story. Laugh at their jokes. Tell them Jesus has changed your life. Offer them hope. Those are ways we can value life like God values life. There are other heart issues when it comes to “murder” as well.

HEART ISSUES: ENTERTAINMENT, UNFORGIVENESS, VALUE

Up until the days of Jesus, the religious leaders restricted murder, but they did not restrict hatred. The Jewish people could hate somebody all they wanted to, as long as they did not murder them. But Jesus came along and raised the standard of what it meant to murder somebody.

Matthew 5:21-22 (NLT2) 

21  “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22  But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. 

God’s not just interested in whether you murder. He is more concerned with whether you would murder if you could get away with it. I have lived 51 years without experiencing the temptation of murder.  Chances are, by God’s grace, I will live another 51 years without being tempted to murder. But I believe I have been guilty of breaking the heart of the 6th Commandment in a couple of ways:

ENTERTAINMENT:

It is virtually impossible to find any action movie released today where people aren’t shot, stabbed, murdered, decimated, decapitated…If you were to scroll through my Netflix account, you would find movie after movie involving murder.  God calls MURDER a sin – but I am entertained by it. One night, we tucked and prayed the girls into bed.  Sofia was about 5 years old.  I went downstairs and turned on the TV to watch The Walking Dead.  About 40 minutes into the show, Sofia stood beside the couch.  I jumped up, grabbed the remote, and turned off the TV.  “Sofie, what did you see on the TV?”  

“I saw that man poke a stick into the other man’s head.”

PARENTING FAIL!

If a child streams 3 to 4 hours of shows per day, he will have seen about 8,000 murders on TV by the time he finishes grade school. I am not saying I do not watch movies with killing and murder (Walking Dead doesn’t count because they are already dead.) But Hollywood knows what we will watch.  They know we will entertain ourselves with murder.  

So, I ask myself, if I am ok with fictional murder, will I be entertained by:

Fictional adultery? 

Fictional Idolatry? 

Fictional language that takes the Lord’s name in vain?

Sadly, I often find myself entertained by something God hates…

Another way I break the heart of the 6th Commandment is through:

UNFORGIVENESS:

Cain and Able were two sons of Adam and Eve.  Brothers, Cain had some anger issues toward his Abel.  They each offered to give to God – God accepted Abel’s and rejected Cain’s. The speculation is that God rejected Cain’s offering not because of what it WAS but because of what was in Cain’s heart. The apostle John wrote about the murder already in Cain’s heart in 1 John 3.

1 John 3:12 (NLT2) 

12  We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.

1 John 3:15 (NLT2) 

15  Anyone who hates another brother or sister is a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them. 

Anyone who HATES his brother or sister is a murderer. God wants us to LOVE the people He has made in His IMAGE. When we hang onto the junk that bothers us about people, we move down that slippery slope toward hate.  

If we hate people, you and I are guilty of murder. So, prevent your life from crashing and honor the heart of the 6th Commandment. Eliminate unforgiveness from your heart.  If you have a problem with somebody, forgive them.

Who do you need to clear the air with?  Write their name in the space in your notes… begin to pray for them, and ask God to help you value them as He does.

Romans 12:18 (NLT2) 

18  Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 

Repeat after me: “I was wrong. I am sorry. Will you forgive me?”

See. It really is that easy.

Guardrails - Honor Your Father and Mother

1. No Other Gods.

2. Do Not Have Idols

3. Do not misuse God’s name.

4. Rest on the Sabbath.

5. Honor your Father and Mother.

6. Do not Murder.

7. Do not Commit Adultery.

8. Do Not Steal.

9. Do Not Lie.

10. Do Not Covet.

Today, we look at the Fourth Commandment, “Honor your Father and Mother.”

Exodus 20:12 (NLT2) 

12  “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 

When I was a child growing up in Pennsylvania and Tennessee, my family was the furthest thing from a normal or perfect family. My dad was a “temper tantrum, drunk before-noon alcoholic who raped my mom and sexually abused me.” 

Filled with anger and hurt, my brothers and sisters clawed at and fought each other. My parents divorced, and with my mom, I lived in a YWCA shelter and later was placed in a psychiatric hospital for three months; then, I went to live with my grandmother.  

So, the question I want us to wrestle with today as we look at the Commandment to Honor our Father and Mother is this, 

“How do we honor parents who were not honorable?”

Many of you know exactly what I mean by that question. Maybe the people God placed in your life to nurture you and guide you hurt and abused you instead of protecting and blessing you. You may look at this commandment and cringe at the thought that you would ever Honor your parents because of what they did to you.

I understand. Trust me.

Growing up, I often imagined what it would be like to have a different set of parents and live in a different family. From all appearances, it seemed like many of my friend's families had it all together. Their dads showed up at their Little League games. 

Their parents attended school functions and award ceremonies and cheered for their kids. Their siblings stood up for each other rather than tearing each other down. I would think, “If only I had a dad like theirs, a mom like theirs, a big brother like theirs, or a sister like theirs, everything would be perfect.”

As we consider this fourth commandment, it is essential to remember that:

PARENTS ARE NOT PERFECT PEOPLE AND NEED GRACE, TOO.

There is no such thing as a perfect person, and there is certainly no such thing as a perfect parent. We who grew up in abusive households often suffer from this childhood delusion that parents can be perfect, and we try to become perfect parents ourselves.

We show up at the games.

We cheer for our kids and make a fuss over them.

Rather than seeking to become a godly parent, we try to become a perfect parent. We are hard on ourselves when we mess up, and we fear we will repeat some of the same mistakes our parents made.

Let me relieve you of this pressure.

You will make some of the mistakes your parents made! I am not suggesting you will abuse your children, but I am telling you that you will make many mistakes as a parent.

I have.

My wife has.

You have.

So, show yourself grace.  Forgive yourself when you mess up, converse with your kiddo, and move on.

Now, the Fifth Commandment doesn’t say Honor your Father and Mother unless… 

“they were overbearing or yelled too much.”

“were never home.” 

“never helped with your homework.”

“or were abusive.”

No. God says Honor your father and mother. 

But he ends the command with a promise:

You will live a long, full life

What does that mean? It means if you honor your father and mother, God will bless you with a long, joy-filled, happy life. It is important to God that we honor our parents. When God gave this commandment, sin had already entered the world. Parents were already imperfect. God knew abuse would happen. None of us were ever perfect but remember, if you are a follower of Jesus – you are in the process of being PERFECTED…and if your parents are followers of Jesus – they are in the process of being perfected, too.

The Apostle Paul said this in Philippians:

Philippians 3:12 (NLT2) 

12  I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 

Paul acknowledged something that many people in church today have difficulty admitting:

He told the church he was not perfect! We are all unfinished followers of Jesus. Show yourself grace, and show grace to your parents as well. Now, let’s talk about God’s plan for the family. Paul wrote to the Ephesian church and explained the fifth commandment to them and shed some light on what a “perfect” family could look like:

He wrote:

Ephesians 5:31-6:4 (NLT2) 

31  As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” 32  This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33  So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. 1  Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 2  “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: 3  If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” 4  Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. 

The Bible teaches us that the family begins with a husband and a wife. A man leaves his parents and marries his wife, and the two people become ONE and the role of parents and children is pretty clear in this passage:

GOD’S DESIGN: PARENTS LEAD, AND CHILDREN OBEY

Parents lead, and children obey. First, Parents, since you have the weighty responsibility to lead your family, it is so important that you lead together. Rather than Mom and Dad working together as they LEAD their family, sometimes it feels more like a tug-of-war. A mom sees their kiddo doing something they are not supposed to be doing, and their sweet, innocent child says, “Dad said I could.” Then, an argument begins because Mom and Dad aren’t leading in the same direction.

Sound familiar?

If it does…Beach Church has a Marriage sermon series this fall to help married couples grow closer. It will be a five-week series that will end with an opportunity for couples to stand and renew their vows at the close of the service. It’s a series I am looking forward to!

Now, if you are a child living with your parents, remember God’s plan is to bless you, protect you, and guard your life, so your responsibility in your family is to Obey your parents. Take out the trash, wash the dishes, clean your room, walk the dog, clean the bathroom, mow the yard, do your homework…

Whatever your Parents ask you to do, your Biblical responsibility is to do it. To obey. And Dad, be patient with your children. Don’t provoke them to anger. Instead, dig into God's word and be patient with your children. Understand that when your children disobey you, they disobey God. And, if they are a follower of Jesus, God will deal with them.  The Spirit of the Lord is going to prompt them to obey you.

And if your child is not a follower of Jesus, be as patient with them as God has been with you. Children…when you obey your parents, you HONOR your Father and your Mother!When we look into the mirror of the Word of God, no matter what role you play in your family, Husbands, Wives, Moms, Dads, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters. None of us are perfect! So, remember that experiencing God's Design for Family begins with you.

It doesn’t start with any other family member.  

God is working in your life right now, so let that change begin with you. There is a way that you can “open the door” for God to work in your parents' hearts, to the Lord in your family. You know, the bible warns followers of Jesus not to allow the devil a “foothold” in their lives.  

But what if you gave God a foothold in your family? Whether you are an adult child who struggles with Honoring your Father and Mother or whether you are a teenager living at home.

What if you gave God a foothold to change your family’s life? Wouldn’t that be awesome?

So, let me encourage you to…

F.A.C.E. each other.

(Forgive, Accept, Communicate, Empathize)

FACE each other.  Forgive, accept, communicate, and Empathize.  God will heal your family if you begin to do these four things. Whatever part you play in your family, Forgive. Don’t hold a grudge. Everything my Dad did to me, I forgave him.

Forgiveness is a wall-shattering, door-busting weapon that will break open the door to give God room to work in your family. Forgiveness does not mean pretending hurt never happened and going on with life. Time does not heal all wounds. But, if you do not forgive your family who have hurt you, you will live with bitterness and sourness in your soul.  That bitterness will begin to impact all of your relationships, so choose to forgive them.  

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison in South Africa for advocating for equal rights for all people. When he was finally released, he said, “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”

He was right! Holding a grudge makes you sick.

Forgive because Jesus has forgiven you. 

Forgive for your benefit.

Forgive to move on.

Forgive so God can begin knitting your family back together.

Secondly, ACCEPT each other in your family.

Romans 15:7 (NLT2) 

7  Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.

Your parents, your siblings – they are not like you. If you are an adult child, let go of the resentment of not having a “perfect family” and accept your family for who they are.

Why?

Because Jesus gave you an example to follow, he accepted and adopted you into his family.

John 3:3 (NLT2) 

3  Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 

First, if you are a follower of Jesus, you are born one more time. Then, after you have been born a second time, God does not leave you abandoned on the street. Jesus said

John 14:18 (NLT2) 

18  No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.

You were not left abandoned as an orphan on the street trying to figure out how to live as a follower of Jesus after you were born that second time. Something exceptional happened to you.  Despite your sin, your bad breath, and your bad haircut, you were accepted and got adopted!

Romans 8:15b (NLT2) 

…you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”

God adopted you into his family. The creator of the Galaxies accepted you. Now, you get to call God “Abba, Father.”  He calls you son and daughter, and you call him Father.

He knows you bite your fingernails. 

He knows you clink the cereal bowl too much. 

He knows your jaw pops when you eat, yet he still accepted you and adopted you into his family. 

If you believed in Him and surrendered your life to him, he accepted you and gave you full rights as his child.

John 1:12 (NLT2) 

12  But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

Not only did God accept you into his family, but God gave you all the privileges of his only begotten son, Jesus.  

Did you hear that?  

God accepted YOU.

God ADOPTED you.

You belong to His family.

And – it keeps getting better!

God’s acceptance of you does not mean you are the black sheep of the family. You are not the odd man out. You are not a weird step-child or a half-sibling. 

This is special. This is significant:

Galatians 4:7 (NLT2) 

7  Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

Romans 8:17A (NLT2) 

17  And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory…

Galatians 3:29 (NLT2) 

29  And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

1 Peter 1:4 (NLT2)

4  and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

We are heirs to God’s throne. 

We are co-heirs with Jesus. 

We have equal status to Jesus Christ. 

What belongs to Jesus will also belong to us!

Ephesians 1:5 (NLT2)

 5  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

Your second birth, your adoption, and your status as a co-heir with Christ did not come from God reluctantly. He didn’t accept you begrudgingly. He didn’t drag his feet. Your acceptance and adoption into God's family brought him great pleasure!  

Like the pleasure new parents have when they hold their newborn, you brought great pleasure to God. He wanted to get you into his family and bless you with everything. He accepted you. Now – because God has accepted you…

ACCEPT others.

Reciprocate God’s acceptance and accept your parents. Accept your siblings. Accept your family. Accept your adult children. 

Romans 15:7 (NLT2) 

7  Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.

So, Forgive, Accept, and Communicate…As you forgive and accept your family, communicate with them.

Communication is a sign that “all is well.”  When we don’t communicate with one another, especially our family, we communicate that “we have a problem with them.” 

When we offer the silent treatment to our parents, we are not honoring them. When we ignore our parents, we do not honor them. So, communicate.

If you are an adult child, pick up the phone and call your mom. Call your dad. Yes, the phone works both ways – but you are a follower of Jesus, and God is working in your life. So, humble yourself, give God a foothold into your family and be the first to pick up the phone and call your parents. Fill them in on what is happening in your and your family's lives.

Invite them to the next birthday party. Invite them to your home for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or Easter. 

Because you have forgiven them…

Because you have accepted them…

Communicate to them. Empathize with them.

That means understanding their feelings and emotions as best as you can.  Understand that your adult parents may live with deep regret and shame over the way they treated you when you were younger. Understand that they may wake up every day ashamed of their reflection in the mirror…and hope you forgive them one day. When Paul was writing to the Corinthian church about a man who professed to be a follower of Jesus but blew it, sinned, and brought shame to the church. He told them to kick him out of the church.

But later, Paul heard that the same man was deeply ashamed of his sin but could not return to his church family.

Paul said this:

2 Corinthians 2:5-7 (NLT2) 

5  I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. 6  Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. 7  Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. 

Paul said this man had caused great hurt to the church… but it was now time to forgive him, “otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement.”

The lesson? Sometimes, we, as followers of Jesus, have profound regret and remorse over our past, and guilt and regret can overcome us. When that happens, discouragement settles into the soul of a follower of Jesus. Rather than radiating joy, that person becomes overwhelmed with discouragement, sadness, depression…

It happens.

So, inside your family, show empathy. Showing them empathy means you understand how they feel because you have also felt that way.  You have had regret and needed others to forgive you, accept you, and communicate with you…so show them empathy. That means you will be demonstrating to your family what it looks like to “Love your Neighbor as yourself” and “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” If you can learn to FACE your family, you will live in a way that honors your parents and glorifies your Father in Heaven.

I need to work on that.

Guardrails - Rest On The Sabbath

1. No Other Gods.

2. Do Not Have Idols

3. Do not misuse God’s name.

4. Rest on the Sabbath.

5. Honor your Father and Mother.

6. Do not Murder.

7. Do not Commit Adultery.

8. Do Not Steal.

9. Do Not Lie.

10. Do Not Covet.

The year was 2005.  Kristy and I had just walked through a difficult loss. We had been trying to conceive for six years and lost our first baby at around ten weeks.  So we could rest and recuperate, friends shared their vacation home with us in Destin, Florida. 

The crystal blue water, white sand, the sound of the ocean waves hitting the beach…God used that trip to launch healing and give us a great REST from the hurt. During that place of rest, we could smile at one another and mean it. 

Do you have a special place to rest where the stress melts away? 

Maybe it’s a golf course. Perhaps it’s a restaurant. Maybe it’s a spa…

Today, we are talking about the 4th Commandment, “Rest on the Sabbath.”  

Let’s read together:

Exodus 20:8-11 (NLT2) 

8  “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9  You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10  but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11  For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

The command to “rest on the Sabbath” is a Guardrail God gave us to bless us and keep our lives from crashing. I love that God commanded the Israelites to take a day off! 

In Genesis, the Bible tells us that God created the World in 6 days, and he rested on the 7th. 

I used to work in construction. I labored hard for five days in a row. At the end of the week, my back was hurting, my body was aching, and my feet were tired.  I needed to rest at the end of the week! But God did not need to rest after creating the Galaxies. He wasn’t worn down. He didn’t need an ice pack or ibuprofen. He wasn’t tired on day five or day 6. God could have kept on going. He could have kept on creating and imagining. God does not get tired, and he does not need to rest. 

In the original Hebrew, “Sabbath” means “CEASED from activity.”

That means, after creation…

GOD DID NOT REST, HE STOPPED

He stopped. God stopped creating. He was finished creating creation and when he stopped, God looked at all he made and said, “It was good.”

From sun up to sundown, the Israelites worked as Farmers and Shepherds. They led the herds to water to drink and to grassy fields to eat. When the animals would fight each other, the shepherds would separate them. Shepherding and farming required constant maintenance.

But on the 7th day, God says, “Stop. Do nothing. And trust me. I will care for your livestock, fields, and you.”

Shepherding reminds me of parenting young children. From sunup till sundown.  Parents are leading their kids to get something to drink. Feeding them. Separating them when they fight with their siblings.

Rush to get home after school.

Rush to get homework done. 

Rush to the soccer fields, the basketball courts, the baseball fields, and the wrestling match.

Rush to the store to get the cardboard for the school project, the glitter for the lettering. 

Rush to get the kids in the bath and in bed. 

Then, rush to school the next morning. 

Parents, the good news is that God says, “Stop!”

A day with no work. No running around. A day simply just for prayer, worship, family, and laughter. Every. Single Week. Yet, it wasn’t good enough for the people of Israel.

As time went on, they rejected God’s command to stop. Rather than setting the day aside to rest and remember how great God was, the Israelites began working on the 7th day, and they even began to worship false gods.

So, God punished the Israelites for their disobedience.  God allowed Babylon to drag the Israelites back into slavery for another 70 years. It was a harsh and cruel slavery.

Psalm 137 was written shortly after the Israelites were freed from slavery in Babylon.  Listen to how bad their treatment was:

Psalm 137:8-9 (NLT2) 

8  O Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us. 9  Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks! 

During captivity, the Israelites beat themselves up for failing to keep God’s commands.  So when they were finally freed, they were determined always to obey all of God’s Commands…And they overcorrected.  

They had this religious book called the Talmud that was equivalent to a modern-day commentary on the bible. A Commentary explains what the Bible means…The Israelites developed a commentary to explain what the Ten Commandments mean and dedicated 24 Chapters to define what it meant to work or not to work on the Sabbath.

24 Chapters to explain one verse. That is OVERCORRECTING!

From that point on, it was considered work to:

Move a lamp from one place to another.    

If a woman wore a wig or a clip in her hair

Wear false teeth or a wooden leg 

To pick up your infant

So, the Israelites became known to all the other Nations that they trusted God so much that the entire nation would stop working on the Sabbath. The Israelites prided themselves on this distinction…and that is why things got so tense between Jesus and the Religious Leaders. Last year, we spent every weekend in our series called “Meeting Jesus.” What did Jesus do that really got under the skin of the religious leaders? 

He WORKED on the Sabbath!

The Jewish leaders harassed Jesus wherever he went to work on the Sabbath.

One of Jesus disciples wrote this:

John 5:16-18 (NLT2) 

16  So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. 17  But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” 18  So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. He not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God. 

The Pharisees were so irritated with Jesus' failure to observe the Sabbath that they began making plans to kill him. Please understand this important distinction. Jesus did not work on the Sabbath to irritate the religious leaders; Jesus worked on the Sabbath because he CREATED the sabbath. He owned the Sabbath. He was Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a day that belonged to Him.

Luke 6:5 (NLT2) 

5  And Jesus added, “The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath.”

As the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus could do whatever He pleased because He made the rules.   The Israelite people were consistently fearful they would do something wrong and be accused of working on the Sabbath…

But then Jesus shows up and is utterly unintimidated by the Religious Leaders.  

Healing people on the Sabbath

Bringing Joy on the Sabbath

Restoring Hope on the Sabbath. 

And, ultimately he was crucified and murdered on the cross because the Pharisees had enough of him working on the Sabbath and claiming to be God…ironically, when Jesus died on the cross…

JESUS BECAME OUR REST (Matt 11:28-30)

The Israelites lived with the burden of trying to obey all of God’s Word to enter into heaven when they die. “If they lived a good enough life and sacrificed enough, maybe they have a shot.”

Obey all the commandments. Make all the right sacrifices on the right day, at the right time, and in the correct year. Live perfectly.

The Israelites spent their lives trying to earn their way into heaven. 

And when the Pharisees finally killed Jesus for working on the Sabbath, Jesus' death told all of mankind to STOP trying to earn a spot in Heaven.

If you are working hard and trying to be good enough to get into Heaven when you die. 

Stop. 

If you are attending church to get to Heaven when you die.

Stop.

If you are being generous with your money to try to earn God’s favor so you can get to Heaven.

Stop.

You will never be good enough to get to Heaven. You will never be smart enough to get to Heaven. You will never be sufficient to enter into heaven when you die.

So stop.

Titus 3:5 (NKJV) 

5  not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit…

You can never work hard enough, pray hard enough, or give generously enough to be forgiven for your sin.

Jesus' death on the cross paid the price for our sins.  And everybody who believes in Him will receive ETERNAL LIFE!

If you want to experience peace with God through the forgiveness of sin, come to Jesus. If you want to know real rest, come to Jesus. If mistakes of your past burden you, things you have done to others if you are weighed down by shame and regret.

Come to Jesus. 

Matthew 11:28  (NLT2)

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest….

Surrender to Him. Jesus is your rest.

GOD PRESCRIBES REST SO WE CAN RENEW AND RELATE

Listen to something else that Jesus said about the Sabbath.  

He said:

Mark 2:27 (NLT2) 

27  …“The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.

The sabbath was made to meet your needs! The sabbath is meant for you to stop the madness!There is always going to be work that needs to be done. If you work seven days a week, it will never be enough…so stop and rest. God designed your body.

He knows precisely how much stress, strain, and work the human body can take. He knows your mental stress limit, your physical stress limit…So rest! The Sabbath was made to meet your needs!

So REST!  Stop working one day a week. Play golf. Go for a walk on the beach. Play frisbee golf. Do a puzzle. Do what your body needs you to do to slow down. The Sabbath is a gift from God that helps keep us and our families healthy. I need to do a better job of stopping to enjoy family, rest, renew and relate.  

How about you?

Guardrails - Misusing God’s Name

1. No Other Gods.

2. Do Not Have Idols

3. Do not misuse God’s name.

4. Rest on the Sabbath.

5. Honor your Father and Mother.

6. Do not Murder.

7. Do not Commit Adultery.

8. Do Not Steal.

9. Do Not Lie.

10. Do Not Covet.

Today, we look at the third commandment, “Do not misuse God’s name.”

Have you ever thought about the power of a name?  

When we were thinking about names for our children, I would say the name out loud, and then I would invite the middle school boy that lives inside my mind and ask if that name rhymed with words that could be used to tease my daughter:

For instance, I was Joe Schmo, Joe Blow, Toe Joe, Joe Donapew, Mojo Jojo, Joe the Hoe…but I had it a little easier than my brother Pat.  He was Fatty Patty…Peppermint Patty, Patty Cake…

In naming my daughters, I had a rule.  The names of my daughters could not rhyme with a body part, a body function, or something derogatory.

Sofia, Naomi, Violet, Jessica

Good luck finding a derogatory rhyme with those names!

Let’s read together Exodus 20:7:

Exodus 20:7 (NLT2) 

7  “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. 

The first three commandments deal specifically with God’s identity.  First, God says, “I am the Lord your God; you will have no other God but me.” Then, the second commandment again deals with God’s Identity, and God says, “No other God but me.”

Now, God addresses his identity a final time, and he says, “Don’t misuse my name.”

That’s because…

THE MISUSE OF GOD’S NAME COMMUNICATES HE IS WORTHLESS

The misuse of God’s name communicates to those around us that we think he is worthless. When we misuse God’s name, we fail to reflect His greatness and goodness. 

Before the invention of the printing press, the Bible was copied word-for-word by scribes.  As they were copying God’s word, whenever the scribe would encounter a name of God, they would stop writing, rise from their table, wash their hands, change their clothes, pick up a new quill, and then proceed to write the name of God. They would do this every single time, and sometimes, it was three times a verse.

The scribes treated the name of God with respect and humility.

Because we share a common name, I will use our current President, Joe Biden, as an example.  If I were facing the President, I would most likely call him President Biden.  Whether I agree with his politics or not, I respect his position as President. Out of respect, I would not call him “Joey” or “Joe Shmo.”

And, if we respect and honor God, we would make sure we intentionally do not misuse God’s name…but we often do, don’t we?

First, let’s address how we commonly misuse God’s name through our…

SPEECH

We hear God’s name misused all the time. 

As an expression, we may say or hear people say: “OMG.” Oh my God! Or, “Oh God, here we go again…”

We may say or hear people swear they are speaking the truth and say: “I swear to God it’s true…” 

Or we may say or hear the name of God used lightly…Here in the South, when somebody turns forty, we may drive past a sign that reads: “Lordy, Lordy, look who forty.”

Or, you may hear people use God’s name as a filler word when they cannot think of anything to pray.  “Father …Father, would you, God, In the name of Jesus, Jesus Just…”

And probably the most common thing we think about when God’s name is misused is when God’s name is spoken as a curse word by attaching D-A-M-N after it. Or saying “Jesus Christ” in a manner of cursing is the most obvious way we hear the Lord’s name taken in vain.

God makes it clear in the Third commandment that He does not want his name used as an expression, a filler word, or a curse word.  God desires that His name be set apart and used for HOLY things.  When we intentionally use His name correctly, He will bless our lives. So, we sin when we say anything that makes Him appear worthless…and we can also make Him appear worthless through our… 

ACTIONS

We can misuse God’s name by what we DO. 

The Bible tells us that if you are a follower of Jesus…by that, I mean you believe God created mankind, and mankind rebelled against God and chose to sin. The punishment for sin was eternal death, but Jesus became a human being and paid the price for our sins on the cross.  You believe that Jesus died, was buried, rose from the dead, and one day He will return.  And because you thought that, you surrendered your life to God and said, “I commit to following you. Thank you for dying on the cross for me. I surrender my life to you.”

When you had that moment, you became a follower of Jesus. And when you became a follower of Jesus, you were given the honor and privilege to “bear” the name of Jesus.

James 2:7 (NLT2) 

7  Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?

1 Peter 4:16a (NLT2)

…Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT2) 

14  Then if my people who are called by my name…

Isaiah 43:7 (ESV) 

7  Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” 

So, since you bear God’s name, you can misuse God’s name through your actions. For example, if a football player commits a crime while wearing their jersey, a good coach will chew them out because that action represents the team.  

If I wear a Beach Church hoodie into the grocery store and complain and chew out the cashier for scanning my items too slowly, I have provided a poor example of what the people of Beach Church are like.  

But, if I wear my Beach Church hoodie and get involved in serving our community in some capacity, I have provided a positive example to the community. BEARING the NAME of JESUS is similar.  If I live in such a way that makes the Life-change I experienced in Jesus appear worthless – I have misused God’s name.  

You might argue, “Joe, go easy on yourself; the people around you do not know that you bear the name of Jesus…”

My response is, “If the people I interact with regularly do not know I bear the name of Jesus, I am misusing the name of God with my life. I claim to be a follower of Jesus; I bear his name, and I misuse the name I bear through my actions.

But I thank God for the Grace of second chances, don’t you?  

Now, I do not think that followers of Jesus rub their hands together and are intentional about misusing the name of the Lord – but it happens.  We misuse the name of God through our speech and actions…

I think we misuse God’s name because we forget that…

THERE IS POWER IN THE NAME OF GOD

The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years.  Generations of Israelite children grew up and died as slaves.  God sent Moses to lead the people out of slavery, and when Moses asked God what he was supposed to say to get the people to follow him, He told Moses to tell the Israelites:

Exodus 3:14 (NLT2) 

14  God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.” 

The very POWER of His name would cause the Israelites to turn away from captivity and be willing to follow Moses out of Egypt. Years later, the Israelites were fighting a battle against the Philistines.  David was just a shepherd boy bringing his older brothers lunch on the front lines.  When he arrived, he saw the Israelites quaking in their armor, refusing to fight the Philistines because they had a giant of a man named Goliath, whom everybody was terrified of.  David, the boy, not a man.  David, the shepherd, not the warrior, said, “I will fight him!” 

The Israelite army put armor on David, but it was too heavy, so he shook it off.  He took five stones and a sling.  As he marched out to meet Goliath – Goliath laughed and said, “What am I? A dog that you would come out to fight me with some rocks?  David said: 

1 Samuel 17:45 (NLT2) 

45  David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 

There is a GREAT POWER associated with HIS name.  We misuse the name of the Lord through our speech and actions when we fail to recognize the POWER of his name.

In the Lord’s name:

Marriages have been restored.

Drunks are brought to sobriety.

Addicts are made clean.

In the name of the Lord, lives are changed.  

Not in the name of Beach Church.  

Not in the name of Pastor Joe. 

Lives are changed through the name of the Lord.

So, how do followers of Jesus use God’s name correctly? 

Colossians 3:17 (ESV) 

17  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

We use God’s name correctly when we do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. From the check-out lane to driving through traffic, you live in the name of Jesus. From the time you wake up in the morning till you go to bed at night, you live in the name of Jesus. From Cheer practice and homework to getting dinner on the table or eating fast food one more time, you do it all in the name of Jesus.

Every word spoken to your wife, your husband, your children, or your dog, you do it all in the name of Jesus.

The Bible gives us many names for Jesus; since you are living for him, you may as well get to know them.

The Light of the World
(John 8:12)

The Bread of Life
(John 6:35)

The Living Water
(John 4:10)

The Way, the Truth, and the Life
(John 14:6)

The Good Shepherd
(John 10:11)

The Lamb of God
(John 1:29)

The Prince of Peace
(Isaiah 9:6)

The Mighty God
(Isaiah 9:6)

The King of Kings
(Revelation 19:16)

The Lord of Lords
(Revelation 19:16)

The Alpha and Omega
(Revelation 22:13)

The First and the Last
(Revelation 1:17)

The Beginning and End
(Revelation 22:13)

The Author of Life
(Acts 3:15)

The Living Stone
(1 Peter 2:4)

The Holy One of God
(Mark 1:24)

The Bright Morning Star
(Revelation 22:16)

The Lion of Judah
(Revelation 5:5)

The Son of God
(John 1:34)

The Son of Man
(Matthew 8:20)

The Messiah
(John 4:25-26)

The Christ
(Matthew 16:16)

The Redeemer
(Job 19:25)

The Savior
(Luke 2:11)

The King of the Ages
(Revelation 15:3)

The Great King
(Psalm 48:2)

The King over the whole Earth
(Zechariah 14:9)

The Lord of Glory
(1 Corinthians 2:8)

The Healer
(Luke 9:6)

The Resurrection and the Life
(John 11:25)

The Fountain of Living Waters
(Jeremiah 17:13)

A Friend of Sinners
(Matthew 11:19)

Your Deliverer
(Romans 11:26)

The Image of God
(Colossians 1:15)

The Author and Perfecter of Our Faith
(Hebrews 12:2)

The Rock
(1 Corinthians 10:4)

The Commander of the Lord’s Army
(Joshua 5:14-15)

HIS NAME IS JESUS.

And as followers of Jesus, we represent him…So let’s represent HIM well.

Guardrails - Do Not Have Idols

1. No Other Gods.

2. Do Not Have Idols

3. Do not misuse God’s name.

4. Rest on the Sabbath.

5. Honor your Father and Mother.

6. Do not Murder.

7. Do not Commit Adultery.

8. Do Not Steal.

9. Do Not Lie.

10. Do Not Covet.

Today, we look at the second commandment, “Do not have Idols.”

Let’s read:

Exodus 20:4-6 (NLT2) 

4  “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5  You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6  But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

Let’s be honest; this passage has some complicated concepts to comprehend.  If you are like me, you might have three initial questions about this passage:

1. What is idolatry?

2. Why is God jealous?

3. Why does God punish the children?

My daughters all have loved playing with Legos, but Violet really enjoys it…She loves finding the pieces and building to completion. Here is a Lego figure I asked her to build for me. What if we all stopped as a worship service and said, “From now on, this little Lego represents God.”  In the future, whenever little Lego man is present, we all must stop, kneel, and worship God.

I know it seems rather funny to us today…but the Ancients did just that: they created images out of wood, rock, and gold and worshipped deities represented by images. Idolatry is not the worship of a false God. Idolatry is “creating an image that represents God.”

God already addressed “no other God’s before me.” And now, with the second command, he demands that we create NOTHING to represent him. 

So, what is idolatry?  Idolatry is “creating anything to represent God.”

GOD WANTS RELATIONSHIP NOT REPRESENTATION

God desires to be personally known by you; he does not want to be represented by anything.  God knows the life-change people can encounter when they KNOW Him.

Nothing in all of creation can give an accurate depiction of God. If we try to create anything physical to represent God, we will always fall short of being able to produce an accurate representation of Him. God is not limited to creation; he exists outside of creation, which means even all creation will fall short of accurately depicting God.  

All creation points to God. All History begins with God and flows from God. We see glimpses of God’s beauty in the depths of the Oceans and the marvels of the galaxies – but there is nothing in all creation that can accurately depict God.

Jesus described God in John 4 and he said:

John 4:24 (NLT2)

24  For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” 

GOD IS SPIRIT…he exists outside of creation. He is not physical; we see from the second commandment that he does not want to be represented by anything physical.

Now, here is where some may get uncomfortable:

If a decoration represents God to you, it is an idol.

If a statue represents God to you, it is an idol.

If a cross represents God to you, it is an idol.

If a statue or a church building represents GOD, it is an idol.

You would be surprised at the number of people in churches unwilling to CHANGE the walls, the paint, the baptistry, the cross, the parking lots, and Sunday school classes – they don’t want to change those things because to them – they represent a time when GOD moved in their lives… 

If the cross in your pocket is a “good luck” charm and has power, it’s an idol.

If you wear “lucky underwear” whenever you preach, it’s an idol.

That’s because idols can distract us from knowing God how He desires us to know Him.  We see in verse 5 that…

GOD DEMANDS OUR UNDIVIDED AFFECTION

Exodus 20:5a (NLT2) 

5  You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods… 

The second question I think we should answer is this, “Why is God jealous?”

If you have ever had a relationship with somebody who was JEALOUS – you understand that GOD describing HIMSELF as a JEALOUS God is confusing.  

In middle school and high school, I remember jealous guys grabbing girls' wrists, pulling on them, and yelling at their girlfriends if they talked to another boy…crazy…immature…and a far cry from understanding what REAL love is.  

If God is always good, loving, generous, and slow to anger, why would he describe Himself as jealous?

We addressed this last week, but the concept is so powerful and freeing that we need to talk about it again:

God insists on the loyalty of us as followers of Jesus.  Not because he is insecure. Not because He is mean. Not because he is like a possessive ex-boyfriend. God said, “I am the Lord your God…You must not have any other god but me…” because God knows he is the best there ever was and will be. As CREATOR and SUSTAINER of the UNIVERSE, God knew nothing in all creation could be compared with His greatness. 

God knows:

He is the source of life.

There is none like Him in all the galaxies.

He protects us and guides us.

Even when we rebelled against him, he never abandoned us.

God’s character and attributes demand that he be a jealous god for your sake.  And as he is devoted to himself, he is devoted to his creation.  If he did not insist on his creation's devotion, he would be guilty of Idolatry.

That’s why,

IDOLATRY IS CHEATING ON GOD 

The jealousy you may feel if your spouse is unfaithful is how God feels about you. He loves you and desires the same devotion you want from your spouse. So, direct your affection to God. Seek to love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. So far, we have answered the questions, “What is idolatry?” and “Why is God Jealous.” So, as we wrap up, let’s answer the question, “Why does God punish the children.”

Exodus 20:5b (NLT2) 

“I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.”

I agree with you that this doesn’t seem fair. Why does God punish children for having stupid parents?

Understand, God isn’t actively doing anything to punish kids.  But, the consequences of sin are real, and the habits of sin of the parents can be handed down to their children…who will also experience the consequences of sin.

FAMILY CURSES ARE REAL, SO BREAK THEM!

Parents can create an environment or set patterns affecting their children and grandchildren. Children learn behaviors and attitudes from their parents. If parents engage in harmful or sinful behavior, their children will likely do them too.

Social research confirms that a Parent’s destructive habits and traits are often passed down to their children:

• Children with alcoholic parents are four times more likely to develop alcoholism themselves.

• Children who are physically or sexually abused have a high likelihood of abusing others.

• Children who have a parent with a drug or alcohol addiction are eight times more likely to develop an addiction themselves. 

• If a parent commits suicide, their child is three times more likely to take their own life.

Family curses are real.

Parents and grandparents, our idols, will impact our children and grandchildren. So, parents, confess your idols to God and your children and repent. Break that cycle. Break that curse. God wants to change your life and break the generational curses.

The good news is that God does break those patterns.

God has used and is using me to BREAK the CHAINS of the cycle of ABUSE in my family.  My dad was an alcoholic; he was abusive…his dad abused him; he abused me…But when I was 18, God broke that cycle of abuse when I became a new creation and committed my life to following Jesus.  

Now, I have a godly wife and children that we are raising to love the Lord. “Donahue” children who never experienced abuse from their parents have been rare in our family history. But thanks be to our God, who breaks patterns of sin and blesses obedience!

You are not trapped by your past.  You do not have to live being identified by your past because Jesus makes everything new.

So, what idols do you need to tear down?

What destructive behaviors do you need to confess and repent of?

What steps of healing do you need to take?

Let me invite you to check out Celebrate Recovery every Friday night in Adventure Beach at 6:00 PM.  If you have a Hurt, Habit, or Hang that you are ready to walk away from, you will find support and encouragement in CR.  

Guardrails - no other gods

Over Christmas Break, Kristy and I loaded up the girls, some Christmas gifts, and our two 85LB Goldendoodles into the minivan and headed to Cleveland, Georgia, to spend the week with family. A couple of hours into the trip, the van began driving funny.  Whenever I would accelerate, the car would pull sharply to the left, then straighten out.  I pulled over and checked the tires. One was a little low, so I aired it up, got back on the interstate, and the problem continued. Then, it began to rain. I was already stressed about the vehicle, and my drive got worse with the hazard of rain and slippery roads.

I slowed to about 55MPH and noticed the car did not pull as severely – so we finished the drive to their house. I drove the van to a car repair shop in Cleveland, GA, the following day.  They put it up on the lift, inspected it, and then brought me in to show me that the front left and right Lower Control Arm assemblies had gone bad and needed to be replaced.  He also told me it would probably make the drive home just fine and to have an alignment when it was finished.

I told him we were in town for a week and asked if he could get it in the shop to do the work. He said he could not, but again, I should be okay with driving it home. I ordered the parts from Amazon, had them delivered to our family's home in Georgia, and replaced them myself. I took it back to the shop before I left. He inspected the work, did the alignment, and the van ran great all the way home.

Sometimes, our lives need some repair and alignment. During our sermon series called Guardrails, you and I will be encouraged to repair some of the damage that poor choices have made in our lives and help us get back on the road of following Jesus. During this series, you will discover ways to keep your lives from crashing by Loving God and keeping the 10 Commandments. 

Remember, as I spoke about in the introduction, we do not get to Heaven by keeping the 10 Commandments; we only get to Heaven by confessing to God. We failed at keeping the 10 Commandments and receiving forgiveness for our sins by surrendering our lives to Jesus. 

Many of you probably already have the Ten memorized, but during the next ten weeks, I want to invite you to memorize these 10 Commandments.

1. No Other God’s.

2. Do Not Have Idols

3. Do not misuse God’s name.

4. Rest on the Sabbath.

5. Honor your Father and Mother.

6. Do not Murder.

7. Do not Commit Adultery.

8. Do Not Steal.

9. Do Not Lie.

10. Do Not Covet.

Now, let’s read from Exodus 20, when God gave the commandments to the Israelites.

Exodus 20:1-17 (NLT2) 

1  Then God gave the people all these instructions: 2  “I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. 3  “You must not have any other god but me. 4  “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5  You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6  But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. 7  “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. 8  “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9  You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10  but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11  For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. 12  “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 13  “You must not murder. 14  “You must not commit adultery. 15  “You must not steal. 16  “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. 17  “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.” 

Many struggle through life trying to figure out God’s will for them. Some think that God’s will is a profound dark mystery…like a season of Fargo. 😊You think you know what is happening, but you are wrong.

You may ask questions like:

Who am I supposed to marry?

What am I supposed to do for an occupation?

How can I make the right decisions?

How can I discover God’s plans for my life?

Here is the secret: God’s will for our lives is for us to OBEY him. 

If you are a follower of Jesus, meaning you have had a moment you believed that Jesus paid the price for your disobedience on the cross, that he rose from the dead, that one day he will return, and because of your belief, you surrendered your life to Jesus and received Him as your Savior and Lord…then, you committed to OBEDIENCE. You surrendered your will to God and said, “Life is not about me anymore; my life is about you. You are the Boss of me for the rest of my life.”, you most likely have come to realize that…

THE PURPOSE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

• BLESS AND PROTECT YOU

As his chosen people, God wanted the Israelites, his Chosen people, to be blessed. So, he used Moses to rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and then gave them these rules to live by.  The 10 Commandments are moral commands that reflect who God is and His Character. And when we keep these commands, we radiate and reflect God’s Character. A wonderful thing occurs as we seek to keep his commands and become more like God; God blesses and protects us!

Deuteronomy 28:1-2 (NLT2) 

1  “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. 2  You will experience all these blessings if you obey the LORD your God:

God will keep his word, and as we seek to submit our lives to His will, He promises Blessing and protection. And, these 10 Commandments will also…

KEEP YOUR LIFE FROM CRASHING (Joshua 1:7-8)

Joshua 1:8 (NLT2) 

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

If you want to keep your marriage from crashing, seek to reflect God’s character to your spouse.  If you're going to prevent your family from crashing, seek God’s will, and He will guide you. There is always the diagnosis of the unknown. We live in a world impacted by sin.  We will still get sick. We will still be betrayed. We will still be hurt…But in the pain, followers of Jesus have HOPE because we understand that no matter what fire we walk through, we have a God walking through the fire with us who will keep our lives from crashing as we obey Him.

The more complex and dangerous the road of life becomes, the more we need God’s commands to be our Guardrails to keep us from spiraling out of control and wrecking our lives. Each of us has self-destructive urges and impulses in us.  Sometimes, we want to deviate from God’s path and drive through the guardrails, off the road, and crash our lives. God gave us guardrails to keep us from crashing. But some people think God gave us these Guardrails to keep us from having fun! 

They think that God is wagging his finger and is all about telling us, “No, No,” Don’t do this, Don’t do that.

Your kids may say you never let them have any fun, but as parents, you understand one of your roles is to bless and protect your kids, so you give them Guardrails. And, since God has given the Ten Commandments as Guardrails:

LEARN AND OBEY THEM

And you know what’s interesting? If you are a follower of Jesus, God has placed His Spirit inside you, and the Spirit leads you to obedience. Let’s look at the first command.  “No Other God’s”

FIRST COMMAND: GOD IS WORTHY OF ABSOLUTE LOYALTY

God commands the loyalty of us as followers of Jesus.  The reason why God said, “I am the Lord your God…You must not have any other god but me…” is because, as CREATOR and SUSTAINER of the UNIVERSE, God knew nothing in all creation could be compared with His greatness. He knew He was the best there was. 

If God permitted anything else to take His place in our lives, it would be a concession that something else is more significant and worthy of loyalty than He is. This would contradict His very nature as the one, living, all-powerful God. In fact, If God had not demanded absolute loyalty, God would be guilty of IDOLATRY. If God did not demand absolute loyalty, He could be guilty of saying there was something else out there greater than Him.

God is worthy of absolute loyalty because…

He is the Source of Life:

Genesis 1:1 (NLT2)

1  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

Colossians 1:17 (NLT2) 

17  He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. 

God is worthy of absolute loyalty because…

There is None Like Him in all the Galaxies:

Isaiah 44:6 (NLT2) 

6  This is what the LORD says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies: “I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. 

God is worthy of absolute loyalty because…

He Protects us and Guides us:

Proverbs 2:8 (NLT2) 

8  He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. 

Psalm 32:8 (NLT2) 

8  The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. 

God is worthy of absolute loyalty because…

Even when we rebelled against him – he never abandoned us:

John 3:16 (NLT2) 

16  “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 

God has nothing but his character to be devoted to, because He alone is enough. His words spark worlds, and his love changes lives.

Guardrails - Introduction to The Ten Commandments

The first of the year has come and gone. New Year's resolutions have been made. Maybe this is the year you have resolved to lose weight, eat better, exercise more, or take better care of yourself. Did you make a New Year's Resolution?

Today, we transition into our new Sermon Series, Guardrails, based on the 10 Commandments.  As we transition from our year-long sermon series called “Meeting Jesus” to the Old Testament, I think it is essential that we examine what Jesus said about the Old Testament. As followers of Jesus, should we obey the commands found in the Old Testament?  If the Old Testament contains commands for those who do wrong to be killed, how do we balance that with the teachings of Jesus?

Our main passage of scripture is found in Matthew 5:17-20. 

Matthew 5:17-20 (NLT2)

17  “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18  I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19  So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20  “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven! 

In this passage, Jesus seems to reinforce the idea that all his followers should obey everything in the Old Testament. 

Now, as we launch into our series on the 10 Commandments, look carefully at what Jesus said about the Old Testament: 

• I’m not here to do away with the law…

• Not the smallest part of the Old Testament will pass away until it is accomplished…

• Those who relax these laws are the least…

• Those who teach and do them are great…

Jesus’ teaching should lead us to ask the question…

Are followers of Jesus to obey the Old Testament and the New Testament?  

Be careful if your answer is yes. There are more commands in the Old Testament than what we know as the 10 Commandments. The Old Testament has 613 commands…

If we are to not to relax them, but to do them, it raises some questions about how to Apply God’s Word to our lives.

For instance:

Exodus 21:7 (NLT2)

7  “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are.

Exodus 35:2 (NLT2)

2   Anyone who works on (the Sabbath) must be put to death.

Deuteronomy 21:20-21 (NLT2)

20  The parents must say to the elders, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious and refuses to obey. He is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21  Then all the men of his town must stone him to death. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you, and all Israel will hear about it and be afraid.

Leviticus 11:7-8 (ESV)

7  And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. 8  You shall not eat any

Do followers of Jesus pick and choose what parts of the Bible to obey?  

In this passage, Jesus taught EVERYTHING about the Old Testament was true and should be followed thoroughly.  

In light of Jesus ’ words about “those who relax these laws and teach others to do the same…” we must understand the Old Testament better. 

COMMANDMENTS ARE CATEGORIZED AS CIVIL, CEREMONIAL, & MORAL.

Civil:

These laws determined how the Israelite Nation should be run. These were National laws.  Citizens of Israel were expected to follow them, and if they broke the law, they were punished.

Does Jesus expect those of us who live outside the nation of Israel to obey these laws? The answer is no.

You are not Jewish.  You are not an Israelite.  You are expected to obey the Laws of the good old USA.  

Ceremonial:

These are the laws about washing your hands, purifying your body, and getting right with God through sacrifices.  These laws were given to the Nation of Israel, the people of Israel, to present themselves as “holy” to God.  They showed the world that they belonged to God and had been set apart from the rest of the world as his chosen people.

Does God expect you and me to follow these laws?  No.  

Why? Again, I am not an Israelite….and the WAY to get right with God is through JESUS.  I can’t scrub my hands enough to remove the stain of my sin…If we fell back into ceremonial law, we would be saying the sacrifice of Jesus was insufficient.  “He got us clean…but can’t keep us clean…”

Moral:

These are the laws that are rooted in God’s holiness.  These are commands God established to protect us and to bless us.  These laws speak to justice, respect, and sexual conduct.  Does Jesus expect us to follow these moral commands?

The answer is yes.  

It is still wrong to murder.

It is still wrong to lie. 

It is still wrong to commit adultery. 

The moral commands were about relationships.  If kept, we have perfection between ourselves, God, and others.  But our relationships with others are not perfect.  We lie. We betray. We try to hurt others.  And, left up to ourselves, our relationship with God stinks too. 

So, can we keep all the commands perfectly? No.  I am grateful for Jesus because…

JESUS FINISHED KEEPING ALL THE COMMANDS BECAUSE WE COULD NOT.

He obeyed all the commands not to prove it could be done but so that you and I could be set free from the law.  

When Jesus cried out “It is finished.”

As he was dying on the cross, he was referring to the fact that Old Testament LAW, which only highlighted our sinfulness, had been erased.

Colossians 2:14 (NLT2)

14  He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

Ephesians 2:14a-15a (NLT2)

14  For Christ himself has brought peace to us. .. 15  He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. 

IT IS FINISHED means that you and I are not obligated to fulfill the law at all. Jesus ENDED that old system.  HE ended the old covenant.  If you are trying to earn God’s forgiveness by keeping obedience to the old promises…you are guilty of believing the death of Jesus was insufficient.

If you are a legalist…

If you are a rule follower…

If you live in fear that you must seek to be perfect in all you do… 

If you harp on others and tell them the Bible says you can’t get a tattoo or eat and drink certain foods…

I want you to hear this very simply…you are guilty of obeying the law that Jesus ended…so…repent and

STOP OBEYING THE LAW!

In light of what Jesus said about the LAW (That anybody who relaxes the LAW in any way would be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven…), it sounds like I am teaching the exact opposite of what Jesus said!  It is like I have a death wish.  Am I really about to teach the opposite of what Jesus taught?

Well, Paul said,

Galatians 3:25 (NLT2)

25  And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. 

The LAW was necessary to point out that it was impossible for you and I to achieve HOLINESS on our own.  Now that faith in Jesus has come, the law is no longer needed for those who have placed their faith in Jesus and become Christ's followers.  

Now, as followers of Jesus, we no longer need the law.  In fact, Paul writes that we have been released from it.

Romans 7:6 (NLT2) 

6  But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now, we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. 

So, as followers of Jesus, we no longer have to obey the letter of the law because something better has come along.  If you have become a follower of Jesus, you are not supposed to obey the Old Testament law; we are to live IN the spirit.  

What does it mean to live in the Spirit?

How do we know we are living in the spirit?

We need to… 

START OBEYING JESUS!

John 14:21 (NLT2)

21  Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” 

If you have given your life to Jesus, you have been freed from the OT LAW, but you are not set free to live life as you please. 

If you have committed your life to him, you have committed to his teachings, commands, and ways.  Jesus said those who obey his commands are the ones who really love him…and God will love them because they love Jesus.  That is what we mean when we say “Follower of Jesus.”

The New Testament has 1050 commands. There is one command in the New Testament that sums up all 613 OT commands and all 1050 commands in the New Testament.  

Romans 13:10 (NLT2)

10  Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. 

That’s why Jesus said:

Matthew 22:37-39 (NLT2)

“‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38  This is the first and greatest commandment. 39  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

So instead of judging people for working on the Sabbath, drinking too much, getting tattoos, or trimming their hair off their temples, Jesus wants you to love them. At Beach Church, our mission is to lead people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus, and we invite others to follow Jesus through loving them as we love ourselves.

So,

• Offer to help with dishes.

• Invite neighbors over for dinner or coffee to build community and friendship.

• Organize a meal train for those who have lost a loved one or had a baby.

• Resist the urge to cut off the driver that cut you off. 

• For crying out loud, let other drivers merge. 😊

• Return your shopping cart (even the one with the bad wheels) to the cart return.

• Occasionally pay for the person behind you in line, especially if they seem to be struggling.

• Thank grocery store employees for their hard work.

• Regularly pray for others.

In 2024, let’s obey the teachings of Jesus. Love God with all our hearts and love our neighbor as ourselves.

Meeting Jesus - Simeon’s faith

As we bid farewell to 2023 and step into a new year, it's natural to reflect on the past and anticipate the future. Regardless of the highs and lows each of us experienced, there's a common thread that ties our journeys together—the hope for a better tomorrow. Today, we delve into the life of Simeon, drawing inspiration from his righteous and devout character, as recounted in Luke 2:25-35:

At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

Luke 2:25-35

Simeon's Righteousness and Devotion:

Simeon's life is marked by his righteousness and devotion. He diligently studied God's Word, believed in its promises, and as a result, cultivated a profound hope for the future. In considering Simeon's example, we are reminded that our hope, too, should be firmly anchored in the Word of God.

Our hope should be built on the Word of God

It's not uncommon to feel a lack of hope—perhaps in failing marriages, dwindling finances, or declining health. It's crucial to understand that you are not alone in your struggles. Sharing a personal journey of transition from a previous church to the current one, we understand the challenges of seeking answers from God. Sometimes, the answers come in the form of a 'Yes,' 'No,' or 'Wait.'

When we wait on God, we see His plan for our lives

The Power of Waiting:

Reflecting on personal experiences, including health challenges like kidney stones and a heart attack, waiting on God revealed His transformative plan. Like Simeon, we can live and believe in the waiting. Even when life seems overwhelmingly loud, God speaks in the stillness, guiding us with a still small voice. When I sat in the hospital bed. I looked back and marveled at What God did in the waiting. Just like Simeon.

In challenging times, it's easy to feel abandoned by God. Sharing a personal struggle with silence in prayers after losing a brother in a car accident, Romans 8:28 becomes an anchor. Believing God's promises, even in the face of tragedy, has the power to change us.

Believing and waiting on God's promises increases our faith today

Faith in Action:

What is faith? Through a face-down illustration, we explore the concept of faith as an unwavering trust in God, especially when hope seems to fade. It's an invitation to declare our trust in the Lord, affirming our belief in His promises and seeking strength to persevere.

We can have hope for the future when we trust Jesus

The Journey of Trust:

Whether facing challenges in marriage, finances, health, or struggling with trust and belief, the invitation is to be obedient and trust God.

Maybe you are here today and your faith is fading, your hope is diminishing, and you find it difficult to believe.

Who among us today will say Lord my hope is in you and you alone?

Who will say today that I do believe you and your word?

Who will day today, Lord strengthen my faith?

You may not know what is around the corner, You may not know what 2024 will hold You may ask God to change your Circumstances while God is trying to change your heart about your Circumstances.

Meeting Jesus - Mary: The Type of Person God uses

Several years ago, my family was driving across the country, and we stopped at a Chilis to eat dinner.  Inside the restaurant, Sofie and I turned a corner, and there was Santa. From his head to his toe, red suit, hat, belt.  Sofie stood directly in front of me – the biggest smile on her face you could imagine.  Santa smiled, too – then it got creepy. He kept smiling at her – but he never said a word to her.  Sofie said, “Hi, Santa.”  He said nothing – just stood there.  Finally, Sofia looked at me and said, “I have to go to the bathroom.” When Santa shows up unexpectedly, he can be a scary thing to some children.  Some kids just don’t want to sit on Santa’s lap.

How many of you have photos taken like this? I think Santa Claus is overwhelming to some children. Think about it:

He knows when you’ve been sleeping. He knows if you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so … {you can finish it from there}

No wonder some children are afraid of Santa and don’t want to get near him.  He is OVERWHELMING! They like the thought of Santa from a distance…. but too close, and he is too much.

I think like Santa is to children, for many adults, the thought of God is overwhelming. The EVERLASTING, OMNIPOTENT, OMNIPRESENT, and OMNISCIENT God is an overwhelming thought for many people.  God is all-powerful, everywhere, and all-knowing…that is a lot to take in. It gets even heavier when THIS everlasting GOD wants to use you and me to do His work on this earth.

In today’s passage, Mary – the Mother of Jesus, learns from an angel that God wants to use her to be the mother to Jesus. As we look at this passage – I am going to highlight three characteristics of Mary – and I believe these are some of the maturing characteristics that God looks for in followers of Jesus.

Luke 1:26-38 (NLT2) 

26  In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27  to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28  Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29  Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30  “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32  He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34  Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35  The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36  What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. 37  For nothing is impossible with God.” 38  Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. 

Bible scholars tell us that Mary was roughly between 13-15 years old.  She was barely a teenager!  Two of my daughters, Violet and Naomi, fall into that age range! Yet, even at this young age, Mary had characteristics of the type of person that God uses. Like you, I am still in the process of becoming the person God has called me to be.  In many ways, I am NOT the DAD I imagined I would be. In many ways, I am not the HUSBAND I imagined I would be….but God is not finished with me yet. God is not finished with you, either. 

If, like me, you want to become the type of person that God uses to bless others and impact this world, then let’s try to understand why God chose to use Mary.

First, understand that…

GOD WORKS THROUGH PEOPLE OF FAITH

God chose to use Mary, a teenage girl, to raise Jesus. Because this would be a teen pregnancy, she would be viewed as a disgrace to her family, friends, and community. In fact, according to the Old Testament Law, her fiancé would be able to drag Mary to the door of her father’s house and stone her for having sex with another man before she was married to him.

So, she was a kid. She would be viewed as a disgrace… So why did God choose Mary? I believe God knew that Mary’s faith in Him was deep enough to carry her through the shame, disgrace, rumors, and gossip she would face as she carried Jesus to term and then raised him. 

Her faith would carry her through the public shame. 

Her faith would carry her through the difficult conversation with Joseph. 

Her faith in God would carry her through the conversations with her parents.

That is what FAITH does. 

Faith carries us through HARD and DIFFICULT seasons.  Faith is our DEPENDENCY upon GOD to carry us through hard, confusing, and sometimes embarrassing seasons of our lives.

The author of Hebrews describes faith this way. He writes in Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT2)

1  Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. 

And in Hebrews 11:6 we that…

Hebrews 11:6 (NLT2) 

6   it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. 

So, let me ask you a question:

Do you have FAITH in God?

Faith in God begins by surrendering your life to Jesus. Do you confidently believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins on the cross? Do you confidently believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Do you confidently believe that your sins have been forgiven?  Do you confidently believe that one day, Jesus is going to return? If your answers to those questions are YES – then you have faith in God.

But if your answers are mixed – you can ask God to increase your faith. Say to God, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. Help me to believe more.” Also, remember this. Our faith grows when we spend time with God, reading his word, and praying even when we don’t feel like it. I’ve been feeling pretty empty lately in my relationship with God – and I’m being challenged to keep doing things that I know will keep me connected to God to read His word. To get out of bed and pray. To keep serving him daily. 

How about you?  

Is your faith in God growing? If not, ask him to help you. So, God works through people who have faith in Him, and secondly we see that:

GOD WORKS THROUGH PEOPLE WHO TRUST HIM

Mary is told she will become pregnant, and the first thing she does is ask a question.

In verse 34, Mary asks, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 

Trusting God does not mean you cannot ask God questions! Mary said, “How is this going to work, because I am a virgin.”  Mary had a legitimate question! Look at the contrast between teen Mary’s response and an old Preist when an Angel of the Lord told him that his wife Elizabeth would have a child. In verses 5-17, Zechariah was an old priest, married to his old wife, and they never had children. An angel of the Lord told him he was going to have a son who God would use for great things. But instead of trusting that God could do what he promised…

Luke 1:18-20 (NLT2) 

18  Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” 19  Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20  But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” 

In this chapter, we have two angelic visits to two different people. One is an old priest, supposedly mature in his faith and active in serving God. The other is a simple teenage girl. 

The priest’s reaction, “How can I be sure this will happen? Shows us he doubted God and asked for a sign for proof. But Mary asked for clarification: “How will this be?” Not – “Give me a sign so I can believe.” 

Mary TRUSTED and asked HOW?  

Zechariah doubted and said, “I need a sign because my wife and I are way too old!”

If God’s WORD prompts you to do something, or if the Holy Spirit directs you to do something as a representative of God, I want to encourage you to follow that prompting quickly and not doubt God. 

So, God chooses to work through people with FAITH, people who TRUST him, and finally:

GOD WORKS THROUGH PEOPLE WHO HAVE A SERVANTS HEART

Look at what Mary said to the angel in verse 38. “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be to me as you have said.” Mary could have had all sorts of responses when she was told of God’s plan for her to be the mother of Jesus. Mary could have said, please find somebody else, this will ruin my life, but she didn’t. Instead of convincing God to change His mind or tell God she was unhappy with His plan, she accepted the plan and submitted to God’s leadership. “I am the Lord’s servant.”

And that is because servants do what they are asked to do. 

It might be inconvenient. 

It may be painful. 

It may be the opposite of what they want, but a servant does it anyway.

And, because Mary had the heart of a servant, her life was changed forever.

Are you a servant of the Lord? 

Or are you still in charge of your life?

Do your plans, dreams, finances, and time belong to you or God?  

When you surrender your life to God and invite Him to be your Lord, you invite him to be your boss for the rest of your life.  So, do you still consider Him the boss of your life?  

If your plans, dreams, finances, and time still belong to the Lord, you prove it by what you do. There are many opportunities for you to SERVE inside of Beach Church and outside the walls of Beach Church.  Go to the connect tab on the Beach Church app, click “volunteer at Beach Church, and let us know the areas you are interested in serving. I often wonder if God has something he specifically wants done here in Myrtle Beach, but he found somebody else to do it because I was too busy… too tired…or lacked the genuine faith to believe. God is still searching for people like Mary today.

2 Chronicles 16:9a (NLT2) 

9  The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

God uses people to do his work. But he uses people who have faith in him, trust Him, and have servants’ hearts. God will do so much in our world when he finds people like that. It is my prayer we would all become a person like that.

Meeting Jesus - the widow’s offering

Pastor Marty shared a story with us recently and I thought it was worth passing along. Marty's uncle attended this church, and one Sunday the pastor announced that a fellow member was in the hospital, and they needed a special offering for medical expenses. The congregation passed the collection basket around once, twice, and even a third time. It seemed like the pastor was not satisfied with the amount collected until that third round.

Now, I'm sure some of you, upon hearing today's message about the witness offering, might have thought, "Here comes another money talk." I won't ask for a show of hands if that crossed your minds; we're all good here.

But let me assure you, that's not my message today. Pastor Joe gets the money talk next week – just kidding. Let's dive into the Word. Turn with me to Luke 21, verses 1-4. Jesus is in the temple, observing people dropping gifts in the collection box. The rich toss in large sums, but then a poor widow enters and puts in two small coins.

Luke 21:1-4

While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. 2 Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. 3 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. 4 For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”

Jesus says, "This poor widow has given more than all of them, for they have given a tiny part of their surplus. But she, poor as she is, has given everything she has."

Now, let me share a bit of history. In the '80s, there was this guy, Lee Iacocca, an automotive executive. He helped Ford with the Mustang and the Pinto and revived Chrysler. During a Statue of Liberty fundraising effort, he received unusual gifts, including a $10,000 check from an 80-year-old woman requesting his book for free. Another woman sent $1,000, got a thank-you note, sent another $50,000, and later sent three checks totaling $201,000. Iacocca joked, "There's no telling where we'd be if we just sent her flowers."

But the most touching gift was from 78 homeless Vietnamese refugees. They pooled $114.19, everything they had, to contribute to the Statue of Liberty refurbishment.

Their gift was a lot like the widow's in today's scripture. You see, Jesus singled out the poor widow, recognizing her sacrificial giving. Her two small coins were worth about $0.75 each by today's standards. She gave all she had to live on, showing an extraordinary level of faith, trust, and love for God. Most of us may never reach that level, but we can learn valuable lessons from her. First, the Lord observes our giving. Jesus watched as the rich gave, but He saw the widow and her gift. He sees every giver and every gift.

The giving experience in Jesus' time was different – no offering plates, just collection boxes with trumpet-like tops. People made noise to draw attention to their generosity. But the widow, with her faint clink, went unnoticed, except by the Lord. Remember, Jesus observes our giving – the amount, the motive, everything. Don't seek recognition; give out of love.

Next, generosity desires confidentiality, not credit. Give without seeking acknowledgment. Jesus evaluates our giving based on what's left after we give. The widow gave everything, while the rich gave from their surplus. God evaluates our generosity by the leftovers.

Think about it – David refused to offer burnt offerings that cost him nothing. Generosity isn't just about the amount; it's about the cost to the giver. Motive matters; God knows our hearts.

Finally, Jesus evaluates and commends sacrificial giving. The widow's gift wasn't necessary for the temple budget, but her generosity moved Jesus. She gave until it hurt, giving God the leftovers. We should all feel a pinch when we give, not just offering sacrifices that cost us nothing.

Remember, Jesus gave it all for us. His sacrificial love sets the standard. We're called to be generous, not just with our money but with our hearts. God isn't after our money; He's after our hearts. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

So, as we talk about giving, let's reflect on the widow's example. She gave everything, voluntarily, out of love for God. Let's be inspired by her generosity as we consider our own giving. Remember, God loves a cheerful giver.

Meeting Jesus - Pretendinitus

When I was a Student Pastor at an inner city church in Louisville, KY, Kristy and I had been married for about three years. We had a friend we had known for over ten years who was also a student pastor in a nearby state. He was dating a young woman from the church he was serving, and over the years, we would speak at each other’s church, and occasionally combined our youth groups for retreats.

It was during a combined winter retreat in 2002 that I learned my friend was not an honest person. At separate moments, two of his 18-year-old female students went to my wife for prayer and counseling at separate times. During that time, they shared that they had had a secret intimate and physical relationship with my friend. They kept the relationship hidden from the church, and hidden from his girlfriend.

When Kristy shared this with me, I was shocked. I confronted my friend with the truth. He admitted it was true. I was devastated. After more conversations that weekend, I learned the web of deception was so deep, and what he had done to these two young ladies was so harmful, his Senior Pastor needed to know.

When we returned from the retreat, I filled in the Lead Pastor on what my wife and I had discovered.  When the pastor privately met with the girls, he told them that he would not tell the church what the youth pastor had done to them because he did not want the church to know “what kind of girls they were.”

When the youth pastor resigned from the church, he read a letter claiming it was to “focus on his education.” The church was never told, and the girls lived with significant hurt and confusion for the next 17 years. 

My friend pretended to be transparent and honest, but he wasn’t. The struggle with transparency and honesty is more widespread inside the church than we want to acknowledge. I am working on it, but I deceive people every single day.

“Hey Pastor, how are you?”

“Great!” I reply.

Most days I am not great.

Most days I am burdened, my heart is heavy, and I feel worn down to a nub.  But Jesus loves me, so I answer, “Great.” But that is not the whole truth.

Today, in our passage of scripture, a group of men pretend to be honest so they could hurt Jesus. 

Let’s read together.

Luke 20:20-26 (NLT2) 

20  Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus. 21  “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. 22  Now tell us—is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 23  He saw through their trickery and said, 24  “Show me a Roman coin. Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. 25  “Well then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” 26  So they failed to trap him by what he said in front of the people. Instead, they were amazed by his answer, and they became silent. 

In this passage, religious leaders use deception by sending spies pretending to be honest men to trap Jesus with his words. And then, the spies made comments to Jesus to get Jesus to say something wrong so he could get arrested.

They wanted to involve Jesus in political controversy.

My Nana would send politicians or people from churches away from her door without hearing one word from them and she would say, “we do not talk about religion or politics.”And around the Holidays anytime a relative wanted to discuss politics or religion, she would shut them down and say the same thing. These men were eager to get Jesus' thoughts about politics and religion, hoping he would make a politically charged comment so the Roman government might be willing to put Jesus to death as a Rebel. So they ask Jesus a “Yes” or “No” question about paying taxes.  “Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”  

If Jesus opposes paying taxes, he risks being arrested by Rome and possibly killed. If he is for taxing the Jewish people, then the Jewish people may turn on him.

So, the first takeaway is this:

SEEK GENUINE TRANSPARENCY OVER THE APPEARANCE OF TRANSPARENCY

Luke 20:20 (NLT2) 

20  Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus. 

These men had a condition called “Pretendinitus.”

Pretendinitus is a condition in which somebody pretends to be something they are not. These men pretended to be honest men, but they were liars. They chose to appear transparent rather than actually be transparent. We all struggle with letting others know the real “us.”

One evening, I was leading an outreach night at our church. Driving to the church, I listened to country music on the radio. When I pulled into the parking lot at the church, I switched it to Worship music.

Why did I pretend?

I listen to worship music all the time. Why was I afraid to pull into the parking lot at church with Zach Brown singing about “Cold beer on a Friday night?” So silly.

But maybe you too, have hidden something about you because you weren’t sure what other people would think of you. Maybe you don’t tell others about the doubts and fears you live through daily. Maybe you don’t tell others about the struggle you are having with your spouse.  Maybe you smile and nod and tell people everything is okay, but on the inside, your heart cries out for somebody to listen to you.

Many of us have pretendinitus. We pretend everything is ok, when everything is not ok. One of our Guiding Values here at Beach Church is Transparent Living.  We believe God desires us to be real, open, and honest about who we are and allow others the freedom to do the same. Living transparently means we are honest about our struggles and wins to demonstrate God’s grace in our lives. So, one of the ways you can demonstrate transparent living is this:

SHOOT STRAIGHT; BUTTERING PEOPLE UP IS A FORM OF MANIPULATION.

Luke 20:21-24 (NLT2) 

21  “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. 22  Now tell us—is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 23  He saw through their trickery…

These men, pretending to be honest, now looked at Jesus and buttered him up because they believed if they flattered Jesus, he would let his guard down, and they would trick him. Most of us know when somebody is flattering us because they want something.  When my children were toddlers, they were perfect at this.

Sofia would stretch her arms to me and say, “I want to hold you.” I would scoop her up and hold her, and she would say, “You’re the best daddy in the world,” followed by, “Can I have some more ice cream?”

It's cute as toddlers, but as we mature into adults and followers of Jesus, we must be honest and sincere in communicating with others. You don’t have to be Jesus to know when somebody is buttering you up and flattering you to manipulate you or gain their trust…If you spend too much at Starbucks, you may be tempted to tell your spouse how awesome they are before you tell them two special coffees and coffee cakes cost $40.

It happens!

It is so important that we shoot straight with people and stop flattering others to get what we want. Now, if you think shooting straight with other people gives you an excuse to give your spouse a piece of your mind…I have to disappoint you.

Shooting straight with others does not mean you get to give somebody a piece of your mind. It doesn’t mean we get to tear down and damage others.  “Shooting straight” means you are honest, not harmful. It means we give helpful feedback, not destructive criticism. Paul was a follower of Jesus and wrote a lot about how we speak to others. 

Ephesians 4:29 (NLT2) 

29  Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 

Colossians 4:6 (NLT2) 

6  Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Ephesians 4:15 (NLT2) 

15  Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

When we shoot straight with others, our love for God and others is evident in our words. God is honored when we choose honesty and transparency with others rather than “buttering them up” to get something we want.

And the second way you can experience transparent living is to:

LIVE TRANSPARENTLY IN A LIFE GROUP TO BE A BETTER YOU!

Live transparently in a life group to be a better you. Sermon-Based Life Groups will begin next year.  The most meaningful friendships I have ever had are from the small groups of people I have lived transparently with. In life groups, we grow together. We share our lives. We talk about personal struggles and our wins and learn from each other. We pray for each other. We cheer each other on. When you are willing to open your life up to others, others will open their life up to you. When you are genuine, open, and honest about who you are, others will be open and honest about who they are. You will build real friendships and develop genuine relationships with other followers of Jesus.

You cannot live transparently with the whole church, but you can choose to do life with a small group of people in the same season of life as you.

Meeting Jesus - Embrace The Message Of Hope

When we began this series, one of the first messages in January was about the rejection Jesus experienced.  Throughout the Gospel of Luke, the Pharisees continued to reject him despite all of his miracles and all the proof he gave to the world that he was the Savior. I count at least 14 times in the Gospel of Luke that describe the Pharisees rejecting him.

Rejection is a terrible feeling.

If you have tried out for a sport but didn’t make the team, you know the feeling of rejection. In Middle School – I, too, experienced rejection. I was 13 years old, and I was in love. Her name was Rebecca Bumpus. We sat together for breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria.  We passed notes in the hallway.  And on occasion, when teachers weren’t looking, we even held hands. That relationship lasted for about one whole week. I remember our relationship so well because of how it ended. I believe our relationship began on Monday – but by Friday – Rebecca's best friend, Marcine, was sent to do her dirty work. Marcine Butts (that’s right. Her last name was Butts) sat down beside me in class on Friday afternoon and told me that Rebecca was breaking up with me. I didn’t understand why Rebecca was rejecting me.  I asked Marcine, “Why is she breaking up with me.?”  

Marcine Butts replied, “Joe...you’re ugly.”

And those words of rejection lingered in my heart for years.  Anytime I was interested in asking a girl to “go with me” in middle school, high school or go out on a date with me in college, I could always hear Marcine Butts words in my head, “Joe, you’re ugly...”

Rejection stinks!

Whether it is in relationships, whether you apply for a job, at work, or in court, rejection stinks. Especially if it is done in a way that tears you down.

In today’s passage, we are going to read a parable about people who continued to reject Jesus.  Let’s read.  

Luke 20:9-19 (NLT2) 

9  Now Jesus turned to the people again and told them this story: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and moved to another country to live for several years. 10  At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers attacked the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. 11  So the owner sent another servant, but they also insulted him, beat him up, and sent him away empty-handed. 12  A third man was sent, and they wounded him and chased him away. 13  “‘What will I do?’ the owner asked himself. ‘I know! I’ll send my cherished son. Surely they will respect him.’ 14  “But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they said to each other, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ 15  So they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him. “What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them?” Jesus asked. 16  “I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.” “How terrible that such a thing should ever happen,” his listeners protested. 17  Jesus looked at them and said, “Then what does this Scripture mean? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ 18  Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” 19  The teachers of religious law and the leading priests wanted to arrest Jesus immediately because they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the people’s reaction. 

Nearing the end of his journey on the earth, before he faced the brutal death on the cross and paid the price for our sins, Jesus once again tried to reach the Pharisees who hade spent the last three years rejecting him. This parable isn't just about squatters refusing to pay rent. Jesus is actually revealing how people often treat God's messages and messengers. And the plot twist is that the son in the story represents Jesus Himself.  The squatters who beat and kill the son of the landowner foreshadow what is going to happen to Jesus. We have three takeaways from this passage that, if applied, will change your life. The first takeaway is this: 

GOD PATIENTLY SEEKS PEOPLE DESPITE REJECTION OF HIS MESSAGE

This first point is good news about the message of Good News. I have shared the message of Jesus with many people, and not everybody trusts in Jesus the first time they hear the message. Maybe that’s you. Maybe you have heard many times that if you put your faith in Jesus and believed that he paid the price for your sins on the cross, died, was buried, rose from the dead, and will one day return… but you rejected the message.

But eventually, you accepted the message of hope, listened to the messenger, and surrendered your life to Jesus, then you have experienced the patience of God. Despite rejecting Jesus many times, God was persistent in showing patience to you because he Loves you. Despite rejecting the messenger and the message of Jesus, God continued to be patient with you because he wanted you to be saved and surrender to Him. See, the reason Jesus has not yet returned to the earth, is because he is patient and desires all those who have rejected Jesus to repent of their sin and trust Jesus as Savior. Speaking about why Jesus had not yet returned, the Apostle Peter said:

2 Peter 3:8-9 (NLT2)

8  But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9  The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

Like in the squatter's parable, God is patient for you.

So, our second takeaway:

EMBRACE REPENTANCE BECAUSE OF GOD’S KINDNESS

Embrace repentance because of God’s Kindness. In this parable, Jesus is very blunt with the religious leaders, and he warns them that God’s patience will eventually end for them. He is patient.

His messengers are beaten up and rejected. He is patient.

His son is murdered. The patience of the vineyard owner came to an end for these squatters.

Luke 20:15-16 (NLT2) 

15  ... “What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them?” Jesus asked. 16  “I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.” …

If you have ever lost patience with one of your children, it most likely surprised your kiddo. Internally, for you, the irritation had been building up. But for them, it came out of the blue. They did not know you were being patient, kind, and forgiving…but you had enough and snapped at them because they did not heed your warnings to correct their behavior.

I have done that. But this parable does not teach us that one day, God’s patience will come to an end. Instead, this parable teaches us that God has a plan to return. One day, Jesus will come back just like he said he would. And the reason he has not yet returned is because God is being patient with you and all those who have rejected Jesus.

Eventually, God’s plan is going to unfold.

So, respond while you can to God's Kindness and patience.

Romans 2:4 (NLT2) 

4  Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? 

In the parable, the vineyard's owner is kind, tolerant, and patient. And in your life, God is kind, tolerant, and patient with you. So, embrace repentance because of God’s kindness, and embrace…

THE MESSAGE: BUILD YOUR LIFE ON JESUS!

Luke 20:17-18 (NLT2) 

17  Jesus looked at them and said, “Then what does this Scripture mean? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ 18  Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” 

Jesus did not die on the cross simply to forgive and save us. The cornerstone of buildings kept the rest of the walls from wobbling. Jesus desires to prevent the walls of your life from wobbling and falling apart.  He sacrificed his life so that you and I can build our lives on him. Jesus did it so our entire life could be built on Him. 

If you follow Jesus, he is the cornerstone of your life. He is not a decorative painting that hangs on the wall; he is the foundation that holds everything together. Think about your everyday life: 

The music you listen to…The movies that entertain you…Your spouse…The way you raise your children…How you engage with one another at Beach Church…How you love one another…

Every single bit of your life should reflect the values, teachings, and love of Jesus because he is your cornerstone. When Jesus is our cornerstone, He influences our choices, guides our actions, and shapes our worldviews. Building on this foundation means that every beat of our heart and every decision we make reflects His presence in our lives.

I don’t mean to prescribe a set of rules to live by. Because Jesus is our cornerstone, Jesus' sacrifice and love should saturate through every corner of our existence. He is our cornerstone, meaning we create a life that sings, speaks, and shines the message of Jesus in the most authentic way possible.

So, would your Netflix queue reflect that Jesus is your cornerstone?

Would your last argument with your spouse reflect that Jesus is your cornerstone? Does your song playlist reflect that Jesus is the cornerstone of your life?

Essentially, that is what it looks like to build our lives on the cornerstone of Jesus. It means we line up the walls of our lives through everyday decisions we make, with the patience, kindness, and love that God has demonstrated to us.

Remember Jesus is more than a Savior; He is  the cornerstone of our lives. His love and message are not just lofty ideas; his words are practical guides for living. Embrace Jesus in words and actions, making Him the solid foundation of all we do.

Meeting Jesus - Jesus Clears The Temple

This weekend marks one year since I announced to the church I was serving in Arizona that behind the scenes I had been interviewing with Beach Church, that I would be stepping down from leadership at Calvary, and that, on December 6, I would preach “in view of a call” to be either voted in or rejected as the Lead Pastor at Beach Church.

It was a difficult season for my whole family.  It was not a move initiated by me, rather, it was initiated by the Pastor I trusted, and was supposed to secede.

He went away for a five-week Sabbatical, and when he returned, he gaslighted me, he made me think there was something wrong with me, and then said to me in a nutshell: “God told me not to leave and for you to go. Find another church to serve.” Perhaps you know that sting of church hurt as well. When we moved to Arizona, we planned on staying there the rest of our lives.  My family  invested in the community. We established meaningful friendships.

Church hurt is the worst hurt to overcome, because it happens through people often trusted, respected, and loved. In the Old Testament, a boy named Joseph had brothers who were jealous of him. They were going to murder him, but instead made money off of him and sold him to slave traders from Egypt. In time, Joseph became the second in command to Pharoah, and God used him to save the lives of the Israelites.

In the Old Testament, a boy named David was selected by God to become King.  The current King of Israel did not want to give up his throne, so he spent his remaining days trying to kill David.  Saul threw spears, David ran. Eventually, David would become King of Israel. In the New Testament, a man named Paul taught that Jesus was the Messiah and Savior of the world so much, he was chased out of city after city, he was stoned, beaten, thrown into prison and eventually beheaded as a rebel.

In the New Testament, a man named Jesus was God in the flesh. He walked the world caring for the blind, the beggar, the deaf, the crippled, the broken. He loved the outcasts, the misfits, and brought joy to their lives through miracles and life-change. He professed to be the Savior of the World, and was beaten, mocked, and crucified. But three days later he came back to life. Lived among his disciples for another forty days, then returned to Heaven with a promise that he would return one day. In each of these situations, God brought victory through tragedy.  Sometimes, the worst hurt we experience is hurt that comes through the hand of people we trust.  

God will bring victory to your life through tragedy!  That is what God does!

In today’s passage of scripture, the people of God were getting hurt at the church, and Jesus had enough.

Luke 19:45-48 (NLT2) 

45  Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. 46  He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” 47  After that, he taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him. 48  But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every word he said. 

Why did Jesus get angry at the money changers in the temple, but not at Mattthew or the other tax collectors? Jesus didn’t flip Matthews table over for gouging people on their taxes. Why did it bother Jesus so much?

Because, prior to the cross when Jesus paid the price for our sins so that we could have a right relationship with God, the temple was the place his people could be forgiven. At the temple, the people of God could worship, hear scripture, make sacrifices, and be made right with God.  The temple is where they could have their relationship restored with God.

Please understand that today, 

THE CHURCH SHOULD BE A PLACE OF RESTORATION, NOT HURT.

The people in charge of the temple, the priests and the teachers of the law, were not guarding the sanctity of the temple, but were allowing and even participating in the corruption, and making money from it. The temple had become a place of hurt, not restoration. It had become a place where people were robbed, not blessed. It had become a place of insecurity, filled with people who honor God with their lips, but their hearts remained far from him.

That made Jesus angry. Jesus loved God and he loved God’s people. He was angry because he saw how the people were deceived and damaged. So he took action. Grabbing cords, flipping tables, and chasing these people out of the temple, Jesus showed he came to look out for the people of God that the Religious leaders stopped caring about. Roughly 580 years BEFORE this scene God had some harsh words of rebuke for the Religious Leaders of Israel.  Through the Prophet Ezekiel God gave the religious leaders a good old fashioned whooping.

Listen to these stinging words of rebuke:

Ezekiel 34:1-6 (NLT2) 

1  Then this message came to me from the LORD: 2  “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep? 3  You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve. 4  You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty. 5  So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal. 6  They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them. 

Talk about a whooping!  God rebuked the religious leaders for neglecting, starving, and harming his people. He said the religious leaders had not:

• Taking care of the weak.

• Bound up the injured.

• Searched for the lost people or those who have strayed away.

In the name of God, the religious leaders used their position to take care of themselves. In the name of God, they abused people and led them cruelty. Never doubt that God cares about what happens to the people in his churches.  

Young. Old. Rich. Poor. Any race. Male or female.

God’s heart beats for people.  

People who have surrendered their lives to Jesus.

People who have rejected Jesus.

People who have wandered away from the church.

God loves each and everyone.  

And, the thing about God’s anger is that God doesn’t stew, wring his hands, and strike in anger.

Look how God says he is going to handle the situation:

Ezekiel 34:11-12 (NLT2) 

11  “For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search and find my sheep. 12  I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. 

Ezekiel 34:16 (NLT2) 

16  I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak…

Because he loves and cares, God rolls up his sleeves and says:

I will be their shepherd.

I will find my and rescue my sheep.

I will search for the lost and bring them back.

I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak.

That is precisely what Jesus did on the earth 2,000 years ago, and that is what he still does today. The church should be a place of restoration, not hurt. Hurt in the church doesn’t only come through the leaders in the church, does it?

HOW WE DO CHURCH MATTERS TO GOD

God not only cares about the religious leaders leading with the heart of Jesus, he also cares about the way we do church. He cares about the way we treat one another. After God rebukes the religious leaders, God has more stinging words of rebuke for the way the people treated one another:

Ezekiel 34:17A-21 (NLT) 

17  “And as for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says to his people: 18  Isn’t it enough for you to keep the best of the pastures for yourselves? Must you also trample down the rest? Isn’t it enough for you to drink clear water for yourselves? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19  Why must my flock eat what you have trampled down and drink water you have fouled? 20  “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will surely judge between the fat sheep and the scrawny sheep. 21  For you fat sheep pushed and butted and crowded my sick and hungry flock until you scattered them to distant lands. 

Some of God’s people were acting like the religious leaders.  They only focused on themselves. They did not care about other people. They did not try to help other people. As the people of God, some had become extremely wealthy and powerful and used their power, wealth, and influence to harm other people.

The bad religious leaders looked the other way while the strong, fat sheep pushed and butted everybody else around.  It was the religious leaders role to feed, strengthen, and protect all the sheep. At the temple when Jesus became angry and chased out those merchants, it is because they were hurting people in the name of God. Merchants made an arrangement with the religious leaders of the temple to sell animals for the sacrifices and rip people off. 

Just like in Ezekiel, the temple had become corrupted by greed, deception, and hypocrisy. Jesus chased them out, and the religious leaders wanted to kill him.  He was ruining their plans to pad their pockets and take care of themselves. But the religious leaders couldn’t find any wrong to accuse Jesus of doing, and the people remained in the temple hanging onto every word he said.

So, we do church right. We love one another and we…

HANG ONTO GOD’S WORD

I say it at the beginning of every sermon. One of our guiding values is Life-Changing truth. We believe if we read and apply the word of God He will change our lives. So, how can you get the word of God from the pages of the Bible, to your heart? 

NEXT STEPS: GROW

I invite you to join us for our Next Steps Event.  If you struggle with knowing how to read God’s Word and apply it to your life, if you struggle with hanging onto the Word of God, sign up now for our next event. We are going to worship, break out into Intro, Grow and Lead. In GROW, I have created a class to help you read and understand the Bible and how you can make practical application to your life.

Also, another way you hang onto God’s Word is to…

SIGN UP FOR A SERMON-BASED LIFE GROUP  

Our sermon based life groups are going to begin in January. Life groups are going to meet in homes, discuss the sermon from the weekend, how it applies to their lives, and build real relationships with others. The groups will be 10-12 people, living transparently with each other, sharing struggles and victories with each others, and caring for one another.

Meeting Jesus - Trust The Plan

In the tapestry of our lives, trust forms the intricate threads that weave us closer to God. Yet, trust is no easy feat, especially when it has been fractured in our relationships with others. The Bible is replete with stories of individuals tasked with trusting God's plan for their lives, often in what seems like unconventional and, at times, downright crazy ways.

Trusting God Beyond Understanding:

Consider Abraham, who was instructed to leave his home without a clear destination. "Don't worry about it, follow me," God assured. Noah faced the seemingly absurd task of building an ark without knowing what an ark even was. Hosea was directed to marry a prostitute as part of God's divine plan. These stories may appear crazy when viewed through worldly lenses, but they teach us that the more we understand God, the more we can trust Him.

The Unpredictable Master and His Servants:

In Luke 19:11-27, Jesus shares a parable to illustrate the importance of living as if we truly trust God's plan. The story involves a nobleman who entrusts his servants with resources before embarking on a distant journey. The servants are given both responsibility and authority over the master's money.

Luke 19:11-27 (NLT2)

11  The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away. 12  He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. 13  Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ 14  But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’ 15  “After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were. 16  The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’ 17  “‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’ 18  “The next servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.’ 19  “‘Well done!’ the king said. ‘You will be governor over five cities.’ 20  “But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe. 21  I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’ 22  “‘You wicked servant!’ the king roared. ‘Your own words condemn you. If you knew that I’m a hard man who takes what isn’t mine and harvests crops I didn’t plant, 23  why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ 24  “Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’ 25  “‘But, master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten pounds!’ 26  “‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

If you give away RESPONSIBILITY, you must also give away AUTHORITY

The servants, equipped with the master's money, were expected to make more for their master. This underscores the principle that responsibility and authority go hand in hand. If you delegate responsibility, you must grant the corresponding authority. The master's money became the servants' responsibility, and they had the authority to make decisions to grow it.

Our Individual Responsibility in God's Kingdom:

In the same way, Jesus has entrusted us with resources and given us complete authority over them. Whether spiritual gifts, talents, abilities, or financial resources, we are called to make daily decisions to invest in God's Kingdom. This responsibility can be daunting, but as Daniel 4:35 reminds us, God's sovereign plan will prevail even when we don't fully understand it.

Our actions demonstrate our guiding values

Demonstrating Guiding Values:

The parable further reveals that the first two servants believed in their master's plan. They invested the money, made a profit, and were rewarded upon his return. Their actions demonstrated their guiding values—they valued and believed in their master's plan, expected his return, and believed in the necessity of making a profit.

Conversely, the third servant's misplaced beliefs about his master led to inaction. He accused the master of being harsh, lazy, and a thief, projecting his own shortcomings onto the master. This servant failed to understand that the master's plan was to earn a profit, and his lack of trust resulted in missed opportunities.

When we trust God's plan, we trust God's character

Trusting God's Character:

The story reminds us that when we trust God's plan, we trust His character. The first two servants recognized the master's intentions, while the third servant projected his own flaws onto the master. Trusting God involves understanding His character, His goodness, and His plan.

As servants of Jesus, we are called to invest in His Kingdom, trusting His plan and character. Our actions reflect our guiding values, demonstrating whether we truly believe in His return and our responsibility in advancing His Kingdom. Let us live with the conviction that God's will is going to be done, and He uses us as instruments in His grand symphony.

In trusting God, we find not only peace but also the joy of being part of His redemptive plan. Whatever God has entrusted you with, trust His plan, for it is within His authority and according to His divine purpose.

Meeting Jesus - What Do You Want Jesus To Do?

I always wanted to be a superhero.

As a child, I often dreamed about jumping off the ground, flying in the sky, and landing.  In my dreams, I would run along the ground, leap into the air, and fly. Around clouds, through clouds, and in the sunshine. Then, after flying, I would land on the ground with a smile.

After I gave my life to Jesus, I still dreamed I could fly, but the dream changed.  I still dreamed I could fly, but I wasn’t flying alone. I dreamed that as I flew, I would swoop down from the sky, scoop up my brothers and sisters, and give them rides of flight in the sky with me.

God used me to share Jesus with my two brothers and three sisters.  Because of God’s grace, both of my brothers and all of my three sisters have surrendered their lives to Jesus.

I am willing to bet that many dreamed of doing something heroic in their lives to help other people. 

Have you ever -

• dreamed of being a superhero as a child?

• dreamed of making a difference?

• dreamed…of being a supervillain in life?

In our passage of scripture today, Jesus is, yet again, a hero. He changes somebody’s life.  He reaches out to somebody his community ignores but cries out for mercy.

Let’s read about our true hero, Jesus, in Luke 18:35-43

Luke 18:35-43 (NLT2)

35  As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. 36  When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. 37  They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. 38  So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39  “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40  When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, 41  “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!” 42  And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” 43  Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too. 

The blind man knew what it was like to feel alone, unwanted, and rejected. He knew what it was like never to fit in. To live on the margins of society. He never fit in because he was always the outcast. He wasn’t the outcast because he had drifted like the prodigal son. He wasn’t an outcast because he had cheated people like the tax collectors or had made sexually immoral choices like the prostitutes. He knew loneliness and rejection because of something beyond his control. He was rejected, an outcast, and alone because He was blind.  He had eyes, but his eyes didn’t work.  And people did not know what to do with somebody who was not like them. 

He needed a Hero – but there was nobody who could help him.  Sightless, he went from begging station to begging station, pleading for money and food and weeping for help that never came. I believe that many of us dream of making a difference in life to others because, in one way or another, we know what it's like to wait for help that never seems to come. We want to make a difference in the lives of others because we have been there before, and help never came. The first thing I want us to understand about this passage is this:

WHEN OUR STRUGGLES INTERSECT WITH FAITH, MERCY IS PRESENT.

Luke 18:36-38 (NLT2) 

36  When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. 37  They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. 38  So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

The blind man only cried out for mercy because his blindness intersected with his faith in Jesus as a HEALER.  He had heard about the great miracle worker. He had heard stories from former blind people that Jesus had healed them. Cripple people no longer ran in his circle because Jesus had healed them. He had heard the whispers of faith grow into legend…and now, Jesus was walking by him. So, he cried out for mercy.

He cried out because he believed Jesus was able to heal him. He cried out for mercy because he had faith Jesus could do in his life what Jesus had done in other people's lives. He was transparent. He made his need known. And he found mercy. Today, I want you to know the same Jesus that healed this blind man on the road is passing by you today. You can cry out and find mercy today.  

Hebrews 4:16 (NLT2) 

16  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

But some won’t cry out for mercy.  It’s not because they don’t want to.  I believe they do not understand how destructive sin is in their lives. Jesus said those who do not call out for mercy are blind.  In John 9:39, Jesus said:

John 9:39 (NLT2) 

39  Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” 

Often, when we think about the power of sin, we only see it as disobedience to God, but we do not realize the damage it does to us. So now, I want us to focus on:

THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF SIN:

INHERITANCE

When one family member engages in sinful behavior, it can reach out and contaminate others in the house. Sin doesn't just stop with one person; it has a domino effect. It keeps leading to more sin, and this chain reaction can suffocate. Sin launches a vicious cycle that feels unbreakable. 

If you were raised in a dysfunctional, broken home, there's a high likelihood that you might repeat those same patterns when you start your own family. Sin traps people and families in its grip and drains the joy from their lives. It is crucial to recognize its trapping power to break free from sin’s cycle.

Are you sick of sin yet?

DEFLECTION

Do you remember doing something wrong but blaming somebody else? We have all done that at one point or another. We sin, blame, and accusations begin to fly. You try to shift responsibility to ease your guilt over what you have done. But because a destructive power of sin is deflection, you justify your behavior and say something like: 

I act this way because…it was how I was raised.

I act this way because…nobody loves me.

I act this way because…somebody hurt me. 

Let me be brutally honest with you: "So what?" Will you let something that happened in the past control you for the rest of your life? Blaming others or your circumstances may temporarily relieve guilt, but it won't lead to lasting change. 

Taking responsibility for your actions and breaking free from the cycle of sin is the only way to regain control of your life.

Are you sick of sin yet?

NUMBNESS

The repetition of sin leads to a callousness in your conscience. Initially, when you engage in sinful behavior, you might feel a sense of guilt or the thought, "Oh my gosh, this is wrong." But if you do not listen to your conscience and the Holy Spirit warning you to stop this behavior, over time, if you continue, those feelings fade away. The flashes of shame on your cheek disappear. 

Your heart toughens up, and you become increasingly indifferent toward sin. The destructive power of sinful flesh takes over, slowly numbing your conscience until you don't care anymore. You stop caring about yourself. You stop caring about others. You grow numb to the desire to repent and right in your life.

Are you sick of sin yet?

And that numbness to sin leads to another destructive power of sin. You thirst for sin becomes:

INSATIABLE

Like one gets used to a drug and wants something more, sin loses its ability to satisfy your flesh.  It becomes easier to sin without having a guilty conscience. 

Gossip grows.

Anger grows.

You lose your temper at little things.

Secret lust turns to the internet.

Internet lusts soon turn to clubs.

Lives are destroyed for one more hit of sin.

Just one more taste… one more whisper… one more night away from home…

The destructive power of sin is an insatiable desire to sin more. 

Are you sick of sin yet?

SELF-CENTRIC 

Sin makes everything about "me." Like wearing blinders, sin prevents us from seeing the struggles of others. Sin turns us inward. We focus on the struggles, problems, and pain that sin has brought to our lives.  Sin keeps us wrapped up in our own world of self-pity. We stop caring about the feelings and needs of others. Our focus narrows, and we begin to live self-centric. 

The problem is that followers of Jesus are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves, and we can’t do that when we are focused on ourselves.

Are you sick of sin yet?

Jesus looked at the Blind Man and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”

So, I ask you, if you are sick of the destructive nature of sin,

WHAT DO YOU WANT JESUS TO DO FOR YOU?

You do not have to settle for sin’s destruction in your life. You can be set free and receive mercy. Jesus is present. Turn to Jesus. Cry out for mercy. Submit to God and tell the destructive power of sin, “Stop. Sin. Stop Habit. Stop Numbness. Stop Self-Centeredness. Stop the Cycle. Stop shifting blame. In the name of Jesus, you will go no further.” 

Psalm 91:9-16 (NLT2) 

9  If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, 10  no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. 11  For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. 12  They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. 13  You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! 14  The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 15  When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. 16  I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” 

By faith, turn to God and let him set you free.

Meeting Jesus - Living On Mission

If you spent any season of your life investing in children’s ministry, serving in Vacation Bible School or kid’s Sunday school, you might be familiar a man who climbed a tree to see Jesus.

Zacchaeus. 

If you are familiar with Zacchaeus, you may remember a song/rhyme….

Zacchaeus was a wee little man.

And a wee little man was he.

He Climbed up in a sycamore tree.

For the Lord he wanted to see.

A child’s understanding of Zaccheus is pretty innocent.  He was a short little guy who climbed a tree to see Jesus. The “adult version” is understood a bit differently.  Zacchaeus wasn’t a wee little man…he was a big giant jerk. Everyone hated him. He was not trusted. He was an extortionist. 

Zacchaeus was considered a collaborator with the government of Rome, who was oppressing the Jewish people and often viewed as a traitor. He would compete against other Tax Collectors and would place a bid with the Romans to win the opportunity to be the Chief Tax Collector. If he thought the taxes would be a million dollars, he would give the Roman Government the Million Dollars – and then over the next year, the tax collectors that worked for him would use the power of the Roman Soldiers to squeeze enough taxes from the Jewish people to earn Zacchaeus and the Tax Collector, a substantial profit…

Since the Jewish People considered the Roman Government as “occupiers” in the land they were forced to pay taxes to; they considered the tax collectors who worked for Rome as unfaithful, disloyal, and betrayers of the Jewish people. The Jewish people did not like the Roman Government ruling over them – and for Zacchaeus to make his money off the Jewish people while collecting taxes for Rome…it just didn’t sit right with people.  

He had betrayed them, but if people complained, he had the power and influence of the Roman soldiers on his side. Year after year, Zacchaeus was viewed as a betrayer of the Jewish people, a thief protected by the Roman Government, and a jerk.

Luke 19:1-10 (NLT2) 

1  Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2  There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3  He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. 5  When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” 6  Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7  But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. 8  Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” 9  Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10  For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” 

Short, hated, and filthy rich. I think the most important lesson from this passage is for each of us to understand one simple truth:

Believe: Only you can prevent yourself from following Jesus.

For Zacchaeus to have this encounter with Jesus, he had to overcome some obstacles. He was shorter than others, and he could not see above their heads. The crowd was certainly not going to do him any favors by allowing him through. So Zacchaeus tucked his robes around his waist, took off running, his stubby legs a blur, and ran to the front of the crowd and climbed a tree. When I was a child, I climbed trees all the time.  As a dad, I have climbed a tree with my kids maybe once or twice.  

He was already despised.  He was short…and now he was climbing a tree. In order to overcome the obstacles that were in his way, Zacchaeus placed himself in an awkward position and climbed a tree.  

Think of the optics.  He was already short like a child, and now he is climbing a tree like a child.  Children climb trees.  Not adults.  Children. Zacchaeus would be hearing about this for a very long time.  Wisecracks would follow.

If you have surrendered your life to Jesus, maybe you had to face some obstacles of awkwardness, too.  Maybe you began to tell others about your decision to follow Jesus; they laughed at you, put you down, or stopped talking to you.

After I surrendered my life to Jesus, I told my Nana; she told me I was brainwashed. Awkward.

I told the men I worked construction with. One said, “Oooh, now you are a fairy Jesus follower, huh?” Awkward.

When I surrendered my life to Jesus, I was immediately changed – and I was convinced every person would want to experience forgiveness of sins, a relationship with God, and a transformed heart. I was wrong. But I did not allow what others thought about my decision to prevent me from following Jesus.

Let me ask you a rhetorical question: “Are you allowing something else to prevent you from becoming a follower of Jesus?”

• Maybe your spouse doesn’t want you to follow Jesus.

• Maybe your parents do not want you to leave the faith you grew up in to follow Jesus.

• Maybe you are concerned you will have to walk away from your occupation if you become a follower of Jesus.

The only thing that can prevent you from becoming a follower of Jesus is YOU. Don’t worry about your spouse, your parents, your job, or your children. Don’t worry about your past; don’t worry about your future.  Do whatever it takes to follow Jesus today. If you believe that God created you and wants a relationship with you. If you believe that sin in your life prevents you from having that relationship with God. If you believe that Jesus’ death on the cross forgave your sins and removed the barrier between you and God. If you believe that Jesus rose from the dead and will one day return…

Then let today be the day you stop letting YOU get in the way and surrender your life to Jesus.

And – if you are already a follower of Jesus, or you become a follower of Jesus today,

Respond: Live a changed life!

It is important to note that in past encounters, when a notorious sinner came to Jesus – it was the Jewish Leaders – the Pharisees, that would complain about Jesus associating with sinful people. But in this passage, it wasn’t just the religious leaders complaining about Zacchaeus; now, it was EVERYBODY!  Look again at verse 7, “But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. 

Zacchaeus heard the people grumbling about him.  “What is this jerk doing this close to Jesus?  He doesn’t belong here, and we don’t like him!”

Zacchaeus understood their complaints. He had been a cheater, a betrayer, a swindler, and a no-good, corrupt tax collector. The feast his household was preparing for Jesus came at the cost of the Jewish people.  His home, the servants, his land, his barns…

He had wealth because he betrayed the Jewish people and took more money than he should have from them. But Zacchaeus’ next words from his mouth demonstrate the same type of life-changing power of Jesus that is available to you and me today.  He was supernaturally changed!His desire to hoard, steal, and cheat others was no longer in his heart.  Now, he wanted to bless and give generously. In verse 8. “Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” 

This was not the same man he had been five minutes before. At some point – whether in the tree when Jesus looked at him or in a conversation with Jesus – Zacchaeus had surrendered his life to Jesus. The Apostle Paul describes what happens to a person on the inside when they surrender their lives to Jesus:

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT2) 

17  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 

Zacchaeus’ life demonstrates he had been transformed from the inside out. His desire to betray the Jewish people was transformed into a desire for loyalty. His desire for greed was transformed into generosity. His response to Jesus accepting him was to live a radically changed life. So, you surrendered your life to Jesus. How are you living out a changed life?

The best thing you can do is to…

Prioritize: Embrace Jesus' mission to seek and save.

Jesus was very clear about his purpose in life. 

Whenever people criticized him regarding the people he spent time with – 

The notorious sinners…

The tax collectors…

The scum of the earth…

Whenever he was criticized, he always explained that he was on a mission to seek and save the lost. If you are a follower of Jesus – there is nothing greater that you and I can do than to prioritize the mission of Jesus in our lives. It is Jesus that brings hope to those who struggle in darkness. It is Jesus who brings healing to families. It is Jesus who brings peace to those facing fears, anxiety, and worry. It is Jesus who can rescue the addict and free those trapped in sin.

Prioritize the mission of Jesus, and seek to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

Meeting Jesus - Letting Go

One of the ways you can begin to experience a life changed by the Word of God is by applying the message today to your life. Today, we will look at another moment in scripture when Jesus invited somebody to follow him, but the man rejected Jesus. He did not reject Jesus because he was a religious leader.  He didn’t reject Jesus because he lacked belief. He rejected Jesus because he could not let go of what he considered most important.

“Letting Go” can be a very difficult thing. 

When I was in college, I spent my summers serving as a counselor at a Christian Camp during the summer in the mountains of Colorado, and one of the activities I was in charge of was the zipline. The Zipline was over 150’ high on one end, over ¼ mile long, and crazy fast. The rider steps into a harness that loops around the legs; they pull the harness up like a pair of pants. Then, the harness connects to a pulley, and the pulley gets connected to the cable. All the rider has to do is step off the 150’ high rocks and trust that the pulley, cable, and harness are secure. The first time I stepped off the cliff – I was terrified. 

My heart was thumping. My body kicked into fight-or-flight mode.  I forced myself to overcome the panic I felt, stepped off the rocks and I was almost halfway across when I realized I wasn’t trusting the harness. I was not sitting down in the harness; I was clinging to the strap as tight as I could, holding onto the strap, squeezing with all my might…but sitting down in the harness. Slowly, I lowered myself down and allowed full weight of my body to rest in the seat of the harness…then let go. I was a chicken to let go, but when I did – it was one of the most incredible moments in my life.

Letting Go.

It is one of the most difficult things to do.  Right now – I want to invite you to “let go.”  

Luke 18:18-30 (NLT2) 

18  Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” 19  “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. 20  But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’” 21  The man replied, “I’ve carefully obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” 22  When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23  But when the man heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. 24  When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! 25  In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” 26  Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?” 27  He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” 28  Peter said, “We’ve left our homes to follow you.” 29  “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, 30  will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.” 

On the surface, it appeared like this ruler had everything together in life. Most likely, he was respected in the community as a leader.

He was a ruler. 

He had wealth. 

He seemed to live with integrity. 

He respected his parents. 

But, under the surface, beneath the perception others had of him, this man knew his own heart.  He knew something was not right.  Although he had wealth, influence, and family… and probably offered advice to others, under the surface, something troubled him. He did not know if he had lived a good enough life to be with God in heaven when he died. He did not know what life after death was going to look like. And, he asked the RIGHT question to the RIGHT person.  He asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

This question shows that the man not only thought about his life here on the earth, but he understood that there was a spiritual life that would go on after he died.  He wanted to know what he needed to do to get into heaven. I think many people have that same question today.  What’s it going to take for me to get into heaven? Like the man asked Jesus, I want to ask you a question:

HAVE YOU INHERITED ETERNAL LIFE?

Many of us have questions about Heaven. What is heaven really like?  We don’t have all the answers, but God gives us a little look at what Heaven will be like in Revelation 21:1-4. Speaking about Heaven, the Apostle John writes:

Revelation 21:3-4 (NLT2) 

3  …God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4  He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” 

In Heaven, followers of Jesus will be in the presence of our creator God forever.

We will live without fear or worry. 

We will live without need. 

We will live without pain. 

We will live without sorrow.

In heaven, there will be no more cancer. No more heart failure. No more diabetes. In heaven, there will be no sickness, pain, and frustration, and God will wipe every tear of joy from our eyes! If you have experienced the hurt, confusion, sadness, and sorrow that living in a broken world brings – you understand that living with God for all eternity will be absolutely amazing. 

But this man who rejected Jesus was more concerned about what his temporary life would be like without his stuff. He was narrow-minded.  He couldn’t see the Big Picture. He did not realize that 90 years of living on this planet is nothing compared to the infinite presence of God in his life. He walked away rejecting the HOPE of Eternal Life…but that doesn’t have to be you. Jesus clearly communicated how a person could know if they had Eternal Life. 

John 5:24 (NKJV) 

24  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 

The ONLY way to receive ETERNAL LIFE is BY HEARING and BELIEVING.

Hearing what? The words of Jesus.  God’s word.  You cannot be given ETERNAL LIFE unless you hear God’s Word. You are already doing that right now. You are halfway there – but halfway there is not close enough.

 PISTEUO (Pistooyoh): To TRUST IN, ENTRUST, and COMMIT. 

Jesus is saying – BELIEF is MORE than head knowledge – BELIEF is an action WORD.  It requires TRUST…

And if you truly entrust your life to Jesus, you let go of anything you once valued as more important than Jesus. I BELIEVED the zipline strap would hold me up…but until I stopped gripping the strap with my hands, I did not ENTRUST my life to the strap. Jesus used PISTOOYO John 3:16 when he said,

John 3:16 (NLT)

16  For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  

EVERYONE who LET’S GO, TRUSTS IN, AND COMMITS TO JESUS will have ETERNAL life.  

BELIEVING in JESUS means ACCEPTING what He DID for you 2,000 years ago and ENTRUSTING your LIFE into his hands through SURRENDER.

And surrender looks like this:

Romans 10:9 (NLT) 

9  If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 

If you are ready to surrender your life to Jesus, inherit eternal life, and receive forgiveness for your sins, at this moment, you can say something like this:

PRAYER OF SURRENDER:

God, I am ready to become a follower of Jesus, and I surrender my life to you.  I believe that Jesus paid the price for my sins. I believe he suffered, died, was buried, and rose from the dead. Thank you for your forgiveness and grace…I receive Jesus as my Savior and entrust my life to you.

Now, you have surrendered your life to Jesus. You have let go of your life. You have surrendered to Jesus and received forgiveness for sin, and are living daily for him.

Now, as a follower of Jesus, some advice I offer to you as you seek to follow him…

DON’T LET YOUR “BUT” GET IN THE WAY

Jesus was not communicating to the man that Eternal Life came through giving his stuff away – this was a test of this man’s heart. Have you ever met somebody who had the answer to everything?  They always had an answer, whether it was true or not.

Jesus said, “Have you obeyed your parents?”  Oh, Yes Lord!

Have you committed adultery? Oh, no, Lord.

Have you lied or cheated? Oh no, Lord.

Since I was a child – I have been PERFECT!

Jesus looks at the man, and I believe this is his “yeah, right” moment. It was clear to Jesus that no matter what Jesus told this man to do, this man would claim to have already done it…

So, looking at his wealthy clothes and money, Jesus said, “Get rid of your wealth.”

If he had REALLY loved the Lord with all his heart and loved his neighbor as himself since he was a child, giving away possessions would not be that big a deal. 

Think about this.  If Jesus had communicated to this man that wealth was an acceptable excuse – Jesus would be saying that there is a higher priority than him! 

How often have you been like this man?

Jesus, I will follow you wherever you lead, BUT not across the street to my loud-at-night neighbor. 

Jesus, I love my neighbor as myself, BUT I don’t have time for them.

God,  I will begin to give generously, BUT I need to set aside vacation money first…

God, I will speak more softly and gently with my spouse, BUT they make me so mad sometimes…

Jesus, I will seek reconciliation with my parents, BUT I am waiting for them to take the first step…

Jesus, I will begin to rise early in the morning to spend time reading my bible and sitting in your presence, BUT I stayed up too late…

Jesus, I will begin a Lifegroup, BUT I don’t want to be trained…

We let our selfish BUTS get in the way of following Jesus. If we stop living a lifestyle of surrender, our BUTS get bigger! If we stop following Jesus, we stop experiencing his blessings.

It is important for followers of Jesus to remember…

A LIFESTYLE OF SURRENDER REAPS AN ETERNITY OF BLESSING

In verse 22, Jesus invited this man to let go of his past and follow him.

Luke 18:22 (NLT2) 

…Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 

The invitation to follow him was not a cold command to walk behind a dictator.  The invitation is nothing like that. The Greek word akoloutheó (ah-ka-loo-they-o) means not just to follow but to “accompany, attend” or literally, “to go the same way with.”

Jesus wasn’t simply saying, “Walk with me.” 

He was also saying, “I want to walk with you.” 

Jesus wants to walk in the same direction as you – He is pleased to be going the same way.  He guides and directs our steps along the path, and He is not embarrassed to be seen at your side. He knows you are dragging your feet. He knows you become distracted at times. He knows that you stumble and fumble into sin…yet he still chooses to walk with you, and he is not ashamed of you!

Jesus was communicating to this man – 

I know you will become distracted by other things in your life…but I will accompany YOU as well.  

I will never leave you. 

I will never abandon you.  

I will walk alongside you even if you choose to abandon me, 

I will never not be there for you.  I will always be near you.

JESUS WANTS TO WALK WITH YOU! He enjoys your company! 

As followers of Jesus, we are assured of his forgiveness of our past, his promise to walk through life with us, and the promise we have of eternal life.  

So keep living a lifestyle that lets go.

Let go of your treasures. 

Let go of your fears.

Let go of bitterness.

Let go of pride.

Let go of sadness.

Let go of hurt.

And keep surrendering to Jesus.

Meeting Jesus - Humble Hearts

Around 2018, videos began to surface online, and were somehow categorized as “Karen” videos.  Karen” videos often depict middle-aged white women exhibiting entitled, unreasonable, or inappropriate behavior. Issues that caused them to be triggered could be related to, customer service, parenting children, covid related, neighbor disputes, parking violations, etc…

These videos were designed to shame these women for how they acted publicly. Public shaming has been around for a very long time.

Often in the Old Testament, Prophets were publicly shamed in the town square and placed in stocks while others laughed at them and made fun of them.  

And, if your name is Karen. I am sorry! I didn’t name these types of videos!

In Luke 18, Jesus told a story about a Pharisee who publicly humiliated and shamed a tax collector who had messed up in life. 

Our world is quick to judge and slower to understand, so let’s read: 

Luke 18:9-14 (NLT2)

9  Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10  “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11  The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12  I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13  “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14  I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 

This statement may surprise you.

Some people believe they are better than you! (Gasp!)

Some people believe God is always pleased with them, and God is never pleased with you.

This story Jesus tells gives us three applications that, if applied to our lives, will help significantly. First, I believe this story teaches us to:

Choose self-awareness over self-righteousness

The viral Karen videos and the way the Pharisee called out the tax collector have striking similarities. In both instances, there is a display of self-righteousness and a condemnation of the other without self-awareness. The videos show individuals quick to judge and point fingers without understanding the entire story or the perspectives of others. Likewise, the Pharisee was quick to point out the sins of the tax collector without pointing out his own sins. Avoid becoming like the Pharisee and develop a healthy awareness of self.  

Here is how you can begin to develop a healthy self-awareness. Begin with two lists.  The first list is a list of the things you do well. The second list is a list of the things you don’t do well. The first list will make you prideful without the second list. The second list will make you depressed without the first list. You and I need a healthy self-awareness. We grow in confidence as we get better at the things we do well, and we begin to appreciate others when they are great at the areas we are not. The more you develop a healthy self-awareness, the more you grow comfortable in your mission to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus. But self-righteousness develops when you only focus on how great you are…

If you only focus on how skilled and great you are in particular areas, you will begin to look with disgust at those who do not live up to your ability and standards. 

And we are more like the Pharisee than we think. The problem with the Pharisee was that he only saw the good things he did, and he only saw the shortcomings and failures of others. He never saw the good qualities of others, only their failures and sins.

This takes us to the second application for us all to consider:

Declaring what we do right does not hide our wrongs from God

Take a look at the prayer of the Pharisee as he focused on himself.

I don’t cheat.

I don’t commit adultery.

I fast twice a week.

I give you a tenth of my income.

The Pharisee supplies God with a list of all his wonderful qualities that, in his mind, should excuse any of the sins he may be hiding.

He was honest with people. He was faithful to his wife. He fasted twice a week. He gave a tenth of his income to the Lord.

These are all great qualities for a person to have.  

The problem is found in one sentence in his list:

He said: “I don’t sin.”

He listed all his good deeds, seemingly using them as a shield to cover up any of his sins and failures. I don’t know how to say this kindly, so I will say it plainly: 

Self-righteous people have delusional minds.

They believe that God overlooks any sin as long as their good outweighs the bad. They are delusional because God never claimed if we did enough good in life, we would be okay. 

Isaiah 64:6 (NLT2)

6  We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags…

Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NLT2)

20  Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.

1 John 1:8 (NLT2)

8  If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.

Psalm 14:2-3 (NLT2)

2  The LORD looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise if anyone seeks God. 3  But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!

Psalm 53:3 (NLT2)

3  But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one! 

And I could go on and on and on. The one who created us, God, gave us guidelines to live by. He told us how to treat others. He told us how to treat ourselves. He told us how to treat Him.  When we do not obey him in those areas, we sin. When we claim to be without sin, we negate the significance of the sacrifice that Jesus made to pay the price for our sins on the cross. So, choose to be honest with God about your sin. If you are more like the tax collector, you are welcome here at Beach Church.

And, if you feel like you are more like the Pharisee, you are welcome here too.  Jesus never stopped trying to reach the pharisee. He loved the Pharisees too and always tried to get them to see how their actions impacted others. 

If you struggle with judgmental thoughts toward other people, I am glad you are here, too. We accept everybody wherever they are on their journey of faith.  We are not going to “judge the judger.” We are going to love you too! But let me encourage you. Don’t waste your life focusing on the sins and failures of others.  

Before you judge others, take a long look in the mirror.

Because,

Life-change happens through transparent living

It is clear that both the Pharisee and the Tax Collector were guilty of sin when they began their prayers. By themselves, neither one of these men is an example of the type of person we should aspire to be.  The Pharisee tried to hide his sins from God and pointed out the sins of other people, and the tax collector was a cheater, liar, and swindler. Both had hurt people. The Pharisee had hurt people through his judgmental attitude about others.  The tax collector hurt others by “legally” stealing from them. But Jesus said that when one of the sinners returned home that day, that sinner returned home “justified” before God.

Luke 18:14 (NLT2)

14  I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The definition of the Greek word “justified” is: 

Dikaioo: (dee – ki – o):  to render just or innocent

When the tax collector left the temple that day, God declared him to be innocent of his sin, but the pharisee still remained guilty. They both showed up guilty, and only one went home innocent. This is because the Tax Collector is the only one who practiced transparent living with God and with others. 

Take a look at the prayer of confession that the Tax Collector prayed:

Luke 18:13 (NLT2)

13  “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’

The transparency and humility of the tax collector are clearly noticeable in his actions and through what he prayed. At Beach Church, one of our core values is Transparent Living.  We believe that God desires us to be real, open, and honest about who we are and allow others to do the same. That means we are all “not okay.” None of us have figured out how to live a perfect life. We embrace transparent living because living transparently motivates us all to live dependent on the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:7-9 (NLT2)

7  But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8  If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9  But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 

Being honest with God and being honest with others actually sets us free. When we are honest and transparent about the darkness that lurks beneath the surface of our hearts and the dark sins we struggle with, we are actually living in the light!

It is only through honesty and transparency that we can experience ongoing life change!

So, today, commit to live transparently.

Meeting Jesus - A Black and Blue God

There seems to be an acceptance within Christian culture that PRAYER is the LAST RESORT for followers of Jesus. You may have heard the statement, “When all else fails, pray.”  That statement suggests that PRAYER is a last resort. It indicates that those who focus on prayer in a specific area have given up, failed, and thrown in the towel. They have stopped trying. That statement suggests that PRAYER is for those who have failed and lost, not those who are victorious…

It is for those who do not want to try any longer. That prayer is for those who do not want to try any longer.  But that is not what Jesus teaches about prayer.  Those with the courage to pray as Jesus teaches, demonstrate they will never give up.

Luke 18:1-8 (NLT2) 

1  One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2  “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3  A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 4  The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5  but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’” 6  Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7  Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8  I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” 

Let’s make sure we understand what PRAYER is.  We know that prayer means communication with God. Prayer is bringing our requests and listening. But in this passage, the Greek word that LUKE uses he also used over 18 times in the Gospel of Luke:

Proseuchomai

There are two parts to this word:

pros = toward, facing, before

euchomai = speak out, utter aloud

The word for prayer means directly facing the LIVING GOD and Speaking to HIM. So, understand, this means that when you speak to God when you pray:

PRAY DIRECTLY FACING THE LIVING GOD

When you pray, you are not whispering into your Bible. You are not talking to yourself. You are not mumbling incoherently or rambling on into nothing. When you pray, you directly face the MIGHTY KING OF KINGS and pour your heart out to him.  

As you humbly speak directly to his face:

Submit to Him.

Confess to Him.

Plead with Him.

Praise Him.

Thank Him. 

Even though the men who followed Jesus had seen firsthand the power of prayer in Jesus' life, Jesus still understood that they would be tempted to give up and stop praying. If the truth were told – you and I probably relate to that. Followers of Jesus still fail to talk to God like we should. We sometimes give up praying for days, weeks, and months at a time. I believe one reason we give up praying is because, often…

HABITS AND GUILT PREVENT BOLD PRAYING 

Habits and guilt prevent bold praying. Have you ever noticed that bad habits are hard to break, but good habits are hard to start? 

Bad habits like:

• Eating a Family size bag of chips during Monday Night Football…

• Pressing the elevator button repeatedly because you think it will come faster.

• Pretending to be on a phone call to avoid a conversation.

Habits that are bad for us are hard to break. But habits that are good for us, like exercising or prayer, take much work to start. Once we break the daily habit of prayer, it is difficult to start again. But you can do it! You started it once before; you can do it again. Guilt can prevent us from praying as well. Some feel bad because of a particular sin, but rather than talking to God and admitting it was wrong, some fear the consequences and shut down their communication with God. Then, when they do pray, their prayers are shallow because they haven’t been genuine and honest with God.

I have been there. Sometimes, my prayers have not been genuine and honest with God. If I get angry with God because life gets more challenging, I may shut down my communication with him or pretend I am not angry with him or about the situation. That’s when I pray something like, “God. You are awesome, and I am so grateful for everything I am experiencing now.”

That’s a lie.  I am not grateful for the difficulties.  I hate them.  I don’t want to walk through them. I want God to change my circumstances and get me out of the mud and the mire of life! So, because I lie to God about how I feel, I begin to feel guilty, and my prayer life begins to erode. Can you imagine that? Standing up, facing God directly in prayer – and lying to his face. When I was a child, I was an excellent liar. 

 I lied to my parents about everything. I lied and accused my brothers and sisters of things I had done wrong. At school, I lied and denied lighting the pack of firecrackers and dropping them under the bleachers during the assembly. I lied because I was afraid of the consequences.

When we were younger, we lied because we did not want to experience the consequences of the truth. We were fearful of punishment. But you can be honest with God about everything in your life because God’s anger and wrath over sin was poured out on Jesus Christ on the cross.

If you have tried to deceive God and lied to him, tell him. 

If you feel guilty over sin and dumb actions you have taken, tell him. 

If you are angry with him because life has been hard, tell him. 

Begin the conversation with something like this:

“Sorry, I haven’t spoken with you much. I have been avoiding you a bit.  I don’t want to do it anymore.  Let’s talk.”

Pray through the guilt.  Pray through the anger. Pray through resentment. He is FOR you. Finally, my favorite part of Jesus’ teaching on prayer:

PRAY AS THOUGH YOU COULD WEAR GOD OUT

Luke 18:4-5 (NLT2) 

4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5  but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’

In Jesus’ day, there was no “Blind Justice.” Judges were known to accept bribes of money or land when making decisions and settling disputes. Since this Widow had nothing to bribe the Judge with, the Judge was uninterested in hearing and resolving her case. So, the widow wore this judge down with her persistence. When he looked out his window in the morning, she was there. When he walked into the town square, she was there. When he went out to dinner with his family, she was there. Requesting his help, asking for justice, pleading her case. Everywhere this man turned, this woman was there, and like a boxer, she would jab him with her request for justice. How do we know that?

In verse 5, when the Judge says, “This woman is wearing me out,” the Greek phrase is hypōpiazō. 

It means to beat black and blue, intolerable annoyance

It was a colorful expression describing the widow's persistence and annoyance. He went to the market…she was there. He went to his home…she was there. The t-ball game, the basketball game…she was there. The judge finally yielded because of HER persistence. She was “beating him until he was black and blue with her annoying persistence.

Jesus teaches us as his Followers to WEAR OUT GOD in prayer! Jesus provided this colorful expression to drive the point home to pray hard, often, and persistently.

A boxer does not expect to knock his opponent out with shots to the ribs…but repeated jabs will wear out his opponent. Jesus wants us to pray like a boxer going for the ribs of his opponent of our requests! Keep throwing jabs and prayer requests. Keep calling out to him.  Keep praying to him.  Keep on asking. Pray as though you must wear down God to get an answer. Face God directly in the ring and plead your case. 

Jab, and ask God to heal your mother with cancer.

Jab and ask him to bring HOPE to your child.

Jab and ask Him to HEAL your marriage…

Jab and ask Him to HEAL your parent's marriage…

Jab and ask him to turn your teenager back to the heart of Jesus.

Jab and ask God to rescue the addict.

Jab and ask God to come near you.

Jab and ask God to deepen your prayer life.

Jab and ask God to create genuine WORSHIP within your heart.

Jab and ask God to fill this worship center with people who need Jesus.

Keep going to God…

Keep jabbing at God…

You might think, 'But Pastor, can we do that with God? Can we keep jabbing at Him? Won't we hurt or wear Him out with our constant requests?' Trust me, you can keep on jabbing, but you can never hurt God. He is the Almighty, the Everlasting, and the All-Powerful. Our persistence cannot wear him out. When we pray, we are engaging with the God who can move mountains, who can heal, who can provide, and who can change our lives.

So, don’t go to your corner of the ring when you’re tired.

Keep asking him for that promotion…

Keep asking him to provide for your family…

Keep asking him for WISDOM…

Keep asking him for strength…

Keep asking him for ENDURANCE….

Keep asking him to move MOUNTAINS!

God WANTS you to pray like you could make him tired and wear him out! 

So, let’s be a people who will pray like Jesus teaches us to pray.

Meeting Jesus - Happy Hearts

In this passage of scripture, Jesus heals 10 lepers, but only one of those lepers returned to demonstrate how grateful and thankful he was. If you are a follower of Jesus, you realize we have so much to be thankful for…but even if you are not a follower of Jesus – you still have so much to be thankful for.

Did you know that you are among the wealthiest 25% on the planet?  I know that with inflation, rising interest rates, cost of housing…you may not feel like the wealthiest people on the planet…

I read an article that said the cost of food had risen 18% in most of the USA since 2020. Most of us don’t feel like we are. Often, we focus and zero in on what we do not have and fail to truly appreciate what we do have. I believe the passage today will speak to us and help us develop Happy Hearts.

Let’s Read:

Luke 17:11-19 (NLT2) 

11  As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12  As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, 13  crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14  He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. 15  One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16  He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. 17  Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18  Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19  And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” 

Leprosy was a terrible disease. The moment it was discovered a person had leprosy, their clothes, bedding, and possessions were destroyed in a fire. A lepers family and community would disown and shun them for the rest of their lives. To survive, they would often join a group of lepers, huddle together for warmth during the cold nights, and beg for food. As they hobbled along the road they would ring a bell and yell, “Unclean!  Unclean!”  to warn people to stay clear of them. And their condition grew worse and worse they grew a bit more grotesque and diseased every day.  

In their leper colonies, they watched each other literally rot away, losing fingers, toes, limbs. Lose their eyesight, go deaf and eventually they would watch each other die.

Can you imagine what it was like for them to be shunned by their own family and children, and watch families interact with each other?   

• To see mothers caring for their babies. 

• Father and sons walking back home after a hard days work in the fields or on the boats. 

• To watch families walking to the synagogue to worship.

As those lepers watched families interact with one another, I imagine they longed for what they once had:

To again hear the words, “Daddy!” at the end of the day. To feel their children’s arms, hug their legs, and cling on longer for a ride. To sit down for a meal with their family…or to just hear the words,  “I love you.”  

Together we see them standing at a distance as Jesus entered the village. Grotesque. Smelly. Hobbling. In unison they raised their weakened voices in the air and cried: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

So Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests at the temple. (The Priests at the temple were the only ones who could declare a Leper healed and their declaration would allow them to return to their families and society.) Maybe one by one as they were walking they realized they had been healed. Maybe one was able to walk without pain. Maybe one of their stumpy legs grew a foot. Maybe one was able to hear his feet shuffling down the rock path. They must have dreamed of waking up one day to find that they were no longer, UNCLEAN but CLEAN!

Now, they would be able to reunite with their family, their spouses, their children. Now, they would be able to rejoin society and begin to work with their hands. They would be able to walk the streets and make eye-contact with strangers again without the stranger turning away or gagging at their appearance and smell. They were ready to hold their families and celebrate!

As a forgiven follower of Jesus, you understood the pain of your sin and how your sin separated you from God, and prevented you from enjoying relationships with others.

So,

REFLECT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH GRATITUDE

Luke 17:16 (NLT2) 

16  He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. 

So far in the Gospel of Luke, every time somebody was healed by Jesus…they celebrate! They fall at his feet, they leap and dance, they shout out loud…but nine of these men failed to return even to say, “Thank you.”  

So the reminder for us, as God blesses you in your everyday life: 

Whether God blesses you through a meal with your family, hugs around your legs, a paycheck, leftovers in the refrigerator…Simply be thankful. God has blessed you more than 75-92% of the population of the world. Before you ask him for something else…tell Him thank you.  

If you have received forgiveness for your sins…try to imagine what your life would have been like had it not been for Jesus changing you. What direction would your life have taken if you had never surrendered your life to Jesus?

Think about that for a moment. When you are forgiven for your sins, you were given a new direction in your life. Jesus changed the direction of these men, and he changed the direction of your life as well.

Through the forgiveness of sins, Jesus made you a new person. He gave you new desires, new hopes, new dreams, new passions, new determination. New power. So, live this new life with gratitude because…

A LACK OF GRATITUDE IS DESTRUCTIVE AND SELFISH

Luke 17:17-18 (NLT) 

17  Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18  Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”

These nine men had spent years focused on their disease. When their disease disappeared, they focused on their healing. They did not focus on the one who healed them.  And that is what Jesus found disappointing. We have a tendency to do the same thing. We focus on the BLESSING God provides, but we do not focus on GOD. Followers of Jesus ought to live with a spirit of THANKFULNESS and GRATITUDE to GOD.

The apostle Paul wrote a letter to followers of Jesus in Rome, and in his letter he described why some people rejected the truth about Jesus.

Romans 1:21-22, 24(NLT) 

21  Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired…

Living with gratitude toward God is a path toward blessing. Living with ingratitude is a path toward destruction. Because of ingratitude God abandoned these people. Because of ingratitude their minds became dark and confused.

As a parent, we teach our kids to be polite and to say “Thank you.” We try to show them what it means to live with gratitude. And we understand that gratitude is a HEART thing. Just because my kids say, “Thank you.” it doesn’t mean they really are. 

If you want to destroy a relationship with a spouse, family member, coworker…Never say “Thank You.”  

Never show GRATITUDE.  

NEVER show appreciation for what they do.  Let them feel unloved.  

A lack of gratitude in your life is selfish and destructive and will come back to destroy you.

And even if you have nothing. No material possessions. No money in your checking account. No food on the table…

Remember:

FORGIVENESS IS ENOUGH REASON TO LIVE THANKFULLY

Jesus said, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?” Then Jesus told the one that had returned to get up and begin his journey to the temple. So, what did Jesus do the other nine? 

Did he say, “Fine, you aren’t going to thank me?  I’ll give you LEPROSY again.”

He didn’t take away the toes he had returned. He didn’t take the foot back.

Jesus did not return to the Leprosy to the nine ungrateful men.

This should remind us that even when we are at our worst after salvation – Jesus does not take away our salvation.  Once you have surrendered your life to Jesus, you are always forgiven for your sins!

The apostle Paul writes about God’s Grace in our lives even when we are at our worst:

Romans 8:38-39 (NLT) 

38  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

NOTHING can ever separate you from God. God’s grace is a LIFE-CHANGING LOVE. You can’t be bad enough to shake it. You can’t be good enough to earn it.  If you have surrendered your life to Jesus, nothing in all of creation will ever separate you from God’s love. 

Even when you and I are at our worst, God still loves. So live thankfully. Live with gratitude.

In the few moments after  Kristy and I said “I DO” and were announced as Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Donahue…

Kristy and I exited the Worship Center, turned the corner, and we were alone, I looked at her, pulled her tight and close, and began to sob. I was overwhelmed that she married me! I didn’t feel lovable.  

Yet she loved me and had just committed to remain at my side for better or worse, in sickness and in health, until the day we are separated by death.  She could have married anybody else, but she chose me. Her love humbled me and created a debt of gratitude in my heart.  

With these nine men, Jesus loved them so much that even though the nine did not return to give thanks, they still lived under the influence of grace and mercy for the remainder of their days.

You can experience that type of grace and mercy today.  Just as the 10 Lepers were changed on the outside, you can be forgiven for your sins and transformed on the inside.