Wednesday, May 29, 2013

A Master Workman


In the books of Proverbs, we get a picture of Jesus as a craftsman. Now it’s true, at one time in his life, he was a carpenter. But in these verses, we see him doing more advanced work.

You might not expect to find Jesus in the book of Proverbs. Most of the time we meet him in the Gospels. But here he is, “hiding out” in the Old Testament. The chapter begins by talking about wisdom. Wisdom is personified. Wisdom speaks as though it’s a person. For example, in verse 12, Wisdom says, “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence, I possess knowledge and discretion.” But then, in verse 22, as wisdom talks, it starts to sound like Jesus. And by the time the chapter is over, you know for sure that this is Jesus that is talking. And that’s not a coincidence. The Bible tells us that wisdom isn’t just a concept – it’s a person – Christ is wisdom, and wisdom is Christ.

When we picture Jesus Christ, we almost always picture him as the Son of God who started his work after his Christmas birth. But according to the Bible, Jesus was working long before the first Christmas. Look at verse 22: “I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.” Jesus existed before the world began. Verse 23: “When there were no oceans, I was given birth.” Or verse 24: “Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth.”

We confess that truth in our Nicene Creed, when we say that we believe in Jesus Christ, who was “begotten of his Father before all worlds.” God the Father and God the Son existed together before they made the world. They were closely united together, before the world was made. Now on one hand we acknowledge the deep mystery here, but on the other hand, do you see how God is described? Before creation, God existed in a relationship. That’s not too terribly hard to understand. We get relationships. Well, the God of the Bible tells us He has always lived in a relationship from Father to Son with the Spirit. It is that relationship idea that keeps a discussion about the Trinity from being just an exercise in wordplay. It is that relationship that helps us understand  who He is.

For instance, many people picture Jesus as the Savior of all mankind, and that’s it. But the Bible tells us here in Proverbs and in other places (like the first chapter of John) that He was also involved in the creation of the world. Verse 27: “I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep…” Verse 30: “I was the craftsman at his side.” Jesus was the craftsman, the skilled worker, crafting the world alongside of God the Father, the two of them, as one God, working closely together. The Father speaking; and Christ, the water of life, crafting the lakes and the oceans. The Father speaking, and Christ, the rock of salvation, crafting the hills and mountains. And notice how Jesus felt after he was finished crafting his creation, verse 30: “I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in the whole world, and delighting in mankind.” What an absolutely beautiful picture this is of Father and Son working in relationship with each other, and out of their love creating a world…creating us…delighting in mankind.

And yet, that delight, that love for us would cost God dearly. Wisdom would be put to the test. Because it was not enough for man and woman to be the object of God’s delight. They doubted His words. They wanted to know what He knew. They believed a lie. They crossed the boundary. Their decision introduced the sickness of sin and the cold certainty of death into the created world. They rejected the relationship they had been created for. The actions of Adam and Eve have set the standards for sin and death ever since—doubting God’s Word. Wanting to be God. Looking for love in all the wrong places. Prioritizing God right out of life. If the Bible is right, and Jesus is wisdom, then it looks like we don’t got very much.
 And so, after crafting the world, Jesus set about to craft something else – our salvation.

Verse 31 of this passage tells us why Christ was willing to die for us. It’s because he “delighted in mankind.” That’s his inexplicable love the Bible calls grace. In verse 35, Jesus says, “Whoever finds me finds life, and receives favor from the Lord.” And that’s absolutely true. But it sounds so easy. The fact is, the blueprint that Jesus followed when he crafted our salvation was a very difficult one. He had to stop being the craftsman AT THE FATHER’S SIDE. He had to leave His Father’s side and go to the cross. There on the cross, Jesus was separated from his Heavenly Father. Jesus even expressed that when he said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” This was the real pain of the crucifixion—not the nails, not the struggle to breathe, but breaking of relationship. Father and Son had created together; they had delighted in mankind. But as he hung from the cross, the Father turned his back on him. That’s how Christ crafted our salvation – by allowing himself to be torn away from his Father’s side, dying as a sacrifice for sins. For our sins.

It’s been said that great things aren’t made without great sacrifice. We are rapidly approaching the 69th anniversary of D-Day, when thousands of soldiers sacrificed themselves as they stormed the beaches of France. You could say that each one of those soldiers was a craftsman, and what they crafted was freedom. And they did that by sacrificing their lives.

The “Christian D-Day” was Good Friday. On that day, Christ stormed the hill of Calvary. He was a man, but he was also God from eternity, and there on that hill he crafted our salvation by sacrificing his life.

Then the Father raised his Son from the dead on Easter morning, and forty days later, Jesus ascended into heaven, and what happened there? Do you see it? He took his place at his Father’s side again, the Architect and the Craftsman reunited. Today the Father and the Son share the Holy Spirit with you, who works in you, once again like a craftsman. What is it that the Holy Spirit crafts inside of you? It’s your faith. And what does faith do? It brings you into relationship with the God who is a relationship, so that you can know what it means to be perfectly, completely, sacrificially loved.


Adapted from a sermon by Don Schultz

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Clear Communication


The Day of Pentecost recorded in the book of Acts is a demonstration of what the Holy Spirit does and what he enables human beings to do. The Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus and enables people like you and me to believe that is Jesus is the Son of God. On top of that, He creates in us the ability and the desire to communicate the truth about Jesus. All of these things that the Holy Spirit does are nothing less than miracles.

I say that because communication is normally a problem. It is an ongoing challenge in relationships. Organizations struggle to communicate effectively. Just because the message is sent does not mean that it is received and understood.

For example, I just read about a recent tourism publication from the City of Jerusalem. Boldly proclaimed on the front of the brochure were these words: “Jerusalem! There is no such city!” Tens of thousands of copies had been distributed before the mistake was realized—the correct translation? “Jerusalem--there’s no city like it!”

Here’s a few other mistranslations from around the world:

• In a Tokyo hotel: Is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not person to do such thing is please not to read this notice.

• In an advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist: "Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists".

• When translated into Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin’ good" became "eat your fingers off".

• In a Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them in all directions.

• in a hotel in Athens: Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 A.M. daily

• In A Serbian hotel elevator: To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.

 On a good day, communication is difficult. The Bible tells us why.  In today’s Old Testament lesson, we are taken to the tower of Babel, where we see people united by culture and language conspiring to disobey God. He had told them to move out into the world he had made and settle new parts of it. Instead, they decided they liked it just fine where they were at, and started building a tower that would stand as a monument to their own ingenuity. God stops this plan in its tracks by scrambling their common language. Confusion and lack of communication becomes the standard, and has been ever since. Even though we live in the so-called Information Age, it seems harder than ever to say what we mean and mean what we say.

 An old marketing adage says that you have to send a message seven times before the average person starts hearing you—and we are so bombarded with messages today that some researchers now think that we’re talking 70 times before your message gets through. All of which is to say that it is very difficult to communicate well, and the Bible says it is impossible for us to communicate God’s truth without His guidance. That’s where the Holy Spirit steps in.

What started at the tower of Babel—communication confusion—the Holy Spirit starts reversing in Jerusalem on the day described in Acts 2. People who normally were separated by culture and language were hearing the actions of God proclaimed in words they could understand! The Holy Spirit translated the speech of the apostles so that everyone could hear the message of Jesus. The Holy Spirit cut through the confusion with a clear presentation of Jesus as saving Messiah and giver of eternal life. The Holy Spirit makes it possible to believe that Jesus lived a perfect life, laid it down as a sacrifice, and returned to life and that He took those actions for you. With all the static and chaos issuing from my own soul, it is truly a miracle that I could believe this about Jesus. And yet, I do. The credit goes to the Holy Spirit and the wonderful clarity that he brings.

In the final analysis, that is how you can know if the Holy Spirit is at work in your life. It is not a matter of hearing a rushing wind blow through your home. It is not a matter of seeing a flame flickering above your head. It is not a matter of whether or not you have spoken a language you never learned. It’s not even a matter of how you feel on a given day. All you need ask is, “Do I believe that Jesus is God’s Son and my Savior from eternal death? Do I believe that Jesus went to a cross and came out of a tomb to make things right between God and me?” If you believe that, then you can know without a doubt that the Holy Spirit is actively working in you, creating the miracle of faith, writing the story of Jesus continually in your heart. That you would hear and respond to God’s voice, with all the deception and distraction that’s out there, is evidence that the Holy Spirit is going about doing what he does. He replaces what used to be there in us with something far better.

A preacher once described it like this: He held up a glass and asked, "How can I get the air out of this glass?" One man shouted, "Suck it out with a pump!" The pastor replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass." After numerous other suggestions the preacher smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed." He then went on to explain that victory in the Christian life is not accomplished by "sucking out a sin here and there," but by being filled with the Holy Spirit. 

What this means for us as a church is really pretty simple. If the Holy Spirit is present in this place—if he is present in us—then our calling card will be the clear and consistent communication of Christ as our Savior from sin and Lord of Life. We will care about being faithful to Jesus’ teaching. We will have an urgent desire to share our clear communication of Christ with those who need it most, and we will do what it takes to make it happen. We will live it. We will put our money where our mouth is. And we will do this with great wonder and joy, marveling that the Holy Spirit would choose us to tell the mighty works of God.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

A Woman of Noble Character


Robert Ingersoll was an agnostic lecturer who drew great crowds in the mid-to-late 1800s. Long before it was culturally cool to be anti-Christian, he would speak before amazing numbers of people, many of whom paid $1 for the privilege, a huge sum at the time. Well, one day two college students went to hear Ingersoll’s presentation. And as they walked down the street after the lecture, one said to the other, “Well, I guess he knocked the props out from under Christianity, didn’t he?” The other said, “No; no, I don’t think he did. Ingersoll did not explain my mother’s life, and until he can explain my mother’s life I will stand by my mother’s God.”

Today we pause to give thanks for mothers (and others) in whom we have seen the reality of God. We give thanks for parents and grandparents; aunts and uncles who have shown us what faithfulness looks like. Think back. Someone carried you to the baptismal font. Someone taught you the Christian faith in word and deed. Whoever those people were, we owe them a debt of gratitude that really cannot be repaid.

What a different story it is when we fail to be God-fearing parents. What a sad story when we don’t show love for those who gave us life and nurtured us through the years. Although we can become forgetful and uncaring, God calls some of us to be Christian parents, and He calls all of us to honor father and mother.

I’d like to read you a passage from the end of the book of Proverbs. The section is sometimes called “A Woman of Noble Character.” You’ll see why in a moment. As you listen to these inspired words, I’d like for you to see if you recognize any of these qualities in the women God has placed in your life. I’d also like for you, whether you are a mother, father, son or daughter, younger or older, to see how well you measure up to the noble character Scripture describes here.

10 [a]A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.15 She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Do you know some women like that? Thank God if you do. Did you hear that one line: “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” That’s where we all can zoom in. Any person who fears the Lord is to be praised. Do you who are parents consistently show a deep reverence for God and His holy things to your kids? Do you who are children always show great care and respect for how God says we should live? Do you who believe God’s Word and trust in Jesus take your status as an ambassador for Him seriously? The fear of the Lord, is it visible in your life? In other words, is it clear to everyone who sees you that God’s ways are your ways; that Jesus is your number one priority? If you answered “no,” to any of those questions, congratulations—at least you are honest. I mean it. If you’re sitting there thinking you’re not half the father you should be; that it’s just not in you to be a godly mother; or I haven’t been the greatest son or daughter; or even a very trustworthy, dependable friend, I actually have good news for you. If you’re willing to be honest with God, He can work with you. It starts with the work He has done for you.

Where we fail in our responsibilities, Jesus took responsibility for all our sins and paid for them on the cross. Where we fail to love well, Jesus loved perfectly by sacrificing his own needs for yours. Where we fail to exercise Godly leadership in our homes, Jesus led by serving. Jesus did these things to forgive all your sins. You’ve made mistakes as a mom? They’re forgiven in the blood of Jesus. You’ve messed up as a dad? You’re forgiven and can start over again today. You’ve disobeyed your parents and disrespected them with your choices? Jesus forgives you, and you have another shot to get it right. This is the Gospel—the work Jesus has done and is doing for you. When you believe this Gospel, you can get things right, you can have this noble character, you can fear the Lord, wanting to honor Him with your life more than anything else that drives you. After all, look at everything he went through just to be in your life.

American author Washington Irving once wrote: “The love of a mother is never exhausted. It never changes—it never tires—it endures through all; in good repute, in bad repute, in the face of the world’s condemnation, a mother’s love still lives on.”

If you’ve received that kind of love from your mother, say a prayer of thanks today.
If you can’t say that, though, take heart. The love of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is never exhausted. It never changes—it never tires. It endures through all; in good repute, in bad repute, in the face of the world’s condemnation, God’s love still lives on. His children rise up and call Him blessed.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Confirmation Sunday


In the opening pages of his autobiography, "An American Life," Ronald Reagan writes, “I was raised to believe that God had a plan for everyone and that seemingly random twists of fate are all a part of His plan. My mother told me that everything in life happened for a purpose. She said all things were part of God’s plan, even the most disheartening setbacks, and in the end, everything worked out for the best. If something went wrong, she said, you didn’t let it get you down: You stepped away from it, stepped over it, and moved on. Later on, she added, something good will happen and you’ll find yourself thinking -- ’If I hadn’t had that problem back then, then this better thing that did happen wouldn’t have happened to me.’ After I lost the job at Montgomery Ward, I left home again in search of work. Although I didn’t know it then, I was beginning a journey that would take me a long way from Dixon, Illinois, and fulfill all my dreams and then some. My mother, as usual, was right.”
Call them what you want--setbacks, roadblocks, Plan Bs—eventually they happen to each of us. At the time, they only seem like a loss, a defeat. I’m sure that when Ronald Reagan lost his Montgomery Ward’s job he didn’t celebrate. Yet as his mother pointed out, that negative thing paved the way for something better. People who believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit believe His promise; that “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” It sometimes takes quite a bit of God-given faith, though, to really trust that the wall I just ran into is God’s way of re-directing me. But that’s what faith does. It looks at the roadblock and says, “All right, Lord, where are we going now?”
For evidence of the power of Plan B, look no further than today’s first reading. The life of the Apostle Paul was a series of Plan Bs—beginning with his conversion and continuing on through ministry teams falling apart, shipwrecks and house arrest. You almost get the sense, reading the book of Acts, that nothing went according to Paul’s plan. And yet everything went according to God’s plan, and Paul learned to live with it.
We have an excellent example of that dynamic in this passage from Acts 16. Paul, Silas, and Timothy had their own travel itinerary, but we learn here that the Holy Spirit had other plans. God wanted them to head to Macedonia, going so far as to send Paul a vision of a man requesting their help. Clearly, Paul had learned to live by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, because it says that the group set out for the Macedonian region “immediately,” concluding that God had called them to preach the Gospel there. Let me just stop the story for a second to ask you: Is the Holy Spirit prompting you to help someone today? Is there a request for help that has reached your ears—a situation that you know you could bring the Gospel to—that the Spirit is quietly drawing you towards? Will you respond with the faithfulness demonstrated by Paul, Silas, and Timothy?
Back to the travelers—when they arrive in Phillipi, God’s Plan B begins to come into focus. There, at the riverside, they meet a woman named Lydia. Lydia was a pretty interesting woman. She was a “worshipper of God”—a phrase used to describe non-Jews who had come to believe that God of Israel was the true God. She was a business owner—and a fairly successful one at that, since purple goods were highly sought after, expensive items. Best of all, as Paul shared the good news of Jesus with her, the Lord opened her heart to receive his gifts, and she, along with her family, was baptized. Filled with the new life of Christ, she is also moved to extend hospitality to the missionary team, and her home likely became a makeshift sanctuary for Philippian Christians. Here is the power of Plan B in motion. The original frustration of Paul and company not going where they had wanted to go gave way to a call for help—and the outcome was the salvation of Lydia and her family. This was not the result of some great strategy or program, just a few men who were open to the direction of the Holy Spirit and faithfully went where He said to go. Do you and I have that same openness today? Or have we learned how to ignore that still, small voice that says, “Go and help people in My name?” Now there’s something to think about.
Today, five of our young people are going to confirm that they still possess the gift of faith that was given to them in baptism. They are going to confirm that this faith has grown as they have learned the Word of God. They are going to confirm their intention to remain in this faith until it becomes sight. In fact they are going to confirm that they would rather die than fall away from Jesus. Sound intense? That’s because it is! It’s a huge statement for anyone to make, and they’re making it, here, today, before God and family and church. Please pray for these young people, that they would remain faithful to the Lord Jesus; that they would be open to God’s Plan B’s for their lives; that they would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit leading them on life’s journey, and as you do that, why not renew your own confirmation? Why not renew your commitment to the Word of God and openness to the Holy Spirit?
After all, it is through that Word that the Holy Spirit goes to work. The Word and Spirit confront us with our sins and the death sentence that is deservedly ours. The same Word and Spirit offer God’s solution; it is Jesus, who would stand in the way of punishment for us on the cross and assume our debt--all of it; leaving us forgiven and free. The same Word and Spirit promise an eternal connection to the risen Son of God, meaning victory over death! The same Word and Spirit promises that all things are working together for good for you and that the Lord will shepherd you through every roadblock you experience. If the Holy Spirit has opened your heart to believe these promises, give thanks today, because you own the greatest treasures a person can have!
Today we pray that God would put up walls for us to run into—just like with Paul—and that with each wall we run into we ask, “What’s God’s will here?” and that at every turn he would make us open to the Holy Spirit and sensitive to the cries for help. Because it’s not our plans that matter—it’s the people the Lord places in our path. Let’s serve them in Jesus’ name and leave the plans to Him.