Scripture for April 29th: I Thessalonians 5:12-23

Sermon Title: Care For Self, Not Just For Others

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I heard a preacher say recently, “I would rather burn out than to rust out.” He was speaking about working hard and “burning out” versus hardly working at all. Although I believe the Bible teaches us to work hard, God does not expect us to work so hard that we are not able to maintain our relationship with Him or others. This is one of the greatest hindrances to good relationships in our lives – the way we live our lives and the stress it brings to us and those around us. We need to learn how to “de-stress” our lives so that we can build better relationships.

The passage above tells us that life is not about working harder or “accomplishing” more. Rather, life is about experiencing such a relationship with God that we actually live “blameless” and in peace. It is not a life where we desire more and more, but a life of contentment, that gives “thanks in all circumstances.” Do you live a life like that? Or is your life filled with the stress of working harder, doing more, worrying all the time and never feeling content? If it is, then your relationships will be hurt.

Dr. Gary Smalley speaks to this in his book, “The DNA of Relationships” when he writes the following: “When you love God with every part of your being, he fills you up to overflowing with his amazing love. Out of that overflow, you give to others. This is the balanced life, the only kind of life worth living. But notice something crucial: If you don’t take care of yourself, you have no overflow. Without an overflow, you find it very hard to take care of others—and almost impossible to obey Jesus’ command to love God with all your heart.”

This coming Sunday we will discuss how to take care of ourselves by decreasing stress in our lives using Biblical principles as we continue to sermon series, “DNA of Relationships.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Apr. 22nd: Galatians 6:4-10

Sermon Title: Accept Responsibility, Not Blame

Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

“The devil made me do it.” That is a popular expression some use to attempt to relieve themselves of responsibility for their actions. Of course, no one “makes” us do anything – we are all responsible for our actions and cannot blame anyone else for what we do or don’t do. The Apostle Paul speaks to this when he writes, “a man reaps what he sows.” Our actions always bring consequences (good or bad) and no excuse can change this fact. But if we assume responsibility for our actions and live as God has called us to live no matter what others may do, we will then reap a “harvest” of blessing.

Dr. Gary Smalley writes in his book, The DNA of Relationships, about how taking responsibility for one’s actions also improves our relationships with others: Take control of your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Whenever you focus your attention on what the other person is doing, you take away your own power. You make yourself weak. In focusing on the other, you try to control things you can’t control. For that reason it’s an exercise in total futility, inefficiency, and ineffectiveness. How much better to have some say in the matter! How much more effective to take control of something you can actually control! When you focus on yourself rather than on the other person, you vastly increase your odds of being able to enjoy some impact and influence over the relationship problem that bothers you.

This coming Sunday we will discuss how we can take better responsibility for our actions by controlling our feelings, looking to God for ultimate contentment and utilizing forgiveness in our relationships as we continue the sermon series, “The DNA of Relationships.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for April 15th: Luke 10:25-37

Sermon Title: Bless, Not Hurt

“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

“I have no friends.” A man once told me this, claiming he had no real relationships outside of his pet dog. But in truth he had a relationship with his barber, store sales clerk and mail person, though as limited as these relationships were. And he had relationships with those in his church and me, his pastor. You see, he had relationships with others because everyone has relationships.

Dr. Gary Smalley makes this same point in this book, “The DNA of Relationships,” when he writes the following: “Relationships are not an option. From the moment you’re born, you’re in relationship with parents. Soon you’re in relationship with other children. Later you have relationships in the workplace, and you develop relationships with close friends. And eventually most people develop a relationship with someone they deeply love. When a relationship becomes difficult or painful, we tend to dismiss the relationship and may for a while try to abandon all relationships. But eventually we come back and seek connection once again. While we can choose how we will participate in relationships, we have no choice about whether we will participate in them. This is a critical point. Your only real choice is whether you will work to make your relationships healthy, whether you will do things that hinder or enhance them.”

No matter who you are, you are in relationship with others. Are those relationships healthy? Christ showed us the basis for healthy relationships in the parable above: first, and foremost, our relationships must be based on our personal relationship with God. Secondly, we must understand that we were created with the capacity to choose to be in right relationship with others. And thirdly, we must be willing to take responsibility for our own actions. We will talk more about each of these points as we begin the sermon series, “The DNA of Relationships” this coming Sunday. Hope to see you then!

Scripture for April 8th, Easter Sunday: Matthew 28:1-10; 16-17

Sermon Title: Victory Over Death

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

As we celebrate Easter this coming Sunday, we first to pause to remember the death of Christ on Good Friday. May this poem and prayer provided by Mike Mauk help you to do this:

The sun rose higher and higher. Time oozed out like the blood that dripped from the cross. Jesus opened his eyes and saw his mother standing there and John beside her. He called out the name of John, who came closer. And Jesus said, “You will take care of her, John.” And John, choked with tears, put his arm around the shoulders of Mary. Jesus said to his mother, “He will be your son.” His lips were parched, and he spoke with difficulty. He moved his head against the hard wood of the cross as a sick man moves his head on a hot pillow. A thunderstorm was blowing up from the mountains, and the clouds hid the sun. It was strangely dark. The people looked up at the sky and became frightened. Women took little children by the hand and hurried back to the city before the storm would break. It was an uncanny darkness. It had never been as dark before. Something terrible must be about to happen. Women stood praying for Jesus and for the thieves. The centurion was silent, although every now and then he would look up at Jesus with a strange look in his eye. The soldiers were silent, too. Their gambling was over. They had won and lost. Suddenly Jesus opened his eyes and gave a loud cry. The gladness in his voice startled all who heard it, for it sounded like a shout of victory. “It is finished. Father. Into thy hands I commend my spirit.” And with that cry he died.

Catalog of Witnesses

Now we were all there that day on the top of the hill: the friends of Jesus and his enemies. The church people, they were there, as well as the people who never went to church. The priests were there. And the scribes, the greedy Sadducees, the hypocrites, the proud Pharisees, with their robes, their broad bordered phylacteries on which golden bells were sewn with golden thread— they were there, drawing their robes more tightly around them and standing with arms folded approvingly. They were there. The people who were always talking about the church and always talking about the Lord, the pious people on whose lips there were always glib quotations from the Scriptures—they were there. The unbelievers were standing beside them. The harlots were there, and their customers were there. They were all there. Simon of Cyrene was there, and the soldiers, too. Peter was there, and John and Andrew and James and Thomas and Philip and Matthew and Bartholomew. They were all there.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

When we consider who were there, and when we are honest with ourselves, we know that we were there and that we helped to put Christ there. Because every attitude present on that hilltop that day is present in our midst now. Every emotion that tugs the human heart then, tugs the human heart still. Every face that was there is here too. Every voice that shouted then is shouting still. Every human being was represented on Calvary. Every sin was in a nail or the point of a spear or the thorns. And pardon for them all was in the blood that was shed. Nineteen hundred years have passed away. But the range of the centuries with our callused tears have not yet washed away the blood from the rotting wood of a deserted cross. Nor have the winds covered his footprints in the sands of Judea. Calvary still stands, and you and I erect the cross again and again and again every time we sin. The hammer blows are still echoing somewhere in the caverns in your heart and mine. Every time we deny him, every time we sin against him or fail to do what he commanded, he is being crucified again and again and again.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? I was. Were you?

O God of our souls, how many times have we promised to love you and again we have turned our backs on you. O by that love with which you died for us on the cross, grant us sorrow for our sins, the grace to love you, and to ever turn to you in times of temptation, trial, and tribulation. Amen

May you remember and give thanks for the death of Christ and the forgiveness that we receive through His death this week. And come help us celebrate His resurrection this coming Sunday as we conclude our sermon series, “The Victorious King.” Hope to see you and your loved ones then!