To Know Who You Are

Matthew 4: 1 – 11.

Introduction.

I don’t know if this is a true story or not.  …

When George Herbert Walker Bush was president of the United States of America, he took an afternoon to visit in a nursing home.  It was a big event for most of the residents.  They had the opportunity to meet the current president of the United States. 

After several minutes of shaking hands with the men and hugging the necks of the women, one of the nursing home employees pointed out a frail woman sitting in a wheel chair off by herself.  She was obviously not as interested in seeing President Bush as the other residents were.  But she was also very lonely. 

The nursing home employee spoke quietly to the President about the woman and sent the president over to speak to her.

President Bush approached very calmly and quietly.  He gently placed his hand on the woman’s shoulder and slowly knelt down to speak to her face to face.  When the woman turned and looked into the president’s face, President Bush spoke, “Do you know who I am?”

The woman replied, “No.  But if you ask the nice lady at the desk, she can tell you.”

Perhaps that is a good question for each of us to think about this morning…Do you know who you are?  I mean what makes you who you are…What is you purpose in life…Why are you even here on earth?  (Someone should write a book about that…)

It is also a good question for us to ask of our church…Do you know who we are as a church?  I mean what makes us the church that we are…What is our purpose in life…Why is First Baptist Church even here on earth?

As a church, we are currently involved in One Focus.  We are encouraging all our members to focus on one person…To identify one person who needs to know Jesus as their Lord…To love that one person…To serve that one person…To pray for that one person…To invite that one person to hear the Gospel in our church.

This One Focus vision grows out of Jesus’ last words to his disciples in Matthew 28: 18 – 20.  We know this as the Great Commission:  All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.

This is who we are!  We are disciples of Jesus.  This is what God has called us to do!  We are called to make disciples of other men and women (and nations).  This is the reason we are still on this earth!

When we describe the purpose for our church, we have to do two things simultaneously.  On one hand, we state in positive terms the things we will DO.  On the other hand, we state in negative terms the things we will NOT DO.  In other words, if we want to remain faithful to our Mission, then we must learn how to say YES to some opportunities and say NO to other opportunities.  In other words we have to make choices about who we are and how we live out our Mission in the world.

I wish these choices were as easy as choosing between Right and Wrong…Or Good and Bad.  Most of our choices are difficult choices between Right and Acceptable…What God wants us to Do and Everybody Will Understand…Good and God’s Best…

This is the definition of a temptation.  We are faced with a choice between Good and God’s Best…The Right Thing and Everybody Will Understand…

Today I want to take an honest look at the temptations that might distract us or prevent us from accomplishing our God-Given Mission. 

I would like to direct your attention to a story in the New Testament that illustrates our temptations… The temptations that Jesus faced.

Read Matthew 4: 1 – 11.

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ [fn1] ”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

 

“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,

and they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ [fn2] ”

 

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ [fn3] ”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ [fn4] ”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Jesus Rejected Serving Himself.

The first temptation centered on Messiah’s ability to provide food…After 40 days of fasting in the desert, Jesus was hungry.  This is perhaps the greatest understatement in the entire Bible…Jesus wasn’t hungry, Jesus was STARVING.  He was weak with hunger like none of us have ever experienced before.  And Satan approached Jesus at his weakest point.

Satan said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

It is interesting how Satan said this to Jesus.  It looks to us that Satan is questioning Jesus’ authority and ability to work miracles by saying “If you are the Son of God.”  But that is not the case at all.  The choice of Greek words illustrates a subtle difference in meaning that could actually be translated into English as, “Since you are the Son of God.”

This translation fits with a theme that we see throughout the Gospels.  Satan was the first person in all of the Gospel to recognize Jesus for who he truly is, the Son of God. 

Satan is not testing Jesus to see if he truly is the Son of God.  Satan is testing Jesus BECAUSE he is the Son of God…And Satan wants to know if Jesus will remain faithful to his calling.  This was an attempt to manipulate Jesus into sinning and thus failing in God’s intention for Jesus to be a sinless offering that takes away the sins of the world.

But there must be something more to this than just food.  What is so sinful about turning stones to bread?

Satan was appealing to a common belief or expectation concerning the promised Messiah.  It was commonly expected that when the Messiah came, he would provide food for those who were without.  Jesus did perform this miracle later in his ministry by feeding 5000, and Jesus will do it in the coming Kingdom. 

But for Jesus to perform this miracle at this particular point in his ministry would have been wrong.  There was no one else around for Jesus to feed…It would have been self-serving.  This was too early for God’s plan… It was the Right thing, but at the Wrong time.

Jesus refused to be a Welfare Messiah by appealing to something more important.  Food is not the only thing that people need to survive.  God’s word is even more important. 

Jesus refused to serve himself.  Yes, he was hungry.  Yes, he needed food to live.  BUT, this was not the most important thing at this point in Jesus’ life.  The most important thing was for Jesus to hear and obey the word of God.

I see a connection here between what Jesus said about God’s word and how we understand God’s will.  In a purely Hebrew understanding, the words that come out of a person’s mouth reveal their inner thoughts and character.  (Is that a scary thought?  The words you speak reveal who you are on the inside.)

And the words that God has spoken reveal God’s character…God’s intentions…God’s purposes…And God’s will for all his people…  For this reason, God’s word is more important to us than food!

If we apply this to our church, we can say that turning the stone into bread is like doing things to insure our self-preservation as a church.  BUT, if we focus all our efforts into surviving, how can we really accomplish God’s will for our church?  We need to put things in the opposite order.  Surviving is not really our responsibility.  It is God’s responsibility to help us survive.  Our job is to do God’s work and to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission!

Jesus Rejected Entertaining the World.

The second temptation focused on having Jesus to jump from the pinnacle of the Temple.

Again, Satan tried to manipulate Jesus by confessing, “Since you are the Son of God.”  But in this case, Satan made reference to Scripture.  He quoted from Psalm 91, a familiar passage about the ways that God offers his provision and his protection to God’s own children.  But the verse in question refers to how God protects us when we stumble, not when we intentionally jump.

At its root, this temptation was for Jesus to attract a crowd by performing a spectacular miracle.  Since the Temple was in the middle of downtown Jerusalem, and people were constantly walking around doing business and shopping in the crowded marketplace, Jesus would have attracted a lot of attention by performing this stunt.  If Jesus had staged a jump and rescue, he would have won many converts.  But Jesus didn’t come to perform for our entertainment.  NO!  Jesus came to suffer and die in order to offer us forgiveness and salvation.

To become a Performing Arts Messiah would be to avoid suffering.  Jesus would have sacrificed God’s plan of salvation for human entertainment.  God’s plan was for people to discover who Jesus really is through his suffering and humiliation, not through a manufactured stunt.

If Jesus had given in to this temptation, he would have been manipulating God.  Forcing God to prove his love and protection by stepping out of his will.  Of course it would have attracted a large crowd of followers.

In order that Jesus could become the kind of Messiah that God had called him to become, Jesus had to say NO to the kinds of gimmicks and stunts that would have brought in a big crowd of followers.

If we apply this to our church, we can say jumping from the pinnacle of the Temple is like performing gimmicks to bring people into the church for the wrong reasons.  On one hand, if we can bring people into the church to watch a circus clown ride a motorcycle across a high wire, should we be happy that they came to church?  On the other hand, if it takes a motorcycle riding clown to bring people into the church, what will it take to keep them in the church?

               

Jesus Rejected Instant Gratification.

The Third temptation focused on worshipping Satan.  This is the most ironic of all the temptations.

Satan offered Jesus something that Jesus would eventually have.  In the coming Kingdom, all Heaven and earth will worship Jesus alone…Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the Glory of God the Father.

The temptation here is to seek instant gratification rather than wait on God.  To accept Satan’s offer would again be to avoid the cross.  And it would have compromised Jesus’ loyalty to the Father.  It would also have resulted in our destruction, leaving us no hope for salvation

In order that Jesus could become the kind of Messiah that God had called him to become, Jesus had to say NO to doing things the way the world suggests and getting everything at the beginning of his life.

Conclusion.

The temptations of Jesus can be summarized into one basic temptation.  When Jesus came face to face with Satan, he came face to face with the possibility of either fulfilling his God-Given Mission or becoming exactly what the world was looking for. 

Sometimes I imagine myself in the George Bush story.  Sometimes I imagine our church in the story.  “Do you know who I am?”  No.  But if you look to Jesus, he can tell you who you are.

Are you willing to listen to his answer to that question?  Are you willing to live out that calling personally and as a church?

Last week, my family traveled to Branson, Missouri to spend Christmas with my Mississippi family.  Instead of driving to Mississippi to visit them or having them travel to Texas to visit us, we decided to meet in Branson.  We drove up on Wednesday (the day after Christmas).  If you remember what the weather was like on Wednesday, you remember that Arkansas was frozen solid.

We were supposed to drive to Little Rock and then up to Branson.  But, we decided not to drive through Arkansas.  So, we stopped in Texarkana and bought a map larger than our iPhone maps and figured out how to avoid Arkansas, drive through eastern Oklahoma, and add three hours to our family time in the car.

At one point, we stopped at a gas station in a little town—I think it was Idabel, Oklahoma.  There was a deputy sheriff pumping gas in his four wheel drive pickup.  I walked up to him and asked about the road conditions between there and Branson.  He answered my questions and told us what we could expect.  Without thinking about what I was saying, I said to the deputy… 

“I don’t know where I am; and I don’t know where I’m going; but I think I’m making good time.”

                That may be a good way to spend your vacation, but it’s not a good way to live.  I don’t want my life to be like that in 2013, and I don’t want our church to be like that.

I want us to know who we are as a church and where we are going.  We are disciples of Jesus who are called to make more disciples.  And, the way we are going to get there is by focusing on one person at a time.

How Christmas Changed the World

How Christmas Changed the World

Matthew 1: 18 – 25.

Introduction

Christmas is an interesting holiday.  Christmas is a Christian holy day and the day we set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Son of God.  It is also a secular holiday…the banks are closed, the Post Office is closed, most businesses are closed and the schools take a two week break.  Christmas contains elements of both the sacred and the secular.

As a Christian holy day, Christmas brings special worship services for the four Sundays of Advent and Christmas Eve.  We set up manger scenes depicting the birth of Jesus and we read the biblical accounts of Jesus’ birth from the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke.  As a secular holiday, Christmas brings parades, lights, trees, Santa Claus and a general celebration of the winter season.

Christians rightfully get defensive when secular Christmas celebration encroaches into the sacred.  We say things like, “Keep Christ in Christmas,” and, “Christmas is a Christian holiday.”  Both of these sentiments are true and right.  Christians should observe Christmas as a sacred, Christian holy day and defend against secular encroachment.

 Of course, this is often easier said than done.  Christmas is complicated, because we observe Christmas on December 25.  Have you ever wondered why Christmas Day is on December 25?  There are two theories about how this came about.

The most popular theory is that the ancient world was already celebrating the winter solstice on December 25.  Since this was already a popular celebration, Christians joined in the celebration by adopting the same date for Christmas and the birth of Jesus.

This is a very intriguing theory, but it is still nothing more than a theory.  There is no historical evidence that it is true.  (And, how do we account for the fact that the winter solstice happens on December 21, not December 25.  That raises another question about how December 25 became a special day instead of December 21.)

It is historically true that the earliest Christians did not celebrate Christmas.  They did not even have a holy day to acknowledge the birth of Jesus.  Many of the earliest Christians avoided celebrating Jesus’ birth, because they thought it was too much like their pagan neighbors who celebrated the birthdays of their numerous gods.  Instead, the early Christians preferred to celebrate Easter—the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

The New Testament Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all tell the story of the life and ministry of Jesus.  Interestingly, all four of these Gospels describe the crucifixion and resurrection.  However, only two Gospels (Matthew and Luke) describe the birth of Jesus.  All four Gospels also tell us exactly when the crucifixion and resurrection took place—it took place during the Jewish Passover, a specific date on the calendar.  But, neither Matthew nor Luke tells us when Jesus was born.

This has led to a great deal of speculation about when Jesus was born.  Some people find a clue in the Lukan story about shepherds watching their flocks by night.  This might indicate a time during the Spring of the year.  December might be too cold to sleep in the open air.  And, during the Spring, the flock would need around the clock attention as new lambs were being born.

The other theory about December 25 comes from an ancient Jewish belief about the great prophets.  Ancient Jews believed that all the great prophets died on the same day of their conception.  One suggested date for Jesus’ crucifixion is March 25 in the year 29.  If Jesus was conceived on March 25, then his birthday would be nine months later…December 25.[1]  This leads some historians to conclude that December 25 started out as a Christian holy day which was later adopted by the culture at large as a winter celebration instead of December 21.

The fact remains, we do not know when Jesus was born.  The New Testament tells us that Jesus was born but does not give us a date or even the season of the year.  I believe it is enough to say that Jesus was born, even if we don’t know when he was born.  Because the birth of Jesus changed the world…

Matthew 1: 18 – 25.

 18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, [fn3] because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” —which means, “God with us.”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

We didn’t read all of Matthew chapter 1.  In some ways, it is a difficult chapter to read…Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.  It is a genealogy.  But this is no ordinary genealogy…It is the genealogy of Jesus.  And, Matthew goes to great lengths to demonstrate for us that Jesus is the son of Abraham, the son of David, and the Son of God.

What we read in verses 18 – 25 doesn’t sound like a genealogy, so we might be tempted to say the genealogy is over.  But, it is not over.  Matthew introduced this section in verse 18 by telling us literally, “This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ…”  In other words, Matthew is helping us to answer the question, “How can a man who is a son of Abraham and a son of David also be the Son of God?”

There is a relatively simple answer to this question.  We can know that Jesus was the Son of God, because of the virgin birth.

Virgin Birth / Son of God

To say that Jesus is a son of Abraham is to say that Jesus can trace his ancestry all the way back to Abraham.  This is another way of saying that Jesus is a legitimate Jew.  He had a pure Jewish heritage.

To say that Jesus is a son of David is to say that Jesus can trace his ancestry to Abraham through the line of King David.  Therefore, as a descendant of David, Jesus comes from a royal family.  Jesus has a claim to be King of Israel.  This is Matthew’s way of showing us that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Jewish hope for a coming Messiah.  But, Jesus is more than a son of Abraham and a son of David. 

We can see this in the miraculous nature of his birth.  Jesus’ birth was announced to Joseph by an angel.  And, that is a good thing.  Joseph was a righteous man who followed the letter of the Law.  Joseph was engaged to Mary.  They could not simply end their relationship by “breaking up.”  If they wanted to end their relationship, they would have to go through the legal proceedings of a divorce.  But, they could not live together until after their wedding ceremony.  Therefore, when Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant, he knew he was not the father of the baby.  (It is a good thing the angel announced the birth of Jesus to Joseph.  Otherwise, Joseph would have divorced Mary.)

The virgin birth tells us something very important about Jesus.  It tells us that Jesus was not the son of Joseph.  Jesus was and is the Son of God.  As the Son of God, Jesus reveals the character and nature of God to us like nothing else can.

When we look at the life of Jesus, we can see what God is like.  Jesus knew the Bible and quoted from the Old Testament several times in his earthly life.  And, Jesus lived out the commandments from the Old Testament.

None of us will ever be able to keep all of the biblical commandments perfectly.  But Jesus did.  He lived a perfect and sinless life.  Jesus knew the Law.  Jesus kept the Law.  And, Jesus interpreted the Law perfectly for us in his teaching and in the way he lived.

When we look at Jesus we also see God’s will for our lives.  Jesus reveals God’s character as perfect and holy.  But, Jesus also demonstrates how we are supposed to live.  We are supposed to live in relationship with God and in relationship with others.  We are to tell others about God’s love and to demonstrate God’s love by serving others.

Savior

In verse 21, the angel gave Joseph a second instruction.  First, Joseph was supposed to take Mary as his wife.  Second, Joseph was to name the baby Jesus.

Jesus is the Greek form of the English name Joshua, or the Hebrew name Yeshua.  This is significant, because it translates as “The Lord Saves.”  This child would be the embodiment of salvation…not just any salvation…The Lord’s salvation.

Jesus had a miraculous birth.  But that was not where the miracles ended.

Jesus also had a miraculous life.  Jesus’ life was miraculous for at least two reasons.  First, Jesus performed miracles by healing the sick, feeding the hungry and even raising the dead.  Second, Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life.  This is nothing short of miraculous that Jesus could be tempted in every way (as we are tempted) yet never committed a sin.

Jesus’ miraculous life led to his miraculous death.  By outward appearances, it seems that Jesus was tried and convicted by the Jews then executed by the Romans.  But, no one took Jesus’ life from him.  Jesus willingly gave his life as the perfect and final sacrifice for our sins.  Jesus’ death on the cross was the fulfillment and completion of all the sacrifices described in the Old Testament.  But, that was not the only miraculous aspect of Jesus’ death.

Death was not the end for Jesus.  After three days in the grave, Jesus miraculously rose from the dead.  As a result, Jesus is our Savior.  He died as a sacrifice to save us from our sins, and he rose again to save us from death…to give us eternal life.

In the birth of Jesus, we discover that God loves us so much that he sent us a Savior.  God does not expect us to save ourselves.  God does not ask us to “clean up our acts” and become righteous.  God provided the way for us to be saved from sin and death.

The problem is that many people don’t think they need a Savior.  Some people don’t think they need a Savior, because they don’t think they have a problem.  Other people don’t think they need a Savior, because they think they can solve their own problems.  But, we do have a problem…and we cannot solve our problem.

Our problem is sin.  We try to live a good life, but even our best efforts miss the target.  We stray away from God’s will and find ourselves asking, “How did I get here?  I am not this person.”  We even intentionally rebel against what God has told us is right—thinking my way is better than God’s way.  In short, we have made a mess of our individual lives and the world we live in.

Without the miraculous birth, the miraculous life and the miraculous death of Jesus, we could never solve this sin problem.  This is why God sent a Savior.  We cannot solve our problem.  The only way to have forgiveness of sin and eternal life is to accept it as a gift.  Through faith in Jesus, the Savior, we receive forgiveness and eternal life.

Immanuel / God with Us

In verses 22 and 23, Matthew interprets the angel’s words to Joseph by showing us how it fulfills the ancient prophecy of Isaiah.  Again, Matthew wants to help us connect the birth of Jesus with the Jewish hope for a coming Messiah.

This is significant, because the birth of Jesus was no ordinary birth.  It was unusual for a child to be born to a virgin.  And, it is also unusual for a baby’s birth to be predicted hundreds of years before the actual birth.  This child was the fulfillment of biblical prophecy and the fulfillment of all of Israel’s hope.

In Matthew’s interpretation of Jesus’ birth, he tells us this child has two names.  His given name is Jesus, meaning “The Lord Saves.”  His symbolic name is Immanuel, meaning “God is with us.”

I say that Immanuel is a symbolic name for Jesus, because I do not know of any other place where Jesus is called Immanuel.  No one ever addressed Jesus as Immanuel.  They addressed him as Jesus, Teacher and Lord…But never Immanuel.

This symbolic name tells us something very important about God’s plan for our lives.  Yes, God sent his Son to be our Savior…to save us from sin and death.  But, God also sent his Son to be his presence in our lives.  God wants to save you from sin and death, AND God wants to be in relationship with you. 

Conclusion

God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to be with us…and nothing can change that.

This is an important part of the Christmas story.  God is now with us.  No one can run away from God.  And no human power can keep God out. 

As an individual, you cannot run away from the presence of God.

If you are the head of your family, you cannot keep God out of your family.

And, no nation can remove itself from God’s presence.  No legislative action, no judicial decree and no popular vote of the people can remove God from a nation.  There is no security force strong enough to prevent God from entering.

For wherever God’s people are, God is present with them.  Christmas changed everything…God is now with us.

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[1] Andrew McGowan, “How December 25 Became Christmas,” Biblical Archaeology Review http://www.bib-arch.org/e-features/christmas.asp ; see also http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/news/2000/dec08.html ; http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=16-10-012-v ; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kenneth-c-davis/christmas-myths-why-decem_b_383935.html ; http://www.slate.com/articles/life/holidays/2012/12/why_is_christmas_in_december.single.html

Advent Attitude: Joy

Advent Attitude: Joy

Philippians 1: 12 – 21.

Introduction

In the story of the first Christmas, Luke tells us there were shepherds out in the fields watching their flocks at night.  These shepherds were simply doing their daily job of taking care of sheep, when suddenly a choir of angels appeared to announce the birth of a new king.  Of course, this was not just any king.  This was the birth of Jesus, the Son of God.

The angels told the shepherds that this was no ordinary birth and Jesus was no ordinary king when they said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people (Luke 2: 10 NIV).”

The birth of Jesus is Good News of Great Joy for All People.  Perhaps this is why our Advent theme for today is Joy.  Christmas is supposed to bring us Joy.

Last week our Advent theme was Peace.  It’s hard to think about Peace when the world is at conflict.  But Peace is not found in the absence of conflict.  True Peace only comes from the presence of God in our lives.

We might make the same argument about true Joy.  Many people have a hard time thinking about Joy during the Christmas season.  People who are experiencing Christmas for the first time without their loved ones don’t think of Christmas as a time of Joy.  The school shooting this week in Connecticut makes it difficult for us to think about Joy

In the New Testament Book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul writes a great deal about Joy.  He tells the Christians at Philippi to rejoice in all things and to rejoice in all circumstances.  Remarkably, Paul’s circumstances at the time he wrote those words were not what we might call joyous circumstances.  He was not on the top of the world at the time.  He was not experiencing an easy life at the time.  No.  Paul wrote those words from prison.

If Paul can write about Joy while he was in prison, then I think we can safely assume that true Joy does not depend on our current circumstances.  Circumstances can change very quickly.  Circumstances can bring happiness.  But Joy must come from something else.  Our Joy must depend on something that can never change.

Philippians 1: 12 – 21.

 12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard [fn2] and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. [fn3] 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. [fn4] 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

There are a couple of ways we can interpret Paul’s words in this passage.  It is possible that Paul is writing to the Christians in Philippi to let them know how he is doing.  Or, it is possible that the Christians in Philippi had gotten word that Paul was in prison and sent a message to find out how Paul is doing.  Either, the Philippians had inquired about how Paul was doing, or Paul had taken the initiative to let them know he was OK.

When Paul wrote these words, he was in prison.  He had been arrested, locked up, separated from everyone he loved, and was now waiting.  He waited for someone else to determine his future.  He did not know what the Romans would do with him.  It was possible that he could get out of prison.  But, it was even more likely that Paul would either spend the rest of his natural life in jail or would be executed by his captors.

It is fair to say that Paul was going through a crisis.  At the very least, this was a personal crisis—waiting in jail and not knowing what the future holds.  At worst, this was a crisis for the Christian faith.

People in the ancient world were a lot like people in our modern world.  There were people who would wonder if Paul really was called by God.  After all, if God had called Paul to preach the Gospel and plant new churches, then God would have been able to protect Paul from arrest.  Others would use Paul’s arrest as an opportunity to express their doubts in God.  If God were sovereign and omnipotent, then God could have prevented this crisis.  Therefore, Paul’s crisis might suggest that there is no God.

Paul had a completely different interpretation of his imprisonment.  Even though Paul was no longer able to preach the Gospel, God was using this crisis to bring about a good result.  This doesn’t mean that God caused Paul’s crisis.  It means that God can use bad circumstances to bring about good results.

God’s Good Purpose

One of the reasons why Paul can speak about Joy and Rejoicing from prison is the fact that he can see God at work in three ways…

First, Paul knows that being in prison has given him the unique opportunity to share his faith with the prison guards and officials.  Instead of being angry at God for allowing him to go to jail, Paul thought of this as a divine opportunity.  Because of his imprisonment, people get to hear the Gospel who might not have heard it otherwise.

Second, Paul knows that being in prison has caused a new generation of preachers and pastors to take up Paul’s work while he is away.  Instead of sitting in jail feeling sorry for himself, Paul gives thanks to God for raising up new leaders for the Christian faith.

Third, Paul has heard reports of something else taking place on the mission field.  Other preachers and missionaries are using Paul’s imprisonment to make a name for themselves.  Before Paul went to jail, he was the most famous Christian missionary.  Other missionaries did not have the reputation Paul had, and they had not experienced the same kind of success Paul had.  Now, they are trying to surpass Paul by planting churches while he is away and growing their reputations.  Ironically, Paul sees this as a good thing.  It does not matter what the preachers’ motives might be…At least the Gospel is being preached.

There is a part of me that thinks Paul was very fortunate that God allowed him to see the good being done while Paul was in prison.  It is easier for us to experience suffering when we can see a purpose in our suffering.  When we do not see a purpose in our sufferings, they are unbearable.

There is another part of me that thinks Paul was able to see God’s work in his crisis as a result of Paul’s faith.  Paul’s faith caused him to look for God’s good purpose instead of focusing on his own troubles.

When we experience sufferings in life, we have to make a choice.  The natural choice is for us to focus on ourselves…our own pain…loneliness…loss…  The unnatural choice to for us to focus on God…and to think about how God might be at work in these circumstances…to search for God’s purpose in our suffering.

What would happen if we looked at our sufferings through eyes of faith?  Of course, this will never be our first reaction.  Our first reaction will always be survival and self-preservation.  But what will we do next?  Paul gives us a good example.  Eventually, Paul was able to look at his crisis through eyes of faith…searching for the ways God could use his crisis to accomplish something good.

You will always find what you are looking for.  If you are looking for a reason to complain and feel sorry for yourself…you will find it.  If you are looking for the ways God is at work in the midst of your suffering…you will find it.  And, if we look at the crises of life through the eyes of faith, we will also find a reason to Rejoice.  God is at work in all circumstances.  God is at work in the crisis.

God’s Salvation

In verse 19, Paul said something that sounds confusing.  He does not know what the future holds for him.  He does not know if his captors will let him live or die.  He does not know if he will ever get out of jail.  But, he says that what has happened to him will “turn out for his deliverance.” 

The word “deliverance” makes it sound like Paul thinks he will get out and everything will be OK.  But, when we read it in context, we discover that Paul is not saying he knows he will get out…

Philippians 1: 18b – 21…Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 

Perhaps “salvation” is a better translation than “deliverance.”  Paul is not saying that he is confident that he will be delivered from jail.  Instead, he is saying he is confident that he will be delivered from his crisis.  Paul knows that he might experience deliverance in this life or by going to Heaven to be with the Lord.  Either Paul will be delivered by a prison guard with a key, or he will be delivered by God himself.

I think this is one more reason why Paul was able to find Joy in his crisis.  He knew he had nothing to lose.  What was the worst that could happen to Paul?

If he got out of prison, he would be able to continue his ministry by preaching the Gospel, planting new churches and encouraging existing churches.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  If Paul never got out of prison, he would go to be with his Lord in Heaven.  There’s nothing wrong with that either.  Paul was in the ultimate win-win situation.

This win-win view of the future is something only available through faith in Jesus.  If Paul goes on living, he will live his life to the glory of God.  If Paul either dies in prison or is executed, he will die to the glory of God.  He knew that whether he lives or dies, it will be for the glory of God and for Paul’s salvation.  Life will give Paul an opportunity to continue to work for the Lord.  Death will give Paul release from the pain and struggle he is experiencing right now.

Through faith, Paul has found a reason to Rejoice in what has happened in his past, AND has found a reason to rejoice in what will happen in his future.  No crisis could take this Joy away from Paul.

Conclusion

There are two ways we can talk about Joy…

First, we can talk about Joy as an internal experience…something like an emotion.  The experience of Joy is the experience of happiness, pleasure or satisfaction.  But true Joy does not depend on the external circumstances of life.  True Joy can be experienced in either good times or in bad times.

So, how can a Christian experience true Joy?  Paul is our example.  When the world was falling apart around Paul, he found Joy through his faith.  He knew that God was present with him and that God was at work in the bad circumstances to accomplish something good.

Second, we can talk about Joy as an external expression.  We might say that a person who experiences internal Joy will also express external Joy.  We see this at football games when the crowd cheers for the winning team.  We see this at music concerts when the audience leaps to their feet to give a standing ovation.

How do Christians express our Joy?  One way is through worship.  We gather with other Christians to celebrate what God has done in the past, what God is doing in the present and what God will do in the future.  Another way to express Joy is to follow the example Paul set for us…continue serving God faithfully.

As the angels announced to the shepherds on the first Christmas…the birth of Jesus is Good News of Great Joy for All People.  Christmas is the season of Joy, because God sent his Only Begotten Son to live among us and to reveal God to us. 

Jesus is our Joy, because Jesus is the source of true happiness, pleasure and satisfaction.  Even when the world seems to be falling apart around us, we can find Joy in knowing that God is still at work. 

Paul experienced that kind of Joy in the midst of his crisis.  And, Paul expressed his Joy by living his life to the glory of God.

Advent Attitude: Peace

Advent Attitude: Peace

Philippians 4: 4 – 7.

Introduction

I like to think of myself as a young person.  Most of the time I still think of myself as 25 years old.  But, I am going to show my age a little bit by reminiscing about the Sears Christmas Wish Book.[1]  Do you remember getting that in the mail?

When I was a kid, the Sears Christmas Catalogue was something I always looked forward to.  It was a 300 page catalogue with everything a child could imagine.  The clothes and boring stuff were pictured in the front of the catalogue.  The toys and games were in the back of the catalogue.  When my brother and I could get our hands on the catalogue, we flipped it over and started looking at it from the back.

We would use a pen or pencil to circle the things we wanted to get from Santa Claus.  And I think we would write our names on the items we selected so that Santa would not get confused and bring the wrong gift to the wrong boy.

Occasionally, we get catalogues in the mail today.  But, these catalogues are nothing compared to the 300 page Sears Christmas Wish Book—not to mention the regular 600 page Sears Catalogue.

When we do get catalogues in the mail, I tell our children to circle the things they don’t want.  Otherwise, every item on every page is circled.

I have fond memories of circling toys and games in the Sears Catalogue.  It was always fun to dream about having new toys and getting exactly what I wanted for Christmas.  However, that is really not an innocent pastime.  It is a symptom of a materialistic worldview.

For some reason, we all believe that stuff can make us happy.  If I can just get more stuff, then I will be happy. 

We live in a culture which believes people can find satisfaction in material things—money, property, possessions, relationships, popularity…the stuff of this world.  We think stuff can satisfy us even though we have been disappointed over and over.  There is a restlessness and dissatisfaction that is a part of human nature. 

Universal human experience and the themes of classical literature suggest that happiness cannot be found in material wealth.  Human beings experience restlessness and dissatisfaction with material things.  Our personal experience and thousands of years of literature (and movies) tell us that we are still searching for meaning and satisfaction in life. 

This search for meaning and satisfaction in life is uniquely human.  Plants do not search for meaning in life.  Dogs, horses and emus do not search for satisfaction.  To be human is to be unsatisfied with the material universe.

If material things could satisfy, then the wealthiest people in the world would also be the happiest (and most satisfied) people in the world.  The opposite of that would also be true…the poorest people in the world would be the least satisfied people.  But, neither of these are true statements.  We all know someone who is wealthy and not satisfied.  We all know someone who is satisfied but not wealthy.

Material stuff cannot satisfy, because we have been created with a desire for more than just material things.  We have homing instinct for God.  This is a clue which points us toward our true nature and destiny.  We have this homing instinct, because there is a home for us.  This material world does not satisfy, because this world is not our home.

We were created for spiritual relationship with God…and nothing can satisfy that longing for God.  Nothing, except for God himself.

We were created for eternity…and nothing temporary can satisfy our longing for eternity.  Nothing, except for God himself.

This is what Christmas is all about.  God broke into our material world and provided the only way for us to find true satisfaction.  It does not have anything to do with material stuff.  Instead, God provided a way for us to have an eternal relationship with God.  That relationship brings us true satisfaction, because relationship with God is the source of all Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.

In the Season of Advent, we will look at each of these themes.  Last week we talked about Hope.  Today, we will talk about Peace.  In the next two weeks we will talk about Joy and Love.

Philippians 4: 4 – 7.

The simplest way to interpret this passage is to notice that Paul gives three imperatives (or commands) and one indicative (a statement of fact).  This leads me to believe Paul is saying something like this…If you will do these three things, then you will experience a Peace beyond understanding.

Philippians 4: 4…  4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 

Paul’s first instruction to the churches of Philippi is to “Rejoice in the Lord.” 

Paul was a lot like you and me.  There were times when his life was really good.  Then, there were times when he experienced struggles and difficulties.  Surely, if Paul is telling the Philippians to rejoice, then he must have written this at a very good time in his life.  Surprisingly, that is not the case.  Paul tells us in Philippians 1 that he is writing to them from prison.  He is in jail for preaching the Gospel and does not know if he will get out alive.  He writes encouraging letters to his churches, because he thinks this might be the only ministry he has left.  He may never get to preach the Gospel again or plant another church.

The Philippians were also a lot like you and me.  They had their ups and downs.  Sometimes their church was growing.  Sometimes their church experienced conflict.  Surely, Paul is telling them to rejoice because everything is going so well in their church at this particular moment.  Surprisingly, that is not the case either.  The Book of Philippians gives them instructions about standing firm in the face of Roman persecution.  AND, in the verses immediately preceding the command to rejoice, Paul has tried to mediate a church conflict between two women church leaders—Euodia and Syntyche.  The Philippians were experiencing conflict inside the church and outside the church.

I think it is important to note that Paul does NOT say, “Rejoice in your circumstances.”  If joy depends on the circumstances of life, then there will be times when we will naturally express our joy and times when we simply have no reason to rejoice.

Instead, Paul tells the church to “Rejoice in the Lord.”  In other words, regardless of the circumstances, there is still a reason for Christian men and women to rejoice.  Even if we find ourselves in a Roman prison…Even if we experience conflict between two church leaders…Even if we are being persecuted by the government for our faith in Jesus…we can still find a reason to rejoice.  Our reason is the Lord.

When we read the Bible, we discover some very important things about God.  I can think of at least two things the Bible tells us about God which give us reason to rejoice.  First, God makes promises to his people.  Second, God keeps his promises.  I said it last week when I was preaching about Hope, and it is worth repeating today.  A promise is only as dependable as the one who makes the promise.  God made the promise to forgive our sins and give us eternal life with him.  God’s promises do not depend on the circumstances around us.  God’s promises depend on God’s dependability to keep his own promises.  Therefore, we have a reason to rejoice…even when the world seems to be falling apart around us.  Rejoice in the Lord and not in your circumstances.

Philippians 4: 5…  5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 

Paul’s second instruction is for Christians to be gentle.  But, notice that he tells us that our gentleness is to be evident to all.  All what?  More than likely, he is telling us to demonstrate gentleness to all people…in every relationship—both inside the church and outside the church.  Christians are to be known for our gentleness toward other Christians and toward non-Christians.

We can define gentleness in a negative way by saying gentle people are people who are not harsh or abrasive in relationships with others.  Or, we can define it positively by saying gentle people are people who put the needs of others first.

Basically, Paul is encouraging us to be like Jesus.  Christians are not to be harsh, abrasive or judgmental toward sinners.  Christians are to look out for the needs of others.  Sometimes, we have to make a choice between our needs and the needs of others...to choose others over ourselves.

Then, Paul adds an interesting reminder that “The Lord is near.”

We could take this in one of two different ways.  Either, Paul is saying the Lord is close by our side…Or, he is saying that the Lord’s return is drawing closer in time.  If Paul means that the Lord is close by our side, then he is probably reminding us that God is watching…So, be careful how you treat other people.  If Paul means that the Lord’s return is drawing closer in time, then he is probably telling us to live with the future in mind…if we have to sacrifice our own needs on behalf of others, that sacrifice pales in comparison to all the blessings and comfort we will receive in Heaven…  Be gentle, because the Lord is near.

Philippians 4: 6…  6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Paul’s final instruction actually contains two or more commands.  The first command is a negative command—“Do not be anxious.”  The second command is a positive command—“Present your prayers, petitions and requests to God.”

It is interesting that Paul makes such a close association between anxiety and prayer.  Perhaps he is setting them up as opposites, as if to say people who worry don’t pray and people who pray don’t worry. 

I suppose the difference between being anxious and being prayerful comes down to who you believe is in control.  If I believe I am in control, then I will feel the weight of the future on my shoulders.  If I believe God is in control, then I can place the future in God’s hands and trust God for the outcome. 

Or, perhaps Paul is telling us that prayer is the remedy for worry…  In this case, Paul is telling us to stop thinking the future depends on us.  Do everything you can do to take care of your needs and the needs of others around you.  Then, trust God with what you cannot control.  As we mature as Christians, we will begin to discover that God is ultimately in control of all our circumstances.  God can handle the future and will always do a better job with the future than we can do on our own.

Philippians 4: 7…  7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The last thing Paul tells us in this Scripture is the one thing which materialism cannot provide—Peace.  When we go chasing after money, property, possessions, relationships, popularity…the stuff of this world, we will find ourselves wholly unsatisfied.  The things of this world are not fulfilling…they cannot satisfy.

However, when we rejoice in the Lord, demonstrate a life of gentleness, and trust God with the future, we find what is truly fulfilling.  We discover the Peace of God, which transcends all understanding.

Technically, Paul called this Peace a Peace that “rises above knowledge.”  Again, there is some ambiguity in Paul’s choice of words (just like when he said “the Lord is near”).  It might mean that the Peace of God is better than knowledge (or understanding).  Or, it might mean that the Peace of God cannot be fully understood by our human minds.  Then again, Paul might want us to interpret this in both ways.

The person who learns how to trust God with the future will demonstrate that trust by rejoicing in the Lord (not in circumstances); by demonstrating a gentle lifestyle (knowing that God’s future is far better than what we might forfeit on earth); by praying about everything (because ultimately the future is in God’s hands and not mine).  The result will be a life of Peace that is better than knowledge (even better than knowing what the future holds) and Peace which cannot be fully understood.

It is important to note what Paul did NOT say.  Paul did not say that if you will trust God with the future, God will take away all your problems and your trials.  No. 

Paul wrote these words from prison.  Paul didn’t think he would get out alive.  God had not taken away Paul’s difficult circumstances.  Instead, God gave Paul a Peace that transcends understanding to cope with his trials. 

Paul wrote these words to a church experiencing internal conflict and external persecutions.  God did not take away their difficult circumstances.  Instead, God promised them a Peace that transcends understanding to cope with their trials.

This is the true meaning of Peace.  Peace is not the absence of conflict or an easy life.  Peace is the strength to face all the difficulties of life.  This strength can only come from the Presence of God in your life…by trusting God with the future.

Peace is not something we can obtain by our own ability.  Peace is a gift of God…A gift that God gave us on the first Christmas.  God sent his Only Son, Jesus.  And the Gospel of Matthew reminds us of the words spoken by the Prophet Isaiah…

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” —which means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1: 22 – 23, cf. Isaiah 7: 14)

This is the only way to find Peace.  It is God with us.

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[1] http://www.searsarchives.com/catalogs/history_wishbook.htm