Mt. 21:13; Acts 2:13, 14, 42

Bob Weniger

Imagine for a moment that you are a pastor of a church. Now I know some of you would rather not imagine such a possibility! That may be your worst nightmare! But just for a moment set aside your fears and inhibitions and imagine that you are a pastor.

Now stretch your imagination a little further and imagine that the church you pastor is in one of the largest urban centers in the world. As such your racially mixed neighborhood is filled with poverty, crime, drug abuse, unemployment, and so on. To make matters even more discouraging, your Sunday worship attendance is less than twenty, with only two people attending your midweek prayer meeting. Your first Sunday there the offering amounts to a mere $85 and your salary for your first year is a paltry $3,800, forcing you to find a second job. That’s not a very attractive picture, and it’s certainly not the kind of position people eagerly rush into!

But now imagine you pastor a church that is thriving. You are bursting at the seams because so many people are coming, and those who are coming are having their lives transformed by the living God. Your choir alone has over 250 members and more than one thousand people come out for your weekly prayer meetings. You have baptismal services in which over one hundred people are baptized and you have to rent a large city auditorium for special events because there are too many people for you own building to handle. That would be an exciting church to pastor!

Now stretch your imagination further still and imagine that these two churches I’ve described are in fact the same church. What I’ve described for you is the Brooklyn Tabernacle of New York. When their pastor, Jim Cymbala, began there more than thirty years ago there were fewer than twenty people there on Sunday mornings, just two at their midweek prayer meeting, and his salary was only $3,800. They were a broken and defeated church. Most people would not have given that church a chance of even surviving, to say nothing of growing into a healthy, dynamic, thriving church.

Yet something happened in the following years. They really do have to rent Radio City Music Hall now for some of the outreach events. Their choir does number over 250 and has a nationally known recording ministry. All kinds of people have gone there and had their lives turned around by the love and power of God. And they really do have more than 1,000 turn out each Tuesday night for their prayer meeting.

So what happened? What enabled this miniscule, lifeless, struggling church to turn around and become a church that pulsates with life and energy? Let me read how Pastor Cymbala answers that question.

When I came to Brooklyn Tabernacle at age 28, the church numbered under twenty people. The situation at first was so depressing, I didn’t want to come to services. And I was in charge, which was not a good sign.

After two years I got a cough in my chest I couldn’t shake. For weeks I was spitting up phlegm, unable to go to a doctor because we didn’t have money or health insurance. Finally I went to my in-laws’ home in Florida to see if the sun and some rest would help me.

One day, sitting in a fishing boat, I prayed, “Lord, one book says buses are the key to building a church. Another book says cell groups meeting in homes is the key. Another, multiple eldership. Another, releasing people from demons.

“Lord, what do I do? I’m in New York City with people dying all around me. You couldn’t have put Carol and me here to do nothing. But God, how can we get their attention? How can we get conviction of sin?”

Then God spoke to me in the closest thing to an audible voice I’ve ever experienced. The Lord told me if my wife and I would lead the people to pray and to wait on him, he would take care of every sermon I needed to preach (which I was very insecure about), he would supply all the money we needed, both personally and as a church, and no building we used would be large enough to contain all the people he would send in.

When I returned to New York, I told the congregation, “The barometer of our church is now going to be the prayer meeting. The key to our future as a church will be our calling on God to release his miraculous power among us.”

At that time our prayer meeting had maybe fifteen people attending. In that weekly meeting, we began to wait on the Lord, and God gave us the gift of prayer. Worship and praise took hold. We saw that in direct proportion to the liberty God gave us in prayer, things happened: Unsaved loved ones started coming, getting convicted, and getting converted. Other people came in, and we didn’t know where from.

Every Sunday since that day – eighteen years ago – we have made the announcement that on Tuesday evening the doors open for our most important service, the one we look forward to the most, the prayer meeting.

What turned around the Brooklyn Tabernacle was prayer. God told them He would bless them if they cried out to Him in prayer. The more they prayed, and the more people who prayed, the more God blessed their church. And the more God blessed their church the more they prayed.

I don’t know why God has chosen to work in response to our prayers. Maybe it’s to keep us humble as we realize what happens is not just the result of our own efforts, our grand strategies and intricate plans, but rather the releasing of God’s power through prayer. Maybe it’s because God doesn’t pour out His blessings on those who don’t earnestly yearn for such blessings, and prayer is the evidence of such yearning. It may simply be so all of us can have the chance to participate with God in bringing about His will for our lives, the church, and for the world, for while we can’t all teach, sing preach, be a missionary, or lead a home fellowship group, we all can pray. Thus, we can all be a part of what God is doing in the world. Maybe it’s because we are in a spiritual battle, and prayer is one of the weapons of such warfare. Maybe it’s for reasons we’ll never know this side of heaven.

But whatever the reason or reasons, the fact remains that little happens in a church until prayer becomes central. Oh, there may be all sorts of activity going on apart from prayer, but no church will experience the real life-changing power of God in their midst until they take seriously the importance and necessity of prayer.

We see this over and over again in Scripture. After Jesus ascended to the Father and the early followers of Jesus now had to carry on the work that Jesus had started, it says in Acts 2:13-14 that the disciples, the women and the others joined together constantly in prayer. They didn’t start to do something right away. They didn’t launch any ministries or evangelize their neighbors. No, they just prayed. And what was the result of their constant prayers? Ten days later God poured out His Spirit on this handful of believers and the church was born as Peter preached a sermon which led to the conversion of 3,000 people.

And then it says in Acts 2:42 that these new believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. They didn’t stop praying just because the Holy Spirit had come. No, they were devoted to prayer. As they continued in prayer God continued to add to their numbers and they ministered both to their own needs and to the needs of outsiders in amazingly powerful ways, and prayer was the key to it all.

Or consider how the church was transformed from a small Jewish sect to a full-fledged religion that embraced all people, no matter their nationality, ethnicity, race, or gender. For as you know, in its earliest days the Christian church was made up simply of Jewish people who believed that Jesus was the Messiah. But God’s plan was much bigger than that. God’s plan was that the church would include people from every tribe, every tongue, every nation.

Acts 10 tells us how the Christian church came to include the Gentiles – that is, those who are not from a Jewish background. Other than the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church, this would have to be the most significant event recorded in the book of Acts concerning the life of the young church. From this point on, the life and ministry of the church took on a whole new direction.

The inclusion of Gentiles into the church centers around two men – a Gentile named Cornelius and a Jew named Peter. We read in vs. 3-5:

One day at about three in the afternoon (Cornelius) had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter.

In that culture three in the afternoon was considered the time of prayer, so this vision certainly came to Cornelius while he was praying. The angel told Cornelius that his prayers had been heard by God. And it seems clear from the text that the angel was not referring only to Cornelius’ prayer that day but that this had been an on going prayer of Cornelius. And now God was about to act in response to his prayers. So Cornelius was to send some men to get Peter.

Later in that chapter we read that while Peter was praying he also had a vision. While he had that vision the men sent by Cornelius arrived at his house. And the Spirit told Peter to go with these men.

Peter and a few companions went with these men to the house of Cornelius, where a large group of people waited for him – all Gentiles of course. Peter preached to them, and while he was preaching the Holy Spirit came upon this gathering in an unmistakable way. When Peter and his companions saw that God had accepted these Gentiles, they baptized these new Christian converts in the name of Jesus Christ.

From this point on the ministry and make-up of the church took on a whole new look. Only now did the young church really grasp that their mission was to go to all people. It was a radical shift in their thinking and strategy. And the point I want to drive home today is that this new sense of vision and mission for the church was born directly out of prayer – the prayers of Cornelius and the prayers of Peter.

During these months as we consider the nature and purpose of the church, it’s essential that we recognize that prayer is the key to it all. As a church, we can do all sorts of planning and brainstorming. We can start up some new programs for ourselves and try to reach out to others in new ways. But it will not amount to anything but wasted time and energy if we are not calling out to God in prayer and then responding to His leading which will come through those prayers. We simply must be praying.

Now this doesn’t mean that we just sit on our hands and do nothing but pray. The story is told of a pastor who wanted to reach out to a new neighbor. The man had no church background and so the pastor tried to think of something he could do with the man to establish some common ground. The pastor figured all men enjoy sporting events and so he took this man to a boxing match. Well, it turns out that this man had never been to a boxing match before and knew nothing about boxing. Just before the match started, as each boxer was in his corner preparing for the opening bell, the man noticed one of the boxers take his gloved fist and make the sign of the cross across his chest.

“What does that mean?” the man asked the pastor, to which the pastor replied, “Not a thing if the guy can’t box.”

Prayer is not a license to sit on our hands and do nothing. Prayer doesn’t excuse us from doing the things God expects us to do just as prayer couldn’t help that boxer if he hadn’t taken the time to train and learn how to box. There will always be work to do, activity to engage in, ministry to undertake. In the coming weeks we’ll be exploring some of those things.

But whatever God’s purpose for this church at this time is, God will only reveal it to us as we prayerfully seek His guidance. And we will be able to accomplish that purpose only as we are strengthened and nurtured by God’s Spirit through our continued prayers. Prayer must always be at the core of our church life if we are to grow in our relationship with God and if we are to accomplish His purpose for us. God’s purpose for us will be born of prayer and sustained by prayer.

So I want to encourage you today as strongly as I possibly can to be regularly praying for us as a church body. And it’s important that we not only do that on our own but that we come together to pray, even as that handful of followers of Jesus were together constantly in prayer and even as those 1,000 plus members of the Brooklyn Tabernacle come together every Tuesday night to pray.

The fact is, we do have a prayer meeting – every Saturday afternoon at 4:00. Unfortunately, only 4-6 people typically come to pray. I know that all of us have other important commitments sometimes on Saturday afternoons and can’t always make it, so I don’t want to make anyone feel guilty. But for a church this size, 4-6 people amounts to only 1-2% of the congregation. That indicates that we have not yet really grasped how important and necessary prayer is. Prayer has to be central if spiritual life ad power, healing and growth are to break forth. That is just how God works.

Let the barometer of our church life be the prayer meeting. And in addition to our prayer meeting, when we gather in other groups let’s pray for our church. In our Sunday School classes, let’s take time to pray – not only for those who are ill or who have other needs, which is important, but pray also for us as a church, that we will know and fulfill God’s purpose for us. When the women’s group meets, when the men’s group meets, when you gather in a home fellowship group, take time to pray for the church. Whatever church group you may be a part of, take time to pray when you come together.

Now in saying this I’m not suggesting that we try to become like the Brooklyn Tabernacle. God has His purpose for them and He has His purpose for us. No two churches will have exactly the same look. God may lead us in such a way that our attendance doubles in the next three years, or God may have a ministry for us that doesn’t lead to big crowds but nevertheless ministers to some needy people who otherwise would be neglected. We have to leave that with God.

And we can’t put God on a timetable. It’s possible that we could see some very quick answers to our prayers, or we could go for months before we see much of anything. God answers our prayers according to His own timetable which is governed by His perfect wisdom. But whatever purpose God has for us, prayer will the key that unlocks the door, even as prayer was the key that unlocked the door for ministry to the Gentiles in the first century, and for new life for the Brooklyn Tabernacle. That is simply the way God operates.

The great missionary statesman Robert E. Speer wrote about 100 years ago, “Neglect of prayer is a willful limitation of success.” When we choose not to pray, or not to pray as much as we should, we willfully limit the extent to which we will know and fulfill God’s mission for us. On the other hand, another church leader from one hundred years ago, R. A. Torrey, stated, “When the church learns the power of prayer…they will shake the world.” That’s what we can be a part of when we take seriously the ministry of prayer.

Now I know that prayer does not come easily. Probably everyone here would readily admit that their prayer life isn’t what it should be. Luther called prayer “the hardest work of all.” It is hard, it takes discipline to continue in prayer. So don’t be discouraged if prayer is difficult for you; it’s difficult for just about everyone. But don’t give up either. God gives us the Holy Spirit to help us pray even when we don’t know what to pray.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem just a few days before He would be crucified, He went to the temple. There He saw all those who were buying and selling, the money changers who were making money off those who came to the temple to offer their sacrifices to God. When He saw this, how the temple was being misused, Jesus was moved with righteous anger. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. And He cried out (Mk. 11:17), “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

“My house will be called a house of prayer.” May that be truly said about this house. And when we truly are a house of prayer, God will pour out His Spirit upon us and we will see Him working through us in mighty ways. Lives will be changed and people will be drawn to Him.

When we lived in Russia about 15 years ago I was invited to preach in a village church about 30 miles from Moscow. As we drove up to the church, I saw the name of the church painted onto the church building. The name was “Dom Militvie.” Dom Militivie means “House of Prayer.” These simple Russian believers knew what was to be at the core of their life together, and what was to guide all that happened within the walls of the place where they met. It was to be prayer.

We may not have it painted on the outside of our church building, but more than anything else, may this place be know as a house of prayer. And when it is, all kinds of exciting ministry will flow out from that center.

I invite you to help make this a house of prayer.

Rev. Richard Tok’s semon on 13-May-2012

1 Peter 2:1-3

Introduction

At the breakfast table with friends I was asked by an older brother young in the Christian life: “Reverend, I went to a special meeting of another church and heard that Christians should not behave like No.1 but No. 3. Can you please explain to me?” I thought for a moment as I haven’t a clue what No.3 means. I asked him to share what was said by the speaker leading to that point. He said a Christian grows from No.1 to No.3. At No.1 he receives but at No.3 he gives. Christians should not remain at No.1 but go on to No.3 and be a blessing to other people. Then I got the point and explained.

I think Christians should grow up and change for good. Christians grow from stage 1 to stage 3 and perhaps stage 4. New believers are like new born babies, demanding. When hungry they cry to be fed and when wet or dirty cry for their “pampers” to be changed. Young Christians demand attention, assistance, guidance and encouragement. When they stumble and make mistakes they expect to be excused, tolerated, understood and be forgiven.

At stage 1 the young believer is self-centered. By stage 3 he is older and becomes other people-centered. His life, like a cup is full and running over.

When a Christian is older his ways and bahaviour should have changed. Christians should not just grow old but mellow. Some Christians have not changed but grow old with their old ways and bad habits. When those bad characteristics are exposed they are terrible and horrible. Christians ought to mature with desirable changes to their ways – perhaps more patient, more tolerant, more generous; less demanding, less materialistic and less judgemental. We should all mellow like wine and be vintage – to be appreciated and accepted. Older Christians whose ways do not reflect their maturity are a disappointment and a stumbling block.

In other words character change is a necessary expectation of Christians. This is not just an expectation people are looking for. Our God and heavenly Father requires of us to grow up and change and reflect the good qualities of godliness! Have we grown up and mellowed as disciples of Jesus Christ? The passage for our meditation today covers this subject – character change – repentance leading to sanctification. Christian pilgrims are transformed from death to life. They depart from sinfulness to holiness, leaving earth for heaven.

Scripture reading: 1 Peter 2:1-3

1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. 2like newborn babes, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Mark Twain, the author of Tom Sawyer and Huckle Berry Finn said: “Most people are bothered by those passages in the Bible they cannot understand; but as for me, I always notice that the passages in the Scripture which trouble me the most are those which I understand.”

What Mark Twain had said is a commentary of the three verses above. Do we understand the three verses? They are quite simple, straightforward and clear. Each one of us should ask: What should I do in response to these verses? Peter wants us to act on three important matters. Take three important steps in response to lead a holy and godly life.

1. Get rid of all evil behaviour (v1)

Peter in speaking to the scattered Christians in Asia Minor reminded that they have a relationship with Christ. It was based on believing that Jesus Christ died for their sins. He rose again from the dead to give them hope of forgiveness and new life. By the Holy Spirit they were born again. Their old life style, attitudes and values are matters of the past.

That actually meant repentance – a turning away from sinful living to righteous living. Peter explained repentance as “rid yourselves of all malice, and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind.” Genuine repentance starts with getting rid of evil and wickedness. It is turning from them to righteousness and holiness. He reminds us Christians to be like God their heavenly Father. Just as he who called you is holy so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

This is exactly what James echoed in James 1:21, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent…”

What are the evil and wickedness that Peter said we should cast off?

Malice – desire to harm out of hatred.

Deceit – cause a person to accept as true something that is false.

Hypocrisy – falsely making oneself appear to be true and good.

Envy – feeling of jealous resentment at another person’s success or fortune.

Slander – make false statement that damages a person’s reputation

(defamation of character).

These are the sins we should throw aside. They relate to all that is untrue – lies. Sin is deceitfulness and untruth. Sometimes some “Christians” try to deceive other people. We wonder whether such people are genuine Christians or not in the first place. Such people do not realize that they actually deceive themselves – self deception!

If we take Peter’s teaching seriously many of our life’s problems would be resolved. When we take his teaching lightly we create problems for ourselves and give others problems too. When we take God’s word to heart we find it tough to obey in the beginning. But obey we must. Persevere to obey. Perseverance toughens us and godly character is formed. We need to be consistent and persistent to put away evil and put on good behaviour.

When we compromise a little here and little there, life seems easy, like a bed of roses. We get away with wrong doings because we seemed clever at hiding our wrongs. But soon our sins will find us out and catch up with us. When our compromising ways are exposed we are shamed. Our reputation is torn to shreds. We reap what we sow. One mistake destroys a life time of good. Repent before we are found out. Be reconciled to God. Make settlement with fellow men.

God is the source of truth. Satan is the father of lies. We can trace Satan’s track record of lies, half-truths and deception all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve, our original ancestors were tricked and tempted. We who descend from them are even more vulnerable to Satan’s devices. If we wish to enjoy the favour of God in truth and love we ought to cast off these wicked ways. When we stay close to Christ, godly ways will fill the space in our lives. Then life here on earth and with fellow men would be fruitful and meaningful.

2. Feed on Spiritual Milk (v2)

One natural desire of babies when hungry is to crave for milk. That longing needs to be satisfied by mother’s breast or a bottle.

Peter told the Christians to turn away from evil and the devil and to turn to good and God. Repentance is turning from a life of sinfulness to a life of righteousness.

This requires effort and will from the Christian. He must have the desire to be transformed and makes up his mind to do it. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews said: “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles… let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

God wants to feed young Christians with the pure milk of His Word. The Word of God is unadulterated and sincere. God’s Word is truth as opposed to the falsehood of the devil. The evil of the devil we are to throw off.

As the Christian grows he discovers that God’s Word is milk for babies. For the older and mature the Word is strong meat ( 1 Cor. 3:1-4; Heb 5:11-14). God’s Word is bread (Matt.4:4) and honey (Psalm 119:103) for every believer. Men shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

When we feed on God’s Word it brings light and life to us. It makes us alive and sensitive to good and bad, right from wrong. Christians search their heart and soul regularly. So we constantly correct ourselves before our God. We get to know the heart and desire of God. Then we seek to honour him. Our lives change and we become more and more like Him. We treat ourselves properly and we treat others rightly as God’s Word teaches.

Listen to this: For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13

Are you aware that God’s Word has life, gives life and nourishes life? But not all God’s children benefit from His Word. They do not seem to have a life! What is the reason? They have no appetite! Some of them have been eating wrong things, junk food. That is why Peter wants God’s children to throw away wrong attitudes and practices that spoil their appetite and stunt their growth.

Let us be honest. Some have been believers for a long time. They command respect until they stumble and fall. They have not grown. They have not changed. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone and the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is not true for some. Surprisingly, some people have taken on the form of church life but do not practice the Christian life. It is time to check ourselves before we fall too deep in waywardness.

The examples of evil behaviour Peter highlighted needs a revisit. When a person is malicious he is wicked. A deceitful person is crafty, using devious words and actions to get what he wants. Those who are guilty of malice and deceit find ways to hide them. That leads to hypocrisy. They hide behind a mask and pretend (think of plays and parties where people wear masks). Envy or jealousy leads to ill will not good will among people. This finally explodes into slander – speaking evil of everything and everyone, destroying lives.

Listen to 2 Timothy 3:1-5 But mark this: There will be terrible things in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying the power. Have nothing to do with them.

If these attitudes and actions are in our lives we will surely have no appetite for the pure Word of God. If we do not eat we stop growing. No food, no growth, no satisfaction! In an environment where Christians are not feeding there will be trouble. No peace of heart; no peace of mind! Privately, there will be interpersonal differences. Corporately, they undermine church unity. Better feed on the Word of God. Be peacemakers not troublemakers.

3. Grow up in Salvation (v2)

In the natural world there are creatures that do not grow normally. We have pygmies in the Congo and pygmy elephants in Kinabatangan, Sabah. They are stunted. Perhaps these two examples are natural due to genetics and environment. Among human beings there are dwarfs. Something in their physiology has gone wrong to make them remain unusually smaller and shorter.

One of the causes for stunted growth is poor feeding, unavailability of food and the lack of desire to eat. So there are Christians who are stunted spiritually although they have been believers for many years. They may not have been introduced to Bible reading or Bible study. Some people avoid group study and prefer to do it privately. There are benefits in group as well as private study of God’s Word. We should be doing one of them.

We have often heard the saying, “Men shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” It is sad when Christians deliberately choose to ignore our heavenly Father’s advice or command. Some Christians proudly say that they are not the studying or the reading kind. Can anyone say, “I’m not the eating kind?”

Having read a little some people claim to know a lot. Some like to show they know – “the know all.” Some like to argue and debate showing off their ignorance. People do not realize that ignorance of Scripture cause people to be misled by deviant groups. Christians misbehave or act in a misguided way thinking they are right.

Listen to the following verses and discover what God can do for us through His Word:

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

Your word is lamp to my feet and light for my path. Psalm 119:105

All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,

correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God

may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate

On it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything

written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8

Peter told the scattered Christians: “Grow up in salvation.” It simply means know what you believe and know why you believe. Every Christian must know his faith. The Words of the Bible is light and life to us who read it or feed on it. We must have the assurance of salvation. Our confidence is based on our trust in Jesus, for what he said and who he said he is.

“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me!” John14:6

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John11:25

Peter did not want the early Christians to remain as spiritual babies. They live closely with their old religious community and can easily fall back under the pressure of persecution. They had to be clear about life and death, heaven and hell, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Christians today are not any different. We live in a non-Christian environment. We need strong Biblical foundation. We must be grounded and planted deep in Christ and His Word. Being Christian is being Christ-like in word, thought and deed. The Christians will not be like babies easily tossed back and forth by waves or thrown here and there by every wind of teaching. We would not be prey to cunning and crafty men who scheme and cheat. But be able to separate false teaching from the truth. Christians have fallen away due to the choices they make.

Peter wants all Christians to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18). Read the Gospel according Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and the Acts of the Apostles. There you will know what God our heavenly Father had planned and implemented, what Jesus said and did and the wonderful works of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

“Now you have tasted that the Lord is good (v3).” Peter said if you get rid of evil and wickedness in your life and feed on the word of God you will realize how good your God is. Some Christians have not tasted the goodness of God. They do not know how good God really is. Get right with God by getting rid of the wrongs in our lives. Then enjoy good spiritual food – His word – do personal devotion at home and join a group study.

Our good God is also a gracious God. He gives us more than we ask. We may not get what we ask because He does not give what we want. He gives us what we need. When we have tasted and known God we desire more. It begins with His Word. Read the Bible, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and the Acts of the Apostles and you will realize how wonderful God is in Jesus Christ.

God’s Word is an introduction to God Himself. Take the invitation to read and know Jesus Christ personally. As God becomes real and personal in your life you proceed to do another thing. Go on to invite your friends to “taste” the Good News and the person the Good News is about. Just like good vintage wine, appreciating and accepting God and His Word, begins with tasting. “O taste and see that our Lord is good and gracious!” Consequently, we all grow and mellow like vintage – appreciated and accepted.

Rev. Richard Tok

Mt. 16:13-18

Bob Weniger

Have you noticed that sometimes the definition of a word as found in a dictionary does not always match reality? For instance, take the word flashlight. Webster’s dictionary defines a flashlight as a portable electric light, usually operated by batteries. That’s not what it is in our house! In our house a flashlight is a metal or plastic cylinder used for storing dead batteries. At least, that is what I find when I go to look for one!

Or consider the word toe. Again quoting Webster’s, a toe is any of the five digits of the human foot. Almost, but Webster didn’t quite get it right. In reality, a toe is that part of the foot used for finding furniture in the dark!

What I would like to do today is to focus our thinking on the definition of the church. Regardless of how Webster’s dictionary might define the church, and in spite of how people on the street might describe the church, in reality what is the church called to be? Whether we’re talking about this church or any other church, just what is the church? As the saying goes, “If you aim at nothing, you will probably hit it!” It’s so important that we discern just what we are to be as the church, so we can then direct our time, resources, and energy toward fulfilling that purpose. In the coming weeks we will deal with some specific aspects of the church such as evangelism, our relationship to the world, our life together and so on. But today I want to speak about the church in a more general sense. So to begin I would like us to look at our text for today, Matthew 16:13-18.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

Then he asked them, “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.”

Jesus told Simon Peter, and us as well, that He was going to build His church and that not even the powers of hell can conquer it. The first thing to observe is that whatever the church is, it belongs to Jesus. Jesus did not say, “I will build the church,” and He certainly didn’t say, “I will build your church, but rather He said, “I will build my church.”

In one sense we speak of this being our church because this is where our membership is or this is where we attend. But we do not own this church. It is His church, and thus it must conform to His vision, His purpose for the church.

Secondly, Jesus said that He will build His church. Whatever it is that God would call us to do and be, we are not left on our own to accomplish that. It will not and cannot happen solely through our own efforts. Jesus promised that He would build His church. To be sure, He uses us in that process. We have to give ourselves first of all to Jesus and secondly to that vision and mission He has for us. But we need not shrink back in fear or write off the vision as being too demanding for us, as something which it beyond our means. Jesus has promised the He will build His church and not even the powers of Hell will conquer it. But when Jesus said He would build His church, just what is it that He was promising to build? What is the church? Maybe the place to start is with a few things the church is not, although sometimes the church is depicted in these ways. Each of these images contain a bit of truth, but taken by themselves they are narrow, limiting, and even destructive.

First of all, the church is not a club. A club is a place where place where people gather with like-minded folk, with those who share a common interest in order to have a good time. If you belong to a book club you meet with other people who enjoy reading. During the month you all read the same book, and then you meet together to discuss it. If you belong to a gardening club you meet with other people who share this interest in gardening to talk about gardening and share new insights into this common hobby. Certainly some clubs are involved in some kind of community service, but basically clubs exist for their own benefit, for the benefit of their own members. They offer like-minded people the chance to meet and have a good time around their common interest. This is not the church.

Secondly, the church is not a health spa. Now, probably you have never thought of the church as being a health spa. But while we maybe have not used the term “health spa” in our thinking, nevertheless we may have conceptualized the church according to that image. In so doing we think of the church as a place where we can relax, where we come to receive comfort and be made to feel good. There’s a lot of stress out there in the world, and the church is where we go to get away from it all. We don’t want to hear about the complex issues in our society or about the shortcomings in our lives, we don’t want to be challenged to bring our lives under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We just want to comforted, uplifted, encouraged so we might leave feeling better about our lives than when we arrived.

Thirdly, the church is not a fort. This idea develops when fear invades the church. It’s a threatening, hostile, evil world out there. It’s values are so different than ours and what we want to pass on to our children. We don’t know how to relate to it and we don’t want to relate to it. And so rather than live as the salt and light in the midst of that dark and threatening world, we choose the easier route and retreat to the safety of our fort. True, we won’t be making any impact on our society, but at least we can enjoy the safety provided by our church walls. And so we become irrelevant to a needy world.

And then the church is not a movie theater specializing in the old classics. When I was in seminary there was a theater nearby that showed only the old classics from about the 1930’ through the 1950’s. There were some good movies made back then, and some wish that the church would resemble that that era, or one earlier than that. Now there is a lot of good in having meaningful traditions. But if we make that the sum total of the church so that we just do the same things in the same way we always have, we will find ourselves living in a bye-gone era. We will be out of touch with the present.

Nor is the church an institution. When Jesus promised to build His church He was not thinking of an institutional organization with big budgets and lots of committees and organizational flow charts and so forth. The institutional church as we know it is a form that God may raise up and use at a particular time, but that is not the essence of the church.

Now as I said, there is a bit of truth in each of those images. The church is a place where like-minded people come and have a good time. The church is a place to come and receive comfort and encouragement as your needs are met. The church does provide a place of shelter from a world bent on evil. The church is a place that values meaningful traditions and a glorious heritage because the Truth never changes. The church has by and large taken on an institutional form over the years, which believe it or not, the Spirit can work through. But when any of those images come to be what really characterizes a church so it becomes that and little else, then that church has missed its calling. So if the church is none of those things, then just what is the church? What is it that Jesus is building?

When Jesus said, “I will build my church,” the word translated “church” in this passage from Matthew is the Greek word “ecclesia.” Basically it means “people.” But it is not just people in general but a specific group of people who have been called out or summoned to an assembly. That’s what it means in the original Greek, and in Greek society the ecclesia was the assembly of the citizens of a particular city who gathered together at various times, usually at the edge of the city, to conduct the business of the city. They were called out of the city and away from the routines of the day to meet together to do business.

And so the church is the people who have been called out to do the business, or the work of the kingdom of God. The church is the people of God. It is not buildings or structures or programs or services, but the people. In that sense we can never go to church, for we are the church. Rather we go to the place where the church assembles.

Now there are some specific characteristics about this people God has called. First of all, just like the ecclesia in Greek society was called out to the edge of the city, so also we have been called out. I Pet. 2:9 reads, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” As the church, that is as the people of God, we have been called out of darkness. In Scripture darkness is a metaphor which simply means to be separated from God Of course, there are a lot of implications of that in terms of what it means and how it looks. To walk in darkness is to live apart from God and to ignore His instructions for living. It’s to take the path that leads to destruction, both in this life as well as the next.

But by God’s grace we have been called out of that darkness of ignorance of God and separation from God, and we have been called into His wonderful light. Having been called out of darkness we are invited to a new way of living under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. With Jesus Christ, the light of the world, illuminating the way, we can walk on the path that leads to life in all its fullness.

Then as the church we are “called for,” that is, we are called for relationship with God through Jesus Christ. God doesn’t call us out of darkness simply so that we can live by a new set of rules. No, God calls us out of darkness so that we can live with Him – our Creator, Redeemer, and Savior.

Jesus said to His disciples, “You are my friends.” That implies relationship. When Jesus called the twelve disciples, it says in Mk. 3:14, “He appointed twelve…that they might be with Him.” God offers Himself to us every moment of every day of our lives. The God of all creation gives Himself to us so we can live with Him, so we can know Him as our protector, guide, healer, counselor, shepherd and friend. Isn’t that incredible!

We are called out of darkness, out of life separated from God, and called for relationship with God so we might live in His love, be directed by His Spirit, be filled with His joy, and experience a certain hope for our eternity. For this living, dynamic relationship with God exists not only now but throughout eternity. In John’s vision of the new heaven and new earth, he heard a loud voice from the throne saying (Rev. 21:3), “Now the dwelling of God is with people, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” As the church, we are called for relationship with God, that we might forever be intimately related to the One who gives meaning to our lives. So we are called out of darkness and for relationship with God, that we might know Him and experience His presence and love everyday.

Thirdly, we are “called together.” In America we are big on individualism and some of that individualism has crept into the church. But that idea is foreign to Scripture. The call of God is not a purely private affair. The very meaning of the word “ecclesia,” is the people of God who have been called out and into an assembly. We are called together.

As we see in our text today, when Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus did not respond by speaking to Peter of his personal walk with God. No, Jesus immediately started talking about the church. This was the first time someone acknowledged Jesus as the Savior sent from God, and right away Jesus started talking about building His church. Today, especially in America, we find people who feel they can believe in Jesus – just me and Jesus – but ignore the church. Not so in the mind of Jesus. Listen to how Charles Colson puts it:

When Peter made his confession, Jesus did not say, “Good, Peter. You are now saved and will have an abundant life. Be at peace.” Instead, He announced the church and established a divinely ordained pattern. When we confess Christ, God’s response is to bring us into His church; we become part of His called-out people. When we become followers of Christ, we become members of His church – and our commitment to the church is indistinguishable from our commitment to Him.

When the church was born on the Day of Pentecost, it says in Acts 2:42 that these first Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship.” These early disciples met together as the church to listen to the teaching of the apostles. As followers of Jesus it is crucial that we understand correctly just who God is, what God is like, all He has done for us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and then how we are to live as His people in response to His grace. The more we understand about God the more enthralled we will be with God and the deeper our faith and firmer our commitment to God will be. So we come together as the church to learn together, for no individual on their own could possibly mine the depths of Scripture.

In addition to being devoted to the teaching of the apostles, the early church members were also, it says, devoted to the fellowship. They were devoted to one another, for they knew they needed each other if they were to live authentic Christian lives and experience all God had for them.

Jesus prayed in Jn. 17: 20-21 that all who believe in Him would be one. And He commanded us to love one another even as He loves us. That speaks of deep relationships with one another. We are to be committed to one another, encouraging one another in the faith, bearing one another’s burdens so that the whole body of Christ will be built up in love. Jesus, in building His church, builds us together. There is no inkling in the New Testament of a church member being someone whose name is on the role but never or rarely gathers with the community of faith nor participates in its corporate ministry. We all need each other, and we all have a role to play as members of the community of faith.

And in speaking about community, we must not confuse that with activity. There may be a lot of activity going on, but that in and of itself is not community. Community depends on right relationships, where we are learning to love one another, forgive one another, encourage one another, and put up with one another. I will speak more of this in a future sermon, but for today the point is simply that we are called together. That is the only way God calls us. So as we seek God’s vision for this church, this is something we all must enter into. True, we will all have different ways of contributing toward the fulfillment of that vision since we all have different gifts, but we all must be a part of it.

And finally, we are called “into.” After His resurrection, Jesus told the disciples in Jn. 20:21, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Jesus was sent into the world to reveal the Father and demonstrate His love. And so Jesus calls us out of the darkness, out of a world that ignores God and rejects God, and then He calls us to go back into the world even as He was sent into the world. We are sent as His representatives to proclaim and demonstrate His love for all people.

As we saw in the verse earlier, I Pet 2:9, we are called out of darkness that we may declare the praises of Him who called us. To whom do we declare those praises? To one another. No, but to the world which has yet to hear and respond. Being called out of the world is not an escape from the world. Rather we are called out that we might experience new life from our Heavenly Father, be strengthened and encouraged by one another, so that we can go back into the world with a new sense of direction and new power to be a witness of God’s transforming love.

When Jesus said that He would build His church, He was not implying that He would build an organization or an institution. Rather He meant that He would build a people. First He would call them out of the darkness of life without God. Then He would lead them into a deep, life-sustaining relationship with God. Then He would bring them together to live with one another and grow together as a community of faith. And then, having been transformed and given a new sense of purpose, He would call them to go back into the world to live as His representatives. Jesus is not nearly as concerned about an institution as He is about His people – how are they living? How are they growing? How are they serving? What impact are they having?

In all this we see the amazing grace of God. Just think, the all-powerful Creator of the world, the Lord of all eternity invites us to be a part of His church, His own people. How gracious God is! You know, there are a lot of clubs, organizations, and institutions in this world that would never allow me to be a member. For some of these, you have to have the right connections to join, and thus they will never allow me in because I don’t have those connections. For others, you have to have certain amount of wealth to join, and I know I will never have enough wealth to meet their entrance requirements. For some you must display certain skills, abilities, or experiences, and I lack those, and so I’m left out. Then there are some exclusive clubs for which their members must have the proper ancestry; they need to be able to trace their family tree back to a certain person or group of people. I don’t have the right family lineage to get into those groups. In short, there are a lot of groups that simply would not have me as a member, and I’m guessing the same is true for you.

But the one, true, eternal God, the One who is perfect in every way and who alone is deserving of all praise and glory is delighted to invite you and me to be part of His church. Talk about affirming our value, our sense of worth. It doesn’t matter our race, our gender, our wealth, our intellect, our connections, our status in the eyes of the world, or even our past sins. In His love and grace God calls everyone out of darkness, out of the despair of not knowing God.

And then we see God’s grace even more in that through inviting us to be part of His church, He is also inviting us to know Him deeply. We have the opportunity to experience life with God, just as Jesus called the disciples that they might be with Him. Every moment of every day, we can have the assurance that the almighty and all-loving God is with us – leading us, protecting us, comforting us, encouraging us, using us, for we are members of His church.

And there is more grace for us to experience, for we live life not only with God but also with one another. Being a part of His church means we are members of one another. It means there is a place where we will be loved, supported, and encouraged. It means there is a place where we can learn from one another and grow in our faith together. It means that we can become more and experience life at a deeper level than we ever could on our own.

And there is more grace still, for being a part of God’s church means that we have the chance to really make a difference in this world. For as His redeemed people, as those who are becoming new creatures in Christ, God sends us back into the world that still is mired in darkness so that we can be God’s instruments of healing, wholeness, and reconciliation. We can direct others to the God who has saved us. We could never do all of this if we were left on our own trying to live out our faith, but together as His church and empowered by God’s Spirit, we can do the work of God in the world.

As we explore our identity and purpose as a church, these are some of the things we need to keep before us for Jesus would continually build us and strengthen us in these areas – our relationship with God, our relationships with one another, and our service to the world. And in all of this, we experience the grace of God. I hope, church, that you will be thinking and praying about this in the coming weeks and that together we will be fully surrendered to the Master Builder and His mission for us, so we can be the church He created us to be.

Ps. 133; I Cor. 2:1-2; 3:1-4, Eph. 4:1-6

Bob Weniger

I learned recently about an interesting and surprising change in the nature of certain cross-cultural relationships in the city of Davis, California, in recent years. Davis is located in the midst of the high-tech silicon valley, home of many industries and business related to computers, the internet, and so on. Many workers and engineers have gone to work there from other countries, such as India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Those countries are not naturally friends with one another. In fact, they have fought a number of wars against each other.

But in Davis, people who have come from those countries have become friends with one another. What has brought these enemies together in friendship and unity? The game of cricket, which they’ve all inherited from the British influence of earlier years. One person commented, “At home, we are enemies. But here, national identity is not so important. What’s really important is cricket.” The game of cricket is very popular in their home countries. And in Davis they have started a cricket league that includes players from all these countries. And through playing cricket together these people who back home would consider each other enemies have now become friends.

If something as simple as the game of cricket can unite in friendship those who were formerly enemies, what about the church? Is there something more profound, more deeply rooted in truth that can unite the church as friends and as brothers and sisters in Christ? For the church is also made up of people from different countries and cultures. We come from different racial, economic, and educational backgrounds. We interpret Scripture in different ways and come to differing conclusions on a variety of theological issues. All this is especially true of an international church. We come from different countries, different denominations, different backgrounds. We have different opinions on matters related to the church and theology. Can we truly experience a real sense of unity with one another?

The fact is, unity in the church does not come easily, nor, unfortunately, does it come often. Whether we’re talking about an individual church, a denomination, or the entire church with all its denominations, unity is elusive and rarely achieved. The church has divided itself into three major groups – the Orthodox, the Roman Catholics, and the Protestants – and they have a hard time getting along and sometimes don’t even like each other. My own denomination in the U.S., which has experienced several major divisions and breakaways in the past, is now going through a real crisis over the understanding of several biblical issues. Some churches have left and others may yet leave. So much for unity! Churches I pastored in the States had people who not only disagreed with each other; they wouldn’t even speak to each other. Unity does not come easily, if it comes at all.

And yet unity among God’s people is very important to God. Let’s look at a couple passages that demonstrate this. First, from the Old Testament, let’s read Ps. 133. There David wrote:

How good and pleasant it is when brothers (and sisters) live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

How good and pleasant it is when the people of God dwell together in unity. Although there are issues that divide the church, personality conflicts that separate fellow church members, and power struggles that keep brothers and sisters in Christ apart, God’s purpose for us is that we dwell together in unity.

Notice that it doesn’t say uniformity. Uniformity is when we all look, act, think, and speak the same. Uniformity is when we all have the same priorities, the same interpretations, the same perspective, and reach the same conclusions. That simply is not going to happen in this world. But that’s okay, because we are not called to uniformity.

Instead we are called to unity. That means in spite of our differences there is a spirit of oneness that exists between us. We are committed to each other and so we don’t let our differences come between us. That doesn’t mean we ignore or deny our differences, but we don’t allow those differences to define the nature of our relationships with one another. Rather our relationships with one another are characterized by authentic love, by humble willingness to consider the interests of others and not just our own, by a desire to forgive if we have been wronged, and a commitment to work with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ for the cause of the gospel.

When this happens among the people of God, our text says it is both good and pleasant. It’s insightful that David referred to this unity of spirit as being both good – meaning it is right – and pleasant – meaning it is enjoyable. Some things, you know, are good but not pleasant. A trip to the dentist is a good thing. It’s good that we can have our teeth properly cared for. But often it’s not very pleasant. Going on a diet may be a good thing, but it probably won’t be pleasant. Disciplining our children when necessary is a good thing, but it’s usually not pleasant for either the parent or the child.

And then there are things that are pleasant but not good. Sin would fall into this category; there is something pleasant about them. The Bible speaks of the passing pleasures of sin. That’s why we’re tempted to do them. But obviously they are not good. Going on a shopping spree and racking up your credit card debt may be pleasant but it’s not good. Getting revenge against someone who hurt you may seem pleasant – at least for a time – but it’s not good.

So some things are good but not pleasant. Other things are pleasant but not good. But dwelling together in unity is both good and pleasant. It’s good because it’s right. That’s the way it is supposed to be. Any community – whether a small community of a family, a church community, or the larger community in which we live – any community will function best and serve the needs of its members best when there is unity.

Even consider an athletic team. If that team is wrought with dissension, if the players are selfish, trying only to make a name for themselves, if they bicker with one another, that team is not going to do very well. But if the players are committed to one another and to the greater good of the whole team, if they are there to encourage the others, if they are willing to sacrifice their own interests for the sake of the team and they play unselfishly, that team will reach its full potential. Team unity will lead to success.

Unity is good because it enables the community to thrive, to reach its full potential, whereas disunity cripples a community. In English, it’s interesting that the word “unity” is contained within the word “community.” There literally can be no true community without unity.

And not only is it good when the people of God dwell together in unity, it is also pleasant. By way of contrast, you know how unpleasant disunity is. When a family can’t get along, no one in that family is happy. When there is strife between members of a church, going to church is not an enjoyable experience. When a school community is divided over issues, there is not a lot of joy there. Disunity is about as unpleasant an experience as anything can be.

On the other hand, how refreshing it is when a community is marked by deep and abiding unity. You want to be a part of such a community, not only because fighting and strife are absent, but because it’s so uplifting being among people who care for each other, who are concerned about the interests of others, who are there to support and encourage one another. They may not agree about everything, but that doesn’t dampen or threaten their unity. For their unity is not based on agreeing with one another but on their commitment to one another.

Now it’s important to note the context of this psalm. This is one of 15 songs of ascent as they are called, which include Psalms 120-134. The reason they are called songs of ascent is that they were sung by the Jewish people as they ascended to Jerusalem for one of the major holy days, such as Passover or the Day of Atonement. Jerusalem sits on Mt. Zion, so no matter where these religious pilgrims were coming from they would have to ascend to Jerusalem. And people from all over the land of Israel would be marching together to celebrate these important holy days.

And so this unity that David writes of was not restricted to just a small group of people, to just a few who happened to get along. No, all the people traveling to Jerusalem would join in singing this psalm. This unity is meant for all the people of God.

Now, where does this kind of unity come from? We all know that this authentic spirit of unity does not exist nearly as often as it should within the church, but when it is present, where does it come from? What is the source of it? This unity comes from God as a gift to His people. Several images in this psalm illustrate this.

The first image is that of oil. David wrote that unity “is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.” The idea of oil being poured on our head, running down our face and onto our clothes may not seem all that appealing to us. But we must understand this in its historical setting.

When Aaron was anointed as priest, oil that had been mixed with various fragrant spices was poured on him. (Exod. 30:22-33) The oil, as elsewhere in Scripture, symbolized the presence of God’s Spirit. As Aaron was anointed with oil, it symbolized his anointing with the Holy Spirit enabling him to fulfill his special calling. And because of the fragrant spices mixed with the oil, it gave off a very pleasant and inviting aroma. So when David compared the unity of God’s people with oil running down upon Aaron, he was claiming that unity resulted from the presence of God’s Spirit coming down upon His people. And just like the aroma of the oil was very pleasing and enjoyable, so is the unity it symbolizes in this passage.

The same point is illustrated by the dew of Mt. Hermon falling upon Mt. Zion. David wrote this unity “is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mt. Zion.” Mt. Hermon, at about 9,000 feet and several hundred miles north of Jerusalem, is the highest mountain in that region and is often snow-covered. The heavy dew, along with rain and snow, fall regularly on Mt. Hermon. That image, as with oil, is that of something descending from above. Mt. Zion, where Jerusalem is located, is less than one-third that height and is often hot and dry. The picture is that of Mt. Zion being refreshed by the dew that falls on Mt. Hermon. So authentic unity is a gift from God, descending on His people, bringing refreshment and life.

Not only does this unity come from God, but it is rooted in what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. And this is where it really applies to a church like ours. For again, we come from many different backgrounds – including theological backgrounds. Some of us are from church traditions that emphasize one thing while others are from traditions that have other points of emphasis. We come from churches that have very different viewpoints on things such as the practice of charismatic gifts, the role of women in ministry, the proper method of baptism, the meaning of communion, the nature of missions, and the nature of conversion. When it comes to worship, some of us grew up in liturgical churches while others of us come from churches that were very informal in their worship. Some of us prefer traditional hymns while others of us like contemporary choruses. Our backgrounds and preferences are so diverse in a church like this. So what is our unity rooted in?

Our unity is rooted in what God as done for us in Jesus Christ, or we might say, in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul put it like this in I Cor. 15:3-5:

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.

And then Paul goes on to say that Jesus also appeared to more than 500 others, including himself. What he outlines in this short passage is the gospel of Jesus Christ, or the good news of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. Jesus died for our sins, just as the Scriptures foretold. He was then buried, proving that He actually died. Then He was raised to life, again just as the Scriptures prophesied. And He was then seen by all these witnesses to His resurrection – not only the twelve but to more than 500 others, proving that He was indeed alive.

This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is what God did for us through Jesus so that our sins can be forgiven, so we can be reconciled to God and adopted as His children, so we can discover the meaning of life and the purpose of our own lives, so we can be victorious over death and experience the fullness of eternal life. Through this we see and experience the profound love God has for us. And this, wrote Paul, is of first importance. By definition there can only one thing of first importance, so this is the one essential thing that all followers of Jesus must agree on. If we agree on this, and if we agree that this is the one essential thing that we must agree on, there will be unity. For this puts all other matters in their proper perspective. They may be important matters, but they are not of first importance, and thus they should not, they must not divide. There is room for differences.

Now, even though this unity is God’s gift to us through the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is also something we must desire. God will not force it on us, for God doesn’t force any of His good gifts upon us. Paul writes in Eph. 4:3 that we are to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit. So we must pray for it. We must seek after it. And that means we must be willing to nurture it by doing such things as forgiving others, overlooking petty grievances, accepting those who may have different views than we do on secondary things, and being willing to learn from those who come to different conclusions than we do. Most importantly, we strive to love one another as Christ loves us, all the while praying the God’s Spirit will come into our midst and into our hearts to enable us to live this way. If we do these things we will experience unity in Christ, which God wants to give us so we will thrive.

Now, to show how important this is, we need only look to the words of Jesus. On His last night before being crucified, Jesus prayed to the Father. You can imagine that since it was His last night, Jesus was praying for what was most important of all. In Jn. 17:23 Jesus prayed for all who would follow Him, both back then and still today. And this is what He prayed: “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Jesus prayed that all His followers, the entire church be brought to complete unity – not just a little unity but complete unity. If Jesus prayed for this we know this is God’s will for us. And so, if we claim to be His followers, we must readily set aside anything that would threaten or jeopardize this unity. Attitudes, behaviors, resentments, grudges, pride – anything that separates us from our brothers and sisters in Christ we must lay aside so we can fulfill God’s will for us by being one in spirit with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

And this unity, said Jesus, is how the world will know that God the Father sent Him into the world to reveal the love of God for all people. For only the power of God’s love, which was revealed in Jesus and has the power to transform our lives can enable people to live together in unity. And Jesus said that when others see this unity they will recognize the presence of God, for there is no other explanation for how people can be so united even when they have differences. Just think, if we are not living together in unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are an obstacle to others coming to the realization that God so loved the world He sent His Son that we might have eternal life through Him. We are just like any other group that gets along when we happen to agree. That doesn’t testify to anything special.

But on the other hand, our unity that is based in the gospel of Christ is a powerful witness to the world regarding that gospel. Our unity is like a magnet. It not only draws others to this church – for who wouldn’t want to be part of a group so united in love and concern for one another – but it also draws others to God so they can experience the reality of the gospel and God’s gift of salvation. Nothing is more important for our witness here than our unity in Christ.

As I mentioned, we come from many countries and backgrounds. For some of you this is your first time in an international church. A church like this is a wonderful place to worship, to be nurtured in your faith, to serve others, and to enjoy the fellowship of your sisters and brothers in Christ who come from different places, cultures, and backgrounds. Because we are so diverse, what a unique opportunity we have to demonstrate true unity in Christ.

As we do that, we will discover that we have a sense of unity that is far more profound than what the game of cricket can inspire. It will be good and pleasant for us, and it will be a powerful witness to the rest of the community. So let us join Jesus in praying for the unity of the church, and also in doing all we can to make that unity a reality at right here!

Pr Richard Tok’s sermon on 15-Apr-2012

1 Peter 1:17-25

Introduction

In ancient days it was possible for travelers to journey long distances into the unknown. How did they get somewhere and back to where they began? Early navigators over land or sea were guided by the stars. Traditionally in the northern hemisphere they looked to the “north star’ to know their direction. Their knowledge of specific stars and the sun led to the development of the sextant. This instrument helped them locate their position and determine their direction.

The Chinese discovered the lodestone and developed the compass. This depended on the iron and magnetic qualities of the stone that is always pointing at a fixed position when suspended. Experienced travelers knew that fixed position as “north” – actually the magnetic north. Later it became common knowledge that the earth had a magnetic field. The lodestone or iron needle will align itself with the magnetic field and point north -south. Today the modern gyro-compass aligns with the earth’s spinning axis and points to the “true north.”

A new trader who wanted to go to a market city, a religious man who wished to go to a holy shrine and a city dweller who wanted to visit the home of his ancestors, would seek the help of a guide. This guide is special in that he had been there and knew the way like the palm of his hand. Today we call him the tourist or travel guide. In olden days by horse or ship, over land or sea, there were guides who were paid to show the way.

The Christian is a traveler, heaven-bound! He is here on earth and a time will come when he will leave it and go to heaven, where God is. The idea that Christians are travelers or pilgrims is suggested by the words “strangers” or “sojourners” in verse 17:

Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.” (v17)

Strangers or sojourners suggest that travelers or pilgrims break journey and rest for a time at a place and having rested will continue on. Some take the risk of traveling alone and may get lost or way laid.

Generally pilgrims have a guide and the pilgrim guide had a compass and a map.

Pilgrims had great faith and trust in their guide and held them in high esteem. The Christian’s pilgrim guide is none other the Jesus Christ and the unchanging Word of God. Instead of the “north star” Christians fix their eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. He lived and died bearing our sorrows and sin and lived again. The Bible is our manual for life and a map for the heavenly road. In Christ the Christian’s safety and security for now and eternity is ensured. Deep in his heart he has this assurance: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I fear no evil for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

Three things to bear in mind as a Christian Pilgrim:

1. Reverence God the Father (v17)

Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. (v17)

Christians have been reminded to be holy for their God is holy. They should bear the character of their Father in heaven. Holiness should be their nature and character. Holiness honours God. One way to live a holy life is to reverence or honour God. The non-believing world watches us and gives God the glory for our sense of respect for Him. They know because they lack honour and they lack holiness. God called us to be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.”

“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

God honours his children with gifts and privileges. As we mature in our Christian life we become more and more godly, Christ-like. When we honour God in word, thought and deed, God honours us. That is a promise we can testify. Conversely, God will not honour us when we dishonour Him.

“…Those who honour me I will honour, but those who despise me will be disdained.” 1 Samuel 2:30b

Do you think we have the privilege to disobey God and break His laws? Can we sin and get away from its consequence?

“There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first the Jew, then the Gentiles; but glory, honour and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then the Gentile. For God does not show favouritism.” Romans 2:9-11

“For the Lord your God is God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.” Deut. 10:17

If and when God’s children disobey Him, He will discipline them (Heb.12:1-13). Take note that our God who is Father to us is also judge. To Him we will have to give an account of our deeds. He judges the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5). One day we will all appear before the judgement seat of Christ and receive what is due to us for what we have done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).

It is good to be reminded that how ever long we live on earth compared to eternity in heaven that length of time is only but a dot in the endless line of time. Better be accustomed to a clean and holy life, for that is what heaven and eternity will be like.

Furthermore, since God is our Father and He is holy, we better fall in line and get use to it now. For our own peace and joy and self respect let us be noble and honourable. Why shame ourselves and God when we can honour Him and gain respect for ourselves at the same time?

An American sailor passed out of the naval academy and soon proved himself worthy of an officer. His attitude and character, his leadership and courage were perfect before the sharp eyes of his superior officers. He arrived at the height of his naval career when he was appointed the captain of an aircraft carrier.

One day something about him leaked out of the ship into the hands of news agencies and broadcasting stations. He was reported to have spoken over the public address system in the aircraft carrier, words that were unbecoming of an officer. Saucy, vulgar, rude and crude language was used by him. His mitigation was that he was coming down to the level of the sailors, speaking their language, to raise the ship’s morale. The investigation team thought differently. He was removed from the ship, demoted and his salary cut. It was not funny. It was costly. If it were a joke, he did not have the last laugh. One compromising indignity destroyed a life time’s career success.

We must never let our guard down. Never think too lightly of any situation. One bad deed erodes a whole life time of good. “Years of obedience cannot purchase an hour of disobedience.”

2. Remember Christ the Redeemer (v18-19)

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Christians are exhorted to live like pilgrims or strangers on earth. They are to hold on to earthly things lightly. Be ready to let go and leave for their divine destination, heaven. Christians are also exhorted to live as the redeemed of Christ. They ought to remember who they were and where they came from. Christians were slaves to sin, death and the devil. Christ had set them free from all three.

Christians living in the early church, especially in the first century, understood this word “redeemed” in a deep personal way. For us today, the word tends only to have a religious or theological meaning. For those who were persecuted for their faith and slaves who were bought and set free, the word “redeemed” took on a very special meaning. There were as many as 60 million slaves in the Roman Empire. Many slaves became Christians. Jews who became Christians appreciated the moments of peace when those in Judaism let them be. Redemption was certainly a personal and precious thing in the first century. Jesus Christ was the reason. Jesus Christ made the difference!

First century Gentile Christians knew what real slavery was. Early Jewish Christians remembered their history of slavery in Egypt. Subsequent generations may forget where they came from and did not value their position as Christians. Such Christians slip or slide back into their old sinful life style. We must be prepared, never to forget how we suffered as slaves in sin and the freedom we enjoy in Jesus Christ (Titus 3:1-8). Be warned of the temptation to go back to the pleasures of sin. Those who longed to go back to Egypt for the things of Egypt did not enter the Promised Land.

Some people had in the past resisted to accept Christ as Saviour. They reasoned that they could not and should not give up their ancestors’ way of life and traditional beliefs handed down by their forefathers. If they did they lose their identity and dishonour their ancestors. Those who accepted Christ had no regrets. However noble or good those ideas were they were “empty” when compared to the revelation of God through Jesus Christ. What ever was handed down by our forefathers would pass away. They and their beliefs and practices passed away into a Christ-less eternity.

Even silver and gold though precious and imperishable things will lose their relevance and value one day! When Peter said those things were “corruptible” he meant that they were temporary at best, useful only for this life. Everything in this life is temporary and cannot be used to determine our future in heaven and eternity but the blood of Jesus. We have not been redeemed or saved by those things but by the precious blood of Christ. The price paid for our freedom from the bondage of sin, slavery to death, the fear of the devil was nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Each time Christians celebrate the Lord’s Supper they remember the love of God. God sacrificed His one and only Son to be the Lamb of God. Jewish Christians will recall that the first Lord’s Supper was the last Passover Feast. They remembered their deliverance from Egypt on the Eve of the Exodus when the blood of the lamb was painted on the door posts. Their first born survived to flee Egypt. They remembered God provided for Abraham a ram as sacrifice in place of Issac. Every sacrificial lamb points to Jesus. Christ the redeemer reminds us of God our provider – Jehovah Jireh!

Christ our Redeemer was not a second thought of God or divine accident! It was foreordained, divine providence. “Pro-video” – God saw and acted before hand and when the time was right God put His plan into action. Through the life, death and resurrection of Christ we believe in God. People put their faith and hope in God because they see God in Christ. He overcame death – Only the creator of life can lay down his life and take it up again. When we remember Jesus Christ as our Redeemer we actually acknowledge the love of God for the world.

3. Love your Brothers as Fellow Pilgrims (v22)

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

Imagine two brothers and a sister living in the same house left behind by their parents. They avoid talking to each other as much as possible. This they believed prevents conflict. The reason not to communicate was not to know of whatever may be happening in their private lives. Ignorance means they do not need to give assistance to each other. They cook their own meals or eat on their own. They care only for themselves. That is the happiness and harmony they know and have. I know of a family like this.

Imagine that we are pilgrims heading for Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem. Many from different directions and different paths finally merged into one major pathway. Everyone appeared to be looking ahead and the expression on their faces showed as though each one thought he was the only one on that road. No one looked around to acknowledge or wave at any one else. Some were stumbling because of the heavy load or tired but no one came to their assistance. The thirsty and tired needed help but did not ask from others. There was no sound of conversation, call for help or greeting but the sound of shuffling feet and groaning and sighing. If this were real of our journey to the heavenly Jerusalem, we must have made a terrible mistake in our life!

Peter tells us that we have received the truth and applied it. Through Christ we have been purified. Based on these two matters accomplished by the redemption of Christ, Christians ought to love each other sincerely, fervently and from the heart.

Peter tells Christians how to behave because they are not doing what they ought to. It is ironical that God’s people do not always get along with one another. We would like to believe that those who walk in hope and holiness would walk in harmony. This is not true in reality; we could be mistaken! There is disunity among believers in country, city, church and family. Sometimes the conflict is very serious. Some Christians are quite indifferent to the situation. Christians close to the heart of God think there is a desperate need for unity and togetherness.

Look at Christ our Redeemer and how He related to people. Everyone who came to Him, He loved. He went out of the way to reach the poor, outcast, sick, lonely, lame, the dishonest, hypocrite, the old and children, the Roman and the Syrophoenician. Those who met Jesus were touched and their lives were changed. Could we extend the helping hand of Christ by loving people? When we love sincerely we love authentically – like Christ Himself. To love is to help – extend a helping hand in love.

Christ walked from village to village, sailed across the lake, rose early, met crowds and individuals, sometimes took the risk of being misunderstood and had to move away quickly. Would that be a strain on his body, mind and spirit? A great deal of effort for his muscles, mind and emotions! Really, Jesus loved with strength of heart, body and mind. Loving fervently is to love with strength and effort. To love is to help.

Christ was righteous and pure in heart. His deeds were not spoiled by impure motive. He was just and fair. Can we say we have a pure heart and are free from sin? None of us but Christ can. Since the love we have comes from God so must a pure heart be a gift from Him. We have to make every effort to purify ourselves – “flee youthful lusts but pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace (2 Tim. 2:22). We speak romantically about loving from the heart but God speaks realistically about loving from a pure heart. To love is to help.

Application

Read Luke 10: 25-37 The Good Samaritan / The Good Christian Pilgrim

The Great Commandment – “who is my neighbour? Priest-Levite-Samaritan. “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” – “The one who had mercy on him!” “Go and do likewise.”

Luke 24:1-12

Bob Weniger

When I lived in the United States I used to subscribe to Newsweek Magazine. In one of the issues they recorded an incident that proved to be a bit embarrassing to one government agency in United States. The Department of Social Services in Greenville County, South Carolina sent the following notice to one of the residents of that county – or a former resident as it turns out. The notice to this individual read: “Your food stamps will be stopped effective March, 1992, because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances.”

Probably a number of us are not surprised that such a letter would be sent by a government agency – no offense to those of you who work for the government! And while we may appreciate the letter’s note of optimism, we all know very well that there will be no change in that person’s circumstances. Once people are dead, then tend to stay that way.

Except this one instance we have of a man named Jesus. What we celebrate at Easter, and hopefully throughout the year, is that there was a change in His circumstances. Against all odds, against all expectations, after He was tortured and killed, there was a change in His circumstances. Simply put, He didn’t stay dead, but rose victoriously back to life.

And that is the very heart of the Christian faith. It was His resurrection from the dead the proved Jesus was and is the Son of God. For clearly, rising from the dead is something beyond the ability of human power. It was His resurrection that proved His divinity, and thus validates all that He said and taught.

In the same vein it was His resurrection from the dead that validated Jesus’ authority to forgive our sins. Paul said it clearly in I Cor. 15:17:”If Christ has not been raised your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”

Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there is no Christian faith, Jesus was just another religious teacher, and the human race is without hope. As Paul goes on to say in I Cor. 15:17-19, not only is our faith is worthless but if Jesus was not raised from the dead, of all people we are most to be pitied, for we have believed and given our lives to what is not true. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, placing our faith in Him and trusting Him as our source of salvation is foolish and worthless said Paul – and we would have to agree with him.

But if the resurrection really did take place, if Jesus really did come back to life, it is without a doubt the most wonderful news and the most important news ever proclaimed. We then can live each day with the knowledge that our sins are forgiven for the One who died on the cross was God the Son and therefore had the authority to forgive our sins. We can be assured that the living God loves us, is with us and wants to be involved in our lives. We can be certain of our own eternal destiny. If Jesus really rose from the dead our lives can be filled with hope and assurance and joy, and we can face our own death with confidence of our eternal salvation, knowing that one day we will forever be in the presence of the One who died for us but rose again. But if Jesus did not rise from the dead, our faith is misguided and the whole human race is without hope.

So the question is: did it really happen? Did Jesus really rise from the dead, or is that just a myth based in the wishful thinking of the early disciples? Many of us have grown up in the church and so have heard the Easter story all our lives. Perhaps we just accepted it because of others who believed it – our parents or Sunday School teachers. Others of us did not grow up in the church and had to come to terms with the claim of the resurrection as adults. And probably there are some of us here today who still are not sure about this business of the resurrection. We’d like to believe it, but it sounds so incredible, so outrageous. We need some convincing evidence.

The truth is, all of us, regardless of our background, need to honestly face the question, especially in this modern, scientific age: did it really happen? Is the story of the resurrection really true? In this day and age, can we actually believe that Jesus was uniquely God and Man, and that after He had been in the tomb for three days He rose from the dead? In short, is Easter rooted in reality or myth?

Today I want us to consider five reasons why we can believe the resurrection story as recorded in Scripture. There are more reasons than that, but four is all we will deal with today. These five alone clearly point to the resurrection.

The first reason why we can with assurance believe in the resurrection of Jesus has to do with his body. As you probably know, there were many people of that time, especially the religious leaders and the Roman authorities, who discounted Jesus as a fraud. They were also threatened by Jesus and the movement He initiated. Once they crucified Jesus they thought they were done with Him once and for all and the movement would naturally die out. With the claim by His followers of the resurrection, however, the movement only gained momentum. With the growing belief in His resurrection, Jesus was now a bigger problem for them than He was before they crucified Him. More and more people were becoming Christians.

It would have been very easy for the opponents of Jesus and His followers to put this whole matter to rest: simply produce the body of Jesus. That would have been the end of this nonsense about Jesus rising from the dead. But they were never able to do that, because, of course, there was no body to produce.

Some skeptics have suggested that the disciples stole and hid the body of Jesus so that the movement would not be discredited. But this handful of simple disciples had no power to steal the body of Jesus when it was heavily guarded by Roman soldiers – soldiers whose own lives were on the line. Their orders were to guard the body of Jesus. If they failed in that and the body somehow disappeared they risked death themselves. So there was no way they were going to let that happen. Beyond this, the disciples had no motive to steal the body of Jesus. Why would they do that? Scripture is clear that the disciples were not expecting Jesus to rise from the dead so why would steal His body as a way of convincing others of something that they did not yet believe themselves nor were they expecting it to happen? That would make no sense at all. It was only when they saw the risen Lord that they came to believe in the resurrection. So there is simply no way one can reasonably conclude that the followers of Jesus stole His body. So the lack of a body is the first reason we can approach this day with faith and assurance.

The second reason why we can believe with confidence that Jesus is alive is that as I just alluded to, the disciples were not expecting Jesus to rise from the dead. It would have been one thing if beforehand they really thought things would turn out this way. Then we could imagine them making up the story of the resurrection to give credibility to what they believed. But the gospel witness is clear. They had absolutely no clue or inkling that Jesus would rise from the dead, that there would be a change in His circumstances. It is true that Jesus had shared with them that He would die and come back in three days, but the Scripture points out that the disciples had no idea what Jesus was talking about. It made no sense to them. So after Jesus was crucified, the disciples weren’t saying, “Hey, it’s ok, Jesus will rise again.” No, they were depressed, they were downcast, they were afraid thinking that everything was lost.

When the women went to the tomb that first Easter morning, they went with spices to give the body of Jesus its proper attention. They were not expecting Jesus to be alive. And as we read, when they gave their report to the disciples, it says that “They did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”

Those early followers of Jesus had no expectation that Jesus would rise from the dead. So it is inconceivable that they would make up something that they were in no way expecting and had never really thought of.

Third, something must account for the radical changes in the lives of the disciples and early church members. After the crucifixion, the disciples were afraid, hiding so they would not be discovered. Yet a short time later the disciples were fearlessly proclaiming the risen Lord. Only a radical even could account for that change. And not only did their fear give way to courage in proclaiming Christ amidst persecution, but they also made significant changes in their worship practices. They changed from Saturday worship to Sunday, they abandoned the practice of sacrificing animals for forgiveness of sins, and they embraced the concept of the Trinity. The first Christians were deeply rooted in the Jewish traditions. Only a radical event could have inspired these kinds of changes. The apostle Paul also presents a convincing proof of the resurrection. He was a Jew and a Pharisee, he helped persecute the church of Christ, yet became converted to the Christ he had opposed. Only an appearance of the resurrected Christ could lead to such a change of heart.

Fourth, it’s interesting that the first witnesses of the resurrection and the first ones to testify that Jesus was indeed alive were women. Now at first that may not seem all that significant, but we must remember this is ancient Jewish culture we’re talking about. And in that culture women were viewed with very low esteem. In fact, women of that time were not even allowed to testify in a court of law because it was widely believed that their word could not be trusted.

There are only two possibilities when it comes to the story of the resurrection of Jesus. It either really happened or the followers of Jesus made the story up. Now if the disciples and gospel writers simply made up this story of Jesus rising from the dead, there is no way that they would have had a group of women be the first ones to witness and testify about the resurrection. They would have given that role to men. For the point was to have other people believe their message. By making women the first witnesses and the ones to testify of it would have defeated their purpose right from the beginning. No one would have believed them simply because it was women who reported this incredible event.

I can imagine the gospel writers talking among themselves: “Should we put this stuff in here about the women being the first to testify of the Lord’s resurrection? Surely no one will believe us then. People will simply dismiss us saying, ‘That’s exactly why women can’t testify in court. They just come up with a bunch of nonsense like a dead man coming back to life.’” Probably the disciples thought, “Maybe we should just leave that part out.” For that was the view of women at that time.

But the account of the women had to be included for one reason: it was true. Jesus did rise from the dead and the women were the first witnesses of the great event. And there is no way it would have been included if the whole story were not true.

So we can be confident in the resurrection because the tomb was empty and the body of Jesus was not found, because the disciples were not expecting Jesus to rise from the dead, because of the changes we see in the early disciples and their worship practices, and because the women were the first ones to witness and proclaim the resurrection. And finally, because of human nature we can believe that Jesus rose from the dead, appeared not only to the disciples but as we read in I Cor. 15, to some 500 people at one particular time, and is alive today. What do I mean by human nature? To explain let me refer to Charles Colson.

As I’m sure most of you know, Charles Colson is a deeply committed Christian today. He is the founder of Prison Fellowship – a very successful Christian ministry to those who are in jail in many different countries. He became a Christian when his life hit rock bottom during the Watergate era back in the early 1970s.

Richard Nixon was president of the United States at that time, and Charles Colson was one Nixon’s closest advisors. Others in that select group were household names back then – now some 40 years ago: Bob Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, John Mitchell, Jeb Magruder, and John Dean. All of them, Colson included, were fiercely loyal to the President. They had risen to the very heights of power and prestige in the U.S. government, and they would do anything – legal or illegal – to stay in their positions and to support the President.

President Nixon represented the Republican Party. While he was running for President in 1972, under orders from his election campaign committee, several low-level men broke into the office of the opposing party – the Democratic Party – which was located in the Watergate Hotel. They were hoping to find any information about their opponents and their strategy that they could use to somehow help them win the election. They didn’t actually come up with that much. In the end what forced Nixon to later resign as President wasn’t so much the burglary itself but that he and his advisors tried to cover it up. They lied and did what they could to keep the court from discovering the truth.

All the men I just mentioned, including Charles Colson, willingly took part in the Watergate cover-up. They tried to hide the truth. They did what they knew was illegal in order to protect the President from the investigation. And yet what happened? In spite of their efforts, on March 23, 1973, Judge John Sirica released a letter from one of the Watergate burglars who had made a deal. In exchange for a lighter prison sentence, he would tell everything he knew. And within two weeks, the whole cover-up unraveled. One by one each of these ardent supporters of President Nixon turned his back on their leader and all the perks and power of their position in order to save his own neck. They all came forward, willing to testify against themselves and against the President, in hopes of gaining some leniency from the court.

What was at stake for them? Some public embarrassment. Perhaps a light prison sentence of a year or two – not in a typical jail with other prisoners but in pretty decent accommodations, more like a hotel room. It was simply a place that they were not allowed to leave. And yet with no more a threat than that, they all broke their silence and turned their back on the President. As Colson writes: “With the most powerful office in the world at stake, a small band of hand-picked loyalists, no more than ten of us, could not hold a conspiracy together for more than two weeks.” That is human nature – to walk away from your cause, even to abandon your leader in order to save your own skin.

But what about those early disciples? Is it at all likely that they formed a conspiracy around a lie, a cover-up of something they knew was not true and which they were not expecting? Can one reasonably believe that they not only formed such a conspiracy about a resurrection that never happened, but they also held to that conspiracy? What did they have to gain by that? Absolutely nothing!

And these early disciples were not merely threatened with public embarrassment or a light prison sentence. They were beaten and executed for proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. The apostle John died while in prison for his faith. All the others, including Paul, were executed for proclaiming the risen Lord.

People form a conspiracy only if it helps them in some way. Maybe it’s to make some money illegally through fraud and corruption. Maybe it’s to protect them from legal consequences as was true for the Watergate conspirators. But people don’t form a conspiracy knowing that it will hurt them, land them in jail and ultimately get them killed. People form a conspiracy to try to protect themselves from har.

Some people willingly die a martyr’s death for what they believe in. But no one willingly dies for what they know to be a lie, for something they just made up. At least some of the disciples would have broke at the prospect of prison and death. At least some of them, when faced with death, would have broke and said, “Okay, you win. We just made up the story of the resurrection. It didn’t really happen.” Surely when faced with death at least some of them would have cracked if they had made the story up.

And yet not only did none of the disciples break under pressure, but we see these once cowardly men who all deserted Jesus prior to His death as they tried to save their own lives, now boldly and powerfully proclaiming His resurrection and Lordship in the face of certain hostility. They were almost inviting opposition by declaring that Jesus was alive and Lord of all. To assert that the early followers of Jesus made up this story of the resurrection which they were not even expecting and then they all held to the story in the face of such dire consequences is to defy human nature. That is more impossible than someone rising from the dead.

So are we of all people most to be pitied? Not at all! For Jesus really did rise from the dead. We can believe it and believe it with confidence for it is the only reasonable explanation of what happened that first Easter morning and in the days and months and years that followed.

Of course, many if not most of us know that Jesus is alive even apart from the strong evidence, for we have experienced the reality of the living Christ in our lives. We have seen Jesus change our lives. We have experienced His power in setting us free from destructive attitudes, behaviors, and even addictions. We have benefitted from His unmistakable guidance in our lives, things that clearly go beyond mere coincidence. We have known His comforting presence in times of sorrow. In so many ways we have encountered the living Lord.

Jesus is alive. And so we are a people of faith, hope, and assurance, knowing that our sins have been forgiven at the cross and that even death itself has been defeated, for it couldn’t keep Jesus in the grave. And the victory Jesus won over death He now shares with us. We celebrate today because Jesus is alive, by His Spirit He is with us now, and one day we shall be with Him, living in His presence for all eternity. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Praise be to God!

Mt. 21:1-17

Bob Weniger

While I was pastoring in Colorado a very important person came to visit. Not to visit us, of course, but visit Colorado. There was a worldwide gathering of hundreds of thousands of Catholic young people – an event that I think takes place once every five years – and that year it was in the city of Denver. The guest of honor was Pope John Paul II.

I don’t know if you have ever been somewhere and the Pope came to town. If you haven’t, let me tell you it is quite an affair. The preparations are immense. The venues had to be prepared. Housing arrangements had to be made for so many visitors. The travel routes had to be plotted. Weeks prior to his arrival that was the main topic on the local news. And when he did arrive there were numerous official gatherings, processions with hundreds of thousands of people on the street, and then the main events that had to be held outside the city in an open field because no facility or stadium could come close to holding the throngs of people. When the Pope comes to town it’s a big deal!

But as grand and festive as that is, it’s nothing compared to when Jesus comes to town. That grabs everyone’s attention. That, of course, is what we think about on Palm Sunday. So let’s read Matthew’s version of the day Jesus entered Jerusalem. We’ll read Mt. 21:1-17.

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted.

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “’My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’”

The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?”

And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

All kinds of things happen when Christ comes to town. For the next few minutes I want us to think along two tracks. We’ll consider what Jesus said and did as he entered Jerusalem that day, along with a couple other events that happened later that week. But I also want us to be thinking about what Christ would do if He entered our city today. What would Jesus do, what would He say, what would His message be if He came to our city this day? And what if He came to this church today? And what if He came to our home this day? For Palm Sunday, and the events that followed in the next few days, present us with a picture of Jesus’ entire ministry, both what He did 2,000 years ago and what He is still doing today. For the truth is, He does come to us today by His Spirit. How does He come?

In the first place, if Jesus came to our town, He would come as a teacher. It was not mentioned in the text we read today about His arrival in Jerusalem, but the Gospels make it clear that during His time in the city, from Palm Sunday until His arrest in the garden on Maundy Thursday, Jesus spent much of that time, probably the majority of His time teaching. Each day he would go to the temple and teach in the courtyard. And some of the time, especially the evening prior to His arrest, Jesus was teaching His disciples. He taught about His identity and authority. He taught about the meaning of true discipleship and servanthood. He taught about the greatest commandment. He taught about the Holy Spirit. He taught about prayer. He taught about His second coming.

If Jesus spent so many of His last hours teaching it tells us that there is much Jesus wants us to learn and understand. It tells us our minds play an important role in our discipleship. In the first place, if we are to follow Jesus we must understand who He is. We must realize that Jesus was more than just another religious teacher. In a kind of a paradoxical way, Jesus came to teach, but at the heart of His teaching was the fact that He was more than a teacher. For Jesus didn’t come merely to teach us about God, He came to reveal God to us. And the reason He could reveal God was that He was God. He was God made flesh. In Jesus we see the fullness of God. We see the depth of His love, the wonder of His grace, the purity of His holiness.

Through both His words and His character Jesus was teaching us about who God really is, that God is holy, gracious and loving. And if we listen to His teaching, if we are attentive to the message ringing forth from both of His words and His life, how can we not be drawn to Him? If we have never given our hearts to Jesus, or if our relationship with Him has been waning or is not terribly relevant in our daily lives, perhaps we need to sit at the feet of Jesus and let Him teach us. Let Him teach us about who He truly is, how much He loves us, and the difference He longs to make in our lives.

Jesus would also teach us about what it means to be His follower. For we are His ambassadors, His representatives in the world. If we are to fulfill that purpose we must understand how we are to live in response to His love and grace. For we are to be in the world but not of the world. That means we are to live differently than the non-believing world around us. So part of our calling us is to listen to the teaching of Jesus and absorb His message – first regarding who God is and how in Jesus we see the fullness of God’s love and grace; and secondly how we are to live as those who have received His love and grace. Or as we read in Rom. 12 we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. As we listen to His teaching and received His words it transforms our lives. Then we will not only understand the message of Jesus, but we will be able to live it out. If Jesus were to come to our city today, or to our church or our home, He would come teaching us His eternal truth. So our task is to absorb His message which has been recorded for us in Scripture.

Of course, Jesus would come as more than a teacher. If Jesus were to come to our city today, he would also come to purify our lives. As we read, when Jesus entered Jerusalem He cleansed the temple. The temple was supposed to have a holy purpose. It was to be a house of prayer. But that purpose had been compromised and perverted by the moneychangers and salespeople who took financial advantage of those who came to make their offerings. It had gotten so bad that Jesus said the temple had become nothing more than a “den of robbers.” And so Jesus cleansed the temple.

If Jesus were to come to our city today would He not do the same thing? I don’t know just how Jesus would react if He came to this church or any other church. But let’s think in terms of our own lives. After all, Paul writes in I Cor. 3:16: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” How incredible is that! We are now God’s temple for as followers of Jesus God’s Holy Spirit dwells in us. So we are to be holy and pure.

Yet if we are honest with ourselves, we all know that there is too much crud in our lives. The biblical word for that, or course, is sin. It may have to do with selfishness, greed, or lust. Perhaps we struggle with anger, bitterness, or gossip. Maybe we hold on to resentments, unwilling to forgive those who have hurt us. It could be that pride rules our hearts or that we’re insensitive to others. The list could go on and on.

Just as He did in the temple, so Jesus wants to purify our lives. He wants to cleanse us from all such things. And the reason Jesus wants to purify our lives is the same reason He purified the temple. There was a high purpose for the temple. The temple was to serve as a place where all people could come to worship God, to meet God through their prayers and in the giving of their offerings and sacrifices. That was its purpose, but that purpose was being defeated by those who were making money off the people who came to worship.

In the same way God has a purpose for our lives. It’s a high purpose. It’s a glorious purpose. It’s a wonderful purpose. God wants us to know Him in a deep and personal way. God wants us to sense His presence with us and to know His guidance in our lives. G wants us to have a living and vibrant relationship with Him as His love captivates our hearts. God wants us to live for what is true and eternal, and not settle for the false and ultimately unsatisfying substitutes this world has to offer. God wants us to be free from the hurt and pain that often come with living by the values of this world. Beyond that, God wants to use each one of us to make a difference in the lives of those around us. God wants to use us to bring hope and healing, encouragement and grace to people trapped in despair and burdened by guilt. God wants His love and truth to radiate from our lives so others will be drawn to Him, for again, we are HIs ambassadors in this world.

All of that is a part of God’s purpose for our lives – for each one of us. It’s a great and immeasurably satisfying purpose. But all that crud in our lives hinders and even prevents us from fulfilling our purpose – both as it relates to our personal experience with God and then how we can be used by God to impact others. And so Jesus wants to purify us. Jesus sees what is not acceptable and what is in the end destructive, and He cleanses us so that what is pure and lasting, wholesome and eternally valuable remains. It’s because Jesus wants the very best for our lives that He purifies us.

Of course, Jesus doesn’t approach us like He did the temple. He doesn’t just throw all these things out of our lives apart from any desire or willingness on our part. We must long for the purifying work of God in our lives, and yield to His power. But as we do, we can be sure that God’s great and eternal purpose for our lives will come to pass. So Jesus comes to purify our lives.

Thirdly, when Jesus comes to town He comes to heal. Vs. 14 states that “the blind and lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.” Jesus not only wants to purify our lives, He wants to heal our lives. All the hurt, all the brokenness, all the shame, the painful memories and scars from our past, the unfounded fears that limit us – Jesus wants to heal. That healing may not always be instantaneous, for often healing is a process. But if we invite Jesus into these areas of our lives He will come with His healing grace and restore us to wholeness. Relationships that have been torn apart can be mended, those who have been beaten down can be lifted up, people whose hopes have been crushed can have their joy restored, for when Jesus comes, He comes to bring healing to our lives.

And then when Jesus comes to town He invites us to follow Him. Our passage today speaks of those who went ahead of Jesus and those who followed Him as He entered the city, shouting out “Hosanna to the Son of David.” Unfortunately for most of them, their commitment to Jesus was shallow at best and thus by the end of the week they weren’t following Jesus anymore.

But Jesus comes to us and He invites us to follow Him – not for a moment – but throughout a lifetime of discipleship. In the end, or course, we all follow after someone or something. We may follow after a dream of financial wealth and that is what directs our living. We may follow a particular career path. We may follow in our father’s or mother’s footsteps, imitating their life. We may follow the crowd. We may follow after a particular ideology or philosophy of life. Even those who are leaders are following after something.

So Jesus comes to each of us, just as He approached His first disciples, and says, “Follow Me. Follow Me, observing what I teach, imitating how I live, incorporating my character into your life, heeding my directions as you are strengthened by My Spirit. Follow Me and I will give you life, life in all its fullness.” Jesus enters our city and He invites us to follow Him. It’s a challenging call, but it is also a gracious call. If we are going to follow after someone or something anyway, why not follow the One who came to give us life?

In a similar fashion, when Jesus comes to our town He asks us to decide for ourselves who He is. In vs. 10 it says that the whole city of Jerusalem was stirred when Jesus came and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” If we are to follow Jesus we must first decide who we believe Him to be. You probably recall the time Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” And then He asked the disciples the more important question, “Who do you say that I am?”

That’s the question that confronted the people of Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday. That’s the question we all must answer. When Jesus comes not only to our town but to the very door of our hearts, we must decide. There is no sitting on the fence. There is no question in life more important than that. “Who do you say that I am?”

The last point I will mention today helps us answer that question, for when Jesus comes to town He comes to offer us His amazing grace. Why did Jesus enter the city of Jerusalem that day? Ultimately it was so that five days later in that same city He would give up His life on the cross, a sacrifice for our sins. All that has stood between God and us has been removed. Our sins are forgiven. Eternal life is ours. Nothing can ever separate us from the love of God which is ours through Jesus Christ our Lord. And we can enter into the fullness of joy. For Jesus was not only a teacher, He was and is the Savior, the source of forgiveness and grace. That’s who He is.

Palm Sunday is not simply an event that happened in the distant past that we remember once a year. It’s a picture of the ministry of Jesus – what He did 2,000 years ago and what Jesus wants to do in our lives today. Thus, it’s a present reality, for everyday Jesus comes to our town, to our church, to our homes, to our lives.

He comes to teach us about who He is, all He has done for us, and what life is all about. Are you regularly sitting at His feet, absorbing the message of Jesus?

He comes to purify our lives, setting us free from all that limits us and in the end destroys us, so we can fulfill our purpose. Are you regularly surrendering your heart, your will, your desires to Jesus so He can purify them and so you can become all He created you to be?

He comes to heal our hearts so we can be whole. Are you giving to Jesus all the broken parts of your life so He can heal you?

He comes to invite us to follow Him along the narrow path that leads to life. Have you heard His call to follow, and have you begun your journey down the road that leads to life?

He comes to call us to decide. We either believe that He is Savior and Lord, or we don’t. Have you carefully considered the evidence regarding who Jesus is, and have you made your decision?

And He comes to offer us His grace so that we can experience the wonder of His forgiveness, the depth of His love, the satisfying purpose we were created for, and the sure hope of eternity in His presence. Are you daily living in the wonder and reality of His amazing grace?

When Jesus comes to town, everything is transformed in the lives of those who receive Him as Savior and Lord. And you know what? He’s coming to our town today. In fact, by His Spirit He is here right now, and He longs to touch our lives with His grace. So let’s open our minds and hearts to receive all Jesus has to offer us, and in that process give Him all of ourselves as well.

Gen. 32

Bob Weniger

There are few events or discoveries that we could say truly have changed the course of the world. One such discovery came at the hands of Nicolaus Copernicus. This brilliant astronomer and mathematician spent years studying the heavens and came to conclusions that were the exact opposite of what had been widely believed for centuries. In the early 16^th century, Copernicus concluded that the earth is not the center of the universe with the sun and other heavenly bodies revolving around it. Rather the earth circles the sun. The sun, while not the center of the universe, is the center of our solar system. The changes that Copernicus’ discoveries led to were so profound that what he launched is referred to as the Copernican Revolution.

The old perspective with the earth at the center, known as the Ptolemaic system, was not a bad system. It worked up to a point. By it people were able to accurately predict the hours of sunrise and sunset. Astronomers were able to produce charts of the heavenly bodies. But in the end, it was wrong. And because it was wrong, it of necessity led to problems. For instance, it could not accurately chart the movement of the planets. And it did not allow for progress. For when new astronomical discoveries were made, they sometimes did not fit into the Ptolemaic system. So then, what could one do with these new discoveries?

There is an obvious spiritual application for us. You could say that we live within a spiritual solar system. Something must be at the center of our lives, and everything else that is true about us revolves around that center. Our natural tendency, and what is certainly affirmed by the world, is to live with ourselves, or our own ego, at the center of our lives. Like the Ptolemaic system with the earth at the center, we like to place ourselves right at the center of our world. We have our goals and desires, and all we do revolves around pursuing them. Whatever will bring us pleasure or satisfaction is what we focus on. That is the natural human tendency.

For instance, if my desire to be rich is what is at the center of my life, then everything else in my life will revolve around that. My career, my family, my use of time, my relationships with others, everything about me will orbit around that center.

Like the Ptolemaic system, this self-centered way of living may work up to a point. But like the Ptolemaic system, it is wrong, and thus it will lead to problems. What satisfies us for awhile eventually ceases to satisfy us. The desires we have we may not be able to attain, or if we do, we discover that there is still an emptiness, a yearning within us. Relationships turn sour, for if we live with ourselves at the center of our lives, we end up pushing people away. Most tragically, living with ourselves at the center causes us to forfeit the purpose for which we were made.

The better way to live, the way we were created to live, is with God at the center of our lives. Living a God-centered life does not mean we must give everything else up. Rather it means all those other aspects of our lives – our career, our family, money and material goods, our sexuality, our goals, our use of time – they all revolve around the center, and thus they derive their meaning from the center.

With God at the center of our lives, all these other elements take their rightful place and we are able to engage in them in a way that is both healthy and meaningful. Just as the sun’s gravity holds the planets in their orbits so they don’t fly off into interstellar space or crash into each other, so God does with our lives. God holds our lives in His good orbit. We don’t stray from His path, which always leads to disappointment, pain, and destruction. Rather we remain securely positioned in God’s good way, and thus we can experience the fullness of life.

This was the great lesson Jacob had to learn – how to remove himself from that central position and begin to live with God at the center of his life. As we’ve seen in this study, in his early years Jacob’s only purpose was to satisfy his selfish desires. Regardless of what that did to others, such as taking what belonged to them, and regardless of what that did to himself, such as being a liar, a schemer, and a cheat, Jacob could not get his focus off himself and what he wanted. At the center of Jacob’s life was Jacob.

But God had a purpose for Jacob. In spite of his apparent lack of potential, God saw in Jacob great possibilities. But it would be a long process of inner transformation for Jacob, many years of learning to die to himself and his selfish desires. Today we come to the climactic event in Jacob’s life, an awesome yet mysterious experience in which Jacob finally realized the futility of living with himself at the center of his world. At last Jacob began to live his life as it was meant to be lived – with God at the center. Not that Jacob all of a sudden became perfect, but at least his life was moving in the right direction. A little background information will be helpful.

After Jacob tricked his father into giving him the blessing that according to their culture should have been given to his older brother Esau, Jacob had to flee for his life, for Esau had decided to kill Jacob. So Jacob fled hundreds of miles to the east and settled in Haran. There he completed 14 years of work as a tradeoff to marry Laban’s daughters Leah and Rachel. Afterwards he continued to live and work there and he prospered greatly. He gained large flocks for himself. Laban’s sons saw this and became jealous. Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him had also changed, and not for the better. So it was clear that this living arrangement would no longer work, which meant Jacob had to leave. If Jacob had any doubts about that, God spoke a word to Jacob, saying, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

At one level that was probably welcome news to Jacob, for it meant he could remove himself from his strained relationship with his in-laws. But at the same time, it was ominous news. For God didn’t simply tell Jacob to leave, but to return to his relatives. And that meant returning to his brother Esau, who as far as Jacob knew, was still determined to kill him.

Since Jacob left his homeland some twenty years earlier, he had been going through a long process of coming to terms with himself and his egocentricity. His own ego had been at the center of his life, but as a person called of God he had to come to the place where God was at the center of his life. And that process required Jacob to face his brother Esau once again and be reconciled to him. Jacob had to take responsibility for his deceitful actions and make amends with his brother.

If you have ever been in such a situation, and I’m sure we all have, you know it is not fun. Repenting of our sin, apologizing to someone we hurt, asking forgiveness of someone we wronged, is one of the hardest things we can do. But it’s absolutely necessary if that relationship is to be healed, and if our relationship with God is to be fruitful. For God calls us to right relationships, loving relationships with others. If God is at the center of our lives, that is what we will pursue, even when we must humble ourselves and forgiveness of others.

Jacob must have dreaded this prospect, so he prepared a lavish gift in hopes of appeasing Esau: 200 female goats and 20 male goats, 200 ewes and 20 rams, 30 female camels and their young, 40 cows and 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys. In an ancient agrarian society, that was an enormous gift.

But giving the gift was the easy part. The dreadful part was having to actually face his brother. For to do so meant Jacob also had to face himself. He had to own his past actions – not because he had to continue to be haunted by his past failures, but so he could finally be free of them. He had to admit his selfish behavior. He had to see himself as he truly was. That’s not easy for any of us. We’d rather just gloss over our shortcomings, sweep them under the carpet, and go on with our lives.

But God is too gracious to allow us to do that. It’s important that we see there is a hard side to grace. Yes, grace is about God accepting us freely in Christ and blessing us in so many ways when we don’t deserve it. But God also wants us to grow in character. God wants us to become all He created us to be. God wants us to die to our self-centered ways so we can become what we could never become on our own, and that is people in whom the character of Christ is formed. That’s an incredible thing to become, but to arrive there means there will be times when we must face our dark side, acknowledge our shortcomings, and repent of our sin. And often that is not pleasant.

And so we must understand that there is a hard side to grace. It is hard because it means giving up things we desperately want to cling to. It’s hard because it means removing our ego and selfish desires from the center of our lives around which everything else must revolve. It’s hard because it means asking forgiveness of others so we can live in right relationships. But it is grace because it’s the pathway to the fullness of life. As Jesus said (Mt. 16:25), “Whoever wants to save his life (to live with the self at the center, getting my way) will lose it (won’t become all thye could be and were created to be), but whoever loses his life for me (to live with Christ at the center, ruling our lives) will find it.” It’s grace because it’s about discovering and experiencing life at its deepest and most meaningful level, which only comes as we die to sin and selfishness and give Christ the key to the throne room of our hearts.

Jacob must have thought how much easier it would be if he could leave Haran but not go back to his homeland – just find a nice, quiet spot with water and grass for his flocks, and live out his days simply minding his own business. And sometimes we long for that, too. We want the easy path, not the path that requires change, transformation, and reconciliation. But God is gracious, and that means He doesn’t want us to settle for second best. One writer refers to this as God’s “relentless, intrusive goodness.” God is good and wants good for our lives, and that means sometimes God must intrude and shake us up. He relentlessly pursues us until we die to selfishness, pride, and all that pushes God from the center of our lives, so we can then willingly embrace the good that God desires for us.

Yet even though God’s goal for us is good and we know that it is good, we may find ourselves wrestling with God. We fight God. We resist God. We want to hang on to our old, selfish ways. Admitting certain things about ourselves, or letting go of certain habits, desires, attitudes, or behaviors – even though we know in the end they are destructive – can seem just too painful to us. Surrendering the throne of our lives so God can reign there at the center may seem to come with too high a cost. We don’t want to do it. So we wrestle with God, trying to hold on to the old ways.

This is literally the situation Jacob found himself in. During his journey home, he sent messengers ahead to tell Esau he was coming and that he had gifts for his brother. But the messengers returned saying that Esau was approaching with 400 men. If Jacob was afraid before, now he is trembling. In fact, the text says Jacob was in great fear and distress. So Jacob divided his family members, servants, travelling companions and flocks into two groups and sent them different ways, thinking if Esau attacked one group, at least the other would be safe. And then as night fell, Jacob was left alone. What happened that night is recorded in Gen. 32:22-32.

That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”

Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Before Jacob could face Esau, he first had to face himself, and he had to face God. And that involved an intense wrestling match. It says that “a man wrestled with Jacob.” This man simply appears out of nowhere and the fight begins. Afterwards, Jacob said he saw God face to face, yet was spared. Some scholars believe this was actually a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. So God came to Jacob in the form of a man, which is one of several times in the Old Testament where God encounters individuals in this fashion.

That Jacob literally wrestled with God shows how strongly Jacob resisted yielding control of his life to God. This wrestling match with God was really a picture of Jacob’s entire life up to this point, for throughout his live Jacob defiantly fought the grip of God on his life. Our fights with God may not be so literal, but they are just as real, aren’t they? Sometimes we resist God’s calling, God’s purpose, or God’s will in a specific situation with all our might. When we do that, we are like a planet spinning out of control, heading for destruction, because it is not orbiting around its sun. If only we could see and really believe that God’s plans for us are good, so much better than our own grand designs for our lives. If only we would freely and willingly live with God at the center of our lives, how much agony and wasted time we would spare ourselves.

Then the text says an interesting and puzzling thing. Vs. 25 states: “When the man saw that he could not overpower him (Jacob), he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched.” The man, who was God in the appearance of a man, could not overpower Jacob. How could this possibly be?

Well, in the first place, this does not point to a weakness on God’s part nor supernatural strength on the part of Jacob. After all, when God simply touched Jacob’s hip, it was put out of joint. It doesn’t say that God had to pull with all His might to inflict this injury on Jacob. On the contrary, God simply touched his hip and Jacob was wounded for life. Obviously, God could have completely overpowered Jacob at any moment He wanted to.

The reason God could not do that, the reason why God could not overpower Jacob in this fierce wrestling match, was that it would be against God’s nature to do so. Perhaps we have found ourselves in a similar situation. Maybe at one point your boss asked you to do something unethical, such as altering some results or changing the bottom line. You responded, “I can’t do that.” Now it wasn’t that you literally could not do that; of course you could. You had the ability to do it. But you said you couldn’t because to do so would violate who you are; it would contradict your values and what you stand for.

Thus, God could not overpower Jacob, not because God lacked the strength, but because that would contradict the way God chooses to relate to His children. For while there are times when God needs to break us, God does not desire to defeat us, for to do so would be to destroy us. It would destroy us as human beings to whom God has granted the right to respond to Him freely. If God overpowered us, if He forced us to surrender and obey, if he coerced us to live with Him at the center, it would rob us of our ability to choose God and His ways, or to reject God and His ways. And that would destroy something essential to our humanness. We could no longer freely respond to God in love, but only out of obligation. We would have no choice in light of God’s overbearing power. And that would destroy the whole nature of our relationship with God.

God wanted to change Jacob, not destroy him as a human being. God didn’t force Jacob to surrender, but He invited him to surrender. And so God merely wounds Jacob; He doesn’t defeat him. Doing so made Jacob realize his finiteness. Jacob had always relied on his own strength, his own scheming and conniving, his desire to come out on top no matter what. But being wounded for life by the mere touch of God enabled Jacob to finally acknowledge how puny he was in light of God. And that being the case, he didn’t have to rely on his own plans and schemes, but He could trust in God. He could depend on God to bring about His purposes, and all Jacob needed to do was follow God’s leading. In other words, this wrestling match enabled Jacob to see the futility of trying to live with his own ego at the center of his life with everything else revolving around himself and his self-centered desires. And thus Jacob was able to freely choose to center his life around God.

And why did God wound Jacob in this way? Was it to punish Jacob for his selfish resistance all these years? Not at all. God wounded Jacob in a very practical way. Jacob’s hip was put out of joint, so he would walk with a limp the rest of his life. And thus with every step Jacob took from that moment until his life on earth came to an end, he would be reminded that he could never go back to the way he was before he wrestled with God. With every step he would be reminded that He had met the living God, and that this encounter taught him so clearly the futility of trying to live with himself at the center. Thus, it was not a limiting, punishing, or incapacitating wound, but a wound of grace. It was a wound through which poured the life and power of God so that Jacob could live in a whole new way from that moment onward.

As daybreak approached, the man asked Jacob what his name was. This wasn’t because he didn’t know, for as God he obviously did. But in Scripture names often relate to the character of the person, and certainly this was true for Jacob, for his name means “supplanter, conniver, one who deceives.” And so Jacob was forced to acknowledge his character. For him to change he had to first come clean about himself. That’s always the first step in making changes in our lives – acknowledging the truth. I imagine it was with reluctance and some shame that Jacob acknowledged his name. Haltingly he said, “I am Jacob. I am one who connives and deceives. I obtain what I want by any means possible.” And once Jacob admitted that, the change in his life could begin.

So Jacob was given a new name – Israel, which means “he struggles with God.” The man told Jacob he was given this name “because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” Not that Jacob overcame God or men, but he overcame himself and his compelling desire to manipulate others for his own ends. Again, this doesn’t mean Jacob was now perfect, because he wasn’t. We see that in later events of his life. But the overall direction of his life changed as he allowed God His rightful place at the center of his life.

Like Jacob, we wrestle with God in many ways. It may have to do with the overall purpose of our lives or particular areas of our lives. It may have to do with our calling as it relates to our vocation. It could have to do with living out our role in our family as a husband or wife, parent or child. It might concern the way we use our time, or the place of money in our lives. It may relate to certain habits or behaviors. It could involve the role God would have us assume in the church. We wrestle with God over lots of things.

But no matter the specifics, it always comes down to the question: Who is at the center of our lives? What does everything else revolve around? The good news for us is that even though we wrestle with God and resist God in this regard, God doesn’t give up on us. As with Jacob, who despite his flaws God still saw possibilities in him, so God sees possibilities in us. And if we will just yield to God, allowing Him to be at the center of our lives, those possibilities will come to pass and we will become new creatures in Christ.

Gen. 29:31-35; Prov. 13:12

Bob Weniger

As most of you know, Daniela and I met in her home country of Romania back in 1984. I was there for several weeks on a short-term mission trip and Daniela was our translator. We soon fell in love. Of course, maintaining a relationship was challenging, not only because I had to return to the United States and she was thousands of miles away in Romania. What made it even more challenging was that this was back during the Cold War. Romania was a communist country, and so they did not make it easy for their people to develop and maintain relationships with those from the west. But we wrote letters and I visited there several more times.

In March of 1986 we became engaged. That’s when the real challenges began. We had to get married in Romania because the Romanian government would never allow Daniela to leave for the west unless she was married to someone from the west. But because I was from the United States, the communist government of Romania required that we first apply for permission to marry. And they made it very difficult for those applying for permission. You were not told when, if ever, the government would grant permission. There was no set time period. So each morning I would awake hoping that I would receive the phone call that day from Daniela saying her government had given us the permission to marry. Day after day, week after week, month after month we both anxiously awaited the news we longed for. Finally, after 14 months of waiting, the permission came.

I still remember it. It was a Thursday morning in May 1987 when Daniela called to tell me we had received the permission. I was a youth pastor in Wichita, Kansas, at the time. After I hung up the phone I was so excited I had to tell someone. So I drove about four miles to the home of my senior pastor, Roger Fredrikson. It was only 7 a.m., but I rang the doorbell and his wife, Ruth, answered. I didn’t say hello or even wait for her to say hello or invite me in. I just spontaneously raised my arms and exclaimed, “We got it! We got it!” I was so excited! After 14 months of waiting, we finally received what we so desperately wanted.

I’m sure all of you can relate; you’ve had the experience of waiting for something you desperately wanted. It may have seemed like your waiting would go on forever. Then finally it came; you received what you wanted so badly. It filled you with joy and all you wanted to do was celebrate.

We read in Prov. 13:12: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

So observed wise sage centuries ago. And I think we would all agree with him, for things haven’t really changed much. Hope deferred does make the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is as a tree of life.

When we hope for something, long for something, yet it always remains out of reach, it does make the heart sick. We feel discouraged. We get upset. We may become depressed. Frustration sets in. We feel miserable. When we never attain that thing we long for, we end up asking, “Why me? Why can’t I have this thing I want so badly?”

But when we receive the thing we hope for, when it is suddenly ours, it’s as a tree of life. Rejoicing replaces frustration. Celebration takes the place of discouragement. Exhilaration fills our hearts, for the thing we have been longing for is now ours. Life springs forth from us once again,

During the course of our lives we all experience differing degrees of both these realities. We all know the joy of at least some of our dreams coming to pass, of receiving what we had hoped for. But just as certainly, we all know the pain of disappointment, the heartache seeing our hopes continually deferred. Like a carrot on a stick, it’s almost within our grasp, yet it’s never quite attainable.

Our desires go a long ways in determining how we feel. Like I said, when are desires are met, we feel happy, relieved, grateful, joyful, etc. If our desires are not met, we may feel sad, anxious, angry or depressed. Our desires and longings are very powerful. To a large measure they control us. They not only determine how we feel, but they also affect what we do. Actions are the outworking of desires. For instance, if our desire is to retire early, that will determine what job we take, how many hours we work, how much we save verses how much we spend. In a similar fashion, if we desire a relationship with a certain person who has caught our eye, it will affect the way we dress, where we spend our time, maybe even our diet.

Desires are powerful, affecting what we do and how we feel. They are directly related to whether or not we are fulfilled in life. They go a long ways in determining the extent of our happiness.

But as powerful as our desires are, we are not totally at their mercy, for we can choose our desires, and determine what priority they have in our lives. So we must choose carefully, lest we set ourselves up for a lifetime of disappointment.

We get a good picture of this from a biblical character from the Old Testament. Her name is Leah, the first wife of Jacob. We’ve been studying the life of Jacob, but today our focus is on Leah. As you recall, Jacob had traveled hundreds of miles to find a wife from among the relatives of his mother, Rebekah. As Jacob approached the home of Laban, Rebekah’s brother, he met Laban’s youngest daughter, Rachel, bringing sheep to the well. Jacob fell in love almost immediately. And it’s no wonder, for it says in Gen 29:17 that Rachel was beautiful and lovely in form.

Jacob stayed there and worked for a month. After the month was completed, Laban asked Jacob what he thought his wages should be for his month of work. Jacob replied, “I’ll work for you for seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.” Laban, of course, knew what Jacob did not – that it in their culture it was against their norms for younger sister to marry before the older sister. Jacob, as you know, was a master at deceiving people and he did so whenever it was to his advantage. But in Laban Jacob met his match. So after Jacob completed his seven years of work, Laban deceived Jacob and gave him Leah, his oldest daughter, instead of Rachel. Then Jacob worked seven more years for Rachel.

At their core, people are basically the same, no matter when or where they have lived. So imagine how Leah felt. She was the older sister, but not the desired sister. She lacked the striking appearance of her beautiful but younger sister Rachel. True, she was married now, but not because anyone wanted to marry her. She was married only because someone wanted to marry her younger sister. So due to the dictates of her culture and the deception of her father, she was married, but not to a husband who loved her.

So again, imagine how Leah felt. Gen. 29:31 says that Leah was not loved. Literally it means she was hated. Jacob hated her. Now in one sense, I suppose that was understandable. Jacob was not drawn to her. He didn’t want to marry her but was tricked into it. After working seven years for Rachel, he ended up with Leah instead. Yes, that was Laban’s fault, not Leah’s, but Jacob’s anger was probably transferred to Leah. Jacob probably thought, “If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have to work seven more years for the woman I love. I never cared for you in the first place. Now I’m married to you and have to support you.” No doubt the treatment Leah received from Jacob reflected that Jacob didn’t care for her.

Life for Leah must have been terribly painful, even before these events regarding her marriage. She likely grew up with feelings of inferiority. She probably was always compared to her younger sister Rachel. And as happened with Jacob, people were drawn to the attractive Rachel, while Leah went unnoticed. Undoubtedly many times Leah asked “Why me?” Why couldn’t I be beautiful? Desired? Loved? All she really wanted was to be loved by her husband. Listen to how Leah how responded to events of her life in 29:31-35.

When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.” She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi. She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

Leah only desired the love of her husband. That’s a perfectly legitimate desire. Leah thought that bearing Jacob’s first-born son would do the trick, for in that culture bearing sons, and especially the first-born son, was highly valued. That put Leah one up on Rachel. So Leah named the son Reuben, which literally means “See, a son.” Through the name Leah was saying, “Here you go Jacob. See what I have given you – a healthy son. Surely this is good cause for you to love me now.”

But that didn’t turn Jacob’s heart toward Leah. Nor did the birth of their second son – Simeon – which means “one who hears,” for as Leah said, “The Lord heard that I am not loved.” Then came the third son – Levi – which is derived from the Hebrew word for “attached.” We feel the deep yearning of Leah as she cries out, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons. Surely now Jacob will love me.” Yet Jacob remained unmoved, and Leah had to suffer the ongoing heartache of unfulfilled desire, of hope deferred. What she longed for – the love of her husband, was still beyond her grasp.

But even if Jacob’s heart remained hard as stone, throughout this time God was working in Leah’s heart. Through the pain of being rejected by her husband, God was drawing Leah to Himself, opening His own heart to her, enabling Leah to sense His own loving embrace. Through having this deep, legitimate desire go unfulfilled, God was teaching Leah that her primary desire must be for God and God alone. And that’s true for several reasons.

In the first place, our supreme desire must be for God because we were made for God, and so only He satisfies the longing of our hearts. Anything else will let us down and leave us empty. For one of two things will happen if we desire something above desiring God. One is that we won’t get what we desired, and so of course that will leave us disappointed. Leah was hoping to win the love of Jacob more than anything else, but she didn’t experience that, and so that desire went unfulfilled.

Or secondly, we may get what we desire so strongly, but then we discover that it’s not enough, or it’s not all we had hoped it would be. If our main desire is to become rich – no matter how much we gain we will always want more. If our desire is to be physically beautiful, we will never be beautiful enough. For nothing in this world can truly satisfy the longing of hearts. That’s because ultimately we were not made for anything of this world. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy anything of this world, but that we were not made for anything of this world. We were made by and for God. Only God can satisfy our hearts. As Augustine said 1,500 years ago, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God.” If the supreme desire of our hearts is not for God, we are setting ourselves up for a lifetime of pain and disappointment.

The other side of that coin is that desiring God above all else is the only desire we can be certain will be fulfilled. Not because we can attain it, but because God promised it. God states in Jer. 29:13: “And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jas. 4:8 adds, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” When the desire of our hearts is for God Himself – to know Him, to experience His love and faithfulness and goodness – we can be sure that desire will be granted, for God has promised it.

Another reason why our supreme desire must be for God alone is that this puts all other desires in the right perspective. It’s not that we don’t have other desires. It’s not that we are oblivious to other needs we have. We are physical beings living in this physical world. Of course we will have desires related to living in this world. But when our supreme desire is for God, those desires no longer control us. They no longer have the power to determine our happiness. Paul wrote in Phil. 4:12: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” And what was the secret to contentment that Paul learned? He said in 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” The desire of Paul’s heart was to know Christ, to experience the fullness of Christ, and to be conformed to Christ. That put all his other desires in right perspective. They were all secondary. And thus Paul was content in every situation.

Through thesea painful circumstances this is what Leah was learning – to desire God above all else, even above a legitimate desire like the love of her husband. So after bearing her fourth son, Leah was able to say, “This time I will praise the Lord.” And she named him Judah, which means “praise.”

Even though Jacob might continually reject her, Leah was no longer devastated by his lack of affection. Jacob’s response to her ceased to be the key to her happiness. Leah came to realize that while Jacob might find her unattractive and be uninterested in her, God was very interested in her. To God, she was very precious. God had always loved her, and God again demonstrated His care for her in the birth of Judah.

“This time I will praise the Lord. This time I will not let Jacob’s lack of love for me steal my joy. This time I will praise the Lord for His goodness to me.” Events and circumstances of this life could not control Leah as before, because they no longer held the same place in her heart. Her main desire now was for God, and that desire was being fulfilled. And it became to her as a tree of life, leading to a sense of fulfillment, contentment, and a whole new perspective on life and on herself. She could rejoice and praise God even in the midst of painful circumstances. Certainly she still felt the hurt of not receiving Jacob’s love, but she could rejoice and praise God because the supreme desire of her heart was being met as she experienced the reality and goodness of God day by day. “This time I will praise the Lord!”

I’m sure we can all identify with Leah. We’ve all had experiences or are experiencing now what it is live with unfulfilled desires. As with Leah, perhaps your spouse shows little if any interest in you. You would give anything for the slightest show of interest and affection. Yet you get nothing except coldness and silence. Or maybe you are not married and you desperately want to be married. You long to have someone to share life with. It could be you are a student and you desire to be popular at school. You long to be accepted by a certain group, but they have no time for you. They don’t even notice you. Or perhaps your parents take little time for you. You long for them to show some interest in you, to tell you they love you and are proud of you – not because of what you do but simply for who you are. Maybe you long for a promotion at work. You have worked hard for it, but you are always passed over. For some your desire may be to excel at something – athletics, work, school, your garden, being organized, etc. You want to stand out and be appreciated. But it seems you are kind of average in whatever you do, and you never receive the affirmation you desire.

We all know the disappointment, the heartache of “hope deferred”, of dreams and desires that take way too long to come true, or they never come true at all. They could be very legitimate desires, and it just doesn’t seem fair that they should be withheld from us

As with Leah, sometimes God must teach us some difficult lessons. It’s not because God wants hurt to us, but because He wants the best for us. By not receiving something we want so badly, we can learn to seek after the most important thing, the only thing that can really satisfy us, bring us happiness and make us complete.

Scripture assures us that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. When it seems God is withholding something from us or that our prayers go unanswered, we can be confident that God has not abandoned us. In fact, it’s just the opposite. He is mightily yet tenderly at work in our lives, bringing about good, drawing us closer to Himself, that we might experience the fullness of life in Him and so that we might know the depths of His love. Only in the experience and realization of that love are we are fulfilled and our lives become complete.

Again, this doesn’t mean that we don’t desire other things, but that we desire God and His purposes for us above all else. When we do this, one of two things will happen. God will either give us these other things we desire, or God will help us grow in ways we never could have, and God will use us in ways He never could have if we had those things we desire.

Someone captured the essence of this when they wrote this verse:

“Disappointment – His appointment,

Change one letter, then I see,

That the thwarting of my purpose

Is God’s better choice for me.”

Things that disappoint us are sometimes the avenues through which God beckons us to Himself. And if we are yielded, God will use those disappointments to satisfy our deepest longings as they steer us toward God and His purposes for us.

This is not to suggest in a simplistic way that every time we don’t get what we want it’s because God caused it and caused it for this reason. For this is a sinful, fallen, imperfect, complex world. Things happen for lots of reasons. Sometimes what disappoints us is related to other people who are themselves responsible for their actions – as Jacob was responsible for withholding love from Leah. It wasn’t that God kept Jacob from loving Leah; that was Jacob’s choice. But God used this to shape Leah and help her experience His goodness. Disappointments come in lots of ways.

But this drives home the point even stronger – the desire of our hearts must be for God, for in this fallen and broken world that is the only desire we can be sure will be fulfilled and not leave us disappointed. It is possible to live a fulfilled life even with unfulfilled desires if the supreme desire of our hearts is for God.

The text doesn’t say if Leah ever came to experience the love of her husband Jacob. If not, in all likelihood that was an ongoing struggle and heartache for Leah. But she would no longer be paralyzed by it as before. For she had come to experience a much deeper love, and the yearning of her heart was fulfilled in a far greater way than the love of Jacob ever could have. She could praise God even in disappointment.

When we delight in God, when the desire of our heart is to know Him, abide in Him, to experience the fullness of life in Him, and to obey Him, He will be to us as a tree of life, and we will be satisfied and complete.

This morning, let me ask you, what is the desire of your heart? What do you long for more than anything else? If the answer to that question is not God, why not ask God this morning to work in your heart, to redirect your desires to the one thing that can satisfy, and that is God Himself.

Sermon by Pr Richard Tok on 12 Mar 2012.

1 Peter 1:1-12; Hebrew 12:1-3, 22-24

1. Christians are Strangers in the World – the world is strange to him!

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood. (v1-2)

The first century church had spread from Jerusalem to other parts of the Roman World. Some were especially found in the region we call Turkey today, formerly Asia Minor – Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.

The spread of the church was due to at least two reasons. On the Day of Pentecost traders and travelers who were in Jerusalem had been touched by the Holy Spirit. Traders and travelers who spoke the same language gathered together. They shared their new found faith and experience with each other in their own language. These first converts have since returned to their home districts where they came from.

Then as Peter expected, Roman authorities came down hard on Christians considering them an illegal sect. And Christians would not worship the emperor although Christians would submit to Roman law and order. Persecution in Jerusalem and other Roman controlled cities drove Christians away from the center of government and business. It was safer to be far from government controlled areas.

Out in the districts of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia were found communities of Christians. They were made up of local people, Gentiles. Jewish disciples of Jesus Christ have settled there too.

So, we can understand the opening words of Apostle Peter’s letter. He addressed them as “strangers in the world” and “scattered.” These words describe the conditions of the early Christians. Even though they returned to their own districts they felt strange. Things, people and environment have changed. Others were far from home, built new homes in unfamiliar surroundings and circumstances. The words “Strange” and “scattered” indicate a sense of uncertainty, insecurity, not at home and uncomfortable.

But there were words of assurance to the Jewish and Gentile Christians too. Apostle Peter recognized them as “God’s elect.” They were all under the supervision and protection of the Trinitarian God – God the Father, God the Holy Spirit and God the Son. God had chosen them according to his foreknowledge. God had thought of them before they were even born. The Holy Spirit was gradually making them holy and godly. What God the Father and the Holy Spirit had done was to prepare them to obey Jesus Christ. They were washed and covered by blood of Jesus Christ. So they were under his protective care.

Christians should understand that they are “strangers in the world” and have a destination that is elsewhere. One day they are going to be at home in heaven where Jesus Christ is. They are also “elected’ and “chosen” by God, special and precious to Him. They are under his protection, preservation and provision.

2. Christians are Pilgrims. Going to Zion or Heaven. This world is not my Home!

1 Chronicles 29:15

We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.

Psalm 39:12

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger, as all my fathers were.”

Hebrew 13:14

For here we do not have an enduring city, for we are looking for a city that is to come.

When Peter alerted the followers of Jesus Christ that they were like aliens, foreigners or strangers in a foreign land, the Jews were quick to understand the meaning and Peter’s intention. They very quickly prepared themselves for the long and hard road they had to travel. Their national history prepared them. They remembered their 400 years of slavery in Egypt and 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. They were foreigners in Egypt and became migrants moving through the desert. At the end was the Promised Land. There were many lessons of life through 400 years of slavery and 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. God is faithful. He who promised is faithful!

1 Peter 1:4-5

…and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Both Jewish and Gentile Christians learned that what they lived for in this life will perish, spoil and fade away. What God promised is kept in heaven. It is an inheritance that will not perish. We will receive it when we get to heaven. That means our ultimate destiny and destination is heaven. Christians are heaven bound. This body of clay will perish. Only the Spirit will return to be with God our Maker in heaven.

Jewish Christians remembered the Passover before the Exodus out of Egypt. They ate that meal standing – they were in a hurry, ready to go at short notice. Moses’ generation passed away in the desert and did not reach the Land of Promise. Joshua’s generation was persevered and claimed God’s promise. What Moses’ generation carried from Egypt perished with them in the wilderness. What was needed for life in the wilderness God provided – manna and meat from quail. Those things were perishables – a picture of the limited life span of things on earth.

We are dust and to dust we will return. Naked we came, naked we will leave. When we die our hands will be empty. We can take nothing with us. It is with those empty hands that we cling to the cross of Christ by faith. While here on earth every Christian is shielded by God’s power from any harmful attack. We can arm ourselves by wearing the armour of God and be defended from fiery arrows of the devil. We are all safe in the hollow of God’s hand and no one can pluck us out of his hand. So, here on earth God is our shield and defender. There in heaven God has kept for us an inheritance that will last forever.

John 14:1-3

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Jesus spoke specifically to his troubled disciples. If they had been used to trusting God they had to learn to trust him. Seeing Jesus is seeing God the Father. Jesus taught them that He and the Father are one. He spoke and acted on behalf of His Father. So what Jesus said about his Father’s house and the many rooms were real and true. He was talking about a place he had gone to prepare. It is a place where we could be with him. He is going to take us there. Friends, heaven is not a make belief place!

Peter said heaven is where the Holy Spirit came from: 1 Peter 1:12

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Revelation 21:1-4

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying. “Now the dwelling of God himself is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of thins has passed away.

3. How should pilgrims live? Travel light, travel right!

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by a crowd of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

A Pilgrim travels light. He cannot afford to bring along with him all the luxuries of life. Even if he does bring along many favourite things, he has to drop them off. He would be weighed down and tired, he would not be able to carry them on the journey.

A runner cannot be in a suit and carry an opened umbrella in a race. All that would impede his movement. The first Olympic runners actually ran naked. Look at the statute of a Greek Olympian holding a discus – he is naked! The early Olympians competed without any clothes to hinder them.

Christians should not carry burdens in this life. He need not carry one. He should know that he need not be pressed down by the burden of sin. That burden will distress him. The Christian pilgrim cannot afford to carry his sins with him. All he has to do is to confess his sins and be forgiven. Let Jesus take them away form him and bless him with his righteousness. He must continually come to Jesus to unburden himself. Whenever a Christian confesses his sin God readily forgives and cleanses him from all unrighteousness.

Matthew 6:19-21

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Spiritually speaking we are being instructed not to invest anything on earth. If we did we would have a problem carrying it to heaven, where we are going. The actual fact is that earthly things have no place in heaven. Invest in heaven right away. Let your investment be there. When you get to heaven your investments would be waiting to welcome you.

More important is to understand that earthly things will decay and be destroyed. They do not last. Moth is an insect. Anything made from wool, fur or feather material can be eaten up by moth worms or caterpillars. Moth balls or naphthalene is usually placed in clothes cupboards as a protection or prevention against moth attacks. Think of the purchases we keep and did not use. What happened to them? Spoilt!

Rust is a fungus. It goes by that name because of the red rusty powdery appearance of the fungi. Things that may be affected by dampness will grow fungus. And fungal growth will feed on the things and destroy them. Rust is a serious threat in agriculture destroying crops. There is coffee rust, wheat or oat rust. Pine trees attacked by rust may die. Remember the farmer who planned to build new barns for his harvest. He was warned how his life might suddenly be terminated. What if his crop were to fail? Wouldn’t he be devastated?

If your investments are on earth your full attention will be on earth. Do not be distracted. Place your interest on heavenly things. Focus on heaven. We are advised to hold lightly to this earth as well as things of earth. Be prepared to let them go so that you can hold on to eternal and heavenly things. This earth will soon pass. We are dust and to dust we will return. Naked we came and naked we will go. “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling!”

Colossians 3:1-4

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

The right way to live is to accept that you are not living for yourself anymore.

First of all your life is linked to Jesus Christ in his resurrection. He is seated on the throne in heaven. Your mind and heart should be oriented to where Christ is. Where is Christ? Heaven! Set your heart and mind on the things of heaven where Christ is.

Second, your life is linked to others

i) fellow pilgrims – encourage one another, carry each other’s burden

ii) non-pilgrims – befriend them and show them the way to heaven.

Establish good relationships with all of them.

Conclusion

Practically, how is this to be done? Travel right – right road and right rules.

Right Road: Hebrews 12:1-2, 2-24

We are marching to the heavenly Jerusalem. Do not lose your way.

1 Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

For the racer he has to keep to his lane in the track or he would be disqualified. For the pilgrim he has to keep to the right road otherwise he would never get to his journey’s end.

2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Racer or pilgrim there is an end. They need to pace themselves with the destination in mind. Be focused. Know for sure where you are heading for.

3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and heart.

Whether we run in a race or trek the pilgrim road we are going to tire. We should be determined and not give up. More important is not to lose heart and give in to weariness. Press on.

22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the loving God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,

23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,

24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

The Christian pilgrim will not be mistaken concerning his destination when he arrives. It is heaven, the city of God. His name is registered there. He will have no problem checking in. There to welcome him is none other than Jesus Christ the Lord Himself.

Right Rules: Read the rest of Colossians 3, verses 5-19

From these verses we are told to:

1. v5-6 put to death the earthly nature.

2. v7-11 do not live the way you lived before

3. v12-14 live as God’s chosen people

4. v15-17 be peaceful, thankful, worshipful, glorifying God

Look out for sign posts and use the road map – guide from God’s Word.

Look out for fellow pilgrims – be in partnership and fellowship, encouraging one another.

Know your personal pilgrim guide – He is the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Christ, your helper and comforter.

Rev. Richard Tok