01-25-15 Called to be faithFULL

Luke 17:5-6

          The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”   He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” 

Immediately we learn that faith can what? GROW!!!

Previously in Luke 16 Jesus says if you don’t use what you do have he will not give you more, in fact what you do have can be taken away if not used.

Luke 16:1-12

Jesus said to his disciples, "There was once a rich man who had a manager. He got reports that the manager had been taking advantage of his position by running up huge personal expenses. 2 So he called him in and said, 'What's this I hear about you? You're fired. And I want a complete audit of your books.'

          3 "The manager said to himself, 'What am I going to do? I've lost my job as manager. I'm not strong enough for a laboring job, and I'm too proud to beg. . . . Ah, I've got a plan. Here's what I'll do . . . then when I'm turned out into the street, people will take me into their houses.'

5 "Then he went at it. One after another, he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'

          6 "He replied, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.'

          "The manager said, 'Here, take your bill, sit down here — quick now — write fifty.'

          7 "To the next he said, 'And you, what do you owe?' 

"He answered, 'A hundred sacks of wheat.'

"He said, 'Take your bill, write in eighty.'

8 "Now here's a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. 9 I want you to be smart in the same way — but for what is right — using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you'll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior." God Sees Behind Appearances 10 Jesus went on to make these comments: If you're honest in small things, you'll be honest in big things; 11 If you're a crook in small things, you'll be a crook in big things. 12 If you're not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store?

          The story is not about how smart this guy was. It is about how lazy he was with whathe had been given. An owner made him manager to oversee what the owner had given him. He took advantage of his position without managing well and was fired – so he cheated the owner further on his way out just to survive – but it wouldn’t last.  -  By faith, God has given us our life to manage, and if we take advantage of that and mismanage our faith, we too will be fired and will find ourselves doing things we never imagined we would do just to survive.

          Your faith, my faith – is not a set of ideals – is not simply belief.  Your faith, my faith – is our belief in action:   James 2:14-26 MSG

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”  Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.  

Dr. Phillip Paschal of Mt. Olive Baptist church

MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, IF WE WANT TO SEE REAL POWER, MOUNTAIN MOVING POWER, SOUL CHANGING POWER, LIFE CHANGING POWER, WE MUST DEMONSTRATE OUR OBEDIENCE TO GOD IN LIVING LIVES THAT ARE PLEASING UNTO HIM. AN ACTIVE FAITH CAN OPEN DOORS THAT NO MAN CAN SHUT, AND SHUT SOME DOORS THAT NO MAN CAN OPEN.

FAITH IS MORE THAN JUST A PROFESSION FROM OUR LIPS, IT MUST BE A POSSESSION OF OUR SOULS.

 If you are not faithFULL you are unfaithFULL

Deuteronomy 32:20 “I will hide my face from them,” he said, “and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful.”

Faith in God makes great optimists. We American Baptists have a vital living history of FAITH in ACTION:  200 years ago Over in Burma, Adoniram Judson was lying in a foul jail with 32 lbs. of chains on his ankles, his feet bound to a bamboo pole. A fellow prisoner with a sneer on his face said, "Dr. Judson, what about the prospect of the conversion of the heathen?" His instant reply was, "The prospects are just as bright as the promises of God." 

Luke 17:5-6     The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”   He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” 

How many trees have you moved lately? Where are you challenged to increase your faith?  When was the last time you ask God to use you for His glory?  How does God want your faith to increase? If it is as small as the smallest of seeds, Jesus Christ is ready to use you to do great things for His kingdom because "The prospects are just as bright as the promises of God."  You ready to see this church splitting at the seems because people are finding the kind of faith you have?  The let you faith so shine that others may WHAT? See your good deeds and praise your father who is in heaven.

01-18-15 Gesundheit

Scripture    Jeremiah 29:10-14

ge·sund·heit  /  exclamation: gesundheit.  Used to wish good health to a person who has just sneezed.  from gesund = healthy + -heit = hood

OR Bless you – or God bless you – I had heard as a child that when you sneezed you were sneezing the devil out of you so you would say gesundheit – or God bless you to make sure God filled that now empty space where the devil used to be. 

3 syllables – Ge sund heit = God bless you! 

We believe that the blessing is in the presents God gives us. Is that what it means for God to bless us? Do we measure God’s blessings by the presents he gives us – like transferring our belief about Santa Clause to our belief about God?

God Bless you.

In a speech made in 1863, Abraham Lincoln said, "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us." 

In his book The Pressure’s Off, psychologist Larry Crabb tells this story from his childhood.

One Saturday afternoon, I decided I was a big boy and could use the bathroom without anyone’s help. So I climbed the stairs, closed and locked the door behind me, and for the next few minutes felt very self-sufficient.

Then it was time to leave. I couldn’t unlock the door. I tried with every ounce of my three-year-old strength, but I couldn’t do it. I panicked. I felt again like a very little boy as the thought went through my head, "I might spend the rest of my life in this bathroom."
My parents—and likely the neighbors—heard my desperate scream. / My mother shouted through the door she couldn’t open from the outside. "Are you okay? Did you fall? Have you hit your head?" "I can’t unlock the door!" I yelled. "Get me out of here!"

I wasn’t aware of it right then, but Dad raced down the stairs, ran to the garage to find the ladder, hauled it off the hooks, and leaned it against the side of the house just beneath the bathroom window. With adult strength, he pried it open, then climbed into my prison, walked past me, and with that same strength, turned the lock and opened the door.

"Thanks, Dad," I said—and ran out to play.

That’s how I thought the Christian life was supposed to work… God shows up. He hears my cry—"Get me out of here! I want to play!"—and unlocks the door to the blessings I desire.
Sometimes he does. But now I’m realizing the Christian life doesn’t work that way. And I wonder, are any of us content with God? Do we even like him when he doesn’t open the door we most want opened—when a marriage doesn’t heal, when rebellious kids still rebel, when friends betray, our business fails, when financial reverses threaten our comfortable way of life, when the prospect of terrorism looms, when health worsens despite much prayer, when loneliness intensifies and depression deepens, when ministries die?

God has climbed through the small window into my dark room. But he doesn’t walk by me to turn the lock that I couldn’t budge. Instead, he sits down on the floor and says, "Come sit with me!" He seems to think that climbing into the room to be with me matters more than letting me out to play. I don’t always see it that way. "Get me out of here!" I scream. "If you love me, unlock the door!"

Gen 1:26-31

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

          28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

          29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground - everything that has the breath of life in it — I give every green plant for food." And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning — the sixth day. 

Jeremiah 29:10-14

This is what the Lord says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be  found  by  you,"  declares the Lord,  "and  will  bring  you  back  from  captivity.  I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

John 15:5-7

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

Luke 24:50-51

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 

God has climbed through the small window into my dark room. But he doesn’t walk by me to turn the lock that I couldn’t budge. Instead, he sits down on the floor and says, "Come sit with me!" He seems to think that climbing into the room to be with me matters more than letting me out to play. Do I scream “Get me out of here! Bless me Bless me Bless me with stuff.” Or do I sit with Jesus and recognize what a blessing it is that God wants to spend real time with me. Do you sing “Come Thou Fount with every blessing – OR, Come Thou Fount of every blessing?”  Is it a greater blessing to have His presents OR His presence?  Gesundheit!

01-11-15 SEE a NEW SONG

          God’s word says we need to see a new song!  Did I say that right?  God’s word says we need to see a new song!  There is something wrong with my mouth or my brain: God’s word says we need to see a new song!  OH oh oh – SING A NEW SONG!

          Clarence the Angel had a terrible deficiency. What was it? No not his wings…he wasn’t able to see clearly what others could see.  When he won his wings he would be able to see more clearly as well.  Wings would have meant nothing without the ability to see clearly. 

          Fascinating – recently I was complemented on my singing in the musical. That is always odd to me because I have always had a low opinion of my singing ability…and with good reason: I can’t sing very well. OK I can carry a tune and do ok sometimes but don’t have much trust in my ability because I used to not be able to carry a tune in a bucket.  It is even worse if it is a song I don’t know – you know – a NEW SONG. Today in church NEW SONGS are harder and easier than ever to introduce. Harder because they don’t always have the melody played out note by note like most hymns. Harder because we no longer have notes to follow.  Harder because we don’t learn how to sing in school like we used too.  Harder because the generation gap of music - no that has always been true.  Easier because generations have now grown up without hymnals and they more quickly catch on. Easier because most new church music is played on the radio.

          What does your new song look like for 2015? Can you see the lyrics and the notes?  Can you see the key signature and the timing and the repeats? Can you see the crescendo and the largo? Can you see the treble and the bass cleft?  What does your new song look like? Let’s SEE what God’s word says about “New songs!” 

The 1 through 3’s

PLAY WITH SKILL, SING A NEW SONG, SHOUT FOR JOY

Psalm 33:1-3

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. 2 Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. 

SING WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU AND OTHERS WILL TRUST HIM

Psalm 40:1-3

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. 

PROCLAIM GOD’S SALVATION GLORY AND MARVELOUS DEEDS

Psalm 96:1-3

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

WHY SING A NEW SONG?

GOD HAS WORKED HIS SALVAITON, MADE IT KNOW, AND WE HAVE SEEN IT!

Psalm 98:1-9 (entire Psalm)

          Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. 2 The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; 5 make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, 6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn — shout for joy before the Lord, the King. 7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness  and the peoples with equity. 

MY COMMITMENT TO SING A NEW SONG (Servant & King)

Ps 144:9-10

I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you, 10 to the One who gives victory to kings, who delivers his servant David from the deadly sword.

SING A NEW SONG IN THE ASSEMBLY

Psalm 149:1-5

Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. 2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. 3 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. 4 For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. 5 Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.  IN THE ASSEMBLY AND EVERYWHERE  Isaiah 42:10-13   Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them. 11 Let the desert and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops. 12 Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim his praise in the islands. 13 The Lord will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.

LOOKING THROUGH CLEAN WINDOWS

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.

'That laundry is not very clean', she said. 'She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap'

Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: 'Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her how to do it?'

The woman’s husband said, 'I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.'

And so it is with life. What we see while watching others, depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

          Your new song for 2015 might have been dependant on what others say and do – Now you realize that the only one who can see it…and sing it…is you. You write the lyrics based on the new vision God has given you for this new year. How your music looks and sound – what the melody is, is determined by your relationship to the one who created music – the one who created you…His name is Jesus.

Revelation 5:6-13

          Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." 11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power.”

Psalm 33:1-3, Psalm 40:1-3, Psalm 96:1-3, Psalm 98, Psalm 144:9-10, Psalm 149:1-5, Isaiah 42:10-13, Revelation 5:6-13