9-30-18 7 days without prayer makes one weak

Scripture    Philippians 4:6

Scripture is ripe with verses about God wanting to answer our prayers.

Philippians 4:6 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

GOD WANTS TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS

Isaiah 65:24 

Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.

Jeremiah 33:3

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

1 John 5:14-15

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (God give us what we need not what we want)

Matthew 7:7-8 

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Matthew 21:22

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

Mark 11:24 

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

John 14:13-14

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Luke 11:5-13

And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'?  I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Psalm 50:15

And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

James 5:13-18 

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.  Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

CONDITIONS ON PRAYER

Matthew 21:21  (have faith)

And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.”

Matthew 6:9-13  (must ask)

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Psalm 37:4-5         (delight in the Lord)

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

John 15:7     (rest in His word)

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

2 Chronicles 7:14  (humble yourself)

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Deuteronomy 10:17                   (Don’t bribe God)

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.

1 John 3:22            (keep His commands)

And whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

Matthew 18:19      (pray together)

Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

Matthew 6:6          (Prayer Closet)

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

WHY GOD DOESN’T ANSWER PRAYERS

James 4:3 

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Micah 3:4

Then they will cry to the Lord, but he will not answer them; he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil.

JESUS INITIATES PRAYER

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

JESUS HAS THE POWER TO ANSWER ANY PRAYER

Colossians 1:16-17 

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

PRAYER MUST FOCUS ON JESUS

Psalm 16:8-11

I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 103:1-5

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Acts 4:29-31

And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

DO WHAT YOU PRAY

James 1:22-25

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

9-23-18 There must have been something in the water

Scripture   John 21:1-17

Theological Definition of Baptism

A little boy was asked in Sunday School to explain baptism.

He said, "It's when the preacher holds you under water and you think about Jesus!"

When Can I Get Advertised?

A little boy asked Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in California, "When can I get advertised?"   He meant "baptized" but he made the right point--baptism is advertising that you're a Christian.

Redneck Baptism

A man, a woman, and a redneck were scheduled to be baptized.  The man was baptized first. When he came out of the water, he said, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want!"

 Then the woman was baptized. She came out of the water and said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"

 Now it was the redneck's turn.  He didn't know any verses from the Bible, so when he came out of the water he yelled, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

I don’t tell jokes - There must have been something in the water!

Luke 3:1-18

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar — when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.

He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

"A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.

Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low.

The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.

And all mankind will see God's salvation.'"

John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

          (John ate locust and wild honey, he did not drink wine…so there must have been something in the water)

10 "What should we do then?" the crowd asked.

John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."

          There must have been something in the water!

Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"

"Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them.

          There must have been something in the water!

Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?"

He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely — be content with your pay."

          There must have been something in the water!

15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.  John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.

TURNING WATER INTO WINE (John 2:1-11)

6 atone jars 30 gallons each 180 gallons of wine - “This stuff tastes good -you saved the best for last”

There must have been something in the water!

JESUS AND PETER WALKING ON THE WATER (Matthew 14:22-33)

Jesus waked on the water, Peter did to -then fell got up -then walked back to the boat

There must have been something in the water!

THE WOMAN AT THE WELL

John 4:13-14

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

There must have been something in the water!

WATER OF LIFE

Rev 22:17

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

There must have been something in the water!

WATER GRAVE

Romans 6:3-4

Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

There must have been something in the water!

SHE BROUGHT HER LUGGAGE TO BAPTISM

When Texas pastor Jim Denison was in college, he served as a summer missionary in East Malaysia. While there he attended a small church. At one of the church's worship services, a teenage girl came forward to announce her decision to follow Christ and be baptized.

During the service, Denison noticed some worn-out luggage leaning against the wall of the church building. He asked the pastor about it. The pastor pointed to the girl who had just been baptized and told Denison, "Her father said that if she was baptized as a Christian she could never go home again. So she brought her luggage."

There must have been something in the water!

So I followed that preacher man down to the river

And now I'm changed

And now I'm stronger

There must be something in the water

Got washed in the water, washed in the blood

And now I'm changed

And now I'm stronger

There must be something in the water

Ever since the day that I believed

I am changed

And now I'm stronger

There must be something in the water

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise

There must be something in the water and there must be new life in the Spirit!

9-16-18 God knew you new!

Scripture   Jeremiah 1:4-10

DRAMA: Right Field Rusty         (2 music cues and 3 slides)

Have you ever been one of the kids on the team to be picked last?  It doesn’t have to be a sport, it might be to fulfill a job at work or erase the boards at school. You might feel that way in the area of dating. This happens in all areas of life - someone is picked last. Sports teams just seems to be the most obvious.

I have good news: God knew you new!

John 15:16

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last.

God knew you new!

Jeremiah was a prophet of God who began his work in 627 B.C. and continued until he was taken to Egypt in about 587 B.C.

Jeremiah 1:4-10

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." "Ah, Sovereign Lord," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child." But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth.  See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

God knew you new!

Genesis 2:7

God planned Adam before the first light - Man was not an after thought, rather the first thought.

The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

God knew you new!

Galatians 1:13-16

Paul was called from birth-though he didn’t know that - but God knew he would be new

For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man.

God knew you new!

John 1:15

          Who was born first - Jesus or John the Baptist? John was born 6 months before Jesus was. Yet, John understands Jesus came first, and chose him to lead the way so Jesus could surpass him - or as John says it, he must become greater and greater and I must become less and less.

John testifies concerning Jesus. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'"

God knew you new!

Christiana, God knew you new!

Longing to leave her poor Brazilian neighborhood, Christina wanted to see the world. Discontent with a home having only a pallet on the floor, a washbasin, and a wood-burning stove, she dreamed of a better life in the city. One morning she slipped away, breaking her mother’s heart. Knowing what life on the streets would be like for her young, attractive daughter, Maria hurriedly packed to go find her. On her way to the bus stop she entered a drugstore to get one last thing. Pictures. She sat in the photograph booth, closed the curtain, and spent all she could on pictures of herself. With her purse full of small black-and-white photos, she boarded the next bus to Rio de Janiero. Maria knew Christina had no way of earning money. She also knew that her daughter was too stubborn to give up. When pride meets hunger, a human will do things that were before unthinkable. Knowing this, Maria began her search. Bars, hotels, nightclubs, any place with the reputation for street walkers or prostitutes. She went to them all. And at each place she left her picture—taped on a bathroom mirror, tacked to a hotel bulletin board, fastened to a corner phone booth. And on the back of each photo she wrote a note.

It wasn’t too long before both the money and the pictures ran out, and Maria had to go home. The weary mother wept as the bus began its long journey back to her small village.

It was a few weeks later that young Christina descended the hotel stairs. Her young face was tired. Her brown eyes no longer danced with youth but spoke of pain and fear. Her laughter was broken. Her dream had become a nightmare. A thousand times over she had longed to trade these countless beds for her secure pallet. Yet the little village was, in too many ways, too far away. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyes noticed a familiar face. She looked again, and there on the lobby mirror was a small picture of her mother. Christina’s eyes burned and her throat tightened as she walked across the room and removed the small photo. Written on the back was this compelling invitation. “Whatever you have done, whatever you have become, it doesn’t matter. Please come home.” She did.

God knew Christina new!  God knows Christians new

Before she was formed, God had chosen Christina to show his glory - even though she chose a different path to follow, God knew what she would look like new when, like the prodigal son, she would come home, regardless of what she had done.

1 Peter 1:3-9

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 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. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. You are being made new!

Ephesians 4:20-24            New attitude of your mind

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21       New creation in Christ

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Because God knew, you could become new!

          The kid chosen last was finally chosen first

There was a boy who did not have much athletic ability. Every time he and his friends would play some game, he was always the last to be chosen. One day two new fellows came to play with them and were allowed to be team captains because they were older. The first team captain chose the boy who had always been chosen last before. Why? Because they were brothers, and he loved his brother. So it is with God. He chose us not because of our abilities, but because he loves us.

PRAYER: Before I took a breath you put your life in me.

9-9-18 Facing the Hillside!

Scripture   John 21:1-17

Afterward (doubting Thomas) Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias (Sea of Galilee). It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.

"I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So, they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. (imagine the night…all night throwing the net on the left side of the boat)

          Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. (How often does Jesus speak to us and we don’t realize it is him?) called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered.

He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus  (John) said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.  When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."

Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. (feeding the 5000) This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. (10, 11, now-7)

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. "

How did Jesus begin and end ministry with the disciples? A miracle catch of fish. Luke 5:1-11

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

          When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

          When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

          When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.

          Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men."  So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

          SO that’s it, from beginning to end - start and finish the same -become fishers of men? Right! It is right, but it is NOT ALL! Jesus reminded them how important it is to catch fish. And now, on the beach he shows them, unlike the first catch that was too large to count, and was causing damage to their equipment; now they could account for each fish and their nets would not break. After that quick visual reminder, he now lets them know the second part of their work for His kingdom.

          Notice that they are no longer facing the sea when they come to breakfast with Jesus, they are facing the hillside, the pastureland behind him. And Jesus speaks to one--through whom he speaks to all.

          3 times Peter had denied Jesus, now 3 times Jesus asks Peter if he truly loves Jesus and every time with increasing frustration at the question being repeated, Peter replies Lord, I love you. And each time Jesus responds with a new command - Feed my sheep. You are no longer only a fishermen -you are now a shepherd. It is important to catch fish and keep catching fish, but that is not all you have to do, you must become a shepherd - one who teaches.

          The fish wiggle through life darting here and there and you do all you can to snag them. Now the fish have become sheep and the fisherman has become the shepherd and sheep need to be taught where to find pasture and drinking water. That work is never done.

It was not the responsibility of the fish to get caught, it is however, the responsibility of the sheep to seek out shepherds who can teach them the way of the great shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep.

One of many ways to take that responsibility is a system that started in the late 1700’s and highly promoted by a man named (Slide) Robert Raikes - the system was called “Sunday School.” It was designed for working class children who did not have opportunity to receive an education. It was promoted by churches but was designed to teach reading and writing - the textbook for both was the bible. Today, the emphasis has shifted to teaching the bible so all Christians - all ages - wealthy and poor can apply the bible to life.

          Sunday School teachers used to get paid. BUT, maybe they still do when you consider Edward Kimball. He lived over a hundred years ago. He was a Sunday school teacher in Boston, where a young teenager became part of his class. The young man was a country boy. He didn’t know the ways of the city or of the church. But, he came to Kimball’s Sunday school class.

When the teen first came to his class, Edward Kimball handed him a Bible. When Mr. Kimball said, "Turn to the Gospel of John," the country boy didn’t know how to find the Gospel of John. Edward Kimball recognized what was happening, and while the other boys were snickering, he opened the Bible to the Gospel of John and handed it back. When he asked the boys to read, the country boy fumbled as he read.

Edward Kimball wasn’t discouraged; he had perspective and saw possibilities in the boy. Kimball worked with him, and after some months he went down to the store where the boy was working, went into the back room where he was stacking boxes, and led that young boy to faith in Jesus Christ. That was the beginning of the ministry of young (Slide) Dwight L. Moody, the world’s greatest evangelist during the 1800’s.

You didn’t know Edward Kimball, an obscure Sunday school teacher who had a vision. But his vision transformed a young man who became a significant person in the kingdom of Christ. SS teachers, you have a highly valued task. Sheep/students you have a valuable opportunity before you to spend 45 mins beyond worship to learn what God’s word has to teach you about God and about how you are to follow him.  “Sheep, do you love me? Then follow me to Sunday School and I will show you how to live in greener pastures!”

9-2-18 Fraternal Twins at Work

Scripture     Ephesians 6:5-8 & Colossians 3:22-25

 It is Labor Day weekend - at some point you may have been or are now in a job where you don’t get along with your boss. This story is for you: There was a man in a hot air balloon who realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am." The woman below replied, "You’re in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You’re between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude." "You must be an engineer," said the balloonist. “I am," replied the woman, "How did you know?"

"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is, technically correct, but I’ve no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I’m still lost. Frankly, you’ve not been much help at all. If anything, you’ve delayed my trip." The woman below responded, "You must be in Management."  "I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?" 

"Well," said the woman, "you don’t know where you are or where you’re going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise, which you’ve no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it’s my fault."

SLIDE

Click Ephesians 6:5-8

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

CLICK Colossians 3:22-25

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

CLICK Ephossians - CLICK Colesains CLICK 63:225-258

Click Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; with respect and fear, and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart just as you would obey and give reverence to Christ. Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, since you know that everyone will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

          Before applying this text to our work environment - let’s understand the context. It was not written about work. Eph. 6 & Col 3 are both about Christian households. They first talk about husbands and wives, then parents and children and lastly - and mostly get to slaves and masters. So when we apply the slave master relationship to our workplace, it was not intended for that - at the same time - it is very easy to draw principals from these texts that apply to the work place, the school yard, where ever one person has authority over another.

          Also note that Paul nowhere condones slavery but accepts it as a societal norm he cannot change, but can exhort the Christian Slave and slave owner (as he did with Philemon regarding Onesimus-to treat him like a brother in Christ) to live a life worthy of Christ whether slave of free.

          Let’s look at each part of our Colessains text

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything;

If this is about you as a student or employee, you are to do what you are supposed to do - not argue or whine or complain - just do it (unless it call you to cross your moral boundaries).  How are you to do it?

 with respect and fear,

Honor those who have somehow attained the position they are in.

and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart just as you would obey and give reverence to Christ.

Don’t just work well when your boss or teacher is watching to try to get a raise or look good in their eyes - do good when no one is watching. That provides a great Christian ethic, besides which God sees even when your boss doesn’t.  Don’t do it to improve your paycheck (which isn’t a bad thing, just not the best reason). It says do it wholeheartedly - you do it with the right heart not just the right mind. You work well at your job because it honors Christ when you do good work - when you use your mind and body to the best of its ability in whatever you are doing, and the place you spend a majority of your time is at work/school.

You cannot call church sacred and work secular. Christ in you makes them both sacred. Being a pastor is not a higher calling than being a truck driver or secretary. Being a Christian who works well in your employment is your high calling. Or if you are s student, you honor Christ when you are the best student you can be - don’t be a goof off at school and say I follow Jesus because I go to church. Follow Jesus into every classroom and do your best for him.

Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,

Grow in your skill-set, work hard, and strive for excellence.

Proverbs 22:29 Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

Proverbs 14:23 In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

since you know that everyone will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

          Your reward at school is good grades and at work a paycheck. But that is true of everyone. Your real reward has two aspects beyond that - one day you may here Jesus say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” Your reward NOW is knowing you are doing your best for Christ every day of your life at work or play and know that he takes delight when you do your job better than you would if you were not his follower - that way he gets the credit for your good work so that others  give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

          But what if you have a horrible teacher or a frustrating boss or work situation? If it is not something that can be changed, and there is no moral issue, then still do your best - don’t retaliate or do less than a great job.

1 Peter 2:18-21

Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

          If you have a boss who lords that position over you and it can’t be changed - work as though you are working for Jesus who loves the quality of your work regardless of what man says.

Proverbs 25:21-22

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

Statue of Liberty

Pic 1 On the cover of the New York "Herald Tribune" Sunday magazine, there was a picture of the Statue of Liberty taken from a helicopter. It showed the top of the statue’s head. It was amazing to see the detail there.

Pic 2 The sculptor had done a painstaking job with the lady’s hair style, yet he must have been pretty sure that the only eyes that would see this detail would be the uncritical eyes of sea gulls. It was dedicated in 1886. The Wright Brothers didn’t fly their first airplane until 1903. So the sculptor could not have dreamt that any man would ever fly over this head.

Pic 3 He was artist enough, however, to finish off this part of the statue with as much care as he had devoted to her face, her arms, the torch, and everything that people can see as they sail up the bay. You never know what new technology will catch you working when no one is looking, but God sees the detail of everything you do.

Boy Sleeps well on a windy night

"A boy went to a farmer and asked to be given a job as a hired hand. The farmer asked, ’Are you willing to work?’ ’Please sir, yes sir, I can sleep well on a windy night,’ was his strange reply. ’Can I trust you to look after my things,’ said the farmer, Again, the boy gave the same answer. The farmer asked several questions seeking to determine if the boy was honest and trustworthy; but, to each question, he received the same reply!

Deciding that the boy might be a little simple-minded, the farmer hired him anyway; because, there was something about that boy that he liked! The boy proved to be a willing worker and everything went well until one night a big storm came up! The farmer heard the howling wind and rushed to the boy’s room, ’Get up,’ he shouted, ’let’s go tie down the hay stacks, put up the tools, and secure the barn doors!’ The boy was so sound asleep that the farmer could not wake him!

Fearing to waste time trying to wake the boy and get him up, the farmer rushed out see about his things! When he came to the haystacks, he found them already firmly tied. He found the tools in their proper places in the barn; and, the barn doors securely closed! As he went back into his house, he realized what the boy meant about sleeping well on a windy night! He meant that each day, he did his work well; and, even in the midst of a storm, he could sleep!