Why is the Transfiguration Important?

We find ourselves today in the seventeenth chapter of Matthew. Our scene is set-up by the previous chapter, the sixteenth chapter of Matthew. For in that chapter, Jesus gives the disciples a little quiz. There are only two questions. This is the first question: who do people say that I am? They give a variety of impressive answers. Then, he asks the disciples the second question: Who do you say I am? Only Simon Peter’s answer is recorded for the ages. “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” That answer means the disciples are making spiritual progress. To show his approval, Jesus takes three of the disciples, Peter, James and John, to the top a mountain. The Mountain was probably Mount Hermon, which raises 9,000 feet above sea level. The inner circle must have believed they were going to receive some special instruction from the Master, but they received so much more. According to the text, verse 2, Jesus was transfigured. We are not exactly sure what that means. It will have to suffice to say, Jesus was glorified. His face began to shine like the sun and his clothes became as bright as light, itself. It was an amazing scene, then the scene grows more complex. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared. They are endorsing Jesus’s ministry. The disciples are rattled, but then the truly miraculous happens. God, himself, suddenly appears. He identifies Jesus, so there can be on further question. Verse five quotes God. The Almighty says, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” The scene is suddenly over. It is a great scene in the Bible, but what does it mean?

Warren Wiersbe (1929-2019) was an American pastor, Bible teacher, theologian and and author. He said there are four things about the transfiguration of Jesus that should never be forgotten.  Consider them with me. They have merit.

The glory of His person – The transfiguration of Jesus came from his inside. It was not something that happened to Jesus, like a spotlight. It was something that came from within Jesus. His glory was permitted to shine. (Hebrews 1:3)

The glory of His kingdom – Moses and Elijah represented the Old Testament law and the Old Testament prophets. As great as they were, they are inferior to Jesus. Everything in the Old Testament pointed to Jesus and his ministry. Jesus was the final piece of God’s plan of salvation for the world. (Hebrews 1:1)

The glory of His cross – The transfiguration reminds us that suffering, and glory go hand in hand. In time, the transfigured, glorified Jesus would be nailed to the cross and die. (1 Peter 1:6-8)

The glory of His submission – In many ways, the transfiguration is the beginning of the end. Jesus did not go to the cross because he wanted to go. Jesus went to the cross because it was part of God’s plan of salvation. Jesus submitted to God’s will.

God said it clearly. We should listen to Jesus!

If the transfiguration of Jesus teaches us nothing else, it teaches us about the supremacy of Jesus. In the life of the church, if we don’t have Jesus, then we have nothing at all. That is one of my favorite themes. I have pounded that point countless times for many years. You have heard me. In the local church, I see it regularly. We get so involved maintaining our building, fundraising for a good cause and helping the needy, we forget about Jesus. That is why worship is so important. We are not a service club or a community action group. We are the church of Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, we have nothing at all. That is why we must keep Jesus the focal point of our ministry. If it is true in local congregations, then it is true of entire denominations. We must recognize the supremacy of Jesus and keep him the focal point of our ministry.

In 2014, the World Council of Churches reported there were 12 million United Methodists in the world. That means we are the second largest denomination in the world, behind Southern Baptist Convention. Many believe that will change in the next two months. Our denomination is ready to divide over one issue, sexuality. A 2017 Gallup poll reported 4.5% of American adults identified as LGBTQ. Many believe that figure is much lower. They say the research was faulty. The entertainment industry seems to believe the figure is much higher. The conflict will come to a head in Minneapolis, Minnesota between May 5-15. That is where and when the next General Conference, the largest administrative body in United Methodism, will gather. No one has uttered the word compromise. No one is permitted to be neutral. Everyone must choose a side. The sides are clear. On the one side, there are those who are opposed to ordaining homosexuals and officiating at gay marriages. They quote various Bible verses to support their stance. On the other side, there are those who think we should ordain the gay and officiate at gay weddings. They say the faith should include everyone. No one should be excluded.

How ugly is the situation? A group of influential United Methodist leaders, both lay and clergy, both liberal and conservative, have come up with an exit plan. Under that plan, entire Jurisdictions will be permitted to leave the United Methodist Church. (We are in the North Central Jurisdiction, which covers the Midwest.) Under that plan, entire Annual Conferences will be permitted to leave the United Methodist Church. (We are in the East Ohio Annual Conference.) Under that plan, entire churches will be permitted to leave the United Methodist Church. With means, under this plan, we will have to decide if we are going to leave the United Methodist Church and help for a new denomination. That means, we will lose people because people hate change. If the United Methodist Church begins to ordain gays and officiates at gay weddings, would you vote to leave the United Methodist Church or stay within the United Methodist Church? Everyone will be forced to make a choice.

The transfiguration is important because it reminds us of the supremacy of Jesus! Do you know what Jesus said about sexuality? Jesus said nothing at all. That means sexuality is a secondary issue. It is human beings who have made it a primary issue. I wish the Master would have said one thing, but he didn’t. It would have made the whole matter easier. However, Jesus did say to love everyone. (John 13:34) Jesus did say to judge no one. (Matthew 7:1) Can I be honest with you? The whole topic exhausts me. I have listened to both sides of the issue, those who support ordaining and marrying the gay and others who are against ordaining and marrying the gay. They are so passionate about the issue they have forgotten about Jesus. We have a shortage of love and a surplus of judgment. The one side is calling the other side homophobic. The other side is called the other side non-Biblical and compromising. Both sides seem to be using the issue. Those who want to accept the change, see it as a marketing tool. They seem to believe the entire LGBTQ will suddenly join the United Methodist Church. (I don’t see that happening.) Those who don’t want to see the change, are using the issue to begin their own denomination. They seem to have some ax to grind. May God have mercy on us, because in the end no one wins. In the end, the United Methodist Church, once one of the greatest evangelistic churches in the world, will be crippled. In the end, the only one who will win is Satan. The transfiguration is important because it reminds of the supremacy of Jesus.

When I was in seminary, I served a small membership church between Danville and Lancaster, Kentucky. It was called the Pleasant Grove Christian Church. It is still there. I have nothing negative to say about those people. They were kind to me at a time when I needed some kindness. In the three years, I served that church, I got to know other churches in that community. One of those churches was the Mount Olivet Baptist Church. In Kentucky, at that time, every church was Baptist, regardless of the sign. Their theology leaned to the right. It was named after the Mount of Olives. Since I left that area, the Mount Olivet Baptist Church closed. The reason is sad. The church simply shattered over a series of differences of opinions. It all began when the Board of Elders held an emergency meeting. They were upset the pastor and his wife had filed for divorce. Being Baptist, they believed in the Bible and the Bible teaches against divorce. They decided to let that preacher go. The problem was the church was divided over the dismissal. Everyone who had suffered through a divorced, or had a family member who had been divorced, was upset. A large portion of that congregation left and swore they would never return. People from Kentucky are true to their word. They never returned. A search committee was formed to find a new pastor to fix the mess. They collected a few names. One of the names was a woman. She was by far the most qualified. She had an excellent education, could preach up a storm and was effective in every church she served. There was only one problem. She was a woman and you know what the Bible says about women preachers. For that reason, she didn’t get the call. They called an inferior man. Everything was supposed to be done confidentially, but the word leaked out. Once again, the church was in an uproar. Everyone seemed to know a gifted and effective female pastor. From that moment on, the Mount Olivet Baptist Church splintered. Each side quoted Bible verses and each side claimed they were right. In the end, the once healthy church struggled paying basic bills. In time, the church building and property was sold to a local brewpub. It wasn’t all a loss. I hear both the food and the beer are great. Can I ask you a question?

Why do you think the Mount Olivet Baptist Church closed? Was it a lack of Bible? Was it a lack of love? What it a surplus of a judgmental attitudes. I believe that church closed because they forget about the supremacy of Jesus. Do you remember what God said? He once said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Lead Us

John Paton (1824-1907) was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. One-night hostile natives surrounded the mission station, intent on burning out the Paton’s and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came, they were amazed to see their attackers leave. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ. Remembering what had happened, Paton asked the chief what had kept him from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, “Who were all those men with you there?” Paton knew no men were present–but the chief said he was afraid to attack because he had seen hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords circling the mission station. That story reminds us we are never alone. God has always been with us and God will always be with us.

Today, we look at the next section of the Lord’s Prayer, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.Don’t speed read those words. Take some time with those words, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Jesus is connecting temptation and evil. Temptation is defined as the desire to do something, especially wrong or unwise. Evil is defined as profoundly immoral or wicked, especially when regarded as a supernatural force. So, when Jesus speaks of temptation, he is not talking about being tempted by a piece of cake when you are on a diet. Jesus is talking about the temptations in our lives that damage our relationship with God. What is it in your life that is damaging your relationship with God? Perhaps, we need to hear less about grace and more about sin? Let me state the obvious. Everyone deals with temptation.

Even Thomas Steele deals with temptation. He should have known better. He had recited the line, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, countless times. Who is Thomas Steele? The Hendersonville, North Carolina newspaper, The Blue Ridge Now, posted his story the other day. The 63-year-old former pastor was sentenced to 73 to 100 months in prison for embezzling $123,367 from an 83-year-old parishioner over a five-year period. He also must pay her back. The story is not pretty. It is a sad story. He abused her trust. You can call her a fool, or you can call him a crook, but in the end no one wins. He illustrates for us everyone deals with temptation, even preachers. Thomas is not alone. You are not alone.

Even Jesus struggled with temptation. The story is found in the fourth chapter of Matthew. According the text, Jesus is led in the wilderness by the Spirit, where he fasted for forty days. The author gives us obvious information. After fasting forty days, Jesus was hungry, and the tempter came to him and offered him food. He suggested Jesus use his powers to turn the stones into loaves of bread. However, Jesus refused. Then, the devil took Jesus to the top of the temple in the holy city and requests Jesus to throw himself down. However, Jesus refused. Finally, the devil takes Jesus to the top of a high mountain and shows him the kingdoms of the world in all their splendor. He offers it all to Jesus, if he will worship him, but Jesus refused. The story ends and the devil leaves Jesus, and the angels care for him.

Those three temptations are not accidental. You can distill all temptation down into three categories. Each one is represented in Jesus’ temptation. Here are the categories of temptation.

          The Temptations of Selfishness – Jesus hadn’t eaten in forty days, so he is beyond hungry. Satan suggests to Jesus he change stones into bread. That is not beyond Jesus’s power, but he refuses, because others did not benefit. Have you ever been tempted to do something that only benefits you?

          The Temptations of Popularity – The temple was the eye of the storm in the holy city. Big crowds would have seen Jesus saved by the angels. That crowd would have followed Jesus. Jesus would have been a celebrity. However, Jesus was not interested in the crowd, he was only interested in the committed. Have you ever been tempted to do some that would make you popular?

          The Temptations of Materialism – From the mountaintop Jesus doesn’t just see property. Jesus sees wealth. Jesus could have had it all, but he refuses because there is more to life than money. Have you ever been tempted by materialism?

This is the question you must answer. What is your greatest temptation?Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Temptation is something all Christians face, no matter how long we have been following Christ. But there are a few practical things we can do to grow stronger and smarter in our struggle against sin. We can learn how to overcome temptation by practicing these five steps. They come from Christian blogger Mary Fairchild.

  1. Recognize Your Tendency to Sin – The temptation to sin is a given, so don’t be surprised by it. Expect to be tempted daily and be prepared for it.
  • Flee from Temptation – When you come face to face with temptation, look for the way out. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says God will give you a way out. Run as fast as you can.
  • Resist Temptation With the Word of Truth – Jesus overcame the devil’s temptations in the wilderness with the Word of God. If it worked for him, it would work for us. And because Jesus was fully human, he can identify with our struggles and give us the exact help we need to resist temptation. Read your Bible daily.
  • Refocus Your Mind and Heart with Praise – Praising God takes our focus off our self and puts it on God. You may not be strong enough to resist temptation on your own, but as you focus on God, he will inhabit your praises. He will give you the strength to resist and walk away from the temptation.
  • Repent Quickly When You Fail – When you do fail and sin, repent quickly. It is dangerous to persist in your sin.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

In 1952, a writer named Bernard Malamud wrote a great novel called The Natural. If you haven’t read the book, then you may have seen the movie of the same name, staring Robert Redford. The story is about a man by the name of Roy Hobbs. He is the natural, untainted unspoiled. He was born on a Nebraska farm. It was his father who recognized his enormous talent for baseball, and it was his father who taught him the game. But one day, his father dies, and he never got to see his son make it to the big leagues. The Major Leagues are not kind to Roy Hobbs. The innocent farm boy is confronted by temptations. His greatest tempter is a woman, who in time was rejected by Roy. Her scorn was real. She shoots Roy and he walks away from the game early, wounded physically and emotionally. For years, he wonders how life could have been. Years later, at the age of 35, Roy Hobbs returns to the game. Once again, Roy is confronted with temptation. This time in the form of his team owner, who is the embodiment of evil, who has hired his old temptress. They want Roy to throw the game because the owner has made a huge bet against him own team. The moment comes when Roy must decide what to do. He is standing at the plate all alone. Will he surrender to the temptation and throw the game, or will he do what is right? What tips the scale is a woman wearing a white dress standing behind home plate. Her presence encourages him to do the right thing.

This is the point. In that scene, Bernard Malamud painted the human condition. We are confronted daily by temptation, pulling us, pushing us, enticing us to sin. We think we are alone, but we are wrong. God is standing near us encouraging us to do the right thing. There has never been a moment in your life when you have been alone. God is with us now and God is with us in the face of temptation. He is encouraging us to do what is right. God is with us now. Oscar Wild (1854-1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. His life was complex. He is remembered for his literary genius, his criminal conviction, imprisonment and early death. He died at 46.  He once said, “I can resist anything except temptation.” I hope that is not your story. No wonder Jesus taught us to pray, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Our Daily Bread (Part Two)

Leroy Eims (1925-2004) served with The Navigators for over fifty years and wrote a best-selling book called The Lost Art of Disciple Making. In that book he told about his family driving from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa one spring. As they drove, they traveled past miles of orange trees. At one point they stopped for a late breakfast. Leroy ordered an orange juice. The waitress politely told him that was impossible, because the restaurant’s juicer was broken. He found that to be both comical and sad. There he was surrounded by millions of oranges, but there was no juice to be had. His situation on that day reminded him of the average church. The average church is surrounded by the Good News, but many are ignoring it. Could that be the story of the church today? May be that is why Jesus told us to pray for our spiritual needs?

Today, we look at the next section of the Lord’s Prayer, “And forgive us of our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” To understand that section you must re-examine the previous line, give us this day our daily bread. Some believe that line stands alone. If you do so the line is about our basic physical needs, air water, food, shelter and sleep. That is what we looked at last time. Others believe that line is coupled with the next section of the prayer: And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. They connect the phrase Give us this day our daily bread with John 6:48, where Jesus calls himself the bread of life. Suddenly the whole section becomes about praying for our spiritual needs. We are to spend time with Jesus daily. That is important because the battles in life are not with other people. The battles in life are against the Dark One. If we are going to win that battle, then we must be spiritually mature, and we can’t become spiritually mature without spending time with Jesus. That leads me to these two questions. Do you consider yourself spiritually mature? Are you making any progress in the Christian faith?

Three years ago, my Lenten sermon series was called Don’t Give Up. In that sermon series, I looked at five of the spiritual disciplines. The spiritual disciplines help us grow and mature spiritually. In that series, I encouraged you not to give up prayer, fasting, worship, meditation or the Bible. That list was not complete. Through the ages many philosophers, theologians and writers have identified many other things that may be considered spiritual disciplines. Those things include things such as fellowship, journaling, stewardship, self-examination and silence. The issue is not a lack of spiritual disciplines. The issue is practicing the spiritual disciplines. Perhaps, that is why we have a hard time answering the question of the day, are you making any progress in the Christian faith? It is not enough to have a religious opinion or spiritual thought. The spiritual disciplines must become part of your daily habits.

Years ago, I am across an article about spiritual maturity. We are not to remain spiritual babies. We aren’t to grow in the faith. I hate to admit it, but there are times, I look at things in a negative way. Perhaps that is why the article spoke to me. It came from the people at Crosswalk. It was called, Seven Signs You are Spiritually Immature. This is their list:

  1. Spiritual infants are self-centered.  They arrive at church thinking, “What can I get out of this?” Then, they sometimes leave saying, “I didn’t get a thing out of that today.” Their theme is that church is all about them. Are you self-centered?
  • Spiritual infants are noisy. They cry a lot, particularly when they don’t think their needs are being met.  For example, they criticize a mission project because they don’t benefit. The money should be spent on something that meets their approval. They just can’t complain enough. Are you noisy?

3)      Spiritual infants are messy. Toddlers do not clean up after themselves. That’s someone else’s job.  On Sunday night after everyone has vacated the premises, I walk around the church building and you’ll know in a heartbeat whether the congregation is mature or immature. Are you messy?

  • Spiritual infants are impatient. The crying baby cannot be told that the milk    is warming and should be ready in a few minutes. He wants what he wants, and he wanted it five minutes ago. To them, the church is there to provide services which members pay for with their offerings; if the services are inferior, they withhold their money or even leave. Are you impatient?
  • Spiritual infants are defined by what they cannot do. They cannot    cooperate, cannot submit to others, and cannot understand deep things. They are unable to apologize and mean it and resist sharing. Are you defined by what you cannot do?
  • Spiritual infants are explosive. They are always mad. They are mad because their birthday wasn’t in the bulletin. They are mad no one noticed they were on vacation or no one called. They are mad because no one supported their ministry. They explode over every little issue. Are you explosive?
  • Spiritual infants are irresponsible. They’re great at expecting a lot from others and nothing from themselves. They always know who is to blame for all that’s wrong in the church. Aren’t you glad we don’t have any irresponsible people in this church? Are you irresponsible?

I did not list those statements so you could evaluate someone else. I listed those statements so you could evaluate yourself. Are you spiritually mature or immature? Are you making any progress in the Christian faith? Jesus tells us to pray for our spiritual needs, because we need help spiritually. It is sad because the only reason the church exists is to grow people spiritually, to make disciples. The problem is churches are easily distracted. We witness it regularly in the local church and we are witnessing it at the denominational level. We come to church to experience life’s very best, God. Sadly, that doesn’t happen all the time. We are distracted by good things, church programs and property. Many are close yet far away.

When I was in high school, football was a big deal. During my four years of high school the two schools won four state championships. At that time Warren, Ohio was still economically successful, and many moved to the city of Modern Methods feeding those teams with outstanding players. If you were a standout player on one of those teams you were a local celebrity.

During my sophomore year of high school, the best player on the team was a boy by the name of Tyrone. He was a great player. He was a gifted athlete, big, fast and quick. During that season college scouts from around the country came to watch Tyrone play. He had offers from a variety of Division One schools. His selection was a big secret. The local media was there for the announcement. It was an exciting moment when he announced he was going to Washington State University, in the great northwest. The entire east side of Warren beat their chests with pride. When he signed his name on the national letter of intent, the recruiter from Washington State gave Tyrone a grey and crimson ballcap, the official colors of Washington State. Stitched on it were the letters, WSU. He gave him a football jersey with Washington State across its chest. He gave him a football with Washington State Cougars painted on it. Everyone cheered and everyone dreamed of Tyrone’s big future in the northwest. The next day Tyrone came to school wearing that football jersey with the cap on his head. He held his football in his muscular arms. Everybody patted him on the back and congratulated him. I was standing next to one of the assistant basketball coaches, Dick James. When Tyrone passed Mr. James, he yelled out, “So, Tyrone, you are going to Washington State!” Tyrone broke out into one of those Heisman Trophy possess and yell back, “Yes sir, Mr. James. I’m going to Washington State so I can be near the president.” The whole hall grew silent. No one knew what to say. Tyrone was so close, yet so far away.

Don’t be like Tyrone. Don’t be so close, yet so far away. Don’t get so involved in the organizational life of the church that you die spiritually. Keep your eyes on Jesus and pray his words, give us this day our daily bread. That means you are spending time with Jesus daily. And if you spend time with Jesus daily it will change you, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Let me ask you the question of the day one more time: Are you making any progress in the faith? I hope your answer is YES!

Our Daily Bread

Harry Houdini (1874-1926) was a Hungarian born American illusionist and performer, noted for his sensational escape acts. Once he was locked and shackled into a Scottish town jail. The old turnkey shut him in a cell and walked away. Houdini quickly freed himself from his shackles and then tackled the cell lock. But despite all his efforts, the lock wouldn’t open. Finally, ever more desperate but completely exhausted, he leaned against the door–and it swung open so unexpectedly that he nearly fell headlong into the corridor. The turnkey had not locked it.  He was limited by his own assumption. Have you ever assumed something that turned out to be wrong? That thought is at the very heart of this message today.

Today, we look at this line in the Lord’s Prayer: Give us this day our daily bread.” Don’t just run through those words, think about those words. There is a school of thought that says this line is not about our physical needs, but our spiritual needs. They align this line with the next line, forgive us of our trespasses, or debts. They connect these lines of the Lord’s Prayer with John 6:48, where Jesus calls himself the bread of life. They may be right, but they may be wrong. I was raised in a steel town in northeast Ohio, so I read it at face value. When Jesus mentions bread, I believe he is talking about physical bread, which represents are the basics things we need to survive. When was the last time you praised God for the basics of life? Do you appreciate those things, or do you assume they will always be there?

They tell us there are five basic things we need to survive. This is the list:

  1. Air – The body’s greatest need is air. As little as five minutes without air will result in brain damage. After fifteen minutes without air, the brain damage is so severe that most people will not recover.
  • Water – Water is the most essential element of life. Our bodies are made up of 70% water. As we live, we deplete our body’s water resources. That is why we must stay hydrated. As 2.5% loss in water volume in a person leads to a 25% of blood volume. That effects every organ in the body.
  • Food – The body can last quite a while without food. Without food the body will exist on its own fat. They average person could exist for three weeks without food, but we are much more comfortable with food.
  • Shelter – It is not just proper housing. This includes proper clothing. Both proper housing and clothing help you maintain a proper body temperature. Without a proper body temperature, you run the risk of hypothermia and heat stroke.
  • Sleep – Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. A severe lack of sleep can be detrimental to your health and your life. Give us this day our daily bread.

One of the great things about being an American is we are almost guaranteed each one of those basic needs. I love walking my dog, Macy, the world’s best dog, early in the morning when the air is fresh. I love drinking a cold glass of ice water on a hot day. I love a good meal. I am not alone. Many do. Did you know roughly 30% of Americans are considered obese? I love getting into bed after a long day and drifting off to sleep. Do you know what? In America, we have good lives because we have what we need to survive. They are so abundant we can take them for granted. We assume it will always be that way. That is not the case everywhere.

Our world is facing some tremendous problems. When some in the world pray, give us Lord our daily bread, they are desperate for the basics. Look at those five things again through a different filter.

  1. Air – In 1993, Kathryn and I went on a volunteer in mission trip to the Philippines. We stayed near the city of Manila. When we first arrived, our hosts gave us washcloths to place over our noses and mouths because the pollution was so thick. Many escaped to the mountains where the air was clean. Give us this day our daily bread.
  • Water – The World Health Organization reports 11% of the world’s population, 790 million people, don’t have an adequate water supply. They also report 25% of the world’s population, 1.8 billion people, don’t have adequate sanitation. Give us this day our daily bread.
  • Food – The Food Aid Foundation says 12.9% of our world is undernourished. That is 795 million people. They also say one in seven people are hungry and one third of all food is wasted. Give us this day our daily bread.
  • Shelter – On January 12, 2010, Haiti was hit by a massive earthquake. People who had nothing, suddenly had less than nothing. When I was there several years after the earthquake, many were afraid to enter any building because they feared it would fall on them. Give us this day our daily bread.
  • Sleep – You don’t have to leave the country for this one. The Smithsonian reported one-third of Americans get six hours of sleep a night or less. We should be getting between seven and nine hours. How much sleep do you get on an average night? Give us this day our daily bread.

Let me say it again. We have good lives. We have grown to take the basics for granted. We assume they will be there. That is why it is good to be reminded occasionally of our daily blessings. When was the last time you had to go without? Give us this day our daily bread.

About four and a half years ago, Kathryn and I were in Ukraine. It was an exploratory trip. We hoped to return with a Volunteer in Mission Team, but that never happened because the Russian took control of the Crimean Peninsula. The negative press made it impossible to organize a team. Regardless, Kathryn and I have warm memories about that trip. The people we met were wonderful.

Our guide for that trip was a man by the name of Patrick. We stayed near the city of Chernivtsi near the Hungarian border. It was a hard trip to Chernivtsi. We flew into Kiev, their capital, and had to take a twelve-hour train ride to our destination. The scenery was not impressive. With every mile we saw more economic depression. When we arrived, we found that city to be like many cities in Eastern Europe, tired and warn out. We were thankful to arrive and enjoyed the various people we met. There was only one problem. If we wanted to return to the United States, we had to make that same trip again. About a week later, we climbed back on the same train and rode those same rails again back to Kiev. We traveled at night and arrived in Kiev in the morning. Patrick, Kathryn and I locked our luggage into a locker at the train station, and we began to walk. At first, it felt good to walk and stretch our legs. Kiev is a beautiful city and I enjoyed the sites. Somewhere along the way, I asked Patrick the question, “Where are we going to spend the night?” He responded, “I think, we are going to spend tonight at a friend’s apartment.” He got his cell phone out and called. However, there wasn’t answer. Over the next nine hours, Patrick called his friend countless times and he never answered. Once, we stopped and got a cup of coffee at an outdoor café. Once, we stopped and had lunch. However, by and large, we walked, and my pleasant personality began to change. I was tired. I had gotten next to no sleep on the bumpy train filled with odd smelling people, who didn’t speak English. My few possessions were locked up in a locker and I was convinced they wouldn’t be there when I returned. My feet hurt from all the walking. We were at a McDonald’s when the reality hit me. Patrick didn’t know what to do with us on our last night in Kiev. I asked him two things. Did you tell your friends we were coming? Do you have a Plan B? He just gave me the deer in the headlights look. I walked over to Kathryn, who looked like she was a cast member on the Living Dead and told her Patrick didn’t know what to do with us tonight. She looked at me and in perfect Russian said, “I want an ice cream cone!” I am not a natural leader, but I found my way being forced to the front. In the middle of a crowded McDonald’s filled with Ukrainians, I walked over the Patrick and said, “This is what you are going to do. You are going to take Kathryn and I to a hotel as close to the airport as possible. I don’t care what it costs. I am tired and hungry.” Patrick looked at me and said, “That is a good idea!” I walked over the Kathryn and told her we were going to spend the night at a hotel near the airport. She asked, “What is Patrick going to do?” I answered, “I don’t care!” Went back to the train station and got our luggage. Within an hour we were checked in the hotel, which wasn’t too expense.” I few minutes later Kathryn was asleep in our room and I was sitting in the hotel restaurant. It was nice and quiet. I ordered my meal and a beverage. Before I ate, I prayed. I don’t remember that exact words, but it went something like this: Give us this day our daily bread.

When you live in America, you have a good life. We take so much for granted. Don’t assume they will always be there. It doesn’t take long to remember how it could be. Stephen Hawking Stephen Hawking (1942-2018) was an English theoretical physicist and author. He suffered with Lou Gehrig’s disease for over fifty years. He once said, “When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have.” Give us this day our daily bread!

Thy Kingdom Come

History tells us Edward VI (1537-1553) of England sat on the throne in the 16th century. He is remembered as being a very spiritual. He attended worship regularly. He stood when the Bible was read. He took notes on the weekly message and studied those notes later. And, he strived to apply the Gospel to his daily life, altering his opinions and actions. No one questioned his sincerity, because he always surrendered to God’s will. Here is an interesting question. Will you be remembered as one who did it your way? Will you be remembered as one who did it God’s way?

Today, we look at this line in the Lord’s Prayer: Thy Kingdom come; thy will be done.” In order to understand that line you must be able to answer this question. What is the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God is not a location, like 12 Paradise Way. The Kingdom of God is not limited to a certain time, like during the time of King David. The Kingdom of God can’t be understood in human terms. It is much more elusive. If you do not believe me, then look at the teachings of Jesus. The Kingdom of God was central to his teaching. Sometimes Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God in the past. He said Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the prophets were in the Kingdom of God. Sometimes, he speaks of the Kingdom of God in the present. In Luke 17:11, Jesus said, the Kingdom of God is, “in the midst of you.” Sometimes, he spoke of the Kingdom of God in the future. He taught people to pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God. It is all quite confusing. Theologians and Bible teachers don’t clarify the matter. William Barkley (1907-1978) was a Bible professor at the University of Glasgow. He wrote a popular Bible commentary on the New Testament. He sold 1.5 million copies of those commentaries. I own one. In that commentary, he defines the Kingdom of God as a society in this world where God’s will is perfectly done, as it is heaven. That maybe correct but it is a little wordy. Let me answer the question for you. I believe, the Kingdom of God can be summarized in one word, obedience. We are part of the Kingdom of God anytime we obey God. We are not part of the Kingdom of God when we don’t obey God. With that in mind, say the line in the prayer again. Thy Kingdom come thy will be done. It’s all about obeying God’s word. How obedient are you to God? We should not be surprised, because, being obedient is a dominant theme throughout the Bible, both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Do you remember these stories?

Do you remember Noah’s story? At the center of it is obedience. According to Genesis 6, the world had grown so wicked God decided to start over again. There is only one righteous man left, Noah. God tells Noah of His plans to destroy the world with water and commands Noah to build an ark of cypress wood to save himself and his family. There traveling partners will be the various animals. Noah hears God’s words and begins to build the ark on the driest day of the year. The people must have thought he was crazy, but he obeyed God. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done.

Do you remember Moses’s story? At the center of it is obedience. According to Exodus 3, God spoke to Moses through a burning bush that was not consumed by the flames. The sight was odd to Moses’s eyes, but the words God spoke to him were painful. God asks him to do the one thing Moses feared, face his past. You remember the story. Moses, a Hebrew, is raised in the palace of the Pharaoh. Yet, he never forgets his roots and on an ugly day Moses killed and Egyptian defending one of his own, a Hebrew. Moses runs away and plans to never return to Egypt, but God had other plans for him. God tells Moses to return to Egypt to liberate his people. Moses tries eluding his divine mission, but in the end, Moses returns and obeys God. The rest is history. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done.

Do you remember Mary’s story? At the center of it is obedience. Christmas was just a few weeks ago. According to Luke 2, Mary was a teenage girl with her entire life in front of her. She must have dreamed of being a respectable Jewish wife with a pack of youngsters. Unfortunately, that was not God’s plan for her life. Of all the women who had ever lived, Mary grabbed God’s attention. The angel said, she was highly favored, but Mary must have had her doubts. She is going to give birth to a boy and name him Jesus. He is the son of God, Himself. Two thousand years later, we still admire her, but on that day many scoffed. Discarding the personal plans for her life, she obeys God and changes this world forever. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done.

Do you remember Jesus’s story? At the center of it is obedience. Jesus did nothing wrong. He lived for thirty-three years and never committed a single sin. If salvation can be earned, then Jesus was home free. Unfortunately, salvation cannot be earned. We are saved by grace and by grace alone. Salvation is only possible by the sacrificial acts of Jesus. According to Mark 14, after Jesus ate the annual Seder with the disciples, he went to the garden to prayer. The scriptures say he was overwhelmed with sorrow, so he prayed these words, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” It was God’s will for Jesus to die an agonizing death, so we have an opportunity to spend eternity in heaven. Jesus didn’t like it, but Jesus obeyed. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done.

The problem is not ignorance. The problem is obedience. Don’t tell me you don’t know what God expects you to do. You know you are to love unconditionally. You know you are to forgive. You know you are to have faith. You know you are to respond to human need. You know you are to live generous lives, giving your time, talent and your financial resources. You know these things, but do you obey? How obedient are you? Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done.

Mary Fairchild is a Christian blogger. In a blog called Why Is Obedience to God Important, she says there isn’t a single reason why we shouldn’t be obedient to God. She says, there are numerous reasons. Let me read some of them to you.

  1. Jesus calls us to be obedient. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, you need to obey what Jesus said. John 14:15 quotes Jesus. He said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
  • Obedience is an act of worship. You cannot earn your salvation by obedience, but you can express your gratitude for your salvation by obedience. Romans 12:1 says, Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.”
  • God rewards obedience. That is a constant theme in the Bible. Luke 11:28 says, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
  • Obedience to God proves love. 2 John 6 says, “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.”
  • Obedience to God demonstrates our faith. Your obedience is part of your personal evangelism. 1 John 1:3-4 says, “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, ‘I know him but does not keep his commands is a liar.”

This is the bottom line. If you want to be part of the Kingdom of God, then you must obey. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done.

When I was about five years old, my family got our first dog. She was a black miniature dachshund by the name of Jenny. I believe they got her because my Uncle Bob and Aunt Phyllis had two miniature dachshunds, Heidi and Fritz. They were great dogs. They loved everyone. Jenny wasn’t a great dog. She hated nearly everyone. She hated children, including me. She bit me and my friends regularly. She hated all men, including my grandfather. She growled at him the entire time he was in our home. She hated everyone who was in the room when she was eating. She once bit a family friend during mealtime. The woman got mad. She bit the vet during her annual visits, so we had to tranquilize her. She wanted to maim the mailman daily. At some point, my parents decided to take her to obedience school. They wanted to teach her the basic commands, sit, heal, and bark on command. It didn’t go well. During the final exam, she bit the instructor. I believe, she is the only dog in the county to fail obedience school. In the end, her sparkling personality was her demise. That is another story for another day. However, Jenny was not dumb. Jenny loved my mother and my mother loved her. My mother defended the dog’s poor behavior for years. This is the truth. Despite all the biting, we loved Jenny because she was our dog. This is equally true. We loved her but we never trusted her. How could you? She was disobedient and may have been the world’s worst dog.

What does my childhood family dog, Jenny, have to do Lord’s Prayer? You are more like a miniature black dachshund of yesterday than you think. Just think about it for a moment. We loved our disobedient dog, but we never trusted her. In the end, she was the one who missed out. In the same way, God loves His disobedient people, but He can’t trust them. How obedient are you to God’s will? Maybe this is a better question. Can God trust you? In the end, the disobedient miss out. Joyce Meyer (born 1946) is an American author and speaker. She once said, “Obedience to God is the pathway to the life you really want to live.” Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done.

Our Father

For the next five weeks we are going to be in the Gospel of Matthew, so it is important you get some background. The early church believed it was written by the the former tax collector, then disciple, then Apostle Matthew, between the years AD 50 and 70. The original recipients were Greek-speaking Jewish Christians. That is why Matthew quotes more Old Testament verses than Mark, Luke or John. It was written for one reason. He wanted to proclaim Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. That is helpful but what is equally helpful is the outline of the Gospel. Matthew contains five great discourses. Our reading for today comes from the first.

It is found in the sixth chapter of Matthew. Many call it the Sermon on the Mount. It covers chapters five through seven. Several years ago, I was in Israel and part of our tour was the location of the Sermon on the Mount. I was surprised. It was more of a hill than a mountain. Jesus must have had strong lungs for all to hear. Many believe, it didn’t happen on a single occasion. They believe it is a collection of Jesus’s teaching from various times and locations. They may be right. I don’t know. However, what I do know is the Sermon on the Mount is rich in divine truth found in three different kinds of literature. The first are the beatitudes, the blessings. The second are the ethical teachings. The third is the contrast between Jesus’s teaching and the teachings of the orthodox faith. The Sermon on the Mount ends with a short parable about practicing what Jesus taught. Our reading for today, Matthew 6:5-13, is considered an ethical teaching.

In our reading for today, Jesus teaches us about prayer. He begins by saying that prayer must be sincere. Pray is not about religion, it is about a relationship. Do not pray to show off your piety to impress others. Pray to build a relationship with God. Please don’t misunderstand the scripture. There are times we pray in public. The faith is lived out in a community. For example, I utter a Pastoral Prayer three times each Sunday. I pray before each meeting and meal. It is important we pray together as a church. There are times we pray with fellow believers. For example, I pray with people who are hospitalized. People expect me to pray before their surgery. There are times we pray alone. Those are the times we can be completely honest with God and share our greatest concerns with Him. That is when I pray for my wife, children, and granddaughter. That is where I confess my great shortcomings, disappointments and fears. The location and the company do not matter. The only thing that matters is our prayers are sincere. Let me state the obvious. Jesus understood the value of pray! According to the Lord’s Prayer the first thing every prayer must contain is praise. How much time do you spend praising God in prayer?

The Duke of Wellington (1769-1852) was one of the leading military and political figures of Britain in the 19th century. He was the one who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. History remembers him as a demanding leader. He rarely showered his subordinates with compliments. Yet, even Wellington realized that his methods left something to be desired. In his old age a young lady asked him what, if anything, he would do differently if he had his life to live over again. Wellington thought for a moment, then replied. “I’d give more praise,” he said. I hope that isn’t your story. I hope you praise the people in your life because people need encouragement. Life is hard. I hope you praise God because that is what He expects. If you don’t believe me, then look at the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s prayer begins with praise. How does the prayer begin?

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Don’t just recite the words. Slow down and think about them. The word OUR reminds us we are not living out the faith alone. The word OUR means we are part of a community. There are 2.4 billion Christians in the world today and you stand with them. The faith was not meant to be lived out in isolation. The faith was meant to be lived out in community. That is why church is so important. The word FATHER in Greek in the prayer is close to the English word for DADDY. God is not a harsh distant father, always correcting. God is an intimate loving father, always encouraging and loving. The words HEAVEN and HALLOWED remind us God is an all-powerful and pure God. There is no way you can compare your imperfect life to our perfect God. With that understanding, look at that verse again. Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, it is a praise. The Lord’s Prayer is a model praise. That means Jesus expects you to included praises to God in each one of our prayers. Do your prayers contain praise? Here is a question you must answer. Why is it so important that our prayers contain praise? There are two correct answers. First, God expects us to praise him. Second, our praise to God is beneficial to us.

Debbie McDaniel, along with her husband, have been in the ministry for years. She is a blogger for crosswalk. Many have found them beneficial. She wrote a blog called: What the Power of Praise Can Do. In the blog, she says there are five benefits to praising God. I cannot disagree with any one of them. She hit the nail on the head. Here is her list:

Praise gets the focus off yourself, and back on God. When we praise God, we stop thinking about ourselves. Let me tell you something you already know. Life is not all about you. We know that in our heads, but we all tend to be selfish. God expects us to keep our eyes on Him, because He is our true hope. Psalm 150:2 says, “Praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for his excellent greatness.”

Praise brings us to a place of humility. When we praise God, we admit our dependency on God. God is in control, not us. Psalm 95:3 says, For the Lord is a great God, a great king above all Gods.”

Praise leaves no time for complaining and negativity. When we praise God, there is no time left for negativity or complaining. Some people believe it is their role in the life of the church to complain. Do you know of anyone who complains all the time? How much time do you spend encouraging? How much time do you spend complaining? Psalm 103:2 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

Praise makes room for God’s blessings in our lives. When we praise God, we identify our blessings more easily. Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.”

Praise invites God’s presence. When you praise God, you invite him into your presence. Psalm 22:3 says, “He inhabits the praise of His people.”

I would encourage you to write those five things down. You will need them the next time you discover your prayers are void of praise. The first line of the Lord’s Prayer reminds us our prayers must contain praise.

Years ago, I was involved in a pulpit exchange in another community. I arrived early to meet the people and to settle before I preached. A woman holding a purse met me at the door and I identified myself. She didn’t know what to do with me, so she ask if I wanted to go to an adult Sunday school class. To be honest, I didn’t, but it was expected, so I said, “Sure.” I was escorted to a room down the hall and was introduced to a man wearing an old brown suit and tie. He welcomed me and encouraged me to take a seat at the end of the table. When the other six class members showed up, the lesson began. It was a lesson from the Old Testament, but the group seemed more interested in olden times. For about fifty minutes, they reminisced and cursed our modern world. Everything was better when they were young. As the hour came to an end, the man in the old brown suit and tie encouraged the group to bow their heads for prayer. He pulled a piece of paper out of his suit coat pocket and prayed. In his prayer he prayed for the people on his list. His prayer was close to this:

God, we prayer for Mildred who is struggling with shingles. We pray for Ed who is struggling with kidney stones. We pray for Betty who is having hip surgery and Dave who is having knee surgery. We pray for Ernie whose dog ran away and we pray for my granddaughter, Melissa, who wants a date with a guy named Steve. We prayer for Sue’s grandson who is back in rehab.

The pray went on for about five minutes and he closed with an Amen.

It was an odd prayer. As a rule, I am not critical of other people’s prayers and I have no doubt his prayer was sincere. However, his prayer seemed incomplete. His prayer seemed out of balance. He wanted the best for the people in his life, but that didn’t seem like enough. He wasn’t praying to God. He was informing God. Ok, I will say it. To my ears, his prayer seemed selfish. Can I ask you an uncomfortable question? To God, do our prayers sound selfish? There is more to prayer than informing God about our needs and wants. There must be praise. Our praise is important because it forces us to get our attention off ourselves and on God. M.R. DeHaan (1891-1965) was a Christian doctor. However, he was also the co-editor of Our Daily Bread. He wasn’t wrong. He once said, “If we would talk more about the Lord and praise Him, we would have less time to talk about ourselves.”

What Does the Bible Say?

In 1857, John Henry Hopkins Jr. (1820-1891) wrote one of the great hymns of the church, We Three Kings. At the time, Hopkins served as the rector of the Christ Episcopal Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. However, he wrote the carol for a Christmas pageant in New York City. The carol is a combination of Bible and tradition. Tradition, not the Bible, tells us they were kings. Tradition, not the Bible, tells us there were three kings. Tradition, not the Bible, tells us the names of the three kings. Melchior was an old gray-headed man with a long white beard. He brought the gold. Caspar was young and beardless. He brought the frankincense. The myrrh was brought by Balthasar, who was dark-complexioned. Those things are interesting, but those things aren’t in Bible. We are a Biblical church, which means we are more interested in what the Bible says about the Magi (not kings).

We find ourselves today in the second chapter of Matthew. According to that chapter, sometime after Jesus was born, Magi came from the east to see the newborn king. They had seen the star which announced his birth. That sounds innocent enough, but it led to many dark days. Do you remember what they say about assuming? The Magi assumed the newborn king was born in the palace. They were wrong. They should have stopped and asked the shepherds. He was born in a barn. Their wrong assumption ignited the insecurities of the sitting monarch, King Herod. He summons all his counselors and discovers where the child was born. The Magi told him when he was born. The Magi never see Herod again. Thanks to a dream, they returned home by another route. Once Herod discovered he had been fooled by the Magi, he gave a cruel order. Based on what he knew, he ordered the death of all baby boys in the vacancy of Bethlehem who were two years old or younger to be killed. That means your nativity set is wrong. The Magi and the shepherds never met. What does the Bible say? It says the star rested over a house, not a barn or manger. Here is a question you must answer.

Why is the story of the Magi so important to us today? There are two reasons. First, the Magi illustrate for us that Jesus came for all people, the Jews and the Gentiles. The Magi were Gentiles, non-Jews. All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Second, the Magi model for us true discipleship. Never forget we are in the disciple making business. In true discipleship three things must happen. The Magi do each one. Let’s look at them individually.

Shortly after Booker T. Washington (1856-1919) took over the presidency of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he was walking in an exclusive section of town when he was stopped by a wealthy white woman. Not knowing the famous Mr. Washington by sight, she asked if he would like to earn a few dollars by chopping wood for her. Because he had no pressing business, Professor Washington smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to do the humble chore she had requested. When he was finished, he carried the logs into the house and stacked them by the fireplace. A little girl recognized him, and later revealed his identity to the lady. The next morning, the embarrassed woman went to see Mr. Washington in his office at the Institute and apologized profusely. “It’s perfectly all right, Madam,” he replied. “Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it’s always a delight to do something for a friend.” She shook his hand warmly and assured him that his meek and gracious attitude had endeared him and his work to her heart. Not long afterward she showed her admiration by persuading some wealthy acquaintances to join her in donating large sums of money to the Tuskegee Institute. God uses humble people.

First, the Bible says the Magi bowed down. In other words, they humbled themselves.Who were the Magi? Many have tried to answer that question. Some say they were scientists. Some say they were astrologers. Some say they were politicians. Some say they military officers. Some say they were priests. We do not know who the Magi were, but we do know they were important, and they bowed down and worshipped Jesus. In other words, they humbled themselves before Jesus. That fact is so important. True discipleship begins with humility. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” Do the people in your life consider you humble? The Magi bowed down.

Money is always a challenge in the life of the church. We are no exception. Because money comes in unequally, we never know where we stand until the end of the year. In many cases, I am convinced churches like to cry ‘poor’ because churches generally don’t want to do anything. That isn’t the case here. I saw the final treasurers report for 2019. I am pleased to report, we met the budget. In other words, all the bills are paid, and we paid our district and conference support in 2019. That is impressive. However, in my opinion, the best part of the report is the fact they we raised approximately thousands of dollars for missions. That included things like Heifer International, Estonia, Baton Rouge and the rest. That figure came from the church’s treasurer’s report and does include other groups like United Methodist Women or Helping Hand. They gave generously too. That figure does include our various collections, like the giving tree, warm weather tree, socks and food collections. Generosity is the sign of a growing church. (Don’t get too excited. We started over again on New Year’s Day at zero.)

Second, the Bible says the Magi opened-up. What did the Magi give? Everyone knows the answer. They gave Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh. They were odd gifts for baby. Gold was a great gift for a king. Jesus is the king of kings. Frankincense was a great gift for a priest. Jesus is the great high priest. Myrrh was a great gift for the dying. Jesus died so we could live. Those gifts had one thing in common. They were expensive! That means the Magi were generous. How we spend our money says a great deal about our priorities and our spiritual maturity. Hebrews 13:16 says, “And do not forget to do good and share with others, for such sacrifices please God.”  Do the people in your life consider you a generous person?The Magi bowed down. The Magi opened-up.

Third, the Bible says the Magi changed. According to the scripture, after the Magi worshipped Jesus, they stayed long enough to need sleep. As they slept, they dreamed and in one of those dreams they were warned to return home by another route, hence avoiding Herod. In other words, they knew what God wanted them to do and they changed. In our time, we know what God wants us to do, but we seldom change. For example, we continue to love selectively, not universally. If you want to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, then you must be prepared to change. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Do the people in your life consider you flexible?

Did you know on approximately 40% of Americans make a New Year’s resolution? That figure came from the Cleveland Clinic. Most resolutions revolve around three things. The first is health. “I am going to lose weight.” The second is economics. “I am going to get out of debt.” The third is education. “I am going to learn something new.” The Cleveland Clinic also tells us 90% of resolutions are forgotten in a few weeks.

On New Year’s Eve, Kathryn and I were with friends. She asked me the question many have asked me through the years. “What is your New Year’s resolution?” I have answered that question the same way I have for many years. THIS YEAR I AM GOING TO BE A BETTER PERSON. However, this year I have decided to make a different resolution. THIS YEAR I AM GOING TO TAKE MY DISCIPLESHIP MORE SERIOUSLY. I would challenge you to do the same. However, let me warn you. Discipleship is not easy. It takes work. You must do what the Magi did. They humbled themselves. They were generous with their time, talent and finances. They changed. They obeyed what God commanded. Can the same thing be said about you? Brandon Cox is the founding and Lead Pastor of Grace Hill Church in Bentonville, Arkansas. He once said, “Discipleship is the art and science of helping people find, follow and fully become like Jesus.

The Incarnation…

I love the story of J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972), who ran the FBI for years. No one questioned his authority, so his subordinates were on the lookout for ways to impress him. A young FBI agent was put in charge of office supplies. Trying to cut costs and impress his boss, he reduced the size of the office memo paper. One of the new memo sheets soon ended up on Hoover’s desk. Hoover took one look at it, determined he didn’t like the size of the margins on the paper, and quickly scribbled on the memo, “Watch the borders!” The memo was passed on through the office. For the next six weeks, it became nearly impossible to enter the United States from Mexico or Canada. The FBI was watching the borders. I tell you that story to make one simple point: communicating can be a complex thing.

Have you ever stopped to consider all the ways in which we have to communicate in our time? Like J. Edgar Hoover, you can write a simple note on a scrap piece of paper. You could write a formal letter on a piece of stationary. You can pick up your land line phone and call a loved one or business associate. You pick up your cell phone and call a fringe person in your life as you drive home from work or travel down the interstate. You can email a friend. You can rent a billboard. You can face time someone or communicate with them on Facebook. I could go on, but I won’t. You get the point.

There are more ways to communicate today than any other time in world history. However, this is also true. There are more ways to be misunderstood today than any other time in world. Do you know Brinkley’s Law? It says, “If there is any way it can be misunderstood–by someone, somewhere, sometime–it will be misunderstood.” When was the last time you were misunderstood trying to communicate? Perhaps, that is the reason God came into the world, taking the form of a human. The best kind of communication is still talking face to face.

At Christmas, we ponder the wonder of the incarnation of God. Just ponder that theological point for a moment. God left the perfection of heaven to enter this imperfect world. It is more than the human mind can handle. Augustine said the incarnation of God is beyond all human understanding. But perhaps one of the reasons he came into the world was to communicate with us. He didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding, so he came into the world to communicate with us face to face. This evening I want to talk about tree things that God wants to communicate to us. They are three great revelations that are grounded in basic Christian theology. Each one is important to the spiritual maturity. My goal is to help you have a better understanding of God and a greater appreciation of God’s plan for you in this world.

First, the incarnation reveals the heart of God. The great Danish theologian Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) told the story of a prince who was running an errand for his father one day in the local village. As he did so, he passed through a very poor section of the town. Looking through the window of his carriage, he saw a beautiful young peasant girl walking along the street. He could not get her off his heart. He continued to come to the town, day after day, just to see her and to feel as though he was near her. His heart yearned for her, but there was a problem. How could he develop a relationship with her? He could order her to marry him. It was within his powers to do so. But he wanted this girl to love him from the heart, willingly. He could put on his royal garments and impress her with his regal entourage and drive up to her front door with soldiers and a carriage drawn by six horses. But if he did that, he would never be certain that the girl loved him or was simply overwhelmed with his power, position and wealth. The prince came up with another solution. He moved into the village dressed only as a peasant. He lived among the people, shared their interests and concerns, and talked their language. In time, the young peasant girl grew to know him, and then to love him. That is the story of Christmas!

John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” God came into the world to tell us that me love you and me! The incarnation reveals to us the very heart of God. The God of the universe is in love with us! He could have impressed us with his power. He could have ordered us to love him. But God entered this world to share our interests and concerns to win our hearts. The incarnation reveals the heart of God.

Second, the incarnation reveals our greatest human need. They tell me sitting majestically atop the highest hill in Toledo, Spain, is the Alcazar, a 16th-century fortress. In the civil war of the 1930’s, the Alcazar became a battleground when the Loyalists tried to oust the Nationalists, who held the fortress. During one dramatic episode of the war, the Nationalist leader received a phone call while in his office at the Alcazar. It was from his son, who had been captured by the Loyalists. They have the son an ultimatum to deliver to his father. If the father didn’t surrender the Alcazar to them, they would kill his son. The father weighed his options. After a long pause and with a heavy heart, he said to his son, “Then die like a man.” Let there be no doubt about it. Jesus died like a man.

Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God understands our greatest need was for a savior. Do you remember these words?

If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.”

It is impossible to separate the baby in the nativity from the Savior on the cross thirty-three years later. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He died so we could live. The incarnation reveals our greatest human need, forgiveness.

Third, the incarnation reveals the mystery of God’s plan. The Hebrew world waited for generations for the Messiah. They knew he is going to be something special! They dreamed of his greatest, but they almost missed him because he was quite common. The story of the nativity is filled with common people. The announcement is given to common laborers in the fields, who their orthodox leaders had rejected, the shepherds. When the Messiah is born, he is entrusted to a common couple, Mary and Joseph. Two years later, when the Magi appeared, they go to the palace because the child was a king. They find him in the barn. The mystery of God’s plan is that it is entrusted to common people like you and me.

1 Timothy 3:16 says, “Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:
He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.”  From the very beginning God’s plan to save the world had been a mystery. It is impossible to understand God’s ways. The incarnation reveals the mystery of God’s plan.

Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959) was making one of his great epic movies. He had six cameras at various points to pick up the overall action and five other cameras set up to film plot developments involving the major characters. The large cast had begun rehearsing their scene at 6 a.m. They went through it four times and now it was late afternoon. The sun was setting and there was just enough light to get the shot done. DeMille looked over the panorama, saw that all was right, and gave the command for action. One hundred extras charged up the hill; another hundred came storming down the same hill to do mock battle. In another location Roman centurions lashed and shouted at two hundred slaves who labored to move a huge stone monument toward its resting place. Meanwhile the principal characters acted out, in close-up, their reactions to the battle on the hill.  It took fifteen minutes to complete the scene. When it was over, DeMille yelled, “Cut!” and turned to his assistant, all smiles. “That was great!” he said. “It was, C.B.,” the assistant yelled back. “It was fantastic! Everything went off perfectly!” Enormously pleased, DeMille turned to face the head of his camera crew to find out if all the cameras had picked up what they had been assigned to film. He waved to the camera crew supervisor. From the top of the hill, the camera supervisor waved back, raised his megaphone, and called out, “Ready when you are, C.B.!” The communication was poor. They hadn’t filmed a single thing!

Don’t let that story be your Christmas. It has been a wonderful scene. There has been the colored lights and the holiday decorations. There has been the cards and gifts. There is one at home waiting for you. There has been special music and parties. It has been fantastic but don’t miss what God is trying to tell you. Christmas is not just about the birth of a baby that came into the world two thousand years ago. It is about God, himself, taking a human form to experience all that we experience. He came to make sure there was no miscommunication. He came to reveal his heart. He came to reveal his plan. He came to reveal our great need. It has been said, “The beauty of Christmas is not in the presents but in His presence.”

Peace On Earth

We find ourselves today in the second chapter of Luke. It is the same reading as last week so the opening words may sound familiar. The scene is familiar because we visit it annually. Joseph returns home to Bethlehem to be counted in the national census. A census in the Roman Empire was taken for two reasons. The first is to be counted for military service. However, Joseph was excused from military service because he was Jew. The second is everyone had to be counted was taxation. Joseph probably wished he could have been excused from taxes, but he wasn’t. Joseph didn’t travel alone. He travels with his betrothed, Mary. She is pregnant and gives birth shortly after they arrive in Bethlehem. She gave birth to a little boy. That baby would change history. There were many questions about the boy’s biological father. Some say it was Joseph. Some say the boy was the very son of God. The answer to that question is found in our reading for today. This scene is equally familiar.

Shepherds are out in the fields in the hillside surrounding Jerusalem. We love the shepherds but that was not the case of their own generation. Their generation looked down on the shepherds because their vocation didn’t permit them to carry out the various washings of their faith. They are basically ignored by their society, but they are not forgotten by God. They are favored by God. They are the first to be told that the long-awaited Messiah had been born. The message is delivered by angels. In the Bible, angels are messengers, not protectors. The great announcement carries two great truths. First, the Savior of the world had been born. We looked at the concept last time. Second, the Savior would bring peace. That is good news because our world seems to have a shortage of peace.

Did you know there are fifty-five military conflicts in the world at this moment? That fact came from a Wikipedia. This is how it breaks down. There are four active military conflicts which have taken more than 10,000 lives in the last year. There are eight military conflicts which have taken 1,000 and 10,000 lives in the last year. There are twenty-five military conflicts which have taken between 100 and 1,000 lives in the past year. There are eighteen military conflicts in our world that have taken less than 100 lives in the past year. I think, one life is too many.

Did you know, according to an organization called the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 397 mass gun shootings in 2019 in the United States. The first happened on January the first in Tallahassee, Florida. The last happened on December 15 in Columbus, Georgia. Our society is so violent, mass shooting no longer grab the headlines. That 397 figure may go up, because there are a few days left in this year. Unfortunately, this is the sad truth.

In the Gospel lesson for today has nothing to do with political or civil peace. However, it has everything to do with spiritual peace. Do you remember what the angels sang? (verse 14) “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” In other words, peace does not come to all. Peace only comes to those with whom God is pleased. Do you think God is pleased with you? God’s peace can be looked at in three ways.

The first kind of peace is the peace of God. I have seen it countless times in the ministry. A church member is facing a crisis in their life. Surgery can no longer be avoided, so the date is set. A few days before the surgery I will be in the home of the soon to be patient. I go for one reason, prayer. After some small talk and a cool beverage the time comes. We stand up, hold hands and pray. A few minutes later, I say, “Amen.” With words hard to find, the one with the problem will look at me and say, “Russ, I don’t know how this is all going to work out, but everything is going to be ok.” With moist eyes and a slight smile we all agree.

The peace of God is an emotional peace. It really is quite in creditable. With everything the world throws at us, addictions, death, disappointments, financial hardship, and the rest, we know everything is going to be ok. The Apostle Paul understood the peace of God. We hear it in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The peace of God is an emotional peace. Have you ever experienced peace in the middle of one of life’s storms?

The second kind of peace is peace with God. Nicholas Ridley (1500-1555) was the Bishop of London. His faith was unshakable. He made powerful enemies. In 1555, he was burned at the stake because of his witness for Christ. History tells us, on the night before Ridley’s execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber to be of assistance and comfort. Nicholas seemed confused by the offer and declined it. He told his brother to leave early because he wanted to get a good night’s sleep. The next day was going to be a big day because he was going to meet the Lord. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, how would you sleep tonight? Peace with God is a spiritual peace.

The founder of the great Methodist movement was John Wesley (1703-1791). His brother, Charles (1707-1788) was a minister too. Charles was the great hymn writer for the movement. He also wrote more than 1600 hymns. Did you know he wrote the first hymn ever in every Methodist hymnal ever published, O For Thousand Tongues to Sing. He knew something about words. He wrote these words about peace:

                   I rest beneath the Almighty’s shade,

                   My grieves expire, my troubles cease;

                   Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed,

                   Wilt keep me still in perfect peace.

On the day that I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior I experienced one emotion, peace. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Are you at peace with God?

The third kind of peace is peace with others. Not everyone was happy when poet Elizabeth Barrett (1806-1861) married Robert Browning (1812-1889) in 1846. Her father did not approve so they married was secret. After the wedding the Browning’s sailed for Italy, where they lived for the rest of their lives. But even though her parents had disowned her, Elizabeth never gave up on the relationship. Almost weekly she wrote them letters. They never replied. After 10 years, she received a large box in the mail. Inside, Elizabeth found all her letters; not one had been opened! Today, those letters are among the most beautiful in classical English literature. Had her parents only read a few of them, their relationship with Elizabeth might have been restored. How many people do you know who can relate to the Elizabeth Barrett Browning story?

For many people the Elizabeth Barrett Browning story is the story of Christmas. Is anyone in your life an expert at holding a grudge? They just can’t forget or move on? The event may have happened years ago, the details may have gotten fuzzy. At some point the details stopped mattering. Only “the principle” mattered. Pride has set in and forged a wedge between the two parties. One party is always going to teach the other party a lesson. The truth is no one wins those situations, no one ever learns a lesson. The only thing that really happens is opportunities are lost and loneliness wins. Both parties demonstrate their smallness. It takes a big person to initiate reconciliation.

Peace with others is relational. What are you missing out on because you refuse to forgive? Making-up with other is the Christian thing to do. Second Corinthians 5:19 says, “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.”  Christmas is a great time for reconciliation. Is there someone in your life you have battled long enough?

Ours is not the only generation of Americans who have lacked peace. Peace has been lacking in every generation. When the Civil War ended in 1865 hatred filled our country. Some feared it would never end. However, time has a way of healing old wounds. In time, former president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis (1808-1889) died. Sometime earlier, the former general of the Union forces and former President of the United States, Ulysses Grant (1822-1885) died. However, their widows, Varina Davis (1826-1906) and Julia Grant (1822-1902), outlived their husbands and in time became close friends. They did something their husbands failed to do. They modeled peace for a new generation.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you modeled peace for your world? Wouldn’t it be nice living with the peace of God? Our lives are filled with great hardship, but we have peace because we have God. Wouldn’t it be nice to live at peace with God? Your room in heaven is waiting for you. Wouldn’t it be nice to live at peace others? When the last service of Christmas Eve is over, I go home. I am tired, but I can’t sleep. I am wired. I sit alone looking at all the colors my Christmas tree. You may think I am crazy, but I can still hear the words of the angels, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  Those words are well crafted, but Jesus said it better, “Blessed are the peace makers because they shall be called the children of God.”

Jesus Came…

We find ourselves today in the second chapter of Luke. The scene is familiar because we visit it annually. Joseph returns home to Bethlehem to be counted in the national census. A census in the Roman Empire was taken for two reasons. The first is to be counted for military service. However, Joseph was excused from military service because he was Jew. The second is everyone had to be counted for tax reasons. Joseph probably wished he could have been excused from taxes, but he wasn’t. Joseph didn’t travel alone. He travels with his betrothed, Mary. She is pregnant and gives birth shortly after they arrive in Bethlehem. She gave birth to a little boy. That baby would change history. There were many questions about the boy’s biological father. Some say it was Joseph. Some say the boy was the very son of God. The answer to that question is found in our reading for today. This scene is equally familiar.

Shepherds are out in the fields in the hillside surrounding Jerusalem. We love the shepherds but that was not the case of their own generation. Their generation looked down on the shepherds because their vocation didn’t permit them to carry out the various washings of their faith. They are basically ignored by their society, but they are not forgotten by God. They are favored by God. They are the first to be told the long-awaited Messiah had been born. The message is delivered by angels. In the Bible, angels are messengers, not protectors. Luke 2:11 quotes the angel, “Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord.” Did you hear what the angel said? Our Savior had been born. Later we discover the name of that baby is Jesus. The name Jesus means, “The Lord is salvation.” There is no way to talk about Jesus and not bring up the complex topic of salvation. Can I ask you a personal question?

What do you need to be saved from this Christmas? Does anyone here need to be saved from their family? You promised to help watch the grandchildren occasionally, but now they are over every day. Or, do you need to be saved from your in-laws? You married your spouse out of love, but no one told you the love of your life came as a package deal. You didn’t just get the pretty girl or the handsome young man, you got the entire clan. Does anyone here need to be saved from Christmas cards and presents? The issue is money, but the issue is also time. Does anyone here need to be saved from their own guilt? Your past includes some ugliness and the people in your life won’t forget. Does anyone here feel like they need to be saved from responsibility? Wouldn’t it be nice to be selfish just once? Won’t it be nice if someone in your life did something for you? What is it in your life would you like to discard? What do you need to be saved from this Christmas? However, the Gospel lesson for today is not about the details of our lives.

The Gospel lesson for today is about the major issues of our lives. The Gospel lesson for today is about eternity. It is about your eternity. If we are going to rediscover Christmas, then you must remember some basic Christian theology. I hope, they are not new to you. Jesus came for three important reasons.

First, Jesus came to save you from sin. Back in 1830, George Wilson was convicted of robbing the U.S. Mail and was sentenced to be hanged. The case was complex, so President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) issued a pardon for Wilson. Everyone was shocked when Wilson refused to accept it. The justice system didn’t know what to do. The matter went to Chief Justice John Marshall (1755-1835), who concluded that Wilson would have to be executed. “A pardon is a slip of paper,” wrote Marshall, “the value of which is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned. If it is refused, it is no pardon. George Wilson must be hanged.”

We live in a world that is rejecting the pardon. Jesus Christ came into this world to free us from our sins. We do not have to die. However, many will die because they have rejected the pardon. One of the things you really need to do today is accept the fact that you are sinner and you can’t earn your salvation. Roman 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” How many people do you know justify their sins by comparing their sins to others? We look good next to murders, child molesters and terrorists. The problem is they are not part of the equation. The only sins that should concern you are your own. How do you compare next to Jesus? We have all sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus came to save us from our sin. Martin Luther said, “The life of Christianity consists of possessive pronouns. It is one thing to say, “Christ is a Savior”; it is quite another thing to say, “He is my Savior and my Lord.”  Jesus came to save us from sin.

Second, Jesus came to save you by grace. I love the story of Clara Barton (1821-1912) and Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919). During the Spanish-American War, Clara Barton was overseeing the work of the Red Cross in Cuba. One day Colonel Theodore Roosevelt came to her. He wanted to buy food for his sick and wounded Rough Riders. But she refused to sell him any. Roosevelt was perplexed. His men needed the help and he was prepared to pay out of his own funds. When he asked someone why he could not buy the supplies, he was told, “Colonel, just ask for it!” A smile broke over Roosevelt’s face. Now he understood–the provisions were not for sale. All he had to do was simply ask and they would be given freely. I understand why Teddy Roosevelt couldn’t understand. We are raised with the fact that nothing in this world is free.

If I were God, I would give everyone who labors in the church a bonus! If I were God anyone who labored in the kitchen all day so others could eat all the food in a few minutes would get a bonus. If I were God anyone who served on the Board of Trustees and shouldered the responsibility of maintaining our property would get a bonus. If I were God anyone on the Finance Committee would get a bonus. If I were God anyone who tithed or wrote an extra check for denominational financial expectations would get a bonus. If I were God Sunday School teachers would get a bonus. If I were God everyone who showed up for choir practice or contemporary worship rehearsal would get a bonus. If I were God anyone who sacrificed for another would get a bonus. If I were God every preacher would get an extra big bonus. The job is becoming harder. It is harder to find people, and it is harder to keep people. Respect for clergy is at an all-time low. If I were God, I would give everyone who labors in the church a bonus! This is the problem.

I am not God. I am like you, a sinner. There is no way to earn your salvation. We are saved by grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”  In other words, it is a gift. There is nothing you can do to earn your salvation. I love that divine truth, but it is hard to swallow. Jesus came to save you by grace.

Third, Jesus came to save you for a purpose. Two of the greatest names in baseball history are Yogi Berra (1925-2015) and Hank Aaron (born 1934). Berra was a catcher for the New York Yankees. Aaron was a power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves. In 1957, the Yankees and Braves played in the World Series. Berra was famous for his endless chatter. As Aaron approached the plate, Berra said to him, “Henry, you’re holding the bat wrong. You’re supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark.” Aaron didn’t say anything, but he hit the next pitch into the left field bleachers for a homerun. After rounding the bases and tagging up at home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi Berra and said, “I didn’t come up here to read.” That sets up an interesting question.

What is your purpose? God did not put us in this world to be consumed by our own needs. God put us in the world to be consumed by the needs of others. Our blessings were not be hoarded; they are to be used. Salvation is not just fire insurance to keep you out of hell. You are saved for a purpose. Ephesians 1:11-12 says, “In him we were also chosen,having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” Jesus came to save you for a purpose.

One of the great names in history is Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821). His soldiers raised him to super-hero status. Folklore tells us one of his marshals was mortally wounded in battle. As the last struggle drew near and he lay dying in his tent, he sent for his chief. Napoleon came. As Napoleon stood there the man yelled out his name and said, “Save Me!” Napoleon didn’t have the power to save the man and sadly walked away.

There is only one name that will save you. That name is not Napoleon. The name is not Donald or Nancy. The name is not Ben or Baker. The only name that will save you is Jesus. He came to save you from your sins. He came to save you with his grace. He came to save you for a purpose. The great evangelist Billy Graham (1918-2018) once said, “Make sure of your commitment to Jesus Christ, and seek to follow him every day. Don’t be swayed by the false values and goals of this world but put Christ and his will first in everything you do.”