I Saw A Giant

Now, those of you who know me have probably noticed that I am a pretty big guy.  I am not NBA tall, but I tend to be kind of obvious in a crowd.  Well the other day I saw a real giant.  Not a physical giant, but a spiritual giant is.

I am a kind of interim pastor filling in for our lead pastor, Rev. Earl Wheatley, as he battles pancreatic cancer.  A couple of weeks ago I preached a message in preparation for National Back to Church Sunday.  I talked about some of the ways that the church turns people off.  Particularly, I talked about how we tend to put people in categories and we are often seen as judgmental.  I closed by challenging the people to strive to be known for loving their neighbors, co-workers, and others who don’t know Christ. 

At the close of the service I invited people to come forward to pray at the altar rail for people they know that need a relationship with Christ; for ways they might show Christ’s love for them; and for openings to invite them to join us in worship.  The Spirit was moving among us and many people came to pray for their own attitudes, and/or people they might be able to reach out to.

The first person at the altar rail was the pastor I am subbing for.  He felt well enough to be in worship that day and sat on the front row with his wife.  The following Tuesday he was scheduled to undergo some tests that would tell what progress the cancer was making and if the very uncomfortable chemotherapy treatments were helping.  Right away, I figured Pastor Earl wanted us to pray for him and about the test results he would get that week.  I moved over to join him, but before I got there I could hear him praying.  To my surprise, he wasn’t praying about the tests, or his pain, or his cancer.  He was praying for people in his neighborhood that need to know Jesus, and asking God for guidance in how he could best approach them.  Of course, I agreed with him in prayer.

After his wife helped him back to his seat.  I just sat down on the steps to the platform.  I have to admit I was stunned.  Here was a man in a fight for his life and his prayer was for his unsaved neighbors.  I was in awe.

When everyone had finished praying and returned to their seats, I said to the congregation while still sitting on the steps, “I want to be Earl Wheatley when I grow up.”  Then I told them of Earl’s prayer.  We have a giant among us.  His body is emaciated, but his spirit is huge.  I am proud to know him, call him friend, and know him as a brother in Christ.  He challenges me to put the first thing first.  Call it what you want: making disciples, filling up heaven, or seeing people saved.  It is all about sharing the love of Christ.  It is this love that gives a man like Earl the sweet assurance of his own salvation and the deep desire for others to experience it too.  I want to be like that.  How about you?

Called to a Higher Standard

Last week our country breathed a sigh of relief when our Navy SEALS found and killed the terrorist, Usama Bin Laden. People all over the Western world took to the streets to celebrate the death of the wicked man. There is no question that he was a bad guy and it is good thing for our way of life that he is no longer on the scene. I’m glad he is no longer a threat. I wish the problem of Usama could have been solved another way. No, I wasn’t rooting for him to be arrested. I wish he had had a change of heart. I wish he would have sought the forgiveness of Jesus and repented of his very wicked ways. I know this sounds pretty pie-in-the-sky, but Jesus came to make pie-in-the-sky possible. After all, my sins have been forgiven, and I repented of my sins. Granted, the sins of the 12 year-old I was when I repented were rather paltry compared to the barbarity of Usama. However, my sins were worthy of the same penalty as his: “for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” Romans 6:23. So he could have been forgiven by God. I wonder if he could have been forgiven by the rest of us. This is where the rubber meets the road in Christianity. Jesus made Himself very clear in regard to this. In His great Sermon on the Mount he asserted:

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV)

Since Jesus lived among us and as one of us, He knew this would be difficult for you and me. Rejoicing at the death of an enemy and the desire for revenge are natural instincts for human beings. However, Jesus calls His followers to live at a level above animal instinct and human society. He calls us to be like Him and to go “the second mile” in regard to forgiveness in our relationships. Jesus knew that the alternative to forgiveness would accomplish nothing good. Actually the standard set in the New Testament for Christ followers is very demanding.

“Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. ‘I'll do the judging,’ says God. ‘I'll take care of it.’ Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.” Romans 12:17-21 (MsgB)

It seems so illogical to us until we see it from Jesus’ perspective. He knows that continuing to hate your enemy succeeds only in multiplying hateful people. Here’s how: if you are offended or hurt by someone and you choose to retaliate, the act of retaliation can transform you and fill you with hate. Further, retaliation can often cause a group of friends to choose up sides for a fight. If you are a parent full of hate, you can saddle your children with your hatred. We see that carried to the extreme in the ethnic hatred of certain parts of the globe. It is being bred now in the Middle East toward us, and I fear among us toward them.

Jesus knew loving your enemies would be difficult. and that it would make you different. Jesus’ way takes courage and more. It takes self-control, forbearance (making the choice not to retaliate even when it is justified), forgiveness, and God’s kind of love. This is what it is to be truly holy, to be a citizen of His Kingdom, and a mature child of God.

I salute the SEALS that courageously did what had to be done to put Mr. Bin Laden out of the terror business. They did a tough job that was necessary. I just wish that somehow it would not have been necessary. Bin Laden chose to pull the tiger’s tail and he found the tiger had teeth. We can only speculate what other consequences he is now discovering.

As Christ-followers we need to remember what Jesus meant when he said:

"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what I'm saying is, grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” Matthew 5:43-48 (MsgB)

How the Bible Changes You

Why is the Bible the most important book in the story of western civilization? Answers might include: it was the first book ever printed and the all-time best seller; it is the source for the morals and the laws of nations; it tells the story of God’s relationship with people who believe in Him from the beginning of the world; and believers in Jesus say it projects that relationship through the end of the world. But there is a deeper answer to why the Bible is so important: the message of the Bible changes lives. Individuals have been and are transformed by what it says. Millions testify to that fact. Then, how does it do it? How does it work? How can this old book change you? The Bible itself gives us four clues to how it changes lives:
Clue 1. The Bible is like a lamp.

“I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:104-105 (NIV)

Like a light in darkness it points out danger. The Bible shows the consequences of sin and mistakes, and warns you when you’re getting off course. Careful study of the Word of God will show you if you are drifting into sin and sound loud alarms that you can choose to heed and thereby avoid many sorrows and difficulties. In addition, the light that the Word gives provides security like a lighthouse or a street light. It testifies that God is nearby and ready to guide you, help you and keep you safe.

Clue 2. The teachings of the Bible work like seeds sown in a field. Jesus told a great story, usually called “The Parable of the Sower” (Mark 4:1-20). In it He likens the Word of God to seed a farmer sows in his field. It is all good seed that falls onto a variety of soil conditions. Some lives are like a hard-packed path through the middle of a farmer’s field. They need to be broken before the seed can take root. The hard events that come in life can break a person’s spirit and ruin him/her or difficult times can be used to break a life like a plow breaks ground for planting. A young friend of mine took a break from college to participate in a year-long inner-city mission program. One day in the third week of the program he got mugged running an errand to a convenience store. He had signed on to learn to help people by living and working among them; assault was not part of the program. It would have been easy for him to call it quits and go home to his safe little home town. Instead, he dove into his Bible study and he let the injury, the fear, the anger serve to bring brokenness to his life that enabled God’s Word to grow him in ways he had not anticipated. Other people are like rocky ground in that their knowledge and their commitments are shallow. They have never let the Word take root and grow down deep. Still others say they want to be close to God, but they are distracted by the things of the world like money and material things. They are like ground that needs weeding. The Bible will do that by helping him/her to learn right priorities. However, most folks are good ground and the Word takes root and grows. They learn God’s plan and spend their lives following it. Which soil are you?

Clue 3. The Bible works like a sword.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes about the armor of faith that the Holy Spirit provides for Christ-follower (Eph. 6:13-17). He concludes his description with these words, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” He calls the Word of God a sword in the Christ-follower’s hand. Using the metaphor of a sword demonstrates that the Word not only defends you from Satan’s attacks, but also enables you to take the battle to Satan. The author of Hebrews also likens Scripture to a sword:

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

Only the Great Physician can perform surgery with a sword, but that is exactly what the Scripture itself says happens. God uses the Bible to cut away the things that are harmful and don’t belong in your life.

Clue 4.The Bible can help us the way a mirror does.
James gives us one more clue as to how the Bible can change you when you apply what it says.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:22-25 (NIV)

Before I leave the house I always check myself in the mirror and many times I have to wash my face, change my shirt, or comb my hair. What I saw in the mirror saved me from embarrassment. The Word prevents embarrassment because, as you study it, you get a clearer picture of who you are and what your behavior looks like to the Lord. Checking yourselves out with the Bible lets you not only see yourselves as you are, but also to see what you can become when you remain close to the Lord. Knowing the Word of God is imperative for every Christ-follower. As James says, it is not enough just to hear it, but it must be allowed to do its work in your life. I am sorry to say that I have known many people who have attended church for many years, who know very little of what the Bible says. They have heard of the Bible and they have had interpretations spoon-fed to them, but they have never allowed it to change them. They stay on baby food. This causes problems for them because they are missing out on many things God wants to share with them. It often causes problems for churches if they become influential in a congregation. They are called on to make decisions and get behind efforts that they don’t understand, because they don’t know the Word. So the Bible can change you whether you are a new believer or you came to faith a long time ago. It works to shape you into the person God created you to be.