Go, Make Disciples

Putting Life in Old Bones

2009-03-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been camping out and had to get up in the morning to stir up the coals of a fire from the evening before in order to get some warmth? Can you picture the white ash on top that hides the glow of some embers still burning underneath as you stir the coals? Do you remember blowing on the coals and feeding them a few small sticks or dried out pine needles in order to get a flame to spring back to life? Breathing life into an old, worn-out relationship, or even one that has just been untended for a while is much like this. It sure is much easier to get that fire going with hot coals already in place than to start over from scratch!

Hopefully four weeks into the “Love Dare” you have recognized that this book is not a cure-all for marriage relationships. In fact, no such thing exists. However, the value of this book is in guiding people to think intentionally about, and actively do things that bless their marriage partner. Some of the “dares” have been very easy; others, not so easy. Some of the “dares” have been spot-on concerning an area relevant to your marriage; others, maybe not so much. The point is that you are developing habits of thinking about your marriage and doing something to rekindle the fire in your relationship on a daily basis. You are stirring up the coals each morning instead of waiting for them burn out completely.

God provides an illustration of this through His prophet, Ezekiel, as he has a vision of a valley full of dry bones in Ezekiel 37. The bones represent the “whole house of Israel” according to V. 11. This nation, who was in a bond of covenant with the One true God (a marriage bond), has somehow allowed that relationship to dry up and the life be taken out of them. The feeling is that their “hope has perished” (V. 11)! (Can any of you relate to this feeling?) Interestingly, God asks Ezekiel in V. 3, “Son of man, can these bones live?” and the prophet answers, “O LORD God, You know.” God does know, and will demonstrate His power to put things back in order and breathe life in these bones, but submission is required!

The solution to bringing life back to these old, dry bones is for them to “hear the word of the LORD” (V. 4), and for Him to “put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life” (V. 14). No words of wisdom or special incantation from Ezekiel would ever bring those old bones back to life. No power from within the bones, themselves, would bring them back to vitality! The solution is found in the word of God and His Spirit dwelling within them. The same is true in dealing with our marriages today!!!

You can try to build the foundation of your marriage upon a lot of things, but the one true way of success is to look to the word of God for the direction and guidance to put order back to a relationship that has fallen apart. Ezekiel writes, “So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone” (V. 7). Again, let me emphasize! What Ezekiel was told to “prophesy” over the bones was for them to “HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD” (V. 4)! God used this to put things back in order. God then put His Spirit within them and they came to life!

He can, and will, do the same thing with your marriage! Daily let His word speak order to your relationship and allow his Spirit to bring life to your bond and see if the embers being stirred don’t produce a flame that keeps you both warm! I DARE YOU!!!

-Scott

Whoever Hears These Words of Mine . . .

2009-03-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

Just suppose I was having some serious issues in my walk with God. Imagine I felt like God was far, far away, and really didn’t understand what I was going through. Not only do I have doubts about Him and His love for me, but I even have doubts about how lovable I am. Why would He care about me in the first place? Suppose my talking to Him felt like I was talking to a wall, and that my prayers never went any higher than the ceiling. Opening up to Him was awkward and difficult because I do not like to be vulnerable, or am afraid what I say “can and will be used against me in a court of law”. I am miserable with Him . . . and . . . I know I would be miserable without Him! What a horrible way to go through life!!! How did I ever get to this point of things being such a colossal mess? (This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to husband and wife.)

Now suppose someone was to come along and say they knew how to help me with these problems. They understood my fears and struggles and could show me a way to navigate through the minefield of relationship. They even pointed out to me models from God’s word of how I should “Receive—Leave—Cleave—Weave” based upon what we learn about the first man and woman; or build from Covenant to Grace to Empowerment to Intimacy as God does with the Israelites throughout the Old Testament. They explain how God is described from the very start of the Bible story as One who can take a universe of chaos and mess and speak order into it, turning it into something “good”! What a huge help that would be, right?

I remember my mom telling me when I was a child, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Sage wisdom every child needs to hear as they are growing up, right? Jesus made the same basic statement another way when He said, “Therefore, whoever hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock . . . . And whoever hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand” (Matthew 7:24, 26).

Wise . . .

Foolish . . .

They are not determined by whether they had a chance to hear the words of Jesus, or not. They are determined by whether they chose to listen and put them into practice. In fact, neither is promised by listening to the words of Jesus, or even putting them into practice, that they would escape having to face the storms that come with living in this world. What they were promised is that they would stand through them—IF THEY ACTED UPON THEM!!!

The Love Dare . . . Dynamic Marriage . . . Marriage Mentors . . . Celebrate/Recovery . . . A Sermon Series on God’s design for marriage . . . Premarital and Marriage Counseling . . . Libraries of books & videos on marriage & issues that come up within a marriage . . . . Do you get the idea that at Garden Ridge we are concerned about helping people build healthy marriages and enjoy the fullness of what God designed?

None of it matters if you refuse to drink! When the storms come and it feels like your house is crumbling in on top of you, can you honestly say it happened in spite of hearing the teachings of God and acting upon them? None of these resources will work magic in a relationship where one or both of the individuals refuse to change.

The truth is . . . God supplies a GREAT plan for marriage.

The issue is . . . Will you humbly submit to it and change to fit His design?

So, to make use of a few clichés, “The ball is in your court.” “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.” “Whoever hears these words of Mine . . . .” What will you do now?

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

The Art of Receiving

2009-03-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

Last week we began looking at the creation of the first man and woman and how their relationship was based upon being made in God’s image. God’s relational nature (being 3 in 1) is the model of what He created in the bond of husband & wife. Add to that the beauty of being made as side-by-side companions (fashioned from a rib) and you have a beautiful picture of God’s intention and design for marriage. However, once you are married, then what? How do you build the intimacy God created your marriage bond to have and sustain a deep, abiding love through the rigors of everyday life?

The first step we saw in God’s plan is to RECEIVE our spouse as the gift of God they are and the artwork He has created them to be. Realizing their attributes that complement our own and rejoicing in how those differences make us better bring about unity and mutual respect that increases intimacy. Obviously, fighting against these differences and trying to change one another to fit our ways of thinking will hinder growing together. Just think about how many arguments or times of frustration with one another could be avoided if we learned to practice healthy receiving of one another!

A great illustration of how this works is found in I Samuel 25 where David encounters a man named Nabal and later his wife, Abigail. David and the band of renegades he has accumulated have been running from Saul and have spent some time hiding in the vicinity of where Nabal’s flocks have been sheared. At a time of celebrating the end of shearing, David has his men approach Nabal and ask for some food for his men as a sign of appreciation for the protection they have provided. How are they received? Nabal rebukes them and disrespects them. There is no appreciation in Nabal. He is stingy with the provisions God has blessed him with. He gets focused upon himself. All this leads to an escalation of great intensity. (Here comes the argument!)

David, feeling disrespected, vows to bring destruction upon Nabal and his household. (Amazing how a lack of RECEIVING can bring about such passionate feelings in a person!) At this point, Abigail enters the story. Having been told the way her husband rebuffed David and his men, she acts quickly. She prepares a feast of food for David and his men and goes out to meet him. She falls at his feet and asks him to accept her gift and to let God take care of Nabal, rather than taking matters into his own hands. She receives him with humility and respect and it turns David’s anger into praise for her and for the Lord who he says sent her to him to stop him from bloodshed. (Amazing how the act of RECEIVING someone with respect can shut down the anger that has built up within them!)

So, how did you do this past week with RECEIVING your marriage partner? How is your Love Dare going this week? Are you striving to develop better habits in the way you relate to that precious gift of a spouse God has blessed you with? James writes, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (1:22). In other words, put these things to practice and don’t just wink or nod at sermons that tell you about what to do to help you in your marital walk. You may be amazed at how this one basic action brings about such powerful results!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

The Love Dare

2009-02-22T07:26:00.000-08:00

What an incredible sight to behold! Over 400 people gathered together in our auditorium to watch “Fireproof” and to then be challenged to work on a 40-day program called “The Love Dare”. It was wonderful to see so many visitors and church family members come to take advantage of a tool to hopefully bless their marriages. It is my prayer that God will work in the families of this church and our community to bring about loving relationships that produce fulfillment for each one involved.

This morning we begin looking at what God sets out in His word for husband/wife relationships. I am hoping to shed light on the practical teaching He provides in order to show the beauty and value of entrusting ourselves to His plan for marriage. Our creator knows the way He wired us and the challenges that come with being different, yet corresponding to one another, thus He provides some timely and powerful teaching on how to work together to build unity, intimacy, and a relationship founded upon the characteristics of love and respect. Over the next six weeks, in conjuncture with The Love Dare, I will be preaching on passages such as Genesis 2; Ephesians 5; and I Peter 3 to show the wealth of material God has provided for training and guiding husbands and wives so they function as a team, where each is respected and built up in the ways of the LORD.

These sermons will be challenging. I plan to come across unrelenting when proclaiming this material. It is not my intention to make suggestions that might work if you half-heartedly try them. The level of commitment God calls us to have is much greater than that! I will be demonstrating His plan for marriage and calling for each individual to evaluate their own heart and relationship. I will be striving to bring about change where things are outside of God’s design so that marriage fulfillment will reach the height God has designed it to have. I know these are lofty goals, but why set the bar low? God certainly didn’t!

At times you may wonder if I have a camera and am spying on what is going on within the walls of your home. (At least, I hope it comes across this way!) Because God’s teachings and the implications of what they mean are THAT practical and relevant to the situations we face in our world today. I certainly am praying for His truth to come across alive and active and relevant to your particular situations or circumstances.

We live during a time where there are vast resources available for marriage enrichment. I have read several books that I would highly recommend couples take time to read. However, the absolute greatest resource is found in the pages of Scripture, and that will be my focus over the next six weeks! May God capture your heart and your imagination for what you can build in your marriage as we consider the beauty of His plan! May you be filled with the energy and clarity of thought to fulfill your Love Dare with passion and determination! And, may you experience the fullness in your marriage bond that God has created it to bring!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 13

2009-02-15T08:20:00.000-08:00

The Altar of Incense—The Prayers of the Saints

Do you know what is near and dear to God’s heart? Hearing from His children!

The Tabernacle (as we have seen thus far) gives us image after image of what Jesus has done for us in order to provide the means to an intimate relationship with God. He is the one way into God’s presence (like the entry of the Tabernacle courtyard). He is the sacrifice offered before God in order to atone for our sins and help us have peace with God (like the Altar of Burnt Offerings). He is the means to be cleansed so we can enter into the presence of God (like the Laver). He is the Light of the World providing victory over darkness and lighting our way to the presence of God (like the Golden Lamp Stand). He is the Bread of Life—God’s provision for our souls and the means to have table fellowship with God (like the Table of Showbread). God’s design for the Tabernacle was meant to point forward to the person and ministry of the Savior we all need so we can dwell in the presence of God and live life to the fullest!

There was one more piece of furniture you encounter before entering into the very presence of God—The Altar of Incense. This was a square altar made of acacia wood and covered with gold upon which the priests were to keep a special blend of incense burning continually before the LORD (See Exodus 30:1-10). Once a year Aaron was to purify the altar by placing on its horns some blood from the atoning sacrifice on the Day of Atonement (Exodus 30:10).

Can you see the beautiful picture this presents?

David writes in Psalm 141:2 “May my prayer be fixed as incense before You; the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.” We find in Revelation 8:3-4 a golden altar before the throne of God (His very presence) and the angel of God added incense to the prayers of all the saints to offer before God. The golden censer mentioned was a tool used to transport burning coals in order to burn the incense. This is the very same activity the priests would have to do each morning and evening in the Tabernacle. In other words, the incense represented the prayers of God’s people! What was closest to the very presence of God was the sweet-smelling prayers of His people! Unfortunately, there was a veil separating this altar from the presence of God in the Tabernacle, but Jesus would see that removed through the work He came to the earth to accomplish!

Jesus’ work was also foretold through the use of the altar of incense. You see, basically there were two altars—one indoors and one outdoors. The outdoor altar was brass and represents what Jesus did on the earth—offering an atoning sacrifice. We see a picture of Jesus in humiliation. However, the indoor altar was gold and represents what Jesus does in the presence of God—interceding for us so God is pleased with the aroma of our lives. It is a picture of Jesus in exultation! The fire for burning the incense on the golden altar came from the altar of burnt offerings where the sacrifices were offered to God (Lev. 16:12-13). The point is that true prayer must be based on the work of Jesus on the cross! This is powerfully illustrated on the Day of Atonement when blood from the sacrifice for the nation of Israel was spread on the horns of the Altar of Incense. To be the fragrance God desires in His presence, we need the blood of Jesus spread on our lives!

Next week we will talk about what this means in our everyday living.

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 12

2009-02-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

The Table of Showbread (Part 2)—He Invites Us Into His Banquet Table

“I owe, I owe . . . so, off to work I go!”
What are you working for? What are you trying to accumulate? Money can buy you a house, but not a home; money can buy you an education, but not wisdom; money can buy you a bed, but not restful sleep; money can buy you influence, but not respect; it can buy you medicine, but not health.

Do you take time to reflect upon what you are chasing after and whether it is worth it? Are you caught up in the rat race for more things and don’t even have time to enjoy the things for which you still owe money? Jesus calls us to work not for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life (John 6:27). Are we thinking about this as we chase after the shiny things the world holds out in front of us? When it is all said and done, what will be said about you, and what will you have done?

The Table of Showbread was a reminder of God’s provision of the things we really need. Not just our physical needs, but something much more meaningful! This bread placed upon the Table of Showbread was called the “Bread of Presence”, or more literally, the “Bread of Face”—GOD’S FACE! The Table of Showbread represents eating in the presence of God—TABLE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE MAKER OF THE UNIVERSE! He invites us in to His banquet table and His banner over us is love! The point in the Tabernacle was the same as what Jesus later taught in John 6:27. Are you making your decisions based upon the things that bring you deeper into the presence of God, so you can sit down with Him and enjoy table fellowship? Or, are you chasing after things that distract you from this type of intimacy with God?

Jesus was very consistent in what He taught us about this. When the devil tempted Him to turn stones to bread after He had been fasting for 40 days, Jesus made it clear, “It is written, ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). The devil was trying to find a way to disrupt the intimacy and fellowship Jesus enjoyed with the Father, much like he did to Adam & Eve in the Garden. However, this time he was unsuccessful. Jesus also had this to say to His disciples when they tried to get Him to eat after His encounter with the woman at the well in Samaria, “I have food to eat that you do not know about. . . . My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work” (John 4:32-34). Jesus never let His physical appetite take precedence over His spiritual appetite. His decisions in the flesh were based upon what would help Him stay in the presence of God—feasting at His banquet table!

Have you considered what it is you are working for and why you feel these things are necessary? Are you striving after things that move you closer to the presence of God, or further away from Him? Let the Table of Showbread remind you that God will take care of the things you really need, and His “bread” is meant to draw you nearer to Him so you can have table fellowship. If this is not what you are experiencing, will you see what He is calling you to experience and make the changes necessary in your quest?

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 11

2009-01-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

The Table of Showbread—God’s Daily Provision

Do you know what you need? God does!

Jesus offers bread—He instructs His disciples to pray for daily bread (Matthew 6:11) and teaches that He is the bread of life, from which, if they eat, they will never hunger again (John 6:35). But, how many of us are satisfied with just bread? We want what the world is telling us we can have—a four-course dinner! We want to feast upon all the desires of our eyes and our appetites. However, God has been calling us to a more disciplined diet for a reason.

Within the Tabernacle there was an article of furniture called the Table of Showbread. This was a table made of acacia wood and covered with gold upon which 12 loaves of unleavened bread were placed before God. This bread was kept continually in place, even when Israel traveled, as a way of remembering God as their provider, and was replaced with fresh loaves each Sabbath. Rabbinic teaching claims that the priests ate the old bread while frankincense was burned as a way of expressing worship and gratitude to God for His provision. The table and the bread upon it was a continual reminder that God was Israel’s source of PROVISION! It is to Him they must place their trust!

Are you concerned about whether God will take care of you? It is interesting to consider the discipline God consistently calls people to develop when He asks them to walk with Him. Abraham was challenged to leave everything he would normally use to provide for himself—country, relatives, and father’s house— in order to travel to a land God would show him. He was to leave his inheritance and the support he would receive from those who knew him best (physically speaking). What God wanted him to learn was to trust in the provision of his true Father!

When Israel left Egypt, God instructed them to plunder them, which they did. They walked out of Egypt with an incredible amount of riches (consider the materials used to make the Tabernacle—and the fact that a group of slaves possessed all of this). However, God did not want them to depend upon their own means and led them to the wilderness where they were forced to trust in His daily provision to survive. He is the source of PROVISION we are meant to trust.
The same thing happened when Jesus started calling disciples to Himself. The first disciples were fishermen who, upon being told to follow Him, left their nets and their families (Matthew 4:18-22). The very same thing Abraham did (leaving family and means of support), Peter, Andrew, James and John did to follow Jesus. They each realized God is their PROVIDER of daily bread.

Do you know what you need? God does!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 10

2009-01-18T12:01:00.000-08:00

The Golden Lamp Stand (Part Two)

Are you having trouble “seeing” God? How do we help someone open their eyes to the truth of God and see His love and activity all around them? Interestingly, with all the miracles that take place in the Old Testament, healing someone who was blind is a rare occurrence. The only situation relatively close is when Elisha prays for the eyes of his servant to be opened so he can see the armies of God surrounding the armies of the Arameans (II Kings 6:17). He then prays for the eyes of the Arameans to be blind and leads them to Samaria, where he prays for their eyes to be opened again (V. 18, 20). That’s it! There are no other accounts of the blind receiving sight!

It is not as if people weren’t blind during the Old Testament times. Isaiah taught over and over again that when the Messiah came, He would open the eyes of the blind! (29:18; 32:3; 35:5; 42:7) As far as the Israelites understood, there was no remedy for those who were blind. This is why the man born blind in John 9 speaks with such boldness before the Pharisees and Sadducees when they question his healing, even though he knows it will wind up with his being excommunicated from worship at the synagogue. He says, “Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing” (V. 32-33).

Is it any wonder that the giving of light to the eyes and the restoring of life are easily the most common miraculous works that Jesus performed? (Remember the article last week which showed the connection of the Golden Lamp Stand to the Tree of Life. Life and Light are brought together in One place—Jesus!) Jesus came to explain the ways of God (See John 1:18)—to shed light on the mysteries of God and His ways. He is the light of the world and He wants to remove the scales from our eyes like He did with Saul in order to help us direct our passions and energy in the right direction.

So, let me ask you again, “Are you having trouble seeing God?” Does it feel like you are fumbling around in the darkness, trying to figure out how to live in a way that pleases God? What is the problem? Could it be the choices you are making? You see, the Golden Lamp Stand (an image of Jesus and His ministry) was to be lit continually in the Tabernacle, which means you could not come into the presence of God and remain in darkness! Consider John’s statement in I John 1:6 in this context: “If we say we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” YOU CANNOT BE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND BE IN DARKNESS!!! Yet, how many of us are trying to walk with one foot in light and one foot in darkness?

Come completely to the Light of Life and enjoy sweet fellowship with God!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 9

2009-01-11T11:59:00.000-08:00

The Golden Lamp Stand

So, you walk into the Tabernacle and what do you see? The truth is, you would not see anything if the Golden Lamp Stand was not lit (as it was prescribed to be whenever the Tabernacle was set up—Lev. 24:2). There would only be darkness! However, darkness has never hindered God. In the beginning, when the earth was formless and void and darkness was over the surface of the deep, God overwhelmed the darkness by speaking light into its presence. Later, when John wrote about Jesus coming into the world as flesh, he proclaimed, “And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overpower it” (John 1:5). Darkness will never overpower light and this is one of the object lessons God provided when He had the Israelites build the Golden Lamp Stand and place it in the Tabernacle.

However, God was teaching far more than this with the Golden Lamp Stand! This light was to be revelatory and Life-giving. Just as God provided a pillar of fire to light the way for the Israelites as He led them through the wilderness to Mt. Sinai where they entered into a covenant bond with Him, and then on to the Promised Land; He intended for the light of the Golden Lamp Stand to lead His people. But where would the light of this Golden Lamp Stand lead them? To the very source of Life, of course—back to the relationship God designed mankind to have prior to the fall. The Golden Lamp Stand provided a symbol of hope as it revealed the overall plan of God to call His people back to Life and intimacy with Him.

Have you ever noticed how the Lamp Stand was designed? It was to be one piece of gold hammered into the shape of a shaft with three branches extending from each side of the shaft. Each of these branches, along with the center shaft, was designed with cups shaped like almond blossoms, bulbs and flowers in intervals along them (Exodus 25:31-35). In other words, the finished product looked like a flowering tree! Many scholars have taken this to represent the Tree of Life! The plan of calling mankind back to the intimacy of being in His presence where they could eat of the Tree of Life and live forever was portrayed in the Tabernacle by God’s own design! (READ Revelation 22:1-5 in this context)

God’s Tabernacle is an amazing picture of His plan to dwell among us and give us Life through His Son. The Apostle John says this about Jesus, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Isn’t this the very picture we see with the flowering Tree of Life producing Light in the Tabernacle? Jesus, our source of Life is also the Light of the World! He came to reveal God and His ways so we could draw near to Him, and He came to give us Life! God has known what we need and has revealed His plan to provide for us since the time His relationship with the nation of Israel began. Will we trust in His provision and walk in the light as he is in the light? (This would be something good to talk about next week!)

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

I Have A Dream . . . (What Shall We Be & Do In 2009?)

2009-01-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

Imagine what 500+ people could accomplish if they were to get real serious about following Jesus and lose their inhibitions. Imagine what the LORD could do with a community of believers who were convinced they were given the gift of each day because the LORD has something important for them to do in service to His kingdom. Imagine if creativity, passion and discipline collided in the hearts and souls of each member and they felt unleashed and empowered to use their gifts and services as an offering of thanks and dedication to GOD. What might “church” look like if living for God became our quest rather than our hobby?

I have a dream . . . (I know this phrase was already made famous but, hey, it’s a good one!) of a church environment where everyone feels welcome, valuable and wanted, no matter what is going on in his or her life because the image of God is seen in everyone. I dream of our church community being a safe place to share even the most heinous thoughts and actions so that healing and accountability can be realized; where people can recognize the value their Father in heaven places upon them and the type of intimate relationship He is actively seeking to develop; where citizens of our surrounding communities realize they really can receive help that makes a difference, and is personal!

I have a dream . . . where the ministry of reconciliation becomes the central focus for those who already know the sweet gift of life a second time through Jesus; I dream of reconciliation resulting in walls being torn down between denominations and even sister congregations so we present God in His fullness to a world that doesn’t understand why those who profess the love of Jesus can’t get along with one another. I dream of a spirit of reconciliation that allows those who don’t see doctrinal issues eye to eye to appreciate being stretched by those with differing views instead of fearing what their difference might lead the church into (after all, isn’t God in control, no matter what we think?)

I have a dream . . . of a community of believers who have the confidence to believe THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE; who are so filled with appreciation because of what their Father has done to bless them that they cannot keep silent about Him; who hunger and thirst for deeper intimacy with God, but who want to bring along as many others as they can to experience the joy and fullness of life they are enjoying. I dream of a congregation of believers who will shut off their TV sets one night a week, skip sports activities or other extra-curricular activities and use this time to serve others and share the Bible and their lives with people who would not normally have this time given to them.

I have a dream . . . of a church that emphasizes training up ministers and servants who realize they have responsibilities towards the souls of everyone they come in contact with and, consequently, are motivated to be equipped so they make the most of each opportunity. I dream of never needing to plead for teachers or other service roles to be filled because each member knows they have something special and unique to offer and can’t wait to share with others what their God has created them to fulfill during their lifetime.

Can you see God writing this? This dream is His! He wants us to bear His image (paragraph 2). He calls us to be ministers of reconciliation (paragraph 3). He created us to be disciples (paragraph 4) and ministers & servants (paragraph 5). May we lovingly challenge and stretch one another throughout 2009 to be what He has created us and called us to be—and fulfill the dream of our Father!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 8

2008-12-28T07:33:00.000-08:00

The Tent of Meeting (continued)

How interesting! God had the people of Israel build a “Tent of Meeting” as part of the tabernacle, however, only the High Priest was allowed to enter the place of His very presence, and he was only allowed to do this once a year? In addition, bells had to be sewn onto the robe of the High Priest in order to announce his presence, so he would not die (See Exodus 28:33-35). How is it a tent of Meeting if it is not accessible? It almost sounds more like a chamber of horrors!

Obviously, one of the lessons we see from this lack of accessibility is the tremendous thing Jesus did for us when He opened up our way into the very throne room of God. We have been given a beautiful gift through His sacrifice that allows us to develop an incredible level of intimacy with God. However, what about the people who lived before the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus? Was there no way for them to experience the personal presence of God? Could it be that there is more here than meets the eye?

One thing I have noticed about human behavior is that we have a tendency to take the things of God and use them as He never intended. When I was a student at LCU there was a door at one of the Catholic Churches nearby on which “the face of Jesus” appeared. It was crazy to see people come from all over the area to worship this image. Just imagine what they would have done with the Tent of Meeting if it was opened to the public? The same has been done in our own churches. I have seen people treat an auditorium as if it is the “sanctuary of God”. Unfortunately, there are some people that have more trust in, and a better relationship with the Bible than in the God who had the Bible written.

God wants to “Meet” with us, but what if He never intended for it to be at one specific place? Suppose the Tent of Meeting demonstrated the awesome gift Jesus would provide, but was off limits to most of the people because God wants to meet us in our everyday lives?
There is a powerful book written by Gary Thomas called, “Sacred Pathways”. The premise of his book is that there are many different ways to meet God and develop intimacy with Him (in fact, he writes about 9 different pathways). Different personalities experience the power and presence of God through different means. One person may experience closeness to God through being outdoors, enjoying nature and its wonders, while another will never feel closer to God than when they serve someone in a real and profound way. One person may realize the presence of God through study of a Bible passage in which they glean a new gem, while another needs quiet and solitude to hear Him speak. Many people typically have two or three pathways that are particularly meaningful to them, and all of the pathways Gary Thomas talks about are significant.

Where do you meet with God? Do you have a special place? Where can you go, or what can you do that helps you hear the voice of God and feel His presence more clearly and more distinctly? God is accessible! That is why He planned for and then sent Jesus. The Tent of Meeting is now in our hearts and souls. Do you know yourself well enough to recognize the pathway(s) that will best feed your soul? If you go to the following website, you can take an assessment that helps you recognize which pathway(s) are more significant to your walk with God: http://www.sacchurch.org/action-steps/sacred_pathways.htm
I would love to hear back from you as to what pathways are significant to you. Maybe together we can brainstorm ideas to help make intimacy with God a more powerful realization in your life!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 7

2008-12-21T07:29:00.000-08:00

The Tent of Meeting

Imagine living in a time where the prescription for everything that ails you is to have leeches draw blood from you. Whatever your symptoms, leeches! From fever to a rash to a sore throat to headaches, leeches! Even broken bones would need to be properly cared for with—leeches! For centuries these blood-sucking creatures were a mainstay of medical care. What brought about such a primitive and barbaric practice, and how could it be a bastion of medical science for 2500 years when its results were questionable and sporadic, at best? In today’s medical world, doctors realize there is not a basic cure for everything. Different symptoms demand different medical care. And, while leeches still have some value in the medical world, it is only for specialized treatments that they are prescribed (like when a finger is reattached in order to stimulate circulation).

Unfortunately, some people fall into the same trap when it comes to worshiping God and experiencing intimacy with Him. They prescribe a common method of experiencing Him, even if some of their forms have become outdated. They would have you believe that what worked for them is the solution for everyone else. “God is the same yesterday, today, yes, and forever.” If it worked in the past, then it should continue working today, and even tomorrow. But, could it be that an age more “enlightened” than our own will look back at some of our practices in religion and shake their head, wondering what we were thinking?

Consider the use of a church building and especially the auditorium, or “sanctuary”, as some people refer to it. Whether by actual teaching, or merely by practice, it appears this has become our modern-day “Tent of Meeting”. Many hold the view that this is THE PLACE to meet with God. As a result, everyday encounters with Him are missed or misunderstood. Some see this as the place to bring people in order to help them see the truth and be converted to God. However, how was any of this the case with the original Tent of Meeting? For one thing, Gentiles were not even allowed into the courtyard. Second, only those who were already set apart for God as priests could enter the Tent of Meeting. It was certainly not the place where teaching was done. That happened in the homes (or at least it was supposed to—See Deuteronomy 6:6-9). Thirdly, how many instances of conversion actually take place at the Tabernacle or Temple? John the Baptist led people away from the Temple, out into the wilderness, to call them into a right relationship with God. When Jesus sent His apostles out to preach about the Kingdom of God, they did not call people to gather at the Temple. They showed them the activity and love of God in their very midst, as they went about everyday living.

The Tent of Meeting was a portable facility that enabled the presence of God to dwell in the midst of the camp of the Israelites. It represented God being at the core of their community. Everything else revolved around Him! However, it was not where God encountered the people. He met them in their everyday lives! Today, we have no Tent of Meeting because He has taken up residence within us. He still meets us in our everyday lives! Let us be careful not to turn His Tent of Meeting into more than what it is. We must consistently reevaluate our religious practices instead of unquestioningly accepting what has been done for generation after generation, or we might find ourselves prescribing leeches in an era of modern medicine.
(Next week we will continue with some more thoughts on the Tent of Meeting)

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 6

2008-12-14T14:44:00.000-08:00

The Bronze Laver

“Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” How many times have you heard this statement? You will find this verse right next to the one that says, “God helps those who help themselves.” Neither of these are really Scripture, but the concept of this first statement can easily be supported. Over and over again there is an emphasis in the Scriptures on our necessity to be washed in order to dwell in the presence of God. David begged God to wash him clean and remove his sin after his affair with Bathsheba and murder of her husband (Psalm 51:2, 7, 10); John the Baptist called people to “a baptism (washing) of repentance for forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3). Jesus told Peter during the last meal He had with His disciples prior to being taken and killed, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (John 13:8). Paul was told by Ananias, “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16).

The need to be clean to dwell in the presence of God is a message taught as early as the construction of the tabernacle. God instructed the Israelites to build a laver of bronze that was placed between the altar of burnt offerings and the tent of meeting. Moses writes, “And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it; when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they may not die; or when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up in smoke a fire sacrifice to the Lord” (Exodus 30:19-20). The message here is simple: Be washed before you enter into the presence of God, or DIE! Approaching God’s altar or His dwelling place is not something to take lightly. Without proper preparation, it is a dangerous place to be!

It is interesting that the washing of water is not a once-for-all-time act. God knows His priesthood is going to need a continual cleansing and requires them to learn this lesson by what He requires at the Tabernacle. It is not that God will have nothing to do with them when they are unclean. The altar of burnt offering provides the means to be cleansed from their sin. Like the father of the Prodigal son, God runs to the unclean child who shows repentance and dresses them in a new robe, killing the fattened calf in order to fellowship with them. However, there is a respect for the holiness of God that must never be forgotten. While He runs to the child who chooses to repent from living among the unclean pigs, He still demands our efforts to show respect for His holiness before we barge into His presence.

Once again, Jesus is the fulfillment of what God requires at the Tabernacle. John tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). The cleansing by Jesus is perpetual and allows us into the presence of God. What the Tabernacle points to is fulfilled once-and-for-all in Jesus. As the Scriptures reveal, being washed is vital! How wonderful that God satisfies His own requirement and our need through Jesus!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

Mission Minded

2008-12-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

WANTED: People with confidence and equipping to handle the role of a priest for God’s service. Skill set should include: The ability to provide sound counsel and teaching based upon the nature and will of God; a desire to share the love of God through word and deed; a love for the souls of people; and a humble spirit with the emotional make-up of being a peace-maker.

God is looking for more than just a few good men and women! He has called each of His followers to become part of “a Royal Priesthood”. In fact, the job opening listed above is really a REQUIREMENT FOR ALL OF GOD’S FOLLOWERS!!! Peter states, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9). The blessing of being God’s chosen people and His treasured possession brings with it the responsibility of representing Him and even calling others out of darkness into His marvelous light.

God always intended for His people to serve as a priesthood to the rest of the world! His challenge to the Israelites as He called them into covenant with Him at Mt. Sinai was to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). They were His “treasured possession among all the peoples,” but He also said, “all the earth is Mine” (Exodus 19:5). In other words, He was not content with only the Israelites knowing Him in this special relationship. That is why He poured out His Spirit upon the Gentiles in the same manner that He did to the Jews in Acts 10. That is why God went out of His way to show a eunuch that he could now be acceptable to God and worship in His presence in Acts 8.

There are none whose lives are so messed up that God does not care for them and want to restore order and peace to their existence! We are His priesthood—representing Him to the fallen world and helping the fallen see the cleansing and new life available to them through Jesus. Do we even think about others in a priestly way? Do we see our need to reconcile people to the LORD? Will we fulfill our call to be missionaries and priests, or will we leave that up to the “professionals”? (This terminology is foreign to God’s word and intention!)

This morning you will have an opportunity to hear about mission work being done by others through our support. Be excited about what is going on and how we get to play a small part in that, BUT, don’t think that fulfills your duty as a priesthood for God! If you are not ready to share the truth about who God is and what He offers in Jesus, when will you be ready? What are you doing to develop the confidence and abilities to help others get right with God? You are God’s priesthood! Will you fulfill your role?

-Scott

A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 5

2008-11-30T14:37:00.000-08:00

The Altar of Burnt Offerings

What does it take to enter into the presence of God? In one word—ATONEMENT! OK, maybe two words—ATONEMENT & REDEMPTION! Well, come to think of it, there is a third word—RECONCILIATION, and even a fourth word—JUSTIFICATION! And, how about COMMITMENT? Wow, there are a lot of things needed to enter into the presence of God! How does anyone remember all of these, in addition to knowing what some of these fancy words even mean?

The holiness of God demands a lot, but the love of God is large enough to not only teach what brings satisfaction to His holiness, but to also ultimately provide the only thing that will satisfy Him for eternity. This is where the layout of the Tabernacle has significance. God began teaching about and pointing to His ultimate provision right after the people of Israel entered into covenant with Him. However, instead of giving them volumes of theological exposition to read, He gave them an object lesson from which to learn—there is no entering into His presence without a proper sacrifice.

The first thing you come to upon entering the Tabernacle is the altar for burnt offerings. This was a five foot tall bronze altar shaped in a square that measured approximately eight feet across on each side. It was here that the priests offered before God the various sacrificial offerings on behalf of the people of Israel. Some of these sacrifices demonstrated complete devotion to God (such as the burnt offering, in which every part of the sacrifice was given to God), and some were used for atonement for sin. Some were offerings in which the priest and the one offering the sacrifice would share in a meal after choice portions of the sacrifice were offered to God. The animals offered up to God were to be the first and best of the flocks and herds of the Israelites. No sick or deformed animals were acceptable. God did not want Israel’s leftovers. He sought the first of what they had (thus requiring the first-born of their flocks and herds to be dedicated to Him), and the best, most prized animals. The price for their sins and to maintain a healthy relationship with God was considerable!

The significance was that Israel was learning what it takes to dwell in the presence of their holy God. One cannot accidently please God! It takes devotion and commitment and intention. It takes SACRIFICE! Even the pursuits of what seem so important in this world were to be laid aside or offered to God upon the altar of burnt offerings. To have God in our midst takes a willingness to put Him above all other pursuits and to recognize the high price tag placed upon Atonement, Redemption, Reconciliation, Justification and Commitment!

The incredible thing is how all of this points to the great gift of God, Himself, as He offers up the ultimate sacrifice—His Son—to provide an eternal answer to these needs. God did not ask for anything more than He was willing to give Himself! He provided His first and best in order to provide Atonement, Redemption, Reconciliation, Justification, and to show His Commitment to us!

Today, we do not have to offer up animals for sacrifice because Jesus is the once-for-all-time sacrifice. However, God still seeks our first and best. He still wants to our devotion, our commitment, our intention. Are we serving Him leftovers, or giving Him the choice selections of what we have to offer? This is what the altar is truly about!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 4

2008-11-23T06:52:00.000-08:00

Go West, Young Man & Young Lady

So, you are standing at the altar of God just inside the gate of the Tabernacle. You are here because this is the place to bring your sacrifices in order to make atonement and show appreciation for the things God has done. It is always difficult to take the best of your flock and hand it over to the priests after laying your hands upon it to pass on your sins, just so they can slaughter it and present it as an offering to God. But now that you have rededicated yourself to the Lord, what will you do? What direction will your life go now?

Life is full of decisions! It always has been, and it always will be. How many times has a decision made in a fleeting moment produced consequences that last a lifetime? Should the fruit be eaten, or not even touched? Sarai, should we take Lot with us, or leave him to fend for himself in Ur? After viewing the Promised Land and seeing the people who inhabit the land along with their fortified cities, should we go up and attack, or persuade the people to turn back to Egypt? Should the king go to battle with the troops, or stay home at the palace and sit this one out? Decisions, decisions, decisions; how do we know what to do? Which direction should we take? Will this decision move me closer to God, or further away?

God has not left us without some GPS help! He wants to give us some direction for our lives—the Tabernacle demonstrates this! You see, the Tabernacle was always set up in the same direction. The entryway to the courtyard was pointed to the east every time it was set up. That means that once you finished bringing your sacrifice before God, there were only two primary directions one could go—east, away from the presence of God, or west, deeper into the presence of God. Is it a foreboding sign God provided that most of the people, once they performed their act of worship, would turn and go AWAY FROM the presence of God? How many of us fall into this trap, even today?

East is not a good direction to go in the Scriptures! When God kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden, it was to the east that He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword to protect the way back into the garden (Genesis 3:24). After Cain murdered his brother and was made a vagrant, it was to the east of Eden that he finally wound up settling and beginning a civilization that was so corrupt (Genesis 4:16). In the time of the Tower of Babel, the people continued to move east, away from the presence or will of God (Genesis 11:2). When Lot separated from Abraham, he traveled to the east, toward the land of Sodom, which we all know was a giant step in the wrong direction (Genesis 13:11). There are several other examples of this motif in the book of Genesis, but perhaps the best example of moving the other direction comes in the birth narrative of Jesus when Magi (or astrologers) from the Far East travel to the WEST in order to find the “King of the Jews” who would also become the Savior of the world (Matthew 2:1-2). They saw a sign from God calling them back into His presence “to worship Him”!

God is calling us deeper into His presence as well! This morning, after you present your offering before God through your praise and worship, don’t exit through the same door you normally do if it only takes you to the EAST. Choose a different direction! Jesus has reestablished the priesthood so all people can move deeper into the presence of God. Will you take advantage of this? Or, will you continue to maintain the same habits, watching others enjoy a closeness with God that could be yours, as well, if only you chose a different direction? GO WEST, YOUNG MAN & YOUNG LADY—and experience a deeper intimacy with God!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 3

2008-11-16T06:52:00.000-08:00

Only One Way In!!!

Who doesn’t like options and the freedom to express themselves in unique fashion? In fact, tell most of us there is only one way to solve something and we will immediately begin looking for loopholes or alternatives to prove you wrong. We don’t like being limited to one path!

I was watching the TV show The Amazing Race this past Sunday night and each team was given a task to follow a tangled mess of power lines where there were tags in random places with numbers upon them. Once they found all the numbers, they were to turn their list in to be checked by one of the natives to see if they found them all. I was startled to see one team follow the power lines looking at the wrong numbers and then get mad when the person checking their answers told them they were wrong. They went through the course several times searching in the wrong places and became angrier and more frustrated each time they were rejected. The truth is, there was only one right way to solve the challenge and because of their inability to step back and consider what the real task was, they wound up being eliminated from the race.

How many of us treat the ways of God in this manner? How many times do we get locked into a certain way of looking at things and then just can’t imagine that our way is not THE WAY? There must be something wrong with God; because we are convinced we are right. The problem could not possibly be with us! Right, Job? (He tried to bring a case before God about being mistreated and found out that God’s ways are far above his own, and he needed to walk by faith.)

The Tabernacle is such a beautiful teaching tool because it shows God’s desire to dwell among His people. Each element of the Tabernacle emphasizes what it takes to actually dwell in the presence of God. The first of those elements is the gate or door to enter into the courtyard of the Tabernacle. The walls of the courtyard were solid on every side but one, the side facing the east, in which there was an opening that served as the gate or door.

ONE WAY IN!

ONLY ONE WAY IN!!!

Every element of the Tabernacle points to the ministry of Jesus (as we will see as we go through each part of the Tabernacle). The gate is not an exception! John records some interesting words of Jesus in John 10:9 in which He states: “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” Consider also the teaching of Peter before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:12 where he proclaims, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” Jesus also proclaims about Himself in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” This last quote comes in the midst of a discussion with His disciples in which He shares with them the plan of preparing a place for them with His Father, so they can DWELL with Him.

God wants to dwell among us, but there is only one way in to His presence. People are not allowed to invent their own ways to come before Him. That might come across as “politically incorrect” or “intolerant”, but God is not concerned about our short-sighted and incorrect ways of looking at things. Do you want to draw near and dwell in the presence of God? Then come to the One Way In: JESUS!!!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 2

2008-11-09T06:49:00.000-08:00

God Dwelt Among Us

Creation accounts from various cultures are interesting, particularly in the way they portray the purpose behind creating mankind. Both the Enuma Elish (an ancient Babylonian creation account) and The Atrahasis Epic (an ancient Assyrian creation account) have some similarities with the account found in the Hebrew Scriptures, yet the differences are striking! In both accounts mankind was an afterthought and created to perform menial tasks that the gods did not want to do themselves. In The Atrahasis Epic, some of the gods were responsible for digging the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and revolted because they did not want to do this work. In fact, the poem states, “Let him bear the yoke! Let him bear the yoke! Let man assume the drudgery of the god” and afterward, mankind was created.

How wonderful is it that the story found in our Bibles portrays an entirely different and empowering view behind the creation of mankind? The picture we are given is one of purpose (See Ephesians 2:10) and intimacy with God (See Genesis 3:8). We are shown high value! We have a God who wants to dwell among us!

The picture we find as we work our way through the Scriptures is that God has continually sought deeper levels of intimacy with us! From a portable dwelling (the Tabernacle) in the midst of the camp as His people traveled through the wilderness, to a permanent building (the Temple) as His people established themselves in the land He promised them, to God coming to “dwell” or “tabernacle” among His people in the form of Jesus (See John 1:14), to His people becoming the very Temple of God, housing His presence in our hearts (See I Corinthians 3:16), God has sought to lead us to a deeper experience of intimacy with Him.

The plan of God to dwell with mankind is evident throughout the Scriptures. Even before God made it clear to the Israelites that they would build a tabernacle (Exodus 25:8-9 is the 1st mention of the Tabernacle), He foretold His intentions in Exodus 15:17-18. Exodus 15 provides a song the Israelites sang right after being rescued by God from Pharaoh and his army by passing through the Red Sea on dry land. The song concludes with these thoughts: “You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, the place, O LORD, which You have made for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands have established. The LORD shall reign forever and ever.” His objective is clear! He wants to dwell among His people! This is what constructing a Tabernacle was all about (READ Exodus 25:8-9).

The problem is, too many of us are content to have God dwell in a tent in the midst of the wilderness instead of giving Him room to take up residence within our hearts. God is not satisfied with this! The furniture and other elements of the Tabernacle all point to His desire for more (as the rest of this series will demonstrate). And, as already seen, God created us with more in mind! So, the question is simple: “Will we strive to live with God in the core of our lives?” It is where He belongs and where He wants to be!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

Out of Town

2008-11-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

In case you have not discovered this yet, I am out of town this week! I have the pleasure of performing a wedding ceremony for a former student of mine in New Jersey and then I will be spending 6 days with my mom and brother in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. I am looking forward to some time to receive a little TLC from my mommy and to have some face-to-face time with my brother and sister and their families. Thank you, Garden Ridge for allowing me this opportunity to get away like this once in a while.

Deeann and I (and Whitney, also) consider ourselves quite blessed to work with the church family here and we hope to see the Lord work through this church family (ourselves included) in powerful ways that bring about bountiful harvests of spiritual fruit so the communities around us will sit up and notice how real our God is and the beauty and value of trusting in His ways.
Next week we will resume our series on covenant. We will be jumping ahead to the book of Exodus to consider a model found throughout the Scriptures of Covenant—Grace—Empowerment—Intimacy. I will share how covenant is just the foundation of what God is truly desiring—a bond of intimacy with each of us! I will attempt to show how covenant leads to an outpouring of grace and a desire to empower, which result in deeper intimacy.

This morning, my dear friend and one of my favorite ministers on staff (he is ranked way up there with another minister on staff) will be filling in for me. Thank you, Philip, for your willingness and desire to proclaim God’s word and for the talents you possess. May God bless this church family with a powerful and enriching time of worship and fellowship so you are each well-equipped to face the challenges of the week ahead.

In conclusion, I will express my gratitude for the outpouring of love and appreciation Deeann and I received from this church family last week. We are moved by your generosity and expressions of appreciation. We hope you understand the joy we have being here with you and the quest we are on to walk the path of God with you for as long as He desires us to be together. We are overwhelmed by your kindness. Thank you!

-Scott

A Study of the Tabernacle: Is God Distant?

2008-10-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt like God has abandoned you? Maybe you are facing things that seem devastating and oppressive. Perhaps you feel taken advantage of by people who are only concerned about their own gain. It may be that wave after wave after wave of discouraging things have crashed against your hopes and dreams eroding the foundation of what you believe about the provision and protection of God. In desperation and frustration you cry out the words of Gideon from Judges 6:13, “If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord deliver us from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us . . .”

Feeling abandoned by God is not a new thing. Each generation faces the question of whether God is real and cares. Gideon mentions the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, but before God sent Moses and brought the 10 plagues to deliver Israel, what do you suppose that generation’s thoughts were about the provision and protection of God? Does He not see what we are going through? Sure, God had foretold these 400 years of oppression to our father, Abraham, but doesn’t God see how desperate we are? Can’t He feel our pain and recognize that enough is enough? It is hard to worship a God who seems so removed from the struggles we face in this life!

Perhaps, this is part of the reason behind the orders by God to build the Tabernacle while they are camped at Mt. Sinai, awaiting the march to the Promised Land. They had been witnessing His power and presence through the pillar of fire & cloud and the gift of manna each morning, but what about a God who actually dwells within their camp? Who had ever heard of such a thing? What might that do to provide comfort in the midst of the trials and challenges that come with living in this world? And, suppose this Tabernacle provides the foreshadow of an even deeper longing that God desires in His relationship with mankind? Instead of a God who dwells within the camp, suppose, through the Tabernacle, He pointed to a way that would allow Him access to take up residence within our hearts?

Over the next eleven weeks (or so), we will consider the various elements that were part of the Tabernacle and how they pointed to the plan of God to bring mankind into a relationship with Himself through the work of His own Son, Jesus. We will see that abandoning us is the farthest thing from His mind! So, you want a relationship with the God of the universe? Guess what? He wants one with you as well—up close and personal! And, He wants to give us plenty of reason to trust in His provision and protection through the things Jesus came to do on our behalf! He is not a distant God—He wants to live right in our midst!!!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

So, This is What a Stroke Feels Like!

2008-10-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

What a Monday! Talk about a dark and depressing day! This past Monday sure fell into that category! It seemed like no matter what I said . . . it was the wrong thing! It felt like everyone I talked to had a major crisis or serious problem they were dealing with. There was depressing news about people’s health, financial burdens, addictive behavior, etc. Some of my words meant to provide comfort and a spiritual blessing were twisted out of context and unappreciated. Add to this the stress I was feeling concerning the various lesson plans and sermon notes I needed to work on, plus two wedding ceremonies rapidly approaching, and it was a setting for trouble.

The morning was blown up when I got to the office and found out there would be no secretary to help cover the phones until later in the morning (unless you consider Philip a secretary—haha—By the way, Pam was sick and Sheri was out of town, so this is not an indictment against them, it is just the way this particular Monday happened to work out). After several interruptions due to phone calls, I could see this was not going to be a productive day. I still had a bulletin article to write and the ideas were not flowing (as you can probably tell). I tried to get involved in reading some material in preparation for my class on Acts, but my mind kept jumping to thoughts of people dealing with loved ones hurting or dying and other struggles going on in personal lives. My prayers felt cold and ineffective. It was just a bad morning!

Deeann called me to have lunch with her and I thought I better try to get something done, so I decided to isolate myself in my office and skip lunch. (Maybe I could get something done this way?) Unfortunately, that only resulted in my developing hunger pangs and a headache. My mood was going downhill fast! Not only that, but it also felt like the creator of time was playing this huge cosmic joke on me. Every time I would look at my watch, what seemed like 10 minutes had passed would be over an hour! Where was this day going?

One more interruption on the phone from a salesman and I was set up for it to happen. I had no warning that a stroke was on the way, but I sure recognized it when it happened! To be honest, it was two strokes within minutes of each other that pretty much changed my day. The first one was a message that said, “I love you!!! Remember, you are special!!” and the second one was a note of thanks and appreciation for some things I had said earlier. TWO STROKES of love and encouragement within minutes of one another! Oh, how that changed my day!!!

Perhaps, that is why the author of Hebrews writes the message he does in 10:24. It says, “ . . .and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds . . .” Who has God placed on your heart to pray for and send a message of encouragement? There are no doubt others who have had much worse days than the one I just described and could sure use a stroke to carry them through! Will you be a resource for God this week to lift up someone else and help them feel appreciated? Go ahead—take time to make someone’s day. When they get over the shock, they may even pass on what they have received!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

Power to Accomplish What God Desires: There is Strength in Numbers!—Part VI

2008-10-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 states:
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

What a great teaching on the necessity of community! There is strength in numbers! This is why God instituted what we call the Church (a collection of believers separated from the ways of the world and able to spur one another on to greater love and good deeds because of the core things we hold in common). Yet, how many of us are attempting to live out our faith as though we are the Lone Ranger? How many of us keep our fears and failures bottled up inside of us because we have to put on the front that we are strong in our faith? How many of us would love to see the power of prayer bring about miraculous changes but are afraid to ask our brothers and sisters for help because we do not want to appear weak or needy?

Our calling is not to be solitary Christians, but to be members of a royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9). When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He began His model prayer with, “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9). What part of our life in Christ is supposed to be an individual endeavor? Granted, we will stand before God to give a personal accounting on the Day of Judgment, but even that accounting will be about how we treated others and fulfilled the roles we were called to play in family, church and community!

Elijah went through a rough time in his ministry. Following the contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel in which the prophets of Baal were destroyed, he was threatened by Jezebel. His response was to run! He ran all the way out of the Promised Land and eventually isolated himself in a cave on the mountain where God had visited Moses and given him the 10 Commandments (I Kings 19:1-8). In his dialogue with God following the strong wind, the earthquake, and the fire that God was not in, God told him there were 7000 in Israel (the land he had just run away from) that had not bowed their knee to Baal (V. 18). SEVEN THOUSAND!!! Elijah had just said to God, “I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away” (V. 14). How did he not know about the SEVEN THOUSAND who were faithful to God? What kind of strength could this have given him as he dealt with a threat against his life and discouragement and fear?

Is it possible for us to become so preoccupied with our own struggles and frustrations that we fail to see the resources God has placed all around us through other believers in Him? We run to our caves of isolation feeling weak, tired and alone and convince ourselves that no one else understands or cares. We seek powerful displays from God to demonstrate our significance and value to Him, and to be affirmed in His care for us, but when He is in the gentle blowing wind instead of the fire and earthquake, we might not hear Him or experience Him because we are looking in the wrong place. And yet, we may have been surrounded by SEVEN THOUSAND who would walk right alongside us, if we only gave it a chance.

It was God who said, “It is not good for the man to be alone . . . .” It seems as though He understands the power we could have in numbers! Do we?

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

Power to Accomplish What God Desires: Are You Sure You Want It?—Part V

2008-10-05T08:25:00.000-07:00

Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” If his statement is accurate, how many of us fall within the parameters of this definition when it comes to our spiritual walk? We say we want to develop deeper intimacy with Jesus and for His power to work in us and through us, but is that true? Could it be that to have His power unleashed in our lives is too scary a proposition, requiring too much from us? Our spiritual lives get into a rut, but we keep hoping for better outcomes, as long as we don’t have to change anything!

I remember a time working with the campus ministry at ENMU when I became discouraged and frustrated because some of the students couldn’t seem to get their lives out of the world. They professed belief in Jesus, but they wanted to enjoy various things the world also has to offer, and couldn’t see how this was adversely affecting their witness for Jesus. (You can imagine on the campus of a State University what types of distractions were readily available for our students to struggle with.) Our ministry was not very powerful or effective that semester and I was tired from trying to provide intercession where it was not wanted or appreciated. As I began to get depressed, Deeann sent me an article based on Mark 5 that gave me some new perspective.

We encounter a story of Jesus in the region of the Gerasenes where He will heal a man possessed by a legion of demons. The description of the man is that he was able to tear apart shackles and chains and “no one was strong enough to subdue him” (V. 3-4). Well, almost no one!!! The overwhelming power of Jesus is quite clear when this demon-possessed man says to Him, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you by God, do not torment me!” (V. 7). Jesus allows the demons to enter a herd of 2000 swine, which promptly run off a steep bank into the sea and are drowned (V. 13). This incredible display of POWER is realized by the townspeople when they hear the report from the herdsmen and come to Jesus and see the formerly demon-possessed man sitting down, clothed, and in his right mind (V. 14-15). Jesus has just restored a life!!! His power is strong enough to clean up any mess!

How do the townspeople respond to this power? The end of V. 15 tells us they were “frightened” and V. 17 informs us that they begged Jesus to leave their region! Even though what Jesus did was good, they are not sure this new power, the disruption to their lives, or the economic loss are worth having around. Thus, they ask Him to take His power and go! Perhaps, they preferred the status quo? Maybe they were afraid of what might happen if Jesus began tinkering around in their own lives? The point is we must be open to incredible measures being taken within our lives when Jesus unleashes His power and cleans them out. Perhaps, that is what we are afraid of most of all!

Are you struggling with what God is able to do through you? His power is awesome! What would you like for Him to do? Leave you in “peace”, or stay to clean up your life? The choice is yours, but the power is His, and He won’t give it to you on “your terms”. Are you sure you want it? Not everybody does!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

Power to Accomplish What God Desires: Where Does It Come From?—Part IV

2008-09-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

Do the situations of your life ever get so frustrating or overwhelming that you wonder if continuing to live is even worth the effort? Does it ever feel like the God you have heard about did all His good work in the past? Stories of Him rescuing people; fighting in miraculous ways to provide victory; bringing plagues to show His power and authority over all creation and that there is no comparison between Him and the gods of the nations all around—where are these things now? The God who sent the death angel to set His people free; who parted the Red Sea and drowned Pharaoh’s army; who provided direction through a pillar of cloud and fire; who made the walls of Jericho fall flat; who sent hail stones and made the sun stand still so Israel could conquer the Promised Land—where is that God now? Do I worship an obsolete and irrelevant God who lives only in stories of the past?

Do you suppose these were some of the thoughts of the Israelites who witnessed the attack of the Assyrians upon Jerusalem during the time of Isaiah? If God really sees our desperation and does nothing about it, could it be that He is not powerful enough to overcome? Maybe He just doesn’t care? Could it be that he is too tired or weary to make a difference? How could the creator of the universe profess to love His people and then sit back and watch as they were thrown out of their homes and sent into captivity as slaves? Perhaps the promises of God aren’t worth the tablets they were written upon?

Isaiah addresses these very questions as he writes to those in Jerusalem about what God is doing through the Assyrians. In Chapter 40, he speaks to their fear, calling them to be comforted (V. 1). He claims God is a shepherd caring for the ewe lambs, carrying them and keeping them safe (V. 11). In answer to any questions about the power of God, he writes about His immense size, power and control as the creator who weighs the mountains in scales and measures the heavens. The nations are like a speck of dust to Him (V. 12-17)! He is also the One who created the stars, names them, and makes sure not one is missing (V. 26). Thus, what will you compare Him to (V. 25)? As far as His promises are concerned, Isaiah boldly claims in V. 8, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever!” In other words, His promises will not fail! The picture Isaiah is painting is that there is nothing that compares with God! He is the All-Powerful Creator who still works in His world!

Notice where Isaiah’s thoughts turn as he applies his understanding of God and His ways to those facing pain, displacement, an uncertain future and fear. He reminds the Israelites to wait upon the Lord. In so doing, they will gain new strength, soar like eagles, run without getting tired, and walk without becoming weary (V. 31). When things seem overwhelming, it is not that God is weak, uncaring, full of hot air, or irrelevant! Trusting Him means He will work things out according to His timing as is best for His eternal kingdom. Our power comes in waiting upon Him! There are many things calling for our allegiance or causing distraction, but turning to things less than Him never works. Don’t settle for temporary fixes when the One completely in control offers His strength for an eternal solution! He is our power!

Click to listen to sermon.

-Scott

Power to Accomplish What God Desires: Where Does It Come From?—Part III

2008-09-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

Imagine being ripped out of your home and bound with chains, cast into a line of slaves and marched hundreds of miles to live in squalor in a land that is not your own! You saw your property destroyed and neighbors killed as they stood in resistance! Some of your family was taken from you! You are not sure where they are, or if they are even alive! All you can think about is, “WHY? Why is all this happening?”

Jeremiah is writing to such an audience as this in Jeremiah 29 in an effort to provide them some encouragement. He writes to Israelites who have lost everything and are living as refugees in Babylon! And, why are they in this predicament? As a people, they became desensitized to the evil and unholy practices of the nations around them and allowed compromise to creep into their lives. The power they had available to them was hindered because they did not stay true to the power source. A long history of defeating nations more powerful and larger in size than them was forgotten and negated because they became dependent upon their own wisdom, power, ingenuity and fleshly desires. Thus, the Babylonians were allowed to enter Jerusalem and capture God’s people, sending them into exile!

Now, which of these two groups do you suppose is in more danger—the exiles in Babylon, or the Israelites still living in Jerusalem who were not taken into captivity? The answer is: the group who refuses to learn from the circumstances they have experienced! God has an interesting message for both groups. To the exiles, He says:

For thus says the LORD, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.' (Jer. 29:10-14)

However, to the Israelites still in Jerusalem He has a quite different message:
thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold, I am sending upon them the sword, famine and pestilence, and I will make them like split-open figs that cannot be eaten due to rottenness. I will pursue them with the sword, with famine and with pestilence; and I will make them a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and a horror and a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, because they have not listened to My words,' declares the LORD, 'which I sent to them again and again by My servants the prophets; but you did not listen,' declares the LORD. (Jer. 29:17-19)

Don’t let your circumstances deceive you! Those humbled by exile would be rescued and restored, while those living in Jerusalem would be destroyed? Those with the Temple in their midst did not have the presence of God in their midst? Those removed from the Promised Land had a future, a hope, and would be heard by God? What is going on? Isn’t this backwards?
Do you want to experience the power of God? Be humble, teachable, moldable, and open to His discipline and direction! Don’t let your circumstances fool you—they may just be in place to get your attention and allegiance. God’s power is for those who are seeking Him. If your trials and struggles move you to seek Him, give thanks for them because you will quickly find that He also has a future and a hope for you !!!

Click to listen to this week's sermon.

-Scott