Get a Life - Group

They were the ultimate church plant.  They started with 11, grew to 120, then to 3000.  Not bad, as a matter of fact very good.  But how did they do it?  I guess that question has to be asked by anyone who is even remotely interested in church growth.  What was the secret that they had that allowed this group to grow from a diverse gathering to a world changing movement?  We can probably find the answer in the scripture that was read for us earlier in the service. 

That was the earliest description of the Christian church.  During the past 2000 years many churches have tried to duplicate or at least replicate what they saw as the perfect church, and that really is impossible to do.  That early church existed in a completely different culture then we exist in today, it was separated from the crucifixion and resurrection by months not centuries and its leaders had spent the past three years of their lives walking side by side with Jesus. 

To duplicate it today would be impossible, and to be truthful we glamorize the early church and skip over the problems they had.  Because here is the reality: they were made up of people, just like the church today, and because of that there were times they had issues and that they had problems. 

That had to deal with sexual sin.  Did you think that was a new problem?  They had to deal with substance abuse.  Did you think that was a new problem?  There were personality clashes, and people who didn’t want to get with the program.  There were people who wanted to be Christ followers but who still wanted to live like the devil, there were folks who had weird doctrinal ideas who wanted to be in positions of leadership. 

But it was also an incredibly powerful time of miracles, prayer and God’s outpouring of his spirit.  And was no doubt the most powerful period in church history.

To bring you up to speed, Jesus has been crucified, buried and has risen from the dead.  For forty days he teaches his disciples and appears to any number of people.  After forty days he instructs his disciples to stay in Jerusalem and to wait for the Holy Spirit to come to give them power and courage.  And then he returns to his Father and they wait.  For ten days they wait.  And then it happens.  Fifty days, seven weeks after the first Easter, during a Jewish celebration, called Pentecost, which means fiftieth day.  Sometimes it was called the Feast of Weeks.  Seven days, seven weeks get it?  The city is packed with pilgrims and the Holy Spirit arrives.

This is what is written by Luke in the book of Acts:  Acts 2:1-4 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

And while that is really cool, it’s not what I’m talking about today. 

What we are looking at today is what happened later on that morning. 

Peter, you remember Peter he was the one who denied Christ three times.  The same Peter who wouldn’t acknowledge Jesus in the presence of a handful of people begins to preach to the crowds who had gathered for the Pentecost celebrations.  And he tells them the entire story of Jesus, you can read all about it in Acts chapter 2 and then the story climaxes with these words.   Acts 2:41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

So, first thing in the morning there were 120 believers before the day was done there were 3,120 believers.  And that was the foundation of what we now refer to as “The Church”  The fact that there were 3000 converts was amazing, the fact that they appear to have kept most of those 3000 converts was miraculous. 

In 1990, the year we moved to Australia there was a church on our district that was averaging 289 in their morning service, that year they reported 541 converts as the result of a drama that had been presented in their church.  Last year, 23 years later that same church reported an average morning attendance of 263, hmmm.  Sometimes it’s easier to get em then it is to keep em.   

If you’ve been in Cornerstone over the past month or so you’ve heard us talking about our “Life Groups” and perhaps your reaction is, “Oh yeah, same old, same old.”  Or perhaps you’ve decided that we’ve just starting using a new name, but it’s more then a name it is a philosophy concerning our small group ministry. 

The thing that we discover when we look at the church in the book of Acts is that small groups have been around since the very beginning of the church. 

As a matter of fact for all purposes small groups were the early church.  They would go to the Jewish Synagogues and temples to worship corporately, but then they would meet in private homes through the week for instruction, prayer and to celebrate communion. 

So they had this concept of big church and little church.  And big church, or what happened on the Sabbath, and little church what happened through the week each served a distinct yet complimentary purpose in the life of the early church. 

The first church building wasn’t even constructed until 200 years after the death and resurrection of Christ.  And so this morning we are going to take a look at our life groups using Acts chapter 2:41-47 to put them into a historical and biblical perspective.

To make things easier we are going to use the word “life” as an acronym.  I don’t know if I’ve ever used an acronym for a sermon outline before.  In this case the acronym stands for Love, Interaction, Friendships and Edification, and if we look into the record of the very first small groups we see each of the four characteristics evident there as well.

Let’s start with Acts 2:44-45 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. The first thing I want to look at this morning is LOVE.   Probably one of the great attributes of the early church was the love that they exhibited for one another.  And that was no accident, in the last days before Jesus was executed he made this statement to his followers John 13:35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

That statement holds true 2000 years after it was made.  Nothing, and I mean nothing will attract people to this church quicker then a visible display of his love. 

If Cornerstone could only be known for one thing it shouldn’t be the quality of our service or our music or the preaching it should be for our love. 

Listen to what the Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

And then after Paul defines what love is he makes this finishing statement, 1 Corinthians 13:8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!

Way back in the beginning when we were deciding exactly what Cornerstone would be we set down and wrote out what we called our core values.  They were 7 statements that we felt were crucial to what we were trying to achieve here and one of those values stated:  Cornerstone is committed to showing Christ’s love to those who attend in practical and tangible ways.

And we certainly aim to do that.  We have done some neat things like providing meals for families when someone has been really sick, or when a couple bring home a new baby.  But within the structure of the church itself it is difficult to know exactly where and how those things need to be done. 

Part of loving one another is helping to carry one another’s burdens, but we can’t do that unless we know what those burdens are and as much as I enjoy our Sunday Worship Celebrations they aren’t the best place for sharing those burdens.  Instead that happens best in small group settings where people can open up and honestly talk about their concerns.  Where we can wrap our arms around one another and say “Let me pray for you” or to have someone say “Please pray for me”.

Spencer W. Kimball said “God does notice us, and He watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs.”

If we continue on in the story we read Acts 2:44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. And so the next thing here is Interaction     

It’s easy to think this scripture applies simply to money but they shared everything they had, their money, their talents and their availability. 

On any given Sunday Morning we have close to fifty people involved in the service at Cornerstone.  They include the people who greet you at the door, who are on the worship team and band, who read scripture and pray or teach your children in Nursery, Children’s Church or Junior Church and ignite.  And that’s good, but it means that we have another two hundred and fifty people who aren’t involved in making it happen.  And that’s just the way it is. 

Time constraints alone make it impossible for me to open up the service and ask, “Does anyone have any questions?” and then to allow people to discuss what we had just dealt with.  Not going to happen.  But in a small group we can do that, we can discuss a topic, we can ask questions we can offer opinions.  The first question that is asked in our life groups is, or is supposed to be, Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything that particularly caught your attention, challenged or confused you?  In other words we can learn from each other.  Ralph Waldo Emerson “In every man there is something wherein I may learn of him, and in that I am his pupil.”

In the small group discussion should not all come from the leader, nor should it all be directed at the leader instead it should involve interaction by all the members.

Acts 2:46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—

But it was more than simply serving together, the next thing we see are Friendships So the question that begs to be asked is why is the quality of friendship so different from the first quality of Love?  Good question and one that I beat around while putting this message together.    

In John 15:12 Jesus makes this statement John 15:12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

So what is Christ commanding us to do?  Is He commanding us to demonstrate an emotional response of love to all believers?  I don’t think so.  If we were to feel an emotional love for everyone who professes to be a Christian our emotional reserve would soon be depleted.  Instead I think he’s telling us that we have to exhibit an attitude of love, that we need to demonstrate the attributes of love to one another and you can find those in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

And one of the ways the early church did that as we mentioned earlier by helping with the physical needs of one another.  But there was more then that in some of the relationships described in this passage.  Let’s go back to what we read earlier  Acts 2:46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—

This is a description of people sitting around enjoying each other’s company.

A reality of life is that friendships will not happen between 9 and 10 or 10:30 and 11:30 on Sunday mornings.  You might make acquaintances and they may evolve into friendships but if you are counting on that one hour a week to make new friends, you are going to be disappointed.  It would be nice if they did, but that isn’t going to happen. George Washington said “True friendship is a plant of slow growth.”  And an hour on Sunday morning just isn’t going to do it. 

But when you spend time together learning from one another and praying for one another, and yes eating with one another the possibility becomes a lot more likely and we need friends.  We need them in order to be everything we are supposed to be.  It was Henry Ford who said “My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.”  And we need friends to be there when times get tough, fair weather friends aren’t friends at all they’re just people you know.  Jim Baker “When I went to prison I didn’t lose any friends, I just found out who my friends really were.”

And sometimes those friendships don’t last forever and they don’t have to.  In 1983 Angela and I took our first full time position in the ministry as a staff pastor in Upstate New York.  And it wasn’t a good year, that might be an understatement.  What was it that Queen Elizabeth said about 1992,  “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an Annus Horribilis.”  Well, 1983 was the Annus Horribilis  for Denn and Angela, and into our lives came Al and Nancy Vardy, a couple whom we had been acquaintances with in college, if that.  As a matter of fact Al and I didn’t even like each other in College. Al and Nancy were pastoring a small church about ½ an hour away from us and for a period of 10 months we became best of friends.  Our friendship could be best defined in the words of Solomon in Proverbs 18:24 There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

Angela and Nancy were pregnant with their first child at the same time and both were far from home.  Al and I were going through problems in our churches and we were together every chance we could get.  We laughed together; we cried together, we dreamed of the future together.  And then we didn’t see each other from October 1985 until we spent a couple of hours together at our daughter’s graduation service in 2010.    Does that negate our friendship, no not at all, each one us needed somebody right then, and God provided someone for us.  But that relationship could not have developed in a Sunday morning setting. 

If you stop and think about it you realize that I’m right, friendships only happen when you spend time together and time learning together and that is another vital part of the life groups.

Acts 2:42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. The last letter in life is e and that stands for Edification So, what is edification? I was tempted to call it education but it is so much more than that.   It is the personal and spiritual growth that occurs in individuals. And growth is essential in our spiritual journey.  In nature things are either growing or dying, there is no middle ground, and it’s the same with our spiritual life.  And when you stop learning you start dying and the minute a man ceases to grow, no matter what his years, that minute he begins to be old.  Remember the words “They can’t call you an old dog as long as you are learning new tricks.”   

And I know that some of you are thinking “well why can’t I grow spiritually by myself” Cause, it’s not going to happen and that’s why the bible, God’s word says things like

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

 And Hebrews 10:25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

If we are going to grow it will be with other people, Albert Schweitzer made this statement “In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”

But there is also the education component to it.  Alexander McLaren writes “An earnest desire after fuller knowledge is the basis of all healthy Christian life. We cannot realise, without a great effort, the ignorance of these new converts. 'Parthians and Medes and Elamites,' and Jews gathered from every corner of the Roman world, they had come up to Jerusalem, and the bulk of them knew no more about Christ and Christianity than what they picked up out of Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost.”

Small group learning keeps us from going off the tracks, and keeps the preacher from going off the tracks.  We read our bibles and come to a conclusion about a passage, happens all the time.  It’s when we sit down with other believers in a small group setting and they can either affirm that conclusion or they say “You know, that’s the dumbest thing I ever heard.” Either way, it keeps us centered.

And it’s not just the learning that helps us to grow, therapist Virginia Satir made this comment “We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.”  And that’s a lot more comfortable in a small group than the lobby after Church.

What's in it for Me?

What do people really get for all their hard work?  In 2013 that is a line of thought we’d expect to hear.  What do people really get for all their hard work? What do I get out of it?  What do you get out of it?  But it isn’t necessarily a question we’d expect to find in the bible, but there it is in Ecclesiastes 3:9 What do people really get for all their hard work?

What’s in it for me? Solomon has just finished listing the activities of a lifetime, birth and death, weeping and laughing, keeping and giving away, loving and hating.  And when it is all through, when everything has been said and done what’s the purpose.  It wasn’t just to provide the Byrds with a hit song. 

What do people really get for all their hard work? What is the purpose of it all? What do you gain? What is the purpose of life?  Is it worth it all?  Questions that are asked by thousands and thousands of people every day.  And if you haven’t asked those questions lately you either have at some point in your life or you will at some point in your life.  Why do I do what I do?  Is what I’m doing meaningful?

Our jobs, our faith, our church activities, what do we really get from all our hard work?  As I prepare my messages sometimes I wonder if they have any impact if they change lives or if they just go in one ear and out the other.  Kind of like the new preacher who the first three weeks he was in his new church he preached the same message every week.  It was entitled “Gird up Your Loins” and it dealt with service and character.  After his third week he was approached by the board and they asked him if he had any other sermons to which he replied “Sure I have all kinds, but you haven’t done anything about the first one yet.”

Now I don’t know where you are in your professional life, but  let’s talk about the work that we do at Cornerstone.

So Bayley and team do you ever wonder if all the work that goes into preparing the Sunday morning experience is appreciated?  And all the volunteers that help out in Nursery, junior church, children’s church and ignite, do you ever wonder if people appreciate the effort and commitment that is involved in Children’s ministry?  Last Sunday there were 81 children in all the children’s programs.  Stop for a minute and imagine how different the service would have been for you if they had of been in here with the adults instead of in programs designed for them?  On your way out hug a children’s church worker. 

Mike, do you ever wonder, if when people look at the great financial reports you do, if they realize the amount of work that goes into being treasurer?  Or for that matter if they even look at the great financial reports you do.

Each of us feels that we should be contributing to society and the church but there are times when we ask ourselves “Does what I do make a difference?”

What do people really get for all their hard work?    I’m here to say that it makes a difference when you work for the kingdom of God. Of course people being people they don’t like to compliment you, in case your head becomes too big.  But Bayley go ahead and have the team sing off key and mess up the tempo and see what happens, people will remind you of how good you were on another Sunday.  And Mike you go ahead and make a few errors in people’s income tax receipts and that’ll get you noticed.

You never notice the person doing the sound unless it’s too loud or not loud enough. When it’s just right who cares?

Although this isn’t the thrust of the message just let me say that you need to let people know that they are appreciated in church.  And you need to let your wives, husbands and children know that you appreciate all they do as well.

So back to the question: What do people really get for all their hard work?  Money, praise, glory, satisfaction.  Sure, sometimes but not all the time. So this morning we need to look at the three elements of this question and then answer the personal question of; where do you fit into the picture?

The question is asked in the book of Ecclesiastes, which of course is the 21^st book in the bible.  Traditionally we have been told that Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes but we don’t know that for sure, the author only identifies himself as “The Teacher”, “The Preacher” or “The Leader of the Assembly.” 

Ecclesiastes was written as the author struggled with the meaning of life, if you’ve ever wondered “why?” this is the book for you. It reveals how to find spiritual significance in our world.

As we move ahead with our vision and dreams for our church, it might be a good time to evaluate how we want to proceed with those dreams and visions.  As I’m sure most if not all of you are aware there is never a shortage of work in the church, only a shortage of committed believers to do the work.  Every one of you who is a part of Cornerstone can and should take a productive part in doing God’s work in our community. 

Every one of you can and should have a role in God’s plan for Cornerstone. There is work that goes on every week at Cornerstone and if anything, the workload is going to get heavier as we continue to grow.  Every once in a while I joke with the staff and say, this was a lot easier when there were just fifty of us.  But that isn’t why we are here, to provide a fun little club for fifty people.  We are here to reach people and impact lives, and in order to do that we need your help.  Denn can’t do it by himself and the staff can’t do it by themselves. 

And so the question remains: What do people really get for all their hard work?

The First thing we need to look at is a) The Worker  Who is the worker?  Good question, you understand there is only one person who will have a spiritual impact on Cornerstone.  And that is you. There is only one person who will have an impact on the growth of Cornerstone.  And that is you.  There is only one person that we need to commit themselves to the vision of seeing Cornerstone be the church God wants Cornerstone to be.  And that is you.  If you see that, then you are committed.  If you see that then, you are a part of the dream.  And if you make sure that you are willing to sacrifice then we will have a banner year. God has great things in store for Cornerstone  and for his Kingdom.  And the missing ingredient might be you.

The good news is that you don’t have to worry about what the fellow in front of you is going to do or what the gal behind you is going to do or what the Leadership Team or the staff are going to do.  All you have to worry about is what you are going to do.

God told Noah, “You will build an ark.”  God told Abraham “You will leave your home and go to a land I have promised you”.  God told Moses, “You will deliver my people out of slavery.” He told David “You will be king.”  He told Jonah “You will go to Nineveh.”

What is he asking you to do?  Someone once said “I never pray for a good garden unless I have a hoe in my hand.” It’s not enough to pray that God will bless your church unless you are willing to do something.  It’s not enough to look around and wonder why there are no visitors unless you are willing to invite some out.  It’s no good to wonder why that specific bible study or support group isn’t offered unless you are willing to lead or host it.   After thirty years in ministry I have discovered that some people in church just sit back and pay the bills and some just sit back.

Well in 2013 at Cornerstone we can’t afford either.  There are bills that need to be paid, I can assure you of that, but more than that there is work to be done and plenty of it. 

Each of you will have an integral part to play in the development of Cornerstone in the upcoming year. And there is no way I can force you or guilt you into taking part, it will always be your choice.

So now we know who the worker is I guess you are all wondering now what the work is.  b) The Work Now I’m sure that some of you are thinking, “But Denn I can’t do anything in the church.  I’m too old or too young or too busy.   I don’t have any talents the church can use and I can’t afford to give.  Every person here has something to offer.  God will not ask you to do something you can’t do, he may ask you to do something you won’t do, but he will never ask you to do something you can’t do. 

If there is absolutely no place you can serve at Cornerstone then perhaps you can give, if you can’t work or give then we need your prayers.  If you can’t say anything positive about the church then don’t say anything negative.  There are 3 questions that each person who attends Cornerstone is going to have to ask if they are going to be a part of Cornerstone and not just someone who drops in once in a while.  1) What will God have me do to help fulfil the vision of Cornerstone?  2) What will God have me give to fulfill the vision of Cornerstone?  And the third question ties in with questions 1 and 2 and that is 3) Will I be obedient to what God is asking me to do and give or not?

It was Robert Frost who said “Everyone is willing.  Some are willing to work and the rest are willing to let them.”  In the church, everyone is willing.  Some are willing to sacrifice and the rest are willing to let them.”  If our dream is going to be successful, it will only succeed through the sacrifice of God’s people.

The battle cry when we were raising the capital to start this building was, “Not equal giving but equal sacrifice” and that is still what it takes, and that doesn’t just apply to money it applies to giving of yourself as well, giving of your time and your talents and giving of your preferences. 

There are people who choose to come to the early service, not because that’s their first choice but in order to make room for guests in the second service.  There are folks who come who aren’t fans of the type of music we use on Sunday Morning but they believe in the vision we have for our community, there are those who might wish that Denn was a little more formal but they believe in the vision we have for our community.   And so they are willing to surrender their preferences for the vision. 

But whether it has to do with money, time or preferences a sacrifice isn’t a sacrifice until it cost you something.

And when we ask people to serve at Cornerstone we know that we are asking you to sacrifice something. In order to find the time to do something for God you may need to take that time from some other area of your life.  Whether it be time that you would have used for chores, or work or simply time that would have been spent doing nothing we are asking that you sacrifice it.  Because nobody can make time they can only find time.  But in order for Cornerstone to be all that Cornerstone can be there will be work that must be done and the more work that’s done by you the more it’s going to be your church.

Listen to what the teacher says in Ecclesiastes 3:22 So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work.

And in Ecclesiastes 2:10 . . . I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labours.

So we’ve discovered who the worker is and what the work is, but what is c) The Reward?   The most important reward will be Changed People.  The reason we have been placed in Hammonds Plains is not so there would be a Wesleyan Church here. It wasn’t so we’d all have some place to go on Sundays and it isn’t to provide a comfort club for the saints.  Jesus told his disciples in John 4:35-36 You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!

The reason we have been placed here is to see people in Bedford and Hammonds Plains and the surrounding area come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Without Denn Guptill the people of our community will survive.  If there wasn’t a Cornerstone I’m sure that our community would somehow limp along. But without Jesus Christ people are destined for hell. 

Now we are not the only ones presenting the gospel in our community, but we have a responsibility to proclaim the salvation of Jesus Christ as if we were the only gospel preaching church for a thousand miles. 

We have been given the means to see hearts changed in men and women in our communities but we have to do our part and that is work.  But what a reward that will be, knowing that because of us someone has gained eternal life.

Changed people will lead to a Changed Community.  I am convinced that we can and will have an impact on our community.  And, as more and more people come to know the Lord and a greater percentage of our population become Christians that it will have a dramatic effect on our communities.  As the morals of a people rise so will the moral standards of the community, the tide raises all the boats.   

So when everything is said and done what is the final reward? When you finish your last Junior Church lesson, when the last sermon is preached, the last song is sung, the last youth group is led, the last bulletin is printed and handed out.  What if at that point you haven’t seen a single person come to know Jesus? What if you haven’t changed your street let alone your world?

Well if you have sacrificed as God has asked you, if you have given as God as asked you and you have worked as God has asked you then you will receive the greatest reward which you can be given.  For as you stand before your master and as He sees your obedience then he will say as the master did to his servant in Matthew 25:21 “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

In the final analysis, it doesn’t matter much what Denn Guptill thinks of your performance. It really doesn’t matter how much or how little you’ve done in relation to anyone else.  It doesn’t matter how your work measures up on this side of eternity.  But what does matter is what you’ve done with what Christ has given you.

Your works won’t save you; the scriptures are very clear about that.  Last week we looked at Ephesians 2:8-9 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

But they are also clear that once you are saved that your works present the evidence of your salvation.   That’s why Jesus’ brother James wrote in  James 2:18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

Time and time again the scripture come back to the concept of the tree being identified by its fruit, what kind of fruit are you bearing?  We say it over and over again that it’s one thing to talk about how committed you are to God but where is the evidence? The two most important books in most people lives are their cheque book and their date book, by looking through those books you will discover where your commitment is.

On the back of the form that was handed out this morning is a whole list of ministry opportunities that exist at Cornerstone.  And some are specific, you really need to be able to sing if you are going to be on the vocal team, and if you want to be in the band it would be helpful if you can play an instrument.  Don’t like teens?  Maybe assisting Pastor Ben in the youth ministry isn’t for you.  But I would suspect that there are areas that you are able to serve. 

And it benefits the church by having people who serve, it benefits others who don’t have to serve every week and it will benefit you when you get to meet people you’ve never met before and you become a part of the mission.   

So, what do people really get for all their hard work? 

Grace, More Than a Girl's Name

When I had been a Christ follower for a few days my best friends brother asked me what my favorite song was, I wasn’t sure exactly what answer he was looking for but considering he was a pastor I figured that “We’re Here for a Good Time” by Trooper wasn’t the right answer, and so I said “Amazing Grace”.  Now to be truthful I’m not even sure if I could have hummed the tune or quoted any of the words but it was the only “Christian” song that I could think of on the spur of the moment. 

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.  I once was lost but now am found was blind but now I see.”  It is probably the most recognized tune in the Church.  In July of 2010 Darlene Zschech led a group of 18,000 worshippers in the Philippines in singing Amazing Grace in 60 different languages.  And apparently it is the only song that sounds good on bag pipes. 

Not only is Amazing Grace the most loved song in the Christian Church but Amazing Grace is indeed the defining doctrine of the Christian Church.  But what is grace?  Before I became a follower of Jesus Grace was either the name of the lady who lived down the road from us, or was what we said before we ate at my grandmother’s house.  Neither of which was relevant to me.  But Grace is more than a girl’s name and it’s more than the obligatory prayer whispered before a meal when you have the pastor over for supper.

So, what is grace? Well, grace can mean a whole bunch of things from elegance to mercy to the prayer you say before you eat. 

But when we are talking about Divine Grace it’s defined in The Oxford English Dictionary: “The free and unmerited favour of God as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowing of blessings.”  But what does that mean?

 Through the years you have heard me define grace by saying “Justice is getting what you deserve, mercy is getting less then you deserve and grace is getting what you don’t deserve.” 

To illustrate, suppose one of your children misbehaved.  Now that won’t work, because I know that your children never misbehave.  So you will have to imagine that one of your children had misbehaved, still a bit of a stretch but work with me.   Your child has misbehaved and because it’s 2013 you can’t spank them so you banish them to their room until they are 18.  That is justice, getting what they deserve.  But after an hour or so you start feeling sorry for them so you tell them it’s all right they can come out now.  That is mercy getting less than what they deserve.  But then you say, “You know what, let’s go for an ice-cream.”  That is grace, when they get what they don’t deserve. 

But what does grace look like?

His Name was Joseph and he began his life with a silver spoon in his mouth.  His father was Jacob, Abraham’s Grandson, who had become a wealthy land owner and farmer and Joseph was his favourite son.  From the time he was just a child it was evident that he was favoured, and perhaps a little bit spoiled, or actually perhaps a lot bit spoiled, actually there was no perhaps about it, he was daddy’s favourite and Daddy wasn’t afraid to show him or his other children how he felt about Joseph. 

I don’t know what the final straw was, maybe it was the beautiful coat that his father bought him, or maybe it was when he had the dreams about his brothers bowing down to him and worshipping him.  Maybe it was when the rest of his brothers had to tend the sheep out in the field and Joseph stayed at home.  Or maybe it was just that opportunity presented itself.  Joseph had gone out to the fields to check up on his brothers for his father, and the brothers saw their opportunity.  They threw Joseph into a dried up well and then to add insult to injury they sold him into slavery.

From favourite son to slave and the story doesn’t end there.  Joseph was taken to Egypt and was sold to a man named Potiphar.  If we follow the story along we discover that Joseph was able to gain the trust of his master and eventually became manager of everything that Potiphar owned, but when he refused to give in to the advances of his master’s wife she framed him for rape and he ended up in prison.

From favourite son to slave, from trusted servant to prisoner, you really know the path to downward mobility don’t you Joseph?  And to be fair, Joseph’s problems began because he wasn’t very gracious.  Well it’s pretty obvious that if anyone needed God’s grace it would be Joseph.  But he’s not alone.  Some Need God’s Grace Because of Their Attitudes you know, the way we speak to people and treat people.

If Joseph started from the top and worked his way down Moses started from the bottom and worked his way up.  The people of Israel had become slaves to the people of Egypt and when the pharaoh began to feel threatened by the growing number of Israelites in his country the Bible says he decided to make their slavery even more bitter, kind of the old “I’ll give you something to cry about”.  When the harsh working conditions didn’t break their spirits he issued an order to the midwives to kill the baby boys of Israel as soon as they were born.  When the midwives refused the Pharaoh ordered all the newborn boys to be thrown into the Nile River.  And it was into this climate that Moses was born.

His mother hid him for three months and when it became apparent that she could hid him no more he was placed into a floating basket and placed in the reeds at the edge of the Nile in hopes that someone would find him and take pity on him.

And don’t you just love it when a plan comes together?  Because that’s exactly what happened and the story gets better because he wasn’t found by just anyone he was found by the daughter of the Pharaoh.  Who promptly feel in love with this beautiful little baby boy. And the story gets better and better, Moses was adopted into the royal household and enjoyed all the perks and privileges of growing up the adopted son of the most powerful man in the country.

What an opportunity to help his people, to make a difference in his world, to impact society.  There was so much that he could do, but did he?  No.  As a matter of fact we find no indication that Moses even acknowledged his roots until he was forty years old and on that one occasion he saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite and he killed the Egyptian and buried his body in the sand.  Nasty temper Moses, obviously you never read anything by James Barrie because he said “Temper is a weapon that we hold by the blade.”

Moses, what were you thinking, you had the power the prestige and the position to make a difference in your world and you blew it.  Obviously you weren’t thinking were you? You ever feel like Moses?  You had it all and then you  blew it, and all because you couldn’t control your temper.  Some Need God’s Grace Because of Their Temper, we say and do things in the heat of the moment and hurt those around us.

Some called him King, others said he was a man after God’s own heart, she called him honey. David was Israel’s greatest King.  He had taken the Jews from being nothing more than a collection of Nomadic tribes to being one of the most powerful nations in the known world.  It was under David’s leadership and direction that Israel reached the high point of her history.  Economically, politically and spiritual Israel was at its peak. And David was riding high on the crest of popular opinion.

Now I don’t know if David got bored or if he was going through a midlife crisis thing or what happened but one day when his troops had all gone off to war, David stayed home.  And you know what they say, “Idle hands are the devil’s hands.”  Well David should have kept busy doing what he was supposed to be doing.

The bible tells us that one afternoon that David has just gotten up from taking a nap, a nap, must be nice to be king.  And as he’s strolling along the roof top of the palace he notices that one of his neighbours is taking a bath in the buff in the backyard. Well this lady was not hard to look at all and David sent someone to find out who she was.  The answer came back that she was Bathsheba and that she was the wife of one of David’s soldiers, a man named Uriah.  

David didn’t waste any time, he had Bathsheba brought to his home, I don’t know what he was thinking, perhaps he didn’t know what he was thinking, perhaps he wasn’t thinking.  Maybe it was all innocent and he wanted to compliment her on her beauty, or maybe warn her that when she bathed in the buff in the backyard that it wasn’t nearly as private as she thought it was.  Or maybe he knew all along where this would lead.  It was Scottish Writer Margaret Opliphant who so wisely pointed out “Temptations come, as a general rule, when they are sought.” 

Well it may have started out innocent but it didn’t end innocent, I think David must have been a fan of Robert A. Heinlein who wrote “Always yield to temptation, you never know when it will pass your way again.” The bible says they slept together and if that is all they did there wouldn’t have been a problem, but the next time David sees Bathsheba she had some news for him, she said something like “Hi Daddy.”  David, David, David.  What have you done?  Well we know what he did, but why did he do it.

Well David begins to think, and scheme after all he didn’t get to be King for nothing.  And he sends for Uriah thinking that Bathsheba could seduce her husband, although he had been away from home for a while so there probably wouldn’t need to be a lot of seduction, and Uriah would think the child was his, he must not have been real good with math.

But that isn’t the way it happened.  Uriah refused to go home; he said his fellow soldiers were out defending the country it wouldn’t be right for him to be spending the night with his wife.  Oh drat, it’s on to plan “B” then so David invited Uriah to dinner, proceeded to get him drunk and then sent him home, but still Uriah refused.  Well if you can’t blame hubby then get rid of hubby, and that’s what David did, he had Uriah’s commander send him deep into enemy territory and Uriah was killed.

So let’s see, David, you slept with another man’s wife, and then you had her husband murdered.  Hope she was worth it.  David you were thinking with your hormones and not your head.  And if you were to get what you deserved under the law of your kingdom and your God you would be killed, you are in serious need of God’s grace. 

 Some Need God’s Grace Because of Their Actions.  How many of us have done what we knew we shouldn’t be doing?  Because we going to enjoy it for the here and now regardless of how it might affect our future or the future of those we love.

For three years Peter had walked with Jesus.  For three years Peter had listened to Jesus.  For three years Peter had been Jesus closest friend.  And in three statements he dismissed those three years as irrelevant and non-existent.

Each month we celebrate communion, or the Lord’s supper; the first time it was celebrated was with Jesus and the twelve apostles the night before he was to be crucified.  He knew what was going to happen but the rest of them didn’t, so at the end of the meal he tried to bring them up to speed.  When Peter heard Jesus talk about how things would turn out he tried to reassure his friend that he wouldn’t be alone.  He made statements like: “Even if I have to die for you I’ll never desert you.”  And Jesus looked at him and said “Peter the truth is, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

Well, you can’t say he wasn’t warned.  I’m sure that most of you know the rest of the story.  Jesus is arrested and hauled first before the High Priests and then before Pilate, the Roman Governor.  Peter who had been so filled with bravado just hours before followed from a distance and found himself huddled for warmth around a fire with servants of the high priest.  As the flickering flames lit the faces around the fire one of the servant girls looked at Peter and asked if he was one of the disciple, “nope, not me.” He replied, “Must be someone who looks like me.”  At the words another person looks up and says, “She’s right, I’m sure that you were with the one they call the Messiah” and again Peter shook his head and denied it.  It wasn’t long and someone said “you were with them; you even talk like a Galilean.” And with that Peter began to curse and swear, denying that he had even met the carpenter.

I wonder what Peter was so afraid of?  These weren’t people of influence, they had no authority, they weren’t even making accusations, they were just curious.  But in Peter’s mind they held his freedom if not his life in their hands.  Ernest Hemingway had it right when he said “Cowardice, as distinguished from panic, is almost always simply a lack of ability to suspend the functioning of the imagination.”

And then the rooster crowed.  Peter, fisherman, apostle, coward.  How could you do that to your best friend?  Peter, you’ve painted yourself with such a bright yellow? As a Christ follower have you ever denied Christ?  Maybe it wasn’t with words but with the lack of words, you knew you should have spoken up and you didn’t.   Some Need God’s Grace Because of Their Waffling.  One day they claim Christ with their words and deeds and the next day their words and deeds say “I don’t know Jesus”  

Have you ever felt like you had blown it in your Christian walk?  Have there been times that your behaviour has been less then admirable?  Perhaps like Joseph you just can’t seem to get it right, and you know that God must be angry at you or you wouldn’t have such rotten luck.  But the story hasn’t been finished yet.  Joseph eventually became the second most powerful man in Egypt and because of his position he was able to save his entire family during a famine that affected entire Eastern Mediterranean.  He summed up his life in a conversation that he had with his brothers in Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Maybe like Moses you have a temper that needs to be brought under control, and let there be no doubt about it, if you have a problem with your temper it will need to be brought under control.  But Moses story didn’t end with him on the lamb, instead God brought him back to Egypt to deliver the people of Israel from slavery to freedom.  That was where the original Passover celebration came from.    When the writer of the book of Hebrews was listing all the heroes of faith in the bible he gives Moses five verses, more space than anyone else on the list.  This is only part of it Hebrews 11:27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.

Have you struggled with moral failure like David?  Figure that you’ve blown it and there is no hope for you?  Don’t know if you can fall much further than David fell, and yet in Psalm 51 we read David’s prayer of repentance Psalm 51:1-2 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.

And?  Well in 2 Samuel 12:13 David is talking to Nathan the Preacher who confronted him with his sin, and this is a part of that conversation:  2 Samuel 12:13 Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the LORD has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.

The story wasn’t over.  In the New Testament Jesus is referred to as the Son of David on at least 15 occasions.

Do you ever feel like Peter?  In your life, or your behaviour or your words you have denied knowing Jesus. You can’t imagine that he could ever love you or forgive you after your betrayal.  And yet it was after Peter’s betrayal, after his denial that Jesus gave him three opportunities to express his love.  One affirmation for each denial.  And then Jesus looked at him and said “then take care of my sheep”, entrusting the early church to Peter.  If we read through the book of Acts we discover Peter preaching in front of thousands of people, and when he was arrested and pulled in front of the authorities who commanded him to stop never again speak or teach about Jesus listen to what he said, Acts 4:19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?

And maybe you have nothing in common with Joseph, Moses, David or Peter but here is the reality:  We All Need God’s Grace Because We Are People

Each of us is far from God, and according to his word justice for us would be to be separated for eternity from God and goodness, and light and love, and compassion.  In our tradition that is called hell.  Mercy for us would be annihilation, to simply cease to exist at death.  But instead God offers Grace, the thing we don’t deserve, eternal life in his presence. 

Why did Jesus come?  It was the tax collector Matthew who recalled a prophecy from the Old Testament that speaks of the coming messiah, the one we call Jesus Matthew 12:20-21 He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. And his name will be the hope of all the world.”

It was that great American philosopher Yogi Berra who said “The game isn't over until it's over.”  If you feel like you’ve failed in your Christian walk Jesus isn’t going to crush you or put out your flame, even if that is what you deserve, he is there to pick you up.  Listen to the promise of the Bible, this is for you this morning, I don’t know where you are on your spiritual journey but this promise is for you.

Ephesians 2:8-9 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.