The Promise of the Gift

When you think of Christmas what comes to your mind? Before you answer let me tell you a story I heard many years ago. It happened in a grade four Sunday School Class and the teacher was asking the class a question, I don't know what the context was or why she was asking it, but she was. The question was this "What is grey, has a bushy tail, collects nuts and climbs trees." Before anyone else could answer a little boy stuck up and his hand and blurted out "I know the answer is Jesus but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me."

So we will give you this one. When I asked the question "When you think of Christmas what comes to mind?" I know without reservation that the answer that we all thought of immediately was "Jesus" goes without saying and I will in no way question your spirituality or commitment by thinking otherwise. So I will rephrase it. "When you think of Christmas what is the second thing that comes to mind?"

Maybe you are a house decorator and you think about all the decoration that you are going to put up for Christmas, all of the things that say Christmas to you, lights and tinsel, trees and penguins. And don't get my wife started on how dumb penguins are for a Christmas decoration, trust me on that one, you don't want to go down that road.

And some people do a great job, decorating and others, well less than spectacular. Have I mentioned that my sister is insane? Certifiably insane, she starts decorating her house in late October and on Halloween she dresses up like Mrs. Claus, plays Christmas music and hands out candy canes to the kids. I am not making this up. But to prove there is balance in the universe if it was up to me I wouldn't put up a single decoration. Not that I'm opposed to decorations it just that I am motivationally challenged when it comes to things like that, that means I'm lazy.

For others it's about the baking, you have already started baking and before you are finished you will have baked enough food to feed a small third world village. And others are thinking about all those cookies and squares and how good they will be, and how much weight you will gain but it wouldn't be right to hurt the cooks feelings, would it?

For some of you it brings to mind family and this is the time of the year that you all get together for a big dinner, family pictures and time together. And maybe for others there are laws that keep that from happening.

But regardless of what the main thing is that comes to your mind when I say Christmas, the one thing that we are all thinking about, somewhere on the list, besides Jesus that goes without saying, are gifts. Either about the gifts we will receive or the gifts we will give. The talk of the season is about gifts.

Where we will buy them, how we will wrap them, how we will get them delivered, gifts, gifts gifts. And people see gift giving in different ways. Here is an example. (video clip from Big Bang Christmas)

Some people see gift giving like Penny, just as an opportunity to give and express your feelings for others. Others, whether you want to admit it or not, are like Sheldon, and although you may never have expressed your theory of reciprocity quite as eloquently as he did, you feel the same way, you don't receive gifts you receive obligations.

If you are in the least bit familiar with the Christmas story then you know that gifts were an important part of that event. There were tangible gifts, in the form of the gold, frankincense and myrrh that were brought by the wise men as well as the gifts that couldn't be held and shaken or wrapped but were no less real. Like the gift that the wise men had presented of themselves, they had travelled literally hundreds of miles over hostile terrain in order to worship the Christ child, there were the shepherds who left their flocks in the hills in order to come and offer their adoration for the one who was born to be the great shepherd.

We know from the story that there was no room in the inn, but someone had to offer the family space in a stable, presumably they didn't just move in uninvited. If you looked out in your backyard and there was a family living in your shed you'd call the police. The fact that they had a place out of the weather, was a gift.

But the very essence of Christmas isn't about gifts plural; it's about a gift singular. Because that night in Bethlehem 2000 years ago the greatest gift of all was given to the world. The gift of Jesus the Son of God. And before that gift was given it was promised. In the Old Testament it was promised to the people of Israel and in the Christmas story the gift was promised to Mary and then to her fiancé Joseph.

It was the account of the promise to Joseph that was read for us earlier and we are going to look at that promise this morning. Matthew 1:22-23 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'"

And so we begin with Matthew 1:22-23 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'"

1) The Promise of the Gift This scripture is a reference to the Old Testament book of Isaiah. Now if you know your Old Testament history than you know that by this time what had been known as Israel has split into two separate entities after the death of King Solomon. The Northern and Southern Kingdoms, the Northern is called Israel while the Southern is called Judah and they are battling each other as well as outside forces.

Judah has come under siege from all sides and King Ahaz, is waiting for the other shoe to drop and for his country to be attacked by opposing forces and he knows that will result in the destruction and exile of the Southern Kingdom.

And this is the setting for the prophet Isaiah to speak. And from Isaiah's writings we get several texts that we refer to as "Messianic Prophecies" or prophecies about the coming Messiah.

It was Isaiah who wrote Isaiah 9:6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

But the prophecy that is referenced here comes from Isaiah 7:14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us').

And that was a prophecy that was held onto for the next four hundred years, that there would be one who would come and reunite the divided kingdom and bring the united Israel back to her former glory.

But there was a misunderstanding. For the majority of Israel they saw the coming Messiah as a military leader who would rally the people of Israel against their oppressors and lead them in an uprising.

But they were missing the entire point that Isaiah and every other prophet in the Old Testament had been trying to make and that was the reason why the Kingdom was divided and the reason why God allowed them to be oppressed and that was because of their disobedience to God and his commandments.

What needed fixing wasn't the political situation in Israel, it was the hearts of the people of Israel. A people who had been called to follow God but who had turned their backs on him and his ways. Oh they still wanted to be known as a nation of God but that wasn't evident in their worship or their lives, kind of like Canada referring to itself as a Christian nation, but I digress.

And so Isaiah was saying that one would come not to fix the symptoms, that God's blessing was no longer upon his people, but to fix the problem, and that was the sin that had separated God from his people. God hadn't moved away from the people, the people had moved away from God.

And the story continues.

Matthew 1:22-23 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'"

2) The Nature of the Gift: This is the very essence of Christmas; The virgin will conceive a child! It's in our Christmas Carols, on our Christmas Cards, little children who have no idea what virgin means talk about it in Christmas pageants. But I wonder how much of that is lip service and how many actually believe that the Virgin conceived a child? There are some who argue that the Hebrew word that Isaiah used for virgin could have just as well meant "a young woman", perhaps but that wouldn't have been much of a sign would it?

Wouldn't require you to be much of a prophet to make that kind of statement, would it? "And now a sign from God, a young woman will conceive!" And the sun will come up in the morning and go down in the evening. I mean if a young woman conceiving was a sign then Cornerstone would have been full of signs over the past year.

But regardless of what the word may or may not have meant, when the Angel came to Mary and told her that she would become pregnant with a son her response was Luke 1:34 Mary asked the angel, "But how can this happen? I am a virgin." And she wasn't saying that she was a young maiden, the word that Mary used only had one meaning and that was "Virgin".

And there are some folks who still have a problem with the virgin birth because they say that it's impossible, they kind of miss that's the point. Personally I can't figure that out. If you can believe that Jesus was and is the Son of God why can't you believe that he was born of a virgin?

And if the issue isn't whether or not Mary was a virgin but whether or not Jesus was the Son of God than you have bigger issues to deal with. If we believe that Jesus was indeed God then why wouldn't he be born of a virgin?

If the idea was not just for Jesus to come and assume human form but instead was to experience all that we experienced he couldn't just appear as an adult but had to be born. There has to be something in us that begins when the first cell separates and become two cells, I don't know when our consciousness actually begins but that somehow leaves a mark on who we are and who we will become and Jesus experienced that with us.

And if Jesus is truly the Son of God then by definition his father would be God, not Joseph but God.

The how was explained to Joseph, remember Joseph he was engaged to Mary, and he assumed that she was a virgin, and then she drops the bomb shell that she is pregnant, he freaks out decides to break off the engagement and really who could blame him? And an angel appears to Joseph and we are told in Matthew 1:20-21 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

The first part explains the how. The child will be conceived by the Holy Spirit and the second part is the why and it is echoed in the scripture we have been looking at.

Matthew 1:22-23 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'"

3) The Purpose of the Gift: The prophecy tells us that the virgin will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means "God is with us". As I mentioned earlier the blessing of God had left the people of Israel because the people of Israel had turned their backs on God and his purposes. The reason for Israel's problems was disobedience. It wasn't a political issue it was a "Sin" issue.

And now God was taking the unimaginable step, he was coming to be with his people. People had always known that they could go to heaven, but now heaven was coming to them.

Now understand that Immanuel was not his name it was a description of who he would be. After all there is nowhere in the bible that we see Jesus called anything but Jesus. Immanuel is a description of Jesus' purpose in coming that God would come to earth and offer himself as the ultimate sacrifice God would be with us. But more than that it was a description of the divinity of Jesus.

Mary was a virgin, she had never been with a man and yet she became pregnant, how? The angel told Joseph Matthew 1:20 . . . For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

And so the child was the son of God, he became God with us, but why? What would possess God to do that?

We were originally created to be friends with God and yet sin drove a wedge into the relationship. Isaiah 59:2 But there is a problem—your sins have cut you off from God. Because of your sin, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. That is reiterated in the book of Micah 3:4 Then you beg the Lord for help in times of trouble! Do you really expect him to listen? After all the evil you have done, he won't even look at you! Sin has separated us from a Holy God. In the history of Israel God was approached through an intermediary, and that was the High Priest, people didn't have a relationship with God He was a remote and distant figure.

And that doesn't sound like, "God with us"

And into the void came Jesus, the son of God, who lived among us and who died on a cross and spilt his blood for our sins, in order to bring us back into fellowship with God. John the apostle wrote in His first letter in the book of 1 John 2:2 He is the sacrifice for our sins. He takes away not only our sins but the sins of all the world. and in the same letter in 1 John 4:10 This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Finally Paul tells us in the book of Romans 3:23-25 For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times.

In all three of those verses the word that is translated sacrifice or sacrificing was translated as propitiation back in 1611 when the King James Version was translated. That's a neat word isn't it propitiation, if I was to ask you for a definition I wonder how many would be game to try it? It easy, you see propitiation means the act of propitiating.

Not very helpful am I? Propitiation literally means "To appease the wrath of God, so that his justice and holiness will be satisfied and he can forgive our sins."

And so because of this atoning sacrifice that Christ has made for us, once we have repented of our sins, and that simply means telling God that we are sorry for disobeying him and turning away from those actions, and have accepted the forgiveness that Christ offers us then he becomes Immanuel, God with us.

And here is the great part of that promise that was made to Joseph concerning the gift that his son would be Matthew 1:21 "And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

The promise isn't just that Jesus will save us from the consequences of our sin, as important as that is, but that he will save us from being the slave of sin. John 8:34-36 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. That is the gift, that you don't have to sin. Not because you have the power to not sin but because Jesus came to set us free, if we choose to be free.

How about it? Has he set you free from sin?


 

John the Baptist, An Almost Familiar Story

It is a familiar story for this time of year. A heavenly messenger, a miraculous birth, a normal childhood a short ministry preaching to people who loved his message and hated his message and then an untimely death at the hands of the authorities he had offended.

Most people could fill in the missing details if they were asked and they would be wrong. They would talk about shepherds and wise men, heavenly choirs and stables and little animals, drummer boys and stars and flying reindeer. But none of those were part of the story. I know that you are thinking, "Well maybe not the drummer boy and the flying reindeer but the rest were." Nope, the problem is that the story is familiar but only because it mirrors another story.

At this time of the year we are all too familiar with the Christmas story and all that goes with it, and most of us can parrot back the details both the details that are biblical and extra biblical. Wrapped up in the Christmas celebrations are facts and legends, poems and songs. And that is why Christians, both committed and nominal will celebrate around the world in less than a month. And even those who would never darken the door of a church 364 days out of the year will take time to at least tip their hats to the birth of Christ.

But the story didn't start when the Angel appeared to Mary, no the story began half a year earlier and 100 kms away.

Before the angel appeared to Mary and Joseph he had already appeared in Jerusalem to a man named Zechariah to announce the birth of a boy who would be named John. Part of the story was read for us earlier and this morning we are going to look at the tale of Jesus' older cousin John, because the story of Jesus would never be complete without the story of John.

Many people feel that there is so much detail in the book of Luke about what happened prior to the birth of Christ that it could only have come from one source and that was Mary, and so the feeling is that what we hearing in Luke's account is a firsthand view of the miraculous.

So let's begin our journey where our Journey should begin, at the beginning. Historically we are at the end of four hundred years of silence in the Story of Israel. The last recorded words from one of God's prophets had been written in the book of Malachi and the people of Israel have been waiting to be delivered from the various occupiers of their country.

Luke 1:5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. The Parents of John: Interestingly enough the Elizabeth who is mentioned here is actually a relative of Mary's. Earlier I called John a cousin because I didn't know what else to call him. And that's what he would have been called in those extended families, when you can't think of anything else to call someone who is kin you call them your cousin. You know if they aren't your brother or sister, niece or nephew then they have to be your cousin.

When Gabriel appeared to Mary at beginning of the Christmas story he reveals this to her, Luke 1:36 What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she's now in her sixth month.

In the King James Version it calls Elizabeth Mary's cousin but the word in the original Greek was much broader than that and simply meant someone who was related to you, somehow. And she may have been her cousin, we just don't know. What we do know is that Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron and we are told that Mary was a descendant of David's so whatever relationship there was on their Mother's side of the family tree.

But we do know a few things about Zechariah and Elizabeth, we know that they were good folk, the Bible tells us in Luke 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Sounds like good folk to me.

And we know that Zechariah was a priest and that Elizabeth was descended from the priestly line and we know that they were childless. A tragedy for most folks who it happened to but for a priest it was a double tragedy in that there would be no son to carry on his priestly responsibilities.

And we know that they were older, again how old? We don't know, old enough to be mentioned, but perhaps because it was in relation to their child bearing years maybe it was just relative, maybe they were old in their late forties or early fifties. Not sure.

And we know that they were chosen for a very special assignment, to raise John. This wasn't just an oops we are pregnant, what now. From the beginning this was to be a very special birth and a very special child.

Luke 1:11-13 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angel said, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.

The Promise of John's Birth By this time in history there were more priests than there were jobs for priests, so they took turns working in the temple, good work if you can find it. And Zechariah's turn came up and he was chosen to enter into the temple and offer the sacrifices and while he was in there the strangest thing happened.

He's doing the things he supposed to be doing, preparing the sacrifice, getting it ready to be offered, preparing his prayers and the scriptures he will read as part of the ceremony and God interrupts him, with an Angel.

And Zechariah was a little spooked; actually he was a lot spooked. After all he was supposed to be alone in the altar area, there were no windows just lit by flickering torches, maybe he's whistling as he worked. And all of a sudden he's no longer alone. I don't think he was spooked because there was an angel there, I think he was spooked because there was anyone there.

And if we read through the conversation the Angel, who identifies himself as Gabriel, I know don't get me started, tells Zechariah that their prayers are going to be answered that they will be parents and that their son will do great things for God.

And after the angel drops this bombshell, I mean good news on Zechariah he gets this response; "What?" Actually that was a rough translation his actually words were Luke 1:18 Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure this will happen? I'm an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years."

My wife is well along in years, that charitable, love how it is put in the King James Version Luke 1:18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. Guys just a hint, not sure that "well stricken in years" is the most appropriate way to describe your wife's age.

You got to love this, for years Zechariah and Elizabeth had prayed for a son, They had been praying so long it had become route and I don't think they really expected it would be answered and had never stopped to consider what would happen if it was answered, there would be diapers to buy, a house to be baby proofed and they'd have to get a baby seat for the camel.

Presumably they knew what caused babies and presumably they had been trying that particular technique without success so the assumption would have to be that there would have to be something miraculous about this.

And to be fair, it may not have been disbelief as much as curiosity that caused his reaction, he knew the other way wasn't working so what was going to change?

If you don't know the rest of the story it would appear that Gabriel was a little sensitive about not being believed because he responds by saying in Luke 1:19-20 Then the angel said, "I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn't believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time."

Boy, do you know where I'd be if folks who don't always believe the promises of God lost their voice? Yeah, preaching to a very quiet church.

And the story continues.

Luke 1:14-17 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly."

The Purpose of John's Life I think it's interesting that in that actual promise these words are spoken by the angel Luke 1:15 For he (your son) will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.

Without commentary don't you find it interesting how those thoughts are joined? 1) Great in the eyes of the Lord 2) filled with the Holy Spirit 3) must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks, just saying.

There are some who say that the Angel's words "God has heard your prayer." had nothing to do with Zechariah's prayers for a child and everything to do with Zechariah's prayers for deliverance for his country. Which would explain the shock upon hearing Elizabeth was pregnant. He was praying for God to do something outstanding for his country but I'm not sure he thought he'd be a part of that plan

So here is what Zechariah was promised for his son.

And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.
He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah.
He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord.
He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children
He will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.

That sounds like a pastor's dream come true for his child. Pictures of crusades and mass conversions must have gone through Zechariah's mind. I'm sure that most of us as Christ Followers would want that for our children.

It's interesting though that while Zechariah was told some of the story he was not told all the story. When his son was born Zechariah received his voice back and proclaimed the goodness of God and his belief in what his son would be called to do. I'm not sure if he would have been nearly as excited had he known how that would play out.

Luke 1:80 John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

The Person that John Became If you were to ask Zechariah to predict the future of his son it would probably of had to do with the priesthood. It was John's lineage, his father was a priest and his mother was the daughter of a priest. And I'm pretty sure that in Zechariah's mind that if his son was going to have an impact for God it would be through the religious establishment that the family was familiar with. After all why wouldn't it be?

But when John had grown up we read that he went into the wilderness and when the time was right he appears preaching repentance, baptising people and telling them that the messiah was soon going to appear. Both Matthew and Mark give us the same description of John. Mark tells us in Mark 1:6 His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.

And while he is preaching repentance his mantra continues to be that he is not the chosen one, that he is just the messenger and that there is one coming who will fulfil all the prophecies of the Old Testament and will deliver Israel and then we read in Mark 1:9 One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. That was the short account, you may remember that John protested that he shouldn't be baptising Jesus but that it should be the other way around and Jesus insisted that John baptise him, and then when he came out of the water how the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Christ and a voice came from the sky saying "This is my Son and he brings me great joy." Talk about affirmation.

We don't know how much contact John and Jesus had with each other through the years, the bible is silent on that relationship, we can speculate but it would simply be speculation. Some cousins are close, others not so much. We don't know if the boys played together or if they even knew they existed. The pastor at Hillside Wesleyan Church is Jay Guptill and people often ask us if we are related, Jay will tell them I'm his father, and they nod and smile often believing it without thought even though he is only a couple of years younger than me.

The truth however is that our fathers are something like third cousins and I didn't even meet Jay until I was twenty years old.

And then we see little snippets of John appear throughout the gospels. He continues to preach and confront people about their behaviour. He preached repentance, he baptised those who repented and he offended people who didn't . In particular he offended the wrong people.

Luke 3:19-20 John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother's wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.

The Price that John Paid It is an interesting side bar to the Gospel story, Herod of Antipas was the son of Herod the Great who we remember from the Christmas story, Alexander McLaren writes this about Herod. "This Herod was a son of the grim old tiger who slew the infants of Bethlehem. He was a true cub of a bad litter, with his father's ferocity, but without his force. He was sensual, cruel, cunning, and infirm of purpose. Rome allowed him to play at being a king, but kept him well in hand."

Apparently Herod's younger brother, Phillip, had married a woman by the name of Herodias and somehow she ended up married to Herod. The assumption is that she left the younger brother for the older brother. And John began to publically take issue with the morality of the entire situation. I'm not sure that it bothered Herod that much he was probably used to people criticizing him, after all he wasn't the most lovable tyrant. But it was getting to Herodias and we are told that Herod had John imprisoned as a favour to Herodias. Here was John who had spent so much of his adult life in the wide open spaces of the wilderness now confined to a prison cell. Must have been tough but it would get tougher.

But listen to this little snippet in Mark 6:19-20 So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But without Herod's approval she was powerless, for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him.

Now maybe you know how the story ends for John, you hear people talk about how immoral our society is, how far we've fallen but this account reveals what life was like 2000 years ago in the society that John and Jesus were called to confront.

Herod throws this big party for everybody who was anybody and part of the festivities was a dance performed by his daughter. When the dance was over Herod applauded and told her "that was awesome, I will give you anything you desire, right up to half my Kingdom." Not sure how the Romans would have felt about that, but I would suspect that Herod had been in the bubbly.

So the girl went over to her mother and had a little girl talk and she came back and we pick up the story in Matthew 14:8 At her mother's urging, the girl said, "I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!"

Now that seems a little extreme, and I'm sure that everyone knew that it was the booze talking but we read in Mark 6:26-28 Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn't refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John's head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison, brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother.

So that is the story of John the Baptist from start to finish. But if we couldn't find any lessons in the story it would just be another story.

As I was writing this message a number of thoughts came to me, here are a few of them.

The first lesson is "Prayer delayed is not prayer denied." I wonder how many times Zechariah and his bride had questioned whether or not God even heard their prayers. But their son was to be born at just the right time. Which made me realize what a gift it was that John was born in Zechariah and Elizabeth's old age. By the time of his death John was in his early thirties and his parents had probably passed away. And so they weren't around when their son was executed, they were spared that heartache.

Then we discover that John prepared the ground for Jesus. It was his preaching about repentance that opened the people's hearts to hear Jesus. He had tilled the soil for Jesus to sow.

The crowd that John had gathered around him had primed the pump, for Jesus, so to speak. There is very little that we accomplish in life that isn't accomplished with the help of others. If you see a turtle on a fence post you know that he had some help getting there.

And finally doing the right thing sometimes has a price that has to be paid. I get tired of people who preach that as long as we are good and obedient we will be blessed. There will be eternal rewards, that's true but it doesn't always translate into earthly blessings. John did the right things and it cost him his freedom and his life. But we are still charged with doing the right things.

And that's the way it is.

 

 

God Loves Lost People

If you've been around Cornerstone long enough you have probably heard our mission statement or perhaps you've read it on our website. Late in the last century when Angela and I were dreaming about what this church would look like we were told that an important part of that process was to develop a mission statement and so we did. 16 years ago when people asked us what we were about we could tell them with conviction "Cornerstone Wesleyan Church exists to reach pre-Christians through dynamic worship and relevant preaching, bringing them to a life expanding relationship with Jesus Christ and guiding them into a practical holiness as evidenced through the fruit of the Spirit." And sometimes when we would parrot off our mission statement we would have other Christians question it. "Why do you call them Pre-Christians? You're just being mushy, it should be the lost or sinners" or "Why don't you talk about them getting saved? What's with the Life expanding relationship stuff?" "You're just pandering to them with your relevant messages and dynamic worship; we didn't come to entertain the world"

So early on we learned to defend our vision, we refer to folks as pre-Christians because we believe that we are going to reach people who aren't Christ followers now but that they will become Christ followers, thus they are not non-Christians they are simply pre-Christians. We talk about Life Expanding because we believe that when you come into that relationship with Christ it not only gives you the promise of eternal life in heaven when you die but it gives you a better life, an abundant life, a changed life, an expanded life here on earth.

And the relevant preaching and dynamic worship is just part of the plan, if we expect folks to connect with Cornerstone then we are going to have to take the first step. That when they hear the messages they don't leave saying "So what?" Instead the messages will be relevant to where they are in their lives right now and they can apply it to their lives where they are today. And dynamic worship, why not? People ought to enjoy church. Most of us don't listen to 500 year old music played on an organ the other six days of the week so why would we do it on Sunday?

And that dream started during my time in Australia, I read a book by Robert Kriegel called "If It Ain't Broke Break it" it is primarily a business book challenging people to think outside the box. Then I picked up a book by George Barna called "User Friendly Churches" that highlighted a number of new churches that were making a major difference in how they did "Church" And then it all came together in a week long seminar I attended in Brisbane in the winter of 1992, it was actually summer in Brisbane, but that just gets confusing. Bill Hybels and a team from Willow Creek Community Church spent a week presenting a conference entitled "Building a Church for the Unchurched", during the conference he referenced a book written by Lee Storbels called "Inside the mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary" and I was smitten. To have a church that was intentional in their purpose, intriguing.

For the first ten years of my ministry the thought had been "If they are serious about getting saved they'll come to church the way we've always done church." They'll sing our songs, they will learn our language and they will adopt our customs and in the end if they stick with it long enough they will meet our God.

But what if we sang music that at least the style was familiar to those outside the church? What if we made sure that we didn't use words that unchurched people were unfamiliar with? What if we used videos of things they were familiar with? What if we took the time to explain things like communion? And that was the dream that this church was based on, that we would endeavour to reach the pre-churched, the de-churched and the un-churched.

After all we are told in John 3:16 "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. And that thought is reiterated in Romans 5:8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. So if God loved pre-Christians enough to give his Son and Jesus loved pre-Christians enough to give his life I would think that we should be willing to give up our traditions and preferences for them if that's what it takes.

And so 16 years later our mission remains the same, although sometimes we shorten it down to say "Cornerstone exists to reach pre-Christians" or most times I will simply say "Cornerstone is here to help depopulate hell." And I believe that, I believe that there are people today in our church and in our community who will go to heaven because of who we are and what we do and that wouldn't have been the case if there had been no Cornerstone.

But sometimes I still have pastors or believers from more traditional churches accuse us of pandering to people, or watering down the gospel and dumbing down the message. Oh well. I am reminded of the story told about D.L. Moody, apparently someone asked Moody how he reached the lost. When he told them they informed him they didn't agree with his methods so Moody asked "How do you do it?" to which they replied "I don't." Moody answered "I like my way better."

Our story begins in Luke 15:1-3 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! So Jesus told them this story:

Two thousand years ago it was the same as it is today. Religion was sometime seen as a closed club, you came to God on the terms of established religion, you learned the language, you sang their songs and you understood the rules, both the written rules and the unwritten rules. And Jesus began to shake that up, instead of expecting those who needed God to take all the steps Jesus made it easier for them. He taught in fields and market places, in people's homes and with simple stories that people could understand. And the religious establishment got a little cranky because they were feeling threatened.

So Jesus did what Jesus so often did, he told them a story, it wasn't a theological dissertation, it wasn't a sermon filled it religious terms and words, it was just a story. When we lived in Australia, it is a beautiful country filled with wonderful people who are far from God, and I discovered that in most social settings if people asked me what I did for a living and I told them I was a pastor it became a very different conversation, they shut right down. So often when someone asked what I did I would tell them "I'm a story teller" and that would often move them in a direction where we could talk.

But back to the message, this chapter is one of the most loved chapters in the Bible; it contains the story of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. Or as he is often referred to "The Prodigal Son." There are times that people will talk about these as three separate parables but the reality is that there is only one parable, there are simply three parts to that parable. It is like a montage, three pictures in a single frame, brought together by a single overriding theme, it would appear that Jesus was defining three types of lost.

So let's start at the beginning, Jesus looks at the religious leaders, don't know if he was sad, frustrated or angry that they didn't get it but he begins his parable by telling them. Luke 15:4 "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?

In the first instance The Sheep Was Lost Through Its Own Carelessness The story would be familiar to anyone who had ever tended sheep because they really weren't the brightest of animals. Most of what I read this week about sheep would imply that they aren't the sharpest knife in the animal drawer. If I wasn't so sensitive and careful with my words I'd probably say that The Sheep was lost through its own stupidity. But I won't go there.

A sheep is driven by its appetites and the immediate, it has no long term plans or desires, its main concern is simply to find food for right now. And so with its head down the wayward sheep eats and wanders and wanders and eats until it has wandered far from the safety of the flock.

Its wandering is not a conscious act, it doesn't begin the day by saying "I think I will wander off and get eaten by a wolf today." Instead it is simply satisfying its base needs, oblivious to the bigger picture.

And there are folks like that today, perhaps some right here in this service. They are not far from God because that was their plan; they just didn't have a plan. Their world is consumed with the immediate, earning a living, feeding their appetites, simply making it through life.

And some of those appetites and desires move them further and further from God, but it is carelessness and a lack of knowledge. That's where I was when I was 19. Jason and I were talking one day and the question came up about making church relevant to people who are far from God. And I commented that the relevancy of the church never crossed my mind before I chose to follow Christ. I didn't deliberately not go to church, it was just something that never crossed my mind to do.

I didn't go to church, I didn't attend meetings at the Lions Club and I wasn't a Shriner simply because they weren't a part of my life. I never stopped to think about the eternal, or about creation or about God. I was lost and like the sheep who had wandered away wasn't even aware that I was lost. But that didn't make me any less lost. And it wasn't until a friend confronted me about my lostness that I even gave it any thought.

And I would venture that the vast majority of the folks in our community who don't attend church just don't think about it. And so for them we need to present both the church and the kingdom in such a way that they actually stop and consider what we have to offer. And in most cases that will happen when people who already follow Christ talk to their pre-Christian friends and family members about the difference that Jesus and Cornerstone has made in their lives. It's really that simple no big plan just an acknowledgement that there is something else out there.

The second picture that Jesus draws is in Luke 15:8 "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? If the sheep was lost through its own carelessness The Coin Was Lost Through Its Someone Else's Carelessness. Culturally there is a lot going on in this story. With the sheep the shepherd had lost one in a hundred, but here the woman loses one of the ten silver coins that she has, not one percent of the total but 10 percent of the total. And the commentators say that the coins may have represented a couple of different things to the woman.

For some it was her household savings, her rainy day fund, money set aside for a specific purpose and that makes sense. Maybe she was counting it wondering how much longer it would take her to have what she needed or maybe she had what she needed and now was taking it out to spend it on whatever it was that she had saved it for.

At least one commentator offers a more romantic spin and claims in that time and culture the mark of a married woman was a head-dress made of ten silver coins linked together by a silver chain. And if that was the case and that it was one of these coins that was lost, she would have searched for it like you would search for your lost wedding band.

But it was not the coins fault that it had been lost, it hadn't jumped out of the woman's hand, she dropped it or she misplaced it but it was her fault not the coin's. But the coin had certain characteristics that allowed it to be pre-disposed to being lost. It was heavy and so it fell, it was round so it rolled and it was inanimate so it just lay there hidden.

And there are people in our community today who are far from God because of the actions of other people. Parents who had no use for the church, I hear that from time to time, adults who from the time there were children heard nothing but criticism of the church and God, they were shaped from childhood to be lost.

Or maybe it was an incident where they were hurt or disappointed by a church or a believer; I've heard those stories as well. Or maybe today it is a result of the constant negative press the church seems to get in the national media. A few years ago we did the window wash thing at the Esso across the street. One Saturday in February we washed peoples windows and topped up their windshield washer fluids and gave them a magnet with information about the church on them. And this one guy when he found out I was from church started yelling about priests and little boys and televangelists and churches stealing people's money. And then he jumped in truck and drove away. Wow.

And for those people we need to prove ourselves, and we do that through our actions and through our authenticity. We not only say we care and can be trusted we prove it through our actions and the actions of those who call themselves Christ Followers. But remember even those that are lost because of the carelessness of others, are still lost and they still need to be found.

And that brings us to the third picture in the frame and probably the most familiar one, everyone knows the term the Prodigal Son, even people who have never set foot inside a church. Little side lesson here, often we think that Prodigal is a description of someone who knew God and wandered away. Prodigal was actually a description of the life style that he was living and had nothing to do with his past life style or his future life style.

And so Jesus continues with his lesson Luke 15:11-13 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: "A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, 'I want my share of your estate now before you die.' So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. "A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living." The Son Was Lost Through His Deliberate Actions This is what sets this story apart from the other two, it wasn't carelessness that resulted in his being lost, it was a conscious thought and action, he deliberately walked away from his father and his father's home. Have you seen the progression? One sheep out of a hundred, one coin out of ten, but here it is one son out of two. We've gone from a loss of 1% to 10% to 50%. From a relatively insignificant loss to one of incredible significance, the loss of a son.

It wasn't his carelessness that led the boy into his wilderness, he knew exactly what he was doing. And it wasn't someone else's fault, as far as we can tell the boy had a good home and a loving family. And he decided to walk away from his home and his family. This was a conscious decision that he made, nobody else made it for him.

And there are people out there today who have consciously decided to not follow Jesus or they were part of the family and decided that they didn't want to be part of the family any more.

But regardless of why the son was lost the reality is that he was lost. He no longer had any of the privileges of being part of that family, he no longer slept under their roof no longer shared their meals.

I think it is interesting that the shepherd went looking for the sheep, and the woman swept her house in order to find the coin but the father simply waited for his son to return. Because there wasn't anything else he could do. Once the boy had decided to go there were only two options that remained 1) Let him go 2) Take away his free will. And as effective as shackles and a small room in the barn would have been it was outside the scope of the father's love. As much as the father loved his child he wasn't about to take away his free will. Sound familiar?

In January I will have been in pastoral ministry for 30 years, and I have owned cats for 42 years and I have discovered that pastoring people is like owning cats. If they get out you can't run and catch them. You ever try to catch a cat? Not going to happen not until it wants to be caught. Oh you do the right things you call for the cat, and you rattle the treat bag but they come home when they want to come home. All you can do is be prepared when they come back to let them back in.

And I have discovered that when someone decides to leave the church or worse turn their back on their faith there's not a lot you or me or God can do to prevent that from happening, shy of locking them in a small room in chains and that goes back to the free will issue again.

And so we call them and rattle the treat bag but we need to be prepared when they come home. In the story we read this Luke 15:20 "So he (the lost son) returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him."

Sometimes we are better at tracking down lost sheep and lost coins then we are at welcoming back lost sons. Just saying.

But all three stories ended the same way listen again to the words of Jesus.

Luke 15:6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbours, saying, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'

Luke 15:9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbours and say, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.'

Luke 15:22-24 "But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began.

And then Jesus ties it all together with a bow when he said Luke 15:10 "In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents."

Are we serious about our mission, about God's mission? About reaching pre-Christians? It cost God his son, it cost Jesus his life and be assured it will cost you something.

There are those in this group today because others were willing to pay that something, the cost of this building, stepping outside their comfort zone to talk to you about God and Cornerstone or in giving up their preferences in order to have a church that you would feel comfortable in.

What will it cost you? Being a part of the 9 a.m. service or eventually moving to another service? As more people come home to Cornerstone there will be need for more volunteers to provide for more ministries and you might be thinking but I don't want to miss Sunday morning worship. Do you think our other volunteers want to miss the service? Plus we have the great opportunity to work in one service and worship in the other one. And ultimately there will be a need for more finances and eventually for a bigger facility.

The only question that remains is: Do we love lost people enough to pay the price?

Hypocrisy

Clean on the outside and dirty on the inside. Wow! Jesus spoke about that concept a number of times throughout the gospels using word pictures like whitewashed tombs all clean and pretty on the outside and full of dead men's bones on the inside. On my first trip to Africa one of my team members asked our guide why he hadn't seen any cemeteries. The man thought for a minute and said "I've been to America and the cemeteries are so beautiful, you almost want to live there." And he went on to tell us that in Sierra Leone in the villages the dead were just buried in the forest and in the city cemeteries were just places to bury the dead. And he wasn't kidding, they took us to a small cemetery where the first Wesleyan missionaries had been buried and it was overgrown and neglected, at first I was a little cranky, here was the final resting place of people who had given their lives for the people of Sierra Leone and nobody was taking care of their graves. But to the nationals the spirit had gone and all that was left was a container and what do you do with a container when you are done with it? You certainly don't turn it into a shrine. They saw our obsession over how our cemeteries looked almost as ancestor worship. Interesting. And that really had nothing to do with the message.

So Jesus spoke of whitewashed tombs and of bowls that people prepared for eating, all shiny and spiffy on the outside and yucky on the inside. In each case there is a concern with outward appearances without a corresponding concern for what the inside was like.

And he used these illustrations to describe the actions of certain people, people who spent more time on the external than on the internal. That how they acted and what they did was more focused on how people perceived them than who they really were. The outside was all clean and shiny but inside where they actually lived was filled with all sorts of nasty things.

The story is told in Luke chapter 12, it was read earlier. We are told that the crowds following Jesus have become larger and larger, to the point that Luke tells us in Luke 12:1 Meanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and stepping on each other. Jesus turned first to his disciples and warned them, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy."

The next nine verses are strung together like pearls on a necklace, each thought separate but connected to the previous one and the next one.

Hypocrisy is one of those insults that cuts to the core of who we are, to be called a hypocrite is really hurtful. Most of us think of ourselves as authentic individuals. If we were to claim to a life philosophy it would be the same as Horton who said "I meant what I said and I said what I meant, an elephant is faithful one hundred percent."

But Jesus dropped the hypocrisy bomb several times in the gospels, usual in regards to the Pharisees who would have never applied that label to themselves. After all, their very name meant "The separated ones" and they had removed themselves from the daily constraints of life to focus on keeping the rules and regulations of the law. It wouldn't even be fair to draw a comparison with pastors because on a day to day basis we deal with administration and maintenance and people. The Pharisees were more like contemplative monks, except instead of living in a monastery they lived in the world and it would appear part of their mandate was to criticize people who weren't as rigidly committed to the rules and regulations as they were.

 The very origins of the word hypocrite describe it, in the Greek the word is ὑποκριτής hypokritēs and it occurs throughout the New Testament and Christ's teachings. And it came from it is the regular Greek word for an actor. And Barclay tells us "It then came to mean an actor in the worse sense of the term, a pretender, one who acts a part, one who wears a mask to cover his true feelings, one who puts on an external show while inwardly his thoughts and feelings are very different."

One of the complaints that I hear about the church from those outside is "It is filled with hypocrites." And I don't believe that is true at all, just because Christians occasionally stumble and fall doesn't make us hypocrites, it just makes us human. It's when we deny that we ever stumble and fall that we move into dangerous territory.

And I'm reminded when someone uses the hypocrite excuse for not coming to church "The only thing smaller than a hypocrite is someone who can hide behind a hypocrite."

So let's start at the beginning which seems to be a logical and good place to start. Jesus warns us in Luke 12:2-3 The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!

So Jesus begins by focusing on A Warning About Our Behaviour: This is what we do and don't do and for most of us that's what we think about when it comes to hypocrisy. It is evidenced when what we say and what we do don't line up.

We see it all the time, people who say they are committed to being fit and healthy but they never exercise and eat junk food. People who say they would like to have nice teeth but never floss. People who say they are committed to making their marriage work, but make put no effort in it. I have met with people who have committed adultery who have told me "But I really love my spouse." Ok! A funny way of showing it.

And that takes us to the whole wedding vow thing, remember when you promised to , "To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy law and thereto I pledge you my love."

I have had people tell me how committed they are to their local church and how important it is to them and what a difference it had made to their family but never supported the church in in a tangible way. Nobody in this church but in other churches I've pastored.

People who tell me "I am committed to following Christ." But then they ignore his commands and his church. They say that they believe the word of God but they've never read it and if they have it isn't an important part of their life. These were the people Jesus was speaking to when he said in Matthew 15:7-8 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, 'These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Last week I said that John Donne was a favourite of mine when I was doing the required poetry thing in high school, my other favourite was John Milton who wrote "For neither man nor angel can discern hypocrisy, the only evil that walks invisible, except to God alone."

This warning is continued in Luke 12:8-9 "I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God's angels. But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God's angels. Often when we read this we think it applies to witnessing or proclaiming Christ as our saviour. We apply it to people like Peter who when push came to shove proclaimed "I don't know Jesus."

But I think the bigger problem today is that too many people call themselves Christians and then deny Christ with their actions. They claim to follow him but are heading in a completely different direction with their lives. If I told you that I was going to Toronto and you said that you would follow me I would suspect that meant we were going to be travelling in the same direction. And maybe you would for a while, we'd leave the church and you'd follow me up Gatehouse and we'd turn left on the Hammonds Plains Road and you'd follow me down to the 102 and we'd turn left and you'd follow me to Truro, but when I turned left onto the TransCanada to head for Ontario you turned right and headed to Cape Breton you'd no longer be following me, no matter what you said.

I get tired of people who profess their love for God and Christ but their lives show no evidence of that love. They want to love Christ and do as they like, but Christ himself tells us in John 14:15 Jesus said "If you love me, obey my commandments." And he goes on to warn us John 15:10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love. . . we've talked about proving mathematical equations by flipping them, 1+ 2= 3, than 3-1=2 So if Jesus said John 15:10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love. . . it is the same as John 15:10 When you don't obey my commandments, you don't remain in my love. . .

And so Jesus warns us Luke 12:9 But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God's angels.

But hypocrisy isn't just revealed in what we do, Jesus continued in Luke 12:4-5 "Dear friends, don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. But I'll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he's the one to fear." A Warning About Our Motives Several times in the gospels Jesus warns people about doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. They were doing good things, they couldn't be criticized for their actions, but why were they doing it?

Matthew 6:2 When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.

And then in Matthew 6:5 "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.

And again in Matthew 6:16 "And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and dishevelled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.

Or as it has been so eloquently put "Man who toots own horn, blows his reward."

It isn't that their actions weren't measuring up; it was that they were more concerned with what other people thought about them than what God required of them.

That is sometimes revealed through our actions and sometimes through our speech. When we know we should say something but bite our tongue, not because it's the wrong thing to say but because we are afraid of what people will think about us. I've said it before: Silence is golden but sometimes it's just plain yellow. It was Abraham Lincoln said, "To sin by silence, when they should protest makes cowards out of men."

But Jesus reminds us that ultimately we will not be judged by men but by God and it will be God who has final say in our eternity. And he will judge us not only on what we do but on what we don't do.

But here is the promise that comes along with the warnings Luke 12:6-7 "What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. So here we have the Promise of God's Attention.

Sparrows aren't worth much in the big scheme of things, they are not really colourful, don't have a pretty song and probably aren't very good eating. Even in their monetary worth, Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.

And here he says you can get 5 for two copper coins , not only are we talking sparrows we are talking sale sparrow, marked down sparrows, discount sparrows. And Yet Jesus reminds us that God doesn't even forget the least of the sparrows, even the free one that's thrown in when you buy four, and then he assures us that we are so much more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

You will never be lost in the crowd to God, you matter to him. When you chose to follow Christ you became a child of God's a child of the King and he wants what is best for you. And if you are like me the times when you wonder where God is, it's because you've wandered away, and when the wheels seem to come off the wagon it's because I've chose to go my own way and do my own thing.

Sometimes I think we mistrust God and are afraid he has forgotten us because we are judging him by our standard and we know there are times that sometimes we forget him.

And then Jesus ends by telling those listening to him that day in Luke 12:10 Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. If I had a nickel for every time someone has asked me what the unforgiveable sin is, or what it means to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, I'd have a lot of nickels.

If you are concerned about whether or not you have blasphemed the Holy Spirit you probably haven't. This is the sin of resisting the Holy Spirit, of hardening your heart against God's wooing to the point where you can no longer tell the difference between right and wrong. Where you have repeated rejected the grace of God to the point that it is no longer offered.

Let me conclude with the words of American poet Robert Frost who wrote "The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep." There will come a time that each of us will stand before our creator.

But until that time comes we have miles to go and promises to keep and if we walk as we are supposed to walk, keep the promises we make and make sure we are clean inside as well as out then we are on the right track.

A Life to Live

Luke 7:11-17

 

It is a story told only in the gospel of Luke. Jesus is coming into the community of Nain and around him a crowd of his followers jostled one another to get closer to their friend and teacher. And as often is the case when a group of like-minded people gather together the sound of laughter rose above the sound of good natured conversation. They spoke of the miracles he had performed and of the lessons he had taught. It was a great day to be alive and those following Jesus were celebrating life.

Another crowd gathered together that day in the same town at the same time. But instead of celebrating life they were mourning a death. The death of a son, a brother a friend. A life cut short. And we don't know if it was cut short by an accident or an illness. But we do know that however his life ended it ended too soon and however the young man's life ended it was a tragedy. And that was not the way it was supposed to be, children are supposed to bury parents, parents aren't supposed to bury children. But it happens; as a matter of fact the first death recorded in the bible was not that of a father but that of a son. It was not an older person it was a younger person. But that doesn't make it any more right.

And so here we have a collision of two worlds. On one hand we have a group celebrating and on the other hand we have a group mourning. Laughter and tears. One group looking ahead to all the future holds and the other group looking back to the past and what it had held. We saw images of the collision in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti and the tsunami in Indonesia as one family would celebrate a lost loved one found safe while another family discovered that that their son, daughter, parent or spouse would never come home.

And I see it most times that I gather in a family home to prepare for a memorial service for a loved one, a collision of two worlds.

Most times when I'm with a family to discuss a memorial service to be held for a family member you will hear the sound of sound of laughter comes from the next room mixed with the sobs as folks talk about their father, mother, brother, sister or friend. Last week ago Angela and I were at an open house in the home of the daughter of one of the folks from our Berkeley service that had just passed away and again I noticed people smiling and chuckling as they remembered the life of their friend. A collision of two worlds, as we celebrate the life of a loved one and mourn their death at the same time.

And on that hot Palestinian afternoon so many years ago in the middle of the collision was Jesus. And we are told on that day that Jesus' heart broke as he saw this woman who had already lost her husband and now had lost her only son. And so he did what he had only done twice before, he reached out his hand and spoke to the boy and told him to arise and he did. And through his touch and his words Jesus defeated death. But the defeat was only temporary because we have to assume that the time came that the young man closed his eyes for one last time and died, and the second time the preacher from Galilee was not there to bring him back.

It is interesting that in the three instances that are recorded of Jesus restoring life he uses the same method: he spoke to the dead person.

In the book of Mark we read about the healing of Jairus' daughter and the climax came in Mark 5:41-42 Holding her hand, he said to her, "Talitha koum," which means "Little girl, get up!" And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.

John records the story of Lazarus in John 11:43-44 Then Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go!"

And here Dr. Luke tells us Luke 7:14-15 Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. "Young man," he said, "I tell you, get up." Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

And Jesus doesn't only call dead people back to life; listen to the words of Christ to the church in Sardis Revelation 3:1 "I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead." Now listen to what Christ tells the church in Revelation 3:2 "Wake up!" What is that line from the old hymn? "Wonderful words of life."

By the very sound of his voice Jesus is able to conquer death, physical death and spiritual death and that remains true for each one of us, listen to Paul's description of the last days, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. Cool.

But back to the story, you see there are only two things that we know for sure about this young man and those are two things that he shares with every person who has ever lived and who will ever live. The first thing we know is that he was born and the second thing we know is that he died and in the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die.

And every person in this room today has achieved the first part of that surety, we have been born, and at some time down the road each of us will experience the second part, we will die.

And there is absolutely nothing that we could do that would affect us being born, every once in a while someone will be past their due date and will say "This baby just doesn't want to be born." Doesn't matter, it's still going to happen eventually.

And for the most part most of us will cling to our lives but there is absolutely nothing we will be able to do to affect our dying. It was David Niven who said about dying "I won't go, I'll kick and scream and make a terrible fuss" But on July 29 1983 he still went.

I read recently the most important thing that will determine how long we will live is our genetics so we have to be very careful in who we choice to be our parents. You had no control over your life beginning and you will have very little control over your life ending but you have an amazing amount of control over what happens between those two points. You understand that the most important thing on our tombstones will not be the date we were born or the date that we die but the dash that separates them because that little dash represents our entire life.

It has been said that when we were born we cried and everyone else was happy and we should live in such a way that when we die everyone else cries and we are happy. It was John Wesley who said "The world can say what they like about us Methodist, but they have to admit: we die well."

Today I challenge you to live in such a way that when you die not only will you die well but that you will cause a collision of two worlds where people will gather to laugh and celebrate your life and at the same time weep and mourn your death. So what is it that people should celebrate?

Philippians 1:11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

First of all I think People Should
Celebrate Your Life. This is a matter of character. When someone passes away one of the first reactions people have to the news of their death is a description of their character. "He was a nice guy, that's too bad." Or "What a jerk, he sure won't be missed."
And it's not enough for you to be eulogized as a person of character, people are supposed to say nice things about the dearly departed. How often have you been told not to speak ill of the dead?

 

I've performed more funerals in the past thirty years then I can count, and I have never heard a bad word said about the guest of honour. You'd think that I've only buried saints, and I can assure you that's not the case. People even find nice things to say about jerks, but when they are mouthing the words people may be nodding their heads on the outside but they are shaking their heads on the inside.

 

The preacher was waxing eloquently at the funeral as we are sometimes are wont to do. He described the dearly departed as a loving and supportive husband, a good provider and a wonderful and caring father. Someone who was loved and admired throughout the community. Finally the widow leaned over to her son and said "Go up and see if that's really your father.

 

Paul gives us some good advice in 2 Corinthians 6:3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry.

The Guptill paraphrase is: live in such a way so people won't have to lie at your funeral.

This encompasses a wide range of activities, your morals, and your ethics, how you treat your family, your friends, and your co-workers. How do you want to be remembered when you die? What is it that you would have them write in your obituary and carve on your tombstone?

Hopefully you won't be like the politician who Mark Twain had in mind when he wrote "I did not attend his funeral, but I wrote a nice letter saying I approved of it."

Psalm 112:1 Praise the LORD! How joyful are those who fear the LORD and delight in obeying his commands. . . Psalm 112:9 They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honour.

Secondly I think People Should
Celebrate Your Legacy. Now I know all the clichés, that there won't be a U-Haul following your hearse, and at the end of your life everything you've spent your life collecting will belong to someone else but understand that we are not talking here about your estate, because often that isn't a reason to celebrate it's simply a reason for your family to fight.

 

It was Colonel Harland Sanders who said "There's no reason to be the richest man in the cemetery." What you leave in the material sense may be celebrated while at the same time you might not be celebrated for leaving it.

 

I'm talking about the difference you make in your life. What you leave behind is the change you've made in this world.

 

I think that one of the saddest things that I see on a day-to-day basis are people who are just putting in time. They're just here going through the motions. I mean they are here, they go to work every day and raise a family but the overriding goal of each day is simply to make it through to the next day. They lay absolutely nothing on the line, never take any risks, and never put anything back into life.

 

I truly believe that even though we may never be another Da Vinci or Rembrandt, may never be a Martin Luther King or Mother Theresa that we were each put on this world to make a difference. We can help make an impact on our world, but only if we want to.

 

I remember reading, "If you want to put your life into perspective put your finger into a bucket of water and then pull it out, that is the difference that your being here will make." I am here to say, "That is wrong, wrong, wrong!" The world is what it is today not because of what society has done but because of what individual people have done. And every one of us has the potential to make a difference.

 

Hopefully on the day that people gather to say goodbye to the mortal part of us they will talk about what we left behind in terms of making a difference of how the world or at least our world is a better place because we were here.

 

What mark will you leave behind on your community, your church, your family? How will you make your world a better place? What will be your legacy?

 

Theodore L. Cuyler wrote "You may not be able to leave your children a great inheritance, but day by day, you may be weaving coats for them which they will wear for all eternity."

 

Some people will come to your funeral because of how you lived and others will come because of what you left but the people you want to be there will be there for a deeper reason.

 

Romans 12:10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other.

People Should
Celebrate Your Love. John Donne wrote "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main." There are times when we want to subscribe to being an island when we want to hide in a hole and never come up but if our life is going to be all that it can be then we need to reach out to those around us. In each of our lives are other people, people with whom we have to coexist and to those people we owe a certain obligation, and that obligation is love.

 

Most of us have a spouse, many of us have children at home, all of us have friends and each one of those relationships require one essential ingredient and that is love. Now not necessarily the same type of love, that is impossible. You don't love your children like you love your parents and you don't love your friends like you love your spouse. But in our lives there is to be reciprocity. Just as we are to make a difference in our world we are to make a difference in the lives of people we share our life with.

Do the people in your life know that you love them? I mean without guessing. Is your love revealed through your words? Through your actions? Ultimately it will be the greatest thing you leave in the hearts of your family and friends. We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 13:13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. In the end they may talk about your faith, they may remember how positive you were in life but the thing they will cherish more than anything will be the love you had for them.

Don't leave with people having to guess if you loved them. Back in the early nineties Reba Macintyre had a song out called "The Greatest Man I never knew'

And it's not just the love we have for our family that will be celebrated but the love we had for our God and our church. You understand at the funeral of a Christian the talk shouldn't be about their theology but about their love. Remember the words of Jesus in John 13:35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."

But if you want people to celebrate your love when you are gone you will have to demonstrate that love while you are here. And so your life should be celebrated but we all know that isn't the entire story.

The shortest verse in the bible is recorded in John 11:35 Jesus wept!

On that day, when those two worlds collided there was not only a celebration of life, there was also a mourning. So People Should
Mourn Your Death. You see the old must die and the young may die. We will all die; every person here today will die, unless the Lord returns first. Death is the only thing humanity has in common besides birth.

And even though we know that death is inevitable it doesn't make it any easier, regardless if it happens when you are 29 or 99. Perhaps you'll recall the shortest verse in the bible, which is John 11:35 Jesus wept! That was at the funeral of his friend Lazarus, the very same Lazarus whom he raised from the dead just a few moments later. And in the story that was read it says in Luke 7:13 When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. "Don't cry!" he said. And then Jesus reached out and touched the boy and raised him from the dead.

So why do we mourn? If we believe in eternal life, that those who have embraced Jesus Christ will live forever with their Creator and Saviour without pain, without sorrow, without grief why do we cry? Because. We weep for our loss, we weep because we will miss our friend, our child, our parent our spouse. We weep for the hole their death has left in our lives. And that's all right, that's the way it's supposed to be.

So remember the way you live and love today will determine the script on the day you die. Will people celebrate your life and mourn your death? Only you have the power to assure that they do.

I know some people don't like going to funerals and so I leave you with the words of my favourite philosopher Yogi Berra, "Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours." When you have a chance to go to a friend or colleague's funeral make every attempt to make either the service or the visitation beforehand. It's not for the dearly departed but for those they have left behind. So that those who have lost their loved one will be reassured that their mother, father, brother, sister, child or friend had an impact on their world and the people they knew and interacted with.

The Three Temptations

 

Forty days, in the wilderness. Forty days, not four, not fourteen but forty. And all he took with him was what he was wearing. He wasn't part of a tribe, had nobody to build an alliance with, it was just him, a rugged terrain and God. What did he eat? Did he hunt, or fish, he didn't do either, because he didn't eat. For forty days he fasted and prayed and at the end of that time he faced his foe. This would either be the beginning or it would be the end. And this is one view of how it happened. (Video clip from CBS mini-series Jesus)

One of the central pillars of our faith is that fact that when Jesus walked this earth he was 100% man and 100% God, that is he had both a human nature and a divine nature. And a part of that is the belief that even with his human nature that he never sinned. But just because he never sinned doesn't mean he wasn't tempted. And it's not just my opinion the Bible says Hebrews 2:17-18 Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

The story is told in the fourth chapter of Luke. It was at the beginning of Christ's ministry, he had just been baptized and went into the desert for forty days and during that time he fasted. And at the end of the forty days Satan came and tempted him.

So, the question is: was Jesus really tempted? There are some who say that even though the temptation was real in the sense that it actually happened, that because Christ was 100% divine that he wouldn't have given into the temptation. If that is the case then he wasn't a 100% man and that's part of the mystery of the incarnation. My own theory is yes the devil tempted Christ, and yes it was a temptation. I read a great explanation from Alexander McLaren who wrote "As a true man, he could have been truly tempted; as perfect man suggestions of evil could not arise within, but must be presented from without."

So, because Jesus not have a sinful nature to tempt him those temptations had to come from an outside source, in this case Satan.

It was at this point that Jesus would have to make a decision how he would do his work. God was saying "Take my love to the people of the world, love them, die for them if you have to, but conquer them with your unconquerable love." Satan on the other hand was saying, "Take the power that you have and demand the submission of mankind, win the world through might and force." And so Jesus had to decide that day, would he follow the way of God or the way of Satan.

Well we have the benefit of the book and we know that Jesus didn't give in to Satan, that he didn't sin. And this morning we are going to look at the story and discover what we can learn about being tempted and defeating temptation.

Every person here is tempted in one way or another, that's part of being human. And every one of us will respond to temptation in only one of two ways. We'll either give in or we won't. It's as simple as that. No in between, no ambiguity here, it's either yes or no, win or lose. When I first became a believer my Dad told me, "Sin is black or white; grey is just a colour of paint." That might be a little simplistic but it certainly applies to temptation. It's unfortunate that too many people's strategy of dealing with temptation is easy, they simply give in and get on with. They are a lot like Oscar Wilde who said "I can resist everything except temptation."

Let's start this morning by looking at The Three Temptations. Earlier I said that we are all tempted in one way or another. And we are, and our temptations are all different, what tempts me may not tempt you. But there is a common thread that runs through all of our temptations. When I was in Bible College I took a course called Pastoral Management, and it was taught by Rev. Charles Grant. Charles told us as a class that in our ministry we would find ourselves tempted by one of three things, "The Gold, the glory or the girls." I thought that was fairly original but it wasn't really. A few years back a Wesleyan author by the name of Keith Drury wrote a book called Sex, power and money, and that was no more original than the gold, the glory or the girls.

Luke 4:3 Then the devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread."

1) We Can Be Tempted By our Appetites

This one goes back a long way, to the very first temptation recorded in bible, right before Eve ate her family out of house and home. You remember the story, God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and they had complete freedom to do anything they wanted, except they could not eat from the tree of Knowledge. They could have cut it down and used it for fire wood and been done with temptation once and for all, but they didn't. And when she was tempted listen to the direction the temptation went.
Genesis 3:6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.

Now we aren't talking about appetite here in the sense of a Big Mac a large order of Fries and a shake. No this is the temptation to satisfy our physical desires, even when we know that it is wrong. Every one of us will be tempted at some time or another through our appetites. It may not be hunger it may be your sexual appetite, it might be an addictive substance, or it might simply be the appetite to have more, whatever the cost.

And those temptations normally are more powerful when we are hungry for whatever it is that Satan is tempting us with. Satan knew that it wouldn't have done much good to tempt Jesus with bread when he had just gotten up from a feast and so he waited until he had gone without food for forty days.

When I talk to people who have committed adultery they usually say that there was something missing in their marriage, sex, intimacy, acceptance and that is what they were tempted to find elsewhere.

Of course the power of temptation is multiplied because our society has reverted back to the philosophy of ancient Rome that said "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die." Or perhaps it's the philosophy of the not so ancient 60's that said "If it feels good; do it."

But the question is: Why do we do things when we know they are wrong? Why do we watch movies that we know Christ wouldn't approve of, why do we listen to music that flies in the face of everything the Bible teaches, why do we cultivate relationships that we know are dangerous? If you were to answer honestly it would be because we enjoy those things and those people. We are seeking to fulfill the appetite of pleasure. Even when we know that to do so is to be disobedient to what God wants in our lives.

What Satan was asking of Jesus seemed relatively harmless; just turn the rocks into bread. What could be wrong with that? Nothing in itself, but Jesus knew that wasn't what he was supposed to do. And ultimately that's how we need to view things, is this what God would have me to do? And if we are going to do that than we need to believe that God has the very best at heart for us, and he isn't just a Grinch intent on taking all the pleasure out of life.

Luke 4:5-7 Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. "I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them," the devil said, "because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me."

2) We Can Be Tempted By Power

Power, the rest of the temptation that Eve faced was power. Genesis 3:5 "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil."

To be just like God, people are still trying to be like God. What Eve was after wasn't knowledge it was power. Satan was offering Jesus the power of world dominion without the sacrifice of the cross.

People are too willing to pay whatever price they need to in order to achieve the power they crave. They will sacrifice their morals, their ethics, their integrity. James Byrnes former Secretary of State wrote "Power intoxicates men. When a man is intoxicated by alcohol, he can recover, but when intoxicated by power, he seldom recovers."

Most of the problems in today's world are caused by a quest for power. Read the papers. What is it that the Israeli's and Palestinians are fighting over? Land, no they have land they are fighting over power, who will be in charge. Radical Islam is fighting for control, they want the power that comes with being in control. The Taliban wants to be back in control in Afghanistan so they will have power over the people and will be able to demand they do it their way.

We have been undulated with reports of Russell Williams crimes in Ontario but Williams' crimes weren't about sex they were about power.

Luke 4:9-11 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, 'He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.'"

3) We Can Be Tempted By Fame

"Just think Jesus, all you have to do is one little circus trick and everyone will know who you are and they will bow down and worship you. Again, no harm no foul, the angels will protect you. So if you jump off the temple walls, everyone will see that you don't get hurt."

 

This is also the temptation of pride, Madonna made this statement "I won't be happy till I'm as famous as God." She'll never be as famous as God, but I would suspect that she has done some things in the quest for that fame that has dishonoured God and Madonna. Don Johnson may have been thinking of Madonna when he said "Once you become famous, there is nothing left to become but infamous."

And you're thinking, Denn that isn't a problem for me, I know that I'll never be famous so it's not a temptation. Sure, but have you ever considered fames little brother, popularity.

When I was in school I was both unpopular and popular, and trust me popular is better, but it's not worth selling your soul for. Don't give into the temptation of doing things just to fit in with the crowd. Because when the time comes to pay the price for the compromises that you make the crowd will be nowhere around.

 

The Gold, the glory and the girls, Sex, money and power or Appetites, power and fame. Call them what you will but time and time again it's the same three that will cause you to stumble.

 

3 Strategies of Winning

 

Use The Book God has given us guidelines for living, they are contained in the bible. Time and time again people choose to consciously disobey his word, and then blame God for the mess they are in.
Three times Satan tempted Jesus and all three times Jesus responded by saying "The Scriptures Say." And gave a response to the temptation out of the word.

In Psalm 119 David asked Psalm 119:9 How can a young person stay pure? And then he answers his own question By obeying your word.

Two verses later he adds to it by saying Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

The bible will only do any good if you know what is in it. It's no good to wave it around and say, "Somewhere in here it says something that's helpful" You need it hide it in your heart. You say, "But Denn I'm no good at memorizing scripture." Just read it, and read it and read it. Make it a part of your day. If you don't have a bible reading plan you can find one for your computer, you iPhone, your blackberry or you can do it the old fashion way.

Devotional books are wonderful but they are no substitute for reading God's word. David didn't say "I have hidden "The Daily Bread" in my heart, or I have hid "The Upper Room" in my heart, or I have hid the latest Christian best seller in my heart. Read the book.

Don't Underestimate Temptation. Remember what you pray in the Lord's prayer, Lead me not into temptation. Too many of us are like Mae West who said "I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it." We say we're resisting but we're not putting up too much of a fight cause we're afraid we'll scare it off completely. But it's not a game, and it's not some little pet that you can take and play with and put back. The Bible says the Devil is like a lion, and it means a full-grown nasty beast. Not a cute little cuddly thing.

Story is told about a man who came in from the dessert to visit his cousin in the city. As he made his way toward town he came across a railroad track. He had never seen a train before so he didn't know what the track was and decided it was just an easy place to walk, and so he did. He didn't get very far when a train came charging down the track after him. He heard the whistle and turned just as it hit him. Well luckily it didn't kill him just banged him up real bad. When he got out of the hospital his cousin took him in and the first night decided his country cousin could use a cup of tea and he put the kettle on to boil. Well you know what happened. Buddy's sitting and the tea kettle starts to whistle, he jumps up grabs a base ball bat, rushes out to the kitchen and beats the tea kettle to pieces. His cousin follows after him and says "What did you do to my kettle?" To which came the response, "Oh sure they are cute when they are little, but let them grow up and they can kill you."

That's the reason why in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus warns us not only to avoid committing adultery but to avoid even thinking about committing adultery.

Jesus' brother James hit the nail right on the head when he wrote in James 1:14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.

Scottish writer Margaret Oliphant Said the same thing, "Temptations come, as a general rule, when they are sought."

Don't go looking for temptation and don't under estimate them. You've heard me say it over and over again; "Sin will always take you further than you want to go it will always keep you longer than you want to stay and will always cost you more than you want to pay."

Claim the Promise Here's the most important thing I'm going to say today, learn this scripture, memorize it and believe it with all your heart.
1 Corinthians 10:13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

You can win, you don't have to lose. The promise is here in the book, and we don't debate the book. I couldn't help myself, or the temptation was too strong, or the devil made me do it are cop-outs. The Bible, the word of God promises us that we can win over temptation. Let's read it the promise together but this time let's personalize it 1 Corinthians 10:13 The temptations in my life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than I can stand. When I am tempted, he will show me a way out so that I can endure.

God has promised to show you a way out, so your part is to look for hat way out.

But remember if you are going to master temptation then first you are going to have to let God master you and what happens then? Listen to the result in Luke Luke 4:14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit's power.