Galatians 2:20 Faith

I heard the story a couple of years ago about a group of deer hunters, who were standing on back porch, sipping their coffee before they set out. As they stood there, they heard a clatter from the trashcans at the back of the property, and turning, they saw the raccoon that has been causing trouble for months. All ten hunters grabbed their rifles and opened up on the animal, which jumped down a large drainpipe and out of sight. The owner of the house was not going to let the raccoon get away that easily. He got the can of gasoline from the garage and poured it down the drain. Then, standing back, he lit a match and threw it down the drain. It went out after a few feet. He tried again, with the same result. Finally, he lowered himself into the drain, lit a match, and reached his arm as deep into the pipe before letting the match fly. According to the local paper, it was at this point that the homeowner was shot out of the pipe and over his house, with a trail of fire behind him. He landed in the middle of the front lawn, with a few bruises and singed pants. He told the reporter afterwards, I would do it again if I knew I wouldn’t be hurt. When we find ourselves in a tight spot, do we have the fiery power of God behind us to move us beyond life’s obstacles?

Evangelist Reinhart Bonnke said, “Cool, casual Christianity will accomplish nothing. Our nation’s most urgent need is the flaming message of the cross -- now and not at our leisure.”

There was a young boy who was flunking math, so his parents sent him to a special evening class at the local Christian academy. To their amazement, he got straight A’s. Amazed, his mother asked what made the difference. The boy replied, “Those people don’t fool around with math. On the wall, they have a picture of a guy nailed to a plus sign.”

Do we see the cross of Christ as a plus or a minus?

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Do we see the cross of Christ as a positive or a negative? Crucifixion means death, not always in a physical sense, but just as real as a physical crucifixion.

Many would read this passage and conclude that Christianity is not for them; at least not this radical form which calls for such a sacrifice. Isn’t salvation a free gift, they say? I should be able to decide for myself how I will live, for I am a good person. I don’t want to die to anything. I want to live a good life my way.

Yet death does not have to be seen as a negative. Consider for a moment what we are called to die to:

1. The very idea that we can be justified, i.e., saved, by the law and our own works. Self-justification is a quicksand trap, for while we try to atone for a sin, we commit countless others. If almighty God were to keep a tab of our good work and our sins, the balance would forever and always run in the red. I must die to the notion that I am good enough and instead rely on the grace of Christ.

2. The world, with it’s applause, it’s treasures, and its gratification. Too many Christians today are caught in the allure of the world’s system, trying to keep up with the Joneses and in doing so, allowing others to dictate their morals, their lifestyle, and their goals. If I am crucified, then the world has no hold on me. Dead people don’t care what they wear, what they have, where they live. I am called by Paul in today’s passage to be dead to the world.

3. To self. Crucifixion was a death that brought terrible suffering. And it is a fitting symbol for our own struggle to surrender our will to the Father, for self will rise up again and again to exert its control over us. It is not only a bitter struggle, but also a daily battle. For when we say self, I am talking about the sinful nature that exists within each and every individual. I am talking about that part of us that continues to pull us away from the Father and our true heavenly home. If I am crucified with Christ, I must die to self.

As we consider what we are to die to, let us also consider what we are called to live in. What is this life that we talk about?

1. It is the assurance in the very depths of my soul that I am God’s and he is mine. It is the knowledge that Christ is living in my soul. It is the peace that I need not fear death or eternity. Do you know that you know that you know? Is there an assurance in your heart today? I have been amazed over the years at the number of Christians who lack that assurance because they have allowed the enemy of their soul to whisper in their ears, questioning who they are in Christ. If you have asked Christ into your heart but you don’t have that assurance, I want to pray with you today and we will ask God to give you that assurance.

2. It is the joy of living. As we walk out this life of faith, we will find joy in the journey we have been called to. God knew us before we were ever born (Jer..1) and God has a plan for our fulfillment. We have been created with a specific plan in mind, and that plan is for our joy, our fulfillment, and our completeness. When we seek God’s will, we will find our purpose in this life, and we’ll find the joy we need so desperately. The Bible tells us that the Joy of the Lord is our strength, and some of us have been on this journey far too long without that strength to help us.

3. In this life of faith, we walk in the promises and blessings of God. There is no greater privilege than to walk in the blessings of God, to have faith that the promises of God are mine, and that I will prosper in whatever I do, so long as I am willing to live for Christ.

It is in the crucifixion that our own faith is given the truest test. Are we willing to allow ourselves to be crucified with Christ so that we may live? Can we die to our works, to this world, to our own selfish nature? In every heart, there is a cross and a throne. Christ will be on one, and self will be on the other. Have I enthroned Christ or self?

May God find in this place men and women who will live Gal. 2.20 faith, who will die to self, so that they may live for Christ.

How do you see the cross today?

God's Valentine's Box

Acts 1:8: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.

If we wait on God as the believers did at Pentecost, we will receive power. The Gr. Word for power is dunamis, meaning miraculous power, strength, violence, and mighty, wonderful works. The word has evolved into the root for words such as dynamite. The power that God gives is not a “poof”, but a BANG! What type of power do we have—do we have a form of godliness, but deny the power, i.e., a power that only looks good or are we filled with the power to begin tearing down the kingdom of darkness and raising up the Kingdom of God?

How do we get this power? This dunamis power comes from the Holy Spirit that dwells in us. The most crucial victory that Satan has ever had was to make the church scared of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit lives in us at salvation, but there distinction of residence and prescience. Many have made the Holy Spirit a passenger, but refuse to allow the Spirit to driver. The Holy Spirit is one person of the trinity. We affirm that God is holy and God is love, so the Spirit of God is holy and works through gentle love.

The rest of the verse is my focus this morning, but I had to put it into perspective. It moves us onto the next step, but I didn’t want to leave out the preparation. God gives the power to be victorious before he sends us out as the church. Too many people are trying to reach the lost without the power that God provided to us.

Now, notice where we go. Our witness needs to be ordered. Jerusalem is first. Jerusalem speaks of our family. Next we witness to Judea. This is our work place or school, our neighborhood, our circle of friends, and our extended family. Samaria, like Judea is not far from us; it’s those people who are outside the bounds of our friendships and social circles. It consists of people who are different from us, socially, economically, etc. Finally, the uttermost parts of the earth show us that we move outwards with our ministry until we reach the ends of the earth. Missions and evangelism ought not start in 3^rd world countries; it ought to begin right here at home in our Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. We’ve sent our best to other countries for years. Now these same countries are sending missionaries over here. The United States is the 3rd largest mission field in the entire globe.

Jesus embodied what he taught. Matthew 10:35-38: And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. (36) But when he saw the multitude, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having on shepherd. (37) The saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; (38) pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.

Notice what Jesus was doing. First he was teaching. The Jewish people loved religious debate. They gathered in the synagogues not for a service as we think of service, but to hear and debate the scriptures (Sunday School, prayer meeting and Bible Study). Jesus was reasoning from the scriptures with them, straightening out their wrong thinking. Next he was preaching the Gospel. He did this in all the cities and villages. Today, He would have stopped by Adamsville, then moved on down the road to Pleasant Grove and on to Zanesville. He preached the Gospel in everything he did. And that preaching produced faith. And then he healed. He didn’t just heal some, but he healed every sickness and disease among the people. And while there are physical sicknesses today, the greatest sickness we face in America today is sin. It is weakening morality, killing our children, and even pulling churches apart.

Then He saw how big the problem was. His description is reflective of the church body today. Faint and scattered…sheep without a shepherd. Every denomination and the churches within it are going there own way. But I want you to see this morning that Jesus looked on them with compassion. Do we see the lost as sinners with condemnation or do we see them with compassion? Too often the church is satisfied with the status-quo, with being the people of God, without embodying the love of God.

What Jesus said next was the key. The harvest is too great for any one man or woman to handle. We must do our part as God leads us; the number one calling is to pray. Pray for laborers. Billy Graham said “nothing is done without prayer.” Prayer for lost souls will release the Holy Spirit to convict them and bring them to salvation. How many of us have loved ones on their way to the pits of Hell for eternity? PRAY. Not just once, but like the saints of old. PUSH. Pray Until Something Happens. And when you pray, pray the promises of God.

A. Promises

Matthew 10:38 – pray for laborers to share the salvation message.

Mark 4:8 – Good Soil. Only God can break up the hard ground, clear out the weeds, and allow the word sown in them to grow.

Acts 16:31 – if we are saved, all house can be.

Is. 59:21. - if word in us, it will be in the mouths of our children and their children to the third and forth generations.

B. Binding and Loosening prayer.

The Bible promises that whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven, and whatever we loose on earth is loosed in heaven. So we bind the spirits of the North, South, East, and West (see Is. 43.5-6), we loose the heavenly angels to draw them in, and then we pray for the Holy Spirit to be loosed upon them, to bring conviction and to lead them to a place of salvation. The Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as the hound of heaven. Once God begins to pursue you, he just keeps on coming, much like a coon hound who has found the scent. He'll chase us until we reach a place where we are ready to surrender to God.

C. Point of Contact. A physical manifestation of your faith.

Mt. 21:22 “all things . . .ye ask in prayer, believe, ye shall receive.” Let me put it another way. We need to "Believe you receive when we pray."

Valentine’s Day just passed. The sermon's title is God’s Valentine’s Box. What I want you to do is to take the card from your bulletin and write down the name or names of unsaved loved ones. If you need several cards, feel free to take more from the altar. And as we close in prayer, I’m going to ask you to come and place them here on the altar, in the box. This box is a point of contact--a physical manifestation of our faith. As we place these names in the box, we are entrusting them to God and committing ourselves to pray. And as you pray the promises, I want you to pray not just for your names, but for all those names that are in the box. In that way we can multiply the amount of prayer. As you are praying for the loved ones of others, they are praying for yours as well. And as we pray, we believe we are receiving. Amen.

New Blog

I was talking to Pastor Jared (formerly of New Reality) this week, and he told me he was starting a new blog. I would encourage you to take a look. He is currently working on his D. Min. degree and his posts reflect the large amount of reading he is doing right now. His first post deals with the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the church. Make sure you take a few minutes to post a comment.

Paul's Instructions for Marriage

I'd like to start with a story I read this week.  A man got in car accident,
coma for 2 days. Opening his eyes, he saw that his wife was there.  In tears
he said, Dear, you always by my side through the years:

                 - "At University, failed again and again, you were right there"

                 - She squeezed his hand as he continued.

                 - "All those Job interviews I didn't get, you there clipping
    want ads"

                 - "Then got job with this firm, lost job because of mistake,
    you still here by my side encouraging me.

                Her eyes began to water as he continued.

                 - Then I finally landed this low paying job, but never got
    any promotion, never  recognized,and you stayed right by
    my side.

                 - Now I get in this accident, I wake up and you are right here.

                 - There is something I really want to say to you. . .

                 Sobbing, she threw her arms around him.

         He said, "Honey, I think you bring me bad luck!"
Marriage seems to be devalued these days.  
 Many don't understand it

Divorce statistics bear stark evidence of the toll on marriage in our day.
In this country in 1910, one out of 10 marriages ended in divorce.
By 1980,the figure had grown to one out of two. (62% Divorce in our
county;the national rate is 47.5%.)

     I believe marriage is the crown of God's creation, the final thing he did.  

 Paul, as a bachelor did something pretty gutsy and amazing.  He wrote
to the in his letter to the church in Ephesus instructions for marriage.
In a Greek culture that devalued the family unit and focused instead on
pleasure,Paul’s instructions were pretty revolutionary, and I don’t know
that our society is very far behind that of the Greeks. Therefore, there
is good reason to look at what Paul has to say.  Many pastors jump in at
verse 22 of the fifth chapter,but I think we need to begin in the
previous verse. 

5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Now one of the biggest stumbling blocks in this passage, especially among women is the subject of submission. In the previous four and a half chapters, Paul has laid out basic instructions for being believers in community. He culminates in this command: submit to one another. If we are talking about two Christians, seeking to live in a Christian marriage, then both the man and woman should already be in submission to each other. Amen?

Now the next few verses are addressed to the wives, so women, listen up. Oh, and husbands, no elbowing your wife. 22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. The context for the proper relationship comes from the creation story in Genesis. When God made Eve, he didn’t take the bone from Adam’s head, that Eve should be over him; nor did he take a bone from his foot, that she would be under him. Rather, God took the bone from Adam’s side, that the couple would walk side-by-side, supporting one another. Women, it is within this context that Paul says, “submit as to the Lord.” This isn’t addressed to the husband, for it up to the wife to submit of her own will; because of your love for each other, you willingly yield to him. This is not a blanket command to not think for your self. Rather, as a couple, you need to talk about areas of contention and work them out in submission to each other. When you find that no compromise can be reached, then the wife is commanded here to submit, not by force but out of love. And the husband, as the head of the household, will answer to God for that decision.

OK, the majority of the rest of this passage is for the husband, so listen up, guys and wives, no elbowing your spouse. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Wow! Love your wife as Christ loved the Church. How much does Christ love the church? So much that he died for us. In the same way, the husband is called to sacrifice himself for the sake of his wife. (Now the submission thing sounds pretty easy—if the wife is in submission and the husband is sacrificing self for her, there should be very little reason for serious disagreements.) Don’t fight, just have intense fellowship.

Then it starts talking about washing with water and stains and wrinkles. What does this have to do with marriage? As the head of the household, the husband is responsible for setting the spiritual atmosphere of the home. If you as the head of the house are in the word, then you are better able to help the rest of your family remain holy and blameless before God. As was already pointed out to the women, the husband will answer to God for what he allows to happen within his home. Now if setting a good spiritual atmosphere will help the home, the opposite is also true. Why do you think our enemy tries so hard to keep us out of our Bible, out of prayer, and out of fellowship with other believers?

28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church—30 for we are members of his body. Love your wife like you love yourself; care for her. This works on three levels: the first is physical, like providing food, clothing, a house, etc. Second, we can see this as mental and relational, i.e., we encourage our spouse, take the time to build the relationship. Guys, we sometimes need to take time out of what we want to do and be willing to sit down and talk to our spouse. Women and men are wired differently. Women tend to want to sit down and talk things through and men tend to want to be doing something. Relationship takes time and effort, and it is worth every second we put in! Finally, we need to support our spouse emotionally. One thing that I always encourage couples to do is to date. Michelle may be my wife, but she’s also my girlfriend. If I don’t continue to pursue her, then I am allowing myself to grow complacent in the relationship.

31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. Here Paul states one of the deepest mysteries that surround marriage. When a couple becomes united in marriage, they are joined as one flesh. This isn’t a very clear statement, but I don’t know how to put it any better. There is a joining that occurs at the deepest level of both persons. Paul, having never experienced this, quickly steps away from the subject by turning the focus back to Christ and the church.

Paul concludes this passage with a final word to husbands and wives. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Husbands, love your wife as yourself. This is repeated here, because it sums up all of the other commands Paul gave. Then he says, Wives, show your husband respect. Again, this is a repetition of what has come before, but it summarizes what Paul has already said.

I know that this was more of a teaching sermon than a preaching sermon, but there is a genuine need for more Christian teaching about how marriage is supposed to work. You see, we have the promise of scripture that God’s word will not return void, but it will bear fruit in the lives of those who hear it. In this case, I pray that you will be encouraged in your relationships.

Who Will Hold the Rope?

Acts 9:17-25

At Adamsville, we have a mission statement: To Know Christ, to Grow into his likeness, and to Show him to the world. That is just what happened to Saul (better known as Paul.) Saul had been persecuting the church in Jerusalem for some time and he got permission to hunt for Christians in Damascus. On the way there, Christ met him in a blinding flash of light, and Saul was struck blind. We talked last week about Ananias and his conversation with God. And you’ll remember, God’s assurance that Saul had become a believer—behold, he prays. He knew Christ. After being restored to sight, some experts say that Saul spent the next several years in the dessert studying the faith. Whether or not that was the case, however, is irrelevant. At some point, he began to preach to the Jews about Jesus, and he grew bold and powerful (he grew into Christ’s likeness and began to show him to others)—so much so that the Jews in Damascus decided it was time to kill Saul. But some of the other believers found out about the plot and they lowered Saul in a basket during the night, allowing him to escape unharmed. This morning, I want to focus on those other believers. You see, we hear a lot about Paul’s ministry, but it would never have happened if it weren’t for some folks willing to hold the rope for him. If we are going to be engaged in ministry for the Kingdom of God, we need to have a system of support, i.e., people who are willing to hold the rope for us.

When I had the privilege to work at Camp Asbury, I was a facilitator on the high ropes course. For those who don’t know what high ropes are, picture a series of obstacles set 35 to 40 feet up in the air. It was definitely a faith-growing experience for me. When you were getting ready to go up that tree and when you got up there, there was one very important question that became very, very important: Who is holding the rope? In fact, there were a series of verbal commands that the climber and the rope holder would go through to make sure that the climber was safe. I remember one youth group that was on the course over the fall, and they had a guy who played football—a big offensive lineman. And he when he got up to the catwalk, he asked me, “What happens if I step off?” I told him he would drop a little bit and then come to a stop. So he stepped off. And he dropped a few inches, stepped back onto the catwalk, and walked across as calmly as if he were on the ground. You see, he knew someone was holding the rope.

What does it mean to be a rope holder? There are at least three different jobs needed. Some people may have more than one job, but other times, it may take three different people.

• The first category of rope holders are Intercessors: Those who will stand in prayer and lift that person, group, or situation up on a daily basis. Gen 18:20-33. Abraham is an intercessor not only for his nephew Lot and his family, but for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. When you read this passage, you can see the spirit of the intercessor. He or she is full of holy boldness. Not timid in the requests. Also, he or she is not irreverent towards God, but has a reverent humility. Finally, the intercessor needs a bit of importunity (to importune is to solicit in a pressing manner; think of a pushy telemarketer). Each time Abraham asks, he pushes a little further. Are we willing to respectfully but boldly press God for the needs of others?

• The second type of person needed is someone with the gifts of helps and service. If I were to describe this with one word, it would be support. These are important, since ministry doesn’t come with an easy button. The gift of helps is seen in that person who is able to work behind the scenes to relieve others of detailed or routine jobs. They relieve them so they can focus more fully on their area of ministry. (1 Cor. 12:28, Romans 16:1-2, Acts 9:36, Mark 15:40-41) Service is the ability to see things that need done. This person is a doer, not looking for praise, but just wanting to make sure things are done and ministry can continue. (2 Tim. 1:16-18, Romans 12:7, Acts 6:1-7, Titus 3:14, Galatians 6:2,10). Now I began to ask God, “What is the difference between these two?” And what God showed me is that a person with the gift of helps always works behind the scenes. He or she shies away from any form of public service. On the other hand, the person with a gift of service will do whatever needs done to keep ministry going. They don’t seek out the public eye, but they won’t shy away from it either. I also need to say that these gifts are not mutually exclusive; i.e., you may have both gifts.

• Finally, we all need some Encouragers. These are persons with a gift of exhortation, that ability to reassure, strengthen, encourage, and affirm others. This can simply by praising what is already going on, or by helping them move from their problems to a resolution to that problem. (Romans 12:8, Acts 14:21-22, Heb. 10:25)

When this sermon was first suggested to me, it was in terms of supporting our youth and youth leaders as they prepare for Battle Cry. I agree. We need to be supporting them. But in the last several weeks, God has begun to impress upon me the need to have rope holders around all those who are ministering within the church, for without that support, we are much more likely to fall prey to the attacks of the enemy.

So as our praise team comes, as we close this morning, I am looking for rope holders. If you are willing to be an intercessor, a supporter, an encourager, I want you to come forward this morning, and we are going to give you a piece of rope, as a reminder of this vital ministry in our church. In the coming weeks and months, we will do more to formally organize our rope holders, but this morning, we just want to pray for you. If God is calling you in this way, please come as we sing.