What does it take to please God? What would you say? Some people think that the way you please God is through ritual. Many years ago I remember being in downtown Toronto when a Hari Krishna ensemble of about 18 or so shaved heads dressed in toga like gowns came down the street clinging finger cymbals and chanting their mantra over and over and over again. Many believe that you chant certain prayers, you pray certain rituals over and over, you light some incense or you light some candles and you do some ritualistic things — to please God. But that’s not what the Bible says.

Some people think the way you please God is through rules and regulations, that you make a list of all the things you’re supposed to do and all the things you’re not supposed to do. If you do all the things on the “Do” list and don’t do all the things on the “Don’t Do” list then God says you’re ok. But that’s not what the Bible says either!

Some people think that the way you please God is through religion, that if you observe certain holy days or go to a bunch of religious experiences or maybe more frequently or even daily celebrate the Lord’s Supper, or as they call it in other denominations – the Eucharist or the mass, and you’re a religious enough person then God says “You’re definitely impressing me with all you do!” There is one big problem with that folks. God has revealed in his Word what pleases him and all of the above is not what the Bible teaches.

The Bible says God isn’t interested in ritual or rules or regulations or religion. He’s interested in a relationship with you. He wants you to learn to trust Him. Listen everyone at Rosebank – there is one thing you need to please God.! It has a thousand ways of being expressed, but there is only one thing that pleases God!

You can try, try and try again but if you do not have this one thing, sorry folks you will not please God. The Bible says that without this, it is impossible to please God. Tell me friends, what is it that you must have if you are to please God? ______________

Hebrews 11:6

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.”

I believe God wants to bless us here at Rosebank. I believe his blessing will be reflected in growth. I believe he would be glorified as we grow to the point where we need to build a larger facility. All of that is entirely possible not because of what we can accomplish, but because of who He is. This morning I want to talk to you about who we are going to become and about building our lives on a firm foundation. If we build on the shifting sands of human opinion or human insight, when the rains come and the winds follow the house built on the sand will fall. We want to build on solid ground. Look with me at Jude 1:20 which says, “Build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith.” The foundation of a great life is faith. So we’re going to look at how do you build faith?

What is faith anyway? I’m interested in pleasing God, obviously you must be interested in pleasing God — you’re at church this morning. If God says “It’s impossible to please Me unless you live by faith” it’s pretty important to know about. So what is faith? (Get input) _______________________________________________________________

Faith is like a multi-faceted diamond. Many of you have seen Joyce Rolston’s new diamond engagement ring. Well, faith is like a diamond. There are many different aspects to faith. This morning I want us to look at seven different aspects of faith, and how to live the kind of life that pleases God.

If you want to look at faith, you have to go to the Bible and the book of Hebrews, chapter 11. I remember my son Jeff standing on a chair at Temple Christian Academy when he was 8 or 9 years old reciting this entire chapter. The 40 verses of Hebrews 11 are God’s Hall of Fame — actually God’s Hall of Faith. It’s the list of all the great men and women in the Bible who God says, “These people, – they done good!” They had faith. They did it right. They were men and women of faith. Let’s look at seven aspects of how do you build a great life by learning to live by faith.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” 1:1

1. FAITH IS FIRST BELIEVING WHEN I DON’T SEE IT.

Faith is visualizing the future in the present, it’s seeing it in advance, it’s being certain of what we do not see. You all know by now I love to quote William Booth the founder of the Salvation Army. He said, “Those who can see the invisible can accomplish the impossible.”

As human beings we often say things like, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” And God says, “No, you’ve got it all backwards. Some things – you have to believe it, in order to see it.” Whether you’re an architect planning a building, or whether you’re an artist creating a sculpture, or whether you’re an Olympic athlete trying to break a world’s record, or whether you’re a scientist trying to send a man to the moon, or whether you are praying and working with God toward a friends salvation, you have to believe it before you can see it. All of those things require faith. You have to believe it’s possible in advance, long before it will ever be possible. That’s what the Bible says faith is — believing when I don’t see it. That is exactly what I am making the conscious choice to do regarding where we are headed here at Rosebank, and the day will come when my faith will become reality because my faith is fixed in and centred on a God who can do anything!

Warner von Braun, the father of the space age, who built the Atlas rocket and the Saturn rockets that sent men to the moon, once said, “There has never been any significant achievement in human history that was not accompanied by faith.” It all started out that somebody believed it was possible, believed it in advance. You have to believe it before it happens.

When I went to Sauble Christian Fellowship in 1996 I started with the words of Bishop Dale Shaw ringing in my ear. I stood before the 5 couples who were out that first Sunday, but I saw the 100 people that Dale told me we’d have by the end of the first year. He saw with the eyes of faith and so did I. That dream, through faith became reality. God gave me a vision when I came to Rosebank of what it will look like in five years. It occurred to me as I was working on this message that God is doing work in this vineyard these past 7 months and currently to prepare it for growth. If you want to know what God does to prepare for growth look at Isaiah chapter 5. “I will sing a song of my well beloved. He has a vineyard in a very fruitful cornfield. Well , actually it says, he has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. He dug it up, he cleared out the stones, he planted it with the choicest vines and he built a tower in the midst of it. He also made a winepress. Then he looked for fruit.” God has been a work among us and God is preparing for blessing and God is the one who said he’d build the church, and does anyone believe God can do what he says?????

Faith turns dreams into reality. It is believing before I see it. But it’s far more than that.

2. FAITH IS OBEYING WHEN I DON’T UNDERSTAND IT.

God gives us a couple exhibits. Exhibit A is a man named Noah. Just think of the doubts that Noah might have had. Can you imagine if God came to you one day and said, “I’m sick and tired of what I see here so I’m going to wipe out the whole world and start over with you.” Would you have any doubts, by chance? Would you wonder what you ate last night or if Mrs. Noah slipped something into your drink?

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:7 “It was by faith that Noah built an ark to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God who warned him about something that had never happened before.” Don’t miss the connection in this verse between the words “faith” and “obey”. Faith, the Bible says, is obeying when I don’t understand it. It didn’t make sense. I’m certain Moses had all kinds of questions and doubts because it had never happened before. The Bible says that, before the flood, it had never rained. The earth was watered by a mist that came up from the ground like dew in the morning, condensation. It was a different kind of atmosphere. That may have been one of the reasons that people lived longer in those days — of course they didn’t have food additives then either. But the atmosphere evidently changed. It had never rained.

When God said, “Noah, I want you to build this big ship because it’s going to flood.” Noah said, “What’s a flood?” God said, “It’s when you get a lot of rain.”

And Noah said, “What’s rain?” “Like when I take a lake and pour it down from the sky on you.” Would you believe that, if you’d never seen it?

But Noah, because he had faith, obeyed even though it didn’t make sense. God said, “I want you to build this boat here in the middle of the desert, not out at the ocean, and I’ll bring the water to you.” I’m so glad that Noah obeyed when it didn’t make sense. I’m glad he obeyed when he didn’t understand it. If he had not obeyed, you and I would not be here today!

Exhibit number two is a guy named Abraham. v. 8 “It was by faith that made Abraham obey when God called him to go out to a country God has promised to him. He left his own country without knowing where he was going.” Here’s Abraham, 75 years old and he lived in a place in modern day Iraq that is called Ur of the Chaldees. Just about the time he’s ready to go on old age social security, and hang up his sandals, retire, God says, “Oh, no you don’t. I want you to get ready to go on the adventure of your life at age 75. I’m going to take you and turn you into the father of a brand new nation, so we’re going to go to a new country.”

I’m sure Abraham had all of his doubts and all kinds of questions. He said, “Where are we going?” God said, “You never heard of this place.” Abraham said, “How long is it going to take to get there.” God said, “Don’t worry!” Abraham said, “How will I know when I’m there?” God said, “I’ll tell you.”

Would you do it? But because Abraham obeyed when he didn’t understand it, he became the father of a nation called Israel. Many people were blessed because he obeyed even when it didn’t make sense. Many people will be blessed through you when you choose to obey Christ even when you don’t understand it. When we come to Christ he begins immediately to give us directions and we need to obey, get baptized, start witnessing, support the cause, love one another unconditionally and on and on and for every step of obedience we take we bring blessing to our lives and our lives begin to be a blessing and make a difference in the lives of those around us. We need to obey by faith. Obedience always brings blessing. Say that with me.

Faith always involves risking. Some people want a guarantee of success before they obey God. They read something in the Bible and God tells them to do something and they say, “Ok, God, once You guarantee it’s going to work, then I’ll do it.” God says, “That doesn’t require any faith. I want you to believe when you don’t see it and I want you to obey when you don’t understand it.”

Going back 11years ago. I still had a year of full time classes at Emmanuel Bible College to get my degree and I was out of money. I had used up my savings, and the little church couldn’t guarantee me much in the way of income because the support group was really small, but there is seldom a day goes by that I don’t thank God for all the blessings I have received from saying “Yes” to His call. Things don’t have to make sense to be right. The right thing is always what God calls us to and it is always our faith first, followed by obedience that brings blessing. It sure has been that way in my life.

In this book, the Bible, in the New Testament, there are 1,050 commands of God. He says, do this and this and your life will be blessed. Every time God tells you to do something, it’s a test. It’s a test of whom am I going to believe — God or my gut. Am I going to do what God tells me is the right thing to do or am I going to do what I think is the right thing to do? Am I going to believe God knows best or am I going to believe my own sense of logic? Of these 1,050 commands, many of them seem unreasonable, many of them seem unusual, inconvenient. Some of them seem flat out impossible to do. But they are all there for our benefit. Because God loves you and our heavenly Father knows best.

Do you remember when you were a kid and your parents would tell you to do something that made no sense at all to you as a kid? You thought, “What do my parents know! They’re old fogies! They don’t know anything.” Looking back, can you see the wisdom of what they were telling you to do and can you see that some of those things they told you to do, they were telling you out of love and for your own benefit?

God’s wiser than your parents. When you ignore what He tells you to do, you’re the fool. It’s foolish. He is the creator. The Bible is the owner’s manual for life. If I ignore it, who gets hurt? __________________ Not God. I’m just going to hurt me.

There’s a lot of times it doesn’t make sense. For instance, God says, When people hurt you and abuse you and misuse you, forgive them. Does that sound like the right thing to do? No. The natural thing is to get even. Retaliate. God says don’t be resentful because resentment always hurts you more than somebody else. Just forgive them for your own sake so you can get on with your life. Because if you hold on to the hurt and bitterness you’re only hurting yourself. It doesn’t seem right, it may not even feel right but it is right because God says so, SO……just do it.

Here’s the point: If you learn to do whatever God tells you to do even when it seems absurd, then God can bless your life. You’re going to build a life of faith and that’s the foundation of building a great life.

On the other hand, if you ignore what God says to do — “I don’t believe that stuff. I’m going to do what I think is best. I’m my own god.” you will miss out on all the great things and blessings that God has planned for your life and put you on this earth to enjoy. You’ll miss them all.

So far we’ve seen: Faith is believing when I don’t see it, obeying when I don’t understand it. And the Bible tells us also…

3. FAITH IS GIVING WHEN I DON’T HAVE IT.

Giving and faith go together. God uses finances to test our faith. Have you ever had to decide between tithing and paying a bill. This is a test! God’s saying, “Who are you going to trust? My promises to take care of you if you put Me first or yourself?”

In Hebrews 11, this Hall of Fame, the first guy who gets listed is a man named Abel. Abel gets listed not because he did something great. He didn’t. He had no great accomplishment. No great achievement to his name. The only thing he did was he gave an offering. And God put him in the Hall of Fame. Why? It wasn’t how much he gave, it wasn’t what he gave. It was how he gave.

Hebrews 11:4 “It was faith that made Abel’s offering to God a better sacrifice than Cain’s. Through his faith God approved of his giving.” Please don’t miss the connection between the words “faith”, and “offering”, and “giving” because the Bible here is talking about giving in faith. He said it wasn’t what he gave that pleased God but how he gave it. It wasn’t the amount, but the attitude. God doesn’t care about the amount. He’s concerned about the attitude with which you give.

You need to understand that there are two ways to give. You can give by faith or you can give by fear. You can give by reason or you can give by revelation. One of these ways you don’t get any credit for. The other way pleases God.

First, I can give by reason. When I give by reason I look at my bank account and my cheque stubs and how much I’ve got and I figure out what can I afford. And I give a reasonable amount based on what I can afford. That doesn’t require any faith. An atheist can give by reason. You don’t have to believe in God for that.

The other way to give is to give by revelation. Revelation is when you pray, and you ask God and you say, “God, what do You want me to give? God, how much do You want me to trust You for this time?” It’s giving by faith. That’s the kind of giving that God blesses.

Next Sunday it will be 35 years since Jackie and I married and we promised God to be faithful in our finances to tithe and give offerings as he directed. We spent a year and a half early in our marriage living totally by faith. We had no income producing work. We were working full time for Mount Zion Fellowship. There were times when the cupboards were bare and we honestly didn’t know where the next meal was going to come from. It was that tight financially. I remember how thrilled we were when Jackie found a half a jar of peanut butter in the bottom of a box we had never unpacked from moving and we had 25 cents which bought a loaf of day old bread on sale. I remember how we prayed and asked God for a big freezer because he had given us a big garden and a lady felt led to give us a brand new freezer – the largest Sears had and we had said nothing to her about the need. I could go on and on. Jesus says, “When you put Me first in any area of your life, I will bless that area of your life.” So we did.

Some people want to say, “God, You give to me and then I’ll give.” But that’s not faith. It’s like, “God, You bring in this big windfall and when it arrives then I’ll give some of it back to You.” God says that may be gratitude but that certainly isn’t faith. Giving is when you can’t even afford it, when you give in advance — like you’re planting the seed in advance.

2 Corinthians 8:3 “Because of their great joy, they gave even more than they could afford.” It’s when it doesn’t feel like it and it doesn’t make sense, that you’re stepping out in faith. God says, “I want to bless your life but you have to trust Me first. So let’s play a little game.” 2 Corinthians 9 “Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly, but whoever sows generously will reap generously. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” God says, “You cannot out give Me.”

Faith is giving when I don’t have it. But it’s even more than that.

4. FAITH IS FORGIVING WHEN I DON”T FEEL LIKE IT.

Wrong relationships reap resistance. God resists us when we don’t deal with wrong relationships. No one in the history of humanity was ever double crossed,wrongfully accused and abused or victimized more than Jesus was. But Jesus looked at those who were so mean and rotten towards him and then he turned to his Father and said, “Father,

__________________________ for they don’t know what they’re doing.” He had an attitude of forgiveness and he gave good back in return for evil. He calls us to the same standard and it does not make natural human sense. It screams out against the me first philosophy of our society, but it is the path to peace, blessing and better health for those who choose the path of forgiveness. You don’t forgive because you feel like it. You forgive as a decision of your will and you pray for those who have been mean to you and that frees you to live in victory and it frees God in a new ways to deal with your enemies!

5. FAITH IS PERSISTING WHEN I DON’T FEEL LIKE IT.

That’s the opposite of our culture. Our culture says, “Do everything based on your feelings.” If it feels good, do it. If it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it. Do whatever feels good. Live by your emotions. As a result, we end up being manipulated by our moods. Mature people live by their commitments, not their emotions. Emotions come and go.

I don’t always feel like being nice to people. Do you? Sometimes I want to be selfish, grumpy, grouchy. And I want everybody to serve me. Sometimes I don’t feel like serving my wife or thinking of her needs. There were times when I didn’t feel like helping my kids do their homework. Sometimes I don’t feel like talking to you. This may shock you, but sometimes, even as a pastor, there are times when I don’t feel like reading the Bible. Sometimes I don’t feel like praying. I’ve discovered that when I don’t feel like it, that’s usually when I need to pray and read the Bible the most. In fact, I’ve discovered if the only time I pray and read the Bible is when I feel like it, the devil makes sure I never feel like it. So I have to keep on doing it, persisting in spite of how I feel. That is the secret of success. Successful people are simply ordinary people who do what the average person doesn’t feel like doing. And that’s why they’re successful.

Faith is being persistent. Faith is refusing to give up. Faith is doing the right thing, even when you’re tired, even when you’re moody.

How do you be that persistent? The Bible tells us – when it speaks of Moses who spent 40 long years on the backside of the desert. It says, “He held to his purpose like a man who could see the invisible.” The key is, Keep your eyes on God. That’s what Moses did. When you keep your eyes on God, it keeps you persistent.

Some of you today are at the quitting point. You feel like you’re ready to give up on your marriage. Or you’re ready to give up on your faith. Or you’re ready to give up on school, because it just seems too hard. Or you’re ready to give up on that career, or that dream, or that hope of ever getting married, — or that hope of ever getting out of your marriage! — or whatever. Some of you feel like your health situation is hopeless, “I’m never going to get any better.” Some of you think your finances are hopeless, “I’m never going to get out of debt!” And you feel like giving up. And God brought you here this morning so He could say this to you, “Hang in there! Don’t give up. Keep believing when you don’t see it, obeying when you don’t understand it, giving, when you don’t have it, and keep persisting when you don’t feel like it.” Keep your eyes on God. If you look at your problem you’re going to be overwhelmed. If you look at the world you’ll be distressed, if you look within you’ll be depressed, if you look at God, you’ll be at rest. It’s all what you have your eyes on.

There’s two other things you need to know about faith.

6. FAITH IS THANKING GOD BEFORE I RECEIVE IT.

A good example of this is the story of Joshua. Hebrews 11:30 “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after the people had marched around them for seven days.” After Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt from Pharaoh, into the Promised Land, they went to take over the country and the capital was Jericho. It was the most fortified city in the world. There was no chance a bunch of ex-slaves were going to take it over. It was considered impenetrable. But the people of God marched around the city parameter — the walls of it — for seven days. First in silence, then on the seventh day they shouted to God in praise. They were thanking God in advance that God had already delivered the city in to their hands.

That’s what the Bible says faith is. Faith is not believing God can do something. Because God can do it whether you believe it or not. His ability is not dependent upon your thinking He can do it. Faith is not believing God can do something. And faith is not believing God will do something. That’s hope. You hope He will.

Faith is believing God is doing something right now, even though I don’t see it, that He’s working behind the scenes, that the answer is already on its way, that He’s moving the pieces into place even as we speak. It’s thanking God in advance.

Mark 11 “When you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it [past tense] and you will be given what you ask for [present tense].” Believe you’ll receive it and then you’ll get it. Am I saying I have to believe I’ve got it in order to get it? Yes. That’s called faith. Faith is thanking God in advance. If I were to say to you, “Come up after the service. I’ve got a gift for you.” And I give you a check for $5000, would you wait until after you cashed it to thank me? No. You’d thank me right on the spot. You haven’t cashed it yet. The money’s not in your hands, but you’d thank me in advance because you knew you could count on it. My cheques are good. And so are God’s by the way! So it’s thanking God in advance.

If you wait until after a prayer has been answered to thank God for it, is that faith? No, that’s gratitude. Gratitude is saying, “Thank You, God, for what You did.” Faith is thanking God in advance of what He did.

I’m saying faith is thanking God in advance, believing the answer’s already happened. You’re just waiting to see it. That means that if God tells you to go after Moby Dick in a row boat, you take along a large frying pan and the tartar sauce.

7. FAITH IS TRUSTING IF I DON’T GET IT.

Some people try to make God like a vending machine that God automatically will give you anything you want, but that’s not true. God is not a vending machine. Vending machines will give you things that you don’t need. Vending machines will give you things that will kill you. God will never give you something that’s bad for you. Does a parent give a child everything the child asks for? Of course not. Not if the parent is sensible and loving. And God’s not going to give you everything you ask for. He said, “I will meet all your needs”. He doesn’t say, “I’ll meet all your greeds.” Big difference.

The Bible says that faith is trusting if I don’t get it. Here’s the truth: God hears every prayer you pray. Fact number two, He doesn’t answer always the way you want Him to. In fact, sometimes when you pray, God says, Yes. And sometimes when you pray, God says, No. And sometimes when you pray, God says, Not yet. And sometimes God says, “I’ve got a better idea. I’ve got something different. I know you’re going to like this better.” All four of those are equally valid answers to prayer. And faith is trusting God even when I don’t get the answer I expected or wanted.

Notice this verse talking about some of the other Hebrews Hall of Fame  ers. Vs. 39-40 “These were all commended for their faith yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better.” Living by faith does not exempt you from problems. Just ask the Christians in Afganistan, or China, or Pakistan right now. Sometimes we pray for God to remove a problem and instead He keeps the problem there and gives you the strength to go through it. And you end up being stronger. If He took all the problems out of your way, you’d be a brat! Spoiled! You’d be weak. But God wants you to have character and strength and maturity so He lets you go through some problems instead of removing them and He gives you the ability to handle it.

Anybody can trust God when things are going great. Anybody can give when they’ve got extra money. Anybody could persist when they see the deadline is only a couple inches away. Anyone can forgive when they feel the warm fuzzy glow of love and forgiveness flowing. Anybody can believe when it’s right there in front of them. But real faith is built in the valleys of life. It is trusting God when I don’t get it. May God help us to walk by and live by faith, giving him a reward for going through those dark hours of torture and the cross for us.

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.

2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.

3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.

6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

8 And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.

9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.

10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

11 Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened.

12 And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,

13 and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’

14 And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.”

15 And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.

17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

If this is true, if this is real – that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead (verse 6), and that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him (verse 18), and that he will be with his disciples to the end of the age (verse 20) – if this is true, then nothing is more important in our lives, nothing is more crucial or more urgent or more needful than believing it and becoming a follower of Jesus.

Just think of it. Jesus says in verse 18, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” If this is true, then today Jesus Christ is the Lord of the universe.

He has authority over politics and government; he has authority over all armies and military might;

he has authority over all industry and business (NASDAQ, Wall Street, and Dow Jones);

he has authority over science and education – all research and discovery and universities and colleges;

he has authority over all entertainment and media – radio, TV, magazines, newspapers, Internet, theatre, art;

he has authority over all sports and leisure – over the Leafs, the Argonauts, and the Raptors and over every playoff game;

he has authority over all natural phenomena – all weather and floods and volcanoes and earthquakes and tornadoes and hurricanes and global warming and ozone layers;

he has authority over all planets and moons and stars and light and energy and motion and time;

and therefore he has authority over our lives – health and disease and success and failure and life and death.

I don’t know where you are this morning. You may or may not believe the testimony of Jesus and his disciples. But I hope you see at least that if – if - it is true that Jesus rose from the dead as the Lord of the universe with all authority in heaven and on earth, then believing it and following Jesus as our Lord is the most important, most urgent, most crucial thing in our lives.

No matter how hard I try to think of an alternative, I can’t escape the conclusion that the resurrection of Jesus Christ as Lord of all the universe with all authority in heaven and on earth is the greatest event in the history of the world – except, perhaps, for one other, the one that happened three days earlier, namely, his death.

There would have been no need for the resurrection if Jesus had not died; and there would be no saving significance to his death if he did not rise. Both are utterly crucial. This morning, I want to answer the question WHY?

Picture the scene with me, early Sunday morning. Mary Magdalene and the other women have come to the tomb of Jesus. They see an angel whose appearance is like lightning (verse 3). Then, according to Matthew 28:5-6a, “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.’” There is the first claim in this text that I want us to focus on: “Jesus has been crucified.”

What do we need to know about this event – that Jesus was crucified – so that his resurrection is seen to be what it really is? Here are five things:

1. The crucifixion of Jesus was public.

This thing did not happen in a corner (Acts 26:26). It was not a secret rite. It is not mythological. It is historical and public. There were crowds of people who saw it happen (Matthew 27:39) in an open public place. All the religious and secular leaders were involved. And secular historians of the earliest centuries treated the death of Jesus as historical fact. Tacitus, the Roman historian who was born in AD 55 and who did not follow Christ, explained who Christians were like this:

Christ, from whom they took their name, had been put to death as a punishment during the reign of Tiberius at the hand of one of our Procurators, Pontius Pilate, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for a moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome. (Annals 15:54)

In 1883 a long report filed by Caiaphas to the Sanhedrim was found. It was a report documenting the reasons for his part in the execution of Jesus Christ.

Vallius Raterculus was a Roman historian who was 52 years of age when Jesus was crucified. He wrote a comprehensive volume called the Historia Romania that included the report of Pilate to Caesar regarding the trial and subsequent crucifixion of Jesus. There are many supporting historical documents regarding the crucifixion of Christ.

2. The crucifixion of Jesus was painful.

The article on “Cross” in the International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia describes crucifixion:

The punishment was meted out for such crimes as treason, desertion in the face of the enemy, robbery, piracy, assassination, sedition, etc. . . . Among the Romans, crucifixion was preceded by scourging, undoubtedly to hasten impending death. The victim then bore his own cross, or at least the upright beam, to the place of execution. . . . The number of nails used seems to have been indeterminate. A tablet, on which the feet rested or on which the body was partly supported, seems to have been a part of the cross to keep the wounds from tearing through the transfixed members. (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, ii.42)

The suffering of death by crucifixion was intense, especially in hot climates. . . . The swell[ing] about the rough nails and the torn lacerated tendons and nerves caused excruciating agony. The arteries of the head and stomach were surcharged with blood and a terrific throbbing headache ensued. The mind was confused and filled with anxiety and dread foreboding. The victim of crucifixion literally died a thousand deaths. . . . The sufferings were so frightful [Josephus wrote] that “even among the raging passions of war, pity was sometimes excited” (BJ, V, xi, 1). The length of this agony was wholly determined by the constitution of the victim, but death rarely ensued before thirty-six hours had elapsed. . . . Death was sometimes hastened by breaking the legs of the victims and by a hard blow delivered under the armpit before crucifixion. Crura fracta was a well-known Roman term (Cicero Phil. xiii.12). The sudden death of Christ evidently was a matter of astonishment (Mk 15:44). (”Cross,” ISBE, Henry Dosker)

So there is no surprise when we read in the gospels that, Jesus gave a “loud cry” (Mark 15:37). His suffering in those last hours was indescribable.

3. The crucifixion of Jesus was planned by God.

Jesus said to his disciples several times that this was his destiny. For instance, Matthew 17:22-23a: “Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.’” In Acts 4:27-28, the disciples prayed to God like this: “Truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.” The death of Jesus was not a historical fluke or accident or merely the effect of great injustice. It was by the plan of God.

Many prophets, from many countries, over many generations and years, in three different languages, sat in their isolation and moved by the Spirit of the eternal “I AM” they wrote with conviction that exceeded by far their sight and their intellect:

He was to be descended from Abraham

He was to be of the lineage of David

He was to be born in Bethlehem

He was to be called from Egypt and live in Nazareth

He was to be born of a virgin

He was to exercise a benevolent ministry

Signs and wonders were to be done in His name

He would open blind eyes

He would heal deaf ears

He would cause the lame to walk

He would be a light to the gentiles

He would be betrayed by his friends

He would be sold for thirty pieces of silver

Those thirty pieces of silver would be cast down, then used to purchase a potter’s field

He would willingly give his body a ransom for others

He was to be crucified

His hands, his feet and his side would be pierced , but not one bone was to be broken

He was to die among transgressors

He was to make his grave in the grave of rich man.

He was to rise again from the dead

He was to ascend into heaven

All of these things were clearly foretold hundreds of years earlier in the Old Testament, and then fulfilled in miraculous, meticulous, detail in the New Testament.

Can it be spelled out any clearer than that the crucifixion was God’s plan than it is in the verse more memorized than any other? “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son . . .” (John 3:16). And again it says with ringing clarity in Romans 8:32; “[God did] not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all” Friends you need to understand, Jesus was crucified by design, not by accident.

4. The crucifixion of Jesus was punishment for sin, but not his own.

If Jesus did not sin – if He was pure and Holy – who’s sin did he die for? Isaiah tells us 700 years before. ” But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. [6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6) His death was punishment for sin. But not his own.

Which leads to one last thing to say about this death.

5. The crucifixion of Jesus is precious.

This not my word, though I love it. It’s what those who knew him best taught. Peter wrote, “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). And again in 1 Peter 2:7, “To you therefore who believe, he is precious.” The crucifixion of Jesus is precious to those who believe, because by that death we are ransomed from sin and guilt and condemnation and hell, and given eternal life.

This is what Jesus came to accomplish: eternal life for all who believe. This is why he was crucified. So what have we seen so far? This death of Christ was public, painful, planned, punishment (for us!) and precious. My prayer today is that you will all see him for who he is, and that he will become precious to you.

But listen friends, He can’t be precious to you if he is dead. So the resurrection of Jesus is just as crucial as his crucifixion. So take the final moments of this message and ponder with me this other statement in Matthew 28:6. The angel said to Mary and the others, “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.”

What can we say about the resurrection of Jesus? We could talk for hours about it. If I had time, I would talk about how public it was, because he appeared to so many and for so many days (50) to increase our confidence that it is true and real (1 Corinthians 15:6; Acts 1:3); and how physical it was, not ghostly or mystical (Luke 24:39-43); and how productive it was, because it secured the resurrection of all who trust him (1 Corinthians 15:20).

In closing I want us to see two main things:

1. The resurrection of Jesus was powerful; and the resurrection of Jesus was personal.

This is what Jesus said in verse 18b: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” This is what it means in the New Testament when Peter says, “[He has] been exalted to the right hand of God” (Acts 2:33); and Stephen says, as he is being stoned to death for his faith, “I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56); and Paul says, “Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1); and Hebrews says, “[Christ] endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (12:2).

The right hand of God is the place of ultimate authority along with God the Father. Paul says he is there “Because He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25). The resurrection of Jesus restored Jesus to a place of triumphant-all-authority over all things. And from there he works out his saving purposes in the world -with authority over politics and government and industry and business and science and education and entertainment and media and weather and stars and light and energy and life and death. His cause cannot fail.

If you have all power and all authority and cannot die, your cause cannot fail.

This is a great reason for following Jesus. He cannot fail. Sin and death and hell and evil and Satan could not and cannot defeat his purposes. He is the victor! That is a good reason to trust him and follow him. To oppose him or, listen now, to ignore him, or reject His offer of forgiveness and hope places you under the hideous sentence of death.

2) The resurrection of Jesus was personal. Matthew 28:20b, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” That means the Risen One is here today in Rosebank Church.

Here’s the practical value of this promise. You might take the truth of Christ’s authority over all things and just turn it into a theological problem. Well, if he has authority over the world, why is it in such a mess? Or: If he has authority over life and death, why did my child or wife or mother die?

But there is another way to respond to the power and authority of Jesus. If you will – and Jesus calls you to this – you can see it as the power and authority to free you from sin and fear and greed so that when you trust his promise to be with you, you are unstoppable in your love. If he is with you to the end, and if he has all authority in the universe, then you can, just like Jesus, love and serve and sacrifice, and never lose. This is the practical effect of the resurrection of Jesus when you experience it as powerful and personal.

If Jesus is not all-powerful and not personally with us to the end, and if we don’t trust him to be that for us, we will simply ignore the needs of others and live for our own private comfort. Let me give you two examples, and invite you to trust him in this way:

I want you to go with me in your mind to the Bosnian / Serbian conflict of the mid 90’s and picture a real scene that really took place. World Magazine reported in it’s March 1996 issue, that three children were killed in Bosnia when they wandered into a minefield. Close your eyes and picture that with me. One of them, an 11-year-old girl, called for help for hours before she died, but no one would go into the minefield to help her. What would you have done? What would I have done? Could it be that this is why Jesus told us that all authority is his – not so that people would create a theological problem out of it, but so that some follower of Jesus would lift his heart and say: “Jesus, all authority over these mines is yours, and you are with me to the end; if you will, you can keep me from stepping on a mine; and if you will, you can take me to heaven; but this I know, you call me to love that little girl; so trusting your power and your personal presence, I go.”

Why?

You’re the one in the minefield. He came just because He loves you.

]]> http://rosebank.org/sermons/2007/08/just-because/feed/ 0 http://rosebank.org/sermons/2007/08/love-%e2%80%93-priority-1/ http://rosebank.org/sermons/2007/08/love-%e2%80%93-priority-1/#comments Sun, 05 Aug 2007 14:45:11 +0000 rosebank http://rosebank.org/sermons/2007/08/love-%e2%80%93-priority-1/ I’d like to begin by asking you to answer a question. How would you complete this sentence: My aim in life is _______________. What word, what phrase would you use? Success? Happiness? Comfort? Security? Recognition? Fun? No more manure? To be well known? Approval?

What does God say should be our aim in life? The goal that dominates our thinking? What we aim for.

I Corinthians 14:1 (Living Bible) “Make love your greatest aim.” Why, of all the things God could have said, “Here’s what you ought to build your life on”, why love?

We’re going to look in the Bible this morning to the love chapter, I Corinthians 13.

I Corinthians says we ought to make love our greatest aim in life because of its priority. Notice in the first few verses why it’s the most important value.

1. Without love all that I say is ineffective.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and/or angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” (v. 1) Words without love are empty, just noise. The world is impressed by great communicators, charisma. But God isn’t impressed. He says words without love are nothing, ineffective. The Corinthians were real caught up in this. They were proud of their spiritual eloquence. They were great at talking the talk, but they were pretty weak at walking the walk.

“We’re just not communicating in our home.” Is that a problem for you in your home? Have you ever stopped to consider that maybe it’s because you’re not communicating or speaking in a loving way? We always listen and people respond to loving words. But we resent and reject unloving words.

2. Without love all that I know is incomplete.

“If I have the gift of prophecy, and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge… but have not love I am nothing.” You can be an intellectual giant, be a part of that genius strata, a MENSA member, have so many degrees they call you Dr. Fahrenheit, but it doesn’t matter. Without love you’re nothing. You can be brilliant, a walking Bible encyclopedia, memorize and quote the whole New Testament, split a theological hair sixteen different ways, answer all the Bible questions, unscruit the inscrutable but God says, “It doesn’t matter.” If you are not exhibiting love in your life, especially to those who’ve done you wrong, who’ve offended you, then no matter what you’d like it to look like, your spiritual depth is shallow.

“Knowledge puffs up, but loves builds up.” It’s better to have a right heart than it is to have a right head. We’re in a knowledge explosion. A study done at the turn of the millenium said that by the year 2010 there were will be 95% more knowledge available to humanity than there was as when we entered the second millenium. Dr. Hanz Finzel, in his book, “Chang is like a Slinky,” writes “The future belongs to those who can adapt rapidly. Christians need to learn to dance, that is to move quickly, responsively, and without the delay heaviness imparts. Be nimble. He quotes Karl Albrecht, “The sleepers in our society are in real trouble. What you don’t know can kill you!”

The world is exploding with information and knowledge. You can’t keep up with it. Yet are any of man’s basic problems being solved? No. The world is not looking for more knowledge; the world is looking for love. Without love all that I say is ineffective and all that I know is incomplete. Are we able to get along with others, especially with those who are of the household of faith? If we cannot, then all we say is worth nothing – ineffective.

3. All that I believe is insufficient.

“If I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love I am nothing.” It doesn’t matter what you believe, if you don’t have love it doesn’t count. There is a misconception that all being a Christian involves is believing certain truths, doctrines, holding certain beliefs. Someone says, “I’m a Christian. I believe in Jesus.” Big deal! So does the devil. The devil believes Jesus is the Son of God. But do you really love Jesus? Do you recognize how he chose to love you – giving himself for you even when you were a guilty sinner? He said, “If you love me, keep my commandments. He said, “By this will all men know you are my disciples, that you have love one for another.” He said, “Love those who persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely.” He said, “Forgive one another just as Christ has forgiven you. For if you won’t forgive, neither will the Father in Heaven forgive you.” If you have faith to move a mountain, but you don’t have faith to reconcile with those who have offended you, you have nothing.

Galatians 5:6 “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Some of you need to write this verse on your calendar. When you are tempted to be controlled by the past with all it’s wrongs, the only thing that counts is faith expressed through love. Faith is important but without love it is hollow and meaningless.

4. All that I give is insignificant.

“If I give all I possess to the poor but have not love, I gain nothing.” This says you can give everything you’ve got, not just tithing, you can give everything and still not have love. Why? Because you can give for selfish motives. People often give for different motives. Some people give for prestige, to get their name on a plaque. Some people give for power, to control people — a lot of times adults give to their adult kids in order to control them. Some people give to churches and believe that should give them a certain status in the church. You can give out of obligation, out of guilt. Just because you give doesn’t mean you’re doing it in love. You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving.

A guy told me one time, “I don’t understand. I’ve given my wife everything she’s ever wanted. She’s divorcing me.” You can buy your wife the biggest diamond ring in the world, but if you don’t love her it doesn’t count. Have you ever seen guilty parents trying to buy off their kids? Daddy’s not around so he buys his kid $150 tennis shoes that pump up fifteen different ways. A lot of hot air!

Just because you give doesn’t mean you’re doing it in love. If you don’t do it in love it doesn’t matter.

5. All I accomplish in inadequate.

v. 3 (Living Bible) “If I were burned alive for preaching the Gospel, but I didn’t love others, it would be of no value whatever.” I can rack up a list of impressive achievements, I can succeed in all kinds of great accomplishments, I can even sacrifice my life for the greatest cause in the world — the kingdom of God — but without love it won’t matter zip! It’s wasted effort.

Friends, we don’t often think of I Cor. 13 being a strong word, perhaps a word of rebuke from the Lord, but I challenge you this morning friends to examine the message and examine your heart.

If you claim to love the Lord and love His word, but there are those you will not love because they’ve hurt you or offended you. Then don’t bother going to the Lord for things. Your communication channels are blocked. The Lord isn’t listening. He says so clearly. “If when you bring your gift to the altar you know of someone who has ought against you, then leave your gift, and go and be reconciled to that brother, then come and offer your gift.” Today we are going to offer communion to those who are believers, but there are some stern warnings about the condition of your heart if you are going to take communion.

The point in these first few verses of the “Love chapter,” is relationships are more important than accomplishments in life. Success without love is empty. One day God is going to do an audit on your life and when He evaluates your life He is not going to focus on your accomplishments, or your bank account, but He’s going to look at your relationships to evaluate how you lived.

Parents – if you allow bitterness from past hurts to reside in your heart – if you do not work at reconciling with those who’ve offended you, your lack obedience and wilfulness will be reflected in the wilfulness and lack of obedience in your children. In fact, what you tolerate in the way of sin in your life will be multiplied and magnified in the life of your children.

God is saying I can have the eloquence of an orator, the knowledge of a genius, the faith of a miracle worker, the generosity of a philanthropist, the dedication of a martyr, but if I don’t love it doesn’t count.

A tip that speakers use is that they use repetition for emphasis. They say something over in many different ways in order to get the message across. Paul hits this from five different angles. All I give … All I say… All I am… All I do… All I feel… All these different things are worthless. My ultimate goal in life is to love others. There is nothing more important in your life. Life minus love equals zero. He says this over and over and over. Life minus love equals zero.

This is very, very important. There is no more important topic than the one we’re talking about this morning. Because life without love is zero. There is no message in the body of Christ that is more important than this one. If what Jesus said is true and people are watching Christians to see if they love, (Do you believe what Jesus was saying is true?) then, nothing is more important.

After he hammers in this point about the priority of love he then he moves on to the practice of love.

Colossians 3:14 “Most of all, let love guide your life.” How do I do this?

First, you’ve got to define it. It’s amazing to me that everybody uses this word but nobody can define it. There are thousands of love stories in the book store, movies, songs. We say, “I love my wife… I love God… I love Canada… I love hot dogs, I love ketchup.” We just throw this word out there. We talk about how it’s the most important principle but we can’t even define it.

I decided I would look up the explanation of love in the World Book Encyclopedia we have at the office. Instead it said “Love… See Sex“. Underneath is said, “and see Emotion“. I looked up “Emotion”. There was a long article on emotion. The word “love” was used one time and not even defined.

I didn’t feel too bad about that because love’s not an emotion in the first place. Love is not an emotion. Love affects emotions. Love creates emotions. Love causes emotions. But love is not an emotion. If it was, you couldn’t control it. Love is not an emotion.

So then I looked up Sex. Three page article on Sex. I found five sentences on love. Still no definition. I thought that is so typical of our society. We know far more about sex than we do about love. A lot of songs on the radio are not love songs they are lust songs.

The fact is, you and I need some lessons on how to love. We’re in a society today with so many dysfunctional families. Most people really don’t know how to love. We grow up with bad models in different places, movies, other stuff.

By the way, do you know why, in the King James Version, they use the word “charity”? In those times, as it is now, love had a wrong connotation. They had no more understanding about what love meant back in the 16th century than they do today. We’ve got to learn to love, the practice of love.

How do I practice love? The Bible is very practical.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. Love is not rude. It is not self-seeking. Love is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love rejoices in the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” What kind of lover are you? If this is what love is, I’m not a very good lover. I need some lessons. I need to learn how to love the people in my life.

We’re going to take this very seriously. We’re going to take each of these words in depth. This morning I just want to make two insights on the practice of love.

1. Love is an action. It’s not something you feel, something you say. Love is something you do. Notice all the action steps. These are things that you do. Love just doesn’t talk, it’s not just words, lip service. Love acts. It’s not just words. Love is an action. It’s a demonstration, not an inclination. Some of you have comforted yourselves greatly by saying, “O I have forgiven those who wronged me, and I chose to love them.” That can be CHEAP TALK – EMPTY WORDS without a practical demonstration of that love.

Probably the greatest black preacher of all time was Dr. E.V. Hill. He was the pastor of the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist church in Los Angeles. He was a tremendous man of God and an intellectual giant. The thing I think I liked the most about E. V. Hill is the clear sense of integrity. He was not afraid to call it as he saw it. Many times in his ministry in inner city Los Angeles he’s called things the way he saw them and pointed out injustice and pointed out things that were wrong and as a result many times his life has been threatened — death threats constantly on his life. One time, after something he’d said on Sunday morning, there was a threat that he was going to be bombed during the next week. He took that very seriously. One day coming home he noticed his car was not at home. He immediately thought either somebody has stolen it or they’re tampering with it, putting a bomb in it. He sat down on his front steps very worried. About thirty minutes later, his wife drove up in his car. He said, “What are you doing!” She was well aware of the threat. She said, “I got to thinking, this community needs you more than it needs me. If they were going to rig that car to be bombed I wanted me to be in it not you.” Hill said “I always knew that my wife loved me but now I understood what love was all about.” Love is an action. His wife had made a choice.

2. Love is a choice. You choose to love. You choose not to love. There is a myth that goes around that says Love is uncontrollable. “I just fell in love” — like it was a ditch or something. That’s not true that you can’t help it. Of course you can help it. The same people that say, “I’ve fallen in love” three years later are saying, “I just don’t love him anymore.” You choose not to love him anymore. It’s your choice. You choose to love. You choose not to love.

Love is not a feeling. If love were a feeling you couldn’t force it. You can’t force a feeling. Love is an action and love is a choice. When you don’t feel like it, is actually a greater expression of love and you act in a loving way than when you do feel like it. Christ loved us when we were unlovely and unloving. Genuine love is when you do the loving thing even when you don’t feel like it. Love is getting up in the middle of the night and helping a sick kid when that’s the last thing you want to do. Love is being patient with your husband or wife, or another church member when they’re acting like a jerk and they’re irritable. Love is giving a person what they need not what they deserve. Love is being willing to reconcile with a brother or sister in Christ who’s offended us and being willing to serve and work with them, sharing in the kingdom of Christ even when we still don’t think the same about everything. That’s love. It’s an action and it’s a choice. Nothing will speak more clearly to family members around us about the Love of Christ, than our willingness to humble ourselves and forgive and reconcile with others.

When you love in spite of your feelings, when you love even when you don’t feel like it, that’s what I call loving by faith. Acting in a loving way when you don’t feel like it. It’s easier to act your way into a feeling than feel your way into an action. If you act in a loving away eventually the feelings will come back. They will.

I read a story about a young mother who felt overwhelmed. She was battling depression, her schedule and demands on her life had heaped in on her. She said, “All I seemed to do was nag at my kids, bark at them and scold them incessantly. When I looked at myself I saw a screw. In my tears I cried out to the Lord.” In her quiet time of praying and reading the Bible the answer came in I Corinthians 13. She said, “Five words leaped out at me, `Without love I am nothing.’” So she wrote these words all over her house — put them on her refrigerator door, on the dashboard of her station wagon, on her calendar — “Without love I am nothing.” She said, “I realized the single most important thing I could do was love my family. So I began to live my life by love. I began to run my home on love power. It was as transforming as when I accepted Christ into my life. It brought the happiness back into my life and in my home.” She made a choice. And she took an action.

Paul says you need to make love — loving other people — the number one objective of your life. Why? First, because of its priority; Second, because of the practice – what it does in your life, the happiness it brings to yourself and others; Third, because of the permanence.

Permanence of Love

Paul says you need to make it your number one aim because it’s the only thing that’s going to last. v. 7-8 (Phillips) “Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. Love never fails.” You say, “My love failed, I don’t love that person anymore.” You didn’t love that person in the first place if it failed. Love is not based on feelings, it is based on the conscious choice to keep doing loving things and somewhere along the line you stopped making that choice. The good news is: You can learn some lessons of love all over and learn to love somebody you’ve never really loved with the genuine thing.

It says, “Love knows no limit to it’s endurance.” It’s durable. It’s going to last longer than an Everready bunny love. It’s eternal. It stays with you. Every other life principle is temporary except love. “I live for fun” — how long does fun last? “I live for money” — how long is your money going to last? “I live for pleasure” — how long does that last? “I live for security”, “I live for approval of others” … No other life principle that you choose to base your life on will last. Nothing lasts except one thing. Love. It’s permanent. Love is going to last for eternity.

v. 13 “In this life we have three lasting qualities — faith, hope and love. But the greatest of them is love.” Why? Why is love greater than faith and hope? There is only going to be love in heaven. It’s the only one that lasts for eternity. You don’t need faith in heaven. The Bible says you’ll see God as He is. Everything will be reality. You won’t need any faith at all; It’s just there. You’re not going to need hope in heaven. Everything will be there. Everything you’ve ever needed and wanted. You’re not going to need hope. But heaven is going to be full of love. You will feel completely, 100% loved in heaven. It’s going to be a love extravaganza. Why? Because God is love. It doesn’t say “Love is God” — “God is love”. It doesn’t say He has it; it says He is it. In His presence you will feel loved. It’s the only thing that’s going to last. It’s the only life principle that’s going to take you from this life into the next one and still keep going.

John 13:34-35 “Jesus said, `A new commandment I give you: Love one another! As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know you are my disciples if you love one another.’” He says “a new commandment”. He doesn’t say a new suggestion. It’s commanded. The point I want to make: If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, for you, love as a lifestyle, is not optional. You don’t get to choose whether you’re going to be loving or not. If you’re a believer it’s a command. Love.

How are we to love? Jesus says “As I have loved you.” Jesus is our model. “I can’t love people the way Jesus did! He was perfect! I can’t love them the way Jesus did!” You’re right. That’s why you need Jesus Christ in your life. Only He can love through you. You can’t do it on your own. You can’t be the way I’ve just read to everybody. Never impatient, never gets angry! You can’t live like that. That’s why you need God’s power in your life. Only Jesus Christ can be that way and live that kind of love through you.

Love is the main thing in life. The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing! The main thing is love. Life minus love equals zip. Nothing! Zero! A waste!

He says, “All men will know you are my disciples if you love one another.” The sign of a Christian, the distinguishing mark of a Christian, is not a cross, not a crucifix, a dove, a fish on your bumper sticker, a crown. The sign of a Christian is love. How many people know you’re a Christian because of your loving lifestyle?

We sing about love, talk about love, pray about love, study about love, but do we do it? To develop love as your life principle, making it your greatest aim, means you’re going to have to take some action as soon as you walk out this door! You walk out of here and you bang into someone on the parking lot, if you’re serious about making love your lifestyle, it may require some radical changes. You’re going to have to take the initiative. Love acts!

First start acting loving in the relationships you already have. Think through all the relationships you already have or have had in the past ten years or so. See if you need to seek some reconciliation to some people you’ve been unloving to. Does that mean you are going to enter into a close relationship with someone again who hurt you in the past. NO! But it does mean there will be nothing in the air by way of old hurts or conflict that hasn’t been reconciled and forgiven. It is the only path that will bring God’s blessing back to you, to them and to all your other relationships. Start trying to make things right with the relationships you do have. But that’s not all.

If you make love your lifestyle, you’ll start enhancing and enlarging the number of relationships you do have. Do it to share God’s love with other people because that’s the most important thing. That’s what God is going to look at when He evaluates your life. You start expanding your relationships. You cannot live the loving lifestyle as a hermit. You spell love T-I-M-E. It takes time. You love your kids, you’ve got to spend time with them. You love your husband/wife you’ve got to spend time with them. You love Jesus, you’ve got to spend time with Him. It takes time, involvement, effort, energy. But it’s worth it.

Here at Rosebank we have a high priority on sharing the good news of the gospel with people so that they would turn from sin, and self to the Saviour. But you know what? People are attracted to the church that loves. People are attracted to Christ, they’re not persuaded to Christ. They’re not argued into the kingdom. They’re attracted by the love of God. The more our family here loves, the greater this church will be. People don’t care what we know until first they know that we care. They want to know we care. What people need is not more theology, not more oratory. They need the love of Jesus Christ.

I challenge you to join me in a love movement. Let’s consider Christ’s love for us as we come to the communion table.

]]> http://rosebank.org/sermons/2007/08/love-%e2%80%93-priority-1/feed/ 0 http://rosebank.org/sermons/2007/07/thinking-about-abundant-living/ http://rosebank.org/sermons/2007/07/thinking-about-abundant-living/#comments Sun, 22 Jul 2007 14:45:44 +0000 rosebank http://rosebank.org/sermons/2007/07/thinking-about-abundant-living/ I was reading an illustration from John Ortberg this past week and he had a couple of great thoughts that I want to start with today and then we’ll go another direction to see what God is saying to us at Rosebank Church.

There is something we consult each and every day because we want to know the truth about how we look. Tell me friends, what is this? (hold up a mirror) Yes, it is a mirror and this is what you want to look in when you want to know the truth about your face. How many of you here this morning want to know the truth about your face? Every line, every wrinkle, every grey hair, every missing hair, every blemish, and every liver spot —they all show up in the mirror.

When you’re a guy, and you wake up and look at yourself in the mirror in the morning, it’s a sobering thing. Most men are a bit like the FONZ, (How many of your remember the FONZ from “Happy Days?” No matter what we see we say, “Alright” and imagine that women would kill to get at this!

With women, I’m assured it is truly different. Women always see something that needs improving, something that needs an upgrade. When you’re a woman, you have certain options to kind of “upgrade” your face. Women use products with interesting names like “concealer.” Now tell me truthfully, isn’t that a kind of scary thought? What exactly are you concealing? Guys look in the mirror and think: this is as good as it’s going to get all day long!

And what’s really depressing is that next year, it’s only going to get worse. But we keep returning to the mirror to know the truth about how we look.

Some of us here this morning are very weight conscious. We are not sure we want to know the awful truth but we do from time to time turn to contraption that helps us with the truth about our weight. What would that be? What do we need to tell us our weight? (Bathroom Scale) This is what you step on when you want to know the truth about your body [weight]. I stepped on one of these once at a mall and it had the little thing that spits out piece of paper with your weight on it along with a word of advice. When I stepped on the scale the paper came out and it said, “One at a time please.” We try to finesse these things. Sometimes you can tell the gender of a person by the way they get on one of these. Some of you are aware that since coming to Rosebank Jackie and I have both lost approximately 40 lbs. By attending Weight Watchers on Thursday mornings. It’s a riot watching some people of a certain gender weigh in a Weight Watchers. They have a chair beside the scale for you to pile things on. They always take their shoes off before they get on…or some of their clothes, which in some cases they definitely need on, off comes the jewellery and the glasses. Those very nervous at the scale take out their contact lenses, and finally take out the dentures and exhale before they get on.

And there are ways you can find out more information about your body than even a scale can provide. Ken Davis has a hilarious account about a time that he was held underwater to determine the precise fat content of his body. It just about killed him, so at the end of it, he writes this:

If you insist on knowing the fat content of your body, I’ve developed a method that will not cost you a cent. Next time you get out of the shower, grab a stopwatch and stand in front of a full-length mirror totally naked. Start the watch then jump as high as you can in the air and land on the spot with both feet. When stuff stops moving, punch the watch and check the time.

These are things you check if you want to know the truth about your body.

What do you get in the mail once a month that helps you to assess your financial situation?

We get statements in the mail on a regular basis. This is a bank statement. We expect this to give us an accurate picture of our financial condition.

Well, we here at the Mennonite Savings and Credit Union, think you did OK this month. We would sincerely like to give you more details, but we’re afraid if we told you everything about your financial condition, you might get kind of depressed. You might want to think about starting a savings account before your funeral expenses hit.

We don’t get statements like that from the bank. We get numbers—red or black.

If an area of life is important, generally people want to know,

How am I doing?

Hey kids, how do parents get to know the truth about how you are doing at school. What tool comes out two or three times a year that tells you where you stand academically?

_______________________________ (report card!)

Someone told me that just before the school year ended Reaman Cober said to his teacher one morning at the start of class, “It isn’t right to punish people for things they haven’t done is it? The teacher said, “That’s true Reaman, no one should ever be punished for something they haven’t done.” “Good,” said Reaman, because I haven’t done my homework!” We get report cards to assess our kids’ academic standings.

When you work in the marketplace for a large company once or twice a year something happens that helps you know how you stand with the company and helps them assess what the future holds for you. What is that called? _____________________________

We get performance reviews or an evaluation and often a raise in pay or a promotion is predicated on what that evaluation reveals. Why do company’s do that? To determine the state of their employees and to help the employees improve and grow personally so they can achieve more success in the company.

In professional sports – be it hockey, soccer, football or baseball what is it that you can look at and know how the individual players are doing. Stats! Yeh, how many goals did he score, how many penalties did he get, how many yards did he run? It is human nature to quantify and assess everything so that we can know where things are on the scale we are using.

Excellence or disaster?

Am I light on the scale or am I too _______________

Am I thin or am I ___________

Homely as a headgehog or absolutely ______________________

Am I very poor or am I ____________

Am I dumb as a doornail or am I very _________________________

Do I look as old as dirt or do I look refreshingly ________________

Was last weeks sermon brilliant and inspiring or was it more … well you get the idea here I’m sure.

Here’s why I raise this issue. What is indisputably the single most important aspect of life? The most critical evaluation you will ever make? This is the most important question of all!

Where do I stand spiritually? When my life is over, which it will be one day, how will a just and holy God evaluate me?

All of a sudden, many people get real fuzzy and vague about how they’re doing spiritually. I know people who are amazingly rigorous in wanting to know:

How am I doing financially?

How am I doing vocationally?

How is my physical life?

But ask them about what matters most:

How do things stand between you and God? Are you walking in purity? Are you walking in obedience? Is your eternal future nailed down and certain?

How do you know? What do you use to measure your walk?

What are you trusting in to give you accurate information about this?

And a lot of people shrug their shoulders,

I don’t know. I think I’m doing OK, or I hope it will all work out!

People in our society will tolerate a level of fogginess in this area that they would never allow in a lot of other areas of their lives, and that’s just plain stupid. So, I want to devote this message to what the writers of Scripture say about this one topic. This is going to be a very, very important message. I have one goal, and the goal is that when you walk out of this building today, you will be crystal clear on what the writers of Scripture teach about how a human being can know that he or she is right with God. That’s the most important thing in the world.

And toward the end of this message, after I’ve explained as simply as I know how, how the Bible says it is possible to be right with God, I want to give you an opportunity to respond. And for some of you, this is your day. This is the most important decision you will ever make.

Now, the Bible says that God made us all—that we were all created in His image—and that’s a very good thing. God is delighted that you exist, but you have this problem. We’ve all faced temptation; we’ve all given in; and we’re all “fallen.” We no longer measure up. We no longer look like Him. We are fallen. We do not have the stature of Christ. What is this? ___________________________

(A plumbline) What is it used for? (to make sure something is straight)

In Amos 7, God speaks to the prophet in verse 7 saying, “Amos, what do you see?” Amos replied, “I see a plumbline.” Then the Lord said, “I will test my people with this plumbline and I will no longer ignore all their sins.” Whenever you see the word plumbline in the scriptures it refers to the immanent judgement of the Lord, like in Zechariah 2 or Isaiah 28. In Daniel 5:27 the prophet spoke to King Belshazzar and told him, “You’ve been weighed in the balances and found wanting.”

Listen friends, God has a standard. Our lives are going to be measured against his standard. The day of reckoning is coming soon. We will have to give an account. The bible says in 2 Cor. 5:10 (NLT) “For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our bodies.”

How do you measure up to the plumbline? What is the level of your spiritual health?

The bible has in it the picture of perfection. It is after all the revelation of Almighty God. It is his testament. It is a book of self-disclosure he has given us to measure ourselves against. We could go to countless passages and use them as a plumbline.

The Ten Commandments

The beatitudes

The Sermon on the Mount

The parables

The teaching of the apostles in the epistles.

For the sake of brevity today let’s just consider how we measure up with one portion of the epistle to the Philippians by the apostle Paul. Chapter 2 and looking at verse 12. “Dearest friends, (notice Paul is addressing the church here – these are believers he is writing to – he might have said – Dearest Rosebank friends had he been born in another time and place, because he is indeed speaking to us when he starts, Dearest friends,) you were always so careful to follow (or obey – KJV) my instructions when I was with you.

How are you so far in your Christian life at following the instructions in the book? At being obedient?

Let’s just look at some of the instructions we are given and the call to be obedient:

One of the very first things is the call to repent:

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is … not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you shall also likewise perish.” Luke 13:3 Did you know that without repentance you are absolutely doomed? There is no easy believism in heaven. You don’t just believe and receive. God doesn’t offer greasy grace that allows you to slip into heaven. Like the song says, “If your slip slidden – it’s away!” Repentance is a first step, and then it needs to become a way of life.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land.” Repentance is not a one-time deal, but a life long attitude reflected in brokenness, humility and utter dependence upon the grace and power of God.

So how do you measure up? “Blessed are the poor (broken, humble, repentant) in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The next instruction or call to obedience is to confess the Lord Jesus Christ or make a profession of faith. You must confess to possess! The bible says, “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the scriptures tell us, ‘Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed.” Rom.10:9-11 Some of you sitting here this morning could be very disappointed on the day you stand before Christ. You will expect to be given safe passage into eternity’s heaven, but Jesus Christ will look at you and say, “If anyone acknowledges (or confesses) me publicly here on earth, I the Son of man, will openly acknowledge that person in the presence of God’s holy angels.” Listen folks, this is not an option. There is no multiple choice here. You say, “But Pastor Tim, I believe issues of faith are a private matter and nobody else’s business.” Well you can believe that or something that is wrong all you want to, but what you end up with is something that doesn’t measure up to the plumbline of the bible and on judgement day you will be found wanting. Jesus will say, “Ýou were ashamed to confess me, now I the Son of Man am ashamed to confess you before my Father!” (Luke 9:26) If you don’t like what I’m saying don’t get mad at me, I’m quoting the bible and it’s Jesus you are angry with. So … public confession is an important step of obedience. How do you measure up? Are you okay before God. The clearest form of public confession of faith is the next step of obedience.

Baptism! Have you been baptized as a believer in Jesus Christ. Jesus set the example himself and he told us that new disciples, (NOT NEWBORN BABIES) were to be “baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt.28:19)

Peter in his first great sermon told people how to be saved and the scriptures tell us in Acts 2:41 “And those who gladly received his word were baptized.” It is the natural step of obedience that follows placing your faith in Christ for forgiveness and salvation. How do you measure up to the plumbline of scripture folks – have you been baptized as a public confession of your faith? There is so much more I’m tempted to try and explain about the important symbolism in baptism, but alas, it shall have to wait for another time.

Next on the list of obedience we go back to our text for the day. Philippians 2 where Paul is admonishing them to be obedient to the Lord in verse 12 and then he says, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Whoa! Wait just a minute here pastor! Work out my own salvation? “Salvation is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.” Eph.2:8-9 Well yes, you’re right! Salvation does belong to our God. Only He can bring new life to a dead spirit and make it born again, or born anew. But salvation is also for Spirit, Soul, and Body. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Paul prayed, “Now may the God of peace sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” You are a Spirit, you have a soul, (your mind, will, emotions, and intellect) and you live in a body. God brings salvation to your spirit and only he can. “For by grace are you saved through faith it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.”

Now here in our text we read, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” But we must not stop there in the middle of the sentence he continues the thought by saying, “for it is God who works in you,” now there’s a thought worth remembering, It is God who works in me. Say that with me, “It is God who works in me, both to will, and to do, for his good pleasure. Please see it here with me. God gives us the gift of salvation and we are reborn in our spirits and then he moves inside of us and begins to work on our will (the soul area) to help us be willing, and our souls and bodies to get us to take action and become doers of the word. It is in these areas our will and the action that springs from our will God is saying, “Work out your own salvation.” It is a cooperative effort and he expects you to measure up. He tells us what to do. He gives us the power to do his will (That’s a good definition of the word grace – the power to do his will) then he says to you and me this morning, “JUST DO IT! Get on with it!” Obey – follow.

Next in our text he gives us a series of instructions:

Vs.14 “In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing.” But pastor you don’t understand how bad it was or how awful he is, or how hard it is…., I’m sure I don’t but that doesn’t justify you or change God’s word. It just says, “Don’t complain, (the KJV says murmur) and don’t argue.” How do you measure up? When this plumbline is held against your words, how do you measure up?

The bible goes on to say, “You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them.” How do you measure up? Is your life clean? Are you walking in purity and innocence? How desperately we need God’s grace and help at work within us to help us measure up.

So tell me, are you right with God? Have you repented of sin, confessed Christ as your saviour and begun to walk in the steps of obedience like baptism? Are you sure about your reservation in heaven?

A Sunday school teacher was testing her class to see if they understood the concept of getting to heaven. She asked them, “If I sold my house, my car, and had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven?”
“NO!” the children answered.

“If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?”
Again, the answer was, “NO!”  ”Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my husband, would that get me into Heaven?” she asked them again. Again, they all answered, “NO!” She was just bursting with pride for them.
Well, she continued, “Just how can I get into Heaven?”
A five-year-old boy shouted out, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD.”

Guess what folks! The boy has a point. Unless the Lord returns first, we have this time now on earth to work out what it means to measure up to God’s standard. If we want to make it to heaven we had better have the right responses to his directions to repent, to believe, to confess Jesus Christ as our Lord. If we want to go beyond that and bring heaven to earth, then we need to hold our lives against the plumbline of God’s word. We need to be dead to ourselves and alive to the one who is at work within us. God has always intended that we live life to it’s fullest potential. That we experience abundant life. How do you measure up?

Let’s pray.

You may want to say in the privacy of your own heart, “Heavenly Father, I know that you made me and I’m not here by accident this morning. I know that you love me and that Jesus gave his life for me on the cross. Right now, right here this morning I want to settle my standing with you. I repent of my sin. Will you please forgive me my sins Lord Jesus. I accept the gift of salvation you paid for with your life. Thank you for standing in my place for my judgement. I now take a stand for you and confess you as my Lord and my Saviour. I want to walk with you through the rest of this life and I want you to walk through the valley of the shadow of death with me. I want you to welcome me into your kingdom forever. Thank you Lord Jesus.