The Perfect Father

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This is a sermon that was given on June 19, 2016 for a Father's Day message.

The Perfect Father

Matthew 5:48 (NKJV) ⁴⁸ Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Introduction:

How many of you had a perfect father?

My father certainly wasn’t perfect. He was a great man and a good father, but he wasn’t perfect. Nobody knew that any better than he did.

But… dad wasn’t wrong all the time. In fact, he wasn’t wrong most of the time.

If I had to select just one thing about my dad that he really got right, I think I would say it was this:

Dad had a tender heart and he freely expressed his love to Mom and us kids.

I’ve talked to so many men throughout my life and ministry and I’m amazed at the number of men who say that they never, ever heard their dad tell them he loved them, or ever felt a loving embrace from their father. Well, that is one thing my dad got right. 

In our Scripture verse today we find the words of Jesus, “Therefore, be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

About 1 yr. ago in a series of messages I was doing on sanctification, I talked a little bit about this text in Matthew 5:48. Let me just review a little bit before we go any further in our study this morning.

In the NT there are two Greek words used to translate one O.T. Hebrew word for “perfect”. The basic idea is the same, i.e. wholeness, completeness. It sometimes also carries the idea of being mature as adults rather than infants. But, it goes beyond the mere idea of maturing to adulthood. It also implies having become all that can be expected.

Remember, the concept we discussed before in the OT carries the idea of being all that is expected. A “perfect lamb” is a lamb that is all it’s supposed to be. It didn’t have to win the prize as grand champion lamb at the “Jerusalem Intn’l. Farm Expo.” It just needs to have all its body parts and be absent of any other obvious defects.

Quite often the newer translations of the Bible use the word “mature” instead of “perfect.” However, Dr. John Oswalt observes, “… it means more than just becoming an “older” Christian, it means becoming all that can rightly be expected of a follower of Christ.”

The word often translated as “perfect” also carries the meaning of being finally brought to the appropriate end for which it was created.

In relation to Matt. 5:48, Jesus is obviously not demanding absolute perfection to the same degree as God. No, (understood in the context) He seems to be emphasizing the fact that God’s love for people is not mixed, diluted, or polluted. So our love should be the same kind.

We are urged to be perfect because God is. Our performance will not be error-free, but the quality of our love can be just like God’s.

Let’s turn a corner now and apply this text to the subject of fatherhood. I want to take several minutes to talk about the one and only perfect Father, our heavenly Father. Every father here on earth has made mistakes and/or failures. Every earthly father has those choices and actions he wishes he could undo or redo. But all of us have a heavenly Father who is perfect in everything. Let us think about Him and exalt Him today.

1. Our Father God demonstrates perfect love.

Psalm 68:5 (NKJV) A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.

Matthew 5:45 (NKJV) that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

1 John 4:8, 16 (NKJV) He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ¹⁶ And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

We sometimes discover that we haven’t demonstrated love like we should. We make mistakes and misjudgments. But God is perfect in His love.

Sometimes we miss opportunities or we simply lack the understanding to demonstrate compassion like we should, but God knows exactly and perfectly how to show compassion and mercy.

 2. Our Father God demonstrates perfect justice.

God knows exactly how to exercise judgment, mercy, punishment and rewards.

God knows exactly when and how to discipline His children.

Proverbs 3:11-12 (NKJV) ¹¹ My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; ¹² For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.  (Quoted in Heb. 12)

We have faulty reasoning and limited understanding, so we sometimes misapply justice. We sometimes misapply discipline or punishment.

God never does. He is perfect in justice and holiness.

Ps. 145:17 “The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.”

Ps. 9:7-8 “The LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.”

3. Our Father God demonstrates perfect reliability.

He is a God of truth.

Truth is the quality of being consistent, genuine or authentic, and without contradiction.

(H. Orton Wiley) Truth includes both veracity and faithfulness. Veracity means that God’s manifestations and actions are in strict conformity with His own nature. That is, He is the God of no contradictions, hypocrisies or inconsistencies.

Exodus 34:6 “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth”

Numbers 23:19a “God is not a man, that he should lie…”

Deut. 32:4 “[God] is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”

Since He is a God of truth, then He is faithful, trustworthy and reliable. God can always be trusted and counted on.

Another reason for His reliability rests in His infinite knowledge and understanding. So often when we fail to demonstrate faithfulness or consistency, it is because we are working with faulty understanding and limited knowledge. God doesn’t have that problem.

Conclusion:

I have tried to describe a few of the ways that our heavenly Father is a perfect Father.

All of us who are fathers do well to emulate our heavenly Father as closely as we can.

There are many ways that our earthly fathers may let us down and make errors of judgment and fail to meet the needs we have.

Some of those failures may be completely unintentional and others may be the result of deliberate choices to indulge in wrong or sinful lifestyles.

In spite of those failures, we all can trust in our heavenly Father to provide for us and lead us safely through this life to His eternal home.

I want to close the service by singing a relatively new hymn that has tremendous words,

How Great the Father’s Love for Us

The Storms of Life

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This is a message that was given on May 22, 2016 by Mr. Mike Zedreck. Pastor Les had requested Mike to speak while he was away for a weekend vacation.

Rules of Combat

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This is a sermon that was given by guest speaker, Rev. Chester Rowan, on Memorial Day Sunday May 29, 2016 at Wayside Community Church.

Outline of the sermon:

RULES OF COMBAT

Ephesians 6:10-20

Introduction

• We are grateful for and remember those who bravely served and died.
• We are still engaged in a war on terror.
• Not only are we fighting a war physically, we are at war spiritually.
• We are engaged in a battle for souls, and we dare not run from it.

I. Know Your Enemy. (v. 12)

1. First decide who it isn't.
2. Our adversary is the Devil.
3. Don't forget to direct your frustrations toward him.

II. Define a Win. (vv. 13, 19-20)

1. Never enter the battle without clear objectives.
2. Winning is standing firm in your faith.
3. Winning is sharing the gospel freely.

III. Plan a Strategy. (vv. 13-18)

1. Count the cost.
2. Get prepared.
3. Engage the enemy.

IV. Mourn Your Losses.

1. Recognize that some goals may not be achieved.
2. Some comrades will be lost in battle.
3. Some will fall away from the faith.

V. Celebrate Your Victories.

1. A partial win is still a win.
2. All of heaven rejoices over one soul that repents.
3. Heaven will be worth it all.

The Believer's Hope

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This is a sermon that was given by Pastor Les on June 12, 2016 at Wayside Community Church.

The Believer’s Hope

1 Peter 1:3 (KJV) ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

Introduction:

This letter was written by Apostle Peter. Probably written from Rome immediately prior to time of Nero.

It is believed by various scholars that Peter’s residency in Rome would have been during the period between Paul’s first and second imprisonments, when Paul probably had taken a trip to Spain. Peter doesn’t mention Paul, nor does Paul mention Peter in his “Prison Epistles.”

Persecution was already a developing problem, and it is believed that Peter was executed while Nero was in power. Right here at the beginning of his letter, the Apostle erupts in a doxology of praise to the Lord for the hope that is possessed by the followers of Jesus.

Today, I want to quickly look through this opening doxology, which continue through verse 12, and find out what all Peter has to say about this hope.

1. This hope is living.  (v. 3) “lively hope” (KJV)

Vibrant, ongoing; Not dead/false

(Tyndale Commentaries) - It is 'living' – by so describing it Peter indicates that it grows and increases in strength year by year... It is not surprising that such a hope is particularly evident in many older Christians as they approach death.

2. This hope is the consequence of our regeneration. (v. 3)

“begotten us again into”  - (NASB) “has caused us to be born again”

The reason our hope is living – because we are now alive; born anew; given a brand new spiritual life.

(Lenski New Testament Commentary) - This is the new birth referred to in John 3:3, the quickening mentioned in Eph. 2:5, 6 and Col. 2:13, the new creation spoken of in Eph. 2:10 and Gal. 6:15.

When we are truly born again, it moves us into the sphere of hope, where we had never “lived” before.

This new birth or quickening is brought about by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

(Lenski New Testament Commentary) - Christ's resurrection is the heart of the gospel and thus ever constitutes the means for begetting us to a living hope. No man has spiritual life and hope save by the resurrection of Christ.

3. The object of this hope is our eternal inheritance. (v. 4)

It is enduring rather than temporary.

“incorruptible” – does not decay

“undefiled” – unsoiled, uncontaminated, pure

“never fading” -

It is heavenly rather than earthly.

4. Our hope is presently under “fires and testing.” (vv. 6-9)

These tests/trials sometimes bring heaviness/sorrow rather than rejoicing.

But, we are kept by the power of God, through faith. (v. 5)

5. This hope and faith brings ultimate glory and praise to God. (vv. 7b-8)

It is God’s grace that can keep His saints faithful through all kinds of suffering, etc.

6. Finally, This hope was perceived by the prophets of old, but it perplexed the angels of heaven. (vv. 10-12)

It is the same Spirit of Christ that was revealing truth to the OT prophets and is now inspiring the messengers of the Gospel to proclaim the same message, only with fuller understanding.

The angels look into this whole message, scope and scheme of redemption and are not able to fully understand it all. It is the “Wonderful Grace of Jesus” that “God should love a sinner such as I, and angels can’t fully grasp it.

Neither can I! But I believe it, accept it and rejoice in it.

In his 1942 devotional Abundant Living, E. Stanley Jones, Methodist doctor and missionary to India, writes:

The early Christians did not say in dismay: "Look what the world has come to," but in delight, "Look what has come to the world." They saw not merely the ruin, but the Resource for the reconstruction of that ruin. They saw not merely that sin did abound, but that grace did much more abound. On that assurance the pivot of history swung from blank despair, loss of moral nerve, and fatalism, to faith and confidence that at last sin had met its match. Leadership, Vol. 19, no. 4. (Today's Best Illustrations Vol. 5)

Let’s all stand and sing our closing hymn: My Hope Is in the Lord   #540

More than Adequate Covering

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This is a Communion sermon that was given by Pastor Les on June 5, 2016 at Wayside Community Church.

More than Adequate Covering

Psalm 32:1-2 (KJV) Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. ² Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

Introduction:

A telemarketer called a home one day, and a small voice whispered, "Hello?"

"Hello! What's your name?"

Still whispering, the voice said, "Jimmy."

"How old are you, Jimmy?"

"I'm four."

"Good. Is your mother home?"

"Yes, but she's busy."

"Okay, is your father home?"

"He's busy too."

"I see, who else is there?"

"The police."

"The police? May I speak with one of them?"

"They're busy."

"Any other grown-ups there?"

"The firemen."

"May I speak with a fireman, please?"

"They're all busy."

"Jimmy, all those people in your house, and I can't talk with any of them? What are they doing?"

"Looking for me," whispered Jimmy. (http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/h/hide.htm)

“Jimmy” had apparently done a pretty good job of hiding and he was hoping to keep it that way.

He’s not the only one that hides.

Of course, kids still play games where they hide from each other or from their parents. But, grownups get involved in hiding too.

There is a classic story in the Bible that tells us about the very first time humans ever tried to hide from someone. It’s found in…

Genesis 3:8 (KJV) And they (Adam & Eve) heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

You know why they hid themselves, don’t you?

They had disobeyed the word of God, and they were experiencing guilt and shame for the first time.

You know, Adam and Eve weren’t the last people to try to hide from the Lord!

Ever since their day, all the way to the present, people have tried to hide from the Lord, spiritually speaking, and they have also tried to hide their deeds and actions from the Lord.

This morning I want to use a few passages of Scripture to talk with you about man’s feeble attempts at covering himself, and compare it to God’s way of covering us.

I. Inadequate Covering Attempted by Men

Physical

Genesis 3:7 (NKJV) ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

Shame, guilt and awareness of their nakedness were the direct results of their sin of disobedience.

The first reaction they took was to “cover up” and then they tried to “hide.”

You may not agree with me, but it seems to me that the farther our society drifts away from God and righteousness, the more we flaunt our nakedness.

If you read through the scriptures, God always promotes the clothing (hiding) of nakedness.

Spiritually

Proverbs 28:13 (KJV) ¹³ He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.

Ever since the beginning of time, men have tried to cover their sins and hide them from God.

Cain vs. Abel

Genesis 4 – It doesn’t literally say that Cain hid the body in the ground, but it is implied because of the way he responds to the Lord. God: “Where is your brother?” Abel: “I know not. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Men and women have always tried to cover up, deny and hide their sins. But God says,

Numbers 32:23 “… be sure your sin will find you out.”

Isaiah 64:6 (NKJV) ⁶ But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

II. Adequate Covering Provided by God

Physical

Genesis 3:21 (KJV) ²¹ Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

I don’t know if I can prove this from the text, but I personally believe that the implication here is that God completely covered them.

In the case of Adam and Eve, they felt their shame and immediately recognized the need to cover up, but it was inadequate.

However, God made coats (garments) of skin to properly clothe them.

Also… The unspoken implication here is that God took the life of an innocent animal in order to clothe the guilty.

(A foreshadowing of the sacrifice He would provide centuries later in the sacrifice of His own Son.)

Spiritual

Psalm 32:1-2 (KJV) Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. ² Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile (deceit).

(Keil and Delitzsch Commentary) The forgiveness of sin is [explained] ‏… as a lifting up and taking away … as a covering, so that it becomes invisible to God, the Holy One, and is as though it had never taken place….

Psalm 32:5 (NKJV) ⁵ I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

 (Tyndale Commentaries) While it is wrong to conceal one’s sins from God, God covers the sins of those who acknowledge their sin and repent (see v. 5)….  While verses 1-2b declare that blessed are those who are forgiven by God, verse 2c adds, Blessed is the one ... in whose spirit is no deceit. In terms of what follows in the psalm, it is likely that the psalmist is speaking of the need for the person sincerely to own up and repent of their sin.

Psalm 85:1-3 (KJV) ¹ LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. ² Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. ³ Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.

Isaiah 61:10 (NKJV) ¹⁰  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

These verses all emphasize the same thing as our Scripture reading earlier: The blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin, but the blood of Jesus Christ can!

Conclusion:  Song… “Deeper than the Stain Has Gone”

Dark the sin that soiled man’s nature

Long the distance that he fell

Far removed from hope and heaven

Near to deep despair and hell.

But there was a fountain opened

And the blood of God’s own Son

Purifies the soul and reaches

Deeper than the stain has gone

God has graciously provided a more than adequate covering for our sins. It is the precious blood of His Son and it truly goes deeper than the stain of sin.

Let’s sing the hymn in our red hymnals:

Covered by the Blood  #254  (verses 1 & 3)

The Comforter Has Come

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This is a sermon that was given by Pastor Les on May 15, 2016 at Wayside Community Church.

The Comforter Has Come

John 16:8, 13-14 (NKJV) And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment… ¹³ However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

Introduction:

Today is designated as Pentecost Sunday (or Whit Sunday) on the Christian Church calendar. That is why I have chosen to speak to you today on this familiar text found in John 16. In the short time we have today I hope to explain the highlights of the message that Jesus conveyed to his disciples in these few verses.

The Comforter (Helper) that Jesus promised to send would minister with two specific groups: The World (vv. 8-11) and The Disciples (vv. 12-15).

I.    The Spirit’s work in the world.

The Scripture says that the Spirit’s work in the world will be a ministry of conviction.

“Convict” (Reprove, KJV) – various language scholars understand this word to mean refute, convince, or show to be wrong. (Thayer, TDNT, Zodhiates, etc.)

The verse tells us that the Spirit will convict the world in regards to 3 subjects: sin, righteousness and judgment.

A. Sin … believe not

(RCH Lenski New Testament Commentary) The Spirit's work in regard to sin is to confront the world with the terrible fact of its unbelief in Jesus, which means … that only he who believes escapes from his sin. This conviction in regard to sin naturally operates in two ways. It will crush some hearts so that they will be frightened at their unbelief and cry out like the 3,000 at Pentecost … and thus be led to repent and to believe. Or it will further harden those who resist this conviction; they will go on, convicted though they are, more [stubborn] than before, fighting against this conviction until they perish.

B. Righteousness … I go to my Father

(RCH Lenski New Testament Commentary) The world is far from freely and frankly admitting its sin. It, indeed, feels and knows its sin, especially the gross forms which are too evident to be denied. But it always seeks to cover up its sin, to excuse it in some way, to make it something less than real sin. The world everlastingly seeks "righteousness" in some form, either making itself the judge of its own case, or, when it thinks of God as the judge, conceiving him as a God who deals gently with sin. Thus men evolve their own schemes for appearing righteous.

Righteousness comes to the world only by the judicial pronouncement of God which changes our status with God. "I go away to the Father," as well as the negative counterpart, "and you see me no more," refer to the death and to the heavenly exaltation of Jesus. In these, and in these alone, is righteousness for the world.

…(the) world's conscience is to be impressed concerning its own [lack of] righteousness by what Jesus does in going to the Father…

The job of the HS is to convict the world concerning righteousness which is only in Christ and only because He has died, been raised and exalted with the Father. Part of those will believe and accept that righteousness, while others will continue in rejection and remain convicted because they did not accept it.

C. Judgment … Prince of world is judged.

(RCH Lenski New Testament Commentary) … the world's conscience is to be impressed concerning its own judgment by what has already happened to its own ruler.

Jesus has summarized the work of the Spirit in the world with regards to these three subjects.

Now, he moves to talk about the Spirit’s work with the disciples. (12-15)

II.  The Spirit’s work with the disciples.

A. Guide in Truth

The Spirit will provide guidance and direction to the disciples as they explore the truth. This truth is about Christ (the 2^nd person of the Trinity) and it comes from the Father (the 1^st person) in order to emphasize the unity of the Trinity and that the Spirit does not speak independently.

(Colin Kruse, Tyndale Commentaries) As Jesus did not speak independently of the Father, so the Counsellor [Helper, Comforter] will not speak independently of Jesus.

B. Glorify the Son

(Colin Kruse, Tyndale Commentaries) Just as Jesus’ purpose was to bring glory to the Father, so the Counsellor’s role is to bring glory to Jesus. This he will do by taking what belongs to Jesus and making it known to his disciples.

(RCH Lenski New Testament Commentary) The Spirit's work is to place Jesus before the eyes and into the hearts of men, to make his Person and his work shine before them in all the excellencies of both.

The Spirit will take the truths about Christ and the realities of His salvation and teach it to those willing to receive it.

1 Corinthians 2:10-14 (NKJV) ¹⁰ But God has revealed them [i.e., the things God has prepared for us] to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. ¹³ These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The New Testament, without a doubt, teaches us the importance of the Holy Spirit and His ministry in the hearts and the lives of believers. It is the Spirit that gives us life and power for victory over sin. Yet, Jesus says that the Spirit will not glorify himself, but he will glorify the Son. The Holy Spirit will “shine the spotlight” on the Son.

There have been times when Christians have gotten sidetracked by emphasizing certain gifts of the Spirit or certain abilities as though they were the “things” we should be seeking. But the real ministry of the Spirit is to glorify Christ and help us establish a vital, personal relationship with Him. The real ministry of the Spirit is to motivate us to be filled with Christ, and every gift, talent, or ability will be supplied as needed to help us love and serve Christ better.

Conclusion:

The Comforter, helper, counselor that Jesus promised did come on the day of Pentecost. He is working in the world today. The Spirit of God is available to every Christian believer to fill us with the presence of Christ and to empower us to live like Christ. Every believer should earnestly seek to be filled with the Spirit, for to be so filled is to be filled up with Christ. To be so filled is to live out the life of Christ in our world.

May it be so!

Blessings for Mom

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This is a sermon that was given at Wayside Community Church on May 8, 2016 by Pastor Les.

Blessings for Mom

Proverbs 31:28 (NKJV) Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:

Introduction:

It is always a challenge to come up with a new sermon that is specifically related to an occasion such as Mother’s Day or any other special days we celebrate throughout the year.

Prov. 31 is a passage that has been used myriads of times in connection to Mother’s Day, so I was reading it again to see if there was something new I could focus on this year.

My attention was drawn to the 28^th verse…

In this verse we see the phrase, “rise up and call her blessed.” I noticed that many of the newer translations of the Bible provide an equally legitimate wording for the phrase which reads like this, “rise up and bless her.” The phrase gives the idea that the children are pronouncing blessings upon her because of who she is and what she has done. Sometimes children bless their mom even at an early age, but it seems to be more common for children to bless their moms after they have grown up and matured enough to understand what all mom has done for them.

(Illustrations Unlimited) Not until I became a mother did I understand how much my mother had sacrificed for me. Not until I became a mother did I feel how hurt my mother was when I disobeyed. Not until I became a mother did I know how proud my mother was when I achieved. Not until I became a mother did I realize how much my mother loves me. – Victoria Farnsworth

What are the reasons you would bless your mom?

When I became old enough to hear some of the stories about my mom I gained a whole new level of understanding and appreciation for who she was and what she had done.

Here’s just a few of the reasons I bless my mom…

• She willingly remained confined to bedrest for 7 out of 9 months by doctor’s orders so she could carry me and my twin brother to full term.
• While my brother and I were very young, she laundered nearly 100 cloth diapers every other day in addition to all her other household responsibilities. (By the way, that was when they decided to buy a washing machine – but not an automatic washer.)
• She didn’t give my brother and me up for adoption after we scared her multiple times by daring escapades such as: climbing grandpa’s silo, getting into grandma’s nerve pills, and climbing out the upstairs window and walking partway around the roof.
• She cared for me during all of the normal childhood illnesses plus several that weren’t so normal. I think I was hospitalized 7 times before I entered 3^rd grade. (4 out of the 7 times were for surgeries. At least 5 out of the 7 times, my twin brother was in the hospital with me for the same problem.)
• I could go on and on…

Just like the woman described in Proverbs 31, my mom, and most moms, deserve to be blessed by their children.

I want to take a few moments to explain some of the words used in verse 28, then I want to go to Matthew 5 and look at the Beatitudes in the context of motherhood.

Proverbs 31:28 (NKJV) Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:

“rise up” – (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) “This root can connote an action showing respect. Balaam tells Balak to "rise up" to receive God's oracle (Numbers 23:18). God commands his people to "rise up" before the aged (i.e. honor old men, Leviticus 19:32).”

“bless her” – (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) “There are two verbs in Hebrew meaning "to bless." One is bārak and the other ʾāshar. Can any differences between them be tabulated? For one thing bārak is used by God when he "blesses" somebody. But there is no instance where ʾāshar is ever on God's lips. When one "blesses" God the verb is bārak, never ʾāshar. One suggestion to explain this sharp distinction, i.e. that ʾāshar is reserved for man, is that ʾāshar is a word of envious desire, "to be envied with desire is the man who trusts in the Lord." God is not man and therefore there are no grounds for aspiring to his state even in a wishful way. Similarly God does not envy man, never desires something man is or has, which he does not have, but would like to have. Therefore God never pronounces man "blessed" (ʾashrê) (Janzen).

“It should also be pointed out that when bārak is used the initiative comes from God. God can bestow his blessing even when man doesn't deserve it. On the other hand, to be blessed (ʾashrê), man has to do something.

“Finally, bārak is a benediction, ʾāshar more of a congratulation.”

So, when her children rise and bless her, they are expressing the thought, “she is to be congratulated. She is to be envied and praised for her great accomplishments.”

“husband…praises her” – This is the same Hebrew root word that is used in the word “hallelujah.” In “hallelu-jah,” the ending of the word refers to God. But in Prov. 31:28, the word form has an ending that refers to the woman that is being discussed.

Interestingly, the root meaning of “halal” carries the idea of “giving off light” or “to shine.” It seems that it is meant to convey the idea of shining the spotlight on the admirable qualities of the object being praised. (TWOT & BDB)

When I read in Prov. 31:28 that the virtuous woman receives a pronouncement of blessings from her children, my mind went to the most familiar passage of Scripture where blessings are pronounced by our Lord – Matthew 5.

There are a couple of Greek words that correspond to the two Hebrew words we discussed earlier that mean “to bless.” The Greek word used here in Matt. 5 most closely corresponds to the same Hebrew word that is used in Prov. 31:28, “ʾāshar.”

(Tyndale Commentaries) “‘Happy’ is better than ‘blessed’, but only if used not of a mental state but of a condition of life. ‘Fortunate’ or ‘well off’ is less ambiguous. It is not a psychological description, but a recommendation.

“The beatitudes thus outline the attitudes of the true disciple, the one who has accepted the demands of God’s kingdom, in contrast with the attitudes of the ‘man of the world’; and they present this as the best way of life not only in its intrinsic goodness but in its results. The rewards of discipleship are therefore spelled out in the second half of each verse. The tenses are future, except in the first and last, indicating that the best is yet to come, when God’s kingdom is finally established and its subjects enter into their inheritance. But the present tense of vv. 3 and 10 warns us against an exclusively future interpretation, for God rewards these attitudes with their respective results progressively in the disciple’s experience. The emphasis is not so much on time, present or future, as on the certainty that discipleship will not be in vain.”

I thought I would take just a little time to apply the beatitudes to mothers.

Beatitudes for Mom (Could have been an alternative title for this sermon.)

“the poor in spirit” – “…those who humbly trust God, even though their loyalty results in oppression and material disadvantage… (Tyndale Commentaries)

Happy, fortunate and well-off is the mom who humbly trusts in God and follows His principles even though it may not always result in comfort and ease for herself or her family.

Happy is the mom who humbly trusts in God as she cares for her children, knowing that He is the One who will protect them and direct their paths.

“…theirs is the kingdom of heaven” – (Tyndale Comm.) The kingdom of God belongs to them, or consists of them. They are God’s people.

“Blessed are they that mourn” – (Tyndale Commentaries) “They are the suffering, those whose life is, from a worldly point of view, an unhappy one, and particularly those who suffer for their loyalty to God…. In God’s salvation they will find a happiness which transcends their worldly condition.” (Cf. Is. 61:2 “proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord…comfort those who mourn.”)

So many moms are bowed with heavy burdens of grief. Some, with a true mother’s heart, grieve over never being able to bear a child. Some grieve over the death of a child(ren). Some grieve over the spiritual condition of their children. More than enough grief to go around.

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Ps. 30:5)

God will provide comfort. He heals the broken hearted. We may not understand how or when, but it is His promise.

Because of His promise, the mom is fortunate and well-off.

“Blessed are the meek” – (Tyn. Comm.) Similar idea as the “poor in spirit.” God will see to it that they come out ahead of the wicked and be rewarded with that which they did not seek. (Not necessarily territory.)

Fortunate are all those moms who maintain a meek, humble spirit for God will see to it that they are appropriately rewarded.

“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness” – (Tyn. Comm) Their one burning passion is for a relationship of trust and obedience with God.

They shall be satisfied. Their desire/passion will be fulfilled.

Happy and blessed are all those moms who direct their lives and their parental energies on pleasing their Lord rather than “fitting in” with the expectations of the world. Blessed are those moms who want to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord rather than seeking popularity and notoriety in the secular, godless circles of society.

“Blessed are the merciful” – (Tyn. Comm. & Lenski) Mercy is not an emotion, but a practical response to need. It is a trait that grows out of our experience of God’s mercy.

Well-off are those moms who, realizing how much mercy they have received from God, are quick to show mercy to their families, even when it is underserved. Mercy will be afforded to the merciful. Grace comes to the gracious. Compassion returns to the compassionate.

“Blessed are the pure in heart” – (Tyn. Comm. & Lenski) Not a reference to moral purity, but one who serves the Lord with an undivided heart; that is, undivided loyalty or unmixed devotion. The inward nature corresponds with the outward profession.

It is the honesty that has “no hidden motive or no selfish interest.”

In this life these pure in heart shall be able to “see Him who is invisible” just as it was said of Moses in Heb. 11:27. But in the next life, they shall “see Him as He is” (1 Jn. 3:2).

Blessed is the mother that loves God with a pure, undivided heart and pursues her God-given role as nurturer, educator and caregiver without hidden motives or selfish interests – just doing it all to serve her family and serve her God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers” – (Tyn. Comm. & Lenski) These “peacemakers” are filled with the peace of God and therefore are at peace with others “as much as lieth in them.” This does not include the idea of “go along to get along,” because God’s peace is far more important than a conflict-free life.

Who in this world has to strive to make peace and keep peace between “warring factions” any more than mothers?  All the time their raising children, moms are called on to be peace makers. Even after the children are grown and living their own lives, moms often need to strive for peace in the family.

“They shall be called the sons of God” – (Lenski) Only God can bestow this title. This is distinct from “children of God.” The latter title carries the connotation of tender affection, the former that of dignity and high standing.

They are the sons of God because they are emulating the heart and spirit of God when they promote peace and reconciliation.

Conclusion:

I have tried to use these Beatitudes and apply them to the experiences of mothers as they live out their faith in the role of motherhood.

I trust that each and every mom here today will not only strive to pattern you lives after these qualities, but that you all will in fact, be blessed by the Lord as you serve Him each day.

Song:

I would like to have all the moms bring a hymnal with you and come to the front of the sanctuary.

Now, I would like everyone else to “rise and bless them” by standing up and giving these ladies a big round of applause in honor and thanks.

Ladies, turn to hymn # 452, and sing this song that is written to the tune of the hymn, “Fairest Lord Jesus.”

Before you are dismissed, each lady may take one of the gifts from the table as a little expression of our love and appreciation to you.

Worthy of Worship

(To download an mp3 file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This is a sermon that was given on May 1, 2016 at Wayside Community Church by Pastor Les.

Worthy of Worship

Philippians 2:9-11 (KJV) ⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰ That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Introduction:

In the process of meditating and seeking God’s direction for the message today, I felt a leading toward the subject of worshiping God, with a special focus on the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we have read through the Bible and understood the overall theme of redemption that runs through it, we know that the culmination of all history is the ultimate and final victory of the Lamb of God and the celebration of worship centered on Him for the fulfillment of the plan of salvation. The passage of Scripture that was read earlier (Rev. 5) gives us a glimpse into the worship activity in heaven as the Son of God, aka the Lamb of God, is praised and worshiped for His victorious accomplishment of redemption.

I want to just go through a number of Scriptures to review what the Bible has to say about the One who is worthy of all our worship and adoration.

I.    A review of what worship is.

Just about a year ago I gave a message on this same theme. I offered these quotes…

(Sperry, quoted in Wiley, Vol III p 45) “Worship is the adoration of God, the aspiration of supreme worth to God, and the manifestation of reverence in the presence of God.”

(Prudden, Ibid) “He who has not learned to worship inclines to the belief that there is no being more worthy of reverence than himself…. The essence of worship is, that in itself it is dethroned and God enthroned. By it we recognize Him as somewhat other than a very powerful person whom we may use for our convenience and benefit.”

The worship of God reminds us that God is completely and supremely different from us in His being, His nature, His abilities and His purposes. His ways are above our ways and His thoughts are above our thoughts.

Psalm 73:3, 17 (KJV) ³ For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  ¹⁷ Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

Going to the place of worship helps us gain a fresh perspective on eternal realities and recognize that things are not really as they seem.

The most prominent terms used in Hebrew and in Greek carry the idea of prostrating one’s self; bowing the head; bowing down to the ground; or kiss the hand or ground towards something or someone.

For example, Exodus 4:31 (KJV) And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

The word implies that the one worshiping acknowledges the superiority of the one being worshiped. It assumes the value, worth and honor of the object of worship. It also assumes the inferiority/humility of the one worshiping as well as the worshiper’s dependence upon the object of his worship.

Some people presume that worship consists in the singing of songs, the reading of Scripture and the offering of prayers. But it is all worthless if the heart attitude has not been properly adjusted to consider the worth and supreme honor due to the object of our worship.

True worship, Jesus said, must be done in spirit and in truth. That is, done genuinely and authentically with our spirit, not simply as a ritual or formality. Position of our heart/attitude is more important that the position of our bodies. However, many references in the Bible to standing and kneeling/prostrating.

II.  God demands to be worshiped alone.

Exodus 20:2-6 (NKJV) ² "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ³ You shall have no other gods before Me. ⁴ "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; ⁵ you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, ⁶ but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Isaiah 42:8 (KJV) ⁸ I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

Matthew 4:10 (KJV) ¹⁰ Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

1 Peter 2:5 (NKJV) ⁵ you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

The God of the Bible; the God who created Adam; the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob is the highest, most supreme being in all of the universe. There is none like Him, so He deserves the worship of all creation. He deserves the adoration and worship of every person created in His image.

III. The Son/Lamb deserves our worship too.

We’ve already stated that God alone is to be worshiped, and He is a jealous God who will not give His glory to any other. Yet, throughout Scripture we have record of Jesus, the Son of God receiving worship from both human beings and heavenly beings.

Heb. 1:5-6 (NKJV) ⁵ For to which of the angels did He ever say: "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You"? And again: "I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son"? ⁶ But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: "Let all the angels of God worship Him."

In a sermon I gave once before I explained that this last phrase does not appear in the verse that is cross referenced (Deut. 32:43), but it does appear in the Gk trans. of the passage, which was familiar to the Jews of the NT era and the writer of Hebrews includes the thought by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Then we have the words of Jesus Himself:

John 5:22-23 (NKJV) ²² For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

This is one of many passages where Jesus clearly claims equality with the Father, for which the Jews despised Him and accused Him of blasphemy and worthy of death.

Others freely and openly worshiped the Son…

Matthew 2:1-2, 11 (NKJV) ¹ Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." ¹¹ And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

There are at least 10 different occasions recorded in the gospels when people “worshiped” Jesus. Then we have the account in Rev. 5 with the angels and elders worshiping the Lamb.

We are told early on in Scripture that God alone is to be worshiped, and Jesus told the Devil that God alone is to be worshiped. But when people and angels worship the Son, they are never rebuked or denied. (This is one of the strong proofs that Jesus truly was deity. His nature was one with the divine nature of the Father.)

In addition to these accounts of people and angels worshiping Jesus, we have repeated references to the fact that God has exalted Him.

For example:

Matthew 26:63-64 (NKJV) ⁶³ But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" ⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Mark 16:19 (NKJV) ¹⁹ So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

Acts 2:32-35 (NKJV) ³² This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. ³³ Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, ³⁵ Till I make Your enemies Your footstool." '

Acts 5:30-31 (NKJV) ³⁰ The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. ³¹ Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

There are at least 7 additional passages that make reference to Jesus being exalted to the position of “right hand of God.”

One of those is the passage in Philippians.

Philippians 2:9-11 (KJV) ⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰ That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Conclusion:

The burden of my heart today is that every one of us would learn to properly worship the Lord God in heaven. Worship Him with genuine passion. Adore Him and give Him reverence.

When you pray, spend time praising Him for who He is and all His wonderful attributes and qualities before you ever get to your “wish list” of needs that you want Him to provide and problems you want Him to solve.

When we come to church and engage in corporate worship, let your mind soar to the heights of heaven and imagine our great God with infinite knowledge, power and authority. Allow your mind to stretch to fathom His righteousness, goodness and love.

When you go about your daily responsibilities, no matter what they are and how mundane they seem, do all that you do for the glory of God as a service of worship and sacrifice to Him.

All of life is to be an act of worship to the Lord.

He is worthy. He is our Redeemer. He is King of kings and Lord of lords!

I want to close the service today by singing a chorus:

Thou Art Worthy

More than Impressive Talk

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This is a sermon that was given at Wayside Community Church on April 24, 2016 by Pastor Les.

Written Excerpts:

More than Impressive Talk

1 Corinthians 4:20 (KJV) For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

Introduction:

Several years ago as I was reading the 4^th chapter of 1 Cor. my attention was drawn to the wording of the 20^th verse.

(Interestingly, the 1^st 4 chapters of 1 Corinthians just happened to be on my personal Bible reading schedule for yesterday!)

This verse is one of several in the Bible which seem to emphasize the truth of a common cliché that I’m sure we’ve all heard.

“If you talk the talk, you need to walk the walk.”

Other versions: “Walk it like you talk it.” “Talk is cheap.”  “Actions speak louder than words.” “Practice what you preach.”

(In United Kingdom) “All mouth and no trousers.”

Christians have always been accused of hypocrisy and, sad to say, some have more than adequately lived up to the charge! In addition to any other principles this text may teach, it certainly promotes the simple truth of being authentic and backing up our words (or testimony) with appropriate actions. With the Lord’s help today I want to examine the context and meaning of this verse, and then take a look at a few other Scriptures that have similar messages.

I.    Background and context for this statement.

Acts 18 gives us the record of Paul’s initial ministry in Corinth.

This chapter explains he went to Ephesus after Corinth. Later on in 1 Cor. 16:8 it also tells us that he was in Ephesus at the time of writing the letter, however some scholars believe that there had not been enough time passed yet for all the problems to develop at Corinth that this letter addresses. Therefore, it is believed that it was written when Paul was in Ephesus on his 3^rd missionary journey.

4:18 indicates that Paul knew there were some people at Corinth who were arrogant and they assumed that Paul would not be returning, so they did not need to fear him or submit to him. But (vv. 19-20) he promises to return and when he does, he will not come with the same kind of words as one who is puffed up and arrogant, but he would be coming in the power of the Spirit.

v. 21 – indicates that when he says he would be “coming in the power of the Spirit” it means that he will be ready to exercise discipline and handle the problems.

Paul had already reminded them in chapter 2 that when he was with them the first time he spoke to them, preached to them and ministered to them in the “demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”

1 Corinthians 2:4 (NKJV) ⁴ And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

II. Paul possesses and promotes the power of God.

The next point I want to make this morning is to elaborate a little on this point of “demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Let’s review several references in Paul’s letters where he testifies about the working of the Spirit’s power in his own life, and how that same Spirit can fill us and empower us to live authentic Christian lives.

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NKJV) ⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

(Tyndale Commentaries) Paul may have had in mind the small earthenware oil-lamps sold so cheaply in the market-places. If so, ‘the light of the gospel’ would be the treasure, while the apostles in their frailty would be the earthenware lamps from whom the light was made to shine in the world.

2 Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV) ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,

1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NKJV) ⁵ For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV) ⁹ And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Ephesians 1:15-20 (NKJV) ¹⁵ Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV) ²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

If you are not finding enough power to live victorious and to live authentically, you don’t know this same Jesus! You don’t know this same Lord!

III. This same power impacts other areas of life.

Take a look at a couple of examples, even though this power of the Spirit impacts every area of life.

A. Power to thrive through adversity

Colossians 1:11 (NKJV) ¹¹ strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;

Lit. – “powered with all power according to His glorious power.”

“strengthened” & “might” – dunamis; “glorious power” word only used for God’s power; a power that humans can neither have nor gain. (TDNT)

Jesus and the precious presence of the Holy Spirit can give us the power to endure and suffer long with a joyful spirit and attitude. Some can’t do it. Why? Maybe they’re like the people Paul described to Timothy… 2 Timothy 3:5 (NKJV) ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

B. Power to love God and our fellowman…

1 John 3:17-18 (NKJV) ¹⁷ But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? ¹⁸ My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

James 2:15-16 (NKJV) ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

Conclusion:

1 Timothy 4:12 (NKJV) ¹² Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

My hope and prayer is that God will help each of us to live a life of authentic faith that is accompanied with the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through us.

When people look at my life, I hope that they don’t merely hear platitudes and nice-sounding words, but I hope they will also see the fruit of a genuine faith that produces action.

What about you? Are you just passing yourself off as a committed Christian by merely talking a “good game?” Or, are you experiencing the active power of the Holy Spirit working through your life and enabling you to live up to your testimony and demonstrate God’s grace and victory working through you?

The only way for us to make sure that both words and actions are present in our lives is this:

# 1. Allow ourselves to be accountable to others and give them the permission to call our attention to any inconsistencies or hypocrisy they see when we “talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk.”

# 2. Keep seeking the Lord in fresh anointings and infillings of His Holy Spirit. The only way we can have the power and the victory is by the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.

Let us close the service by singing hymn #383,

Fill Me Now