The Kind of Woman God Chose

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

This is a sermon about Mary the mother of Jesus. It attempts to describe the qualities of the woman God chose as the mother of the Messiah.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction: 

There was a little boy standing in front of his mother ready to give a report of some incident he had recently been involved with. He began with these words, “Before I tell you what happened, Mom, remember… the Lord will never give you more than you can handle.” I’m sure that most of us would agree that the calling of mother­hood often involves dealing with circumstances that seem to be more than what one can handle. Motherhood is a high calling, and it is often a difficult challenge.

About 1 ½ years ago, we had a guest speaker here for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. His name was Brian Beal from Pro-Life of Mercer County. While he was here he mentioned the important connection between the incarnation of Jesus Christ and the sacredness of human life in the womb.

Many years earlier I too had considered the significance of God choosing to bring His Son into this world through the means of normal childbirth. When God the Father decided to send His only Son into our world, He did not send Him as a grown man to be a king, a ruler, etc. but He sent Him as a baby.  When God chose to enter human history He chose childbirth and Motherhood as the vehicle for that world-changing event. In thinking about this fact, I began to ponder the qualities of the woman God chose to be the mother of the Messiah.

Today, as we recite some of the implications in Scripture that describe the qualities of the Mother of Jesus, I hope that not only the mothers (and prospective mothers) in the audience, but every one of us will also seek to possess and develop these same qualities in our lives.

I am not presenting these qualities in any particular order, but simply listing several traits about Mary that I find in these verses.

I.  She was morally pure.  (v. 27, 34)

A. The virgin birth was necessary for redemption. 

Many theologians have emphasized the point that the Messiah could not be the son of Joseph or He would have inherited the sin nature that all humanity inherited from Adam. (Romans 5:12)

However, we still believe that it is important to remember that…

B. God puts a high premium on moral purity.

Much is said in the Scriptures about purity, virtue, and moral character.

We know that God, in His marvelous grace, at various times throughout biblical history, chose to override the sinfulness of mankind and use people who had not always been morally pure. However, whenever we read direct commands and instructions from God to man, we find that God always expects virtue and moral purity in His people.

When God looked for a young woman to be the mother of the Messiah, God chose a woman that was morally pure. God still seeks people who will exemplify His character by living a life that is virtuous, morally pure and full of integrity.

II. She was filled with humility. (Lk. 1:48, 51b-52)

The Bible makes it pretty clear that God did not choose a woman of public importance and prestige. He did not choose a woman that “had everything going for her.”

Mary’s attitude as expressed in her song of praise in Luke 1 indicates that she was a very humble person and as such, was grateful for God’s grace and favor. She never gave any indication that she thought she deserved the privilege and favor she had been shown.

The Lord is still looking for people who are humble enough for Him to use them and pour His grace and favor upon them.

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6.

III.  She was committed to the sacredness of life.

I don’t recall anything in Scripture or in secular accounts that would indicate that abortion was common back in this time in Jewish history. In fact, with the exception of the periods of the Kings in the OT when many kings forsook the ways of God, the people of Israel would have stood out distinctly from the pagans around them in their respect for human life. So I imagine that a Jewish girl would not be pressured to “get rid of her problem” as we often hear today.

I realize that there are many young women today who have not compromised their conviction concerning the sanctity of human life.  But, I can’t help but think about how strong the pressure would be on a young woman to have an abortion if the incarnation were to have taken place in our society.

I believe that the woman God chose had a high regard for the sanctity of life, and so should we.

IV.  She was a woman who feared the Lord. (Lk. 1:50)

A.  A woman who fears the Lord (awe, reverence, respect) readily submits to the will of God.

Luke 1:38 (NKJV) Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."

God is still seeking people who fear Him and are submissive to His will for their lives.

B.  A woman who fears the Lord is committed to the task given her by God.  See Lk. 2: 40-41

These verses simply state that “the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. ⁴¹  His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.

God gives grace and blesses those who are committed to serving Him in whatever responsibilities He may give them.

C.  A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. 

Prov. 31:30 “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears the Lord shall be praised.”

In Mary’s song of praise recorded in Luke 1:46ff, she mentions the fact that “all generations will call me blessed.” It certainly seems evident that God chose a woman that feared Him and because of that, she obeyed, submitted and faithfully carried out her assignment. Now, she is an example of the Proverb, she is praised for her example.

Let each of us fear the Lord and walk with Him in submission and obedience.

Conclusion:

In closing, I just want to encourage mothers to make sure you keep these qualities in the highest priority in your life.  They are things that I believe were important to God when He chose Motherhood.

I also would challenge the rest of us to make sure that we obey the instructions of God’s Word and “praise the woman who fears the Lord.” 

Whatever You Do

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

This is a message based on Colossians 3:23. It was used for a sermon focusing on graduates and their plans for the future. It emphasizes the importance of finding something to do and do it for the Lord.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Several days ago this passage was included in the daily devotional book that I am reading through this year. When I read it along with the comments provided by the book’s author, I immediately felt that it would provide a good text for today and our emphasis on honoring our graduates. My message today is primarily directed to our young people in the congregation and especially to the graduates. But I think that what God has laid on my heart will be good food for thought for the rest of you as well.

Now, I know that all of the graduates and other students here today have already heard plenty of speeches and lectures, not only this school year, but all of your lives. So I know I’m stretching your patience by asking you to listen to one more. I want you to know that I’ve discovered that preachers and professors or teachers have something very much in common…

W.H. Auden said, “A professor is a person who talks in someone else’s sleep.” I am sure this applies to preachers as well. In fact, I’ve seen it happen on many occasions during my years of ministry! J

For many graduates as well as those nearing graduation, the question most often asked of them is, “What are you going to do after you’re done with school?” Or, “What are you going to be?” We all presume that every child, experiencing normal growth and development, will reach the point in life when he or she will move from the period of preparation into the period of performance, and from simply receiving to contributing.

Most of us understand that one of the main points of education is for each of us to learn something that can enable us to make a living. Yet, we must also remember that God is not only concerned that we learn how to make a living, but that we learn how to live. For, as Theodore Roosevelt stated, “A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.”

For the next several minutes I want to direct your attention to the passage of Scripture found in Colossians 3:23 in order to discover some basic principles God has given us regarding our lives, our education and our work.

There are three simple principles that I see in this text. Find something to do. Do it with passion. Do it with purpose.

I. Find something to do.

As I have already indicated, it is assumed that every normal human being should be productive and provide some positive contribution to his/her family, community and society.

In various sermons that I have previously given I have tried to show from Scripture that our individual worth and value does not derive from our work or what we do. Our value and intrinsic worth is rooted in the fact that we are created in the image of God.

However, Scripture does promote the sanctity of work and labor. The Bible promotes the idea that every person must work to eat, unless, of course, there are mental/physical disabilities that prevent them. Work is something that God plans for all of us to do.

In this verse, we find the phrase, “Whatever you do…”

If you read the context of this passage, you will discover that the Apostle Paul is giving instructions for how people can demonstrate the grace of God in their relationships and behaviors. He discusses marriage relationships; family (parent-child) relationships; and work (servant/master; employer/employee) relationships. The specific phrase we are looking at appears in the verses that deal with servant-master relationships (which would parallel most closely with our modern employer-employee relationships).

Paul, in this context, is saying, “In your day-to-day labor, whatever you do…” The underlying assumption is that every one of his readers/hearers would be involved in some kind of productive activity.

So my first point to you today, especially young people, is find something to do. God has gifted you and provided you with unique talents, skills and abilities to be used for His glory. Recognize the fact now that God condemns sloth and laziness. God has a place for you to fill and a job for you to do. He never intended for your parents or your community or your government to take care of your every need for the rest of your life. There is dignity in work and in labor. Find something to do. Even if you can’t find the job of your dreams, or the salary you want, or all the fringe benefits you think you deserve.

It is amazing to me sometimes to observe the amount of effort and “work” that some people will expend trying to get out of work!

II. Do it with passion.

When you find something to do, do it with passion.

Paul said, “Whatever you do, do it heartily…”

“Do” – the second word “do” is different from the first one, and it primarily carries the idea of labor or working at something. Literally, “Whatever you do, work/labor at it heartily…”

“Heartily” – a compound word that can literally be translated, “out of your soul.” This seems to give the idea of doing something with everything in that is in us; with our whole being.

I must admit that I have not always found it easy to live up to this, but my parents and a host of other influential people in my life have often told me, “Anything worth doing at all is worth doing my best.” I’m sure I have failed to accomplish this goal at times. But that doesn’t reduce the truth of it.

Paul seems to be saying the same thing here. Whatever you do, do it heartily; do it with everything you’ve got; do it with your whole being.

I’ve already admitted that it’s not always easy to live up to this ideal. It’s not always easy to have the heart and soul to do our best in everything we set ourselves to do. But, the last phrase in this verse helps us in that regard.

III. Do it with purpose.

One of the reasons why it is sometimes difficult to do our best at whatever task we are doing is the fact that we can’t see the purpose in it. We sometimes can’t see the value of it or the good in it. In fact, I’ve often read stories and opinions regarding the fact that there are few things that can mentally and physically break a man down any quicker than giving him meaningless work to do; tasks that have no point or value or purpose.

Paul helps clear up that aspect by admonishing Christians to do their work “as to the Lord, and not to men.” This must have been a particularly great challenge to the servants to whom he was directing these comments. Paul was saying to them that they were to perform their duties as if they were doing them for the Lord, and not merely for men or for their masters.

I don’t have the time, nor is my purpose now, to discuss the issue of slavery or servitude that is taken for granted in this passage. That is a discussion better suited for a completely separate sermon or Bible study. But the point is that when a servant performs his / her duties, he / she must act as if they are doing it for the Lord and not for a man.

Having this kind of mindset while performing the tasks required gives the worker adequate purpose for his job. “My purpose in doing this task is to please Christ and glorify my Father in heaven.”

Illustration – I was being interviewed by a man one time for a position in his company. He told me right up front that most of the time he was not very thrilled to hear someone recommend a prospective employee by saying, “He is a good Christian man.” Why? He had known too many “good Christian people” who were not good workers.

I don’t know if any of you have ever had this experience or not, but there have been times in my life when I had a job to do that was not particularly inspiring or enjoyable. I remember sometimes when I was tempted to do my work half-heartedly or even shoddy. But then I would remember some scripture verse or I would hear the voice of the Spirit reminding me that the Lord was watching me and taking notice of my performance.

Example: Cleaning the kitchen as my work-hour assignment at Bible College. “He that knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Uh-oh. Now, all of the sudden, I’m not just cleaning to satisfy the campus work director or the head cook. Now I recognize that I am cleaning to satisfy the Lord! J

What Paul is saying is essentially this, “When you’re cleaning kitchens, you’re cleaning Jesus’ kitchen.” When you’re balancing ledgers, you’re balancing Jesus’ ledgers. When you’re laying cement blocks, you’re laying Jesus’ blocks.

Dear friends, young and old, we must remember that we serve the Lord in all areas of life. Everything we do is a service to the Lord. All we do is offered to God as a sacrifice of worship. Yes, we worship Him by singing and praying on Sunday morning, but we also worship Him by working Monday through Friday or Saturday, whatever the case may be.

If we remember this truth, it will give us a higher purpose for our work, our ministry and our service than we could ever get from any other source.

Conclusion:

My advice for our graduates, our young people and everyone in general is simply this: Find something to do; do it with passion; and do it with the purpose of pleasing God.

In order to do that, we need the guidance and direction that only comes from God through His Holy Spirit.

Keen Ears and Victorious Ending

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

This is the final message in a series of sermons covering the messages from Christ to the seven churches in Asia, Revelation 2-3. The message discusses two phrases that Jesus repeats to each of the seven churches: "He who has ears, let him hear;" and "To him who overcomes I will...."

Written Excerpts:

We are wrapping up a series of messages that we have been doing for a few months. We started out with a couple of introductory messages from Revelation chapter one, then moved into the seven letters sent to the churches in Asia. These “letters” consisted of messages from the risen and glorified Christ to each of the seven churches that existed in the seven cities of the province of Asia (modern-day Turkey).

Last time we talked about the message to the seventh church – Laodicea. Now, today, I want to conclude the series by looking at a couple of phrases that appear in all seven messages.

The two phrases are these: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” And, “To him who overcomes I will…”

I thought I would present these together for this concluding message since they appear in all seven of the messages that the Lord sends out to the churches.

With the help of God’s Spirit I want to talk to you today about the importance of and possibility of… hearing God’s voice and being victorious in our spiritual journey.

The two main thoughts I want to explore today are expressed in the title of the sermon are: I. Keen Ears and II. Victorious Ending

Let us talk first about the phrase that Jesus uses when he urges the readers to use their ears to hear the message they’ve received.

I. Keen Ears

The phrase, “He who has ears, let him hear…” is actually a very familiar phrase that Jesus used during his earthly ministry. The phrase appears a few times in the gospels. For example: Matthew 11:15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Matthew 13:9 "He who has ears, let him hear." Mark 4:23; 7:16

These phrases are talking about spiritual perception or spiritual hearing. Spiritual hearing (eyesight) is another way of referring to spiritual understanding. (See 1 Cor. 2:14 “The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God… neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.”)

The phrase seems to be connected to the passage in Isaiah 6:9-10

The main point that stands out to me in all these texts is this: To the person who purposes or strives to hear and learn about God and spiritual truths, God will grant an ever-increasing ability to hear and understand spiritual truths. But, to the person who refuses or neglects to hear and learn about God’s truth or message, God will make his spiritual hearing even more dull and his spiritual understanding even more unenlightened.

The message to take away from this is simply that every one of us has an awesome responsibility regarding the messages that the Holy Spirit gives to us and we must earnestly seek to hear (understand) what God says to us through His Word and by His Spirit. God provides most of us with multiple opportunities to be exposed to truth and light, but what we do with each opportunity will determine the level of understanding God will open up to our minds in the future.

II. Victorious Ending

The second main thought I noticed in each of these messages stems from the phrase, “He who overcomes….”

I want you to notice that this phrase introduces promises made by the Lord to everyone who overcomes the obstacles, barriers, opposition and everything else they may face that would hinder their spiritual success. A couple of these congregations were not reproved for any wrong actions or attitudes, but they are encouraged with promises if they overcome the persecution and adversity that they were experiencing. The rest of the congregations were warned about the defects and deficiencies in the practice of their faith. They had some serious problems that needed direct attention or else. In all of these cases, they were promised certain advantages and blessings if they would overcome the blatant faults and return to a genuine obedience to the Word of God.

There are several different promises made by the Lord, but the main point I want to emphasize is the fact that Jesus is proclaiming the possibility of victory, even in the face of some alarming conditions. Never forget, dear friends, that God is able to give us the victory no matter what we are facing. Whether we are facing persecution and opposition from the enemies of the cross, or whether we are facing the deadly effects of compromise, worldliness and spiritual drift, we can overcome by the power of God and the blood of Christ. We can overcome by the supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. God has given us everything we need to be victorious in the end. We need not fail; we need not lose.

Here are the seven promises God gives to the seven churches. (Most of these interpretations have been borrowed from William Barclay)

A. Eat from the Tree of Life. (2:7)

Appears to be an obvious comparison and analogy with the tree of life mentioned in Genesis. Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden to be prevented from eating of this tree (Gen. 3:22). A benefit denied because of sin will be restored because of salvation.

B. Not be hurt by second death. (2:11)

The second death is defined in Revelation 20:14 (NKJV)
¹⁴  Then Death and Hades [hell, KJV] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Revelation 21:8 (NKJV)
⁸  But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

C. Given hidden manna, a white stone, and a new name. (2:17)

The Jews had a common idea that the Messiah would discover a pot of hidden manna that, according to legend, had been in Solomon’s Temple, but hidden by the prophet Jeremiah when the temple was destroyed. So to them, “eating of the hidden manna” meant to enjoy the blessings of the Messianic age. (Barclay)

Stone; name – many, many interpretations have been suggested.

Someone [Barclay] has stated that perhaps the most meaningful way to understand it is to remember that the color white is very significant in Revelation. For example, white garments (3:5), white robes (7:9), white linens (19:8, 14), and white throne (20:11). 

In the OT and NT people who had significant encounters with God were given new names to represent the change in their characters and their lives. So, here Christ may be indicating to these people that the white stone and new name represent the new heavenly life, cleansed from all earthly stain and a new status as a member of the heavenly throng.

D. Given authority to rule and “morning star.” (2:26-28)

Authority to rule – this resembles some of the statements that Jesus made to the disciples during his earthly ministry. There are other references near the end of Revelation that speaks of the saints ruling. It seems to imply that the people of God who overcome will in some form or fashion be given responsibilities to oversee, rule or govern certain portions/ aspects of God’s creation.

Morning star – this is a name given to Jesus himself (22:16). Some seem to think the phrase is a reference to the overcoming believers coming to “full possession” of Christ without any of the hindrances of earth.

E. Clothed in white, name not blotted from book, and name confessed before the Father and the angels. (3:5)

White clothing in various contexts or settings can represent festivity, victory and purity. All of these are characteristics of the believers in Jesus who have remained true to the end.

Book of Life - Revelation 20:12, 15 (NKJV) ¹²  And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. ¹⁵  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.      Revelation 21:27 (NKJV) ²⁷  But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

It is a way of assuring the victorious Christian that Christ will personally ensure that they are included in the congregation of the redeemed and assured a place in heaven.

Name confessed before angels – During his earthly ministry, Jesus stated that whoever confessed Him before men, he would confess before His father. It means He agrees, Yes, this one is mine!

F. Made a pillar in temple, name of God and name of city written on them. (3:12)

Pillar – seems to be a reference to a position of honor. We are told that there was a practice among the pagans in Philadelphia to honor the priests who served the temples by writing their names on the pillars of the temple after they died.

Name of God – implying identity, ownership or possession.

Name of city – implying citizenship in the heavenly city.

G. Sit on throne with Christ. (3:21)

Another reference to the previous point “D” above (2:26-28). The overcomers will be granted some type of authority in the new order.

Conclusion:

Hear the words of Jesus, “To him who overcomes…”

Christ emphatically believes in the possibility of overcoming. He holds out the possibility to these first century congregations, and He still offers it to us.

Believers all over the world are overcoming tremendous opposition and obstacles.

I want us to leave the service today with two great truths ringing in our hearts:

1 - We must diligently train our ears to listen for the voice of the Spirit, and

2 - We must press on to victory. We must overcome everything that Satan tries to use against us whether it be opposition and persecution or compromise and errors.

Let’s close our service by singing a great song of victory: Victory in Jesus, # 353.

You Make Me Sick!

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

This is a sermon based on Rev. 3:14-22 regarding the church at Laodicea. This is part of a series of messages that have covered the messages to the seven churches in Asia as given by the Lord to John in Rev. 2-3.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

It is truly interesting to look at the words of Jesus in this last message to the seventh church and try to put His words into modern language in a way that would do justice to the intended meaning. I don’t know if you will agree with me or not, but in summarizing the message to the church at Laodicea, the only words I could think of are: “You make me sick!”

Why would the glorified Lord make a statement like that to a group of people who profess His name? We’re going to talk about that in just a few moments, but first we need to discuss some background information about the city of Laodicea.

(Reasoner) Forty-three miles southeast of Philadelphia was the town of Laodicea. It was established by Antiochus II and named for his wife Laodice, whom he later divorced in 253 B.C. This was a prosperous town, famous for its medical school, especially its “Phrygian powder,” which was mixed with oil to make eye salve, and ear ointment. Laodicea also produced glossy black wool. They bred sheep to get a certain color of wool. It was also a banking center. The town was destroyed three times by earthquakes; the last time it was rebuilt in A.D. 60 without government aid because of wool revenues. It was proud and self-sufficient. Of the seven cities, only Laodicea is today uninhabited.”

The outline we have been using for the previous messages to the other six churches included these points:

I. A Word of Revelation

II. A Word of Commendation

III. A Word of Accusation

IV. A Word of Exhortation

Using this same general outline let us consider…

I. A Word of Revelation (v. 14)

A. The Amen

This descriptive term or name is not one of the ones that appears in the first chapter vv. 12-18.

(Reasoner) While “amen” occurs ten times in Revelation, this is the only time it is a proper name for Christ. Usually it is used as an affirmation of truth; here it refers to the One who guarantees and fulfills the promises of God. See Isa 65:16, where “truth” in the phrase “God of truth” in Hebrew is “amen.”

(JFB) …it is the language peculiar to God, who avers by Himself. The New Testament formula, "Amen. [KJV-verily] I say unto you," is equivalent to the Old Testament formula, "as I live, saith Jehovah."

B. The Faithful and True Witness

(Barnes) This is presenting the idea implied in the word Amen in a more complete form, but substantially the same thing is referred to. He is a witness for God and his truth, and he can approve of nothing which the God of truth would not approve.

C. Beginning of the creation

The word used for “beginning” in this verse is a different form, but same root word as the word "ruler" or "prince" found in Rev. 1:5

(Reasoner) [A theologian by the name of Thomas] Coke said the meaning was that “the whole creation was produced by him, and he is the Head and Governor of all that he has made.”

There is no way, especially when viewed in light of numerous other Scriptures, that this can be intended to mean that Jesus was the first “created” being.

II. A Word of Commendation

This is the only church out of the seven that did not have any word of commendation offered by the risen and glorified Christ. How sad for a church to stand as the only one to whom Christ could not and did not offer any words of praise or commendation.

III. A Word of Accusation

What faults or defects did the Lord define against these people?

A. They possessed no beneficial zeal or passion. (vv. 15-16)

They were not cold or hot. This likely is a deliberate reference to the condition of the water supply in that city and the surrounding area.

(Reformation Study Bible) Laodicea's water supply had to be provided from a distant source through pipes. The resulting water was lukewarm and barely drinkable. By contrast, the neighboring town of Hierapolis had medicinal hot springs, and neighboring Colossae was supplied by a cold mountain stream. Christ urges the church to be refreshing (cold) or medicinally healing (hot), rather than like the Laodicean water supply.

(S. Zodhiates) …hot and cold represent beneficial qualities just as hot water soothes the body and cold water slakes one's thirst…. The Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament.

The point seems to be that these people, just like lukewarm water, did not exhibit any passionate qualities that would have a positive effect on their culture or their world. Therefore, they had no value other than to make God sick and, by implication, others sick as well.

In a literal sense, lukewarm condition can be attained by cooling of something that was hot, or the warming of something that was cold. The same is true spiritually.

B. They could not accurately assess their own condition. (v. 17)

In addition to the fact that they lived their lives in such a passionless, lifeless, manner as to make the Lord sick, they also had no ability to accurately assess their own status or condition. They viewed themselves exactly opposite of the picture that God sees. Compare this with the words of Christ to the church in Smyrna (2:9). He told the people in Smyrna that He knew about their poverty, but that they were rich! Now, He is telling the people in Laodicea that they think they’re rich and in need of nothing, but don’t realize their extreme poverty and wretchedness.

Scholars tell us that the city of Laodicea (and undoubtedly the church too) was very wealthy. Some think that their material wealth helped cause them to assume that their spiritual life was doing great as well. They viewed themselves as doing just fine and in need of nothing. (probably materially or spiritually)

How can people get in this condition of blindness? I believe it is through the common habit of comparing ourselves with ourselves. We Christians look at the attitudes and behaviors of the unsaved and unconverted “pagans” around us and, as long as we’re “not as bad as they are”, then we think everything is okay.

God is not asking us to just be a little better than the average sinner. He’s not looking for us to be a little more religious than the common “Joe” down the street. God is looking for people that are genuinely born again and full of passion and zeal to live out our faith in obedience to Him in full view of a skeptical, unbelieving world.

Christ is seeking people who love the Lord with all their heart, with all their mind and with all their strength. He desires each one of us to be passionate, zealous and have a positive influence for godliness and righteousness in our world. He’s not looking for people who will simply “do no harm.” He wants people who will love Him so passionately that they can’t help but make a positive effect on their environment.

IV. A Word of Exhortation

Finally, we want to consider Jesus’ exhortation for the church at Laodicea.

A. Be zealous and repent. (v. 19)

The matter of repentance is a frequent theme of Jesus Christ to these churches in the province of Asia. A person can’t become what God wants him/her to be without genuinely turning away from the way they have been going or the way they have been living.

But Jesus adds another concept here because of the unique condition of this congregation – Be zealous, earnest, or intensely motivated. In other words, get on fire!

How was that going to happen?

1. Seek true spiritual riches from Christ.

2. Seek true spiritual clothing

3. Acquire spiritual eye-salve to provide genuine discernment.

All three of these items mentioned were part of their daily lives in a literal sense, but now Christ is making a definite spiritual application to their spiritual lives.

B. Admit the Lord into their hearts. (v. 20)

The Lord gives the Apostle John a tender word picture. Christ is standing at the door of the church, equivalent to the door of each individual heart, and he is knocking. Christ desires to enter and set things right and initiate sweet fellowship and passionate communion with those who think they are already well-off.

He says that He only rebukes and chastens those He loves (19).

God hasn’t taken a lukewarm, nonchalant attitude toward them like they have toward Him. No, God is passionate about saving them from their certain destruction. God is passionate about giving them whatever they need to break out of the lukewarm, half-hearted, self-righteous status quo into which they have settled. The Lord isn’t content to just let them drift along and lose their souls. He is rebuking and chastening and pleading and calling to them. He is urging them to do something about their sad condition.

Conclusion:

Dear friends, this condition of lukewarm spirituality and half-hearted practice of faith was not just a first-century problem. There have been congregations and individuals in every period of history that have exhibited the same characteristics.

The remedy for the problem is still the same: Repent, become passionate and zealous for God and seek the true spiritual riches, clothing and eye salve that He offers.

Susan B. Anthony is credited with saying this: “Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation.” (Illustrations Unlimited.)

She obviously wasn’t talking about spiritual matters, but the point applies. If we want to be on fire for God, we can’t be worried about what others think of us.

We’re the ones who are living half-heartedly about our faith. What would happen if every one of us here this morning would really live like we say we believe? I’ll tell you what would happen. Revival would break out.

My prayer today is for God to “Revive Us Again.”

Another Two-Way Street

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

This is a sermon based on Revelation 3:7-13 regarding the church at Philadelphia. It emphasizes the faithfulness of God and the faithfulness of the believers in the church of Philadelphia.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

There is an idiom or euphemism that is common in our language that most of us would immediately recognize and understand its meaning. That is the phrase, “a two-way street.” The phrase has been defined as: “an arrangement or a situation involving reciprocal obligation or mutual action. This is a two-way street, you know. You will have to help me someday in return.

There are a number of situations in life that we may have heard someone describe as a “two-way street.” Friendship is a two-way street. Marriage is a two-way street. Respect is a two-way street. These are some of the phrases that we have been accustomed to hearing. And, we could probably add many more examples if we took the time to go around the room this morning and give each of you an opportunity to share the one that has come to your mind.

As I read over the passage of Scripture that we will be looking at today, I immediately thought that Jesus was describing to John another “two-way street” scenario that we can relate to.

What is the two-way street that Jesus describes? It is faithfulness.

In this passage (Rev. 3:7-13), Jesus talks about His faithfulness to believers, and he talks about the believers’ faithfulness to Him.

We have been following a prescribed outline in each of the messages regarding the seven churches that Jesus talks about. We will plan to continue that same outline today as we talk about the Lord’s message to be delivered to the church in Philadelphia. However, before we get into the main outline, let us talk a little bit about the city and its significance.

(Reasoner) “Twenty-eight miles southeast of Sardis we come to Philadelphia. Philadelphia was a border town where three [ancient] countries met [Mysia, Lydia & Phrygia]. The highway which connected Europe and Asia also passed through it. The church there was strategically located and had an open door of opportunity for missionary work.

“It was a missionary city, founded to promote unity of spirit, customs, and loyalty between Greek and Asian culture. Its people always lived in dread of a disaster. It had been destroyed by earthquake in A.D. 17 and Jesus spoke about the “hour of trial” (v 10).

(Barclay) “It was founded with the deliberate intention that it might be a missionary of Greek culture and language to Lydia and Phrygia…. “Three centuries before, Philadelphia had been given an open door to spread Greek ideas in the lands beyond; and now there has come to it another great missionary opportunity, to carry to men who never knew it the message of the love of Jesus Christ.”

The city suffered a devastating earthquake in AD 17 but the tremors went on for many years, causing many of the residents to abandon the city. It was rebuilt and over the years had its name changed 2 or 3 times. One writer (Reasoner) says Philadelphia is now the modern Muslim town of Alasehir. Another author (Barclay) says that even in modern times, there is a Christian Bishop and a core group of faithful believers that still live in “Philadelphia.”

Let us now look into the message from the Risen Christ to the Christians in Philadelphia.

I. A Word of Revelation (v. 7)

Christ did not prescribe the same solution to any two of [the churches]. Yet the common need of them all was to see Christ. A fresh revelation of Christ produces revival among his people. Such a revelation would convict us of our sin, correct our imbalances, invigorate our love, and ignite our evangelism. (Reasoner)

A. He is holy. Holiness is one of the attributes of God as repeatedly affirmed in Scripture throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Holiness is the quality of character that refers to absolute moral perfection and the absolute abhorrence of anything and everything evil.

It also involves the quality of being totally set apart or separated from everything ordinary. It emphasizes the fact that God is completely set apart / different from humanity. Jesus possesses those same moral perfections as God the Father.

B. He is true. (Barclay) In Greek there are two words for true. [One] means true in the sense that a true statement is different from a false statement. [The other word] means real as opposed to that which is unreal. It is the second word that is used here in regards to Jesus. Jesus Christ is real, genuine, and authentic. He is the true Savior. He is the true friend. He is the true perfectly sinless human, yet divine Son of God.

The description “holy” and “true” is used of God the Father in Rev. 6:10 "…How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"

C. He is sovereign.

"He who has the key of David…" The key represents authority; the description that follows (which is based on Isaiah 22) signifies sovereign authority. Although they have little authority or influence, Christ holds the key, or authority, of David. Therefore, he is sovereign.

The reference is based on Isaiah 22 which talks about King Hezekiah’s steward Eliakim. God had taken away the position and authority of the previous steward because of his unfaithfulness and given it to Eliakim. He would have the power or authority to admit people into the presence of the king. So Christ has the privilege and authority to admit anyone into the kingdom of God.

II. A Word of Commendation (v. 8)

“I know your works…” Here again, as with all the other churches, the Lord reminds them that He intimately knows their efforts. He not only knows their accomplishments, but he knows their efforts, their motives, their desires, etc.

A. They have wide open opportunities.

There is some disagreement about what the significance of this phrase is for the church, but it appears that Christ is reminding them that he has granted them missionary opportunities because of their strategic location.

B. They have little strength.

The word used here for “little” is the word that our English word “micro” comes from. The idea seems to be that there really wasn’t much strength left at all, but they were still holding on to their faith and hadn’t given up.

There may not be much strength left, but the Lord is praising them for what they had. (Reasoner) “We probably would not have been impressed with this church, but the Lord does not rebuke them.” He tells a congregation with little strength that he holds the key and can open and close doors of opportunity as he sees fit.

C. They have maintained faithfulness and loyalty to Christ.

“have not denied my name”

Apparently whenever the Christians at Philadelphia had been persecuted and pressured to renounce their faith in Jesus, they had remained steadfast and faithful to the Lord. Some suggest that the Jews (referred to here as the synagogue of Satan) were the ones who brought persecution upon them.

(III. A Word of Accusation)

 (Reasoner) All [the other churches] except Smyrna and Philadelphia were reprimanded. While these two [certainly] had imperfections, Christ knew they were doing their best. It is possible to please God.

IV. A Word of Exhortation (vv. 9-11)

The word of exhortation includes a couple of promises that the Lord would do for them, followed by one command they were to obey.

 A. “I will turn your opposition into support. The Jews were once God’s chosen people, but they rejected their Messiah. For the second time Jesus called them the “synagogue of Satan” (2:9). Christians were locked out of the Jewish synagogue, but Christ said not to worry. Since he holds the keys, they were only banned from the synagogue of Satan. He holds open the door of salvation and even the Jews will be drawn to Christ and will acknowledge that this little congregation is the true Israel of God….(Reasoner)

B. I will protect my own; “I will keep you from the hour of trial coming upon the whole world.”

The word for “world” is not the usual “kosmos” but it is oikoumene, which in certain passages, according to the context implies the whole Roman Empire or a defined region of Greeks, etc.

The Lord implies that His faithfulness to protect them is reciprocal to the fact that they have obeyed His command to endure.

C. In v 11 Jesus gave his only command to them, encouraging them to keep on doing what they are doing; “hold on (krateo) to what you have.” (Reasoner)

…(krateo) means to hold on or be strong. Although it was used in 2:1 where Christ holds the pastors, now the congregation is admonished to hold to Christ. While he is able to keep us, we must keep ourselves in his love (Jude 21, 24).

“… that no one may take your crown.”

This seems to be an obvious metaphor referring to the winner’s crown given to the athletes in the ancient games.

(Barclay) It is not a question of someone stealing their crown, but of God giving it to someone else more worthy.

Conclusion:

In bringing this message to a close, I want to stress that there are two main points that have caught my attention in this passage we’ve been discussing today: One, the Philadelphian Christians had been loyal and faithful to the Lord and had not denied him even when the opposition had been severe. Two, the Lord had remained loyal and faithful to the believers and promised to continue His faithful protection and support.

This matter of faithfulness is a “two-way street.”

God will be faithful to us when we are faithful to him and we can remain faithful and loyal to him because of his faithfulness to us.

In his commentary on Revelation, Dr. Vic Reasoner told that the great preacher, Charles Spurgeon, put a sign above the doorway of his Pastor’s College that read, “Holding, I am held”.

My friends, God will not abandon you, nor let you down. And He has provided all the grace that is necessary for you and I to remain faithful to Him through every circumstance and trial. Perhaps you have not been very faithful up to this point. I’ve got good news for you. The Lord is here to give you a new start and a new resolve to be faithful to Him from now on.

Our closing song today is one that may be new to some, but it is a simple tune with a great message.

The Greatest Thing in all my life is loving God.

Once a Tomb, Forever a Triumph

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

This is a sermon preached by Rev. Kenton Shaw for the Easter Sunrise Service at Wayside Community Church on March 31, 2013.

I Was the Dead Man

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

This is a message given on Easter Sunday that recounts the resurrection stories of Jesus, Lazarus and Pastor Les.

Written Excerpts:

I WAS THE DEAD MAN

Rev. 1:18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of hell and of death.” (See also Jn. 11:40-44; Eph. 2:4-6)

Introduction:

For my message today, I thought I would bring a very different kind of sermon from what I normally give. I want to tell you three stories that are based on the Bible passages that were read earlier in the service. I have tried to imagine what we might hear if we could have a conversation with Jesus and with Lazarus based on the texts that were read.

Imagine you are getting acquainted with someone for the first time and they are trying to identify themselves by placing themselves in the context of an event or story that you’re already familiar with. For example, if you were to meet George Beverly Shea for the first time he might say, “Do you remember Billy Graham? Well, I was the man that led the congregational songs for his crusades.”

So, for today, I am going to use my imagination a little and try to tell the stories of Jesus, Lazarus and me. For all of us can say the same thing: “I was the dead man.”

Jesus

Hello, John. You have been a long time servant of mine, but I know you’re having trouble recognizing me right now. I look quite a bit different now than I did the last time you saw me. John, I am sure that you remember all the events that took place in Judea and Jerusalem when I, your Master, Rabbi, and Lord, was teaching around the villages and towns of Judea. You remember the places we went and the miracles I performed.

You have literally spent your entire life writing about me and telling other people about me, but now I look drastically different.  Now, that I have been back in heaven with God the Father, and have been glorified with Him, my appearance is not very much like it was then. The vision you’re having of me now is intimidating, and frightening, yet it is glorious. Don’t be afraid, John. I am the same person you ate with and talked with and traveled with. I am the same Jesus.

I’m sure that you remember the events at the end of my earthly ministry when the religious rulers at the Temple had me arrested and tried for blasphemy because I said that I was the Christ, the Son of God. I know that all those memories are still vivid in your mind as those events unfolded so rapidly. You and all the other disciples were scattered and disoriented and didn’t know what to do or where to go.

The suffering and agony that I went through was almost more than any human being can bear. But I willing gave my life because there was a world that needed rescued and redeemed. In a much shorter time than normal, I died on that day on the cross. I was placed in a tomb with the expectation by my enemies that it would be the end. They thought it would be the last time they would see me. I was left in the tomb by my friends and disciples with the fear that it was the end. But, on the third day I rose again, victorious over death; just like I said that I would! I came out of the grave even before the stone was rolled away. The Father sent angels to move the stone just so everyone could see I was no longer there.

Yes, John, I am living now. I was the dead man, but I am alive forevermore!!!

Lazarus

Oh, hello. My name is Lazarus. I am the brother of Mary and Martha from Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem. All three of us were very close friends with the well-known prophet from Nazareth, called Jesus. Many people referred to him as Jesus – the Christ, because they truly believed that he was the “Anointed One,” the Messiah of God.

Probably the one event that most people remember about me was the time that I became very, very sick. My sisters sent word for Jesus to come quickly, because they didn’t think I had long to live and they wanted the miracle worker to come and heal me. Jesus didn’t come that day or the next day. I couldn’t hold on any longer. My life and breath slowly slipped away.

My body was placed in a tomb and, as I understand it, I laid there for four days. Four days, mind you! Of course, I wasn’t aware of what was going on. My family and friends filled me in on the details later, but Jesus finally showed up after I had been in the grave for four days.

I can tell you this. At some point I suddenly started breathing again and I regained consciousness. I felt my body responding to a voice calling to me from outside the grave. There was no way that I could stay in that cold dark place. The voice of God was calling me out of the grave back into the world of life.

Yes, my new friend, I can tell you my name is Lazarus. I was the dead man, but now I am alive; I’m alive!

You know, the most amazing thing about it all is this. You would think that everyone would be happy that Jesus could raise someone back to life from the dead. You would think that everyone would be happy for me to be alive again. Well, if you thought that, you’d be wrong. You see, Jesus had enemies that were already trying to think of ways to bring his ministry, his power and his influence to an end.

Well, as word began to spread like wildfire that Jesus had brought me back to life from the dead, the same people that hated Jesus and wanted to find a way to kill him were actually conspiring and plotting to kill me as well. Can you imagine that? They wanted to kill me just because I kept telling people “I was the dead man, but now I’m alive.”

Lester

For my third and final story, I introduce myself. My name is Lester. I grew up in the rural area of northwestern Pennsylvania. In many respects my life was just like most other people. I was raised in a good home with loving parents. I had the privilege of having two parents who loved the Lord Jesus Christ and they made sure that I attended church services regularly (that always meant “every time the doors were open”).

Because I was in church every time the doors were open, I heard a “ton” of good preaching while I was growing up. I really can’t remember a time when I didn’t have a desire deep in my heart to be a good person and to follow God. But I had a problem. The older I got, the more I realized that there was something else in my heart that was fighting against God and His way. I was constantly struggling with desires deep within that did not want God’s will or God’s way.

The Apostle Paul describes my condition very accurately in Ephesians 2 where he writes, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” I was constantly stumbling and yielding to temptations when I had intended to live right. I knew there were attitudes and traits in my heart that was contrary to God’s Word and commands. I was controlled by lust, greed, and all kinds of sinful passions. I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to get away from my parents and the church and go do my own thing and live my own life.

I was dead in my sins. I was dead to God’s Spirit. I was dead to the way of truth and righteousness, but one January night during a winter youth revival I felt the Holy Spirit calling me once again to surrender to Christ.“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which he loved me, even when I was dead in my trespasses, he made me alive with Christ… and he made me sit together in heavenly places with Christ.”

Hallelujah! I was the dead man, but now I am alive! I was lost, but now I am found! I was blind, but now I see, I was doomed for hell, but now I have a home waiting in heaven! I used to want my own will and my own way, but now I want God’s will and I want God’s way. Praise God!

Conclusion:

You know who Jesus is. He was the dead man but today He is alive forever!

You know who Lazarus is. He was the dead man but Jesus brought him back to life.

You know who I am. I was dead in my trespasses and sins, but Jesus rescued me, He saved me, He gave me spiritual life!

You too can have a resurrected life. God can and will do the same for you that he has done for millions of others! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!