My burden

Father, as I behold Your Word before me, I am in awe of the privilege that You’ve given me - and not only the privilege Lord, but the responsibility as well.

GOD! This is Your WORD! Men and women have died to make this Word available to me; and what am I doing with it? I feel such a weight - such a burden to share it - to teach it - to give others the “want-to” to read it for themselves. (But who do I think I am to do that?)

Father, most of the people I know and associate with know the stories - we’ve heard them all our lives, but Lord, we don’t really “know” the stories. They are “fairy tales” - we don’t know what they are saying to us - what You are saying to us…

Father, we don’t “read what we read.” Even if we take the time to actually read Your Word, we don’t look at the words, we don’t dig for the meaning, and we think… (God forgive us) we think we already know… and so, we don’t listen, either.

What is the context, Lord? We can’t just take bits and pieces here and there and expect to really hear You. What is it they call it Lord, “proof text?” That we can “prove” anything in the world we want to prove, and say anything we want to say, (and make Your Word say anything we want it to say) if we just take Your Word away from its Holy Spirit inspired place and setting - away from its context?

Our children are woefully ignorant of Your Word. Our churches are woefully ignorant of Your Word, and You’ve said, “My people will perish for lack of knowledge…” No Lord, ignorance isn’t “bliss” - it’s as dangerous as a rattlesnake… or should I say “serpent…”

Lord, hear my cry. Lord, feel this anxiety that grips the pit of my stomach. Lord, see my aching heart. And show me what to do.

In Jesus’ name - Amen.

What is it About Morning?

At about 5:45 every morning (you can almost set your watch by it) the birds begin “waking up.” You commence to hear them “twittering” off in the distance, then closer and more numerous.

If you listen close, you can almost imagine them stretching their wings, and rubbing their eyes as the daylight gradually dawns, and they start limbering up their voices.

Before long, the whole symphony is in “warm up” mode - with each playing their own instrument, each running their own scales. And although they never even come close to playing together, or playing the same tune, it is so comforting and peaceful to listen to.

There’s the redbird’s commanding song - always easy to pick out anytime, anywhere. And the multitude of little wrens and the (at least to me) “unknown” birds chirping and cheeping and peeping along… the mockingbird - playing everyone’s song but his own, and the woodpecker (bless his heart) he can’t sing, but just gives the occasional “squawk” as he flies from one tree to the next in search for his early morning breakfast. There’s the mourning dove, or as the old-timers called them “rain crows” announcing that there may be a shower later today…

Don’t they know it’s Monday morning? Don’t they know it’s early Monday morning? No, I guess they don’t. All they know is “This is a day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it…”

What a lesson we should learn from the birds…


Father, we are reminded of a lot of lessons from the birds. Jesus told us, "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” And that “not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.”

What a comfort Lord, to know, that You know our every need. And as You provide for the birds every need, we still see that You do not “throw it into the nest” for them, either. They have a “job” to do, and we have jobs to do. However, we are to begin the day with praise, and “sing” each step of the way…

Thank you Father, for lessons learned from Your creation.

In Jesus’ name - Amen.

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Personal note:

I am so excited! I just finished a weeklong class of intense study on exegetics and homiletics. (“Say what?” you might say!)

Exegetics - it literally means “to draw out”. It is an in-depth study of how to study the Bible. And homiletics is the study of preaching/teaching. And I am so excited. It was so good!

My goal is to write some group Bible studies that might last either over a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night - or once a week for 6-8 weeks. Please be in prayer for me as I attempt these…

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And one more thing - for those of you in the Knoxville, TN area, my son John is looking for a church where he could be a part of the music and worship. He plays guitar and also composes/arranges music. E-mail me or check out his band’s website at www.releasedband.com if you know of a church who could use him (just him, not the band, although they’d love to come play for you.)

The Setting Up and the Sending Out - Part two

“The Setting Up and the Sending Out”
A “Missional” reading and study of the Scripture

Part Two

As we saw last time, the word “Pentecost” means “fiftieth” because in the Old Testament, this feast was held fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits. Firstfruits was fulfilled by what we know as Easter. In the Christian Church, we celebrate Pentecost as the “Birthday of the Church.”

And that, all throughout Jesus' ministry, He labored under one great disadvantage - that is when He spoke of “The Kingdom of God”, He meant one thing, and those who heard Him, heard something entirely different.

The Jews were always vividly conscious of being God’s chosen people - how many times had they heard it? They were taught of Abraham’s call, of the covenant, of God’s sustaining hand in their history - that “they” were the chosen people! They took that to mean that they were destined for special privilege and for world-wide dominion. But of course, their history proved that humanly-speaking, that could never be.

Why? Because that “kingdom” would be built on love and not on political or military power.

And now, part two…



The children of Israel were called by God to be “a kingdom of priests.” Now, what is it a “priest” does? He ministers to the needs of the people - as a shepherd cares for the needs of the “flock”. And a priest is to be a “witness” to the Power of God. Did Israel ever do that? No, they took their “chosen-ness” to mean “I’m special, and you’re not.” “I have God, and you don’t.” Or as we might say they had an “Us 4 and no more…” attitude.

They didn’t want anybody else to know of their God. Yes, God called them to be “different” as He calls us to be different. He called them to be “set aside” as He calls us to be set aside -for what? For service. We are called to serve! We are called to be this “holy priesthood.”

2 Peter 2:9-10 is the direct fulfillment of Exodus 19:3-6 - listen:
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
1Pe 2:10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Folks - “we” are the Gentiles. “We” are the sheep of the other pastures that Jesus spoke of in John 10:19.

And now “we” have the responsibility.

The title of my sermon is “The Setting Up and the Sending Out” God “set up” the “chosen-ness” of His people on Mount Sinai, and He “sent His people (us) out at Pentecost!

Look at the similarities:
The “setting up” took place 50 days after they left Egypt, the “sending out” took place 50 days after Easter.
There (in Expdus) was Sinai; here (in Acts) is Zion or Jerusalem;
There the trembling mountain, here the trembling house;
There was the flaming mountain, here the flaming tongues;
There the noisy thunderings, here the sounds of many tongues;
There the sounding of the rams horn, here the notes of the gospel-trumpet.”
This vivid passage in Acts 2 shows the close analogy between the Jewish and Christian Pentecost. Just as the appearance of God on Sinai was the birthday of the Jewish nation, so was the Pentecost, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, the birthday of the Christian Church.


We are called to serve, and we are called to be witnesses. Your bulletin also says that this is a ““Missional’ reading and study of the Scripture”. What that means is that we, if we are Christians, are to study the Scriptures with a “Missional” attitude - that is, one of being in mission.

John Wesley said, “The world is my Parish.” In other words, the world is my mission field.

Jesus’ words in Act 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth" was a prophecy of how the church was to spread. It did take place in Jerusalem, then in all Judea, and throughout Samaria, and then even to the remotest part of the earth…

We might translate that prophecy in this way, “Ye shall be my witnesses in the homeplace, and in the workplace, and in the marketplace and to the, anyplace your travels make take you.

…in the home and at work, and at the grocery store and on vacations… We shall be His witnesses.


The children of Israel were a called and a chosen people, but their deeds did not match up with their statements of beliefs, and so they never carried out the “high calling of God.” And now the church is a called and chosen people, empowered on that day with the gift of the Holy Spirit to reach the nations, in just the way that the nations need to hear the Word.

But make no mistake, we need to understand the seriousness of that calling - that “chosen-ness”. Jesus Christ gave His life as an atonement for your and my sin - we didn’t do anything to merit it, and we can never do anything to repay it. Romans 5:8 says that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And so, we serve a risen Savior - not “so that” we will be saved, or “so that” we will be blessed, but because we already have been.

You are a chosen and a called people “a royal priesthood” who have been blessed by God Almighty - how do you choose to serve? You have been called, and now you have been empowered; and sent forth…

Let us pray:
Father, help us to understand the seriousness of this calling. Let us take into our hearts the words of the song as we pray, ‘Lord prepare me, to be a Sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true. And with thanksgiving, Oh Lord I pray that, I’ll be a living, Sanctuary to You…”
In the name of the One, Whose service we follow - even Jesus - Amen.


If you are a Christian, you have been called. If you are associated with this church - then you have a calling, and you are called to be a witness; a witness of that Grace that saved you through faith. And it is not because of any work you ever have done, or ever will do - it is the pure, undiluted Gift of God. Because He loved you so much…

And if you are not a Christian - or if you have questions, I pray that you will feel your heart “strangely warmed” here today, and know, for a fact, that He died for you, too. I pray that today, you will recognize your call as well, because He loved you so much, too…

"The Setting Up and the Sending Out" Part One

“The Setting Up and the Sending Out” (A Pentecost Sermon)
A “Missional” reading and study of the Scripture

Part One

Text Acts 1:8; 2:1-11
Act 1:8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Act 2:1-11 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.

They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? (In other words - uneducated men!) "And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs--we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God."


Today we celebrate Pentecost. It’s a special day in the “Church year”. It’s important that we know what it is, and celebrate it.

It just so happened, that I filled the pulpit last year on Pentecost Sunday, and I spoke a little more in depth of its history and how what we celebrate today has its roots in Old Testament history. So, I won’t go into quite as much detail today, but if you missed it last year, or have, as we say, “Slept since then” and you’ve forgotten, let me know and I’ll get you a copy of that study*.

The word “Pentecost” means “fiftieth” because in the Old Testament, this feast was held fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits. Firstfruits was fulfilled by what we know as Easter. In the Christian Church, we celebrate Pentecost as the “Birthday of the Church.”

Forty days after Christ’s resurrection, He ascended into Heaven; then, 10 days after that, (making 50 days in all) the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 believers who were praying together and the Church was born.

However, like I said, Pentecost is a celebration, or a feast that dates back to the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt.

We all know the story of the Exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt. We’ve heard the Bible stories, seen the TV programs and the movies like “The Ten Commandments”; we know somewhat about the plagues, the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, the Passover, and the crossing of the Red Sea but what we may not know is how all of this ties together.

Fifty days after the children of Israel leave Egypt, they come to the “Mountain of God” - Mount Sinai.

Listen again to the OT scripture reading:

Exodus 19:3-6 Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel:
'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself.
'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;
and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you (Moses) shall speak to the sons of Israel."

The key to that passage is “you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

All throughout Jesus ministry, He labored under one great disadvantage - that is when He spoke of “The Kingdom of God”, He meant one thing, and those who heard Him, heard something entirely different.

The Jews were always vividly conscious of being God’s chosen people - how many times had they heard it? They were taught of Abraham’s call, of the covenant, of God’s sustaining hand in their history - that “they” were the chosen people! They took that to mean that they were destined for special privilege and for world-wide dominion. But of course, their history proved that humanly-speaking, that could never be.

Palestine was a little country of not more than 120 miles long by about 40 miles wide. It did have days of independence, under the rule of David and Solomon, but for the most part; its entire history had been one of subjection to various outside forces. There were the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, and now the Romans. So naturally, the Jews began to look forward to a day when God would break directly into human history and establish that “kingdom” that they felt they so richly deserved. In other words - they looked at “The Kingdom of God” in strictly political terms.

What did Jesus mean by “The Kingdom of God?” We find that very clearly in the Lord’s Prayer. In it, God’s kingdom is called forth - “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done…” And how is it to be done? “On earth as it is in heaven.”

This is characteristic of Hebrew style, as we often see in the Psalms, to say things in two parallel forms - the second explains or amplifies the first. And that is what this line in this prayer does. We see that the kingdom that Jesus is referring to is a society upon earth where God’s will, would be as perfectly done, as it is always and forever being done, in heaven. Why? Because that “kingdom” would be built on love and not on political or military power.

In order to achieve this, man (which, as we know means “mankind) needed the Holy Spirit.


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Next - just what it means to be a "kingdom of priests"...

*Note - If you'd like a copy of that "study" I spoke of, just e-mail me and ask for it. It is a very simple explaination (as I am a very simple person) of the feasts of the OT and how they relate to the NT. It had a chart and everything! :-)

Pentecost Sermon coming

As Lay Leader I will be filling the pulpit this coming Sunday - Pentecost Sunday.

I will be posting my Pentecost sermon on either Sunday night or Monday morning.

The title is:
“The Setting Up and the Sending Out”
A “Missional” reading and study of the Scripture

Scripture:
OT Reading: Exodus 19:3-6

Text Acts 1:8; 2:1-11

Other scripture includes:
2 Peter 2:9-10 and John 10:19

"Quickie Quote" from the sermon:
The title of my sermon is “The Setting Up and the Sending Out” God “set up” the “chosen-ness” of His people on Mount Sinai, and He “sent" His people (us) out at Pentecost!

Look at the similarities:
The “setting up” took place 50 days after they left Egypt,
the “sending out” took place 50 days after Easter.

There was Sinai; here is Zion or Jerusalem;
There the trembling mountain, here the trembling house;
There was the flaming mountain, here the flaming tongues;
There the noisy thunderings, here the sounds of many tongues;
There the sounding of the rams horn, here the notes of the gospel-trumpet.”

This vivid passage in Acts 2 shows the close analogy between the Jewish and Christian Pentecost. Just as the appearance of God on Sinai was the birthday of the Jewish nation, so was the Pentecost, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, the birthday of the Christian Church.