A Message of Hope

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.  Matthew 4: 23
            Jesus proclaimed the “good news of the kingdom.”  Great crowds gathered to hear the teaching and be healed.  First century Judea was an amazing time in the history of the world.  God came to earth to save His creation.  What is different today about that message?  Is it still good news?  Can people still come to Jesus for healing?  Is God still working to save His creation? 
            These are the questions we want to explore today and during the upcoming study of the Sermon on the Mount.  People flocked to hear to hear the “good news of the kingdom.”  Large crowds from every town and region came to hear what Jesus had to say (vs 25).  They came to be healed of every disease.  They came to experience God on earth.
            Today in the year 2012, we need to consider why people should be drawn to Christ now.  Can they still respond to the “good news of the kingdom?”  Can they still be healed by the power of God from their diseases?  How we talk about our Savior to the world indicates the answer to these questions for us and others.
            The “good news of the kingdom” is still a viable message in our world today.  We enter His kingdom and serve Him in this world not for a reward after death, but for life here and now.  We spread His kingdom by our every action in this world.  We are his change agents that seek to fulfill the prayer that His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.  People flock to the message of the “good news of the kingdom.”
            God heals people in the world today.  James tells us to pray for healing.  We are told to have faith in God for that healing (James 5).  People come to Jesus for all kinds of healing.  They look for healing from their physical ailments.  They seek healing from all types of addictions.  Primarily, we come to Jesus for spiritual healing.  He is able to save us from ourselves (see Romans 6 and 7). 
            Our message to the world must be filled with the “good news of the kingdom.”  We must tell people about the wonderful healing associated with Jesus.  While we know that we may always have physical issues, God wants to provide the spiritual healing necessary for us to enter His kingdom and live with Him forever.  That is an eternal message that connects with everyone. 
Scripture:  Matthew 4: 23-25

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. Titus 2: 11

Our goal this week is to understand our commission to reach out to the world around us and show them the gospel of God’s salvation. The good news of a Savior who enables us to have eternal life in God’s household. In doing this, we can examine Paul’s instructions to Titus on the island of Crete. Here we find practical guidance for our lives that tells us how to influence those around us.

We remember chapter two of Titus because that is where he is told what to teach the different demographic groups in the churches. He begins with the older men, then moves on to the older women who teach the younger women, and then gives instructions on what to teach the younger men. These lessons are as applicable today as they were then in the first century in the midst of a culture that was filled with “liars, evil brutes, and lazy gluttons.” (Titus 1:12)

But let’s focus on the last group Paul tells Titus to minister to. Let’s examine the words to the least people that were Christians there on Crete. In verse 9, Paul tells Titus to teach slaves how to act. Servants, people subjugated and forced to work for others. Paul’s guidance to this underclass is to be subject to their masters and please them. Don’t talk back or steal from them, he says. Slaves are to show their masters they can be fully trusted. But why?

Paul’s conclusion speaks to us. He says be good servants so that the gospel will be attractive. We have good news. People should flock to it. Paul says our actions have a direct impact on others’ response. We offer God’s salvation to the world by what we do; by our attitude; by our whole lives. Perhaps we should embrace our role as a slave to God in this world and, by our actions, offer his grace to the people around us.

Scripture: Titus 2:9 – 3:8

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Romans 12: 2
How do we become transformed?  Paul tells the Romans to renew their minds.  But how and why?  First, Paul responds to the unasked question of why transform?  He just told the Romans to offer their bodies as living sacrifices to God as their true and proper worship (Romans 12:1).  The why of transformation has to do with his first comment in verse 2.  Our natural state as people is to conform to the world.  We are naturally conformists.  We fit into our culture, society, and families.  Outcasts are just that; cast out from their social group.  In Greek, the words conform imply fitting into a pattern.  Paul is telling us not to fit into the worldly pattern any more.
So what is a worldly pattern?  Simply, these are the things that separate us from God.  It is the opposite of giving ourselves as living sacrifices.  It is seeking our good instead of the good of others.  It is falling into the materialism trap that says we need more and better instead of being content with whatever God blesses us with.  It is living as the world lives without God.
            So what does a transformed life look like?  How do we know what our renewed minds should be?  Again, a focus on God is key.  Read the rest of Romans 12.  Paul describes what our lives should be like in their renewed state.  My Bible titles the section love in action.  I like that summation of our renewed lives.  We become love in action to the world.
We concluded last week with Philippians 2, and that is where this week we will find Paul explaining again what our renewed minds need to become.  Here in the letter to the Philippians, Paul says “become like Jesus.”  As we consider our spiritual growth, let’s seek to follow Paul’s advice and become like Jesus.  That should lead us back to the true and proper worship of a sacrificial life.
Scripture:  Philippians 2: 1-18
 

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”  Matthew 16:18
The Church of Christ has been meeting in Albany since the 1920’s.  A group of believers met in private homes, the courthouse, a city tabernacle, and then multiple, bigger buildings here on this lot. Our church has survived drought and floods.  Ice storms and high winds.  We the people are the church and not the place we build with human hands. 
God’s church is like the history of our building here in Albany.  He began His church in the first century with a small group of people.  The message of salvation was so great that the church grew and the Lord added on to it as needed (Acts 2: 47), first in Jerusalem and then throughout the world.  He is still adding onto His church those that are being saved.
Often we think of the church here in Albany as our church.  It’s where we attend.  It’s where we were baptized.  It’s our building on the main thoroughfare in town.  It’s our church.  Fortunately, the Bible teaches something different.
First, the church is not a building.  It never was and never will be.  Somehow we have taken the idea of a called out assembly of believers and made it into a brick and mortar building.  The Greek word ekklesia is a called out or elected assembly that meets for political or religious reasons.  The church is people who are called out of the world to follow God. 
Second, the church belongs, lock, stock, and barrel to Christ.  He founded it (Matthew 16:18), He died for it (Ephesians 5:25), and He is still our chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).  There is only one chief and we are not Him. 
As we consider today, our role in Christ’s church, let’s put our desires in context with who we serve.  As the called out assembly of Christ, we must seek His guidance in helping us decide how to serve Him in the most effective way possible.  Let us all pray for that guidance and a spirit of love that transcends our petty humanity and leads to eternal glory as we enter His Kingdom.
Scripture:  Ephesians 2: 19-22

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.      
Matthew 6:21
We are beginning to discuss setting goals for 2012 here for the church.  Sometimes goals are often like New Year’s Resolutions.  They are things we want to do, but are just not sure we are willing to do them.  We set goals in life and try to meet them.  Those that do not set goals are doomed to never accomplish anything.  Today perhaps we can think about how and why we set goals by talking about what is important to us.
We live in a capitalist society.  In our secular lives we often focus on getting and obtaining wealth.  We look for the best deals.  We conserve our money to buy things or we just take out a loan.  Materialism is a sin that we must continuously be aware of.  We cannot continually focus on earthly things and leave God out of our goal setting process.
Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount tells us that we pursue what is important to us.  Our treasure is collocated with our hearts.  This is a critical thought that we must process.  If a new car, house, or retirement consumes our lives, then our efforts will be to obtain those things.  My perception is that path leads to long work hours, many financial disagreements, and a lengthy list of creditors.  To what end? 
Jesus tells us to focus on spiritual treasure.  He says store up treasure in heaven.  (Matthew 6: 19, 20)  This is the kind of treasure we should be focused on; eternal treasure, eternal rewards.  He begins the discussion with a reminder that earthly stuff is easily destroyed.  It can be in a wreck.  It can burn down.  Thieves can break in and take it.   The bank can foreclose on our loan.  Earthly treasure should not be our focus because it is not really that important.
As we consider setting both individual and community goals for the upcoming year, let’s consider where our hearts are.  Are we focused on God and the Kingdom or are we still stuck in the world?  Are we in control of our lives or is God?  Remember:  our hearts and treasures are collocated.  Let’s put them both squarely in God’s hand.  He can sort out our broken lives better than we can ever dream of doing.
Scripture:  Matthew 19: 16-22
 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
                                                                                                                                                Psalms 100: 4

David in the above song, encourages us to come to God with thanksgiving in our hearts.  We enter this ‘Thanksgiving’ season and think of turkey, football, and shopping.  That’s the world we live in.  But as Christians, we need to look deeper into the word thanksgiving to see what David is really talking about.

In Greek the word translated thanksgiving is eucharistia from which other faiths get the word ‘eucharist.’  The Eucharist is equivalent to our communion.  Isn’t it interesting that the word thanksgiving is used to represent this coming together in the remembrance of humanity’s greatest gift? 

David encourages us to be thankful and joyful as we enter his gates.  When was the last time you were truly thankful and joyful about the many gifts of God?  How did you express that thankfulness and joy? 

Paul in writing to Timothy tells us to be thankful for everyone.  That is a tall order.  Some people are not nice.  Even before writing this in 1 Tim 2:1, Paul tells Timothy he’s turned over two people to Satan to “be taught not to blaspheme.” (1 Tim 1: 20)  So can we give thanks for all people and still not like them?  Paul tells us that the goal of his teaching is “love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Tim 1:5)  We are told here that the love we need is generated from within and according to Paul is applicable to everyone.

Giving thanks is a state of mind.  We must overcome the world with love while continuing to focus on God and his great grace to us sinners.  If we love like God loves, then we won’t have to be reminded to give thanks for everyone.  We will do it because God does.

Scripture:  1 Timothy 2: 1-6

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28: 19, 20
Why do we support missionaries?  Where do we find in Scripture the authorization to send money to Christians working around the world?  How do we justify using God’s resources in this way?
These questions continue to be asked among conscientious Christians.  Jesus in the Great Commission says go.  He doesn’t say find someone else to go out into the world to spread the gospel.  Paul conducted several mission trips himself.  He didn’t sit back and send others out to fulfill this command.  So why is it okay to support others in the mission fields and not go ourselves?
The first century pattern seems to be that churches were formed where there were people.  Paul established churches and in his letters to Timothy and Titus instructed them to ensure local leadership was in place wherever there were churches (Titus 1:5).  The churches were established where people were and they did not move (Revelation 2,3).  People like Paul and Barnabas were actually sent to places like Antioch to teach the good news there by the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 11).  So the gospel was spread in the first century by people sent by local churches out into the world to make disciples of the lost and dying in the world.  In fact, our perfect example Jesus tells us that he was sent into the world “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
Therefore isn’t Jesus God’s missionary to the world?  Didn’t he send a part of Himself to save us?  To bring us the good news?  To make disciples of each one of us?  It seems we have a divine duty to follow this example by sending a part of ourselves across the world to help teach others about Jesus our Savior.  In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us we are all “Christ’s ambassadors” with a message of reconciliation for the world (2 Corinthians 5: 20,21). 
The messengers God sends out into the world represent Him.  We represent Christ here in Albany.  Andrew and his family represent Jesus in the Ukraine to the most vulnerable of populations.  The unwanted children in the Ukraine flock to the message of love and salvation.  They eagerly desire the Word of the gospel.  How do we justify spending God’s resources on missionaries?  Just look at the faces of the souls that the Kelly’s touch.  How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news? (Romans 10: 15)
Scripture:  Romans 10: 14, 15
 

 The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;
 though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
Psalm 37: 23,24
When was the last time you fell and hurt yourself?  We stumble and fall. Sometimes we catch ourselves, and at others times, the ground catches us.  What was the proximate cause of our falling?  Clumsiness?  Obstacles in our path?  Were we in too big of a hurry?  As Christians we often fall for the same reasons.  We forget who is in control and go clumsily charging off on our own into the obstacles of life.  We forget what elements of our faith are critical to God.  Sometimes we lose sight of what He thinks is important as opposed to what we think is.
David’s verse above from psalm 37, reminds us that if we delight in God, he will keep us from falling.  Evidently David saw a difference between stumbling and falling.  We may often stumble in this life, but if we are walking with our Father, we will not fall.  Peter addresses this issue in his second letter.  In fact, Peter says if we work on maturing our faith, we will “never stumble.” (2 Peter 1: 10)  So what are the things Peter tells us to work on?     
Peter gives us building blocks to our faith that enable us to fall toward God.  He first tells us to add to our faith goodness. (vs 5)   We need to be good people, because God is good to us.  He then says to add knowledge to our walk. (vs 5)  We obtain knowledge as we study God’s Word.  Peter next says add self-control to our lives. (vs 6)  God expects us to govern ourselves in order for Him to help keep us from falling.  Perseverance is added to our walk because sometimes we may have to overcome some obstacles in life.  God promises to help us not make our walk easy. Godliness is the next thing Peter tells us to add to our lives. (vs 6)  We walk with and like God.  As Jesus tells us, we are the lights of the world.   Next, Peter says add mutual affection to our faith.  (vs 7)  The Greek word for this is philadelphia which we know as family love.  Peter is telling us that we need to love each other like our own family members.  We are in God’s family and we are to love each other that way.  Finally, Peter tells us to add agape to our walk.  This is love that is an unconditional and sacrificial love that also refers to who God is, how He loves us, and what He gives us.  Agape love is the epitome of our Christian faith and is what should keep us falling back to God.
Scripture:  2 Peter 1: 3-11
 

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. John 12:46
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, but what was it like?  In Genesis 1:2, we are told that it was “formless and empty” with “darkness over the deep.”  Literally this means there was there was a big, black nothingness.  Darkness is defined as the absence of light.  To give light meaning, God created darkness first.  There are some cave creatures on earth that never experience light (until researchers find them).  They live their whole lives without ever seeing anything.  Imagine an existence without light.
God created light in this world so that we can see and experience life more fully.  Light is energy.  Light is life.  Spiritually, Jesus came into this world to do the same thing.  In John 8:12, Jesus tells us he is the “light of the world” and that if we follow him we will have the “light of life.”  What is this light of life and how are we using it?
The light is the gospel message and we should be using it to walk in this world.  John 12:46 continues the analogy by Jesus saying that we can exit darkness by believing in His power to save us.  That is the gospel message.  We can be saved.  Paul was told to take the light to the Gentiles in order to bring salvation to “the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:47)  God’s light is eternal and is available to everyone.
So how do we use the gospel to walk in our lives?  In 1 John 1, we are told to “walk in the light as he is in the light.” (vs 7)  If we walk this way, we have fellowship with each other and the “blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”  So again we have a choice.  We can choose to walk in the way of Jesus and the gospel of salvation in the light or continue to stumble in the darkness of life without hope.  Let’s all choose to walk in the light of forgiveness.
Scripture:  1 John 1: 5-7
 

As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.  James 5: 11

When was the last time you had a Job experience?  Where was it?  At home, work, church?  Job was not just a good guy.  He is identified as “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.”  (Job 1: 1)  Additionally, because of his wealth and wisdom, he was “the greatest man among all the people of the East.” (Job 1:3)  Job was not some poor schmuck whose life Satan destroyed.  He was a great, Godly man who trusted the Lord.  There was no one on earth like him. (Job 1:
We know the story of Job.  The patience of Job is legendary…but is it?  Was Job patient?  Job was perseverant.  There is a difference.  God is patient with us as we strive to get back to Him.  He waits for us in hopes that we will return to His grace.  But we have to persevere in life.  We must undergo trials and testing in order to become mature Christians.  According to James, we should look with joy at the trials that our testing in life brings because that leads us to maturity.  (James 1: 2-4)  Our perseverance leads to success in this life and an eternal reward in heaven. (James 1:12)
The story of Job however is really about God.  As James concludes his letter, he returns to the idea of perseverance in referencing Job.  In all of the trials of Job, God protected him.  When all of life was falling down around him, when his friends and wife were telling him to curse God and die, Job felt the loving hand of God protecting him.  Even as Job was questioning God, he was protected from the storm of God’s justice.  James concludes this idea by telling us that God “is full of compassion and mercy.” (James 5: 11) 
So what about our Job experiences?  Have we been given opportunities to persevere?  Are we ready to move on toward perfection?  Isn’t it interesting the letter from James starts with the idea of perseverance and returns to that idea at the end of the letter?  We need to joyfully seek and look for Job experiences in our lives in order to become mature and complete Christians fully prepared to take the good news of the gospel out into the world.
Scripture:  James 1: 2-4