James 5:7-10

While you wait...

We are currently in a state of waiting. We are waiting for Christmas, and all the good that surrounds the holiday. More so, we are waiting for Christ's return, and all the good that will surround that event.

While we wait, James has important instructions.

(it's worth remembering, WHY we are waiting. 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us that Jesus is taking his time because he wants to give people ample opportunity to repent. It's worth considering that we should get on board with this idea and invest some of our time in giving people opportunity to repent.)

1. James expects patience (especially in suffering)

• Illustration: The Farmer -- A farmer is always waiting. In the planting season, and through the summer he waits for rain. In the fall he waits for the harvest. But he is not lazy. Farmers work much harder than most people, even though they are aware that their success or failure is largely dependent on God. Yet while they are waiting, they are working! We are not to simply sit in our pews and wait for Christ to return. There are relationships to be cultivated, seeds to be planted, hearts to be watered, and harvests to be reaped. We must be patient, but we must not be lazy.
• Illustration: The Prophets -- The OT Prophets worked hard. They were faithful in their proclamation of God's Word, but they saw very little fruit for their work, and they did not live to see the coming of the Messiah. But they were faithful. Even when they were ignored, or ridiculed, or arrested, or persecuted, or killed; they were faithful. Our faithfulness while we wait for Christ's return is a sign of the genuineness of our conversion.
• IMPATIENCE IS A SIGN THAT THE TEMPORAL IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN THE ETERNAL.

2. James expects peace

• While we wait, we must not turn on one another. Have you ever been in a difficult situation with someone else that turned ugly. Likely, the person you were with had nothing to do with the breaking of the relationship, but the external pressures were too much and one or both of you succumbed to the temptation to take out your frustration on the other. Anytime relationships within the church are broken, it is a sure sign that the harsh reality of sin has crept in where it ought not be. Someone has given it a foothold.
• James' statement that "the Judge is standing at the door!" is a reminder of the imminence of Christ's return, and an encouragement to settle disputes quickly and appropriately! I am reminded of Ephesians 4:26 which advises us to not let the sun set on our anger. Disputes with brothers and sisters should be settled quickly, so they do not fester and infect the whole body.

FINAL THOUGHT: Christ is returning. Your choice to wait patiently and peacefully will determine the state you are in to greet Him.

Psalm 146:4-9

God is actively involved in our lives. He is worthy of our hope.

Often we put our hope in other people (or ourselves), and anticipate that they will give us what we're looking for or lead us where we want to go. But, humans will always disappoint. They'll never give us everything we expect, and even those who love us most will let us down at some point.

Our hope should be in the LORD. He will never disappoint. Here are six roles God will play in our life when we depend on Him:

• Creator -- He made all things, and He will make all things new.
• Provider -- He provides justice for the oppressed, food for the hungry, and care for the widows and orphans. When no one else cares for you, you are in the perfect place to be cared for by God
• Liberator -- He freed Israel from Egypt, he can free you from sin
• Healer -- Physical healing, spiritual healing, emotional healing, and relational healing are all in His portfolio
• Encourager -- He lifts up those who are weighted down. There is no more encouraging word (if we'll receive it) than, "Your sins are forgiven"
• Protector -- He is most concerned with protecting those who would be oppressed. Remember that you are under His protection. Whatever situation you find yourself in, it cannot conquer you unless you let it. He will protect you from anything you cannot withstand.
  

Isaiah 35:1-10

The Return of the King is Good News.

Most of this passage looks ahead to Christ's second advent (in fact, all of it could be descriptive of that time), however some of it is predictive of his first advent. Verses five and six particularly are the passages Jesus referenced about himself when confronted by John's disciples in Luke 7.

As those living between the first and second advent, we may be especially encouraged because we know that what he has already began to fulfill, he will most certainly complete.

The Return of the King is Good News!

1. For the earth.
His creation, which has been abused and destroyed by mankind, will be restored to its original state of completeness and ideal functionality.

• wilderness and desert will no longer be wastelands (while this is partly descriptive of the middle east climate in which Isaiah lived, there is a deeper meaning in that those whose souls are parched and desolate will be nourished and become fruitful)
  
• all lands will have ample water supplies (in John, Jesus references the Spirit when He talks about the river of life that will come from Him. Not only will creation be given the water it so desperately needs, we are given the Spirit as the sustaining force behind our lives)

2. For the underprivileged.
The Gospel is always good news for those who get little good news. It flattens the landscape and creates an equal playing field. While some may be oppressed by men, none are shown favoritism by God.

• this news strengthens tired hands... those who have worked long without results, are strengthened to go on.
• this news encourages weak knees... those whose lives are collapsing are held up
• this news emboldens the fearful... those who are afraid to follow God are convinced of their future. Fear is destroyed when we realize that "God is coming to destroy your enemies...to save you" (vs.4)

3. For the ransomed.
The best news of all is that those of us who are sinners have been purchased out of our deserved punishment, and can look forward to the return of our great Savior. (the reverse is sadly true. the coming of the king is bad news for those who continue in their evil ways)

• We will forever be in the presence of God (the very thing for which we were created. there is no more longing when you have the one thing which you have always needed)
• Sorrow and mourning are replaced with joy and gladness (the difficulty of life will be quickly forgotten as we drown in glory of God)
  

Romans 15:4-13

The focus of this passage is on Jesus' acceptance of us (particularly us as Gentiles). However, the reason Paul wants to talk about Jesus' acceptance of us is because he has something he wants us to learn about our acceptance of each other. In typical Paul fashion, he doesn't get right to the point. He takes his time, builds his case, and then drops his big idea once he's defused any reasons we might have to disagree. So I'm going to insert us as his audience and then try to rebuild his case using a slightly different structure that helps to reapply his teaching:

1. Paul's assumption about our situation.

• He assumes we are waiting. Verse 4 points out that the Romans, and us, were waiting for the fulfillment of God's promises. We are today waiting for the final piece of our salvation. While Christ's sacrifice freed us from the penalty of sin, and the Holy Spirit has been given to us so that we can have victory over the power of sin, we are still waiting for Christ's return to eliminate the presence of sin around us. Sin's presence impacts our lives daily. Often we encounter suffering as a consequence of our own sin, but sometimes we also suffer consequences of other people's sins.
• It's not stated explicitly here, but we can all understand that every one has to deal with the presence of sin in different ways. We are all tempted, but some deal with more difficult and more addictive temptations. We all suffer, but some must endure much more painful and long-standing trials. We all long for something more, but for some the poverty from which their longing springs is much darker and encompassing than for others.
• He assumes we are waiting patiently. Obviously, he knows we are not always patient, but this is perhaps Paul's way of gently encouraging us to wait patiently. We don't know when Christ will make all things right, but we do have the Scriptural promises that it is indeed coming. We all need that reminder from time to time so we don't lose sight of the fact that this is not the end of the story, there is something more we are waiting for. We need to be patient in this in-between time.

2. Paul's formula for patient waiting.

• The easiest way to wait patiently, is to focus on others. Paul says it is fitting that followers of Christ live in harmony with each other. If we are pursuing harmony with our brothers and sisters, our focus will no longer be on ourselves. Sometimes, when I'm really hungry, I need to stop thinking about food. As long as I'm focused on my hunger and the food I'm waiting for, it only grows worse (even as I type this, my stomach growls). But when I start focusing on tasks I need to accomplish, people I need to contact, and anything else; eventually, I discover that the hunger has subsided. As we wait for Christ to make things right, we must move our focus away from how the presence of sin is kicking our butts, and focus instead on living in harmony with our brothers.
• A simple way to think about living in harmony is to remember the "Three S-Words of Christian Community". These are based on the example of Christ:

1. Submit -- What I WANT is not very important to me.
2. Sacrifice -- What I HAVE is not very important to me.
3. Serve -- What You NEED is extremely important to me

• Later, Paul suggests that the best way to pursue harmony with each other is to accept one another. This is really where Paul wanted to go. He desperately wants to see the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians accept one another. He sees divisions in the church that are keeping people from living in harmony and keeping people from waiting patiently for the Lord's return (because they are so focused on themselves). He recognizes that the solution is for the Jewish Christians to accept the Gentile Christians and for the Gentile Christians to accept the Jewish Christians.
• Acceptance needs to be more than just a recognition of the existence of others. Paul sees acceptance as a willingness (and a desire) to be united in worship with others. The sign that these Christians were accepting one another was that they were willing to worship God together. (vs. 6)

3. Paul's Reminder of Christ's Work

• Jesus came for the Jews to fulfill the promises God made to their ancestors. Therefore the Gentiles shouldn't scoff at the Jewish tradition, but should recognize how rich they are because Christ made it all real.
• Jesus came for the Gentiles so that they could be included in the family of God. Therefore the Jews shouldn't force them to be second class citizens or to conform to traditions that were not meant for them.
• By citing several psalms that refer to the day when Gentiles would be united to God, Paul makes it clear that this was not just some secondary plan or afterthought, but that all along it was God's plan to make the Gentiles his own.
• Most importantly, knowing that Jesus submitted himself to the Father by becoming human and sacrificed himself on the cross so that he could serve us should be all the motivation and example we need to accept one another, pursue harmony with one another and worship together so that our focus will be right and our waiting will be patient.

Concluding Thoughts: If the presence of sin is kicking you around and you are having a hard time waiting patiently for Christ to reveal Himself, you may need to get the focus off yourself and on to others!

Psalm 72:1-7

Justice and righteousness are often cited together in the Old Testament. Here they are the desired character traits of the king and his son. Essentially, these two are the current and future rulers of Israel. When justice and righteousness are happening together, everyone gets treated by God's standards, especially the poor.

1. The Appropriate Relationship Between Government and the Poor

• The poor need to be treated fairly. They should receive the same benefits as the wealthy, and as much as possible be given the same opportunities as the wealthy. As is the case in many other passages, preferential treatment of the rich is antithetical to God's way.
• The poor need to be defended. History has taught us that usually power is held by the wealthy. Too often, that power has been used to oppress. The government must be watchful to ensure that those who cannot defend themselves are not being oppressed.
• The children of the poor need to be rescued. In dire situations, the government must take care of abandoned and abused children. This is NOT a mandate for the government to become a parenting substitute, but rather to step in when needed and take emergency action.
• The oppressors of the poor should be crushed. It is hard not to think of corporate America and some of the banks and lending institutions who have leveraged poverty to create wealth. The government should crush these people.

2. The Appropriate Perspective on Prosperity

• Agricultural prosperity is good for everyone. Nothing demonstrates the care of God for his creation like the annual harvest of crops. While farmers can work hard and plan ahead, only God can actually make the plants grow. When a region has a bountiful harvest, everyone benefits because there is more food and it is less expensive. When we ask God to bring a fruitful harvest we are remembering that true prosperity comes from Him, it is not something we can produce on our own.
• Prosperity is not a bad thing as long as it doesn't come at the expense of the poor. The psalmist asks for "abundant prosperity." Based on the rest of the psalm, we should conclude that he desires prosperity for all, not just for a few (or even many). Prosperity that is built on the backs of others is not true prosperity, it is a temporary distraction from God, and it is an idol to self-sustenance. Prosperity that is built with others because of dependence on God is a just and righteous prosperity.

Concluding Thoughts:

1. Treat all people as God would treat them
2. Rescue those who are being oppressed
   
3. Rely on God for your prosperity

Isaiah 11:1-10

Three Interesting Thoughts:

• God is a master at turning our failures into His success (vs.1)
• The Spirit is the power behind God's transformative work in our lives (vs.2)
• There should be no safer place on earth than a gathering of the people of God (vs.9)

2 Major Sections:

1. What HE (Jesse's shoot) will do: (also-- 9 Characteristics of a Great Leader)

• delight in obeying the LORD
• not judge by appearance
• not make decisions based on heresay
• give justice to the poor
• make fair decisions for the exploited
• shake the earth with his word
• destroy the wicked with one breath
• wear righteousness like a belt -- holds all together
  
• wear truth like an undergarment -- not always visible, but most important

2. The Result of HIS work:

• Enemies are brought together
• Children are safe
  
• Innocence is not dangerous
• No pain or destruction

Final Thought:
Not just our present salvation, but our future salvation is dependent on the work of Christ! Don't become proud of your own abilities to "bring about" peace.

Psalm 122 Psalm 112

So, here's a funny thing. The reading for today is supposed to be Psalm 122, but I accidentally spent my time in Psalm 112. So here are my thoughts on that:

Sometimes when I read a Psalm like this one I struggle a bit. The words I read here don't always seem to correspond to my perception of reality. However, I need to remind myself of a few truths:

1. I don't always perceive reality accurately. My ability to judge what is a good outcome and what is a bad outcome is marred by sin.
2. I don't always see the end of the story. My life has been impacted in many ways by people and decisions who are years and miles removed from me. The end of my life's story will be woven into many lives of people who live far beyond me. I may never know how thing turn out.
3. I don't always remember eternity. Ultimately, success on earth is a nice perk, but success in eternity is far more important. I may not reap great benefits today, but that is okay if I am deemed to be right with God and can enjoy the inheritance He has set aside for me.

So here's the general idea of Psalm 112:

There are great benefits for those who live rightly.

1. The definition of living rightly:

Living rightly means having a right relationship with God

• those who fear the LORD -- a healthy respect for God, a reverence
  
• those who are righteous -- their life's work reflects a desire to be right in the eyes of God
• those who trust the LORD -- they are confident and fearless because they know God will take care of them

Living rightly means having a right relationship with others

• They are generous -- the lend money generously, they conduct business fairly (their first priority is not personal gain), they share freely and give generously to those in need.
• They are compassionate -- they are most concerned with what is good for others

2. The benefits of living rightly:

• their children will be successful and an entire generation will be blessed -- right living will impact the generations to come
• they will be wealthy and their good deeds will last forever -- TRUE wealth is defined by God's standards not ours
• light will shine in the darkness for them -- even in the hard times of life, they will have something to look to
  
• good will come to them -- "Blessed are they..."
• they will not be overcome by evil -- they may come under attack from evil, but they will never be on the losing end
• they will be long remembered -- generational impact
• they do not fear bad news -- there is NO bad news for those who have been made right in God's eyes
• they can face their foes triumphantly -- they will have foes, but they need not fear them
• they will have influence and honor -- generational impact. remember, influence and honor may not always take the shape or come in the amount we would choose. but God's standard is different from ours
• they wicked will be angry and frustrated -- no one can stand against the LORD's righteous.
  

Isaiah 2:1-5

What does it mean for God to reign on earth?

1. It means only one religion can be valid.

• "the mountain of the LORD's house will be the highest of all -- the most important place on earth." The temple mount will be the center of all things. Religion and politics will come together as the One True God becomes the One True King.
• "It will be raised above the other hills..." -- does this mean that all other religions will be shown to be invalid? Worship of Yahweh God will be shown supreme over all others.
• "people from all over the world will stream there to worship." Religion will no longer be localized. People from the East will worship God, not Buddha. People from the middle-east will worship God, not Muhammad. People from the west will worship God, not themselves or money.

2. It means true understanding is available.

• God on earth is the ultimate source of truth. What he says is always right and always needful. There is no longer any need for debate or discussion about what is right and what is wrong. Everything we need to know can be learned from Jerusalem.
• Of course, we should take the same approach today. "Come let us go up to the mountain of the LORD's house..." should be today, "Come, let us go to the Word of the LORD."

3. It means absolute peace is possible.

• "The LORD will mediate between nations." -- Whatever things men might find to fight about will quickly be settled as God will step in and intervene. The reason we lack peace today is not just because we disagree, but because we don't know HOW to disagree without violence.
• "They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks." -- Things that were once weapons of destruction will become tools for growth. What men used to kill one another, they will now use to feed one another. Weapons are no longer necessary, because war is no longer an option.

Conclusion: Come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!"

a) we must work to get everyone on the right side of the judgment so this reality will be theirs as well
b) this is the description of the culture of our kingdom, even though we are currently strangers and wanderers, we ought to live by this code even while we wait for our king to return.

Luke 23:33-43

One of this week’s lectionary readings is Luke 23:33-43. I try to read each of the readings every week and jot down some thoughts from the passage as if I were going to preach it. The whole exercise takes about 20-30 minutes, but it is encouraging to me and builds my hermeneutic/homiletic muscles.

Sometimes, I’ll shoot those thoughts up here. This is supposed to be “Sermon Leftovers” after all.

Luke 23:33-43 chronicles a few of Jesus’ last interactions on the cross. As is true of most of the Bible, when you take some time to just sit on these verses you see they are more than just a story, they are packed with meaning:

1. Jesus words for the soldiers.

• Everything about this setting is depressing. He’s being crucified. The crucifixion is happening at a place called “The Skull”. He’s having nails driven through his body. He’s got criminals on both sides of him. The soldiers who are killing him are also playing poker, using his clothes as chips. We might understand if Jesus was tempted to have a pity party.
• He says, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
• This wasn’t an act of God, it was an act of a man. He wasn’t forgiving them of their sins. He was forgiving them for their sins against him. While we cannot forgive people their sins, we can absolutely offer this kind of forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
• I guess we can officially be excused from forgiving people when the depravity of their treatment of us exceeds the treatment Jesus received.

2. The crowds words for Jesus.

• “He saved others, let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the chosen one.” These words demonstrated the deep misunderstandings held by the people (particularly the leaders) in the crowd.
• They misunderstood the Messiah. The whole point of the Messiah coming was that He would live for the benefit of others. He wasn’t to be concerned with himself. If he is really God’s Messiah he won’t worry about saving himself. Had Jesus come off the cross he would have proven he wasn’t the Messiah.
• They misunderstood themselves. In their pronouncements, they felt like they gained the moral high ground. “See” they said “he isn’t really all that good, he’s dying like a criminal.” And in saying it and thinking it, they felt much better about themselves. Sadly, they couldn’t even comprehend the life of a person who was willing to save others, but not himself. What they really proved was that they were nothing more than selfish people who think only of themselves.
• They misunderstood salvation. Jesus didn’t need saving. By not saving himself, he brought salvation to those who truly needed it. Those who think they don’t need to be saved, never will be.

3. Words among the Criminals and Jesus.

• The men on either side of Jesus had two very different perspectives of Jesus and of themselves. In some ways, they are representative of the two basic ways people approach God.
• The first criminal joined the crowd in mocking Jesus and demanding he prove he was truly God. Many people refuse to accept the truth of God because they believe He has failed to meet their standard of proof. Because they don’t buy into the “proofs” of His existence, they refuse to accept him as a savior. Ultimately, they are saying, “My intellect is the ultimate standard of truth. If you can’t prove yourself to me, I refuse to accept you.” Much of humanity has too high a perception of themselves to consider the reality of God.
• The second criminal saw things completely differently. “We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Whereas the first criminal demanded things from God, the second criminal begged for mercy. Rather than hold God to a standard of proof, he held himself to the standard of God and saw that he came up wanting.
• Jesus promised life to the second, but nothing to the first. How we think about ourselves determines how we approach God. We cannot be with Jesus in Paradise if we think we are so good that God needs to prove himself to us.

BIG LESSON: Don’t ask God to meet your expectations. Realize you’ve already missed His, and beg for mercy!