Sermon Reflection James 3:3-6

Discovery:  James uses a few different images to describe the power of the tongue.  There is the horse's bit, the ship's rudder, and the small spark.  On the positive end of the ledger, James says that the tongue has the potential to make big and significant changes.  Like a bit's ability to guide a large animal or a rudder's ability to turn a large vessel, the tongue has this ability as well.  On the negative end of the ledger, the tongue can also cause tremendous harm.  Like a small spark of fire that can burn down a whole forest, so too a careless or insensitive word cause tremendous damage to a person or community.  James simply warns us:  Be mindful of the power of the tongue!

Application:  We need to remember that we are all sparks.  The question is whether we are a good one or a bad one.  I have been blessed countless times by people offering up unsolicited words of affirmation.  Often these words have come at the most opportune times.  At the same time, I have also been cut down by the most careless of words.  Often people's criticism or critiques have come at the most inopportune times and the negative impact of these words have caused more damaged then they intended.  This is all to say that words powerful sparks.

It is easy to point out ways that other peoples' words have helped or hurt me.  It is something entirely different to look at the power of my own words.  What kind of spark am I?  I know that when I am tired, hungry, weary, or lazy, my words come out in the wrong way.  Recently, the "filter" that I normally have over my mouth seems to have gone missing and I have said or thought things that have caused me to cringe in hindsight.  What kind of spark am I?

I also think of the imagery of the bit and rudder.  As a leader, how am I leading?  What strikes me about the rudder and bit is that they must first move before anything else follows.  In both examples, the object (bit or rudder) must set a course, not deviate from that course, and continue to hold the course no matter what obstacles arise if the rest of the body (horse, ship, or church) is able to follow suit.  I am really humbled by the fact that it is really hard serving as a leader.  It can't be done on one's own strength.  In this area of life, I need to really grow and learn.

Prayer:  Let me be a good spark this week with my words.  Let me be a faithful bit and rudder at home and at church. 

Sermon Reflection James 3:1-2

Discovery:

James gives us a two-fold exhortation to avoid pride and to strive for humility in these verses. In v. 1 James says, "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." James is making it clear to leaders and especially those who "presume to be teachers" that they will be held to a different standard. Leaders and teachers are suppose to set a moral and spiritual example for others in both speech and lifestyle. This is one reason why Jesus was so harsh towards Pharisees because they failed in this endeavor. Leaders, aspiring leaders, and all Christians need to constantly check their hearts for pride. Pride blinds us from our own sins. C.S. Lewis writes, "A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you're looking down, you can't see something that's above you."

In v. 2, James gives us an honest and heart-felt confession, "We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check." No one is perfect... but we are all being perfected as we follow Jesus Christ. James reminds us that we need to always have a humble posture as we lead others. The apostle Paul echos these words in 2 Corinthians 12:10, "That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecution, in difficulties. For when I am weak, I am strong." Both James and Paul were great leaders who did great things but their lives were marked by this humility before God.

Application:

There is a leadership principle that is found in these short verses that we need to really take to heart. WHO we are as leaders is far more important than WHAT we do. Unfortunately, we in the church often get this principle backwards. Here are 3 simple applications.

1. Leaders need to be defined by their actions and not merely their words. Unfortunately, we are easily impressed with the spoken word. We can be seduced by the charisma and the power of the spoken word that we are blind to the real issues of integrity in the life of the speaker. The irony is that we are called to be a people of the Word and not merely words. It is best for us to remember the words from 1 John 4:1 "Do not believe every spirit but test the spirits..."

2. Leaders need to be defined by HOW they do things and not WHAT they do. I often judge others by what they have accomplished (ministry experience, educational background, public speaking occurrences, etc.). Because integrity is so hard to gauge, we look to other criteria to judge someone's godliness and effectiveness. At times, I am also tempted to rest on my accomplishments rather than continually to come before God in confession and repentance.

3. Leaders need to be defined by their "personal" devotion rather than their "public" accomplishments. I think of my former pastor Keith Zafren when it comes to a leader with a strong personal devotion. Pastor Keith accomplished quite a bit at an early age in ministry. The initial success of the River Church Community was just one of these impressive public accomplishments. But it was Keith's personal devotional life that I always respected. His early morning devotions before his daily morning workout (both disciplines that I need to grow in) was something that I really looked to emulate. People may look to the fact that he found such a fast growing and vibrant church but I always respected the fact that he had a real devotional life that helped him be a better father, husband, and child of God. This is my aspiration as well.

St. Augustine said, "It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels."

Prayer:

Humble me everyday Lord. Please knock me off my high horse whenever you see fit. Let me see myself and others as I should.

Passion Week Sermon Reflection: "Fickle Faith"

Discovery:

Unfortunately, faith can be very fickle.

In John 12:12-16, we see the crowds showering praise upon Jesus as he enters into Jerusalem. In v. 13 it says:
They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
"Hosanna!"
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Blessed is the King of Israel!"

Less then a week later in John 19:14-15 it says,
"It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.
"Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.
But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.

Why are we like this? Why are we more like fair weathered fans of Jesus rather than devoted followers of Him?

Application:

The response of the crowds during Passion Week reveals the simple fact that we are an unfaithful people. Too often we allow circumstances and situations to determine our loyalty and fidelity to God rather than our convictions and beliefs. It scares me to think that I could be one of those in the crowd who in one moment could be exalting Jesus as the King and then in a second turning on Him and calling for his death. I know that I am unfaithful to God.

But Passion Week reveals another important truth: God is faithful. Through the ups and downs of people's response to Him during Passion Week, Jesus's focus was always the cross.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus coming to grips with the cross. In Mark 14:36 Jesus says, "My soul is overwhelmed to the point of death" as well as Mark 14:36 "Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

David Platt in his book "Radical" points out that Jesus is not a coward who is afraid to die on the cross. In regards to v. 36 he says: "The "cup" is not a reference to the cross; it is a reference to divine judgement. It is the cup of God's wrath." Later he says, "At the Cross, Christ drank the full cup of the wrath of God, and when he had downed the last drop, he turned the cup over and cried out, "It is finished."

The only reason why we can call it "Good" Friday is because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. He died for us and demonstrated His faithfulness to the Father and to His people.

This faithfulness needs to be the focus of this week as both Good Friday and Easter approaches.

Prayer:

Help me Lord be faithful and not fickle.

Sermon Reflection James 2:8-13

(I skipped last week's message James 2:1-7 but I will hit upon a few of the points in this blog post."

Discovery: Two different types of "laws" are mentioned here. In v. 8, James speaks of the "royal law:" "Love your neighbor as yourself." Later in v. 10 he speaks of the "whole law." When it comes to keeping the law, there are only two standards: the world's and God's. The world's standard is to be good enough or to try our best; God's standard is perfection. Thus the bar is set high when it comes to keeping the royal law.

James says that by showing favoritism we are breaking God's law. When we show favoritism, we are sinning. The call in v. 12 is to "speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom..." We should speak and act in a way that follows God's law otherwise it is clear that we are going to be judged by God. The essence of the royal law is summarized at the end of v. 13: "mercy triumphs over judgement." Showing mercy is the opposite of favoritism. Just as James said earlier in vv. 1-7, rather than showing favoritism to the rich, we need to show mercy to the poor.

Application: Why is favoritism such a terrible sin? Favoritism reveals a dangerous imbalance in our lives. It reveals that we are ultimately sinful, selfish, and self-serving. We only think about what is in it for ourselves. This affects all aspects of our lives.

This affects our family, friendships, and romantic relationships. We look for others to meet or fulfill a need in us rather than looking for ways to serve and love them.

This affects our life decisions. We look at the ways that this decision will make our lives better versus thinking of ways that it might lead us to serve others.

This affects our church life. We look for ways that the church exists to serve our needs versus seeing it as a place where God calls us to serve the needs of others.

This ultimately affect our relationship with God. We look to Him to meet a need within us rather than seeking to serve and honor Him.

v. 8 states that "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture. "Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing right." The key words here are "really" and "doing right." Are we "really" keeping the royal law? There is a direct correlation between loving others and loving God. That's why when the Pharisees asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, he answered with the two-fold response of loving God and loving others. We are also called to "do right" by God's standard. "Doing right" means serving others as if we were serving God.

We are called to repent from being like "judges with evil thoughts" (v.4) and instead becoming like God whose "mercy triumphs over judgement" (v.13).

Prayer: Help me Lord not judge with sin in my hearts. Help me instead respond in mercy in the same way You poured out Your mercies upon me. Thank you for your great love that propels me to attempt great things for You.

Sermon Reflection James 1:26-27

Discovery: James makes a clear distinction between two different types of "religions."

James tells us to avoid "worthless" religion: (v. 26) "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." This kind of religion is marked by an undisciplined tongue and self-deception. James speaks throughout this letter about the power (and danger) of the tongue. True faith is marked by having a "tight rein" on one's speech. James states that by neglecting one's tongue (or any action for that matter) and yet still considering oneself religious is an act of self-deception.

James tells us to emulate a "pure and faultless" religion: (v. 27) "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Purity refers to issues of the heart as well as the ritual cleanliness of objects. Faultless means that something is undefiled and not contaminated.

Application: We need to guard our hearts and to focus on the proper things.

Watching our speech: James uses an equestrian term to illustrate this point. It points to the fact that a large and powerful animal such as a horse can be controlled and moved by a simple device within the mouth. I was joking with the congregation that I love the feature within Gmail where you can "undo" a sent email even after you pressed "send." I can't tell you how many times that has probably saved me embarrassment and potential conflict. Unfortunately, we don't have an "undo" button when it comes to our speech. I know that I need to constantly be vigilant in regards to watching my speech, especially around my kids and wife. It is easy to say things in the heat of the moment that I end up regretting later.

Focusing on knowing and doing the right thing: James speaks both of being undefiled by the world as well as loving and caring for orphans and widows. I read this as a call to avoid sin and to administer grace. Sin is both found in the things we do (sins of commission) as well as the things that we don't do (sins of omission). I know that I spend a lot of my prayer times confessing the things that I know that I shouldn't do but less time praying for the strength to do the things I should do. I know that God wants my faith to be bigger than just be a good person. He wants to use me to administer grace to people who are in need and distress. There have already been moments this week where I can clearly see God putting people in my life that need His grace and I can feel Him prompting me to be that person who administers it to them.

Prayer: (I am fasting from the car radio til Easter) Lord, help me focus as I pray. Help me see those moments in the car to not just "pray" my requests to You but also to hear Your voice and sense Your leading during this season of Lent.

Sermon Reflection James 1:22-25

Discovery:

In v. 22, James speaks of the importance of applying the word into our lives: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what is says." In vv. 23-24, James gives a very helpful word picture of what is looks like to just hear and not apply the word: "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." He caps it off in v. 25 by spelling out what it looks like to truly focus ones life on the word of God (perfect law): "But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it - not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it - they will be blessed in what they do."

Application:

There is a very strong warning in v. 22 about deception. James states that if one only listens to the word and does not practice it, they are deceiving themselves. The nature of this deception ranges from ignorance to down out hypocrisy. Either way, James clearly lays out what it means to be a person devoted to the Jesus (the Word). We can see this is v. 25.

"...looks intently into the perfect law..." Are we looking intently in the word of God everyday? Is our life marked by this sort of devotion and dedication? Clearly this is the first and obviously step in being devoted to the word.

"...and continues in it..." Devotion is marked by consistency and discipline. Looking to the word is not something we do in our times of difficulty but is a mark of a mature believer. Consistency and discipline... like anything worth pursuing in life, these two things need to be hallmarks of our faith.

"...not forgetting what they heard..." Remembering things is hard to do. As I get older, I realize how much harder it is to remember simple things like phone numbers and house addresses. Have you tried memorizing a bible verse recently? For whatever reason it is really hard to do. James analogy in vv. 23-24 are very applicable here. You can read and memorize a verse but immediately upon turning away from the bible, you totally forget what it says. How much more is this true in regards to our devotional life. We are convicted by something we read in the bible but immediately forget about it the moment we get on with our "real life."

"...but doing it..." The old adage is true... "practice makes perfect." The word needs to be internalized and exercised for it to be real and genuine in our lives. Like any skill or talent, we still need to put our faith into practice for it to grow and develop into what God desires it to be.

Prayer: Lord help me both "practice" as well as "profess" my faith. Lead me away from the trap of deception and lead me to a place of humility each and every day. Help my life reflect the words of my favorite hymn... "I need thee every hour..."

Sermon Reflection James 1:19-21

Discovery: James states in v. 19: "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." The rhythm of life for a believer needs to be marked by these three things: quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

Application:

Quick to listen: Simply put we need to listen to God. In the preceding verse, James speaks of the "word of truth." This word of truth is God's Word and it tells us the truth of God. It displaces the "moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent" as stated in v. 21. By listening to the Word of God and by listening to those who speak it over us (either through preaching or wise counsel), we learn that being a "quick listener" means being quick to hold to to the truth and to let go of sin.

Slow to speak: Simply put we need to put on a "filter" before we speak. Too often we speak from our flesh or opinions and not from a place of truth and love. This goes hand in hand with the first exhortation to to "quick to listen." We need to think before we speak. Does what I have to say build up this person? Does what I have to say bear good witness for Christ?

Slow to anger: v. 20 states, "for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." The latter part of this verse is a translation from two Greek words: God's righteousness. The contrast is a stark one between human anger and God's righteousness. You cannot hold on to both. You have to choose.

I realize that it is really easy to get this application flipped around. I tend to be slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to anger. It is a rather simple and constant reminder that if I don't start each day in the Word of God, I can get the rhythm of discipleship life completely backwards.

Prayer: Lord, be with all the youth that will be going to the retreat this weekend. Help all the counselors connect with the kids in our small groups. Help us remain safe and healthy during this trip and please let there be no "drama!"

Sermon Reflection James 1:12-18

Discovery: There is a transition that we find from vv. 12-13. James speaks of "trials" in v. 12 and then "temptations" in v. 13. Both have come from the same root word. Scholars argue whether or not they should be translated differently but it is clear that there are different implications for these two words in our text today.

I think the IVP commentary on these verses stated it best in these simple but helpful diagrams.

Trial --> Testing --> Perseverance --> Maturity.

(This is the dynamic that we see in the verses leading up to v. 12)

Trial --> Temptation --> Sin --> Death.

(This is the dynamic we see in vv. 13-15)

The difference in the two diagrams is found in the second step. How do we respond to the trials in our lives? Do we receive them as times of testing/refining or do we respond by giving into temptation?

Application: As trials come up in my life, I find it incredible hard to "press into" them and see them as opportunities to trust God. My natural instinct is to run away or seek some sort of easy way out. In fact, one of the easiest ways to deal with trials in life is to try to "ignore" them and hope that they go away. But as many of us can attest, it doesn't work that way.

I gave this message to some of our Adults during our snow trip. I challenged them to think about some of these applications.

Attitude Check: What is my attitude like in the midst of the trials of my life? Am I exhibiting the "joy of the Lord" even when things aren't going my way? My vision for my life is simply this: WHAT I do is secondary to HOW I do it. This requires me swallowing my pride and ego and learning to be humble. I am constantly telling myself to take each day one day at a time and to treat every interaction, decision, and relationship with the gravity that it deserves.

Posture Check: Do trials lead me to trust God more or do I try to seek an easy way out? The imagery is simple that of "open" or "closed" hands. Will I receive trials (open) or will I do things on my own (closed)?

Heart Check: One key verse found in this passage is v. 17: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." Do I believe that God is for me and not against me? Do I see the trials of my life as part of God's good and perfect gifts to me? Will I learn to trust Him and believe that good things can and will come out of the trails of my life?

Prayer: Lord, you know that January was a rough month for me. I feel like I barely made it through it spiritually. I don't know if I persevered or simply survived but I know that February is a new month and I am so grateful for your mercies that are new every morning. Keep me in Your grace and sustain me in my highs and lows. Thank you so much for a much needed "retreat" this weekend and thank you for the blessing of my Church Family.

Sermon Reflection James 1:5-8

"Wisdom is Supreme"

Discovery:

Wisdom is not a virtue that is in vogue in our culture. It is reserved for those who are older and not full of youthful ambition or drive. Yet the bible clearly says the opposite. Prov. 4:6-7: " Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom."

The passage last week spoke of having "pure joy" when it comes to the trials in our lives. James adds to this by stating that we need wisdom if we are going to truly understand what God is trying to teach us. Douglas Moo in his commentary on James says, "Wisdom is the quality needed if God's people are going to endure trials with fortitude and godliness." Wisdom is simply seeing things through God's perspective. This is especially difficult during times of trials and testings. We unfortunately tend to lean on our own understandings rather than seeking God's perspective.

In v. 8, James warns us to not be a "double-minded man, unstable in all he does." We can't have it both ways! We can't live by trying to do things on our own strength or by our own understanding. We need to seek wisdom that comes from Him.

Application:

Are you seeking God first?

Is this true in your prayer life? Are you seeking His counsel first or are you turning to others to get their immediate feedback? Nothing wrong with a good friend's advice but ultimately we need to be tuning in to the voice of God.

Is this true in your devotional and Bible reading life? Is the Bible the solid foundation upon which you build your life or is it the words of others? Bible reading to me is like eating. I can go without for a while but ultimately it is my source of spiritual strength and nourishment. It isn't a fortune cookie that I open in times of desperation but rather it is a staple of my everyday life. It is kind of like rice! I can't really go more than a day without needing and wanting it.

Is this true in the advice that I am seeking? Am I just taking counsel from people who are like "yes men" who simply tell me what I want to hear or who tell me what I need to hear? Am I humbly submitting myself to and seeking after truly wise counsel? Am I reading books that give me a bigger and broader understanding of the Kingdom of God? I think it is important to read both contemporary author as well as the ancient writers. My perspective and understanding of God needs to grow and expand if I am going to be able to make sense of the trials and challenges in my life.

Prayer:

I need your wisdom Lord! I get so overwhelmed and overcome by the negative things that seem to be cropping up in my life. Help me understand things from Your perspective. Give me the wisdom to see this. Thank you for my dad's 70th birthday celebration and my mom's retirement dinner last night. Thank you so much for these wise and loving parents that you have given to me. I am so thankful for them.

Sermon Reflection James 1:2-4

Discovery:

James states in v. 2 that we should "consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever we face trials of many kinds..." This seems counter-intuitive at best. James exhorts us to receive trials because they result in benefits. This is what James basically states:

Trials ---> Testing ---> Perseverance ---> Maturity

God's ultimate desire for us is to become mature ("attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ") as it states in Ephesians 4:13. This process however needs to go through trial and testing.

Application:

The big question for us is whether or not spiritual maturity is our goal? The trials of life really reveal what our true motivations are in seeking Jesus. Is he just a nice value-add to our life? Is he a means to a end? (i.e. finding a nice Christian spouse or having a nice Christian community). None of these things are bad in or themselves but we are settling if this is all we want in our relationship with God. His desire is to grow us in the "whole measure of the fullness of Christ." If we want this, we need to travel the way of the cross. It goes through the valleys of testing and trials but it produces the godly fruits of perseverance and ultimately maturity.

Prayer:

Lord, help me not give in or give up to the trials and testings in my life. I know that half the battle is just "showing up" so help me do so everyday this week at work and at home. Help me fully engage all the things you have for me this week.

Philippians 3:10-14 Sermon Reflection

Discovery: Paul speaks of his resolve in v. 10: "I want to know Christ - yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death." Paul's desire is to know Christ... all of Christ... not just the convenient or pleasant parts. Paul speaks about experiencing the power of the resurrection as well as participating in Christ's suffering. Do we have the same desire to know Christ in this way? Paul doesn't just have good intentions but he seeks to have good follow through as well in his resolve. There is a two-fold challenge from this passage in regards to seeking to "know Christ."

The first part is found in v. 12: "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Paul is straining forward in his faith. The word "press on" or "take hold" are phrases that were used in warfare and competitive athletics. Paul's pursuit of Christ is not a recreational endeavor. For Paul, life and death, victory and defeat hang in the balance.

The second part is found in v. 13: "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead..." Paul does not dwell in the past. He does not want to be encumbered by past mistakes, sins, guilt, or shame nor does he want to become content with past victories, accomplishments, or successes. Faith is all about what lies ahead and moving closer and closer to the goal of knowing (and becoming more like) Christ.

Application: The second part of this challenge is particularly difficult for me now a days. Letting go of the past seems to be a unique challenge in this season of life. I have been having a number of anxious dreams as of late (the worst reoccurring "nightmare" is having forgotten to attend a class for the whole quarter and waking up in a panic trying to figure out how to get myself of of this mess). I believe these dreams are merely a carry over from my daily life in which I am confronted with past ministry and personal difficulties. As much as a profess to trust God, I realized that these past "problems" really wear on my soul.

I am particularly challenged by Paul's words in v. 13 when he speaks of the "one thing" that he does. This combination of "forgetting what is behind" and "straining toward what is ahead" is something that I desperately need in my life. It is impossible to stem the tide of past mistakes and problems. It's like trying to hold back the constant crashing waves of the sea. The key seems to lie in the later part of that verse when he says that we need to "strain toward what is ahead." I really want my whole life (ministry and personal) to be in alignment. I want the equation of my life to be simple and clear. I want it to be centered on Jesus. I resonate with Paul's words in the later part of v.12 when he says, "...but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." R. Kent Hughes in his commentary of Philippians says this in regards to this verses: "Here Paul expressed his desire to "know" the risen Christ because he was in the grip of Christ's grace! Paul's whole pursuit of Christ was Christ-originated, Christ-motivated, and Christ-propelled."

My testimony is quite simple. Jesus took a hold of me and has never let go. I need to remember that my main calling as a Christian and pastor is to simply hold on to Him with all my life and to seek to make this the focus of each and every day. The goal is not survival but rather it is desire to continually to put my trust Him and continually seek opportunities to trust Him this year. I want my resolve to be the same of Paul: I want to know Christ... all of Him... more of Him!

Prayer: Lord, help me moved forward as this year begins even though everything in my me wants to simple stop and rest. Fix my eyes on what "you will" do this year rather than what "I've done" this past year.

Why and How We Witness Sermon Reflections

(Combination Reflection from the last two Sunday Sermons. Passages are from Acts 1:1-11 and Mark 3:13-15)

John Stott: "We should not ask, "What is wrong with the world?" for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather, we should ask, "What has happened to the salt and light?"

Discovery: In Acts 1:8 its says, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." There is a difference between being a "witness" and "evangelizing." A witness is a noun while evangelizing is a verb. Jesus calls us to "be" something rather and "do" something.

This concept is echoes in Mark 3:14-15 when he calls and appoints the 12 apostles. It says, "He appointed twelve - designating them apostles - that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and have authority to drive out demons" The first thing that Jesus calls us to when we choose to follow after Him is to learn to "be with him" before we go and "do" anything for Him.

Application: Our "doing" flows out of our "being" with Him.

This is a spiritual principle that I need to come back to time and time again. Am I connected to the vine as stated in John 15? Is my life marked by spiritual deprivation or by spiritual nourishment each and every day? The holidays have always been an interesting time throughout my Christian life. Whether in school or now in adulthood, it is easy to take a "vacation" from God during the busyness of the holidays. The problem is that this actually a time in which I need to be even more closely connected to Jesus. Otherwise there is a clear lack of patience and grace in my life, especially towards family members.

I am also challenged by the fact that Jesus's call is more than just to "be" with Him. In fact, He wants us to become "like" Him. His call for us is to be His "witnesses." The word "witness" comes from the word "martos" which we where we get our modern word "martyr." What does it mean to lay our lives down by testifying to what Jesus has done in our lives? If the life of faith is just about receiving from God, it leads to a warped sense of reality. Take for example James and John in Mark 10. They are so self-absorbed and self-centered in their "being" with Jesus that all they are only concerned about is whether they can sit at the right and left or Jesus when He sits in glory. I really hope this isn't my mindset! I don't want to be preparing my accommodations in heaven while neglecting my calling here on earth. I want to go deep in my life with God but I ultimately want that knowledge and love to spill over in far reaching ways. I don't want to just be a "nice" pastor but I want also want to be courageous in seeking and saving the lost.

The highlight of the weekend had to be on Saturday. Our church went to deliver gifts with the Angel Tree program through Prison Ministries. One of the young women from the Chinese congregation came and joined us. One of our Chinese deacons shared with her the Good News in the car and I got to pray for her and lead her to Christ. It was a beautiful picture of our witness flowing out of our being. In addition to blessing children with parents who are in prison with simple Christmas gifts, we were also able to naturally share with a young women in our own church who Jesus was first through our actions and then through words.

Prayer: Lord, let my life reflect what is says in John 12:24: "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."

"Who Do We Witness to?" Sermon Reflection

Luke 15:25-32

(This is a combination reflection from my large group talk to the AACF Davis group as well as the Sunday sermon).

Discovery: In Luke 15, Jesus tells a trio of stories that essentially tell the same thing. Bill Hybels and Mark Mittelberg summarize it best in their book "Becoming a Contagious Christian."

1. Something of value was lost.

2. An all out search was called to find this lost object.

3. When this lost object was found, there was a joyful celebration.

Jesus is also addressing three groups of people as he tells these stories. To each group He is challenging them to understand God's heart.

1. Pharisees: In vv. 1-2, we see them looking down their noses and judging Jesus for His behavior. By telling them these stories, Jesus is wanting them to change their hearts and attitudes.

2. The sinners and tax collectors: Jesus is telling these people (in the presence of the religious leaders) that God has been eagerly seeking after them and desires for them to be found.

3. The disciples: They are learning to follow after God. Jesus makes it clear that they should be associating with the least, the last, and the lost with the intention of sharing the Good News of Jesus.

Jesus wants to find and welcome the lost and He wants those who follow after God to do the same. In addition, he warns us to not be like the Pharisees who want nothing to do with this.

Application: The character of the older son is based on the Pharisees. They are smug in their self-righteousness and have a lack of compassion towards "sinners." Ultimately, the Pharisees miss the whole point of God's grace. Similar to the older son in the parable, they are so self-absorbed and spiritual twisted that they can't see the miracle of their lost brother being alive and safe.

This is my challenge as well. Am I so self-absorbed that I can't see the true nature of God's grace? I love how God's grace is unconditional and how it is always accessible to me. I love the fact that even though I fall short of God's glory, His love reaches and extends to me no matter what I do or where I am. I love how God's grace is so precious to me.

The problem however is that I am called to extend this same grace to others. In particular, I am called to extend this grace to people who sin against me. This same grace that is unconditional and without limits is the same grace that I am called to exhibit to everyone. This grace isn't always as precious to me.

The challenge of this passage is that the story of the older son is left unresolved at the end of the parable. How does he respond to the father's heart? Does he go back in and celebrate with his "lost" brother or does he stubbornly stay outside and refuse to participate in the celebration. The bigger question is, "How will we respond?"

Prayer: Help me not only appreciate Your grace but to live it out. Teach me during this Christmas season to extend grace to members of my family that I have a hard time extending grace to. Deliver me from my Pharisaical heart and attitude!

"Doing God's Will" Sermon Reflection

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Discovery: Paul is very clear what God's will is for all believers. Here in 1 Thessalonians he gives this very challenging three-fold imperative: "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." That is as straight forward as they come.

Application: Alas, the challenge is to actually do something with God's Word...

Are we "joyful always?" This seems like an impossible feat. The only way to do this from a human perspective is to fake it a majority of the time. But Gordon Fee states that, "the emphasis on joy is not so much the experience of joy, but the active expression of it." I read this as "Will I choose to be joyful in my response to people and situations even when it is negative or hard?" My honest response is, "NO!" The only chance I have it responding in joy each and everyday is to start each day with the right perspective. The only way that I have figured out how to do this is to start the day in reading the Word of God and journalling about it.

Are we "praying continually?" This two seems impossible to do on our own. We either have to become monks and nuns or we have to adopt a "new age" approach to prayer in which everything we do is some pseudo-spiritual watered-down version of true biblical prayer. F.F. Bruce states that this verse actually means to "persevere in prayer." It means that regardless of how slow God seems or how insurmountable the odds may be, we are called to diligently and faithfully pray.

Are we "giving thanks in all circumstances?" Paul speaks of giving thanks over 30 times in his writings. Giving thanks was deeply rooted in Paul's theology. He truly believed that everything happened for a reason. He believed that nothing, not even suffering and death, had the final word. The last word was reserved for God and God alone and that word was always resurrection and life. Paul teaches us that giving thanks is rooted in the supremacy and sovereignty of God. This is the only way that I can explain how so many fellow brothers and sisters who suffer through so much can emerge on the other side with a song of praise on their hearts and mouths. Thanksgiving is truly remembering that God is in control.

Prayer: Help me do your will each and everyday. Stretch me me to be joyful. Instill in me a hunger to pray with perseverance. Give me a bigger view of You so that thanksgiving will flow from my life.

"How do we Give?" Sermon Reflection

Luke 16:1-15

Discovery: A common problem for many Christians is that we compartmentalize our faith. There is a separation between "spiritual" and "mundane" things. Things such as reading the bible, going to church, giving tithes and offerings, etc. are consider "spiritual" while other things such as working, shopping, and saving are considered more "mundane." This is definitely not what Jesus had in mind when he called us surrender our lives to Him.

Our passage today seems strange at first and a little confusing. In this parable of the dishonest manager, we see a character who clearly has major character flaws. Knowing that he is going to get fired, we see the dishonest manager go and make backdoor deals with some people who are indebted to his master and cuts them a nice deal. What is particularly jarring to us "good" Christians is that Jesus affirms this dishonest manager's mentality. In v. 8 it says, "The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted shrewdly." It is important to note that the master commended the manager for his shrewdness and not his dishonesty. There are a lot of technical definitions for the word "shrewd." I would define it as "street smarts." This guy is knows how to survive and he knows how to leverage things to his benefit.

Application: A few things stood out to me in this passage.

1. Context: The previous chapter (Luke 15) Jesus lays into the Pharisees for their self-righteousness and hard hearts. He tells three parables about how God is the one who seeks, saves, and loves the lost (parable of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son). Jesus is telling the Pharisees that they have missed the mark and are out of touch with God's heart. Here in Luke 16, Jesus is talking to his disciples. He is also warning his disciples to not "miss the boat" like the Pharisees.

2. Call to be shrewd with our money: For the disciples, the area in question is money and how they will manage money. The call of Jesus is to be shrewd money managers just like the character in this parable. I told the story of a customer at Bank of American in Hawaii where I worked part-time as a teller. He would bring in a dozen malasadas (Portuguese donut-like confections) almost every week to our branch. We loved the Malasada Man. Whenever he walked into our branch, we would bend over backwards for him. Even if you were closing up for the day, people would open up their window and have him come to front of the line because he came bearing tasty treats. Not only was the Malasada Man very sweet and generous... he was shrewd. This weekly $5 investment gave him privileges and service that even the best of our business and Prima customers could only hope to get. This is what Jesus is talking about! In fact, Jesus says in later part of v. 8 "For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light." This is unfortunately so true.

3. How can I/we be shrewd with our money and our witness? We are right in the heart of the holiday shopping/craziness. I believe the challenge from our passage is not "don't give into the materialism of Black Friday" but rather "how can we exercise godly spending during this holiday season." I know for a fact that our church family is good at finding deals. Rather than just finding deals for ourselves or our loved ones, could we also be shrewd in finding deals for others? What would it look like to buy something extra (i.e. a scarf or sweatshirt) and gift it to a neighbor or friend? What would it look like to pick up a great deal for toys for a niece or nephew and buy another for your neighbor who has a child the same age? Wouldn't this be a great way to open doors in relationships and bridges in friendships? Jesus says it very clearly in v. 9, "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings." He continues in v. 11, "So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" I hope we really will step up to the challenge to be shrewd in our monetary witness.

Prayer: Lord, help me be "street smart" with my money and creative in my monetary witness as I move into this holiday season. Please lead our church as we experiment with some creative shopping exercises to not only bless those who don't have as much but also our seeking friends whom we will bring along for the experience.

Matthew 25:14-30 Sermon Reflection

Why do we give?

Discovery:

The parable of the talents is found in the middle of two teachings of Jesus. In Matthew 25: 1-13 we see the parable of the 10 virgins. This parable tells of 5 foolish and 5 wise virgins who were waiting for the bridegroom. The wise ones came prepared with oil for their lamps and thus were ready when the bridegroom came in the evening. The foolish ones were not prepared and thus had to go and buy oil and thus missed the arrival of the bridegroom. The moral of the story is that we need to be prepared for the coming of Jesus.

In Matthew 25:31-46, we see the story of the sheep and goats. This describes the return of the Son of Man in which he separates the sheep from the goats. The ones that are chosen and blessed are those who showed mercy and compassion to the "least of these brothers of mine." The ones who are separated and judged are those who didn't not serve the least, the last, and the lost as if it were Jesus Himself. These are led into eternal punishment. The moral of this story is that we will all need to give an account for our lives.

The parable the talents is perfectly placed between these two stories. If the parable of the virgins is about anticipating the return of Jesus and if the story of the sheep and goats is about the judgement of Jesus when He returns, then our story is about the "in-between" time. It is essentially a lesson of how we should live our lives.

Each of the servants were given wealth (talents) that the master wanted invested and multiplied. It is a story of biblical stewardship. In verse 15 it says that the servants were given talents "each according to his abilities." Our parable reminds us of a very simple yet powerful truth: everything is from God and we are merely stewards of God's wealth.

The sad part of this story is in regards to the one bad servant. While the other two invest and return the initial investment two fold, the bad servant doesn't do anything with it. He simple buries it and is content in not losing it. His remarks in vv. 24-25 tells us of his view of the master, "Master I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. so I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you."

My main point in my sermon was that bad theology leads to bad giving. If our view of God is small, tight-fisted, legalistic, and ultimately cold-hearted then our giving (as many other areas of discipleship) will be limited and shallow. But if we know that God is gracious, generous, extravagant, and flowing with love then our lives will reflect our theology.

Application:

My view of God has become too small.

My good friend Pauline Fong came and shared with us this past Thursday at our monthly Joint Soul Care about her ministry with InterVarsity and her new position as Regional Director of the Northwest region. As I was hearing her speak, I was fondly reflecting on my days as a campus staff worker with IV. I remembered how hard it was to fundraise and the internal turmoil that I experienced from it. I remember having to overcome my parent's objection to me being a "full-time beggar" and my own personal sense of failure and inadequacy in this area of trusting God. And yet, it was through fundraising that I truly experienced living by faith. When I first started, I didn't know if I could raise enough to be on staff for more than a year and yet God provided so that I could spend 5 of the best years of my life living, trusting, and serving Him.

The challenge for our family now is to continue to be stretched in terms of trusting God with our finances. I have to keep remembering the thrill that I received every time I would get my monthly statement from IV and see a new name on my donor list. One of the best donation was a gift of $5 from a elementary student at MVCCC. This little girl was just someone that I got to know when I came back and served at the church during the summers. To see someone who was so young take the time to give $5 to my ministry was so touching... in fact it was inspiring.

I realize that I am now on the giving end of the exchange with my fellow ministers of the gospel. I need to remember to think, pray, and support those who are on the front-lines of ministry and missions. I need to remember the call to be not only be a good steward of my money but to be a great steward of God's blessings to those who are actively serving the King. I still need to walk in faith in this new phase of my life. I still want to experience the thrill seeing God come through and save the day.

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 25:35

Prayer:

Remind me of the countless ways that you blessed me throughout my life. Help me be a great steward of the ability to bless my fellow brothers and sister through the share of Your wealth.

Name Change for MVCCC Worship!

This week's entry will be a departure from the ordinary.

Check out and support Ellie Fun Day:

On Sunday, we had Elton and Sarah Lin come and share about Ellie Fun Day. I would encourage you to go and check out their new social enterprise. http://www.elliefunday.com/

What's the new name?

The main thing that I wanted to write about was the name change for our English congregation's worship. Here is a little description of the new name: "Intersect."

James 1:22 states, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

The vision of Intersect is to be a Church Family that hears the Word of God and applies it together. Our Sunday Worship is a time in which our lives intersects with God's activity. As we worship, pray, fellowship, and learn, we want God to speak into our lives and to transform us from the inside out.

What's behind the name change?

Over the last year or so, God has really been blessing our congregation and church. We are "growing up" and beginning to form our own unique identity. In the past, I have balked at the idea of a name change because I didn't want to do it just for the sake of change. But it became clear that our church family was entering into a new stage of life in which a name change seemed appropriate.

The reality is that our church family has been striving to "intersect" with God's Word for a long time. There are stories upon stories of our members wrestling with the implications of God's Word upon their lives. As I have been saying as of late in many of my sermons, "It is all about application!" and to see our church members strive to do this has been really encouraging to me as a pastor. The names "Intersect" isn't really anything new... it is just a word that articulates what has been going on here in our Church Family for some time.

Personal Note:

When I first became a Christian, my youth pastor taught us how to do our Quiet Times. He first told us to get a journal and then he said that we should write in it every day. He told us to divide it into two major sections.

The first section was "Discovery." After reading the Bible, we were suppose to write down the various things that we learned from that day's reading. What new things stood out to you? What are particularly interesting or convicting about the text?

The second section was "Application." What does this mean in your life? What was I suppose to do with what I just learned? What was God wanting me to change?

He told us that that the section on "application" should always be bigger than the section on "discovery." It's good to learn new things about God but it far more important to spend the time to write down the applications for my life. It is far easier to find the things from God's Word that was interesting but than it is much harder to find specific applications for one's life. Ever since I started journaling, I have struggled to find enough honest things to write down in my "application" section so that it would as long as if not longer than the "discovery" section.

20 years later I am still struggling with this challenge and yet still dutifully press on in trying to apply what I read each and every day. The rhythm of my devotional life has not changed since I first started. Discover and apply. Discover and apply. Discover and apply.

This is what we are trying to do together at Intersect...

Mark 6:30-44 Sermon Reflection

"How Do We Serve?"

Discovery: The question of how we serve is not about mechanics or methodology. It is about understanding and living out the heart of God. In our passage today, we see Jesus' heart. Our challenge is to emulate it.

After a successful ministry venture, in which Jesus sent out the disciples two by two to proclaim the gospel and to drive out evil spirits, the whole group gathers for a time of debrief. In v. 31, Jesus noticing that the crowds were gathering again and thus not giving his disciples even a chance to eat he suggests, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

When they do get to this quiet place, our text tells us that people had already gone ahead of them and were already there when they landed. Our key verse is v. 34, "When Jesus landed and saw the large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things."

Application: How would you have felt if you were one of these disciples? Your expectation was that Jesus was going to give you a time of rest and now it feels as though the needs of other people are creeping into that space. In the sermon, I talked about the whole story of how Jesus responded to the people and what it means to follow in his footsteps.

For those who have gone through the InterVarsity Mark Manuscript study, you may be familiar with one of the key questions and observations from this passage. Who was the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 for? Was it for the crowds or was it for the disciples?

Clearly the crowds benefit from this miracle. They see the compassion, the wisdom, and the power of God all manifest during this time. But the ones who were most impacted by this miracle had to be the disciples.

Jesus is teaching, demonstrating, and modelling what it means to have God's heart. When Jesus looks at the crowd, he doesn't see them as a nuisance or inconvenience but rather as an opportunity to show the mercy of God. By recruiting the disciples to break the groups into small groups of 50 and 100 and to hand out the food, Jesus is pushing them out of their comfort zones and reminding them this simple truth: ministry is about interacting and touching people's lives. By taking the 5 loaves and 2 fish and performing a miracle of provision, Jesus is telling the disciples: I can take what little you have a multiple it a hundred fold.

This is the lesson for the disciples and it is our lesson as well.

Prayer: Jesus, help me see every person who comes across my path as an opportunity to serve versus an obstacle to overcome. Help me get back to the "bread and butter" of discipleship by getting back involved in the lives of our church members. Take what little I have and what little I give and multiply it for Your glory sake.

1 John 4:19 Sermon Reflection

"Why Should We Serve?"

Discovery: Many things in life are "caught" and not "taught." This is very true in the Christian life. The principle of serving and loving is not something that we do because someone told us to. It is something that is modeled to us and thus we learn to emulate it. 1 John 4:19 tells us this: "We love because he first loved us." God set the example of how to love and serve. We need to simply reflect this to the world around us.

Application: It's one thing to know the truth but it is another to live it out. This love that God demonstrated to us is not some sort of philosophical idea or intellectual principle. It needs to be a living reality. We need to ask ourselves the question, "Am I experiencing the love of God for myself firsthand?" In addition, we need to be asking the question, "Am I loving and serving others in the same way that God loved me?" We need to do a little inventory of our lives to see if love is truly flowing in and out of us.

The reality is that being loved and loving others is not easy and thus there are real barriers and obstacles that prevent us from doing it. For some, they have never experienced the love of God at all. They have not acknowledge the fact that God is the seeker and savior of the lost. Others have become calloused in their hearts and thus have forgotten that they were once counted among the lost. One way to know if you have a calloused heart is if you have fallen out of the practice of repenting of your sins. As we get "older" in our faith, we begin to simply accumulate our sins until it reaches a boiling point before we come to the cross and repent of them. For others, they simple stop coming to the cross at all.

The only way that we can love and serve is to ask God to pour out His love anew into us today. We need to remove things such as sin that blocks our ability to receive this love but most importantly we need to choose to turn our hearts towards Him again. We can't settle for a broken, defeated, lesser life. We need to settle for nothing less that experiencing His love on a daily basis. This is why we love and serve... because He first loved (and continues to love) us.

Prayer: Lord I love being at the foot of the cross. Help me find my way back "home" to this place each and every day.

Luke 9:18-27 Sermon Reflection

"Who is called to serve?"

Discovery: In vv.18-22, Jesus asks two questions of His disciples, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" and "What about you? Who do you say I am?" Jesus is not interested in doing some market research here. He is wanting to know if His disciples truly understand the meaning of following after Him. Even after Peter responds, "You are the Christ of God," Jesus goes on to tell them what that statement truly means.

He says that road to the cross is marked by three things: denying self, taking up the cross daily, and following Him. In vv.24-27, Jesus acknowledges that there are real temptations that would prevent us from following in His footsteps. The temptation to save one's life and to attempt to profit the world are real and tempting alternatives to the three-fold call to follow Him. Jesus warns however that there are real consequences to these choices and He ends our section by pointing to the promise of eternal life.

The simple answer to the question, "who is called to serve?" is this: anyone who chooses to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. The road to the cross is not easy and there are real temptations and challenges but the heart of serving is found in following His example.

Application: The question for us today is what is your faith marked by? Are you someone who is saving your life or are you someone who is losing it for Jesus and the gospel?

Is you life marked by vanity and success? These are just two ways in which we are holding on to our physical lives and striving to accumulate the "toys" of this world.

Is your life marked by immaturity and irresponsibility? These are two others ways in which we are trying to hold to a mirage of our lives being free from responsibility and duty and seeking to fill ourselves with the pleasures of this world.

Is your life marked by control and rigidity? We want to be in the driver's seat of our lives and thus it is difficult to allow Jesus to lead us and direct us in directions that we are unfamiliar with.

Ultimately we need to evaluate our lives through the three-fold call to follow after Him.

Is your life marked by the ways that you deny yourself and elevate Jesus and others?

Is your life marked by the ways that you take up the cross daily and strive to live your life in service to Jesus and to be His ambassador of grace to the world around you?

Is your life marked by the ways that you are following after Him? Does your day start by asking that God's will be done in your life rather than your own will?

Prayer: Lord, help me take a long look in the mirror so that I can truly see if I am following in your footsteps everyday. Help me get back to the basics of discipleship of starting each day asking that Your will would be done in me and through me.