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.