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Our Journey to God

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Our Journey to God

Romans 8:18-21

James C. Denison

I got an email this week with these assertions:

You use 200 muscles to take one step.

The average woman is five inches shorter than the average man.

Your big toes have two bones each while the rest have three.

A pair of human feet contains 250,000 sweat glands.

The human brain cell can hold five times as much information as the Encyclopedia Britannica.

The average dream lasts two to three seconds.

At the moment of conception, you spend about half an hour as a single cell.

Your thumb is the length of your nose. You really want to test that, don’t you?

It’s all interesting, but not very relevant to our lives. For many of us, heaven and “the glory that will be revealed in us” seems the same way. We’re glad that we’ll go to heaven rather than the alternative, but how many of us want to go now? How many of you want Jesus to come back today? We have unfinished business–dreams to fulfill, goals to meet, children to raise, work to do. We want to go to heaven when we die, but not before then. And not any time soon.

So it’s hard to see heaven in the future as the reason to suffer for Jesus today.

Our culture rewards a certain level of faith, but no more. It’s fine if you want to attend church and Bible studies and prayer meetings, but don’t invite your colleagues or friends at school to go with you or you’ve crossed the line.

Keep religion and the real world separate. Give what you can spare of your money and time. Meet your religious obligations along with your other charitable work and volunteer commitments. But don’t pay a sacrificial price for your faith. Don’t sacrifice your time or money or popularity or success to follow Jesus. Live in two worlds, and be happy in both.

But that’s not biblical Christianity. Jesus wants not some but all. He calls us to take up our cross and follow him, to be willing to die for him. He wants us to give our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). He wants to be Lord of every moment and every dollar we have. He wants to be Lord of our families and work and schools. He wants it all. “Jesus is Lord” is the central claim of the Christian faith.

What is your next step in following Jesus? What person must you forgive? What sin must you stop? What witness must you share? What step of faith must you take? Why pay such a price? Paul has an answer for us.

Why sacrifice for Jesus?

Our text begins: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (v. 18).

“I consider” translates a Greek word which refers to mathematical calculation. His phrase could be translated, “I have come to the reasoned conclusion” or “I have done the math and am sure of the result.”

“Our present sufferings” means “the sufferings of this present age” in contrast with the glory of the age to come when the Messiah returns. Paul is not thinking of suffering in general, but more specifically the hardships involved in following Jesus. Roman Christians got the worst jobs if they could find jobs at all. They lived in the worst tenements. Neighbors sometimes turned them in for following Jesus, in return for a percentage of their household possessions when they were confiscated. And increasing numbers were being imprisoned and executed for following Jesus.

Paul would one day join them. He would be thrown into the Mamartime dungeon just off the Forum in Rome, where sanitation was a hole in the ground and air, food and water came through a hole in the roof. He was chained to a post still visible in the cave, until he was taken to the Ostesian Way and beheaded.

Paul would ask you what it will cost you to take the next step with Jesus. Those “present sufferings,” in Paul’s reasoned opinion, “are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed.”

Paul is saying that when we measure present suffering and future glory against each other, the glory outweighs the suffering every time. Future reward outweighs the cost of present obedience. Eternal glory outweighs the cost of present suffering. When you do a cost/benefits analysis, heaven wins over earth.

Paul made the same claim to the Corinthian Christians, no strangers to persecution and suffering for their faith: “We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

One day we will be rewarded with “the glory that will be revealed.”

“Revealed” translates the Greek word apocalypse, to be “unveiled.” This is the word for which the book of Revelation is named. It means to draw back the curtain, revealing what is already there so we can see it.

In this case, what will be revealed is “glory.” The word in the New Testament refers to brightness, brilliance, splendor. In the Bible, this word applies to God and those who are with him. It shone on the face of Moses when he was in the presence of God (2 Corinthians 3:7). It was revealed on the Mount of Transfiguration when the glory of Jesus was unveiled for his disciples to see. “Glory” refers to the presence and splendor of God.

This “glory” is already present in us as the Spirit of God lives in us, but it is veiled by our fallen world and nature. Our sins and failings have drawn the curtain over this glory of the Spirit dwelling in us. However, this glory is already a revealed fact for those who are with Jesus, and will be revealed for the entire world to see when Jesus comes back to be with us.

So Paul claims that when we compare our present sufferings for following Jesus with the glory that will be unveiled in us when we are with God and God is with us, we learn that there is no comparison at all.

Meanwhile, creation is waiting “in eager expectation” to join us in this glory to be revealed. Right now it is “subjected to frustration” by the fall of man, our sins corrupted all of creation. But one day it “will be liberated from its bondage to decay.”

There will be “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1), and there will be “no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (v. 4). One day the entire universe will be “brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

Why live for heaven?

So Paul claims that our future glory with God is worth our present sufferings for Jesus. Whatever it will cost you to take the next step with God will repay its cost and more. That’s not all the Bible says on the subject.

Rewards in heaven are clearly taught in the word of God.

We receive the “crown of life” when we suffer for faithfulness: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1.12). Jesus said, “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2.10).

We receive the “soul-winners crown” for bringing people to Jesus: “What is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2.19-20).

We receive the “crown of righteousness” when we remain faithful to our Lord: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4.7-8).

We receive the “crown of glory” when we lead with integrity: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers–not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Peter 5.2-4).

Rewards can also be lost in heaven.

Secret, unconfessed sins will be judged: “God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12.14). Jesus confirms this: “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known” (Luke 12.2).

Our words will be judged: “What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs” (Luke 12.3); “I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matthew 12.36-37).

Our sinful actions will be judged: “Let the time that is past suffice for doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry…they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4.3, 5).

So if we live for heaven, we are rewarded forever. But the paradoxical fact is that living for heaven someday is also the best way to live on earth today.

If I forgive someone I would pardon if Jesus were coming back today, then our Lord waits another 50 years to return, I have still healed a relationship which was broken. If I resist a sin I know I’d refuse if Jesus were returning today, I’ve avoided spiritual cancer. If I spend time in prayer and Bible study which I know I’d invest to get ready for Jesus’ return on Tuesday, I’ve spent my time wisely.

Living for heaven is the best way to live on earth.

Conclusion

So, what will it cost you to take your next step with your Lord? What must you do or stop doing to go on with God? Your journey to God ends at heaven, but it begins today. Yesterday is gone; tomorrow doesn’t exist; today is all there is. What is God asking of you right now?

Know that you will be rewarded forever if you suffer for your Father. And know that living for heaven is the best way to live on earth. Now the choice is yours.

Living for heaven is the great difference between Christianity in the first century and Christianity today.

Early believers had no buildings or budgets. They had no staff or programs. Their faith was illegal all over the world. They would lose their homes, families, and lives for following our Lord. Yet they “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) and started the mightiest spiritual movement in human history.

Today that movement is growing wherever its followers are living for heaven rather than earth. When Christians in China decide that they would rather please God than men, many pay with their lives but the church gains 10,000 converts a day.

When Christians in sub-Saharan Africa decide they would rather live for heaven than earth, many pay with their lives but the church gains 20,000 converts a day.

When South Koreans decided after the Korean War devastated their nation that they would rather live for heaven than earth, they reached the entire country so that nearly half the population is born-again Christian today.

The Fifth Great Awakening is happening right now all over the world. The Kingdom is on the march wherever Christians decide to live for heaven rather than earth. Let’s join that movement. What will it cost you today?

Our Utmost for His Highest

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Our Utmost for His Highest

Joshua 1:1-9

James C. Denison

A young nun who worked for a local home health care agency was out making her rounds when she ran out of gas. Fortunately, there was a gas station just a block away. She walked to the station, only to learn that their one gas can had been loaned out. So she returned to her car to look for something she could fill with gas, and spotted a bedpan she was taking to the patient.

The resourceful nun carried it to the station, filled it with gas, and carried it to her car. As she was pouring the gas into the tank, two men watched her from across the street. One of them turned to the other and said, “I know that the Lord turned water into wine, but if that car starts, I’m going to church every Sunday for the rest of my life.”

We’re beginning 2007 by learning to follow the God who still works miracles today, if only we’ll have courage enough to conquer the promised land he intends for us this year.

The key to God’s purpose and power is captured best by the title of Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional, My Utmost For His Highest. I’ve been reading from it each day for 15 years, and have found it to be the most essential book in my spiritual life next to Scripture. Its title motivates me constantly: find and give my “utmost” gifts and service to God’s “highest” purpose for my life and work.

What is your “utmost”? What is your “highest” purpose in the will of God? What is the greatest dream you can envision for this new year? Some of us would rather avoid the question. We’ve settled comfortably in the Land of Good Enough where we’re safe and secure. We know life could be more, that God has higher plans for us, but we also know that we are fallen and failed people, that we’re not sufficient for more than this. We’re exactly where some of Joshua’s people were, camped safely on the eastern side of the Jordan River, wondering whether they should risk the Promised Land.

Others of us are ready to charge into battle. The problem is, we’re not sure where to go, or if we are sufficient to defeat the flooded rivers and fortified citadels ahead. There are giants in the land, and they’re waiting to kill us. If we march to war in our strength, we won’t survive the contest. The good news is that there’s a third option. There’s a promised land which is God’s intention for your life in this new year. Let’s learn how to find it and claim it today.

Seek the purpose of God

Moses has died. This is Joshua’s chance at greatness. He had led the people to their first military victory 40 years earlier (Exodus 17:8-16). He had been Moses’ “assistant” (v. 1) for these four decades, his right-hand man on Mt Sinai when he received the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:9-13) and in the tabernacle when he met face to face with God (Exodus 33:7-11).

Only he and Caleb had urged the people to take the land 40 years earlier. He was the one person in perfect position to seize Moses’ mantle and carry it forward. If anyone could lead the nation out of his own preparation, experience, and pedigree, it was Joshua. If anyone could defeat the giants in the land, it was him.

You and I face the same temptation today. What giants are living in the land before you this year?

We worry about the insurgency and civil war in Iraq, terrorism around the world, and economic uncertainties. One investment analyst I read this week thinks there’s a 50-50 chance of a recession in 2007, though others are more optimistic. No one knows if the housing market will improve, or how things will go in Washington under Democratic control for the first time in 12 years with a Republican in the White House.

Closer to home, if I were reading the newspaper of your mind today, what headlines would I find? What giants are stalking your land? What flooded rivers are you afraid to cross? What fortified citadels are you afraid to attack?

Isn’t it a temptation to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and charge ahead? That’s our cultural mantra: you can do it. The entrepreneurial spirit reigns here. From childhood we learn to be self-starting and self-reliant. We can defeat our giants if we just fight hard enough.

That’s what’s gotten us where we are. That’s the spirit which has led us to this place on the journey. But it can take us no further. God’s will requires God’s help. His plans for our lives require his power. You and I will never know the abundant, joy-filled promised land of God if we are trying to get there in our strength. If you’re trying to get to Hawaii, you’d best not swim. If you need life-saving surgery, you’d best not treat yourself. If your house is burning down, you’d best call the fire department.

If Joshua had yielded to our temptations to self-reliance, the Bible would have ended at Deuteronomy. He and the people would have drowned in the flooded Jordan River or been massacred at Jericho. The few who survived would have retreated back across the river to safety, where they would have been assimilated into the ancient Canaanite world. Instead, by God’s grace he trusted in God’s grace. And God gave him all he would need. He still does the same for his people today.

Trust the plan of God

God gives the “who”: “You and all these people” (v. 2a). Not just the leaders, or the army, or the priests–the entire nation was part of God’s purpose and call. He has a specific purpose for you and those you love and influence.

God gives the “where”: “proceed to cross the Jordan.” The Jordan is typically only 80 to 100 feet wide, and not deep. I baptized a large group there, and had no difficulty wading out into the middle of the slow-moving current. But when the spring rains come, the river can flood its larger bed. Where Joshua and his people would be crossing, the river would be more than a mile wide and a raging torrent.

They didn’t know what the Lord already knew–that they would face an insurmountable obstacle which he would lead them across miraculously. We are called to follow God today, and leave tomorrow in his hands. He already knows every step he intends us to take.

The Lord gives the “what”: they would inherit “the land that I am giving them” (v. 2b). God had earlier promised this land to Abraham for his descendants (Genesis 15:18-19), and had renewed his promise to and through Moses (Deuteronomy 11:24-25). Now he would bring it to fulfillment.

He would give them “every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon” (v. 3). The Hebrew tense indicates that the land was already theirs, though it remained to be taken. It already belonged to God, and thus to his heirs. They just had to go and claim it.

Each Christmas some very kind friends give our family gift certificates to restaurants (the boys’ favorite) and bookstores (Janet’s and my favorite). Our possession is already purchased and belongs to us–we need only claim it. So it is always with God’s planned future for us, on earth and in heaven. He already owns all that is; we need only go and “set foot” on that which he wants us to have.

And God gives the “how.” God knew that his people would face opposition for the land he had planned for them. So he promised Joshua: “No one shall be able to stand up against you all the days of your life” (v. 5a). Why? Because “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you: I will not fail you or forsake you” (v. 5b).

To “forsake” meant to abandon, to turn loose of. Imagine a mountain climbing guide, holding the lifeline for a climber who has lost his grip on the mountain. This is precisely our condition spiritually. But our Father will never turn loose of our rope. He will always hold us up until we have climbed to his full purpose and will.

Joshua’s part was simple: “Be strong and courageous” (v. 6). “Be strong” translates a Hebrew word which means to be bound strongly together, to be put together well. “Courageous” means to be firm-footed, to take a strong stand, the opposite of shaking or quaking knees. This command was so important that God repeated it three times to Joshua. How are we to keep it in this new year? Consider this spiritual formula:

Consistent obedience (v. 7): “being careful to act in accordance with the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go.”

Plus constant communion (v. 8): “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it.”

Equals courageous commitment (v. 9): “Do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” And so he is.

Conclusion

As “the Lord spoke to Joshua,” so he wants to speak to you. Why not take some time today to listen to him? Ask him to define his promised land for your new year, the next step in journey he intends for your life. It may involve giants in the land–people you can’t forgive, temptations you can’t defeat, fears you can’t conquer, plans and money and time you can’t surrender.

Choose to be strong and courageous. Choose obedience and communion with God.

But remember this theological fact: God’s purpose always requires God’s power. He will not do for us what we try to do for ourselves. But when we submit to him as our King, committing our utmost to his highest, yielding ourselves every morning and every day to his Lordship, he will tax the last star and grain of sand to empower us in fulfilling his purpose for our year and our lives.

And rejoice in this spiritual fact: God wants a relationship with you more than he wants anything else in the universe. The closer you are to him, the stronger and more courageous your soul will be. He is the source of your personal worth. Choose obedience to his word as you know it, and daily time spent with him in prayer and worship. And you will be empowered by the God of all creation who lives in you.

Do you know your promised land today? Can you finish the sentence, “God’s purpose for my year is____? Have you asked God for his plan? Have you sought it in his word and worship and prayer? The God who called Joshua is calling you. Are you listening?

Harry Truman: “Make no little plans. Make the biggest plan you can think of.” Ask God to show it to you.

Now sell out to it. Philip Yancey: “The giants all had one thing in common: neither victory nor success, but passion.”

And settle for nothing less. Harry Emerson Fosdick: “No steam or gas drives anything until it is confined. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.” Dwight L. Moody says it more simply: “Consecrate, then concentrate.”

Don’t leave this Sanctuary until you have surrendered this year to the purpose of God. You’ll never have this day again. This is the reason you’re here, the work God intends to do with your soul today. Pay any price to submit to your Father as your King.

I read this week a fascinating story from the early life of Billy Graham. When he was a college student, he asked a fellow student named Emily Cavanaugh to marry him. After months of deliberation, she finally accepted his proposal. But one evening at a class party she sat with him on a swing and told him she had to give back his ring: “I’m not sure we’re right for each other. I just don’t see any real purpose in your life yet.” She was interested in an older student who had goals, plans, responsibility.

Billy was crushed. “All the stars have fallen out of my sky,” he wrote to a friend. For months he was burdened, not only by the breakup of their relationship but by her words. She was right–he didn’t have a sense of purpose. He had a vague sense that God was calling him to preach, but he didn’t feel that he was equal to the task.

After months of angst, one autumn evening Billy wandered through a golf course, kneeling on the 18th green. Eyes filled with tears, he looked up at the night sky and said, “All right, Lord! If you want me, you’ve got me. No girl or anything else will come first in my life again. You can have all of me from now on. I’m going to follow you at all cost.” (Harold Myra and Marshall Shelley, The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005] 21).

Aren’t you glad he did? Who will be glad you did?

Outlaws for In-laws

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Outlaws for In-laws

Matthew 1:1-17

Dr. Jim Denison

The Christmas season is full of surprises.

A lady was preparing her Christmas cookies. She heard a knock at the door. She went to find a man, clothes tattered, obviously looking to make some money. He asked her if there was anything he could do.

She said, “Can you paint?” “Yes,” he said, “I’m a rather good painter.” “Well,” she said, “there are two gallons of green paint there and a brush, and there’s a porch out back that needs to be painted. Please do a good job. I’ll pay you what the job is worth.” He said, “Fine. I’ll be done quickly.”

She went back to her cookie baking until there came another knock at the door. There he stood, green paint on his clothes. “Did you finish the job?” “Yes.” “Did you do a good job?” “Yes,” he said. “But lady, there’s something I should point out to you. That’s not a Porsche back there. It’s a Mercedes.”

All sorts of surprises come at Christmas. Presents you didn’t expect to receive, people you didn’t expect to see, cards you didn’t expect to get. Bills you tried to forget. It’s been said, “Anyone who doesn’t believe Christmas lasts all year doesn’t have a charge card.”

To me, the greatest surprise of Christmas is waiting to be discovered in the most unlikely place—the genealogy of Jesus, where we find outlaws for in-laws. This morning I want to show you the incredible hope this neglected part of God’s word offers us. To find it, we need to answer three questions.

Why a genealogy?

First, why a genealogy? When reading the New Testament, everyone skips the “begats.” It’s about as heartwarming as a phone book—Jeconiah began Shealtiel and Shealtiel begat Ralph. Unless you’re concerned about the pedigree of your dog or cat, you probably don’t care much about genealogies.

But the ancient Jews did. This was how they always began their biographies.

You see, the ancient Jews were extremely concerned with racial purity. Matthew is writing to prove to the Jews that Jesus is their Messiah, and so the first question he must answer is, was he a pureblooded Jew, someone who could trace his lineage to Abraham?

And Matthew must also prove that Jesus was descended from King David, for this was required in the Scriptures as well (2 Samuel 7:16). If he doesn’t provide this proof at the very beginning, his Jewish reader would go no further.

Matthew made his case so well, the enemies of Jesus never thought of using his racial lineage to disprove his claims.

Note that this pedigree was so important, Matthew wants his reader to memorize it. And so he arranges it in three groups of fourteen, a common Jewish number for lists. He must exclude a number of names to do so, again a common Jewish custom. He gives us only the most essential names, listing each one intentionally.

And so Matthew goes out of his way to be honest, including such immoral failures as Rehoboam, whose pride led to civil war; Jehoram, who killed his own brothers upon assuming the throne; Ahaz, who led Israel into child sacrifice; and Manasseh and Jeconiah, who lost the kingdom to Babylon. Outlaws for in-laws.

And worst of all, in this crucial, edited, intentional list, Matthew does the unthinkable—he includes women. Jews just didn’t do this. Women had no legal rights. They were considered property, not people, the possessions of their fathers or husbands. In his regular morning prayer, the typical Jewish male thanked God every day that he had not made him a Gentile, a slave, or a woman.

What a list! Outlaws for in-laws, indeed.

Why this genealogy?

And so we arrive at our second question: why this genealogy?

I once heard about a man who decided to read through the entire New York City residential phone book. Two weeks later a friend asked, “How’s it going?” The man responded, “There’s a whale of a cast, but not much plot.”

Let’s look for the plot. Why this genealogy? If Matthew wanted to include women, he could have listed Sarah, or Rachal, or Rebekah, all venerated matriarchs of the faith. But instead he gives us four of the most scandalous names in all of Jewish history. Why?

Fact number one: these women were foreigners.

Tamar was a Canaanite (Genesis 38:1-6). Rahab was a Canaanite in Jericho (Joshua 2:1). Ruth was from Moab (Ruth 1:4), a land especially despised by the Jews (Deuteronomy 23:3). Bathsheba was married to a Gentile, which made her one in Jewish eyes (2 Samuel 11:3).

Remember how the Jews hated the Gentiles, and thanked God that they were not Gentiles. They wouldn’t go into Gentile homes, or eat Gentile food, or help Gentile women bring Gentile babies into the world. They despised them as unclean and pagan. They were aliens, foreigners, outsiders.

Have you ever felt that way? Are you on the outside of life today? New to Dallas, or to our church, or to your circumstances right now? Maybe you’ve got problems no one knows about, and you wonder if anyone cares. There are many ways to be foreigners today.

Jesus understands. He died alone and forsaken outside the city walls. He knows what it is to feel abandoned and lonely. And now he wants to receive you into his family, to give you a home and a place, to meet you where you hurt.

Matthew included foreigners, because foreigners are always welcome in Jesus’ family.

Fact number two: there are failed families here.

Tamar’s husband had died. Consistent with their customs, her father-in-law Judah gave her his next son as her husband, but he died as well. So Judah promised her his third son when he grew up, but later refused to keep his word.

So Tamar dressed as a prostitute, seduced Judah, and bore twin boys by him. And the incredible fact is, one of these twins was Perez, a distant grandfather of Jesus. The product of a dysfunctional, failed family.

Does anyone here identify with her? When half our marriages end in divorce, and a quarter of our babies are born to unwed mothers, I’d be surprised to meet anyone here today not touched in some way by family failure.

But Jesus understands. His mother was a virgin, but society didn’t believe that and gossiped about her and him all his life. Jesus helped failed families, such as the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus understands, and can help.

Several years ago I met a young couple who told me how grateful they were to God that he had healed their marriage. Later I learned the whole story. They had married and moved to work on his father’s ranch. The wife had an affair with her father-in-law, and became pregnant by him. And her husband, through a long process of counseling and Christian reconciliation, agreed to raise his half-brother as his son. Jesus healed their family.

Matthew included Tamar because failed families are always welcome in Jesus’ family.

Fact number three: there are failed lives here.

Rahab was a prostitute. Bathsheba was in some ways the most notorious woman in the Old Testament. Yet they’re included. Why? Because Jesus “came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13). He came to save embezzlers and thieves, and cheats, zealots, terrorists, and murderers. He came to save thieves dying on crosses. He came for sinners like them, and like us.

Matthew included Rahab and Bathsheba because failed lives are always welcome in Jesus’ family.

Fact number four: there are forgotten people here as well.

Some of these names are famous—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon. But nine are found nowhere else in Scripture. And notice the last name on the list: Mary. The greatest unknown of all.

Every night Jewish girls prayed that they might become the mother of the Messiah. But everyone expected this to happen to a girl in the palace, or the daughter of a high priest. No one expected a peasant teenager living in the hills of Galilee.

But Jesus chose to live in those country hills, and save the world as a humble carpenter and itinerant rabbi. He loves us all, whether the world knows us or not.

Matthew includes Mary because forgotten people are always welcome in Jesus’ family.

Are you in the family?

Let’s say you were to nominate George W. Bush for president, and John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald were in his family tree. Would you mention them?

That’s essentially what Matthew does here—outlaws for in-laws, indeed. All to prove that Jesus accepts us all.

And here’s the even more astounding fact: Jesus not only accepted them—he chose them. He was the only baby in human history who chose his family. And he chose this family.

Now comes the most important question: are you in his family? Have you asked Jesus for eternal life? Have you accepted his forgiveness for your sins, his offer of heaven? You can, today. And you can be part of God’s genealogy, where human blood is replaced by Jesus’ blood.

If you’re in the family, what are you doing to help someone else join you? Who needs your forgiveness and acceptance? What “foreigner” do you know? What failed family can you touch? What failed life can you bless? What forgotten person would you remember today?

And if you’re in the family, know that you’re in forever. We forget our genealogies after a short time. You may remember your grandfather or possibly your great-grandfather, but who can go back further? One day we’ll all be memories, then names in a Bible, then forgotten entirely, by everyone but God. Your name is in his book of life, forever.

Conclusion

It’s been said that modern people are looking for three things: home, help, and hope. I believe that. Jesus offers you all three, today. If he would choose outlaws for in-laws, he chooses you and me. We can be in his genealogy, his family, right now.

Tim Kerlee was a seventeen-year-old student at Texas A&M University. An Eagle Scout, student athlete, and member of the National Honor Society, he placed out of his entire freshman year at A&M. Above all, Tim Kerlee was a passionate Christian.

Tim was on the bonfire stack when it collapsed on November 18. His pelvis was crushed, his arm was broken, and his internal organs were so badly damaged the doctors couldn’t save him. But he refused to let rescuers take him off the stack until he had directed them to the other students, helping at least five survive. The rescuers later commented on the amazing peace he had in the midst of such pain and turmoil.

And he refused to stay on life support when he knew he was dying. He told his parents, why should he fight for a few more days of life when he could be in heaven right now with Jesus? That’s where he is, today.

Why? Because Jesus was on that bonfire stack with him. And on yours as well. He chooses outlaws for in-laws, so he chooses us. Do you choose him?

Own The Right Things

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Own the Right Things

Matthew 5:6

Dr. Jim Denison

Tiger Woods has been on the front pages all last week, seeking his second British Open championship. After becoming the first player in 30 years to win the Masters and U. S. Open in succession, he was in position to win the Grand Slam—all four major tournaments in the same year. He has amazing gifts, but even more amazing determination. Dallas resident and golfing great Lee Trevino said “A lot of these guys can’t touch that bar Tiger is setting right now. The problem is, the best player right now is the most motivated.”

Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France; Barry Bonds in baseball; Shaquille O’Neal in basketball; Bill Gates in business—men whose determination is even greater than their talent. They are driven people. Driven to excellence, to achieve and then achieve still more. And our culture loves them for it.

What drives you today? What defines success for you? If you could be anything in the world, what would you be? What should you be? Let’s ask Jesus.

What do you want?

“Blessed are the ones hungering and thirsting,” he begins in the literal Greek. Our Lord assumes that we all hunger and thirst for something. He doesn’t say, “Blessed are you if you hunger and thirst …” He knows that we do. And of course, he’s right.

In his day people knew physical hunger and thirst every day. People died without food or water. Droughts weren’t a nuisance for the lawn but a threat to life itself. Crop failures didn’t mean debt but death.

While our society is past that place, we’re no less hungry and thirsty for the things that matter to us. We’re all driven by something.

Theologian Paul Tillich was right: we each have an “ultimate concern.” Something or someone which matters more than anything else to us.

There’s something in your life which means success and significance to you. Raising successful children; becoming president of your company; retiring at 55; publishing bestselling books; getting into the right school, making the right grades, having the right friends; becoming a famous artist or doctor or lawyer or scientist or singer or teacher; being “happy.”

What drives you? What should? How can you be sure that when you climb to the top of the ladder, it’s not leaning against the wrong wall? What constitutes success with God? What makes us “blessed” by God? For what should we “hunger and thirst” this morning?

What should you want?

“Hunger and thirst after righteousness,” Jesus continues. The Greek word here reduces to the idea of uprightness, of doing what is right. But there’s more to the word than that. Unpack it with me for a moment.

First, there’s an internal sense here—personal character and morality. Not just what you do, but who you are. Dwight Moody said that your character is what you do in the dark. Bill Hybels says what you are when no one is looking, is what you are.

“Righteousness” here requires personal, intimate holiness. A person whose attitudes and motives are just. The word means to be the same thing in private that you are in public, to be godly in character both places, every day.

One reason to value such righteousness is that what we are in the dark is usually exposed in the light. We read daily of business leaders who lied about the bottom line, fabricated profits, misrepresented in shareholder reports, and have to “take the fifth.” But there’s no fifth amendment with God.

Sandra Baldwin was president of the United States Olympic Committee until it was discovered that she lied on her resume about graduating from the University of Colorado and finishing her Ph.D, and she had to resign. George O’Leary was head football coach at Notre Dame for five days, until it was learned that he lied about his background. Tim Johnson was fired as Toronto Blue Jays manager after he made up tales to his players about fighting in Vietnam.

A friend called me this week with this statement: “happiness depends on circumstances; blessedness depends on character.”

“Righteousness” is first internal, and second horizontal. It points to our actions with others. The word means to practice uprightness and justice with all we know.

Abigail Adams, wife of our second president, once wrote to her sister Elizabeth, “To be good, and do good, is the whole duty of man.”

Such horizontal righteousness is vital to our society. Speaking recently about corporate dishonesty, President Bush made this eloquent and perceptive statement: “All investment is an act of faith, and faith is earned by integrity. In the long run, there’s no capitalism without conscience; there is no wealth without character.”

“Righteousness” is internal, then horizontal. And it is vertical as well: being right with God. Righteous in the sense of keeping God’s commandments, living by his word, fulfilling his will. Confessing our sins when we commit them, being sure nothing is wrong between us and our Father, walking close to him.

Jesus makes this the key to character, the attribute for which we must “hunger and thirst” each day, the pathway to “blessing.” If you can be only one thing, be righteous.

Nicolo Paganini was in concert with a full orchestra when a string snapped. He continued, improvising his solo. But then a second string snapped, then a third. Three limp strings hanging from Paganini’s violin. He continued and finished the difficult piece with one string. Then he played an encore piece on that one string. And then he held up the violin and said to the crowd, “Paganini and one string!”

What should your “one string” be? Jesus makes the answer clear today.

How do we achieve it?

So here’s the practical question: how do we achieve “righteousness” with ourselves, others, and God? How do we play our lives on this string?

Here’s the first step: want to be righteous. Decide that you will be godly in character, actions, and faith if you are nothing else. Choose holiness above everything. Hunger and thirst for it.

C. S. Lewis: “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Settle for nothing less than righteousness as the central attribute of your character. Seek it with desperation and passion. Then you can receive it from God: “they will be filled,” satisfied completely. If you hunger to be righteous, your hunger will be satisfied. But you must hunger first. You must want this food before you can have it.

Second, admit that you are not righteous without God.

Here’s what God says of us: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God” (Romans 3:10-11).

This is the biblical doctrine called “total depravity.” It means that every part of our lives is affected by sin. The cancer has metastasized throughout the body of the patient. The patient can still read the paper, drink coffee, even go to work perhaps; but the disease is everywhere, and death is inevitable.

In the eyes of a holy God, “there is no one righteous.” Let’s see. Think about your last sin. That one sin alone is enough to keep you out of God’s perfect heaven.

Admit that you cannot be righteous without the help of God.

Third, make Christ your Savior and Lord. This Beatitude is addressed to Jesus’ disciples, his faith followers. You cannot keep this principle unless you first join his family. First ask him to forgive your sins and be your Lord.

Fourth, seek the righteousness of God by faith.

You cannot make yourself righteous. That’s why Jesus’ Beatitude is in the passive tense: “they will be filled.” Not “they will fill themselves,” for we cannot. This is not a call to try harder to be better. Not works righteousness. We can do better for a while, but ultimately we’ll fall and fail again. I’ve tried. So have you.

Instead, accept this fact: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Christ is our righteousness. He will impart to us his Spirit, his holiness, his character. This is the exchanged life. Believe that Christ lives in your heart, by faith. Ask him to make himself real through your character, your personality. Ask him for his righteousness for yourself, others, and God.

Give him time to do so. Meet him in Scripture, so he can transform your mind. Meet him in prayer, so he can transform your spirit. Meet him in worship, so he can transform your soul. Let the carpenter work with the wood, molding and shaping it into his own image. And believe that he is.

So, where do you need to be righteous this morning? Where are you grappling with sin or temptation—with yourself, with others, with God? Identify that issue right now. Hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God. Admit to him that you cannot make yourself righteous. Be sure that you’ve made Christ your Savior and Lord. Ask him for his character, his holiness, his power, his righteousness. Spend time with him, allowing him to transform you into his image. And you will be “blessed” indeed.

Conclusion

John Rippon became pastor of the Carter’s Lane Baptist Church in London in the year 1775. His ministry saw some of the most chaotic days in English history. He served God in that one pastorate for over six decades. Rippon published one of the best-known hymnals of his era. And he discovered the truth of these words his hymnal made famous:

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!What more can He say than to you He hath said,You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to standUpheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;The flame shall not hurt thee; I only designThy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,I will not, I will not desert to its foes;That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

You can make his words your experience. The next step is yours.

Peace Is Born This Day

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Peace Is Born This Day

Luke 2:1-7

Dr. Jim Denison

This is the Advent week of peace. Does the topic appeal to anyone this morning?

“Al Qaeda: Alive and Killing” (Newsweek, 11-25-02).

“Ready to move in: U.S. forces could be primed to start fighting Iraq again in short order” (Time, 12-2-02).

“Ammunition plant fired up” (Dallas Morning News, 11-30-02).

“‘Topping off the tanks:’ The Bush Administration has been quietly pumping as much as 150,000 bbl. of crude oil a day this fall into the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve… That ensures that in the event of war, President Bush can order the release of more than 4 million bbl. a day onto the market for at least 20 weeks—more than enough to compensate for Iraq’s average daily exports” (Time, 12-02-02)

“‘Smallpox stashes:’ U.S. officials say Iraq, Korea, Russia, and France probably have secret stashes of the smallpox virus” (U.S. News & World Report, 11-18-02).

“Would a war kill your stocks?” (Fortune, 11-25-02).

We need peace. Do you?

Time magazine recently reported four traits which lead to hypertension: a tendency to get upset when having to wait, a tendency to eat took quickly, a feeling of pressure as the end of the regular workday approaches, and a feeling of time pressure in general. Do you have all four? Then you are twice as likely as others to develop moderate to severe hypertension (Time, 12-2-02).

We need peace. New research suggests that those who live to be 100 are less likely to dwell on problems and have a better ability to handle stress than those who die younger. Says Charlotte Chipman, 100 years old: “Life has a way of mixing grief with joy, evil with good, darkness with light. You have to be good at handling this, and go along with whatever comes your way” (Dallas Morning News, 11-29-02, p.55A).

We need peace. And now it’s Christmas, the busiest season of the entire year.

Fortunately, there’s good news inside the shopping malls. One area mall has created the Spouse House “for those who’d rather watch TV than shop, but still feel obligated to accompany a spouse to the mall. It features football, pizza, soda, snacks, even skating—all for free” (DMN 11-30-02, p.33A). That’s the mall for me.

What does our world need more than it needs peace this morning? What about you?

Do you need peace?

Last week we discovered the people “in the news” during the first Christmas. Today let’s focus on those who made the news, then and for all time. Here’s what we know about their first Christmas.

Mary and Joseph have come from Nazareth to Bethlehem. They must do this because the Empire requires another registration, an enrollment for purposes of census figures and future taxation. Caesar Augustus had issued this decree in 8 B.C.; Herod the Great delayed its enforcement for two years. The Jews kept family records at their ancestral home, which for Joseph’s family, was Bethlehem.

So they traveled together 80 miles (90 if they went around Samaria). He walked, she likely rode on a donkey’s back. The road climbed 734 feet in elevation from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Imagine yourself nine months pregnant, or your wife in that condition, as you set out to walk from here to Waco.

Finally the three arrive, but “there was no room for them in the inn” (v. 7).

Tradition says that this was a caravansary, a hotel to our culture, and that when they arrived late after their slow journey, its rooms were already filled. Preachers for twenty centuries have made much of the innkeeper who had no room for the Christ.

Now scholars aren’t so sure. No “innkeeper” is mentioned in the text. And the word for “inn,” kataluma, typically means a “guest room” (cf. Luke 22:11: “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”). The word here was most commonly used for the room allotted to visitors in a private house.

Here’s what may have happened. Joseph returned to Bethlehem, his family’s home. He had relatives all across the area. And so he and Mary stayed with one of them, in the guest room. But this room was tiny, with no privacy at all. And so when “the time came for the baby to be born,” “there was no room for them in the inn.” The guest room was not suitable for a birthing room.

So they moved to a stable, a cave behind the home. Here Jesus was born. Here Mary placed him in a “manger,” the feeding trough for the cattle and sheep which typically were housed in that cave.

Imagine it.

You are Mary. Your marriage to Joseph has been arranged for many years, and you have dreamed of your future with him. But now people would always remember that you were not yet married to him when this pregnancy occurred. Your child would be the “Son of God,” whatever this will mean. Now, far from home, you bear him in a stable and lay him in a feed trough. How much peace would you feel this morning?

Or you are Joseph. You have planned for your marriage and life with Mary. But now she bears a child who is not yours. He is the Messiah, whatever this will mean. How much peace would you feel today?

How much peace do you feel this morning? Where is your heart most in turmoil, your mind most confused, your spirit most troubled? In what ways do you identify with Mary and Joseph? In what ways does the first Christmas feel like this Christmas to you? How can this be the Advent week of peace for you?

Where will you find peace?

King David answers: “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

He adds: “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace” (Psalm 29:11). Jesus promises: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). How does Jesus give us peace? The prophet explains: “the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). We find peace only when we find it in Jesus.

Billy Graham, in a message titled “How to Find Peace:” “There can be no real peace in the world until we have peace with God. Peace is more than a mere cessation of hostilities, a momentary halt in a war. Rather, it is something positive. It is a specific relationship with God. It is a spiritual reality in a human heart which has come into vital contact with the infinite God.”

To find peace in your world, find it first in God. Mary and Joseph found peace in God in a troubled and terrifying world. Have you?

How do we find peace in God?

Paul explains: “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

When we ask Jesus Christ to forgive our sins and become our Master and Lord, he makes us to be “justified” with God. It is “just-if-I’d” never sinned. My record is expunged. My past is forgiven. I am “born again,” as if I’d never lived before. I become the child of God. And I have peace with God.

Have you asked Jesus to do this for you? Have you been “justified through faith”? If you’re not at peace this morning, perhaps this is the reason. Find peace in God, by making peace with God.

Then live by the word of God.

The Bible promises, “Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble” (Psalm 119:165). The Lord spoke through his prophet: “If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river” (Isaiah 48:18). And he adds: “There is no peace for the wicked (v. 22).”

Do you live by the word of God? Are you like the man in Psalm 1 who is “blessed” because “his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night”? (v. 2). I must meet God every morning in his Word, if I would walk in his will all day. And I must meditate constantly on his Word. I must bring every question, every decision, never problem to the Word. I must stay in it, or I am not at peace. And you’re like me.

If you’re not at peace this morning, perhaps this is the reason. Find peace in God, by making peace with God. And then by living in the word of God.

Next, surrender to the Spirit of God.

The Bible warns us: “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). The “fruit of the Spirit” is “love, joy, peace….” (Galatians 5:22).

The Bible commands that we “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). This verse means to be controlled by the Spirit, submitted and yielded to his control, every day. If you’re not at peace this morning, perhaps this is the reason. Live in the Word of God, surrendered to the Spirit of God.

And you will have the peace of God.

You will live as did Mary and Joseph, in surrendered obedience to the will, word, and Spirit of God. You will say to God with Isaiah, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3). You will experience with Paul: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). You will say with Peter: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

And you will be at peace.

Conclusion

Are you at peace this morning? We celebrate Christmas this day amid circumstances no less challenging than those faced by those who gathered on that first Christmas day. Yet the angel could rejoice then: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). Do you know such peace?

Are you at peace with God, through salvation in Christ? Are you living in his word? Surrendered to his Spirit? Do you have his peace? You can.

Frances Ridley Havergal was one of the most gifted people of her day. Reading by age four, she began writing poems by age seven. She learned Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and memorized the Psalms, the book of Isaiah, and most of the New Testament. She had become a Christian at a young age, but had no peace. Great London crowds loved her singing, but the Holy Spirit kept urging her closer to Jesus.

At the age of 36 she read a booklet titled All for Jesus. It stressed the importance of making Christ King of every corner and cubicle of her life. Frances made a fresh, complete consecration to the Lord. It was Advent Sunday, December 2, 1873. She said later of that experience, “There must be full surrender before there can be full blessedness. God admits you by the one into the other.”

Shortly after, she found herself in a home with ten other people, some Christians and some not, but none fully surrendered to the Lord. “Lord,” she prayed, “give me all in this house.” Before she left, all ten were yielded Christians.

Excited beyond sleep, she wrote her “Consecration Hymn,” the song that became her life’s theme. She prayed over the words earnestly every December 2nd as she resurrendered her life to the Lord Jesus.

I’d like you to make her prayer yours today:

Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love,

At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee;

Take my voice and let me sing,

Always, only, for my King,

Always, only, for my King.

Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold;

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my will and make it Thine,

It shall be no longer mine;

Take my heart, it is Thine own,

It shall be Thy royal throne,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

And then you will have peace. This is the promise of God.

Peace Is the Absence of Fear

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Peace Is the Absence of Fear

Isaiah 9:6-7 / Luke 2:8-14

Dr. Jim Denison

There is good news for our hectic world: scientists have determined that our earth is spinning more slowly with each passing day. In merely 200 million years, a day will have 25 hours in it; in 400 million years, we’ll have 26 hours in a day. Just think what you’ll be able to do with the added time.

In the meanwhile, we need peace for our hectic and troubled hearts.

This Christmas week, our president appeared on national television to report on the war in Iraq, as casualties mount and criticisms escalate. Counterfeit bird flu drugs were seized a few days ago in San Francisco. The Senate continued its debate over the Patriot Act. Spain arrested 15 al-Qaeda recruiters in that country.

Whatever you would say about the times in which we live, you would not say that they are filled with peace. To such a world Jesus came to be our Prince of Peace. On the first Christmas the angels announced “peace among those with whom God is pleased” (Luke 2:14). Where do you need such peace in your life and soul this Christmas Day? Peace in the year to come?

Today’s sermon in a sentence comes from a friend’s recent statement to me: “Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the absence of fear.” How can we experience that peace which banishes fear today?

Name your fear

On the first Christmas Day, the first people invited to the celebration were shepherds in the field. When the angel of the Lord appeared to them, “they were filled with fear.” Luke’s Greek actually says “they feared a mega fear.” The NIV says they were “terrified.” The English Standard Version says they were “filled with fear”–the translation indicates that they had room for no other emotions but fear.

The dictionary defines the English word “fear” as “a feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger.” The Greeks were more specific. Their word is phobos; we get “phobia” from it. The word may have originally meant “hair-raising.” Phobos in the ancient world meant to be terrified, to be put to flight, to be so afraid that you fear for your life.

I didn’t know until studying the text this week that this is the only time in the Bible when people respond to an angelic visit with mega phobia, “great fear.” Why?

You know that the shepherds were among the lowest class in their society. They so often stole from their employers that you could not buy from them. They were so infamous for lying that they could not testify in a court of law. They did not observe kosher dietary laws, cleanliness regulations, or any other religious dictates for that matter, so they could not attend a synagogue or Temple service.

We don’t have anyone like them in our culture today. But if you knew someone who was so immoral and irreligious that he was not allowed to go to church, you’d know a shepherd. There were the most irreligious people in their world.

Now it makes more sense that they would be “filled with fear” upon seeing “the glory of the Lord.”

Imagine an employee stealing from the cash register when the boss walks up behind him, or a student using her cell phone to cheat on a test when the teacher looks over her shoulder, or an adulterer talking on the phone with his girlfriend when his wife picks up the other line. The one time I cut class in high school, I was driving down Bissonnet Street in Houston with some friends when who should drive by the other way but my mother. Dinner that night was less than enjoyable.

Imagine that you’ve rejected the word and will of God for years, and not darkened the door of a church building since you were a kid, and suddenly an angel of the Lord shows up at your office. How would you feel?

If God could give peace to the most irreligious people in the New Testament, what can he do for your soul this morning? In what way are you a shepherd today? What fear has burrowed its way into your soul? What is stealing your peace? Name your fear; admit your burden or worry or discouragement. And know that the Prince of Peace has come for shepherds the world over, including you.

Make God your Father

Given that the shepherds were paralyzed with terror, it is no surprise that the first word the angel would speak would be, “Fear not.” Literally, “stop being afraid.” It’s a command in the Greek. That’s as far as the ancient world could go with fear–stop it. The Stoics and Epicureans, Aristotle and Plato were all convinced that fear was a bad thing. But they had no idea what to do with it except to refuse it. Stop being afraid.

But that’s a little like telling a soldier about to make his first parachute jump to stop being nervous, or a man about to undergo open heart surgery not to worry. Saying it doesn’t make it so. We’re all shepherds today, in need of the peace of God for our fears, doubts, worries, and burdens. What do we do to find the peace of God where we need it most?

First, we make God our Father. We step into that personal relationship with him through which he gives us his peace. He cannot give what we are not close enough to receive. If the shepherds could become the children of God, so can you.

The angel was clear on this: “behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people.”

“I bring”–this remedy for fear comes from God, not man, so you can trust it. It is the Greek word for evangelizing or preaching, and could be rendered “I proclaim as the word of God.”

“You”–the Greek is plural, for all of them. And it is specific–to you, as shepherds, in your fear and failings and irreligious immorality, where you are today. It is “for all the people.”

“Great joy”–mega joy, to replace their mega fear. What is this good news of great joy?

“Unto you”–for you, this gift is intended for you.

“A Savior”–one who will save you from your sins, your irreligious immorality. But there were many so-called saviors in their day; this is not just any “savior.” Instead, he is “Christ”–the Savior promised by God, his Messiah, the One who would fulfill his prophetic promises made over seven centuries.

“The Lord”–the ruler, the boss, the authority of the universe. Because you couldn’t find God, he found you. Because you could not climb up to him, he climbed down to you. If you were a Katrina victim and learned that the President of the United States was coming to help you with all the resources of the American Treasury, you would be no less blessed than they.

If your father were Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, you’d have no financial fears. If your father were the general of the army, you’d not fear your fellow privates. If your father owned the company, you’d not fear your fellow employees. When the Almighty God of the universe is your Father, you can give your fears to his peace.

Make his provision yours

Make God your Father, then know that this Father always provides for his children. I found some 60 biblical examples of that fact, 60 times when God tells his people not to be afraid, for his provision is ours.

Trust his presence: “That night the Lord appeared to Isaac and said, ‘I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you'” (Gen 26:24). “‘I am God, the God of your father,’ he said. ‘Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there'” (Genesis 46:3). “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again'” (Exodus 14:13).

Trust his protection: “Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you” (Deuteronomy 3:22). “When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you” (Deuteronomy 20:1).

“Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15). “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him” (2 Chronicles 32:7).

Trust his provision: “See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 1:21). “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

Conclusion

When we trust God’s presence, protection, and provision, we can have that peace which is not the absence of conflict but the absence of fear. Such peace is available for your soul today, because of Christmas. Because the Prince of Peace entered a human body 20 centuries ago, he can enter yours. Because he could make a body the temple of his Spirit in Bethlehem, he can make your body the temple of his Spirit in Dallas.

If you will trust in his presence, ask for his protection, and claim his provision, they will be yours. And with them will come your peace.

I learned that fact firsthand on the loneliest night of my life. I had been serving as a summer missionary on the island of Borneo for two months. Rainstorms had washed out the roads, and I was stranded in a remote village our team had intended to visit only for a few hours. It was unsafe; in fact, headhunters were known to the area. There was no electricity or running water. I was hungry, tired, and isolated. I had not spoken to Janet or my family for weeks. I felt more alone than I had ever felt in my life.

That night I took my guitar out to the makeshift porch of the hut where I was staying. I began to sing the only Malay song I knew, “Jesus loves me, this I know.” But I didn’t know it. I didn’t feel it. I was tired, frustrated, lonely, and broken. I began to cry. I closed my eyes to the tears and kept singing, hoping my heart would believe my words, but nothing happened. No peace at all.

Then I heard a strange noise. I opened my tear-filled eyes to see that children were crowding onto the porch with me, attracted to the sound of my guitar. They picked up my song and began to sing it with me. In their smiling faces I found the face of God. In their presence I felt his. In their company I felt his protection and provision. Because I sang “Jesus loves me, this I know,” and believed it was true, it was.

Sing it with me now. And find in its truth the Prince of Peace, come again at Christmas for you.

Peace, Be Still

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Peace, Be Still

Mark 4:31-35

Dr. Jim Denison

A friend sent me these actual newspaper headlines: “Include your children when baking cookies”; “Iraqi head seeks arms”; “Miners refuse to work after death”; If strike isn’t settled quickly, it may last a while”; “Typhoon rips through cemetery; hundreds dead”; “Kids make nutritious snacks”; and most insightful of all, “War dims hope for peace.” It usually does.

We need peace in our hectic lives.

Wendy’s now averages 150.3 seconds between the time you place your order and you receive your food. McDonald’s is 16.7 seconds behind. But McDonalds will soon offer scanners which work with toll road devices; they will enable drivers to pick up food without paying, and add the charge to our monthly toll road bill.

A new pill is being tested which appears to nullify the effects of sleep deprivation, so we can work more and sleep less. Its inventors expect to make millions.

There is good news for our hectic world. Tuesday’s news reported this fact: scientists have determined that our earth is spinning more slowly with each passing day. In merely 200 million years, a day will have 25 hours in it; in 400 million years, we’ll have 26 hours in a day. Just think what you’ll be able to do with the added time.

In the meanwhile, we need peace for our hectic and troubled hearts.

And of course we need peace in our war-torn world. The conflicts in Afghanistan and the Middle East fill the front pages of our daily papers, and our hearts. Threats of further terrorism are repeated every week. Our first-ever Secretary for Homeland Defense is busy. We need peace.

And so, of all Isaiah’s promises about the baby in Bethlehem, perhaps the one most welcome to us today is that he will be the “Prince of Peace.” Literally, the “Prince who brings Peace” wherever he goes. Let’s watch Jesus prove Isaiah right, and learn how to find his peace where we need it most.

Hear him speak peace

The episode begins safely enough: “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side'” (v. 35). Note that Jesus has a will for the evening, as well as the daytime, for every hour of our lives. And note that these men are in that will when they sail across the Sea, into the storm they don’t know is coming.

The Sea of Galilee sits 682 feet below sea level, like a bowl at the bottom of the rugged hills and craggy mountains which surround it on all sides. So when weather fronts blow through the area, their gusts are magnified by these mountains like a wind tunnel, and storm down from their heights onto the unsuspecting sea below without warning.

This is just the crisis here: “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped” (v. 37). Mark’s word is Greek for a terrible storm or even a hurricane. Matthew’s account uses the Greek word for an earthquake—it was that terrifying on these waves.

The waves are literally “attacking” the ship. These seasoned, veteran sailors know a dangerous storm when they’re in one—and they’re in one now.

And Jesus is asleep through it all. The incarnate Lord was fully human. The Bible says that he was tired at Jacob’s well (John 4:6) and thirsty on the cross (John 19:28). He was tired here.

So as he slept, they rowed. They fought the winds, braved the seas. Four of them were professional fishermen and sailors, and all knew boats and the Sea of Galilee. But finally, when all hope was lost, they cried out to Jesus for help.

He arose immediately. He “rebuked the wind” which was causing this storm. Then he shouted to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” In the King James, “Peace, be still.” In the Greek, “Shut up! Put a muzzle on and keep it on!”

Instantly, obediently, “the wind died down and it was completely calm” (v. 39). Like a disobedient puppy cowering before his master. The disciples said, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (v. 41). They said it in amazement. As would we.

Out of all this event can say to our storm-tossed souls and world, I suggest this one principle: we should go to Jesus first. Not last. Not after we’ve rowed our hardest and tried our best and fought as long as we can. If we want peace, we must go to him first. Let’s discuss that principle for a moment.

Admit you need Jesus

Why didn’t they call on Jesus first? Why don’t we?

Think about your own experience with storms—at home, at school, at work, across your day. What is your first response? Do you pray first, or last? Do you decide what to do, then ask God to bless your decision if you turn to him at all? Do you fix the problem as best you can, before calling on God if you can’t?

That’s my nature—performance driven, a little perfectionistic, do whatever it takes, never give up. I understand these disciples perfectly. I’ve rowed my boat against storms just as much as did they. Haven’t you?

Why don’t we turn to Jesus when the storm first attacks? Some of us don’t think we need to. We think our boat is big enough, the storm small enough, our abilities good enough, our training and experience all that’s needed. Like these veteran sailors, we’ve been through storms on our lake before, and we know how to handle our boats. We like rowing. We don’t need help. We want to do this ourselves. We think we can.

But no boat, no ability, no money, no possession, no resource is enough to live at peace without God. That’s just how he made the world, and us.

Some of us have given up on peace. We accept storms as a way of life. We’ve been through so many downpours, so many hurricanes that we’ve given up on peace in our hearts or homes. We’re accustomed to a life filled with stress and strife, hectic hurry and perennial pressure.

All the while, the Prince of Peace waits to give peace to our hearts and souls, to calm our storms, to bring tranquility to our lives. If we will ask.

And some of us have given up on God. He’s been asleep in our boat before. We prayed without answers, or so we think. We grieved without hope, suffered without help, rowed on our own. Or so it seems to us. So let him sleep. All the while, he’s waiting for us to turn to him first. Before we go under. Before it’s too late.

What’s your storm named today? Where is your ship battered? How can Jesus bring you peace?

Call on Jesus

First, invite him to captain your boat.

The Prince of Peace will rule only the heart which chooses to crown him. This captain will pilot only the boat which welcomes him.

So ask him into your boat. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and failures, and invite him to live in your life. If you have, turn that life over to him. Make him your master, your boss, your Captain.

Your soul and life cannot be at peace without the Prince of Peace. That’s simply a fact. There’s a God-shaped emptiness in every human being, and our hearts are restless until they rest in him. Invite Jesus into your boat, and make him your Captain.

Now, begin each day’s voyage with Jesus at the helm.

Every day in this fallen world will bring you a storm. Frustrations, failures, and stress. You are in a daily spiritual battle against Satan himself and his forces of evil. You will be tested and tempted by the winds and waves of the soul. Guaranteed.

So go to Jesus first, every day. Turn the day’s sailing over to him. Make him your captain. Row where he says, when he says. Let him be Lord of your boat, and your day, and your life, first thing every day.

The poet learned this profound truth:

I met God in the morning, when my day was at its best,And his presence came like sunrise, like a glory to my breast.All day long his presence lingered—all day long he stayed with me,And we sailed in perfect calmness o’er sometimes troubled sea.Other ships were torn and battered—other ships were sore distressed,But the winds that seemed to drive them brought to us a peace and rest.So I think I’ve learned the secret, learned from many a troubled way:You must seek God in the morning if you want him through the day.

Give him your boat at the first of the day, and the Prince of Peace will bring you peace. Then call to him at the first sign of a storm.You usually hear a storm before you see it. Or you feel the winds change, or the temperature drop, or the air thicken. At the first sign of rain clouds, call on Jesus.

Did you know that you cannot resist in your strength any temptation Satan chooses to bring against you? You may hold out for a while on your own, but eventually your ship will go under.

You see, the devil is smarter than we are. He knows the temptations we can withstand, and will not waste his time with them. I’m not tempted with substance abuse or financial sin, because the enemy knows I wouldn’t do that. But he knows what I will do—what whispers I will listen to, what ambitions I will consider, what storms I will try to navigate on my own. And those are the only kind he employs.

Peter Marshall’s statement couldn’t be more right: “We are too Christian really to enjoy sinning and too fond of sinning really to enjoy Christianity.” Without the Prince of Peace, we have no peace. So call him the moment you feel the storm begin. Admit your need, and seek his power. And it will be yours.

Last, settle for nothing less than this peace. Jesus paid the supreme price to bring it to you. He left his Father’s side in unspeakable splendor to be born into a cow stall. He exchanged the adoration of angelic millions for that of sweating shepherds. He left God’s perfect heaven for the universe’s seat of evil, the only sinful and fallen planet in all the universe. All to be your Prince of Peace.

Settle for nothing less. Storms are inevitable, but peace is available for every storm. Calm for every crisis. If your heart is not at peace today, go to Jesus. Make him your Captain, give him your boat today, ask his help with your storms. And he will speak peace to your seas, and to your soul.

Conclusion

Today’s Bible study centers on the Wise Men, and wise they were. Wise enough to go when they saw the star—to make any sacrifice, pay any price, face any danger, if only they might make the King of the Jews their King as well, the captain of their souls. Are you that wise today? Would you turn to him now? Or would you rather row your own boat until you sink?

You can trust his divine, miraculous peace. If he calmed Galilee, he’ll calm Dallas. If he rescued sailors then, he’ll rescue sailors today. I found this week a remarkable hymn which proclaims this fact. Written sixteen centuries ago by a man named Prudentius, it brings hope to storm-tossed souls still today:

His power and miracles proclaim him God.I see the wild winds suddenly grow calmWhen Christ commands; I see the storm-tossed seaGrow smooth, with tranquil surface bright,At Christ’s behest; I see the waves grow firmAs the raging flood sustains his treading feet.He walks dry-shod upon the flowing tideAnd bears upon the flood with footsteps sure.He chides the winds and bids the tempest cease.Who would command the stormy gales …Except the Lord and maker of the winds? …Who on the sea could walk, who with firm stepUpon the flood could without sinking treadThat path with … feet unwet,Except the author of the deep?

Your boat will find peace from him, or not at all. The next step is yours.

Persecution, Prayer, and Power

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God’s Power for God’s Purpose

Persecution, Prayer, and Power

Dr. Jim Denison

Acts 4:5-31

My favorite story concerns a young man on his way home, late one dark, cloudy, moonless night. The hour was so late that he decided to take a shortcut through the local cemetery. We can see him picking his way from gravestone to gravestone in the dark.

Suddenly he came upon a recently dug open grave. He didn’t see it in the night, and so he fell in, head over heals. Instantly he sprang to his feet and tried to climb out, but the sides were too steep and slippery. He yelled for help, but the hour was too late and no one heard. Finally he decided to curl up in the corner of the grave and go to sleep until morning, when help would surely arrive.

He had no sooner done this than a second man took the same shortcut through the same cemetery, and fell into the same open grave. He began yelling and thrashing about in the darkness, and the noise he made awakened the first fellow. From the corner of the grave on this dark, cloudy, gloomy, moonless night, the first fellow said to the second, “You can’t get out of here.”

But he did.

Unfortunately, the story makes a relevant point. You are teaching your class in the midst of a graveyard. Some are crying for help, some are trying to climb out on their own, some are asleep, and some have given up. But all around us we find people living in graves of sin, lostness, and spiritual death.

Missions experts calculate that 167 million Americans are spiritually lost today. The Dallas Baptist Association believes that 1.2 million of the 2.1 million people who live in Dallas are unsaved or unchurched. How many lost people could you name right now?

The only answer to the lostness of our community is boldness on the part of believers. No half measures will get the gospel out and the Kingdom built. Business as usual will not be enough. The best definition of insanity I know is this: doing the same thing while expecting a different result. Only when we stand boldly for our Lord can we make a difference in the lives of the people we are called to reach.

But we are afraid. Afraid we will fail. Afraid we won’t know what to say, that we won’t be able to answer the questions people will ask. Afraid that our lives will not back up our words. Afraid of rejection or worse. Afraid of losing status and stature with our friends and society. We need power to stand boldly for God.

This week we’ll locate the power source of discipleship. Then we’ll each decide whether or not we will live in this power and victory each day.

Expect opposition (Acts 4:5-7)

My youth minister once told us: “If you and the devil aren’t on a head-on collision course, you’re probably running side by side.” He was right. When you and I stand for God, the enemy stands against us. Satan and Jesus are locked in a war, and we’re the battlefield. As the African proverb has it, when elephants fight the grass always loses. We should expect opposition if we are serious about following Jesus.

The enemy struck back quickly in ancient Jerusalem. No sooner had the crippled man been healed and the gospel preached than the authorities rose up in opposition. The “next day” (v. 5) the counterattack began as the “rulers, elders and teachers of the law” met. These three composed the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, a Supreme Court to us. The rulers were political in nature; the elders were the spiritual leaders; the teachers of the law were religious scholars who served the leaders. Their meeting in full shows the significance of the threat to them, and of theirs to the church.

The high priest and his ruling “council” met at their head. Annas was still “high priest” to the Jewish people (v. 6), though he had been deposed by the Romans in AD 15 and replaced by his son and then his son-in-law Caiaphas. The “John” who met with them may have been the man appointed high priest in AD 36; “Alexander” is not otherwise known. If the president and his cabinet were to meet with the Supreme Court and leaders of Congress, their assembled power would be analogous to that present here.

Peter and John were made to meet before them. Imagine the scene. Two Galilean fishermen, heretofore residents of the bottom floor of Jewish social significance, now merit a gathering of the nation’s highest authorities. What was the highest level of authority you have encountered personally? How much thought did you give to your appearance, preparations, and words? How intimidated did you feel? Sense the fear that must have grown in the hearts of these men as they awaited their appearance before the Court.

Now they are put on legal ground: “By what power or what name did you do this?” (v. 7). In other words, what defense can you cite for the legality of your actions? The Court is asking these fishermen to defend themselves with law and reason. If they wish, these leaders can condemn the accused to death. They are literally on trial for their lives.

Everything worthwhile comes at a cost. Your home, your car, your clothes; your childrens’ school tuition; even your health comes at a price. Standing for Jesus can cost us most of all. Our Lord warned us: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matthew 5:11); “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). If you wish to follow Jesus, you should expect opposition.

Stand for Christ (vs. 8-12)

What will be their response? The future of their fledgling spiritual movement hangs in the balance. If their defense is unsuccessful, their group will be deemed illegal and imprisoned or worse. Peter and John, the recognized leaders of the Christian movement, will likely be executed. On the other hand, if they succumb to the pressure of the authorities, they will be unfaithful to a higher Authority. They will lose the power he can give only to those who are obedient to his Commission.

Here’s what they did.

Seek the power of the Spirit (v. 8)

The key to the boldness and victory which Peter and John won comes early: “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them . . .” (v. 8). He remembered well Jesus’ promise that the disciples would receive power in the Spirit, and then they would be his witnesses (Ac. 1:8). He knew what we must remember: we cannot fulfill the purpose of God without the power of God. Ephesians 5:18 commands us to be filled with the Spirit as a daily decision and experience. Every single day we are to yield ourselves to the Spirit’s direction and empowering, to seek his help, to submit to his control.

Peter did so here. Luke doesn’t describe the steps Peter took, but we can imagine them. He and John knew they were being called before the highest authorities of the land, and had a sense of what was at stake. So, before they went to stand for God, they first stood with him. They sought his help. They did what the church would soon do: pray for boldness and power, and experience the help the Spirit gives (Ac. 4:29-31).

You and I must do the same thing. Before you teach this lesson this week, you must first seek the help and power of the Spirit. Your words cannot change a single heart or life. Nor can mine. Only the Spirit can work through us to effect significant and eternal transformation. Before we can fulfill the purpose of God, we must first submit to his power.

Turn challenge into opportunity (vs. 9-10)

Spurgeon was asked the secret to great preaching. His answer: take a text and make a bee-line for Jesus. Whenever you and I are challenged to stand for Christ, tempted or tested in our faith, persecuted for our convictions, we have a golden opportunity to turn temptation into triumph. Here’s how.

Begin with the issue at hand (v. 9). Peter found common ground in the issue before the court—the miraculous healing of the crippled man. Name the problem, the accusation, the test or temptation. Start there.

Then find a way to glorify Jesus (v. 10). Show the critic what the Lord has done for you; use the temptation to become more holy in the area where you are tempted, with the help of God; stand up to persecution with public faith in Jesus. Turn the focus from yourself to your Father.

Now, share the gospel clearly (vs. 11-12). Peter quotes Psalm 118 to show his Jewish critics how Jesus’ ministry fulfilled their Messianic promises. Then he called his critics to faith in their Messiah.

What an amazing turnaround! Two fishermen, called before the highest authorities in the land, end their court appearance by inviting their accusers to share their faith. Peter, the man who cowered before a serving girl before Pentecost, is now empowered to stand up to the greatest power in his nation. What Jesus’ Spirit did for him, he will do for us.

If you will stand for Jesus no matter what, you will find in him all the courage and strength you will need to be faithful. His will never leads where his grace cannot sustain.

Expect victory (vs. 13-22)

The results of this first legal defense of the faith were remarkable. The authorities could not attribute the persuasive power of these men to their rabbinic training, for they had none (v. 13). Rather, they knew they had been with Jesus, and that the One they proclaimed had somehow done an indisputable miracle (vs. 13-14).

So they took the only option open to them. They could not deny the miracle; to imprison the men was to risk the wrath of the populace; but they could not allow this “heresy” to continue. And so they “commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (v. 18). We assume they assumed that the disciples would be grateful for such a finding by the court, that their freedom would be worth its silence. They were wrong.

One of the most powerful and dramatic passages in all the Scriptures comes next: “Peter and John replied, ‘Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard'” (vs. 19-20). They did not directly refuse the order of the court. Rather, they made clear that they were responsible to a higher authority. Men who had earlier met behind locked doors for fear of these authorities now stood boldly on their faith. We think of Martin Luther, before the emperor and his court, announcing his decision to continue his Reformation: “Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me.” He always does.

Frustrated, the authorities were forced to release the two (vs. 21-22). And victory was theirs, a triumph which would be crucial to the future of their movement. By the time the authorities chose to bring persecution against the Christians, they had already grown too powerful to be stopped. Their army could not be defeated. Today there is no Sanhedrin. But you will teach the same message Peter and John defended in Jerusalem. And billions will join you in your faith.

When we pray for God to heal a person miraculously and then are astonished when the healing comes, we demonstrate that our faith was less than bold. The other extreme is also to be avoided: we cannot obligate God by our faith. He will do his will. But we should not be surprised when that will leads to what we call a “miracle.” There is no such thing with the Lord of the universe.

A tavern owner built a bar down the street from a local church. The church met to pray that God would destroy the tavern. That night a lightning strike burned the bar to the ground. The tavern owner sued the church. The church argued its innocence. The judge was right: “The tavern owner has more faith in God than the church.” When you stand in the purpose and power of God, victory for the gospel is assured.

Pray for boldness (vs. 23-31)

Peter and John immediately reported to the church; the congregation raised their voices together in united worship. Quoting Psalm 2, they rejoiced that their Lord was more powerful than their adversaries. Their new faith had been proven divinely powerful. Their movement would be divinely protected. Their work would be divinely prospered.

But only if they would do together what Peter had done personally—seek and trust the continued empowering of the Spirit of God. The believers prayed for boldness, miraculous power, and the glory of Jesus (v. 29). When last did you make this your prayer? When last did you lead your class to do the same? Will you this week?

Here is the response you can expect: “the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (v. 31). God will still “fill” and empower every Christian who seeks his help and will stand for his word. He still uses every disciple who will be used. No exceptions are found in our text, or our lives. Nothing in our past can keep his Spirit from using us in the present. Failed, flawed, cowardly men and women became the leaders of the most powerful movement in spiritual history. Now you and I are called to join them.

Conclusion

The invitation of this week’s study is quite simple: will you and your class pray for the power of the Spirit to make you bold for Jesus? He is waiting for his people to make this request their passion. And to empower such people for eternal purpose.

When Jim Cymbala became pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, some 20 people typically attended the mid-week prayer meeting and not many more the weekend worship services. God spoke to Jim’s heart, leading him to make that mid-week prayer service the “engine” of the church. Today more than 2,000 meet each Tuesday to pray for the power of God to fall on the church. I’ve joined them in that service, and was profoundly touched.

When last did you pray for such power for your faith family? For yourself? We have not because we ask not (James 4:2). If we ask, we will receive (Matthew 7:7).

Peter’s Miracle Ministry

Written by

God’s Power for God’s Purpose

Peter’s Miracle Ministry

Dr. Jim Denison

Acts 9:32-10:48

A study in The New England Journal of Medicine reported that talking on a cell phone while driving increases the risk of accident fourfold, the same risk as driving while intoxicated. It doesn’t seem to matter if the phone is hands-free or handheld. The study did cite one safety benefit. Nearly 40% of those surveyed used their phones to call 911 after they crashed.

Who can we call before the accident? Before we drive into an uncertain future? Before we meet the truck coming around the next bend?

We in Western culture like to visualize history as a line, a timetable with a past, present, and future. We appreciate five-year plans and strategies for the future. We are at our most disconcerted when tomorrow is clouded in the mists of uncertainty and our headlights cannot see around the turn in the road. But there’s only One who knows the road before us. Learning to let him drive is the key to traveling well.

What about the future most worries you today? Let’s learn how to give that very burden to God this week.

Trust the power of God (9:32-43)

No one in scripture faced a less certain future than the apostle Peter. Identified already by the Sanhedrin as the leader of the movement they branded criminal, he will soon face the wrath of Rome yet again (ch. 12). In the meanwhile, our study this week will put him squarely in the sights of the Jerusalem church leaders and their centuries-old, cherished customs and beliefs regarding the Gentiles. Such racial tensions were at least as deep and divisive then as racism is today.

Before we can follow God into such uncertainty, we must first believe that he will lead us well. Only when we trust his power, will we trust his providence. Now Peter will learn to do both.

The apostle has traveled from Jerusalem to Samaria and back (Acts 8:14-25). Now he is in the midst of another missionary journey, this time to Lydda, a town situated some 12 miles northwest of Jerusalem. There he met a crippled man named Aeneas. Likely a believer (“he went to visit the saints in Lydda,” v. 32), he had been bedridden eight years.

Remembering his earlier experience with the healing power of Jesus (Acts 3:1-10), Peter offered this man the same grace from God. He received it in faith, getting up and trusting God to heal him (v. 34). And the Lord answered his obedience, so that all in Lydda and Sharon (probably the region, but possibly a nearby town) saw him “and turned to the Lord” (v. 35). A changed life is the most potent means of changing other lives.

26 miles further to the northwest lay Joppa, an important sea port. A suburb of Tel Aviv today, it is still a popular tourist attraction. The last time I was in Israel, our group stopped and read the story we will now review. A disciple named Tabitha lived there. Her name is Aramaic; Luke translates her name into the Greek Dorcas, a hint that his reader(s) did not understand Aramaic and thus may have been Gentiles and/or Romans (cf. the dedication to “Theophilus,” perhaps a Roman official, Luke 1:3, Ac. 1:1).

Her mercy ministry was widely known and received, so that her untimely death was mourned by all. The disciples heard that Peter was nearby in Lydda, and summoned him to come urgently (Jewish custom gave those living outside Jerusalem only three days to bury the corpse).

Peter found the deceased girl and her mourners “upstairs” (v. 39), the typical “upper room” used by families as a kind of den. The apostle had been present each time Jesus raised the dead (Matthew 9:25, Luke 7:11-17, John 11:1-44), so he knew that his Lord possessed such power. Unlike Jesus, he knelt and prayed, making clear the fact that this miracle would come from God or it would not come at all. He then called the girl by name, an indication that he believed God intended to raise her. And he did.

The result of this physical miracle was an even more important spiritual miracle: “many people believed in the Lord” (v. 42). As in Lydda earlier (v. 35), this is always God’s ultimate purpose in healing our bodies. They will die again, but souls which turn to him in response to such grace will live forever in his paradise.

If Jesus can raise the dead, what can’t he do? Think back to all the ways the Lord has revealed his powerful grace to you. He gave you physical life, then spiritual salvation. He has given you health, the freedoms we enjoy, and a loving church family. When we remember all he has done, we will more readily trust him for all he will do. When we see his power, we can trust his providence.

Hear the voice of God (10:1-18)

So we know that our Lord can lead us into an uncertain future. But will he? Will the God of the universe actually speak with us?

He certainly spoke to Cornelius and to Simon Peter. The issue before us in Acts 10 is the most crucial turning point in Luke’s entire narrative: can Gentiles become Christians, or must they first become Jews? Is the gospel for everyone? Do you and I as Gentiles have the right to this mercy and grace?

To this point, no one had come to faith without a prior relationship to Judaism; even the Samaritans of Acts 8 espoused a kind of Jewish theology and culture. One could argue that the Ethiopian eunuch was himself related to Judaism, given his Jerusalem worship (Acts 8:27) and obvious interest in the Scriptures (v. 28). Must we all go to Jerusalem before we can go to Jesus?

Peter’s residence with Simon the Tanner in Joppa (Acts 9:43) is indication that his heart was already turning from the racial and moral prejudices of his traditions. A “tanner” was one who worked with the skins of dead animals, and thus handled things unclean to the Jew. To stay with him was a significant step out of the legalism of Peter’s heritage. Now he will be asked to take a second step, the largest of his entire life.

In Caesarea we meet Cornelius, a centurion (a Roman military official given charge of at least 100 soldiers). God had already prepared his heart for this day, so that he was a “God-fearer” (a Gentile who respected the God of Israel), praying and giving to those in need. Now the Lord sent his angel to this good man, instructing him to ask Simon Peter to come from Joppa. Not knowing Peter at all, he demonstrated his faith by sending his messengers to retrieve him.

Meanwhile, Peter was sitting in another upper room, praying. He became hungry, but received instead food for his soul—the most significant single vision in Christian history. It is familiar to you and those you teach—”unclean” animals made clean by the Lord, foreshadowing his grace to “unclean” Gentiles like us.

If the Lord could reveal such a monumental, historic truth to a hungry fisherman, will he not reveal his plans and providence to us today? Again and again, his word calls us to listen to his voice:

•”Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live” (Isaiah 55:2-3).

•”Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord” (Jeremiah 7:2).

•”He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:11; 2:17; 2:29; 3:6; 3:13; 3:22).

Well over 300 times in the Bible, God calls his people to hear his word. We worship a God who speaks. The problem is not that he will not speak to us—the problem is that we so seldom take time to listen. The supposedly workaholic Germans only work 37 hours a week and take five-week vacations. When last did we? Pour water into a bowl, and it splashes and swirls. Only when you set the bowl down and let it sit, does the water become still.

Where do you most need God’s guidance for your future? Have you given that burden to him, and listened for his response? When last did you spend an hour listening to God? Even ten minutes? His will is a flashlight in the dark, showing you the next step to take. But you must stay in the light to find your way home.

Share the burden of God (10:19-33)

Peter didn’t want to obey what he heard from the Lord (vs. 14-15). Finally he did (vs. 20-21), with this result: “God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean” (v. 28). He has moved from revelation to obedience. So must we.

He invited the Gentile messengers from a Roman official into Simon’s home as his guests (v. 23), an act unthinkable to a self-respecting Jew. Note that when the leaders of the Sanhedrin paraded Jesus to Pilate for trial and execution, “to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace” (John 18:28). Even with the crucial outcome of their plot against this supposed insurrectionist hanging in the balance, they would not make themselves “unclean” by sharing a dwelling with a Gentile. But Peter has already begun to share the heart of God for all his children.

Thus he set out the next day at their request, walking thirty miles from Joppa to Caesarea. Would you make such a trip for the sake of someone you hadn’t met from a race you grew up despising? He told Cornelius his story, and heard in turn the Roman’s story. And the rest made history.

Author Joyce Huggett says, “The secret of true prayer is to place oneself utterly and completely at the disposal of God’s Spirit.” Thomas Merton, one of the best-known monks of the twentieth century, added, “The deepest prayer at its nub is a perpetual surrender to God.”

In his small but helpful book Intimacy with the Almighty, Chuck Swindoll quotes this Puritan prayer:

When you would guide me I control myself.

When you would be sovereign I rule myself.

When you would take care of me I suffice myself.

When I should depend on your providings I supply myself.

When I should submit to your providence I follow my will.

When I should study, honor, trust you, I serve myself;

I fault and correct your laws to suit myself.

Lord, it is my chief design to bring my heart back to You.

Standing before the House of Commons in June of 1941, Winston Churchill announced, “I have only one purpose, the destruction of Hitler, and my life is much simplified thereby.” Your questions about the future will be much simplified if you will first surrender that future to God. What is his plan for your life? His purpose for your gifts and service? His “north” for your compass? His Great Commission is clear, and required for every believer. Make sure your plans for the future fit within his purpose, and you will have his direction and provision for each step of the way.

Speak the word of God (10:34-48)

Peter has learned again to trust the power of God, to hear the voice of God, to share the burden of God. Now he can speak the word of God. He recounts in detail the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, sharing the greatest story ever told. It is interesting that he began with John the Baptist (v. 37), as did Mark’s gospel. Early tradition indicates that Mark recorded the teachings and testimony of Peter as the basis for his gospel; perhaps what we find in Acts 10 is the way Peter always presented the faith.

Peter’s testimony centers on the most powerful element any of us can introduce into evangelism and ministry: our personal experience. Again and again he cites his own encounters with Jesus’ life and work, incontrovertible evidence for the veracity of his presentation. The man born blind did the same thing before his critics: “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25).

We studied the result of Cornelius’s faith experience two weeks ago, in contrast with the Samaritans’ salvation. The results were historic beyond description: if a Roman officer could come to Christ without coming first to Judaism, the gospel is for the entire human race. With this one encounter, the whole world opened to the church and her mission. Her responsibility and privilege grew from a small race of people in a neglected area of the Empire to the entire globe. Cornelius began a call we are still attempting to fulfill today.

Wherever God intends you to be tomorrow, you may be sure that he intends you to speak his words where you go. Life is what happens while we’re making other plans. Peter had no intention of going to Joppa to raise a dead girl, or from there to Caesarea to witness to a Gentile soldier. His five-year plan would have included nothing that actually happened to him. But his obedience to God’s daily call led to the possibility of salvation for the entire human race. Our obedience is intended to do the same.

Conclusion

Recall again that place where the future is most troubling you today. Remember all the ways God has revealed his power to you to this point in your life, and know that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Give him your greatest fear and uncertainty, and listen for his Spirit’s voice in response. Expect him to call you into a future which will help fulfill his Commission for the nations. Yield to his desire to use your life in spreading the good news of his love. And tomorrow will be all the God of the universe can make it to be.

When Billy Graham began his first preaching crusade in England, criticism quickly rose from skeptics who claimed, “Mr. Graham is setting the church in this country back a hundred years.” When reporters asked him about such criticism, he smiled and responded, “I don’t want to set the church back a hundred years. I want to set it back 2,000 years.”

If we will trust tomorrow to God today as did those who began the faith movement we share, our future will be as secure as our past. This is the present-tense promise of God.

Picking Up the Pieces

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Picking Up the Pieces

Genesis 42-45

Dr. Jim Denison

Joseph’s family was in many ways the most dysfunctional in Scripture. Today we will see their pain and hurt up close, and learn how God healed their broken home. Along the way, we’ll find ways God can do the same for us, and for those we love. So, let’s return to ancient Egypt, and find help for north Dallas today.

The seven years of feasting are gone in Egypt, and the years of famine and depression Joseph predicted have gripped the ancient world. His family back home in Canaan has no food, so his father Jacob sends his brothers to Egypt to buy grain. And so one of the greatest dramas in biblical history unfolds. For the sake of time we’ll fast-forward through most of the script, stopping only where we must.

Picture the irony of the situation: these brothers who had condemned Joseph to slavery now stand before him as servile beggars, asking for food. They don’t recognize him, but he knows them immediately. Now he must learn if they are still the lying, hating, corrupted men they were twenty years earlier. So he devises two tests.

First he tests their honesty. He gives them the grain they have purchased, but instructs his servants to return their silver to their bags as well. When they later return for more grain, they return his silver to him, passing his test for integrity.

Now comes the greater test: one for family compassion. He sends them on their way, including his full brother Benjamin, but has his servants put his own very valuable silver chalice in Benjamin’s pack. They leave; he sends his soldiers after them; they discover the chalice, apparently stolen. They return to Joseph. He offers to make Benjamin his slave and free the rest. If this had been Joseph himself, twenty years earlier, they would gladly have accepted his offer.

But things have changed. They won’t allow it. Judah pleads with Joseph to choose him as a slave and free his younger brother. The other brothers plead as well. Finally, they have come to mutual love, sacrifice, and healing.

So now Joseph can reveal himself to them: “I am your brother, Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you…God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (45:5). What a reunion, after twenty years of separation, dysfunction, and pain.

Now, what does Joseph’s family teach us about ours? Let’s ask and answer some important questions together.

How to prevent family dysfunction

The first question: how can we prevent the kind of dysfunction and pain Joseph’s family experienced across twenty years? Here’s Joseph’s first answer: put your family ahead of yourself. His brothers put their egos and jealousy ahead of their brother, and this led to twenty years of separation and suffering. Have pride and egotism created separation and suffering in your home and family? Are there siblings, parents, or children you’re estranged from because of hurt, pain, misunderstanding?

Only when Joseph was willing to risk his place in Egypt for the sake of his family was he able to save them. He would tell us to do the same thing.

I will never forget the day Dr. Doug Dickens, pastoral care professor at Southwestern Seminary, preached in seminary chapel on the text, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). He said to us bluntly, if you’re putting your church or your career ahead of your marriage and family, you’re wrong. You’re in sin. Get God’s priorities in order in your life.

Joseph would say the same to us. Swallow your pride, your hurt, your ambitions, your place. Put your family first.

Second, expect your family to be attacked. Satan is a “roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). All across Scripture, he attacks first at the home and the family. He did it with Cain and Abel, and again with David, and still again with Jesus’ own unbelieving brothers. He did it with Joseph. He knows that hurting our family hurts us at the deepest places of pain.

And he hates whatever God loves. Satan knows that God loves the family. He invented marriage. Jesus chose to bless a wedding as his first public act of ministry and miracle. Satan hates what God loves.

Expect the enemy to attack. Joseph would testify that he will.

Third, Joseph would tell us to develop a strategy for family health.Joseph had to see if his brothers had changed, if their character was different. And so he embarked on a brilliant strategy to restore his family to health.

What’s your strategy for family health? When will you pray together, and share God’s word together? What memories are you creating? What proactive steps are you taking to make your family well and strong?

Fourth, Joseph would advise us to deal with problems the moment they arise. God’s word is clear: “Do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26). Deal with problems when you see them, as soon as you can.

Jacob ignored the sibling rivalries in his family, and they all paid an enormous price. Joseph would not make the same mistake. The moment his brothers arrived in Egypt he began doing all he could to make things right. What problems do you need to address?

How to deal with family pain

Now, what do you do if your family is already in pain, in hurt, in dysfunction? Here are some basic, simple, essential principles.

The first step is usually the toughest: admit the problem. Admit that your marriage needs help, or that your children are in trouble, or that your parent has a problem. This was easy for Joseph to see from a clay pit and an Egyptian prison. It’s seldom so easy for us, but we must do it. Admit the problem.

Second, talk to someone you trust. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” We need each other.

Don’t try to do this on your own. Call a friend—that’s what friends are for. Call your Sunday school teacher or fellow believer—this is our ministry from God.

And consider professional help as well. Most family problems, especially if they extend over years, are best treated with the help of those God has called and gifted for this reason. You wouldn’t try to heal a broken bone yourself; don’t try to heal a broken heart without help, either.

Third, initiate forgiveness. Joseph said to his brothers, “do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you” (Genesis 45:5). He took the initiative to forgive and seek healing.

Where are you wrong? What do you need to own up to and confess? With whom do you need to initiate reconciliation? They may not respond, but you have to start the healing process.

Fourth, stay close to God. I love this scriptural invitation: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Stay close to the only one who can change the hearts which need to be mended and helped. When we hurt it’s easy to turn from God, to blame him, to refuse his help. But this is like refusing to see the oncologist because he tells you that you have cancer. Turn to the only one who can solve your problem and heal your home.

Last, don’t give up. Joseph had to trust God across twenty years of separation, slavery, imprisonment, and pain, before he saw his family restored and well. Don’t give up.

Conclusion

Now, what can you do for hurting families you know? Take the initiative to help—don’t wait to be asked. Promise them your prayer support, and stay their friend through their pain. Encourage them to get help.

And don’t quit on them. Some of you have been praying for hurting friends for years. Don’t quit. I’ve heard wonderful stories just in recent days about Sunday school classes which wouldn’t stop calling absent friends, checking on hurting people, finally to see them come to healing and hope. It’s always too soon to quit.

All this said, here’s the best single advice I can give any hurting heart or home: go to Jesus. Scripture is clear: “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

He knows what it’s like to have your closest friends abandon you—so did his disciples. He knows what it is to be rejected by your immediate family. John 7:5 says, “even his own brothers did not believe in him,” and none of them joined his movement until after his resurrection. He was even separated from his heavenly Father for a brief moment, as he took our sins upon himself and the holy God had to turn his face (Matthew 27:46). Ultimately he died of a broken heart—broken for you and for me. And he died for broken hearts, including yours and mine.

Ask for what he wants to give. Open your hands and your heart. Receive in faith. Be fed and changed. Know the help and hope of the God who loves you so much he died just for you.