The Power Within

Sermon:  July 26, 2015

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

--Ephesians 3:14-21

Today’s scripture reading is a prayer. This was Paul’s prison cell at the time that the letter to the people of Ephesus was written.

First, Paul tells us that he kneels before the Father. Imagine him kneeling in there. Kneeling is a posture of submission. We have special cushions for kneeling in submission to God in prayer, yet Paul kneeled there on that stone floor.

Paul’s word choices here are intentional…he refers to God as Father and to all of the families under heaven and earth. It is important that you see our church as family. We are a family. And just as Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus (and in many other surrounding areas), we should also pray for our church…our extended family.

And in every family, there must be a certain amount of patience and understanding. We are all different and yet we must love one another, be kind to one another, confront each other when it’s necessary, and forgive each other. No family is perfect, but we are all important.

And, as I mentioned early, God is described as our Father. When we describe the Trinity we say “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”. God the Father is spirit, the Holy Spirit is spirit, and Jesus (the Son) was fully human and fully God—he is a physical being. But we need to understand that Jesus is the only member of the Trinity who had a human body. God is spirit. He is not an old white man with a long white beard…or, as many younger people may think, he is not an old black man in a white suit with the voice of Morgan Freeman. He is spirit.

So…why do we call him Father? Well, there are many who have begun to refer to God as Mother…or they alternate between both. However, I struggle with this. The Bible tells us that Jesus is God’s son. Jesus had a mother—Mary. Jesus refers to him as Father. Many references in the New Testament refer to God as the Father. So, I believe that God intends for us to see him as a Father. Dad. Daddy. 

Now, for people who did not have a good father figure in their lives, sometimes this reference is difficult. But keep in mind that God is the perfect father. He has none of the faults that our human fathers have. And just as a perfect father would love his children unconditionally, God also loves us in this way.

The prayer that Paul prays focuses on strengthening the young church with the power of the Holy Spirit. He prays that God will strengthen them “with power through his Spirit in their inner being”. He prays that “Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith”. And he prays that they “may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Next Paul describes the power of the Holy Spirit: He says that the Holy Spirit is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

The Holy Spirit! The same Holy Spirit that lives within us today!

We talked last week about the splitting of the veil in the temple that symbolized God’s presence leaving the confinement of the Holy of Holies. God is with us…his church. But the Holy Spirit did not make himself known to the people until after Jesus ascension.

We celebrate this momentous occasion! It is called Pentecost.

(Famous painting by Jean Restout II in the Louvre.  15 ft by 26 ft.  The “Pentecost” was originally a much larger artwork. It was wider and had an arched top displaying a dove symbolizing the descent of the Holy Spirit. From this dove once radiated golden shafts of light that streamed down upon the apostles.)

Jesus told his followers when he was preparing to ascend into heaven that another was coming…a helper, the Holy Spirit. Here is what the book of Acts tells us about that day.

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1-4)

Yes, the gift of tongues is real. I don’t have it so don’t ask me to do it! Nor do I have the ability to translate tongues—but there are also those with that gift.

The point is…the Holy Spirit came to us and gives us special power. In Paul’s first letter to the people of Corinth, he tells them about these special gifts.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

And Paul tells us in our scripture reading this morning that the Holy Spirit is able to do immeasurable more than all we can ask or imagine.

Yet…are we allowing the Holy Spirit to give us this power in our lives? How can we access this amazing power of the Holy Spirit…this power that is living within us.

I believe that there are four things that we can do. And I got these four things from the work of John Piper. He’s a theologian and pastor that I respect. I learn from him and many other theologians on a regular basis.

First, we need to immerse ourselves in God’s Word.

Do you realize that when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he responded to each temptation with scripture? There is POWER is scripture, folks. Yet, how can we defend ourselves with scripture if we don’t know any?

The bible is, by far, the bestselling book of all time. If you think about Bibles in your home, how many can you count in your head? I don’t even know how many we have—multiple translations from multiple events and occasions. We probably have more than 20.

Yet, when was the last time you read this best seller? When was the last time that you sat down in a quiet place and immersed yourself in God’s Word? And, even if you wanted to, it is often difficult to know where to even start!

It is not a normal book. It’s a library! A book full of books. Some of them are historical records, some are poems, some are songs, and some of them are prophecy.

I recommend starting with James. There are lots of recommended lists for “how to” read the Bible. Pick one and jump in. God will guide you.

The Bible is the primary way that God talks to us. He provided us with His Word. Read the Bible with the expectation that God will talk to you personally through the words that you read.

Secondly, we need to trust God.

Believe that the Bible is the truth and that God still speaks to us today through its enduring words. Know that you can trust that the Bible was written through the authority of God and inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. The writers of the scriptures were instruments that God used to pen His words. They were tools.

The Bible was written by men but inspired by God. Read it. Meditate on it. Believe it. And trust in its truth.

Faith is critical to our lives as Christians. Just ask the many who were healed and told by Jesus, “Your faith has healed you.” “Your faith has made you well.” 

The third thing we need to do is pray.

Prayer is another primary way that God talks to us. Yes, I know that we think of this as our primary way to talk to God, but we also need to take time in our prayers to just be still and listen.

And sometimes we are also called to fast. Fasting was used throughout Biblical times to speak to and hear from God. It is still a powerful tool today. In fact, John Wesley fasted every Wednesday and Friday…and he required his Pastors to do the same. It is important to know your physical limitations, talk with your doctor, and drink plenty of water when you fast.

But regardless of HOW you pray, know that God hears and answers prayer. That’s whether you pray constantly throughout the day in your mind, whether you pray aloud with your family, or whether you kneel and pray quietly. The Holy Spirit living within you makes sure that God knows your prayers before you even ask. In fact, the book of Romans tells us that the Holy Spirit knows what to pray for us even when we ourselves don’t know what to pray for.

Pray. Be intentional about it. Talk to God, your Father who loves you, and know he will answer. He won’t always answer in the way we think is best. But what do we know? Trust in his answers.

And finally, we need to be responsive to the nudging of the Holy Spirit.

If we want to take advantage of the power that we are offered through the Holy Spirit, we must be willing to do what the Holy Spirit prompts us to do. And it’s not always easy.

Have you felt the Holy Spirit urging you to visit someone, urging you to make a call, urging you to get involved in…something? All too often we ignore that prompting of the Holy Spirit because we don’t understand, or we’re scared, or we’re too proud.

When we resist the Holy Spirit, we are giving up this amazing power that God promises us. 

Sometimes I think it is unintentional. I think we can get so caught up in this world that we don’t even understand when God is trying to get our attention. But I will promise you that if you read God’s Word, if you pray earnestly and often, and if you believe…God and the Holy Spirit will find how to talk to you in a way that you understand.

When I work with youth, I encourage them to look for God Sightings. They begin noticing how God works in the world around them and before long they see how He is working in their own life. I encourage you to do the same.

Let’s use some of this mighty power that is right here within us to do amazing things for God in our community and in the world.

One in Christ

Sermon:  July 19, 2015

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

--Ephesians 2:11-22

Notice the first word of our passage today. What was it? Therefore.

“Therefore” indicates that what Paul is saying next all hinges on the truth the he expressed previously. With this in mind, before we can look at today’s passage, it is important that we understand verses 1-10.

Paul has said in this circulated letter to the people of the young church in the first century that they had been dead. When they followed the ways of the world, they were dead. Dead in their sin. Dead as followers of Satan, who was at work in the world back then and is still at work in the world today. And he admits that he was once dead in sin…just as you and I were once dead in sin.

Those who are dead, Paul says, “gratify the cravings of their bodies”. They, at once time even we, chased after our own desires and our own thoughts. And in this state, we deserved death. But even in this condition, maybe the condition that some of us are still in today, God loved us.

And through His son he showed His mercy by offering us grace…forgiveness. When God rose Jesus from the dead, He also raised us up.

Understand that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not because of anything that we have done. It is a GIFT from God. We are NOT saved by our good deeds. The good deeds that we do accomplish are through God’s work in us! These are things that God prepared us for before we were even born. We were created to do them so WE can’t brag about them.

Saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Alive now rather than dead in our sin. And that’s where we pick up today. We are alive!

Therefore… Remember. Remember who you were!

As we talked about last week, Paul is talking here in his letter to an audience that is made up almost entirely of gentiles, non-Jews. He wants them to remember that not long ago they were without God. They were not included in God’s covenant with Israel—His chosen people. They were without hope. 

But Christ’s sacrifice changed it all. Through the spilling of his blood, the law with all of its commands and regulations was set aside. His purpose was to make all people, one people—Jews and gentiles. His preaching was based on the concept of peace…no matter the audience. He opened the doorway so that through him, we (the gentiles) could have access to the Father.

In fact, do you realize that in the temple there was a special place for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit? It was called the Holy of Holies. Separating the Most Holy Place from the nave (The Holy Place) was a curtain. And when Jesus died, this veil split from the top to the bottom…removing the separation between God and his people.

Through this the gentiles were no long strangers, foreigners. Instead, we became citizens of God’s household. We became one with the Israelites. No longer was the temple needed! We are the church! 

Jesus is the cornerstone of our foundation with the rest of this foundation being made up of the apostles and all of the prophets. We are the bricks! You and I and every other Christian out there make up the bricks in this church that is built on such a holy and reliable base. We are the temple of the Lord. We are the dwelling in which God lives through the Holy Spirit. All of us. All of us who put our faith in Jesus Christ.

You see, folks, there is just one way to salvation, and that is through the grace of God given to those who believe—the Jews who believe and the gentiles who believe. Everyone who believes. We are one!

But we often sure don’t act like it. It didn’t take long for the young church to begin having disagreements about scripture, theology, beliefs, etc. Every generation has faced cultural issues that divide us…with this generation being no different as we face the issue of homosexuality and struggle with God’s definition of sexual sin…porneou, as it is called in the New Testament. Just what does “Porneou” include?

Yet this is only the current issue. In the past we have differed to the point of “splitting” on many issues…from the selling of indulgences by some who were misguided in the Catholic Church hundreds of years ago to the practices of infant baptism, communion, the roles of the saints that died before us, the importance of speaking in tongues, the role of women in the church, etc. Take a look at the splits!

Even within Methodism itself, see how we’ve split.

Yet when we read the Bible and we read Paul’s words, we realize that he is talking to the early, young church.  The church led by Peter that spread. And his words are true for all of us. The Bible is true for all of us. We just keep finding issues on which to disagree.

But, maybe instead, we need to focus on the issues in which we agree. Are there any? There certainly are. Turn in your pew bibles to page 881. You can see many creeds in this section of the UMH…but today we will focus on the Apostles’ Creed.

The Apostle’s Creed was believed to be written in the first or second century and holds the essential truths that we, and all Christians, believe to this day. Let’s read it together from your hymnal page 881.

This is an ecumenical version and includes our belief in the catholic church with the word “catholic” (with a small c) meaning “universal”. So when we read that we believe in the holy catholic church we are saying that we believe in the holy universal church…the entire body of Christ.

There will always be those that take a stand on specific issues…that take stands that lead to splits in the body of Christ. But folks, we ARE one body. Even when we disagree, we can continue to love one another and work together to build the kingdom of God. And that means across denominations as well as right here within our own doors.

We want to build a kingdom, even a local congregation, where we look out among the people and we think…what in the world do these people have in common? Jesus. Jesus is our Cornerstone. Everything we say and everything we do is based on our foundation which has the cornerstone of Jesus Christ. He’s the reason we here today and the reason that we will continue to share His gospel with the world.

Are you willing? How can we within the Syracuse First United Methodist Church be one in Christ? What are we doing right? What do we need to do differently? What do we need to do better?

How can we, as part of the body of Christ in the city of Syracuse, be one in Christ with our neighbors who also strive to follow him albeit through different denominations? What are we doing right? What do we need to do differently? What do we need to do better?

Open doors. Open hearts. Open minds. Let’s live these things as one in Christ. Amen.

Our Spiritual Blessings

Sermon July 12, 2015

Ephesians is a special book in our Bible.

There is some argument regarding who wrote it…although the general consensus is that it truly was written by Paul in about 60 AD. And there is some argument regarding who it was written to. In fact, our earliest and best manuscripts do not say that it was written to the church in Ephesus…but to all Saints. It is believed that maybe there was a blank there for the deliverer of the letter (possibly Tychicus) to write in the name of the current city.

You see, this was probably a circulated letter that was written, as stated in the opening, to the saints…to God’s holy people. All of them. That includes me and that includes you. So as we work our way through the highlights of the well-written masterpiece of Paul’s, keep in mind that God our father intended for you to hear these words.  As we believe that all scripture is inspired by God, we also know that God is omniscient. He put you in this time and in this place so that you would be touched by the words he gave to Paul so long ago. So receive them as God’s Word given to you.

Ephesians is a broad statement of Paul’s theology. In this letter he is not addressing a problem, as he usually is, in the developing church. Instead, he is systematically laying out God’s work in this world and the appropriate response to it as His church.

Following a brief greeting, Paul praises God for his blessings on us as Christians. In the original Greek, this is all one long sentence. But in our translations it has been broken down into smaller chunks. And that is how you and I will look at it this morning…in small chunks so that we can hear, absorb, and marvel at the blessings that God has given us as his followers.


“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” 

--Ephesians 1:3-4

Paul starts by telling us about the blessing given us by the Father, God.

We have been blessed in the “heavenly realms”, in the spiritual world--a place that is beyond our senses but that is no less real than the building in which we meet today, the pew in which you sit, and the people that you currently see and touch.

This is a blessing that is difficult for us comprehend…but know that in this spiritual realm you have EVERY spiritual blessing. Understand that God chose us, me and you, before the world was even created. We were extended a grace, in our Methodist faith this is called prevenient grace, that precedes any decision to follow Christ. It existed prior to and regardless of anything that we have done.

Know that through all of this, we are holy and blameless in the sight of God.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” 

--Ephesians 1:5-6

We were “predestined” to be His children. Now we need to be careful when talking about predestination. Paul never states anywhere that anyone was predestined to hell so our understanding of predestination is universal. We believe that all people are given the prevenient grace that can lead to everlasting life.

But notice that our predestination is through adoption. We were NOT God’s chosen people…the Isrealites were. We, as gentiles, were “grafted in” by adoption, we were not born into the family. Paul’s letter was obviously written to an audience that would’ve been largely made up of non-Jews…like you and I. This “grafting in” came through Jesus Christ. But it was God’s will and it was to his pleasure. And through this predestination through adoption we receive God’s glorious grace…which is given freely to us.

Will you accept this blessing today?

And now Paul transitions to sharing with us the blessing that we receive through the Son…Jesus Christ.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” 

--Ephesians 1:7-8

We have redemption.

Redemption is something that might have been paid for a slave or a piece of property. A ransom. We have been bought for a price…and that price was Jesus’ blood. The redemption was paid for our sins, our sins which put us into slavery in the first place. (We talked about this just last Sunday.)

Folks, this forgiveness, redemption, ransom is only possibly through the riches of God’s grace. He lavishes this grace on us.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” 

--Ephesians 1:8-10

God is omniscient. He knows everything. From the very beginning before time even began, he had a plan for this world. And as we continue to work our way through time, His will is revealed to us. 

Much of it is a mystery…but part of the mystery was revealed when Christ fulfilled his purposes on earth. You see, God’s plan is perfect. The events are perfect, our understanding of it is perfect, and his timing is perfect.

God promises that when the “times reach their fulfillment”, everything will be in unity under Christ. Everything under heaven and on earth. Everything physical and everything spiritual. Unity of everything. The lion and the lamb. Muslims and Christians. Blacks and whites. EVERYTHING, including spiritual forces, will be unified.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” 

--Ephesians 1:11-12

Again Paul talks about the fact that we are chosen. Another terms used to describe this is “election”. We are the elect. And he mentions here that he is talking to the young church who were the first to put their hope in Christ…just as we, as Christians today, put our hope in Christ.

It is reiterated that God works out everything so that it fits into the purposes that He intends. God works out EVERYTHING for his purposes…for His will.

So we are chosen you and I so that we would praise his glory. We were meant to glorify our creator, our Father…who is all knowing and in control.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” 

--Ephesians 1:13-14

Now Paul shares with us the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

So prevenient grace brought us to the point where we heard the message of the gospel…we heard the message of the truth. And when we believed this truth, we were marked with a seal.

Seal’s back then were often made with melted wax. Not only did the seal indicate ownership, but it also indicated protection.

We, my friends, are marked with this seal. It is the seal of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. The Holy Spirit who is a “deposit” on our future inheritance…just a little taste of the spiritual world right here in this physical world as a promise that we are destined for spiritual immortality.

The Holy Spirit living within you and within me is our guarantee from God himself that we are His. It can’t be taken away. It is guaranteed until the time of our redemption.

Will you accept this blessing today?

Following these verses…this one long, long sentence, Paul offered a prayer of Thanksgiving.  Allow me to offer such a prayer on behalf of this congregation and this body of Christ. Will you bow your head with me?

Lord God, I thank you for the First United Methodist Church of Syracuse and their faith in Jesus Christ. I ask you, Glorious Father, to give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they may know You better.

I pray that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened in order that they may know the hope to which you have called them, the riches of Your glorious inheritance, and Your incomparably great power for all of us who believe…the same power as the mighty strength you exerted when You raised Christ from the dead and seated him at your right hand in heaven, far above the powers of this earth, where you placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Amen.

(Prayer based on Ephesian 1:15-23)

My Call...Continued

It was a Tuesday night in March.  I was in my office working on a tax return when a Bruce Springsteen CD caught my eye.

"I haven't listened to Bruce lately," I thought.  Over the last two years I've mostly listened to KJIL and I couldn't remember the last time I pushed a disc in the slot.  

I made my Bruce selection, the 1975-85 live collection, and took it upstairs to sit with my purse until the next morning.

The following morning I was up early.  Our Satanta Indian boys basketball team was preparing for the State tourney.  The excitement was interrupting my sleep at the time!  After getting around, I sat down for some quiet time and a cup of coffee before work.  

A Facebook post from December entered my mind.  I had invited friends to the following: "The first five people who comment on this status with 'I'm in' will randomly receive a surprise from me at some point in 2015--anything from a book, a ticket, something homemade, a postcard, absolutely any surprise! There will be no warning and it will happen when the mood comes over me and I find something that I believe would suit you and make you happy."

One the friends who had "opted in" is also a Springsteen fan.  I did a little searching for some Bruce merchandise hoping for a good deal on something autographed.  Although I didn't find anything, I realized that this was the second time that this special performer had come up in my life in a short period of time.

For most people, this small coincidence wouldn't make them blink an eye.  But it's different for me.  Bruce, after all, has been used by God throughout my call to ministry to confirm important decisions or upcoming critical events.  I was put on alert.

I shut my computer and went on to work.

At lunch I ended up with some strange plans.  A couple of my youth group boys needed haircuts before the state tourney and I knew they wouldn't have time to get this done after school.  I got permission to sign them out and ran them to the barber.

When we got out of the vehicle on Main Street in Garden City, guess who was being piped through the speakers on main street.

Yep.  There was Bruce singing a song I have never heard on the radio before.  In fact, I had to look it up.  "Dust and Devils".  As with much of his music, this one includes a Biblical thread.  In fact, one line says, "Find the love that God wills and the faith that He commands."

I froze...pointing up.

The boys turned and looked at me.

"Bruce!" I said.

They looked at me with curiosity.  "What are you talking about?"

"It's Bruce!  Boys, I don't know what it is, but something important is happening today."  Laughing, we went inside.

And when I got back to work, I sat with Megan and told her the story.  As I told it, she had music playing on her computer quietly, as usual.  On this day, it was country music.  She had searched for a little known band that she enjoys on Pandora and the channel included lots of music from other little known country bands.

As we worked together, one of those bands started singing about Bruce.  We both look up at each other.  "What is that song?  Who is the band?" I asked.  Neither of us had heard of either before that moment.

Four times now.

After work I went home and completely changed my lesson for PS101 Youth Group that night.  I needed to tell the kids my call story.  When it was time to go, I grabbed the magazine and headed to the church.  (If you know the story of my call, this makes sense.  If not, that's a whole other blog.)

After sharing my story with the kids that night, I told them that I knew that day was a very important day in my life.  However, I also told them that I did not yet know why.  It was about 8:00 when we got back home that night.

The call came after 9:00 pm.  "Gina, the United Methodist Church has an appointment for you."  After talking to my UMC District Superintendent for a while, it was revealed that I was being called to the First United Methodist Church of Syracuse, Kansas.

There was no way I could say no.  God had been preparing me for this call all day long.

Several days later, I would find out that Don (my Superintendent) had resigned himself to waiting until the next day to call me.  It had been a long day...and it was late.  He NEVER called anyone after 9:00.  But he felt compelled to call that night only to hear me say on the other end, "I knew you were going to call!"

Just the weekend before, he thought he needed to call me and tell me that there would not be an appointment for me this year.  In fact, he considered calling several times.  When it was discerned by the Bishop and Cabinet that I should be appointed to Syracuse, he confessed to Todd and I that he was deeply humbled.

Todd, the kids, and I sat down and discussed the situation.  Each one of them looked at me and said, "This is what you need to do."  They are all excited...and yet scared.

How will we make this work?  Where will the kids go to school?  What about selling our house?

So many questions for those of us with little faith.

This past Friday, before our house ever went on the market, we agreed on a contract for its sale.

God is faithful!

We are excited for the adventure of serving Him in this way.  And...we have confidence that God has all the details well under control.

Something in the Water

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:4-11)

The book of Mark begins with this story…the story of John and of Jesus’ baptism.

John, like the prophets of the Old Testament, was preaching about repentance. Repentance. Not just asking for forgiveness, but having a change of heart so that one turns from, stops, doing something. It’s an internal change that results in a change of behavior…not the other way around.

Do you know people who have tried to make changes in their lives…only to fall back into old habits and fail miserably? Behavioral change is hard…maybe impossible…without a change of heart.

It’s New Year’s resolution time again. It’s a time when people reflect on their lives and determine that they will make changes for a fresh start in the new year. And we all have changes we want or need to make. However, most of us will not be very resolute.

Although we want different outcomes, we won’t have the deep change of heart that is needed to make lasting and meaningful change. We may chase an ideal by trying to eat less and exercise more, but unless there is an internal change to be a healthy person, we will not succeed. If we have internalized (whether consciously or not) that food makes us happy, secure, and whole (or alcohol, or gambling, or drugs, or sex, or fame, or spending), our battle against our vice cannot be won.

In fact, I would argue that only God can provide that change of heart. Only God can provide the happiness, security, and wholeness that we are seeking.

For many people, that change of heart comes through a crisis.

Although I do not believe that God causes bad things to happen, I do believe that God uses those things we see as bad or evil to help shape us when they do happen. After all, we are told in the book of Romans that “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Each of the vices I mentioned earlier can lead to such a crisis…not at God’s doing, but at our own. For example, overeating can lead to multiple life-threatening health problems. Drinking can lead to bad choices as well as internal physical damage. Gambling and spending can lead to deception, thievery, and bankruptcy. The list goes on and on.

Allow me to give you an example.

I have a dear friend who sought happiness through the party scene. Although he was married and had children, he was a drug user and alcohol abuser. These two vices often impaired his ability to make good decisions. And when he made a bad decision, he would turn back to drugs and alcohol for the comfort, happiness, and wholeness that he knew he needed.

He lost his wife and his children through divorce. It finally came to a head when he was in a nearly fatal accident while under the influence. But God met my friend in this crisis. God nurtured him through this crisis. And, ultimately, God changed his heart.

I’m not going to say it was easy. It wasn’t. But the change he experienced was so deep and so strong, that he was able to truly repent. And he has been blessed.

My friend remarried. His relationships with his ex-wife and his children have been repaired. Not only does he serve others through his church, but many lucky foster children also call him “Daddy”. And he praises God daily and publicly for all of these things. 

This man repented with true repentance. There was a change in his heart that led to a change in his life. Lasting change.

However, not all crises that we go through are our fault. Sometimes we must deal with a crisis brought on by someone else’s bad decisions. And, sometimes, in this fallen world, bad things just happen—illness, natural disasters, accidents, etc.

But when we find ourselves coping with the devastation of a crisis, self-inflicted or otherwise, God uses the situation to lead us to repentance. He uses it to change us internally, to change our hearts.

Let me give you another example.

Recently some friends of mine lost their daughter in a car accident. Don and Renee Beesley’s daughter, Montana, was ripped from their family. It was no one’s fault. There were no drugs or alcohol involved. Montana and her family loved God, served God, were involved in their church, and spoke openly about Jesus Christ.

And yet, here they were, the father, mother, and two younger sisters, facing a crisis…the worst nightmare of any parent.

But remember that verse from earlier: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” How in the world could God use this for good?

I remember praying for Don and Renee. I remember praying that God would give them strength and help them respond in a way that would bring glory to Him. And this is exactly what they did.

They celebrated their daughter’s life and her deep faith. They praised God for the gift of her life. They thanked Him for the lessons that she taught them in 15 short years about being strong and persistent and faithful. She had introduced Christ to so many throughout her life.

I talked to Renee, Tana’s mom, last night. She shared this with me.

“She touched more lives than we ever knew, she once told us that she probably knew someone in every town from Hugoton to Wichita and we laughed at her; but after over 1,200 people came to remember her, we figured she might have been right.

"I have had young people message me that live in Wichita. One said she knew what kind of person Tana was and she wanted to get right with the Lord, so I set her up with my sister in Wichita and they went to church together. Another girl I don't know Facebook messaged me and said she went out to the cemetery and had a long talk with Tana and gave her life to the Lord.

"Just four nights ago at midnight I received a Facebook message from a high school boy who had overdosed and was so sad until he heard singing and followed and he saw Montana. He said she saved his life.

"One day we were shopping in brass buckle and Tana noticed the young man helping us was cutting himself so she talked with him about how much God loved him. He was an atheist, but she assured him God loved him and she cared about him. I went in there earlier this week and he remembered her and we visited about their conversation and I noticed his cutting scars were healed.”

Have you ever seen an alter call at a funeral? I haven’t. But these parents asked for one. The church was packed, as Renee indicated, and so many came up to give their lives to Christ during the service that those in attendance couldn’t keep count. This young lady brought more people to Christ in death than most of us will throughout our lives.

God used this crisis for repentance. He used this crisis to change hearts. I was brought to tears by the realization that even these Christ-loving, God-fearing parents were brought to repentance. Listen to Renee’s words:

“We miss Tana more than we can express, but for the first time I understand ‘God's peace that passes all understanding’ and I also understand this world is not my home.  I have loved this world a little too much, but now I feel unfastened and can't wait for my whole family to be together in heaven soon. We are assured every day that Tana’s life and death were not in vane as God continues to use her even through her passing.”

This is what John preached about…change, real change. Baptism was not something new. Baptism had been around for a while and was symbolic of cleansing and a clean, new beginning. But John preached of a baptism of repentance.

And Jesus came. Jesus came…and was baptized. Was he repentant? He was sinless! Wasn’t this unnecessary and irrelevant?

No. Nothing Jesus did was unnecessary or irrelevant. According to theologians, Jesus had four necessary and relevant reasons for being baptized by his cousin, John.

First, it was a moment of decision.

Jesus was somewhere around 30 years old. Although we don’t know much at all about those young years, we do know that he was trained as a carpenter and had stayed in Nazareth…working at a normal daily job but surely knowing that He was called to more. So he waited for that sign the he knew would come that would lead him out into the world.

That sign was John. When Jesus chose to go to John, the very man who was preaching of his imminent arrival, he made his decision.

Secondly, it was a moment of identification.

By coming forward in John’s movement, Jesus identified himself with the movement. He identified himself with the need for repentance and baptism. He identified himself with the Godward movement of the people.

And this was also a moment of approval.

Jesus had left his home…everything he knew and everyone he loved. Although we know that he was fully God on earth, we must remember that he was also fully human.

If you had left your family, your job, your hometown, and were out on your own trying to do what you felt you were called to do…wouldn’t you be terrified? Can you imagine the questions he must’ve had: How will I eat? Where will I sleep? Who will love me? Will I be safe? Will my mother and siblings be okay without me there?

Jesus did not take the decision lightly. He must have felt very strongly about his decision. But even when we feel compelled, even when we feel certain, there is always that little bit of doubt and fear that eat at us.

Well, if Jesus was fighting that last little bit of doubt and fear, God put that to rest when he told him, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Listen to those words again. God spoke to Jesus…not to the crowd, not to John, not to the world. These words were spoken to Jesus…a reassurance to him. “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

And, finally, this was a moment of equipment.

It was at this time, this moment, that God equipped Jesus for his ministry—“the spirit descended on him like a dove.” Like a dove.

A dove is symbolic of gentleness throughout the Bible. This simile was intentional and specific. Although John’s ministry was a message of doom, wrath, vengeance, and a consuming fire, Jesus’ ministry would be marked by gentleness.

Yes, he would conquer, but it would be a conquest of love.

Have you missed an important moment of decision in your life? Is there a decision that you need to make that you’ve been putting off? Does God keep putting that decision in front of you?

How are you identified? What movements do you support? What causes do you fight for? What behaviors do you exhibit to show the world who you are?

Whose approval do you seek? Do you need to please your friends? Your family? Your own desires? The world? Or are you seeking approval from God?

Have you discovered how you are equipped by God? What gifts and abilities has He given you for His purposes in the world? How are you using those gifts and abilities? Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to descend on to you and guide you?

I want to revisit Montana’s life for just a moment. She had made a decision to live for Christ at a very young age. And, certainly, she identified herself as a Christ-follower. A very special sign of approval from God was seen on the day of her service. You see, just as God spoke directly to Jesus one day long ago, he also spoke directly to Tana’s family through two rainbows that were evident on the clear blue day that she was laid to rest. He had equipped her to sing, to love, to reach out to people, and to serve Him in her own unique way…and she used those gifts and abilities to do just that.

Jesus’ baptism was important. It was important for him then and it is important for us today. Baptism is a sacrament. It is a mystery. It is a miracle. If you haven’t yet been baptized, I pray that you will seek and accept this wonderful gift from a God who loves you and will continue to seek and accept you.

And for those of you who have received this gift, I pray that each of you will take time to remember your baptism today…and be thankful.


Amen.

Missed Flights and Bad Falls

I was looking forward to, yet dreading, 10 full days at seminary. Of course, I was looking forward to the time to focus and connect with my colleagues, but I was really dreading being away from my family for so long after our recent move. Everyone was still adjusting to our new busy schedules.

In the past, I had made the drive to Wilmore, KY. But this year I was another 4.5 hours away. There seemed to be a huge difference between a 13 hour drive and an 18 hour drive. I just didn’t think I could pull it off. But I was thrilled to find a reasonably priced ticked out of Garden City. My drive would be just 45 minutes with a layover in Dallas. I could leave early Thursday morning and be in class Thursday evening.

And by early, I mean EARLY. My flight was at 6:05 am. However, with Garden City Airport being just a small regional airport, I figured I could show up an hour early and that would be plenty of time to get through security and get loaded up.

So, I set my alarm on my iPhone for 3:30 am. I missed a flight once, so I am now always paranoid that it will happen again. With that said, I didn’t sleep well that night. In fact, I laid awake for about an hour just waiting for my alarm to go off, thinking about my upcoming week.

But once the alarm sounded, I was up and around. I had packed the night before so it was just a matter of showering, dressing, and loading everything up…and hugging everyone goodbye. Even if they were still sleeping.

I was pleased that I was giving my last hug at 4:15 and was ready to walk out the door. But I looked at Annie’s clock as I hugged her and noticed that it said that the current time was 5:15. What? Hmmm….I wondered how her clock and gotten off by an hour.

I went back upstairs and looked at another clock…5:15. I looked at my iPhone….4:15. What in the world? “Todd,” I hollered, “what time is it?!”

Groggily he opened his eyes and looked at his own phone. “It’s 5:15. What did you do?!”

I hurriedly explained that my iPhone time was wrong and that I was going to try to make my flight anyway. Maybe there was a delay. Halfway to Garden City, my phone started displaying the correct time. Thank you very much.

But, of course, I saw the plane take off while I was right outside the terminal.

Shoulder’s slumped and feeling sorry for myself, I walked into the airport and explained what had happened. My comment to the guy at the ticket counter was, “I apparently was supposed to miss this flight. I rely on my phone every day and have never had that happen before.”

He scheduled me on a flight later in the day.

I drove back home. And while I was there, I realized that I would run out of my asthma medication while at Asbury. So, I took the time to call in a refill. On my way back out of town, I swung by to pick it up.

“When we run this through your insurance, it says that your policy is cancelled,” said the gal at the counter of the pharmacy. I didn’t have the time for such a message. I told her I would just fill it when I got back. I would be fine without my medication for a few days.

But on the way, I stopped at my office and caught my human resources gal. “Whitney, the pharmacy told me this morning that my insurance policy is cancelled.”

“It is,” she said. “You told me you were switching to your husband’s insurance on October 1.”

Oops. That had originally been the plan. But when we compared our policies, Todd and I had realized that it would be cheaper for my insurance to be through my employer while he and the kids were on his policy.

“Oh Whitney. Did I forget to come in and redo that paperwork?” Well, of course I had. And this day was October 3. Neither his insurance carrier nor mine had to let me back into the group. It was likely that I would have to pay full price for a separate policy or just go uninsured until January 1.

I was in tears. That was just too much for one day.

But I went on to my flight and made it to Kentucky. Within a few days, Whitney let me know that she had talked to the BCBS director and they had agreed to let me back in our group since it was discovered within only 2 days.

If I had not missed that flight, I would not have called in that refill. I would not have realized that I had no insurance until at least October 15. I most likely would be uninsured today.

Now…let me fast forward.

A few weeks ago, my husband and I participated in our first 5K. We enjoyed doing this together! Of course, our times were not impressive and we stayed together throughout the trek. But we thought this would be a good way for us to start getting back into shape together.

So, last Tuesday (11/12/13) evening when I told him I wanted to go walk the 5K route, he was not surprised. I didn’t want to mess with carrying my phone, but he convinced me to take it “just in case.” At about the 2 mile mark, a saw a semi coming down the road toward me so I decided to walk in the ditch until it got by. But I stepped either in something or on something, twisted my ankle, and ended up in a heap with my foot caught under me at an unnatural angle.

It was work just to get it out from underneath me! And I knew immediately that I had broken it.

I pulled out the cell phone and called Todd. Actually, I accidently pushed the “facetime” button. He said I looked like a crazy woman on the screen of his phone. And I FELT like a crazy woman.

“Come get me! I’ve broken my ankle!” I explained where I was while biting back the incredible pain. We went directly to the ER…and then by ambulance to the hospital in Garden City where I had surgery the following afternoon.

Wow….are we ever thankful that we have good insurance! We are so grateful that I missed that flight last month! When this hit me while lying in that hospital bed, I exclaimed it out loud. “THIS is why I missed that flight!”

The gal from Numana that helped me coordinate the food packaging event in Salina last year contacted me right away. Right before our event, she fell down her stairs and broke both of her ankles. “I know you will have a blessing come from this, Gina. I did.”

And you know what? I’m quite sure she is right. Whether this was just one of those things that happen in a fallen world that we must cope with…or whether this incident was orchestrated by God for a specific purpose, I have NO DOUBT that He will bring good from it. He’s amazing that way!

Thank God today for your missed flights and bad falls. Even when you don’t understand how they could ever result in good. Even if you never see in your lifetime, how they did result in good. Trust in the Lord and they surely will.

Romans 8:18-28 (NIV):  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Going Home

Sermon 8

July 14, 2013

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”  John 14:1-4

My grandmother met my grandfather while he was playing the accordion at dance. His blue eyes captured her…and that was that.

Eunice Mae was young and beautiful while Oscar Gustav was very talented. After hearing a song, he could play it…and play it well. They were married and soon found that they were expecting my father.

 And then World War II got in the way.

Grandpa left after devising a plan with my grandmother to let her know where he was through his letters. Of course, it was a no-no to disclose such information. But grandpa would put a subtle little dot above the letters that would spell out his location. In the screening process, nobody noticed a little dot here and there. She always knew how and where he was…and that gave her comfort.

And time went by.

When my grandfather came home to meet his son for the very first time, young Oscar Gary was 3 years old.

Can you imagine the excitement on that day? The fear, the joy, the “rightness” of that moment?  I look at these pictures and am so thankful that through them we are able to share in such a very special point in history.

Grandpa brought him candy. And he hugged and kissed this little boy, this stranger, his son.

Homecomings are sweet times. But they are not always easy and often, even a bit scary. Imagine my grandfather’s thoughts on that trek home:

• How do I relate to a wife who has grown up so much without me? 
• Will I even know her anymore? 
• Will she love me? 
• Will I love this son whom I’ve never met? 
• Will he learn to love me? 
• How do I even function in the world now? What will I do? 
• How can I get past all of the things I saw and did during the war? Can I live with it? 
• How will I support myself, a wife, and a child? 

I’m quite certain that mixed with the excitement of going home, Grandpa also was scared and nervous.

You know, the Israelites faced fears at the time of their homecoming. God used Moses to set them free to go to their home—a land of milk and honey—Canaan. The promised land. It sounded like a great idea…but in the middle of their journey they questioned their decision to leave slavery in Egypt. Not because it was a great life, but because it was familiar.

We are often afraid to leave what we know, aren’t we? To exchange the known for the unknown…even if it promises to be better.

The Bible gives us a great example of a homecoming in the story of the Prodigal Son. After demanding his inheritance, a young man squanders it all in a life of debauchery. At that point, he had to get a job. His job? Feeding pigs. And he longed to eat the food he fed them. I’m sure he had a lot of time to reflect on his choices. And he realized that his father’s servants were better off than he was. Yet, could he face his father after all of this and ask to be hired at servants’ wages? He decided to try.

And his father welcomed him home.

In fact, he sent for:

• nice, clean clothing, 
• a ring to symbolize that the young man was his son and not a servant, 
• and a fattened calf for a grand celebration. 

 He greeted his boy by running to him, by throwing his arms around him, and, yes, with a kiss.

The scripture reading for today came from Jeremiah and from Psalms. This scripture is about the time of exile for the Israelites. They were taken from their home in Judah and they longed to return. In fact, God promised them that they would return when He says in a verse that you may be familiar with, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Did you notice that earlier in that scripture, he also told them to carry on even if they were not “home”. Even when things were not ideal, He expected them (and he expects us) to persevere.

“Marry," he said. “Have children. Plant crops. Prosper. And Pray!”

God was telling them the same thing that Gig Jones told me through a facebook post the other day, “Bloom where you are planted.” Yes, I think that is just exactly what God expects. And God was faithful to His promise to bring them home.

As Todd and I look back, we see why we were brought here. We see how Todd’s experience prepared him for this opportunity. We see how my experience prepared me for this opportunity. We appreciate more so many of the gifts of Southwest Kansas that we simply took for granted…the dryer climate, the beauty of the huge dark sky twinkling at night, the sunrises and sunsets over the plains, the nearness of our family, and the dearness of the land.

But we, like those freed Israelites and that prodigal son and those exiled Jews and my grandfather returning home from the war, also have fears. Will “home” be the same as we remembered it from our childhoods? Will our children be happy there? Will we be welcomed back with open arms? And even… “Is this God’s will for us? What is God’s plan for my ministry out there?”

And sometimes… “Is this crazy?! What are we doing?!”

But thankfully God has reassured us over and over that it is time to go home. In fact, the latest affirmation was this song. I hadn’t heard it for years…but it came on the radio the other morning as I waited to pick up Andy at swim practice.

God sure knows how to talk to me!

Keep in mind, Todd's new employer is none other than "Southern Star".

You know, when my grandfather came back life was not always rosy. That’s a whole other sermon! And when Moses led those Israelites off to the Promised Land, he had no idea they would be lost in the wilderness for 40 years. We don’t even know what happened later to that prodigal son, but we know that the faithful brother who had stayed around to serve his father must have struggled a bit with the return of the one who had abandoned the family to serve himself. And those exiled Jews that were allowed to return to Judah…well, some of them never went back.

The fact of the matter is, we are not guaranteed a happy ending in this life. We aren’t. Nothing here, nothing, is secure.

Todd and I aren’t moving home with the expectation of a “happily ever after”…at least not in this life. We fully anticipate that there will be ups and downs. There may even be times when we question our decision to return. But that’s okay… Because we know that “home” for us here on earth is not really our “home” at all. 

Hebrews 13:14 says, “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” And we are still waiting for that enduring city today.

Remember the Gospel reading? Our home is being prepared for us in a place that we can’t imagine. In fact, our earthly home doesn’t even compare to the home that God has waiting for us. It’s exciting to think about, isn’t it?

But it is also scary.

We all have a lot of questions about that future home, don’t we? In fact, some will question their decision to go “home” and never ever make it.

Jesus said, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” And you DO know the way. The Bible is your roadmap…the Holy Spirit, well, he’s your Garmin! Thank goodness, because there are many times in our lives where we take a wrong turn. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just say…”You’re lost, you idiot! Figure it out yourself!” Instead, he says, “Recalculating.”

You see, even though you and I sometimes choose the long, hard road…as long as we believe, we will be led home. When God calls us home…to be home with Him...THAT, my friends, will be a homecoming.

And in the meantime, the Tyler family won’t be that far away. In fact, with the technology we have today many of you won’t feel like we’ve even left. So let’s enjoy this adventure that God has granted us by breathing us to life. Life goes on. We and our families should “Marry. Have children. Plant crops. Prosper. And Pray!”

And may we all “Bloom where we are planted.”

Father, I thank you for making this our home for the last 7 years. And I thank you for these people who have been our church family. I pray that you will guide them through this time of transition, and that it is a time of growth and excitement in the church as new ideas take form and new adventures begin. Be with them and strengthen them. And Father, also be with us as we start a new adventure. I pray for our future church in Satanta and all of the people in our new church family. We know you have plans for all of us, Lord. And we are grateful. Amen.

How to Spot a Christian

Sermon 7
May 5, 2013

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.  “All this I have spoken while still with you.  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  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.  “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.  I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. --John 14:23-29

We honor our high school seniors today. One of them is mine, so bear with me if my emotions creep into my voice.

At different milestones in your life, you become strangely aware of the passage of time. For the high school seniors, it seems like you’ve been in school forever. But for the parents, it seems that you packed up that backpack and sent them into the school by themselves for the first time just yesterday.

And this is true for other events in life also. The concept of time is difficult for us to wrap our little human minds around. 

For example, many doubt that God really created the heavens and the earth in only 6 days. They point to scientific data that has led to “proof” that our world is millions of years old and started with one big bang. Yet, they fail to recognize and understand that our God, an eternal being who is not bound by time, created time.

Listen to Genesis 1:1-2:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 

Hmmm…any mention of time. Any indication that “time” is passing yet? Let’s look at the next couple of verses:

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. 

Aha…now I can see time. Was the universe there BEFORE time began? Can we even grasp such a concept? I don’t have the ability to know. Neither do you. Neither do scientists.

But I do know this, we are bound by time. Once we have lived a moment, we can never go back and live that moment again. Even if we just slept through it. Once we have lived a moment, it becomes part of our history…a history that is unchangeable. Because the time that we are bound to is linear. Once we have lived a moment, there are consequences.

Think of it this way…here is a moment.

And it’s effects.

But other people also live the same moment…and their choices during that moment have effects--

effects that may affect your future moments. Like this!

Although none of us know how much time will be given to us, we do know that each moment of time that we have is a gift. So…what are we going to do with this gift?

Let me tell you something that you should know. It’s a little secret that I didn’t learn as early in my life as I would’ve liked…so I want to share it with you.

What you DO comes from who you ARE. Doing comes out of being.

This is such an important concept to understand. If your actions (your “doing”) doesn’t come from who you truly are (your “being”), eventually your “being” will betray, and destroy, your “doing”. In other words…your actions will show who you truly are. Don’t waste time developing a reputation…invest time in developing your character.

Don’t get me wrong, you will mess up. You will do things that you regret. You will hurt people. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  But if your “being” is in Christ, you will recognize your mistakes, repent from them, and learn from them. However, If your being is NOT in Christ, when you do hurt others you will be angry that you got caught, blame as many other people as you can, and be sure to be much sneakier the next time.

Ground your life in the Word of God. This takes effort. Any relationship takes effort.

Each one of our graduates is planning to attend college next year. No two are going to the same place. They’ll be in all over Kansas, in Missouri, and in Georgia. In a few months, our seniors will enter into the most selfish time of their lives. It’s true.

For the first time ever, dad and mom won’t know where they are, what they are doing, and who they are with every moment of the day. For the first time ever they will be responsible to and for nobody but themselves. For the first time ever they will be free from past mistakes, past accomplishments, and past reputations in a sea of young people who are all experiencing the exact same freedom.

Who will you be? Notice—I didn’t ask “What will you be?” or “What will you do?” Who will you be? Let me warn you, there is some awfully rotten fruit that is going to look very fresh, sweet, and tasty in your new little garden.

You are going to hear and see many different world views. You are going to witness people belittle faith in God. You may even have instructors that ask you how you can base your beliefs and opinions on a book that was written thousands of years ago in a different time and place…a book of myths and fairytales...of legends and superstitions.

Did you know that one of the biggest obstacles to students maintaining their Christian faith is their inability to reconcile their faith with science? Students learn about science and hear that it is incompatible with Christianity. I brought up evolution for a reason—it’s one of the biggest factors that young people cite for abandoning their faith in God. They have more faith in the theories of man.

Science seeks to understand the world around us through exploration. Any provable “truths” that are discovered through science should not be feared. We believe in the truth. We believe that Christ IS the Truth. All truths will lead to Christ.

Did you know that there are theories that humans believed for centuries that were eventually proven false? Do you think that all of our scientific theories now are correct? That somehow we are much smarter than the humans of the past? That’s laughable!

Ever heart of Mozart? Leonardo DaVinci? Socrates? Galileo? Know anybody living now who can compare in their brilliance? C.S. Lewis calls this “chronological snobbery.”

Oh, I would never have eaten from the fruit of that tree in Eden.

I can’t believe people were stupid enough to think the world was flat?

I would not have fallen for the idea that the earth was the center of the universe.

Never, would I have EVER, worn my hair like THAT!

We think we are so much smarter than those who came before us. You just wait until your kids and grandkids laugh at your clothes, music, language, and yes…hairstyles, in a few short decades.

But God’s Word always remains true. That doesn’t mean we quit seeking answers, that we quit exploring, that we discontinue the development of theories.  It just means that we need to keep things in perspective. 

So how do you spot a Christian?

Well…our culture tells us that they look like this.

Those of you in my generation will remember this.

And there are others who believe that they look like this.

There are some big name popular preachers who will tell you they look like this.

But I will tell you that you cannot spot a Christian in a picture because in any given moment of time any person in the world could be doing something that we value as Christians. A Christian isn’t defined in a moment…but in a lifetime of ripples.

You cannot just do; you must be.

You cannot just do things that we view as Christ-like without knowing Christ…without being a Christian and expect to maintain it.

So every day, every single day, get to know Christ a little better. Read about him. Talk to him. Talk about him with others. Think about him. Worship him. BE in him. And if you do, He will also be in you.

Let’s go back to our gospel reading for today, I want to re-read for you a few of the verses. “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Did you hear that? You will never have to be alone. Through the Holy Spirit, our Father God and his Son Jesus will make their home with you. The Holy Spirit will teach you and will remind you…granted, sometimes when you least want to be taught or reminded.

It’s not always going to be fun. It’s not always going to be easy. You are not guaranteed health and wealth and happiness in this life. But you are guaranteed that God will use every experience you go through for His good…for His purposes.

So, although life is getting ready to change, although you are about to embark on a grand adventure, although your family and friends may not always be with you, your Father in heaven always will be.

Remain in Him and show the world what a Christian looks like.

Father, we realizing that doing is so much easier than being. We can hide who we ARE by what we DO from others, but we can’t hide it from you. Nor can we maintain that charade for long. Work in our lives, Lord, to guide us in our efforts to remain in you so that our actions will just flow naturally from our being…our being that is defined in You. We ask for your blessing on our graduates, Father. Guide their steps, guide their minds, and guide their hearts as they prepare for this new freedom that they will experience soon…a freedom they many never experience again in their lives once work, spouses, and/or children come along. It is a special, special time for them…and we pray that they will remain in You. Give them that longing, Lord. Give them that courage. Amen.