Galatians 4:9-11 1/30/2024*

“But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? You meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.”

After being saved by grace, the Galatians were slipping back into the lie of trying to earn their salvation. Why do I find myself living out this passage?  Have I fallen for the enemy’s sleight of hand?  Do I read my bible and go to church so I can earn my place? Paul says to the Galatians (and me) that if that is the case… We’ve missed the target. 

So, what’s the attraction of giving up freedom - in favor of works?  Why is this such a slippery slope? It’s simple. It boils down to pride:

- Working “SO” I will be saved, is about me… 

- Working  “BECAUSE” I have been saved, is about my Father … 

Works promote me. Grace promotes God. Works produces a burden; grace produces freedom.  Discipline is important, but it has nothing to do with my salvation, and nothing to do with how much my Father loves me. That’s all grace. 

Grace gives me the freedom to become a slave.  That sounds strange -  but grace changes me, from the inside… It makes me love and serve others… I can focus on the lost, because all my needs have been met. I’m free to rescue others from drowning because I have been provided an unsinkable life vest. 

Earning my salvation is a moot argument anyway - because if there were any way I could attain righteousness through works, there would have never been a Cross.  There is no way God allows His Son to die for me if all I must do is work harder. To imply we could earn our salvation diminishes the cross as though it was unnecessary.  

My eternity is determined by my faith, in the grace God has given me through the cross. There is no other way to attain it.  Period… Hard Stop.  There are some negotiable subjects in scripture… but this is not one of them. 

“You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.” ― Jonathan Edwards

2 Corinthians 2:7-8 1/23/2024*

“… on the other hand, you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a person might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Therefore, I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.” 

Last week we talked about love. This morning let’s examine a tough characteristic of love - forgiveness. Buckle up because this is “graduate level” love, and it’ll be challenging. 

The person Paul’s probably discussing forgiving in this passage, had committed incestuous sins, publicly known, and referenced in Paul’s first letter.  So, we’re not talking about minor indiscretions, but vile immorality, no doubt wounding others, and giving the church in Corinth a blackeye.  Paul did not ignore his sin, but instead demanded church discipline, which led to repentance, … So, what now?

What do I do when someone repents, and needs my forgiveness? Apparently, I am to not only forgive, but restore them. I am supposed to comfort the one who made me so uncomfortable, joyfully reaffirming my love for them to prevent them from having excessive sorrow. 

That’s a problem. When I forgive, I tend to strut around, puffed up at my own spiritual maturity. I expect the “forgiven” to be amazed at my graciousness. I’m willing to pardon those who hurt me, but I want them to have a scar… I want them to limp, so they will remember my grace toward them. But Paul wants them to run faster than they did before. He insists on restoration and reinstatement. 

That level of forgiveness seems alien to me. That’s a product of the kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13 that always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, and never fails.

Come on Boyd, be realistic. Surely God doesn’t expect me to completely forgive others like He forgave me? (Ephesians 4:32).  Surely, I am not expected to forget the pain this person caused me (Hebrews 8:12)… If I forgive and forget, I could get hurt again… 

Yep, sort of like we hurt Christ with our repeated sin.

Limited forgiveness is not forgiveness. So, choose your path. Hold a grudge… or set yourself, and the offender free, with full blown forgiveness. The kind that values them and comforts them as though they were more important to you, than you are…  

It’s hard, but it’s not complicated.

“Forgive, forget. Bear with the faults of others as you would have them bear with yours.” -  Phillips Brooks

1 CORINTHIANS 13:13 1/16/2024*

“But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

The “love chapter” ends with Paul circling back and doubling down on the main point. He acknowledges the “big three”, FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE - but says the greatest of these is LOVE. Understanding this is essential if you desire to be an effective Christian.  

Faith that moves mountains, but has no love, is nothing. Working miracles is inconsequential if the motivation is wrong. If the source is not love – the work is unauthentic.  Likewise, Hope, without love is futile.  That combination produces self-centered egomaniacs convinced they can manipulate things with their mindset. They are dreamers with positive attitudes that have no foundation. 

Love is the game changer.  Love empowers my “faith and hope” and enables me to glorify God. Since I was created for that purpose, that changes everything. Christ has given me FAITH, and that provides HOPE. But the gift that is eternal, the gift that all others are measured by, is  LOVE.  

So, the question today is, do we have it backwards, are we chasing the wrong things?

Are we pursuing positivity and FAITH - with the HOPE that it will make others LOVE us?  Do we add love to our routine to justify our self-promotion, doing what we want and throwing a little love in to make it palatable? 

Love must be more than that. It must overwhelm us. Not the sappy Hallmark depiction of love, but the powerful, compelling love displayed by Christ on the Cross.  Sacrificial and overpowering, it is the strongest motivation on earth. If love does not consume you, then it isn’t love. 

You can act without love, but you cannot love without action. Don’t just agree with the statement, be changed by it. Love demands action, so do something. Call today and forgive that person who hurt you so deeply… give some money to that family struggling with finances… spend time with your friend who is lonely. Abandon your egocentric plans and chase after the heart of God. God gives many gifts, but “The greatest of these is love”. And the only thing of lasting importance you will do today is to love God so much that it motivates you to love His children. 

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
- God (1 John 4:8)

1 CORINTHIANS 9:24 1/9/2024*

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.” 

Paul describes the difference between being a participant and a fan.  We all have things in our lives we’ve invested our heart in… A sport, a hobby, career, politics. Something that easily captures our full attention.

The differences in me watching football and baseball are many.  I am at best a passive observer of baseball, because frankly I don’t know much about the sport. But football is different. I have spent much of my life playing and coaching the game. This “familiarity” produces a passion that draws me into a game at a much deeper level.  A football game can result in me yelling at the television, and stomping around in anger, or jumping in joy... I am passionately motivated because I have deemed the sport valuable and have invested time and energy into it.

That being said, it convicts me that I don’t stand up and yell at the preacher during the Sunday morning services (in my head of course) or leap for joy at a great point in the sermon… Instead, at times I listen to the sermon, sing, and worship as though I was watching a soccer game… It’s nice and all, but I’m not really invested. 

This passage advises me to be so devoted to the gospel that everything else diminishes. It implies that after a 40-minute sermon I should feel like I do after a 4-hour football game… wishing there was one more quarter. I should be so passionate that every day is “training” for me to be a better disciple.

Am I running in the pack, or running to win?  Am I just checking a box with my prayer and Bible studies or am I a committed player, devoted to the mission? 

The difference is night and day, and it is not a minor issue in God’s eyes.  Revelation says it makes God sick for me to nonchalantly participate. The Cross demands passion.  God prefers I be either hot or cold… be a player, not a fan… Run to win, or don’t run at all. 

“If Christ be anything he must be everything. O rest not till love and faith in Jesus be the master passions of your soul!” - Charles Spurgeon

 

Romans 12:1-2 1/2/2024*

"Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

“THEREFORE”, is often the most neglected word in this passage. We tend to read all the phenomenal theology in Romans prior to this verse, all the breathtakingly powerful thoughts on the love of God, and then just go about our day as though nothing happened. We ignore what the teachings in this passage are “There For”.  We agree with them , we support them, we even repeat them… but they were written to change us.

Atheist have said “Christianity might be a good thing; someone should try it.” That is an accusatory statement directed at the church.  And yet, I cannot argue that sometimes my morning bible study is followed by a day that appears to ignore what I have read. Theology matters, but altered behavior, is the indicator of a changed life. So, as believers, do our lives look like those of a person who has been transformed by the love of our King? Are we living, holy sacrifices acceptable to God?  

As soon as were born into this world it begins the process of killing us… We owe it nothing. Yet we search for fulfillment pursuing its trinkets.  Instead, we should pursue God’s path of life with a mind renewed, obedient, and following His will.  If we did that, we would be living as we were designed to live. But do you?... Do I?  Do we love others?  Do we bless those who persecute us? We say we believe and that’s good, but even demons believe.  

So, the real question is, does our belief change us? Does it result in us obediently following God?  Are we transformed by the renewing of our minds, proving the will of God is good and acceptable and perfect? 

Those are the marching orders. Talk is cheap, so renew your mind this morning and start living out scripture. Because at the end of the day… that’s what it’s “there for.”

“One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons.”
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Philippians 3:13-14 12/26/2023*

“Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Another Christmas is in the books and now we look to the New Year. Most of us didn’t accomplish everything we wanted this year, and we’ve had some good and some bad outcomes…  So, how do we deal with them?   We don’t, they are behind us.  We press on toward the coming year - a blank canvas that now becomes our focus. 

Getting stuck in my past can hurt me in two ways:  My failures can eliminate my confidence for the future. Or my past successes can cause vanity and open the door to my greatest enemy, pride. 

This passage tells me to abandon self-doubt, self-confidence … and pretty much self-anything that the past generates.   I must forget yesterday and lean into today. Press on and serve God, solely depending on His power not my own.  

We will move quicker and more precisely if we drop the baggage from the past. Time moves forward, so should you. This morning didn’t just happen, God created it and has a plan… I will rejoice and be glad. I will dive into today, and keep my head on a swivel, so I won’t miss the opportunities God has arranged for me.  I’m not fearful because what God has given me to do - He qualifies me to do. I am a new creation whose past is inconsequential because God has prepared me for what’s next.

Our New Year’s resolutions should just be one thing, “Chase what matters” … That was the phrase my buddy Bruce Hayes used to inspire his students, and it should inspire me as well. God’s plan for today is what matters. So, let’s forget what happened yesterday, focus on today, and keep “self” out of the way of God’s plan for this New Year. 

The joy of the Lord is our strength. Drop the weightiness of the past and use the lessons learned to run full speed towards a productive today… Serving Him is what matters.

“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” —Vern McLellan

Romans 11:33 12/19/2023*

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”

God’s not like me. His thoughts are not my thoughts, and His ways are not my ways. The enemy’s plan is to make me misunderstand the very nature of God. 

Reading the New Testament about God’s love is cozy compared to reading The Old Testament about His unbending Holiness. However, both attributes are essential in our understanding of The Lord.  

When I venture into the Old Testament, I realize that I don’t comprehend His power and complexity. I have created an image of God I am comfortable with…  Majoring on the love of the Lamb, to the exclusion of the wrath of the Lord of Armies.

Christmas is the collision of these two equally essential traits.  The pivot point of human history is the birth of Jesus.  This event marks the moment God demanded an accounting for my sin, and chose to suffer the payment for me.

Holiness and Forgiveness. Both inflexible conditions in a single Deity so complex that He is described as the Triune God… So magnificent that we only begin to understand if we consider Him three in one.   And yet Christmas morning He chose to come as a servant born in a shed. 

The enemy cannot deny the overwhelming magnitude and impact of Christmas, so instead he attempts to confuse it with lights, trees, and trinkets. It is wonderful to celebrate joy during this holiday, but we must not miss its meaning.  Christmas commemorates the launch of God’s rescue mission for you and me, instigated by His unfathomable love. The King of Kings made the impossible – possible, by paying an enormous price to free us from our self-earned destruction.  

You should relish Christmas, enjoying your family, food, and friends.  But don’t forget to meditate on the reason for our celebration. It was His Christmas gift to you in that manger that restored your fellowship with God and changed your eternal destiny from suffering to peace. That is truly the only gift that matters! 

"Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life." - Corrie Ten Boom

Matthew 19:24 12/12/2023*

“And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

We’ve all read this verse and yet somehow, missed the gravity of the statement.  Even the disciples were stunned by what Jesus said. So much so, that they asked, “then who can be saved?”  Jesus’ answers, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  He didn’t say, “don’t worry, that’s just a metaphor”.  He doubles down and says, only the power of God can get the wealthy into the Kingdom. And since by the world’s standards we’re all wealthy,  we had better examine that statement. 

Money is dangerous. The love of money is lethal. I must not allow the blessing of prosperity to become a poison. So, what’s my gameplan for dealing with something Jesus speaks so forcefully about? 

I must recognize that wealth doesn’t “qualify” me, or anyone else, for God’s work. It is actually a red flag that I must be wary of... Jesus’ uses cautionary words regarding wealth because there is great temptation for rich people to worship money instead of God. 

What about you?  Would your response have been different than the rich young ruler, who when told to sell all he had and follow Christ, went away grieving?  If you had to write a check today to be a Christian, how much would be too much?

Money is not the root of all evil, the love of money is… And love of money is closely related to love of self, and love of self opens the door to the most dangerous Idol on the planet … Me.  Maybe that’s what Jesus meant.

Since only God can get a camel through the eye of that needle,  you should consider a few questions… Which book influences your life more, your Bible, or your checkbook? Do you control money, or does it control you?  Are you neglecting God’s Kingdom, in order to build your own?  The answers to these questions matter.

So, handle money carefully, it is like working with a nuclear reactor… It has great power to do good… but dropping your guard, falling in love with its power, and pursuing it at all costs, will disqualify you for the Kingdom. 

“Money often costs too much.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

1 Thessalonians 4:3 12/5/2023*

“It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable,  not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God;  and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.”

We like to say we are searching for God’s will… but it’s not hidden. His Will is our sanctification. Sanctification means “to be set apart” and sexual sin “de-sanctifies” us. 

That’s a problem because our culture promotes it. We have invented ways to degrade ourselves which has produced innumerable perversions. It’s no longer possible to shock us with depravity. It has become commonplace.  

The Bible gives two reasons that this needs to change:

1. 1 Corinthians says “… the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” Your body is the temple of God… Sexual sin blasphemes that temple. This sin is distinctive because it violates your body which houses the Holy Spirit. If you want to know Jesus’ opinion of defiling the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, just read about His Clearing of the Temple with a bullwhip.

2. Sexual sin hurts people. God created sex to produce life, and to allow a husband and wife to become one … any other practice harms us. Every deviation ends in destruction. Look around at the demolished families, broken people, and the “spiritual roadkill” of ministries that have imploded because of this sin.  Like a disease immorality is malignant and progressive. Pornography is often the starting point and believing porn is victimless, will make you a victim.   

So, sexual sin degrades God’s Temple, and hurts His children. The Bible commands that we love God …and love our neighbor. This sin violates both elements of that commandment. You cannot ignore God’s law. If you plant immorality, you will harvest devastation.

Even though the consequences are obvious and irrefutable, our culture refuses to tolerate restraints on our sexuality … Truth is considered hateful, and facts about its harmfulness are disregarded. So don’t expect applause, you will be mocked and canceled... But God is clear on the topic, this sin is lethal, and you would be wise to avoid it, because it destroys everything it touches.

“Purity is to live according to original design.” - Josh McDowell

Isaiah 59:14-15 11/28/2023*

“So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.” 

Written nearly 3,000 years ago, this passage is poetic, powerful, and prophetic… It is an accurate description of our culture today. 

A few years ago, “post truth” was the most searched phrase on the web. We have become that society. “Truth is nowhere to be found” and each man does what is right in his own eyes. We elect leaders who say what our itching ears want to hear, and we are reaping the harvest. Truth has “stumbled in the streets,” we can no longer even define it, and we are afloat in a sea of uncertainty.

Not only do we no longer seek truth … we don’t tolerate it.  Men of morality are vilified as haters. The world hates truth, so it calls truth hate, and those who preach it have become “prey”... They are hunted, slandered,  and canceled. Our culture demands silent compliance, so what can the church do about it?

How about we become rebels and spread the truth anyway. Let’s shine a light on sin regardless of the consequences.  Our timidness has emboldened the enemy, and as we sit silently, lies are repeated until they are accepted as truth. It is the emperor’s new clothes all over again, and someone is going to have to say something… Someone is going to have to speak the truth. 

However, “speak the truth” is not the entirety of God’s command... God says someone is going to have to “speak the truth in love”. I can easily become angry enough to speak the truth …. But can I love others enough to do it? Truth lands differently when it comes from a place of love.  

If I know people who are walking toward destruction, and I watch in silence so as not to offend …that is not love… But neither is screaming vitriol at them and hoping for their demise… So, speak hard truth today… Be accurate and don’t water it down…  but don’t use it as a weapon… use it as a rescue rope to save those who are drowning in a sea of deceit. 

“Truth is not only violated by falsehood; it may be equally outraged by silence.” - Henri Frederic Amiel