This is the 3rd sermon in the Road We Travel series. I preached this sermon on January 25, 2009.
Text: Acts 9:1-9
Introduction: Most if not all of us have been driving down the road and encounter a police road block along the way. Usually in such a case you will pull up to the trooper and he will ask to see your license, I’ve noticed they glance at your stickers, your plates. I’ve always been able to pass right through, although I’ve seen them pull drivers to the side. One time I was driving home from church after dark when I lived in Honaker. I can’t remember if it was a Sunday night or a weeknight, and about a mile or so from home my light dimmer stopped working and the lights were stuck on bright. I felt bad about bright lighting everyone I passed but I could do nothing about it. Coming into town driving around a bend in the road I saw a road block in front of me, here I am with my lights on bright. I frantically kept trying to dim my headlights but to no avail. As I approached the roadblock with cars lined up in front of me I figured I had about 4 options (options any of us could take when in such a situation). I could a) Speed through the road block and gesture to the officer as I drove by and just hope I could get away (not a good option), b) turn around before I got there and drive off in the opposite direction and take a different route home (of course that would look suspicious especially with my lights on bright), c) I could pull up to the road block and be angry with the officer and ask him if he didn’t have anything better to do than waste my time harass citizens, why isn’t he out there capturing criminals. (probably wouldn’t be a good idea either), or d) I could pull up do what the officer says, explain my situation and hope he would believe me and show a little grace. I chose that option and when he asked me to dim my lights and I explained my situation he graciously let me pass with a warning that I needed to get that fixes asap.
Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee, very zealous for the his religion, was traveling the road to Damascus from Jerusalem with the purpose of arresting any Christians he finds and bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment. He had already consented to the execution of Christians and he had the authority of the Sanhedrin to terrorize the Christians in Damascus. The entire time Saul was convinced that he was doing the will of God, that somehow God would be pleased with him for protecting the traditions of his countrymen. However, Saul encountered a road block on the way to Damascus and discovered rather than being right in the middle of God’s will and rather than pleasing God, he discovered that he was the enemy of God! He was working against God’s plan. Imagine his shock, here was a man who was so sure he was close to God and discovered he really he didn’t know God!
On the road of life we travel God may very well throw up a road block in our path. It is at these roadblocks that the Holy Spirit examines us, much like the trooper checking your license. Sometimes we move right along in the same direction without any obstacles, other times God may warn us that we are dangerously close to rebellion. Many times though God makes us pull over because we are in total rebellion, as Saul of Tarsus. It is in those times of brokenness that God can set our feet on the right path that we need to go. But the way I see it, Paul had about 4 options similar to the options I mentioned about police roadblocks, it is those options we will consider today and we will discover that there is only one right decision to make.
Many of you today you are at a roadblock today, the Holy Spirit has stopped you along life’s road and you are being examined. What is your response? While we may never consciously respond with these words, in our hearts this often the true responses.
Lord, Get Out of My Way
The Lord told Saul that it was hard for him to kick against the pricks – he was being like a stubborn Ox (the more the ox kicked against the goads the harm he did himself)
Saul could have said “I’m not sure if that was really God speaking, maybe it was my imagination, maybe it was the devil speaking, and kept going with his original plan
The more Saul kicked against the pricks the more wrecked his life would become
Like the Pharaoh in Exodus –Who is the Lord? I am my own man and I determine my own destiny. If I do what God wants I see nothing good in it for me.
Often I am a stubborn, head strong Christian, I am sticking to my plan and basically ignores God. It is like crashing through the road block and hoping to get away with it!
-the more you kick against the goads, the more you stubbornly refuse God, don’t you realize that you doing more harm to yourself and actually doing harm to those you love, your family, your friends, your church.
Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your heart Heb 4:7
Lord, You are in the Way (Leave me Alone)
Paul genuinely shocked at the thought he was persecuting the Lord, he trembled at the thought. What are you talking about God?
Paul could have gotten angry with God for messing up his plans for how he would serve.
The servant doesn’t choose how he will serve
Moses argued with God –I’m not eloquent, (you’ve chosen the wrong person), what if Pharaoh or the people don’t listen? (I don’t really know if you can do what you say you will do), Can’t you just send someone else? Lord, I’ve got my own life to live.
It’s like arguing with the police officer – don’t you have something more important to do, what about those real criminals out there? We argue with God, I am not smart enough, I don’t have enough time, I am not talented enough, or I don’t have that spiritual gift. But God, this is how I think I ought to serve you now leave me alone so I can do it.
Is 45:9 9: Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
Oh Lord, I have to get away!
Paul could have turned around and went back to Jerusalem maybe get advice from the other Pharisees – but they didn’t really know God either! (many today who go to all the wrong places to seek advice in the road blocks of life)
Jonah tried to run from God, and look where it landed him, the belly of a whale
It’s like turning around and going another way. Running from the Lord. Some of you are running today!
-Psalm 139:7-12 7: Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8: If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9: If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10: Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11: If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12: Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
Lord, You are the Way (the right response)
Paul said yes – and arrived in Damascus a changed man but right in the middle of God’s will where he wanted to be all along
The evidence of his obedience – 9:15-22
If we love the Lord we will be obedient, to obey is better than sacrifice.
Obedience, if He is really Lord of your life then He has every right to interrupt your plans, to call you to service even though you may not think you are talented enough, gifted enough, good enough, smart enough, etc… Because the Lord is enough!
Lord, what will you have me do?
I think the vast majority of us here today, even lost people want to be in a vibrant relationship with God. We want to be right in the middle of God’s will, but very likely the many of us today are kicking against the pricks – stubbornly refusing God! Either you barreling headlong down the road ignoring God, you are arguing with God about what he wants you to do, or you are running away from the Lord that loves you and really has the best plan for your life.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Sanctity of Life Sunday
On Sunday January 18, 2009 at First Baptist Church I preached a message from Psalm 139 rather than continuing the The Road we travel series. Because of weather conditions we had very few in attendance and I plan to continue the series on January 25.
Text: Psalms 139
Below is just a basic outline of the sermon.
Vs 1-6 - God is all knowing. Which is convicting and humbling but can also be comforting
Vs 7-12 - God is all present. We tried to escape much as Jonah did, but often our escape is into the darkness of life - drugs, alcohol, improper relationships and so on.
Vs 13-18 - God is all powerful. We were created in the womb woven like a beautiful tapestry. A living being in the womb.
Vs 19-24 - God is all holy. David's enemies blasphemed God and he could not bear such, but as hard as David is on his enemies he was hardest on himself.
Text: Psalms 139
Below is just a basic outline of the sermon.
Vs 1-6 - God is all knowing. Which is convicting and humbling but can also be comforting
Vs 7-12 - God is all present. We tried to escape much as Jonah did, but often our escape is into the darkness of life - drugs, alcohol, improper relationships and so on.
Vs 13-18 - God is all powerful. We were created in the womb woven like a beautiful tapestry. A living being in the womb.
Vs 19-24 - God is all holy. David's enemies blasphemed God and he could not bear such, but as hard as David is on his enemies he was hardest on himself.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Under Construction
This sermon is the second in The Road we Travel series that I preached on January 11, 2009
Introduction: If you are traveling down the highway on a trip there is nothing more frustrating than coming across unexpected road construction. We all know it is necessary, but if you are like me you are wishing that it would be done at a time other than when you are passing through. When I started seminary classes back in 1997 I would drive to and from Knoxville every Monday for class. In the six years that I drove I know of only one time that I did not encounter construction along the way. One Monday in six years! I remember thinking many times I would be late for class because of the construction. You see, road construction slows you down, you have to travel at a slower speed limit, and you know you better do it because there is almost always a trooper around to enforce the speed limit. But not only that, traffic always seems to bottleneck and slows you down. Sometimes there is even a flag man along the way who brings traffic to a stop. I remember when I was little one time dad trying to by-pass road construction and we got lost on a mountain road. Road construction is necessary, but we don’t like being caught up in it.
Along the road we are traveling there are times we encounter an “Under Construction” sign. Those times of construction are necessary, but they often slow us down or maybe even bring us to a complete halt. And we must endure the construction, if we try to bypass it we may end up lost on some winding road of life.
Isaiah 64:8 8: But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. We are a work of the Father’s Hands but often a work under construction Jeremiah 18:3-6 : Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4: And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 6: O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
We are all a work under construction. The song children sing “He’s still working on me, to make me what I ought to be, it took him just a week to make the moon and the stars, the sun and the earth, and Jupiter and mars, how loving and patient he must be, he’s still working on me.” Is a song perhaps even more relevant to us as adults than children because like with the potter many of us have become marred in the hand of the potter and need fresh work.
These two disciples on the road to Emmaus encountered construction along the way. Much needed construction. What can we learn for the construction in our lives?
These disciples had a couple of problems:
Big Head
They concluded that Jesus was obviously a prophet of God a new Moses to lead them to freedom from Rome. Disappointed because they felt they were obviously wrong in their conclusion. Jesus pointed out that in all their reasoning and wisdom that they were in fact foolish. Vs 25
The problem of worldly wisdom seeking to make sense of the world and make sense of our lives apart from God. It like the tower of Babel, it generates confusion.
-Now there is nothing wrong with reason except when we try to make sense of things apart from God. 1 Cor 2:14, 1 Cor 1:17-28
Blinded Eyes
They were kept from recognizing Jesus it is hard to imagine that a disciple could see the risen Lord without knowing he was seeing the risen Lord. They were not in a place of spiritual understanding that God could open their eyes. Their misunderstanding of Jesus was the problem they expected the role of Jesus to be that of redemption of Israel from the tyranny of Rome rather than the redemption of humanity from sin. They were kept blind because they needed the truth before they could have the blessing of seeing the risen Lord.
-you will not be blessed apart from the truth of God’s word.
The significance of the empty tomb was lost upon them, rather than illicit faith, the empty tomb merely wrought astonishment. They were blinded by grief and sorrow and it prevented them from focusing on God as they should.
-many today eyes of faith are blinded by discouragement, grief, sorrow, suffering. Or we see what we want rather than see the truth, you are walking by sight and you end up blinded rather than walking by faith.
Breaking Bread
These men needed construction. Jesus was fixing the problems of a big head and blinded eyes.
Jesus broke the bread of the Word of God with them. He explained that the messiah must suffer.
They focused on him and their eyes were opened. Imagine their shock when they realized not only was Jesus alive but he had been right there with them the whole time!
Burning Heart
Jesus was going to depart but hey wouldn’t let him – wanted to hear more. –the problem of complacency of hearing God’s word today. I wonder why we don’t come to God’s house, why don’t come to Sunday School, why we don’t read the word? Is it that deep down we think we have heard enough, heard it all? Have we become complacent?
Jesus vanished when their eyes of faith were opened and they no longer needed his physical presence.
Burning heart to tell others – rushed back to Jerusalem
The blessing of the burning heart! Has your heart stopped burning? Could it be that you are no longer communing with God? Could it be that your eyes are blinded (not living by faith). Could it be that you have a big head?
Introduction: If you are traveling down the highway on a trip there is nothing more frustrating than coming across unexpected road construction. We all know it is necessary, but if you are like me you are wishing that it would be done at a time other than when you are passing through. When I started seminary classes back in 1997 I would drive to and from Knoxville every Monday for class. In the six years that I drove I know of only one time that I did not encounter construction along the way. One Monday in six years! I remember thinking many times I would be late for class because of the construction. You see, road construction slows you down, you have to travel at a slower speed limit, and you know you better do it because there is almost always a trooper around to enforce the speed limit. But not only that, traffic always seems to bottleneck and slows you down. Sometimes there is even a flag man along the way who brings traffic to a stop. I remember when I was little one time dad trying to by-pass road construction and we got lost on a mountain road. Road construction is necessary, but we don’t like being caught up in it.
Along the road we are traveling there are times we encounter an “Under Construction” sign. Those times of construction are necessary, but they often slow us down or maybe even bring us to a complete halt. And we must endure the construction, if we try to bypass it we may end up lost on some winding road of life.
Isaiah 64:8 8: But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. We are a work of the Father’s Hands but often a work under construction Jeremiah 18:3-6 : Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4: And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 6: O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
We are all a work under construction. The song children sing “He’s still working on me, to make me what I ought to be, it took him just a week to make the moon and the stars, the sun and the earth, and Jupiter and mars, how loving and patient he must be, he’s still working on me.” Is a song perhaps even more relevant to us as adults than children because like with the potter many of us have become marred in the hand of the potter and need fresh work.
These two disciples on the road to Emmaus encountered construction along the way. Much needed construction. What can we learn for the construction in our lives?
These disciples had a couple of problems:
Big Head
They concluded that Jesus was obviously a prophet of God a new Moses to lead them to freedom from Rome. Disappointed because they felt they were obviously wrong in their conclusion. Jesus pointed out that in all their reasoning and wisdom that they were in fact foolish. Vs 25
The problem of worldly wisdom seeking to make sense of the world and make sense of our lives apart from God. It like the tower of Babel, it generates confusion.
-Now there is nothing wrong with reason except when we try to make sense of things apart from God. 1 Cor 2:14, 1 Cor 1:17-28
Blinded Eyes
They were kept from recognizing Jesus it is hard to imagine that a disciple could see the risen Lord without knowing he was seeing the risen Lord. They were not in a place of spiritual understanding that God could open their eyes. Their misunderstanding of Jesus was the problem they expected the role of Jesus to be that of redemption of Israel from the tyranny of Rome rather than the redemption of humanity from sin. They were kept blind because they needed the truth before they could have the blessing of seeing the risen Lord.
-you will not be blessed apart from the truth of God’s word.
The significance of the empty tomb was lost upon them, rather than illicit faith, the empty tomb merely wrought astonishment. They were blinded by grief and sorrow and it prevented them from focusing on God as they should.
-many today eyes of faith are blinded by discouragement, grief, sorrow, suffering. Or we see what we want rather than see the truth, you are walking by sight and you end up blinded rather than walking by faith.
Breaking Bread
These men needed construction. Jesus was fixing the problems of a big head and blinded eyes.
Jesus broke the bread of the Word of God with them. He explained that the messiah must suffer.
They focused on him and their eyes were opened. Imagine their shock when they realized not only was Jesus alive but he had been right there with them the whole time!
Burning Heart
Jesus was going to depart but hey wouldn’t let him – wanted to hear more. –the problem of complacency of hearing God’s word today. I wonder why we don’t come to God’s house, why don’t come to Sunday School, why we don’t read the word? Is it that deep down we think we have heard enough, heard it all? Have we become complacent?
Jesus vanished when their eyes of faith were opened and they no longer needed his physical presence.
Burning heart to tell others – rushed back to Jerusalem
The blessing of the burning heart! Has your heart stopped burning? Could it be that you are no longer communing with God? Could it be that your eyes are blinded (not living by faith). Could it be that you have a big head?
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Journey with Jesus
This is the first sermon in a series entitled The Road We Travel. I preached this sermon on January 4, 2009.
Text: Luke 2:41-52
Introduction: Some of my favorite holiday movies is the home alone series. You know the large McCallister family takes off on a trip and accidentally leaves their son at home, while they fly to France. Hard to imagine anyone leaving their child like that.
When I was a youth minister I remember one particular Sunday when we were closing up the church after the morning services I found a young boy about 10 years old in the hallway. “Have you seen my parents?” he asked. Now I had seen his parents at the end of service heading out the door. So I walked him to the front parking lot and looked. Only my car out there. We walked to the back parking lot and looked. Only the pastor’s car back there. His parents had left him! So we got on the phone and called his home. The mother took it pretty calm, I would have been panicking. Come to find out the parents drove different cars and thought their son was with the other parent. And this wasn’t the first time it had happened. Of course, this sly kid used it to his advantage to talk about how bad his parents were for always leaving him at church.
In today’s text we see that Joseph and Mary left Jesus in Jerusalem. Now they are not bad parents, it looks like they had a communication problem.
The scripture tells us that Joseph and Mary went up to the Passover, as they would do each year, to Jerusalem. Now traveling as such they didn’t simply travel as a family, but would travel as a caravan with other families, most of whom would be friends and family. It was customary for the women and children to lead the way and the men and young men would follow. In such a case, Jesus could have traveled with Mary or Joseph or other children.
I can imagine when the first night of the caravan journey had ended and they were making camp that Joseph went looking for Jesus and couldn’t find him. As many of us here are parents we can imagine the distress Joseph and Mary must feel. They were a day’s journey out of Jerusalem and so had a days’ journey back to try and find Jesus.
Mary and Joseph inadvertently left Jesus behind, and they were traveling the road home without Jesus. Suddenly, aware they were without Jesus they panicked.
All of us today are traveling life’s road. Some of us today are traveling this road without Jesus. Even many Christians have gotten ahead of Jesus and left him behind. When crisis comes, when trouble comes we realize we panic because we realize we left Jesus behind. But as we travel life’s road each of us need Jesus for the Journey.
Jesus is our Companion for the Road we Travel
They should have kept Jesus close, not just in company. You could probably have asked Joseph “Where is Jesus?” Oh he is with his mother, I’m not concerned, as long as Mary has Jesus, likely would have been his reply. You could have asked the same to Mary, Oh, he is with his father, I’m not concerned as long as Joseph has Jesus. People often are the same today. “Do you know Jesus?” someone might ask. Oh my wife is a Christian, she goes to church. She is taking care of that. As long as she has Jesus everything is OK. But it is not!
Joseph or Mary either one might have replied oh Jesus is with some of the children. How many people send their children to church as if it is the child who needs church, who needs Jesus, but not the parent?
We must keep Jesus close, not just in company
Jesus is our Navigator on the Road we Travel
Jesus is willing to navigate you through the storms of life, through the valleys of life. Jesus is your way
Joseph and Mary frantically searched for Jesus (vs 48). Jesus was right where he ought to be, he was in the Father’s house – can mean that he was immersed in the things of the Father. They found Jesus in the temple, and were surprised to find him there (any parent probably would identify with that, who would expect a 12 year old boy to willingly and voluntarily go to church?) and he was surprised that they would have had any trouble finding him.
When we have lost the way, when a crisis occurs the house of God ought to be the first place we look. You too should be “in the things” of God
Jesus is the Captain for the Road we Travel
Jesus was subject to his parents, and we often want to do the same. Make Jesus subject to us. We must be subject to him, not trying to have him subject to us
-Jesus was surprised because they didn’t know, his surprise was not merely because they didn’t know where to look but his surprise was because they didn’t understand just who Jesus is.
God is not my co-pilot, but my pilot.
Text: Luke 2:41-52
Introduction: Some of my favorite holiday movies is the home alone series. You know the large McCallister family takes off on a trip and accidentally leaves their son at home, while they fly to France. Hard to imagine anyone leaving their child like that.
When I was a youth minister I remember one particular Sunday when we were closing up the church after the morning services I found a young boy about 10 years old in the hallway. “Have you seen my parents?” he asked. Now I had seen his parents at the end of service heading out the door. So I walked him to the front parking lot and looked. Only my car out there. We walked to the back parking lot and looked. Only the pastor’s car back there. His parents had left him! So we got on the phone and called his home. The mother took it pretty calm, I would have been panicking. Come to find out the parents drove different cars and thought their son was with the other parent. And this wasn’t the first time it had happened. Of course, this sly kid used it to his advantage to talk about how bad his parents were for always leaving him at church.
In today’s text we see that Joseph and Mary left Jesus in Jerusalem. Now they are not bad parents, it looks like they had a communication problem.
The scripture tells us that Joseph and Mary went up to the Passover, as they would do each year, to Jerusalem. Now traveling as such they didn’t simply travel as a family, but would travel as a caravan with other families, most of whom would be friends and family. It was customary for the women and children to lead the way and the men and young men would follow. In such a case, Jesus could have traveled with Mary or Joseph or other children.
I can imagine when the first night of the caravan journey had ended and they were making camp that Joseph went looking for Jesus and couldn’t find him. As many of us here are parents we can imagine the distress Joseph and Mary must feel. They were a day’s journey out of Jerusalem and so had a days’ journey back to try and find Jesus.
Mary and Joseph inadvertently left Jesus behind, and they were traveling the road home without Jesus. Suddenly, aware they were without Jesus they panicked.
All of us today are traveling life’s road. Some of us today are traveling this road without Jesus. Even many Christians have gotten ahead of Jesus and left him behind. When crisis comes, when trouble comes we realize we panic because we realize we left Jesus behind. But as we travel life’s road each of us need Jesus for the Journey.
Jesus is our Companion for the Road we Travel
They should have kept Jesus close, not just in company. You could probably have asked Joseph “Where is Jesus?” Oh he is with his mother, I’m not concerned, as long as Mary has Jesus, likely would have been his reply. You could have asked the same to Mary, Oh, he is with his father, I’m not concerned as long as Joseph has Jesus. People often are the same today. “Do you know Jesus?” someone might ask. Oh my wife is a Christian, she goes to church. She is taking care of that. As long as she has Jesus everything is OK. But it is not!
Joseph or Mary either one might have replied oh Jesus is with some of the children. How many people send their children to church as if it is the child who needs church, who needs Jesus, but not the parent?
We must keep Jesus close, not just in company
Jesus is our Navigator on the Road we Travel
Jesus is willing to navigate you through the storms of life, through the valleys of life. Jesus is your way
Joseph and Mary frantically searched for Jesus (vs 48). Jesus was right where he ought to be, he was in the Father’s house – can mean that he was immersed in the things of the Father. They found Jesus in the temple, and were surprised to find him there (any parent probably would identify with that, who would expect a 12 year old boy to willingly and voluntarily go to church?) and he was surprised that they would have had any trouble finding him.
When we have lost the way, when a crisis occurs the house of God ought to be the first place we look. You too should be “in the things” of God
Jesus is the Captain for the Road we Travel
Jesus was subject to his parents, and we often want to do the same. Make Jesus subject to us. We must be subject to him, not trying to have him subject to us
-Jesus was surprised because they didn’t know, his surprise was not merely because they didn’t know where to look but his surprise was because they didn’t understand just who Jesus is.
God is not my co-pilot, but my pilot.
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