"Down and Out"
Philippians 2:5-8
Sunday, May 27, 2012

Introduction: I don’t know if you are like me, but I love to go to the movies. Now I don’t like every kind of movie, but one of the genres I like the best is action and adventure movies. One of the interesting things about movies is that the actors are playing a character. The character you see on the screen is not the real person. It is a made up character. Maybe it is a spy, or maybe a war hero, or a police detective. But the actor is not being themselves, but the character that was created. They are being someone other than themselves. This morning our passage challenges us to be like someone beyond ourselves: we are to be like Christ, who humbled Himself and took on flesh. GOD TOOK ON FLESH. He became something other than Himself. There is a difference here though, and that is we are not being asked to be someone other than ourselves, we are asked to humble ourselves and become what God has created us to be; to become our true self. Even more, in this true self, we will be able to reach out and relate to others different than who we are!

I.                   Let Go of Your Privileges- (Psalm 37:4; Romans 3:23; Philippians 2:6-7)

a.      What we think we deserve- 
EX. There is a story of a woman who had to testify at a murder trial. She was asked to raise her right hand. The bailiff started out, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." She stood there and waited, but did not answer. Then the bailiff asked again: "Do you?" She was so stunned that she blurted out, "What happened to "so help me God?" The bailiff simply asked one more time: "Do you?" She replied, "Yes," but she was still perplexed. Then the judge said:  "You can say that if you want to." She stopped, raised her right hand and finished: "So help me God!"

It is interesting how in the United States, people feel like they deserve many things. Why is this? Maybe it is that they feel privileged because most are born into families that are able to give them most everything they need. Or maybe it is because they live in a free country that allows them to pursue what they desire. People are so self-centered. For so many it is all about what they think they deserve. The dictionary says that a “privilege” is a right granted to someone. I don’t know why people think they are privileged to have their needs and wants and desires met, but they do. Remember the slogan for Burger King? “Have it your way.” It is as if God doesn’t fit into the picture any more. Just like in the trial, God has been taken out of the equation.

But the Bible reminds us in Psalm 37:4- “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”/ What this verse is really saying is that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, we will delight ourselves in God’s ways, God’s will and God’s desires, and He will give us our desires because His desires will be our desires. Our desire won’t be to please ourselves, but to please God. Our desire won’t be to seek things for ourselves, but to seek to make a difference for the kingdom of God.

b.      What we really deserve- If we really understood how things are, we

would see that what we really deserve is much different than what we think we deserve. Romans 6:23a tells us, “For the penalty of (our) sin is death….” What we really deserve, because of our sin, is spiritual death; which is eternal separation from God. EX. It’s like this. Let’s say I was coming home one day, it is raining, and so I am trying to get home to be out of the rain. Then a terrible thing happens; I get a flat tire. I have no choice but to pull over to the side in the dirt (which is now mud) and change my tire. By the time I get home I am wet and muddy. As I walk up to the door Tami is standing there. Will she let me in the clean house? NO!! Not until I take off my muddy clothes and clean the mud off my body./ We have to let Jesus remove the dirt (the sin) from our body, so that we can be clean. That is why the second part of

Romans 6:23 is important: “…but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.”

EX. “SIN” There is a story of a man who was driving with his 6-year old daughter. It was rainy as they were driving along one of the main streets of town, so he took extra precautions that you should take when the roads are wet and slick. Suddenly, his daughter, Aspen, spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. "Dad, I'm thinking of something." "What are you thinking?" he asked. "The rain, is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away." This sent chills up his arms. "That's really good, Aspen," he said. Then he asked: "Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?"  Aspen didn't hesitate one moment with her answer: "We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us."

We are privileged, and that is that we are given a wonderful gift of forgiveness, which should cause us to seek to be a faithful servant for Christ. As Philippians 2:6-7 tells us, “(Christ) Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…”

            We have to let go of our perceived privileges, and take hold of the real privileges we have from God; the opportunity to be forgiven, have eternal life, and to serve Him.

II.                Let Go of Your Preferences- (Romans 3:23, 5:12, 18; Jn. 3:16; Phil. 2:8)

a.      What we prefer- The second thing we have to let go of, is our

preferences. We prefer things a certain way. There have been many times when my family and I have traveled for our vacation where we stay in hotels or in friends’ homes. While these places are nice in their own way, ultimately I prefer my own home and my own bed! After our trip, when we are putting the kids to bed, we often hear them say: “We enjoyed the trip, but it sure is nice to be in my own bed.” We prefer our own things our own way.

            I’m sure this was true for Jesus as well. Jesus, the Bible tells us, came down from heaven and took on flesh. Jesus left the comfortable confines of heaven, to come to live in a small village. Jesus left the glory of His heavenly being, to take on the confining body of a man. Jesus left the unlimited power of being the second person of the Trinity, to have limited power of being human, complete with temptation. Jesus left His place by the Father, to be questioned, rebuked, arrested, beaten, and ultimately crucified on a cross. I’m sure that Jesus’ preference was not to leave heaven to come here, just like our preference wouldn’t be to leave our comfortable home to become a homeless person.

So why would Jesus do this? And why should we give up what is comfortable for us?

b.      What is best- To best answer this question, we have to again

remember that we are in a state of sin. Paul tells us in Romans 3:23- “For all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.”/ This sin goes back to the beginning of human being’s existence, back to Adam and Eve; back to the garden of Eden where Adam and Eve sinned and brought sin into the world. As Romans 5:12 tells us: ^“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”/ We are all under the sin that came into the world through Adam and Eve.

            As God saw that we were lost in our sin, God’s love for us was too great to let us stay in our sin. And so God decided to enter the world to save us from our sin. We see this truth in many wonderful scriptures: John 3:16, “For God so loved that world that He gave His only begotten Son…” Or Romans 5:18, “Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s/  (Christ’s) act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.” And Philippians 2:8 from the scripture we read this morning: “And being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.”

            Jesus knew that is was best to leave heaven to come to earth so that we might have eternal life, but even more, so that we could rise above our sin and do great things in this world by loving God and by loving others. So it is beneficial….. it is best, to leave the life of our preferences, to follow the call of God in our lives.

III.             Let Go of Your Passion- (Philippians 2:4)

a.      Our passion- If you were to ask somebody what their passion is, you 

would get many answers. Answers like: my family, my job, my career, my hobbies. Usually this passion has its place in life, but it will never fully satisfy what we were created to do and to be. Those of you who went through the Focused Living process a number of years ago saw that God has a purpose for us to be here, and God has a vision for each of our lives. If we don’t understand this vision God has for us, or if we for whatever reason choose not to follow it, we will go through life searching, and wanting, and being unfulfilled. 

            EX. There is a story of a man who was exploring caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could. He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone! Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left. Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!

Now you might think that the point of this story is about keeping the treasure that we have. But that is not the point. The point is, that there is hidden treasure that we don’t know about. That treasure is found in discovering Christ’s passion, and making Christ’s passion our passion.

b.      Make Christ’s Passion Your passion-  What was Christ’s passion?

Christ’s passion was people. When Christ looked at people, He didn’t see a tax collector, or a prostitute, or a fisherman. Christ looked at them as sinners needing to be saved. But even more, as children needing to be loved and as His creation created to do good works.

When we look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it./   We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy.  But if we do this, we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person. There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

We are called to be in the world. When we do this, we will meet people

who are like the clay balls; not always attractive on the outside. I’m not talking about the physical looks. I’m talking about their behavior or their demeanor. The people we will encounter will often be different from us. But if our passion is people, then we will be determined to get to know them and love them and lead them to Christ.

Conclusion: This sermon is titled “Down and Out.” Christ came down from heaven and went out into the world. We need to come down from our privileges, preferences, and selfish passions, and go out into the world. As Philippians 2:4 tells us, “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”/ We need to bring Christ to the world, because the world sorely needs Christ.

            Today is Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost Sunday is the day we remember how the Holy Spirit was fully given by God to His people. The Holy Spirit was promised by Jesus when He told them in John 16:7-11, “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ about sin, because people do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹ and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”

Jesus knew that He must return to heaven. But He also didn’t want to leave us, His followers alone. So He has given us the Holy Spirit. Pentecost Sunday is about remembering that Jesus has empowered us with the Spirit of God so that we can come down from our sinfulness, and be forgiven and filled with God’s Spirit, and then go out into the world with this new found power! Pentecost Sunday is about remembering that we are given the Holy Spirit to do the work and will of God. While that may not always be our first choice, it is always the best choice. Let

us make the decision to, like Christ, go “Down and Out.” Amen.

"Inside Out"
John 20:19-23
Sunday, May 20, 2012

Introduction: A few months ago I was visiting one of our homebound members. We were talking about many things, but somehow the discussion got around to door-to- door visitation. She talked about how many years ago this church used to go out into the neighborhood and try to invite people to church and/or try to tell them about Jesus.  But then she shared with me her experience./  She came to the church one Saturday morning, and then she and others were “sent out” to go into the neighborhood. So she walked down the street a little ways to the first house, knocked on the door, and it was answered by a man. She then shared how she was from Community Presbyterian Church. Well….that is as far as she got. The man rudely told here that he was not interested, and slammed the door in her face. Devastated by this, she walked back to the church, got in her car, drove home, and told herself that she would never do anything like that again. It can be difficult to share your faith with others, especially when you try and do it door-to-door!

            We are called by God to do “incarnational” ministry. This means that we are to try and be Jesus to someone else, so that they can see God, just as God took on flesh in Jesus, so that we could see God. This morning I want to talk about how we are called to take what we know, what we have received from God, what we possess inside of us, and find a way to share it with others.

I.                   Be A Blessing- (John 15:7, 20:19-21)

a.      The disciples- Jesus was very intentional in His choosing the twelve

disciples. When He called them, He did so by saying to them: “Follow Me.” And after they responded to this call, they followed Jesus around, watching Him and learning from Him. This was quite an education for the disciples./    On one occasion…. Jesus drives an unclean spirit from a man. On another occasion Jesus cleanses a leper (and even touches him, which was not allowed by law, because to touch a leper meant that you were unclean as well). They saw Jesus heal a man who was paralyzed. They saw Jesus have heated discussions with the Pharisees (the religious leaders of the day) about what was lawful and what was not.

            From place to place Jesus led the disciples, teaching them about God’s love, about how people are saved, about God’s power, and on and on the teaching went. I’m sure the disciples were amazed, confused, excited, and challenged. But all the while they were just watching/  not doing. They were receiving the blessings of being with Jesus and learning from Jesus, but they were not really asked to do much.

            For 3 years they followed Jesus, and watched Jesus, and learned from Jesus. For 3 years they tried to understand who Jesus was and what Jesus was doing (you see they thought the Messiah was to come and set-up an earthly kingdom where the Jews would reign… and Jesus wasn’t doing anything like this). For 3 years they watched and waited to see where Jesus would take them./   And then Jesus starts to teach them about how the power of God will be with them. We read in John 15:7- “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”/  I’m sure the disciples wondered what they might ask for./            And Jesus talks about how they would be given the Holy Spirit so that they might have God’s counsel and presence. But Jesus gets arrested and then killed!

            And so when we come to our passage in John 20, we see Jesus coming to the disciples, after His death, and finding the disciples huddled in fear behind closed doors, afraid of everything and everyone. Yet this doesn’t cause Jesus any dismay, for He says to them in verse 21- “… ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, SO I SEND YOU.”/   Jesus is telling them that it is now time for them to do the work they saw Jesus doing; it is time to share the teaching they learned from Jesus. It is time for them to understand the blessings they received, and be a blessing to others in Jesus’ name.

b.      You and me-We are blessed to be a blessing.

Ex. When I was in college I got involved in a Bible Study with some friends. Every week I would go with my friends, and we would have a great study together and some great fellowship. But after a while we began to talk about the need to not just meet together and learn, but to go out and share what we had learned with others. We realized that we, like the disciples, had been called by Jesus to “follow Him,” but that following Him was more than just learning about the Bible; following Jesus was more than just trying to change the way we lived so that we would be more faithful to the teaching of the Bible. Following Jesus meant taking what was happening to us on the inside, and allowing it to come out of us; to share it with others. So we decided to go to the beach and try to do some sharing of Jesus with others. To do this we used a questionnaire. We would stop and ask someone if they would take a few minutes to answer some questions. The questions started simple… 1. Are you presently the member of any religious group or church? 2. What are your criteria for a meaningful or fulfilling life? 3. How do you believe human life originated? And then the questions would progress to: 4. Who do you think Jesus Christ believed himself to be? 5. Do you believe that Jesus Christ came physically out of the tomb? 6. How does a person become a Christian?/  It was amazing to see how many conversations we got into about becoming a Christian through this survey.

            And yet, for many people, this experience would be like the former member who had the terrible experience at the door…. I share this example, and it probably doesn’t get you excited to tell others about Jesus./   THE KEY is understanding about the blessings you receive from knowing Jesus and learning about Jesus. If you truly see how God has blessed your life because you are a Christian, you will then be motivated to share THIS with others.

            Ex. There is a story of a young man who heard about Jesus. But he wasn’t sure that he could tell others about Jesus. And so this kept him from wanting to give his life over to Jesus…One day he was talking to a friend who was a Christian, and sharing this concern with him. His friend told him that if he just wanted to keep his faith to himself he could. Excited, the young man went home, went up to his room and asked Jesus to be his Lord and Savior. After the prayer he felt at peace and excited about life with Jesus in it. As he went downstairs he saw his mom and dad and a friend of theirs in the kitchen. Still feeling this excitement he said to them: “Did you know that you can become a Christian and not have to tell anybody about it?”/            When you feel the blessing of having Christ in your life, it should just spill out naturally to others.

II.                Live for Others- (John 20:21, 3:16; Matthew 20:28; Isaiah 61:1-2)

a.      Understanding the need- In John 20:21 Jesus says, “as the Father has

SENT ME.”/  In Matthew 20:28 it says “For the Son of Man came not to be served but TO SERVE AND TO GIVE His life as a ransom for many./ ” In John 3:16 we are told that “For God so loved the world that HE GAVE His one and only Son…”/  Verse after verse reminds us that Jesus came not for Himself, but for others; Jesus lived His life not for Himself, but for others. And so Jesus sends us as He was sent, so that we might live not just for ourselves, but for others.

            While we have the tendency to be self-centered, there is also an innate part of us that desires to make a difference with our lives. Isn’t it true that when you help others, you feel good about yourself./   EX. When I worked in youth ministry in Camarillo, every year we would take a trip down to Mexico. The trip consisted of doing various kinds of construction work on the homes in Mexico. One of the benefits of doing this in Mexico is that there weren’t construction codes. So we didn’t have to get permits and pay large sums of money to do the work. We would send a person experienced in construction ahead of us, they would survey an area, and then we would go down for a week to do the work. We were able to make a difference in people’s lives by helping their homes become better. One house I remember was in terrible shape. They only had a dirt floor, and so whenever it rained their floor would turn to mud. They had no windows, and their walls were literally paper-thin. So we re-roofed their house, put in better walls, put in 2 windows, and we were able to raise the house and lay a concrete floor under it. What a difference this made! And those of us who worked on the house felt so great about what we accomplished for Christ. These youth that went on the trip were well-off in their lives, and they appreciated all the more what they had. But even more, they paid to go on this trip because they knew that they were seeking  to live for someone other than themselves. They were trying to be Christ to the world, serving rather than being served!

b.      Making it happen- What can you do in your life to make a difference

for Christ? What can you do that helps you to live for others? It is so easy to get involved in work, in your kids’ lives, in your grandkids’ lives. But Jesus calls us to care for those who are struggling, those who are oppressed, those who are lost. Remember these words from Luke, 4:18-19, where Jesus was in the synagogue, and He opened the scriptures and read from Isaiah 61:1-2: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”/ God is about caring for those who can’t always care for themselves. As the apostle Paul tells us in Galatians 6:2- “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”/  It is us who God has called to do His work. We are sent by Christ to do the work that Christ Himself would do.

            The great thing about being a part of a church is that the church sends you out. You can’t be sent on your own, but the church can send you in Jesus’ name. And as we are sent, we go “in the name of Jesus” and “with the power of Jesus” behind us. We also should go together so that the burden doesn’t fall on just one person…. I have felt this burden for a long time now, the burden to “go out”. I believe there are a couple of ways God is calling us to get involved: one is the community right around us (right now we are doing this with our bread ministry/food pantry, our computer class which will re-start this summer, and our support of the Hispanic church and their ministry to the community); a second is to organizations like “His Nesting Place” and “WomenShelter of Long Beach” we where help support organizations who are making a difference in the community of Long Beach. Each of these places needs the Lord’s favor. By our efforts we can bring take Christ to others.

           

III.             Reconcile People to God- (John 20:21; Luke 19:10; 2 Cor. 5:17-20)

a.      What it takes- EX. “Changed Lives,” by Tim Kimmel. In 1921, Lewis

Lawes became the warden at Sing Sing Prison. No prison was tougher than Sing Sing during that time. But when Warden Lawes retired some 20 years later, that prison had become a humanitarian institution. Those who studied the system said credit for the change belonged to Lawes. But when he was asked about the transformation, here's what he said, "I owe it all to my wonderful wife, Catherine, who is buried outside the prison walls."/  Catherine Lawes was a young mother with three small children when her husband became the warden. Everybody warned her from the beginning that she should never set foot inside the prison walls, but that didn't stop Catherine! When the first prison basketball game was held, she went ... walking into the gym with her three beautiful kids and she sat in the stands with the inmates./  Her attitude was: "My husband and I are going to take care of these men and I believe they will take care of me! I don't have to worry!" She insisted on getting acquainted with them and their records. She discovered one convicted murderer was blind so she paid him a visit. Holding his hand in hers she said, "Do you read Braille?"/  "What's Braille?" he asked. Then she taught him how to read. Years later he would weep in love for her./  Later, Catherine found a deaf-mute in prison. She went to school to learn how to use sign language. Many said that Catherine Lawes was the body of Jesus that came alive again in Sing Sing from 1921 to 1937. Then, she was killed in a car accident. The next morning Lewis Lawes didn't come to work, so the acting warden took his place. It seemed almost instantly that the prison knew something was wrong./  The following day, her body was resting in a casket in her home, three-quarters of a mile from the prison. As the acting warden took his early morning walk, he was shocked to see a large crowd of the toughest, hardest-looking criminals gathered like a herd of animals at the main gate. He came closer and noted tears of grief and sadness. He knew how much they loved Catherine. He turned and faced the men, "All right, men you can go. Just be sure and check in tonight!" Then he opened the gate and a parade of criminals walked, without a guard, the three-quarters of a mile to stand in line to pay their final respects to Catherine Lawes. And every one of them checked back in. Every one! (Stories for the Heart, p. 54)/  Catherine Lawes was able to make a difference in the lives of these inmates because she genuinely cared about them with the love of Jesus Christ. By sharing Christ with them, she helped them to be transformed at the core of their being!

b.      Where it leads- Even more, we are called to care about people’s

souls. There are so many who are lost on the inside. We are called to help people to be reconciled to God. When Jesus tells us that He is sending us out, He is sending us to do the work He came to do; SAVE SOULS! Jesus said that He came “to seek and to save the lost.” So too our mission should be to seek and to save the lost. But you won’t find the lost if you don’t look for the lost. You won’t find the lost if you don’t go where the lost are. You won’t find the lost if you do not have a heart for the lost. If Catherine Lawes didn’t genuinely care for the inmates and their condition, she wouldn’t have been able to make the difference she did make. If we don’t care about the condition of the lost, we won’t see the need, or expend the energy to help people be reconciled with God through Christ!

            In 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 we read… ^“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.”/ We are implored to be made right with God, and once this happens, we are called to help others be made right with God. This is possible for anyone, as we are told in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

Conclusion: God became flesh in Jesus Christ so that He might dwell with His people. Why did He want to dwell with His people? Because He wanted us to know His love. There is not a more powerful way to show your love than to be there for someone. And God was there for us in Jesus Christ./   We are called to be Christ’s presence in the lives of others by being there for them. Those who are lost are not breaking down the church’s doors. Jesus tells us that He sends us “out” to where the people are and for us to be His presence.

If you have any special ideas about how we can do this in our community please share them with me! We need to all be thinking about how we can be God’s presence in our community.

EX. In the movie “Sister Act” Whoopi Goldberg plays this worldly singer who witnesses a mob crime. The police hide her as a nun in a traditional convent where she has trouble fitting in. But then one day she takes over the choir and teaches them a jazzier version of one of their hymns. From this she talks the Mother Superior into letting them go out into the dangerous city and paint over the graffiti, shut down the pornography store, and tell people about the love of Jesus. Whoopi Goldberg and the nuns go “inside out.” Let us go “Inside Out” by taking the blessings we have within us, and letting them be seen outside of us. Let us move outside our church walls with the love of Christ. Amen.

"Understanding Others"
John 1:1-14
Sunday, May 13, 2012

Introduction: Illus. “Movie: Dangerous Minds”

In the movie Dangerous Minds, Michelle Pfeiffer plays a former marine who leaves her officer's commission and a nine-year military career to pursue her dream of becoming an English teacher. But while earning her credentials at a Northern California high school, she is assigned to an inner-city high school with students who defy the rules. In an attempt to reach these kids (who really want someone to care about them) she ignores the school’s curriculum rules and she creates her own curriculum. By bribery, trickery, and love she helps them to believe in themselves and in their potential. While she doesn’t affect every kids’ life, she does have a tremendous impact, for the good, on many of the students.

            Like Michelle Pfeiffer in this movie, the church of today needs to defy the old rules and find new ways to connect with the people of our generation. This morning I want to talk about a new strategy that we need to employ if we are going to move forward in taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to our community and our world.

I.                   Go and Listen-

a.      Listen- This new strategy starts with our leaving the church (our

learning place) and understand that we will learn as well while we are outside the church. The call is to take the gospel to the streets. The church’s efforts usually fall short because the programs that are established are usually designed to entice church people, or people who want to come to church.

            Reggie McNeal, who wrote the book “The Present Future,” talks about recruiting un-churched people to come up with outreach ideas. He says that if the church wants to reach un-churched people, then they need to understand what they would even want to come to; they need to listen to those who don’t come to church. Even more than that, the events shouldn’t always take place at the church. Now that may sound pretty outrageous, but think about this, if people don’t want to come to church, then even if you hold the greatest event, they still won’t come. And if they don’t come, then you don’t have an opportunity to share Jesus with them.

            Over the years we have had some good evangelism programs. Our Alpha program ran twice a year for over 8 years. This program impacted the lives of many people. But we were never too successful in getting non-church people to attend. Our Harvest Carnival was a great event every Halloween. We had around 250 kids with their parents who attend. It was a wonderful, safe environment for children. And yet, I don’t think that event brought in any new members. Our Vacation Bible School teaches Bible lessons in a fun way to around 30-40 kids every year. And at the end of the week the kids put on a program for their parents. This is a great event, and effective in its own way. But it too has been limited in getting new visitors and members. Now, this is not all bad, because the church doesn’t exist to make church members, as much as we exist to share the love of Christ and the message of salvation. But it does tell us that there are many people that we are not reaching.

            So to reach these people, we have to listen to what is going on. Let’s go back to the movie “Dangerous Minds”. Michelle Pfeiffer was trying to teach the kids about literature. But these inner-city kids didn’t care about poetry and literature. And yet, Pfeiffer knew that this would be beneficial for them to learn, especially if they were going to go on to college. So she had to get their attention first; she had to go where they were, find out what they were interested in.

b.      Go- So to understand others first requires us to find out what they

enjoy. Michelle Pfeiffer knew they liked music. So she played some Bob Dylan to them. And she had them analyze the words of his song “Mr. Tamborine Man.” As they were learning how to figure out what these words meant, it began to give them the skills to analyze other words; even words to poems.

            She then gave them an assignment to find a poem by Dylan Thomas that had the same general theme as Bob Dylan’s song. And then she bribed them telling them that the winning group would get a free dinner at a nice restaurant. The point here is that Michelle Pfeiffer found a way to connect with them, and found a way to connect what they liked to literature.

Many of us have people we know who are not Christians. As we get to know these people it is important to get to know what they like to do and what they are interested in.  As we listen to them and learn about them, we will find that there will be many opportunities to share Jesus with them. For example, if someone likes the Star Wars movies, the main theme in these movies is “THE FORCE.” This force connects all people and all things. This is a great opportunity to talk about God as “the force.”

But even more than this, we take the church to them. For example, there are many churches that are starting up small groups outside of the church. They might meet at someone’s home, or at Starbucks, or at a restaurant. And these groups are formed by common interests. Mary has started her “Girls Night In” group which has been bringing church people together with non-church people. What if you had the idea of starting some kind of group around people’s interests. Maybe one group is into cooking. Another group is interested in computers. A third group might be sewing. These groups could meet to talk about their interests. But in the midst of their conversations, there are opportunities to talk about Jesus. In time, they might even invite their “friends” to church.

We have done this by taking our church to the WomenShelter of Long Beach and throwing little parties for them: a picnic, a beach party, and a Christmas party. In this way, we can’t take Christ out to the people. There are many great ideas to take to people outside the church. Maybe you can think of one that will be right for you and our church!!

II.                Go out of your comfort zone- (John 1:1-14, 13:3-17; Matthew 20:28)

a.      It can be done- Now I know what I am suggesting is out of many

people’s comfort zones. Church is nice because it is a place we can come and feel safe and secure and where someone else does the leading; the sharing. Church is a place that feels like home. And yet, God does not want us to get too comfortable. In our passage this morning we see that God became flesh and dwelt among us. God left the comfort of heaven so that He could interact with us in our environment. And while this can make one uncomfortable, it is not beyond our capability.

EX. Robert Louis Stevenson tells of a storm that caught a vessel off a rocky coast and threatened to drive it and its passengers to destruction. In the midst of the terror, one daring man, contrary to orders, went to the deck, made a dangerous passage to the pilot house and saw the steerman, at his post holding the wheel unwaveringly, and inch by inch, turning the ship out, once more, to sea. The pilot saw the watcher and smiled. Then, the daring passenger went below and gave out a note of cheer: "I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well."

      EX. A few years ago, when Tyler was about 9, he and I were going to go see “Pirates of the Caribbean.” We went to the Pacific Theatres over at the mall on Del Amo. Tyler was a little nervous because he had heard that there were some strange creatures, and that parts of the movie were intense. Then to top it off, when we entered the theatre it was completely dark. It seems that the bulb in the projector had gone out, so there was sound, but no pictures. This made Tyler feel out of his comfort zone. Ultimately, we had to go over to the other Pacific theatre (which was a more familiar theatre for Tyler) and we saw it there. In the end, Tyler loved the movie.

When you persevere through uncomfortable times and situations, especially with God at your side, you will come through experiencing joy and success.

b.      Carrying it through- A great verse of challenge and encouragement is

in the gospel of Matthew, 20:28-  “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.”/ Jesus could have had a comfortable, easy life of being worshipped, and served, and having all His needs and desires cared for. He could have lived like a king, ordering people around. But Jesus didn’t come to this earth to be served. Jesus came to this earth to serve others. In His last time of being alone with the disciples, Jesus shocked them all with His act of service; Jesus washed the disciples feet! Now the job of washing people’s feet belonged to the servant. But because of where they were, there was no servant there to wash their feet. Jesus wanted to help the disciples learn a great lesson, so He washed their feet. We see this story in John 13:3-17. /   Jesus grabs a basin and goes to Peter to wash his feet. Peter is embarrassed to have his master wash his feet and declines. Jesus says, “Unless I wash your feet, you will have no part of me.” So Jesus goes and washes all of the disciples’ feet. And then we read in verses 13-17, “ ‘You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

            Jesus was letting the disciples know that they were to follow Jesus’ example. Jesus’ example of not needing to be above others, but being of use to God. Jesus’ example that greatness comes not in position, but in service. Jesus’ example that humility is far greater in guiding our lives, than pride. Jesus’ example in challenging us about what is truly important in life.

            We become capable of carrying through with living the example Jesus gave us, because we become convinced that what Jesus did was right. We begin to realize that we have been deceived by all the advertisements that tell us that we have to “have it our own way.” We become convinced that wealth and power and control does not make life successful or meaningful. We become convinced that the church isn’t called to be in-grown, but it is called to reach out beyond its walls. We understand that to live like Jesus we must go to where people are and get to know them as Jesus came to earth to get to know us.

III.             Go for them, not you- (John 1:10-12)

We become convinced that we are here as a church, as a people of God, not for ourselves, but for others. The church is the only organization that exists not for its members, but for all the non-members.

a.      Going out with a purpose-   At the end of “Dangerous Minds,”

Michelle Pfeiffer is frustrated because one mother has taken her twin boys out of the school because she doesn’t want them learning about poetry! Another boy got in a fight with a gang member to save his honor, and was killed. And so on the last day of school she is telling the students that she will not be coming back the next year. This is devastating to the students, because they finally have someone who cares about them. And they start to tell her about the difference she has made in their lives. And this causes her to understand that by going beyond herself, and being there for them, is what it is all about.

            This is the truth about Jesus as well. In John 1:10-12 we are told, ^“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”/ Jesus came to a world where many didn’t accept Him, or what He was trying to do. They didn’t understand what He was doing or why He was doing it. They did not receive Him and believe in His name. But Jesus knew that the reason He was there was to let people know that He was there for them, and that by believing in what He was offering them, they would have new life.

            So this is where the meaningfulness of the church seeks to interact with the needs of the community. What are 2 or 3 of the greatest needs in the community. One is that many people are struggling financially. That is why our food pantry/bread ministry is so popular. As we enter into understanding more about our community, and seek to make a difference, we open up opportunities and acceptance to speak the message of Christ into the world. We have the opportunity to show that we care. Remember that Jesus went to where people were. Jesus interacted with people in the midst of their daily lives. Jesus brought Himself, the gospel, and His disciples into the world. So our call is to do this as well.

b.      Say “Yes”- For so many years the church has thought and acted as

though it was all about us. And while people were interested in church, interested in organized religion, this pursuit was somewhat successful. But as time has gone on, the needs and desires of people have changed. People have come to believe that they want a faith with less structure and less rules. People have lost the desire to commit and to join. And so the church is IN an interesting place. Is the church willing to try something new?

Now, it is funny that I would say this, because what I am talking about this morning really isn’t new, since it is based on what Jesus has called us to. But it is new because the church for so long now has thought that it is about us, and forgotten about all those who haven’t received Jesus and are lost. We are in a time when we have to say “yes” to doing church in a new way. We have to say “yes” to being willing to go beyond our comfort zone. We have to say “yes” to finding ways to connect the gospel of Christ with the world around us.

            To do this we have to start asking the right questions. If you want to be challenged in this area, I encourage you to read the book I mentioned earlier, “The Present Future,” by Reggie McNeal. He gives some wonderful insight into how to re-discover our purpose for God as a church. Asking questions like: “How do we move from Churchianity to Christianity?” Because it’s not just about the church, it is about leading people to their savior Jesus Christ. Also, the questions: “How do we transform our community for Christ?” “How do we turn our members into missionaries in our community?” “How do we prepare for the future?” 

    

Conclusion: I know that today is Mother’s Day, and I usually preach a sermon to mother’s, encouraging them in the wonderful job they do in caring for their kids. After church we will have our tea and honor the mother’s, but today I wanted to remind us of how the church is on a journey. And with God’s help, we can discover where God is leading us next! With the right frame of mind, we will hear from God.

If we want to really make a difference as a church, we have to focus outside of the church walls. The learning really will come when we get out and learn how to listen and interact with non-Christians. For each church it is different. And the churches that are not doing this are the churches that are not growing; the churches that are struggling to make ends meet; the churches that have lost their relevancy for God. Jesus connected with people by relating to them on a personal level. When He was talking to farmers He used a parable about seeds and soil. When He was talking to a woman who was getting water at a well, He used water imagery.

We need to venture forward with these concepts in mind and find ways to make an impact for God by connecting with people on a personal level. I hope that we can venture forward together to discover what these ways are. I hope we can live out our mission for God. And in doing so, we will learn a great deal, and do great works for God. Amen.

"Mission: It's About Others"
Sunday, May 6, 2012
1 Corinthians 1:25-31

Introduction: EX. When I was a kid, I would play baseball by myself in my back yard. Sometimes I would be the pitcher, and sometimes I would be the batter. Inevitably, I would put myself in that difficult situation…you know, if I was the pitcher there would be bases loaded, 2 outs, full count, my team ahead by one. I needed to throw a strike. I would wind up, throw the pitch: strike three! OR, if I was the batter it would be the bottom of the ninth, down by one, runners on second and third, and I had a full count on me! The pitch would come, and I would get the hit to win the game! Isn’t it interesting how when we were kids, in our fantasies, we never failed? We are always strong, and smart, and successful. It’s never….and he swings, and he misses, and he strikes out, and loses the game.

When we get older we realize that we aren’t always strong, or smart. We don’t always win the game. In fact, we often feel weak, and bumbling, and look at only our failures. And so when it comes to living our lives, we go through these periods where we don’t feel too great about ourselves; where we don’t think we have that much to offer.

            This morning I have good news for you and me… God can actually use us all the more when we are in this condition. The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:10- “For Christ’s sake, … when I am weak, then I am strong.” For many of you, this might be a change of perspective. But the Christian life is really a change of perspective. There is nothing about God’s word that is really conventional. God loves sinners, seeks out the outcast, includes the excluded. This is a different perspective on life than what the world around us tells us. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:43-44, “You have heard that it was said, ‘you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’”

            That is not conventional wisdom. People thought Jesus was foolish and weak, and according to the ways of the world, His teaching, His life, and His death were foolishness. But as we just read in 1 Corinthians 1:25, “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.”/  So let us look at how we can become a people of God and a church that lets God turn our weaknesses into His strength.

I.                   Leadership- (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Change is part of life. And so therefore change is part of church life. The

churches that succeed from generation to generation are the churches that learn to embrace change; that make friends with change. Change needs to occur because the environment, the people, the community is constantly changing. I don’t think any of us would deny that this community has changed significantly in the last 20-30 years. And as a people of God called to care for others around us, we need to be changing. And yet, it is important to understand that this change must be worked into the fabric and identity of the church. Change must also be managed, starting with the leadership of the church.

a.      Pastoral- We live in a time where Americans are often suspicious of

authority and hierarchy. In fact, there are many bumper stickers that say: “Question Authority.”/  Americans do not like to be told what to do. The good in this is that it has created our democratic society. The bad in this is that when authority is radically questioned and resisted, it is impossible for communities to move ahead.

            So, when we look at the church, we need to understand that it is the “body of Christ,” of which “Christ is the head.” The leadership of the church is to be there to serve the will of God first and foremost over the will of the people. Under this section of “Leadership,” let’s first look at the office of pastor, and then look at the church officers and other “leaders.”

            The office of pastor has been established by God to serve God’s purposes. We are told in Ephesians 4:11-13, “The gifts God gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry; for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.”

            To be a pastor and teacher in the body of Christ is an awesome responsibility and a high privilege. I have to be honest with you, sometimes I feel overwhelmed and humbled by this responsibility and call. Without your help, encouragement, prayers, and belief in what I am trying to bring to you, I would be lost in many ways. But the pastor is also called by the congregation for the education, training, and experience that he or she possesses. And in this biblical and theological training, in this grounding, the pastor protects the congregation from getting caught up in the following of other “gods.”

            Part of my responsibility and privilege as pastor is to “wrestle with God” until I receive God’s vision and mission for the church. This wrestling includes prayer, Bible study, learning the needs and the make-up of the church, and learning the social and cultural setting of the community.

So the crucial first step of managing change, and having a heart for others, is to personally know the vision of God for our church, and having confidence in my understanding of what God has called us as a church to do in this time and place. In my times of wrestling, I have many moments where I start to see more clearly what God has placed before us.

            When I first arrived at this church in 1999, the session and I worked

together to put together a mission statement that we believed spelled out in general terms what God was calling us to do. You can find this statement on the back of the bulletin. It says, “The mission of this church is to bring people to know Jesus Christ, to help one another grow in faith, to be committed and responsible members, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, to share God’s love beyond the church.”

            If you were to summarize this, it is basically saying that we need to “know Jesus, grow in faith, and tell others about Jesus.”

b.      Church- But it is not enough for just me to have a sense of God’s mission.

It is important for the leaders of our church to believe in this mission and live and lead like they believe. When the nominating committee meets every year, we try to seek out people who we believe are committed to this church, but even more who have a heart to do what God calls us to do. At every Session meeting and Deacons meeting we start the meeting with this mission statement so that we are reminded of the purpose for which God calls us.

            The goal here is to include the officers of the church in the Mission of the church, and allow them to be a part of setting the specific goals to help carry out this Mission. Why? Because God does not give the vision of the church to just the pastor, but to those who are following God and are called to serve the Lord with “enthusiasm, energy, and creativity.”

            None of us is wise enough alone to comprehend fully the length and breadth, the height and depth of God’s will for the church in the world. There is a confidence when the leaders God lifts up join together and share their collective wisdom. Through this there is a wonderful working together in ministry! We are called to support each other, and encourage each other, and live out the mission together!

            We need to all work together: pastor, leaders, and congregation. God will lead us into change, and we need to manage this change together. This change will be related to the programs of the church, the worship, the budget, and on and on it goes. You can see that it takes everybody working together, getting excited together, and caring for the needs of others together.

Story: “The Pharmacist and his brother,” (e-mailed story)- There is a story of a little girl named Tess, whose brother was very sick. She heard her parents talking about how he needed a miracle if he was going to live. So she got all of her money and went to see the local pharmacist, hoping she could buy a miracle. It just so happened that the pharmacists brother was there with him as Tess spoke about buying a miracle. The pharmacist informed the girl that they didn’t sell miracles there. The brother, however, was interested in her story, and so he asked Tess: “How much money did you bring for this miracle.” She answered: “One dollar and eleven cents. It’s all the money that I have.” The pharmacists brother asked: “What is wrong with your brother?” Tess told him that her bother had something bad growing inside his head, and her parents had said that only a miracle could save him.” The pharmacists brother then told her: “It just so happens that a miracle today only costs $1.11. Why don’t you take me to see your brother.” The pharmacists brother happened to be Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon who specialized in neuro-surgery. After seeing the Tess’ brother, he was able to perform the surgery and save the boys life! All because of a girl who believed in miracles.

       When you are part of the Mission to care about others, you will see miracles happen!

II.                Communication- (1 John 4:18)

a.      Ministry information and needs- Now as difficult as change can

be, it is even more difficult if people don’t know what is going on or why it is going on. That is why it is important to listen to God, and communicate together what we feel God is calling us to do. Without communication, there is often fear of what is happening. But the Bible tells us in 1 John 4:18- “There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fear.”/  If we can understand that what we are doing is because God loves us, and God loves others, and the church is the place where God shares His love, and calls us to pass it on to others, then we will go forth in the change God calls us to make, and it will be easier to bear.

            It is important to communicate changes, new ideas, plans for the future, and upcoming actions. This can happen through word of mouth, congregation meetings, the Caller, announcements, and so on.

            The primary way we communicate is through the Caller and weekly announcements. In the Caller we try to have articles that highlight the different programs, as well as Session highlights that let people know of the important decisions the Session has approved. There is also the calendar page as well as flyer inserts. Then we try to continue to highlight important events and upcoming events in the weekly announcements. Sometimes it may even take the form of a Minute for Mission.             A second way that communication happens is by the leaders and staff themselves passing the information on to those to whom they regularly see. In these conversations the leaders themselves can share about the happenings of the church and the important future events that are being talked about and planned.      A third way is through congregation meetings, where we talk about the life of the church, the budget, and the overall mission. This is also a time where questions can be raised.

b.       Budget information and needs- Example: “Boiling it down to

the essence,”  p. 370, #10, Illus Unlimited. There is a story of an American textile buyer who was giving a little speech at a luncheon in Seoul, Korea. He would talk a little, and then the translator would translate. He closed his talk with a funny little anecdote, to which the translator translated it in just a few words. The crowd broke into laughter and applause. Later, the textile buyer commented to the translator: “I think it was wonderful the way they appreciated my joke. I was amazed at how you could translate it into Korean in such a few words!” The translator replied: “Not at all. I merely said, ‘Man with big checkbook has told funny story. Do what you think is appropriate.’”

Money is an amazing thing.  Those who have it feel blessed; those who don’t have it are struggling.  It is true for the church as well.  When the church doesn’t have money, it struggles.  It struggles to pay its bills; it struggles to carry out its programs; it struggles to come up with new programs.  God has continually blessed our church by helping us to meet our budget most every year. But in the past 2 years we have not met budget. Yet, by God’s faithfulness we are able to still have money to carry out the mission that God places before us.

I know that people don’t like to come to church and hear about money, but money is one of the big resources that is needed to live out the mission of God. Jesus talked regularly about releasing money’s hold on us by learning to give it away. As a church we try to be faithful with creating a budget that is realistic, but that still stretches us in faith. We need to all be prayerful in deciding how much to give.

Conclusion:  Whether it is being involved in the leadership, or being involved in the grass roots of ministry, or being involved in the giving of money - we all have a part to play in God’s kingdom, and in the work of the church.  You don’t have to feel like you are the most gifted; you don’t have to feel like you have it all together; you don’t have to have tons of money.  What is important is that we have the under-standing that it’s about others, and not about ourselves.  Meaning that God desires to use us in spite of ourselves; to use us to touch the lives of others.  As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:27 – “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”  We who are weak, we who feel foolish, in Christ become strong, and wise, and powerful.  When you care about others, you will see miracles happen.  Let us join together to fulfill God’s mission for us, today and always.  Amen.

“Turning a Negative Into a Positive”

Exodus 13:17-22

                                                               Sunday, April 29, 2012

Introduction: If you have ever been to a professional concert where there was a soloist, you know it is a pleasure to hear them play so beautifully. The soloist has practiced and played for many years to become the best they can be. It is amazing to hear them make difficult pieces sound almost easy. Yet, the truth is, for someone to become so accomplished takes many years of struggle and mistakes, and frustration. Being a musician myself I know that it is not easy to become so accomplished!

            Life is a lot like this. We want our life to be easy. We want only good to happen in our lives. We don’t want to make mistakes. We don’t want to struggle. We don’t want to have frustration./  But this morning we are going to see that it is actually the struggling and the mistakes, the frustrations and the negative events, that allow us to become all that God wants us to be and do all that God wants us to do!

I.                   Biblical Examples of Negative Events- (Ex. 13:17-22; Acts 15:36-41)

Biblical examples- There are many examples of this in the Bible. But let us

look at just a couple.

a.      The Israelites- In the book of Exodus we see that the Israelites were in

slavery in Egypt. They were in a very negative situation. Moses had gotten frustrated with the way the Egyptians treated his people. This actually led him to kill an Egyptian guard. After this he had to flee into the dessert. After spending some time with God, Moses was given a calling by God to stand up to the Pharaoh and ask for his people to be freed. After much struggle, and many plagues, the Pharaoh agreed to free them.

So off they went, heading towards the Promised Land. They are probably thinking that they are free, and life is going to be great, right? But soon into the journey they noticed that something wasn’t right. They weren’t going the short route; they were taking the longer road. They might have asked: How come Moses is taking us the long way around? How come we aren’t traveling the easier, shorter road? Exodus 13:17 tells us right off: “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God thought, ‘If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.’”

            If you follow this story in Exodus, you will see that time and time again the people get frustrated and angry at their situation. They blame Moses and God for not giving them an easier road. But the truth is/   that going down the path that seemed easier, would have led them into a war with the Philistines, and they were not ready as a people to fight a war. Even more than that, God wanted Israel to become a nation, and it was going to take them time, along with some negative events, to prepare them for this next chapter of their existence.

            And yet, we see in this passage an important verse; verse 21: “The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night.”/  Even though God was having them travel the longer road, God was right there with them providing for them all that they needed. He was guiding them by pillars of a cloud and fire. And as the story goes along, God provides them with laws, food, shelter, guidance, and on and on it goes.

b.      Paul and Barnabas- Let’s take a look at another example in the Bible. In

Acts 15:36-41, Paul and Barnabas were taking a break from their travels. It comes time to head off again, and Paul says to Barnabas: “Come, let us return and visit the believers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.”/ Paul wants to go and visit those to whom he has led to the Lord; to those he has taught and encouraged. Barnabas seems willing, but wants to change the plans a little by bringing a man named John Mark with them. Paul does not want John Mark to come with them.

            Let us stop the story for a moment to understand who John Mark is, and why Paul doesn’t want him around. John Mark is Barnabas’ nephew. But John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia. It is not said why John Mark deserted them, or how he deserted them. But the fact is, he did desert them. And for Paul, he did not want to give John Mark another chance. Paul was in essence saying: “You let me down once, and I don’t want to risk having you let me down again!

            So what happens. Well, of course since John Mark is family, Barnabas is going to stick with him; Barnabas is going to give him another chance. And the scripture says in verse 39- “The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company…”/ Here we have a major struggle. Two important church leaders, Barnabas and Paul, have such a severe disagreement that they part ways!!  When you think of Paul, do you think of someone who would be so hard headed; so unforgiving? But this is exactly what happens in the story.

            The wonderful ending to this negative event is that Paul and Silas go off and continue to do great ministry. Paul is able to train Silas as a leader. And in regards to John Mark, he does indeed redeem himself. It just so happens that this disagreement let Barnabas have an opportunity to work one on one with John Mark and help him to grow into a faithful servant for God. Barnabas believed in John Mark, and in the end John Mark justified that belief. It is hard to know whether this would have come about had Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark went off together. We see that ultimately Barnabas, John Mark, and Paul reconcile.

II.                The Power of a Negative-

a.      The positive- We all have negative events that happen in our lives.

What are we to do about these negative events in our lives?

It is easy to talk about the negative events of others, but when it deals with you and me, when it gets personal, then this is another story. I know for me, it is true that I don’t want conflict, struggle and negative events to happen. In many ways they are not fun. But the truth is, they do exist. Sometimes they exist because God allows them to happen. Other times they exist because of my own wrong choices. Either way, we need to understand that God brings good, out of the negative events that occur.

       Let me give you a list of some positive outcomes that come from negative events.

• Without negative events we become complacent in life. When life is going

along easy, we tend to get bored and maybe even a little lazy. A negative event at this time can wake us up to what God is calling us to do.

• Negative events can also push us to new growth. There may be something in

our future that God wants us to do, and this negative event helps us to learn important lessons, or skills that will be needed.

• Negative events can help us to learn that we have gifts we didn’t know we

had. For example, let’s say that two people close to you are having a conflict and you are involved as well, but not directly. This is a negative situation in your life, but God may allow you to be the one to reconcile the two together. Through this experience you discover a gift you didn’t know you have. You discover that you can help people resolve their conflicts!

• Negative events can also build character. Example- In a Peanuts comic strip

Schroeder says to Charlie Brown: “Don’t be discouraged, Charlie Brown. These early defeats help to build character for later in life.” Charlie Brown then asks: “For what later on in life?” To which Schroeder replies: “For more defeats!” Charlie Brown then decides to go and see Lucy’s psychiatric booth for a second opinion. Lucy gives Charlie Brown this advice: “Adversity builds character. Without adversity a person could never mature and face up to all the things in life!” “What things,” Charlie Brown asks. “More adversity!” Lucy says. (Amusing Grace, #712).            The truth is, when we go through negative events, we mature and gain new insights into life. These adversities prepare us for future events in our lives.

• Negative events also help us to recognize areas of weakness or fear in our

lives. If  we seek to face these events with God’s help, then we will be stronger and more capable people and we will be prepared to do more for God and make a greater difference in this world.

• Negative events can also indicate leadership potential in us. When we are

able to face these events head on and work through them, we gain leadership skills.

• And negative events help to confirm future roles in our lives. There are

times when we go through a struggle, and because of going through this struggle we actually gain perspective about where God is leading us to a new place.

b.      Personal examples- I have had many negative events happen in my

life. Some very difficult, and some not so difficult. And it is easy to try to forget these negative events. It is easy to try to put them in the archives of my brain and lock them up. But the truth is, when we are willing to speak about them, look at them, remember them, we will begin to grow in ways that we can’t, if we hide them away. The truth is, when we deny the pain of our past, we really can’t grow in our present or our future. So I would like to share with you two examples of negative events in my past.

            The first is when I got to my twenties, and all my friends started getting married. Some even started having kids. I myself longed to be married; longed to find that special someone in my life. I too desired to have children. I believed I would make a good husband and father. But the problem was/  that I wasn’t finding that person to whom I wanted to marry. The good thing is that I wasn’t trying to force the issue. I finally gave it to the Lord in my late twenties and said if I didn’t ever get married, that would be okay. And I did mean this. I committed myself to serving God in ministry. This didn’t mean that I stopped looking to date, but it did mean that I stopped worrying about being married. Really, what led me to give it up to the Lord and stop worrying about it, was a bad dating situation I had right before I met Tami. The person I was dating decided to go back with her boyfriend whom she had stopped seeing right before we dated! It was quite a surprise to me when she told me this!! ….Not too long after this, I met Tami!! And I can’t tell you how blessed I feel to have Tami as my wife.

            The second event is right after I finished seminary and was thinking about looking for a ministry call. I was working at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Camarillo, and they were in the process of looking for an associate pastor. I thought the job would be perfect for me, and it would mean that Tami and I could stay where we were. I got a call one day from someone on the committee telling me that I needed to get my PIF in right away, as the committee was ready to stop receiving resume’s. So I worked hard the next day and turned it into the committee. Not too long after that I found out that I did not get the call for the associate pastor position! This was hard enough to accept, but even more, I found out that the senior pastor had told the committee to not even consider my PIF because he didn’t think it was right for me. Isn’t that something the committee and I should have decided after an interview? HOWEVER, this rejection led me to Colorado, and then ultimately here to Community Presbyterian. It was difficult to get over the negative events, but as I look back I can see God helping me learn from them, and grow from them. God allowed them to benefit me as a person and as a minister. I believe God prepared me for this call through what I went through both at Trinity Presbyterian, and in Colorado. It makes me appreciate all the more the love and support I receive here!!

c.       Filtering Negative Events- So for us to bring positive out of the

negative in our lives, we have to learn how to filter these experiences through the proper lenses. And there is generally three lenses that will help us here.

            The first lens is the lens of character. Through some of the negative events of our lives, God is calling us to look at the issues that help us to learn about our self-esteem, our confidence level, and ourselves. God is calling us to believe in whom He made us to be. What are the areas of my life/your life where we might be deficient in character?

            The second lens is the lens of relational insight. Through this lens God is bringing to the surface how we relate to and react to people. Too often we let others run over us, or for some of us we might run over other people. We might tend to resist or run away from conflict, even though by running away/  the conflict doesn’t go away. How is God calling us to relate more maturely to others?

            The third lens is the lens of ministry assignment. The truth is, we are all called by God to be involved in some ministry or program. We might not admit it, or we might not seek to get involved, but we are called to get involved. Through negative events, God shows us where he wants us to be serving Him.

Conclusion: Paul tells us in Romans 8:28- “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God…” God can and does bring positive out of our negative experiences. I challenge you to not hide them away, but bring them to the surface, to God, and let Him bring amazing results and insight into your life. Let us praise God this day for how He walks with us in all things. Amen.