Where's Your Treasure? (sermon)

(preached at Brook Hill UMC – Aug. 11, 2013)

Luke 12:29-40 (NIV)

²⁹ And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. ³² “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

This morning Jesus comes to us in the curious role of an INVESTMENT ADVISOR. (Warren Buffett, the Motley Fool Investment Group, Jesus of Nazareth – sometimes Jesus hangs out with unusual people!)

Jesus tells us here that God’s kingdom is both a present and future reality. He tells us how we can build equity in God’s kingdom. He shows us how we can multiply our spiritual capital to reap rewards both in this life and in the coming life beyond the grave.

As Rick Warren tweeted last week: “Not everything in this life has a happy ending. But this life is not the end of the story.”

First of all,

1. JESUS SAYS THAT OUR FATHER WANTS TO GIVE US HIS KINGDOM.

Hear verse 32 from four different translations:

“Your Father delights in giving you the kingdom.” (Common English Bible)

 “The Father wants to give you the very kingdom...” (The Message)

 “…it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” (21^st Century KJV)

 “Your Father wants to share his kingdom with you.” (Easy-to-Read Version)

What is this kingdom God wants to give us? It’s a real kingdom that is present in the world today.

God is building His kingdom wherever people bow the knee to Him.

This is not make-believe. This is a kingdom contrary to every earthly authority. It’s counter-cultural.

It’s a kingdom where the last are first, and the first are last.

We must become as little children to enter this kingdom.

Jesus said it’s very hard for a rich person to enter this kingdom.

To be great in this kingdom, I must become the servant of all.

It’s an Upside Down Kingdom, where forgiveness is extended seventy times seven.

It’s a kingdom where thieves and prostitutes and murderers and scoundrels are welcomed in from the streets to sit at the King’s table.

Jesus said this kingdom is like a precious pearl – it’s worth selling everything to obtain.

It’s like a mustard seed – so small that you ignore it until it grows to become the biggest plant in the garden.

And our God has given us this kingdom to live in.

It delights Him when we choose to live in this Upside Down Kingdom.

HOW MUCH OF YOUR LIFE IS SPENT LIVING IN THIS UPSIDE-DOWN KINGDOM?

We may be Christians (to some extent followers of Jesus), but still be living only a small part of our lives according to kingdom principles.

What would it look like for you to live in God’s kingdom in the here-and-now? What would it look like for you personally to seek God’s kingdom as the first priority in your life?

Then,

2. JESUS SAYS THAT WE SHOULD "LAY UP TREASURE IN HEAVEN." (v.33)

We should be investing for the future. Just as many of us put aside money for retirement, we should be thinking long-term, and saving up for our eternal life in the God’s new heaven and new earth.

Hear verse 33 from four different translations:

“Sell what you have and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven.” (New Living Translation)

“Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can’t go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bank robbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on. (The Message)

“Sell your possessions and give to those in need. Make for yourselves wallets that don’t wear out—a treasure in heaven that never runs out.” (Common English Bible)

“…you can sell your possessions and give generously to the poor. You can have a different kind of savings plan: one that never depreciates, one that never defaults, one that can’t be plundered by crooks or destroyed by natural calamities. (The Voice)

When we serve the poor, we store up treasure for ourselves in heaven.

When I mentioned this on Facebook 2 weeks ago, one of my friends responded:

“I would love to hear a good sermon on where good charity ends and evil enabling begins.”

He brings up a very good point. Giving to the poor is complicated. One recent article in Christianity Today was titled “Solving Poverty IS Rocket Science.” This world is a broken place.

Poor people are often poor because they are caught in a culture of enablement. They may have been raised in an environment where it is difficult to break away from bad habits. They may have developed ways of thinking that are counter-productive.

Several recent books by Christian authors (When Helping Hurts, Toxic Charity) are helpful. Here are 6 of their recommendations:

(1) Begin with humility. We are all broken by sin and need a Savior. God wants to restore us to a right relationship with Himself and with others.

(2) Poverty goes beyond material things.

(3) Don’t do for people what they can do for themselves.

(4) Sustainable solutions require community ownership. (It probably takes a team.)

(5) Needs are best met by persons closest to the situation – family, church, and community.

(6) Change doesn't happen overnight. Christian (agape) love means long-term friendships that create opportunities for change.

Christian love requires more than a handout. It requires personal investment… personal involvement.

PERSONAL INVESTMENT IN OTHERS is one of the principles of the Upside-Down Kingdom.

Remember that Jesus said, “If you want to be great in God’s kingdom, you must become the servant of all.” Translation – LOVE EQUALS PERSONAL INVESTMENT.

Where are we invested day-to-day in long-term relationships with people in need?

If we are interested in helping people in Guatemala and Nicaragua, are we invested in friendship with Hispanic persons in Frederick?

If we care about children in general, are we invested long-term in the lives of particular disadvantaged children in Frederick?

If we care about the elderly in general, what particular needy elderly persons are we invested in?

WHERE ARE YOU INVESTED IN OTHERS, beyond your immediate family?

And finally,

3. JESUS SAYS THAT OUR HEARTS WILL BE WHERE OUR TREASURE IS. (v.34)

"…The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being." (The Message)

“...Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.” (New Living Translation)

When we invest in the poor, our hearts and thoughts become linked to them.

I've now been to Nicaragua four times, and for the last two years have been sending money to several small churches and feeding programs. Having gotten to know some of these Nicaraguan Christians, my heart is strongly tied to them. It's hard for me to imagine ending this connection. My heart has followed my investment there.

As my Waterboyz friends say, I HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME.

What game do you have “skin” in?

What would it look like for you personally to “seek first the kingdom of God”?

On a scale from 1 to 10, how generous are you with your money and time?

Perhaps this afternoon you should take a walk with God, and listen for His voice regarding generosity. What is God telling you to do?

Where is your treasure (what are you invested in) at this time? Can you say that with this investment you are laying up treasure in heaven?

“GOD, GIVE US EARS TO HEAR YOUR VOICE as we ponder these things! In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Spiritual Wealth

...A person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God... Sell what you have and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! ...Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be. (Luke 12:21, 33-34 - NLT)

Jesus has a lot to say about money. He says our priority should be spiritual wealth rather than material wealth. When we serve the poor, we store up treasure for ourselves in heaven. When we invest in the poor, our hearts and thoughts become linked to them.

I've now been to Nicaragua four times, and for the last two years have been sending money to several small churches and feeding programs. Having now gotten to know some of these Nicaraguan Christians, my heart is strongly tied to them. It's hard for me to imagine ending this connection. My heart has followed my investment there.

Father, be with my friends in Nicaragua. Bless and encourage them as they serve You today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

sermon: God's Healing Touch (9:30 service)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpEWU2Ys-n4&feature=youtu.be

God's Healing Touch (podcast)

God wants to use us to help and heal others.

http://bhumc.podomatic.com/entry/2013-04-21T16_35_37-07_00

God's Healing Touch

April 21, 2013 – Brook Hill UMC

Acts 9:36-42 (NIV) -  In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.

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Many of us have been following the events in Boston and Texas this week. Some of you have no doubt been praying for victims of the tragedy. There is an immense reservoir of good will left in the world.

I saw this post on Facebook from Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers): “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me: ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” I thank God that many of YOU want to be the helpers.

This was true of Tabitha, the woman mentioned in today’s scripture: A godly woman. A doer of good deeds. A helper of the poor. Then she became sick and died.

Her friends sent for the Apostle Peter, 10 miles away in Lydda. “Come quickly!” they said. (The faith of Tabitha’s friends astounds me: “If we can get Peter here, maybe God will raise Tabitha from the dead!” I want to hang with people like that!)

Peter arrived on the scene. Widows were weeping all around. Peter asked them to leave.

He prayed, then spoke to her: “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes. She sat up. Peter helped her to her feet, and presented her alive. What a great miracle this was!

It’s the only known time that Peter raised a person from the dead. Peter had been with Jesus several years before when Jesus had raised a young girl from the dead in a similar way.

(1) JESUS CHRIST IS AT THE HEART OF HEALING AND WHOLENESS.

He said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

He said that this prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in Him: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

You need to know Jesus as the Center of your life, your Savior, your Leader. If you’re in need of physical healing, you need welcome Jesus to mend the other parts of your broken life as well.

(2) HEALING IS REAL, AND RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD IS REAL (though rare).

There is divine medicine for our ailing bodies and broken spirits.

First of all, we were created so that we recover from many illnesses without needing medicine or medical care. This is nature at work.

Second, the Bible emphasizes healing in both the Old and New Testaments. God told the Israelites, “I am the God who heals you.”

In the Old Testament several barren women were healed and enabled to bear children. Several persons were cleansed of leprosy. On several occasions God delivered Israel from plagues. Both Elijah and Elisha prayed for children who were raised from the dead.

And when we come to the New Testament, especially in the ministry of Jesus, there is an explosion of physical healings. The New Testament mentions 41 situations where Jesus healed people. Those afflicted by demons were set free. Lepers were cleansed. People with crippling infirmities were healed. Blind men were made to see. Three persons were raised from the dead. One fifth of the verses in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are taken up with Jesus healing and resurrecting people. It was not a minor part of His ministry, but rather a sign of His divinity.

And throughout church history, down to the present day, we have eye-witness accounts of healings and resurrections. (Though, as I said, resurrections from the dead are rare.) My Nigerian friend Chib Mbubaegbu speaks of being at a funeral where a person was raised from the dead or resuscitated.

In his book Like A Mighty Wind, the Indonesian evangelist Mel Tari speaks of the resurrection of a man in the village of Amfoang – a man who had been dead for two days, long enough that you could smell his body decomposing. The resurrected man told many people what had happened, and 20,000 people in the area believed in Jesus through his testimony.

Whether we believe these reports or not, we must wrestle with the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians ch.15:  …If Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless… If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”

We call ourselves EASTER PEOPLE. Whatever else that means, it means we believe that Jesus Christ died and was buried and was raised to physical life by the power of God.

It’s two months now since our friend Roger left this earthly existence. I did not want him to go. For 12 days before his death I was fasting from meat and desserts, asking God to heal him. During those 12 days, 15 pages of my Journal were filled with prayers for Roger. I thought he was healthier than he was. I believed that God would heal him and spare his life. I was wrong.

I still believe in divine healing. I’ve seen it. I still pray for people to be healed. But there are just things we don’t understand about healing.

But I’m going to keep on praying for God to heal people. And sometimes they will be healed. I think they are more likely to be healed if I pray for them than if I don’t.

(3) GOD HAS USED OTHER PEOPLE TO HEAL US AND HELP US.

God used Peter (another person) to raise Tabitha from the dead.

We are not islands. We have been blessed and healed and helped by the love and grace of others. You were probably raised by parents who did the best they could to rear you and raise you and teach you and encourage you. You have probably been ministered to by doctors and medical professionals over the years. You have received cards and letters from friends that have encouraged you.

You have been a dollar short at some time, and a nearby person has made up the difference so you could get that ice cream cone or tee-shirt.

I hope that you are married or related to those who love you deeply and who have sacrificed generously of their time and attention and affection, and have made up the difference when you were “a quart low”.

If we have any spiritual sense about us, we realize that all these things are gifts from God. He is using other people to enrich and heal and bless us.

Life is a communal event, and you are in a bad way if you are not open to receiving the love and generosity of others.

(4) GOD WANTS TO USE US TO HEAL AND HELP OTHERS.

Here at Brook Hill, we believe that God wants to use us to help others.

That’s why the Endowment Committee wanted to give away $27,000 this year to worthy causes.

That’s why a Brook Hill Work Team went to Crisfield, MD, earlier this month, to work on the flood-damaged home of an African-American couple. Melvin Young is 85 and his wife Marguerite is 79.

WE BELIEVE THAT GOD WANTS TO USE US TO HEAL AND HELP OTHERS.

That’s why the women of Brook Hill’s Team Nicaragua wept and prayed with a number of women last June. Among those women was Maria, who had breast cancer and now has a new baby.

Also among those Nicaraguan women was another young woman who suffered continuous bleeding (perhaps similar to the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment in Mark chapter 5.) The bleeding stopped two days after the Brook Hill women prayed for her. In the months since then we have helped her to get ongoing high-quality medical care.

WE BELIEVE THAT GOD WANTS TO USE US TO HEAL AND HELP OTHERS.

That’s why 20 of us will be in Knoxville, MD next Saturday with Rebuilding Together, working to upgrade the home of an elderly woman.

WE BELIEVE THAT GOD WANTS TO USE US TO HEAL AND HELP OTHERS.

I can’t even name all of the outreach efforts by Brook Hill volunteers over the years, but they include Appalachian Service Project, Frederick Food Bank, the Soup Kitchen and many more.

WE BELIEVE THAT GOD WANTS TO USE US TO HEAL AND HELP OTHERS.

That’s why for the past four years we’ve sent mission teams to Guatemala to work at Mi Refugio School. There, poor students receive an education and two nutritious meals every day. There, they hear about the love of Jesus, and they see God’s love at work every day.

(Here, several people from the Guatemala Mission Team shared thoughts about their recent trip to Mi Refugio School.)

If I Can Help Somebody  (A. Bazel Androzzo, © 1945 Alma B. Androzzo)

If I can help somebody as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
If I can show somebody he is traveling wrong,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,
If I can bring back beauty to a world up-wrought,
If I can spread love’s message that the Master taught,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

Roger Delaney memorial message

The Peace of God Will Guard Your Hearts and Minds
(Philippians 4:7)

(Saturday, February 23, 2013 )

(Brook Hill United Methodist Church, Frederick, Maryland)

Roger Delaney was one of my dearest friends in the world. He had worked for Zephyr Media Group for quite a few years, but most of us don’t remember him for that.

We remember Roger for his music. Singer-Songwriter. Multi-Instrumentalist. Worship Leader. The artist behind two CD projects which he gave away for free.

He was the Encyclopedia of Pop Music. His knowledge of Pop and Rock and Jazz was voluminous. He loved the Beatles, and his songwriting was highly influenced by them. He loved my fellow Canadian, trumpeter Maynard Ferguson. He did a great singing impression of Neil Diamond.

On his blog he wrote: “I'm a very blessed man who loves God, loves his wife and kids, loves to play music and tennis, loves Adidas and the Minnesota Twins.”

He referred to his wife as: “…my incredible, gorgeous, brilliant, beyond-supportive wife, Ashley.”

Ashley has written a lovely obituary for Roger, in which she says:

“Roger was… above all, a man with a true heart of service for God... He was an eternal optimist with a sharp sense of humor, who loved lively debate and reveled in making friends who held views completely different than his own. He was an incredibly dedicated father and husband who took great joy in his family.

Without even trying, Roger was an inspiration to many, many people around him. Roger was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in September of 2011, and challenged himself every single day to take the discouraging news, exhausting treatments, and physical discomforts and turn them into opportunities for lifting others up and bringing glory to God. Early on in his cancer journey, he adopted the phrase “Why Not?” as his mantra for making it through the toughest times. He knew that there was a hard road ahead and that the odds were not good, but “why not” believe that he could overcome them? This state of mind kept him remarkably strong and positive throughout his treatments, and leaves his surviving family and friends secure in the knowledge that he triumphed over a terrible disease, even as it claimed his physical life.”

Though we did music together, I remember Roger more for his personality and character. We spent many hours talking together – at the Roy Rogers Restaurant on Ballenger Creek Pike, late at night after Praise Band practice, and at other times.

He was bright, enthusiastic and funny. For example, he wrote this on blog:

“The oral chemo I’m taking has lots of festive side effects, but the best one is the delightful yellow tinge it gives my skin. The packaging says this is due to the yellow color of the capsule – so why didn’t they make the bloody thing a deep golden tan? They could have saved me all the money I spend on that spray-on tan stuff. On the other hand, I suppose they could have made the capsules orange – then I’d just end up looking like Lindsay Lohan. I should just shut up and be yellow.”

Roger was open about his weaknesses and shortcomings, and the struggle with cancer. Last August 14th he wrote:

“I’m tired. Not physically, but emotionally and psychologically. Why, you ask? Well, there are the obvious reasons – ongoing treatments, the prospect of years of medication and side effects, just the weight of cancer lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce on me again.

I’m also growing weary of all the niggling little physical issues that I seem to encounter regularly. It feels like there is perpetually something that feels off, something that hurts, something I can’t seem to get on top of.

The hard part is getting to the point of remembering that I’m still here, able to function normally for the most part, to wrap my arms around my wife and kids, to hit a tennis ball and lead worship at church.

I had a bit of a hissy fit last Saturday, as all the items listed above came crashing down on top of me; I felt overwhelmed, hopeless, frustrated, certain that the rest of my life was going to be an ever-escalating series of maladies that would, one by one, keep me from doing the things I love to do.

But then my wife kissed me and assured me it was OK for me to feel that way. I went to Praise Band rehearsal and had a blast playing and singing. I started working on recording some new music. I laughed with our kids. I had a good night’s sleep. Suddenly, everything was good again.

Funny how life circles around like that, isn’t it? Every now and then, the pressure of everything that’s happened and has yet to happen, threatens to bury me. Then God takes me by the scruff of the neck, gives me a good shake, and reminds me of how richly blessed I am. He reminds me that nothing – NOTHING – can separate me from His love, and that His love for me includes allowing me to share my time here on Earth with some pretty amazing folks. Thank you, Lord.”

Last October, shortly after his birthday, he wrote:

“Every day has ample reasons for blowing up balloons, and eating ice cream, and singing uproariously and hugging each other. So why wait for the “big days”? Especially now, with all that’s been going on, each day seems worthy of a party. I’m having fun with the kids and adoring my wife and just living. I am blessed indeed.”

Roger believed that his character was being refined by the trial of cancer.

Last December 19^th he wrote a blog post in which he did a Top Ten countdown of positive things he had experienced as a result of cancer. I want to read you numbers 9, 7, 3 and 1.

“There have been a few amazing benefits that have come from the struggle we’re in the midst of – so I thought I’d do a David Letterman Top 10 list of the positive things that we’ve been able to enjoy – in no particular order.

9. I’ve learned that every one of us has something in our lives that’s a burden, an obstacle, a dilemma. And for the person dealing with that difficulty, it’s just as bad and painful as what I’m dealing with. I can’t feel sorry for myself for too long, because everybody – EVERYBODY – has a reason to feel sorry for themselves. But letting that feeling dominate your life is useless. You just have to keep moving, keep hoping. It’s hard, really hard, but it can be done. Learning this lesson has been extremely valuable for me; I hope it’s made me more compassionate, more forgiving, more patient.

7. Any doubts I had about the power of prayer, and about the amazing willingness of so many of you to pray for us, have been effectively eradicated. God has used the prayers of so many to keep us going, to keep our spirits up and our hearts focused on Him, and for that we are so very grateful.

3. My pride, my insufferable arrogance about myself, my feeling of invincibility, my tendency toward feeling blessed and better than others just by virtue of me being me  – they have all been brought to their knees. And me with them. Not a moment too soon.

1. Every day, every second, is a reminder of how dependent on God I have to be. Choosing to trust Him is no longer an option; I can’t get through this without Him. And this experience has already blessed me in a thousand ways. I pray that it’s been useful to some of you as you confront the obstacles life throws at you. Thanks to God for being the Solid Rock upon which my life is built. Amen and amen.”

This sounds like a man learning to be graceful as he deals with the unasked-for challenge of cancer.

First and foremost, Roger was a believer in Jesus, a follower of Jesus. One of his favorite scripture passages was Philippians 4:6-7 –

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Here the Apostle Paul is encouraging us to “Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers.” (The Message)

There is a peace that God wants to give us in the middle of our ragged lives. It is a peace that transcends our understanding. There are many things we do not understand about life and death, but God stands ready. He’s offering us peace when we think we understand, and peace when we know that we don’t know anything.

This is a time when many of us have many questions about God. And I have several questions for God myself. These questions won’t be fully answered in this life, but in the middle of my befuddlement I already sense the peace of God at work, letting me weep, letting me reflect, soothing my heart and mind.

There is a peace that God wants to give us in the middle of our ragged lives. And He stands ready this morning. He’s holding out His hand. He’s offering peace to us through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit, who is here with us now, in this room on February 23, 2013.

It wouldn’t be surprising if someone here today besides me needed God’s peace. So we’re going to pray:

Lord, help us today. Give us peace. Help us to sense and know Your presence in this hour and in the days ahead, in Jesus’ name.

Last Christmas, Roger wrote:

“I wish you and yours a blessed holiday season, filled with love and joy and compassion and grace and mercy. If you place your trust in the God of the Bible and in His son Jesus Christ, as I do, may you sense that trust at a level far deeper than anything you’ve known before. Thanks for another year of prayers, caring, good thoughts, and warm wishes. Please keep ‘em coming – the road ahead looks dark and treacherous. We’ll get through that next bit, and the next one – thanks to the never-ending love of our Savior and the relentless encouragement of all of you.

We’re not done fighting. We still believe God is going to carry us through the valley of the shadow of death and get us safely to the other side.”

Roger, you’re now safely on the other side, absent from your body but present with the Lord. By God’s grace I’ll see you later, old friend!

sermon: Are You Saved?

In Honor of Roger Delaney (1959-2013)

(Preached at Brook Hill United Methodist Church – Feb. 17, 2013)

Romans 10:8 -13 (New Living Translation)

“The message is very close at hand;
    it is on your lips and in your heart.” (Deuteronomy 30:12-14)

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”  Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

My friend Roger Delaney died unexpectedly on Friday. I am so glad that I was there in the hospital with Roger and his wife when he died. His death makes this morning’s message even more timely.

There’s a question asked by this morning’s sermon title: ARE YOU SAVED?

The word saved is related to the word salvation and to the word salvage.

When I grew up in eastern Canada, there was a man who lived in our city whose job was salvage. I don’t know what his real name was, but he was called Red Fox. He had long red hair in the days before hippies, and he dressed in rags. He walked through the streets with his old white horse, and the horse pulled a big red tumble-down wagon with sideboards. This man worked in salvage. He collected old scrap metal and other things that were eventually recycled. Even though he looked like a tramp, everyone said he was the richest man in the city.

His work was the work of salvage. He was in the salvage business. He was collecting old and broken things. He was saving those broken things from uselessness, saving them to be re-purposed so they could be useful again.

God is also in the salvage business. His business is collecting old and broken souls and lives, saving them to be re-purposed so they can be useful again.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE SAVED?

It means to be rescued, to be reclaimed, to be gathered by God, the great salvage-master.

Where we see junk, God sees something of value. When God created us, we were made in His image, after His likeness. We were made to be connected to God, to be in relationship with God. When God looked at the first humans, He said, “It is very good.” We are cherished by God. He sees something of worth, something of value within us.

But our first parents sinned, and all of humanity became estranged from God. God’s image in us became broken and scarred. To a large extent we lost our way. There was still an aching within many of us to know God, but we became disoriented. We were distracted. We were confused.

The GOOD NEWS of Jesus is that God has mounted a massive salvage operation. The death of Jesus on the cross is the pivotal event in history. Jesus is God Himself, and on the cross He exchanged His life for ours. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”(John 3:16-17)

To be saved is to welcome Jesus Christ into our lives.

To be saved is to be rescued from our broken relationship with God,

To be saved is to be forgiven of our sins.

To be saved is to be set on a right path of walking with God.

To be saved is to be rescued from hell, rescued to serve God as He restores the world. This is why we pray, “Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.”

And then there will come a final day when God will usher in a new heaven and a new earth, and we will be welcomed to live with Him in that glorious kingdom.

So that’s what it means to be saved.

Early last week I asked for input on Facebook, and my friend Jenni Hess responded. Jenni speaks of a time of trouble last summer when she needed God’s rescue. She says:

“God rescues me everyday, but I can honestly say that last summer I let God lead the way. I didn’t know how to do what I needed to do. I let God take control of where I needed to be. And I remember after I let God lead me and trusted in His plan for me, I was driving in the car, and looked up and saw a church steeple above a tree line, and I felt truly saved. I have been on that road many times before and never saw that church steeple, but I saw it that morning, after I decided to trust in God. His Salvation is everywhere, everlasting and ever sure. But we have to stop trying to save ourselves and abandon our ways and let God do the saving and leading. It wasn’t hard at all to let Him rescue me.”

That’s a great word. Thanks, Jenni!

In the scripture passage which was read, Paul is thinking about his Jewish brothers and sisters. His heart’s desire is for them to saved. But they are trying to be saved by doing good things, by being good.

It’s human nature to think “I must do something good to get to heaven.” Hinduism teaches this. Islam teaches this. Judaism teaches this. “I must try harder. I must be more self-disciplined. I must spend more time in prayer and Bible study.”

But that is not the Gospel of Jesus. That is the Gospel of Try Harder. And the Gospel of Try Harder is a false gospel. There will be many people in hell, even from Christian churches, who followed the Gospel of Try Harder.

The Gospel of Jesus is scandalously simple. Do you remember the words of Jesus? “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

SPEAK AND BELIEVE

Here is the Gospel of Jesus: SPEAK AND BELIEVE – “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

It’s not magic, and we must speak with honesty and believe with sincerity. But the Gospel of Jesus is simple: Speak and believe.

I want to read you a short passage from Brennan Manning’s classic book “The Ragamuffin Gospel”. Some of us will have trouble with his words:

Because salvation is by grace through faith, I believe that among the countless number of people standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands (see Revelation 7:9), I shall see the prostitute from the Kit-Kat Ranch in Carson City, Nevada, who tearfully told me that she could find no other employment to support her two-year-old son. I shall see the woman who had an abortion and is haunted by guilt and remorse but did the best she could faced with grueling alternatives; the businessman besieged with debt who sold his integrity in a series of desperate transactions; the insecure clergyman addicted to being liked, who never challenged his people from the pulpit and longed for unconditional love; the sexually abused teen molested by his father and now selling his body on the street, who, as he falls asleep each night after his last 'trick', whispers the name of the unknown God he learned about in Sunday school.

“But how?” we ask.

Then the voice says, 'They have washed their robes and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb.'

There they are. There we are - the multitude who so wanted to be faithful, who at times got defeated, soiled by life, and bested by trials, wearing the bloodied garments of life's tribulations, but through it all clung to faith. 

My friends, if this is not good news to you, you have never understood the gospel of grace.”

(Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel)

So will that prostitute make it to heaven? Will the woman who had the abortion make it to heaven? Will the crooked businessman and the spineless pastor make it to heaven?

Jesus said to the Pharisees: “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.” (Matt.21:31)

THE “SALVATION EQUATION”

God is interested in our good works. But we don’t have to do more good works so that He will love us.

Here are two “equations” that help to explain this:

The Gospel of Try Harder: Faith + Works = Salvation

The Gospel of Jesus: Faith = Salvation + Works

This was good news to Martin Luther. He tried to remember his every sin so that he could confess it. His confessor was exasperated with him. Then he read in Romans that salvation comes by faith alone, and his life was changed.

This was good news to John Wesley. For 35 years, he was the biggest doer-of-good-works in England, but he lived under the guilt of sin. Then in May of 1738 he heard that salvation comes by faith alone, and his life was changed. When he began to preach about salvation by faith, he was turned away from preaching in churches. He began to preach in the fields, and this was the beginning of Methodism. 

Today could be the day in your spiritual journey when your life is salvaged, the day you are rescued and step into God’s new life. SPEAK AND BELIEVE.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Honesty. Sincerity. Integrity.

To do what is right and just
    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
       Proverbs 21:3 (NIV)

Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors
    mean far more to God than religious performance.
       Proverbs 21:3 (The Message)

God is more concerned with our hearts
     than with the p's and q's of religious observance.
Our pure love for Him may be sullied by clutter,
     even the clutter of Christian trivialities.
Live honestly. Live simply.
     Make your passion for Jesus the lodestone of your life.

Father, help me get rid of the clutter in my life 
     that distracts me from fully loving You! 

Truth, Love, Leadership

Mercy and truth preserve the king: 
     and his throne is upholden by mercy.
          (Proverbs 20:28 - King James Version)

Love and truth form a good leader;
       sound leadership is founded on loving integrity.
          (Proverbs 20:28 - The Message)

A home or a nation is best led 
     by truthfulness and integrity.
Do you want to lead well?
     Know God's Word, for it is truth.
That truth, ignited by God's Spirit, 
     will set you free to order your own life
          and empower you to lead
               with a heart full of love.

Father, order my steps, and fill my life with Your truth.
Amen.