Sermon Nuggets week of March 28 Beatitudes continued
Sermon Nuggets Mon March 28- Motives
Verse Matt 5: 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Examining Motives
This week we will continue with the teachings of Jesus on the Mount. We have looked at the beatitudes where Jesus encourages his followers into ultimate blessings when we begin recognizing our need. We will find freedom when we see our sin and mourning over it for then we will repent and yield our hearts to God in meekness. For someone of faith they will seek righteousness and desiring to be filled with God and moved to do His will. Then we need to reach out to others with the same mercy that God has shown to us.
But what does God see in our hearts? Happiness is derived from God through seeking a pure heart. Pure in heart literally means free from impurity. Such a heart is spotless, white, and completely clean. This is a progression along our stair steps of beatitudes. But our response to God and to one another is not just good deeds, but better than that, it is with good motives and purposes for those good deeds. One can do the right deed for the wrong motive and not be counted righteousness at all.
I remember a fellow who never gave anything all year to the church, but when the financial year ended and there was a push for extra giving, he would give a great sum so that he could get notoriety. He didn't give with the right motive, or purity of heart, but gave seeking selfish praise.
In the book of Acts we think of the story of Ananias and Sapphira who did a very good deed. They desired to sell their property and give it to the disciples for the good of the church. They changed their mind and kept back portion of it for themselves. They told others they gave all their profits. They were lying to God not men. God's judgment fell on them as a warning to the church and to us. Purity of heart involves self examination and God's examination.
The Pharisees sought purity through ceremonial washing, fasts, and outward displays of righteousness. Jesus wasn't impressed. He knew the heart. We can think the best of someone, but God sees things entirely different. He knows the motives. He knows the desire of one who maybe would misjudge and think ill of them. God alone justifies. We do not get into the Kingdom by keeping the law or no one would be in the Kingdom. We come into the Kingdom by poverty of spirit mourning over sin, yielding in meekness to God desiring to be filled with righteousness, showing kindness to others and what we do, we do with pure heart and motives.
The Sermon on the Mount points me Jesus. The pure in heart are those who desire to be washed clean by God and forgiven. We cannot become pure in heart without his cleansing grace. I John 2:7 says, If we walk in the light as He himself is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, His son, cleanses us from all sin."
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues March 29 Peacemakers
Verse Matt 5: 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Seeking Peace
This has been a hard decade Americans. Since the attack of 9/11/01 we have been at war with Muslim terrorists. Last night President Obama, who was a strong critic of the invasion of Iraq finds himself embattled in the tyranny of Libya’s leader. We have expanded our involvement in military conflict as part of the team of NATO forces. We want our troops to return home quickly and safely. But the countries we would be leaving seem to replace one group of dictators with another group of greedy politicians who are more intent on personal gain than concern for the people. How have we helped in the long run other than the gospel has been presenting to 10,000s of people who would not have had an opportunity to heard of Jesus Christ.
We live in a world that has no easy answers and every move one takes it hurts lives, property, and the pursuit of happiness. We can rally around the cry for war, justice, and retribution, but it still means people dying, crying, hurt, maimed, and suffering. How can there be a peace?
There is a problem you know with peacemakers. The task is beyond human capabilities. We hope for successful talks with countries of the world. Ultimately it isn't important who is able to begin the process to peace, we want it. But we want it in a manner that corrects wrongful aggression. We are a people at war.
When Jesus talks about peace he also talks about persecution. That seems odd doesn't it? If one is at peace there should not be persecution; if one is being persecuted there isn't any peace.
Persecution will not be in the Kingdom to come. It happens now. We are at a different war with a different enemy.
The pursuit of peace must involve reconciliation.
The Bible began with the peaceful existence in the garden of Eden, and concludes in Revelation with the joy and peace in the forever Kingdom when Satan has been thrown forever in the bottomless pit. Peace was interrupted was when Satan appeared on the scene. The first couple yielded to temptation. Since then “Shalom” translated from the Hebrew to mean peace isn't just the absence of war. Shalom means a desire for everything which makes for highest good. It seeks reconciliation of man with man, with himself, and with God.
What the peacemakers in the world strive to reconcile enemies. Biblical peacemakers are not necessarily quiet, easy going people who do not want to make waves, who are compromisers and appeasers for the absence of conflict, but seek the cause for the problem of disharmony and address sin or correct Biblical misunderstanding.
Where in your life do you long for peace? What keeps you from it? Are there things you can do to enhance reconciliation?
I hope to add to our understanding on being a peacemaker in the next days.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds March 30 Risk
Verse Matt. 10:34 "Jesus said, Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."
Peacemakers Risk
Looking at being a peacemaker involves risk. I’ve included a surprising and confronting truth of Jesus today in Matt 10:34 that seems to be a contradiction from Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the Sons of God." What gives?
Being a spiritual peacemaker is looking at the sin and that which continually brings opposition to peace with God. Jesus did come to bring peace, but not at any price. God's peace is the presence of righteousness and the way to righteousness he outlines before us.
It always seemed odd to me that peace keeping forces usually involved military presence or combat. In order to find peace in Libya, military operations are being conducted which ironically involves destroying the enemy that seeks to impose their will on others by force. The conflict of two opponents never seems to bring peace, but further conflict, especially in the Middle East.
Whether or not you agree with the events being played out Jesus came to reconcile people to Himself, but the enemy will not let that happen peacefully. To be reconciled to God means to confront sin and personal barriers that seeks to keep God from having control over our lives to ultimately involve peace within and forever.
To be a peacemaker is also telling people the good news. But to understand the good news one must be aware of the bad news. The bad news is that we are in sin and headed for eternal destruction. We risk the reaction of rejection.
How do you think the world would respond if they heard the message the way to find blessing is to realize you first are poor in spirit. "No! We're number one; we're the best; we can do anything we set our minds to."
We are nothing, only if you repent to God and turn to Him will you be strong. Those who seek to be over-comers from the worlds view believe strength does never have to say you're sorry. You seldom find politicians and never find countries say they made a mistake. Listen to the news and the reports form each side in the war. Facts are twisted to be in line with their position. It always appears to stand for right and good and so forget meekness, mercy, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, for purity in heart.
Romans 12:18 "If it is possible so far as it depends on you be at peace with all men" We cannot begin to do that until we make peace with God personally as an individual. When we make peace with God then we can begins to make peace with our brothers.
It is risky to bring the message of Jesus into a Muslim controlled country. It is risky to go to skid row and demonstrate kindness of Jesus. It is risky to take a stand at work or school when the peer pressure to fit in is so strong. One can lose their jobs, their reputation, their friends and even their lives. Confronting lies and confronting the popular message is risky when we believe truth. To be a peacemaker, a spiritual peacemaker, is risky business.
Jesus sought peace through the reconciliation by his blood (Col
1:20) "..and through Christ to reconcile to himself all things whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." The means of reconciliation is the blood of Jesus for he died for your sin and sins of your brother and sister and the sins of USA, and until we come to a cross that sin cannot be forgiven; until we seek to bring others to the cross there will be continued tension, and friend, until we daily and continually come to depend on that peace with God there will continue to be tensions with one another.
One of the best peacemakers is one who seeks to be a witness of the saving power of Jesus. Many believers decline to be peacemakers because they fear a hostile reaction. Hostility is directed to God not to us. A true friend will be willing to hear what you have to say about God or anything that is important to you. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they seek reconciliation a shalom of rightness with world with others, with self and God and you will be Sons of God.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thur March 31 Rejection
Verses- Matt 5:8-12
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Peacemakers Rejection
One problem with Peace is rejection. Whenever we attempt to offer the olive branch, the difficulty is that it can be snatched from us. Jesus came to bring peace followed by rejection and crucifixion. When the disciples went out to heal and preach Jesus told them to plan on rejection. Rejection isn't fun. But all Christians who are Christ followers will be rejected by some. Jesus said, "Luke 9:26 "Whoever is ashamed of me and my words of him will the son of man be ashamed." Luke 6:26 "Woe to you when all men speak well of you." If you are liked by everyone something is wrong. When the disciples came to Jesus they were rejected. When Jews come to Christ many of their families have funerals for them, disowning them and treating them as if they were dead. In this passage rejection is talked about by insults or reviling persecution, facing accusations for Jesus sake.
To be reconciled with Christ is to be so identified with him that your life will not go the way of the world. It will seek to be ethical in business, to be forgiving to offenders, to be legal in activities and to be moral in our relationships. Friends want friends they can feel comfortable around and many are not comfortable around someone who is dedicated to live their lives in honor of Jesus.
A certain amount of persecution is inevitable because the church is to be a conscience of the nation or society. Rev. Paul Lundgren took a public stand against pornography in Cambridge with video stores and was publicly lambasted and ridiculed. Pornography is a horrible addiction and disrupts families and disregards women in society as objects for lust. The job of the church is to praise God, point people to Jesus and condemn evil and sin. When we break the silence barrier then there will be trouble.
I read in this David Platt’s book, Radical, how one missionary couple of the last century sensed the call of God to go to a Muslim village to tell the people how they can have peace with God. They whole family was killed. Years later another missionary couple came on the scene and told the same message. Remembering the stories of their first missionary they listened and responded in faith in Christ. Who would volunteer to be martyred so a future generation might be saved?
That is far different than the type of rejection that happens to most American Christians today. Some might not get promotions on their job. Some may not get hired or can get fired because their practices are not in cooperation with certain sales promotions. Some get laughed at work or mocked in the neighborhoods. Some are made fun of, or politely but consistently ignored by others. Many evangelical Christians are in politics are categorized as extremists and bigoted and forced out of office.
Jesus warns that people will say evil things, maybe beat and kill believers and say things that simply are not true. One man came to Tertillian, a 2nd century church father, and said, "I've come to
Christ, but I don't know what to do. I have a job that I don't think is right, but I have to live."
Tertillian responded, "Must you?"
The call to follow Jesus and seeking peace with God and confronting evil in society can easily result in rejection.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri April 1 Rewards
Verses- Matt 5: 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Peacemaker's Rewards
There is a comforting and hopeful word. There is rejoicing found in peacemaking. There is rejoicing found in reconciliation to God and one another and peace within one’s self. Because Gods' Word is true we can put our faith in great promise of reward. For great is your reward in heaven. For the man of peace that perseveres has the assurance of blessing because of his loyalty to the cross. A blessedness is promised for those reconciled to God and seeking to reconcile others to him and to one another.
Even in persecution joy is possible. Acts 5:41 "The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name of Jesus" The peacemakers can be called the sons of God.
Sometimes in a counseling experience there is the pain of reviewing one's life and sins. There are painful times in the past hard to talk about. Many carry bitter and half forgotten memories that when dealt with often resulting in a sudden pouring forth of emotion, like a lanced boil. Emotional and spiritual pain and pressure can be released in confession and forgiveness. It is called a catharsis experience when all that needs to come out is released and a healing begins to take place. That healing is such joyful relief.
It is a reward that is well worth the effort to confront some of the fears and sins that keep us from growing.
When one goes to the physician sometimes there is pain induced to get well. The prize of health may first require an operation, therapy, and recuperation. The prize of peace may first have to face pain of confession, and sometimes that pain of persecution, but he prize is Gods' kingdom of peace and blessed rewards.
Romans 8:18 "For I consider that the suffering of this present time are not worth to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
We are at war. The largest war facing us is not Middle East conflicts. We are called to a battle as soldiers in God's army whose battle is to bring peace. Peacemakers go out armed with righteousness, mercy and purity to free others from their poverty, to bring them the good news.
We belong to a strange army with a strange mission. Testing examines us to see if our hearts are pure, if we really hunger for righteousness or still crave comfort and approval. Satan sets ambushes to waylay us. If we aren't grounded in the earlier beatitudes, persecution will inflict wounds too deep to bear.
But the rewards are worth it- the short of it includes peace, the longer promise is “great is your reward in heaven.” We start with nothing; we end with blessing.
Pastor Dale
