S.B.: Matthew 4: 12 -23
A funny thing happened one day during the Beres family annual camping trip to Fisher’s Island when I was 10 years old. We were settling in for the evening, Mom was cooking dinner, and a certain nameless kid was trying to watch his favorite TV show when a thunderstorm knocked out all the electricity on the island. This was not an uncommon occurrence on the island, but each time it was unsettling. Slowly, my mom, dad and I moved through the Fisher’s Island retreat house and we found a flashlight. Click! Light shone in the room and overflowed down the hallway. We looked at each other with some relief. It was going to be alright… we were not in total darkness anymore… there was light!
Next we found the candles and matches… We placed our candles in strategic places, and the darkness was held at bay. Then, we relaxed and waited for the repair trucks from the electric company. Since there was no electricity, we could not watch television, or listen to the radio, or do much of anything that required electricity. So we talked with each other and shared stories. We stayed up late that night, just laughing and being silly… On that night, light cast out all darkness.
Jesus is the light of the world. He is the one that casts out darkness. In his ministry, he cast out darkness as he preached, taught and healed. His light was not kept for a select few… his light was not just for the Jews alone, but for the Gentile as well… and so, just as the light shines on all who are in its glow, so the light of Jesus is for everyone. The light of Jesus could not be restrained or contained, but it overflows, and it touches everyone.
After Jesus hears of John’s arrest, he withdraws to the area of Galilee… This means leaving his hometown of Nazareth and taking up lodging in Capernaum. Yet, he is not often home… Instead, Jesus devotes his time to preaching, teaching, and healing. He is on a mission.
If you take a careful look at the four gospels, you will find that only Matthew’s gospel introduces this change of a hometown from Nazareth to Capernaum, on the Sea of Galilee. This small detail is significant for those who understand the settlement of the twelve tribes of Israel, and the promises that God makes to each of those twelve tribes. The prophet Isaiah says that the people walking in darkness have seen a great light. Matthew’s gospel presents the idea of Jesus being the light of the world, but it is in John’s Gospel where we hear that “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it…” It is also in John’s gospel that we hear the voice of Jesus saying “I am the light of the world… Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life!”
Many of the Old Testament Prophets, and certainly John the Baptist focused on the theme of repenting of our sins… Many times in the Old Testament do we hear the words echoed by John the Baptist… “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” Jesus not only echoes this prophetic message of repentance, he fulfills the message… The Son of God was declaring that the KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND!!!
Jesus calls us to repent… When Jesus calls on us to repent, he is calling us to do three things… first he calls us to agree with God’s word that says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”. Then he calls us to change our direction… to turn away from those things… from our actions… from our attitudes… from everything that puts a wedge between us and God’s presence in our lives… and take up a new heading… to take up our cross daily and follow HIM!”
Jesus calls us to follow him… When Jesus calls us to follow him, we need to realize that ministry is not intended to be a solo enterprise. The scene of Jesus calling the fisherman into ministry is a familiar one, but Matthew keeps the story to a bare minimum… There is no description in Matthew’s gospel of a bad night of fishing… there is no mention of Jesus’ advice about letting down their nets on the other side of the boat… nor of nets overflowing to the breaking point… Jesus simply calls the disciples and they IMMEDIATELY follow him.
I remember listening to a very captivating speaker during a Lenten program 11 years ago in Southbridge. The preacher was a representative of a ministry which focused on sharing God’s word with seafarers… this organization maintained Chaplains in many ports along the Eastern Seaboard, and as he was sharing about that particular ministry, I felt a tug on my heart as that pastor echoed Jesus’ words “take up your cross and follow me.” During the reception afterward, I gathered up the courage to talk to the gentleman, expressing a deep desire to learn more about that ministry and how I could participate. “I am leaving for the port in a half hour… can you be ready to come with me in half an hour?” I looked at my watch… it read 9 p.m., and I was about to ask for a few more minutes so I could make the trip home to pack a small travel bag…
He smiled, put a hand on my shoulder, and said “I appreciate your willingness to be a part of this ministry, but Jesus’ words are clear… when he called those fishermen, they dropped everything right there, and immediately ran after Jesus… Brothers James and John even left their father to mend the nets…”
At the time, I felt as if I had failed that test, but I was faced with the realization that being a Port Chaplain was not what God wanted me to do… At what point do we as people of faith leave our questions aside and follow the Light of the World, trusting in God to provide the answers? At what point do we take a departure from our comfort zones, from our own intellectual prowess, and follow HIM, trusting in him for our source of supply? At what point do we wake up to the words of Proverbs 3: 5 and 6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding (the Good News Version tells us to “not rely on what we think we know…”) In all our ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.”
Jesus calls two teams of brothers… Peter and Andrew… and then James and John. All of them respond with radical obedience… their response is immediate… and striking…
Would Jesus get that same response from you if he told you to be ready to move out in half an hour? How would you respond to his call?
The theme that runs through the first chapters of Matthew’s gospel is OBEDIENCE. People genuinely desire to please God… people genuinely desire to live in a right relationship with Him, and respond to his call with radical obedience. And, of course, some people do not want light to be cast upon them, because they are comfortable in their own ways. Others are so lost that they are stumbling around in the dark and waiting for somebody to show them the way.
So, where do you stand? The words to “I have decided to follow Jesus” make a declaration of radical obedience. The world behind me, the cross before me… though none go with me, I still will follow… and… will you decide now to follow Jesus?” Making the decision to follow Jesus means following him even though nobody else follows him… embracing the cross when those around you throw rocks at you and give you a hard time. When my mother was a little girl, she and my Aunt Katy would walk home from school, and because they did not attend the local Greek Orthodox Church, or go to the Catechism classes that were being taught in the Alexandroupolis Public Schools, often the other kids in her class would taunt her mercilessly, and throw rocks at mom. Mom and Aunt Katy would often come home bloodied and crying, and my Yiayia and Papou would remind their daughters of the words “the world behind me, the cross before me… no turning back… no turning back.” And my Mom and my Aunt Katy have lived their whole lives in service to almighty God.
What legacy are we going to leave to those who come after us? How are we going to be remembered and talked about by the saints who come after us?
I Bid You Peace,
Pastor Ken+
Monday, January 28, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Nothing Compares To The Promise...
Romans 8: 28 – 39
What are you passionate about? Webster’s dictionary defines the word “passion” as “intense driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction…” So, what is it that drives you intensely, convicts you, or gives you your deepest emotions?
I can answer that question for myself… I have a hierarchy of passions that drive me, inundate my emotions, and provide a baseline for my conscience… Paul writes that he would rather know nothing else other than Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Paul’s mission in life, from the moment he came face to face with Jesus on the Road to Damascus was to share the Good News of the Gospel of Christ Jesus with everyone, and if you do a study of the Acts of the Apostles, and compare the life of Paul with his writings, you will find that his travels blanketed the known world in his endeavor to Preach Christ to the Nations.
Paul was a changed man. Before his conversion… before he heard the voice of Christ asking him “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Why do you kick against the goads?” He was on a mission to eradicate this new movement, and once and for all put an end to this thing called Christianity. This new movement represented change, and as a Pharisee, he was opposed to any and all change, and felt that God was calling him on a search and destroy mission. He had made a name for himself, and when Christians in any given city got the message that Saul of Tarsus was coming to town, that meant that their lives were in danger. Saul of Tarsus left a wake of death and destruction as he went about his mission, persecuting and killing those who worshipped the one called Christ. That was his passion…
Until the day he came face to face with the one who died for him! Not only did Jesus capture his attention, but his life was changed forever. He was even given a new identity shortly after his conversion. But there were those who still doubted. While Saul was still blind, God spoke to a believer named Ananias… telling him to go to Straight Street, and find Saul of Tarsus “for behold, he is praying…” Ananias knew who Saul was… perhaps he even had some friends who had suffered and perished under the tender ministrations of Saul… and naturally, he was hesitant. We are familiar with the rest of this beautiful account, in which Ananias addresses Saul as “Brother Saul”, prays for him, and God restores Saul’s sight.
From that day forward, Saul’s mission… Saul’s passion was to know nothing except Christ, and HIM crucified.
Isn’t that just the way that Jesus works in our lives. There were times in Paul’s life when things weren’t going well. Paul often faced impossible situations, difficult co-workers, family members who didn’t understand why he was doing what he was doing, even church people would often give him a hard time… Paul was faced with challenges every day of his life with Christ Jesus… he was shipwrecked during a storm at sea… he even had a head-to-head argument with Peter… and through all of these trials and tribulations God gave him the grace to dig deep and say “No… In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life… neither angels nor demons… neither the present nor the future… nor any powers… nor height nor depth… nor anything else in all creation… will be able to separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!”
Did you catch the word “convinced” here? Paul was persuaded that nothing… absolutely nothing that the world could throw at him… nothing that any fight or squabble could produce… not even death itself… could separate him or unseat him from his relationship with God the Father through Christ Jesus… nothing could make him have a bad day… and nothing could possibly compare to the promise that he knew he had in Christ Jesus!
That’s conviction… that’s a deep level of knowing that something is so real and so true that nothing can possibly shake your belief. A very dear friend and mentor of mine, Dr. Hope Clark, talks about this level of conviction… every so often she will say that God put something into her “knower…” Paul had it in his “knower” that nothing could separate him from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus!”
That’s passion… once Paul was convinced and convicted of his relationship with Christ Jesus and his mission… Paul set out to set the world ablaze with the truth that God so loved the world that he sent his only son… that whosoever believes on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life… Paul’s mission was a global mission… to take this good news to both Jew and Gentile… and he knew that he was not going alone… during his journeys God provided encouragers and traveling companions… Silas, Barnabas, Timothy, and others… and more than that, Paul had the same promise that we have today when Jesus gives us our marching orders… “and surely I am with you always… to the very end of the age.”
Jesus Christ sent Paul out to declare his word… to minister to the body… Paul did not need to wonder or worry where his supply came from… he did not ask “how are we going to pay for this?” He never asked “Where is my next meal going to come from?” He knew that he knew that he knew that Jesus was his source of supply… He declares to us today “I know my God will supply all your needs according to HIS richest in glory by Christ Jesus!”
Earlier this week, as I was preparing for this message, I had to wrestle with the question I asked you at the beginning of this morning’s message. I had to ask myself “Ken, what are you passionate about?”
Certain names and ideas came to my mind, and I wrote them down… I am passionate about my wife and my daughter… my family (my mother and father, as well as my mother-in-law and father-in-law, brother-and-sister-in-law, cousins, aunts, uncles)… the call to ministry… my relationship with Jesus Christ…
Over and above any of these people I have named is one burning passion… one passion that drives me and convicts me more than any other… To know Christ Jesus, and to make him known… He is my King… All hail King Jesus… We have no King but Jesus…
Dr. S.M. Lockridge , onetime pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego describes the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords in these words:
The Bible says my King is a seven-way king....He's the King of the Jews; that's a racial king....He's the King of Israel; that's a national King....He's the King of Righteousness....He's the King of the Ages.....He's the King of Heaven....He's the King of Glory....He's the King of kings, and He's the Lord of lords. That's my King.
David said, "The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. My King is a sovereign King. No means of measure can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply. No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings. He's enduringly strong....He's entirely sincere....He's eternally steadfast....He's immortally graceful....He's imperially powerful....He's impartially merciful....... Do you know Him?
He's the greatest phenomenon that ever crossed the horizon of this world. He's God's Son....He's a sinner's Savior....He's the centerpiece of civilization....He stands in the solitude of Himself....He's august....He's unique....He's unparalleled....He's unprecedented....He's the loftiest idea in literature....He's the highest personality in philosophy....He's the supreme problem in higher criticism....He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology....He's the cardinal necessity for spiritual religion....He's the miracle of the age.... He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him....He's the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Saviour...... I wonder if you know Him today?
He supplies strength for the weak....He's available for the tempted and the tried....He sympathizes and He saves....He strengthens and sustains....He guards and He guides....He heals the sick....He cleanses lepers....He forgives sinners....He discharges debtors....He delivers captives....He defends the feeble....He blesses the young....He serves the unfortunate....He regards the aged....He rewards the diligent....and He beautifies the meek....... I wonder if you know Him?
My King....is the King....He's the key to knowledge....He's the wellspring to wisdom....He's the doorway of deliverance....He's the pathway of peace....He's the roadway of righteousness ....He's the highway of holiness....He's the gateway of glory....... Do you know Him?
Well....His office is manifold....His promise is sure....His light is matchless....His goodness is limitless....His mercy is everlasting....His love never changes....His word is enough....His grace is sufficient....His reign is righteous....and His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. I wish I could describe Him to you, but He's indescribable....He's incomprehensible....He's invincible....He's irresistible.
Well, you can't get Him out of your mind....You can't get Him off of your hand....You can't out live Him, and you can't live without Him....The Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him....Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him....The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree....Herod couldn't kill Him....Death couldn't handle Him, and the grave couldn't hold Him. That's my King.
Father..."Yours is the Kingdom....and the Power....and the Glory....Forever"....and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever. How long is that? And ever...and ever...and when you get through with all the forevers, then.... AMEN!....AMEN!
Nothing compares to the promise that we have in Jesus.
I Bid You Peace,
Pastor Ken+
What are you passionate about? Webster’s dictionary defines the word “passion” as “intense driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction…” So, what is it that drives you intensely, convicts you, or gives you your deepest emotions?
I can answer that question for myself… I have a hierarchy of passions that drive me, inundate my emotions, and provide a baseline for my conscience… Paul writes that he would rather know nothing else other than Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Paul’s mission in life, from the moment he came face to face with Jesus on the Road to Damascus was to share the Good News of the Gospel of Christ Jesus with everyone, and if you do a study of the Acts of the Apostles, and compare the life of Paul with his writings, you will find that his travels blanketed the known world in his endeavor to Preach Christ to the Nations.
Paul was a changed man. Before his conversion… before he heard the voice of Christ asking him “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Why do you kick against the goads?” He was on a mission to eradicate this new movement, and once and for all put an end to this thing called Christianity. This new movement represented change, and as a Pharisee, he was opposed to any and all change, and felt that God was calling him on a search and destroy mission. He had made a name for himself, and when Christians in any given city got the message that Saul of Tarsus was coming to town, that meant that their lives were in danger. Saul of Tarsus left a wake of death and destruction as he went about his mission, persecuting and killing those who worshipped the one called Christ. That was his passion…
Until the day he came face to face with the one who died for him! Not only did Jesus capture his attention, but his life was changed forever. He was even given a new identity shortly after his conversion. But there were those who still doubted. While Saul was still blind, God spoke to a believer named Ananias… telling him to go to Straight Street, and find Saul of Tarsus “for behold, he is praying…” Ananias knew who Saul was… perhaps he even had some friends who had suffered and perished under the tender ministrations of Saul… and naturally, he was hesitant. We are familiar with the rest of this beautiful account, in which Ananias addresses Saul as “Brother Saul”, prays for him, and God restores Saul’s sight.
From that day forward, Saul’s mission… Saul’s passion was to know nothing except Christ, and HIM crucified.
Isn’t that just the way that Jesus works in our lives. There were times in Paul’s life when things weren’t going well. Paul often faced impossible situations, difficult co-workers, family members who didn’t understand why he was doing what he was doing, even church people would often give him a hard time… Paul was faced with challenges every day of his life with Christ Jesus… he was shipwrecked during a storm at sea… he even had a head-to-head argument with Peter… and through all of these trials and tribulations God gave him the grace to dig deep and say “No… In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life… neither angels nor demons… neither the present nor the future… nor any powers… nor height nor depth… nor anything else in all creation… will be able to separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!”
Did you catch the word “convinced” here? Paul was persuaded that nothing… absolutely nothing that the world could throw at him… nothing that any fight or squabble could produce… not even death itself… could separate him or unseat him from his relationship with God the Father through Christ Jesus… nothing could make him have a bad day… and nothing could possibly compare to the promise that he knew he had in Christ Jesus!
That’s conviction… that’s a deep level of knowing that something is so real and so true that nothing can possibly shake your belief. A very dear friend and mentor of mine, Dr. Hope Clark, talks about this level of conviction… every so often she will say that God put something into her “knower…” Paul had it in his “knower” that nothing could separate him from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus!”
That’s passion… once Paul was convinced and convicted of his relationship with Christ Jesus and his mission… Paul set out to set the world ablaze with the truth that God so loved the world that he sent his only son… that whosoever believes on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life… Paul’s mission was a global mission… to take this good news to both Jew and Gentile… and he knew that he was not going alone… during his journeys God provided encouragers and traveling companions… Silas, Barnabas, Timothy, and others… and more than that, Paul had the same promise that we have today when Jesus gives us our marching orders… “and surely I am with you always… to the very end of the age.”
Jesus Christ sent Paul out to declare his word… to minister to the body… Paul did not need to wonder or worry where his supply came from… he did not ask “how are we going to pay for this?” He never asked “Where is my next meal going to come from?” He knew that he knew that he knew that Jesus was his source of supply… He declares to us today “I know my God will supply all your needs according to HIS richest in glory by Christ Jesus!”
Earlier this week, as I was preparing for this message, I had to wrestle with the question I asked you at the beginning of this morning’s message. I had to ask myself “Ken, what are you passionate about?”
Certain names and ideas came to my mind, and I wrote them down… I am passionate about my wife and my daughter… my family (my mother and father, as well as my mother-in-law and father-in-law, brother-and-sister-in-law, cousins, aunts, uncles)… the call to ministry… my relationship with Jesus Christ…
Over and above any of these people I have named is one burning passion… one passion that drives me and convicts me more than any other… To know Christ Jesus, and to make him known… He is my King… All hail King Jesus… We have no King but Jesus…
Dr. S.M. Lockridge , onetime pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego describes the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords in these words:
The Bible says my King is a seven-way king....He's the King of the Jews; that's a racial king....He's the King of Israel; that's a national King....He's the King of Righteousness....He's the King of the Ages.....He's the King of Heaven....He's the King of Glory....He's the King of kings, and He's the Lord of lords. That's my King.
David said, "The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. My King is a sovereign King. No means of measure can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply. No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings. He's enduringly strong....He's entirely sincere....He's eternally steadfast....He's immortally graceful....He's imperially powerful....He's impartially merciful....... Do you know Him?
He's the greatest phenomenon that ever crossed the horizon of this world. He's God's Son....He's a sinner's Savior....He's the centerpiece of civilization....He stands in the solitude of Himself....He's august....He's unique....He's unparalleled....He's unprecedented....He's the loftiest idea in literature....He's the highest personality in philosophy....He's the supreme problem in higher criticism....He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology....He's the cardinal necessity for spiritual religion....He's the miracle of the age.... He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him....He's the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Saviour...... I wonder if you know Him today?
He supplies strength for the weak....He's available for the tempted and the tried....He sympathizes and He saves....He strengthens and sustains....He guards and He guides....He heals the sick....He cleanses lepers....He forgives sinners....He discharges debtors....He delivers captives....He defends the feeble....He blesses the young....He serves the unfortunate....He regards the aged....He rewards the diligent....and He beautifies the meek....... I wonder if you know Him?
My King....is the King....He's the key to knowledge....He's the wellspring to wisdom....He's the doorway of deliverance....He's the pathway of peace....He's the roadway of righteousness ....He's the highway of holiness....He's the gateway of glory....... Do you know Him?
Well....His office is manifold....His promise is sure....His light is matchless....His goodness is limitless....His mercy is everlasting....His love never changes....His word is enough....His grace is sufficient....His reign is righteous....and His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. I wish I could describe Him to you, but He's indescribable....He's incomprehensible....He's invincible....He's irresistible.
Well, you can't get Him out of your mind....You can't get Him off of your hand....You can't out live Him, and you can't live without Him....The Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him....Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him....The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree....Herod couldn't kill Him....Death couldn't handle Him, and the grave couldn't hold Him. That's my King.
Father..."Yours is the Kingdom....and the Power....and the Glory....Forever"....and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever. How long is that? And ever...and ever...and when you get through with all the forevers, then.... AMEN!....AMEN!
Nothing compares to the promise that we have in Jesus.
I Bid You Peace,
Pastor Ken+
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