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Sun 7 Jan 2007

January 7, 2006 “New Beginnings”

Posted by Chuck Holton under Sermons
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                                        New Beginnings – by Dr. Larry Halsey – Click here to listen to this sermon (mp3 file)
                                              Nehemiah 8:1-10

A German mayor of yesteryear had the distinct honor of receiving to his small town a visit from the Holy Roman Emperor himself. The mayor was embarrassed, however, because he was unable to perform the traditional 21-gun salute.

He apologized to the emperor profusely: 

      “Sire,” he said, “there are three reasons why we were unable to provide a
       21-gun salute.  The first is that we have no gunpowder…”

       “My dear Lord Mayor,” the emperor interrupted, “I think you might
         spare  me the other two reasons, since the first is clearly
         sufficient.”
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The emperor recognized that there was nothing more basic to the occasion than a supply of gunpowder; and without it, nothing else really mattered.

In Nehemiah chapter 8, we are confronted with something that really matters.  Without this one ingredient, we are like the little boy standing on a street corner with his mother, who watched a very rotund man step up on 
scales nearby.

What the man, nor the boy knew is that the scales was out of order. He  deposited his coin, and the large dial spiked to 75 pounds and stopped.

The little boy examined the man from head to toe; looked at the dial and exclaimed, “Look mother, there is a hollow man.”

After seven months of planning, and 60 days of building amid intense heat and grinding opposition, the wall is now miraculously complete. The gates have been set…the enemies are chagrined; for the first time in over a century, one could walk down the streets of the Holy City without fear of death, robbery or injury.

A restored wall meant unprecedented economic opportunity. But Nehemiah’s mission is not complete. For he knew what the people knew— There is something even more vital, more non-negotiable than security, peace and prosperity…  They desperately needed spiritual revival; something on the inside, something that gave all their material blessings purpose and joy…
They needed a vibrant, soul-satisfying, life-directing relationship with the Living God!

The history of revival is one of the most thrilling subjects in Scripture and Church history.  The term “revival” means different things to different people.
For decades, in the mountains and through the south, “revival” has meant a series of meetings at church, marked by soul-stirring music, powerful preaching, designed to bring non-believers to Christ. 

If you were saved in the 1960a, 70s and 80s, you most likely were saved in a revival, as I was, at age 12.

As effective as revival was in winning people to Christ in that era, “revival” is not about lost people, it’s a work of God in the hearts of believers, and in churches.

J. I. Packer defines revival as…

       “A visitation from God which brings to life Christians who have been
        sleeping and restores a deep sense of God’s near presence and
        holiness. All this ushers in a vivid sense of sin and a profound exercise
        of heart in repentance, praise, and love with an evangelistic overflow.”

Stephen Olford writes…

       “Revival is that strange, sovereign work of God in which He visits the
        people—restoring, reanimating, and releasing them into the fullness of
        His blessing. Such a divine intervention will issue in evangelism, though,
        in the first instance, it is a work of God in the church and among
        individual believers.”

Concerning individual, personal revival,  Warren Wiersbe notes,

       “Revival is taking off the mask.”
       “Revival is getting back to reality.”

My friend Harold Vaughn says, “Revival is waking up to who is living inside of
        you.”

An effective, spirit-filled, life lived for Jesus demands periodic, personal revival.  The Psalmist prayed, “Lord, will you not revive us again, that our hearts may rejoice in you.”

A guy went to prayer meeting every week; every week he would pray the same thing: “Fill me, Jesus. Fill me, Jesus.” But his family, friends and church family knew him to be a cranky, crabby, judgmental cuss. Prayer meeting after prayer meeting it was the same, but he never changed…cranky, crotchety, crass…Finally, in one service he stood up and said, “Fill me, Jesus! Fill me, Jesus!

Somebody in the back yelled, “Don’t fill him, Jesus! He leaks!”

That’s the human condition. As a believer you live with incredible pressure. From the outside, there is a wicked, immoral culture; on the inside there is an unredeemed nature, called “the old nature.”

You and I must have revival because with our best intensions, and best efforts—we leak.  There is a principle of science in the physical world that says, “Everything tends downward”; I see it in the mirror, I see it on the parking lot; even the sun is burning out.

Since the Fall, it is also true in the spiritual world. G. K. Chesterton, that saucy, English essayist of yesterday, once observed,
  
       “There have been at least five times in history, when the faith has from all
        appearances gone to the dogs. In each of these five cease, it was the
        dog that died.”

God sent a fresh breath of revival!

God visiting his people has saved nations.  Listen to this blip from history (Erwin Lutzer):

       “Eighteenth century Britain was in such a sad state of decline that
       Parliament had to be dismissed in the middle of the day because so
       many of its members were in a drunken stupor. Children were
       abandoned to die and immorality was rampant.  The knowledge of God
       had all but faded from view. Mercifully, God reversed that trend through
       the preaching of John Wesley and George Whitfield. Some historians
       believe that it was the revival that spared Britain the bloody fate of
        France, torn by violent revolution.”

In his dynamic book, “Seven Men Who Rule The World From The Grave,” (they include Marx, Dewey, Darwin, and Freud), Dave Breeze has a chapter about Darwin and his doctrine of evolution.   Look at these charts:

The first one has the caption, “What the scientist thinks he sees in viewing history.”  Evolution will bring a perfect humanity, a perfect world—utopia.

The second chart shows, “What the scientist really sees.”  Just one brief moment in time.

The third chart’s caption reads, “The actual course of history as it has transpired and will unfold. (The biblical interpretation of history and the future.)

The 4th chart presents an anomaly, an exception:  The caption reads, “the exception to cultural deterioration—Christian cultural impact.”  That’s not just the presence of a church, but a revived church—salt and light!

A question I’m sometimes asked is, “What about America? Where are we headed?”   Are you aware that America was born in the aftermath of revival?  The revolution of the 1770s, was preceded by the Great Awakening of the 1740s. 

According to one projection,  by 2025 (in less than 20 years), there will be more Moslems than bible-believing Christians.  Twenty years is a generation. 

If I understand the flow of history, our beloved nation is headed for dictatorship. Unless God revives his church (and thereby saves the nation), things will continue to deteriorate morally and ethically to the point, that common civility, long-held institutions, and yes, the family, will fall into anarchy, and people, in desperation, will demand someone to step forward who can enforce laws that will bring order out of chaos; sense out of moral and civil insanity.

Will that man be anti-Christ, history’s last dictator? I don’t know.

This was written by Professor Alexander Tyler around the time our nation as born:

       “A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can
       only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves excessive
       gratuities from the public treasury.  From that moment on the majority
       always votes for candidates promising the most benefits from the
       treasury, with the result that a democracy collapses over loose fiscal
       policy, always followed by dictatorship.”  (CS, “Come Before Winter,”
       502)

The history of Israel shows that people elect to public office leaders who are a reflection of them.  Was Bill Clinton really any different morally, than the rank and file of Americans, and what is shown on television every evening?

It is a stunning fact of history that the average age of the world’s great civilizations has been approximately two hundred years.  According to that reckoning, America may be living on borrowed time.

Recent reports say that there is American is currently experiencing a surge of atheism; Several books on the New York Times “Best Seller’s List” are pro- atheism.

A church once caught on fire.  The entire neighborhood poured into the streets to watch it burn.  Present among them was the town atheist. He was infamous for his unbelief and his cynical remarks about the church.  As he stood with others, there happened to be a church member standing near him.

       “What are you doing here?” she asked.  “I never thought I’d see you at
        church.”

        ”You’ll have to excuse me,” the atheist replied, “But I’ve never seen a
         church on first before.”

A church (and a Christian) on fire spiritually, is a might weapon in God’s hand!  The $64.00 question is: 

“How does revival come?
“How is revival born?” 

The bible and history bears out, as I pointed out, revival is a work of the sovereign God.

I saw a sign on the marquee on a little Pentecostal church in Wyoming County that read, “The winds of Pentecost are blowing again.”   No, that only happened once; God did it.  You can’t whip up revival! 

So much of “Christian” TV today is little more than the wizard from Oz, pulling levers from behind a curtain, producing a poor substitute for smoke, noise and lightening.
 
There are some 7 or 8 revivals in Scripture, none is more dynamic, impacting or glorious this one at the Water Gate.   One historian says that it set Israel on a course that lasted 400 years, until the Messiah appeared!

Scholar Walter C. Kaiser notes:

        “[This is] one of the most joyful and spectacular celebrations of the
         work of God known in the Old Testament.”

Although revival is a gracious gift from God, there are conditions that you find when (and where) revival occurs.  It’s sometimes difficult to identify if these “factors” precipitate revival (humanly) or are themselves the result of revival.

There are three non-negotiables present in the Water Gate Revival; you find these the elements in ALL revivals in Scripture and history.

1. The Confession of Sin—Vv 9, 11

    Verse 9—“For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.”

The spring after I arrived at Bible college, God visited the campus with revival. All night prayer meetings broke out; chapel services scheduled for one hour, continued two to three hours; class were cancelled.  It was marked by students confessing sin to God; getting right with other people.

About three years ago, there was a refreshing again.  The church that operates the school broadcasts its church services live.  A scheduled three-day revival services went more than two weeks, and truckers out on I-75 heard the messages, whipped off the interstate, found the church and came down the aisles at the end of the services…

The people at the wall became so sick of their sin that they cried out to God!

2. A Return To God’s Word—Vv 1-6

3. A Renewal of Worship—V6

    What marked their worship?  Intellect, emotion (they lifted their hands!—
    Couldn’t have been a Baptist crowd [or just maybe it was]) and volition
    (decision).  That’s next Sunday.

Verse 1— is the key.  (Read)  

Revival begins with fervent desire for a fresh visit from heaven upon your soul. …When you are so sick of the way you are living; …when you become so discontent with the sameness and tameness of your spiritual walk that you begin to seek the Lord.

…When desire becomes, in the words of Jacob, a “Lord, I will not let you go
   until you bless me” longing of your heart and your focus.

Make A Wish Foundation is one of America’s most unique charities. Founded in 1983, it is an organization of extraordinary people that seeks to grant wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses.

It’s website touts, “150,602 wishes granted, one every 41 minutes.”

In 2006,

*53 asked for a trip to Disney World.
*5 ask for a vacation in Hawaii
*4 asked to meet a celebrity
*8 asked for a shopping spree
*3 asked for a cruise
*3 asked for playground equipment
*3 asked for a computer
*7 asked for other travel

Think of that!  All you have to do is make a wish.

Imagine that the sovereign God of the universe granted you the same opportunity—A divine blank check!  What would you wish for?

If your answer is: 

”I wish for a closer walk with the Lord in 2007 than ever before.”
”I want more than anything to know the Lord better.”
”I wish, before anything else, that the Lord with stir my heart anew with a
      sense of his love, his grace and his purpose for me.”
”Above everything else I could ask for, my first desire that God would use me
      this coming year to bring glory to Him…Through my influence, my service,
      my witness to others.”

If that’s your answer:  YOU are a candidate for revival!

Let’s bow our heads.  I’ve not talked about resolutions this morning; we’ve talked about revival.  Maybe someone would say, “Pastor, the truth is, my number one desire is not spiritual at all.  I’m really quite content with where I am spiritually headed into a new year.”

Well, would you ask God to bring circumstances into your life this year that will cause you to see your need for His presence in a new way?

”A church on fire.”  Oh, I long for that, as many of your do!  Let’s let that be our prayer as a church family, for 2007.

 

Sat 30 Dec 2006

December 30, 2006

Posted by Chuck Holton under Sermons
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                    Time, Tennis, And A New Year
                             Matthew 6:25-27; 31-34

In his significant book, “Under the Influence: How Christianity Transformed Civilization,” historian Alvin J. Schmidt, writes:

      “Of all the days that are the product of Christianity’s presence, New
      Year’s Day has become the most secularized.  During the Christmas
      season one still hears some carols that proclaim the birth of Jesus.
      On Easter Day, camouflaged as it is with colored eggs and bunnies,
      one can still hear about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, even though
      the message is very much couched in what Christians believe, rather
      than what happened historically.
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      However, New Year’s Day is totally devoid of any reference to
      Christianity. Gone is the awareness that New Year’s Day (eight days
      after Jesus’ birth), commemorates the circumcision of Jesus…a day
      that  the church since the middle of the sixth century liturgically called
      ‘the Feast of Circumcision.’  And gone also is any awareness that it was
      the eighth day after Jesus’ birth that he publicly received his name.

      For centuries Christians saw New Year’s Eve as a symbol of what
      awaits all human beings at the end of their life cycle and therefore a
      reminder that Christians should always be prepared to meet their Lord.
      It was a time for Christians to attend church services to pause and
      reflect, asking God to guide and protect them from all harm and danger
      in the new year…”

It is in the spirit of that paragraph that we are turning together to Matthew chapter 6.

Read verses 25-34

Verse 31—Dallas Willard’s paraphrase of this verse is: My advice to you would be, Just don’t worry about anything.)

Sometime between Christmas and New Years, I take a bit of time to think about ‘the big three’—three questions that are like lights in the middle of a run way, that help the planes stay on course.  Let me share them with you:1. What three things do I want to accomplish during my lifetime?
2. If my life turns out well, what will it look like?
3. For what do I want to be remembered?

My aim in this message is to bring those three questions into our lives…out of the realm of thinking into the stuff of life.

I have brought some props along to help us in this process. A jar filled with grains of rice, and a few other things I will show you in a moment.

*The Jar—represents a day in your life,

*The grains of rice—represent the activities that we have to do.  All of us
  have stuff that we’ve got to do.

What are some of those things?  (Shout it out.)

Someone says, “Take out the Christmas tree.”   One mother said this:
 
          “The nicest things in the world are a Christmas tree when it’s first put
          up—and the living room when you finally take the tree down.”

Let’s begin with work.  Most everyone has to work.

You may do it at a school or in an office . . . you may do it voluntarily . . . and whether or not you are paid for it, each of us has about 48 hours of work to manage.

Richard Swenson writes in his great book “The Overload Syndrome,” that the average office worker has…

…36 hours of work sitting at his or her desk
…and spends three hours a week just digging around piles looking for the
      work that they are supposed to be doing!

John Maxwell wrote:

Outside of your genetic predisposition, the number one determinant of your longevity (how long you will live) is how well you like your work. Now that you know that, how many of you think you might die any minute?
Many of you have to go to school.We also have personal tasks. These are the things that you’ve just got to do.

These are the things that you’ve just got to do.…You’ve got to sleep. That’s six to eight hours a day right there.  This
        recently caught my eye in the AARP magazine:

        “Sleeping in to stay slim, get lots of shuteye. People who sleep only
         six hours a night are 23 percent more likely to be obese that those
         who sleep seven to nine hours, a Columbia University study shows. 
         Lack of sleep disrupts the balance of appetite-regulating hormones.”

Teens, now you can say, “Mom, pastor says if I don’t sleep in until at least 10:00, I’ll get fat.”

…You’ve got to take a shower—The rest of us want you to know, we
         appreciate it!

…You’ve got to brush your teeth; you’ve got to floss your teeth— for
       at least a week or two after you go to the dentist and see the
       hygienist who gags at how your teeth look.

…You’ve got to go to the doctor…you’ve got to get some exercise.   This would be a good time to
    make a covenant together before God that we are going to exercise,
    starting Tuesday morning.

   This would be a good time to    make a covenant together before God that we are going to exercise,    starting Tuesday morning.Winston Churchill said he got most of his exercise serving as a pallbearer for his friends who died while they were getting exercise.  (Mr. Churchill, who lived to age 90, had an extraordinary constitution.)

You’ve got to take care of household stuff;

     *You’ve got to buy food for meals,

            That’s an ever increasing challenge…There were 30,000 different
            products in the average grocery store (this was before Wal-mart)
            including …

            …249 kinds of soap
            …184 kinds of breakfast cereal
           …177 kinds of salad dressing

Most of these are found in the store where you shop!

      *You’ve got to fix meals, eat meals, clean up after meals.

     *Somebody’s got to make sure that the grass is mowed and clothes and
      dishes are washed.

     *You’ve got to pay the bills, balance your checkbook.

    *You’ve got to clean the bathroom.

Don’t you appreciate being reminded of all you have to look forward to in 2007?

We think we have laborsaving devices so we’ll have to spend less time cleaning our houses, but before 1850, when there was no electricity, there were very few windows and no electric lights. People couldn’t see how dirty things were in their houses, so they actually spent less time cleaning than we do in our day.

That’s why I think we should just live with candles. It’s more romantic and the dirt doesn’t bother you. It saves time.

Then there are social obligations. You have to maintain those.

     You will spend about two years of your life on the phone with people
     who are either busy or away.

If you’re single, you may go on dates. You have to get ready for dates. Sometimes it takes more time to get ready for the date than it does to actually go on the date. Sometimes it’s more fun getting ready for the date than it is actually going on the date!

If you have children, there’s school, music lessons, sports leagues, sleepovers …

Then there’s time spent in and on the car. You will spend, if you are an average person, six months of your life at stoplights. You will spend seventy-five minutes a day commuting. Then there’s car maintenance.
There is time spent in spiritual activities and ministry.   This is a weekly expenditure of time and energy.

Then there’s recreation. Most people watch TV sometimes, I hope you are far below the national average…  Listen to Richard A. Swenson:

This is a weekly expenditure of time and energy. Most people watch TV sometimes, I hope you are far below the national average…  Listen to Richard A. Swenson:       “In the average home, the television is turned on seven hours a day.
       The average viewer will watches between 20 and 36 hours per week,
       depending on age and gender…It’s hard to overcome something so
       temporally dominant.”

I have learned that, particularly in the winter months, if my TV consumption goes up, my depression goes and discouragement goes up.”

You may rent a video, go to a movie, or read a book. There are hobbies and vacations.

Then you add to that schedule that is already packed the unexpected things that happen:

Somebody gets sick.
Aunt Edna comes to visit.
The car breaks down.
There’s a crisis at work, and you have to devote some time to that.

There was an article in USA Today some time ago where they interviewed experts from all different fields and asked them:

         “How much time does the average person need to devote to your
          particular field just to get by … not to excel, just to get by?”

They asked experts in the areas of…

…Sleep,
…Physical Fitness,
…Vocational Coaching,
…Family Life.

When they added up the minimal time we’re all supposed to spend, according to the experts in their particular field, it totaled out to 36 hours a day. That’s what we’re supposed to do just to get by.
All of that would be bad enough. It’s challenging enough just to juggle all the little grains of rice in your jar—all the “stuff” that you’ve got to do.

In addition, there are some things that matter most.  There are some things that I’d like for my life to be about.   They are the answers to the big three.

Jesus put it like this in this formative statement: (In verse 33)

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be added.

I have a few objects to represent the things that matter most in life. I’ve going to put them on tennis balls. I didn’t use golf balls, because golf balls are too small, and golf brings no joy to God. Tennis, God loves, but golf … not so much.

This is the letter “T.” It stands for transformation. This year, I’d like to experience some transformation. I’d like to grow some.

I’ve got some sins and some junk and some habits and patterns in my life that I’d like to make some headway on before I come to my last jar.

I don’t always want to be praying on the run.
I don’t want to skim God.
I’d like to become the kind of person that can live a kingdom kind of life. I’d
              like transformation.

One thing I know about growth is, if you and I plan to grow spiritually and have a growing kingdom influence, we have to do it on purpose.

In his chapter on media overload, Richard Swenson has wise counsel on advertising (among many areas):

     “Ads are omnipresent in our ‘engineered-message’ lives. If we try to completely avoid them, we will not succeed. The next best thing is to discipline ourselves and train our children to be wary. Point out the falsehood and manipulation in each ad.  Teach discernment. Distinguish between advertising ‘information’ and ‘manipulation’ and ‘propaganda.’ Talk about the enormous cost of ads, thus their power. If ads don’t influence, why are companies willing to pay millions of dollars for a few seconds of exposure? Discuss contentment verses discontentment. Talk about ‘need-creation.’”

Another thing I know: If I am to experience spiritual transformation this year, I have to be careful to maintain margin.  If you notice, the jar isn’t completely full.

Margin is the distance between what I have do and the point of overload.
Overload people are…

…chronically exhausted people,
…who have little real time for
         …the maintenance of the heart;
         …time to listen to God.  (perhaps to journal)
         …To regularly step back from the notice of the culture.
         …to pray, to meditate.
         …the spiritual disciplines—

Writer Henri Nouwen observed:

       “In the spiritual life, the word discipline means ‘the effort to create
        some space in which God can act.’”

Discipline means…

   …Preventing everything in your life from being filled up.
   …Somewhere in your life that’s not maxed up…
   …Creating space in which something can happen that you hadn’t
           planned or counted on…

Let me ask you who personal questions as you are heading headlong into
2007?

       *How’s your margin?
       *How’s your devotional life?

You and I can’t grow at will, (although “grow” is a command in Peter’s writings) but gardeners and parents know that when you purposely create the right atmosphere, (the right conditions) living things grow automatically.

I was reading this week that if you live to be seventy years old or so, you will get twenty-five thousand days. You will have twenty-five thousand of these jars. It would be ironic to get to the end of them and say: God, I was never able to devote just a day to being with You, because there was always something else to do.

Twenty-five thousand … That’s one of the things that really matters. I want to experience some Transformation in my life.

The second tennis ball has the letter “L” on it.

It stands for the word “Love.” That’s about people, because I have people in my life. I’ll tell you something, when you get to the end of your life, mostly what matters is people … the people that you love and the people who loved you.

I have a wife, and a child, (and a grandchild, can’t leave that out). And I have friends. I want to go really deep with them. I want to have memories and moments with them that really are the “stuff” of eternity.

One of the things that draws me to Jesus is that he’s with people, and he’s never preoccupied or distracted when he’s with them. They can be religious leaders or government officials, or they can be lepers or tax collectors. He’s a people magnet. He just loves them.

I’d like for my life to be about more than a briefcase and a closed door and a list of stuff to do. A lot of that simply comes down to time. What keeps me from doing this is my own agenda.

Then, there’s something else that seeking the Kingdom is about for me, and it has the letter “C” on it.

“C” stands for Calling. I have a calling, and you’ve got a Calling. God has something specific he want you in every important area of your life this year.

Let’s review

There are some things I’d like to do this year…There are some things I must do, or it is a wasted year!  

Mary is a committed tredmillist.  She walks on the treadmill four or five days a week…rain, shine, tiredness…whatever.  On way she stays motivated is, she gives herself a star on the calendar for that day.  She often says to me, “I got a star today.” (The only thing that motives me is a gift certificate for a DQ blizzard!)

When 2007 fades into eternity, I want a star on God’s calendar, because I have fulfilled God’s purpose, His calling in every situation and relationship.

That’s TLC: Transformation, Love and Calling.

There is one more ball.   It has a “J” on it;  “J” stands for JOY.

I don’t want to miss this. Life is too short and too precious. Toward the end of His ministry, Jesus was teaching His  disciples. He said:

These things I have taught you. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:11)

Now, what would it look like if Jesus’ joy were to be in you and if you were to live a day with complete joy? Paul says:

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say to you: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

I don’t want to miss this. The Psalmist says: This is the day (this crazy day with all the stuff that I feel like I’ve got to do, with all of  its pressures and all of its troubles) . . . this is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in this day. (Psalm 118:24)

I don’t want to miss Joy…joy in little things.  As you know, I didn’t get a single deer this year.  I spend $75.00 on tags, and not a brown hair to show for it. It doesn’t seem like good stewardship doesn’t it?  (You mind your own jar and I’ll mind mine!)

But I’ve sat in the mountains and watched sunrises and sunsets that blew your mind! I’ve watched hawks and squirrels, and even a cat slipping through the woods! (You know God is doing a deep in my heart if I find joy in that!)

I want to laugh more. Listen…Physician, Richard A. Swenson:

  “The peak age of laughter is age four…four year olds laugh once every
  four minutes, or four hundred times a day. Adults on the other hand, laugh
  fifteen times a day. If we follow four-year-olds around and laugh
  every time they do, positive things would happen to both our bodies and
  spirits.  Laugher lowers the pulse and blood pressure and seems to
  improve immune functioning. One psychiatrist recommends thirty
  minutes of therapeutic laughter every day.  Some people call this ‘inner
  jogging.’  Another laughter consultant calls it a cerebral enema.”

Let’s apply this principle:  As you know, we aren’t far from a presidential race.  If rural mountaineers ruled, this would be your next president.  (Picture of Willy Nelson with suit on sitting in the Oval Office.)

A guy who is involved in putting on tennis tournaments for people in all different ages, tells about doing one for a group of senior tennis players.

It came down to the finals:  One man who was ninety-one years old, went up against an opponent who was ninety-five. At one point the ninety-one year old hit a crosscourt forehand, and the ninety-five year old couldn’t run it down. He stopped, put his hands out and said: Oh to be ninety-one again!

I want us to celebrate everything with Joy:

…foible and flaws
…meals and friendships,
…answered prayers,
…spiritual gifts,
….the first day of summer vacation
…and banana cream pie.

I want to have that Joy. I don’t want to miss Joy. I really don’t!

These are the things that really matter: to be a person and a community of Transformation, Love, Calling and Joy.

If we: Seek first the Kingdom of God,That’s what life looks like. But here’s the problem:

That’s what life looks like. But here’s the problem:If I try to squeeze these things into a life that is already full, I can get one … maybe two … into my jar; there’s no way that I can get into my day, or into my life, what is needed to live this kind of life. T

his is not a small problem. For most of us, it’s not that we get deliberately defiant and shake our fists in God’s face. Paul says that our danger is that the world will squeeze us into its mold.

Friends, the mold of this world is to get real busy. The danger is that we will lead respectable, decent, non-scandalous, busy, tired, human-powered lives. The old saying is:

     “If the Devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy. Either way you’ll
      miss out on God’s life.”

People respond to this in a few different ways. A lot of people say to themselves:
  
     “I’ll get around to this stuff some day when I have more time. My
      problem is that I just need a bigger jar. Right now, there’s too much
      crazy stuff going on. One day, when it’s not such a busy season, then
      I’ll align my life with my priorities. I need more hours in a day.”
The problem is that God has already decreed how many hours there will be in a day, and it’s not likely to change. The jars come in twenty-four hour sizes. If you wait for a day that has fewer demands, less trouble, Jesus says in the text that we read:

Who of you by worrying—by trying to do life on your own apart from God—can add a single hour? (Matthew 6:27)

You see, we are not “hour manufacturers.”
Seek first the Kingdom.But don’t wait for a trouble-free day; don’t wait until you get more hours; don’t wait for a bigger jar.

But don’t wait for a trouble-free day; don’t wait until you get more hours; don’t wait for a bigger jar.Some people handle the problem in this way: they try to microwave their priorities into marble sized commitments.

“I’ll just pray on the run.”
”I’ll just skim over relationships.”
”I’ll just serve when I have a minute to squeeze into my schedule.”
”I’ll look for an occasional laugh at a movie or at a party. I’ll medicate   
    myself to feel better.”

    “I don’t want to shrink down what matters most. I don’t want to make my
     life be about guilt management.”

 I was thinking that we sometimes live as if Jesus had said:

Seek first all these other things that everybody else seeks, and then the Kingdom will be added to you.
He didn’t say that. He said: Seek first the Kingdom.Everything else comes second. So, based on Jesus’ statement in Matthew 6:33, what if in 2007 you were to do a really radical thing?

Everything else comes second. So, based on Jesus’ statement in Matthew 6:33, what if in 2007 you were to do a really radical thing?What if you were to say:

      “I’m going to start as if each day is an empty jar and a blank slate. I’m
      going to begin by devoting my time to honoring my deepest
      commitments. I don’t know exactly what that would look like for you. I
      have some idea, and I have some sense of what it would look like for
      me.”

But what if we all were to say:

     “I’m going to see if what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 is true. I’m going to
      start my day . . .begin it … by devoting myself to what matters most and
      then see if what Jesus said is true … that “all these other things will be
      added to me.”

Do I trust God with my time? Do I really believe that what Jesus said is true—that if I seek first the Kingdom of God that other things that do not matter as much will be added to me.

Do I seek first the Kingdom of God, or will I seek first other things?

It comes down to a trust issue. I’m going to trust God that the lawn is going to get mowed, that the house is not going to fall down, that the job will be done, and that He will help. And maybe some things will not get
done.

The theologian Roseanne Barr said something interesting:

      “I feel that if the kids are still alive when my husband gets home then,
       hey, I’ve done my job. When Sears comes out with a riding vacuum
      cleaner, then I’ll clean the house.”

You know, that’s very close to a principle Jesus lived by:  Planned Neglect.  The purposeful neglect of grains of sands, to have room for tennis balls!

So the question is: Will I really trust that God really is Lord over time? And that I don’t need to worry about time if I trust Him?

 

Sun 24 Dec 2006

December 24, 2006. Christmas: When God Turned On The Light.

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                     Christmas: When God Turned On The Light
                                             John 1:1-5; 12:46

What would Christmas be without the laughter and bright faces of children?  Christmas and kids go together like peanut butter and jelly.  The things they say around Christmas are often unforgettable.

Take some famous Christmas carols (Christian and secular), as sung by kids:

”On the first day of Christmas, my tulip gave to me…
”He’s making a list, chicken and rice…”
”Noel, Noel, ( not “born is,” but) Barney’s the king of Israel”.
”Oh, what fun it is to ride with one horse, soap and hay…”

(more…)

 

Thu 7 Dec 2006

December 10, 2006 “Unseen Saints”

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                                     Unseen Saints
                                  Nehemiah 7:1-5; 70-73 (#12)

”Unseen Saints” is today’s title in the series, “You Can Make A Difference.”Nehemiah chapter 7. 

Let’s begin with a pop quiz. I’m going to give you five or six questions…
You don’t need to write anything down, but you do need to put on your thinking cap as you draw upon your reading, study and memory, to identify some significant people from the past.  Ready?

(more…)

 

Mon 4 Dec 2006

December 5, 2006 “They Said It Couldn’t Be Done.”

Posted by Chuck Holton under Sermons
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                        They Said It Couldn’t Be Done
                                       Nehemiah 6:14-19 (#11)

In the early 1980s, a young missionary in Brazil decided to take a stab at writing. After several months of late-night toil, he sent his fledgling manuscript to a publisher under the title, “On the Anvil: Thoughts on Being Shaped into God’s image.”

In a couple of weeks, he received a letter from the publisher. The opening line began something like this, “We are sorry to inform you…”  Yes, it was a rejection slip.

He sent his work to another publisher, then another…always the same:
”Thank you, but no thank you.”

After 14 rejection slips, he got a note from a publisher that said, “We will accept your manuscript” but there was a condition: That he not submit any further material.

So, on the 15th attempt, his book was published.

Would you venture a guess, who that young Brazilian missionary is?  (more…)

 

Sun 19 Nov 2006

19 November, 2006 – “I heard It Through The Grapevine”

Posted by Chuck Holton under Sermons
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                I Heard It Through The Grape Vine                   
                                        Nehemiah 6:1-9 (#10)

”I Heard It Through The Grapevine” is today’s title in series, “You Can Make A Difference.”

Nehemiah 6:1-9 

In 1899, four reporters from Denver, Colorado, met by chance on a Saturday night in a Denver railroad station.

Al Stevens,
Jack Tournay,
John Lewis
(and) Hal Wilshire

worked for the four Denver papers: 

…The Post,
…The Times,
…The Republican and
…The Rocky Mountain News.

Each had the unenviable task of finding a scoop for the Sunday edition. They hoped to spot a visiting celebrity or prominent political figure arriving that evening by train.

However, none showed up, so the reporters wondered what on earth they would do.  As they discussed options in a nearby saloon, Al Stevens suggested they make up a story. The other three laughed—at first. But before long they were all agreed—they would come up with such a whopper that no one would question,  and their respective editions would commend them for their work.

A phony local story would be too obvious, so they decided to write about someplace far away. They agreed on China. “What if we say that some American engineers, on their way to China, told us they were bidding on a major job: the Chinese government is planning to demolish the Great Wall?”

Harold was not sure the story would be believable. Why would the Chinese ever tear down the Great Wall of China?  “As a sign of international goodwill, to invite foreign trade.”
  More...
By 11 PM, the four reporters had worked out the details, and the next day all four Denver newspapers carried the story—on the front page. The Times headline that Sunday read:  “Great Chinese Wall Doomed!  Peking Seeks World Trade.”

It was a spoof, but amazingly the story was taken seriously and soon ran in newspapers in the Eastern US, and even abroad.

When the citizens of China heard that the Americans were sending a demolition crew to dismantle the Great Wall, most were indignant, even enraged…nationalism erupted. Moved to action by the news, Chinese patriots attacked for foreign embassies in Peking and murdered hundreds of foreign missionaries.

In the next six months twelve hundred troops coalition forces from six countries, invaded China to protect their citizens.

The bloodshed, born out a journalistic hoax fabricated in a saloon in Denver, was a time of violence remembered in history as the Boxer Rebellion.

Rumor has the power of life and death in its hand.

When a certain newspaper reported that that Mark Twain had died prematurely while visiting in London, Twain sent the editor a terse statement that ended with, “The report of my death is greatly exaggerated.

Rumor, and its first cousin, gossip, seem to expose something in the dark side of human nature.  D. L. Moody said that a rumor can travel halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on.

Tabloid “journalism,” (in quotation marks), never ceases to amaze
thinking people. The “National Enquirer” reports,

“’Dog the bounty hunter is a crack addict,”
”Kirsties’s secret Liposuction” (as if five people in America care),
       I suppose they do.
”(and) “Katie (Couric) Fired!”  I wonder if Katie knows about this.

Rumor was a powerful weapon in the enemy’s efforts to stop the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall. With the dissention precipitated by  selfish nobles behind them, the people picked up their tools and went back to work…and so did the enemy.

With only the metal covered gates left to be hung, there is a flurry of very different—yet contemporary—tactics!
 
In chapters 4-5, the people building the wall are the target.  There is…

…Ridicule (4:1-6)
…Intimidation (4:7-9)
…Fear (4:11-23)
…Discouragement (4:10)
…Selfishness (5:1-13)

Now the enemy turns up the heat even more. There is a tone of desperation.  The evil one pulls out the stops.

The Principle: Beware of temptations that come on the verge of
       breakthroughs, momentous miles markers, or
       accomplishments.

The evil one will save his most potentially damaging weapons for last.

In chapter 6, —Nehemiah, the leader, is the target.  It the old “sack the quarterback,” “shot the officers first,” tactic. 

If he can be lured away from the wall, discredited, or killed, last moment victorious would be assured.

We saw the evil one’s approach as a roaring lion (from without) and a subtle serpent (from within).  Now, there is a variation:  A roaring lion and a subtle serpent from without.

I. In Verses 1-4—The is Intrigue  (A Secret Scheme)
II. Verses 5-9—Innuendo  (A Subtle attack on the leader’s
               character)
III. Verses 10-14—Intimidation—Threats designed to produce fear.
                The enemy knows that fear destroys faith and paralyses
                life.

As the wall is within days of completion, a messenger shows up at the gate with a message from Sanballat and Geshem:

               ”Come and meet with us in a neutral place, in a village on
                the plain of Ono.”

Ono was an area 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem. It’s the current location of the Tella Vive Airport.

This simple invitation was a masterpiece.  To refuse it, would expose Nehemiah to criticism and censure from his own people on the wall as an narrow, rigid, unreasonable leader.

”Nehemiah, the one thing we need is peace. What’s wrong with
          talking to them?”
”The impact upon our economy would be significant.”

       There are always those who believe, if the economy is well, all
       is well.

”Sanballat and Geshem have been misunderstood.  They are reasonable men, who want all of us to benefit from a revitalized Jerusalem.”

Their message has the ring of a concession speech by a person who has just lost a political campaign.

How does Nehemiah respond to the Ono invitation?  “Oh, no!” he says.

At the very least, the invitation represented distraction.  Nehemiah’s place at that time in his life was on the wall.

Distraction is any activity or opportunity to which you give a higher priority than it deserves. It something that may be good in and of itself, but takes you away from some commitment or responsibility that you should be giving greater priority and attention.

A leisurely motorcycle ride through Monroe County is often needed and grand therapy! But if I should be visiting, studying or being at the wall with you, I have given it greater priority than it deserves.

You have to learn to say “no” to the culture, the flesh and their allurements.

However, there is a greater fish that Sanballat and Geshem intend to fry. They tempt Nehemiah with the prospect of peace; The path to compromise. But peace at any price isn’t peace; which is just the postponement of disaster.

Britain’s Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain was committed to keeping Britain out of WW II.  He was convinced that Adolph Hitler was a reasonable and trustworthy man. He was sure that if he met some of the Nazi leader’s demands, he would be satisfied and live peacefully with the rest of Europe.

So on September 29, 1938, along with France and Italy, he signed the Munich Pact with Germany,. He returned home in triumphant, waving a copy of the pact, proclaiming that it meant “peace in our time, peace with honor.”

One man was not convinced.  Winston Churchill growled that “an appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”

Britain and the world learned a timeless principle—Moral compromise is a deadly game!

There’s a tale about an old mountaineer on the trail of a bear. He had visions of a new fur coat for the approaching winter. The bear, finally out of breath, stopped, turned around with paws raised:

      “Wait, a minute, let’s talk about this,” he said. “You want a fur
       coat, and all I want is a meal. Let’s sit down and talk about
       this.”

The hunter thought that was reasonable.  He sat down on a log with the bear. And sure enough:  the bear got a meal, and the hunter wore a fur coat!

Nehemiah’s answers:  “I’m doing a great work and I can’t come down.”   Underscore the little word “great.”  Take a concordance or Bible program, and note the “great” things in the book.  It’s a great work, not because of who is doing it, but because it is God’s work!

Whatever you are doing that you have been called to do; whatever you are doing vocationally, or in your ministry for God’s glory, is a great work, because it is a God’s work!

The enemy is so desperate, they send the message four times! Repeated temptation is always the most dangerous!

On the 5th time, the menacing messenger has a letter in his hand.
It is described as an “open letter.” Normally the papyrus scroll would have been rolled up and a spot of wax on the closure.

We would say, “It was posted on the Web.”  It was intended for anybody and everybody to read; the contents was sure to make its way to the palace of King Artexerxes back at home in Persia.

First, Sanballat says, “We want to life in peace with you.”  Now, he says, “We’ll tell everybody about you.”

It reports a rumor that Nehemiah is building a wall with a view to rebelling against the king and setting himself up as king in Jerusalem.  That all he’s interested in is power and control. It’s nothing short of treason.

And that he’s hired a prophet to twist the Scriptures—Zechariah 9:9— to present him as the king the nation was expecting—The Messiah!

The Message reads, “The king is going to be told all this—don’t you
            think we should sit down and have a talk?”

It begins with rumor.  Not all rumors are negative.  One elderly spinster was approached by an acquaintance who said, “I hear you are engaged to be married.”  “No,” she replied, “It’s not true, but I thank God for the rumor.”

Negative rumor has the power to strike fear, ruin a reputation and divide a church.

In the last decades of the first century it was rumored that Emperor Nero, who committed suicide June ’68 AD, wasn’t dead at all, but—like Elvis sightings in our day—was alive, hiding in Parthia. This struck fear into the hearts of believers!

It’s important you be able to identify a rumor, and know how to respond to it.

1. One characteristics of a rumor is that its source is never
    quoted—  “It is reported…”  You can paraphrase it, “They say…”

I know a dear lady who for many years has kept her pastors and her church on edge with her “they say” comments.  Whatever she and her little circle of gossiping sisters think need to be addressed takes on a “they say” report.
When someone brings you an anonymous, hear-say, report, it’s good to ask, ““Who is ‘they,” or say, “May I quote you on this?”  If the source is not quoted or creditable, be careful not to pass it along!

I heard a pastor tell about a man who approached him regularly before the morning service and said with a smile:

       “Pastor, I don’t care what they say, I want you to know I’m with
        you.”

I approached occasionally by people who say, “Pastor, I can’t tell you who told me but I think you ought to know…” That’s the devil’s work; it’s like an anonymous letter—The apex of cowardice. Never do that.

2.  A rumor is marked by exaggeration and inaccuracy.

Nehemiah is accused of wanting inappropriate control. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Someone defined gossip as, “news you have to hurry and tell somebody else before you find out it isn’t true.”

Chuck Swindoll says:

      “I am personally convinced that the number one enemy of
       Christian unity is the tongue. It’s not drink, or drugs, not poor
       homes, not inflation, not even a bad church program—it’s the
       tongue.”

Someone says, “I’ve checked it out; it’s true.” That doesn’t give you license to pass it on.  Let me give you an acrostic to help you be discerning in this matter:  T-H-I-N-K.  Five questions:

T—  Is it true?  Do you have first hand knowledge of it?
H—Is it Helpful?
I—Is it important?
N—Is it necessary?
K—Is it kind?

3. A Rumor monger has lost sight of the proper setting for
    sharing information.

It must be ask:

   (a) “Will this benefit the person who hears it?”  Negatives shared
          with a new convert or weak believer can destroy them!

   (b) “Can the person I share this with do anything about it?”

Bill Gotherd defines ‘gossip’ as:

       “Communicating something to someone who is not a part of the
        problem or the solution.”

Look at Ephesians 4:29—

       “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is
        good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the
        hearer.”  (Quote that with me.)

The Message renders it:

         “Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of
          your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.”

If you are the object of rumor, or gossip, look carefully at verses 8 & 9:

1. Nehemiah calmly denied the rumor— Those who trust you will
    believe it; those who don’t won’t believe you if you write it in
    blood.

2. Prayer is an antidote for Gossip— Read verse 9.

    a. “Strengthen my hands.” He’s saying, “Renew my energy and
          focus.”

    b. It is a prayer that God’s would thwart the purposes of the
        enemy.

3. Keep Working!

A four-year old misquoted the Model Prayer.  She said,

        “And forgive us for our trash baskets, as we forgive those who
         trash basket against us.”

This is what we must be alert to: When Satan tries to thwart God’s work, he attacks the leader (or leaders).  His most effective tools include:

Distraction
False Rumors
Negative Reports

”Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

 

Sun 12 Nov 2006

12 November 2006 “How to Get A Promotion”

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                              How To Get A Promotion
                                                Nehemiah 5:14-19                        

”How To Get A Promotion” is today’s title in the series, “You Can Make A Difference.”

Nehemiah 5:14-19 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

 

 14 Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. 15 But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels [a] of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. 16 Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we [b] did not acquire any land.

 17 Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. 18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.

 19 Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.

More... 

In case you haven’t heard, it’s deer season.  One week from tomorrow more than 300,000 hunters will take to the woods…

…the work place will be understaffed;
…Beanie Weenies will be in short supply on grocery store shelves
…Restaurants in rural counties will open at 4:00 AM
…Blaze orange will dominate the landscape
…(and) schools will close in several central counties

It’s an annual ritual that bewilders a lot of folks and frustrates PETA to no end. To the hunter, the “ethical treatment” of deer next week means making a clean shot!

Several years ago, I hunted with a pastor friend, and a young man named Chad, a new convert, who had permission to hunt on some prime property behind his house. 

Chad was very excited about this deer season; this was the year his wife
was going to begin hunting with him—Obviously a godly, submissive lady, whose example should be emulated by all wives with a desire to please the Lord.

When we came out of the woods in the afternoon, I met a bright, curly haired 2-year-old named Caitlyn.  Chad mentioned with pleasure that she loves venison.

He told how that during bow season, he had hung a field-dressed deer near the back porch.  Folks, I believe there will be deer hunting in heaven, but there is nothing appetizing about a field-dressed deer that’s been left hanging a few days. 

Returning from town, Caitlyn and her mother walked past the hanging, riger mortis animal. And as they passed by, the 2 year old gazed at it and said, ‘Yum! Yum!”

When I heard that, I thought of the power of influence…the influence of a culture, and parents on a two-year-old.

We are studying the personal journal of a OT saint who welded significant influence; He is a model.  We learn for the first time in this passage that in the process of building the wall, Nehemiah was appointed governor of Judea.

He didn’t set out with aspirations to sit in the governor’s chair, he was simply following the God’s leading as it had been revealed to Him. In the words of Abraham’s servant, “he was in the way and the Lord led him…”

Hardly a week goes by that I don’t talk with someone who is trying to discern the will of God.  Committed believers who are asking, “How do I find God’s will in this situation, for my life? For the next step?”

Finding God’s will is like driving at night.  You don’t worry about what’s ahead three miles up the road, you focus on the 50 or 75 yards illumined ahead of you.  When Paul was saved he said, “Lord, what would you have me to do?”
Jesus says what?  He didn’t say, “Start churches all over Asia Minor,” or, “Write half of the New Testament.”  He said, “Arise and go into the city…” 

The most important question is:  Are you doing what you know to be the will of God today? Are you walking confidently in the light that you do have?

Nehemiah says, “Lord what would you have me to do?”  “Go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall,” the Lord says.  And in obeying, he is promoted to the office of governor. 

He is a prime example of Proverbs 22:29, “Do you see a man who
excels in his work? He will stand before kings.” 

That doesn’t mean that advancement up the ladder is assured; the point is: God blesses those who glorify Him through work hard and commitment to excellence. 

An employee was outraged that he was passed over for a promotion. “I have 20 years of experience,” he complained to the boss. “No,” the boss replied, “You have one year’s experience twenty times.”

Nehemiah’s story is a tale of influence.

…He had sway with the King, who gave him leave from the palace to pursue
   the vision of rebuilding the wall.

…He had weight with the Jewish leaders, and then the people, when he
   cast the vision.

…More recently, he had influence when he rebuked the nobles and rulers for
   their selfishness in taking advantage of a famine and the poverty of the
   brethren building the wall.

      In verse 8, “They were silenced and found nothing to say.”
      Verse 12, “We will restore it; we will do as you say.”

Looking back several years later, he writes a testimony about how God in His Providence rewarded his diligence.  Booker T. Washington titled his autobiography, “Up From Slavery.”

Nehemiah titled this chapter of his journal,  “Up from A Cupbearer.”

Does it strike you as self-serving? Is he like the newly-appointed General who wanted to impress his staff?  As some men entered his new office, he picked up the phone and said,

             “Thank you, Mr. President.  It was good to talk to you, sir.”

When he hung up, his secretary said,  “General, these men are here to connect your phone.”

Someone wrote a delightful little book titled, “A Turtle On A Fence Post.”  The Big Idea is, if you see a turtle balanced on a fence post, you know he didn’t get there by himself. 

Nehemiah is giving credit to the One who put him there! “I was appointed…”He says.  His testimony drips with wonder and worship.   It’s the spirit of Paul, who said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”

A.W. Tozer once commented, “Listen to no man who has not listened to God.”   Nehemiah listened to God; and the Holy Spirit says, “Listen To Him.”

In this passage, He shares from his heart and experience: “How To Get A Promotion”— Four marks of a difference maker who influences others for the Savior and His Kingdom:First, A Difference Maker Places Responsibilities Over Rights—V14

In verse 14, he talks about his appointed in the 32nd year of King Artaxerxes, then he adds this interesting clause…       “…neither I nor my brothers at the king’s provisions…”

One of the ‘fringe benefits’ of being governor was a food allowance, granted him by the Persian government, primarily for the entertaining of official guests.  But for the greater good of strengthening the treasury, he relinquished that right.  In verse 17, he paid for it out of his own pocket.

One of the ‘fringe benefits’ of being governor was a food allowance, granted him by the Persian government, primarily for the entertaining of official guests.  But for the greater good of strengthening the treasury, he relinquished that right.  In verse 17, he paid for it out of his own pocket.”Rights” is one of the words driving our culture.  Don’t you get weary of it? 

…a woman’s right to abort a child
…the rights of 13 and 14 years olds to pull up pornography on public library computers.

There is a deep-running attitude of entitlement.  The motto of the masses is: “When in doubt, sue.”   Seventy percent of the world’s attorneys are practicing in the US.

This article appeared in the local newspaper:  “Prisoner sues over shaving requirement.”  A prisoner at the Mount Olive prison (quote):  “…is seeking a court ruling that the policy is a violation of his constitutional rights and $100,000 in damages.

The ACLU is on the vanguard of some much foolishness that’s going on.

Difference makers focus on responsibilities…The greater good of…

…the family
…the organization
…the school
…the church

There are two kinds of people in this room:  There are “here I am” people—you hear them using words like “me, my, mine.” There are the “There you are” people—They are difference makers who use words like “you, yours, ours.”

Here lies the body of Benjamin May,
Who died defending the right of way.
He was right, dead right, as he sped along,
But just as dead as if he was wrong.
 
Are there ways and areas in which you are demanding your rights?

Difference makers die to self…They are willing to lose if it means that Jesus is glorified!

Second, Difference Makers Place Servanthood Over Privileges—V15

In verse 15, he talks about the former governors and their underlings who had taxed to the people into poverty and despair!   Then he says, “I did not do so…”

With promotion comes privileges; and privileges test your character and your integrity.  Chuck Swindoll writes:

       “Few people can live in the lap of luxury and maintain their spiritual,
        emotional and moral equilibrium.  Sudden elevation often disturbs
        balance, which leads to pride and a sense of self-sufficiency—and then,
        a fall. It’s ironic, but more of us can hang tough through a demotion
        than through a promotion.”

There’s a tale about an owl who thought he was god.  His path to divinity began when one day his friends of the forest asked him some simple questions. 

One, with an ear for grammar, asked:  “Can you give me an interrogative pronoun?”  The owl thought for a moment and said, “Whoooooo.”  The animals glanced at one another in amazement.

Another furry friend held up a couple of fingers and inquired, “How many fingers am I holding up?”  Without hesitation the owl said, “Twooooo.” The   forest dwellers broke into applause.

Finally another was determined to stump Mr. Owl.  “Why does a lover call on the one he loves?”  With growing confidence, the Owl said, “to woooooo.”

It was glorious! The forest creatures began to cry in one voice that he was God.  They bowed in his presence and often came seeking his wisdom.

With the passing of the days, the owl began strutting across the branches of his tree house. Then one day, amid a cascading stream of praise, his followers coaxed the wise owl from his tree and put him out front of his growing crowd of supporters. He led them a triumphant march through the woods.

Marching was rather difficult for the Owl, a natural tree dweller and sometimes flyer.  But when the compliments are coming fast, and everybody is shouting, “He’s God! He’s God!” it gets hard to remember what your real weaknesses are.

Another thing, Owl didn’t see very well in the light, which made his daytime leadership precarious.  Blinking and squinting and trying to see the course his leadership should take, one day Mr. Owl led his adoring followers out onto a busy four-lane highway. 

And there it happened:  An unsuspecting 18 wheeler came thundering down the highway. The driver locked down on his air breaks, but there was a cloud of soft, furry forms that flew in every direction.  But those who stopped to see the sight were puzzled most by the brown feathers that littered the highway.

And so ended the reign of the little god, whose triumphs led him into assumptions and paths that he wasn’t prepared for.

I remind you that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God took upon Himself the form of a servant…a servant of God and of others.

Responsibilities Over Rights
Servanthood Over Privileges

Third, A Difference Maker Places Devotion To God Over Personal Preferences—V15CWhy did Nehemiah take this tack?  Verse 15c— “because of the fear of God.”

Why did Nehemiah take this tack?  Verse 15c—It has been defined as “reverential trust.” Reverence is the attitude of mind of the person who is always aware that he is in the presence of God.

The word translated “fear” has the idea of how you respond to one of God’s attributes—His Holiness.  He says, “Be holy for I am holy…”  The essence of holiness is separation— Being set apart from (the world, the flesh,) unto God.  There are two elements:

*Repulsion— at Sin
*Attraction—to God, submitting to Him.

…It was the fear of the Lord that kept Joseph from committing adultery with
      Potiphar’s wife.

…It was reverence for the Lord which led Moses to renounce the influence of
      Egypt for the hardships of the wilderness.

…It motivated Paul for ministry (II Cor 5:11).

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…” 

Winston church was a person of influence, who was revered. Just before his 90th birthday, he received a birthday card from a 9-year-old girl in Columbia, South America.  What was extraordinary about this card was that it was address simply to: 

       “The Greatest Man In The World,”  (Six words)

With no postage, she dropped it in the mail.  It was delivered to 28 Hyde Park Gate, London, Mr. Churchill’s residence.

God is to be worshipped, loved, obeyed because He is God.  Devotion to Him touches every part of your life.

Responsibilities Over Rights
Servanthood Over Privileges
Devotion To God Over Personal Preferences

Fourth,  A Difference Maker Places God’s Agenda Over Personal Agenda—VV 17-18

In verses 17 and 18, we are invited to governor’s residence for dinner. You eyes first scan the other guests…150 Jews and rulers, and officials from neighboring nations.  It looks like a meeting of the UN Security Council.

You study the table.  The salad plates and collected and out comes the meat: Every day a ox and six specially chosen sheep were slaughtered, along with chicken (Nehemiah was a Baptist).  Three times a month exquisite wine was set before the guests.

This wasn’t a one-time banquet.  The fires never went out in Nehemiah’s kitchen.  All at his personal expense!

What would prompt him to do such a thing?  What was he thinking?
Surely He knew three things:

1. God owns it all.

2. All of life is a God-given stewardship. 

     -Everything I am is on loan from God.  Stewards are accountable.

     -Owners have resources; stewards manage resources.

3. Money is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
          Accumulation is not the goal. The glory of God and the furtherance of
          his agenda is the goal.

In a recent interview, Warren Buffet, one of the world’s wealthiest men, was ask about his passing of his wealth to his children: 

      “You should leave your children enough money to do something, but not
       enough to do nothing.

This man is arguably the best illustration in Scripture of Ron Blue’s definition:
   
          ”Stewardship is the use of God-given resources for the
          accomplishment of God-given goals.”  (Say that with me.)

Howard Dayton is the CEO of Crown Financial Ministries; a new ministry  founded when Larry Burchett’s and Ron Blue’s ministries merged. Dayton,
whose ministry counsels thousands of couples and individuals each year, recently said this:

”There is almost no difference between the way Christians handle their resources and the way those who don’t know Christ their resources.”

One more:

(Fifth)  A Difference Maker Places God’s Smile Over Man’s Approval—
—V19

Read verse 19.

This is not self-ambition or self-ambition.  It’s a wonderful expression of worship, humility and confidence in the Lord.

He says, ”I don’t care about the praise of men, I care only that you know my heart, my motives. You are the righteous judge who blesses those who sincerely seek to do your will.”

Nehemiah had learned the priority and benefits of living before an Audience of One.

General George Washington was a Christian who was sustained during the dark days of the Revolutionary War by his unswerving confidence in God’s sovereignty and personal care..

One Sunday during the gut-wrenching days of the War, the door of a certain church opened, and who stepped in the foyer, but General Washington himself.

When the pastor saw him, he took off his hat. 

“Put your hat on, Reverend,” Mr. Washington said, “We have both done the same—what we were supposed to do.”

There will be no greater success, no greater reward than to stand before Him one day with the joy and confidence that, by His grace, we have done what we were supposed to do.

That’s the passion of a difference maker.

Have you thought about this:  Nehemiah’s prayer is one that Jesus could have prayed on the Cross. 

          “Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for
           this people.”

The Lord Jesus Christ is THE eternal difference maker.  Through His obedience to the Father’s will in going to the Cross… we read…

          ”Therefore, God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name that is
           above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should, of
           those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
           and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
           glory of the Father.”

One of the ‘fringe benefits’ of being governor was a food allowance, granted him by the Persian government, primarily for the entertaining of official guests.  But for the greater good of strengthening the treasury, he relinquished that right.  In verse 17, he paid for it out of his own pocket.Responsibilities Over RightsServanthood Over PrivilegesWhy did Nehemiah take this tack?  Verse 15c—In case you haven’t heard, it’s deer season.One week from tomorrow more than 300,000 hunters will take to the woods… …the work place will be understaffed; …Beanie Weenies will be in short supply on grocery store shelves…Restaurants in rural counties will open at 4:00 AM…Blaze orange will dominate the landscape…(and) schools will close in several central countiesIt’s an annual ritual that bewilders a lot of folks and frustrates PETA to no end. To the hunter, the “ethical treatment” of deer next week means making a clean shot!Several years ago, I hunted with a pastor friend, and a young man named Chad, a new convert, who had permission to hunt on some prime property behind his house.Chad was very excited about deer season; this was the year his wifewas going to begin hunting with him—Obviously a godly, submissive lady, whose example should be emulated by all wives with a desire to please the Lord.When we came out of the woods in the afternoon, I met a bright, curly haired 2-year-old named Caitlyn.Chad mentioned with pleasure that she loves venison.He told how that during bow season, he had hung a field-dressed deer near the back porch.Folks, I believe there will be deer hunting in heaven, but there is nothing appetizing about a field-dressed deer that’s been left hanging a few days.Returning from town, Caitlyn and her mother walked past the hanging, riger mortis animal. And as they passed by, the 2 year old gazed at it and said, When I heard that, I thought of the power of influence…the influence of a culture, and parents on a two-year-old.We are studying the personal journal of a OT saint who welded significant influence; He is a model.We learn for the first time in this passage that in the process of building the wall, Nehemiah was appointed governor of Judea.He didn’t set out with aspirations to sit in the governor’s chair, he was simply following the God’s leading as it had been revealed to Him. In the words of Abraham’s servant, “he was in the way and the Lord led him…”Hardly a week goes by that I don’t talk with someone who is trying to discern the will of God.Committed believers who are asking, “How do I find God’s will in this situation, for my life? For the next step?”Finding God’s will is like driving at night.You don’t worry about what’s ahead three miles up the road, you focus on the 50 or 75 yards illumined ahead of you.When Paul was saved he said, “Lord, what would you have me to do?”Jesus says what?He say, “Start churches all over Asia Minor,” or, “Write half of the New Testament.”He said, “Arise and go into the city…”The most important question is:Are you doing what you know to be the will of God ? Are you walking confidently in the light that you have?Nehemiah says, “Lord what would you have me to do?”“Go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall,” the Lord says.And in obeying, he is promoted to the office of governor.He is a prime example of Proverbs 22:29, “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings.”That doesn’t mean that advancement up the ladder is assured; the point is: God blesses those who glorify Him through work hard and commitment to excellence.An employee was outraged that he was passed over for a promotion. “I have 20 years of experience,” he complained to the boss. “No,” the boss replied, “You have experience .”Nehemiah’s story is a tale of influence.…He had sway with the King, who gave him leave from the palace to pursue the vision of rebuilding the wall.…He had weight with the Jewish leaders, and then the people, when he cast the vision.…More recently, he had influence when he rebuked the nobles and rulers fortheir selfishness in taking advantage of a famine and the poverty of the brethren building the wall.In verse 8, “They were silenced and found nothing to say.”Verse 12, “We will restore it; we will do as you say.”Looking back several years later, he writes a testimony about how God in His Providence rewarded his diligence.Booker T. Washington titled his autobiography, “Up From Slavery.”Nehemiah titled this chapter of his journal,“Up from A Cupbearer.”Does it strike you as self-serving? Is he like the newly-appointed General who wanted to impress his staff?As some men entered his new office, he picked up the phone and said, “Thank , Mr. President.It was good to talk to , sir.”When he hung up, his secretary said,“General, these men are here to connect your phone.”Someone wrote a delightful little book titled, “A Turtle On A Fence Post.”The Big Idea is, if you see a turtle balanced on a fence post, you know he didn’t get there by himself.Nehemiah is giving credit to the One who put him there! He says.His testimony drips with wonder and worship.It’s the spirit of Paul, who said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”A.W. Tozer once commented, “Listen to no man who has not listened to God.”Nehemiah listened to God; and the Holy Spirit says, “Listen To Him.”In this passage, He shares from his heart and experience: “How To Get A Promotion”— In verse 14, he talks about his appointed in the 32 year of King Artaxerxes, then he adds this interesting clause…One of the ‘fringe benefits’ of being governor was a food allowance, granted him by the Persian government, primarily for the entertaining of official guests.But for the greater good of strengthening the treasury, he relinquished that right.In verse 17, he paid for it out of his own pocket. is one of the words driving our culture.Don’t you get weary of it?…a woman’s right to abort a child…the rights of 13 and 14 years olds to pull up pornography on public library computers.There is a deep-running attitude of entitlement.The motto of the masses is: “When in doubt, sue.”Seventy percent of the world’s attorneys are practicing in the US.This article appeared in the local newspaper:“Prisoner sues over shaving requirement.”A prisoner at the Mount Olive prison (quote):“…is seeking a court ruling that the policy is a violation of his constitutional rights and $100,000 in damages. The ACLU is on the vanguard of some much foolishness that’s going on.Difference makers focus on responsibilities…The greater good of……the family…the organization…the school…the churchThere are two kinds of people in this room:There are “here I am” people—you hear them using words like “me, my, mine.” There are the “There you are” people—They are difference makers who use words like “you, yours, ours.”Here lies the body of Benjamin May,Who died defending the right of way.He was right, dead right, as he sped along,But just as dead as if he was wrong.Are there ways and areas in which you are demanding your rights?Difference makers die to self…They are willing to lose if it means that Jesus is glorified! In verse 15, he talks about the former governors and their underlings who had taxed to the people into poverty and despair!Then he says, “I did not do so…”With promotion comes privileges; and privileges test your character and your integrity.Chuck Swindoll writes: “Few people can live in the lap of luxury and maintain their spiritual,emotional and moral equilibrium.Sudden elevation often disturbs balance, which leads to pride and a sense of self-sufficiency—and then, a fall. It’s ironic, but more of us can hang tough through a demotion than through a promotion.”His path to divinity began when one day his friends of the forest asked him some simple questions., with an ear for grammar, asked:“Can you give me an interrogative pronoun?”The owl thought for a moment and said, “Whoooooo.”The animals glanced at one another in amazement. held up a couple of fingers and inquired, “How many fingers am I holding up?”Without hesitation the owl said, “Twooooo.” Theforest dwellers broke into applause. was determined to stump Mr. Owl.“Why does a lover call on the one he loves?”With growing confidence, the Owl said, “to woooooo.”It was glorious! The forest creatures began to cry in one voice that he was God.They bowed in his presence and often came seeking his wisdom.With the passing of the days, the owl began strutting across the branches of his tree house. Then one day, amid a cascading stream of praise, his followers coaxed the wise owl from his tree and put him out front of his growing crowd of supporters. He led them a triumphant march through the woods.Marching was rather difficult for the Owl, a natural tree dweller and sometimes flyer.But when the compliments are coming fast, and everybody is shouting, “He’s God! He’s God!” it gets hard to remember what your real weaknesses are. Another thing, Owl didn’t see very well in the light, which made his daytime leadership precarious.Blinking and squinting and trying to see the course his leadership should take, one day Mr. Owl led his adoring followers out onto a busy four-lane highway.And there it happened:An unsuspecting 18 wheeler came thundering down the highway. The driver locked down on his air breaks, but there was a cloud of soft, furry forms that flew in every direction.But those who stopped to see the sight were puzzled most by the brown feathers that littered the highway.And so ended the reign of the little god, whose triumphs led him into assumptions and paths that he wasn’t prepared for. I remind you that the Lord Jesus Christ, who God took upon Himself the form of a servant…a servant of God and of others. Responsibilities Over RightsServanthood Over PrivilegesWhy did Nehemiah take this tack?Verse 15c— It has been defined as “reverential trust.” Reverence is the attitude of mind of the person who is always aware that he is in the presence of God.The word translated “fear” has the idea of how you respond to one of God’s attributes—His Holiness.He says, The essence of holiness is separation— Being set apart (the world, the flesh,) God.There are two elements:*Repulsion— at Sin*Attraction—to God, submitting to Him.…It was the fear of the Lord that kept Joseph from committing adultery with Potiphar’s wife.…It was reverence for the Lord which led Moses to renounce the influence of Egypt for the hardships of the wilderness.…It motivated Paul for ministry (II Cor 5:11).Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…”Winston church was a person of influence, who was revered. Just before his 90 birthday, he received a birthday card from a 9-year-old girl in Columbia, South America.What was extraordinary about this card was that it was address simply to:“The Greatest Man In The World,”(Six words)With no postage, she dropped it in the mail.It was delivered to 28 Hyde Park Gate, London, Mr. Churchill’s residence.God is to be worshipped, loved, obeyed because He is God.Devotion to Him touches every part of your life.Responsibilities Over RightsServanthood Over PrivilegesDevotion To God Over Personal PreferencesIn verses 17 and 18, we are invited to governor’s residence for dinner. You eyes first scan the other guests…150 Jews and rulers, and officials from neighboring nations.It looks like a meeting of the UN Security Council.You study the table.The salad plates and collected and out comes the meat: Every day a ox and six specially chosen sheep were slaughtered, along with chicken (Nehemiah was a Baptist).Three times a month exquisite wine was set before the guests.This wasn’t a one-time banquet.The fires never went out in Nehemiah’s kitchen.What would prompt him to do such a thing?What was he thinking?Surely He knew three things:-Everything I is on loan from God.Stewards are accountable.-Owners resources; stewards resources.Accumulation is not the goal. The glory of God and the furtherance of is the goal.In a recent interview, Warren Buffet, one of the world’s wealthiest men, was ask about his passing of his wealth to his children:“You should leave your children enough money to do something, but not enough to do nothing.This man is arguably best illustration in Scripture of Ron Blue’s definition:”Stewardship is the use of God-given resources for the accomplishment of God-given goals.”(Say that with me.) is the CEO of Crown Financial Ministries; a new ministryfounded when Larry Burchett’s and Ron Blue’s ministries merged. Dayton,whose ministry counsels thousands of couples and individuals each year, recently said this:”There is almost no difference between the way Christians handle their resources and the way those who don’t know Christ their resources.”One more:This is not self-ambition or self-ambition.It’s a wonderful expression of worship, humility and confidence in the Lord.He says, ”I don’t care about the praise of men, I care only that you know my heart, my motives. You are the righteous judge who blesses those who sincerely seek to do your will.”Nehemiah had learned the priority and benefits of living before an Audience of One. was a Christian who was sustained during the dark days of the Revolutionary War by his unswerving confidence in God’s sovereignty and personal care.. One Sunday during the gut-wrenching days of the War, the door of a certain church opened, and who stepped in the foyer, but General Washington himself. When the pastor saw him, he took off his hat.There will be no greater success, no greater reward than to stand before Him one day with the joy and confidence that, by His grace, we have done what we were supposed to do.That’s the passion of a difference maker.Have you thought about this:Nehemiah’s prayer is one that Jesus could have prayed on the Cross.“Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.”The Lord Jesus Christ is eternal difference maker.Through His obedience to the Father’s will in going to the Cross… we read…”Therefore, God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.”
 

 

Sun 5 Nov 2006

November 5 2006 – Dancing with Wolves

Posted by Chuck Holton under Sermons
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Dancing With Wolves
                                    Nehemiah 5:1-13  (#8- Nov 5)             

Nehemiah chapter 5. 

Look at this picture carefully.  What do you see?

Indian or Eskimo?

*Does anyone see a sports car?   If you do, you really have a vivid
     imagination; there isn’t one there!

What do you see? (Someone shout it out.)

 *Does anyone see an Indian? Raise hand!
 *How about an Eskimo?
 *Maybe someone sees both!

Being a difference maker has to do with perspective.  It isn’t that you mysteriously see things that no one else sees; it’s just that you see them in a way that others don’t!
More...
Perspective is the essence of what it means to be a Christ followerer!  Look at this dynamic verse:  (Read it with me).

         “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all
          these things shall be added to you.”

That’s about perspective!

(more…)

 

Sun 29 Oct 2006

October 29 – Sticks and Stones

Posted by Chuck Holton under Sermons
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                               Sticks and Stones
                            Neh 4:1-10 (#7)  October 29

 “Sticks and Stones” is today’s title in the series “You Can Make A
          Difference.”
 
Nehemiah chapter 4. 
Read verses 1-10

A young pastor went to a church that had been torn apart by a loose tongue. The fellowship had been reduced to bear survival.  The new pastor had rock-solid confidence in the power of the Word, and determined to just open the bible week by week, and preach it.

Slowly but surely the church began to heal and show signs of spiritual vitality. In time, it began to flourish, becoming necessary to go to multiple services. It became obvious that larger facilities were needed.

A new building would cost $1 million. They didn’t have a lot of money, but the people—together in community—began to pray.
More...
It so happened that in the church were two brothers. They were rich; and they were rascals. One of them died.  The surviving brother came to the pastor and said:

         “Here, I have something for you.  It’s a check for $1 million to pay for the
          new building. When you preach my brother’s funeral all that I ask you
          to do is tell the people he was a saint.

The pastor thought for a moment and said, “Okay.”  He took the check, and deposited it (quickly).

At the funeral, he stood before an open casket and the man’s family. The pastor said:

(more…)

 

Tue 24 Oct 2006

October 22, 2006 – Just Do It!

Posted by Chuck Holton under Sermons
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Just Do It!
Nehemiah 2:11-18; 3:1-32 (#6)

”Just Do It!” is today’s title in the series, “You Can Make A Difference.”

Let’s find Nehemiah chapter 2

Read 2:17-18; 3:1-32 (Select Verses)

A young lady, an only child, had just graduated from a university. She decided to spend the first year out of college with the Peace Corp., using her engineering degree improving the water supply of a tribe in the deepest part of Africa. (more…)

 

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