Ends and Beginnings

 One year is drawing to an end.  Another year is beginning.  So often we focus on either one or the other aspects of this.  Either we focus on the year we had (we typically do this when it was a good year) or we focus on the year to come (because we are so eager to get out of the year we just had).  We either look backward or forward.  I have found something interesting as I have taken up the habit of walking and now been walking regularly for a few years now.  I am not sure how well it applies, but I guess I will leave that for the reader to decide.  

When walking, you cannot look too far ahead, and you cannot look backward.  Both options are a recipe for disaster.  If you are looking too far down the sidewalk or the road you will miss what is right in front of you.  This often leads to tripping.  If you are not watching the ground you are walking on you tend to trip.  Sometimes it is the edge of a sidewalk block that is slightly raised.  Sometimes it is subtle curve or change in the pavement that trips you up, but if you do not see it, you will trip.  

When walking you cannot look behind you either.  Every time I look behind I wind up steering myself off to the side that I am looking toward.  So if I look over my left shoulder at something behind me, I tend to start walking to the left.  I cannot walk in a straight line without looking at where I am going.  But again, this does not mean I just have to look forward all the time.  In fact, the best place for me to look for safety (especially now that it is winter) is directly in front of me, where my feet will step next.   

It is almost like we are not supposed to worry about what is to come too much, and not fret over what we have left behind too much.  Biblical balance seems to have gratitude for the past and leave the future to God, but to fix our behaviors on what is happening now.  To behave in this moment in the way God has called us to behave.  To think and say in this moment what I am supposed to think and say.  To leave the rest to God!

Christ is Coming!

 Today we lit the first advent candle as part of our worship service.  The preparation of our hearts and minds as we approach the Christmas celebration is critically important.  I think that we do not take the time to prepare and because we do not take time to prepare, we forget.  After all, what we tend to remember we tend to prepare for.  We do not remember the quick trip to the grocery store for a loaf of bread for more than a day or two.  We do not remember the weekly trip to the grocery store much more than a week or two.  But we might remember the trip to the grocery store that we did to prepare for our 3 week vacation.  Or the trip to the grocery store to prepare for the holidays.  Because it is in the preparation for something that memory is created.  I remember the proposal I gave to my wife because I prepared for it.  I could not tell you what our fourth date was.  We just enjoyed it, there was no preparation for it. 

When it comes to Christmas, we so often simply let it happen to us.  We do not prepare.  We do not consider what the Bible says about the narrative.  And so to remind us today to prepare, let me simply state that the whole story of Scripture is focused in on the story of the coming of Christ to earth.  The OT looks forward to it and the NT looks back on it.  The life of Christ is the central theme of the gospel.  What He did for us in His life and death and resurrection is the central work for all who believe.  We NEED Jesus.  And so remind yourselves this year to prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ more than you prepare to celebrate with your families.  Make the celebration with your families center on the work of Christ and not just your own personal traditions.  Prepare to celebrate Christmas by preparing to remember that it is all about Jesus.

God is Sovereign

 I have noticed a trend as I have observed the people of God in my role as pastor.  The trend is this - when things go our way we are quick to thank God for His sovereignty, but when things do not go our way, we are very hesitant to mention the sovereignty of God.  For instance.  We in the US had an election recently.  Those who voted for Trump were quick to praise God for His sovereignty over all things.  I would imagine that those that did not (in our neck of the woods a minority) are not in this moment praising God for His sovereignty.  In my own life I notice that when test results came back good I was quick to praise God but when they came back poorly, or even inconclusively, I was much slower to praise God.  I wonder what this reveals about us.  Perhaps it is that we really think we are in charge and we are telling God what He can use His power to do.  When He does what we want - we praise.  When He does that which we did not want - we withhold our praise.  This says much more about us than it does about God.

The Scriptures are clear.  God is in control of all things.  He does all things for His own good pleasure, glory, and will.  And we are here to recognize the benefit for us in all that He does.  No matter our perspective on it - God is good.  We need to praise Him without regard for how we feel about what He has done.  May God help us to praise Him in all things, at all times and for all the things He has done.

An absence of disputable matters

 I was reminded recently that sometimes we place way too much emphasis on any one particular area - an area that is not clearly defined in the Bible - and we demand that all those around us comply.  Some examples of this (and I will probably get in trouble for some of these) are:

King James only, or any Bible translation only discussion

Music discussions

End times discussions

Church carpet color discussions

What programs a church should have discussions

etc.

Now for each of these categories (and all those like it) there are people who come down on different sides and there is no clear direction in the Bible that answers all of the questions on the various sides.  Of course the Bible speaks in principles to all of the discussions, but it does not clearly define right and wrong.  But try telling that to the people on the various sides of the debates.  Take the "wrong" side (depending on who you are talking to) and it is like you are questioning the virgin birth or substitutionary atonement (both of which the Bible DOES speak clearly on).  It is as if in our own minds there are not actually any disputable matters.  

We should be reminded that if we are dogmatic in everything to the same degree then realistically we have made ourselves the standard of judgment and not the Word of God.  And any time that happens we are in grave danger.  May God help us to hold to the Truth of His Word and give us the grace to allow others to hold different views in the areas where God allows different views and may He give us the wisdom to know what goes where!

Authority and Obedience

 There are a lot of things that can be said, have been said, and are being said about the world in which we live.  There are a lot of ways to consider and look at how people are thinking and what ideas are important for the church in the midst of a world like ours.  I think sometimes it is good to get back to the basics.  There are two concepts that are really two sides of the same concept that are critical for us to understand.  

The first side of the coin is authority.  God has authority over our lives.  He has this authority for a number of reasons.  He created us - therefore He has the right to do with us as He pleases.  His character - his goodness and grace and justice and holiness and the all the rest earn Him our respect and confirm His authority.  He demands it - He calls us to recognize who He is and acknowledge Him as the one in charge.  God is our authority. 

The second side of the coin is obedience.  This is the demanded response of the creation to the authority of God.  Creation is to obey God.  God's character demands our obedience.  His law demands our obedience.  We obey God because we recognize that God is the authority and we are to follow Him.  

The trouble in our world is that we have made ourselves the authority.  This totally upends the plan and purposes of God in our lives.  We were made to obey, not to be in charge.  And so when we do what we want to do we are missing the point of what we were created for.  We need to bring back these two concepts in our every day lives.  We need to recognize the authority of God and we need to obey this God who created us.

Patience

 I must confess that I am not very good at patience.  I do not really know anyone who is.  Some are of course better than others - people who are more patient in certain areas, but I think most people I have met have at least one area where we want things now.  One of the most common areas where people find it hard to have patience with is when something goes wrong with our health and we have to wait for test results.  A friend of mine recently went through this.  A test on Friday and then no results until the middle of the following week.  I recently went through this multiple times during a summer fight with cancer and chemo.  And waiting under stress is a terrible feeling.  

And yet patience is more than a virtue, it is a fruit of the Spirit of God.  So as we grow in Christ, God is going to cultivate this quality in us.  And unfortunately the only way it seems to grow in patience is to have it tested.  Not a fun experience.  But when it is being tested, we have the ability to properly focus and praise God for the fact that He is growing us into the likeness of His Son!  And so take heart and have patience.  God is at work in you for your good and His glory!

Priorities

 This morning I preached on Haggai chapter 1.  Haggai is a book that actually has a great story and an even better end to chapter 1 - the people obey God and God promises His presence with them because they align their priorities to what they should be - obedience to God.

I wonder if we will take a moment to align our priorities in the same way.  God calls us to seek first His kingdom.  He calls us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice.  He calls for us to obey over and over and over again.  And yet we so often forget to align ourselves with His will for our lives and instead look to align His plan with our will.  We want to tell God what He ought to do and what He ought to expect of us.  We have no business or ability to address God in this way.  We ought to recognize that we are completely and totally dependent upon Him and that any obedience offered is one directional - vertical and starting from our place on earth in humility and moving upward to the God who created us.  

In other words, we need to consider how well we are obeying God.  Look at your life and ask how much of it is lived in obedience to the commands of God.  If you see a part that is out of line, align it and prioritize obedience of God as top priority!