Posted on by Fred Scragg 5

You Got Served!

Mark 10.32-45

The lonely artist had made up his mind. Today was the day he would end it all for good. He climbed the tropically wooded hill behind his Tahitian hut, more alone than he had ever been. 

The now-famous French painter and atheist Paul Gauguin had failed to achieve meaningful success as a painter in his lifetime. He’d abandoned his wife and children, alienated his friends, and headed to Tahiti in search of the authentic life untouched by the poisons of conventionality, greed, and power. Now he had come to the end.

Just days before, he’d completed one last painting, intended as his final testament to the world. He’d described its philosophical ambition to a friend as “comparable to that of the gospel.” It was a massive, three-panel work depicting Tahitian women of all life phases. Moving from right to left, it showed the beginning of life in an infant and the end of life in a sad, old woman—and various stages between. In English it was titled: Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?

And now, having finished his greatest work, Gauguin walked up the wooded hill and swallowed all the arsenic in the tin. But he ingested too much arsenic, causing him to violently vomit the poison before it could take effect. He managed to find his way back down the hill, and would die a few years later at the age of 54.

But those three questions—Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?—didn’t come from Gauguin. They came from a Christian leader in France named Bishop Felix Dupanloup who drew from a much larger story than himself. 

Gauguin had studied under this dynamic Christian leader during most of his teen years. Dupanloup’s introduction to Christianity instilled in Gauguin the practice of pondering these basic questions about God, our selves, and others. Dupanloup was convinced that once these three questions get into our hearts and minds they cannot be erased—not completely anyway, particularly in this young student. No matter how far he roamed (or ran) from God—no matter how he tried to shake his past—the passionate bishop’s three questions, those he taught as more fundamental than all the others, could not leave the tormented and seemingly unyielding Gauguin. They became the substance of his final testament.

On that hilltop, when questioning the value of his own life, Gauguin had three questions for God:

Where do we come from? 

What are we? 

Where are we going?

We all have questions for God.  Some of our questions would just require answers in the form of information as an explanation.  

However, some of our questions want an answer in the form of God getting actively involved in our every day lives.

If you could ask God to do one thing for you today, what would you ask God to do for you?

Would you ask God to fix your marriage?

Would you ask God to bring back your rebellious kids?

Would you ask God to help you pass your midterm exams?

Would you ask God to increase your paycheck?

Maybe, instead of asking God to get you a pay raise, you would ask him to let you hit the lottery so you could retire immediately and live in leisure for the rest of your life.

Would you ask God to explain all of the suffering in the world—the miscarriages, the cancers, the drunken drivers that kill parents and children, the homelessness, the starvation, the wars?

Would you ask God to explain one of the harder things to understand in the Bible?  

For example, would you ask God what the unforgivable sin is?  

Or, would you ask God to tell you the day and time and Jesus was going to return so that you could make sure you are ready to meet him?

Each of us has a list of questions that we would want to ask God right now, if we were face-to-face.

In this morning’s Biblical text, chosen for us by the lectionary for this Fifth Sunday in Lent, we are going to hear two of Jesus’ disciples, James and John, ask Jesus to do one special thing for them.  

Let’s hear from our Biblical text together now.

Mark 10.32-45 says this:

[32] And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, [33] saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. [34] And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

[35] And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” [36] And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” [37] And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” [38] Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” [39] And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, [40] but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” [41] And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. [42] And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. [43] But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, [44] and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. [45] For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (ESV)

We all know, well, at least most of us know, that there is a social code that makes some questions inappropriate.

For example:

Asking a friend how much money they make…inappropriate.

Asking someone at the polls who they voted for…inappropriate.

Asking a relative to give you a job over more qualified candidates…inappropriate (and illegal).

Asking your wife how much she weighs…inappropriate (and also dangerous).

In this morning’s Biblical text, two of the disciples, James and John have an inappropriate question that they ask Jesus.  

Well, to be more exact, with a detail from Matthew’s biography of Jesus that also records this event, James and John have a question that they ask their Mommy to ask Jesus for them.

Doubly inappropriate.

And, their question is “Can you make us more important than everyone else in the Kingdom of Heaven by giving us the seats directly on you left and right.  This way when everyone looks at you, their Savior, they will also see us!”

They obviously forgot what they heard Jesus teach when he said:

[7] Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, [8] “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, [9] and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. [10] But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. [11] For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:7–11, ESV)

With that being said, there are three main problems with the question that James and John have their Mommy ask Jesus.

First, their question shows a superficial understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.

James and John knew that Jesus was moving forward towards glory and world renown.

However, they didn’t know that the glory and world renown was going to come through rejection, suffering, pain, and death.

Jesus did tell them about this upside down path to glory and world renown in John 10:14–15, when Jesus says to us:

[14] I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, [15] just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. (ESV)

And, later on, in his letter to the Church after Jesus’ death and resurrection, John reminds us of Jesus’ death and our responsibility to make similar sacrifices for others in our leadership.

1 John 3:16–18 tell us this:

[16] By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. [17] But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? [18] Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (ESV)

Following Jesus means doing what Jesus did—considering the needs of others more important than your own, or, sacrificing your own comfort and resources to make sure those around you have what they need for life and love.

Second, their question shows that they have an inflated opinion of themselves.

The ironic thing is that James and John want everyone to see what great leaders they are, but they don’t even have the guts to ask Jesus the question about being leaders in His Kingdom themselves.  Mommy has to do it for them.

James 4:8–10 says:

[8] Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. [9] Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (ESV)

Humbling ourselves goes against human inclination.

Because of the sin into which we are born, we enter this world and make our way through this world thinking and believing that there is no one smarter than us, no one more capable than us, and no one more deserving of a pat on the back than us.

Pastor Timothy Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City once wrote that another way to describe sin is self-centeredness.

And, that is exactly what James’ and John’s problem was when their asked their inappropriate question.  They were being selfish and self-centered, or, sinful, and thought that they were better in every way when compared to the rest of their friends and family.

Third, their question shows that they misunderstand how God measures greatness.

When James and John brought their question to Jesus, they were operating with the world’s understand of greatness. 

According to the world’s sinful understanding of greatness, greatest comes from having the most trophies, the highest grade point average, successful kids, the most money, the fanciest and most expensive possessions, going on lavish vacations, and holding the highest position of power possible within and organization which would give you the most amount of employees/servants underneath you to do your bidding.

However, in Matthew 23:11–12, Jesus tells us how God measures greatness when he says:

[11] The greatest among you shall be your servant. [12] Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (ESV)

Jesus is always the greatest among us.

Jesus humbled himself by dying on the cross even though he was sinless and innocent before God so that you could be rescued from death and eternal separation from God.

And, therefore, God exalted Jesus so that at one point or another, before or after physical death, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.  Some will do this to glory in Heaven, and some will do this to judgment and destruction in Hell.

Confess Jesus as Lord and Savior today.

Jesus puts your needs before his own.

Jesus shows you what real leadership is.

Jesus shows you that real leaders serve others in the Kingdom of God and Jesus showed you that by example in His life, death, and resurrection for you.

In a devotion that I shared with you through email and over Bethel’s social media accounts this week we heard this verse:

Who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? (Luke 22:27)

And, then, we were given this short commentary, titled, “The Servant Is Greater.”

When the Lord asked the disciples this question in the Upper Room, it seemed obvious that the one being waited on is greater. In the world, the more people you have doing what you want, the greater you are. This is what we sinners desire. But Jesus said, “I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22:27). He washed their feet; He fed them the Sacrament. In God’s kingdom, it’s not the one who receives service but who gives service who is greater.

God is pure, self-giving love. He did not create man to serve Him (as if He needed anything) but so that He might serve man—breathing life into His people, blessing us with the gifts of His creation, and ultimately laying down His life for us. God is glorified in giving Himself to man, not in man giving Himself to God.

We gather for worship, then, as receivers. We give God nothing except the sacrifice of thanksgiving for the mercy He freely bestows. It truly is divine service. The Lord is still among us as the One who serves—from His font and pulpit and table. The highest form of worship is faith, to receive His gifts and to reverence Him as the One who is greater, from whom all blessings flow.

In Jesus, God serves you and puts your needs above his own.

You got served by God who did what was needed for you to be forgiven of sin and given righteousness and eternal life.

Go this week, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and be the humble servant of all, demonstrating the love of God in Jesus Christ that helps not hurts.

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Pastor Fred Scragg V.

March 17, 2024.

Prayer: Lord, grant me humility to receive Your gifts and to serve others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Posted on by Fred Scragg 5

Love Won Another

Numbers 21.4-9 + John 3.14-21

I read once that the devil was having a yard sale, and all his tools were marked with different prices.  

They were a fiendish lot.  

There was hatred, jealously, deceit, lying, pride—all at expensive prices.  

But over to the side of the yard on display was a tool more obviously worn than any of the other tools.  

It was also the most costly.  The tool was labeled, 

“DISCOURAGEMENT.”

When questioned, the Devil said, “It is more important to me than any other tool.  When I can’t bring down my victims with any of the rest of these tools, I use discouragement, because so few people realize that it belongs to me.

We live in a broken and fallen world where it becomes very easy to fall into the trap of discouragement.  

In today’s political and economic climate, the list of worries grows by the minute:

Am I going to lose my job?

What decision is the government going to make next?  How will it affect me and my family?  

Who is going to be the President next year?

I have a family to take care of.  How will I provide for their needs?

I have bills to pay.  Where is the money going to come from to pay them?

And the list of worries grows and grows.  

And, as we worry and as life unfolds and not everything goes according to our plan, we become impatient and discouragement sets in.  

The problem with impatience and discouragement is that they lead us away from God as we try to lean on our own power and understanding instead of His.  

We only get discouraged because life does not go as we have planned it out in our own minds.

In this morning’s main Biblical text, chosen for us by the lectionary for this Fourth Sunday in Lent, we are going to visit a very interesting piece of history from the Old Testament.  

Now, to remind you, the Old Testament is the first part of the Bible that tells us everything that happened from Creation up until about 400 years before Jesus as born.

In this piece of history, found in Numbers 21.4-9, we are going to get a glimpse into a time when God was doing miraculous things for His people but, the people didn’t feel like he was doing them good enough or fast enough and became discouraged in their impatience.

Let’s look at this Biblical text together now.

Numbers 21.4-9 says this:

Numbers 21:4–9

[4] From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. [5] And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” [6] Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. [7] And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. [8] And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” [9] So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. (Numbers 21.4-9, ESV)

In this Biblical text, we learn many things about how discouragement functions in our lives.

First, discouragement leads to speaking against God.

The Israelites, we are told, immediately point the finger at God the moment they become uncomfortable.  When life does not unfold in the manner that they believe it should, those whom God has shown Himself to time and time again, stare God directly in the face, raise their finger and say “You have brought us out here to die!”

When we get discouraged, we automatically forget all that God has done for us, to us, in us, and through us.  

The Israelites forgot all that they had experienced while following God—transformation from slavery to freedom, a complete unharmed escape from the largest and most powerful empire on earth, miraculous provision of food from the sky, and drinking water pouring forth from rocks in the wilderness. 

In a moment of discomfort, having to spend some time in the hot desert away from the comforts of living in a settled area, the Israelites became discouraged because this was not the life that they would have chosen for themselves.  In their self-centered sinfulness they cast God’s works for them aside and spoke against their Creator and Savior.

You may be sitting there saying to yourself “How could they forget all that they experienced while following God?”  But I am here to tell you that you do exactly the same thing!

Our speaking against God sounds something like this:

My food isn’t tasty enough…

My clothes aren’t stylish enough…

My body isn’t beautiful enough…

My house isn’t big enough…

My car isn’t new enough…

My family isn’t refined and educated enough…

My church isn’t exciting enough…

My paycheck isn’t big enough…

Instead of saying “I am thankful to God for His provision.  He has given me a job, a house, a family, clothing, food, life, and a place in the body of Christ,” we criticize everything that we have and do and go through because we want to be God and think that we could run creation in a better way.  The very second in time that life does not go the way we want, the very second people do not do what we think they should, the very second that our plan does not match God’s plan, our impatience leads us to discouragement and we ultimately end up pointing the finger at God and accusing of Him of doing things wrong.

Second, discouragement leads to speaking against God’s appointed leaders.

We are told that the Israelites spoke against God and against Moses who was God’s appointed leader.  

Moses spent time in prayer, God called Moses by name, God chose and appointed Moses to lead His people through some miraculous but difficult times, and God directed Him step by step.  

Even though Moses stood up for God’s people, protected them, and led them, when life got difficult, Moses became just as guilty as God in the people’s eyes.  Moses was actually more guilty because as God’s representative standing before them, He was tangibly and physically present.  So, the people’s discouragement with life was unloaded on Moses who was doing nothing but following God.

And each of us does the same thing.  Sin flows out clearly in our words, attitudes and actions: “I don’t like what God is allowing to happen in my life, both inside and outside the church and because you are God’s representative standing before me, leading me through this difficult time, you are guilty by association.” 

Third, discouragement leads to a false view of reality.

In one breath, the Israelites say “there is no food and no water and we loathe this worthless food.”  Well, which is it, do you not have any food or is the food you have not the food that you want?

We get discouraged because we place ourselves at the center of the world and the truth is that we are not the center of the world.  

When discouragement sets in, it becomes almost impossible to judge things objectively.  All words and actions become magnified as an attack on us personally.  We become blind to truth and reality and our sinful hearts and minds create a false world where we are always right and everyone else is always wrong.

Fourth, discouragement leads to telling lies to justify your wrong attitude and behavior.

Because we end up in a false reality where it is the world verse us, we end up lying as we describe what we believe to be going on.  

For the Israelites, they lied and said they did not have any food when in fact, God was provided food for them day after day by dropping bread from the sky.  

In order for us to always be right and never be wrong, we have to create and describe a reality in which we are perfect and know-it-all and those lies are nothing but a slap to the face of God Himself.

Fifth, discouragement leads to God’s Judgment.

Due to the impatience, lack of trust, and outright disobedience toward God demonstrated in our discouragement, God brings forth the law which shows us the guilt of our sin and sets out the method of punishment.

For the Israelites, God punished them by bringing snakes to bite and poison them.  When the Israelites saw the snakes they would have been quickly reminded of the serpent in the Garden of Eden that helped usher sin into the world by making Adam and Eve discouraged with their perfect life with God.

and because of God’s judgment…

Sixth, discouragement leads to a need to repent and be forgiven.

When the Israelites were confronted with the sin associated with their impatience and discouragement, they saw their wrong measured against God’s law and came to Moses admitting “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you.  Pray to the Lord that he take away the serpents from us.”

When God heard their repentance, He answered their prayer and cry for help in a way that exceeded anything that they could have asked for.  

The Israelites asked for the removal of the serpents, which meant that those who had already been bitten would die and suffer the penalty for their guilt.  However, God, in His grace and mercy, does not remove the snakes because their sin deserves to be punished, but God provides a way to be healed and restored to life.  

God has Moses create a pole with a serpent on it and promises that whoever realizes their sin and their need to be forgiven and looks up to the serpent hanging on the pole will immediately find themselves healed from the punishment they are receiving because of their sin.  

God places a serpent on top of the pole so that every time the repentant look at it to be forgiven, they are reminded of their sin (the serpent) and God’s grace in providing a new life in spite of their sin.

For you, sitting here in the pew today, life is hard and you do become discouraged, probably daily, and in that discouragement you do not trust in God, you speak against God, you speak against His leads, you buy into the picture of a false reality and you often try to justify all of that by telling lies to get the pity vote from others.  

However, God has provided forgiveness for you; He has lifted Christ up on the cross to receive the punishment for your sin.  

When you come to the foot of the cross and look up at Jesus who became sin for you, you are reminded of your grumbling against God but you are also shown the grace and mercy of God who provides a way out from that sin through healing, forgiveness, and restoration to life with Him.

In his book Hidden in Plain Sight: The Secret of More, author and pastor Mark Buchanan illustrates God’s love through the story of Tracy. He writes:

Tracy is one of the worship leaders at our church. One Sunday, as she sat at the piano, she talked about the difficult week she’d just been through. It was chaotic, she said—a mess of petty crises on top of a rash of minor accidents, all mixed up in a soup can of crazy busyness. It had left her weary and cranky. She got up that Sunday to lead worship and felt spent, with nothing more to give.

However, Tracy’s 8-year-old daughter, Brenna, helped her gain new perspective earlier that morning. When Tracy had walked into the living room, the window was covered with marks. Using a crayon, Brenna had scribbled something across the picture window, top to bottom and side to side.

At first, it seemed like one more mess for Tracy to clean up. Then she saw what Brenna had written: love, joy, peace, patience, kindnece, goodnece, faithfulnece, gentlnece and selfcantrol (in Brenna’s delightful spelling). 

Mark writes: “Tracy stopped and drank it in. Her heart flooded with light. It was exactly what she needed to be reminded about: the gift of the fruit of the Spirit that arises, not by our circumstances, but by Christ within us.

And then Tracy noticed one more thing Brenna had written at the edge of the window: Love one another. Only Brenna, in her creative spelling, had written: Love won another.”

As Mark concludes: “It’s what Jesus has been trying to tell us all along. You were won that way.”

And, then he quotes our second text from the Lectionary this morning, saying:

[14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, [15] that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light becausetheir works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3.14-21, ESV)

Cast your discouragement aside this morning.  Admit with the Israelites “I have sinned for I have spoken against God” and come to the cross where Jesus gives you peace with God by providing the healing and forgives you need through His life, death and resurrection for you. Trust in Him whom we have seen is able to do more than you can ask or imagine.

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Pastor Fred Scragg V.

March 10, 2024

Posted on by Fred Scragg 5

Remember Redemption

john 2.13-22

Why do you go to church?

Do you go to church because you have always gone to church?

Do you go to church because your friends go to church?

Do you go to church because they give you a free bagel and coffee before the service begins?

Do you go to church because they have the best band, the biggest video screen and the fanciest laser light show, or, in other words, do you go to church for the show and performance?

Maybe you go to church because God’s Word, the Bible, with the good news of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins is always front and center—and you need to hear that good news time and time again to get you through the day?

Now, another question we can ask is, why don’t you go to church on a regular basis?

Do you avoid church because you think it is boring?

Do you avoid church because you think it is irrelevant?

Do you avoid church because you think Christians are hypocrites?

Do you avoid church because you think it is one of the many places in the world that abuses authority to oppress you?

Do you avoid church because your 5 year old needs to play baseball or do gymnastics so that in 13 years they may possibly have a small chance at being one the few will get a scholarship to college?

Do you avoid church because Sunday is your only time together as a family?; Maybe it is your only time as a family because you are living above your means and have to work several jobs and extra hours to pay for your 3 trips to Disney World each year and all the bills for the unnecessary possessions that keep you drowning in debt?

Or, do you avoid church because you simply do not see any need for God’s love to change your life from a life that is separated from Him forever because of Sin to a life that is connected to Him forever through forgiveness of sin.

In this morning’s Biblical text, chosen for us by the lectionary—a 3 year reading plan that let’s us hear every word of Jesus and see every deed of Jesus—we are brought to the biography of Jesus written by the disciple John.

In the book of John, which is found in the New Testament part of the Bible, we are going to see and hear Jesus talk about the meaning, purpose and importance of the church for each and everyone of us.

Let’s hear from John 2.13-22 together now.

John 2.13-22 says this:

[13] The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. [14] In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. [15] And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. [16] And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” [17] His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

[18] So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” [19] Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” [20] The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” [21] But he was speaking about the temple of his body. [22] When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. (ESV)

Looking back on this event, the disciples of Jesus that were present could have easily sung a song that was similar to Gnarls Barkley’s 2006 hit, “Crazy.”

The disciples could have sung:

“I remember, I remember when

[Jesus] lost [his] mind.

Does that make [Him] crazy?”

So, let’s first ask the question, “Does this event where Jesus pushes the tables of the businessmen over—like he just lost a game of Monopoly—make Jesus nothing more than a crazy out of control lunatic who has lost his mind?”

The answer is, “No, Jesus is not a crazy out of control lunatic who has lost his mind.”

And, to come to that conclusion let’s answer two other questions.  Those questions being, “Why was Jesus upset when he entered the temple, or, church of his day?,” “Why did Jesus chase the businessman out of the temple?”

Jesus was upset because instead of hearing prayers, instead of hearing people’s voices singings songs of praise, and instead of smelling the sweet aroma of incense and sacrifices, Jesus heard the sound of money clanging, animals mooing and cooing, and the place of worship literally smelled like crap because the animal feces was piling up all around the businessman who were trying to sell them.

Jesus was upset because God’s house, the place where people should come to hear the Word of God (the Bible) read—which reminds them of God’s love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness—,the place where people should come to pray, the place where people should come to sing praises, and the place people should come to find support and encouragement from other like-minded believers, has been converted into a market place.  

In this country we have The Mall of America.  In this morning’s text, the temple had been converted to The Mall of Jerusalem.

According to the apostle John’s biography of Jesus, which is our Biblical text for this morning, Jesus wasn’t angry at corruption and false practices, Jesus was upset with people forgetting about God’s love for them and weren’t remembering the reason for going to the temple, or, church of Jesus’ day.

The temple, like today’s church, should always be a place where we receive and remember redemption.  The Church should be a place where we are only pointed to Jesus for hope.

However, the people in the temple were not following the two greatest commandments which are love God and love your neighbor, or, as I like to put it, love God and don’t be a jerk.  

Instead, the people were following their own commandments—love myself and forget about everyone else.

Sometimes, because of human brokenness that is called Sin by God, churches today still smell like crap.

They smell like crap when you enter them because they are more concerned about selling you a cup of Starbucks and the latest self-help book in their foyer, and then selling you the lies in their sanctuary that God promises you health and wealth all the days of your life and that you have the power within yourself to become a better person, than they are about being dead honest with you about  the fact that without faith in Jesus you are dead in your Sin which means you are dead to God and separate from Him and His Kingdom of Heaven forever.

I will sell you no lie and give you no false hope from this altar today. 

Instead, I will freely give you the good news and truth that you need.

Jesus lived, Jesus died, and Jesus rose from the grave for you so that your sins could be forgiven, so that you can be credited with his perfection, and so that you could be reconciled to God in Heaven today, tomorrow, and forever.

That is all you need to be known by God and have a place prepared for you in His eternal Kingdom.  To say it is a bit differently, there is NO OTHER WAY to be known by God and have a place prepared for you in HIs Kingdom except through faith in Jesus. 

The truth is you don’t need an expensive coffee in an expensive Stanley cup, a Joyce Meyer self-help book, and a Ted Talk.  

The truth is that you need Jesus if you are going to have hope for a saving relationship with God.

And, God’s love of you is so great that He comes to you and freely gives you Jesus Christ, His Son, even while you are living in the crap and filth of Sin, making every excuse in the book to avoid Him, the Bible, and the Church, or, going to church for the wrong reasons, misunderstanding and misusing Him, the Bible, and the Church.

Sharing this good news was the purpose of the temple in Jesus’ day, and this is the purpose of God’s Church today.

Jesus wasn’t afraid of the businessmen in the temple because of their sin-filled lives and Jesus isn’t afraid of us because of our sin filled lives.  

Jesus loves us and continues to walk into our sin-filled lives and extend his nail pierced hand to us for us to take a hold of so that He can lead us back to God our Father in Heaven.

The irony of what happened on this day that Jesus entered the Temple is this:

People were committing sin in the temple when it is was the time of year—the Passover—when the temple was celebrating God passing over and forgiving sin.

About five minutes into every single morning, I find myself catching an angry or impure thought, I find myself filled with grumbling and complaining, and through the grace of God and the working of the Holy Spirit in my life, I come to complete agreement with the apostle Paul when He says this in his letter to the Christians gathered in the city of Rome during the first Century:

[24] Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? [25] Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. 

[1] There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 7:24-8:1, ESV)

Here’s the thing…sin doesn’t go away once we find ourselves believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior.  In this flesh and bones body, every Christian, and that includes every Pastor, struggles to do what’s right every single day.  

However, we know where our hope for forgiveness is found and where our strength for the day to aim to to live up to God’s standards for life and love come from—they come from God the Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ, His Only Son, the in Holy Sprit working in and through us.

In a book I read a few weeks ago, the author made this unbelievable true and comforting statement:

“Christianity isn’t tidy, and neither is the church. As long as there is a church, there will be church hurt. As long as there is a cursed creation, there will be suffering. As long as there is mystery, there will be unanswered questions. But as long as there is a risen Savior, there is hope. And that’s what I want to leave you with. I want to share a story of hope.”

In 1989, long hair and leather clad bad boy rockers, Skid Row, released a song that would quickly go on to reach #6 on Billboards Hot 100.

The song was called, I Remember You, and has the singer remembering a relationship from days past that made him feel loved and cared for.

The first verse and chorus go like this:

I paint a picture of the days gone by

When love went blind and you would make me see

I’d stare a lifetime into your eyes

So that I knew that you were there for me

Time after time you there for me

Remember yesterday, walking hand in hand

Love letters in the sand, I remember you

Through the sleepless nights through every endless day

I’d want to hear you say, I remember you

In our Biblical text for this morning, we are told that when the disciples remembered the things Jesus did and said in their presence when He was on earth caused them to remember two ultimately important things.

The first thing that the disciples remember about Jesus is that He had a zeal for God’s Church.  This means that Jesus had and continues to have a great love and enthusiasm for giving us a place and a people that will help us receive and remember the good news that forgiveness and redemption are possible for those that trust in Him.

And, the second thing that the disciples remember about Jesus is that He did what He said He would do.  He was killed and He came back to life to defeat the power of sin and death for everyone of us.

In other, words, when you stand at the gates of Heaven, you can have full confidence that Jesus will look at you with tears of joy in His eyes saying, “I remember you, welcome to Paradise.”

This morning, I am thankful that you are in church, and I invite you to make a habit of attending church, whether it is here or elsewhere—as long as it is a church that is a true church having it’s priorities right—holding out Jesus alone for forgiveness, redemption, and Heaven by always keeping God’s love for you, the Bible written for you, and the gift of Jesus Christ for you, front and center.

Receive and Remember your Redemption from this day forward.

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Pastor Fred Scragg V.

March 3, 2024

Posted on by Fred Scragg 5

Crowned With Comfort

James 1.12-18

A few years ago, a YouTube video circulated among some of my pastor friends.

In that video, we learned about Andrew Brunson, a Christian pastor from North Carolina who spent 20 years in Turkey. 

He had a quiet but deep ministry there until 2016, when after a failed military coup, the government arrested him along with journalists, activists, military officers, and others. 

The Turkish government labeled Brunson a spy.

Brunson was held for more than a year without charges. 

He spent nearly two years in prison, often enduring long trial sessions. At one point, it looked like he could spend years or even decades in Turkish prisons. Finally, after pressure from the

United States Government, Brunson was released from prison and returned to the United States.

The video that circulated into my inbox contained a Wheaton College chapel talk in which Brunson candidly said that he did not feel God’s overwhelming presence during his stay in prison. Instead, he experienced something even deeper. Brunson said, “[After a few days in prison], I completely lost the sense of God’s presence. God was silent. And he remained silent for two years.”

When he was finally brought to trial, things were even worse. He says:

There are some who go into the valley of testing and some do not make it out … I was broken. I lay there alone in my solitary cell, I had great fear, terrible grief, and I was weeping. And the thought kept going through my mind, Where are you God? Why are you so far away? 

And I opened my mouth as I wept aloud, and I was surprised at what I heard coming out of my mouth. I heard, “I love you Jesus. I love you Jesus. I love you Jesus.” I thought here is my victory. Even if you’re silent, I love you. Even if you let my enemy harm me, I love you. [As] Jesus said, “But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

What has happened in your past, or, is happening to you right now, that has you not feeling God’s overwhelming presence in your life, or, has you feeling like you lost the sense of God’s presence completely, believing God is silent?

When we experience periods of hardship and suffering (and we all do, trust me!) many questions arise for us about God’s goodness,  God’s promises, God’s presence, and God’s existence.

This was the experience of the pastor mentioned above, and at some point in life, it was your experience too.  It is only human to doubt and question God in a world filled with pain and corruption.  I say this to let you know that you are not alone this morning, even though you may think you are.

In this morning’s Biblical text, chosen for us by the lectionary for this First Sunday in Lent, we are going to hear some of what James, one of Jesus’ brothers, wrote concerning the place of hardship and struggle in our lives.

Let’s hear together from the first chapter of James’ letter as found in the New Testament section of the Bible.

James 1:12–18 says this:

[12] Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. [13] Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. [14] But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. [15] Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

[16] Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. [17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. [18] Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (ESV)

Right before this section of James’ letter to the Christians in various cities throughout the Mediterranean region in the first Century following Jesus’ birth, James speaks about the testing of one’s faith.  He speaks very clearly about the times we experience fear, grief, weeping, pain, struggle and hardship.

For, faithfulness’ sake to this morning’s Biblical text, let’s read the  section of James’ letter that immediately precedes it and gives us context for what we hear James encourage us with in what we just heard.

In verse, 2-11, James says this:

[2] Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, [3] for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. [4] And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

[5] If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. [6] But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. [7] For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; [8] he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

[9] Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, [10] and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. [11] For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. (ESV)

So, with all of this information, let’s ask and answer a question that arises out of this morning’s Biblical text from James 1.12-18.

Here’s the question: “Why should we feel like God is blessing us when we have difficulties and hardships in life?”

Well, according to James, when we walk through difficult moments and seasons of life and come out on the other side, our faith is strengthened because we see that God was with us the whole time, proving to us that nothing in all Creation can separate from us from his love.  

Even in the hardest moments of life, when we seemed to question everything and everyone, God did not leave us alone.  

In fact, we are reminded in Psalm 23, that God is not only with us in every moment, but he is also leading us, guiding us, and protecting us from ultimate harm.

Psalm 23 reminds us of this truthful good news when King David says:

[4] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4, ESV)

When the harder moments of life test our faith, our trust in God’s presence and goodness, that faith grows stronger as we learn that God is really real, really present, and really concerned for us, so much so that he would deal with the crap and filth of broken humanity, which spits in his face and denies that goodness and existence, in order to rescue and save us.

The Bible often speaks of the strength of God’s love for us and the fact that nothing in all of Creation, what has come before in our lives and what will come in the future for us, will ever be strong enough to separate us from His continuous grace, mercy, and love demonstrated most clearly in His rescue of us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In a specific example, the apostle Paul, when writing to the Christians gathered in the city of Rome in the first Century following Jesus’ death and resurrection, encourages believers with these words:

[31] What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? [33] Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. [34] Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?…

[37] …No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, [39] nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31–35, 37-39, ESV)

James goes as far to say that when we see, learn, and come to believe that God helps us in our times of need, we become perfect because we trust in God who is in control of all things and can do all things, instead of trusting in ourselves whom cannot control anything fully, regardless of how hard we try, and we will try, believe me.

We come to rest in the fact that God never changes.  God is always good to us.  God always acts with grace toward us.  God always acts with mercy toward us.  God always acts with love toward us.  God is always patient with us.  

The author of the Biblical book of Hebrews captures this point succinctly:

[8] Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. [9] Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace…(Hebrews 13:8–9, ESV)

It is God’s will that you be forgiven of your sin so that you do not remain separated from Him forever.  And, God does everything needed to make sure that happens for you.

God gives you the good and perfect gift of Jesus Christ, His Son, who is God in the flesh, God with you, who lived the life you couldn’t live—obeying every command of God for life and love, who died on the cross to pay the price and provide the forgiveness you need for your command breaking, lawless, self-centered life, and who walked out of the grave alive after three days, defeating the power of sin and death that once kept you separated from God eternally.

And, through standing firm in faith in that good and perfect gift that is Jesus Christ, you will be given the crown of life which is your one way ticket into the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.

Speaking of his life of standing firm in faith through both good and bad times, the apostle Paul talks about the crown of life that believers will receive like this:

2 Timothy 4:7–8

[7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [8] Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. (ESV)

And, like this:

[24] Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. [25] Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable [crown], but we an imperishable [crown]. [26] So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. [27] But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24–27, ESV)

In his final letter to the churches on earth, the disciple John, shared this vision which has Jesus speaking to and encourages Christians saying:

[10] Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. [11] I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. (Revelation 3:10–11,ESV)

In this life, Jesus wore the crown of thorns, or, we could say, the crown of death, so that in your eternal existence, you could wear the crown of life, having been forgiven of your Sin, made righteous in every way, and therefore, welcomed into God’s Kingdom of Heaven.

At some each of us goes into the valley of testing and it is sad to know that some do not make it out.  We are broken. We lay in bed at night, feeling all alone, with great fear, with terrible grief, and we sometimes weep. The thought keeps going through our mind, Where are you God? Why are you so far away? 

In those moments, even as you weep aloud, hear Jesus saying to you, “Do not be deceived!,” “I love you!.” “I love you.” “I love you.”

And in response, say, “I love you Jesus. I love you Jesus. I love you Jesus.” “Even if you’re silent for a moment, I love you. Even if you let my enemy temporarily harm me, I love you.”

In every instance, ask God to remind you that Jesus said, “But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

With faith in Jesus, you are always blessed when you remain steadfast under trial, for when you have stood the test you will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to you who love him.

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Pastor Fred Scragg V.

February 18, 2024

Posted on by Fred Scragg 5

The Coming Attraction

Mark 9.2-9

Before the explosion of internet technology that brought every piece of information into our homes and eventually onto our phones in the blink of an eye, we had to go out to find and experience sneak peeks into what would be a reality in the near future.  

In the late 1990s, if we wanted to get a sneak peak or preview of a coming movie, we would have to go to a movie theater and watch the trailers that acted as commercials before the headlining film was shown.

I don’t remember any time, in my lifetime, that the sneak peak, preview, or coming attraction of a soon to be released film drew more of a crowd to the theaters than when the first new installment of the Star Wars saga was being released in 1999.  

The sneak peak of the coming attraction for Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom menace saw hundreds of thousands of people, one which was me, of course, buy a full priced ticket for a movie we didn’t want to see, only to stay for the sneak peak of the coming attraction that we had been waiting for almost 20 years.  

It was a sight to behold.  As soon as the Star Wars 2 1/2 minute preview was over, the entire movie theater emptied out with no one staying to watch the movie that we paid to see—truthfully, I don’t even remember what movie it was because it was so unimportant to me.

In this morning’s Biblical text, chosen for us by the lectionary for this Sunday, which celebrates The Transfiguration of Jesus, we are brought to the Gospel of Mark, or, in other words, the disciple Mark’s biography of Jesus.

It is in this historical record, the three disciples that Jesus brings with him get a sneak peak, a preview of the coming attraction of Jesus’ glorification into His Heavenly form.  The three men see what no one else has seen at this point, and they don’t have cell phones to take pictures to share with the world on social media what Jesus reveals to them.

This morning, let’s get the same sneak peak at the coming attraction of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and glorification that Peter, James, and John got around 2000 years ago.

Mark 9:2–9 tells us this:

[2] And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, [3] and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. [4] And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. [5] And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” [6] For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. [7] And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” [8] And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

[9] And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. (ESV)

For over 30 years now, one of the most popular toy lines has continued to exist under the tagline, “More Than Meets the Eye.” 

The Transformers began in the 1980s, when I was a wee little lad.  The Transformers had a weekly Saturday morning cartoon series and a set of toys to bring the onscreen action into the hands and homes of fans. 

The premise of The Transformers is that a civil war between two warring factions of robots has decimated their home planet of Cybertron sending the robots to earth in search of a new source of energy to power their species. The robots were able to hide on earth because they could transform into vehicles such as trucks, cars, planes, and boats.  Later on in the series, they were able to transform into animals or technological items such as cassette tapes or military weapons. 

When the humans that lived on earth looked around them, they only saw the familiar—vehicles, animals, and machinery.  However, there was more than meets the eyes.  Although The Transformers were vehicles, animals, and machinery, they were times when they revealed their true robotic form to battle for energy and save the human race from destruction.

Wow, that was so nerdy.

We are brought into our text this morning being told that 6 days have passed since Jesus made a bunch of statements that wouldn’t have been fully understood by those who heard them.

Prior to the mountaintop experience of this morning’s text, these sayings of Jesus have been spoken:

·      “Take nothing and go on a long journey traveling from city to city and village to village preaching about repentance and forgiveness while also healing the sick and casting out demons from the possessed.”

·      “Feed this crowd of 15,000 with one person’s lunch.”

·      “I am going to die and come back to life.”

·      “In order for you and God to remain in a healthy relationship, you must die every day.”

Each of these statements that Jesus made and each of the miracles that surrounded them would have caused those who were first hand witnesses to astonishingly state, “There is more than meets the eye with Jesus.”

Who is this guy that had the ability to give us the power to heal and cast out demons? 

He is more than meets the eye!

Who is this guy that can feed 15,000 people with only one person’s lunch? 

He is more than meets the eye!

Who is this guy that the world thinks is one of God’s prophets returned from the dead?

He is more than meets the eye.

Who is this guy that will die and come back to life?

He is more than meets the eye.

Today’s text is about the Transfiguration.  This was the moment in time when Jesus brought three of His disciples up a mountain in order to reveal a part of Him that they hadn’t fully seen yet. In the Transfiguration of Jesus, we learn that there is more than meets the eye with Jesus.  

One commentator put it this way:

“The transfiguration does not show what Jesus can do but who Jesus is and how to interpret his [coming] suffering and death…the one who descends to the depths of disgrace [on the cross] also ascends to glory.” (Garland, 397)

Who is Jesus according to this text?

He is more than the human man that meets the eye.

Yes, Jesus is fully human.  But, Jesus is also at the same exact time, fully God.  One of Jesus’ other names is Immanuel which means God with us.  Jesus is also called God Incarnate which means, God in the flesh.  

For most of Jesus’ time on earth, His human person was clearly seen.  However, here on this mountain with 3 of His disciples, He revealed His divine person that was working through His human person to save the human race from the death and destruction that comes because of sin.

Who are you according to this text?

Sometimes, you are just like the Peter, John, and James.

Sometimes, you don’t understand what Jesus is saying or do

ing.

Sometimes, you get tired following Jesus.

Sometimes, you get impatient waiting on God to act.

Sometimes, you attempt to control God.

Sometimes, you keep silent about what you have seen and heard from Jesus because you are afraid of others thinking you are crazy or foolish.

But, despite all of those shortcomings when measured against the standard of God’s Kingdom, Jesus, God with you, God in the flesh, died on the cross to provide forgiveness for your Sin and failures.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, you are more than meets the eye. 

You are one made righteous by the great exchange that occurred when Jesus took your sin upon Himself and clothed you with His perfection.

While spending time in God’s Word on Thursday morning, I once again read about the healthy functioning body of Christ that began meeting together on Sunday mornings, shortly after Jesus’s death and resurrection.

Acts 2.42-47 describes the ins and outs of this church.

We are told,

[42]…they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. [43] And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. [44] And all who believed were together and had all things in common. [45] And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. [46] And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, [47] praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. 

Later that same day, while I was studying in preparation for this morning’s message, I read this comment about the connection between Jesus’ person and Jesus’ body, the Church:

“For [Jesus] is the Prophet who is to be heard and heeded: that is why the church, if it is to carry on his work, is to be a preaching church. [Jesus] is the royal Son, who with his wealth and power provides for all the needs of his people: that is why his church must exercise the same ministry and be a community in which members are likewise concerned with one another’s needs, caring and nourishing and building up.  [Jesus] is the Chosen, the Servant, who treads the path of suffering: that is why all those who wish to be his disciples must similarly take up the cross and deny themselves” (Mark Wilcock, The Message of Luke, 110)

On the mountain, the afternoon of Jesus’ Transfiguration, Jesus graciously gives three sinners a sneak peak of the coming attraction that that had been waiting for for their entire lives.

These three men heard Moses, Elijah, and Jesus speaking about Jesus’ death (according to a detail given to us in the description of this event in Luke’s Gospel), resurrection, and glorification.  Meaning, these three men heard that in Jesus, God has given them their Savior.  This Jesus would save them.  This Jesus was forgive their sin.  This Jesus would make their perfect for God in Heaven.  This Jesus would defeat the power of death and the devil for them.  This Jesus would give them eternal life in God’s Kingdom of Heaven.

Moses and Elijah were present because they were the representatives of the Law and the Prophets of the old covenant. 

God sent these two men into the world to tell humanity to do this and not to do that.  The Law that God gave them to give to humanity was to show us what God was like, what God expected of us to be perfect and acceptable in His eyes, and to show us the we could never live up to those standards because of the corruption and brokenness of our thoughts, words, and actions, due to the original sin that overflowed from their hearts in every direction possible.

God, in his grace, mercy, and love, not wanting to be separated from you, next sent His Only Son, Jesus, who was God in the flesh, to bring you up the mountain of the Gospel to give you the Good News that Jesus was the mediator of a new covenant in which God in his grace, mercy, and love would do everything for you that you could not do for yourself.  God would forgive your sin and clean you up through Jesus’ death on the cross.  And, God would you give Jesus’ record of perfection and righteous so that you could be accepted into Heaven from this day forward.

This Jesus would give them hope for today and tomorrow that the present hardships and sufferings of this life were only temporary and a day would come where all wrongs would be made right and all darkness would be made light.

Rest in the coming attraction of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and glorification.  You have been and will fully be rescued from sin and set firmly in the family of God where you, like Jesus will one day be in the presence of your Creator and Maker, clothed in radiant white, standing in awe of the grace, mercy, love, and glory of God.

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Pastor Fred Scragg V.

February 11, 2024.

Posted on by Fred Scragg 5

Broken But Beautiful

Mark 1.29-39

“I’m one step closer to the edge

And I’m about to break.”

Back in the late 1990s, I sat in what was then called Giant’s Stadium, in New Jersey, while 80,000 people sang these words at the top of their lungs to Linkin Park’s nu-metal hit.

It was in the middle of that crowd, on that hot summer day, at that all day music festival, before the thought of pastoring ever entered my mind, that something strange happened.  As the crowd was repeating the chorus, “I’m one step closer to the edge, and I’m about to break,” I was clearly led to think, “You have to help these people!”  Compassion welled up in my heart as I realized these words were not just some random words to a well written song, they were a generation’s cry for help.

Have you ever thought the words that were being sung that day inside your mind or spoken them out loud to a loved one or therapist?

I personally have to admit that as I deal with deep dark depression most days of my life, these words are not just some lyrics to a 30 year old song.  The words, “I’m one step closer to the edge, and I’m about to break,” are a daily thought and feeling that courses through my veins.

In that almost universal cry for help in the midst of the troubles of life, a deep desire for someone to come along us and assure us that, “everything’s going to be OK,” is wanted.

It’s like our soul wants someone to say, “Come to me, you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Maybe you know this about me and maybe you don’t.  I love art.  I love art so much that one of my degrees is in Art History with a concentration in Gothic Architecture.

This week, while feeding the fire of that love by reading a biography of Lilias Trotter, the late 19th Century/early 20th Century British artist, who eventually set her art career aside to become a Christian missionary in Algeria, I was taken aback by the compassion for the sick, hurting, and lost that drove her daily habits.

The biographer shared this:

Lilias was thirty-four when she stepped off the boat. Her and her companions’ first ministry contact came through ministering to the women and children in the slums of Algiers.  They were the first European women many of the Algerians women had ever seen.  The place women occupied in that country at that time was not pretty.  Many were married off when they were ten to twelve years old, taken into a harem, and then discarded for younger wives once they bore some children and got a little older.  These women, many in their early twenties and with their whole lives ahead of them, became destitute.  Lilias would gather them and teach them stories from the Bible and help care for their children.  She wanted to help these women develop some kind of economic independence so they could live on their own, apart from their fathers’ and former husbands’ homes.  So Lilias provided classes to teach them remarkable skills, much like her work with the women of London.  In her mind, she wasn’t trying to start a movement; she was just trying to respond to a need she saw that was happening right in front of her.

Lilas’ aesthetic eye served her well in those early months.  She regarded the country and people of Algeria as utterly beautiful.  She wrote in her diary, ‘Oh how good it is that I have been sent her to see such beauty.’  She loved the place.  Her journals were filled with small paintings of people and places, put down for no one’s sake but her own.  She wanted to capture the beauty of those she had come to serve.”

In our Biblical text for this morning, chosen for us by the lectionary for this Fifth Sunday After Epiphany, the disciple Mark records for us a piece of history that involves Jesus looking at the people around him, seeing their great need because of their struggles, hardships, and sin, and offering them help and guidance because he had compassion on them, like Lilias Trotter had on the destitute women in Algeria.

Let’s here from the disciple Mark’s biography of Jesus now.

Mark 1:29–39 tell us this:

[29] And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. [30] Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. [31] And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

[32] That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. [33] And the whole city was gathered together at the door. [34] And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

[35] And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. [36] And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, [37] and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” [38] And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” [39] And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. (ESV)

Our Biblical text for his morning tells us that Jesus came into contact with many people and did many miracles to help those people that were hurting and helpless.  Jesus’ miracles turned things around for the hurting and helpless by providing healing and hope in every situation.

For those of you that were in Bible study last week, some of this is going to sound familiar.

Jesus’ preaching and miracles served four purposes.

First, Jesus’ miracles fulfilled Scripture’s prophecy.

Speaking of the things that God’s Messiah Savior would do, the prophet Isaiah says this:

[5] Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

[6] then shall the lame man leap like a deer,

and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.

For waters break forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert; (Isaiah 35:5–6, ESV)

And:

[1] The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,

because the LORD has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor;

he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

[2] to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,

and the day of vengeance of our God;

to comfort all who mourn; (Isaiah 61:1–2, ESV)

Second, the performing of these exact miracles proved that He was the Messiah Savior.

Simply put, Jesus did the things that God said He would do before Jesus did them.  This confirmed that Jesus alone fulfilled the requirements set forth by God for the Messiah Savior.

Third, the miracles brought people to faith in Him as God’s Messiah Savior.

And, fourth, they demonstrated God’s outpouring of COMPASSION and love for his people.

Jesus’ healing miracles are reminders of the restoration He brings to His fallen creatures.  Just as the lame person could walk, the blind person could see, and the deaf hear, at Jesus’ return al the ailments that afflict our bodies will be instantly healed, and we will leave before Him in perfect health in our resurrected bodies.

That why the disciple John vision and description of Heaven includes this:

[1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2] And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1–4, ESV)

Miracles were not a magic show to, “Wow the audience.”

Miracles were a direct demonstration of God’s love for you through the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Miracles were a direct communication to you from God in which he says, “I see you.  I know your hurt, pain, and struggle.  I know your brokenness and helplessness.  But, I got you.  I am with you.  I am working in you and through you and for you always.  

Through Jesus, I will heal you and help you today, tomorrow, and forever, by forgiving you of your sin through Jesus’ death on the cross, giving you a perfect record of obeying every one of my commands by crediting Jesus’ life to your account, and I will welcome you home into Heaven through Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.  Jesus life, death, and resurrection are now your life, death, and resurrection!”

In every miracle that Jesus performs, there is compassion for the one receiving the benefits of the miracle, and there is 

compassion for you who hear about these miracles past because they point to the ultimate miracle that Jesus performed for you—

a perfectly lived life when measured against God’s standards for life and love 

leading him to be the perfect sacrifice to take your place on the cross 

to perfectly take all of your sins and give you all of his Godly perfection

and then rising from the grave to perfectly defeat the power of sin and death in order to open the gates of Heaven for you.

Everything Jesus did and continues to do demonstrates God’s compassion towards you.

As I continue to study artists and their artwork, it is common to hear that many people find themselves put off by the different forms of modern art. 

When the people witness modern art or listen to depressing modern music and am tempted to write it off (or worse, to find it amusing), we should think of the words of Francis Schaffer, the 20th Century American theologian, philosopher, and Presbyterian pastor.  He said this:

These paintings, these poems, and these demonstrations which we have been talking about are the expressions of men [and women] who are struggling with their appalling lostness. Dare we laugh at such things? Dare we feel superior when we view their tortured expressions in their art?

Christians should stop laughing and take such men [and women] seriously. Then we shall have the right to speak again to our generation. These men are dying while they live, yet where is our compassion for them? There is nothing more ugly than an orthodoxy without understanding or without compassion.”

When we view works of of art, the work is inseparable from the artist.  Art is borne out of the artists life experiences which more often than not include struggle and hardship.

Knowing this and recognizing this struggle and hardship helps us understand what the artist has produced as either an explanation of those struggles and hardships or the hope that they have despite those struggles and hardships.  Understanding the person and their needs helps us to have compassion on the things they say, do, and create.

According to an old Jewish story, once upon a time there was a four-year-old boy named Mortakai who refused to attend school and study Hebrew. Whenever his parents tried to immerse his mind in the Torah [or the Word of God], he would sneak away and play on the swing set. Every form of persuasion failed. Mortakai remained stubborn and defiant. The exasperated parents even brought him to a famous psychiatrist, but that also proved futile. Nothing changed the young boy’s heart, which seemed to grow more distant, lonely, and hardened every week.

Finally, in utter desperation, Mortakai’s parents brought him to the local rabbi, a warm and wise spiritual guide. As the parents explained their plight, pouring out their frustration and despair, the rabbi listened intently. Without saying a word, he gently picked up Mortakai, took him in his arms and held him close to his chest. The rabbi held Mortakai close enough and tight enough so the young boy could feel the safe, rhythmic beating of the rabbi’s heart. Then, still without a word, he gently handed the child back to his parents. From that point on, Mortakai listened to his parents, studied the Torah and, when it was appropriate, he also slipped away to play on the swing set.

Compassion changes a person.

In this old Jewish tale, the rabbi’s compassion made the young boy feel heard, understood, cared for, and safe.  The rabbit did this by bringing the boy close enough to feel his touch and to set their hearts in the same exact motion.

In our Biblical text for this morning, Jesus has compassion on the sick, hurting, and helpless making them feel heard, understood, cared for, and safe.  Jesus did this by drawing close to them so that they could feel God’s touch and have their hearts set into the same compassionate rhythm of their healer.

Although the world considered the troubled outcasts of society, Jesus saw a beauty in each one he had come to serve.

Through our Biblical text for this morning, Jesus let’s you know that he has compassion on you who find yourself troubled and helpless.  Jesus hears you, understands you, cares for you, and keeps you safe from being separated from God from this day forward. 

Rejoice this morning with the prophets Isaiah and Micah who exhort us with these words:

[13] Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;

break forth, O mountains, into singing!

For the LORD has comforted his people

and will have compassion on his afflicted. 

(Isaiah 49:13, ESV)

[19] He will again have compassion on us;

he will tread our iniquities underfoot.

You will cast all our sins

into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19, ESV)

Although you often feel alone and different because of your troubles, Jesus sees a beauty in you, the one He has come to serve.

Jesus comes alongside of you and let’s you know that everything is going to be OK.  You are healed.  Your sins are forgiven.  And, Heaven is yours.

This week, when you cry out,

“I’m one step closer to the edge,

And I’m about to break,”

Hear Jesus who compassionately calls back to you, “Come to me, you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Pastor Fred Scragg V.

February 4, 2024.

Posted on by Fred Scragg 5

Jesus Clean

Mark 1.21-28

Have you ever been the victim of someone’s abuse of authority and power?

While I was doing research this week to find common day and historical abuses of power and authority, I came across a very sad truth.

That very sad truth is this—the vast majority of recorded information about abuses of power and authority were centered on sexual assault.  Throughout each and every generation of human existence, the most common reason that people abused their power and authority was to receive immediate sexual gratification from those left in their care.  Whether it was a family friend or relative asked to babysit, or, a CEO of a fortune 500 company, those asked and tasked to provide safety, security and guidance for those under them, have abused the power and authority given to them in every situation imaginable to take what wasn’t theirs for their own benefit.

If you have been a victim of this type of abuse of power, I am truly sorry.  No one deserves to be used by another for their personal satisfaction.  

What time as prove to be true is that people abuse power and authority for any reason—even silly ones.

In 2013, Mexico’s Attorney General for Consumer Protection shut down a restaurant based on a complaint from his daughter. She was mad because they didn’t seat her at the specific table she wanted.

The attorney general’s name was Humberto Benitez Treviño. His daughter had gone to a popular restaurant in Mexico City without a reservation. When the staff refused to seat her at the table she wanted, she threatened to call her father and have the restaurant shut down. 

Soon after, four officials from the consumer protection agency showed up to carry out a “lightning raid” on the restaurant. They said they found some violations, including a problem with their reservation policies. They shut it down. At the same time, the daughter went on Twitter to complain about the restaurant.

Public opinion quickly turned against her. Mexico has long had problems with officials abusing their power, and this case was particularly blatant. It became a topic for discussion across the country, so the Mexican president fired Trevino, and the restaurant was reopened.

In 2017, a mayor in Florida got caught using the handicapped parking permits of dead people.

Darlene Bradley was the Mayor of Davenport, Florida. What makes her abuse of power particularly outrageous is that she stole a dead person’s identity for something as trivial as a parking spot.

She got caught after someone tipped off police, and they reviewed security footage from the parking lot at City Hall. The video showed her parking in a handicapped space and then lifting a heavy, wheeled briefcase from her trunk. Police discovered her parking permit had been issued to a woman who died in 2012, and Bradley had altered the expiration date. They eventually searched her house and found she had additional permits, including one from someone who died in 2015.

Prosecutors said the mayor’s actions showed she thought she was above the law. As part of a plea deal, she was forced to resign. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the charge of criminal use of the identity of a deceased person.

When we are talking about the proper and improper uses of power and authority, it is only fair that we also ask an uncomfortable question that requires an answer that comes from taking stock of our own pasts and possibly present.

Here it is:

Have you ever been the one to abuse authority and power given to you, making others the victim of an abuse of authority and power?

In this morning’s Biblical text, chosen for us by the lectionary for this Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, we get to hear about the use of power and authority.  Specifically, we get to hear about how God, in the flesh and bones of Jesus Christ, used his power and authority, unlike the people just discussed, for the good of those He came to.

Let’s hear from the disciple Mark’s biography of Jesus now.

Mark 1.21-28 tells us this:

[21] And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. [22] And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. [23] And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, [24] “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” [25] But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” [26] And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. [27] And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” [28] And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. (ESV)

In this piece of history recorded for us, we see and hear that Jesus, God present with us, used his power and authority to help those that came into contact with Him.

First, we see that Jesus uses his power and authority to give us hope.’

And, he does this by using his power and authority to teach and preach a message that is actually called, “The Good News.”

As we saw last week, from the text that immediately precedes this one, Jesus’ message that He was teaching and preaching was, “Repent, Believe, Follow Me, and I will make you citizens of Heaven who love God and love others!”  

This message contained in all of Jesus’ preaching and teaching brings hope because with the message of God sending a Savior, He is also annoying and showing that He is the fulfillment of God’s promise to rescue and save humanity from being separated from God forever.

He is making the promise and fulfilling the promise all at once.

In my devotional reading this week, I once again came upon Galatians 4:4–7 which the apostle Paul tells us this very truth in this way:

[4] But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. [6] And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” [7] So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (ESV)

Second, in our Biblical text for this morning, we see that Jesus uses his power and authority to make us clean.

Now, you may be asking, who is unclean?

Well, the immediate textual answer is the man that was possessed by an evil spirit.

We hear Jesus, with His power and authority over all things that were created, command the unclean spirit to leave the man it is bothering, enslaving, and oppressing.  And, because Jesus has power and authority over all things in existence, that unclean spirit had to obey and leave the man alone just as Jesus told it to.

It is here that we clearly see Jesus using his power and authority to set a man free from bondage to all things evil and ungodly, leaving the man in a better place, and a freer place, than he was before He met Jesus.

Even though our text focuses on this one unclean man, the text is also speaking to and referring to the fact that every man and woman that has ever been conceived and born into this world is unclean in God’s eyes before they are cleaned by the work that Jesus does in their lives. 

And, that includes you and me!

We are told over and over again in the Bible that being unclean, meaning morally impure, doing the things that God says not to do and not doing the things that God says to, separates you from God, your Creator and Father in Heaven.

Most of us go on living unclean, ungodly, selfish and self-centered lives, using whatever power and authority we can get to take what we think we deserve and are owed by the people and places around us.

However, because sin blinds us to our ungodliness and convinces us that we are in fact God, we often don’t see our need to be cleaned, saved, and restored into a relationship with God our Father until we encounter Jesus face-to-face.

Without the cleaning and transforming of our lives that Jesus ALONE provides for us, we are victimizers playing the victim to further use any and all power and authority we have to benefit ourselves.

The apostle John makes clear that those who remain unclean, that is untrusting and unbelieving in Jesus as Lord and Savior do not make it through the gates of Heaven.

In Revelation 21:22–27 when he writes about what Heaven will be like.  The apostle John says this:

[22] And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. [23] And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. [24] By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, [25] and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. [26] They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. [27] But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (ESV)

Later on in his ministry, after being asked to use his power and authority for the wrong purposes—to give a two men positions of power and authority over everyone else in the Kingdom of Heaven—Jesus answered with these words:

[25] But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. [26] It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, [27] and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, [28] even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25–28, ESV)

Jesus always shows us his commitment to use his power and authority for the right reasons.

Unlike humans who use even the smallest bit of power and authority to serve themselves to the fullest, Jesus, God in the flesh, never once used his power and authority to serve himself.  Jesus always used his power and authority to serve you!

Jesus always used his power and authority to preach to you and teach you that there is hope for forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life.

Jesus always used his power and authority to wash and clean you from all of the sin that separates you from God.

And, Jesus always used his power and authority to lead you back into the eternal presence of God, your Father in Heaven, who both created you and redeemed you at the price of His own life.

Author Vaughan Roberts recalled the following:

Bobby Moore was the England soccer captain who received the World Cup from Queen Elizabeth when England won the trophy in 1966. An interviewer later asked him to describe how he felt. He talked about how terrified he was as he approached Her Majesty, because he noticed she was wearing white gloves, while his hand, which would soon shake the Queen’s, was covered in mud from the pitch … As the triumphant captain walks along the balcony, he keeps wiping his hand on his shorts, and then on the velvet cloth in front of the Royal box in a desperate to get himself clean.

Roberts continued, 

“If Bobby Moore was worried about approaching the Queen with his muddy hands, how much more horrified should we be at the prospect of approaching God? Because of our sin, we are not just dirty on the outside; our hearts are unclean. And God doesn’t just wear white gloves; he is absolutely pure, through and through.”

The only way for you to become clean enough for God to be with you today, tomorrow, and forever, is to recognize Jesus’ power and authority to say what he going to do and do what he is says he will.

In 1958, Mr. Clean, the all-purpose cleaner was introduce to the world with the slogan, “There’s no clean, like Mr. Clean!’ 

For eternity’s sake, there’s no clean, like Jesus clean!

This morning, rejoice because in Jesus “you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11, ESV)

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Pastor Fred Scragg V.

January 28, 2024

Posted on by Fred Scragg 5

Don’t Play With God

Mark 1.14-20

Who do you follow?

We all follow someone or something.

What I mean is that we all take instructions for our daily life from a person, place, or idea.

And, in today’s technologically driven world, we actually find ourselves hitting a literal “follow” button on social media apps and websites.

Do you follow the Stanley Cup Fanatics, always chasing after the newest color or design of those sought after and worshipped water bottles?

Do you follow Dr. Phil, Dr. Ox, or Oprah Winfrey, looking for the perfect personally tailored path to mental and physical health?

Do you follow the leader of some pyramid scheme hidden under the guise of a business opportunity or side hustle to chase after a wealthy and luxurious lifestyle?

Do you follow the interpretation of world news from only one source, channel, voice, or YouTuber?

Do you follow the feeling at end of a glass of wine or the intake of weed?

Do you follow your own desires and instincts, always speaking your mind in the moment with little to no thought about what is coming out of your mouth or the actual consequences and implications for those around you?

If we sit back and examine our thoughts, words, and actions, we can all back track them to the input of someone, someplace, or something that came before us.  Whether we realize it or not, whether we want to admit it or not, we follow after the path, or, paths, that another has paved for us.

In a semi-recent interview with with Denzel Washington, it noted that the actor has been getting more explicit about his Christian convictions. 

In 2019 Washington called himself “a vessel of God.” 

Privately over coffee with the interviewer Washington added:

The enemy is the inner me. The Bible says in the last days — I don’t know if it’s the last days, it’s not my place to know — but it says we’ll be lovers of ourselves. The No. 1 photograph today is a selfie, “[Look at] me at the protest.” “[Look at] with the fire [with a glass of wine].” [Look at me with my kids at the park.  Look at me in church on Sunday.] 

“Follow me.” 

“Listen to me.”

We’re living in a time where people are willing to do anything to get followed. What is the long or short-term effect of too much information? It’s going fast and it can be manipulated obviously in a myriad of ways. And people are led like sheep to slaughter.

Don’t play with God. Don’t play with God. You hear what I said? Don’t play with God. You heard what I said? Don’t play with God.

Then the interviewer mentions that Washington urged her to download and use a daily Bible reading app. 

Washington said. “You have to fill up that bucket every morning. It’s rough out there. You leave the house in the morning. Here they come, chipping away. By the end of the day, you’ve got to refill that bucket.”

In our Biblical text this morning, chosen for us by the lectionary, we enter into the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry as recorded for us in Mark’s biography of Jesus.

It is in this short narrative of Jesus preaching and gathering of disciples that we hear the words, “Follow me and I will make you a citizen of Heaven.”

It is here that Jesus preaches a message that can be summed up with the words, “Don’t play with God.”

Let’s hear was the disciples Mark records for us in these opening words of his gospel.

Mark 1:14–20 says this:

[14] Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, [15] and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

[16] Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. [17] And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” [18] And immediately they left their nets and followed him. [19] And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. [20] And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. (ESV)

Our text for this morning opens up with interesting contextual note telling us that what Jesus was doing happened, “after John was arrested.”

This is an interesting time stamp that we may initially breeze over as inconsequential.

However, this simple statement is revealing to us a HUGE truth.

And, that truth is God cannot be stopped from loving you! Don’t play with God!

John’s preaching in the wilderness, and we have to assume elsewhere throughout his life, was “repent of your sins and believe in God’s promise of forgiveness through a Savior.”  For more specifics on this, or, if you don’t trust me, you can look back at Mark 1.1-8.

This message of personal wrongdoing that separates you from God and makes you guilty before God’s throne and deserving of extreme eternal punishment, rubbed the ruler of the day the wrong way because he wanted to live self-centeredly, cheating on his wife with his sister-in-law, while promoting his self-righteousness to all of his subjects.

So, to silence the conviction that God’s Spirit was bringing upon him, Herod had John thrown in prison and eventually beheaded.

However, this did not stop God’s message of sin and salvation.

God’s message of humanity’s need to repent—that is, confess of their sinful living against God’s standards for life and love and committing to turn away from that lifestyle with the Holy Spirit’s promised help—and believe in the good news of God’s forgiveness of that sin through the Savior’s life, death, and resurrection—would go forward until the end of time.

Herod tried to play with God, but God is relentless in his desire to love you by forgiving you, making you righteous, and welcoming you home into His eternal Kingdom of Heaven.

So, after John was taken out of the public eye and ear, Jesus picks up where John left off—preaching the message of humanity’s need to repent of their sin and believe in Him, who is now present with them, as their ONLY Savior.

In a few short, seemingly unimportant words, we are hearing the life changing message that God cannot be stopped from loving you and the world around you!

In the NT Biblical book of Acts, when the religious leaders had arrested and imprisoned some of Jesus’ disciples, a Pharisee by the name of Gamaliel said this to his fellow leaders:

“I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them.  You might even be found opposing God!” (Acts 5.38-39, ESV)

Getting rid of John the Baptist would not overthrow the power and plan of God who was, is, and will forever be, working for your good through your salvation!

Pop/Punk band, Green Day, released their newest record this past Friday.

The title track, called, “Saviors,” has them reaching out for help with the following lyrics.

Calling all saviors tonight

Make us believers tonight

Calling all strangers tonight

Will somebody save us tonight?

The interesting thing that we see when we compare these lyrics to this morning’s Biblical text is that Simon, Andrew, James, and John were not in the business of calling for and looking for a Savior.  

In fact, we are told in the Bible’s Scriptures that none of us is ever in active pursuit of a Savior.  

The truth is that we definitely need one.  

But, Satan uses lies and evil to bring the sin within us to life in order to make us feel like we are self-sufficient through self-centered living and the the feeling of self-righteousness—meaning that we can be our own Saviors by putting in enough work and hours at decent living—or, having the good outweigh the bad in our lives.

The apostle Paul quotes Psalm 14 in his letter to the Christians gathering in Rome, found in the book of Romans in our Bibles and remind them and us that,

[10] as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

[11] no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

[12] All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.” 

(Romans 3:10–12, ESV)

But, here’s the good news, even though the four fishermen weren’t calling for a Savior, they had a need for one, and their Savior came calling each of them by name.

And, that Savior, Jesus, did everything for them that they couldn’t do for themselves.

Jesus through his grace, mercy, and love, showed them their sin and gave them the strength, words, and desire to repent of that sin.

Jesus through his grace, mercy, and love, placed faith in their hearts to believe so that they knew without a doubt that He was God in the flesh, God with them, their Savior, and the Savior of all of those who also heard HIs call, repented, and believed.

Jesus through his grace, mercy, and love, called sinful, God denying men by name to follow Him in bringing God’s grace, mercy, and love, into the world.

And, Jesus made them fishers of men, meaning, partners in the Gospel who would work alongside of him loving God and loving others so that they too would hear the call of God, repent of their sin, believe in Jesus as Savior, follow him, and also become partners in the ministry work of loving God and loving others.

Repentance, belief, following Jesus, and loving others is all God’s work in our lives.  He works this things in and though us, not because we are calling him to do so, but because He loves us and wants the best for us now and eternally. So, He calls us by name and transforms us with His power because the power to change does not exist inside of us—regardless of what others tell you or you tell yourself.

In Ephesians 2:8–10, the apostle Paul lays it out like this:

[8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)

Following Stanley Cups, Dr. Phil, Dr. Ox, Oprah Winfrey, a pyramid scheme, a business opportunity, a side hustle, news interpretations, conspiracy theories, alcohol, drugs, or your thoughts and desires, will NEVER get you any closer to genuine happiness, genuine fulfillment, genuine satisfaction, or genuine contentment.

We all know that to be true because we have all tried at one time or another, or are trying right now to follow someone, something, or some idea, that is not Jesus, and we still feel unhappy and even miserable.

But, here’s the good news, even though you weren’t calling for a Savior, you had a need for one, and God your Savior, in Jesus Christ, came calling you by name.

And, that Savior, Jesus, did everything for you that you couldn’t do for yourself.

Classic rockers, still releasing music in this post-modern era, The Dead Daisies, say it like this:

Chosen and Justified 

…you know your satisfied

In your grace

You can’t erase 

Hear my call 

Don’t let it slip away 

Chosen and Justified

I was leading an AA meeting on Wednesday night and we were discussing the need for God to intervene in our lives to help us when one of recovered addicts said, “God doesn’t wear off quickly like drugs do.”  

I was taken aback because it was one of the most truthful, experience-driven statements that I have ever heard. 

When Jesus speaks into your life by calling your name, which is has been doing and is doing right now and will continue to do tomorrow, through the Word (the Bible) and the Sacraments (Baptism and Communion), you clearly hear 4 separate things.

1. Repent.

2. Believe.

3. Follow Me.

4. I will make you fishers of men.

And, these four things are not one time events.  They describe a cycle, or pattern, for your life from the day you find yourself believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior until the day you meet that Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in His Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus points out that the beginning of your faith journey with Him is just like the middle and the end of your faith journey with him.

Matthew 16:24–27 has Jesus reminding his followers of this daily need to repent, believe, follow him, and be made into fishers of men.

These verses tell us this:

[24] Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [25] For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. [26] For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? [27] For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. (ESV)

This morning, don’t play with God, repent of your sin, believe in Jesus as God’s gift of Savior, follow Jesus, and be made into one who can freely love those around you because you have first been freely called and loved by God, your Father in Heaven.

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Pastor Fred Scragg V.

January 21, 2024

Posted on by Fred Scragg 5

Do The Right Thing

Romans 6.1-11

Have you ever struggled to do the right thing?

Have you ever thought to yourself, “what is the purpose of doing the right thing if I am the only one doing it?”

Maybe you’ve thought, “The people that don’t do the right thing seem to be happier, more fulfilled, and are having more fun.”

The original owners of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company had the reputation for being people of integrity. The beginning of their story reveals their commitment to do the right thing—even when it cost them:

Northwestern Mutual was founded as the Mutual Life Insurance Company of the State of Wisconsin on March 2, 1857. Originally located in Janesville, Wisconsin, the fledgling company relocated to Milwaukee in 1859. Shortly after, the company experienced its first two death claims, when an excursion train traveling from Janesville to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, derailed, killing 14 people, two of whom were policy owners. With losses amounting to $3,500 and having funds of only $2,000, company President Samuel Daggett and Treasurer Charles Nash personally borrowed the needed funds to pay the claims immediately.

Later when asked why they didn’t simply default on the payments, they replied it would not have been the right thing to do to their fellow man. They both agreed they would rather see the company fail than neglect their obligation to those who trusted them to keep their word.

Doing the right thing can be hard.

Always choosing right over wrong can feel like a daunting task, especially in the moments of decision making.

In this morning’s Biblical text, chosen for us by the lectionary, we are going to hear the apostle Paul give us the encouragement we need to walk every day in the right and the light of our faith as defined in God’s commandments for life and love.

Let’s hear from the apostle Paul’s letter to the Christians gathered in the city of Rome during the first century now.

Romans 6:1–11 says this:

[1] What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? [2] By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? [3] Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

[5] For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. [6] We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. [7] For one who has died has been set free from sin. [8] Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. [9] We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. [10] For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. [11] So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

Have you ever thought to yourself,

“If Jesus has already forgiven me of my Sin—my sins from the past, my sins in the present, and even the sins that I will commit in the future—why can’t I just do whatever I want right now?  After all, I am forgiven by God and will be forgiven by God anyway?”

If you have thought that at one point or another, and I know you probably have, because I have, I want you to know that you aren’t alone.

That’s how tricky sin and Satan are.  They corrupt our thinking to the point where we think we can get one over on God.

It is this exact broken train of thought that the apostle Paul had to confront in the church around 2000 years ago as witnessed by our Biblical text this morning.

Our text begins with Paul presenting the question, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?”

Here, in his letter to the Christians gathered in the city of Rome during the 1st Century, Paul is not posing this question as one to be answered by the hearers. 

No! Paul is posing the question that he has heard from the Christians gathered in the city of Rome so that he can correct their thinking that is broken and corrupted by the Sin that dwells within us and seems so close whenever we want to do the right thing.

Paul sums up the way he feels, which is very often the way we feel a bit later in this same letter, that often leads to the train of thought being confronted at the outset of this Biblical text.

Romans 7:14–8.1 says this:

[14] For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. [15] For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. [16] Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. [17] So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. [18] For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. [19] For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. [20] Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

[21] So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. [22] For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, [23] but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. [24] Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? [25] Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (ESV)

[1] There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

When theologians get together to discuss some of the finer points of theology, one of the things they discuss is the way God uses his Law in our lives.

I teach the 3 Uses of the Law to all of my confirmation classes by having them memorize the following paragraph:

The Law is that part of God’s Word which tells us what we must do and what we must not do.  It has two, possibly three uses: 1) to curb our natural tendencies by telling us what we must do under penalty of punishment or failure; 2) to convict of sin by describing where we have failed to keep the law, thus showing us our need for a Savior; and 3) to coach the believer regarding what Christ has given the believer to do.

Today’s text has Paul teaching what we would call “The 3rd Use of the Law.”

In the 3rd Use of the Law, we are told that God’s Law has an important place in the life of the believer.

This is very important to understand because there are many traditions that would call themselves “Christian,” but in fact deny that God’s Law has a place in the life of a person once they come to faith in Jesus Christ.

The wrong thinking of such heretical groups goes like this: “Jesus has done all that needs to be done for me.  I am forgiven yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  So, there is no need for me to follow any rules or standards for life and love found in the Bible.”

Those that believe that God’s Law has no place in the life of a person once they come to faith have been historically known as antinomians.

Antinomian comes from the combination of two ancient words; anti, meaning, “against,” and, nomos, meaning, “law.”

So, when you put them together, you are referring to those who are against God’s Law.

Why am I telling you all of this stuff?

I am telling you all of this stuff because it directly relates to what Paul was speaking about in this morning’s Biblical text.

Here’s the order of thought that the apostle Paul is confronting:

God’s Law shows me and the world what sin is.

When I sin, God has the chance to forgive me and show the world that he is a forgiving God.

Therefore, I should just keep sinning, or living like God’ Law doesn’t exist—living in complete disobedience to God’s standards for life and love—so that He can continue to show His love through forgiveness to me and the world.

As much as we would also confront that wrong way of thinking and behaving, we tend to think and behave in this exact way when the rubber meets the road of life.

We think differently than God who created us, forgives us, and rescues us.

And, we act differently than God who created us, forgives us, and rescues us.

[24] Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? [25] Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (ESV)

[1] There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

Jesus Christ, Himself tells us that God’s Law is important for our lives and that He didn’t come to get rid of it.

In the disciple Matthew’s biography of Jesus, Jesus says to those listening to the particular sermon that he is giving:

[17] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. [18] For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. [19] Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [20] For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5.17-20, ESV)

And, Jesus’ brother, James, reminds us of the connection of faith and works, the connection that faith such inform works, or that our creeds should inform our deeds, when he says:

[14] What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? [15] If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, [16] and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? [17] So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

[18] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. [19] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! [20] Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? [21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? [22] You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; [23] and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. [24] You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. [25] And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? [26] For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. (James 2:14–26, ESV)

The fact that Christians are known by their love and that true believers can’t help but be pushed and pulled in the direction of doing the right thing by the Holy Spirit alive and active inside of them.

We won’t always choose the right over the wrong or the light over the dark because we continue to struggle with the brokenness and corruption inside of us, but we will know the difference and have at least a desire to move toward the right and the light.

In my study this week, I was reading some of the writing of the fourth century pastor and teacher, Cyril, who served as the bishop of Jerusalem.  He also spoke to the issue of faith informing the thoughts, words, and actions of our everyday life, or to state it again, our creeds informing our deeds.  

Cyril said this:

“In this Holy [Christian] Church receiving instruction and behaving ourselves virtuously, we shall attain the kingdom of Heaven and inherit Eternal Life;”

Cyril—300 years after Jesus, Paul, and James—makes the connection between and doctrine and practice (or, the things we say we believe and the things we do).  He emphasizes, as do Jesus, Paul, and James, before him, that our actions should flow from our beliefs. 

In an earlier lecture of his, Cyril said:

“For the method of godliness consists of these two things, pious doctrines, and virtuous practice: and neither are the doctrines acceptable to God apart from good works, nor does God accept the works which are not perfected without pious doctrines.”

He goes on to explain that is it of no value to live a virtuous life and yet not believe in God; neither is it possible to retain your faith while living an unrepentant life of sin.  

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior—the one who saves us from our Sin that separates us from God eternally—we are untied to Jesus through baptism and are made into a new creation filled with God’s presence every second of every day through the gift of the Holy Spirit.  

It is in this place that we are given the mind of Christ to see the world as Jesus sees it—as a place that ultimately needs to be loved and forgiven to find rest, peace, and hope.  It is in this state of being that we can finally love God and love others as God commands us to do.

In 1 John 2:1–6, the disciple John writes this in his first letter to the Church:

[1] My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. [2] He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. [3] And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. [4] Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, [5] but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: [6] whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (ESV)

Back in 1968, a theology student published in his school’s journal what he called, “The Paradoxical Commandments.”

They went like this:

  1. People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
  1. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
  1. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
  1. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Be good anyway.
  1. Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
  1. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
  1. People need help but may attack you if you try to help them. Help them anyway.
  1. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

This morning, rejoice, celebrate, scream, shout, and dance.  Through Jesus you are dead to sin and alive to God! 

Jesus did the right thing for you.  And, doing the right thing was hard.  He followed God’s command to give his life over to death on the cross to be the payment for your sin.  This is love.

Do the right thing this week—Walk in the newness of life that you have been given—in a manner worthy of Christ following God’s rules for life and love that He graciously gives you for your good and the good of the world around you.  This is love.

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Pastor Fred Scragg V

January 7, 2024

Posted on by Fred Scragg 5

The Great Grace Giveaway | Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23

Have you ever wanted to give up and walk away?

I mean, have you ever felt that the time and effort you put into something was no longer worth it?

Have you ever wanted to give up and walk away from exercise and dieting?

Maybe you have felt that all of the walking, the running, the lifting, and the depriving yourself of tasty treats, isn’t really making any difference in the way you look so, why continue doing it?

Have you ever wanted to give up and walk away from your job?

Maybe you have felt the the time, effort, hours, and years that you have worked for your company weren’t leading anywhere and weren’t fulfilling your need for meaning and purpose.

Have you ever wanted to give up and walk away from your marriage?

Maybe you have felt that the relationship has been one sided for several years now.  You feel that you are putting in all of the effort to keep the marriage together and your spouse doesn’t give or compromise in return.

Have you ever wanted to give up and walk away from your children?

Maybe you have felt that you have given more than enough chances for your kids to straighten up and fly right.  You have felt tired, hurt, betrayed.  You have been lied to, mocked, embarrassed, shamed, and disrespected.  You have felt taken advantage of.  

Have you ever wanted to give up and walk away from your government?

Maybe you have felt that your local and national leaders aren’t getting things right.  There is still injustice, suffering, inequality, and lack of clear direction for where our neighborhood’s and country are going.

Have you ever wanted to give up and walk away from your church?

Maybe you have felt that the pastor and leaders aren’t inspiring people to live good Christian lives.  Maybe you feel that the lack of attendance shows apathy for the once on-fire faith of your friends and family members.  Maybe the pastor isn’t political enough for you.  Maybe the pastor is too political for you.  Maybe the pastor is the wrong kind of political for you.

On a drizzly afternoon in early 2015 seven people gathered for Washington D.C.’s newest group—The Quitters Club. Tagline: “Let’s Give Up on Our Dreams … Together!” One attendee was ready to cast aside her long-held ambition to become an actress. Same deal for a would-be writer. Another was ready to quit Washington D.C. The hodgepodge group of strangers were drawn together by the same invite that read: “Most of us have something special we’d like to do with our lives. At the Quitters Club we can help each other stomp out the brush fires set in our hearts, and get on with our lives.”

Founder Justin Cannon has quit all sorts of things—filmmaking, music, graphic design. He is tortured by the dueling forces of grand ambition and intense self-doubt. Most often, the battle leaves him frozen. And despondent. At one point Cannon expressed his growing exasperation. “I was like, ‘We should have a group where people want to give up on their dreams.’ I was making a joke,” he recalls. “But somebody said, ‘You know, that’s a really good idea.’”

A few days later he took action. He posted a note on Meetup for his new group. He thought he might be forming a club of one, but within 48 hours, 35 people signed up. And for the next two hours, one after another the attendees expressed their dreams and their inability to make progress and their readiness to give up and walk away from the passions that once got them out of bed in the morning.

In this morning text, we hear a story about a gardener who doesn’t give up—even though at times we would have understood if he did. He knows exactly what He is doing every second of every day and because of that, He is able to produce a massive crop of grain through His work with the seeds and soil even after having some not so great results. And, he ends up with a never ending supply of crops.

We hear this in Matthew 13.1-9:

[1] That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. [2] And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. [3] And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. [4] And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. [5] Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, [6] but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. [7] Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. [8] Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. [9] He who has ears, let him hear.” (ESV)

Now, you and I, not having been raised in an agricultural society — meaning a society where everyone’s livelihood comes from farming — may have a bit of trouble understanding the meaning behind this parable — this story with a spiritual point.

And, Jesus knows that, so Jesus interprets the parable for us so that there will be no confusion as to what He is revealing to us.

Jesus says this:

[18] “Hear then the parable of the sower: [19] When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. [20] As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, [21] yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. [22] As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. [23] As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” (ESV)

Jesus tells us a story about a farmer who sows seeds in order to produce a crop.

This farmer goes out into his field and spreads seeds everywhere.  He is very generous with the seed.

Some seed falls on the path and doesn’t take root.

Some seed falls into rocky soil and can’t survive because there is no room for its roots to grow.

Some seed falls into a thorn patch and can’t survive because it is beaten up and choked out by the other plants.

And, some seed falls into healthy soil where it grows and grows and grows and grows.

Jesus goes on to explain that the Sower is the Son of Man, Jesus, the seed is the Word of God that tells about the rescue from sin through forgiveness and enteral life, and the soil is the different types of hearts that hear the good news that is that Word of God.

So, what he is telling us is that He, Jesus, comes into the world sharing the good news of salvation with everyone, no one is excluded from hearing the good news that God’s desire is that all men and women come to repent, believe, and receive hope for today and tomorrow.

This isn’t some specialized message for only some to hear, it is a message that is generously spread everywhere for everyone to hear.

However, some reject it.

Others believe the facts for a short time but it never has any personal meaning to them.

While still others believe the good news but when the cares, concerns, and worry of the world come their way — financial struggles, marital struggles, career struggles, sickness, death, natural disasters, racial tension, governmental negligence, etc. — they just can’t hold onto the truth that good God is still in control and that once vibrant faith fades away.

Sometimes we are the path.

Sometimes we are the rocky soil.

Sometimes we are the thorn patch.

And, by the grace of God alone, sometimes we are the good soil.

In these times, we hear, receive, and believe the Good News of Jesus’ life of perfect obedience to God’s commands which he gives to us so that we have a life of perfect obedience to God’s commands, Jesus’ death of the cross for the forgiveness of sin, and Jesus’ resurrection from the grave for our life in Heaven after death in this world.

Regardless of where you are right now, rejecting God, unsure about God being personal to you, unsure about God being good, or full of faith in God’s goodness to you,

God does not give up on you.

Jesus does not give up on you.

Jesus continues to be gracious to you.

Jesus continues to share the good news of forgiveness of sin and eternal life with you.

Jesus continues spreading the seed of God’s grace that will change you life and give you hope for today and tomorrow.

Jesus comes to you with the great grace give away. Receive the free gift of God’s love that he is giving you!

In our text this morning, there is also an implicit call to be sowers of seed, as Jesus was first a a sower of seed in our life, in the world around us.

There is also the call to go into the world with the Word of God and the love of God and not give up.

Even though you may not see plants or fruit or herbs growing right now, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t happening.

In the church that I grew up in there was a woman who was married to an unbelieving husband.  If you knew her, the top item on her daily prayer list was that her husband would find himself believing in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, record of righteousness, and eternal life.  

For the first 25 years of her marriage, she prayed, she invited him to church and she constantly used her home as a place for Christian fellowship.  And, even though she continually spread the seeds of God’s grace over her husband, it didn’t take root and grow.

That was, until year 26 of her marriage.  It was in that year that her husband asked the pastor to start meeting on a regular basis which eventually led to him receiving the gift of faith that made Him part of God’s eternal family.

The wife in this situation kept sowing seeds of grace.

Even when her husband didn’t go to church with her.

The wife kept sowing seeds of grace through sharing God’s Word with him and praying for him.

Even when her husband made fun of her and her Bible study friends.

The wife kept sowing seeds of grace through sharing God’s Word with him and praying for him.

Even when there were glimmers of hope and excitement through her husband fishing with some of the church guys, but no further desire to be around them.

The wife kept sowing seeds of grace through sharing God’s Word with him and praying for him.

Until, one day, the seed of God’s grace in Jesus Christ fell on the good soil that God was preparing all of the time and it took root, grew, and the husband found himself believing in the forgiveness of sins, righteousness, eternal life, and ending up serving God through his church in countless ways.

In his book Handling the Word of Truth, the author, John T. Pless says:

“In this life, we should not despair of any person or conclude that he [or she] is beyond the reach of the Gospel.  Rather, with patine and prayer we continue to hold out to the the Word of Life who alone is abled to rescue them from condemnation.” (page 127)

In a funeral sermon I preached on Monday for a family in Staten Island who lost their husband, father, and grandfather, I shared the following text that encourages us to persevere and keep going, even when we are ready to give up.

Romans 8:31–39 says this to you:

[31] What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? [33] Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. [34] Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

[37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, [39] nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (ESV)

As we were looking through some of the husband, father, and grandfather’s Bibles, we found the following passage highlighted that gives us a similar exhortation to persevere and not give up.

Colossians 1:9–14 tells you this:

[9]… be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, [10] so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; [11] being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; [12] giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. [13] He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (ESV)

To return to where we began with The Quitters Club, the story continues like this:

The founder thought he might be forming a club of one, but within 48 hours, 35 people signed up. And for the next two hours, one after another the attendees expressed their dreams and their inability to make progress and their readiness to give up.

But surprisingly they ended up encouraging each other to persevere. 

The actress, they decide, should give it a hard push for a year before tossing out her ambitions of making it on the stage. 

The unhappy Washingtonian should look for a new job before giving up on the city. 

The writer whose day job is getting in the way of her artistic pursuits should carve out time each day for her passion.

“Here we are at the Quitters Club and we’re all encouraging each other to keep going,” one attendee mused. “I knew that was gonna happen,” Cannon says. They will meet again the following month to continue in their quest to help people quit. Or, as it turns out, to keep on believing.

Using the words of pop singer Rick Astley, I am going to rick-roll you here to the end of the sermon.

God’s never gonna give you up.

God’s never gonna let you down.

God’s never gonna run around and desert you.

God’s never gonna make you cry.

God’s never gonna say goodbye.

God’s never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.

God never gives up on you.

Jesus never gives up on you.

He continues to be gracious to you time and time again.

Even in moments when faith is a struggle for you, when believing in a God who you can’t see, when the world is crumbling in a broken mess around you, Jesus is still throwing His seeds of grace on you to nurture you, care for you, and help you grow.

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Pastor Fred Scragg.

July 16, 2023